Paulus Orosius
Historian and Christian apologist; b. probably at Bracara, now Braga, in Portugal,
between 380 and 390, the dates of his birth and death not being precisely known.
His first name has been known only since the eighth century. Having early
consecrated himself to the service of God, he was ordained, and went to Africa in
413 or 414. The reason for his leaving his native country is not known; he tells us
only that he left his fatherland "sine voluntate, sine necessitate, sine consensu"
(Commonitorium, i). He repaired to St. Augustine, at Hippo, to question him as to
certain points of doctrine, concerning the soul and its origin, attacked by the
Priscillianists. In 414 he prepared for St. Augustine a "Commonitorium de errore
Priscillianistarum et Origenistarum" (P.L. XXXI, 1211-16; also, ed. Schepss, in
"Priscilliani quae supersunt", in "Corpus script. eccl. lat.", Vienna, 1889, XVIII,
149 sqq.) to which St. Augustine replied with his "Ad Orosium contra
Priscillianistas et Origenistas". In order to become better acquainted with these
questions concerning the soul and its origin, Orosius, with a hearty
recommendation from St. Augustine (Epist. clxvi), went to Palestine, to St.
Jerome. Pelagius was then trying to spread his false doctrines in Palestine, and
Orosius aided St. Jerome and others in their struggle against this heresy. In 415
Bishop John of Jerusalem, who was inclined to the teaching of Origen and
influenced by Pelagius, summoned the presbyters of his church to a council at
Jerusalem. At this council Orosius sharply attacked the teachings of Pelagius.
But, as Pelagius declared that he believed it impossible for man to become
perfect and avoid sin without God's assistance, John did not condemn him, but
decided that his opponents should state their arguments before Pope Innocent.
In consequence of his opposition to Pelagius, Orosius was drawn into
dissensions with Bishop John, who accused him of having maintained that it is
not possible for man to avoid sin, even with God's grace. In answer to this
charge, Orosius wrote his "Liber apologeticus contra Pelagium de Arbitrii
libertate" (P.L. XXXI, 1173-1212, and ed. Zangemeister, "Orosii opera" in "Corpus
script. eccl. lat.", V, Vienna, 1882), in which he gives a detailed account of the
Council of 415 at Jerusalem, and a clear, correct treatment of the two principal
questions against Pelagius: the capability of man's free will, and Christian
perfection in doing God's will here on earth.
In the spring of 416 Orosius left Palestine, to return to Augustine in Africa, and
thence home. He brought a letter from St. Jerome (Epist. cxxxiv) to St.
Augustine, as well as writings of the two Gallic bishops, Hero and Lazarus, who
were in Palestine struggling against Pelagianism (cf. St. Augustine, Epist. clxxv).
He also brought from Jerusalem the then recently discovered relics of the
Protomartyr Stephen and a Latin letter from Lucian, who had discovered them
(Gennadius, "De Viris Illustr.", xxxi, xlvi, xlvii, ed. Czapla, Münster, 1898, 87-89,
104). After a short stay with Augustine at Hippo, Orosius began his journey
home, but, on reaching Minorca, and hearing of the wars and devastations of the
Vandals in Spain, he returned to Africa. The relics of St. Stephen, which he left in
Minorca, became the object of a great veneration, which spread into Gaul and
Spain. On the conversion of Jews through these relics, cf. Severus, "De virtutibus
ad conversionem Judaeorum in Minoricensi Insula factis", P.L. XLI, 821-32.
Orosius went back to Africa and at St. Augustine's suggestion wrote the first
Christian Universal History: "Historiarum adversus paganos libri septem" (P.L.
XXXI, 663-1174; ed. Zangemeister, in "Corpus script. eccl. lat.", V, Vienna,
1882), thought to be a supplement to the "Civitas Dei", especially the third book,
in which St. Augustine proves that the Roman Empire suffered as many
calamities before as after Christianity was received, combating the pagan
argument, that the abandonment of their deities had led to calamity. St.
Augustine wishedto have this proof developed in a special work through the whole
period of human history of all the known peoples of antiquity, with the
fundamental idea that God determines the destinies of nations. According to his
view, two chief empires had governed the world: Babylon in the East, and Rome
in the West. Rome received the heritage of Babylon through the intermediate
Macedonian and Carthaginian Empires. Thus he holds that there were four great
empires in history - a view widely accepted in the Middle Ages. The first book
briefly describes the globe, and traces its history from the Deluge to the founding
of Rome; the second gives the history of Rome to the sack of the city by the
Gauls, that of Persia to Cyrus, and of Greece to the Battle of Cunaxa; the third
deals chiefly with the Macedonian Empire under Alexander and his successors,
as well as the contemporary Roman history; the fourth brings the history of
Rome to the destruction of Carthage; the last three books treat Roman history
alone, from the destruction of Carthage to the author's own time. The work,
completed in 418, shows signs of some haste. Besides Holy Scripture and the
chronicle of Eusebius revised by St. Jerome, Livy, Eutropius, Caesar, Suetonius,
Florus, and Justin are used as sources. In pursuance of the apologetic aim, all
the calamities suffered by the various peoples are described. Thought superficial
and fragmentary, the work is valuable; it contains contemporary information on
the period after A.D. 378. It was used largely during the Middle Ages as a
compendium, and nearly 200 manuscript copies are still extant. Alfred the Great
translated it into Anglo-Saxon (ed. H. Sweet, London, 1843).
DE MOERNER, De Orosii vita eiusque historiarum libris 7 adv. paganos (Berlin, 1844); MÉJEAN,
Paul Orose et son apologétique contre les païens (Strasbourg, 1882); EBERT, Allg. Geschichte der
Literatur des Mittelalters im Abendland I (Leipzig, 1889), 337-44; BARDENHEWER, Patrology, tr.
SHAHAN (St. Louis, 1908); POTTHAST, Bibl. historica medii aevi, II (Berlin, 1896), 882-3.
J. P. Kirsch
Transcribed by Jess Paehlke
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XI
Copyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton Company
Online Edition Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight
Nihil Obstat, February 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor
Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
The Catholic Encyclopedia: NewAdvent.org