330-390) Christian theologian who helped defeat heretical doctrines in the fourth century
Born at Arianzus, near Nazianzus, in Cappadocia (a Roman province in Asia Minor), Gregory was the son of the bishop of Nazianzus. After studying in Athens, he returned to Cappadocia and entered the monastic life, joining the community that had been established by St. Basil in Pontus. Ordained against his will in 362, he worked for the next years to assist his father, continuing to do so after his own consecration around 370 as bishop of Sasima Cappadocia. He did not take possession of his see, remaining an auxiliary bishop to his father. After his father’s death in 374, however, Gregory retired to a monastery in Seleucia until 379, when he was summoned to Constantinople. There, he emerged through his preaching as the main leader of the orthodox party in its struggle with Arianism. By his oratorical skill, Gregory was able to revive resistance to the Arians, prompting the summoning of the Council of Constantinople in 381 and the triumph of the Nicene Creed. Named bishop of Constantinople during the council, he was quickly so appalled by the schemes and intrigues of those around him that he resigned his see and retired to Nazianzus. A little later he returned to Cappadocia, where he spent his last years in prayer and contemplation. Ranked with Sts. BASIL the Great and Gregory of nyssa as one of the Cappadocian Fathers, Gregory played an important role in the final defeat of Arianism. While shy and retiring, he nevertheless accepted responsibility for using his considerable oratorical skill on behalf of Christian orthodoxy. Among his writings were poems, letters, and treatises such as the five Theological Orations and the Philocalia, which contained excerpts from ORIGEN.
Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-395) Christian saint and one of the Cappadocian Fathers (with Basil and Gregory of Nazianzus)
Bishop of Nyssa, brother of St. Basil the Great, Gregory was born at Caesarea, in Cappadocia, Asia Minor, Gregory was intended for the religious life, but he temporarily abandoned his calling, becoming a rhetorician and marrying a woman named Theosebeia. At the urging of St. Gregory of Nazianzus, however, he was convinced to devote himself to the church, being consecrated around 371 as bishop of Nyssa by his brother. After being charged with improper use of church property by the local governor, Gregory was deposed in 376 and exiled for two years. The real cause of the deposition was the offense taken by the Arians at his strong adherence to the Nicene Creed. Gregory returned to his see after the destruction and death of the pro-Arian emperor Valens in 378. The next year he attended the Council of Antioch, where he gained prominence as an outspoken opponent of Arianism. Elected in 380 to be bishop of Sebaste, he protested the appointment. At the Council of Constantinople (381) he was a leader of the orthodox party, emerging from the council as a deeply respected orthodox theologian, one of the most influential in the Eastern Empire. He apparently died a short time after participating in the Council of Constantinople (394) under Nectar-ius, patriarch of Constantinople and successor to GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS.
Gregory of Nyssa was a remarkable theologian, philosopher, and writer. Philosophically, he sought a harmony between Christian teaching and the tenets of Platonism and Neoplatonism. He was the author of numerous theological treatises, the most famous being the Catechetical Orations in which he examined the Trinity and the Incarnation, as well as baptism and the Eucharist. He also wrote against the heretical leaders Apollinaris and Eunomius. His ascetical works include On Perfection, On Virginity, and On the Christian Life. Aside from sermons, homilies, and letters, he also composed numerous works on Sacred Scriptures, his exegeti-cal writings covering the life of Moses, a Treatise on the Work of the Six Days, and an explanation of the titles of the Psalms.
Gregory the Illuminator (257-332) Apostle and patron saint of Armenia
Called the Illuminator because of his preaching of the Christian faith to the Armenians, Gregory was not the first to preach the Gospel in Armenia (that honor is traditionally held by the Apostles Bartholomew and Jude
Thaddeus), but he was responsible for convincing the ruler of the Armenians, King Tiridates III, to accept Christianity as the national religion. Details about his life are complicated by the general unreliability of accounts written by Armenian chroniclers, such as that of Agath-angelos (penned after 456), who embellished their narratives with fantastic tales and legends. It is likely, however, that Gregory was originally a Parthian prince who was raised as a Christian at Caesarea, in Cappadocia. He married and had two sons but then went to Armenia during the persecution of the church in that country under King Tiridates. Gregory succeeded not only in converting the ruler but inspired him to such devotion that the king sponsored the church throughout his realm. The Armenian nobles and people quickly followed suit. Gregory then returned to Caesarea, where he was ordained and consecrated bishop of the Armenians by Leontius of Caesarea. He continued to preach among the Armenians, establishing bishops and extending Christian influence into surrounding regions, including the Caucasus Mountains. Upon retiring, he was succeeded by his son Aris-takes who, in 325, attended the Council of Nicaea. The position of bishop (or katholikos, also catholicos) was for a long period hereditary, remaining in Gregory’s family The many letters and sermons attributed to him are not considered genuine.
Gundioc (fl. mid-fifth century c. e.) King of the Burgundians
Gundioc distinguished himself by his successful dealings with the Western Empire, from which he probably received possession of Lugdunum (Lyons). He also played a part in the meteoric rise of the magister militum RICIMER, by marrying his sister. The child resulting from that union was gundobad, who would succeed him.
Gundobad (fl. late fifth century c. e.) King of the Burgundians (after 474) and magister militum Gundobad was the son of King gundioc, who was wedded to the sister of the MAGISTER MILITUM ricimer. From the start of his political and military career, Gundobad relied upon his uncle, Ricimer, both for protection and for advancement. Thus, while his father continued to reign over the Burgundians, he aided Ricimer in attaining mastery over the Western Empire. In 472 he helped besiege Emperor anthemius in Rome, and, after finding the defeated and disguised monarch, beheaded him personally on July 11, 472. As a reward for his loyalty and service, Ricimer elevated Gundobad to the rank of magister militum. When Ricimer was murdered in 472, Gun-dobad naturally succeeded him, assuming control over the affairs of the West. He personally approved the appointment of Glycerius to be emperor on March 25, 473, but did nothing to ensure the acceptance of his decision by Constantinople. The rejection of Glycerius by Leo and the subsequent naming of Julius Nepos to be emperor mattered little to Gundobad, because he was already returning home. His father died around 474, and Gundobad followed him on the throne. He was king at the time of the demise of the Roman Empire in the West.
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