Marcellinus of Carthage was a Christian

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

and saint who died in 413. He was secretary of state of the

Western Roman Empire The Western Roman Empire comprised the western provinces of the Roman Empire at any time during which they were administered by a separate independent Imperial court; in particular, this term is used in historiography to describe the period ...

under Roman emperor Honorius and a close friend of Augustine of Hippo, as well as a correspondent of

Saint Jerome Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is co ...

's. Saint Augustine dedicated the first books of his landmark ''

The City of God ''On the City of God Against the Pagans'' ( la, De civitate Dei contra paganos), often called ''The City of God'', is a book of Christian philosophy written in Latin by Augustine of Hippo in the early 5th century AD. The book was in response ...

'' to Marcellinus in 413.

Life

Flavius Marcellinus was born in Toledo in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, and had a brother, Apringius. He came to hold the rank of ''tribunus et notarius'' under Emperor Honorius. He was described as "a cultured, generous aristocrat, interested in theology". His interest in religious questions, brought about close and friendly relations between him and St. Augustine, who wrote him several letters, and dedicated various books to him ("''De peccatorum meritis et remissione''", "''De baptismo parvulorum''", and the first three books of "''

De Civitate Dei ''On the City of God Against the Pagans'' ( la, De civitate Dei contra paganos), often called ''The City of God'', is a book of Christian philosophy written in Latin by Augustine of Hippo in the early 5th century AD. The book was in response ...

''").

also wrote him.Kirsch, Johann Peter. "Flavius Marcellinus."
''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 28 Dec. 2015 He was married to Anapsychia.

Donatist controversy

In Africa, the dispute between the Donatists and orthodox Christians was not only doctrinal but also involved regional and social tensions: Numidia against proconsular Africa, and proletarians against Roman landowners."St. Marcellino"
Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano In 405 an imperial decree declared the Donatists heretics and prescribed confiscation of their property. The fall of

Stilicho Flavius Stilicho (; c. 359 – 22 August 408) was a military commander in the Roman army who, for a time, became the most powerful man in the Western Roman Empire. He was of Vandal origins and married to Serena, the niece of emperor Theodosiu ...

in 408, led them to hope for a change in imperial policy; however, in 410 Marcellinus was given instructions to "abolish the new superstition". The orthodox bishops hoped the Donatists would be more susceptible to reasoned debate and petitioned the emperor to call a conference. Marcellinus was sent to Africa in 411, charged with presiding over the

Council of Carthage The Councils of Carthage were church synods held during the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries in the city of Carthage in Africa. The most important of these are described below. Synod of 251 In May 251 a synod, assembled under the presidency of Cyprian ...

in early June of that year. In his summons to the parties, Marcellinus made no secret of the emperor's position. Bishops representing each side of the controversy debated the issue. Marcellinus, as the emperor's representative, ruled that the Donatists were heretics and that they had to give up their churches and return to churches under the control of orthodox bishops and priests. According to John T. Noonan, the Donatists alleged that Marcellinus had been bribed as that was a stronger argument than that he was merely enforcing imperial policy.Noonan, John Thoma
''Bribes''
University of California Press, 1987, The judgment was enforced by the

Roman army The Roman army (Latin: ) was the armed forces deployed by the Romans throughout the duration of Ancient Rome, from the Roman Kingdom (c. 500 BC) to the Roman Republic (500–31 BC) and the Roman Empire (31 BC–395 AD), and its medieval contin ...

with great severity. So bloody was the persecution of the Donatists that Augustine, who had been one of the leaders in condemning Donatism as a heresy, protested at their treatment. Subsequently, some of the Donatists engaged in sporadic violence against orthodox priests. Marcellinus presided at the trials of those arrested. Augustine appealed for clemency both to Marcellinus and Marcellinus's brother Apringius, who was proconsul for Africa. Noonan views the fact that Augustine and Marcellinus remained close friends as suggesting that the bishop's petition was granted.

Death

In 413, the Donatists accused Marcellinus and Apringius of involvement in the rebellion of

Heraclianus Heraclianus ( grc, Ἡρακλειανὸς, ''Herakleianòs''; died 7 March 413) was a provincial governor and a usurper of the Western Roman Empire (412–413) opposed to Emperor Honorius, who had originally brought him to power. Heraclianus h ...

. General Marinus, who had quashed the rebellion and who had Donatist sympathies, arrested the brothers and put them in

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...

. Even with Saint Augustine intervening on their behalf with Caecilian, the presiding judge of their case, the two brothers were executed, on September 13. The following year, Marcellinus was exonerated by Emperor Honorius.

Veneration

Marcellinus was subsequently listed in 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 ...

. Saint Marcellinus has a statue adorning the spire atop the south

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building wi ...

of the

Duomo di Milano Milan Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Milano ; lmo, Domm de Milan ), or Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary ( it, Basilica cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria Nascente, links=no), is the cathedral church of Milan, Lombard ...

, and a statue on the southern half of Bernini's colonnade in Saint Peter's Square,

Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...

.Colonnade Statue in St Peter's Square
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References

Sources

* Brown, Peter. ''Augustine of Hippo: a Biography'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000). See particularly the chapters 25–28 for Marcellinus' role in the Donatist controversy and his juridical murder after Heraclion's attempted coup.

External links

Bargellini, Piero. "San Marcellino", Santi e beati
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marcellinus Of Carthage 4th-century births 413 deaths Saints from Roman Africa (province) 5th-century Christian saints 5th-century Christian martyrs