Aphrahat (hermit)
Hermit of Persian origin. / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aphrahat, Aphraat, Aphraates or Afrates (Greek: Aφραάτηςi; Persian: فرهاد; and Classical Syriac: ܐܦܪܗܛ) was a fourth-century Persian-born hermit who was active in Mesopotamia and Syria during the reign of Emperor Valens (r. 365–378) and perhaps Theodosius (r. 378–395). His life is known only from the account of Theodoret, who was reportedly taken as a boy to visit the hermit in Antioch and was blessed by him.[2]
Aphraates was a native of the Sassanian Empire, but after converting to Christianity, he decided to go to Edessa. There he would become a hermit and live a life of penance and contemplation of heaven. Years later, he moved to a hermitage near Antioch, where he would be visited by many people seeking advice. He was visited by an ambassador named Anthemius, perhaps the future Praetorian prefect of the East and roman consul of the same name, and came into conflict with Valens for his persecution of the Orthodox.