Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/105

 NILOPOLIS

79

NILUS

the highest praise for the Kalendarium or Heorto- logion. Professor Harnack of Berhn wrote of it in the "Theologische Literaturzeitung " (XXI, 1896, 350-2): "I have . .; . frequently made use of the work . . . and it has always proved a reliable guide, whose information was derived from original sources. There is scarcely another scholar as well versed as the author in the feasts of Catholicism. His knowledge is based not only on his own observations, but on books, periodicals, papers, and calendars of the past and present. The Feasts of Catholicism! The title is self-explanatory; yet, though the basis of these ordi- nances is uniform, the details are of infinite variety, since the work treats not only of the Latin but also of the Eastern Rites. The latter, it is well known, are divided into Greek, Syriac, Coptic, Armenian . . ." Of the second volume Harnack wrote (ibid., XXXIII, 1898, 112 sq.): "Facts which elsewhere would have to be sought under difficulties are here marshalled in lucid order, and a very carefully arranged index facil- itates inquiry. Apart from the principal aim of the work, it offers valuable information concerning recent Eastern Catholic ecclesiastical history, also authori- ties and literature useful to the historian of liturgy and creeds. . . . His arduous and disinterested toil will be rewarded by the general gratitude, and his work will long prove useful not only to every theo- logian 'utriusque', but also 'cuiusque ecclesia;'". The Roumanian Academy at Bucharest awarded a prize to this work. Soon after the appearance of the second edition of the "Kalendarium", the Russian Holy Synod issued from the synodal printing office at Moscow a "Festbildcratlas" intended to a certain e.xtent as the official Orthodox illustrations for the work. Nilles was not only a distinguished university professor, but also a meritorious director of ecclesiasti- cal students. For fifteen years (1860-7.5) he presided over the theological seminary of Innsbruck, an inter- national institution where young men from all parts of Europe and the United "States are trained for the priesthood.

Blum, Dos Collegium Germaiiicum zu Rom u. seine ZHglinge aus dem LuiemburgeT Lande (Luxemburg, 1899); Zeitschr. fiir kath. Theol. (Innsbruck, 1907), 396 aqq.; Korrespondemblatl des Pries- ter-GebetS'Verein, XLI (Innsbruck), 37 sqq.

M. HOPMANN.

Nilopolis, a titular see and a suffragan of Oxyryn- chos, in Egypt. According to Ptolemy (IV, v, 26) the city was situated on an island of the Nile in the Her- aclean nome. Eusebius ("Hist, eccl.", VI, xli) states that it had a bishop, Cheremon, during the persecu- tion of Decius; others are mentioned a little later. "The Chronicle of John of Nikiou" (5.59) alludes to this city in connexion with the occujiation of Egypt by the Mussulmans, and it is also referred to by Ara- bian medieval geographers under its original name of Delas. In the fourteenth century it paid 20,000 di- nars in taxes, which indicates a place of some impor- tance. At present, Delas forms a part of the inoudi- rieh of Beni-Suef in the district of El-Zaouict, and has about 2500 inhabitants of whom nearly 1000 are nomadic Bedouins. It is situated on the left bank of the Nile about forty-seven miles from Memphis.

Le Quien. Oriens chrislianus. II (Paris. 1741). 587; .\m£uneac. La geographie de I'Egypte d I'epoque copte (Paris, 1893), 136-138.

S. Vailh^;.

Nilus, Saint (NeiXos), the elder, of Sinai (d. c. 430), was one of the many disciples and fervent defenders of St. John Chrysostora. We know him first as a lay- man, married, with two sons. At this time he was an officer at the Court of Constantinople, and is said to have been one of the Pra?torian Prefects, who, accord- ing to Diocletian and Constantine's arrangement, were the chief functionaries and heads of all other governors for the four main divisions of the empire. Their authority, however, had already begun to de- cline by the end of the fourth century.

While St. John Chrysostom was patriarch, before his first exile (398-403), he directed Nilus in the study of Scripture and in works of piety (Nikephoros Kal- listos, "Hist. Eccl.", XIV, 53, 54). About the year 390 (Tillemont, "Memoires", XIV, 190-91) or per- haps 404 (Leo Allatius, " De Nilis", 11-14), Nilus left his wife and one son and took the other, Theodulos, with him to Mount Sinai to be a monk. They lived here till about the year 410 (Tillemont, ib., p. 405) when the Saracens, invading the monastery, took Theodulos prisoner. The Saracens intended to sacri- fice him to their gods, but eventually sold him as a slave, so that he came into the possession of the Bishop of Eleusa in Palestine. The Bishop received Theo- dulos among his clergy and made him door-keeper of the church. Meanwhile Nilus, having left his monas- tery to find his son, at last met him at Eleusa. The bishop then ordained them both priests and allowed them to return to Sinai. The mother and the other son had also embraced the religious life in Egypt. St. Nilus was certainly alive till the year 430. It is un- certain how soon after that he died. Some writers believe him to have lived till 451 (Leo Allatius, op. cit., 8-14). The Byzantine Menology for his feast (12 November) supposes this. On the other hand, none of his works mentions the Council of Ephesus (431) and he seems to know only the beginning of the Nestorian troubles; so we have no evidence of his life later than about 430.

From his monastery at Sinai Nilus was a well- known person throughout the Eastern Church; by his writings and correspondence he played an important part in the history of his time. He was known as a theologian. Biblical scholar and ascetic writer, so peo- ple of all kinds, from the emperor down, wrote to consult him. His numerous works, including a mul- titude of letters, consist of denunciations of heresy, paganism, abuses of discipline and crimes, of rules and principles of asceticism, especially maxims about the religious life. He warns and threatens people in high places, abbots and bishops, governors and princes, even the emperor himself, without fear. He kept up a correspondence with Gaina, a leader of the Goths, endeavouring to convert him from Arianism (Book I of his letters, nos. 70, 79, 114, 115, 116, 205, 206, 286); he denounced vigorously the persecution of St. John Chrysostom both to the Emperor Arcadius (ib., II, 265 ; III, 279) and to his courtiers (I, 309; III, 199).

Nilus must be counted as one of the leading ascetic writers of the fifth century. His feast is kept on 12 November in the Byzantine Calendar; he is commem- orated also in the Roman martyrology on the same date. The .Armenians remember him, with other Egyptian fathers, on the Thursday after the third Sunday of their Advent (Nilles, "Kalendarium Man- uale", Inn.sbruck, 1897, II, 624).

The writings of St. Nilus of Sinai were first edited by Possinus (Paris, 1639); in 1673 Suarcz pubHshed a supplement at Rome; his letters were collected by Possinus (Paris, 1657), a larger collection was made by Leo Allatius (Romi", 1668). All these editions are used in P. G., LXXIX. The works are divided by Fessler-Jungraann into four classes: — (1) Works about virtues and vices in general: — "Peristeria" (P. G., LXXIX, 811-968), a treati.se in three parts addressed to a monk .\gathios; "On Prayer" (irepi Trpoffevxv^, ib., 116.5-1200); "Of the eight spirits of wickedness" (Tepi rdp 'irveviidToip ttjs Trovvp^at, ib., 114.5-64); "Of the vice opposed to virtues" («pi t^s ivTitfyovs Turn dpTjTWP KaKlai, ib., 1140-44); "Of various bad tliiiughts" (irepi 5iatp6piov irovripCiv Xo7i(T;iiiir, ib., 120-1234);"Onthewordoft!ieGo.>ipclof Liike",xxii, 3(i (ib., 1263-1280). (2) "Works about tiie monastic life": — Concerning the slaughter of monks on Mount Sinai, in seven parts, telling the story of the author's life at Sinai, the invasion of the Saracens, captivity of his son, etc. (ib., 590-694); Concerning Albianos,