St Maximus the Confessor’s life story: Sources and Conclusions Cover Image

Maximos életrajza: források és következtetések
St Maximus the Confessor’s life story: Sources and Conclusions

Author(s): Miklós Vassányi
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, History, Language and Literature Studies, History of Church(es), Middle Ages, Theology and Religion, 6th to 12th Centuries, Eastern Orthodoxy
Published by: Károli Gáspár Református Egyetem
Keywords: St Maximus the Confessor’s life story; Greek and Latin sources; Syriac monophysite sources;

Summary/Abstract: This paper intends to offer a sort of status quaestionis concerning St Maximus the Confessor’s life story. In a first instance, the biographical sources are enumerated under two headings: 1. Greek and Latin sources; 2. Syriac monophysite sources. The first group includes Maximus’ correspondence, the Diputatio cum Pyrrho, the Relatio motionis, the Disputatio Bizyae, the Hypomnesticon, the Vita Maximi and several minor epistles. Among the Syriac sources, generally hostile towards the Confessor, we find George of Resh’aino’s invective, Michael the Syriac, the Chronicon anonymi, and Bar Hebraeus’ chronicle. For each source text, a description and an analysis is offered with especial respect to the main moot question of the Confessor’s biography, namely, to whether he was of Constantinopolitan or of Palestinian birth. The conclusion is that all considered, the second option seems more likely in the mirror of the most recent research.

  • Issue Year: VIII/2016
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 7-29
  • Page Count: 23
  • Language: Hungarian