The classical education of St. Gregory Palamas through indicative examples

Abstract

Saint Gregory Palamas belonged among the greatest fathers of Eastern Church of the 14th century. His intellectual and spiritual potential was cultivated already when he was a student, as he received elaborate education in Constantinople. The intense use of philosophers, among whom Aristotle and Plato were mostly used, and of classical writers, mostly Homer, Sophocles etc., in the writings of Palamas comes as no surprise. In this study, we present an outline of Saint Gregory's classical education with indicative examples drawn from his writings. Through these examples we aim to analyse Palama's method of development and promotion of the national literature ideals to the extent that it led to the definition of true faith, to the knowledge of God and human salvation.