Sulpicius Severus

Sulpicius Severus (born c. 363, Aquitania, Gaul—died c. 420) was an early Christian ascetic, a chief authority for contemporary Gallo-Roman history, who is considered the most graceful writer of his time.

Well trained as a lawyer, Sulpicius was baptized in about 390 with Paulinus (later bishop of Nola). After the early death of his wife, he devoted himself, with the encouragement of his lifelong friends, Paulinus and Martin of Tours, to local church building and to life as a literary recluse in Aquitania. In ascetic retirement he was interested in the Western Church, especially the monasticism recently introduced in Gaul. His correspondence includes 13 extant letters addressed to him by Paulinus.

Although the 5th-century biographer Gennadius refers to Sulpicius as a priest of suspect orthodoxy who was not in good relations with the Gaulish bishops, St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Jerome make friendly references to him. He is sometimes confused with Bishop St. Sulpicius Severus of Bourges (d. 591).

Sulpicius’ most famous work is the Vita S. Martini, the first draft of which was written before Martin’s death in 397, but supplementary matter relating to Martin is added in all his subsequent versions, including three authentic letters. In 400 he wrote Chronica, 2 vol., (c. 402–404), sacred histories from the Creation to his own time but omitting the Gospels; the latter part is a valuable contemporary document, especially for the tragic history of the Priscillianists, followers of an unorthodox Trinitarian doctrine teaching that the Son differs from the Father only in name. The Dialogi (404) are a literary masterpiece in which the relative merits of Martin’s monastery (at Marmoutier, near Tours) are debated by one of its inmates with a traveller recently returned to Aquitania from the ascetics of the North African desert, while Sulpicius presides and prompts the speakers.

Nearly half of Sulpicius’ works are devoted to the life of Martin, of whom he was a disciple and his most famous hagiographer. B. Peebles’ English translations of selected works of his are in The Fathers of the Church (1949). An English translation of Dialogi and three letters may be found in The Western Fathers, edited by C. Dawson (1954).