Saint Possidius

Saint Possidius

Possidius (5th century) was a friend of Saint Augustine of Hippo who wrote a reliable biography and an "indiculus" or list of his works. He was bishop of Calama in the Roman province of Numidia.

Biography

The dates of his birth and death are unknown; he was alive and in exile in 437 according to Prosper, who, in his "Chronicle", records that Possidius and two other bishops were persecuted and expelled from their sees by the Vandal king, Gaiseric, who was an Arian. Possidius (Vita S. Augustini, xxxi), after describing the death of Augustine, speaks of his unbroken friendship with him for forty years. He also, speaking of himself in the third person, lets it be known that he was one of the clergy of St. Augustine's monastery (ibid., xii). The date of his promotion to the episcopate was, according to Tillemont, about 397. He followed St. Augustine's example and established a monastery at Calama. At a council held at Carthage, Possidius challenged Crispinus, the Donatist Bishop of Calama, to a public discussion which the latter declined. Shortly afterwards one of Crispinus's clergy, bearing the same name as his bishop, attempted to assassinate Possidius. Legal proceedings were instituted against Crispinus, the bishop, who refused to punish his presbyter. He was condemned for heresy and was heavily fined, but at the intercession of Possidius the fine was not exacted ("Vita", xii; St. Augustine, "Ep.", cv, 4; "Contra Crescon.", III, xlvi). In 407, Possidius served, with St. Augustine and five other bishops, on a committee appointed to adjudicate upon some ecclesiastical matter, the particulars of which are not known. In 408 he nearly lost his life in a riot stirred up by the pagans at Callama (St. Augustine, "Epp.", xc, xci, xciii). In 409 he was one of four bishops deputed to go to Italy to obtain the protection of the emperor against the Donatists. He was one of the seven bishops chosen to represent the Catholic party at the "collatio" of 411. In 416 he assisted at the Council of Milevum, where fifty-nine Numidian bishops addressed a synodal letter to Innocent I, asking him to take action against Pelagianism. He joined with St. Augustine and three other bishops in a further letter to Innocent on the same subject, and was at the conference between St. Augustine and the Donatist Emeritus. When the Germanic Vandals invaded Africa, he fled to Hippo and was present at the death of St. Augustine (430).

Works

*His "Vita S. Augustini", composed before the capture of Carthage (439), is included in all editions of the works of St. Augustine, and also printed in Hurter's "Opusc. SS. Patr.".
*His "indiculus" ('small index') will be found in the last volume of Migne's edition of the works of St. Augustine and in the tenth volume of the Benedictine edition.

ources

*Ceillier, "Hist. des auteurs ecclés.", XII
*Tillemont, "Mémoires", XIII.
* ISBN 1889758906 ISBN 9781889758909

ource

*Catholic|Possidius

External links

* [http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/possidius_life_of_augustine_02_text.htm English translation of the "Life of St. Augustine"] at the [http://www.tertullian.org/fathers Tertullian Project] .
* [http://www.archive.org/details/sanctiaugustiniv00possrich Critical Latin text and English translation of the "Life of St. Augustine" in PDF form at Archive.org]
* [http://www.midwestaugustinians.org/saints/s_alypiuspossidius.html Life of St. Alypius and St. Possidius (Augustinians of the Midwest)]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Possidius — de Calame Saint Possidius de Calame ou Possidonius, évêque de Calame en Afrique (actuelle Guelma en l Algérie) au Ve siècle. Il a été disciple et biographe d Augustin d Hippone. Fête le 17 mai. Il est élu évêque de Calame en 397. À partir de …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Possidius de calame — Saint Possidius de Calame ou Possidonius, évêque de Calame en Afrique (actuelle Guelma en l Algérie) au Ve siècle. Il a été disciple et biographe d Augustin d Hippone. Fête le 17 mai. Il est élu évêque de Calame en 397. À partir de 404, il… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Possidius de Calame — ou Possidonius, est évêque de Calame en Numidie (actuelle Guelma en l Algérie) au Ve siècle. Il a été disciple et biographe d Augustin d Hippone. C est un saint chrétien fêté le 17 mai. Histoire et tradition Possidius a été membre de la… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Possidius, Saint — • Bishop of Calama, was a friend of St. Augustine for 40 years Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • AUGUSTIN (SAINT) — Aurelius Augustinus est né le 13 novembre 354, à Thagaste (aujourd’hui Souk Ahras en Algérie); il est mort le 28 août 430 dans sa ville épiscopale d’Hippone, assiégée par les Vandales (aujourd’hui Annaba). C’est un Romain d’Afrique, qui a vécu,… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • May 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) — May 15 Eastern Orthodox Church calendar May 17 All fixed commemorations below celebrated on May 29 by Old Calendarists Contents 1 Saints 1.1 Other commemorations 2 Notes …   Wikipedia

  • Mirandola — Administration Pays  Italie Région …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mirandole — Mirandola Mirandola Ajouter une image Administration Pays  Italie Région …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Guelma — Infobox Algerian Municipality map1 = map2 = Guelma location.svg name1 = Guelma name2 = قالمة code = 2401 postal = 24000 province = Guelma note1 = (seat) district = Guelma note2 = (seat) seats = 23 president = alt1 = 256 alt2 = 843 area1 = area2 …   Wikipedia

  • Список сохранившихся произведений классической латинской литературы — Список включает сохранившиеся произведения классической латинской литературы (от её возникновения до падения Западной Римской империи). Включена и нехудожественная литература, но не эпиграфика. Произведения, сохранившиеся только во фрагментах… …   Википедия

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”