LONG BROTHERS. - Four Egyptian brothers of exceptional stature, monks of Nitria: Dioscorus, Ammonius, Eusebius, Euthymius. Under Valens they suffered imprisonment for their orthodoxy, and thereafter enjoyed the esteem of the patriarch of Alexandria Theophilus, who promoted Dioscorus to bishop of Hermopolis and wished to consecrate Ammonius as bishop as well, but the latter evaded this by cutting off one of his ears.
The peace was broken in the year 600 through the machinations of Theophilus. Since the monks of Nitria had received the priest Isidore, unjustly excommunicated by the patriarch, they incurred his wrath. Theophilus had the leaders condemned — the three brothers of Dioscorus — as Origenists. They were certainly admirers of Origen, read his writings assiduously and followed his allegorical exegetical method, yet they did not share his errors. Never before had there been any question among them of Origenism or anti-Origenism. Now Theophilus, formerly a fervent admirer of Origen, wished to make use of anti-Origenism in order to strike at his adversaries. The four brothers, compelled to leave Egypt together with other monks, went first to Palestine, then, in 1902, to Constantinople to ask for justice against Theophilus. St. John Chrysostom, though refraining from admitting them to Communion so as not to offend Theophilus, received them and provided them with what was necessary. Accused here too by the emissaries of Theophilus, they appealed to the tribunal presided over by Chrysostom. Dioscorus and Ammonius died at the time of the Synod ad Quercum, and the other two later.