Nonnus

From Encyclopedia of Syriac Literature
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Nonnus of Nisibis was a West Syriac writer, flourishing in the mid 9th century. He was a Monophysite controversialist.[1]

Life and Works

He was Archdeacon of Nisibis. He was most famous for countering the Chalcedonian teaching of the Melkite Theodore abu Qurra at the court of the Armenian Bagratid king Ashot. At Ashot's request he wrote a Commentary on John in Arabic, but based on Syriac sources. This was then translated into Armenian, in which language alone it survives today.

Four other works, all written in Syriac, survive.

  • An apologetic treatise LT, responding to three questions on the Trinity and the Incarnation. It is not clear to which position Nonnus is responding.
  • Two letters.

Only the first of these has been published.

Bibliography

  • Apologetic treatise: translated into Latin by A. van Roey (1948).

References

  1. Sebastian Brock, A brief outline of Syriac literature, Moran Etho 9, (1997), p. 67 and p. 138.