ARZUGI

ARZUGI. - A people who inhabited the region of Leptis Magna (Lebda), in Tripolitania. For a long time they resisted every influence of Christianity; even at the end of the 4th century they were largely pagan (Augustine, *Ep.*, 46, 1). Their isolation among hostile populations made it difficult for the few Christians to observe ecclesiastical discipline. There were only five bishops, and so it was decided that for episcopal consecrations the presence of just three bishops was sufficient (*Codex canonum Eccl. Africanae*, 49, 52: PL 67, 196 and 197). The Donatist schism also took root among the A., but did not remain united. St Augustine alludes to exiles among the Donatist A. and the others (Ep., 93, 8, 94). However, the schism did not entirely supplant the Catholic hierarchy there.