Orsisius (in Greek Arsisios, local name Oresiesis-Heru-sa Ast) was an Egyptian monk and author of the fourth century. His memorial is June 15.

Biography

Orsisius was a disciple of

Pachomius Pachomius (; ''Pakhomios''; ; c. 292 – 9 May 348 AD), also known as Saint Pachomius the Great, is generally recognized as the founder of Christian cenobitic monasticism. Copts, Coptic churches celebrate his feast day on 9 May, and Eastern Or ...

on the Island

Tabenna Tabenna is a Christian community founded in Upper Egypt around 320 by Saint Pachomius. It was the motherhouse of a federation of monasteries known as the ''Koinonia''. At the time of Pachomius's death in 346, there were nine establishments for men ...

in the Nile. When Pacomius died (348), Orsisius was chosen as his successor; but he resigned in favour of Theodore. It was not till Theodore's death (c. 380) that Orsisius, advised by St. Athanasius, accepted the abbatial office of

hegumen Hegumen, hegumenos, or igumen (, trans. ), is the title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, or an archpriest in the Coptic Orthodox Church, similar to the title of abbot. The head of a convent of ...

Writings

Theodore and Orsisius are said to have helped Pachomius in the composition of his rule; Gennadius mentions another work: :''Oresiesis the monk, a colleague of Pachomius and Theodore, perfectly learned in the Scriptures, composed a Divinely savoured book containing instruction for all monastic discipline, in which nearly the whole Old and New Testaments are explained in short dissertations in as far as they affect monks; and shortly before his death he gave this book to his brethren as his testament.'' This is supposed to be the work "Doctrina de institutione monachorum" translated by St. Jerome into Latin.

Migne Jacques Paul Migne (; 25 October 1800 – 24 October 1875) was a French priest who published inexpensive and widely distributed editions of theological works, encyclopedias, and the texts of the Church Fathers, with the goal of providing a ...

prints after itP.G., XL., 895 sq. another work attributed to the same author: "De sex cogitationibus sanctorum libellus", which, however, is probably by a later Oresius.

Sources

Notes

{{authority control Egyptian theologians 4th-century births 4th-century deaths Egyptian Christian monks Desert Fathers