CAILLAU, ARMAND-BENJAMIN. - French priest, b. in Paris on 22 Oct. 1794, d. there on 4 July 1850.
He rendered distinguished service to patrology and hagiography: he began with a new edition of Merz’s Thesaurus biblicus (2 vols., Paris 1822), followed by a Thesaurus floresque doctorum (8 vols., ibid. 1823-25). He then began a Collectio selecta SS. Ecclesiae Patrum, interrupted at vol. CXXXIII by the appearance of Migne’s two patrologies (ibid. 1829-42). From the works of the Fathers he made a selection of the most important; of the Greek Fathers he provided only the Latin translation. Complete are St. John Chrysostom and St. Augustine. He also began a Rhetorica SS. Patrum, planned in 5 vols., of which only 3 appeared (ibid. 1838). He planned a corrected re-edition of Ceillier’s Histoire générale des auteurs sacrés et ecclésiastiques; but only vols. III and IV appeared (ibid. 1838 and 1839). Finally, vol. II of the works of St. Gregory Nazianzen is his (2 vols., Paris 1842; reproduced in PG 37-38). In addition, he planned a Bibliotheca SS. Patrum Mariana, part of which appeared in the form of booklets on Marian mysticism.