Antonius Melissa

Who is Antonius Melissa?

Antonius Melissa, is the name given to a Greek monk who wrote a compilation of moral sentences called Loci Communes.

Nothing is known about Antonius. The surname traditionally applied to him, Melissa, seems to have been, in fact, the original title of his compilation. The compilation is usually referred to as the Loci Communes, and is a collection of sermones or sentences on virtues and vices. It is similar to another work called Loci Communes, which is attributed to Maximus Confessor but which is in reality by an anonymous author. Both works contain extracts from the early Christian fathers, and also contain quotations from earlier Jewish and Gentile authors. The two works have often been printed together, and have often been printed at the end of the editions of Stobaeus.