FILASTRIUS of BRESCIA. - Ecclesiastical writer of the 4th century, died between 381 and 397. From the discourse delivered in his honor by his successor St. Gaudentius on the 150th anniversary of his death (PL 20, 997-1002, CSEL 68, pp. 135-39), we learn that F., though ignorant of his birthplace, was ordained a priest and traveled almost throughout the Roman world to preach the word of the Lord, combating pagans, Jews, and heretics, especially Arianism, and enduring corporal punishment for this. At Milan he opposed Alexander, the Arian predecessor of Ambrose; he also labored for a time at Rome; then coming to Brescia, he was elected its bishop, the seventh in the succession of pastors of the Brescian Church: this not later than 381, in which year he subscribed, as bishop of Brescia, the acts of the Council of Aquileia. Even as bishop he visited Milan on occasion, in the company of St. Ambrose, with whom St. Augustine saw him (Ep. 222, 2) between 384 and 387.
He composed a Liber de haeresibus between 383 and 391, in which he enumerated 156 heresies, 28 Jewish and 128 Christian. The list of the latter is divided into two parts of 64 chapters each: the first, more concise, gives the biographies of heretics and heresiarchs, while the second, modeled on doxographical collections, elaborates on the exposition of doctrines. The large number of heresies—almost double those enumerated by St. Epiphanius, who in his Panarion had listed 80—grouped in an evidently artificial numerical schematism, is achieved through vicious repetitions and duplications, and includes among both Jewish and Christian heresies even interpretations of biblical passages deemed erroneous by the author; who, as St. Augustine already noted (loc. cit.), did not have a clear concept of heresy. Augustine, who reproaches Epiphanius with the same defect, nevertheless considers the latter superior to F. Indeed, F. demonstrates neither historical sense nor speculative ability. The interesting part of his work is that which comprises the last 64 heresies (chapters 93-156), where he seems to speak from direct knowledge. As for the rest, the sources have not yet been sufficiently studied. It was first thought that F. had drawn upon the aforementioned work of Epiphanius; now the prevailing opinion is that both drew from a common source, the Syntagma of Hippolytus. Though of little value, F.’s work enjoyed no small fortune, being used by St. Gaudentius, St. Augustine in the treatise of the same name, and the so-called Predestinatus.