Holobolus, Manuel

Holobolus, Manuel (Μανουὴλ ῾Ολόβωλος), a Byzantine prelate and philologist, who lived in the latter part of the 13th century. From his infancy he was attached to John Lascaris, who was placed upon the throne at nine years of age, and shared with. Michael Palseologus the title of emperor. When Michael ordered the young-prince to be blinded and sent into exile, Holobolus, who then was still a student, could not conceal his indignation, and for this imprudence the emperor ordered that his nose and lips should be cut off. He was then imprisoned in a monastery, where he pursued his studies with so much success that he was put in charge of the younger monks in 1267. Shortly afterwards the emperor was reconciled to Holobolus, and conferred upon him the dignity of a rhetor, or lecturer on the Holy Scriptures. During the discussions which were taking place between the Greek and Latin churches, on the subject of a reunion, he opposed energetically the proposition of Michael Palaeologus.He was consigned to a monastery at Nicmea in 1273. The emperor soon after brought him back to Constantinople with a cord around his neck. A long captivity did not change at all the sentiments of Holobolus, for he took part, in 1283, in the deposition of the patriarch John Veccus, a partisan of the Latin union. Holobolus left Political Verses on Michael Palceologus, which are cited in the Glossarium of Du Cange, under ῾Ρήτωρ and ῾Ερμηνεῖαι See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.