Evagrius, Ponticus

, a monk at the latter end of the fourth century, surnamed Ponticus from the place of his nativity, not far from the Pontus Euxinus, was at first lecturer of the congregation at Caesarea, afterwards deacon, and lastly made archdeacon of Constantinople, by Gregory Nazianzen, by whom he had been instructed in the Scriptures; but was obliged to fly that country in the year 385, on account of some suspicions thrown out against him by a person of consequence concerning his wife; upon this, he devoted himself to the monastic life at Jerusalem, and afterwards in Syria, where be espoused the tenets of Origen, and propagated others which afterwards led to the Pelagian heresy. He wrote, 1. “Orationes, sive preces centum.” 2. “Gnosticus, sive de iis, qui cognitionis munere donati sunt, in anachoretarum usnm, sive elementarium, lib. ii.” 3. “Περὶ διαφόρον λογισμῶν,” which tractate is usually ascribed to Evagrius Scholasticus, but without foundation. 4. “Monachus, sive de vita activa.” 5. “Anthirrticus adversus tentantes daeniones,” &c. All these are found in the “Bibl. Patrum,” and in Cotelerius’s “Monum. Eccl. Gnjec.” He died A.D. 399. ³