Rufinus (3), Tyrannius, of
Aquileia, the
translator of Origen and Eusebius, the friend
of Jerome and afterwards his adversary; a
Latin ecclesiastical writer of some merit, and
highly esteemed in his own time; born c. 345
at Concordia in N. Italy; baptized at Aquileia
c. 371; lived in Egypt some 8 years and in
Palestine about 18 (371–397); ordained at
Jerusalem c. 390; in Italy, mostly at Aquileia, 397–408; died in Sicily, 410.
Sources.—The works of Rufinus himself, especially his Apology (otherwise Invectives), two books, against Jerome; Hieron. Apology against Rufinus, three books; Id. Chronicle, Ol. 289, An. 1, 378; Id. Epp. 3–5, 51, 57, 80–84, 97, 125, 133; Id. Pref. to Comm. on Ezk. and Jer. bk. i; Paulin. Epp. 28, 40, 46, 47; Aug. Epp. 63, 156; Pallad. Hist. Laus. 118; Gennad. de Script. Eccl. c. 17; Sid. Apoll. lib. iv. Ep. 3; Gelasius in Concil. Rom. (Patr. Lat. lix. col. 173).
Literature.—Rufinus's career has usually
been treated as an appendage to that of
Jerome. There is a full Life of Rufinus by
Fontanini (Rome, 1742), reprinted by Migne
in his ed. of Rufinus (Patr. Lat. xxi.)—minute
and exhaustive in details and in fixing dates; a shorter account by Schoenemann, Bibliotheca Historico-Literaria Patrum Lat. (Lips. 1792) is also reprinted by Migne.
Works.—The genuine original works of
Rufinus still extant are: A Dissertation on
the Falsification by Heretics of the Works of
Origen, prefixed to his trans. of Pamphilus's
Apology for Origen; A Commentary on the
Benedictions of the Twelve Patriarchs (Gen. xlix.); the Apology for himself against the attacks of Jerome, in two books; a shorter one addressed to pope Anastasius; two books of Eccl. Hist., being a continuation of Eusebius; a History of the Egyptian Hermits; and an Exposition of the Creed. Besides these there are several prefaces to the translations from Greek authors, on which his chief labour was expended, and which include The Monastic Rule of Basil, and his 8 Homilies; the Apology for Origen, written by Pamphilus and Eusebius; Origen's Περὶ Ἀρχῶν and many of his commentaries; 10 works of Gregory Nazianzen; the Sentences of Sixtus or Xystus; the Sentences of Evagrius, and his book addressed to Virgins; the Recognitions of Clement; the 10 books of Eusebius's History; the Paschal Canon of Anatolius of Alexandria.
Early Life: Concordia and Aquileia.—His
parents were probably Christians, since there
is no trace of other than Christian associations
in his writings. His mother did not die till
his sojourn in Rome in 398 (Hieron. Ep. lxxxi. x). He was not baptized till c. 371. That he made the acquaintance of Jerome in early life is shewn by his request to him when about to go into Gaul, c. 368, to copy out for him the works of Hilary upon the Psalms and upon the councils of the church (Ep. v. 2). Either before or about the time of the return of Jerome from Gaul, Rufinus had gone to Aquileia and embraced a monastic life ("in monasterio positus," Rufin. Apol. i. 4). There, about 30 years before he wrote his Apology against the attacks of his former friend, Rufinus was baptized (ib.) by Chromatius and his brother Eusebius (then respectively presbyter and deacon), and Jovinus the archdeacon, all of them ascetic friends, and all subsequently bishops. This must have been at the close of his stay at Aquileia ("Ille modo se lavit," Hieron. Ep. 4, 374).