Potamius of Lisbon

Potamius supported the Arian Formula of Sirmium of 357, and moderate Arianism at Rimini in 359. Among four known writings are the homilies De Lazaro resuscitatio and De martyrio Esaiae prophetae, transmitted in a Latin Pseudo-Chrysostom from which Augustine quoted De Lazaro as early as 421 … A. Wilmart, editor of De Lazaro, stigmatizes Potamius’s Legacy as “some pages of Latin text among the most puzzling of ancient Christian Literature, with a bad taste, an obscurity and a self-complacency rarely noticeable elsewhere” (JThS 19, 1918, 289). (Charles Kannengiesser, Handbook of Patristic Exegesis, vol. II, The Bible in Ancient Christianity 1 (Leiden-Boston: Brill, 2004) 1017. See also J. Quasten, Patrology, vol. 4 (Notre Dame IN: Christian Classics, 1983) 80–83.)

Works

  • Collected Works
    • PL 8,1409-1418.
    • PLS 1,202-216.
    • Conti, M., The life and works of Potamius of Lisbon: a biographical and literary study with English translation and a complete commentary on the extant works of Potamius: Epistula ad Athanasium, De Lazaro, De martyrio Isaiae Prophetae, Epistula de substantia, Epistula Potami, Instrumenta patristica 32 (Turnhout, 1998).
    • Conti, M. (ed.), Potami Episcopi Olisponensis Opera omnia, CCL 69A, 1999.
  • [Clavis 541] De Lazaro
    • Edition: Wilmart, A., ‘Le “De Lazaro” de Potamius’, The Journal of Theological Studies 19 (1918) 298-304.
    • Translation: Conti, above.
  • [Clavis 542] Epistula ad Athanasium
    • Edition: Wilmart, A., ‘La lettre de Potamius à saint Althanase’, Revue Bénédictine 30 (1913) 280-283; 285.
    • Translation: Conti, above.
  • [Clavis 543] De martyrio Esaiae prophetae
    • Edition: Vega, A. C. (ed), Opuscula omnia Potamii episcopi Olisiponensis, Scriptores ecclesiastici hispano-latini veteris et medii aevi 2 (El Escorial, 1934) 35-36.
    • Translation: Conti, above.
  • [Clavis 544] Epistula de substantia Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti
    • Edition: Vega, A. C. (ed), Opuscula omnia Potamii episcopi Olisiponensis, Scriptores ecclesiastici hispano-latini veteris et medii aevi 2 (El Escorial, 1934) 37-54.
    • Translation: Conti, above.
  • [Clavis 545] Fragmentum epistulae Athanasii ad Potamium Appendix

Secondary references

  • Montes Moreira, A., Pontamius de Lisbonne et la controverse arienne,Université catholique de Louvain. Facultés de théologie et de droit canon. Travaux de doctorat en théologie et en droit canon, nouv. sér. 1 (Louvain, 1969).
  • Conti, M., 1998.