Fulgentius of Ruspe

Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe
Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe
Abbot and Bishop
Born	c. 465 Thelepte, Western Roman Empire
Died	1 January 527(527-01-01) or 533 Ruspe, Kingdom of the Vandals
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church
Feast	1 January and 3 January (Augustinian Order)

Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe (462 or 467 – 1 January 527 or 533) was bishop of the city of Ruspe, North Africa during the 5th and 6th century. He was also canonized as a Christian saint.

Fabius Claudius Gordianus Fulgentius was born in the year 462 at Telepte (modern-day Medinet-el-Kedima), Tunisia, North Africa. He was born into a senatorial family. His grandfather, Gordianus, was a senator of Carthage and was despoiled of his possessions by the invader Genseric, however he banished to Italy. His two sons returned after his death, even though their house in Carthage had been taken over by Arian priests, they recovered some property in Byzacene.

His father, Claudius, died while Fulgentius was still quite young. His mother, Mariana, taught him to speak Greek and Latin. Fulgentius became particularly good at the former, even speaking it like a native. His biographer says that at an early age Fulgentius committed all Homer to memory. He quickly gained wide respect for his conduct of the family affairs. This reputation helped him to acquire a post as a procurator or tax collector of Byzacena. He quickly grew tired of the material life, and together with his studies of religion, particularly a sermon of Augustine of Hippo on Psalm 36, which dealt with the transitory nature of physical life, determined him to become a monk.

Around the year 499 he set out to join the hermits of the Thebaid in Egypt, but changed his mind was once he learned from Eulalius, bishop of Syracuse, of the influence of monophysitism on Egyptian monasticism.

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 have made him a poor candidate fit 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 in his vocation.