The golden age of the Fathers
AD 381–451
Council of Constantinople (AD 381)
The second ecumenical council.
1 workEgeria
A Western pilgrim whose account of her journey to the Holy Land survives.
1 workPhilastrius of Brescia
Bishop of Brescia who wrote a catalogue of heresies.
1 workCyril of Jerusalem
Bishop of Jerusalem; his catechetical lectures survive.
1 workGregory of Nazianzus
The Theologian; one of the three Cappadocian fathers.
8 worksVision of Paul
A fourth-century tale of Paul's journey through heaven and hell.
1 workMacarius of Egypt
Desert father; the Spiritual Homilies are attributed to him.
1 workCouncil of Constantinople (AD 394)
A local council at Constantinople.
1 workGregory of Nyssa
Bishop of Nyssa, brother of Basil; theologian and mystic.
17 worksMartyrdom of Isaac of Tiphre
A Coptic account of the martyr Isaac of Tiphre in Egypt.
1 workActs of Xanthippe and Polyxena
A romance about two women converted by the apostle Paul's preaching in Spain.
1 workAnonymous early writings
Short anonymous writings of the early Church, some from the East.
5 worksAnonymous pilgrims
Short anonymous guides for pilgrims to the Holy Land.
2 worksCodex Bezae (Western text of Acts)
The longer “Western” form of the Acts of the Apostles, as read in Codex Bezae, translated into English.
1 workDesert Fathers (anonymous)
The anonymous sayings, stories and lives of the monks of Egypt, Scetis and Palestine, collected from the fourth century on and preserved in Greek, Latin, Syriac, Coptic and other languages.
4 worksDoctrine of Addai
A Syriac account of the founding of the church of Edessa.
1 workLiturgy of Saint James
The old liturgy of Jerusalem.
2 worksNarrative of Zosimus
A story of a hermit who visits the Rechabites, the 'Blessed Ones'.
1 workPseudo-Epiphanius
Writings handed down under the name of Epiphanius.
1 workPseudo-Hilary
Writings handed down under the name of Hilary.
3 worksPseudo-Ignatius
Spurious letters written in the name of Ignatius of Antioch.
2 worksPseudo-Pionius
A Greek life of Polycarp ascribed to a certain Pionius.
1 workPseudo-Sulpicius Severus (the Doubtful Letters)
Letters of doubtful authorship once printed with Sulpicius Severus.
1 workPseudo-Sulpicius Severus (the Doubtful Letters)
Letters of doubtful authorship once printed with Sulpicius Severus.
1 workShenoute of Atripe
Abbot of the White Monastery near Atripe in Upper Egypt and the greatest writer of Coptic literature. His sermons and letters against idolatry, heresy and lax monks survive in Coptic, many only in fragments.
1 workJohn Chrysostom
Archbishop of Constantinople; the golden-mouthed preacher.
49 worksPaulinus of Nola
Roman senator who became bishop of Nola; poet and letter-writer.
2 worksPaulus Orosius
Spanish priest and friend of Augustine who wrote a history against the pagans.
3 worksCouncil of Carthage (AD 419)
The African code of canons.
1 workCyprianus Gallus
Gallic poet who put the books of the Heptateuch into Latin verse.
1 workEvagrius of Gaul
Gallic author of a dialogue between a Jew and a Christian.
1 workEvodius of Uzalis
Bishop of Uzalis in Africa and a friend of Augustine.
1 workJerome
Translator of the Latin Vulgate and prolific biblical scholar.
48 worksMaruthas of Martyropolis
Bishop who worked between the Roman and Persian churches.
1 workPalladius of Galatia
Author of the Lausiac History of the desert monks.
6 worksSulpicius Severus
Biographer of Martin of Tours and church historian.
8 worksAugustine of Hippo
Bishop of Hippo, the most influential Latin father.
134 worksBesa of Atripe
Shenoute’s disciple and successor as head of the White Monastery in Upper Egypt. His short letters to monks and nuns, urging them to keep vigil, avoid theft and drunkenness and hold to the rule, survive in Coptic.
1 workOrientius
Bishop, probably of Auch, who wrote Latin poems of moral teaching.
3 worksCouncil of Ephesus (AD 431)
The third ecumenical council.
3 worksJohn Cassian
Brought the teaching of the desert fathers to the West.
9 worksClaudius Marius Victor
Gallic poet who wrote the Alethia, a verse commentary on Genesis.
1 workSedulius
Christian poet who wrote the Easter Song, a poem on the life of Christ.
6 worksCyril of Alexandria
Patriarch of Alexandria; opponent of Nestorius.
24 worksActs of Barnabas
An apocryphal account of the later life and death of Barnabas.
1 workApocalypse of Sedrach
A dialogue of the saint Sedrach with God on mercy for sinners.
1 workLiturgy of Saint John Chrysostom
The ordinary liturgy of Constantinople, still used by the Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic churches; it takes its name from John Chrysostom, though it reached its present form later.
2 worksNarsai of Nisibis
Syriac poet and teacher, head of the school of Nisibis, the chief theological school of the Church of the East; his metrical homilies earned him the title ‘harp of the Spirit’.
1 workPseudo-Eucherius
A short description of Jerusalem put under the name of Eucherius.
1 workPseudo-John Chrysostom (Coptic)
Coptic homilies put under the name of John Chrysostom.
1 workCouncil of Chalcedon (AD 451)
The fourth ecumenical council.
5 works