The Letter Collection of Evagrius of Pontus

The letter collection of Evagrius of Pontus has an idiosyncratic history. Only fragments of the original Greek collection survive, but 62 letters have been preserved in their Syriac translation in relatively few manuscripts. The letters’ exclusive focus on the idiosyncrasies and hardships of the monastic life seems to suggest that Evagrius designed his collection on the model of Anthony the Great’s small letter collection. Evagrius’s letters constitute a record of his dealings with his students and are informed by a complex esotericism, which connects them with the rest of Evagrius’s works.