The Presbyters Project

XVI.

FAUSTINUS presbyter scripsit ad personam Flaccillae reginae Adversum Arianos et Macedonianos libros septem, his eos maxime Scripturarum testimoniis arguens et convincens, quibus illi pravo sensu utuntur ad blasphemiam.

Scripsit et librum quem Valentiniano, Theodosio et Arcadio imperatoribus pro defensione suorum cum Marcellino quodam presbytero obtulit, ex quo ostenditur Luciferiano schismati consensisse, quia Hilarium Pictaviensem et Damasum, urbis Romae episcopos, in eodem libro culpat, quasi male consuluerint ecclesiae, quod praevaricatores episcopos in communionem et sacerdotium pacis recuperandae gratia recepissent, quod Luciferianis ita displicuit recipere episcopos, qui in Ariminensi concilio Arianis communicaverant quod Novatianis apostatas paenitentes.

(ed. E. Cushing Richardson 1896)

XVI.

Faustinus the presbyter wrote to the person of Queen Flaccilla seven books Against the Arians and Macedonians, arguing and convicting them for blasphemy by the testimonies of the very same passages from the Scriptures which they used in perverted meaning.

He wrote also a book which, together with a certain presbyter named Marcellinus, he addressed to the Emperors Valentinianus, Theodosius, and Arcadius, in defence of his own [people]. From this it appears that he acquiesced in the Luciferian schism, as in the same book he blames bishops Hilary of Poitiers and Damasus of the city of Rome for giving ill-advised counsel to the church, becaused argued for the apostate bishops to be received into communion for the sake of restoring the peace. For it was as displeasing to the Luciferians to receive the bishops who in the Ariminian council had communed with Arius, as it was to the Novatians to receive the penitent apostates.

(trans. by E. Cushing Richardson, changed by J. Szafranowski)

Place of event:

Region

Rome

City

Rome

About the source:

Author: Gennadius of Marseille
Title: De viris illustribus, Lives of Illustrious Men, De viris inlustribus, On the lives of famous men
Origin: Marseille (Gaul)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

The "Lives of Illustrious Men" by Gennadius of Marseille is the continuation of Jerome`s work bearing the same title. It contains 99 additional additional entries on different famous ecclesiestatics. It was written in the end of 5th century. At one point Gennadius writes that the death of presbyter and monk Theodore (Theodulus) of Coelesyria occured `three years ago, in the reign of Zeno` (died AD 491). Gennadius also knows that pope Gelasius died (AD 496) and Julianus Pomerius is considered alive (d. AD 498). Therefore, Gennadius composed majority of his work most probably in the first half of the 490s.

Edition:

E. Cushing Richardson ed., Hieronymus liber De viris inlustribus; Gennadius liber De viris inlustribus, Leipzig 1896, 57-97.

Categories:

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

Relation with - Another presbyter

Relation with - Monarch and royal/imperial family

Relation with - Heretic/Schismatic

Writing activity

Religious grouping (other than Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian) - Luciferian

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER668, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=668