The familiar list of seven deadly sins did not begin as a list of sins at all. It started in the late 4th century, after the monk Evagrius Ponticus settled in the Egyptian desert in 383 AD, as a diagnostic tool. He wanted to help his fellow ascetics understand the specific temptations that derailed their focus during prayer. In his work 'Praktikos', he identified eight 'logismoi', or evil thoughts: gluttony, lust, avarice, sadness, anger, acedia, vainglory, and pride. These were not seen as outward actions, but as internal mental impulses that attacked a monk's soul. The list was simply a way for a man to recognize his own spiritual weaknesses and begin the work of overcoming them.
The Seven Deadly Sins
Where the seven deadly sins came from: a desert monk's list of eight evil thoughts, reshaped by a pope, Thomas Aquinas and Dante.
Chapter 1
The Eight Evil Thoughts
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Frequently Asked Questions
What were the original 'eight evil thoughts'?
The original list was created by the 4th-century monk Evagrius Ponticus. It included gluttony, lust, avarice, sadness, anger, acedia (spiritual apathy), vainglory, and pride. These were seen as internal temptations that interfered with a monk's prayer.
Why did the list change from eight thoughts to seven sins?
In 590 AD, Pope Gregory the Great revised the list to make it more applicable to the general public. He designated pride as the 'root' of all evil rather than one of the specific sins, and he merged acedia with sadness while adding envy as a new primary sin. This transformation resulted in the standard count of seven deadly sins.
What is 'acedia'?
Acedia was a vice on the original list, described as the 'noonday demon.' It was a feeling of listlessness, boredom, and spiritual apathy that made monks want to abandon their duties. It was eventually merged with sadness and evolved into the modern sin of sloth.
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