Circoncellion

The circoncellions - of circum concealed , those which go from barn in barn, are African seasonal workers or days laborer who rent themselves at the time of the harvest or the gathering of olives. Another interpretation explains their name by the fact that they grind circum cellae , around the barns, of the warehouses, that they attack with weapons to adapt stocks of them. Circoncellions quickly put in parallel their very degraded economic situation and that of the faithful donatists oppressed by Rome. The movement is not only anticatholic, but also antiromain.

Origins of the revolt

Circoncellions appear towards 340 when they revolt crushed by the requirements of the Roman State. They make responsible for their misery the landowners and the Roman civils servant. The count Taurinus, ordering army of Africa between 340 and 345, massacre them, regarding them as gangsters. Very quickly, an amalgam is made between circoncellions and the faithful donatists. Circoncellions are venerated like martyrs. Religious fanaticism succeeds the social claims then. Exaltés immolent themselves on bûchers, throw themselves, sometimes by in group, the top of rocks. They deserve the palm of the martyr then and are venerated like saints.

Social agitation sows the disorder in all Africa, so much so that Optat, African catholic bishop writes into 366: No creditor could then require the payment of what was owe him… Each one hastened to give up the debts even most important… The roads either were not sure: Masters, jetés with bottom of their car, ran like slaves in front of their own servants sitting in the place of the Masters… The situation was reversed between Masters and esclaves.

Even if the bringing together between the schismatics donatists and circoncellions them is only occasional, it should be noted that the two parties take party for Berber the Firmus at the time of the rebellion of the mountains of Kabylie between 371 and 375. Approximately 20.000 men unite with him. Firmus is proclaimed king by the Berber ones. The emperor Valentinien sends in Africa the Theodore general to restore peace. Finally Firmus is betrayed by one as of his, Ighmacen, but commits suicide rather than to pass to the enemy. The brother of Firmus, Gildon takes his continuation. Overcome, him also commits suicide in prison.

Their revolt is rather important so that in 406 Augustin d' Hippone writes: Your clerks and your circoncellions exert against us persecutions of a new kind and an amazing cruelty. If they returned the evil for the evil, it would be already to violate the law of Christ, But after having considered all our acts and yours, it is that we suffer what is written in a psalm: " They returned the evil for the bien" to me; , and in another " I was peaceful with those which hated peace; when I spoke to them, they attacked me without raison" .

Optat de Milève and holy Augustin, thus describe them like gangsters making of the armed robberies, the assassinations and the mutilations in any kind. This last badly accepts the impunity of which they profit in fact, because of the incapacity of the administration to repress them.

See too

Random links: