Possidonio

Who they were

Possidius was an African and a pupil of St Augustine at Hippo, and about 397 became bishop of Calama in Numidia, a diocese troubled by Donatists and pagans. He worked closely with Augustine against heresy, survived an attempt on his life by Donatist extremists, and was praised by Pope Innocent I for his stand against Pelagianism at the synod of Mileve in 416.

When the Vandals destroyed Calama he took refuge at Hippo, where Augustine died in his arms during the siege. Driven from his see by Genseric, he died in exile after 437, by tradition at Mirandola in Italy. He wrote a short life of St Augustine and a list of his works.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.

Why that counted as sanctity

St Augustine's friend and first biographer.

Connected on this site

• Innocent I Saint
  “He worked closely with Augustine against heresy, survived an attempt on his life by Donatist extremists, and was praised by Pope Innocent I for his stand against Pelagianism at the synod of Mileve in 416.” — this site's research