The Nicene Age · AD 313–400
Caecilian of Carthage
d. c. AD 345 · Bishop of Carthage · Vindicated root of the Donatist quarrel · Carthage
The Nicene Age
Who Caecilian of Carthage was
The archdeacon whose hurried consecration as bishop of Carthage in 311 — by a consecrator the rigorists called a traditor — split African Christianity for a century. Tried and vindicated at the Lateran under Miltiades, again at Arles, and finally by Constantine himself, he sat at Nicaea as Africa's sole bishop while his rival's altar stood across the street at home. Distinct from Cyprian's Caecilius: the schism is named for his enemies, not for him.
Also listed in the bishops of Carthage and heretics & schismatics.
Common questions
When did Caecilian die?
Caecilian of Carthage is dated d. c. AD 345 in the archive, which places Caecilian in the Nicene Age (AD 313–400). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.
What did Caecilian write?
Caecilian of Carthage has 1 catalogued writing in the archive: The Synodal Letter of the Council of Arles to Sylvester of Rome.
Which early sources mention Caecilian?
Caecilian of Carthage is named in 5 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from The council of Arles, The Council of Arles, Eusebius of Caesarea and Optatus of Milevis. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Caecilian from?
The archive associates Caecilian of Carthage with Carthage.
Writings (1)
The Synodal Letter of the Council of Arles to Sylvester of Rome
AD 314Being united by the common tie of charity… we have been brought to the City of Arles by the wish of the most pious Emperor.Read the interlinear source text →
Primary-source mentions (5)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Arles subscription list (present in person, vindicated)
c. AD 314Caecilianus episcopus civitatis Carthaginiensis — Caecilian, bishop of the city of Carthage.The council of Arles · Arles subscription list · source text
The Synodal Letter of the Council of Arles to Pope Sylvester — the subscription list
c. AD 314To the most beloved Pope Silvester: Marinus, Acratius, Natalis, Theodore, Proterius, Vocius, Verus, Probatius, Caecilian, Faustinus, Surgentius, Gregory, Reticius, Ambitausus, Termatius, Merocles, Pardus, Adelfius, Hibernius, Fortunatus, Aristasius, Lampadius, Vitalis, Maternus, Liberius, Gregory, Crescens, Avitianus, Dafnus, Orantalis, Quintasius, Victor, Epictetus, eternal health in the Lord!The Council of Arles · Letter of the Council of Arles to Sylvester · source text
Ecclesiastical History X.6 (Constantine's grant to 'Caecilianus, bishop of Carthage')
c. AD 325Constantine Augustus to Caecilianus, bishop of Carthage.Eusebius of Caesarea · Ecclesiastical History X.6 · source text
Against the Donatists I.19–24
c. AD 384Caecilian was ordained by Felix of Aptunga, against whom nothing was ever proved; the case was heard at Rome, and by the judgment of Miltiades and his colleagues Caecilian was pronounced innocent.Optatus of Milevis · I.19 · source text
Letter 43 (the whole case re-argued)
c. AD 397Connected in the archive
People
- Majorinus of Carthage
- Miltiades (Melchiades) of Rome
- Constantine the Great
- Felix of Aptunga
- Lucilla
- Secundus of Tigisis
- Chrestus of Syracuse
- Merocles
Named alongside Caecilian in the sources
These figures are placed with Caecilian by the record — in a council roll, a martyr-act, a letter or a history — without Caecilian naming them in return.
- Acratius
- Ambitausus
- Aristasius
- Avitianus
- Crescens (subscriber at Arles)
- Dafnus
- Epictetus
- Faustinus (subscriber at Arles)
- Fortunatus
- Gregory (first of the name at Arles)
- Gregory (second of the name at Arles)
- Hibernius
- Lampadius
- Liberius
- Natalis
- Orantalis
- Pardus
- Probatius
- Proterius
- Quintasius
- Surgentius
- Termatius
- Theodore
- Verus
- Victor
- Vitalis
- Vocius
Events in this lifetime
- AD 301 · Hripsime and her company, AD 301
- AD 303 · The Great Persecution begins, AD 303
- AD 303 · The search of the church at Cirta, AD 303
- AD 306 · The Council of Elvira, AD 306
- AD 311 · Galerius’ edict of Serdica, AD 311
- AD 313 · The Edict of Milan, AD 313
- AD 314 · The Council of Arles, AD 314
- AD 320 · Silvanus tried before Zenophilus, AD 320
- AD 325 · The Council of Nicaea, AD 325
- AD 339 · The persecution of Shapur II, AD 339
- AD 343 · The Council of Serdica, AD 343
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Caecilian.