Evagrius Ponticus

Evagrius Ponticus (ca. 345–400) was a Byzantine writer and theologian. He was ordained as a deacon by Gregory of Nazianzus (according to some sources, by Gregory of Nyssa). In 381, he was active in Constantinople, where he gained fame as an orator. Later, he moved to Egypt. His name is associated with the revival of monastic life in the Nitrian Desert.

His works were translated into Latin in the second half of the 5th century by Rufinus, a church historian and follower of Origen. At the Fifth Ecumenical Council of Constantinople (553), Evagrius was accused of heretical tendencies and was excommunicated. Despite this, the Church accepted many of his writings, which contain sound theological insights.

Evagrius wrote numerous works of a polemical and ascetic nature, which became widely circulated throughout the Christian world. His works were translated into Latin, Syriac, and Coptic translations. Several of his treaties have also survived in Georgian. The Georgian scholar K. Kekelidze considered Ekvtime of Athos (Ekvtime Mtatsmindeli) to be the translator of these texts.

Relying on the accounts of several Byzantine authors, some Georgian scholars—such as K. Kekelidze and S. Kaukhchishvili—have proposed that Evagrius may have been of Georgian origin. However, others believe that he was from the city of Ibora in Pontus, which casts doubt on his Iberian (i.e., Georgian) heritage.

Source: გეორგიკა. ბიზანტიელი მწერლების ცნობები საქართველოს შესახებ, ს. ყაუხჩიშვილის გამოც., ტ. 7, თბ., 1967.

Literature: კ ე კ ე ლ ი ძ ე  კ., მეოთხე საუკუნის საზღვარგარეთელი ქართველი მოაზროვნე და მოღვაწე, წგ.: ეტიუდები ძველი ქართული ლიტერატურის ისტორიიდან, ტ. 6, თბ., 1960; მ ა ხ ა რ ა შ ვ ი ლ ი  ს., ევაგრე პონტოელის ცხოვრება-მოღვაწეობა და მის თხზულებათა ქართული თარგმანი, კრ.: ძველი ქართული მწერლობის მატიანე, I, თბ., 1984.