FULGENTIUS ;jl(j
Acta SS., Jan.. I, 971-974 (translation of the Bioomphi, by QuiNTANADUENAs); Florez, Espaiia sagrada, X, S9; Gams, Kirchcnocscbichtc Spanieiis, II, 2 (Ratisbon, 1874).
J. F. KiKSCH.
Fuli^entius, Fabius Claudius Gordianus, vSaint, b. 458; d. 533; Bishop of Ruspe in the province of Byzacene in Africa, eminent among the Fathers of the Churcli for saintly life, eloquence and theological learning. His grandfather, Gordianus, a senator of Carthage, was despoiled of his possessions by the invader Genseric, and banished to Italy, his two sons returned after his death, and, though their house in Carthage had been made over to Arian priests, they recovered some property in Byzacene. Fulgentius was born at Telepte in that province. His father, Clau- dius, soon died, and he was brought up by his mother, Mariana. He studied Greek letters before Latin " quo facilius posset, victurus inter Afros, locutionem Grae- cam, servatis aspirationibus, tamquam ibi nutritus exprimere". We learn from these words of his biog- rapher that the Greek aspirates were hard for a Latin to pronounce. We are told that Fulgentius at an early age committed all Homer to memory, and throughout his life his pronunciation of Greek was excellent. He was also well trained in Latin literature. As he grew older, he governed his house wisely in subjection to his mother. He was favoured by the provincial authori- ties, and made procurator of the fisous. But a desire of religious life came over him: he practised austerities privately in the world for a time, until he was moved by the "Enarrationes" of St. Augustine on Psalm xxxvi to betake himself to a monastery which had been founded by a bishop named Faustus near his episcopal city, from which like other Catholic bishops he had been exiled by the Vandal king, Hunneric. The fer- vent appeal of the young man won his admission from Faustus, to whom he was already well known. His mother clamoured with tears at the door of the monas- tery to see her son ; but he gave no sign of his presence there. He became ill from excessive abstinence, but recovered without renouncing it. His worldly goods he made over to his mother, leaving his younger brother dependent on her.
But Faustus was obliged to fly from renewed perse- cution, and by his advice Fulgentius sought a small monastery not far off, whose abbot, Felix, had been his friend in the world. Felix insisted upon resigning his office to Fulgentius. A contest of humility ended in the agreement of all that Fulgentius should be co- abbot. Felix cared for the house, and Fulgentius instructed the brethren; Felix showed charity to the guests, Fulgentius edified them with discourse. A raid of Moors made it necessary to remove to a safer spot, and a new retreat was started at Idida in Mauretania, but Fulgentius soon left Felix, having conceived an ardent desire to visit the monasteries of Egypt, for he had been reading the " Institutiones" and "Collationes" of Cassian, and he also hoped to be no longer superior, and to be able to keep yet stricter abstmence. He took ship at Carthage for Alexandria with a compan- ion named Redemptus. On his arrival at Syracuse, the holy bishop of that city, Eulalius, told him. "The lands to which you wish to travel are separated from the communion of Peter by an heretical quarrel ". Fulgentius therefore stopped a few months with Eula- lius, .-md then sought further advice from an exiled bisho]) (if his own province, who was living as a monk on a tiny island off the coast of Sicily. He was recom- mended to return to his own monastery, but "not to forget the Apostles". In consequence, he made a pil- grimage to Rome, where he was present at a speech made liy Theodoricr liefore the senate, and had an opportunity of despising all the ni.ignificence the court of the Gothic king could show. His return was hailed with joy in Africa, and a nobleman of Byzacene gave him fertile land on which he established a new monas- tery. But Fulgentius retired from his position as
FULGENTIUS
superior in order to live a more hidden life in a large and strict abbey which flourished on a rocky island. Here he worked, read, and contemplated. He was an accomplished scribe, and could make fans of palm leaves. Felix, however, refused to submit to the loss of his brother abbot, and he got Bishop Faustus to claim Fulgentius as his own monk and to order his return to Felix. The bishop ensured his continuance as abbot by ordaining him priest.
At this time the Arian King Thrasimund (496-523), though not so cruel a persecutor as his predecessors, allowed no Catholic bishops to be elected in Africa. It was decided in 508 by such bishops as could manage to meet together that it was necessary to brave this law, and it was decreed that elections should take place quietly and simultaneously in all the vacant sees, before the Government had time to take pre- ventive measures. Fulgentius was nominated in sev- eral cities; but he had fled into hiding, and could not be found. When he thought all the appointments had been made, he reappeared, but the seaport of Ruspe, where the election had been delayed through the am- bition of a deacon of the place, promptly elected him; and against his will he was consecrated bishop of a town he had never seen. He insisted on retaining his monastic habits. He refused all ease and continued his fasts. He had but one poor tunic for winter and summer; he wore no orarium, but used a leathern gir- dle like a monk ; nor would he wear clerical shoes, but went barefoot or with sandals. He had no precious chasuble (casula), and did not permit his monks to have any. Under his chasuble he wore a grey or buff ( ?) cloak. The same tunic served day and night, and even for the holy Sacrifice, at which, said he, the heart and not the garment should be changed. His first care at Ruspe was to get the citizens to build him a monas- tery, of which he made Feli.x abbot, and he never lived without monks around him. But very soon all the new bishops were exiled. Fulgentius was one of the juniors among the 60 African bishops collected in Sanlinia.but in their meetings his opinion was eagerly sought, and the letters sent in the name of all were always drawn up by him. He also frequently composed pastoral letters for individual colleagues to .send to their flocks. Fulgen- tius had brought a few monks with him to Sardinia, and he joined with two other bishops and their com- panions in a common life, so that their house became the oracle of the city of Calaris, and a centre of peace, consolation, and instruction.
It was perhaps about the year 515 that Thrasimund issued a series of ten questions as a challenge to the Catholic bishops, and the reputation of Fulgentius was now so great that the king sent for him to Carthage to speak in the name of the rest. The saint, during his stay in that city, gave constant instructions in the faith of the Holy Trinity, and reconciled many who had been rebaptized by the Arians. He discussed with many wise persons the replies to be made to the ten questions, and at length submitted to the king a small but able work which we still possess imder the title of "Contra Arianos liber unus, ad decem objectiones decem responsiones continens". The king then pro- posed further objections, but was anxious to avoid a second reply as effective as the former one. He took the unfair and tyrannical course of having the new questions, which were expressed at great length, read aloud once to Fulgentius, who was not allowed to have a copy of them, but was expected to give direct an- swers; though the public would not know whether he had really replied to the point or not. When the bishop pointed out that he could not e\-en recollect the questions after hearing them but once, the king de- clared that he showed a want of conhilence in his own case. Fulgentius was therefore obligeil to write a larger work, "Ad Trasimundum regem Vandalorum libri tres", which is a very fine specimen of careful and orthodox theological argument,
