Ephraim of Antioch
Encyclopedia
Ephraim of Antioch or of Amida ' onMouseout='HidePop("79301")' href="/topics/Amida_(Roman_city)">Amida
in Mesopotamia
; d. in 545) was Patriarch of Antioch
and a Church Father. He was one of the defenders of the Faith of the Council of Chalcedon
(451) against the Monophysites. He is an Orthodox saint.
. In 527 he succeeded Euphrasius as Patriarch of Antioch.
(c. 700), John Damascene (d. about 754) or whoever was the author of the Sacra Parallela, and especially Photius (d. 891). Anastasius quotes passages from a work of Ephraim against Severus, the Monophysite Patriarch of Antioch (512-519). The Sacra Parallela give a short passage from St. Ephraim, Archbishop of Antioch, taken from a work On John the Grammarian and the Synod.
Photius speaks of four books by Ephraim. The first consisted of sermons and letters, the second, and third contained a treatise against Severus in three parts and an answer to five questions about the Book of Genesis addressed to the author by a monk named Anatolius. The fragments quoted by Photius represent practically all that is left of Ephraim's writings.
Cardinal Mai was able to add a few more from a manuscript Catena in the Vatican library. Krumbacher mentions a few other fragments in the Paris library, etc., and considers that Ephraim would deserve the same reputation as Leontius Byzantinus if more of his work had been preserved. He had extensive knowledge of Greek Fathers, and follows chiefly Cyril of Alexandria
in his Christology
.
Amida (Roman city)
Amida was an ancient city located where modern Diyarbakır, Turkey. The Roman writers Ammianus Marcellinus and Procopius consider it a city of Mesopotamia, but it may be more properly viewed as belonging to Armenia Major....
in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
; d. in 545) was Patriarch of Antioch
Patriarch of Antioch
Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the Bishop of Antioch. As the traditional "overseer" of the first gentile Christian community, the position has been of prime importance in the church from its earliest period...
and a Church Father. He was one of the defenders of the Faith of the Council of Chalcedon
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from 8 October to 1 November, 451 AD, at Chalcedon , on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separation of the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th...
(451) against the Monophysites. He is an Orthodox saint.
Life
He was Count of the East (comes Orientis) under Justin IJustin I
Justin I was Byzantine Emperor from 518 to 527. He rose through the ranks of the army and ultimately became its Emperor, in spite of the fact he was illiterate and almost 70 years old at the time of accession...
. In 527 he succeeded Euphrasius as Patriarch of Antioch.
Works
Most of his many works are lost. We know the titles of them, however, from Anastasius SinaitaAnastasius Sinaita
Saint Anastasius Sinaïta or Anastasius of Sinai, also called Anastasios of Sinai, was a prolific and important seventh century Greek ecclesiastical writer, priest, monk, and abbot of Saint Catherine's Monastery at Mt. Sinai....
(c. 700), John Damascene (d. about 754) or whoever was the author of the Sacra Parallela, and especially Photius (d. 891). Anastasius quotes passages from a work of Ephraim against Severus, the Monophysite Patriarch of Antioch (512-519). The Sacra Parallela give a short passage from St. Ephraim, Archbishop of Antioch, taken from a work On John the Grammarian and the Synod.
Photius speaks of four books by Ephraim. The first consisted of sermons and letters, the second, and third contained a treatise against Severus in three parts and an answer to five questions about the Book of Genesis addressed to the author by a monk named Anatolius. The fragments quoted by Photius represent practically all that is left of Ephraim's writings.
Cardinal Mai was able to add a few more from a manuscript Catena in the Vatican library. Krumbacher mentions a few other fragments in the Paris library, etc., and considers that Ephraim would deserve the same reputation as Leontius Byzantinus if more of his work had been preserved. He had extensive knowledge of Greek Fathers, and follows chiefly Cyril of Alexandria
Cyril of Alexandria
Cyril of Alexandria was the Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444. He came to power when the city was at its height of influence and power within the Roman Empire. Cyril wrote extensively and was a leading protagonist in the Christological controversies of the later 4th and 5th centuries...
in his Christology
Christology
Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
.