Paula Tutty: The political and philanthropic role of monastic figures and monasteries as revealed in fourth-century Coptic and Greek correspondence

Monastic letters of the fourth century constitute an important, but often neglected, body of evidence relating to early monasticism in Egypt. Collections include those written to the anchorites Apa Iohannes and Paphnoute, the correspondence of a Melitian monastery known as ‘Hathor,' involving Apas Paieous and Nepheros, and the letters addressed to Sansnos found amongst the cartonnage fragments of the Nag Hammadi codices. These collections, written in both Coptic and Greek, contain primary evidence for the emergence of monasticism at this period, yet many of them nevertheless remain untranslated into English and they are often overlooked as valuable source material. This paper examines these letters with a focus on the social and philanthropic activities demanded of these figures by their local communities and the role of monasteries and monastic figures in the provision of social welfare. It will be shown that these letters demonstrate that monks and monasteries in Egypt in the fourth century had a far more influential role in the practicalities of everyday social and political life than has often hitherto been acknowledged and that the present depiction of what constitutes Egyptian monasticism at this period should, consequently, be adjusted.