The Circumcellions or Agonistici
(as called by
Donatists
Donatism was a Christian sect leading to a schism in the Church, in the region of the Church of Carthage, from the fourth to the sixth centuries. Donatists argued that Christian clergy must be faultless for their ministry to be effective and t ...
) were bands of Roman Christian radicals in
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
in the early to mid-4th century.
[.] They were
considered heretical by the Catholic Church. They were initially concerned with remedying social grievances, but they became linked with the
Donatist sect.
They condemned poverty and slavery, and advocated canceling debt and freeing slaves.
The term "Circumcellions" may have been coined or mocked by critics who referred to them as "circum cellas euntes", ''they go around
larders'', because "they roved about among the peasants, living on those they sought to indoctrinate."
Background
The Circumcellions first appeared about 317, and were active primarily in Numidia, and
Mauretania Sitifensis. They promoted ideas of social reform along with
eschatological hopes.
Optatus, Bishop of
Milevis, says that around 340 they started an uprising directed at creditors and slave owners. They regarded as
martyrs those among them killed when the disturbance was put down.
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 Afr ...
likened them to a rustic mob encouraging violence against landlords.
They regarded martyrdom as the true Christian virtue, and thus disagreed with the
Episcopal see of Carthage
The Archdiocese of Carthage, also known as the Church of Carthage, was a Latin Catholic diocese established in Carthage, Roman Empire, in the 2nd century. Agrippin was the first named bishop, around 230 AD. The temporal importance of the city of ...
on the primacy of chastity, sobriety, humility, and charity. Instead, they focused on bringing about their own martyrdom.
On occasion, members of this group assaulted Roman legionaries or armed travelers with simple wooden clubs to provoke them into attacking and martyring them. Others interrupted courts of law and verbally provoked the judge so that he would order their immediate execution (a normal punishment at the time for
contempt of court).
Views
Because it is written in the
Gospel of John
The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...
that
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...
had told
Peter to put down his sword in the Garden of
Gethsemane (), the Circumcellions avoided bladed weapons and used clubs, which they called "Israelites". Using their "Israelites", the Circumcellions would attack random travelers on the road, while shouting ''"Laudate Deum!"'' ("Praise God!" in Latin). The motive behind these random beatings was to provoke the victims into killing them, so they would die a martyr's death.
They preferred to be known as ''agonistici'' ("fighters" for Christ).
"Agonistici" are not to be confused with
agnostic
Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficien ...
s: the first term is based on "
agon", the second on "
gnosis".
In popular culture
In
Umberto Eco's ''
Baudolino'' (2000), the law of the Deacon of Pndapetzim is enforced by Circumcellion Nubian guards.
References
External links
*
* .
{{Authority control
Christian denominations established in the 4th century
Donatism