Church Fathers
Patrologia · 388 articles · Principal contributors · All subjects-
Abraham, Bishop of Ephesus (ABRAMO, VESCOVO DI EFESO)
ABRAHAM, Bishop of Ephesus. - Perhaps the successor of Hypatios, still living in 542, or of Andrew, who was present at the Fifth Ecumenical… -
Abramo of Bēth Rabbān (ABRAMO DI BĒTH RABBĀN)
ABRAMO OF BĒTH RABBĀN. - Syriac doctor, who lived from 449 to 569. He was director for about 60 years of the school of Nisibis, in which he… -
Acacius, Bishop of Caesarea (ACACIO, VESCOVO DI CESAREA)
ACACIUS, Bishop of Caesarea. - A disciple and then, from 340, the successor of Eusebius the historian in the see of Caesarea in Palestine.… -
Achilleo, Bishop of Spoleto (ACHILLEO, VESCOVO DI SPOLETO)
ACHILLEO, Bishop of Spoleto. - He was chosen by the imperial court of Ravenna in 419 to perform the paschal functions at Rome, which at… -
Acta Archelai
ACTA ARCHELAI. - Account of two disputations held by Archelaus, bishop of Carchar in Mesopotamia, against Mani, in the time of the emperor… -
Adalger (Adalgerus or Algerus; according to B. Pez: Adelher) (ADALGERO (ADALGERUS O ALGERUS; SECONDO B. PEZ: ADELHER))
ADALGER (Adalgerus or Algerus; according to B. Pez: Adelher). - A Benedictine of the monastery, it seems, of Augsburg in Bavaria and,… -
Ad Novatianum
AD NOVATIANUM. - It is a short work that has come down to us, mutilated at the end, under the name of St. Cyprian (v.). It takes a position… -
Aeneas of Gaza (ENEA DI GAZA)
AENEAS OF GAZA. - At the end of the 11th century a new center of artistic and intellectual culture had formed at Gaza. A. (ca. 450-534)… -
Aeterne Rerum Conditor
«AETERNE RERUM CONDITOR». - Hymn of the Roman Breviary for the Sunday Lauds from the octave of the Epiphany to the 1st Sunday of Lent and… -
Altercatio De Anima
ALTERCATIO DE ANIMA. - Fragment of a dialogue (?) against traducianism. The author proves from Holy Scripture that souls are created… -
Ambrose, Deacon (AMBROGIO, DIACONO)
AMBROSE, DEACON. - Disciple and correspondent of Origen, confessor of the faith. Of a noble and wealthy family, perhaps Alexandrian, he was… -
Ambrose, Saint (AMBROGIO, SANTO)
AMBROSE, Saint. - Bishop of Milan and Doctor of the Church. SUMMARY: I. Chronology. - II. Life and works: historical and theological… -
Ambrosiaster
AMBROSIASTER. - A fictitious name, coined by Erasmus of Rotterdam, to designate an ancient anonymous Christian writer, until then… -
Ammonius (AMMONIO)
AMMONIUS. - Scrittore ecclesiastico alessandrino del tempo di Origene. Eusebio (Hist. eccl., VI, 19, 9-10) e dopo di lui s. Girolamo ne… -
Ammonius of Alexandria (AMMONIO DI ALESSANDRIA)
AMMONIUS OF ALEXANDRIA. - Priest and steward of the Church of Alexandria, in the second half of the 5th century; in 458 he signed the… -
Amphilochius, Saint (ANFILOCHIO, SANTO)
AMPHILOCHIUS, Saint. - Bishop of Iconium in Lycaonia, friend of Sts. Basil and Gregory of Nazianzus, born at Caesarea in Cappadocia around… -
Anastasius The Apocrisarius (ANASTASIO L'APOCRISARIO)
ANASTASIUS THE APOCRISARIUS. - Apocrisiary of the Roman Church at Constantinople, not to be confused with another monk Anastasius who was… -
Anatolius, Bishop of Laodicea (ANATOLIO, VESCOVO DI LAODICEA)
ANATOLIUS, Bishop of Laodicea. - Flourished in the second half of the 3rd century. A native of Alexandria, he distinguished himself there… -
Andrew, Bishop of Samosata (ANDREA, VESCOVO DI SAMOSATA)
ANDREW, Bishop of Samosata. - He lived in the first half of the 5th century, died before 449; he took an active part in the Nestorian… -
Aniano Di Celida (ANIANO DI CELEDA)
ANIANO DI CELIDA. - The deacon A. of Celeda (place unknown) was one of the most zealous defenders of the Pelagian heresy. Since St. Jerome… -
Anthony The Abbot, Saint (ANTONIO ABATE, SANTO)
ANTHONY THE ABBOT, Saint. - Defined by St. Athanasius as the founder of asceticism, b. around 250 at Coma (today Qeman) on the western bank… -
Antipater, Bishop of Bostra (ANTIPATRO, VESCOVO DI BOSTRA)
ANTIPATER, Bishop of Bostra. - He was consulted in 457 by the emperor Leo I on the authority of the Council of Chalcedon. The reply has not… -
Antonelli, Nicola Maria
ANTONELLI, NICOLA MARIA. - Born at Senigallia on 8 July 1698, died at Rome on 24 Sept. 1767. Cardinal, historian, canonist and orientalist.… -
Antonio, Poet (ANTONIO, POETA)
ANTONIO, Poet. - Presumed author of the Carmen adversus gentes, attributed by the manuscripts to Paulinus of Nola. The poem (the 32nd), in… -
Apelles (APELLE)
APELLES. - A disciple of Marcion, from whom he separated, going for a time to Alexandria and then returning to Rome. He wrote a large… -
Aphraates (Syriac Aphrahat) (AFRAATE (SIRIACO APHRAHAT))
APHRAATES (Syriac Aphrahat). - He is the earliest great Syriac writer whose works we possess. Until 1835 his writings, known only in… -
Apocrypha, Books (APOCRIFI, LIBRI)
APOCRYPHA, BOOKS. - Jewish and Christian writings that present themselves as biblical books, composed between the 2nd century B.C. and the… -
Apollinare, Bishop of Hierapolis (APOLLINARE, VESCOVO DI GERAPOLI)
APOLLINARE, Bishop of Hierapolis. - Placed over the see of Gerapoli in the second half of the 2nd century, an authoritative opponent of… -
Apollinaris, Bishop of Laodicea (APOLLINARE, VESCOVO DI LAODICEA)
APOLLINARIS, BISHOP OF LAODICEA. - Son of the Alexandrian grammarian of the same name, he was born at Laodicea in Syria around 310. He was… -
Apollonius, Antimontanist (APOLLONIO, ANTIMONTANISTA)
APOLLONIUS, ANTIMONTANIST. - News of him is preserved by Eusebius (Hist. eccl., V, 18), from whose citations we learn that he was writing… -
Aponius (APONIO)
APONIUS. — The biographical data of this writer are lacking; one can only say that he was probably of Eastern origin and that he seems to… -
Apophthegmata Patrum
APOPHTHEGMATA PATRUM. - Apophthegma means a saying or a witty and sententious reply, uttered by an oracle or by an illustrious personage.… -
Apostolic Canons (CANONI APOSTOLICI)
APOSTOLIC CANONS. - To the eighth book of the Apostolic Constitutions are appended 85 Apostolic Canons (Didascalia et Constitutiones… -
Apostolic Constitutions (COSTITUZIONI APOSTOLICHE)
APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTIONS. - A pseudo-apostolic writing. One reads in it (VI, 18, 11) that it was sent to the Church by the Apostles through… -
Apostolic Fathers (PADRI APOSTOLICI)
APOSTOLIC FATHERS. - Da quando J.-B. Cotelier (m. nel 1686) uni in una collezione le opere di Barnaba, Clemente di Roma, Ignazio, Policarpo… -
Apringius (APRINGIO)
APRINGIUS. - He was bishop of Pax Iulia (now Beja) in southern Lusitania (Portugal), at the time of Theudis, king of the Visigoths… -
Arator (ARATORE)
ARATOR. - Christian poet born in Milan around the beginning of the 6th century. Having lost his father at a young age, he found an adoptive… -
Arbela, Chronicle of (ARBELA, CRONACA DI)
ARBELA, Chronicle of. - A Syriac document published by A. Mingana (Sources Syriagues, I, Leipzig 1907) and then copiously exploited by all… -
Archeo
ARCHEO. - A., qui post discipulos domini episcopus fuit Leptitanae urbis (present-day Homs-Lebda east of Tripoli), is said to be the… -
Arévalo, Faustino
ARÉVALO, FAUSTINO. - Spanish Jesuit and patrologist, b. at Campanario (Estremadura) in 1747, a Jesuit in 1761, he was one of the most… -
Aristion of Pella (ARISTONE DI PELLA)
ARISTION OF PELLA. - This author is mentioned twice by name in ancient Christian literature. The first time by Eusebius (Hist. ecl., IV, 6,… -
Arnobius of Sicca, Known as the Elder (ARNOBIO DI SICCA, DETTO IL VECCHIO)
ARNOBIUS OF SICCA, Known as the Elder. - Christian writer and apologist, who lived at Sicca Veneria (today el-Zef) in Proconsular Africa at… -
Arnobius the Younger (ARNOBIO IL GIOVANE)
ARNOBIUS THE YOUNGER. - Christian writer, probably a monk, who lived in Rome around the middle of the 5th century; perhaps a native of… -
Ascaricus (ASCARICO)
ASCARICUS. - Bishop of the Asturias in the second half of the 8th century. He addressed to a certain Tuseredo an acrostic on the… -
Asclepius (ASCLEPIO)
ASCLEPIUS. - African bishop, of whom Gennadius writes, De viris illustribus, 73 (PL 58, 1102): "A., an African, from the territory of Baiae… -
Assemani
ASSEMANI. - Name of four celebrated Catholic Orientalists, belonging to an illustrious Maronite family of Lebanon. The name in Arabic is… -
Asterius, Bishop of Amasea (ASTERIO, VESCOVO DI AMASEA)
ASTERIUS, Bishop of Amasea. - He lived between the 4th and 5th centuries, and we have no information about his life, except that, before… -
Athanasius, Bishop of Anazarbo (ATANASIO VESCOVO DI ANAZARBO)
ATHANASIUS, Bishop of Anazarbo. - A disciple of Lucian of Antioch mentioned by Arius, in his letters to Eusebius of Nicomedia, among the… -
Athanasius, Bishop of Ancyra (ATANASIO VESCOVO DI ANCIRA)
ATHANASIUS, Bishop of Ancyra. - He was consecrated by Acacius of Caesarea in Palestine, leader of the Homoeans, as successor of Basil of… -
Athanasius, Saint (ATANASIO, SANTO)
ATHANASIUS, Saint. - Bishop of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Church. 1. LIFE. - As troubled as can be, it is intertwined and almost… -
Athenagoras (ATENAGORA)
ATHENAGORAS. - An Athenian and philosopher, one of the earliest Christian apologists. I. LIFE. - The almost sole source for the life of A.… -
Audace
AUDACE. - Known only from the Augustinian epistolary (PL 33, 1075-77; ed. Goldbacher in CSEL, 57, pp. 616-618). He had asked St. Augustine… -
Audenzio
AUDENZIO. - Anti-Priscillianist writer of the late 4th century, of whom Gennadius says in De viris illustribus, 14: "A., a Spanish bishop,… -
Augustine, Aurelius, Saint (AGOSTINO AURELIO, SANTO)
AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO, saint - De civitate Dei; colophon of the editio princeps (Subiaco 1467). (Int. Enc. Catt.) exposing myself. Yet my soul… -
Augustine of Hippo, Saint, Bishop of Hippo (AGOSTINO AURELIO, VESCOVO DI IPPONA, SANTO)
AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO, Saint, Bishop of Hippo. - One of the four great Doctors of the Western Church. SUMMARY: I. The man. - II. The works. -… -
Augustinianism (Augustinianism) (AGOSTINISMO (AGOSTINIANISMO))
AUGUSTINIANISM (AUGUSTINIANISM). - Not only in the history of dogma did the bishop of Hippo exercise an influence of incalculable scope,… -
Ausonius (AUSONIO)
AUSONIUS. - Decimus Magnus Ausonius, b. at Bordeaux ca. 310, after a thorough literary education, taught in his homeland for thirty years,… -
Auspicius, Bishop of Toul (AUSPICIO, VESCOVO DI TOUL)
AUSPICIUS, BISHOP OF TOUL. - He is mentioned twice by Apollinaris Sidonius (Ep., IV, 17; VII, 10). We have from him a poetic letter,… -
Autpert, Ambrose (Ambrosius Autpertus, Authortus, not well Authortus) (AUTPERTO, AMBROGIO (AMBROSIUS AUTPERTUS, AUTHORTUS, NON BENE AUTHORTUS))
AUTPERT, Ambrose (Ambrosius Autpertus, Authortus, not well Authortus). - Ecclesiastical writer, born of a distinguished family at the… -
Bacchiaro (BACHIARIO)
BACCHIARO. - Ecclesiastical writer of the early 5th century. He is the author of two important short works, De fide and De reparatione… -
Balaj (BĀLAJ)
BALAJ. - A classical Syriac hymnographer, probably living between the Euphrates and Aleppo, around the middle of the 5th century, author of… -
Baluze, Étienne (BALUZE, ETIENNE)
BALUZE, ÉTIENNE. - French scholar, b. at Tulle on 24 Nov. 1630, d. at Paris on 28 June 1718. He first studied civil law without passion and… -
Bardenhewer, Otto
BARDENHEWER, OTTO. - Born on March 16, 1851 in München-Gladbach (Rhineland), died in Munich on March 23, 1935. He studied theology and… -
Bardesanes (BARDESANE)
BARDESANES. - Gnostic, born, according to the Chronicle of Edessa, in 1754 and died, according to the Chronicle of Michael the Syrian, in… -
Baršawmā (BARŞAWMĀ)
BARŠAWMĀ. - Eutychian archimandrite, b. near Samosata, d. in 458. Having become a fanatical follower of Eutyches, Theodosius II charged him… -
Bar Sūdajlē, Stefano
BAR SŪDAJLĒ, STEFANO. - Syriac Monophysite writer, b. at Edessa in the second half of the 5th century. He later lived as a monk in his… -
Basil of Ancyra (BASILIO DI ANCIRA)
BASIL OF ANCYRA. - He lived in the 4th century. Originally a physician, he was elected in 336 metropolitan of Ancyra in Galatia. The… -
Basil, Saint (BASILIO, SANTO)
BASIL, Saint. - Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, born there around 330 and died in 379, doctor of the Church. SUMMARY: I. Life. - II.… -
Basso
BASSO. - Proconsul, not otherwise identifiable, author of an epitaph of three distichs on a tomb > (photo Pont. Commiss. of Sacred… -
Beatus of Liébana (BEATO DI LIÉBANA)
BEATUS OF LIÉBANA. - Born at Liébana in the Asturias, he was tutor and confessor of Queen Adosinda, Benedictine abbot of Valcavado (diocese… -
Bedjan, Paul (BEDJAN, PAOLO)
BEDJAN, PAUL. - Orientalist, priest of the Mission, b. at Khosrova in Persia in 1838, and after having been a zealous missionary among the… -
Berengaudus (BERENGAUDO)
BERENGAUDUS. - Author of an important Latin commentary on the Apoc.: Expositio super septem visiones libri Apocalypsis (PL 17, 765-970).… -
Blampin, Thomas
BLAMPIN, THOMAS. - Benedictine of St. Maur, professor of philosophy and theology, b. at Noyon in 1640, d. at St-Benoît-sur-Loire on 13 Feb.… -
Breviarium (Breviarius)
BREVIARIUM (BREVIARIUS). - They mean compendium (like breviculum and breviculus) and already in the classical age they are often used as… -
Caena Cypriani
CAENA CYPRIANI. - A short work intended to enliven banquets, attributed, according to Brewer, to Cyprian, a poet of Gaul. In it, during a… -
Caillau, Armand-Benjamin
CAILLAU, ARMAND-BENJAMIN. - French priest, b. in Paris on 22 Oct. 1794, d. there on 4 July 1850. A benefactor of patrology and hagiography:… -
Caius of Rome and the Alogi (CAIO DI ROMA E GLI ALOGI)
CAIUS OF ROME AND THE ALOGI. - In the library of Jerusalem Eusebius found the works of Berillus of Bostra, of Hippolytus (without… -
Calbulo
CALBULO. - African Christian poet, perhaps a bishop, who lived at the beginning of the 6th century. The Latin Anthology (no. 378, ed. A.… -
Cappadocians, Fathers (CAPPADOCI, PADRI)
CAPPADOCIANS, FATHERS. - Cappadocia gave to the Church of the 4th century some of its most eminent figures, bound to one another by their… -
Carpocrates And Carpocratians (CARPOCRATE E CARPOCRAZIANI)
CARPOCRATES AND CARPOCRATIANS. - Egyptian Gnostic. He bears the name of the Egyptian god Harpocrates, in later times also written… -
Cassian, Giovanni (CASSIANO, GIOVANNI)
CASSIAN, GIOVANNI. - G. C., natione Scyta (Gennadius), according to a now fairly common opinion, was born in Dobruja to wealthy parents… -
Cave, William
CAVE, WILLIAM. - Born at Pickwell in Leicestershire in 1637, died at Windsor in 1713. Anglican minister. Educated at Cambridge in St.… -
Ceillier, Remi
CEILLIER, REMI. - Benedictine of the Lorraine Congregation of St-Vanne and St-Hidulphe, b. at Bar-le-Duc on 14 May 1688, d. in the… -
Cereal (CEREALE)
CEREAL. - African bishop of Castellum Ripense, he took part in the religious discussion of 484 at Carthage between Arian and Catholic… -
Chabot, Jean-Baptiste
CHABOT, JEAN-BAPTISTE. - French priest, celebrated orientalist, b. at Vouvray (Indre-et-Loire) on 16 Feb. 1865, d. at Paris on 7 Jan. 1948.… -
Chrismon (DE MONOGRAMMA CHRISTI)
CHRISMON. - A short treatise attributed to St. Jerome on the form and meaning of the monogram of Christ. The text is an addition to… -
Christian Latin (LATINO CRISTIANO)
CHRISTIAN LATIN. - It is the special language (group language) of Christians, formed within the framework of late Latin in the early… -
Christos Páschon
CHRISTOS PÁSCHON. - In Latin Christus Patiens, it is a bizarre cento of tragic motifs on the Passion of Jesus, once attributed to St.… -
Chronicon Paschale
CHRONICON PASCHALE. - Anonymous Byzantine chronicle of the 7th century, with a predominantly chronological interest. It was commonly called… -
Chronography of A.D. 354 (CRONOGRAFO DELL'A. 354)
CHRONOGRAPHER of the year 354 - Winged Victory in the act of writing on a shield a wish of prosperity to the recipient of the codex. -
Chrysippus of Jerusalem (CRISIPPO DI GERUSALEMME)
CHRYSIPPUS OF JERUSALEM. - Priest of Jerusalem of the 5th century, distinguished writer and orator, b. before 409, d. in 479. A native of… -
Claudianus, Claudius (CLAUDIANO, CLAUDIO)
CLAUDIANUS, CLAUDIUS. - The last notable Latin poet, born and educated in Alexandria; to the study of Greek, his native language, in which… -
Claudianus Mamertus (CLAUDIANO MAMERTO)
CLAUDIANUS MAMERTUS. - He was a priest at Vienne in the Dauphiné, where he died in 473 or 474. Around 470 he wrote De statu animae in 3… -
Clement I, Pope, Saint (CLEMENTE I, PAPA, SANTO)
CLEMENT I, Pope, Saint. - Pope from 92 to 101, according to Eusebius; author of an epistle to the Corinthians. SUMMARY: I. Life. - II. The… -
Collatio Legum Mosaicarum et Romanarum
COLLATIO LEGUM MOSAICARUM ET ROMANARUM. - Anonymous pamphlet that compares, in 16 titles, articles of the Old Testament, especially on… -
Colombo, Sisto
COLOMBO, SISTO. - Salesian priest, scholar of ancient Christian literature, b. in Milan in 1878, d. in Turin in 1938. He was a libero… -
Commodian (COMMODIANO)
COMMODIAN. - Concerning this Christian poet, neither the place where he was born nor the age in which he lived is known with certainty.… -
Computus de Pascha
COMPUTUS DE PASCHA. - It is a short work attributed by a manuscript to St. Cyprian of Carthage, but certainly apocryphal, because it was… -
Conon, Bishop of Tarsus (CONONE, VESCOVO DI TARSO)
CONON, Bishop of Tarsus. - Heretic of the 6th century. Starting from Monophysitism, he followed the doctrines of John Philoponus of… -
Consultationes Zacchae et Apollonii (CONSULTATIONES ZACCHAEI ET APOLLONII)
CONSULTATIONES ZACCHAE ET APOLLONII. - Title of an anonymous book which, in the form of a dispute between a Christian and the pagan… -
Corippus, Flavius Cresconius (CORIPPO, FLAVIO CRESCONIO)
CORIPPUS, FLAVIUS CRESCONIUS. - Formerly a grammar teacher in a town in Africa, he later went to Carthage. In 549 or 550 he published an… -
Coronated (CORONATO)
CORONATED. - Notary, who in the 8th century wrote a legendary life of St. Zeno of Verona, which was shortly afterward abridged by an… -
Cosmas Indicopleustes (COSMA INDICOPLEUSTE)
COSMAS INDICOPLEUSTES. - Byzantine writer of the first half of the 6th century. Born in Egypt, he was first a merchant, and around 520 he… -
Cotelier, Jean-Baptiste
COTELIER, JEAN-BAPTISTE. - Philologist, b. at Nîmes in 1627, d. at Paris on 12 Aug. 1686. From childhood he showed singular aptitudes for… -
Cresconio
CRESCONIO. - African Donatist teacher, who undertook to defend the Donatist bishop Petilian against St. Augustine, with a long letter… -
Cyprian (CIPRIANO)
CYPRIAN. - A presbyter to whom St. Jerome sent epistle 140. They had previously already been in epistolary correspondence and afterwards… -
Cyprian Gallo (CIPRIANO GALLO)
CYPRIAN GALLO. - Under this name Peiper published in 1891 a Heptateuch, a paraphrase in hexameters of the first seven books of the Old… -
Cyprian of Carthage (CIPRIANO DI CARTAGINE)
CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE, saint - De catholicae Ecclesiae unitate, ch. 4, in the two recensions, both due to Cyprian himself. From left to… -
Cyrillona (CIRILLONA)
CYRILLONA. - Syriac poet, who lived toward the end of the 4th century. Only the discovery of his hymns (ed. G. Bickell, in Zeitschrift der… -
Cyril of Alexandria, Saint (CIRILLO D'ALESSANDRIA, SANTO)
CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, Saint. - Father and doctor of the Church of the 5th century; b. around 370, d. June 27, 444; celebrated by the… -
Cyril of Jerusalem, Saint (CIRILLO DI GERUSALEMME, SANTO)
CYRIL of JERUSALEM, saint. - Father and doctor of the Church, celebrated by the Church on March 18. SUMMARY: I. Life. - II. Works. - III.… -
Damasus I, Pope, Saint (DAMASO I, PAPA, SANTO)
DAMASUS I, Pope, Saint. - Reigning from 366 to 384, born probably in Rome, where his father, Anthony, made his entire ecclesiastical career… -
De Aleatoribus
DE ALEATORIBUS. - In this homily, which is part of the large body of works falsely attributed to St. Cyprian, a bishop, after a forceful… -
De Bono Pudicitiae
DE BONO PUDICITIAE. - A letter that has come down to us among the works of St. Cyprian, in which a bishop, in strongly rhetorical language,… -
De Centesima, Sexagesima, Tricesima
DE CENTESIMA, SEXAGESIMA, TRICESIMA. - Among extracts from works of St. Cyprian and from his passio, an homily on the three rewards of… -
De Cruce (De Pascha; De Ligno Vitae)
DE CRUCE (De Pascha; De Ligno Vitae). - A short poem of 69 hexameters, found among the works of Tertullian (PL, 2, 1113 ff.) or of Cyprian… -
De Duodecim Abusivis Saeculi
DE DUODECIM ABUSIVIS SAECULI. - Work wrongly attributed to St. Cyprian. According to Hellmann, who produced a new edition of it, this… -
De Duplici Martyrio Ad Fortunatum
DE DUPLICI MARTYRIO AD FORTUNATUM. - This work was attributed by Erasmus, its first editor, to St. Cyprian. In reality it is a forgery,… -
De Ecclesia
DE ECCLESIA. - From the 4th century, one hundred and ten hexameters of unknown origin in Virgilian verses (cento), which describe a… -
De Evangelio
DE EVANGELIO. - A poem of 114 hexameters, which treats of the birth and adoration of Christ, wrongly attributed, in a 9th-century codex, to… -
De Excerandis Gentium Diis
DE EXCERANDIS GENTIUM DIIS. - Nel 1630 G. M. Suárez pubblicò da un codice della biblioteca Vaticana del sec. X un frammento di una apologia… -
De Induratione Cordis Pharaonis
DE INDURATIONE CORDIS PHARAONIS. - A treatise that circulated in the 9th century under the name of St. Jerome, but which is certainly not… -
De Iona
DE IONA. - A poem handed down under the names of Tertullian and Cyprian, and which was attributed by Brewer to the poet Cyprianus Gallus.… -
De Iudicio Domini
DE IUDICIO DOMINI. - A poem also entitled Carmen ad Flavium Felicem, which in the past was attributed to Tertullian or St. Cyprian. But the… -
De Laude Martyrii
DE LAUDE MARTYRII. - A rhetorical panegyric (according to Dupin, a school exercise) in honor of martyrdom. The work already appears in the… -
De Miraculis Sancti Stephani
DE MIRACULIS SANCTI STEPHANI. - A collection of miracles of St. Stephen published by a cleric of the church of Uzala in Africa and… -
De Montibus Sina et Sion
DE MONTIBUS SINA ET SION. - A work falsely attributed in some manuscripts to St. Cyprian. The work seeks to explain the apparent contrast… -
Demophilus (DEMOFILO)
DEMOPHILUS. - Vescovo di Berea (Macedonia), ariano, m. ca. il 386. Deposto dal Sinodo di Rimini (350), ottenne da Valente la successione di… -
De Passione Domini
DE PASSIONE DOMINI. - Poem in 80 hexameters, of which no manuscript survives. Probably the work of a humanist of the late 15th century,… -
De Promissionibus et Praedicationibus Dei
DE PROMISSIONIBUS ET PRAEDICATIONIBUS DEI. - A work falsely attributed to Prosper of Aquitaine, although Cassiodorus already knew this… -
De Rebaptismate
DE REBAPTISMATE. - Written around 256-57 against Cyprian in defense of the validity of Baptism conferred by heretics. The author, an… -
De Recta in Deum Fide
DE RECTA IN DEUM FIDE. - Latin translation by Rufinus of the work of Pseudo-Origen or Adamantius. The Greek text, written around 300 in… -
De Singularitate Clericorum
DE SINGULARITATE CLERICORUM. - It is an admonition that begins with the words "Filii carissimi": "ne clerici cum feminis commorentur" (ch.… -
De Sodoma
DE SODOMA. - A short poem of 167 hexameters that recounts, on the basis of Gen. 19, the destruction of Sodom. The author is the same one… -
De Spectaculis
DE SPECTACULIS. - A short treatise, attributed to St. Cyprian (in the manuscripts it follows the letters of Cyprian), which in the form of… -
De Verbi Incarnatione
DE VERBI INCARNATIONE. - A poem in Virgilian verses (cento) on the Incarnation, falsely attributed by E. Martène to Sedulius. BIBL.:… -
Didaché
DIDACHÉ. - The only manuscript of this opuscule was discovered by Theophilus Bryennios, metropolitan of Nicomedia, in 1875 in the Library… -
Didascalia
DIDASCALIA. - This apocryphal writing purports to be "the Catholic doctrine" of the 12 Apostles and claims to have been written in… -
Didymus The Blind (DIDIMO IL CIECO)
DIDYMUS THE BLIND. - Ancient ecclesiastical writer, b. around 313 in Alexandria, where he spent his whole life, d. there between 395 and… -
Diodorus (DIODORO)
DIODORUS. - Bishop of Tarsus, ascetic and second founder of the Antiochene exegetical school, b. in the first quarter of the 4th century,… -
Diognetus, Epistle to (DIOGNETO, EPISTOLA A)
DIOGNETUS, EPISTLE TO. - Only one manuscript is known (the Strasbourg manuscript, destroyed in 1870, once in the possession of the humanist… -
Dionysius of Alexandria, Saint (DIONIGI D'ALESSANDRIA, SANTO)
DIONYSIUS OF ALEXANDRIA, Saint. - Father of the Church, b. at the end of the 2nd century, d. around 264. The son of pagans, he came to the… -
Dionysius the Areopagite (DIONIGI L'AREOPAGITA)
DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE. - I. THE WORKS. - The corpus of the Areopagitic writings contains the following treatises (as is attested by the… -
Doctors of the Church (DOTTORI DELLA CHIESA)
DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH. - I. THEOLOGY. - They are illustrious men of the Catholic Church who, for their holiness, their orthodoxy in the… -
Doctrina Patrum de Incarnatione Verbi
DOCTRINA PATRUM DE INCARNATIONE VERBI. - The largest and most important dogmatic florilegium (especially christological) of the (courtesy… -
Dölger, Franz Joseph
DÖLGER, FRANZ JOSEPH. - Historian of the early Christian centuries, b. 18 Oct. 1879 at Sulzbach on the Main, d. 17 Oct. 1940 at… -
Dorotheos of Gaza (DOROTEO DI GAZA)
DOROTHEOS OF GAZA. - Ascetic writer of the 6th century. A native of Antioch, in his youth he received an excellent secular education; he… -
Draconzio, Blossio Emilio
DRACONZIO, BLOSSIO EMILIO. - Born in Africa, perhaps at Carthage; he composed most of his works between 484 and 496. Of his life we know… -
Druthmar (Cristiano of Stavelot) (DRUTMARO (CRISTIANO DI STAVELOT))
DRUTHMAR (CRISTIANO OF STAVELOT). - Benedictine exegete, b. at the beginning of the 9th century in Aquitaine, d. ca. 870, probably at… -
Ecumenius (ECUMENIO)
ECUMENIUS. - Count of Isauria in the first half of the 6th century, correspondent and adherent of the Monophysite Severus. Author of a… -
Egeria
EGERIA. - Latin nun (E. is the best-attested form of the name; Etheria is the rival form), known until now only from a letter of Valerius,… -
Elisha (Elisheba) (ELISEO (ELISCE))
ELISHA (ELISHEBA). - Armenian historian of the 5th century, author of homilies and commentaries, as well as of a History of the Wars of the… -
Elpidio Rustico
ELPIDIO RUSTICO. - Poet of the 6th century, belonging to the family of the Rustici, in Italy. He wrote a Carmen de Christi beneficiis and… -
Elvidius (ELVIDIO)
ELVIDIUS. - Heretic of the 4th century. Nothing is known of his life, except that he was a mediocre and ignorant man and a disciple of the… -
Ennodius (ENNODIO)
ENNODIUS. - Born into a noble family, it is not known with certainty whether at Milan, Pavia or Acles, between 473 and 474. Left an orphan… -
Ephrem, Saint (EFREM, SANTO)
EPHREM, Saint. - Father of the Church, the most celebrated Syriac writer and one of the most distinguished doctors both for the abundance… -
Epiphany of Salamis (EPIFANIO DI SALAMINA)
EPIPHANY OF SALAMIS. - Born after 310 in a small village near Eleutheropolis, in Palestine, perhaps of Jewish parents (v. Chronicle of… -
Eucherius of Lyon (EUCHERIO DI LIONE)
EUCHERIUS OF LYON. - Born into a distinguished family, he held important public offices, but around 410 he renounced the secular life and,… -
Eudoxius (EUDOSSIO)
EUDOXIUS. - One of the principal leaders of Arianism in the 4th century, bishop of Constantinople from 360 to 370. Born at Arabissos, in… -
Eugippius (EUGIPPIO)
EUGIPPIUS. - Christian writer of late Latinity, born in the second half of the 5th century, mentioned as still living in a letter of 533.… -
Eulogius of Alexandria, Patriarch (EULOGIO D'ALESSANDRIA, PATRIARCA)
EULOGIUS OF ALEXANDRIA, Patriarch. - In office from 580 to 607. Correspondent of Gregory the Great. Opponent of the Novatians and… -
Eusebius of Alexandria (EUSEBIO D'ALESSANDRIA)
EUSEBIUS OF ALEXANDRIA. - Probably a fictitious figure of the Alexandrian priest John (PG 86, 1, 297-310) who published his own 22 Ascetic… -
Eusebius of Emesa (EUSEBIO DI EMESA)
EUSEBIUS OF EMESA. - Born at Edessa, he was elected bishop of Emesa because of his knowledge of Greek and Syriac. His Semitic style still… -
Eustathius, Bishop of Antioch (EUSTAZIO, VESCOVO D'ANTIOCHIA)
EUSTATHIUS, Bishop of Antioch. - An opponent of Arianism at the Council of Nicaea (325) and also later. The emperor Constantine sent him… -
Eutropius the Presbyter (EUTROPIO IL PRESBITERO)
EUTROPIUS THE PRESBYTER. - Theologian, who lived in the 4th-5th centuries, of whom Gennadius speaks (De vir. ill., 49). He was probably… -
Eutyches (EUTICHE)
EUTYCHES. - Born in 378, probably at Constantinople, he embraced the religious life as a young man in a monastery in the surrounding area,… -
Evagrius (EVAGRIO)
EVAGRIUS. - Around 430 a certain E. published in Gaul, under the title Alteratio legis inter Simonum Iudaeum et Theophilum Christianum, a… -
Evagrius Ponticus (EVAGRIO PONTICO)
EVAGRIUS PONTICUS. - Ecclesiastical writer, b. at Ibora in Pontus ca. 356, d. in 399. A leading figure among the theorists of spirituality… -
Evodius (EVODIO)
EVODIUS. - A friend of St. Augustine, he followed him to Rome and was present at the death of St. Monica (Augustine, Conf., IX, 12, 31; cf.… -
Fabricius, Johann Albert
FABRICIUS, JOHANN ALBERT. - Great scholar, b. in 1668 at Leipzig, d. in 1736 at Hamburg, where he served as librarian and director of the… -
Facondo of Hermiana (FACONDO DI ERMIANA)
FACONDO OF HERMIANA. - African bishop of the 6th century. What is known of him is closely connected with the part he played in the question… -
Fastidio
FASTIDIO. - A Pelagian, living at the beginning of the 5th century, "Britannorum episcopus", who "scripsit ad Fatalem quendam de vita… -
Faustus Of Byzantium (FAUSTO DI BISANZIO)
FAUSTUS OF BYZANTIUM. - Celebrated Armenian historian who lived in the period between the 4th and 5th centuries, born of a noble family and… -
Faustus Of Riez (FAUSTO DI RIEZ)
FAUSTUS OF RIEZ. - Ecclesiastical writer, b. in Brittany at the beginning of the 5th century, d. after 485. He entered the monastery of… -
Febadio
FEBADIO. - Anti-Arian polemicist, bishop of Agennum (Agen, department of Lot-et-Garonne) in Gaul, wrote after the publication of the second… -
Ferrando
FERRANDO. - African bishop, d. ca. 546. He was a disciple of St. Fulgentius of Ruspe, and when the latter was exiled, along with 60 other… -
Fessler, Joseph
FESSLER, JOSEPH. - Bishop, historian and canonist, b. at Lochau (Vorarlberg) on 2 Dec. 1813; d. at St. Pölten (near Vienna) on 25 Apr.… -
Filaret Gumilevskij (FILARETE GUMILEVSKIJ)
FILARET GUMILEVSKIJ. - Archbishop of Chernigov (1805-66), born Konobejevskij, called "humilevskij" from the Latin humilis, on account of… -
Filastrius of Brescia (FILASTRIO DI BRESCIA)
FILASTRIUS OF BRESCIA. - Ecclesiastical writer of the 4th century, d. between 391 and 397. From the discourse delivered in his honor by his… -
Firmicus Maternus (FIRMICO MATERNO)
FIRMICUS MATERNUS. - Latin writer of the 5th century A.D., under whose name go a treatise on astrology, of pagan sentiments, and a… -
Firmilian Of Caesarea (FIRMILIANO DI CESAREA)
FIRMILIAN OF CAESAREA. - One of the most eminent figures of the episcopate of his time, he was bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia from 230.… -
Gallandi (Galland), Andrea
GALLANDI (GALLAND), ANDREA. - Oratorian, b. 7 Dec. 1709 in Venice, d. there 12 Jan. 1779. Editor of the Bibliotheca Graeco-Latina veterum… -
Gelasius of Caesarea (GELASIO DI CESAREA)
GELASIUS OF CAESAREA. - Son of a sister of Cyril of Jerusalem, born ca. 335-36, died ca. 404-405. From ca. 365-66 he was bishop of… -
Gelasius of Cyzicus (GELASIO DI CIZICO)
GELASIUS OF CYZICUS. - Son of a presbyter, around 475 he wrote an Ecclesiastical History in 3 books, a compilation from Eusebius, Theodoret… -
Gennadius of Marseille (GENNADIO DA MARSIGLIA)
GENNADIUS OF MARSEILLE. - A priest of Marseille, who lived in the second half of the 5th century, died between 492 and 505. Nothing further… -
George of the Arabs (GIORGIO DEGLI ARABI)
GEORGE OF THE ARABS. - Bishop of the nomadic tribes on the margins of Syria and Mesopotamia, consecrated in 686, d. in 724. He was a… -
Germanus (GERMANO)
GERMANUS. - Friend of Cassian, who speaks of him in his works. He was his companion from adolescence, and with him at a very young age he… -
Ghellinck d’Elseghem, Joseph de (GHELLINCK D'ELSEGHEM, JOSEPH DE)
GHELLINCK D’ELSEGHEM, JOSEPH DE. - Historian of theology and patrologist, b. at Ghent on 30 Oct. 1872, d. at Louvain on 4 Jan. 1950. Having… -
Giorgi of Nicomedia (GIORGIO DI NICOMEDIA)
GIORGI OF NICOMEDIA. - He lived in the second half of the 9th century. Being archivist of Hagia Sophia and a close friend of the patriarch… -
Grabe, Johann Ernst
GRABE, JOHANN ERNST. - Patrologist, Protestant, b. at Königsberg in 1666, d. at Oxford in 1711. From 1685 he taught at the University of… -
Graffin, René
GRAFFIN, RENÉ. - Orientalist, b. at Pontvallain (Sarthe, France) on 22 March 1858, d. at Ste-Radegonde-en-Touraine on 3 Jan. 1941, after… -
Gregory Nazianzen (GREGORIO NAZIANZENO)
GREGORY NAZIANZEN. - Together with Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nyssa, G. of Nazianzus forms the triad of the so-called "luminaries of… -
Gregory of Nyssa, Saint (GREGORIO NISSENO, SANTO)
GREGORY OF NYSSA, Saint. - One of the great doctors who, in the second half of the 4th century, gave a sudden splendor to the church of… -
Hadrian (ADRIANO)
HADRIAN. - Greek exegete, author of an "Introduction to the Sacred Scriptures" that was already mentioned by Cassiodorus in the De… -
Hegesippus (EGESIPPO)
HEGESIPPUS. - He came under Pope Anicetus (in the time of Marcus Aurelius) from Palestine via Corinth, to Rome (Eusebius, Hist. eccl., IV,… -
Henānā of Adiabene (HENÂNĂ DI ADIABENE)
HENĀNĀ OF ADIABENE. - Noted Syrian theologian, d. in 610. Although he had been a pupil of the school of Nisibis, where Nestorian tendencies… -
Heraclianus (ERACLIANO)
HERACLIANUS. - A citizen of Sirmium in the 4th century, a faithful Catholic and opponent of the Arianism represented by his bishop… -
Heraclides of Damascus, Book of (ERACLIDE DI DAMASCO, LIBRO DI)
HERACLIDES OF DAMASCUS, Book of. - Under this curious title is hidden an important typology written by Nestorius in 451 before the Council… -
Hermas (ERMA)
HERMAS. - One of the Apostolic Fathers, flourishing around the middle of the 2nd century. He wrote The Shepherd, in Greek. The Muratorian… -
Hermias (ERMIA)
HERMIAS. - No ancient source speaks of this writer, who is known only from the title of his brief work: Hermiae philosophi irrisio…