§ 165. Св. Епифаний Кипрский; жизнь его.

“According to his monastic life,” Sozomen writes, Epiphanius was very famous among the Palestinians, the Egyptians, and the Cypriots, among whom he was elected to rule the bishopric in the main city of the entire island” 886. Epifaniev's birthplace was the Palestine Eleutheropolis district - his parents were Jews 887. After the death of his father, the learned Jew took him in for his upbringing; and after his death, Epiphanius, having met the hermit Lucian, left a rich inheritance inherited from his teacher, was baptized and entered into an ascetic life; to see examples of desert piety, he went to Egypt; here he listened to instructions in faith: but was almost deceived by the Gnostics; Having freed himself from their networks, Epiphanius announced to the local bishops about the secrets of the sect 888 and in the 20th year he returned to his fatherland 889. The fame of Hilarion, the wondrous Palestinian hermit, began to attract disciples to him back in 323. 890; Epiphanius also came to the Great Hilarion, and after that, over the course of several years, Epiphanius so much assimilated the image of Hilarion’s ascetic actions that he remained an imitator of him for the rest of his life; when Hilarion's fame began to attract too many people to him: Hilarion in 364 retired first to Egypt, and then to Cyprus. Blessed Epiphanius then withdrew to the deserted and waterless desert (Panadrion), to the Eleutheropolis district; here a crowd of predatory Arabs almost took the life of a strict hermit: but the sudden healing of her leader turned the children of the desert into meek ascetics of the faith. Epiphanius preached about faith to the fire-worshipers of Zoroaster, although without significant success 891. A strict zealot for Orthodoxy, he separated himself from communion with the Bishop of Eleutheropolis, Eutyches, who, out of weakness, went over to the side of the Arians 892 and lovingly received the persecuted confessors of St. truths 893. Weighed down by glory, he secretly withdrew from his desert, first to the deserts of Egypt, then to Cyprus, where he listened to the instructions of the then famous Abba Gregory 894. Around 367, at the 60th year of his life, he was forced, in accordance with the prediction of St. Hilarion, take control of the Church of Salamis 895. In the pastoral department, Epiphanius was distinguished by his love for the poor, the simplicity of a hermit, his zeal for the faith, and was respected for the severity of his life 896 . Even Valens (in 371) left the ascetic shepherd of Salamis alone. In 373, at the request of some elders, Bl. Epiphanius wrote Ankorat - a work assigned as an anchor for the swimmers of life 897. The following year he began and completed in 376, also at the request of pious men, an extensive work against heresies - Panarius 898. Around 376, Epiphanius went to Antioch to convince the local bishop Vitaly to deviate from the Apollinarian teaching, but was unsuccessful. He was especially respected by his evangelical generosity towards the poor, and this generosity was rewarded from above. The historian writes: “Epiphanius was generous to those affected by the shipwreck, or for some other reason; Since he had already spent his property long ago, he also squandered church property. Epifaniev's church was very rich. Many from different countries of the world, wanting to use wealth for pious deeds, gave it to the church during their lifetime and left it with it when they died, because they were sure that Epiphanius, as a good steward and lover of God, would use their alms in accordance with their desires.... Finally, everything (church property) was spent, when suddenly someone entered the room in which the steward lived and handed him a bag with many gold coins” 899. Blzh. As much as Epiphanius was merciful to the poor, he was just as zealous for the good of the Church, but sometimes clever people took advantage of his innocence not for the good of the Church. In 382, ​​on the matter of Maximus and the See of Antioch, he, together with Bishop Paulinus of Antioch, was in Rome, where other bishops were invited, but where only a few were authorized. On his way back from Rome, he tried to convince Archbishop John through personal relations. Jerusalemsky and others did not have time to recognize in Origen a teacher dangerous for the faith; John gave him a written notice about his imprudence in allowing him to ordain a priest in a foreign diocese; Epiphanius in his reply wrote again about Origen 901. Theophilus, Bishop of Alexandria, tried to reconcile Epiphanius with John, pointing out to the former, among other things, his own inclination towards anthropomorphism. But in 400, the same Theophilus, in order to find in the simple-minded Shepherd of Salamis an assistant in fulfilling the plans of his unclean heart, persuaded Epiphanius to pronounce a condemnation in Cyprus against the Nitrian monks, accused by Theophilus of Origenism; and then, when in this case they demanded Theophilus himself for trial in Constantinople: Theophilus in 402 convinced Epiphanius to hasten to Constantinople 902 in order to force the Shepherd of Constantinople to pronounce condemnation on the great brothers whom he expelled from Alexandria and whom Chrysostom received 903 . The Shepherd of Constantinople treated Epiphanius with all love; but refused to condemn the brothers without considering the case; some of the bishops invited to the Council did not agree with the opinion of Epiphanius; Epiphanius, trusting the slander of cunning people, was already ready to pronounce condemnation on Chrysostom himself in the cathedral church; the archpastor of the capital sent the archdeacon to present it to him: confusion would not have resulted from his actions; and at the same time remind him that the ordination of a deacon in a foreign area, which the blessed one allowed himself. Epiphanius, does not agree with the canons of the Church. Epiphanius resisted. The brothers themselves, appearing to Epiphanius, brought him to the realization that he condemned them only based on the bad reviews of others. The Shepherd of Cyprus left Constantinople so as not to interfere further in a matter in which passions took such a part 904. According to the news of Socrates and Sozomen 905, John predicted to Epiphanius that he would not see his flock, and Epiphanius said that John would not die in his bishopric. On the way to Cyprus, the shepherd and wonderworker 906 of Cyprus, a strict ascetic and ardent zealot of Orthodoxy, although not always prudent, died at a very old age 907. Sozomen N. E. 6, 32. Life of St. Epiphany, described as if from the words of the disciples of his presbyt. John and Polyvius Bishop of Rhinoco-Russian (Op. S. Epifanii T. 2, ed. Migne T. 1) is not worth complete trust: there is a lot in it that is inconsistent with history and chronology. There is glory in the Bolshoi Sergiev Lavra. a list of this life, written in 1310 (No. 181, Ill.). Sozomen (6, 32): Ελευδεροπολιτης. Epiphanius in Ancorata. Sozomen 6, 32. Hieronymi vita S. Hilarionis. Life of Epiphanius. In the biography, the people to whom Epiphanius was invited are called Μαγουσι Magi. These are, without a doubt, those Caucasian fire worshipers who were later called Parsians, Urami, which is why their main place of residence in the biography is called Urion (p. 323, 329). Epiphany Haer. V. s. 23.27. Jerome Epist. 61, ad. Pammatrium. Epiphanius adv. hor. 30, § 5. Facund de trib. capit. lib. 4, p. 2. Biography of S. Epifanii Op. T. 2, p. 346. In Cyprus, St. Epiphanius lived for some time with Abba Gregory, even before his ordination to the rank of archbishop, as Gregory’s instructions and letters to Epiphanius clearly show. See Asseman Bibl. or. T. 1, p. 170–174. Sozomen N. E. 6, 32. Biography; Jerome in Epitaphia Paulae Ep. 27. Palladius in his description of the life of Chrysostom (Ar. Montfauc. p. 30) says that Epiphanius was a bishop for 36 years. Letter of the Pamphylian Presbyters in 2 volumes op. Epiphany. Letter of the Archimandrites in volume 1. Hieronymus Er. 86, ad. Eustochium p. 671. Epiphanius stayed in the house of blessings. Pavels. Hieronymus Er. 28, ad. Asellam r. 66, Theodore N. E. 5, 8. See Epiphanius' letter to John Jerusalem. T. 2, p. 313. Sozomen N. E. 8, 14. Socrates 6, 40. Palladium de vita Chrisostomi ar. montfauc. r. 60. Theophilus in 399 wrote in his Easter letter a condemnation against the anthropomorphites. I. Cassian Collat. 10, p. 2. Gennadius de vir illustr. With. 33. Theophili Epist inter Ep. Hieronimi 92 ed. Villarsii. Theophilus subsequently showed that he either never understood or never sincerely rejected the false opinions of Origenism: for he consecrated Synesius a bishop, although he directly told him about his Neoplatonic opinions. St. Isidore Pelusiot calls Theophilus the most fickle person, and at the same time greedy for money and power-hungry. Dioscorus, Isidore, Ammonius, Eusebius and Euthymius, the enlightened and strict ascetics of the Nitrian desert, where their intelligent sisters labored separately with the same severity, were called great or long in stature. (Palladius in chapters 10–17 of Lavsaik). Theophilus' hatred of the great brothers began with the fact that he first hated the pious presbyter and steward Isidore, who distributed a large sum of money, in accordance with the will of the testator, without the knowledge of Theophilus, and retired to the Nitrian monks; this hatred, hiding behind jealousy against Origenism, sent a detachment of soldiers to the Nitrian mountain, partly killing, partly scattering the Nitrian monks. Sulpicius Severus, an eyewitness, presents the following response from those persecuted for the opinions of Origen: “Not taking upon themselves to defend what is false in the books of Origen, they said that this was introduced by heretics and therefore for what is rightly worthy of reproach; one should not condemn others; the faith of the reader can easily distinguish between the two.” Dialog. 1, 1, but to what strangeness anthropomorphism reached in some is shown by the case of one monk: when they proved to him that God was not at all what he imagined Him to be: he said in bitter despondency: “Oh, I’m unfortunate! My God was taken away from me, and now I don’t know who to consider God, who to worship, who to pray to.” Cassian Collat. 40, p. 3. Photius Bibl. cod. 97, r. 263. Sozomen 8, 14, 15. Socrates 6, 12, 13. Sozomen N. E. 8, 25. Socrates N. E. 6, 12. Sozomen (N. E. 6, 27) says that Epiphanius became famous not only for his virtuous life, but also for his miracles.” Sl. Photius at Montfaucon in Bibl. Coisl, b. 349. His memory is May 12. In Cyprus, his disciples erected a church in his honor, where there was an image of him along with some other images. (Anastasius, Sinait Quaest. 941. 7th universe. comp. act. 6, ar. Bin. T. 3, p. 654). According to St. Theodore the Studite, this church was erected by Epiphanius's disciple Savin, who depicted the entire gospel story on the walls. Antirret. 2, r. 430, ed. Sirmondi T. 5. Bishop Savin’s response to Bishop. Polyvius about the relics of St. Epiphany, in Petavius ​​ed. in Latin, in Greek Auct. vet. Collect. 7, 178. This information about the veneration of the saint is necessary in order to correctly understand the act of Epiphanius himself with the church veil. You might be interested in: