A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

GREGORIUS. GREGORIUS. 311
was entrapped by the Arians, through his desire assumed the form of quietism and ascetic virtue.
for peace, into the signature of the confession of It seems that he would have retired altogether from
Ariminum, an act which caused the orthodox monks the world but for the claims which his aged parents
of Nazianzus to form a violent party against him. had upon his care. He so far, however, gratified
Tle schism was healed by the aid of his son Gre- his taste for the monastic life, as to visit his friend
gory, and the old bishop made a renewed public Basil in his retirement, and to join in his exercises
confession of his orthodoxy, which satisfied his of devotion, A.D. 358 or 359. [BASILITJS.] But
opponents, 363. In the year 370 he, with his son, he never became a regular monk. His fiery temper
used every effort to secure the elevation of Basil to and the circumstances of the age prevailed over the
the bishopric of Caesareia; indeed, the intemperate resolves of his youth; and this quietist, who replies
zeal of the two Gregories seems to have embittered to the remonstrances of Basil on his inactivity, by
the Arians against Basil. All the other events of the strongest aspirations for a life of rest and rehis life, of any importance, are related in the next ligious meditation (Epist. xxxii. p. 696), became
article. (Greg. Nazianz. Orat. xix.) [P. S.] one of the most restless of mankind. (Comp.
GREGO'RIUS NAZIANZE'NUS, ST., sur- Orat. v. p. 134.)
named ~E6Aoyos, from his zeal in the defence of the In the year 360 or 361, Gregory was called from
Nicene doctrine*, was one of the most eminent fathers his retirement to the help of his father, who, as the
of the Greek Church. He was born at Arianzus, a best means of securing his support, and probably
village in Cappadocia, not far from Nazianzus, the also to prevent him from choosing the monastic life,
city of which his father was the bishop, and from suddenly, and without his consent, ordained him as
which both father and son took the surname of a presbyter, probably atChristmas, 361. Gregory
Nazianzen. There is some doubt about the date showed his dislike to this proceeding by immeof his birth. The statement of Suidas (s. v.) is diately rejoining Basil, but the entreaties of his
directly at variance with several known facts in his father and of many of the people of Nazianzus,
life. In all probability he was born in, or very backed by the fear that he might be, like Jonah,
shortly before, the year 329. His mother Nonna, fleeing from his duty, induced him to return home,
a zealous and devout Christian, had devoted him about Easter, 362. At that feast he preached his
even in the womb to the service of God, and ex- first sermon (Orat. xl.), which, as it seems, he aferted herself to the utmost in training his infant terwards expanded into a fuller discourse, which
mind to this destiny. In that age of miracles and was published but never preached (Orat. i.), in
visions, we are not surprised to find that Gregory, which he defends himself against the charges that
while yet a boy, was visited by a dream, which his flight from Nazianzus had occasioned, and sets
excited in him the resolution, to which he was ever forth the duties and difficulties of a Christian minisstedfast, to live a life of asceticism and celibacy, ter. It is called his Apologetic Discourse. He was
withdrawn from the world, and in the service of now for some time engaged in the discharge of his
God and the church. Meanwhile, his father took duties as a presbyter, and in assisting his aged
the greatest care of his education in the sciences father in his episcopal functions, as well as in comand arts. From the care of able teachers at Cae- posing the differences between him and the monks
sareia he proceeded to Palestine, where he studied of Nazianzus, the happy termination of which he
eloquence; thence he went to Alexandria, and celebrated in three orations. (Orat. xii. —xiv.)
finally his zeal for knowledge led him to Athens, In the mean time Julian had succeeded to the
then the focus of all learning. On his voyage, the throne of Constantius (A. D. 361), and Gregory,
vessel encountered a tremendous storm, which ex- like his friend Basil, was soon brought into collision
cited' in him great terror, because he had not yet with the apostate emperor, from whose court he
been baptized. persuaded his brother Caesarius to retire. [CAEThe time of his arrival at Athens seems to have SARIUS, ST.] Whether the unsupported statement
been about, or before A. D. 350. He applied himself of Gregory, that he and his friend Basil were
ardently to the study of language, poetry, rhetoric, marked out as the first victims of a new general
philosophy, mathematics, and also of physic and music. persecution on Julian's return from Persia, can
At AthensGregory formed his friendship with Basil. be relied upon or not, it is certain that the
[BASILIUS.] Here also he met with Julian, whose passions of the emperor would soon have overdangerous character he is said to have discerned come his affectation of philosophy, and that his
even thus early. On the departure of Basil from pretended indifference, but real disfavour, towards
Athens, in 355, Gregory would have accompanied Christianity, would have broken out into a fierce
his friend; but, at the urgent request of the whole persecution. The deliverance from this danger by
body of students, he remained there as a teacher of the fall of Julian (B. C. 363) was celebrated by
rhetoric, but only till the following year, when he Gregory in two orations against the emperor's mereturned: home, 356. He now made an open pro- mory (Aoyoi T7a1Lr' v TLcOI, Orat. iii. and iv.),
fession of Christianity by receiving baptism; and, which are distinguished more for warmth of indeclining to exercise his powers as a rhetorician, vective than either for real eloquence or Christian
either in the courts or in the schools, he set himself temper. They were never delivered.
to perform his vows of dedication to the service of In the year 364, when Basil was deposed by his
God. He made a resolution, which he is said to bishop, Eusebius, Gregory again; accompanied him
have kept all his life, never to swear. His religion to his retreat in Pontus, and was of great service
in effecting his reconciliation with Eusebius, which
* In the Arian controversy, the terms seoXoyta took place in 365. He also assisted Basil most
and 5kAo-yos were used by the orthodox with powerfillly against the attacks of Valens and the
reference to the Nicene doctrine, which they be- Arian bishops of Cappadocia. For the next five
lieved to be contained in the passage of Scripture, years he seems to have been occupied with his
&ieas iJ d Ae4yos. It was in this sense that they duties at Nazianzus, in the midst of domestic
called the apostle John o &'A1oyos. troubles, the illness of his parents, and' the death
x4