Akathistos

Byzantine hymn

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July 23, 2026

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The Akathist hymn, also known as the Akathistos, is a significant Byzantine hymn, particularly important in early Byzantine liturgical music. It is a poetic homily or sermon, typically comprising 18 to 30 stanzas, all linked by a refrain. This hymn is traditionally sung with the congregation standing, honoring Christ, the Virgin Mary, or a saint.12

The Akathist hymn is one of the few complete kontakia that have retained a special place in liturgical services, notably being sung during the fifth week of Lent. The term akathistos literally means "standing hymn". While the exact origins are debated, it is believed to be of Syrian origin and was popularized in Byzantium by St. Romanos Melodos.12

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Byzantine Empire
Heraclius and the origin of the themes
…singing Romanos’s great hymn “Akathistos,” with choir and crowd alternating in the chant of the “Alleluia.” The hymn, still sung in a Lenten service, commemorates those days when Constantinople survived as a fortress under ecclesiastical leadership, its defenders protected by the icons and united by their liturgy. This they…
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…singing Romanos’s great hymn “Akathistos,” with choir and crowd alternating in the chant of the “Alleluia.” The hymn, still sung in a Lenten service, commemorates those days when Constantinople survived as a fortress under ecclesiastical leadership, its defenders protected by the icons and united by their liturgy. This they…
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kontakion
…kontakion by Romanos and the “Akathistos” hymn, a long hymn to the Virgin, sung in the fifth week of Lent.
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…kontakion by Romanos and the “Akathistos” hymn, a long hymn to the Virgin, sung in the fifth week of Lent.
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