Possidius: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Bischop of Calama and friend of Augustine}}

'''Possidius''' (5th century) was a friend of [[Saint Augustine of Hippo]] who wrote a reliable biography and an ''indiculus'' or list of his works. He was bishop of [[GuelmaCalama (Numidia)|Calama]] in the [[Roman province]] of [[Numidia]].

The dates of his birth and death are unknown;. he wasIn alive and in exile in 437 according to [[Prosper of Aquitaine|Prosper]], who, in histhe ''Chronicle'', records that Possidius and two other bishops were persecuted and expelled from their sees by the [[Vandals|Vandal]] king, [[Gaiseric]], who was an [[Arianism|Arian]]. Possidius (Vita S. Augustini,'' (xxxi), after describing the death of Augustine, Possidius speaks of his unbroken friendship with him for forty years. He also, speaking of himself in the third person, lets it be known that he was one of the clergy of St. Augustine's monastery.<ref (ibidname=Bacchus>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12318a.htm Bacchus, xii)Francis Joseph. "St. Possidius." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 10 January 2020{{PD-notice}}</ref>

The date of his promotion to the episcopate was, according to [[Tillemont]], about 397. He followed St. Augustine's example and established a monastery at Calama, an area much disturbed by factions. At a council held at [[Carthage]], Possidius challenged Crispinus, the [[Donatist]] Bishop of Calama, to a public discussion which the latter declinedrefused. ShortlyIn afterwards404 onea party of Crispinus'sDonatists clergy,dragged bearingPossidius theout sameof namehis ashouse, hisbeat bishophim, attemptedand threatened his life. Donatist extremists set fire to assassinatea house where Possidius was visiting.<ref name=midw>[https://www.midwestaugustinians.org/st-possidius "St. Possidius", Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel of the Augustinian Order/ Midwest Augustines]</ref> Legal proceedings were instituted against Crispinus, the bishop, who refused to punish histhe [[presbyter]] responsible. HeCrispinus was condemned for [[heresy]] and was heavily fined, but at the intercession of Possidius the fine was not exacted ("Vita", xii; St. Augustine, "Ep.", cv, 4; "Contra Crescon.", III, xlvi).

In 407, Possidius served, with St. Augustine and five other bishops, on a committee appointed to adjudicate upon some ecclesiastical matter, the particulars of which are not known. In 408 he nearly lost his life in a [[riot]] stirred up by the pagans at CallamaCalama (St. Augustine, "Epp.", xc, xci, xciii). In 409 he was one of four bishops deputed to go to Italy to obtain the protection of the emperor against the Donatists. He was one of the seven bishops chosen to represent the Catholic party at the ''collatio'' of 411.<ref name=Bacchus/>

In 416 he assisted at the [[Council of Milevum]], where fifty-nine Numidian bishops addressed a synodal letter to Innocent I, asking him to take action against [[Pelagianism]]. He joined with St. Augustine and three other bishops in a further letter to Innocent on the same subject, and was at the conference between St. Augustine and the Donatist Emeritus. When the Germanic [[Vandals]] invaded Africa, he fled to Hippo and was present at the death of St. Augustine (430).<ref>[https://catholicsaints.info/butlers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-possidius-bishop-and-confessor/ Butler, Alban. “Saint Possidius, Bishop and Confessor”. ''Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints'', 1866. CatholicSaints.Info. 17 May 2012]{{PD-notice}}</ref>

*His ''Vita S. Augustini'', composed before the [[Battle of Carthage (439)|capture]] of [[Carthage]] (439), is included in all editions of the works of St. Augustine, and also printed in [[Hurter]]'s "Opusc. SS. Patr.".

*His ''indiculus'' ('small index') will be found in the last volume of Migne's edition of the works of St. Augustine and in the tenth volume of the Benedictine edition.

*[http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/possidius_life_of_augustine_02_text.htm English translation of the "Life of St. Augustine"] at the [http://www.tertullian.org/fathers Tertullian Project].

*[https://archive.org/details/sanctiaugustiniv00possrich Critical Latin text and English translation of the "Life of St. Augustine" in PDF form] at Archive.org]

[[Category:5th-century bishops in Roman North Africa]]