Philoxenus of Mabbug (Syriac:ܐܟܣܢܝܐ ܡܒܘܓܝܐ,Aksenāyâ Mabûḡāyâ; died 523), also known asPhiloxenus of Hierapolis,Xenaias, andAkhsenaya, was one of the most notable Syriac prose writers during the Byzantine period and a vehement champion ofMiaphysitism.

Philoxenus was born between 440 and 455 in the village ofTahal, in the district ofBeth Garmaï east of theTigris, modern-dayIraq. Though a he was a subject ofPersia by birth, all of his known public life was spent within theByzantine Empire. His family originated fromEcbatana inMedia, and he had at least two siblings, including a brother named Addai who was a teacher at theSchool of Edessa. The claims that he had been a slave and was never baptized seem to be malicious fabrications by his theological opponents after his death.^[1][2]

His birth name was Akhsnoyo (Syriac:ܐܟܣܢܝܐ), which means stranger, rendered inGreek as Xenias. Upon his consecration as bishop by Patriarch Peter II (Peter the Fuller) of Mabbug, his name was changed to the Greek Philoxenus ("lover of strangers").^[3][4]

He was educated atEdessa, possibly at the famous "School of the Persians", which was eventually expelled from the city in 489 due to its connections withNestorianism. During his studies, rivalry at the school was fierce between theTheodorian andCyrillian theological factions. Although trained in theEast Syriac rite, Philoxenus later introduced elements of this tradition into theWest Syriac rite. His anaphora shows a connection to the ancientliturgy of Addai and Mari.^[1]

After leaving Edessa, Philoxenus moved toAntioch, where he openly supportedMiaphysitism and theHenotikon. He was expelled byCalandio, the Chalcedonianpatriarch of Antioch, for this doctrinal difference. In 485, Peter the Fuller, the non-Chalcedonian patriarch, consecrated him bishop ofMabbug (Hierapolis). At that time, the city was still a flourishing pagan centre dedicated to the fertility goddessAtargatis.^[1]

Philoxenus played a leading role in church politics. In 512, he had a hand in the deposition of the Chalcedonian patriarchFlavian II of Antioch and in the installation ofSeverus of Antioch. He also participated in theSynod of Tyre (513–515) presided over jointly with Severus, where the Henotikon was upheld andChalcedon was anathematised as heretical.^[5]

Following the ascention ofEmperor Justin I in 519, a harsh crackdown on Miaphysites began throughout the empire. Philoxenus was arrested and exiled toPhilippopolis inThrace, where he died of suffocation by smoke on 10 December 523.^[6][1][7]

The years which followed theCouncil of Chalcedon (451) were a stormy period in theSyriac Church. Philoxenus soon attracted notice by his strenuous advocacy ofMiaphysitism.^{[citation needed]}

When Calandio, theChalcedonian patriarch of Antioch, was expelled by the MiaphysitePeter the Fuller in 485, Philoxenus was ordainedbishop of Mabbug.^[8] It was probably during the earlier years of his episcopate that Philoxenus composed his thirteen homilies on the Christian life.

Later he devoted himself to the revision of theSyriac versions of the Bible, and with the help of hischorbishop Polycarp produced in 508 the so-calledPhiloxenian version, which was in some sense the received Bible of the Syriac Miaphysites during the 6th century. In the meantime he continued his ecclesiastical activity, working as a bitter opponent ofFlavian II of Antioch, who waspatriarch of Antioch from 498 to 512 and accepted the decrees of the Council of Chalcedon.^{[citation needed]}

With the support of EmperorAnastasius I Dicorus, theMiaphysites ousted Flavian II in 512 and replaced him with their partisanSeverus of Antioch. Of Philoxenus's part in the struggle we possess not too trustworthy accounts by hostile writers, such asTheophanes the Confessor andTheodorus Lector. We know that in 498 he was staying at Edessa; in or about 507, according to Theophanes, he was summoned by the emperor toConstantinople; and he finally presided at asynod at Sidon which was the means of procuring the replacement of Flavian by Severus. But the triumph was short-lived.Justin I, who succeeded Anastasius in 518 and adhered to the Chalcedonian creed, exiled Severus and Philoxenus in 519. Philoxenus was banished toPhilippopolis inThrace, and afterwards toGangra inPaphlagonia, where he was murdered in 523.^[9]

Apart from his redoubtable powers as a controversialist, Philoxenus is remembered as a scholar, an elegant writer, and an exponent of practical Christianity. Of the chief monument of his scholarship – the Philoxenian version of the Bible – only theGospels and certain portions ofIsaiah are known to survive (seeWilliam Wright,Syr. Lit., 14). It was an attempt to provide a more accurate rendering of theSeptuagint than had hitherto existed in Syriac and obtained recognition among Syriac Miaphysites until superseded by the still more literal renderings of theOld Testament byPaul of Tella and of theNew Testament byThomas of Harkel (both in 616–617), of which the latter at least was based on the work of Philoxenus.^{[citation needed]}

There are also extant portions of commentaries on the Gospels from his pen. Of the excellence of his style and of his practical religious zeal we are able to judge from the thirteen homilies on the Christian life and character which have been edited and translated byE. A. Wallis Budge (London, 1894). In these he holds aloof for the most part from theological controversy, and treats in an admirable tone and spirit the themes of faith, simplicity, the fear ofGod, poverty, greed, abstinence and unchastity. His affinity with his earlier countrymanAphrahat is manifest both in his choice of subjects and his manner of treatment. As his quotations fromScripture appear to be made from thePeshitta, he probably wrote the homilies before he embarked upon thePhiloxenian version. Philoxenus wrote also many controversial works and some liturgical pieces. Many of his letters survive, and at least two have been edited. Several of his writings were translated intoArabic andEthiopic.^{[citation needed]}

Philoxenus was a prolific writer whose works continue to influence Christian thought. For him, theology was not merely an intellectual pursuit but the essential path to divine knowledge. He regarded the struggle against heresy as no less important than the struggle against sin and saw it as a central aspect ofasceticism.^[10]

Philoxenus of Mabbug is considered a champion of Miaphysitism and one of the most venerated saints in theOriental Orthodox tradition. He is celebrated as a master of theology, poetry, and the sciences, and a significant contributor to the golden age of Syriac culture.^[11] The Syriac Heritage Project describes him as "a master of eloquence and a distinguishedphilologist. An outstanding person in intelligence, knowledge and deeds, he was also abstinent and God-fearing. His style was stately and lucid. He masterfully portrayed good manners and sublime Christian virtues, producing a book on the perfect life which contains much benefit and is written in an infinitely beautiful style."^[3]

His feast day in theSyriac Orthodox Church andMalankara Orthodox Syrian Church is on December 10,^[12] and his relics are interred inMidyat in the Syriac Orthodox cultural region ofTur Abdin (modern-dayTurkey), where his cult of veneration was strong.^[13]

• Bondi, Roberta C. (1976).Three monophysite christologies: Severus of Antioch, Philoxenus of Mabbug and Jacob of Sarug. London: Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-826712-6.
• Michelson, David Allen (2014).The Practical Christology of Philoxenos of Mabbug. Oxford Early Christian Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-872296-0.
• Fr. K. Mani Rajan, M.Sc., M.Ed., Ph.D. (2007).Martyrs, Saints & Prelates of The Syriac Orthodox Church(PDF). Vol. 1. The Travancore Syriac Orthodox Publishers.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Philoxenus of Mabbug".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 21 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• Dinno, Khalid S. (2017).The Syrian Orthodox Christians in the Late Ottoman Period and Beyond: Crisis, Then Revival. Gorgias Eastern Christian studies. Piscataway (N.J.):Gorgias Press, LLC.ISBN 978-1-4632-0575-1.
• Brock, Sebastian P. (1967)."Alphonse Mingana and the Letter of Philoxenus to Abu Afr"(PDF).Bulletin of the John Rylands Library.50 (1):199–206.doi:10.7227/BJRL.50.1.10.
• Meyendorff, John (1989).Imperial unity and Christian divisions: The Church 450–680 A.D. Crestwood, NY:Saint Vladimir's Seminary Press.

• Michelson, David A.,"The Practical Christology of Philoxenos of Mabbug", Oxford,Oxford University Press, 2014.
• Walters, James E.,"The Philoxenian Gospels as Reconstructed from the Writings of Philoxenos of Mabbug", Hugoye, Journal of Syriac Studies 13.2 (Summer 2010).

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