Nilus of Sinai - Works

Works

The writings of St. Nilus of Sinai were first edited by Petrus Possinus (Paris, 1639); in 1673 Suarez published a supplement at Rome; his letters were collected by Possinus (Paris, 1657), a larger collection was made by Leo Allatius (Rome, 1668). All these editions are used in Patrologia Graeca, vol. 79. The works are divided by Fessler-Jungmann into four classes:

  1. Works about virtues and vices in general: — "Peristeria" (P. G., 79, 811-968), a treatise in three parts addressed to a monk Agathios; "On Prayer" (peri proseuches, ib., 1165–1200); "Of the eight spirits of wickedness" (peri ton th'pneumaton tes ponerias, ib., 1145–64); "Of the vice opposed to virtues" (peri tes antizygous ton areton kakias, ib., 1140–44); "Of various bad thoughts" (peri diapsoron poneron logismon, ib., 1200–1234); "On the word of the Gospel of Luke", 22:36 (ib., 1263–1280).
  2. "Works about the 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, a Nitrian monk whose life is held up as an example (ib., 695-712); "Of Asceticism" (Logos asketikos, about the monastic ideal, ib., 719-810); "Of voluntary poverty" (peri aktemosynes, ib., 968-1060); "Of the superiority of monks" (ib., 1061–1094); "To Eulogios the monk" (ib., 1093–1140).
  3. "Admonitions" (Gnomai) or "Chapters" (kephalaia), about 200 precepts drawn up in short maxims (ib., 1239–62). These are probably made by his disciples from his discourses.
  4. "Letters": — Possinus published 355, Allatius 1061 letters, divided into four books (P. G., 79, 81-585). Many are not complete, several overlap, or are not really letters but excerpts from Nilus' works; some are spurious. Fessler-Jungmann divides them into classes, as dogmatic, exegetical, moral, and ascetic.

Certain works wrongly attributed to Nilus are named in Fessler-Jungmann, pp. 125–6.

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