The Nicene Age · AD 313–400
Donatus of Carthage
d. c. 355 · Schismatic bishop of Carthage · Founder of Donatism · Numidia → Carthage
The Nicene Age
Who Donatus of Carthage was
The rigorist bishop who gave his name to the Donatist schism that split the African church for over a century. In the aftermath of the Great Persecution the Donatists refused to recognize clergy who had been ordained by “traitors” (traditores) who handed over the scriptures, holding that the church must be a pure body of the holy and that sacraments from the unworthy were void. Donatus, a man of great ability and pride (“What has the emperor to do with the church?”), organized a rival hierarchy that for decades outnumbered the catholics in Africa. Condemned by councils and the emperor, exiled, the movement he led was the great pastoral problem Optatus and then Augustine spent their lives answering.
Also listed in the bishops of Carthage and heretics & schismatics.
Common questions
When did Donatus die?
Donatus of Carthage is dated d. c. 355 in the archive, which places Donatus 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 Donatus write?
Donatus of Carthage has 1 catalogued writing in the archive: On the Holy Spirit, and many pamphlets. All are lost, known only from later citation.
Which early sources mention Donatus?
Donatus of Carthage is named in 3 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Optatus of Milevis, Jerome and Augustine of Hippo. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Donatus from?
The archive associates Donatus of Carthage with Numidia, Carthage. The sources record more than one location, so the places are listed in the order the record moves through them.
Writings (1)
On the Holy Spirit, and many pamphlets
The schism's founding voice — his own books did not survive his church's defeatThere exist many of his works relating to his heresy, and On the Holy Spirit, a work Arian in doctrine. (Jerome, On Illustrious Men 93 — extant then, lost since)Lost — known only from later citation.
Primary-source mentions (3)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Against Parmenian the Donatist III.3 (the pride of 'Donatus of Carthage')
c. AD 367On Illustrious Men 93 (Jerome) & Augustine
c. AD 393Donatus, from whom the Donatians derive their name, flourished in Africa in the reign of Constantine and Constans, and by his persuasion drew a great part of Africa into his schism.Jerome · source text
On Heresies 69 (the Donatists)
c. AD 428Connected in the archive
People
- Optatus of Milevis
- Augustine of Hippo
- Constantine the Great
- Miltiades (Melchiades) of Rome
- Majorinus of Carthage
- Parmenian of Carthage
- Silvanus of Cirta
- Lucilla
- Nundinarius
- Donatus the friend of Cyprian
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 2 places the sources put Donatus, in the order the record moves through them. This is what the sources attest, not a reconstructed route.