Epiphanius of Salamis
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| Saint Epiphanius | |
|---|---|
| Oracle of Palestine | |
| Born | 315, Judea |
| Died | 403, at sea |
| Feast | May 12 |
Epiphanius (ca 310–20 – 403) was a Church Father, a heresiologist who was a strong defender of orthodoxy, known for tracking down deviant teachings (heresies) wherever they could be traced, during the troubled era in the Christian Church following the Council of Nicaea.
Ecclesiastical Life
He was born into a Jewish family in the small settlement of Besanduk, near Eleutheropolis, Palestine , but converted to Christianity, and lived as a monk in Egypt, where he was educated and came into contact with Valentinian groups. Returning to Judaea around 333, when still a young man, he founded a monastery in his home town. He was ordained as a priest, and lived and studied as superior of the monastery for thirty years. He became versed in several languages including Hebrew, Syriac, Egyptian, Greek and Latin.His reputation for learning prompted his nomination and installation as Bishop of Salamis (also known as Constantia after Constantine II) on Cyprus in 367. He was also the Metropolitan of Cyprus. He served as bishop for nearly forty years, as well as travelling widely to combat unorthodox beliefs. He was present at a synod in Antioch (376) where the Trinitarian questions were debated against the heresy of Apollinarianism. He upheld the position of Bishop Paulinus, who had the support of Rome, over that of Meletius, who was supported by the Eastern Churches. In 382 he was present at the Council of Rome, again upholding the cause of Paulinus. During a visit to Palestine in 394 he attacked Origen's followers and urged the Bishop of Jerusalem to condemn his writings. Origen's writings were eventually condemned at the Fifth Ecumenical Council in 553. In 402 he was induced by Theophilus of Alexandria to travel to a synod in Constantinople, where he argued against the supposed heresy of John Chrysostom. He died at sea on his return journey to Cyprus in 403.
Writings
His earliest known work is the Ancoratus ("well anchored"), which includes arguments against Arianism and the teachings of Origen.His best-known book is the Panarion which means "Medicine-chest" (also known as Adversus Haereses). Written between 374 and 377, it forms a handbook for dealing with heretics, listing 80 heretical doctrines, some of which are not described in any other surviving documents from the time. While Epiphanius often let his zeal come before facts - he admits on one occasion that he writes against the Origenists based only on hearsay (Panarion, Haer 71) - the Panarion is a valuable source of information on the Christian church of the fourth century. The Panarion was only recently (1987) translated into English.
Works
- The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Book I (Sects 1-46) Frank Williams, translator, 1987 (E.J. Brill, Leiden) ISBN 9004079262
- The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Book II and III (Sects 47-80, De Fide) Frank Williams, translator, 1993 (E.J. Brill, Leiden) ISBN 9004098984 These are the only translations of Epiphanius in a modern language.
External links
- [Catholic Encyclopedia:] Epiphanius of Salamis"
- [Epiphanius, On Biblical Weights and Measures] English translation of a Syriac text
- [Some excerpts from the Panarion]
- [Further excerpts from the Panarion]
- [Letter from Epiphianus, Bishop of Salamis, in Cyprus, to John, Bishop of Jerusalem]
This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia.
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