Niketas Stethatos wrote "On Paradise", especially paradise as interior to man

Summary:
Niketas Stethatos wrote "On Paradise", putting particular emphasis on paradise as interior to man; it is preserved with eight annexed letters. A member of the secular intelligentsia took exception to the treatise and criticised it. Niketas wrote some disparaging remarks on these criticisms, and sent copies of these, with the treatises "On the Soul" and "On Paradise" themselves, to Niketas, synkellos and chartophylax, son of Koronis. The latter responded to all these documents with thanks and his (humble) comments. These comments produced a rection from Stethatos, who defended his position, principally with references to Pseudo-Dionysios and John of Damascus. Gregorios the sophist too criticised Stethatos' treatises "On the Soul" and "On Paradise". Stethatos replied with four letters: the first responded rather irritably to Gregorios' response to the two treatises, while the second disagreed strongly with Gregorios' view on the nature of paradise. The third letter to Gregorios accused him of a Nestorian interpretation of the present resting-place of the souls of the just, and warned him that as a layman he had no teaching role in the church. The fourth criticised him for arguing that the laity should observe the Eucharistic mysteries and for having a private chapel 
Dates:
1075 
member of the secular intelligentsia (Anonymus 981)
  • He had taken exception to Niketas 101's treatise "On Paradise", provoking written responses from Niketas; copies of these were sent by Stethatos to Niketas 180 (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 228.1-2
  • His criticisms of a number of points in Niketas 105's treatise "On the Soul" were rebutted not only directly by Niketas 105 himself, but also indirectly by Niketas 180 (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 232-234
Gregorios, sophist (Gregorios 164)
  • He criticised the treatises "On the Soul" and "On Paradise" of Niketas 105; this provoked a rather irritable response in the first of four letters from Niketas, while a second letter disagreed strongly with Gregorios' view on the nature of paradise (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 246-272
  • The third latter received from Niketas 105 accused him of a Nestorian view of the present resting-place of the souls of the just, and warned him that as a layman he had no teaching role in the church; a fourth criticised him for arguing that the laity should observe the Eucharistic mysteries and for having a private chapel (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 272-290
Niketas Stethatos, monk, then hegoumenos of Stoudios (Niketas 105)
  • He wrote a treatise "On Paradise", with a particular emphasis on paradise as interior to man; the treatise is preserved with eight annexed letters (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 154-290
  • He wrote to Anonymus 981, dealing disparagingly with the man's objections to his treatise "On Paradise" and questions about it; he sent copies of these letters to Niketas 180, to reinforce the meaning of the treatise, asking at the same time for Niketas' comments (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 228.1-15
  • He sent Niketas 180 a copy of his treatises "On the Soul" and "On Paradise", with a letter; he received a reply from Niketas 180, thanking him for sending copies of the treatises, and responding with his (humble) thoughts on them (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 230-232
  • He received from Niketas 180 a response to the correspondence on the treatise "On Paradise" (the objections of Anonymus 981, the suthor's own response to them and a subsequent letter of Niketas 180 himself, part of which survives) (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 232-234
  • He wrote a letter to Niketas 180, responding to questions the latter had raised (in different ways) over the treatise "On Paradise"; he supported his responses principally with references to Pseudo-Dionysios and John of Damascus (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 234-244
  • He wrote four letters to Gregorios 164: one responded rather irritably to Gregorios' response to his treatises "On the Soul" and "On Paradise", while a second disagreed strongly with Gregorios' view on the nature of paradise (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 246-272
  • A third letter to Gregorios 164 accused him of a Nestorian interpretation of the present resting-place of the souls of the just, and warned him that as a layman he had no teaching role in the church; a fourth criticised him for arguing that the laity should observe the Eucharistic mysteries and for having a private chapel (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 272-290
Niketas, synkellos and chartophylax, son of Koronis (Niketas 180)
  • He was sent copies of Niketas 105's letters to Anonymus 981, with a request for comments (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 228.8-15
  • He was sent copies of the treatises "On the Soul" and "On Paradise" of Niketas 105, with a letter; he replied to this with thanks for the copies of the treatises, and responding with his (humble) thoughts on them (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 230-232
  • As well as commenting directly on the treatises "On the Soul" and "On Paradise" of Niketas 105, he also sent a response to the correspondence on "On Paradise" between Niketas 105 and Anonymus 981, which had been sent to him (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 232-234
  • He was the addressee of a letter from Niketas 101, which responded to all the queries he had raised concerning the other Niketas' treatise "On Paradise" (:) Niketas Stethatos (Darrouzes) 234-144