Ju'lianus or
Ju'lianusEclanensissurnamed ECLANENSIS for the sake of distinction, is conspicuous in
the ecclesiastical history of the fifth century as one of the ablest supporters of Pelagius.
His father, Memorius or Memor, who is believed to have presided over the see of Capua, was
connected by close friendship with St. Augustine and Paulinus of Nola, the latter of whom
celebrated the nuptials of the son with Ia, daughter of Aemilius, bishop of Beneventum, in a
poem breathing the warmest affection towards the different members of the family. Julianus
early in life devoted himself to the duties of the priesthood, and after passing through the
subordinate grades of reader, deacon, and probably presbyter also, was ordained to the
episcopal charge of Eclanum in Apulia, by Innocentius, about A. D. 416. No suspicion seems to
have attached to his orthodoxy until he refused to sign the
Tractoria or public
denunciation of Coelestius and Pelagius, forwarded
by Zosimus in 418 to the
authorities of the Christian church throughout the world. This act of contumacy, in which he
was supported by many prelates of Southern Italy and Sicily, was soon followed by the
banishment of himself and his adherents in terms of the imperial edict. Quitting his native
country, he repaired to Constantinople, but being driven from thence, took refuge in Cilicia
with Theodorus of Mopsuestia, with whom he remained for several years. In 428 we find him
again at Constantinople, patronised by Nestorius, who addressed two letters to pope
Coelestinus on behalf of the exile. But in 429 Marius Mercator arrived, and by the charges
contained in the
Commonitorium [
MARIUS
MERCATOR], presented to Theodosius, procured the expulsion of the
heretics from the capital of the East. Having been formally condemned by the great council of
Ephesus, in 431, Julianus appears to have lived in obscurity until 439, when he made a last
desperate effort to recover his station and privileges; but the attempt having been frustrated
by the firmness of Sixtus II., his name from this time forward disappears entirely from
history, if we except the statement of Gennadius, who records that he died under Valentinian,
and therefore not later than
A. D. 455, having previously swelled the
number of his followers by distributing his whole fortune among the poor, to alleviate their
sufferings during a famine.
Works
No work of Julianus undoubtedly genuine has been transmitted to us entire, and his merits
as an author are known only from mutilated fragments contained in the writings of his
theological opponents. We find traces of the following :--
1
Epistola ad ZosimumComposed probably in 418, quoted by Marius Mercator in the sixth and ninth chapters of his
Subnotationes [
MARIUS
MERCATOR].
Editions
The different passages are collected and arranged by Garnier (Diss. V. ad Mar. Miercat. vol. i. p. 333).
2.
Epistola communis ei cum plurimis Pelagianis episcopis quam
Thessalonicam miserunt.Such is the title given by St. Augustine to the epistle which he undertook to refute, in
four books, addressed to pope Bonifacius.
Editions
The fragments will be found placed in order in Garnier's edition of Mercator. See
above.
3.
Libri IV, ad Turbantium episcopum, adversus librum primum
Augustini de Concupiscentia,Written about 419.
Editions
Considerable fragments, of the first book especially, are included in the second book of
Augustine,
De Nuptiis, in his
Libri VI.
contra Julianum, and in his
Opus Imperfectum.
(Garnier,
App. ad Diss. VI.
de Scriptis
pro Haeresi Pelagiana, p. 388, and
Diss. VI. p.
349.)
4.
Liber de Constantiae Bono contra Perfidiam
Manichaei,written, according to (arnier, after the expulsion of Julianus from his bishopric.
Editions
A few fragments have been preserved by Beda. (See Garnier, as above.)
5.
Libri VIII. ad Florum Episcopum adrersus secundum librum
Augustini de Nuptiis et Concupiscentia,written, according to Garnier, in Cilicia, and published about 426.
Editions
The first five books, or perhaps six, are given entire in the
Opus
imperfectum of Augustine. (Garnier,
Mercatoris Op.
vol. i. p. 34.)
6.
Liber de Amore, sive Commentarius in Cantica
Canticorummentioned by Beda alone, who remarks that it was divided into
two books, the first being devoted to a dissertation on Love, the second
embracingc the commentary.
Editions
For the fragments and various speculations concerning the history of this piece, see
Gamlier,
Append. ad Diss. VI. vol i. p. 388.
Other Works
The
Epistola ad Demetriadem, which really belongs to Pelagius [
PELAGIUS, and the
Libellus Fidei, published from a
Verona MS. by Garnier, 8vo. Par. 1668, have been erroneously ascribed to Julianus.
Further Information
Gennad.
de Vir. Illust. 45. Every thing that can be
ascertained with regard to Julianus or his productions will be found in the dissertations
attached to Garnier's edition of Marius Mercator, and in the annotations upon those works of
St. Augustine directed specially against this heretic. See also Voss.
Histor. Pelag. 1.6; Schonemann,
Bibl. Patr. Lat. vol. 2.18,
where much information is exhibited in a condensed form.
[W.R](author.W.R)]