SALVIAN OF MARSEILLE. - Christian writer, b. around 400. After a few years of marriage, he entered the monastery of Lérins (425); having become a priest, he moved to Marseille shortly before 439 and died there shortly after 480.
In 435 he published under the pseudonym "Timothy" 4 books Ad Ecclesiam, a work of a sociological character, in which he maintains that, in order to resolve the social question, all property owners, especially clerics, must make a donation of their goods to the Church and to the poor, at least at their death. His principal work is the De gubernatione mundi in 8 books, a historical source of fundamental importance for the period of decline that followed the barbarian invasions. In it he rebuts the objection then so much in vogue, according to which God does not care about what happens on earth, since otherwise the misfortunes of the world would not be explained. He defends the existence of divine Providence, making use of reason, history and Scripture. God begins His judgment on earth already in the present time before the end of the world. And at this point he describes in a realistic manner the immorality and perversity of the customs prevailing among the Roman Catholics of Gaul, of Spain and of Africa, punished now with the invasion of the barbarians. Toward the latter he accentuates his sympathy and praises some of their virtues: "Mutuo amant, omnes paene Romani se mutuo persequuntur" (5, 15); they live in chastity (7, 64; 107); they do not know the atrocities of the circus and the theater (6, 35); they regard fornication as a crime, which is instead a glory for the Romans (7, 24). How then to be surprised that misfortunes rain down upon us (7, 62)? "ideo (Deus) nos perferre haec mala patitur, quia meremur ut ista patiamur" (4, 54). The Romans must be blamed also for the heresies of the barbarians. Instead one ought well to recognize in the barbarians a salutary means of amendment for our basenesses: "barbari ad emendandam nostrarum turpitudinum labem exstierunt" (7, 94).
From S. there also remain 9 letters. His works, of classical correctness, though with traces of Latin decadence, are a testimony of his humanistic formation.
Bibliography7 works
Giuseppe Madoz