FRATELLI LUNGHI. - Four Egyptian brothers of exceptional stature, monks of Nitria: Dioscoro, Ammonio, Eusebio, Eutimio. Under Valente they suffered imprisonment for orthodoxy; thereafter they enjoyed the esteem of the patriarch of Alexandria, Teofilo, who made Dioscoro bishop of Ermopoli and wished also to consecrate Ammonio bishop, but the latter evaded this by cutting off one of his ears.
The peace was broken in the year 600 through the actions of Teofilo. Since the monks of Nitria had received the priest Isidoro, unjustly excommunicated by the patriarch, they incurred his wrath. Teofilo had the leaders, the three brothers of Dioscoro, condemned as Origenists. They were certainly admirers of Origene, read his writings assiduously, and followed his allegorical exegetical method; yet they did not share his errors. Never before had Origenism or anti-Origenism been discussed among them. Teofilo, now, formerly a fervent admirer of Origene, sought anti-Origenism in order to strike at his adversaries. Forced to leave Egypt together with other monks, the four brothers went first to Palestine and then, in 1902, to Costantinopoli to seek justice against Teofilo. S. Giovanni Crisostomo, while refusing them Communion so as not to offend Teofilo, received them and provided for their needs. Accused there also by Teofilo’s emissaries, they appealed to the tribunal presided over by Crisostomo. Dioscoro and Ammonio died at the time of the Sinodo ad Quercum, the other two later.