Listed 1 sub titles with search on: Religious figures biography for wider area of: "AKRAGAS Ancient city SICILY" .
AKRAGAS (Ancient city) SICILY
Gregorius Agrigentinus, or of Agrigentum, one of the most eminent ecclesiastics
of the sixth century, was born near Agrigentum about A. D. 524. His father, Chariton,
and his mother, Theodote, were pious people, by whom, from his twelfth year, he
was destined to the priesthood, his precocity of mind having attracted great attention.
After going through his course of education, he visited Carthage, and from thence
proceeded to Jerusalem, where he was ordained deacon, according to Symeon Metaphrastes,
by the patriarch Macarius II.; but this is an anachronism, as Macarius occupied
that see from A. D. 563 to 574. He stayed at Jerusalem at least four years, studying
grammar, philosophy, astronomy, and eloquence. From Jerusalem he proceeded to
Antioch, and from thence to Constantinople, exciting very general admiration.
According to Nicephorus Callisti, he was esteemed to be superior in holiness and
eloquence and learning to nearly all the ecclesiastics of his day. From Constantinople
he proceeded to Rome, and was by the pope advanced to the vacant see of Agrigentum,
the nomination to which had been referred to the pope in consequence of disputes
about the succession. This appointment was, however, the source of much trouble
to Gregory; for two of the ecclesiastics, who had been competitors for the see,
suborned a prostitute to charge him with fornication. This accusation led the
bishop to undertake a journey to Constantinople, where he was favourably received
by the emperor Justinian I., and obtained an acquittal from the charge against
him; after which he returned to Agrigentum, where he died 23d of Nov., about A.
D. 564. His life was written in Greek by Leontius, presbyter and abbot of St.
Saba, and by Symeon Metaphrastes. A Latin version of the latter is given by Surius:
it ascribes many miracles to him. The life by Leontius is given, we are not informed
whether in the Greek or in a Latin version, in the Sancti Siculi of Caetanus,
vol. i. p. 188, &c. The works of Gregory of Agrigentum comprehend, 1. Orationes
de Fidei dogmatibus ad Antiochenos. 2. Orationes tum ad docendum tum ad laudandum
editae Constantinopoli. 3. Conciones ad Populum de Dogmatibus : all extant in
the work of Leontius. 4. Commentarius in Ecclesiasten. The MS. of this was left
by Possinus at Rome with Jo. Fr. de Rubeis that it might be translated and published
; but it never appeared, and it is not known what became of it. (Niceph. Callisti,
H. E. xvii. 27; Mongitor. Biblioth. Sicula, vol. i.; Cave, Hist. Litt. vol. i.,
ed. Oxford, 1740-43; Surius, De Probatis Sanctor. Vitis. Nov.)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Nov 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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