VICTOR OF VITA: Bishop of Vita (apparently his native city) in the African province of Byzacena, probably from before 477 to after 484. Information concerning him is drawn almost exclusively from his one extant work, the Historic perseeutionis African,te provineite (MPL, hiss.; ed. C. Halm, in MGH, Auct. Ant., iii. 1, 1879; and M. Petschenig, in CSEL, Vol. vii.), an account of the sufferings of the Catholics under the Vandal kings Geiserich and Hunnerich. The history seems to have been written during the lifetime of Hunnerich and published after his death, between 485 and 489. It is in three books, the first devoted to the reign of Geiserich and the latter two to the eight years of Hunnerich. The vocabulary is meager, the style mediocre, and the theological ability only average; but the work is generally trustworthy, and, at least in the reign of Hunnerich, the author was an eye-witness of what he described. The work is, therefore, valuable for its material concerning the political, religious, social, and liturgical conditions of Vandal Africa about 480.

Appended to the history both in the manuscripts and the editions is a Passio sePtem monachorum, dating from 483 or 484 and ascribed to Victor, though certainly not by him. His work receives a valuable supplement in the Notitia Provinciarum et civitatum Africte (ed. Hahn and Petschenig, ut sup.), a list of all the Catholic bishops of the seven Vandal provinces of Africa officiating in 484 and bidden to attend a religious colloquy at Carthage on Feb. 1 of that year. Victor o£ Vita is noted there as "not coming:"

(G. A. Julicher.)

Bibliography: ASB, Aug., iv. 62832; M. Petschenig, in the Silzuugsberichte of the Vienna Academy, philosophical-historical class, xevi (1880), 837-732 (the best intro,duetion); J. Liron. Dissertation sur Victor de Vile, Paris, 1708; F. Papeneordt, Geschichte der varulalischen Herrschaft in AJrika, pp. 366-370, Berlin, 1837; F. X. Kraus, Realencyklop&die der christlichen Alterlumer, i. 259-262, 279, Freiburg, 1880; A. Auler, in Historische Untersuchungen A. Schäfer Bewidmet, pp. 253-275, Bonn, 1882; W. PStzseh, Victor von Vita und die Kircheaverfolguug im Varulalenreiche, Dbbeln, 1887; A. Ebert, Geschichte der Literatur des Miltelalters, i. 454-458. 2d ed., Leipsic, 1889; W. S. Teuffel, Geschichte der nimischeu Literatur, § 470, Leipsic, 1890; P. Ferrbre, De Victoria ViEensis libro, Paris, 1898; A. SchSnfelder, De Yictore Viterrsi, Breslau, 1899; Ceillier, Auteurs sacrés, x. 448-X84 (contains an excellent bibliography); MPL, lviii. 395-434; DCB, iv. 1122-23; KL, iii. 911-913.