Sulpicius Severus
Sulpicius Severus was a notable figure in early Christian history, educated in rhetoric and initially a lawyer. Following the death of his wife around 393/394 CE, he encountered Bishop Martin of Tours, which profoundly influenced his life. Inspired by Martin's monastic community, Severus and his friend Saint Paulinus of Nola renounced their wealth to establish monasteries in France and Italy. He is best known for his works, including the "Vita S. Martini," a biographical account of Saint Martin, and his "Chronica," which outlines a history of the world with a focus on the Jewish people and the early Christian Church. Severus had a unique perspective on eschatology, predicting the Second Coming of Christ five centuries after his death. His writings contributed to the development of Western monasticism and the genre of hagiography, reflecting a blend of spiritual devotion and historical narrative. Later in life, he engaged with the Pelagians, a group active in Aquitania during the 420s CE, showcasing the diverse theological landscape of his time.
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Subject Terms
Sulpicius Severus
Related civilization: Late Roman Gaul
Major role/position: Monk, writer, historian
Life
A noble educated in rhetoric, Sulpicius Severus (suhl-PIHSH-ee-uhs suh-VIHR-uhs) became a lawyer and married into a senatorial family. In 393/394 c.e., after the early death of his wife, he visited Bishop Martin of Tours, who had healed the eye of his lifelong friend Saint Paulinus of Nola.
Inspired by Saint Martin’s monastery at Marmoutier, Severus and Paulinus gave away their wealth and built their own monasteries on the estate Primuliacum, west of Toulouse, and at Nola, Italy, respectively, between 394 and 396 c.e. Severus, in line with some Christian chronographers, envisaged the Second Coming of Christ five hundred years after his birth, the end of the sixth millennium after Creation. His Vita S. Martini (c. 397 c.e.; Life of Martin, 1866), which includes his Three Letters, and his Dialogi (404 c.e.; “Dialogues” in The Western Fathers, 1954), both about Saint Martin, portray “a man filled with God” in humankind’s end-phase. A similar finality pervades his Chronica (c. 402-404 c.e.; Chronicle, 1896-1899), a world history with emphasis on the Jewish people and the Christian Church to 400 c.e. Late in life, Severus befriended the Pelagians, active in Aquitania in the 420’s c.e.
Influence
With Saint Martin and Paulinus, Severus pioneered Western ascetic monasticism. With Saint Athanasius of Alexandria and Saint Jerome, he originated the genre of hagiography. In modern terms, he wrote a history survey with apocalyptic urgency.
Bibliography
Stancliffe, Clare. St. Martin and His Hagiographer: History and Miracle in Sulpicius Severus. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983.
Van Andel, G. K. The Christian Concept of History in the Chronicle of Sulpicius Severus. Amsterdam: Hakkert, 1976.