THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
BrsuiograpHy: ASB, Oct., viii. 81-83; F. Ughelli, Italia sacra, vi. 306-307, Venice, 1720; J. B. Pitra, Spicilegium Solesmense, pp. l.—liv., 265-277, 296-301, Paris, 1852; J. L. Jacobi, in Zeitschrift fiir christliche Wissenschaft und christliches Leben, pp. 246 sqq., Berlin, 1854; T. Zahn, in Patrum apostolicorum opera, ii., pp. xlvii. sqq., ib. 1876; idem, Forschungen zur Geschichte des neutestamentlichen Kanons, i. 1 sqqg.. Erlangen, 1881; idem, Geschichte des neutestamentlichen Kanons, ii. 535 sqq., Leipsic, 1891; F. Piper, in ZKG, i (1877), 239-240; DCB, iv. 1123-26.
VICTOR OF CARTENNA: Christian author of the fifth century. The only source of information is Gennadius (De vir. ill., Ixxvii.), supplemented by the Notitia provinciarum et civitatum Africe (ed. M. Petschenig, in CSHL, vii.). According to these, he was bishop of Cartenna in Mauretania Cesarea and was the author of a defense of orthodoxy against Arianism, a book on public penance, a ‘ Consolation ’’ to a certain Basil, and a collection of sermons. About 484 he seems to have been succeeded as bishop by Lucidus. Unfortunately all his writings have perished, and the attempts to ascribe to him the De penitentia publicani sometimes included in earlier editions of Ambrose of Milan are valueless. The De pententia has with more probability been ascribed to Victor of Tunnenna (q.v.); while the ““Consolation”’ included in the works of Basil the Great is clearly not by Victor, since it contains absolutely no allusion to Basil. (FPRaNz GORRES.) BIBLIOGRAPHY: Gennadius, De vir. ill., Ixxviii., Eng. transl.
in NPNF, 2d ser., iii. 398; F. Gorres, in ZWT, 1906, pp.
484-494; Tillemont, Mémoires, xvi. 611-612; F. Papen-
cordt, Geschichte der vandalischen Herrschaft in Africa,
passim, Berlin, 1837; DCB, iv. 1122; SBA, 1861, pp. 529-
530; Ceillier, Auteurs sacrés, iv. 493, v. 512, x. 468-469.
VICTOR OF TUNNENNA: Bishop of Tunnenna (Tonnonna, Tonnenna, Tunna) in the province of Africa Proconsularis, and historian; d. probably at Byzantium after 565. The details of his life are known only from the fragment of his chronicle (MPL, lxviii.; MGH, Auct. ant., xi. 1 (1894), pp. 184-206). According to this, he was exiled, after many persecutions, to Alexandria in 555, whence he was taken, in 564, to Byzantium. He closes his history with the accession of Justin II. in 565, after which nothing is known concerning him. He was a determined opponent of the theology of Justinian and an advocate of the three chapters (see THREE CHAPTER CONTROVERSY). His work, which was a continuation of the chronicles of Jerome and Prosper of Aquitaine, began with the creation, but only the portion from 444 to 565 (567) has survived. With all its historical, chronological, and theological limitations, his work is the only supplement to Jerome and Prosper which possesses human interest.
Certain other works have been ascribed to this Victor, and there is a slender manuscript support for his authorship of the pseudo-Ambrosian De penitentia publicant (MPL, xvii. 1059-94), earlier assigned to Victor of Cartenna (q.v.).
(G. A. JULICHER.)
BrsuiocrRapHy: F. Papencordt, Geschichte der vandalischen Herrschaft in Afrika, pp. 359-365, Berlin, 1837; Holder- Egger, in NA, i (1876), 289 sqq.; T. Hodgkin, Invaders of Italy, vol. iii. passim, 4 vols., London, 1880-85; A. Ebert, Geschichte der christlich-lateinischen Literatur, i, 586, Leipsic, 1889; G. von Dzialowski, Isidor und Ildefons als Literarhistoriker, pp. 62-64, Miinster, 1898; Ceillier, Auteurs sacrés, v. 512, x. 469, xi. 302; DCB, iv. 1126; KL, xii, 909-911,
VICTOR OF VITA: Bishop of Vita (apparently his native city) in the African province of Byzacena, probably from before 477 to after 484. Information. concerning him is drawn almost exclusively from his one extant work, the Historia persecutionis Africane provincie (MPL, Iviii.; ed. C. Halm, in MGH, Auct. Ant., iii. 1, 1879; and M. Petschenig, in CSEL, vol. vii.), an account of the sufferings of the Catholics under the Vandal kings Geiserich and Hunnerich. The history seems to have been written during the lifetime of Hunnerich and published after his death, between 485 and 489. It is in three books, the first devoted to the reign of Geiserich and the latter two to the eight years of Hunnerich. The vocabulary is meager, the style mediocre, and the theological ability only average; but the work is generally trustworthy, and, at least in the reign of Hunnerich, the author was an eye-witness of what he described. The work is, therefore, valuable for its material concerning the political, religious, social, and liturgical conditions of Vandal Africa about 480.
Appended to the history both in the manuscripts and the editions is a Passio septem monachorum, dating from 483 or 484 and ascribed to Victor, though certainly not by him. His work receives a valuable supplement in the Notitia provinciarum et cwitatum Africe (ed. Halm and Petschenig, ut sup.), a list of all the Catholic bishops of the seven Vandal provinces of Africa officiating in 484 and bidden to attend a religious colloquy at Carthage on Feb. 1 of that year. Victor of Vita is noted there as ‘‘ not coming.”’ (G. A. JULICHER.) BrsriograpHy: ASB, Aug., iv. 628-632; M. Petschenig,
in the Sitzungsberichte of the Vienna Academy, philosoph-
ical-historical class, xcvi (1880), 637-732 (the best introduction); J. Liron, Dissertation sur Victor de Vite, Paris,
1708; F. Papencordt, Geschichte der vandalischen Herr-
schaft in Afrika, pp. 366-370, Berlin, 1837; F. X. Kraus,
Realencyklopadie der christlichen Altertiimer, i. 259-262,
279, Freiburg, 1880; A. Auler, in Historische Untersuch-
ungen A. Schafer gewidmet, pp. 253-275, Bonn, 1882; W.
Potzsch, Victor von Vita und die Kirchenverfolgung im
Vandalenreiche, Dobeln, 1887; A. Ebert, Geschichte der
Literatur des Mittelalters, i. 454-458, 2d ed., Leipsic, 1889;
W. SS. Teuffel, Geschichte der rémischen Literatur, § 470,
Leipsic, 1890; P. Ferrére, De Victoris Vitensis libro, Paris,
1898; A. Schonfelder, De Victore Vitensi, Breslau, 1899;
Ceillier, Auteurs sacrés, x. 448-464 (contains an excellent
bibliography); MPL, lviii. 395-434; DCB, iv. 1122-23;
KL, xii. 911-913.
VICTOR, CLAUDIUS MARIUS: Christian poet of the fifth century. According to Gennadius (De vir. ill., xli.), he was a rhetorician of Marseilles and died between 425 and 450. The work which has been transmitted under his name is a Biblical epic, entitled Alethia, a free paraphrase of Genesis in hexameters, not without poetic beauty. Originally comprising, in all probability, twelve books, only three are extant, going to the destruction of Sodom. The sole edition of value is by K. Schenkl (CSEL, xvi.). The earlier editor J. Gagneius (Lyons, 1536) added as a fourth book the “‘ epigram ”’ of an otherwise unknown Paulinus (ed. also K. Schenkl, ut sup.), a poetic penitential sermon apparently written about 408, lamenting that in Gaul, after the ravages of the Vandals and Alans, the care of souls was considered less important than the restoration of vineyards and houses. (R. Scumip.)