Ennodius

Life of Ennodius of Pavia

Magnus Felix Ennodius was born into 474/475 (according to Claire Sotinel, Dictionnaire of Antiquity ; the former works give 473) in a family arlésienne of the Anicii . After the death of his parents it comes to live in a paternal aunt in Ligurie.

It enters then the clergy of Pavia, then of Milan, into 499/501, where he becomes the adviser of the Laurent bishop. For this reason it takes part in the Roman councils of 501 and 502 as a partisan of the pope Symmaque.

In 514 it becomes itself bishop of Pavia. The pope Hormisdas sends it as legate in Constantinople into 515, then into 517 to defend the Roman point of view on the schism of Acacius. He dies into 521. He will be canonized thereafter.

Work

Works of Ennodius are a source important for the beginning of the Life century and often neglected beside its contemporaries Boèce or Cassiodore. It is an impregnated man of traditional culture, which does not hesitate (all while excusing itself) to refer to pagan mythology.

He is the author:

of a panegyric of the king Théodoric and bishops of Milan
of the vitae of Epiphane of Pavia and Antoine de Lérins
of poems society men ( Anthems ) and religious
of speeches intended for the schools of Milan
of a lampoon against the adversaries of Symmaque
of a correspondence where it describes his many personal relations in the aristocracy

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