# Possidius > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Possidius > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Possidius.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possidius > Source revision: 1348667827 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Bischop of Calama and friend of Augustine Saint Possidius Bishop of Calama Born Northern Africa Died c. 437 Apulia Venerated in Catholic Church Canonized August 19, 1672 by Pope Clement X Feast May 16 **Possidius** (5th century) was a friend of [Augustine of Hippo](/source/Augustine_of_Hippo) who wrote a biography and an *indiculus* or list of his works. He was bishop of [Calama](/source/Calama_(Numidia)) in the [Roman province](/source/Roman_province) of [Numidia](/source/Numidia). ## Biography Part of a series on Augustine of Hippo Augustine in The Four Doctors of the Western Church Augustinianism Divine command Amillennialism Original sin Augustinian predestination Invisible church Incurvatus in se Augustinian hypothesis Just war Augustinian theodicy Allegorical interpretations of Genesis Works The City of God Confessions On Christian Doctrine Soliloquies Enchiridion On the Trinity Harmony of the Gospels De Genesi ad litteram Influences and followers Saint Monica Ambrose Possidius Anselm Aquinas Bonaventure Luther Calvin Jansen Newman Related topics Rule of Saint Augustine Augustinians Pelagianism Presentism (historical analysis) Philosophical presentism Scholasticism Jansenism Order of Saint Augustine Great Schism of 1054 Related categories Augustine of Hippo Catholic Church portal Christianity portal Philosophy portal v t e Possidius was bishop of Calama, Numidia The dates of his birth and death are unknown. In the *Vita S. Augustini* (xxxi), after describing the death of Augustine, Possidius speaks of his unbroken friendship with him for forty years. He also, speaking of himself in the third person, lets it be known that he was one of the clergy of Augustine's monastery.[1] The date of his promotion to the episcopate was, according to [Tillemont](/source/Tillemont), about 397. He followed Augustine's example and established a monastery at Calama, an area much disturbed by factions. At a council held at [Carthage](/source/Carthage), Possidius challenged Crispinus, the [Donatist](/source/Donatist) Bishop of Calama, to a public discussion which the latter refused. In 404 a party of Donatists dragged Possidius out of his house, beat him, and threatened his life. Donatist extremists set fire to a house where Possidius was visiting.[2] Legal proceedings were instituted against Crispinus, the bishop, who refused to punish the [presbyter](/source/Presbyter) responsible. Crispinus was condemned for [heresy](/source/Heresy) and was heavily fined, but at the intercession of Possidius the fine was not exacted. In 407, Possidius served, with Augustine and five other bishops, on a committee appointed to adjudicate upon some ecclesiastical matter, the particulars of which are not known. In 408 he nearly lost his life in a [riot](/source/Riot) stirred up by the pagans at Calama (Augustine, "Epp.", xc, xci, xciii). In 409 he was one of four bishops deputed to go to Italy to obtain the protection of the emperor against the Donatists. He was one of the seven bishops chosen to represent the Catholic party at the *collatio* of 411.[1] In 416 he assisted at the [Council of Milevum](/source/Council_of_Milevum), where fifty-nine Numidian bishops addressed a synodal letter to Innocent I, asking him to take action against [Pelagianism](/source/Pelagianism). He joined with Augustine and three other bishops in a further letter to Innocent on the same subject, and was at the conference between Augustine and the Donatist Emeritus. When the Germanic [Vandals](/source/Vandals) invaded Africa, he fled to Hippo and was present at the death of Augustine (430).[3] In 437, according to [Prosper](/source/Prosper_of_Aquitaine), who, in his *Chronicle*, records that Possidius and two other bishops were persecuted and expelled from their sees by the [Vandal](/source/Vandals) king, [Gaiseric](/source/Gaiseric), who was an [Arian](/source/Arianism).[2] Possidius died in [Apulia](/source/Apulia)[4] shortly thereafter. ## Works - His *Vita S. Augustini*, composed before the [capture](/source/Battle_of_Carthage_(439)) of [Carthage](/source/Carthage) (439), is included in all editions of the works of Augustine, and also printed in [Hurter](/source/Hurter)'s "Opusc. SS. Patr.". - His *indiculus* ('small index') will be found in the last volume of Migne's edition of the works of Augustine and in the tenth volume of the Benedictine edition. ## Canonization [Pope Clement X](/source/Pope_Clement_X) confirmed devotion to Possidius on August 19, 1672, along with his contemporary [Alypius of Thagaste](/source/Alypius_of_Thagaste), another North African bishop who was a friend of Saint Augustine.[5] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Bacchus_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Bacchus_1-1) [Bacchus, Francis Joseph. "St. Possidius." The Catholic Encyclopedia](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12318a.htm) Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 10 January 2020 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-midw_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-midw_2-1) ["St. Possidius", Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel of the Augustinian Order/ Midwest Augustines](https://www.midwestaugustinians.org/st-possidius) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Butler, Alban. “Saint Possidius, Bishop and Confessor”. *Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints*, 1866. CatholicSaints.Info. 17 May 2012](https://catholicsaints.info/butlers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-possidius-bishop-and-confessor/) This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Monks of Ramsgate. “Possidius”. *Book of Saints*, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 9 December 2016](https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-possidius/) This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova. “May 16 - Saints Alypius and Possidius”. augustinian.org. Accessed 12 Aug 2020](https://www.augustinian.org/saints-1/may-16) This article incorporates text from a publication now in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain): Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "[St. Possidius](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/St._Possidius)". *[Catholic Encyclopedia](/source/Catholic_Encyclopedia)*. New York: Robert Appleton Company. ## Sources - Weiskotten, Herbert T. (2008). *The Life of Saint Augustine: A Translation of the Sancti Augustini Vita by Possidius, Bishop of Calama*. Evolution Publishing, Merchantville NJ, U.S.A. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-889758-90-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-889758-90-6) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781889758909](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781889758909) - Kuhn, Moritz (2023). *Philologischer Kommentar zur Vita Augustini des Possidius von Calama. [Jahrbuch für Antike und Christentum, Ergänzungsband Kleine Reihe 17] (Latin text, German translation, philological commentary)*. Aschendorff, Münster, Germany. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-402-10929-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-402-10929-8) - [Saints portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Saints) ## External links - [English translation of the "Life of St. Augustine"](http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/possidius_life_of_augustine_02_text.htm) at the [Tertullian Project](http://www.tertullian.org/fathers) - [Critical Latin text and English translation of the "Life of St. Augustine"](https://archive.org/details/sanctiaugustiniv00possrich) at Archive.org Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States France BnF data Japan Italy Czech Republic Spain Portugal Netherlands Norway Greece Korea Poland Vatican Israel Catalonia Academics CiNii People Trove Deutsche Biographie DDB Other IdRef Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Possidius](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possidius) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possidius?action=history)). 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