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Marcus, Surnamed Eremita

Wace's Dictionary of Early Christian Biography

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Marcus (14), surnamed Eremita , mentioned by Nicephorus Callistus as ὁ πολυθρύλλητος ἀσκητής , said to have lived in the reign of Theodosius II. and to have been a disciple of St. Chrysostom (Niceph. H. E. xiv. 30). Nicephorus speaks later of the works of a Μάρκος ἀσκητής , apparently the same man. Of these he had seen a collection of 8 and another of 32, dealing with the ascetic life (H. E. xiv. 54). Photius ( Bibl. Cod. 200) gives an account of 8 works of Marcus the monk, all of which are extant with one doubtful exception. His works, pub. in Patr. Gk. lxv. 905, preceded by two disquisitions on the author by Gallandius and Fessler, are:

(1) περὶ νόμου πνευματικοῦ , a collection of short aphorisms, inculcating especially the duties of humility and constant prayer.

(2) περὶ τῶν οἰομένων ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοῦσθαι shews that as slaves of God we have no wages to expect. All is of grace, which is given τελεία in baptism, and afterwards in measure proportioned to our obedience.

(3) περί μετανοίας shews repentance to be necessary for all.

(4) ἀπόκρισις πρὸς τοὺς ἀποροῦντας περὶ τοῦ θείου βαπτίσματος , an important treatise on the doctrine of baptism, states distinctly that by the grace of baptism original sin is put away and the baptized are in exactly the condition Adam was before the fall.

(5) and (9) πρὸς Νικόλαον and περὶ νηστείας are ascetic treatises.

(7) ἀντιβολὴ πρὸς σχολαστικόν defends monastic life against a man of the world.

(8) συμβουλία νοὸς πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν shews that the root of evil is in ourselves.

(10) εἰς τὸν Μελχισεδέκ , against heretics who argued from the language of Hebrews that Melchizedek was the Son of God.

(6) κεφάλαια νηπτικά , generally included among the works of Marcus, but not mentioned by Photius, From external and internal evidence it would seem to be wrongly ascribed to Marcus.

[M.F.A.]