BUXENTUM.

It was a city situated on the Lucanian coast between the rivers Melfi and Lao. Some identify its position with that of present-day Policastro, others with that of Pisciotta in the Valley of Novi. It is mentioned by Strabo, Pliny and Livy. Its name was in ancient times common also to the promontory of Policastro. Of Greek origin, it received in 194 a colony of Roman citizens and later became a municipium. Very scanty are the notices concerning the diocese. In 591 a bishop Rusticus took part in the Roman Council held by Pope Symmachus; in 592 St. Gregory the Great (Ep. 42) ordered Felix, bishop of Pesto, to visit the diocese of B., which was without a pastor; in 649 a bishop Sabbatius was present at the Council held in Rome by Pope Martin I.

The city was afterwards destroyed by the raids of the Saracens.

Bibliography5 works

BIBL.: Cappelletti, XX, p. 768; P. B. Gams, Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Ratisbon 1873, p. 912 (identifies the diocese of B. with that of Policastro); R. Gaetani, Notizie di Policastro Bussentino dalla Storia Lucana del Mannelli, Naples 1880; id., L'antica B., oggi Policastro Bussentino e la sua diocesi, in Studi in Italia, 5 (1881), pp. 366-86; Lanzoni, I, 1323.

Noemi Crostarosa Scipioni

@incollection{ec3_buxentum, author = {Crostarosa, Scipioni Noemi}, title = {Buxentum}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {III}, pages = {253}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1949}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/buxentum} }

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BUXENTUM.

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