Council of Carthage - Gennadius and Eugenius

Steven Avery

Administrator
Here is the low down:
Gennadius of Massilia (died c. 496) : De Viris Illustribus : Eugenius of Carthage : 484 AD Council

The upshot is that Gennadius of Massilia (died c. 496) took over the work of Jerome. Gennadius added to only for a few years before his death in 496. Gennadius lived in Marseille France and wrote (if he was the author of the entry) some 10 years later. Gennadius was not there (present/ eyewitness). Furthermore, the work has been obviously reworked, etc. So, there is nothing here that should cause anyone to doubt or question Victor Vitensis account of the Council of Carthage.

Eugenius Bishop of Carthage, PL 58.1116-1117

• EUGENIUS, bishop of the city of Africa in Carthage and public confessor, admonished by Hunericus, king of the Vandals, to discuss the exposition of the Catholic faith, and especially the propriety of the word homousius, with the consent of all the bishops of Africa, Mauritania and Sardinia and Corsica, and the confessors who remained in the Catholic faith, composed a book Faith b, not only by the sentences of the Holy Scriptures, but also by the testimonies of the Fathers of the community, and by the colleagues of his confession, c. But now, as a reward for the faithful tongue, he was to be carried away into exile d, letters, as admonitions of faith, and of one holy and preserving baptism, he leaves behind as a shepherd concerned for his sheep. He wrote down all the quarrels which he had with the princes of the Arians through messengers, and sent them to be read by the elder of the Huneric house. In the same way he offered prayers for the rest of the Christians, as if they were apologies. He is said to live still for the confirmation of the Church.
• Latin: EUGENIUS, Carthaginis Africae civitatis episcopus et confessor publicus, admonitus ab Hunerico Vandalorum rege, catholicæ fidei expositionem, et maxime a verbi homousii proprietatem disserere, cum consensu omnium Africa, Mauritania et Sardinia atque Corsica episcoporum, et confessorum qui in catholica permanserunt fide, composuit Librum Fidei b, non solum sanctarum Scripturarum sententiis, sed et Patrum testimoniis communitum, et per collegas confessionis suæ porrexit c. Jam vero asportandus pro fidelis linguæ remuneratione in exsilium d, epistolas, velut commonitorias fidei, et unius sacri et conservandi baptismatis, ovibus suis quasi pastor sollicitus dereliquit. Altercationes quoqué quas cum Arianorum præsulibus per internuntios babuit, conscripsit, et relegendas per majorem domus Hunerico transmisit. Similiter et preces pro quiete Christianorum eidem, velut apologias obtulit. Vivere adhuc ad confirmationem Ecclesiæ dicitur.

Readable Latin & Plain Text option:

Gennadius of Massilia (died c. 496), also known as Gennadius Scholasticus or Gennadius Massiliensis, was a 5th-century Christian priest and historian.

Gennadius of Massilia (died c. 496) : De Viris Illustribus
Writings
● Gennadius knew Greek well and was familiar with Eastern and Western, orthodox and heretical Christian literature. He was a diligent compiler and a competent critic.[3]
Lives of Illustrious Men (Latin: De Viris Illustribus) by Gennadius of Massilia
● De Viris Illustribus, in its most commonly accepted form, was probably published c. 495 and contains, in some ten folio pages, short biographies of ecclesiastics between the years 392 and 495. It is an important historical source on the over ninety authors treated therein, and in many cases the only surviving record. It is a continuation of St. Jerome's De Viris Illustribus. In that work Jerome had for the first time drawn up a series of 135 short biographies of famous Christians, with lists of their chief writings. It was the first patrology and dictionary of Christian biography, and became very popular. Many people, including a disciple of Jerome named Paterius, wrote similar continuations; Sophronius produced a Greek translation. It was Gennadius's continuation that became most popular and was accepted everywhere as a second part of Jerome's work, and was always written (eventually printed) together with his. Gennadius's part contains about one hundred lives, modelled closely after those of Jerome. Various edits and reprints do not number them consistently; by Bernoulli, i to xcvii, with some marked as xciib, etc., originally cxxxvi-ccxxxii). The series is arranged more or less in chronological order, but there are frequent exceptions.
● In xc, 92, he says (in one version) that Theodore of Coelesyria (Theodulus) "died three years ago, in the reign of Zeno". From this Czapla deduces that Gennadius wrote between 491 and 494. The present form of the text indicates a repeated revision of the entire work. Other people have modified it and added to it without noting the fact—as is usual among medieval writers. Some scholars including Richardson and Czapla consider that chapters xxx (Bishop John II of Jerusalem), lxxxvii (Victorinus), xciii (Caerealis of Africa.), and all the end portion (xcv-ci), are not authentic. There is doubt about parts of the others.

Migne
Gennadius Massiliensis - Liber De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis [0450-0550]
Migne Latina, PL 58.1059-

Eugenius Bishop of Carthage, PL 58.1116-1117

Gennadius of Massilia, Lives of Illustrious Men
NPNF2-03. Theodoret, Jerome, Gennadius, & Rufinus: Historical Writings

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Lives of Illustrious Men
Jerome and Gennadius
https://books.google.com/books?id=VTcIDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT102
https://books.google.com/books?id=0AQNAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA401

Chapter XCVII.
Eugenius,177 bishop of Carthage in Africa and public confessor, commanded by Huneric178 King of the Vandals to write an exposition of the catholic faith and especially to discuss the meaning of the word Homoousian, with the consent of all the bishops and confessors of Mauritania in Africa and Sardinia and Corsica, who had remained in the catholic faith, composed a book of faith, fortified not only by quotations from the Holy Scriptures but by testimonies of the Fathers, and sent it by his companions in confession. But now, exiled as a reward for his faithful tongue, like an anxious shepherd over his sheep he has left behind works urging them to remember the faith and the one sacred baptism to be preserved at all hazards. He also wrote out the Discussions which he held through messengers with the leaders of the Arians and sent them to be given to Huneric by his major domo. Likewise also he presented to the same, petitions for the peace of the Christians which were of the nature of an Apology, and he is said to be still living for the strengthening of the church.


[178] Bishop 479, died 505.

[178] Huneric A; omit e² 30 31 40.

 
Last edited:

Steven Avery

Administrator
10 years later, location France: more than likely just a general statement concerning the event : no need to suggest it was a contradiction of Victor : it is just a general summation 10 years later...
 
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