ABSTRACT
Sulpicius Severus (c. 363-c. 420) did not find much consolation in historyat least not from what one can make of his Chronica (or Historia Sacra), which was evidently written in monastic seclusion from Aquitania (southern Gaul) soon after 400, and after the loss of his friend and mentor Martin of Tours seemed to remove his 'great source of consolation in this present life' (Epist. ii). 1 The rather grim object of this short 'world history', or a work condensing Biblical and Church history as materials most crucial for understanding the true destiny of the world, was more to warn of earthly troubles than to celebrate the firm triumph of the Church. Here sounds a voice from the vulnerable Roman provinces in the West. After touching upon apostolic times he tells of the destruction of Jerusalem, the vexationes faced by the earlier Christians and - after a time of peace - the 'internal trials' (intestinis periculis) of the churches (Chron., i, 1 [prolog.]). The sorry situation with which the text of the Chronicle concludes is the extraordinary conflict surrounding Priscillian (d. 385), whose popular Gnosticizing movement in Hispania and southern Gaul had disturbed episcopates affected by its influence.2 But for his own loyal support of the saintly ascetic Martin, Sulpicius himself had fallen under suspicion (Epist., i, 1; cf. Vit. S. Mart., xxv-xxvi),3 making him ready even to criticize weaknesses in some of Priscillian' s episcopal accusers ( Chron, ii, 50 )4 and all the more pessimistic about earthly affairs in general. The trials for Church leadership in this marginal context were severe, and the barbarian groups were constantly pushing their way through the old imperial holdings.5
