Nazianzus

See also:Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nazianzus,Saint Gregory of Nazianzus,andSaint Gregory of Nazianzus the Elder

Gregory of Nazianzus

NazianzusorNazianzos(Ancient Greek:Ναζιανζός), also known asNandianulus,was a small town ofancient Cappadocia,and in the lateRoman provinceofCappadocia Tertia,located 24Roman milesto the southeast ofArchelais.In theJerusalem Itineraryit is miswritten asNathiangus.

History

Its history in antiquity is unknown. It became the Turkish village of Nenizi east ofAksaray(formerly Archelais), in the Ottomanvillayet of Koniah,but has sometimes been wrongly identified withDiocaesarea.

Modern scholars locate its site nearNenezigözü,Asiatic Turkey.More specifically, the village ofBekarlar, Gülağaç.

Ecclesiastical history

At the beginning of the 4th century Nazianzus wassuffragantoCaesarea Mazaca;underEmperor Valensit formed part ofCappadocia Secunda,themetropolisof which wasTyana.Later it became part of Cappadocia Tertia and depended on itsMetropolitanofMocessus.Finally, it became a metropolitan see under Diogenes.

In 1370 it was united to the metropolitan see of Caesarea Mazaca (modernKayseri).

Up to the year 1200, fourteen of its bishops are known. Its name is inseparably connected with its illustrious doctor and poet-bishop,Gregory of Nazianzus,who becamebishop of ConstantinopleandDoctor of the Church.His father,Gregory of Nazianzus the Elder,had been a member of a Jewish-pagan sect called theHypsistarians,but was converted to Christianity and became Bishop of Nazianzus.

The bishopric is included in the lists oftitular seesofCatholic Churchwith metropolitan statusand of theEastern Orthodox Church[1].

See also

• Caesarius of Nazianzus
• Gregory of Nazianzus the Elder
• Gregory of Nazianzus
• Cappadocian Fathers
• St. Nazianz, Wisconsin

References

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Nazianzus".Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company. This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Smith, William,ed. (1854–1857). "Nazianzus".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography.London: John Murray.