Hilary (Hilarius Pictaviensis)

Hilary of Poitiers; Hilarius Pictaviensis, OK. 315-367 years. n. e., Latin Christian writer, Father of the Church. Occurred from a wealthy pagan family. Receiving a rhetorical and philosophical education, he held senior government positions. Christianity took approximately. 345 g. Ok. 350 g. became bishop Piktavii (sovr. Poitiers) in the province of Aquitaine. The years of his episcopacy filled the ongoing fight against Arians in the West. For his relentless persecution of the Arians was banished by Emperor Constantius II in Phrygia (356-360 gg.).

There he became acquainted with the works of the Greek theologians, and finished his treatise on the Trinity (De Trinitate) in 12 books, outlining all the orthodox doctrine of the three persons of God. At this time he supports a lively correspondence with the Western bishops. After the Synod of Seleucia (359), he returned to Gaul, where he organized obschegallsky synod in Paris (361), at which thanks to him almost all the bishops condemned Arianism. Then the rest of life X. held in Poitiers, dedicating it to writing. - In addition egzegeticheskih works as a commentary to the Gospel of Matthew and Psalms, preserved historical and polemical writings: By Caesar Constantius, which contains controversy with Arians, against Caesar Constantius protests X. against injustice, against the Arians describes the dangers that entails errors Arians; About synods - the product that is important for the study Arian disputes.

Letter X. lost. From the collection of his hymns preserved only three heavily damaged fragment. Merit X. is its contribution to the doctrine of the Trinity and the introduction of the West with the theological science of the East. He was the first author of the hymns in the West. Because of his uncompromising attitude towards the Arians he was nicknamed "Athanasius of the West."