CROMATIUS, St. — He belonged to the clergy of Aquileia as a priest under Bishop Valerian (369–388) and, together with Heliodorus, later Bishop of Altino, was on intimate terms with St. Jerome during the latter’s stay in that city from 370 to 373. In those years he was also on excellent terms with Rufinus. Toward the end of 388 or at the beginning of 389 he was elected Valerian’s successor in the presence of St. Ambrose, with whom he maintained a relationship. He also publicly defended the cause of St. John Chrysostom in a letter. St. Jerome dedicated some of his commentaries and translations of books of the Old Testament to him, also recalling the financial assistance he received from Chromatius. At Chromatius’ urging, Rufinus undertook the translation of Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History and its continuation. He died about 407–408. His feast is celebrated on December 2. The compiler of the Martyrologium Hieronymianum dedicated his work to Chromatius and Heliodorus. Two letters attributed to him on this subject are spurious.
Eighteen treatises or, more accurately, homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew survive from him. Among these, the one on the eight Beatitudes (a homily delivered on a day of great market) was particularly esteemed; the others include expositions on Mt 3:13–17; 5:6; 1–24 and appear to be fragments of homilies on the entire Gospel. They were published in Udine by Canon Pietro Braida in 1816 and again in 1823 (PL 20, 323–68 reproduces the 1816 edition); a third edition with a translation appeared in Udine in 1828. Pietro de Puniè, with good arguments, attributed to Chromatius one of the three homilies preserved in the Sacramentarium Gelasianum, specifically the one assigned by tradition for the delivery of the Pater Noster during the scrutinies preceding solemn Baptism.