was of an illustrious family, being descended on the father’s side
was of an illustrious family,
being descended on the father’s side from Justin, nephew
to Justinian emperor of Constantinople, and also from the
dukes of Athens, Bohemia, and Corinth. His ancestors
bad enjoyect very honourable posts in the kingdom of
Naples, and had also been viceroys of Sicily, and generals.
Some of them had filled very high employments in the republic of Florence, had been ambassadors to several powers
of Europe, were related to all the princes of the Morea
and adjacent islands, raised to the dignity orcardinal; and
had erected several splendid Carthusian monasteries in Florence, Naples, &c. Our author, the son of Neri Acciaioli
and Lena Strozzi, was born at Florence in 1428. His first
preceptors were James Ammanati, afterwards cardinal of
Pavia, and Leonard d'Arezzo. He afterwards studied
Greek under Argyropilus, and became one of the first
Greek scholars of his time. He was one of the celebrated
literary parties at which Lorenzo de Me.lici presided. Excelling in rhetoric, philosophy, and mathematics, he would
have attained a very high rank in the republic of letters,
if his weak state of health, and the part he took in the
affairs of his country, had not interrupted his studies. He
filled several employments in the state, and gave universal
satisfaction. In 1475 he was gonfalonier, or ensign of
the republic, and died in 1478 at Milan, when on his way
to Paris as ambassador from the Florentines. This circumstance was a subject of the sincerest grief to the Florentines, who well knew how to appreciate the virtues of
their fellow-citizens, and omitted no opportunity of inciting the patriotism of the living, by the honours they
bestowed on the memory of the dead. A sumptuous funeral was decreed to his remains, which were brought to
Florence for that purpose. Lorenzo de Medici and three
other eminent citizens were appointed curators of his
children, and the daughters had considerable portions assigned them from the public treasury. The celebrated
Angelo Politian wrote his epitaph, and Christopher Landino pronounced the funeral oration. His works are:
1. “Expositio super libros Ethicorum Aristotelis, in novam
traductionem Argyropili,
” Florence, In
Aristotelis libros octp Politicorum commentarii,
” Venice,
The Latin
history of Florence, by Leonard d'Arezzo, translated into
Italian,
” Venice,
, archbishop of Lyons, of the fifth century, was of an illustrious family, and so reputed for his piety that
, archbishop of Lyons, of the fifth century, was of an illustrious family, and so reputed for his
piety that he was afterwards sainted. He retired with his
sons Salonius and Veranius into the solitude of Lerins r
after having distributed a part of his property among the
poor, and divided the other part between his daughters.
After some time he quitted the isle of LeVins, where the
fame of his virtues brought him much applause, and went
over to that of Le'ro, at present called St. Marguerite. Itwas not till after repeated solicitations that he was prevailed
upon to leave this desert for the see of Lyons, which dignity he accepted about the year 434. In this capacity he
assisted at the first council of Orange in the year 441,
where he acquired much reputation for his judicious
speeches. He died about the year 454. History has not
handed down to us the events of his episcopate: but Claudian Mamertius informs us, that Eucherius frequently held
conferences at Lyons, in which he gave proofs of his learning and judgment, that he often preached, and always with
success, and that he was accounted the greatest prelate of
his age. He wrote several books in the ascetic taste of the
times. 1. “In praise of the desert,
” addressed to St.
Hilary; in which, it must be owned, he paints that of
Lerins in very pleasing colours, and the style is in general
elegant. 2. A tract “On the contempt of the world;.
”
translated into French by Arnaud d'Andilly, as well as the
former, 1672, 12mo. They are both in the form of letters;
the latter addressed to his kinsman Valerian. 3. “On spiritual formularies;
” for the use of Veranius, one of his
sons, 4. “The history of St. Maurice aud the Martyrs of
the Thebaic legion.
” All these are in the Bibliotheca
Patrum. His two sons, Salonius and Veranius, were bishops even during the life-time of their father.
, an ecclesiastical writer, was borti at Telepta, or Tellepte, about the year 468. He was of an illustrious family, the son of Claudius, and grandson
, an ecclesiastical writer, was borti at Telepta, or Tellepte, about the year 468. He was of an illustrious family, the son of Claudius, and grandson of Gordianus, a senator of Carthage. Claudius dying early, left his son, then very young, to the care of his widow Mariana. He was properly educated in the knowledge of the Latin and Greek languages, and made such progress in his studies, that while yet a boy he could repeat all Homer, and spoke Greek with fluency and purity. As soon as he was capable of an employment he was made procurator or receiver of the revenues of his province. But this situation displeased him, because of the rigour he was forced to use in levying taxes; and therefore, notwithstanding the tears and dissuasions of his mother, he left the world, and took the monastic vows under Faustus, a bishop persecuted by the Arian faction, who had founded a monastery in that neighbourhood. The continued persecutions of the Arians soon separated him and Faustus; and not long after, the incursions of the Moors obliged him to retire into the country of Sicca, where he was whipped and imprisoned. Afterwards he resolved to go into Egypt; but in his voyage was dissuaded by Eulalius bishop of Syracuse, because the monks of the East had separated from the catholic church. He consulted also a bishop of Africa, who had retired into Sicily; and this bishop advised him to return to his own country, after he had made a journey to Rome. King Theodoric was in that city when he arrived there, which was in the year 500. After he had visited the sepulchres of the apostles he returned to his own country, where he built a monastery.