EVAGRIXJS
640
EVAN6ELIARIA
reign of the Emperor Maurice (593-594). This work
is very important for the history of the rehgious con-
troversies of the fifth and sixth centuries. Nestorian-
ism, Eutychianism, and the last phases of llonophy-
sitism. Evagrius furnishes details concerning events
and persons, and does not neglect works of art (St.
Sophia, H. E., IV, 31). To political history he gives
an important place; in a word, he is an authority of
the first order for this period. He is sincere, and is
conscientious in securing information. But he shares
the ideas of his environment and of his time. In his
defence of Constantine he goes so far as to deny the
murder of Crispus and Faustina. He relates wonders
and legends, and it is to him we owe the account of the
blood that was taken up with a sponge at certain times
from the body of St. Euphemia of Chalcedon (II, 3).
Among the sources of his information he mentions the
chronicle of Eustathius of Antioch, and the works of
Procopius, Menander Protector, John of Epiphania,
and John Malalas (whom he calls John the Rhetorician) .
While he relies on these authors, he does so with discre-
tion. In his ecclesiastical attitude he is strictly ortho-
dox and abides strictly by the decrees of Chalcedon;
nevertheless, he judges the heretics with moderation.
His was an equable mind, and he is a reliable guide.
The latest ed. of the Ecd. Hist, is that of Pahmentier and BiDEZ (London, 1S98), in Byzantine Texts, brought out by Methuen under the super\ision of Bury; Krumbacher. Gesck. derbyzanlinischen Lilt. (Munich, 1S97\ 245-17; Bardenhewer. Patrologie, tr. Shahan (St. Louis, 190S). pAUL LeJ.\Y.
Evagrius, surnamed Ponticus, b. about 345, in Ibora, a small town on the shores of the Black Sea; d. 399. He is numbered among the more important ascetical wTiters of the fourth century. Instructetl by St. Gregory Nazianzen, he was ordained reader by St. Basil the Great and deacon by St. Gregory of Nyssa (3S0), whom he accompanied to the Second Council of Constantinople (3S1). According to Palladius, who differs in his account from Socrates and Sozomen, Evagrius remained for a time as archdeacon in Con- stantinople, while Nectarius was patriarch (3S1-397). Leaving the city on account of its spiritual dangers, he went first to Jerusalem and then into the Nitrian Desert, where he began an eremitical life under the guidance of the younger Macarius (383). He stead- fastly refused a bishopric offered by Theophilus of Alexandria. He became very celebrated for his ascetical life and writings, though St. Jerome (e. g. Ep. 133 ad Ctesiphontem, n. 3) charges him with Origenis- tic errors and calls him the precursor of Pelagius. The Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth (Ecumenical Councils con- demn Evagrius together with Origen. Rufinus and Gennadius translated the works of Evagrius into Latin; several of them have been lost or have not thus far been recovered (P. L., XL). The best collec- tions of his works are edited by Bigot (Paris, 16S0); Gallandi, "Biblioth. vet. patr.", VII, 551-581; Migne, " P. G.", XL; cf . also Elter, "Gnomica" (Leipzig, 1892) ; Zockler, "Evagrius Pontikus" (Munich, 1893). We may here name: "Monachus sen de vita activa"; " Rerum monachaliura rationes earumque juxta qui- etem adpositio " ; " De octo vitiosis cogitationibus ".
Bardenhewer, Patrology, tr. Sh.vhan (St. Louis, 1908), 271; Kirchenkz., IV, 1031 sq.; Horter, Nomenclalor, I, 227.
A. J. Maas.
Evangeliaria, liturgical books containing those portions of the Gospels which are read duringMass or in the public offices of the Church. The name does not date back earlier than the seventeenth century. The Greeks called .such collections Euav^Aioi', " Gospel", or iK\oyiiiov rod evayyeXlov. " Selections from the Gospel ".
The collection of readings from the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles known as 'ATrio-roXos, "Apostle", or irpaJaTAo-roXos. In churches of the Latin Rite, the l(;ssons from the Old Testament, the Epi.stles from the New Testament, and portions of the Gospels are usually grouped in the same book, under
the name Comes, Liber comitis. Liber comicus (from
comes, companion), or Lectionarium. Separate Evan-
geliaria are seldom to be met with in Latin. Tables
indicating passages to be read, as well as the Sundays
and Holy Days on which they are to be read, are called
by the Greeks "Evangelistarium", a name sometimes
given to the Evangeliaria proper; they are also called
" Synaxarium ", and by the Latins are known as
"Capitulare". Although the word Evangeliarium is
of recent origin, it has been universally adopted. The
word Leclioniarium is employed, however, to denote
either the collection of passages from the Old and New
Testaments, including the Gospels, or else these pas-
sages alone without the corresponding Gospels.
Origin and Use of Erangeliaria . — Following the cus- tom of the Synagogue, the Scriptures of the Old Testa- ment were read at the primitive Christian assemblies. According as the Canon of the New Testament was decided on, certain extracts from it were included in these readings. Justin tells us that in his day, when the Christians met together, they read the Memoirs of the Apostles and the writings of the Prophets (Apol., I, Ixvii). TertuUian, Cyprian, and other writers bear witness to the same custom ; and in the West the order of lector existed as early as the third century. For want of precise testimony we do not know how the particular passages were decided on. Most likely the presiding bishop chose them at the assembly itself; and it is obvious that on the occurrence of certain fes- tivals the Scripture relating to them would be read. Little by little a more or less definite list would nat- urally result from this method. St. John Chrysostom in a homily delivered at Antioch exhorts his hearers to read beforehand the Scripture passages to be read and commented on in the Office of the day (Homilia de Lazaro, iii, c. i). In like manner other Churches would form a table of readings. In the margin of the MS. text it was customary to note the Simday or festival on which that particular passage would be read, and at the end of the manuscript, the list of such passages, the Sjmaxarium or Capitulare, would be added. Transition from this process to the making of an Evangeliariimi, or collection of all such passages, was easy. Gregorj' is of opinion that we possess frag- ments of Evangeliaria in Greek dating from the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries, and that we have very many from the ninth century onwards (according to Gregory they number 1072). In like manner, we find Lection- aries in the Latin Churches as early as the fifth century. The Comes of the Roman Church dates from before St. Gregory the Great (P. L., XXX, 487-532). From the tenth century onwards we find the Gospel lessons, to- gether with the Epistles and prayers, united in a new liturgical book, called the Missal.
Evangeliaria and the Text of the Neiv Testament. — Evangeliaria have very little importance for the critic of the Gospel text. At the time when the various Gospel passages began to be collected in book-form for use in liturgical reunions, the various families of the Gospel text and its translations were already in existence; and those Evangeliaria simply reproduce the particular text favoured by the Church which compiled it. They have even exerci.sed an unfortun- ate influence on the more recent MS. of the Gospels; certain additions of a liturgical nature (e. g. in ilia tempore; dijrit Dominus) which were set at the begin- ning orcnd of a reading, have found their way into the text itself. But in the official text of the Vulgate, and in editionsof the Greek text of to-day. owing to the labours of Tischendorf and of Westcott and Hort, these liturgi- cal glossaries are very rare. We notice one example in the Vulgate text: Luke, vii, 31 {ait mitem Dominus).
The Evangeliaria and Liturgy. — It is especially from a liturgical point of view that the study of Evangel- iaria is interesting. The general method of Greek ICvangoliaria is uniform. The first part contains the Gospels of the Sundays beginning with Easter; the
