FERRANDUS OF CARTHAGE

Deacon and ecclesiastical writer; d. Carthage, a. d. 546 or 547. His close association with Fulgentius of Ruspe, of whom he was a pupil, was probably responsible for the unjustified addition of Fulgentius to his own name. In 508 he accompanied Fulgentius into exile in Sardinia, from which a return to Carthage became possible only in 523. Ferrandus is mentioned in laudatory terms as a deacon of Carthage by facundus of hermiane, victor of tunnuna, and later writers.

He is most probably the author of the excellent Vita Fulgentii, which furnishes so much precious information on the man and his age. His Breviatio canonum is a systematic and comprehensive exposition of the Canon Law in force in North Africa as based on the decrees of numerous Greek and African councils. Each of the 232 prescriptions is stated and defined, then supported by a number of pertinent canons. The Breviatio is an important source for the early history of Canon Law. Of his 12 extant letters, five are short personal notes, but the rest are theological treatises or discussions in epistolary form. Two of these have a special interest. Letter 6 is an answer to the request of the Roman deacons Pelagius and Anatolius for a statement on Justinian's condemnation of the Three Chapters. Ferrandus criticized the emperor's action in strong terms. Letter 7, a reply to Count Reginus, who had asked how a pious soldier should conduct himself in military life, lays down seven rules, regulae innocentiae, for his guidance.

Bibliography: Clavis Patrum latinorum, ed. e. dekkers (Steenbrugge 1961) Nos. 847–848, 1768. h. rahner, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner (Freiberg 1957–65) 4:87, with valuable bibliog. a. jÜlicher, Paulys Realenzyklopädie der klassischen Altertumswissenschaft, ed. g. wissowa et al. 6.2 (1909) 2219–21. h. r. reynolds, A Dictionary of Christian Biography, ed. w. smith and h. wace (London 1877–87) 2:583–584, old but still useful. a. vetulani, Dictionnaire de droit canonique, ed. r. naz (Paris 1935–65) 2:1111–13. m. schanz, c. hosius, and g krÜger, Geschichte der römischen Literatur (Munich 1914–35) 4.2:572–575. o. bardenhewer, Geschichte der altkirchlichen Literatur (Freiburg 1913–32) 5:316–320. u. moricca, Storia della letteratura latina cristiana, 3 v. in 5 (Turin 1923–1935) 3.2:1395–1407. g. f. lapeyre, Vie de Saint Fulgence de Ruspe, par Ferrand, diacre de Carthage (Paris 1929).

[m. r. p. mcguire]