RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Song of Solomon Sorbonne
is attributed to him on account of a notice in the Munich manuscript, but John of Damascus does not name the author and its authorship is disputed also on internal grounds. (4) Acta martyrii Anastasim Persice is ascribed in a Florentine manuscript to George of Pisidia and printed in his works (MPG, xcii. 1680-1829), but by Usener is attributed to Sophronius on the basis of the Berlin manuscript Phill. 1458. (5) According to Papadopulos-Kerameus (Hierosolymitike Bibliotheke, iv. 162-163, St. Petersburg, 1899) a life of the Four Evangelists is to be ascribed to Sophronius. (6) The Pratum Spirituale of Moschus was possibly revised or edited by Sophronius, to whom tradition ascribed it. In MPG (ut sup.), cols. 3201-3364, appear eight (or nine) orations, to which A. Papadopulos-Kerameus (in Analecta, ut sup., v. 151-168) adds a tenth. Of dogmatic works may be noted the Epistola synodica (MPG, ut sup., cols. 3147-3200), two fragments on confession of sins and the baptism of the apostles (cols. 3365-72) and one on a decision of Basil of Cffisarea (cols. 4011-12); and possibly a collection of about 600 sayings of the Fathers; a " Dogmatic Discourse on Faith " (cf. Papadopulos-Kerameus, Bibliotheke, ii. 403, ut sup.). The prayer still recited on Epiphany in the Greek Church (MPG, ut sup., 4001-04) is carried back to Sophronius.
In the history of Greek church poetry the Anacreontic odes ascribed to Sophronius are very celebrated; many critics, indeed, compare them with the products of the golden age of Greek literature. With this valuation Krumbacher totally disagrees, but his harshly unfavorable decision (Geschichte, p. 672) is not well supported. Many of the poems have a warm, appealing, and personal note, together with a certain independence in the choice of poetic figures. Twenty-two odes are to be found in MPG (ut sup., cols. 3725-3838), and some of them appear in various reprints and anthologies. The first thirteen arose in the period of his first stay in the monastery, the rest either during his wanderings or during his second monastic period. Sophronius also wrote occasional poems.
The foregoing discussion assumes the identity of Sophronius the patriarch and Sophronius the sophist. This identity has been disputed. The problems are better settled by assuming the identity than by assuming two personalities, and tradition supports this, especially as represented by John of Damascus (MPG, xciv. 1280, 1316, 1336) and Johannes Zonaras (" Life of Sophronius," in Papadopulos-Kerameus, Analecta, ut sup., v. 137-151). A final decision must be awaited until a final critical edition of the works appears. (G. Kruger.)
Bibliography: On 1: G. Wentzel, in TV, xiii. 3 (1895); O. von Gebhardt, in TV, xiv. 1 (1896); M. Schanz, Geschichte der riimischen Litteratur, iv. 407-408, 448-449, Munich, 1904; DCB, iv. 718; Ceillier, Auteurs sacres, vi. 278-279, vii. 553, 595; KL, xi. 519-520.
On 2 consult: John of Damascus, MPG, xciv. 1280, 1316, 1336; Photius, in MPG, ciii. 668; Eustathius, in Mansi, Concilia, xiii. 60; Krumbacher, Geschichte, pp. 188 sqq. et passim; Fabrieius-Harles, Bibliotheca Grceca, ix. 162-169, Hamburg, 1804; A. Mai, Spicilegium Romanum, iii., pp. v.-xx.,10 vols., Rome, 1839-44; E. Bouvy, Pokes et melodes, pp. 169-182, 195 sqq., Nlmes, 1886 (on the literary characteristics); H. Usener, Religionsgeschichtliche Vntersuchungen, i. 326-330, Bonn, 1889; H.
Gelzer, in Historische Zeitschrift, lxi (1889), 4; idem, Leontios' von Neapolis Leben des heiligen Johannes des Barmherzigen, pp. 117-120, Freiburg, 1893; W. Meyer. Der akzentuierte Satzschluss in der griechischen Prosa vom 4. bis zum 16. Jahrhundert, Giittingen, 1891; Johannes Zonaras, Vita Sophronii, in A. Papadopulos-Kerameus, Analecta, v. 137-151, St. Petersburg, 1898; S. Vailhe, in Revue de Vorient chretien, vii (1902), 360-385, viii (1903), 32-69, 356-387 (gives list of earlier literature); DCB, iv. 719- 721; KL, xi. 516-519.
SORBONNE, ser'ben: A school at Paris, founded in 1254 by Robert de Sorbon (1201-70), canon of Notre Dame and confessor and counselor of Louis IX., for poor theological students, and later dominating not only the theological faculty, but also the entire University of Paris. Primarily designed for those who were unable to pay the high prices demanded for board and lodging, and Foundation to instruct those who were not in symand pathy with the scholastic subtleties
Organiza- propounded in the other schools, as tion. well as with the added design of having the teachers reside in the same house as their pupils, the Sorbonne was established in the Rue Coupe-Gorge, opposite the baths of the Emperor Julian. Robert himself made a small endowment for his foundation, which later received many augmentations, although he earnestly desired that the institution might never become rich. The members of the Sorbonne were not bound by monastic rules, and its regulations, formulated by Robert after eighteen years of testing, remained almost unchanged until the Revolution. According to these regulations, published at Paris in 1740 under the title Disciplina Sorbonoe domus, there were three classes of members of the Sorbonne: socii (" fellows "), who were not bound to residence within its precincts; hospites (" guests "), chiefly priests living in the house; and beneficiarii (" beneficiaries"), who were either poor French aspirants for the ministry receiving free maintenance while preparing for the priesthood, or well-to-do foreign students who, on payment, might reside there for several months. The socii and hospites formed the majority. The latter were admitted only after a rigid examination in character and theology, and no one could become a socius unless he had been a hospes for several years, the new socius likewise pledging himself in the chapel of the Sorbonne to obey all the regulations and never to enter a monastic order. The hospites and socii, both those who enjoyed free residence and those who paid (the charge originally being three sous weekly, later increased to six), ate at the same table and had the same rights, the house providing bread and wine, although other food had to be purchased. When a hospes received his licentiate in theology, he gave place to another. No one was permitted to remain longer than ten years, although the title of socius Sorbonw was inalienable. The officers were elected by the members, the term being for one year, except in the case of the president (provisor), who had control of discipline. The prior kept the keys and directed the studies and examinations, the librarian had charge of the books, and the censor drew up the reports of the council. There was also a standing committee, composed of the oldest socii elected from each " nation '' (cf.
Sorbonne
Sorcery and Soothsaying