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Paulinus of Perigueux

Wace's Dictionary of Early Christian Biography

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Paulinus (13) of Périgueux ( Petrocorius ), a poet of the 2nd half of the 5th cent., to whom properly belong certain works sometimes attributed to St. Paulinus of Nola, viz. Vita Martini in six books, a poem, "de Visitatione Nepotuli Sui," and a short poem composed as a dedicatory inscription for the basilica of St. Martin at Tours. Nothing can be clearly made out concerning his life or parentage, save the inference, from the name Petrocorius, that he was probably a native of Périgueux. The poem on St. Martin was probably written c. 470, certainly during the episcopate of Perpetuus of Tours (who presided at the council of Tours in 461), since it is dedicated to that bishop, and is partly based on a document drawn up by him. It is mainly a rather rough versification of the Life of St. Martin by Sulpicius Severus and of parts of the dialogues of the same writer; the last book is especially interesting, as representing a formal account by the bp. of Tours of the miracles wrought at his predecessor's tomb. The short dedication poem for the new basilica was written later, at the request of Perpetuus. The poem "de Visitatione Nepotuli Sui" records a miraculous cure of the author's grandson, by the joint agency, as he appears to consider, of St. Martin and Perpetuus.

His works are, under the name of St. Paulinus of Nola, in Migne, Patr. Lat. lxi. (Ebert, Gesch. der Chr. Lat. Lit. 385; Cave, Hist. Litt. i. 449; Teuffel, vol. ii.; Greg. Turon de Mir. B. Mart. , and Ruinart's note in the Benedictine ed.) Cf. A. Huber, Die poetische Bearbietung der Vita S. Mar. durch Paul von Périgueux (Pamplon. 1909).

[H.A.W.]