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tion arose. JVlian of Bostra and Epiphanius of Tyre set themselves against him and urged that his see be taken away, and the Isaurian and other bishops refused recognition. His chief writing of this period was the three books Kata loannou grammatikou tou Kaisareias. Correspondence with the grammarian Sergius on the doctrine of the two natures is extant in the Syriac. Whether the "Apology for the Philalethes," the writing against the Kodikildai of an Alexander, and the books "On the Two Natures" belong to this period is uncertain. In the correspondence Severus shows himself a prelate of parts, strong, just, circumspect, clever, plain, and not unlovable. As patriarch he remained true to ascetic ideals. He was faithful in his episcopal visitations, and was always ready to preach; while his sermons are described as being appreciated like rain on thirsty ground.
The ascent to the throne of Justin in 518 changed the situation in the ecclesiastical sphere. He drove out all the bishops, monks, and nuns in the diocese of Antioch who were tainted with monophysitism. Severus fled to Alexandria, where he is said to have arrived Sept. 29, 518. Timothy IV. received the refugees kindly, and for the time Severus was in retirement. Still in this period falls the dogmatic controversy with Julian of Halicarnassus (q.v.); and he corresponded with his supporters in Syria. The reign of Justinian and the influence of Theodora seemed to offer opportunities of success for his opposition to Chalcedonism, and in 535 he started toward Constantinople, but the overthrow of Anthimus destroyed his prospects. He was with other Monophysites excommunicated at the synod of 536, while the edict of Aug. 6 forbade him the capital. He returned to Egypt, and took up his lonely residence in the desert south of Alexandria. His death gave rise to legends concerning the events which attended it, and to his body was accredited the power of healing all infirmities; still the hatred of his opponents followed him and aspersed his memory a hundred years later. (G. KRt.GER.)
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Many of the works of Severue remain inedited in MSS. in the great libraries (cf. e.g., W. Wright, Catalogue of the Syriac MSS. in the British Museum, general index, pp. 1322 sqq., London, 1872). A list of writings attributed to him is found in B. de Montfaucon, Bsbliotheca Coisliniana, pp. 53-57, Paris, 1715, cf. Fabrieius-Harles, Bibliotheca Grdca, x. 61423, Hamburg, 1807. Fragments have been printed in Mai, Nova collectio, vii., 8 sqq., 71-73, ix. 725-759, in the same author's Clasaici auctor", x. 408 173, and in his Spicilegium Ro manum, x. 202-205, 212-220; in MPG, lxxxvi. 1, cola. 1841-49; in R. L. Bensly, Fourth Book of Maccabees and Kindred Documents in Syriac, pp. xxvii-xxix. 75-102 Cambridge, 1895; and in MPG, xlvi. 627-852 (there attributed to Gregory of Nyssa; cf. M. A. Kugener, in Revue de l'orient chritien, iii . 1898, pp. 435-451). Letters of his are published in the Sixth Book of the Select Letters of Severue, ed. and tranel., E. W. Brooks, 2 vols., London, 1902-04. And extracts from a baptismal liturgy are given by A. Reach, Aprapha, in TU, v. 4 (1889), 361-372.
For the life all prior editions of the two sources are rendered obsolete through the ed. by M. A. Kugener of the " Lives " by Zacharias the Scholastic and Johannes bar Aphthoma, both in Patrolopia orientalis, ed. R. Graffin and F. Nau, vol. ii., parts 1 and 3, Paris, 1903-05. J. Eustratios has a monograph on Severus, written in Greek, Leipsic, 1894 the commentary on the " Church History " of Zacharias Rhetor, edited in Germ. trawl. by K. Ahrens and G. Krager, Leipsic, 1899, corrections to
which are furnished in Revue orientate chrRienne v (1900), 201 eqq., 461 eqq.; M. Peisker, Severua von Antiochen, Halle, 1903; B. Evette, Hist. of the Patriarchs of the Coptic Church of Alexandria, in Graffin's Patrolopia orientalis. ut sup., i. parts 2 and 4, Paris, 1904-05; DCB, iv . 637641 (valuable); KL, xi. 222-223; Ceillier, Auteurs aaer6a, xi. 106-109 et passim; and literature on MONOPHTSITMB. On his theology consult: J. C. L. Gieseler, Commentatio qua Monophyeitarum . . opinion" illuetrantur, 2 parts, GSttingen, 1835-38; 1. A. Dormer, Lehre von der Person Chrietd, ii. 164 sqq. Berlin, 1853, Eng trawl, Hist. of the Development of the Doctrine of the Person o) Christ, 5 vols., Edinburgh, 1861-63; F. Loofs, in TU, iii. 1-2 (1888); Hamack, Dogma, vol. iv. passim.
SEVERUS, SEPTIMIUS. See SEPrlmlus SEvERus.
SEVERUS, SULPICIUS: Ecclesiastical historian; b. in Aquitania about 360; d. there after the year 420. He received an excellent education, devoted himself to the law, and won fame as an advocate. His good fortune seemed sealed when he married the rich daughter of a consular family; but he lost his wife early, and turned away from the world to the ascetic life, following the example of his friend Paulinus of Nola (q.v.), and inspired by Martin of Tours (q.v.), with whom he lived till the latter's death, regarding him as his spiritual father and a God-sent prophet and apostle. Gennadius (De vwr. ill., xix.; Eng. transl. in NPNF, 2 ser., iii. 389-390) says that Severus became a priest, but no record exists of his employment in priestly duties. The same authority says also that Severus was led away by the Pelagians, recognized his error, and imposed upon himself the penalty of silence till death.
As scholar and author Severus took high rank in his generation. He is a noble representative of the formal culture which existed in South France in the fourth and fifth centuries, for he had been a diligent student of classical writers. Hence his "Chronicle " has the flavor of such authors as Sallust and Tacitus, Velleius and Curtius, while the "Dialogues," though specifically Christian, smack of Cicero. Infelicities are few, barbarisms and novelties do not appear; and withal the Frankish genius shines out in stylistic refinements and elegant turns of expression. As a critic he surpassed his time; especially worthy of notice is this trait in his investigation of the story of Judith. Of the "lesser works" mentioned by Gennadius there are extant only the letters to various persons (his sister, Paulinus, and others). Of some of these doubt has been expressed, but they may well be genuine, since one can not expect the same qualities of style in such writings as in works that are formally literary and designed for an educated public. Besides these, Severus has left three concededly genuine works, in which his aim was to commend to the educated world, especially to Aquitania, historical Christianity and the Christian ascetic life. His "Chronicles"is a working-up of Biblical material into a historical book for reading; his "Life" of Martin of Tours is a brilliant and edifying memoir of that saint. The third is his "Dialogues." The first has come down in only one manuscript of the eleventh century; of the second there are many manuscripts, the oldest of which, of the seventh century, is a copy of a sixth-century exemplar (dated 519). The "Chronicles" fails in interest, partly because it is a deliberate making over, and its popularity was