Marius, Mercator
Marius Mercator
Ecclesiastical writer, born probably in Northern Africa about 390; died shortly after 451. In 417 or 418 he was in Rome where he wrote two anti-Pelagian treatises, which he submitted to St. Augustine (Ep. ad. M.M., no. 193). From 429 till about 448 he was in Constantinople. His works, mostly translations and compilations of excerpts from heretical as well as orthodox Greek theological writers, were edited by Garnier (Paris, 1673), reprinted in Migne (P.L., XLVIII, Paris, 1846). They were also edited by Baluze (Paris, 1684), reprinted with corrections in Galland, “Bibliotheca veterum Patrum”, VIII (Venice, 1772), 613-738. His treatises “Commonitorium super nomine Cælestii”, and “Commonitorium adversus hæresim Pelagii et Cælestii vel etiam scripta Juliani” are against the Pelagians. The former (in Migne, loc. cit., 63-108) effected the expulsion of Julian of Eclanum and Cælestius from Constantinople and their condemnation at Ephesus in 431. The latter is in Migne, loc. cit., 109-172. Against the Nestorians he wrote “Epistola de discrimine inter hæresim Nestorii et dogmata Pauli Samosateni, Ebionis, Photini atque Marcelli” (Migne, loc. cit., 773) and “Nestorii blasphemiarum capitula XII” (Migne, loc. cit., 907-932). Among his translations are extracts from Cyril of Alexandria, Nestorius, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret, Pelagius, and others.
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MICHAEL OTT Transcribed by Ernie Stefanik
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IXCopyright © 1910 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, CensorImprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Marius, Mercator
a layman in the Church of the 4th century, flourished at Constantinople after 421. Dr. Murdock, the editor of Mosheim, says that Marius Mercator was undoubtedly a layman, a friend and admirer of Augustine, and an active defender of his doctrines from A.D. 418 to the year 451. Dr. Schaff (Ch. Hist. vol. iii), however, speaks of Marius Mercator first as a layman (p. 716), and later (p. 784) mentions him as a learned Latin monk in Constantinople (A.D. 428-451). Marius Mercator was, so supposes his biographer Baluze (Prafat. in Mercat. p. 7), an African by birth, who went to Rome about 417, when Julius and the other Pelagian chiefs were disputing in the Eternal City, and then and there produced a work against the Pelagian heresy, which is probably the Hypognosticon, printed in the Appendix of vol. 10 of the works of St. Augustine (comp. Ceillier, Hist. des Aut. Stc. 8:498 sq.). Ceillier gives us 421 (p. 501) as the date of Marius Mercator’s arrival at Constantinople, and as the date of his decease 449 (p. 507); and says, On ne voit pas qu’il ait ete employe dans le ministere ecclesiastique, et il ne. prend d’autre qualite dans ses ecrits que celle de serviteur de Jesus-Christ. Marius Mercator’s works as collected are almost wholly translations from the Greek fathers, particularly Nestorius, Theodosius of Mopsuestia, Cyril of Alexandria, Proclus, Theodoret, etc., accompanied with prefaces and notes or strictures by the translator. Himself one of the most bitter opponents of Pelagianism (q.v.), his writings are all designed to confute either the Pelagian or Nestorian errors. They were edited, with notes, by Joh. Garnier (Paris, 1673, folio), and still better by Stephen Baluze (Opera, Stephanus Baluzius ad fidem veterum codicum MSS. emendavit, et notis illustravit, Paris, 1684, 8vo). (J. H. W.)