Julianus Pomerius
Julianus Pomerius was a Christian priest in fifth century Gaul. He wrote five treatises, only one of which, De Vita Contemplativa, survives.
He appears to have fled from North Africa to Gaul to escape the Vandals, towards the end of the century. He became a teacher of rhetoric at Arles, where Cesarius, a great conservator of Augustine of Hippo's teachings, is thought to have been his pupil. We know from their titles that at least two probably emphasized the ascetic ideal.
The De Vita Contemplativa
- The first book of the treatise was based around the question of whether a cleric, embroiled by pastoral duties, could ever attain the rewards of the saint who withdrew from the world.
- The second book of treatise detailed the active life of a good priest, warning against covetousness and advocating abstinence.
- The third book was less specifically aimed at priests and was applicable to all Christians, laity and clergy alike. It delineated the four major vices: pride, cupidity, envy and vanity, of which pride was considered the greatest.
- The third book also dealt with the four virtues: temperance, justice, fortitude and prudence.
- This part of treatise is like a Christian manual and advice is more practical than theoretical.
His letters from Ruricius
From their correspondence it appears that Ruricius is younger than Pomerius, but is of a higher rank in the church:
- Perhaps you marvelled that I wrote to your reverence as brother ... because, just as you are greater in age, you likewise are lesser in rank.
Ruricius's letters to Pomerius are almost sermon-like, in that he takes examples from the Bible in order to justify his own actions:
- It happens thus so that divine matters might be communicated to humanity and so that human activities might share in the divinity according to those words of the apostle.