Auvergne, Guillaume d', bishop of Paris, born at Aurillac in the second half of the 12th century, died March 30, 1249. He was one of the most learned the- ologians and philosophers of his day, and undertook to refute Aristotle on metaphysical questions. He was doctor of the Sorbonne and professor of theology, and subsequently was called to the see of Paris. His sermons and essays on several points of ethics were published by Le Feron in 1G74 (2 vols. fob). — Iloefcr, Biographic Generate, iii, 795.
Auvergne, Fierre d', or Petri's de Cros, a French theologian and philosopher, died Sept. 25, 1307 (according to others, 1301). He became, under the guidance of Thomas Aquinas, a distinguished theolo- gian and philosopher. He was doctor of the Sor- bonne and canon of the chapter of Paris. According to Samarthanus (in Gallia Christiana), he was subse- quently bishop of Clermont. He wrote a number of commentaries to Aristotle. — Hoefer, Biographie Gene- rale, iii, 795.
Auxentius. 1. Arian bishop of Milan, A.D. 355-374 (Sozomen, Hist, Eccl. vi, 23). He was tha leader of the Arians in the Western churches. When the orthodox bishops, at a provincial synod held in 3(39, under the presidency of Bishop Damasus of Home, condemned Arianism, the}' did not dare to pronounce the anathema against Auxentius, becauso they knew him to be protected by the favor of the Emperor Val- entinian I. Although they were at last prevailed upon by Athanasius to mention in their synodal epistle to the Illyrians the condemnation of Auxentius, the lat- ter maintained himself in his see until his death. He was succeeded by Ambrose (q. v.).
2. Abbot, born in Syria, being the son of Abdus, who was compelled by the persecution under King Sapor to leave his country and settle in Syria. In 432 Auxen- tius came to Constantinople, where he received an ap- pointment in the royal guards, but afterward retired to a solitary mountain in Bithynia, named ( >xius, where, clothed only in the skins of animals, he led a life of the most complete austerity. When the Council of Chal- cedon was convoked, Auxentius was unwillingly com- pelled to attend, and subscribed the decrees. After this he retired to a more remote mountain, called Si- ope, where multitudes of persons flocked to hear him. Of these, many continued to abide near him in cells, and followed the example of his ascetic course of life He died in 470. His memory is celebrated on the 14th of February. — Sozomen, Hist. Eccl. vii, 21 ; Butler, Lives of Saints, Feb. 14 ; Landon, Eccl. Diet. s. v.
A'va(Heb. Avra', Xl?, ruin; Sept. Aou«,2Kings xvii, 24), also Ivai-i (Heb. Ivvati ', itHS, same signif. ; Sept. 'Aova, 2 Kings xviii, 34 ; xix, 13 ; but in Isa. xxxvii, 13, unites with the preceding word, Avaey- yovyavc'i v. r. Avayovyc'wa), the capital of a small monarchical state conquered by the Assyrians, and from which King Shalmaneser sent colonies into Sa- maria. The early Jewish translators (Symmachus and the Targums) understand it as a mere appellative; but it is associated with other proper names as a city. Some take it for the river, or rather the town which gave name to the river Ahava of Ezra viii, 21 (Beller- mann, Handbuch, iii, 374) ; but this name is quite dif- ferent in the Ilcb. (XiriX). Iken (Dissent. Philol. Theolcg. p. 15i) would identify it with the Phoenician town Avatha, mentioned in the Notitia Vet. Dignitatum Imper. Rom. (but the reading here is rather doubtful, see Roland, Palest, p. 232 sq.) ; or with the town of Abeje, between Beirut and Sidon, which Paul Lucas mentions as the seat of a Druse prince. Michaelis supposes it to be the land of the Avites between Trip- oli and Beirut, because they are described as worship- pers of Nibhaz (2 Kings xvii, 31), an idol which ho compares with the great stone dog that formerly stood in that quarter, on which account the Lycus obtained its name of Nahr el-Kelb, Dog River (comp. Mannert, VI, i, 380). This, however, rests upon a confusion of the A vim of 2 Kings xvii, 31, with those of Deut. ii, 23; Josh, xiii, 3. See Avite. Avva or Ivvah was doubtless a city of Mesopotamia, in the region indi- cated by the associated names (Babylon, Cuth, Ha- math, Sepharvaim), perhaps somewhere farther east, in the direction of the classical Aria.
Ayalonius, Elvax, an apostle of England, lived in the second century. He preached Christianity to the Britons, and converted king Lucius, with his en- tire court. This king sent him to bishop Eleutherus to Rome, who made him bishop of London about 181. An "Essay on the Origin of the Church of Great Brit- ain" is attributed to Avalonius. — Hoefer, Biographic Generate, iii, 804,
Av'aran (Avapav, Josephus Aiipav, Ant. xii, 0, 1 ; Vulg. Auram and Aharon; prob. of Arabic derivation, see Grimm, in loc), an epithet of Eleazar, the brother of Judas Maccabajus (1 Mace, ii, 5).
AVARICE
568
AVEN
Avarice (from Lat. avarus, from aveo, crave, strive after), an undue love of money. Avarice consists not merely in seeking after worldly wealth too eagerly, or by unjust means, but in loving it excessively, even though it be our own. Avarice is in its nature sin, and, according to St. Taul, a kind of idolatry. Greg- ory the Great enumerates seven particular sins which spring from avarice, or, as lie calls them, " daughters of avarice,*' viz. treasons, frauds, lies, perjuries, rest- lessness, violences, hardness of hearts (.l/or. in Jobum, lili. xxxi, cap. 17). The cause of this, vice is really unbelief. It " is because men believe not Providence, therefore do they so greedily scrape and hoard" (Bar- row On the Creed, Sermon I). It grows by indulgence, and is strongest in the aged, as if, by a penal irony, they who can least enjoy riches should most desire them OVesley, Sei-mons, serm. exxx).