Letter to Melania

In Letter to Melania, Christian philosopher Evagrius of Pontus (345–399) meditates on the power of language, the composition of humanity in light of the three persons of God, and the final restoration when all creatures reunite with their creator. The first complete edition of the Syriac text is presented here alongside a new English translation. In a text known as the Letter to Melania, or the Great Letter, Christian monastic philosopher Evagrius of Pontus (345–399) delivers a moving meditation on the power of language (spoken and written), the composition of humanity in light of the three persons of God, and the final restoration or apokatastasis when all creatures will be reunited with their creator. Evagrius wrote in Greek, but after his posthumous condemnation in 551, many of his writings, including this letter, survive only in Syriac translation. The first complete edition of the text, which is based on all known Syriac copies, is presented here alongside a new translation, a Syriac-English glossary, and commentary.