The horologion or horologium (pl. horologia), also known by other names, is the book of hours for the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches.[Herbermann, Charles George. The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church, Volume 9. Encyclopedia Press, 1913. 303.] It provides the acolouthia (ἀκολουθίαι, akolouthíai), the fixed portions of the Divine Service used every day at certain canonical hours. Additional parts of the service are changed daily, mostly according to the Menologium.
Names
Horologium]] is the latinized version of the Greek
hōrológion (), from
hṓra (, "time period,
hour"),
lógos (, "
writing,
document") +
-ion (), together originally meaning a
sundial, clepsydra, or other timekeeping device. (The same roots are used in
horology, the scientific study of
time.) In
Byzantine Greek, the word was repurposed to also denote the Eastern books of hours, records of the hymns and prayers to be offered at the proper times of each day. The plural form of both the Latin and Greek forms of the word is
horologia.
In English, the horologion is also sometimes known as the Book of Hours or the Orthodox book of hours, from the nearest Roman Catholic equivalent. The book is known as the Chasoslov (Часocлoвъ) in Church Slavonic and as the Orologhion or Ceaslov in Romanian.
Description
The horologion is primarily a book for the use of the reader and chanters. The
Euchologion is used by the
priest and
deacon instead. Several varieties of horologia exist, the most complete of which is the
Great Horologion or
Horologium (,
Hōrológion tò méga; ,
Velikij Chasoslov; ,
Orologhionul Mare). It contains the fixed portions of the Daily Office (
Vespers, Greater and Lesser
Compline, the
Midnight Office,
Matins, the
Little Hours, the
Inter-Hours,
Typica, and the prayers before meals). The parts for the reader and chanters are given in full, while the priest and deacon's parts are abbreviated. Great Horologia also contain a list of the
saints commemorated throughout the year with their
Troparion and
Kontakion; selected
propers for
;
from the
Menaion,
Triodion, and
Pentecostarion; and the various canons and other devotional services. The Great Horologion is most commonly used in
Greek language-speaking churches.
Other editions of the horologion are usually shorter. They still give the fixed portions of the Daily Office in full, but other texts are much more abbreviated since they are found in full in other liturgical books. In addition, such texts also often contain morning and evening prayers, the Order of Preparation for Holy Communion, and prayers to be said after receiving Holy Communion.
See also
External links
