Acta Sanctorum

Eva'grius

(Εὐάγριος).

1. Of ANTIOCH, was a native of Antioch, the son of a citizen of that place, named Pompeianus, and a presbyter apparently of the church of Antioch.

He travelled into the west of Europe, and was acquainted with Jerome, who describes him as a man "acris ac ferventis ingenii." During the schism in the patriarchate of Antioch, he was chosen by one of the parties (A. D. 388 or 389) successor to their deceased patriarch Paulinus, in opposition to Flavianus, the patriarch of the other party. According to Theodoret, the manner of his election and ordination was altogether contrary to ecclesiastical rule. The historians Socrates and Sozomen state that Evagrius survived his elevation only a short time; but this expression must not be too strictly interpreted, as it appears from Jerome that he was living in A. D. 392. He was perhaps the Evagrius who instructed Chrysostom in monastic discipline, though it is to be observed that Chrysostom was ordained a presbyter by Flavianus, the rival of Evagrius in the see of Antioch. Evagrius had no successor in his see, and ultimately Flavianus succeeded in healing the division.

Works

Treatises on various subjects

Evagrius wrote treatises on various subjects (diversarum hypotheseon tractatus). Jerome says the author had read them to him, but had not yet published them. They are not extant.

Life of St. Anthony

Evagrius also translated the life of St. Anthony by Athanasius from Greek into Latin. The very free version printed in the Benedictine edition of Athanasius (vol. i. pars ii. p. 785, &c.) and in the Acta Sanctorum (Januar. vol. ii. p. 107), professes to be that of Evagrius, and is addressed to his son Innocentius, who is perhaps the Innocentius whose death, A. D. 369 or 370, is mentioned by Jerome. (Epist. 41 ad Rufinum.) Tillemont receives it, and Bollandus (Acta Sanct. l c.) and the Benedictine editors of Athanasius (l.c.) vindicate its genuineness; but Cave affirms that " there is more than one reason for doubting its genuineness ;" and Oudin decidedly denies the genuineness both of the Greek text and the version.

In the library of Worcester Cathedral is a MS. described as containing the life of St. Antony, written by Evagrius and translated by Jerome: there is probably an error, either in the MS. itself, or in the description of it. (Catal. MSS. Angliae et Hib. vol. ii. p. 17.)

Editions

The Benedictine edition of Athanasius (vol. i. pars ii. p. 785, &c.) and in the Acta Sanctorum (Januar. vol. ii. p. 107).

Confusion with Evagrius of Pontus

Trithemius confounds him with Evagrius of Pontus.

Further Information

Tillemont has collected various particulars of the life of Evagrius of Antioch. (Socrates, Hist. Eccles. 5.15; Sozomen, Hist. Eccles. 7.15 ; Theodoretus, Hist. Eccles. 5.23; Hieronymus (Jerome) de Viris Illust. 25; Tillemont, Mémoires, vol. xii. p. 13, &c.; Cave, Hist. Lit. vol. i. p. 283, ed. Ox. 1740-43; Oudin, de Scriptor. et Scriptis Eccles. vol. i. col. 882; Trithemius, de Scriptor. Eccles. 100.85; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. vii. p. 434, vol. x. p. 137.)