Fulgentius of Ruspe
Encyclopedia
Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe (Thelepte
, 462 or 467 — 1 January 527 or 533) was bishop of the city of Ruspe, North Africa
, in the 5th and 6th century who was canonized
as a Christian
saint
. Fabius Claudius Gordianus Fulgentius was born into a noble family of Carthage
, which had been cut off from the Roman Empire
some thirty years earlier by the Vandals
.
and Latin
. Fulgentius would become particularly good at the former, even speaking it like a native. He quickly gained wide respect for his conduct of the family affairs, as well as for the respect he showed his mother. This reputation helped him to acquire a post as a civil servant
in the government of Rome
, as a procurator
of Byzacena
. He quickly grew tired of the material life. This, together with his studies of religion, particularly a sermon of Augustine of Hippo
on Psalm 36
, which dealt with the transitory nature of the physical life, determined to become a monk.
He applied to Faustus, a bishop who had been forced from his diocese by the Vandal king Huneric
and later set up a monastery at Byzacena. Faustus had serious concerns about Fulgentius's physical weakness, which might make him a poor fit for the rigorous life of the monastery, and tried to dissuade the twenty-two year old Fulgentius from his request. As Fulgentius persisted, though, Faustus relented and admitted him on a trial basis.
When learning of this, Mariana, who evidently had never been told of Fulgentius's wish, was very upset. She rushed to the gates of the monastery, demanding to know how a church which was supposed to protect widows could rob this widow of her only son. Her protestations were ineffective, however, and Fulgentius was ultimately confirmed to his vocation.
Renewed attacks on the area forced Fulgentius to leave for another nearby monastery. The abbot there, Felix, gave Fulgentius the duty of managing the temporal affairs of the monastery, while he himself managed the spiritual affairs. The two of them worked quite well together, and, in 499, during another Arian
persecution in the area, fled for Sicca Veneria
. There they preached the Chalcedonian
teaching regarding the dual nature of Jesus
. Upon learning of this, a local Arian priest had them arrested and tortured.
Upon being released, Fulgentius planned to go to Alexandria
, but changed his mind upon hearing the Arians had taken control of Egypt
. He opted instead to go to Rome
, where he prayed at the tombs of the apostles. He then returned to Byzacena, where he built a monastery, electing himself to live in an isolated cell. Fulgentius's reputation quickly spread, and he was frequently offered the post of bishop of one of the dioceses which had been vacated through the actions of the Arian king Thrasamund
. He chose not to accept these offers, knowing Thrasamund had specifically ordered that only Arians be permitted to fill those sees.
. He made a strong impression on the people of his new diocese with his obvious virtues, but was soon banished to Sardinia
with some sixty other bishops who did not hold the Arian position. Pope Symmachus
knew of their plight and sent them annual provisions of food and money.
While in Sardinia, Fulgentius turned a house in Cagliari
into a monastery, and determined to write a number of works to help instruct the Christians of Africa. In 515, he returned to Africa, having been summoned there by Thrasamund for a public debate with his Arian replacements. His book An Answer to Ten Objections is supposed to have been collected from the answers he had made to their objections to the Chalcedonian position. Thrasamund was impressed by Fulgentius' knowledge and learning. Not wanting these very effective statements to fall in the hands of his Arian subjects, possibly creating social discord, he ordered that all Fulgentius' future statements be delivered only orally. Fulgentius responded with a rebuttal of the Arian position, now known as the Three Books to King Thrasamund. Thrasamund's respect for Fulgentius grew, leading him to allow Fulgentius to stay in Carthage, but then renewed complaints from the local Arian clergy caused him to banish Fulgentius back to Sardinia in 520. In 523, following the death of Thrasamund and the accession of his Chalcedonian son Hilderic
, Fulgentius was allowed to return to Ruspe and try to convert the populace to the Chalcedonian position. He worked to reform many of the abuses which had infiltrated his old diocese in his absence. The power and effectiveness of his preaching was so profound that his archbishop, Boniface of Carthage, wept openly every time he heard Fulgentius preach, and publicly thanked God for giving such a great preacher to his church.
Later, Fulgentius retired to a monastery on the island of Circinia, but was recalled to Ruspe, and served there until his death on 1 January, 533.
and a strong agreement with Augustine of Hippo
. He wrote frequently against Arianism and Pelagianism
. Some letters and eight sermon
s survive by Fulgentius.
"Hold most firmly and never doubt that the same Holy Spirit, who is the one Spirit of the Father and the Son, proceeds from the Father and the Son. For the Son says, 'When the Spirit of Truth comes, who has proceeded from the Father,' where he taught that the Spirit is his, because he is the Truth."
is January 1, the day of his death. His relic
s were transferred to Bourges
in France around 714. They were later destroyed there during the French Revolution
.
Thelepte
Thélepte is a Roman ruin in western Tunisia, 5 km from the modern town of Fériana, near the border with Algeria. It is located at around . The best preserved building is a church....
, 462 or 467 — 1 January 527 or 533) was bishop of the city of Ruspe, North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, in the 5th and 6th century who was canonized
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
as a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
. Fabius Claudius Gordianus Fulgentius was born into a noble family of Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
, which had been cut off from the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
some thirty years earlier by the Vandals
Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Vandals under king Genseric entered Africa in 429 and by 439 established a kingdom which included the Roman Africa province, besides the islands of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics....
.
Biography
His father died while Fulgentius was still quite young. His mother, Mariana, taught him to speak GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. Fulgentius would become particularly good at the former, even speaking it like a native. He quickly gained wide respect for his conduct of the family affairs, as well as for the respect he showed his mother. This reputation helped him to acquire a post as a civil servant
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
in the government of Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, as a procurator
Procurator (Roman)
A procurator was the title of various officials of the Roman Empire, posts mostly filled by equites . A procurator Augusti was the governor of the smaller imperial provinces...
of Byzacena
Byzacena
Byzacena was a Roman province in what is now Tunisia.At the end of the third century AD, the Emperor Diocletian divided the great Roman province of Africa Proconsularis into three smaller provinces: Zeugitana in the north, still governed by a proconsul and referred to as Proconsularis, Byzacena,...
. He quickly grew tired of the material life. This, together with his studies of religion, particularly a sermon of Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
on Psalm 36
Psalm 36
-Judaism:*Verse 7 is part of Tzidkatcha. It is also found in the repetition of the Amidah during Rosh Hashanah.*Verses 8-11 are recited following the wrapping of the tallit during morning services....
, which dealt with the transitory nature of the physical life, determined to become a monk.
He applied to Faustus, a bishop who had been forced from his diocese by the Vandal king Huneric
Huneric
Huneric or Honeric was King of the Vandals and the oldest son of Genseric. He dropped the imperial politics of his father and concentrated mainly on internal affairs. He was married to Eudocia, daughter of western Roman Emperor Valentinian III and Licinia Eudoxia. She left him, probably in 472...
and later set up a monastery at Byzacena. Faustus had serious concerns about Fulgentius's physical weakness, which might make him a poor fit for the rigorous life of the monastery, and tried to dissuade the twenty-two year old Fulgentius from his request. As Fulgentius persisted, though, Faustus relented and admitted him on a trial basis.
When learning of this, Mariana, who evidently had never been told of Fulgentius's wish, was very upset. She rushed to the gates of the monastery, demanding to know how a church which was supposed to protect widows could rob this widow of her only son. Her protestations were ineffective, however, and Fulgentius was ultimately confirmed to his vocation.
Renewed attacks on the area forced Fulgentius to leave for another nearby monastery. The abbot there, Felix, gave Fulgentius the duty of managing the temporal affairs of the monastery, while he himself managed the spiritual affairs. The two of them worked quite well together, and, in 499, during another Arian
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
persecution in the area, fled for Sicca Veneria
El Kef
El Kef , also known as Le Kef, is a city in north western Tunisia and the capital of the Kef Governorate.Situated in the northwest of the country, to the west of Tunis and some east of the border between Algeria and Tunisia, El Kef has a population of . The old town is built on the cliff face...
. There they preached the Chalcedonian
Chalcedonian
Chalcedonian describes churches and theologians which accept the definition given at the Council of Chalcedon of how the divine and human relate in the person of Jesus Christ...
teaching regarding the dual nature of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. Upon learning of this, a local Arian priest had them arrested and tortured.
Upon being released, Fulgentius planned to go to Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, but changed his mind upon hearing the Arians had taken control of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. He opted instead to go to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he prayed at the tombs of the apostles. He then returned to Byzacena, where he built a monastery, electing himself to live in an isolated cell. Fulgentius's reputation quickly spread, and he was frequently offered the post of bishop of one of the dioceses which had been vacated through the actions of the Arian king Thrasamund
Thrasamund
Thrasamund , King of the Vandals and Alans , was the fourth king of the north African Kingdom of the Vandals, and reigned longer than any other Vandal king in Africa other than his grandfather Genseric....
. He chose not to accept these offers, knowing Thrasamund had specifically ordered that only Arians be permitted to fill those sees.
Bishop of Ruspe
Fulgentius was ultimately persuaded to take the post of bishop of Ruspe in TunisiaTunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. He made a strong impression on the people of his new diocese with his obvious virtues, but was soon banished to Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
with some sixty other bishops who did not hold the Arian position. Pope Symmachus
Pope Symmachus
Saint Symmachus was pope from 498 to 514. His tenure was marked by a serious schism over who was legitimately elected pope by the citizens of Rome....
knew of their plight and sent them annual provisions of food and money.
While in Sardinia, Fulgentius turned a house in Cagliari
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
into a monastery, and determined to write a number of works to help instruct the Christians of Africa. In 515, he returned to Africa, having been summoned there by Thrasamund for a public debate with his Arian replacements. His book An Answer to Ten Objections is supposed to have been collected from the answers he had made to their objections to the Chalcedonian position. Thrasamund was impressed by Fulgentius' knowledge and learning. Not wanting these very effective statements to fall in the hands of his Arian subjects, possibly creating social discord, he ordered that all Fulgentius' future statements be delivered only orally. Fulgentius responded with a rebuttal of the Arian position, now known as the Three Books to King Thrasamund. Thrasamund's respect for Fulgentius grew, leading him to allow Fulgentius to stay in Carthage, but then renewed complaints from the local Arian clergy caused him to banish Fulgentius back to Sardinia in 520. In 523, following the death of Thrasamund and the accession of his Chalcedonian son Hilderic
Hilderic
Hilderic was the penultimate king of the Vandals and Alans in North Africa in Late Antiquity . Although dead by the time the Vandal kingdom was overthrown in 534, he nevertheless played a key role in that event....
, Fulgentius was allowed to return to Ruspe and try to convert the populace to the Chalcedonian position. He worked to reform many of the abuses which had infiltrated his old diocese in his absence. The power and effectiveness of his preaching was so profound that his archbishop, Boniface of Carthage, wept openly every time he heard Fulgentius preach, and publicly thanked God for giving such a great preacher to his church.
Later, Fulgentius retired to a monastery on the island of Circinia, but was recalled to Ruspe, and served there until his death on 1 January, 533.
Writings
As a theologian, Fulgentius's work shows knowledge of GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and a strong agreement with Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
. He wrote frequently against Arianism and Pelagianism
Pelagianism
Pelagianism is a theological theory named after Pelagius , although he denied, at least at some point in his life, many of the doctrines associated with his name. It is the belief that original sin did not taint human nature and that mortal will is still capable of choosing good or evil without...
. Some letters and eight sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
s survive by Fulgentius.
Filioque
Fulgentius writes in his Letter to Peter on the Faith:"Hold most firmly and never doubt that the same Holy Spirit, who is the one Spirit of the Father and the Son, proceeds from the Father and the Son. For the Son says, 'When the Spirit of Truth comes, who has proceeded from the Father,' where he taught that the Spirit is his, because he is the Truth."
Veneration
His saint's dayCalendar of saints
The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
is January 1, the day of his death. His relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
s were transferred to Bourges
Bourges
Bourges is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.-History:...
in France around 714. They were later destroyed there during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
Editions
- Fulgence de Ruspe, Lettres ascetiques et morales. Critical text by J. Fraipont. Introduction, translation, and notes by Daniel Bachelet. Paris: Cerf, 2004, Pp. 298. (Sources Chretiennes, 487).