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 ordination as presbyter, which took place in 391, and he remained united to the master by deep 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 Eighth Council of Carthage of 25 Aug. 403 (Mansi, III, 790), in the Eleventh in 407 (ibid., 806), in the Fifteenth of 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 of 416 against Pelagianism (ibid., 335; St. Augustine, Ep. 137; 176), in the Council of Carthage of 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., III, 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 following he came to Italy as ambassador of the African bishops to the imperial authority and visited Paulinus of Nola (St. Augustine, Ep. 95, 1; 101, 1; 104, 1); he returned there in 410 (Mansi, III, 810). When his episcopal see was invaded by the Vandals in 428, he took refuge in besieged Hippo, where he witnessed 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 with other bishops by Genseric, who wanted to impose Arianism in his domains (Prosper, Chron., in MGH, Auct. ant., I, p. 475).

P. is known above all for the biography of St. Augustine, which he wrote in all likelihood between 432 and 437. The biographer's relations with Augustine, the tone of frank simplicity, the character of the author, the full agreement with the other sources, vouch for the reliability of this writing, which is of notable interest for knowledge of Augustine's milieu and of the judgment that his intimates formed of him. Literarily it is a modest work, owing to a man of mediocre culture; the language betrays here and there the influence of vulgar Latin. P. also left a list (Indiculus) of the works of Augustine, of singular documentary value.

Bibliography4 works

BIBL.: edd.: The Vita Aug. is published among the works of the Saint: the edition of the Maurists is cited, Paris 1679-1700, several times reprinted and reproduced in Pl. 32, 33-66. The Bollandists (Acta SS. Augusti, VI, Antwerp 1743, pp. 427-40) give a revised text. It was edited separately by I. Salinas, Rome 1731; by H. T. Weiskotten, Diss., Princeton 1919; A. C. Vega, Escorial 1934. The critical edition, with introduction and commentary, by M. Pellegrino, is in press. The Indiculus was published critically by A. Wilmart, Miscell. Agost., II, Rome 1931, pp. 149-233; it is reproduced by Vega, cit. Studies: besides those prefixed to the edd.: Tillemont, XIV, pp. 225-39.

Michele Pellegrino

@incollection{ec9_possidio_santo, author = {Pellegrino, Michele}, title = {Possidio, santo}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {IX}, pages = {1838}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/possidio-santo} }

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Possidius, Saint

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