Severian Gavalsky

The main sources of information about Severian are two books of the same name - Church History, the author of one of them is Socrates Scholastic , and the other is Yermiy Sozomen . Both historians write that Severian was a bishop of Gavala and an excellent preacher, he was famous for eloquence. However, Severian pronounced the Greek words not quite purely, but with a Syrian accent .

Upon learning of the successful preaching work of Antiochus of Ptolemaida in Constantinople , Severian went after him to preach in the capital of the empire for about 400 years. In Constantinople, thanks to his preaching work, Severian became very famous; he was respected by Archbishop John Chrysostom , as well as Emperor Arkady and Empress Eudoxia . In 401, John Chrysostom went to Asia , instead of himself in the capital, left Severian and entrusted his Church to him, since he considered him a good friend. Severian, thanks to his sermons in Constantinople, gained more and more love from his listeners. The archdeacon Serapion, who was left in the capital, ordained by John Chrysostom, and later by him as Bishop Heracles of Thrace , aroused jealousy in John Chrysostom of Severian.

After John returned from Asia, Severian passed Serapion, but the latter did not give him due honor as a bishop, and remained in his place, showing that Severian’s presence meant nothing to him and that this man despised. Severian, upset by this, cried out: "if Serapion dies a Christian, then Christ did not become human." In this case, archdeacon Serapion represented false witnesses before John Chrysostom, supporters of Serapion; they hid all that was said intact, and witnessed only the expression: "Christ did not become human." Accused of this by Serapion, Severian was expelled by John from the city, as an insult and a blasphemer. The Empress Eudoxius found out about this quarrel, through the adherents of Severian, and immediately returned the expelled Bishop Severian from Chalcedon . However, John, despite the intercession of many, refused to meet with Severian until Empress Eudoxia in the Church of the Apostles put her son, future Emperor Theodosius II at the feet of John Chrysostom, until with her requests and repeated pleas she somehow restored the friendship of Zlatoust with Severian .

Patriarch Photius in the book “ Library ” reported that in July 403, Severian was involved in the prosecution against Chrysostom at the Cathedral at Oak , thanks to his efforts, John Chrysostom was deposed from the bishop's chair of Constantinople. The seventh accusation of the Council at Oak - John Chrysostom intrigued against Severian and set deans against him.

Despite the deposition of Chrysostom, Gennady Massilius speaks well of Severian in chapter 21 of the book “On Famous Men” , which is dedicated to Severian. Gennady reports that Severian was well versed in the scriptures and known for his sermons. He was often called to Constantinople by Bishop John and Emperor Arkady, who sought his society and conversation with him. Gennady also writes that he read Severian’s books on meditation on baptism in the Epistle to the Galatians, as well as On the Feast of the Epiphany, an extremely commendable essay. Theodorite of Cyrus in his essays "The Eranist" quotes Severian Gavalsky against monophysitism ^[1] , quotes Severian against the monophysites and Anastasia Sinait in his essay "The Guide" ^[2] . Gennady reports that Antiochus died during the reign of Emperor Theodosius the Younger , that is, after 408.

Severian’s unfavorable course of action towards John made him forget about his preaching work, which ancient historians mention with great praise - Socrates, Sozomen, Palladius of Helenopolis , Isidore of Seville . Severian’s sermons were often mixed with the sermons of Basil the Great , John Chrysostom and Peter Chrysologist . Until now, the question of who owns the sermons published in the 16th – 17th centuries and gathered together in the publication of Patrologia Graeca (volumes 47–64) among the Chrysostoms, but bearing the inscription of the name Severian in the manuscripts, has not been resolved. All are known of all the sermons of Severian, in whole form or in passages, large or small, 107-109 titles. Of these, only part is printed.

In six conversations about the book of Genesis, Severian tries to explain each creation from the point of view of contemporary natural science; this is not so much a moralizing sermon as that of Chrysostom, as lectures on the then natural philosophy. Modern scholars consider Severian a man of extensive theological and general education. In the dogmatic and polemic "words" of Severian (against heretics), the dialectic is very skillful and subtle; this is the similarity of Severian with Gregory the Theologian . The question of which theological school of his time Severian belonged to remains unresolved, due to insufficient research by specialists of his works, hitherto largely unpublished; but judging by the writings of Severian, which have already been studied, he can be recognized as an apologist for the Nicene symbol . Some addiction to the allegorical method of interpreting scripture indicates Severian’s close relationship with the Alexandrian theological school .

In terms of the external structure, his sermons are distinguished by great consistency, good schematism; not only “words”, but also “conversations” have almost all the plan drawn up by the speaker or indicated by the course of thought. In this regard, Severian very closely converges with Asterius of Amasia , Eusebius of Caesarea (as a preacher) and other church speakers of the 4th century, who established thematism (comparison of topics) and a strictly systematic presentation of speech, although not according to all the rules of ancient rhetoric, as they gave place in preaching to religious ecstasy and prophetism . With the strength, brilliance and wit of thought, Severian’s phrase is not always elegant and correct stylistically: whether this Syrian didn’t know Greek well, or if he didn’t have the habit of carefully processing the phrase in the sermons - it’s not yet decided; one can assume both.

The 65th volume of Patrologia Graeca contains only one of Severian's works, Six Day.

• Socrates Scholastic , Church History, Book 6, Chapter 11. About Severian and Antioch of Syria, how they departed from John and for what reason
• Hermias Sozomen , Church History, Book 8, Chapter 10. About Severian of Gaval, Antioch of Ptolemaida and what happened between Serapion and Severian, and how the quarrel between them was stopped by the queen.
• Severian, Bishop of Havala // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• Severian // Small Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : in 4 volumes - St. Petersburg. 1907-1909.
• “ Complete Orthodox Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary ” T. 2. col. 2030
• Filaret (Gumilevsky) . Historical doctrine of the fathers of the church. Volume 2. p. 291
• McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia. Severianus
• Gennadius Massiliensis . Opera Omnia (Migne)
• Gennady of Massily. BOOK ON CHURCH WRITERS (“On Famous Men”)
• Gennadius of Marseilles: ILLUSTRIOUS MEN: An Appendix to St. Jerome's De Viris Illustribus // THE SAINT PACHOMIUS ORTHODOX LIBRARY. UNEDITED DOCUMENT // A better edition is in preparation. This document is in the public domain. Copying it is encouraged.
• Photius, Bibliotheca, 59. Acts of the Synod of the Oak
• Lebedev Aleksey Petrovich, 09. Church-historical narratives of generally accessible content and exposition. Ed. 2nd. 1903 VI. The Cathedral at Oak or the ordeal in the life of St. John Chrysostom, pp. 150—179 [1]
• Anton Vladimirovich Kartashev, Ecumenical Councils II Ecumenical Council in Constantinople 381, St. John Chrysostom
• Orthodox Encyclopedia, T. 24, S. 159-205 John Chrysostom, part 1
• BIBLIOTHÈQUE DE PHOTIUS. 59 Actes du Synode du Chêne.
• Severіan, ep. Gavalsky (c. † 415) Word on text: I came to bring fire to the earth: I would like it to be already kindled (Luke 12, 49). - Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I came not to bring peace, but a sword (Matt. 10, 34).
• Patrologia Graeca : PG 47 , PG 48 , PG 49 , PG 50 , PG 51 , PG 52 , PG 53 , PG 54 , PG 55 , PG 56 , PG 57 , PG 58 , PG 59 , PG 60 , PG 61 , PG 62 , PG 63 , PG 64 , PG 65
• Six-day Severian, Bishop of Gavalsky in per. Epiphanius of Slavinetsky and Song of Songs as interpreted by Philo Piyavsky, Hippolytus, Pope, and St. Gregory
• XVIII International Conference of Philology Students. "Six-day" of Severian Gavalsky and his fate in the Slavic script Maria Vladimirovna Moiseeva Reporter 1st year undergraduate St. Petersburg State University 2015-04-07