Alypius of Thagaste was
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
of the
see
See or SEE may refer to:
* Sight - seeing
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Music:
** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals
*** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See''
** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho
* Television
* ...
of
Tagaste (in what is now
Algeria
)
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, capital = Algiers
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, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
) in 394. He was a lifelong friend of
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...
and joined him in his conversion (in 386; ''Confessions'' 8.12.28) and life in Christianity. He is credited with helping establish Augustine's
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
. Most of what is known about him comes from Augustine's autobiographical ''
Confessions''.
Life
Alypius came from an aristocratic family of Thagaste, a small town in the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis. He was a student of Augustine's in Carthage.
As Alypius’ friendship with Augustine began to deepen (Augustine called him the brother of his heart), so did his interest in Manicheism. Alypius admired the Manichees’ strict decrees on chastity,
and believed that marriage would interfere with the search for wisdom with his friends.
He also studied law, and during his early life went to Rome, where he served as a
magistrate
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
. One commonly cited event, from the ''Confessions'' (6.8.13) concerns the young Alypius, who had extremely strong moral beliefs, being taken by friends to watch violent
Roman games
The ''Ludi Romani'' ("Roman Games"; see ''ludi'') was a religious festival in ancient Rome. Usually including multiple ceremonies called ''ludi''. They were held annually starting in 366 BC from September 12 to September 14, later extended to S ...
in the arena. He initially resisted this, keeping his eyes shut, but he was unable to control himself because of the sounds and eventually succumbed and opened his eyes. To his horror, he found himself enjoying the spectacle and even invited other friends to come with him later. However, he eventually repented of this and returned to the spiritual fold.
In 384 he joined Augustine in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, where he was exposed to the preaching of
Ambrose
Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...
. Alypius was present in the garden of Milan at Augustine’s conversion. He and Augustine were baptized by Ambrose at the Easter vigil in April 387.
After being baptized, he and Augustine returned to Thagaste, where he helped Augustine establish the first monastery in North Africa. When Augustine was made priest of Hippo, Alypius moved there and became a member of the monastic community Augustine founded there. In 394 Alypius became bishop of Thagaste after his return from the Holy Land, where he had seen
Jerome
Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, th ...
.
[
The following year, he wrote ]Paulinus of Nola
Paulinus of Nola (; la, Paulinus Nolanus; also Anglicized as Pauline of Nola; – 22 June 431) born Pontius Meropius Anicius Paulinus, was a Roman poet, writer, and senator who attained the ranks of suffect consul () and governor of Campania ...
, requesting a copy of Eusebius' ''Ecclesiastical History''. Paulinus, who was interested in what Alypius believed and taught, requested some particulars of his life. Alypius asked Augustine to write in response. According to John C. Kelly, this was the impetus behind Augustine's later ''Confessions''.[ He took part in the African Councils of the Catholic Church during his time as bishop, and was chosen along with Possidius and Augustine to represent the Catholic Bishops at the famous meeting with the Donatists in Carthage in 411. He took part in the Council of Milevi (Numidia) in 416. He composed a written report on this Council for Pope Innocent.]cultus Cultus may refer to:
*Cult (religious practice)
* ''Cultus'' (stonefly), a genus of stoneflies
* Cultus Bay, a bay in Washington
* Cultus Lake (disambiguation)
*Cultus River
The Cultus River is a stream in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in Desc ...
, until he was added into the Roman Martyrology
The ''Roman Martyrology'' ( la, Martyrologium Romanum) is the official martyrology of the Catholic Church. Its use is obligatory in matters regarding the Roman Rite liturgy, but dioceses, countries and religious institutes may add duly approved ...
by Pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII ( la, Gregorius XIII; it, Gregorio XIII; 7 January 1502 – 10 April 1585), born Ugo Boncompagni, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 May 1572 to his death in April 1585. He is best known for ...
in 1584.Possidius
Possidius (5th century) was a friend of Augustine of Hippo who wrote a reliable biography and an ''indiculus'' or list of his works. He was bishop of Calama in the Roman province of Numidia.
Biography
The dates of his birth and death are unk ...
on May 16.
References
Further reading
* Rotelle O.S.A., John. ''Book of Augustinian Saints'' (Augustinian Press, Villanova University, 2000)
External links
Information on Saints Alypius and Possidius
St. Alypius - Midwest Augustinians
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alypius Of Thagaste
4th-century births
5th-century deaths
5th-century bishops in Roman North Africa
Saints from Mauretania Caesariensis
5th-century Christian saints
5th-century Latin writers