Saint Nonnus
Encyclopedia
According to Christian
tradition, Saint Nonnus was the bishop
of Edessa, Mesopotamia
who converted Saint Pelagia
, a former courtesan
, through his preaching and prayer. According to James, a deacon
of the church of Heliopolis
, Nonnus "was a very great man, a perfect monk
, who, by reason of his virtuous life, was taken from his Monastery
of Tabenna
and made a bishop [of Heliopolis]."
ian title meaning saint.) It can also be spelled Nennos or Ninos, and was a common name in the Assyrian/Syriac culture.
and is recorded as having attended the Council of Chalcedon
in 451.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
tradition, Saint Nonnus was the bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Edessa, Mesopotamia
Edessa, Mesopotamia
Edessa is the Greek name of an Aramaic town in northern Mesopotamia, as refounded by Seleucus I Nicator. For the modern history of the city, see Şanlıurfa.-Names:...
who converted Saint Pelagia
Saint Pelagia
Saint Pelagia is an Antiochene saint, a virgin of fifteen years, who chose death by a leap from the housetop rather than dishonour from soldiers during the Diocletianic Persecution. She is mentioned by Ambrose , and is the subject of two sermons by Chrysostom...
, a former courtesan
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
, through his preaching and prayer. According to James, a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
of the church of Heliopolis
Baalbek
Baalbek is a town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, altitude , situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, then known as Heliopolis, was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire...
, Nonnus "was a very great man, a perfect monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
, who, by reason of his virtuous life, was taken from his Monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
of Tabenna
Tabenna
Tabenna is considered the first cenobitic monastery. It was a community founded by Pachomius on an island of the Nile in Upper Egypt....
and made a bishop [of Heliopolis]."
Name
The name or title Nonnus was common in that time and place, as it was an EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian title meaning saint.) It can also be spelled Nennos or Ninos, and was a common name in the Assyrian/Syriac culture.
History
Apart from the legend regarding Saint Pelagia, history records that Nonnus is known to have been a bishop of EdessaEdessa, Mesopotamia
Edessa is the Greek name of an Aramaic town in northern Mesopotamia, as refounded by Seleucus I Nicator. For the modern history of the city, see Şanlıurfa.-Names:...
and is recorded as having attended the Council of Chalcedon
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from 8 October to 1 November, 451 AD, at Chalcedon , on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separation of the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th...
in 451.