Lausiac History

work by Palladius

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June 30, 2026

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The Lausiac History is a significant work by Palladius, a Galatian monk, bishop, and chronicler who lived around the 4th and 5th centuries CE. This text is a primary source for understanding early Christian monasticism, particularly in Egypt and the Middle East.1

Palladius himself embraced an ascetic lifestyle, spending time in Egypt with pioneering monks like Macarius and Evagrius Ponticus. His Lausiac History, dedicated to Lausus, chronicles the lives and experiences of these early Christian ascetics. While sometimes including legendary narratives, the work also offers valuable insights into the humanistic aspects of monastic life and provides a rich historical account of the movement's origins and development.12

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Palladius
…monk, bishop, and chronicler whose Lausiac History, an account of early Egyptian and Middle Eastern Christian monasticism, provides the most valuable single source for the origins of Christian asceticism.
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…monk, bishop, and chronicler whose Lausiac History, an account of early Egyptian and Middle Eastern Christian monasticism, provides the most valuable single source for the origins of Christian asceticism.
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St. Pachomius
…5th-century historian Palladius in his Lausiac History. The Rule of Pachomius and other works by him can be found in Armand Veilleux (ed.), Pachomian Koinonia, 3 vol. (1980–82).
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…5th-century historian Palladius in his Lausiac History. The Rule of Pachomius and other works by him can be found in Armand Veilleux (ed.), Pachomian Koinonia, 3 vol. (1980–82).
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patristic literature
Monastic literature
His Lausiac History (so called after Lausus, the court chamberlain to whom he dedicated it), composed about 419/420, describes the movement in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor. Since much of the work is based on personal reminiscences or information received from observers, it is, despite…
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His Lausiac History (so called after Lausus, the court chamberlain to whom he dedicated it), composed about 419/420, describes the movement in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor. Since much of the work is based on personal reminiscences or information received from observers, it is, despite…
Read More