At the end of his autobiographical poem De se ipso et de episcopis (Carm. 2.1.12), Gregory closes his farewell speech to his friends in Constantinople claiming that he shall now converse with God mono monos. Though Neoplatonists such as Numenius and Plotinus had also used the formula in relation to their metaphysics and mystical philosophy, I shall argue that the formula was a subtle allusion to Exodus 33:11 as is indicated in Philo’s use of the formula in De Vita Mosis and Gregory’s own use in De virtute (Carm. 1.2.10). In referring to Moses’ conversation to God on Mount Sinai, Gregory once again compares himself with the figure of Moses such as he has done much more explicitly in several of his orations (1,2,20,32,28). In fact, he seems to have used this figure, as well as other Biblical figures, at several key points in his life in order to construct his own character. In my short communication I shall examine the various ways Gregory used the figure of Moses as an exclusive figure to legitimize his own personal authority in his orations and poems.
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