A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

3. Of Arles, born of a noble family in the middle of the sixth century, and at the early age of thirty appointed governor of the province of Marseilles, where he soon became notorious for tyranny and extortion, persecuting with especial hostility the bishop Theodorus, whom he drove into banishment, confiscating at the same time the revenues of the see. As he advanced in life, however, a singular change was wrought in his character by remorse or some motive now unknown. He became the obedient instrument of pope Gregory, the zealous champion of the rights of Rome, lavished his ill-gotten hoards on the endowment of monasteries, and ended his life in a cloister about A. D. 601. In youth he composed several poetical pieces, which are warmly lauded by Fortunatus of Poitiers; but the only productions of his pen now extant are the Vita S. Marii, abbot of Bevon, an abridgment of which is given in the Acta of Bollandus under the 27th of January; and the Vita S. Maximi, originally abbot of Lerins, but afterwards bishop of Riez, contained in the collection of Surius under 27 Nov., and in a more correct form in the "Chronologia S. Insulae Lerinensis," by Vincentius Barralis, Lugdun. 4to, 1613.

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