Interactions between Syriac And Greek Hymnography

For about 1000 years, from the 4th to the 13th century, Syriac and Greek hymnographical traditions interacted in various ways. Earlier on, the Syriac tradition enjoyed the greater prestige, but from the 6th century onwards Greek hymnography exerted an increasingly strong influence on the Syriac tradition; first, this was with the Syriac translations of the hymns of Severus, then from the eighth century onwards, with the canons of Kosmas, John of Damascus and others, undertaken in Melkite circles, but taken up in the Syrian Orthodox tradition as well. An Appendix identifies and lists the canons of Kosmas and John of Damascus which are to be found in the two printed editions of the Fenqitho.