Marcus, surnamed Eremita
Marcus, surnamed Eremita
Marcus (14), surnamed Eremita, mentioned by Nicephorus Callistus as , said to have lived in the reign of Theodosius II. and to have been a disciple of St. Chrysostom (Niceph. H. E. xiv. 30). Nicephorus speaks later of the works of a , apparently the same man. Of these he had seen a collection of 8 and another of 32, dealing with the ascetic life (H. E. xiv. 54). Photius (Bibl. Cod. 200) gives an account of 8 works of Marcus the monk, all of which are extant with one doubtful exception. His works, pub. in Patr. Gk. lxv. 905, preceded by two disquisitions on the author by Gallandius and Fessler, are:
(1) , a collection of short aphorisms, inculcating especially the duties of humility and constant prayer.
(2) shews that as slaves of God we have no wages to expect. All is of grace, which is given in baptism, and afterwards in measure proportioned to our obedience.
(3) shews repentance to be necessary for all.
(4) , an important treatise on the doctrine of baptism, states distinctly that by the grace of baptism original sin is put away and the baptized are in exactly the condition Adam was before the fall.
(5) and (9) and are ascetic treatises.
(7) defends monastic life against a man of the world.
(8) shews that the root of evil is in ourselves.
(10) , against heretics who argued from the language of Hebrews that Melchizedek was the Son of God.
(6) , generally included among the works of Marcus, but not mentioned by Photius, From external and internal evidence it would seem to be wrongly ascribed to Marcus.
[M.F.A.]