Auxentius of Milan or of Cappadocia" (fl. 343 – 374), was an

Arian Arianism (, ) is a Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius (). It is considered he ...

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

and bishop of Milan. Because of his Arian faith, Auxentius is considered by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

as an intruder and he is not included in the Catholic lists of the bishops of Milan such as that engraved in the

Cathedral of Milan Milan Cathedral ( ; ), or Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary (), is the cathedral church of Milan, Lombardy, Italy. Dedicated to the Nativity of St. Mary (), it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Archbi ...

. Auxentius came to be regarded as the great opponent of the

Nicene Creed The Nicene Creed, also called the Creed of Constantinople, is the defining statement of belief of Nicene Christianity and in those Christian denominations that adhere to it. The original Nicene Creed was first adopted at the First Council of N ...

in the West. His theological doctrines were attacked by Hilary of Poitiers, whose ''Liber contra Auxentium'' remains the chief source of information about him.

Life

Auxentius was a native of

Cappadocia Cappadocia (; , from ) is a historical region in Central Anatolia region, Turkey. It is largely in the provinces of Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. Today, the touristic Cappadocia Region is located in Nevşehir ...

, and he was ordained as a priest in 343 by Gregory of Cappadocia, the Arian Bishop of Alexandria. According to his opponent

Athanasius of Alexandria Athanasius I of Alexandria ( – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor, or, among Coptic Christians, Athanasius the Apostolic, was a Christian theologian and the 20th patriarch of Alexandria (as Athanasius ...

, Auxentius was ''"even ignorant of the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

language, and unskilful in everything except impiety"''. The historical period in which Auxentius lived was marked by the fight between the Arians and the supporters of the faith of the Council of Nicaea. In 355, the Roman Emperor

Constantius II Constantius II (; ; 7 August 317 – 3 November 361) was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germanic peoples, while internally the Roman Empire went through repeated civ ...

convened a synod in Milan, in which Dionysius, bishop of Milan, along with

Eusebius of Vercelli Eusebius of Vercelli (c. 2 March 283 – 1 August 371) was a bishop from Sardinia and is counted a saint. Along with Athanasius, he affirmed the divinity of Jesus against Arianism. Biography Eusebius was born in Sardinia, in 283. After his father' ...

and

Lucifer of Cagliari St. Lucifer of Cagliari (, ; died 20 May 370 or 371) was a bishop of Cagliari in Sardinia known for his passionate opposition to Arianism. He is venerated as a Saint in Sardinia. Life Lucifer first appears in history as an envoy from Pope Lib ...

, opposed the Arian leanings of the Emperor. This resulted in the exile of all three. Shortly thereafter, the Arian bishops, with the support of the Emperor, appointed the Arian Auxentius as new bishop of

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

. In 359, Auxentius played a relevant role in the Council of Rimini, which supported the Semi-Arian doctrines stated in the Second Council of Sirmium in 351. After Constantius' death, the pagan Emperor Julian (died 363) left Auxentius undisturbed in his diocese. Under the following Christian Emperors, Jovian and

Valentinian I Valentinian I (; 32117 November 375), also known as Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. He ruled the Western Roman Empire, Western half of the empire, while his brother Valens ruled the Byzantine Empire, East. During his re ...

, there were many attempts by the supporters of the Nicaean faith to depose Auxentius. In 364 Auxentius was publicly accused in a disputation with Hilary of Poitiers held in Milan by order of the Emperor

. His submission was only apparent, however, and he remained powerful enough to compel the departure of Hilary from Milan. Eusebius of Vercelli and

also failed to obtain the deposition of Auxentius. In 372

Pope Damasus I Pope Damasus I (; c. 305 – 11 December 384), also known as Damasus of Rome, was the bishop of Rome from October 366 to his death in 384. It is claimed that he presided over the Council of Rome of 382 that determined the canon or official list ...

summoned a synod which explicitly condemned Auxentius as heretic. However, Auxentius remained in Milan until his death in 374, even though the Nicaean priest Philastrius (later bishop of

Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...

) operated in Milan to support the Christian population. Auxentius was succeeded by the Nicaean

Ambrose Ambrose of Milan (; 4 April 397), venerated as Saint Ambrose, was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promoting Roman Christianity against Ari ...

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Auxentius Of Milan 4th-century births 374 deaths 4th-century Christian theologians Arian bishops 4th-century Romans 4th-century Italian bishops Bishops of Milan Nicene Creed