A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

PROSPER. PROSPER. 5,149
nothing certain with regard either to his subsequent Episcomporum A uctoritates de roatia Dei et Libero
career or to the date of his death. In the chronicle Voluntatis A rbitrio. Believed to have been cornof Ado (fl. A. D. 850) he is spoken of as the A7No- piled about A. D. 431. It was first made known
tarius of Pope Leo, and in some MSS. is styled by Dionysius Exiguus who subjoined it to the
Episcopus LRhegiensis (i. e. Ries in Provence), but Epistle of Coelestinus addressed to the bishops of
ecclesiastical historians agree in believing that Gaul. See the observations of the Ballerini in the
Prosper of Aquitaine had no claim to these titles. edition of Leo, vol. ii. p. 719.
The works usually ascribed to this writer may The following, although bearing the name of
be divided into three classes:-I. Theological. Prosper, are certainly spurious: —. De Vita ConII. Historical. III. Poetical. temnplativa Libri tres. Composed, in all probability,
I. THEOLOGICAL.-1. Epistola ad Augustinum as Sirmond has pointed out, by Julianus Pomerius,
de Reliquiis PelagianaeHaereseos in Gallia. Written a Gaulish presbyter, who flourished at the close of
between A. D. 427-429, and considered of im- the fifth century. (Gennad. de Viris Il. 98; Isiportance in affording materials for the history of dor. de Script. AEccles. 12.) 2. De Promissionibus
Senlipelagianism. 2. Epistola ad Rufinusm de et Praedictionibus Dei. Referred to by Cassiodorus
Gratia et Libero Arbitrio. Written while Augustin as the production of Prosper, but apparently the
was still alive, and therefore not later than the work of some African divine.
middle of the year A. D. 430. 3. PAro Augustino II. HISTORICAL.-Two, perhaps we should say
Responsiones ad Capitula Objectionumn Ga llorum three, chronicles are extant bearing the name of
calumniantium. Written about A. D. 431. 4. Pro Prosper. It will be convenient to describe them
A4ugustini Doctrina Responsiones ad Capitula Ob6- separately according to the titles by which they are
jectionum'incentianarumn. Written, probably, soon usually discriminated.
after the preceding. 5. Pro Augustino Responsiones 1. Chronicon Consulare, extending from A. D.
cad Excerpta quae de Genuensi Civitate sunt missa. 379, the date at which the chronicle of Jerome
Belonging to the same epoch as the two preceding. ends, down to A. D. 455, the events being ar6. J)e Gratia Dei et Libero Arbitrio Liber. In ranged according to the years of the Roman
reply to the doctrines of Cassianus respecting Free- consuls. We find short notices with regard to
will, as laid down in the thirteenth of his Colla- the Roman emperors, the Roman bishops, and potiones Patrumz [CAssIANUS], whence the piece is litical occurrences in general, but the troubles of
frequently entitled De Gratia Dei adversus Collato- the Church are especially dwelt upon, and above all
rems. Written about A. D. 432. 7. Psalznorum a the Pelagian heresy. In the earlier editions this
C. usquze ad CL. Expositio, assigned by the Bene- chronicle ended with the year A. D. 444, but apdictine editors to A. D. 433, but placed by Schoene- peared in its complete form in the Ilistoriae Franmann and others before A. D. 424. 8. Sententia- corum Scriptores Coaetanei of Andrew Du Chesne,
r'ntn ex Operitlus S. Augustioi delibatarum Liber fol. Par. 1636-1649. Riisler infers from internal
ueus. Compiled about A. D. 451. The whole of evidence, that it was originally brought down by
the above will be found in the Benedictine edition Prosper to A. D. 433, and that subsequently two
of the works of Augustin; the epistle is numbered additions were made to it, either by himself or by
ccxxv., and is placed immediately before another some other hand, the one reaching to A. D. 444,
upon the same subject by Hilarius; the remaining the other to A. D. 455. We ought to observe also
tracts are all included in the Appendix to vol. x. that, as might be expected in a work of this
The authenticity of the following is very doubt- nature, we find it in some MSS. continued still
ful:-1. Confessio. Sometimes ascribed to Prosper further, while in others it is presented in a coirn
Aquitanicus, sometimes to Prosper Tiro. It was pressed and mutilated form.
first published from a Vatican MS. by Sirmond 2. Chronicon Imnperiale, called also Chronicon
(8vo. Par. 1619), in a volume containing also the Pitlhoeanum, because first made known by Peter
Opuscula of Eugenius, bishop of Toledo, together Pithou, in 1588. It is comprehended within
with some poems by Dracontius and others. See precisely the same limits as the preceding (A. D.
also the collected works of Sirmond, Paris, 1696, 379-455), but the computations proceed accordvol. ii. p. 913. 2. De Vocatione Gentiulm Libri ing to the years of the Roman emperors, and lnot
dulo. Ascribed in some MSS. to Ambrose. Great according to the consuls. While it agrees with
diversity of opinion exists with regard to the real the Chronicon Consulare in its general plan, it
author. Erasmus would assign it to Eucherius, differs from it in many particulars, especially in
bishop of Lyons, Vossius to Hilarius Prosperi, the very brief allusions to the Pelagian- controQuesnel to Leo the Great. The whole question is versy, and in the slight, almost disrespectful notices
fully discussed by Antelmius, in an essay, of which of Augustine. It is, moreover, much less accuthe title is given at the end of this article, and by rate in its chronology, and is altogether to be
the brothers Ballerini in their edition of the works regarded as inferior in authority.
of Leo, vol. ii. p. 662 [LEO]. Those who assign The singular coincidence with regard to the
it to Prosper suppose it to have been written about period embraced by these two chronicles, a coinA. n. 440, while the Balleriini bring it down as cidence which, however, in some degree disappears
low as 496. 3. Ad Sacranm Virginem Demetria- if we adopt the hypothesis of Risler, would lead
dema Epistola s. De Ilumilitate Christiana Tractatus, us to believe that they proceeded from the same
supposed to have been written about A. D. 440. source; but, on the other hand, the difference of
It is placed among the letters of Ambrose (lxxxiv.) arrangement, and the want of harmony in details,
in the earlier editions of that father, claimed for would lead to an opposite conclusion. Hence,
Prosper by Sotellus and Antelmius, chiefly on while the greater number of critics agree in reaccount of a real or fancied resemblance in style, garding Prosper Aquitanicus as the framer of the
and given by Quesnel to Leo the Great. See the first, not a few are inclined to make over the seedition of the works of Leo by the Ballerini, vol. cond to Prosper Tiro, who, it is imagined, flourished
ii. p. 743. 4. Praeteritorum Sedis Apostolicae in the sixth century. It must be remembered, at
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