Life and Monastic Standing
Little is recorded of Peter's life beyond what can be inferred from his writings, since no early account of him survives. He repeatedly identifies himself as a monk, using phrases such as "us monks," and describes living in a cell with no possessions and under the direction of a spiritual father. The available evidence points to a semi-eremitic manner of life.
His specific location and monastic affiliation are not securely known, and the epithet "of Damascus" does not necessarily indicate his birthplace. By tradition he is associated with Syria. He appears to have been a man of modest means, a circumstance that has made the breadth and clarity of his writing all the more remarkable to later readers.
Question of Dating and Identity
Peter's history is complicated by confusion with a separate, earlier Peter of Damascus, an eighth-century bishop and martyr. Saint Nicodemus the Hagiorite, who compiled the Philokalia, attributed the writings of the twelfth-century monk to this earlier martyr in the third volume of the collection, and the two figures came to be associated with a single feast day.
Modern scholarship generally distinguishes the ascetic author of the Philokalia, dated to the twelfth century, from the eighth-century martyr. The dating nonetheless remains uncertain, and sources have variously placed the writer in the eighth or twelfth century.
Writings
Peter's reputation rests on two works preserved in the Philokalia. The first, A Treasury of Divine Knowledge, comprises thirty-three chapters treating the ascetic disciplines, the virtues, the stages of contemplation, humility, and prayer; within it he sets out exhaustive lists, enumerating 228 virtues and 298 passions. The second, the Twenty-Four Discourses, is arranged to correspond to the letters of the Greek alphabet and addresses a range of spiritual themes.
His writing draws heavily on the Church Fathers, among them Athanasius, Basil, John Chrysostom, and Isaac the Syrian, and emphasizes the balance of ascetic effort with divine grace. A characteristic theme is that salvation and spiritual knowledge are not reserved for monastics but are within the reach of laypeople as well. According to the Greek Index Project, 107 known manuscripts contain writings attributed to him, and within the Philokalia his work occupies more space than that of any author except Saint Maximus the Confessor.
Scholars have differed over the originality of his contribution: Jean Gouillard regarded him as a faithful transmitter of patristic teaching, while Greg Peters has argued that he made innovative contributions to spiritual theology.
