Study questions

 

Serapion

           

            1. Who is Serapion? How is he portrayed by Palladius?

            2. How does Palladius explain Serapion’s reason for wandering?

3. How does he interact with people? What are his goals? How does he achieve his goals? 

4. What are Serapion’s means? Are they commendable /holy? Why or why not?

            5. Serapion had Roman citizenship. What kind of citizen was he?

6. Discuss Serapion’s asceticism. What are its components? Are all of them Christian?

7. What was Serapion’s reason for visiting the maiden?

            8. What can you say about the initial dialogue with the maiden? Compare it with Serapion’s discourse in Athens.

9. Serapion says, that “everything is possible for a dead person.” What does he mean?

10. Interpret Serapion’s challenges to the maiden. What is their significance? What is their purpose? Does anyone benefit from them?

 

Isidora

 

            1. Why did Isidora decide to feign madness?

            2. How did the other sisters treat her? Why?

            3. Discuss the structure of the story. What is the purpose of such a structure?

            4. Why do you think a story of Isidora was written?

            5. What does this story teach?

           

Alexis the Man of God

 

1. What is Alexis’ reason for leaving his family? Is this reason stated in the text? Why do you think he is leaving on his wedding night and not on any other night/day?

 

2. How do you interpret/understand his living at his father’s yard?

 

3. How did it happen? What were his motifs?

 

4. Review the notion of a ‘stranger’ in the texts we read earlier. Who is a stranger? Why is it a virtue to be a stranger in this word?

 

5. When and how is Alexis shown as a stranger?

 

6. What are Alexis' virtues?

 

7. How does Alexis’ holiness become known to people?