Gregory of Sinai, or in Serbian and Bulgarian Grigorije Sinaita ( 1260s – 27 November 1346), was a Greek Christian monk and writer from
Smyrna
Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...
. He was instrumental in the emergence of
hesychasm
Hesychasm (; Greek: Ησυχασμός) is a contemplative monastic tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church in which stillness (''hēsychia'') is sought through uninterrupted Jesus prayer. While rooted in early Christian monasticism, it took it ...
on
Mount Athos
Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...
in the early 14th century.Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Gregory of Sinai". ''Encyclopedia Britannica'' /ref>
Biography
Born in
Smyrna
Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...
, he was captured by
Seljuk Turks
The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes
by the Turk ...
as a young man, and eventually ransomed to
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
, whence he became a monk at
Saint Catherine's Monastery
Saint Catherine's Monastery ( ar, دير القدّيسة كاترين; grc-gre, Μονὴ τῆς Ἁγίας Αἰκατερίνης), officially the Sacred Autonomous Royal Monastery of Saint Katherine of the Holy and God-Trodden Mount Sinai, ...
in the
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai (now usually ) (, , cop, Ⲥⲓⲛⲁ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a l ...
. Later, he moved to
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
, where he learned the practices of
hesychasm
Hesychasm (; Greek: Ησυχασμός) is a contemplative monastic tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church in which stillness (''hēsychia'') is sought through uninterrupted Jesus prayer. While rooted in early Christian monasticism, it took it ...
from a monk named Arsenios. In 1310, he went to
Mount Athos
Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...
, where he remained until 1335. At Mount Athos, he was a monk at the Skete of Magoula near
Philotheou Monastery
Philotheou or Filotheou Monastery ( el, Μονή Φιλοθέου) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery at the monastic state of Mount Athos in Greece. It stands on the north-eastern side of the peninsula.
History
It was founded by the Blessed ...
. Increasing Muslim raids on Athos pushed Gregory and some disciples into the
Bulgarian Empire
In the medieval history of Europe, Bulgaria's status as the Bulgarian Empire ( bg, Българско царство, ''Balgarsko tsarstvo'' ) occurred in two distinct periods: between the seventh and the eleventh centuries and again between the ...
, where he would find protection under Bulgarian Emperor Ivan Alexander. He went on to found a monastery near Paroria, located in the
Strandzha
Strandzha ( bg, Странджа, also transliterated as ''Strandja'', ; tr, Istranca , or ) is a mountain massif in southeastern Bulgaria and the European part of Turkey. It is in the southeastern part of the Balkans between the plains of T ...
Mountains of southeast
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
.
Gregory of Sinai was the mentor of
Athanasius the Meteorite
Athanasius the Meteorite ( el, Αθανάσιος ο Μετεωρίτης; b. 1302 – d. 1380) was a 14th-century Christian monk. He is canonized as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church. His feast day is celebrated on April 20. He is best know ...
Meteora
The Meteora (; el, Μετέωρα, ) is a rock formation in central Greece hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, second in importance only to Mount Athos.Sofianos, D.Z.: "Metéora". ...
, Greece. Gregory's disciples also included
Nicodemus of Tismana
Nikodim Tismanski, also known as Nikodim Osvećeni, Nikodim Vratnenski, Nikodim Grčić, and in Romanian, Nikodim de la Tismana (Prilep, today in North Macedonia, then Byzantine Empire, c. 1320 – Tismana, Walachia, now Romania, 26 December 140 ...
Romylos of Vidin
Romylos of Vidin also known as Romylos of Ravanica or Romylus the Athonite (''Romil Svetogorac'', ''Romil Svetogorski''); ( bg, Ромил Бдински; sr, Ромил Раванички) was a 14th-century Bulgarian cleric, a disciple of Gre ...
,
Theodosius of Tarnovo
The Holy Venerable Theodosius of Tarnovo ( bg, Теодосий Търновски, ''Teodosiy Tarnovski'') (died 1363) was a high-ranking 14th-century Bulgarian cleric and hermit. He is credited with establishing hesychasm in the Second Bulgarian ...
,
Gregory of Sinai the Younger
Saint Gregory of Sinai, the Younger (Serbian: Григорије Синајски Млађи; late 13th- and early 14th-century) was the founder of Gregoriou Monastery at Mount Athos. The Serbian Orthodox Church as well as all the other co-religio ...
, and
Gerasimos of Euripos Gerasimos ( el, Γεράσιμος) is a Greek given name derived from Greek "γέρας" ("gΕras", "gift of honour, prize, reward"). The suffix -ιμος gives the meaning "the one who deserves honour". It can also be anglicized as "Gerassimos" or ...
.
He died on 27 November 1346 in the mountains of Paroria, near present-day
Zabernovo
Zabernovo ( bg, Заберново) is a village in Malko Tarnovo Municipality, in Burgas Province, in southeastern Bulgaria.
''Philokalia''
The ''
Philokalia
The ''Philokalia'' ( grc, φιλοκαλία, lit=love of the beautiful, from ''philia'' "love" and ''kallos'' "beauty") is "a collection of texts written between the 4th and 15th centuries by spiritual masters" of the mystical hesychast trad ...
'' includes five works in Greek by Gregory:
* On Commandments and Doctrines, Warnings and Promises; on Thoughts, Passions, and Virtues, and also on Stillness and Prayer: 137 Texts
* Further Texts
* On the Signs of Grace and Delusion, Written for the Confessor Longinos: Ten Texts
* On Stillness: Fifteen Texts
* On Prayer: Seven Texts
See also
*
Athanasius the Meteorite
Athanasius the Meteorite ( el, Αθανάσιος ο Μετεωρίτης; b. 1302 – d. 1380) was a 14th-century Christian monk. He is canonized as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church. His feast day is celebrated on April 20. He is best know ...
*
Constantine of Kostenets Constantine of Kostenets ( bg, Константин Костенечки, Konstantin Kostenechki; born ca. 1380, died after 1431), also known as Constantine the Philosopher ( sr, Константин Филозоф), was a medieval Bulgarian scholar ...
Gregory Tsamblak
Gregory Tsamblak or Grigorij Camblak ( bg, Григорий Цамблак, sr-Cyr, Григорије Цамблак; c. 1365–1420) was a Bulgarian writer and cleric. He was the pretended Metropolitan of Lithuania between 1413 and 1420. A Bulga ...
*
Grigorije of Gornjak
Grigorije of Gornjak ( sr, Григорије Горњачки, Григорије из Горњака; 1375–1379), also known as Grigorije the Younger () and Grigorije the Silent (), was Serbian Orthodox monk who was canonized as saint. He stud ...
Isidore I of Constantinople
Isidore I (? – February or March 1350) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1347 to 1350. Isidore Buchiras was a disciple of Gregory Palamas.
Early life
Isidore was an ethnic Greek born in Thessaloniki during the latter part of ...
*
Romylos of Vidin
Romylos of Vidin also known as Romylos of Ravanica or Romylus the Athonite (''Romil Svetogorac'', ''Romil Svetogorski''); ( bg, Ромил Бдински; sr, Ромил Раванички) was a 14th-century Bulgarian cleric, a disciple of Gre ...
*
Roman of Đunis
Saint Roman of Đunis (Serbian language, Serbian: Свети Роман Ђунишки; ''Sveti Roman Đuniški''), or Roman The Wonderworker (c. 9th century) was a medieval enlightener and missionary to the Slavs, monk and saint. He is associated ...