Persons and Places

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

Persons

Aristotle

Greek philosopher (384–322 BC), student of Plato and founder of the Peripatetic school. His Nicomachean Ethics and Eudemian Ethics defined the vocabulary of moral philosophy for later Christian writers.

Mentioned in: 14. On the Irrationality of Animals and the Proportion of Their Bodies to Their Individual Nature (14.3.8); 45. Part 3—Chapter 1: On the Soul—§ 1. On the Nature and Origin of the Soul (45.3.18); 55. § 7: The Soul’s Immortality as Demonstrated From the Holy Life (55.3.1); 58. § 10: The Soul’s Immortality as Witnessed by Social Life (58.3.10).

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: 46. § 2: On the Origin of the Soul According to the Church Fathers (46.1.2).

St Augustine of Hippo

Bishop of Hippo (354–430 AD) and the most influential theologian of the Latin West. Nektarios cites him repeatedly on sin, grace, free will, and moral theology. Feast day 28 August.

Mentioned in: 45. Part 3—Chapter 1: On the Soul—§ 1. On the Nature and Origin of the Soul (45.6.1).

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: 34. Chapter 8: On the Affective—§1. On Consciousness and Self-Consciousness (34.10.14); 58. § 10: The Soul’s Immortality as Witnessed by Social Life (58.3.10); 62. The Roman Nation Develops Rapidly and Immensely According to the Providence of God (62.3.14).

St Cyril, Apostle to the Slavs

Ninth-century missionary brother (c. 827–869) from Thessalonica who, with his brother Methodius, evangelised the Slavonic peoples in their own language and devised the Glagolitic alphabet (the precursor of Cyrillic). Patron of Europe. Feast day 11 May (with Methodius).

Mentioned in: 46. § 2: On the Origin of the Soul According to the Church Fathers (46.3.9).

Holy Prophet Elias

Holy Prophet Elias (Elijah), of the tribe of Levi, from Tishba of Gilead (9th century BC, reign of King Ahab of Israel). One of the greatest of the Old Testament prophets; called by the OCA ‘the first dedicated to virginity in the Old Testament.’ Taken up into heaven in a fiery chariot without tasting death (2 Kings 2:11); appeared with Moses at the Transfiguration of Christ (Matt. 17:3). In Orthodox liturgical usage, the standard English form is ‘Elias’ (reflecting Greek Ἠλίας); ‘Elijah’ is the standard Hebrew-derived form common in English Bibles and also used in Orthodox texts. Feast day 20 July.

Mentioned in: 47. § 3: On the Identity of Spirit and Soul (47.6.10).

Epictetus

Greek Stoic philosopher (c. 50–135 AD), freed slave whose Discourses and Enchiridion were highly influential on later moral thought.

Mentioned in: 45. Part 3—Chapter 1: On the Soul—§ 1. On the Nature and Origin of the Soul (45.4.6).

Euripides

Athenian tragic playwright (c. 480–406 BC). Cited by Nektarios for moral apophthegms, particularly on anger and envy.

Mentioned in: 45. Part 3—Chapter 1: On the Soul—§ 1. On the Nature and Origin of the Soul (45.3.6).

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: 47. § 3: On the Identity of Spirit and Soul (47.25.1).

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: 41. § 4: On the Effect of Climate and Civilization on the Human Body (41.1.2); 61. The Greek Nation and Wisdom From Divine Providence (61.1.21).

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: 47. § 3: On the Identity of Spirit and Soul (47.16.3).

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: 46. § 2: On the Origin of the Soul According to the Church Fathers (46.4.3).

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: 6. Manhood (6.2.12); 9. On the Harmony of the Body With the Soul (9.1.5, 9.1.14, 9.1.15, 9.1.41, 9.2.2); 16. Chapter 4: On the Spoken Word and the Innate Word and on Ideas—On the Spoken Word (16.3.2, 16.3.8, 16.5.7); 24. Sense of Smell (24.1.6, 24.8.1); 26. Sight (26.1.3); 31. § 4: On Science (31.2.3, 31.3.6, 31.4.6, 31.4.8); 33. Chapter 7: On the Appetitive—§1. On Will and Desire (33.3.2); 36. § 2: On the Varieties in the Human Race (36.7.4, 36.7.12); 43. Chapter 2: On the Kinship of the Human Race, Demonstrated From Spiritual Powers and Moral Principles, From Religious Ideas, Customs, and Language—§ 1. Kinship Demonstrated From Spiritual Powers, Moral Principles, and Religious Ideas (43.15.9); 44. Kinship of Races Demonstrated From the Kinship of Languages (44.16.1); 46. § 2: On the Origin of the Soul According to the Church Fathers (46.4.3); 47. § 3: On the Identity of Spirit and Soul (47.1.7, 47.1.8, 47.1.12, 47.8.7, 47.8.12, 47.41.7, 47.41.9, 47.41.10, 47.41.17, 47.42.7, 47.42.8, 47.42.9, 47.42.10, 47.42.13, 47.42.15, 47.43.1); 48. Part 4: On the Immortality of the Soul (48.6.4, 48.6.12); 54. § 6: Proof of the Soul’s Immortality From God’s Inner Revelation (54.1.12, 54.1.14); 56. § 8: The Soul’s Immortality as Witnessed by Worship of God (56.1.17, 56.1.24, 56.1.29, 56.1.34); 57. § 9: The Soul’s Immortality as Witnessed by Knowledge (57.2.14, 57.2.17, 57.2.20, 57.2.22); 58. § 10: The Soul’s Immortality as Witnessed by Social Life (58.6.2); 62. The Roman Nation Develops Rapidly and Immensely According to the Providence of God (62.2.7).

St Jerome

Latin biblical scholar and translator (c. 347–420 AD), produced the Latin Vulgate. Cited by Nektarios on virginity. Feast day 30 September.

Mentioned in: 45. Part 3—Chapter 1: On the Soul—§ 1. On the Nature and Origin of the Soul (45.6.1).

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: 47. § 3: On the Identity of Spirit and Soul (47.41.3, 47.42.7).

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: 60. The Manifestation of the Jewish Nation From Divine Providence (60.1.1); 61. The Greek Nation and Wisdom From Divine Providence (61.1.22).

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: 46. § 2: On the Origin of the Soul According to the Church Fathers (46.3.1); 47. § 3: On the Identity of Spirit and Soul (47.21.4, 47.30.2, 47.36.3, 47.37.3).

St John Climacus

Abbot of Sinai (c. 579–649), author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent, the standard manual of monastic ascesis in the Eastern Church. Feast day 30 March.

Mentioned in: 47. § 3: On the Identity of Spirit and Soul (47.33.2).

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: 14. On the Irrationality of Animals and the Proportion of Their Bodies to Their Individual Nature (14.2.5); 47. § 3: On the Identity of Spirit and Soul (47.35.2).

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: 62. The Roman Nation Develops Rapidly and Immensely According to the Providence of God (62.3.28).

St Maximus the Confessor

Byzantine theologian and ascetic writer (c. 580–662 AD), author of the Centuries on Love and the Ambigua. Feast day 13 August / 21 January.

Mentioned in: 46. § 2: On the Origin of the Soul According to the Church Fathers (46.4.1).

St Nektarios of Aegina

Greek bishop and wonder-worker (1846–1920), Metropolitan of Pentapolis; founded a convent on Aegina and was widely venerated in his own lifetime. Canonised 1961. Feast day 9 November.

Mentioned in: 1. To the Readers (1.4.1).

Origen

Alexandrian theologian and biblical scholar (c. 184–253 AD), prolific writer on prayer, exegesis, and the spiritual life. His works were widely influential despite later controversies over his speculative theology.

Mentioned in: 45. Part 3—Chapter 1: On the Soul—§ 1. On the Nature and Origin of the Soul (45.5.2).

St Paul the Apostle

Holy, Glorious, and All-Praised Leader of the Apostles; Apostle to the Gentiles (c. 5 – c. 67 AD). Born Saul of Tarsus of the tribe of Benjamin; converted on the road to Damascus. Author of fourteen epistles in the New Testament canon (thirteen attributed, including Hebrews in the Eastern lectionary). Martyred by beheading in Rome under the emperor Nero, with the Apostle Peter. The Peter and Paul Fast precedes their joint feast day. Feast day 29 June (with St Peter).

Mentioned in: 47. § 3: On the Identity of Spirit and Soul (47.6.6, 47.8.11, 47.41.7, 47.42.9); 53. § 5: Proof From Conscience (53.3.1).

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: 46. § 2: On the Origin of the Soul According to the Church Fathers (46.4.2).

Plato

Athenian philosopher (c. 428–348 BC), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle. His dialogues on virtue, justice, and the soul were extensively cited by Christian moral theologians.

Mentioned in: 43. Chapter 2: On the Kinship of the Human Race, Demonstrated From Spiritual Powers and Moral Principles, From Religious Ideas, Customs, and Language—§ 1. Kinship Demonstrated From Spiritual Powers, Moral Principles, and Religious Ideas (43.6.2); 45. Part 3—Chapter 1: On the Soul—§ 1. On the Nature and Origin of the Soul (45.3.16, 45.4.3, 45.4.4); 55. § 7: The Soul’s Immortality as Demonstrated From the Holy Life (55.3.1); 58. § 10: The Soul’s Immortality as Witnessed by Social Life (58.3.10).

Plutarch

Greek biographer and moralist (c. 46–119 AD), author of the Parallel Lives and the Moralia. Frequently cited by Nektarios for apophthegms on virtue, nobility, and character.

Mentioned in: 58. § 10: The Soul’s Immortality as Witnessed by Social Life (58.3.10).

Seneca

Roman Stoic philosopher and statesman (c. 4 BC – AD 65). His moral epistles and treatises were widely read by Christian ethicists.

Mentioned in: 45. Part 3—Chapter 1: On the Soul—§ 1. On the Nature and Origin of the Soul (45.4.6).

Socrates

Athenian philosopher (c. 470–399 BC), teacher of Plato; his moral teaching is known primarily through Plato’s dialogues. Not to be confused with Socrates Scholasticus, the church historian.

Mentioned in: 26. Sight (26.3.1); 32. § 5: On Imagination (32.7.3); 45. Part 3—Chapter 1: On the Soul—§ 1. On the Nature and Origin of the Soul (45.3.16); 55. § 7: The Soul’s Immortality as Demonstrated From the Holy Life (55.3.1); 58. § 10: The Soul’s Immortality as Witnessed by Social Life (58.3.10, 58.7.4).

Solomon

King of Israel (c. 970–931 BC); traditional author of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs.

Mentioned in: 47. § 3: On the Identity of Spirit and Soul (47.10.2, 47.38.2).

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.

Mentioned in: 46. § 2: On the Origin of the Soul According to the Church Fathers (46.4.4).

the Twelve Apostles

The twelve disciples chosen by Christ to be the foundational witnesses of the Church. In the ascetical tradition the Apostles model submission to a divine teacher—Paul going first to Ananias (Acts 9:6) and then consulting the other Apostles (Gal. 2:2)—and so illustrate the principle that even the spiritually advanced sought external guidance.

Mentioned in: 47. § 3: On the Identity of Spirit and Soul (47.6.5, 47.8.9); 51. § 3: Proof From the Idea of Eternity (51.2.11).

Places

Ephesus

Ancient city on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey); seat of the Third Ecumenical Council (431), which defined the title Theotokos, and one of the seven churches of the Apocalypse.

Mentioned in: 47. § 3: On the Identity of Spirit and Soul (47.1.21).

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: 47. § 3: On the Identity of Spirit and Soul (47.1.21); 61. The Greek Nation and Wisdom From Divine Providence (61.1.21).

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: 34. Chapter 8: On the Affective—§1. On Consciousness and Self-Consciousness (34.10.5); 44. Kinship of Races Demonstrated From the Kinship of Languages (44.16.1, 44.17.9).

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: 38. § 4: On Sporadic Variations Appearing in a Generation and on Their Successive Transmission (38.1.4, 38.5.4, 38.19.2); 62. The Roman Nation Develops Rapidly and Immensely According to the Providence of God (62.2.1, 62.2.2, 62.2.5, 62.2.6, 62.3.5, 62.3.6, 62.3.8, 62.3.9, 62.3.13, 62.5.1).