Victorinus of Pettau

Victorinus of Poetovio or Victorinus of Ptuj († 304) was Bishop of Poetovio (German Ptuj, Ptuj in Slovenia today ) on the Drava. He is the author of the oldest extant Latin Bible commentary, in which he interprets the Book of Revelation.

About his life little is known, but he is mentioned by Jerome. Maybe it came from the Greek-speaking part of the Roman Empire. Victorinus is considered the first ecclesiastical writers from the Balkan and Danubian provinces and as the earliest Latin Bibelexeget. From his presumably extensive literature little has been preserved.

Victorinus was critical of the Roman state power. He opposed heresies, but bowed himself to the millenarianism.

Victorinus was murdered during the Diocletian persecution, and is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church as a saint. The feast day is in the Orthodox and the Catholic Church on November 2 ( in the diocese of Graz- Seckau on November 3.)

Works

  • De Fabrica Mundi
  • In Apocalysin (also: Scholia in Apocalypsin Beati Ioannis )
  • Victorini Episcopi Petavionensis Opera. Edited by John Hausleitner. Tempsky, Vindobonae 1916. (CSEL 49 )
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