Persons and Places

Persons and places mentioned in this book, with short notes and back-links to every occurrence.

Persons

St Ambrose of Milan

Bishop of Milan (c. 339–397), one of the four traditional Latin Doctors of the Church. Wrote the De Obitu Theodosii. Mentor of St Augustine of Hippo. Feast day 7 December.

Mentioned in: 4. Testimonies From Sacred Tradition (4.3.1, 4.4.1, 4.4.3); 16. Concerning the Size of the Precious Cross, Concerning the Sacred Nails, and Concerning the Discovery of the Crosses of the Two Thieves (16.2.4).

St Antony the Great

Egyptian desert father (c. 251–356), founder of monastic eremitism. Feast day 17 January.

Mentioned in: 17. Concerning the Power of the Precious Cross (17.4.1, 17.4.2, 17.5.2).

St Athanasius the Great

Patriarch of Alexandria (c. 296–373), the leading defender of Nicene orthodoxy against Arianism, exiled five times. Author of the Life of Antony and On the Incarnation. Feast day 18 January and 2 May.

Mentioned in: 17. Concerning the Power of the Precious Cross (17.4.1).

St Basil the Great

Cappadocian Father (c. 330–379), Archbishop of Caesarea, monastic legislator and theologian; one of the Three Hierarchs. Author of the Longer and Shorter Rules and the Liturgy bearing his name. Feast day 1 January.

Mentioned in: 6. Concerning the Statue of Constantine Holding a Cross and the Inscription, Chapter 40 (6.9.2).

Chosroes II

Sasanian king of Persia (r. 590–628), captured Jerusalem in 614 and carried off the True Cross. Defeated by Heraclius and overthrown by his son in 628.

Mentioned in: 12. Concerning the Divine Power Dwelling in the Precious Wood of the Cross (12.1.1, 12.1.5); 14. Concerning the Feast of the Finding and the Exaltation of the Precious Cross (14.6.6, 14.6.9).

Christians

The collective designation for followers of Jesus Christ, used in early patristic literature to refer to the Christian community as distinct from pagan worshippers and Jews.

Mentioned in: 2. Concerning the Veneration of the Faithful for the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, and That it is an Apostolic Tradition to Mark Oneself With the Sign of the Cross and to Depict and Inscribe it Everywhere (2.1.3, 2.5.1); 3. Concerning the Precious Cross From the Sacred Canons and From the Holy Fathers (3.5.3, 3.5.5); 4. Testimonies From Sacred Tradition (4.4.1, 4.5.1, 4.5.3); 6. Concerning the Statue of Constantine Holding a Cross and the Inscription, Chapter 40 (6.9.1, 6.9.2); 8. Concerning the Discovery of the Precious Cross by the Blessed Saint Helen (8.1.6); 9. Letter of Constantine the Great to Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, Concerning the Building of the Divine Temple (9.6.6, 9.6.12); 14. Concerning the Feast of the Finding and the Exaltation of the Precious Cross (14.2.3, 14.6.6, 14.6.11).

St Constantine the Great

Roman emperor (c. 272–337), the first Christian emperor; legalised Christianity by the Edict of Milan (313) and convoked the First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea (325). Feast day 21 May (jointly with his mother Helena).

Mentioned in: 2. Concerning the Veneration of the Faithful for the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, and That it is an Apostolic Tradition to Mark Oneself With the Sign of the Cross and to Depict and Inscribe it Everywhere (2.3.2, 2.4.1, 2.5.1); 4. Testimonies From Sacred Tradition (4.4.3, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.5.4); 5. Concerning the Appearance of the Sign of the Precious Cross in the Sky to Constantine the Great (5.1.1); 6. Concerning the Statue of Constantine Holding a Cross and the Inscription, Chapter 40 (6.4.2, 6.5.1, 6.7.1, 6.9.3, 6.10.1); 7. The Second Appearance in Heaven of the Sign of the Cross (7.1.1); 8. Concerning the Discovery of the Precious Cross by the Blessed Saint Helen (8.1.1, 8.1.3, 8.2.2, 8.4.1); 9. Letter of Constantine the Great to Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, Concerning the Building of the Divine Temple (9.1.1, 9.2.1, 9.3.1, 9.4.23, 9.5.2, 9.6.27); 16. Concerning the Size of the Precious Cross, Concerning the Sacred Nails, and Concerning the Discovery of the Crosses of the Two Thieves (16.2.2, 16.3.2).

Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus

Byzantine emperor (905–959), author of the De Ceremoniis aulae byzantinae (Ἔκθεσις τῆς βασιλείου τάξεως), the principal source for Byzantine court ceremonial including the August procession of the True Cross.

Mentioned in: 15. The Procession of the Precious Cross (15.1.3, 15.1.11).

St Cyril of Jerusalem

Bishop of Jerusalem (c. 313–386), author of the Catechetical Lectures, a foundational text of Christian catechesis. Witness to the May 7, 351 appearance of the Cross over Jerusalem. Feast day 18 March.

Mentioned in: 9. Letter of Constantine the Great to Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, Concerning the Building of the Divine Temple (9.3.1); 19. Why We Should Honor the Precious Cross (Continued): Second (19.1.2).

Eusebius of Caesarea

Bishop of Caesarea (c. 260–339), often called the father of Church history. Author of the Ecclesiastical History (HE) and the Life of Constantine (Vita Constantini), the principal sources for the conversion of Constantine.

Mentioned in: 5. Concerning the Appearance of the Sign of the Precious Cross in the Sky to Constantine the Great (5.1.1); 6. Concerning the Statue of Constantine Holding a Cross and the Inscription, Chapter 40 (6.2.1, 6.7.1, 6.9.3, 6.10.1); 8. Concerning the Discovery of the Precious Cross by the Blessed Saint Helen (8.1.1, 8.2.3); 9. Letter of Constantine the Great to Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, Concerning the Building of the Divine Temple (9.2.1, 9.3.1, 9.5.2).

Evagrius Scholasticus

Sixth-century Antiochene ecclesiastical historian (c. 536–c. 600). His Ecclesiastical History covers 431–593 and is a principal source for the late patristic and early Byzantine East.

Mentioned in: 11. Concerning the Miracle That Occurred in Apamea Through the Precious and Life-giving Wood of the Cross by Evagrius (11.1.1).

Gelasius of Cyzicus

Fifth-century ecclesiastical historian, author of an Ecclesiastical History centred on the Council of Nicaea, partly extant.

Mentioned in: 9. Letter of Constantine the Great to Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, Concerning the Building of the Divine Temple (9.5.2); 12. Concerning the Divine Power Dwelling in the Precious Wood of the Cross (12.4.1).

God the Father

The First Person of the Holy Trinity, unbegotten and the source (μοναρχία) of the Son and the Spirit; addressed in the Lord’s Prayer and confessed in the opening clause of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed.

Mentioned in: 19. Why We Should Honor the Precious Cross (Continued): Second (19.4.1).

Greeks / Hellenes

The Greek-speaking pagan world, often used in early Christian literature to denote Gentiles or non-Christians. The term encompasses both ethnic Greeks and the broader Hellenistic culture that dominated the Roman Empire.

Mentioned in: 3. Concerning the Precious Cross From the Sacred Canons and From the Holy Fathers (3.5.2); 9. Letter of Constantine the Great to Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, Concerning the Building of the Divine Temple (9.6.33).

St Gregory the Theologian

One of the Three Hierarchs (c. 329–390), Archbishop of Constantinople, author of the Five Theological Orations and the Invectives Against Julian. Feast day 25 January.

Mentioned in: 17. Concerning the Power of the Precious Cross (17.1.1, 17.1.9).

St Gregory Palamas

Archbishop of Thessalonica (c. 1296–1359), the chief defender of hesychasm; his theology of the divine energies was endorsed by the Constantinopolitan synods of 1341, 1347, and 1351. Feast day 14 November and the Second Sunday of Great Lent.

Mentioned in: 14. Concerning the Feast of the Finding and the Exaltation of the Precious Cross (14.2.3).

St Helena

Empress (c. 246–c. 330), mother of Constantine the Great. Traditionally credited with the discovery of the True Cross during her pilgrimage to Jerusalem c. 326. Feast day 21 May (jointly with her son).

Mentioned in: 6. Concerning the Statue of Constantine Holding a Cross and the Inscription, Chapter 40 (6.10.1); 8. Concerning the Discovery of the Precious Cross by the Blessed Saint Helen (8.1.1, 8.1.3, 8.2.3); 9. Letter of Constantine the Great to Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, Concerning the Building of the Divine Temple (9.4.1, 9.6.5); 14. Concerning the Feast of the Finding and the Exaltation of the Precious Cross (14.1.1, 14.7.1); 16. Concerning the Size of the Precious Cross, Concerning the Sacred Nails, and Concerning the Discovery of the Crosses of the Two Thieves (16.2.1, 16.2.4, 16.2.5).

Emperor Heraclius

Byzantine emperor (c. 575–641, r. 610–641), recovered the True Cross from the Persians at Ctesiphon in 628 and restored it to Jerusalem; the second Exaltation of the Cross commemorates this restoration.

Mentioned in: 14. Concerning the Feast of the Finding and the Exaltation of the Precious Cross (14.6.5, 14.6.9, 14.8.1, 14.9.2).

the Holy Spirit

The Third Person of the Holy Trinity, proceeding from the Father (John 15:26); confessed in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed as ‘the Lord, the Giver of Life’. The Holy Spirit anoints with chrism in baptism, indwells the Church, and is invoked at every Eucharist (the epiclesis).

Mentioned in: 4. Testimonies From Sacred Tradition (4.1.1); 6. Concerning the Statue of Constantine Holding a Cross and the Inscription, Chapter 40 (6.9.2); 17. Concerning the Power of the Precious Cross (17.3.4); 19. Why We Should Honor the Precious Cross (Continued): Second (19.3.4).

St Ignatius of Antioch

Bishop of Antioch and Apostolic Father (c. 35–c. 108), martyred in Rome; author of seven letters written en route to martyrdom, foundational texts on the Eucharist, episcopacy, and Christian unity. Also known as Theophoros (the God-bearer). Feast day 17 October (West) / 29 January (East).

Jesus Christ

The incarnate Son of God, second Person of the Holy Trinity; his name forms the centre of the Jesus Prayer and of all Orthodox spiritual life.

Mentioned in: 3. Concerning the Precious Cross From the Sacred Canons and From the Holy Fathers (3.7.3); 10. Concerning Helen, the Emperor’s Mother, and Her Zeal for the Building of the Holy Temple (10.1.6); 13. The Inscription Borne by the Cross of Shirin, Consort of Chosroes King of the Persians, Which She Wore (Evagrius, Ecclesiastical History, Book 6, Chapter 21) (13.2.4); 20. From the Homilies of Our Father Among the Saints Gregory, Archbishop of Thessalonica, Palamas (20.2.10).

Jews

The Jewish people. In early Christian and patristic literature ‘οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι’ often denotes specifically the religious authorities who opposed Christ and the apostolic preaching (cf. the polemical use in the Gospel of John); the term is occasionally extended to the Jewish nation more broadly.

Mentioned in: 3. Concerning the Precious Cross From the Sacred Canons and From the Holy Fathers (3.5.2); 6. Concerning the Statue of Constantine Holding a Cross and the Inscription, Chapter 40 (6.6.1, 6.6.2); 16. Concerning the Size of the Precious Cross, Concerning the Sacred Nails, and Concerning the Discovery of the Crosses of the Two Thieves (16.2.1).

St John Chrysostom

Archbishop of Constantinople (c. 347–407), one of the most prolific homilists of the early Church; one of the Three Hierarchs. Exiled twice for challenging imperial corruption; died in exile. Feast day 13 November.

Mentioned in: 2. Concerning the Veneration of the Faithful for the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, and That it is an Apostolic Tradition to Mark Oneself With the Sign of the Cross and to Depict and Inscribe it Everywhere (2.2.8, 2.2.17, 2.2.19); 6. Concerning the Statue of Constantine Holding a Cross and the Inscription, Chapter 40 (6.5.2); 16. Concerning the Size of the Precious Cross, Concerning the Sacred Nails, and Concerning the Discovery of the Crosses of the Two Thieves (16.1.3); 17. Concerning the Power of the Precious Cross (17.3.2, 17.3.5, 17.3.15); 19. Why We Should Honor the Precious Cross (Continued): Second (19.1.19).

St John of Damascus

Eighth-century Syrian theologian (c. 675–749), monk of Mar Saba. Author of the Exposition of the Orthodox Faith and the chief Iconodule theologian of the iconoclast controversy. Feast day 4 December.

Mentioned in: 3. Concerning the Precious Cross From the Sacred Canons and From the Holy Fathers (3.6.1, 3.14.3); 13. The Inscription Borne by the Cross of Shirin, Consort of Chosroes King of the Persians, Which She Wore (Evagrius, Ecclesiastical History, Book 6, Chapter 21) (13.2.1).

Julian the Apostate

Roman emperor (c. 331–363, r. 361–363), nephew of Constantine the Great. Renounced Christianity and attempted to restore Greco-Roman paganism. Killed in his Persian campaign. The principal target of Saint Gregory the Theologian’s two Invectives.

Mentioned in: 17. Concerning the Power of the Precious Cross (17.1.1, 17.1.3, 17.1.9, 17.2.1, 17.2.4, 17.2.6, 17.2.7).

St Macarius of Jerusalem

Bishop of Jerusalem (c. 312–334) at the time of the building of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Saint Helena’s discovery of the True Cross. Recipient of Constantine’s letter on the temple’s construction. Feast day 16 March.

Mentioned in: 6. Concerning the Statue of Constantine Holding a Cross and the Inscription, Chapter 40 (6.10.1); 8. Concerning the Discovery of the Precious Cross by the Blessed Saint Helen (8.1.10, 8.4.1); 9. Letter of Constantine the Great to Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, Concerning the Building of the Divine Temple (9.1.1, 9.4.11, 9.6.22); 10. Concerning Helen, the Emperor’s Mother, and Her Zeal for the Building of the Holy Temple (10.1.8); 14. Concerning the Feast of the Finding and the Exaltation of the Precious Cross (14.1.4).

Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos

Fourteenth-century Byzantine historian (c. 1256–c. 1335), author of an 18-book Ecclesiastical History extending from the Apostles to 911.

Mentioned in: 9. Letter of Constantine the Great to Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, Concerning the Building of the Divine Temple (9.6.37).

St Photios the Great

Patriarch of Constantinople (c. 810–893), one of the foremost Byzantine theologians and the central figure in the Photian schism with Rome. Feast day 6 February.

Mentioned in: 3. Concerning the Precious Cross From the Sacred Canons and From the Holy Fathers (3.3.1, 3.3.4); 6. Concerning the Statue of Constantine Holding a Cross and the Inscription, Chapter 40 (6.3.2).

Procopius of Caesarea

Sixth-century Greek historian of Justinian’s reign (c. 500–c. 565), author of the History of the Wars (cited here for the Persian War book treating Apamea and the True Cross relic).

Mentioned in: 12. Concerning the Divine Power Dwelling in the Precious Wood of the Cross (12.1.1, 12.3.1).

Socrates Scholasticus

Fifth-century Constantinopolitan ecclesiastical historian (c. 380–c. 439), author of an Ecclesiastical History continuing Eusebius down to 439.

Mentioned in: 6. Concerning the Statue of Constantine Holding a Cross and the Inscription, Chapter 40 (6.2.5); 9. Letter of Constantine the Great to Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, Concerning the Building of the Divine Temple (9.4.1).

Son of God

The Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ, who became incarnate to unite humanity with divinity. A central christological title in Orthodox theology referring to Christ’s divine nature and eternal relationship with the Father.

Mentioned in: 20. From the Homilies of Our Father Among the Saints Gregory, Archbishop of Thessalonica, Palamas (20.2.12).

Theodoret of Cyrus

Bishop of Cyrus in Syria (c. 393–c. 458), Antiochene theologian and ecclesiastical historian. Wrote a continuation of Eusebius’s Ecclesiastical History.

Theokletos I of Athens

Theokletos I Vimpos (1833–1916), Metropolitan of Athens 1902–1917 and President of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece. Commissioned this study of the Precious Cross from Saint Nektarios.

Mentioned in: 1. To the Reader (1.1.1).

Theophylact of Ohrid

Byzantine archbishop of Ohrid (c. 1055–c. 1107), prolific commentator on the Bible and one of the most cited medieval Greek exegetes.

Mentioned in: 6. Concerning the Statue of Constantine Holding a Cross and the Inscription, Chapter 40 (6.6.1).

Places

Antioch

Ancient city on the Orontes in Syria (modern Antakya, Turkey); seat of one of the five ancient patriarchates and the city where followers of Christ were first called ‘Christians’ (Acts 11:26).

Mentioned in: 11. Concerning the Miracle That Occurred in Apamea Through the Precious and Life-giving Wood of the Cross by Evagrius (11.1.2).

Jerusalem

The holy city of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim tradition; the place of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection; seat of one of the five ancient patriarchates.

Mentioned in: 3. Concerning the Precious Cross From the Sacred Canons and From the Holy Fathers (3.4.1); 7. The Second Appearance in Heaven of the Sign of the Cross (7.1.1, 7.2.2); 8. Concerning the Discovery of the Precious Cross by the Blessed Saint Helen (8.1.3, 8.1.10, 8.1.12, 8.2.3, 8.4.1); 9. Letter of Constantine the Great to Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, Concerning the Building of the Divine Temple (9.3.1, 9.4.1, 9.4.11, 9.4.20, 9.6.4, 9.6.5, 9.6.21, 9.6.22, 9.6.26); 12. Concerning the Divine Power Dwelling in the Precious Wood of the Cross (12.1.2); 14. Concerning the Feast of the Finding and the Exaltation of the Precious Cross (14.1.4, 14.6.6, 14.6.11, 14.6.12, 14.7.3, 14.8.1); 15. The Procession of the Precious Cross (15.1.2); 16. Concerning the Size of the Precious Cross, Concerning the Sacred Nails, and Concerning the Discovery of the Crosses of the Two Thieves (16.2.5, 16.3.2).

Paradise

The Garden of Eden where God placed Adam and Eve before the Fall; in patristic theology also refers to the state of blessedness and communion with God, both original and eschatological.

Mentioned in: 3. Concerning the Precious Cross From the Sacred Canons and From the Holy Fathers (3.7.3); 13. The Inscription Borne by the Cross of Shirin, Consort of Chosroes King of the Persians, Which She Wore (Evagrius, Ecclesiastical History, Book 6, Chapter 21) (13.2.4).

Rome

Capital of the Roman Empire and seat of the ancient western patriarchate; site of the martyrdoms of Sts Peter and Paul and of Ignatius of Antioch.

Mentioned in: 6. Concerning the Statue of Constantine Holding a Cross and the Inscription, Chapter 40 (6.1.1, 6.2.1, 6.2.3).