Aposticha

Aposticha are a set of hymns (stichera) and verses towards the end of Vespers and Matins. The Greek literally means "hymns on the verses (stichos)." Aposticha are unique in that they start with a hymn, rather than a verse as stichera usually do. On Sundays there is one more sticheron than on weekdays. The aposticha at Sunday Vespers form an alphabetical acrostic in the original Greek. The first sticheron is not part of the acrostic.

Sources

• Archimandrite Ephrem, "Aposticha" and "Sticheron" in Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity (Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 1999.) ISBN 0631189661
• Monks of New Skete, "Introduction" in Hymns of Entreaty (Cambridge, New York: New Skete, 1987.) ISBN 093512909X