COLOMBO, SISTO. - Salesian priest, scholar of ancient Christian literature, b. in Milano in 1878, d. in Torino in 1938. He was lecturer in Latin literature at the University of Torino, and was entrusted with ancient Christian literature at the Università del S. Cuore. He left a copious body of work: editions, commentaries, and anthologies of Latin writers, as well as popularizing articles. But his name will remain in the field of Catholic culture for the impetus he gave to studies of ancient Christian literature.
He published numerous articles in Didaskaleion (v.), in whose foundation he collaborated with P. Ubaldi, and of which he was editor and co-director, studying there in particular Tertullian, Cyprian, Minucius Felix, Arnobius, Prudentius, Giov. Chrysostom.
His most important works were: La poesia cristiana antica. Parte 1ª: La poesia latina (Roma 1910); Arnobio Afro e i suoi sette libri «Adversus Nationes» (in Didaskaleion, 18 [1930], pp. 1-124); Primavera cristiana (posthumous, Torino 1939); the critical edition of Tertullian’s Apologeticum, with commentary (ibid. 1915, and in the «Corpus Paravianum» [ibid. 1915]). He established the plan of the «Corona Patrum Salesiana» and contributed to it 2 vols.: the De sacerdotio of St. Giovanni Crisostomo (1934) and the Opuscoli of St. Cipriano (1935). In the series «Pagine cristiane antiche e moderne», which he directed
first with Ubaldi and then alone, he published in translation a selection of Atti dei Martiri (1928).