Table Of Content· THE FATHERS
OF THE CHURCH
A NEW TRANSLATION
VOLUME 15
,THE FATHERS
OF THE CHURCH
A NEW TRANSLATION
EDITORIAL BOARD
Hermigild Dressler, O,F.M,
Quincy College
Editorial Director
Robert P. Russell, O.S.A. Thomas P. Halton
Villanova University The Catholic University of America
Robert Sider Sister M. Josephine Brennan, I.H.M.
Dickinson College Marywood College
Richard Talaska
Editorial Assistant
FORMER EDITORIAL DIRECTORS
Ludwig Schopp, Roy J. Deferrari, Bernard M, Peebles
EARLY CHRISTIAN
BIOGRAPHIES
LIVES OF
St. Cyprian, by Pontius; St. Ambrose, by Paulinus; St.
Augustine, by Possidius; St. Anthony, by St. Athanasius;
St. Paul the First Hermit, St. Hilarion, and Malchus, by
St. Jerome; St. Epiphanius, by Ennodius; with a Sermon
on the Life of St. Honoratus, by St. Hilary.
Translated by
Roy J. Deierrari, John A. Lacy, Sister Mary Magdeleine Miiller,
O.S.F., Sister Mary Emily Keenan, S.C.N., Sister Marie Liguori
Ewald, I.H.M., and Sister Genevieve Marie Cook, R.S.M.
Edited by
ROY J. DEFERRARI
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA PRESS
Washington. D.C.
NIHIL OOSTAT:
JOHN M. A. FEARNS, S.T.D.
Censor Librorum
IMPRIMATUR:
• FRANCIS CARDINAL SPELLMAN
Archbishop of New York
May 28, 1952
The Nihil obstat and Imprimatur are ol/icial declarations that II book or
pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained
therein, that those who have granted the Nihil obstat and Imprimatur
agree with the contents, opinions or statements expressed.
Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 64·19949
Copyright © 1952, by
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA PRESS, INC.
A II rights reserved
Second Printing 1964
Third Printing 1981
First short-run reprint 2001
ISBN 0-8132-1309-6 (pbk)
CONTENTS
THE BEGINNINGS OF CHRISTIAN BIOGRAPHY Vll
PONTIUS
Introduction 3
Life of St. Cyprian 5
PAULINUS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . 27
Life of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan . 33
POSSIDIUS
Introduction . . . . 69
Life of St. Augustine 73
ST. ATHANASIUS
Introduction . . . 127
Life of St. Anthony 133
ST. JEROME
Life of St. Paul, the First Hermit · 225
Life of St. Hilarion . . . . . · 245
Life of Malchus, the Captive Monk · 287
ENNODIUS
Introduction . . · 301
Life of St. Epiphanius · 303
ST. HILARY
Introduction . . .. ....•. . 355
A Sermon on the Life of St. Honoratus . 361
INDEX .......• · 397
THE BEGINNINGS OF CHRISTIAN BIOGRAPHY
[(I
HRISTIAN BIOGRAPHY, like most forms of Christian
literature, went to the Classical Period of antiquity
for its models. On the Latin side, the best from the
point of view of modem literary criticism is probably Tacitus'
Life of Agricola, but even this leaves much to be desired. It
resembles the Lives of Plutarch in its general plan and in
the topics emphasized, showing a weakness for the pictur
esque and the dramatic and a tendency to moralize. On the
Latin side, also, the Lives of Suetonius have been popular
down the ages to our own time, but they are quite uncriti
cal, seeking to entertain by anecdotes of doubtful authenti
city. With such works as models, we probably expect too
much when we hold Christian biography up to the strictly
scientific interpretation of the term as established by modem
literary critics.
Most of the 'Lives' of the early Christian biographers be
long to the type of literature known as hagiography/ whose
primary purpose was religious, specifically, to edify its readers.
The beginnings of Christian biography are clearly evident
in the 'Acts' of the martyrs. These 'Acts' were compiled
1 A document, to be strictly hagiographical, must be of a religious char
acter and have edification as its aim. The term in its general sense
refers to every written document inspired by and destined to promote
the veneration of the saints. Cf. H. Delehaye, Legends of the Saints,
p. 2. In this survey, the term is used in a more restricted sense as.
equivalent to the passio, vita, or encomium of a saint.
Vll
Vlll INTRODUCTION
from the official reports of their trials or from the testimonies
of eyewitnesses, and were read to the congregations on the
anniversaries of the martyrs. St. Augustine tells us2 that
works containing accounts of miracles wrought by the relics
of the martyrs were also read.
It was an easy step from such venerations of martyrs to
the composing of biographies of other saintly personages
who had lived ascetic, heroic, and self-sacrificing lives for
the faith. These 'Lives' follow a conventional pattern. The
author usually begins by apologizing for the crudeness of his
literary style and for the lapses in his grammar, while at the
same time protesting a sincere love for his task. He may also
give some information on his sources, even declaring that
he himself was an eyewitness of many of the events included
in his story. Then the hero of the narrative is introduced,
with an account of his birth and earliest years and of the
prophecies and wonders that accompanied these. The author
continues with a description of how the saint devoted him
self to the profession of being a real Christian and describes
his career with varying detail. Then comes an account of
the hero's miracles, visions, combats with demons, and other
supernatural experiences, followed by the story of his death
and obsequies, the wonders which took place at these, and
the miracles wrought at his tomb and through his relics in
later years. Details are given according as circumstances per
mit or suggest. In such 'Lives' there is much borrowing and
repetition, depending on the amount of available authentic
data. The borrowing is most marked where the extraordinary
is concerned. In spite of the author's protestations of sincerity
and a desire to tell the truth, he knew that the subject of the
biography would suffer in popular esteem if he did not move
in the region of the marvelous. The motives which led to
2 De civ. Dei 22.18.
INTRODUCTION IX
the creation of this vast hagiographical literature were vari
ous. If we may believe the authors, most of them were written
at popular demand; some were evidently written to promote
or exalt the cult of a saint or martyr; but all were written
to edify and instruct in the faith.
The first genuine Christian biography was that of Cyprian
written by his deacon, Pontius (259). A deacon at this time
was very close to his bishop and had every opportunity that
a biographer could desire to observe his subject and to col
lect information on him. However, although Jerome praises
it,3 it does not satisfy the demands of the modem critic, chief
ly because of the extravagance of its panegyric and of its
marvelous visions. As to language and style, on the other
hand, it should rank high, probably in first place among
the representatives of this literary form. It is valuable, also,
for certain personal details of Cyprian's life which are not
found elsewhere. Following the usual rhetorical practice, Pon
tius confesses his incompetence for the task of relating the
noble deeds of his master in such a way as to give them the
greatness in writing that they actually possessed. For the
earlier period of Cyprian's life Pontius gives no information,
because he refuses to' say anything about Cyprian before his
new birth in baptism, the real beginning of his Christian life.
Pontius followed a definite plan which apparently had been
developed before his time. In relating the life of a martyr
we usually find first a more or less detailed account of the
persecution; the Christians are sought out everywhere; large
numbers fall into the hands of the soldiers and among these
is the hero of the story, who is arrested and cast into prison;
brought before the judge, he confesses his faith and suffers
horrible tortures; he dies and his tomb becomes the scene
of miracles. Pontius follows this model conscientiously, am-
11 De viris illustribus 68.
