GREGORIO IL TAUMATURGO, SANTO

GREGORY THE THAUMATURGUS, St. — Born c. 213 to pagan parents in Neocaesarea in Pontus, d. c. 270. His original name was Theodorus. After studying law at Berytus he met Origen at Caesarea, converted to the Christian religion and remained for five years with his beloved teacher; he has left an account of this in his beautiful farewell and thanksgiving discourse. On his return to his homeland he became bishop of his native city. He did much to convert Pontus (cf. A. Harnack, *Die Mission und Ausbreitung des Christentums*, 4th ed., II, Leipzig 1924, pp. 757–58). He took part in the first Synod (Eusebius, *Hist. eccl.*, VII, 28) against Paul of Samosata (264–65). Author of a rule of faith (*Ἔκθεσις τῆς πίστεως*), he also published a canonical epistle (PG 10, 1040–48) which became of great importance for the question of Penance in the Church. A metaphrasis of Ecclesiastes is cited by St Jerome (*Comm. in Eccl.*, 4; cf. also *De vir. ill.*, 65), and is therefore his work, even though it is attributed in manuscripts to Gregory Nazianzen (PG 10, 987–88). Also authentic is the book *To Theopompus* on the impassibility and passibility of God, preserved only in Syriac (cf. P. Lagarde, *Analecta Syriaca*, Leipzig 1858, pp. 46–47; J.-B.-F. Pitra-Martin, *Analecta sacra*, IV, Paris, pp. 103–20, 363–76). Of doubtful authenticity are: *To Philagrius* on the equality of essence, surviving in Syriac under his name (P. Lagarde, *op. cit.*, p. 43–44; J.-B.-F. Pitra-Martin, *op. cit.*, pp. 100–63, 360–63), in Greek attributed to Gregory Nazianzen and Gregory of Nyssa (PG 37, 383–86; 46, 1101–1108); the treatise *On the Soul*, addressed to Tatian (PG 10, 1037–46), which is also attributed to Maximus the Confessor (cf. A. I. Lewis, *Studia Sinaitica*, London 1894, p. 19; Einarson, *Classical Philology*, 1933, p. 120–21); six homilies preserved in Armenian. Several letters and the *Dialogue with Aelianus* are lost. Feast: 17 Nov.

Erik Peterson