Joseph the Hymnographer was a ninth-century Greek monk and prolific liturgical poet born in Syracuse. After his family fled an Arab invasion in Sicily, he moved to the Peloponnese and eventually became a monk in Thessalonica. He later joined the Stoudios Monastery in Constantinople, where he became a highly respected figure. Known for his defense of icons against Iconoclasm, he served in significant ecclesiastical roles, including keeper of the sacred vessels in the Great Church. He is remembered as a major contributor to Eastern Orthodox hymnography.