The Tall Brothers (also known as the Four Tall Brothers) were four brothers among the Egyptian monks of Nitria in the fifth century by the names of Ammonius, Dioscorus, Eusebius, and Euthymius. They were referred to as the "Tall Brothers" because they were tall in stature and commanding in appearance. They were famous for their strict fasting, chastity, and knowledge of the Bible but were controversial for their support of the contested theology of

Origen of Alexandria Origen of Alexandria (), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an early Christian scholar, ascetic, and theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Alexandria. He was a prolific writer who wrote roughly 2,000 treatises i ...

. Opposed by

Pope Theophilus I of Alexandria Theophilus of Alexandria (Greek: Θεόφιλος; died 15 October 412) was the 23rd Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark from 385 to 412. He is remembered as a pivotal figure in late antique Christianity, known for his asse ...

(the uncle of the future Saint Cyril of Alexandria), the Tall Brothers fled to Constantinople, where they were received by

Saint John Chrysostom John Chrysostom (; ; – 14 September 407) was an important Church Father who served as archbishop of Constantinople. He is known for his preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and po ...

Archbishop of Constantinople The ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople () is the archbishop of Constantinople and (first among equals) among the heads of the several autocephalous churches that comprise the Eastern Orthodox Church. The ecumenical patriarch is regarded as ...

, whose hospitality was later used to condemn and depose him at the

Synod of the Oak A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

in AD 403.

Dioscorus

Dioscorus, one of the Tall Brothers, was appointed Bishop of

Hermopolis Hermopolis (or ''Hermopolis Magna'') was a major city in antiquity, located near the boundary between Lower and Upper Egypt. Its Egyptian name ''Khemenu'' derives from the eight deities (the Ogdoad) said to reside in the city. A provincial capi ...

(a city near Nitria) during the late 4th century and attended the Council of Constantinople in 394. However, he was later excommunicated due to his alleged Origenist sympathies. Dioscorus died in the early 5th century.

References

Egyptian Christian monks 5th-century Christian monks Brother quartets Desert Fathers {{Christian-philosopher-stub