Thalassios the Libyan's biography

[Norman Turner]

Hello,

Does anyone know the approximate dates of Thalassios the Libyan's birth and death ? I know only that he lived during the late 6th and early 7th C.

Further, does anyone know the location (within modern Libya) of the monastery of which he was abbot ?

I am impressed by one of his sayings and would like to know more about him.

Thanks.

Norman Turner, Toronto

[Michael Stickles]

As far as I can find, there isn't much information available. Here's what I was able to come up with.

(1) St. Thalassius wrote four centuries of verses titled On Love, Self-control and Life According to the Intellect; these are in Vol. 2 of the Philokalia. They are his only known written work.

(2) St. Thalassius was a friend of St. Maximos the Confessor, who was born c. 580 and reposed Aug. 13, 662. A note in Vol. 2 of the Philokalia states that St. Thalassius was older than St. Maximos, so he probably was born some time prior to 580.

(3) St. Maximos' Questions: To Thalassius was written c. 630-633/4; a letter to Thalassius regarding the monothelite controversy was written c. 640, so St. Thalassius was apparently still alive at that time.

(4) Numerous sources I found noted that St. Thalassius was abbot of a monastery in the Libyan desert, but none identified the monastery or gave even an approximate location.

Let me add my own conjecture on point 4. I have noted that the Questions are simply listed as "To Thalassius", whereas the letter is sometimes listed as "to Abbot Thalassius"; therefore, Thalassius may have attained to the office of abbot sometime between 633/4 and 640.

Now, it is known that Maximos (along with others) fled in advance of the Persian army to Cyprus and later North Africa (Louth's biography puts him in Carthage by 628). Here he met (or was reunited with) Sophronius, his spiritual father and the abbot of the Eucratas monastery. Since Sophronius was elected Bishop of Jerusalem in 634, it is possible that Eucratas was also where Maximos first met Thalassius, and that Thalassius became the next abbot of Eucratas upon Sophronius' departure. However, this is purely speculation on my part.

Note that ancient Libya was reckoned as pretty much all of Northern Africa west of the Nile valley, so that covers a lot of territory - and undoubtedly a lot of monasteries as well.

In Christ,
Mike

[Norman Turner]

Hi Mike,

I apologize for this late thank-you. Your careful information on Thalassios was very helpful. I appreciate it. I past some of it on to my fellow Baptists.

Thanks again,

Norm Turner