POSSIDIUS, Saint. — Biographer of St Augustine, he was among the first disciples who gathered around the Saint in the monastery founded by him at Hippo shortly after his priestly ordination, which took place in 391, and remained united to his master by profound veneration and friendship until the latter’s death (Vita Aug., 31, 1).
In 397 or shortly thereafter he was elected bishop of Calama in proconsular Numidia. He took part in the VIII Council of Carthage on 25 August 403 (Mansi, III, 790), in the XI on 407 (ibid., 806), in the XV on 14 June 410 (ibid., 810), in the great Conference between Catholics and Donatists held at Carthage in May and June 411, where P. was one of the representatives of the Catholic bishops and spoke several times (ibid., IV, 8 ff.), in the Council of Milevis in 416 against Pelagianism (ibid., 335; St Augustine, Ep. 137; 176), and in the Council of Carthage in 419 (Mansi, IV, 433). In 404, during a pastoral visit, he was attacked by the Donatists (Vita Aug., 12; St Augustine, Ep. 105, 4; Contra Crescon., II, 50-52); in 408 he barely escaped the fanaticism of the pagans of Calama (St Augustine, Ep. 90-91; 103-104). In that year or the next he came to Italy as an ambassador of the African bishops to the imperial authority and visited Paulinus of Nola (St Augustine, Ep. 95, 1; 101, 1; 104); he returned there in 410 (Mansi, III, 810). When his episcopal see was invaded by the Vandals in 428, he took refuge in Hippo under siege, where he attended the death of Augustine and remained until the end of the siege (Vita Aug., 28-29; 31). He had to return to Calama in 435; in 437 he was driven out, along with other bishops, by Gaiseric, who wished to impose Arianism in his dominions (Prosper, Chron., in MGH, Auct. ant., I, p. 475).
P. is chiefly known for his biography of St Augustine, which he wrote, most probably, between 432 and 437. The biographer’s relations with Augustine, the consistently straightforward tone, the author’s character, and full agreement with other sources guarantee the reliability of this work, which is of notable interest for understanding the environment of Augustine and the judgment passed on him by his intimates. Literarily it is a modest work, by a man of mediocre culture; the language betrays here and there the influence of Vulgar Latin. P. also left a list (Indiculus) of Augustine’s works, of singular documentary value.