Epiphanius of Salamis was a major Christian bishop and writer of the 4th century CE. He served as bishop of Salamis on Cyprus from around 367 CE until his death in 403 CE. He was born in Palestine and spent time in his youth with Egyptian monks, which shaped his lifelong commitment to asceticism and fierce opposition to teachings he considered heretical.
His role was that of a staunch defender of the Nicene Christian orthodoxy of his time. He is most famous for his vigorous campaigns against various theological opponents, especially followers of the earlier theologian Origen. These campaigns involved him in significant church controversies and politics throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.
Epiphanius was a prolific author. His most important surviving work is the Panarion (or "Medicine Chest"), a massive catalog and refutation of 80 different heresies. Another key work is the Ancoratus ("The Well-Anchored Man"), a treatise on core Christian doctrines. Other surviving texts include studies on biblical weights, measures, and gems. Many of his other writings are now lost.
Modern scholars regard Epiphanius as a crucial, if polemical, source for the history of early Christianity. His Panarion preserves extensive quotations from many religious texts and sects that are otherwise lost, making it an invaluable resource for understanding the diversity of ancient Christian thought. While his theological arguments are often considered unsophisticated by later standards, his work provides a vital window into the doctrinal battles and concerns of the 4th-century church.
Available Works
Παραρτήματα εἰς τοὺς καταλόγους ἀποστόλων καὶ
Appendices to the Indices of Apostles and Disciples
6 passages
Καταμέτρησις τῶν Ἑβδομήκοντα Δύο Προφητῶν
Enumeration of Seventy-Two Prophets
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Ἀποσπάσματα Προσευχῆς καὶ Ἐξορκισμοῦ
Fragments of Prayer and Exorcism
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Ἀποσπάσματα Ἑλληνικῆς Ἀναφορᾶς
Greek Anaphora Fragments
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Ὁμιλία εἰς Ἔπαινον τῆς Μαρίας τῆς Θεοτόκου
Homily in Praise of Mary the Theotokos
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Ὁ τῆς
Homily on Christ's Resurrection
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Ὁμιλία εἰς τὴν ἀνάστασιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ (Νῦν τὸ
Homily on Christ's Resurrection
12 passages
Ὁμιλία εἰς τὴν Ἀνάληψιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ
Homily-the Assumption of Christ
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Ὁμιλία εἰς τὴν Ταφήν τοῦ Θείου Σώματος
Homily-the Burial of the Divine Body
21 passages
Ὁμιλία εἰς τὴν Ἑορτὴν τῶν Βαΐων
Homily-the Feast of Palms
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Ὁμιλία εἰς τὴν Ἑορτὴν τῶν Βαΐων
Homily-the Feast of Palms, Fragment
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Κατάλογος τῶν Ἀποστόλων
Index of the Apostles
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Κατάλογος τῶν Μαθητῶν
Index of the Disciples
9 passages
Ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς Θεοδόσιον Βασιλέα
Letter to Emperor Theodosius
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Ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς Εὐσέβιον
Letter to Eusebius, Marcellus, Vivianus, Carpus, and the Egyptians
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Ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς Ἰωάννην Ἱεροσολυμίτην
Letter to John of Jerusalem
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Λειτουργία τῶν Προηγιασμένων
Liturgy of the Presanctified
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Ὀνόματα τῶν Ἀποστόλων
Names of the Apostles
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Εἰδοποιήσεις Ἐπισκοπῶν
Notices of Bishoprics
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Περὶ Μέτρων καὶ Σταθμῶν
On Measures and Weights
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Περὶ μέτρων καὶ σταθμῶν
On Measures and Weights, Chronicon Paschale, Greek Excerpt 7
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Περὶ μέτρων καὶ σταθμῶν
On Measures and Weights, Cosmas, Greek Excerpt 6
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Περὶ Μέτρων καὶ Σταθμῶν
On Measures and Weights, Greek Excerpt 2
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Περὶ Μέτρων καὶ Σταθμῶν
On Measures and Weights, Greek Excerpt 3
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Περὶ Μέτρων καὶ Σταθμῶν
On Measures and Weights, Greek Excerpt 4
90 passages
Περὶ μέτρων καὶ σταθμῶν
On Measures and Weights, John of Damascus, Greek Excerpt 8
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Περὶ τοῦ Βίου καὶ τοῦ Θανάτου τῶν Προφητῶν
On the Life and Death of the Prophets, Earlier Version
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Περὶ τοῦ Βίου καὶ τοῦ Θανάτου τῶν Προφητῶν
On the Life and Death of the Prophets, Later Version
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Περὶ Τριάδος
On the Trinity
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Περὶ τῶν Δώδεκα Λίθων
On the Twelve Gems
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Περὶ τῶν Δώδεκα Λίθων
On the Twelve Gems, Fragments
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Περὶ τῶν Δώδεκα Λίθων
On the Twelve Gems, Other Fragments
3 passages
Γνῶμαι
Sayings, Sayings of the Fathers
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Μαρτυρίαι Α'
Testimonies 1
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Μαρτυρίαι Β'
Testimonies 2
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Σύνταγμα περὶ τῶν Μυστηρίων τῶν Ἀριθμῶν
Treatise-the Mysteries of Numbers
10 passages
Σύνταγμα κατὰ τῶν Εἰκονοποιῶν
Treatise-Those Who Make Images
9 passages