The
Scythian monks were a community of
monks from the region around the mouths of the
Danube, who played an influential role in
Christian theological disputes between the 4th and 6th centuries. The name
Scythian comes from
Scythia Minor, the classical name of the modern
Dobruja region in
Romania and
Bulgaria, at the time a
Roman province. The monks were raised not only from local Christian elements, but also from immigrant Christians who came to live
ascetic lives.