tioned as the translator; and it is remarkable that neither Basnage nor Wolf, who appear to have had his works as published in Spanish before them, enu- merates any treatise with this title. The work Is- ruel Venge has been translated into English by Miss Anna IMaria Goldsmid (Lond. 1839), and also in the same year by the late Dr. A. M'Caul (q. v.), under the title Israel Avenged, to which edition is appended a reply from the pen of this able British apologist of Christian- ity. See Ftirst, Bibl. Jud. iii, 54 sq. ; Wolf, Bibl. Ilehr. i, 646 sq. ; iii, 551 sq. ; De Rossi, Dizionario storico degli autori Ebrei, p. '253 sq. (Germ, transl. by Ham- burger) ; Bibliotheca Judaica aniickrisliuna. No. 122, etc. (Parma, 1800) ; Basnage, Ilistoire des Juifs, p. 743 sq. (Taylor's transl.) ; Schudt, Jiidische Denla-iirdigkei- ten, i, 124, 159 sq. ; Kalkar, Israel u. die Kirche, p. 36; Limborch, Ilistoria Inquisitionis, vol. ii, ch. 18; vol, iv, ch. 29; Joh. Clericus, Bibliotheca universalis, vii, 289 sq. ; hindo, History of the Jeivs in Spain and Portugal, p. 370; Adams, History of the Jeivs (Bost. 1812), ii, 91; Da Costa, Israel and the Gentiles, p. 430 sq. ; Finn, <S'e- phardim (Lond. 1841), p. 443 sq. ; Frankel, Monuisschrift (1867), p. 321-330; Kayserling, Gesch.d.Juden in Por- tugal (Leips. 1867), p. 302 sq. ; Jost, Gesch, d. Judenth. V. s. Sekten, iii, 233; Griitz, Gesch. d. Juden, x, 202 sq., note 1, p. X sq. ; Eodriguez de Castro, Bibliotheca Es- jHiHola, i, 606 ; Fabricius, Delectus A rgumentorum et Syl- labus Scriptorum, etc. (Hamb. 1725), p. 359, 614 ; Huie, History of the Jews (Edinb. 1841), p. 198 sq. (B. P.)
Orosius, Paulus, a noted writer of the early Christian Church in Spain, was born in the latter part of the 4th century at Tarragona, in Catalonia. He was educated in Spain, and, after entering the service of the Church, was made presbyter in his native place. About A.D. 414 he proceeded, hj- direction of the Span- ish bishops Eutropius and Paul, to Africa, for the pur- pose, as it seems, of consulting St. Augustine (whom he appears, from the introduction to his History, to have been in communication with some years before) on sev- eral controverted points ol" belief, which were then dis- cussed by the Priscillianists and the Origenists, espe- cially concerning the doctrine of the nature and origin of the soul. (See Consultatio sive Commonitorium Orosii ad Augustinum de errore Priscillianistaruni et Origenis- tarum, together with Augustine's answer. Ad Orosium contra Pi'iscillianistas et Origenistas, both in the collec- tion of the works of St. Augustine.) By advice of Au- gustine, Orosius proceeded thence to Palestine with a recommendation from Augustine to Jerome, who was then living at Bethlehem, to consult with this learned Church father too. While in Palestine, Orosius wrote a treatise against Pelagius, who was at that time spread- ing his opinions concerning original sin and grace — Li- ber a]mlogeticus contra Pelagium de A rbilrii Libertate— which is annexed to the History of Orosius. He was also called upon to oppose Pelagius and his disciple Coe- lestius in a synod held at Jerusalem July 30, 415. From Palestine Orosius returned to Hippo Ecgius, to his friend Augustine, and thence to Spain. He now em- ployed himself in writing, in accordance with Augus- tine's advice, the historical work which gained him his reputation, viz. the Ilistoriarum lib. vii, adv. paganos ; also known under the different titles of De cladibus et miseriis mundi, De totius mundi calamiiatibus, Iloi-mesta, and Ormesta (the origin and signilication of these latter appellations are uncertain). This work was commenced in 416, and completed in 417; its object is to refute the accusations of the heathen, who stated that the calami- ties which had befallen the Eoman empire, and, above all, the capture and pillage of Eome by Alaric, A.D. 410, and the subsequent misfortunes of the people, arose from the neglect of the ancient gods and the introduc- tion of Christianit}% Augustine had already treated the same subject in his great apologetic work, De civi- tate Dei, in another manner. Orosius set himself to prove historically that this world had always been a place of suffering and sorrow, governed by errors and
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superstitions, but that it would be still worse were it not for Christianity. This historical work, which comes down to the year 417, consists of seven books, divided into chapters. It begins with a geographical description of the world, then treats of the origin of the human race according to the book of Gen- esis, and afterwards relates the various accounts of the mythologists and poets concerning the heroic ages. Then follows the history of the early monarchies, the Assj'rian, Babylonian, and Persian; the conquests of Alexander, and the wars of his successors ; as well as the early history of Rome, the contents being chiefly taken from Trogus Pompeius and Justinus. The fourth book contains the history of Rome from the wars of Pyrrhus to the fall of Carthage. The fifth book com- prises the period from the taking of Corinth to the war of Spartacus, Orosius quotes his authorities, several of which are from works which are now lost. The nar- rative in the sixth book begins with the war of Sulla against Mithridates, and ends with the birth of our Saviour. The seventh book contains the histor}^ of the empire till A.D. 41G, including a narrative of the taking and sacking of Rome by Alaric, which was the great event of the age. Orosius intermixes with his narra- tive moral reflections, and sometimes whole chapters of advice and consolation, addressed to his Christian breth- ren, and intended to confirm their faith amid the calam- ities of the times, which, however heavy, were not, as he asserts, unprecedented. The Romans, he says, in their conquests had inflicted equal if not greater wrongs on other countries. His tone is that of a Christian mor- alist impressed with the notions of justice, retribution, and humanity, iu which most of the heathen historians show themselves deficient. He deprecates ambition, conquest, and glory gained at the expense of human blood and human happiness. As a historian, Orosius shows considerable critical judgment in general, though in particular passages he appears too credulous, as in ch. X of the first book, where he relates from report that the marks of the chariot-wheels of Pharaoh's liost are still visible at the bottom of the Red Sea. (As an instance of the incidental value of the passages taken by Orosius from older writers, see Savigny, Das Recht des Besitzes, p. 176.) In the main, however, the work is not strictly original, but is largely taken from Justin and Eutropius. That it was highly prized in the Middle Ages is proved by the fact that there are a great many manuscript copies extant. The Historue has often been published (Augsburg, 1471; Vicenza, 1475; Cologne, 1526, etc.; Leyden, by Haverkamp, 1738 and 1767). King Alfred made a free translation of it into the Anglo-Saxon lan- guage, which was published by Daines Barrington, with an English version of it (Lond. 1773, 8vo), but of which a much more accurate edition, with a literal translation into English, and valuable notes, was jmblished by Dr. Bosworth in 1855. The very remarkable additions of Alfred are especially valuable, as containing " the only geography of Europe written by a contemporary, and giving the position and the political state of the Ger- manic nations so early as the 9th century." A transla- tion of Alfred's version forms a volume of " Bohn's An- tiquarian Library" (1847). One of the best editions of Orosius is that with Ilaverkamp's notes, published at Leyden. Orosius died in Africa. Several other works, such as Qito'stwries de Trinitate et aliis S.S. loeis (Paris, 1533), have been erroneously attributed to him. See Mohler, De Orosii Vita ejusque Historiarum Libris Sep- iem adversus Pagunos (Bal. 1844); Gennadius, De Viris Jllusfribus, p. 39, 46 ; Schiinemann, Bibl. Patr, Lat. vol. ii, § 10; MoUer, Dissertatio de Paulo Orosio (Altorf, 1689, 4to); Smith, Diet, of Gr. and Rom. Biog. and Mythol. iii, 58, 59; Alzog, Kirchengesch. vol. i; Mos- heim. Kecks. Hist. vol. i; Lardner, Works (see Index); English Cyclop, s. v.