Leo'ntius20. Of NEAPOLIS (or of HAGIOPOLIS,
according to his own authority, cited by Cave) in Cyprus. He was bishop of that city, which Le
Quien (Oriens Christianus, vol. ii. col. 1061) identifies with the Nova
Lemissus, or Nemissus, or Nemosia, which also rose out of the ruins of Amathus. Baronius,
Possevino, and others, call Leontius bishop of Salamis or Constantia: but in the records of
the Second Nicene, or Seventh General Council, held A. D. 787, Actio iv.
(Concilia, vol. vii. col. 236, ed. Labbe; vol. iv. col. 193, ed.
Hardouin, vol. viii. col. 884, ed. Coleti, and vol. xiii. col. 44, ed. Mansi), he is expressly
described as bishop of Neapolis in Cyprus. His death is said to have occurred in A. D. 620 or
630.
Works
His principal works are as follows:
1.
Λόγοι ὑπὲρ τῆς Χριστιανῶν ἀπολογίας κατὰ
Ἰουδαίων καὶ περὶ κἰκόνων τῶν ἁγίων,
Sermones pro
Defensione Christianorum contra Judaeos ac de Imaginibus Sanctis.A long extract from the fifth of these
Sermones was read at
the second Nicene Council (
Concilia, l.c.), among the testimonies of
the fathers in support of the use of images in worship.
Editions
Several passages, most of them identical with those cited in the council, are given
by Joannes Damascenus in his Oratio III. de Imaginibus (Opera, vol. i. p. 373, &c. ed. Le Quien).
A Latin version of another portion of one of these discourses of Leontius is given
in the Lectiones Antiquae of Canisius. (Vol. i. p. 793, ed
Basnage.)
2.
Βίος τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰωάννου ἀρχιεπισκόπου
Ἀλεχανδρείας τοῦ Ἐλεήμονος,
Vita Sancti Joannis
Archiepiscopi Alexandriae Cognomento Eleemonis s.
Eleemosynarii.This John of Alexandria died A. D. 616 [JOANNES, No. 55]; and his life by Leontius, which was mentioned in the second Nicene
council (Concilia, vol. cit. col. 246, Labbe, 202, Hardouin, 896,
Coleti, 53, Mansi), is extant in MS. in the Imperial Library at Vienna.
Editions
An ancient Latin version by Anastasius Bibliothecarius is given by Rosweid (
De Vitis Patrum, pars i.), Surius (
De Probatis
Sanctorum Vitis), and Bollandus (
Acta Sanctor.
January. vol. ii. p. 498, &c.). The account of St. Vitalis or Vitalius given
in the
Acta Sanctorum of Bollandus (
Januar.
vol. i. p. 702) is a Latin version of a part of this Life of Joannes Eleemosynarius.
3.
Βίος τοῦ ὁσίου Συμεὼν τοῦ σαλοῦ,
Vita Sancti Symeonis Simplicis, or
Βίος
καὶ πολιτεία τοῦ ἀββᾶ Συμεὼν τοῦ διὰ Χριστοῦ ἐπονομασθέντος Σαλοῦ,
Vita et Conversatio Abbatis Symeonis qui cognominatus est Stultus
propter Christum,also mentioned in the Nicene council (l.c.).
Editions
published in the
Acta Sanctorum of the Bollandists (
Julii, vol. i. p. 136, &c.), with a Latin version different from that which
had been previously published by Surius (
De Probatis Sanctor.
Vitis, a. d. 1.
Julii), and by Lipomannus. The other
published works of Leontius are homilies.
4.
Sermo in Simeonem quando Dominum in Ulnas suscepit and
5.
In Diem festum mediae PentecostsEditions
Both given, with a Latin version, in the
Novum Auctarium of
Combéfis, vol. i. fol. Paris, 1648.
Other Works
In Diem festum mediae Petecostes et in Caecum a Nativitate;
necnon in illud: Nolite judicare secundum facieFabricius adds to these, as given by Combéfis, another homily,
In Diem festum mediae Petecostes et in Caecum a Nativitate; necnon in illud:
Nolite judicare secundum faciem: but this homily is said in the title to be by
"Leontius presbyter CPolitanus," and has been already noticed. [No. 5.] Compare, however,
Fabric.
Bibl. Graec vol. x. p. 309.
Homilies in honour of the saints and for the festivals of the church
As Leontius of Neapolis is recorded to have written many homilies in honour of saints
(ἐγκώμια), and for the festivals of the church
(πανηγυρικοὶ λόγοι), especially one on the
Transfiguration of our Saviour, it is not unlikely that some of those extant under the name
of Leontius of Constantinople may be by him.
Παραλλήλων λόγοι β́,
ParallelorumHe wrote also Παραλλήλων λόγοι β́,
Parallelorum, s.
Locorum communium
Theologicorum Libri II.; the first book consisted
τῶν
δείων, the other
τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων.
Turrianus possessed the second book; but whether that or the first is extant we know not:
neither has been published. It has been thought that Joannes Damascenus, in his
Parallela, made use of those of Leontius.
Εἰς τὰ βαΐα,
In
FestumFabricius, on the authority of some MSS., inserts among the works of Leontius of Neapolis
the homily Εἰς τὰ βαΐα,
In
FestumEditions
s.
Ramos Palmarum, ascribed to Chrysostom, and printed
among the doubtful or spurious works in the editions of that father. (Vol. vii. p. 334,
ed. Savill, vol. x. p. 767, ed. Montfaucon, or vol. x. p. 915, and vol. xiii. p. 354, in
the recent Parisian reprint of Montfaucon's edition.)
Unpublished
ad Joan. vii. and
Oratio
in laudem S. EpiphaniiMaldonatus (
ad Joan. vii.) mentions some MS.
Commentarii in Joannem by Leontius; and an
Oratio in laudem S. Epiphanii is mentioned by Theodore Studita
in his
Antirrheticus Secundus, ap. Sirmond.
Opera, vol. v. p. 130.
Further Information
Concilia, ll. cc.; Fabric. Biblioth. Graec. vol.
viii. p. 320, &c.; Cave, Hist. Litt. vol. i. p. 550; Oudin, De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis, vol. i. col. 1575, &c.; Vossius, de Historicis Graecis, lib. 2. c.23; Le Quien, Oriens
Christianus, vol. ii. col. 1062; Acta Sanctor. Jul. vol. i. p.
131.