Listed 21 sub titles with search on: Religious figures biography for wider area of: "FRANCE Country EUROPE" .
ARLES SUR RHONE (Town) FRANCE
Leontius of Arelates or Arles, was bishop of that city about the middle of the fifth century. Several letters were written to him by Pope Hilarius (A. D. 461-467) which are given in the Concilia: and a letter of Leontius to the pope (dated A. D. 462) is given in the Spicilegium of D'Achery (vol. v. p. 578 of the original edition, or vol. iii. p. 302, in the edition of De La Barre, fol. Paris, 1723), and in the Coneilia. Leontius presided in a council at Arles, held about A. D. 475, to condemn an error into which some had fallen respecting the doctrine of predestination. He appears to have died in A. D. 484. He is mentioned by Sidonius Apollinaris. (Sidon. Apollin. Epist. vii. 6, Concilia, vol. iv. col. 1039, 1044, 1041, 1828, ed. Labbe; Cave, Hist. Litt. vol. i. p. 449; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. viii. p. 324, vel. xii. p. 653, Bibl. Med. et Infim. Latinitatis, vol. v. p. 268, ed. Mansi; Tillemont, Memoires, vol. xvi. p. 38.)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
CHALONS EN CHAMPAGNE (Town) FRANCE
MASSALIA (Ancient city) FRANCE
TROYES (Town) CHAMPAGNE-ARDENNES
Lupus, bishop of Troyes, hence surnamed Trecensis, whose praises are loudly proclaimed by Sidonius Apollinaris,
was born at Toul towards the close of the fourth century. By descent and marriage
he was allied to the most distinguished ecclesiastics of the age and country to
which he belonged, for his mother was sister of St. Germanus, bishop of Auxerre,
his brother Vincentius is by many believed to be the celebrated Vincentius Lirinensis,
and he wedded in A. D. 419 Pimeniola, sister of Hilarius, bishop of Arles. Being
seized with the prevailing passion for a life of solitary contemplation, he quitted
the world, and entered the monastery of Lerins, from whence he was summoned in
427, to preside over the see of Troyes. Two years afterwards he was thought worthy
of being associated with his uncle in a mission to Britain, for the purpose of
arresting the progress of the Arian heresy in that island. Lupus returned to his
native country in 430, and died in 479, after having occupied the episcopal chair
for a space of fifty-two years.
Two letters of this prelate are still extant:
I. The first written later than 443, jointly with Euphronius, bishop of Autun,
is entitled Epistola ad Talasium Episcopum Andegavensem (of Angers) de Vigiliis
Natulis Domini, Epiphaniae et Paschae; de Bigamis; de iis qui conjugati assumuntur.
First published by Sirmond in the Concilia Galliae, fol. Paris, 1629, vol. i.
p. 122.
II. Ad Sidonium Apollinarem, written in 471, to congratulate him on his appointment
to the see of Clermont in Auvergne. First published by the Benedictine D'Achery
in his Spicilegium veterum aliquot Scriptorumn, 4to. Paris, 1661, vol. v. p. 579,
or vol. iii. p. 302, of the 2nd edit. fol. 1717. Both will be found under their
best form in the Bibliotheca Patrum of Galland, vol. ix. p. 576, fol.Venet. 1773;
see also Prolegomena, c. xviii. (Sidon. Apollin. Ep. vi. 4, 9, ix. 11; Schonemann,
Biblioth. Patrumi Latt. vol. ii. § 29; Bohr, Geschichte der Rom. Litterat. Suppl.
Band. § 151
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
AUXERRE (Town) BURGUNDY
Germanus Autissiodorerensis, or St. Germain of Auxerre, one of the most eminent of the early saints of the Gallic church, lived a little before the overthrow of the western empire. He was born at Auxerre, about A. D. 378, of a good family, and at first followed the profession of the bar. Having embraced the Christian religion,and entered the church, he was ordained deacon by Amator, bishop of Auxerre, and on his death shortly after was unanimously chosen his successor, and held the see from A. D. 418 to 449. He was eminent for his zeal against heresy, his success as a preacher, his holiness, and the miracles which he is said to have wrought. Among the remarkable incidents of his life were his two visits to Britain, the first in or about A. D. 429 and 430; the second in A. D. 446 or 447, shortly before his death, which, according to Bede, took place at Ravenna, in Italy, apparently in A. D. 448. His transactions in Britain were among the most important of his life, especially in his first visit, when he was sent over by a council, with Lupus Trecasenus or Trecassinus (St. Loup of Troyes), as his associate, to check the spread of Pelagianism. He was successful not only in the main object of his mission, but also in repelling in a very remarkable manner an incursion of the Saxons, who were struck with panic by the Britons (who, under the guidance of Germanus, were advancing to repel them), raising a shout of "Alleluia". This incident occurred before the commencement of the Saxon conquest under Hengist, during the first visit of Germanus. The writings of Germanus are unimportant. One of them, which is not now extant, but which Nennius quotes (c. 50), contained an account of the death of the British king, Guortigirnus or Vortigern. (Nennius, Histor. c. 30-50 ; Baeda, De Sex Aetat., and Hist. Eccles. Gent. Anglor. i. c. 17-21, Acta Sanctor. Julii, 31)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Dec 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
MASSALIA (Ancient city) FRANCE
Cassianus, otherwise called Joannes Massiliensis and Joannes Eremita, is celebrated
in the history of the Christian church as the champion of Semipelagianism, as
one of the first founders of monastic fraternities in Western Europe, and as the
great lawgiver by whose codes such societies were long regulated. The date of
his birth cannot be determined with certainty, although A. D. 360 must be a close
approximation, and the place is still more doubtful. Some have fixed upon the
shores of the Euxine, others upon Syria, others upon the South of France, and
all alike appeal for confirmation of their views to particular expressions in
his works, and to the general character of his phraseology. Without pretending
to decide the question, it seems on the whole most probable that he was a native
of the East. At a very early age he became an inmate of the monastery of Bethlehem,
where he received the first elements of religious instruction, and formed with
a monk named Germanus an intimacy which exercised a powerful influence over his
future career. In the year 390, accompanied by his friend, he travelled into Egypt,
and after having passed seven years among the Ascetics who swarmed in the deserts
near the Nile, conforming to all their habits and practising all their austerities,
he returned for a short period to Bethlehem, but very soon again retired to consort
with the eremites of the Thebaid. In 403 he repaired to Constantinople, attracted
by the fame of Chrysostom, and received ordination as deacon from his hands. When
that great prelate was driven by persecution from his see, Cassianus and Germanus
were employed by the friends of the patriarch to lay a statement of the case before
Pope Innocent I., and since Pelagius is known to have been at Rome about this
period, it is highly probable that some personal intercourse may have taken place
between him and his future opponent. From tllis time there is a blank in the history
of Cassianus until the year 415, when we find him established as a presbyter at
Marseilles, where he passed the remainder of his life in godly labours, having
founded a convent for nuns and the celebrated abbey of St. Victor, which while
under his controul is said to have numbered five thousand inmates. These two establishments
long preserved a high reputation, and served as models for many similar institutions
in Gaul and Spain. The exact year of his death is not known, but the event must
be placed after 433, at least the chronicle of Prosper represents him as being
alive at that epoch. He was eventually canonized as a saint, and a great religious
festival used to be celebrated in honour of him at Marseilles on the 25th of July.
The writings of Cassianus now extant are:
1. "De Institutis Coenobiorum Libri XII.," composed before the year 418 at the
request of Castor, bishop of Apt, who was desirous of obtaining accurate information
with regard to the rules by which the cloisters in the East were governed. This
work is divided into two distinct parts. The first four books relate exclusively
to the mode of life, discipline, and method of performing sacred offices, pursued
in various monasteries ; the remainder contain a series of discourses upon the
eight great sins into which mankind in general and monks in particular are especially
liable to fall, such as gluttony, pride, passion, and the like. Hence Photius
(Cod. cxcvii.) quotes these two sections as two separate treatises, and this arrangement
appears to have been adopted to a certain extent by the author himself. The subdivision
of the first part into two, proposed by Gennadius, is unnecessary and perplexing.
2. "Collationes Patrum XXIV.", twenty-four sacred dialogues between Cassianus,
Germanus, and Egyptian monks, in which are developed the spirit and object of
the monastic life, the end sought by the external observances previously described.
They were composed at different periods between 419 and 427. The first ten are
inscribed to Leontius, bishop of Frejus, and to Helladius, abbot of St. Castor,
the following seven to Honoratus, afterwards bishop of Arles, the last seven to
Jovinianus, Minervius, and other monks. In the course of these conversations,
especially in the 13th, we find an exposition of the peculiar views of Cassianus
on certain points of dogmatic theology, connected more especially with original
sin, predestination, free-will, and grace, constituting the system which has been
termed Semipelagianism because it steered a middle course between the extreme
positions occupied by St. Augustin and Pelagius; for while the former maintained,
that man was by nature utterly corrupt and incapable of emerging from his lost
state by any efforts of his own, the latter held, that the new-born infant was
in the state of Adam before the fall, hence morally pure and capable in himself
of selecting between virtue and vice; while Cassianus, rejecting the views of
both, asserted, that the natural man was neither morally dead nor morally sound,
but morally sick, and therefore stood in need of medical aid, that aid being the
Grace of God. Moreover, according to his doctrine, it is necessary for man of
his own free wiil to seek this aid in order to be made whole, but at the same
time the free-will of man cannot set limits to the Grace of God which may be exerted
on behalf of those who seek it not, as in the case of the Apostle Paul and others.
Cassianus certainly rejected absolute predestination and the limitation of justification
to the elect, but his ideas upon these topics are not very clearly expressed.
Those who desire full information with regard to Semipelagian tenets will find
them fully developed in the works enumerated at the end of this article.
3. "De Incarnatione Christi Libri VII.", a controversial tract in confutation
of tlie Nestorian heresy, drawn up about 430 at the request of Leo, at that time
archdeacon and afterwards bishop of Rome.
The following essays have been ascribed erroneously, or at all events upon insufficient
evidence, to Cassianus: De spirituali Medicina Monachi seu Dosis medical ad exinaniendos
Animi Affectus"; "Theologica Confessio et De Conflictu Vitiorum et Virtutum ";
" Vita S. Victoris Mar tyris", &c. There are no grounds for believing that he
wrote, as some have asserted, a Regula Monastica, now lost.
The attentive reader of this father will soon perceive that he was
thoroughly engrossed with his subject, and paid so little attention to the graces
of style, that his composition is often careless and slovenly. At the same time
his diction, although it bears both in words and in construction a barbaric stamp
deeply impressed, is far superior to that of many of his contemporaries, since
it is plain, simple, unaffected, and intelligible, devoid of the fantastic conceits,
shabby finery, and coarse paint, under which the literature of that age so often
strove to hide its awkwardness, feebleness, and deformity.
The earliest edition of the collected works of Cassianus is that of
Basle, 1559, in a volume containing also Joannes Damascenus. It was reprinted
in 1569 and 1575. These were followed by the edition of Antwerp, 1578. The most
complete and best edition is that printed at Frankfort, 1722, with the commentaries
and preliminary dissertations of the Benedictine Gazaeus (Gazet), and reprinted
at Leipzig in 1733. The edition superintended by Gazet himself was published at
Douay in 1618, and again in an enlarged form at Arras in 1628.
The Institutiones appeared at Basle in 1485 and 1497, and at Leyden, 1516. The
existence of the Venice edition of 1481, mentioned by Fabricius, is doubtful.
The Institutiones and Collationes appeared at Venice, 1491; at Bologna, 1521;
at Leyden, 1525, at Rome, 1583 and 1611.
The De Incarnatione, first published separately at Basle in 1534, and reprinted
at Paris in 1545 and 1569, is included in Simler's "Scriptores veteres Latini
de una Persona et duabus Naturis Christi," Zurich, 1572.
There is a translation of the Institutiones into Italian by Buffi, a monk of Camaldoli,
Venice, 1563, of the Collationes into French by De Saligny, Paris, 1663, and of
the Institutiones, also by De Saligny, Paris, 1667.
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Nov 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
AQUITAINE (Province) FRANCE
Drepanius. It became a common practice, in the times of Diocletian and his immediate successors,
for provincial states, especially the cities of Gaul, at that period peculiarly
celebrated as the nursing-mother of orators, to despatch deputations from time
to time to the imperial court, for the purpose of presenting congratulatory addresses
upon the occurrence of any auspicious event, of returning thanks for past benefits,
and of soliciting a renewal or continuance of favour and protection. The individual
in each community most renowned for his rhetorical skill would naturally be chosen
to draw up and deliver the complimentary harangue, which was usually recited in
the presence of the prince himself. Eleven pieces of this description have been
transmitted to us, which have been generally published together, under the title
of "Duodecim Panegyrici veteres", the speech of Pliny in honour of Trajan being
included to round off the number, although belonging to a different age, and possessing
very superior claims upon our notice, while some editors have added also the poem
of Corippus in praise of the younger Justin. Of the eleven which may with propriety
be classed together, the first bears the name of Claudius Mamertinus, who was
probably the composer of the second also; the third, fourth, sixth, and seventh
are all ascribed to Eumenius, with what justice is discussed elsewhere; the ninth
is the work of Nazarius, who appears to have written the eighth likewise; the
tenth belongs to a Mamertinus different from the personage mentioned above; the
eleventh is the production of Drepanius, but the author of the fifth, in honour
of the nuptials of Constantine with Fausta, the daughter of Maximianus (A. D.
307), is altogether unknown.
Discourses of this description must for the most part be as devoid of all sincerity
and truth as they are, from their very nature, destitute of all genuine feeling
or passion, and hence, at best, resolve themselves into a mere cold display of
artistic dexterity, where the attention of the audience is kept alive by a succession
of epigrammatic points, carefully balanced antitheses, elaborate metaphors, and
welltuned cadences, where the manner is everything, the matter nothing. To look
to such sources for historical information is obviously absurd. Success would
in every case be grossly exaggerated, defeat carefully concealed, or interpreted
to mean victory. The friends and allies of the sovereign would be daubed with
fulsome praise, his enemies overwhelmed by a load of the foulest calumnies We
cannot learn what the course of events really was, but merely under what aspect
the ruling powers desired that those events should be viewed, and frequently the
misrepresentations are so flagrant that we are unable to detect even a vestige
of truth lurking below. We derive from these effusions some knowledge with regard
to the personal history of particular individuals which is not to be obtained
elsewhere, and from the style we can draw some conclusions with regard to the
state of the language and the tone of literary taste at the commencement of the
fourth century; but, considered as a whole, antiquity has bequeathed to us nothing
more worthless.
Latinus Pacatus Drepanius was a native of Aquitania, as we learn from
himself and from Sidonius, the friend of Ausonius, who inscribes to him several
pieces in very complimentary dedications, and the correspondent of Symmachus,
by whom he is addressed in three epistles still extant. He was sent from his native
province to congratulate Theodosius on the victory achieved over Maximus, and
delivered the panegyric which stands last in the collection described above, at
Rome, in the presence of the emperor, probably in the autumn of A. D. 391. If
we add to these particulars the facts, that he was elevated to the rank of proconsul,
enjoyed great celebrity as a poet, and was descended from a father who bore the
same name with himself, the sources from which our information is derived are
exhausted.
The oration, while it partakes of the vices which disfigure the other
members of the family to which it belongs, is less extravagant in its hyperboles
than many of its companions, and although the language is a sort of hybrid progeny,
formed by the union of poetry and prose, there is a certain splendour of diction,
a flowing copiousness of expression, and even a vigour of thought, which remind
us at times of the florid graces of the Asiatic school. How far the merits of
Drepanius as a bard may have justified the decision of the critic who pronounces
him second to Virgil only (Auson. Praef. Epigramm. Idyll. vii.), it is impossible
for us to determine, as not a fragment of his efforts in this department has been
preserved. He must not be confounded with Florus Drepanius, a writer of hymns.
The Editio Princeps of the Panegyrici Veteres is in quarto, in Roman
characters, without place, date, or printer's name, but is believed to have appeared
at Milan about 1482, and includes, in addition to the twelve orations usually
associated together, the life of Agricola by Tacitus, and fragments of Petronius
Arbiter, with a preface by Franc. Puteolanus, addressed to Jac. Antiquaries. Another
very ancient impression in 4to., without place, date, or printer's name, containing
the twelve orations alone, probably belongs to Venice, about 1499. The most useful
editions are those of Schwarzius, Ven. 1728; of Jaegerus, which presents a new
recension of the text, with a valuable commentary, and comprehends the poem of
Corippus, Nuremberg. 1779; and of Arntzenius, which excludes Drepanius, with very
copious notes and apparatus criticus, Traj. ad Rhen. 1790-97. The edition published
at Paris, 1643, with notes by many commentators, bears the title " XIV Panegyrici
Veteres", in consequence of the addition of Panegyrics by Ausonius and Ennodius.
In illustration we have T. G. Walch, Dissertatio de Panegyricis veterum,
Jenae, 1721; T. G. Moerlin, de Panegyricis veterum programma, Nuremb. 1738; and
Heyne, Censura XII Panegyricorum veterum, in his Opuscula Academica.
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Dec 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
ARLES SUR RHONE (Town) FRANCE
Ennodius, Magnus Felix, was born at Arles about A. D. 476, of a very illustrious
family, which numbered among its members and connexions many of the most illustrious
personages of that epoch. Having been despoiled while yet a boy of all his patrimony
by the Visigoths, he was educated at Milan by an aunt, upon whose death he found
himself at the age of sixteen again reduced to total destitution. From this unhappy
position he was extricated by a wealthy marriage, but having been prevailed upon
by St. Epiphanius to renounce the pleasures of the world, he received ordination
as a deacon, and induced his wife to renter a convent. His labours in the service
of the Church were so conspicuous that he was chosen bishop of Pavia in A. D.
511, and in 514 was sent, along with Fortunatus, bishop of Catania. and others,
by Pope Hormisda to Constantinople in order to combat the progress of the Eutychian
heresy. The embassy having proved unsuccessful in consequence of the emperor,
who was believed to be favourable to the opinions in question, having refused
to acknowledge the authority of the Roman pontiff, Ennodius was despatched a second
time in 517, along with Peregrinus, bishop of Misenum, bearing a confession of
faith, which the eastern churches were invited or rather required to subscribe.
On this occasion the envoy was treated with great harshness by Anastasius, who
not only dismissed him with ignominy, but even sought his life, by causing him
to embark in a crazy vessel, which was strictly forbidden to touch at any Grecian
port. Having escaped this danger, Ennodius returned to his diocese, where he occupied
himself with religious labours until his death in A. D. 521, on the 17th of July,
the day which after his canonization was observed as his festival.
The works of this prelate, as contained in the edition of Sirmond, are the following:
1. Epistolarum ad Diversos Libri IX. A collection of 497 letters, including one
composed by his sister, the greater number of them written during the pontificate
of Symmachus (493-514). They for the most part relate to private concerns and
domestic occurrences, and hence possess little general interest. They are remarkable
for gentleness and piety of tone, but some persons have imagined that they could
detect a leaning towards semipelagianism. The charge, however, has not been by
any means substantiated.
2. Panegyricus Theodorico regi dictus. A complimentary address delivered in the
presence of the Gothic monarch at Milan, or at Ravenna, or at Rome, probably in
the year A. D. 507. It is sometimes included in the collections of the "
Panegyrici Veteres," and is considered as one of the principal sources for
the history of that period, although obviously no reliance can be placed on the
statements contained in an effusion of such a character. It will be found, with
notes, in Manso, Geschichte des Ostgoth. Reichs.
3. Libellus adversus eos qui contra synodum scribere praesumserunt. A powerful
and argumentative harangue, read before the fifth Roman synod held in A. D. 503,
and adopted as part of their proceedings, in defence of the measures sanctioned
by the synod of the previous year, against schismatics, and in support of the
jurisdiction of the Roman pontiff generally.
4. Vita beatissimi viri Epiphanii Ticinensis episcopi. A biography of St. Epiphanius,
his predecessor in the see of Pavia, who died in A. D. 496. This piece is valued
on account of the light which it throws upon the history of the times, and is
considered one of the most interesting and agreeable among the works of Ennodius,
which, to say the truth, are for the most part rather repulsive. It will be found
in the collections of Surius and the Bollandists under the 22nd of January.
5. Vita beati Antonii monachi Livinensis, a panegyric upon a holy man unknown
save from this tract.
6. Eucharisticum de vita, a thanksgiving for recovery from a dangerous malady,
during which the author was first led to those thoughts which eventually prompted
him to devote his life to the service of God. It is dedicated to Elpidius, a deacon
and physician.
7. Paraensis didascalica ad Ambrosium et Beatum, an exhortation, in which poetry
is combined with prose, urging two youths to the practice of virtue.
8. Praeceptum de cellulanis episcoporum. The cellulani were the contubernales
whom bishops, presbyters, and deacons were required to retain as constant companions
"ad amoliendas maledicorum calumnias." (See Ducange, Glossar.) In this
tract they are called concellanei.
9. Petitorium quo Gerontius puer Agapiti absolutus est. On the manumission of
a slave by his master in the church.
10. Cerei paschalis benedictiones duae.
11. Orationes. A series of short essays or declamations, twenty eight in number,
which the author himself names dictiones, classified according to their subjects.
Of these six are sacrae, seven scholasticae, ten controversias, five ethicae.
12. Carmina. A large collection of poems, most of them short occasional effusions,
on a multitude of different topics, sacred and profane. Fourteen are to be found
interspersed among his epistles and other prose works, and one hundred and seventy-two
form a separate collection.
The writings of Ennodius might serve as an exemplification of all the worst faults
of a corrupt style. Nothing can be more affected than the form of expression,
nothing more harsh than the diction. They are concise without being vigorous,
obscure without being deep, while the use of figurative language, metaphors, and
allegories, is pushed to such extravagant excess that whole pages wear the aspect
of a long dull enigma.
A considerable number of the works of this father appeared in the
"Monumenta S. Patrum Orthodoxographa", Basil. 1569; they were first
published separately by Andr. Schottus, Tornac. 1611, but will be found in their
most complete and best form in the edition of Sirmond, Paris. 1611. and in his
Opera, Paris. 1696, and Venet. 1729; also in the Bibl. Patr. Max., Lugdun. 1677,
and in other large collections of the fathers.
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Dec 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Hilarius, surnamed Arelatensis, was born at the commencement of the fifth century,
in Gallia Belgica, of a noble family, and distinguished himself in boyhood by
the zeal and success with which he followed out the various branches of a liberal
education. At an early age he became the disciple of Honoratus, first abbot of
Lerins, by whom he was persuaded to abandon the world, and to devote himself to
a monastic life. To this he attached himself so warmly, that when the bishopric
of Arles became vacant in A. D. 429, by the death of his preceptor, he was with
the utmost difficulty induced to yield to the wishes of the clergy and people,
and to accept the episcopal chair. The circumstance that a monk of twentynine
should have been chosen unanimously to till such an important station is in itself
a strong proof of the reputation which he must have enjoyed as a man of learning,
eloquence, and piety. His name, however, has acquired importance in ecclesiastical
history chiefly from the controversy in which he became involved with Pope Leo
the Great. A certain Chelidonius, bishop either of Vesoul or Besancon, had been
deposed, in consequence of certain irregularities, by a council at which Hilarius
presided, assisted by Eucherius of Lyons and Germanus of Auxerre. Chelidonius
repaired to Rome for the purpose of lodging an appeal against this sentence, and
thither he was followed by Hilarius, who expressed a wish to confer with the pontiff,
but refused to acknowledge his jurisdiction in the case. Leo, incensed by what
he considered as a direct attack upon his supremacy, forthwith reinstated Chelidonius,
while Hilarius, entertaining apprehensions for his own personal freedom, was fain
to quit the city by stealth, and make his way back to his diocese, on foot, crossing
the Alps at the most inclement season of the year. He subsequently endeavoured,
but in vain, to negotiate a reconciliation with Leo, who refused to listen to
any ternis short of absolute submission, and eventually succeeded in depriving
him of all the privileges which he enjoyed as metropolitan of Gaul. This proceeding
was confirmed by the celebrated rescript of Valentinian III., issued in 445, in
which, among other matters, it was ordained, " Ut Episcopis Gallicanis omnibusque
pro lege esset, quidquid apostolicae sedis auctoritas sanxisset: ita ut quisquis
Episcoporum ad judicium Romani antistitis evocatus venire neglexisset per moderatorem
ejusdem provinciae adesse cogeretur," a decree which, while it unequivocally established
the authority of the bishop of Rome over the church beyond the Alps, at the same
time, when taken in connection with the circumstances by which it was called forth,
seems to prove that up to this period such authority had never been fully and
formally recognised. The merits of this dispute have, as might be expected, become
a party question among ecclesiastical historians, who characterise the conduct
of the chief personages concerned in the most opposite terms, according to the
views which they entertain with regard to the rights of the papal chair. Hilarius
died in 449, about five years after the deposition of Chelidonius.
The only works of this Hilarius now extant whose authenticity is unquestionable
are:
1. Vita Sancti Honorati Arelatensis Episcopi, a sort of funeral panegyric upon
his predecessor, which has been much admired, on account of the graceful and winning
character of the style. It was first published at Paris by Genebrardus, in 1578,
land a few years afterwards, from MSS. preserved at Lerins, by Vincentius Barralis,
in his Chronologia sanct. insul. Lerin. Lugd. 1613; the text of the former edition
was followed by Surius ad xvi. Jan., and of the latter by the Bollandists, vol.
ii.. It is also given in the Bibl. Patr. Max. Lugd. 1677, in the Opera Leonis
I., edited by Quesnell, Paris 1675, and in the Opera Vincentii Lirinensis et Hilarii
Arelatensis, by J. Salinas, Rom. 1731.
2. Epistola ad Eucherium Episcopum Lugdunensem, first published in the Chronologia
Lirinensis of Barralis, and subsequently in the Bibl. Max. Patr. Lugd. vol. viii.,
in Quesnell and in Salinas.
There is also a Narratio de Miraculo, performed by a certain martyr named Genesius,
which is given to Hilarius in some MSS., but generally rejected as spurious. It
will be found in Surius and the Bollandists under 25th August. We have already
alluded to an ancient Vita Hilarii, which is commonly believed to be the production
of Honoratus, bishop of Marseilles (about A. D. 460), but which in the Arles MS.
is assigned to Reverentius, or Ravennius, the successor of Hilarius. It is contained
in the Chronologia Lirinensis, and in Surius under V. Mai.
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Jan 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
LYON (Town) RHONE
Constantius, a presbyter of Lyons, who flourished towards the close of the fifth century, has
been characterised by a French writer as at once the Maecenas and the Aristarchus
of the literary men of that period, fostering them by his munificence and training
them to excellence by his counsel. We find four letters addressed to him by his
friend Sidonius Apollinaris, from the first of which we learn, that this collection
of epistles was made at his suggestion and submitted to his criticism and correction.
Constantius, at the request of Patiens, bishop of Lyons, drew up a biography of
Germanus, bishop of Auxerre, who died in A. D. 448. This work, entitled Vita S.
Germani Episcopi Autissiodorensis, appears from the second dedication to have
been completed about A. D. 488, and is contained in the compilations of Surius
and of the Bollandists under the Saints of July. It was rendered into verse by
Ericus, a Benedictine monk of Auxerre, who lived about A. D. 989, and translated
into French by Arnauld d'Andilly. Some persons have ascribed to Constantins the
"Vita S. Justi Lugdunensis Episcopi", who died in A. D. 390, but there is no evidence
that he was the author. This performance also will be found in Surius under September
2nd, and has been translated into French by Le Maitre de Sacy in his " Vies des
Peres du Desert".
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Nov 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Eucherius, bishop of Lyons, was born, during the latter half of the fourth century,
of an illustrious family. His father Valerianus is by many believed to be the
Valerianus who about this period held the office of Praefectus Galliae, and was
a near relation of the emperor Avitus. Eucherius married Gallia, a lady not inferior
to himself in station, by whom he had two sons, Salonius and Veranius, and two
daughters, Corsortia and Tutllia. About the year A. D. 410, while still in of
his age, he determined to retire from the world, and accordingly betook himself,
with his wife and family, first to Lerins (Lerinum), and from thence to the neighboring
island of Lero or St. Margaret, where he lived the life of a hermit, devoting
himself to the education of his children, to literature, and to the exercises
of religion. During his retirement in this secluded spot, he acquired so high
a reputation for learning and sanctity, that he was chosen bishop of Lyons about
A. D. 434, a dignity enjoyed by him until his death, which is believed to have
happened in 450, under the emperors Valentinianus III. and Marcianus. Veranius
was appointed his successor in the episcopal chair,while Salonius became the head
of the church at Geneva.
The following works bear the name of this prelate:
I. De laude Eremi, written about the year A. D. 428, in the form of an epistle
to IIilarius of Arles. It would appear that Eucherius, in his passion for a solitary
life, had at one time formed the project of visiting Egypt, that he might profit
by the bright example of the anchorets who thronged the deserts near the Nile.
He requested information from Cassianus , who replied by addressing to him some
of those collationes in which are painted in such lively colours the habits and
rules pursued by the monks and eremites of the Thebaid. The enthusiasm excited
by these details called forth the letter bearing the above title.
2. Epistola paraenetica ad Valerianum cognatum de contenmtu mundi et secularis
philosophiae, composed about A. D. 432, in which the author endeavours to detach
his wealthy and magnificent kinsman from the pomps and vanities of the world.
An edition with scholia was published by Erasmus at Basle in 1520.
3. Liber formularum spiritalis intelligentiae ad Veranium filium, or, as the title
sometimes appears, De forma spiritalis intellectus, divided into eleven chapters,
containing an exposition of many phrases and texts in Scripture upon allegorical,
typical, and mystical principles.
4. Instructionum Libri II. ad Salonium filium. The first book treats "De
Qnaestionibus difficilioribus Veteris et Novi Testamenti", the second contains
"Explicationes nominum Herbraicorum".
5. Homiliae. Those, namely, published by Livineius at the end of the "Sermones
Catechetici Theodori Studitae," Antverp., 8vo. 1602.
The authenticity of the following is very doubtful:
6. Historia Passionis S. Mauritii et Sociorum Martyrum Legionis Felicis Thebaeae
Agaunensium.
7. Exhortatio ad Monachos, the first of three printed by Holstenius in his "Codex
Regularum", Rom. 1661.
8. Epitome Operum Cassiani.
No complete collection of the works of Eucherius has ever been published. The
various editions of the separate tracts are carefully enumerated by Schonemanan,
and the greater number of them will be found in the "Chronologia S. insulae Lerinensis",
by Vincentius Barralis, Lugdun. 1613; in "D. Eucherii Lug. Episc. doctiss. Lucubrationes
cura Joannis Alexandri Brassicani", Basil. 1531; in the Bibliotheca Patrum, Colon.
1618; and in the Bibl. Pat. Max. Lugdun.1677.
This Eucherius must not be confounded with another Gaulish prelate
of the same name who flourished during the early part of the sixth century, and
was a member of ecclesiastical councils held in Gaul during the years A. D. 524,
527, 529. The latter, although a bishop, was certainly not bishop of Lyons.
There is yet another Eucherius who was bishop of Orleans in the eighth
century.
This text is from: A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890) (eds. William Smith, LLD, William Wayte, G. E. Marindin). Cited Dec 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
MASSALIA (Ancient city) FRANCE
Gennadius, a presbyter of Marseilles, who flourished at the close of the fifth
century, is known to us as the author of a work De Viris Hlustribus, containing
one hundred short lives of ecclesiastical writers from A. D. 392 to about A. D.
495, thus forming a continuation of the tract by Jerome which bears the same title.
The last notice, devoted to the compiler himself. embraces all that is known with
regard to his history and compositions: "Ego Gennadius, Massiliae presbyter,
scripsi adversus omnes haereses libros octo, et adversus Nestorium libros sex,
adversus Pelagium libros tires, et tractatus de mille annis et de Apocalypsi beati
Johannis, et hoc opus, et epistolam de fide mea misi ad beatum Gelasium, urbis
Romae episcopum." Gelasius died A. D. 496.
Of the writings here enumerated, none have been preserved, with the
exception of the Biographical Sketches and the Epistola de Fide mea, or, as it
is sometimes headed, Libellus de Ecclesiasticis Dogmatibus, which was at one time
ascribed to St. Augustin. Notwithstanding the pretensions put forth by Gennadius
himself as a champion of orthodoxy, expressions have been detected in both of
the above pieces which indicate a decided leaning towards Semipelagianism. On
the other hand, it has been maintained that the whole of these passages are interpolations,
since the most obnoxious are altogether omitted in the two oldest MSS. of the
De Viris Illustribus now extant, those of Lucca and Verona. The preliminary remarks
upon Jerome are also, in all probability, the production of a later hand.
The De Viris Illustribus was published in a volume containing the
Catalogue of Jerome, along with those of Isidorus, Honorius, &c., by Sulfridus,
8vo. Colon., 1580; with the notes of Miraeus, fol. Antw. 1639; with the notes
of Miraeus and E. S. Cyprianus, 4to., Helmst., 17000 by J. A. Fabricius, in his
Bibliotheca Ecclesiastica, fol., Hamb., 171 , and is included in most editions
of the collected works of Jerome.
The Libellus de Ecclesiasticis Dogmatibus will be found in the Benedictine
edition of St. Augustin, vol. viii. Append. . and was published separately by
Elmenhorst, 4to., Hamburg, 1614.
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Nov 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Honoratus, bishop of Marseilles, about the close of the fifth century, is generally considered to be the author of the Vita S. Hilarii Arelatensis, printed by Barralis in the Chronologia Sanctae Insulae Lerinensis, p. 103, and by Surius under 5th May. The piece in question is, however, ascribed in the Arles MS. to a certain Reverentius or Ravennius, the successor of Hilarius in his episcopal chair. (Gennad. De Viris Illustr. 99.)
POITIERS (Town) VIENNE
Hilarius surnamed Pictaviensis, the most strenuous champion of the pure faith
among Hilarius, having the Latin fathers of the fourth century, the Malleus Arianorum,
as he has been designated by his admirers, was born at Poitiers, of a good family,
although the name of his parents is unknown, and carefully instructed in all the
branches of a liberal education. Having been induced, after he had attained to
manhood, to study the Scriptures, he became convinced of the truth of Christianity,
made an open profession of his belief, was baptized along with his wife and his
daughter Abra, and resolved to devote himself to the service of religion. Of the
early portion of his career in this new vocation we know nothing, but his character
as a man of learning and piety must have been held in high esteem, for about the
year A. D. 350, although still married, he was elected bishop of his native city.
From that time forward the great object of his existence was to check the progress
of Arianism, which had spread all over the East, and was making rapid strides
in Gaul. At his instigation the Catholic prelates excommunicated Saturninus, bishop
of Arles, a zealous partizan of the heretics, together with his two chief supporters,
Ursacius and Valens. But at the council of Beziers, convoked in 356 by Constantius,
ostensibly for the purpose of calming these dissensions, a triumph was achieved
by the adversaries of Hilarius, who by a rescript from the emperor was banished,
along with Rhodanus, bishop of Toulouse, to Phrygia, which, as well as the rest
of Asia Minor, was strongly opposed to Trinitarian doctrines. From this remote
region he continued to govern his diocese, to which no successor had been appointed,
and drew up his work De Synodis, that he might make known throughout Gaul, Germany,
and Britain, the precise nature of the opinions prevalent in the East. In 359
a general meeting of bishops was summoned to be held at Seleuceia, in Isauria;
and Hilarius, having repaired thither uninvited, boldly undertook, although almost
unsupported, to maintain the consubstantiality of the Word, against the Anomeans
and other kindred sectaries, who formed a large majority of the assembly. From
thence he betook himself to Constantinople, at that time the very focus of Arianism,
where his indefatigable importunity proved so troublesome to the court, and his
influence with the more moderate among the Oriental ecclesiastics so alarming
to the dominant faction, that he was ordered forthwith to return to his bishopric,
where he was received in triumph, about the period of Julian's accession (361),
and at this time probably published his famous invective against the late prince.
For some years he found full occupation in reclaiming such of the clergy as had
subscribed the confession of faith sanctioned by the council of Ariminum, and
in ejecting from the church his old enemy Saturninus, along with these who refused
to acknowledge their errors. In the reign of Valentinian (364), however, not satisfied
with regulating the spiritual concerns of his own country, he determined to purify
Italy also, and formally impeached Auxentius, bishop of Milan, who stood high
in imperial favour, although suspected of being in his heart hostile to the cause
of orthodoxy. The emperor forthwith cited the accuser and the accused to appear
before him, and to hold a conference upon the disputed points of faith in the
presence of the high officers of state. Auxentius unexpectedly, and perhaps unwillingly,
gave unexceptionable answers to all the questions proposed; upon which Hilarius,
having indignantly denounced him as a hypocrite, was expelled from Milan as a
disturber of the tranquillity of the church, and, retiring to his episcopal see,
died in peace four years afterwards, on the 13th of January, A. D. 368.
The extant works of this prelate, arranged in chronological order, are the following:
1. Ad Constantium Augustum Liber primus, written it is believed in A. D. 355.
It is a petition in which he implores the emperor to put an end to the persecutions
by which the Arians sought to crush their opponents, produces several examples
of their cruelty, and urges with great force, in respectful language, theright
of the Catholics to enjoy toleration.
2. Commentarius (s. Tractatus) in Evangelium Matthaei, written before his exile,
in A. D. 356, and divided into twenty-three canones or sections. The preface,
which is quoted by Cassianus (De Incarn. vii. 24), is wanting. This is the ancient
of the extant expositions of the first evangelist by any of the Latin fathers,
and is repeatedly quoted by Jerome and Augustin. From the resemblance which it
bears in tone and spirit to the exegetical writings of Origen, it may very probably
have been derived from some of his works.
3. De Synodis s. De Fide Orientalium s. De Synodis Graeciae, or more fully, De
Synodis Fidei Catholicae contra Arianos et pracvaricatores Arianis acquiescentes,
or simply, Epistola, being in reality a letter, written in A. D. 358, while in
exile, addressed to his episcopal brethren in Gaul, Germany, Holland, and Britain,
explaining the real views of the Oriental prelates on the Trinitarian controversy,
and pointing out that many of them, although differing in words, agreed in substance
with the orthodox churches of the West. In the Benedictine edition, we find added
for the first time a defence of this piece, in reply to objections which had been
urged against it by a certain Lucifer, probably him of Cagliari.
4. De Trinitate Libri XII. s. Contra Arianos s. De Fide, besides a number of other
titles, differing slightly from each other. This, the most important and elaborate
of the productions of Hilarius, was composed, or at least finished, in A. D. 360.
It contains a complete exposition of the doctrine of Trinity, a comprehensive
examination of the evidences upon which it rests, and a full refutation of all
the grand arguments of the heretics, being the first great controversial work
produced upon this subject in the Latin church. Jerome informs us that it was
divided into twelve books, in order that the number might correspond with the
twelve books of Quintilian, whose style the author proposed as his model. When
Cassiodorus (Institt. Div. 16) speaks of thirteen books, he includes the tract
De Synodis, mentioned above.
5. Ad Constantium Augustum Liber secundus, presented in person to the emperor
about A. D. 360, in which the petitioner sets forth that he had been driven into
banishment by the calumnies of freely his enemies, implores the sovereign to lend
a favourable ear to his cause, and takes occasion to vindicate the truth of the
principles which he maintained.
6. Contra Constantium Augustum Liber. Probably composed, and perhaps privately
circulated, while the prince was still alive, but certainly not published until
after his death, a supposition by which we shall be able to reconcile the words
of the piece itself (c. 2) with the positive assertion of Jerome (de Viris Ill.
100). Indeed, it is scarcely credible that any zealot, however bold, would have
ventured openly to assail any absolute monarch, however mild, with such a mass
of coarse abuse, differing, moreover, so remarkably from the subdued tone of his
former addresses to the same personage, who is here pronounced to be Antichrist,
a rebel against God, a tyrant whose sole object was to make a gift to the Devil
of that world for which Christ had suffered. We are particularly struck with two
points in this attack. Unmeasured abuse is poured forth against Constantius because
he refrained from inflicting tortures and martyrdom upon his adversaries, seeking
rather to win them over by the temptations of wealth and honours, and because
he wished to confine the creed strictly to the words of Scripture, excluding apostolical
tradition and the authority of the hierarchy. The most extravagant violence of
the first requires no comment ; the second is remarkable, since it proves that
some of the fundamental doctrines of the Romish Church, as opposed to the Protestant,
had already been called in question.
7. Contra Arianos vel Auxentium Mediolanensem Liber unus ; otherwise, Epistola
ad Catholicos et Auxentium, written in A. D. 365, to which is subjoined a letter
addressed by Auxentius to the emperors Valentinianus and Valens. The subject of
these will be sufficiently understood from the circumstances recorded in the life
of Hilarius.
8. Commentarii (s. Tractatus, s. Expositiones) in Psalmos, composed towards the
very close of his life. Not so much verbal annotations as general reflections
upon the force and spirit of the different psalms, and upon the lessons which
we ought to draw from them, mingled with many mystical and allegorical speculations,
after the fashion of Origen. It is not improbable that these were originally short
discourses or homilies, delivered from the pulpit, and afterwards digested and
arranged. They may have extended to the whole book of Psalms, but the collection,
as it now exists, embraces seventy-nine only.
9. Fragmenta Hilarii, first published in 1598 by Nicolaus Faber from the library
of P. Pithou, containing passages from a lost work upon the synods of Seleuceia
and Ariminum, and from other pieces connected with the history of the divisions
by which the church was at that time distracted.
The following are of doubtful authenticity:
1. Epistola ad Abram Filiam suam, dissuading her from becoming the bride of any
one save Christ. 2. Hymnus Matutinus, addressed also to his daughter Abra.
Works now lost, but mentioned by Jerome, Augustin, or other ancient authorities:
1. Libellus ad Sallustium Galliarum Praefectum contra Dioscurum medicum. Probably
an apology for Christianity.
2. Commentarius (s. Tractatus) in Jobum, translated from the Greek of Origen.
3. Liber adversus Valentem et Ursatium, portions of which are to be found in the
Fiagmela noticed above.
4. Hymnorum Liber.
5. Mysteriorum Liber.
6. Many Epistolae.
7. He was said to have been the author of a Commentarius in Cantica Canticorum,
but Jerome was unable to discover it, and equally dubious is the Expositio Epistolae
ad Timothecum, quoted in the Acts of the Council of Seville.
The Carmen in Genesim; Libri de Patris et Filii Unitate; Liber de Essentia Patris
et Filii; Confessio de Trinitate; Epistola, s. Libellus et Sermo de Dedicatione
Ecclesiae, are all erroneously ascribed to this father.
Hilarius was gifted with a powerful intellect, and displayed undaunted courage
and perseverance in upholding the faith; but his zeal bordered so closely upon
fanaticism, that he must frequently have injured the cause which he advocated
with unseemly violence. He can scarcely be esteemed a man of learning, for he
was ignorant of Hebrew, and but imperfectly acquainted with Greek : his expositions
of Scripture, when original, are by no means profeund, when borrowed are not selected
with judgment; while his doctrines in dogmatic theology must be received with
much caution, for Erasmus has clearly proved from several passages, which the
Benedictine editors have in vain sought to explain away, that his expressions
with regard to the nature of Christ are such as no orthodox divine could adopt.
Among his contemporaries, however, and immediate successors his influence was
powerful and his reputation high. Rufinus, Augustin, and Jerome speak of him with
respect, and even admiration.
A few of the opuscula of Hilarius, together with his work De Trinitate,
and the treatise of Augustin upon the same subject, were printed at Milan, 1489,
by Leon. Pachel under the editorial inspection of G. Cribellus, a presbyter of
that city; and this collection was reprinted at Venice in the course of the same
century. More complete was the edition printed at Paris, fol. 1510, by Badius
Ascensius, which, however, was greatly inferior to that of Erasmus, printed at
Basle by Frobenius, 1523, and reprinted in 1526 and 1528. By far the best in every
respect is that published by Coustant, Paris, 1693, forming one of the Benedictine
series, and reprinted, with some additions, by Scipio Maffei, Veron., 1730.
(Our chief authorities for the life of Hilarius are an ancient biography by a
certain Venantius Fortunatus, who must be distinguished from the Christian poet
of the same name, consisting of two books, which, from the difference of style,
many suppose to be from two different pens; the short but valuable notice in Hieronymus,
De Viris Ill. c. 100; and the Vita Hilarii ex ipsius potissimum Scriptis collecta,
prefixed to the Benedictine edition, in the Prolegomena to which all the early
testimonies will be found)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Jan 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
RIEZ (Town) PROVENCE
Faustus, surnamed Reiensis (otherwise Regensis, or Regiensis) from the episcopal see over
which he presided, was a native of Brittany, the contemporary and friend of Sidonius
Apollinaris. Having passed his youth in the seclusion of a cloister, he succeeded
Maximus, first as abbot of Lerins, afterwards in A. D. 472, as bishop of Riez,
in Provence, and died about A. D. 490, or, according to Tillemont, some years
latter. For a considerable period he was regarded as the head of the Semipelagians,
and, in consequence of the earnestness and success with which he advocated the
doctrines of that sect, was stigmatised as a heretic by the Catholic followers
of St. Augustin, while his zeal against the Arians excited the enmity of Euric,
king of the Visigoths, by whom He was driven into exile about A. D. 481, and did
not return until A. D. 484, after the death of his persecutor. Notwithstanding
the heavy charges preferred against the orthodoxy of this prelate, it is certain
that he enjoyed a wide reputation, and possessed great influence, while alive,
and was worshipped as a saint after death, by the citizens of Riez, who erected
a basilica to his memory, and long celebrated his festival on the 18th of January.
The works of Faustus have never been collected and edited with care,
and hence the accounts given by different authorities vary considerably. The following
list, if not absolutely complete, embraces every thing of importance:
1. Professio Fidei, contra eos, qui per solam Dei Voluntatem alios dicunt ad Vitam
attrahi, alios in Mortem deprimi. (Bibl. Max. Patr. Lugdun. 1677)
2. De Gratia Dei et Hamanae Mentis libero Arbitrio Libri II. (Bibl. Max. Patr.
Lugdun. 1677)
These two treatises, composed about A. D. 475, present a full and
distinct developemenient of the sentiments of the author with regard to original
sin, predestinati on, free will, election, and grace, and demonstrate that his
views corresponded closely with those entertained by Cassianus.
3. Responsio ad Objecta quaedam de Ratione Fidei Catholicae; an essay, as the
title implies, on some points connected with the Arian controversy. It is included
in the collection of ancient French ecclesiastical writers published by P. Pithou,
1586
4. Sermones Sea ad Monachos, together with an Admionitio and exhortations, all
addressed to the monks of Lerins, while he presided over their community. (Martene
et Durand, Scriptor. et Monumentor. ampliss. Collectio, Paris, 1733; Brockie,
Codex Regularum, &c. Append. Aug. Vind. 1759; Bibl. Max. Patr. Lugdun. 1677;
Basnage, Thesaurus Monumentor. &c., Amst. 1725)
5. Homilia de S. Maximi Laudibus, erroneously included among the homilies ascribed
to Eusebius Emesenus, who flourished under Constantius before the establishment
of a monastery at Lerins. (Bibl. Magna Patr. Colon. Agripp)
6. Epistolae. Nineteen are to be found in the third part of the fifth volume of
the Bibl. Mag. Patr. Colon. Agripp. 1618, and the most interesting are contained
in Bibl. Max. Patr. Lugdun. These letters are addressed to different persons,
and treat of various points connected with speculative theology, and the heresies
prevalent at that epoch.
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Dec 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
VIENNE (Town) ISERE
Mamertus, Claudianus Ecdidius, was a presbyter in the diocese of Vienne, in France,
of which his brother was bishop, and lived in the middle of the fifth century
of our era. He died about the year 470, and his praises are celebrated at great
length by Sidonius Apollinaris. (Epist. iv. 11.) His works are as follow :
1. De Statu Annimae, in three books, against the opinions of Faustus Reiensis.
This work was first published by P. Mosellanus, Basil. 1520; afterwards by Grynaeus
in his Orthodoxogr. p. 1247; in the Biblioth. Patrum Max. Lugdun. vol. vi. p.
1050, &c., and by Casp. Barthis, Cygneae, 1655.
2. Epistolae. Besides the letter to Sidonius Apollinaris, in which Mamertus dedicates
to him his work De Statu Animae, there is also another letter to Sidonius, preserved
among the epistles of the latter. (Epist. iii. 2.) Sidonius, in his reply (iii.
3), extols Mamertus and his work in the most extraordinary manner.
3. Carmen contra Poetas Vianos, a poem in hexameter verse, in which the author
maintains the superiority of Christian doctrines over heathen poetry. The versification
of this poem is smooth and flowing, and it bears evidence of its writer having
carefully studied some of the best of the Roman poets. It is printed in Fabricius,
Corp. Poet. Christ. p. 775, &c., and in the Biblioth. Patrum Max. Lugdun.
vol. vi. p. 1074.
4. The hymn De Passione Domini, beginning with the words Pange lingua gloriosi
praelium certaminis, in the Roman breviary, is ascribed by some writers to Mamertus,
and by others to Venan tius Fortunatus.
5. The poems Carmen Paschale, Laus Christi, and Miracula Christi, which are printed
among the works of the great poet Claudian, are by some writers likewise attributed
to this Claudian Mamertus, but were perhaps written by neither of them. (Sidon.
Apoll. iv. 2, 3, 11, v. 22; Gennad. De Viris Illstur. 83; Trithem. De Script.
Eccles. 178; Fabric. Biblioth. Med. et Infim. Lat. s. v. (Claudidanus; Bahr, Geschichte
d. Romisch. Liiteriatur, Supplement-Band. i. 33, ii. 169.)
This text is from: A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890) (eds. William Smith, LLD, William Wayte, G. E. Marindin). Cited Oct 2006 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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