Help with Greek: "thyson despota"

[Herman Blaydoe]

A former Greek Orthodox, now Protestant, made the statement: "n the Holy Communion the Orthodox kill every Sunday by the explicit words in their Liturgy saying "THYSON DESPOTA" : "Kill Despot" the Lamb that is represented by the Bread.

I suspect he is talking about the anaphora, but I can't find anything like that in English. Are these words actually used in the Greek and what do they actually mean if so?

Herman the "its-all-Greek-to-me" Pooh

[Michael C.]

A former Greek Orthodox, now Protestant, made the statement: "n the Holy Communion the Orthodox kill every Sunday by the explicit words in their Liturgy saying "THYSON DESPOTA" : "Kill Despot" the Lamb that is represented by the Bread.

I suspect he is talking about the anaphora, but I can't find anything like that in English. Are these words actually used in the Greek and what do they actually mean if so?

Herman the "its-all-Greek-to-me" Pooh

Christ is Risen, Herman!

I found a link with the Divine Liturgy of St. John C. in Greek:

http://www.christopherklitou.com/the_divine_liturgy_chrysostom_greek_hieratikon.htm

In searching for the word "Δέσποτα" (despota), I found several references, but not "thyson". I believe this comes the closest to thyson. I believe 'Μέλισον' means 'dismember':

ΔΙΑΚΟΝΟΣ: Μέλισον, Δέσποτα, τον άγιον Άρτον.

DEAKON: Dismember, Despota, the holy Bread.

Ο Ιερεύς, μετά προσοχής και ευλαβείας, μελίζων, λέγει

The Priest, dismembering carefully and with piety, says:

Μελίζεται και διαμερίζεται ο Αμνός του Θεού, ο μελιζόμενος, και μη διαιρούμενος, ο πάντοτε εσθιόμενος, και μηδέποτε δαπανώμενος, αλλά τους μετέχοντας αγιάζων.

The Lamb of God, is dismembered and distributed, He who is dismembered, but never divided, ever eaten but never consumed, sanctifying those who partake.

etc.

[Father David Moser]

DEAKON: Dismember, Despota, the holy Bread.
...


It is worth noting that in actual use, the accepted English translation here is "Break, Master the Holy Bread" rather than "dismember". As priest then breaks the Lamb into the four pieces and sets them around the paten in the sign of the cross says: "Broken and distributed is the Lamb of God, broken though not divided (or in some translations "disunited"), ever eaten though never consumed." Although the meanings correlate, I think that "break" is much more consistent with common useage than would be "dismemberment"

Fr David Moser

[Andreas Moran]

To render 'melison' as 'kill' is obviously nonsense. 'Break' is, as Fr David, explains, the usual translation. 'Fraction' is another word which may convey the meaning. The important point is that the 'Lamb of God' (for it is by now no longer bread) is 'broken though not divided' which signifies that each fraction is yet the whole. How else are the faithful of all times and in all places to partake of the Body of Christ?

One grieves at the thought that an Orthodox might have apostacised because of a misunderstanding.

[Brian Rowlands]

A former Greek Orthodox, now Protestant, made the statement: "n the Holy Communion the Orthodox kill every Sunday by the explicit words in their Liturgy saying "THYSON DESPOTA" : "Kill Despot" the Lamb that is represented by the Bread.

I suspect he is talking about the anaphora, but I can't find anything like that in English. Are these words actually used in the Greek and what do they actually mean if so?

Herman the "its-all-Greek-to-me" Pooh

These are the deacon's words at the prothesis, when the priest cuts the cross into the amnos/agniets, variously translated as "slay" (= kill) or "sacrifice", master.
The priest, cutting the cross, says: 'slain/sacrificed is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, for the life and salvation of the world'.

'Sacrificed' is possibly the better use.

[Owen Jones]

Isn't the term we use "rational sacrifice?" i.e. not a blood sacrifice as was the custom of slaying animals on the altar, but rather a rational recap of God's sacrifice of Himself?