Fulgentius of Ruspe - Biography

Biography

His father died while Fulgentius was still quite young. His mother, Mariana, taught him to speak Greek and Latin. Fulgentius would become particularly good at the former, even speaking it like a native. He quickly gained wide respect for his conduct of the family affairs, as well as for the respect he showed his mother. This reputation helped him to acquire a post as a civil servant in the government of Rome, as a procurator of Byzacena. He quickly grew tired of the material life. This, together with his studies of religion, particularly a sermon of Augustine of Hippo on Psalm 36, which dealt with the transitory nature of the physical life, determined him to become a monk.

He applied to Faustus, a bishop who had been forced from his diocese by the Vandal king Huneric and later set up a monastery at Byzacena. Faustus had serious concerns about Fulgentius's physical weakness, which might make him a poor fit for the rigorous life of the monastery, and tried to dissuade the twenty-two year old Fulgentius from his request. As Fulgentius persisted, though, Faustus relented and admitted him on a trial basis.

When learning of this, Mariana, who evidently had never been told of Fulgentius's wish, was very upset. She rushed to the gates of the monastery, demanding to know how a church which was supposed to protect widows could rob this widow of her only son. Her protestations were ineffective, however, and Fulgentius was ultimately confirmed to his vocation.

Renewed attacks on the area forced Fulgentius to leave for another nearby monastery. The abbot there, Felix, gave Fulgentius the duty of managing the temporal affairs of the monastery, while he himself managed the spiritual affairs. The two of them worked quite well together, and, in 499, during another Arian persecution in the area, fled for Sicca Veneria. There they preached the Chalcedonian teaching regarding the dual nature of Jesus. Upon learning of this, a local Arian priest had them arrested and tortured.

Upon being released, Fulgentius planned to go to Alexandria, but changed his mind upon hearing the Arians had taken control of Egypt. He opted instead to go to Rome, where he prayed at the tombs of the apostles. He then returned to Byzacena, where he built a monastery, electing himself to live in an isolated cell. Fulgentius's reputation quickly spread, and he was frequently offered the post of bishop of one of the dioceses which had been vacated through the actions of the Arian king Thrasamund. He chose not to accept these offers, knowing Thrasamund had specifically ordered that only Arians be permitted to fill those sees.