Difference between revisions of "Ammonius"

<p> <b> [[Ammonius]] </b> , a disciple of Pambo, and one of the most celebrated of the monks of Nitria. Being of unusual stature, he and his brothers Dioscorus, Eusebius, and [[Euthymius]] were called the [[Tall]] Brothers (Soz. <i> Hist. </i> viii. 12). Ammonius himself was distinguished by the epithet παρωής (Niceph. <i> Hist. </i> xi. 37), in consequence of having cut off one of his ears to escape being made a bishop (Pall. <i> Hist. Laus. </i> 12). In his youth he accompanied St. [[Athanasius]] to Rome (Socr. <i> Hist. </i> iv. 23; Pall. 12). He was a learned man, and could repeat, it is said, the O. and [[N. T]]  by heart, as well as passages from [[Origen]] and other [[Fathers]] (Pall. 12). He was banished to Diocaesarea in the persecution under [[Valens]] ( <i> ib. </i> 117). After being for some time high in favour with [[Theophilus]] of Alexandria, he and his brothers were accused by him of Origenism. Sozomen (viii. 12) and Nicephorus (xiii. 10) ascribe the accusation to personal animosity on the part of Theophilus. [[Socrates]] (vi. 7) explains the accusation as an attempt to divert from himself the odium which he had incurred as an Origenist. [[Jerome]] considers the accusation merited ( <i> Ep. ad Alex. </i> ). Driven from Egypt, the brothers took refuge first in [[Palestine]] (Niceph. xiii. 11) and afterwards at Constantinople, where they were well received by Chrysostom (viii. 13). There they were protected also by the favour of the Empress [[Eudoxia]] (Soz. viii. 13), and even satisfied [[Epiphanius]] of Salamis, who came to [[Constantinople]] at the instigation of Theophilus to convict them of heresy (viii. 15). At the synod "ad Quercum," held on the arrival of Theophilus, they were persuaded to submit to him, Ammonius being ill at the time. He died shortly afterwards. Perhaps this Ammonius is the author of the <i> Institutiones Asceticae </i> , of which 22 chapters are extant (Lambec. <i> Biblioth. Vindob. </i> iv. 155). </p> <p> [I.G.S.] </p>