Vigilius of Thapsus

VIGILIUS OF THAPSUS: Bishop of Thapsus (the modern Dimas or Ras Dimas, 90 m. s.e. of Tunis); flourished in the latter part of the fifth century. He is to be identified with the "Vigilius Tapsitanus," who with others was cited by Hunerich to appear at Carthage on Feb. 1, 484, to give an account of his faith; and probably also with the "Vigilius Tapsensis," who, according to the testimony of manuscripts, wrote three books against Eutychianism. No other details of his life are known with certainty, but it seems probable that after the disastrous termination of the visit to Carthage he was banished; at least, he must have been deposed like all the other Catholic bishops. According to Theodulf of Orléans (De Spiritu Sancto, MPL, cv. 273), and tEneas of Paris (Adv. Crrtecos, MPL, exxi. 717), Vigilius composed his works against Eutyches at Constantinople. More might be stated concerning the episcopal career of Vigilius could he be identified with the Vigilius to whom Celsus addressed his De Judaica incredulitate (Cyprian, ed. G. Hartel, Vienna, 1871, III., iii. 119-132). He would then seem to have been a monk suddenly raised to the episcopate to end the controversies concerning the choice of a bishop at a time of per-

secution when bishops stood in imminent peril of death. This identification, however, is uncertain, and his own writings contain nothing concerning the events of his life.

Perceiving the spread of Eutychianism in the East, Vigilius wrote at the exhortation of his " holy brethren " the Libri quinque contra Eutychetem (MPL, 1xii. 95-154) formerly ascribed to Vigilius of Trent (q.v.). In his refutation of Eutyches he proceeds from the Catholic principle of the mean between the extreme and mutually antagonistic views of heretics. The date of the work is uncertain, but should probably be set not long after the Council of Chalcedon. In the fifth book Vigilius alludes to his polemics against Sabellius, Photinus, and Arius. This work, in three books, and entitled by the first editor of Vigilius (F. Chifliet, Victoris Vitensis et Vigilii Tapsensis provincice Bizacence episeoPorum opera, Dijon, 1664) Contra Arianos, etc., dialogus (MPL, 1xii. 179-238), is in the form of a debate between Athanasius (Vigilius himself), Arius, Sabellius, and Photinus before the judge Probus (God). Sabellius and Photinus advance arguments which prove mutually destructive, so that only Athanasius and Arius remain, the victory being awarded the former by the judge. From this work an extract was made, apparently in the Carolingian period, in which only Arius and Athanasius debate, an introduction being provided on the basis of the "Church History" of Rufinus (MPL, Lyii. 155-180). It is also very probable that the Liber contra Felicianum et Arianum de unitate Trinitatis ad Optatum (MPL, Lxii. 333-352) was written by Vigilius.

Vigilius of Thapsus was the author of a number of other works now lost. In his Dialogus (ii. 45) he mentions a polemic "against Maribadus," probably the deacon Marivadus, who enjoyed the special favor of Hunerich. Chifflet wrongly identified this lost work with the Ictacii Clari Hispani contra Varimadum Arianum Liber et difficillimorum quorumque locorum de Trinitate declaratio (MPL, 1xii. 351-434), first edited by J. Sichardt in his Antidotum (Basel, 1528). Vigilius also replied to the attack of the Arias bishop Palladius on Ambrose (Dialogue, ii. 50). This work has likewise vanished. Chifliet wrongly ascribed to Vigilius the De Trinitate libri duodecim (MPL, 1xii. 237-334), but of these only books i.-viii. belong together, ix.-xii. being by another author, while even the first eight books represent a revised and enlarged second edition of the books i.-vii. It is generally conceded that both these recessions were written in Spain, not Africa or Italy, at the end of the fourth or the beginning of the fifth century. In all probability books i.vii. of the De Trinitate were written by Gregory of Elvira (q.v.), the author of the pseudo-Ambrosias De fide (MPL, 1xii. 449-468), whose seven books De Trinitate, written before 383, had been suspected of Sabellianism, and who had accordingly composed the De fide and revised his seven books, besides adding an eighth. The Libellus fudei, the ninth book of the De Trirtitate, must be by the same author. Books x.-xii. of the De Trinitate have not yet been sufficiently studied. The concluding portions -of the first and second parts are repeated word

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for word in the De ratione fidei and the De Spiritu Sancto of Nicetas of Remesiana (ed. A. E. Burn, Cambridge, 1905); and the twelfth book has been ascribed by the Benedictines to Athanasius. This last is a collection of Scriptural passages demonstrating the divinity of the Holy Ghost, and it is now generally held that it can not be a translation from the Greek. It shows affinities, however, with the pseudo(?)-Athanasian De incarnatione Dei Yerbi et contra Arianos (MPL, xxvi. 981-1028).

Several other works have been ascribed to this Vigilius: Solutiones objeetionum Arianorum (MPL, lxii. 469-472); Collatio beati Augustini cum Pascentio Ariano (MPL, xxxiii. 1156-62); Altercatio ecclesice et synagogte (MPL, xlii. 1131-40); Liter contra Fulgentium Donatistam (MPL, xliii. 763-774; this certainly of African origin); ConfLictus Catholici et Serapionis de Deo trino et uno (MPL, liii. 239-322; usually attributed to Arnobius); and a number of others, one of which, the De confLictu virtutum et vitiorum (MPL, xl. 1091-1106), was certainly written by Ambrosias Autpertus, while the rest admit of no final decision. In his Institutio divinarum litterarum (ix.; MPL, lxx. 1122), Cassiodorus mentions an African Bishop Vigilius as the author of an excellent treatise on the thousand years of the Apocalypse, but it is uncertain whether this author was Vigilius of Thapsus.

(Gerhard Ficker.)

Bibliography: S. A. Morcelli, Africa Christiarsa, i. 307, iii. 216, 235, Brixen, 1816-17; F. Kattenbusch, Das apostolische Symbol, passim, Leipsic, 1594; G. Ficker, Studien zu Vigitius von Thapaus, Leipsic, 1897; Bardenhewer, Patrologie, 3d ed., p. 537, Eng. transl., St. Louie, 1908; J. Quitt, in J. Strzygowski, Byzantinische Denkmkler, iii. 83-100, 111-112, Vienna, 1903; H. Leclercq, L'Afrique chrétienne, ii. 203, Paris, 1904; M. Schanz, Geschichte der römischen Litteratur, i. 280, 34H-349, Munich, 1904; Ceillier, Auteurs sacrés, s. 472-455; DOB, iv. 1143-44; KL, nu. 959-982.