The Life of Severus

...were all banished following the transgression original: "para-basis" of Adam, and which the divine Apostle invites us to seek again. For we have no permanent city here, he says, but we seek the one where we are to dwell one day; the one whose architect and founder is God. He was raised by distinguished parents, as those who knew them have said. They descended from that Severus who was archiereus high priest/bishop of the city of Sozopolis at the time when the first synodos council of Ephesus was gathered against the impious Nestorius. After the death of his father, who was part of the boule senate of the city, his mother, having become a widow, sent him with his two brothers, who were older than him, to Alexandria to study grammar and rhetoric, both Greek and Latin.

The custom being established in his country, as it is reported, not to approach the holy baptism unless there is urgent necessity, before reaching mature age, it happened that Severus and his brothers were still catechumens those receiving instruction before baptism when they came to Alexandria for the stated reason. At that time, I also resided in that city for the same reason. The three brothers...