JEROME, EUSEBIUS HIERONYMUS SOPHRO NIUS, one of the greatest and most learned of the Latin fathers, was born at a place called Stridon, in Dalmatia, about A.D. 346. He died at Bethlehem, Sept. 3o, 42o. The name of his father, who was a wealthy man and a Christian, was Eusebius. At the age of IS, Jerome was sent to Rome, where he studied under the grammarian Donatus. He does not appear to have been baptised till he was about 2o, and, according to his own admissions, he fell afterwards into a course of dissipation, though not to the extent that Augustine had so deeply to de plore. After a residence of some years at Rome, he travelled into Gaul, Germany, and Britain. At Treves he commenced dae study of theology, ana in order to prosecute it, retired into a cell in the desert of Chalcis, near Antioch, where for four years he devoted himself to a life of penance and study. Here he acquired that skill in the Hebrew language for which he afterwards became so cele brated, and which he turned to such good account. He also visited Palestine and Constantinople, where he farmed a friendship with Gregory Nazianzen, at that time bishop there, and the only man who, since St. John, had won the title of the Divine.' Jerome calls him his father, preceptor, and cate chist. It was here that he translated the chronicle of Eusehius and 14 homilies of Origen. In 382 a council was called at Rome by Damasus. Jerome
attended it and stayed there till the death of Damasus in 385. It is not clearly known why he left Rome, but be does not seem to have gained the affection of the bishop who succeeded Darnasus. On leav ing Italy he retired to Bethlehem, where he con tinued till his death.
His works are partly exegetical and partly ex planatory. He took part in the controversies against the Arians, Sabellians, Luciferians, and Pelagians ; wrote commentaries on Ecclesiastes, Canticles, the Prophets, greater and less, St. Mat thew, and St. Paul's Epistles ; also Quastionum Ilebraicantm in Genesim liber and De Viris bus, and 35 short notices of defenders of the faith, beginning with Peter and James and endino with himself ; but the great work for which he is bchiefly renowned is the translation of the Scriptures from the Hebrew, which is the only one sanctioned by the Council of Trent, and is known as the Vulgate. It is uncertain what help he derived in this work from the Hexapla and the older Italic versions that are supposed to have existed. The first complete edition of Jerome was that by Erasmus, Basle 1516, 9 vols. fol. There is also the Benedictine edit. 1693-1706, 5 vols. fol. and that of Vallarsi, Verona 1734-42, II vols. fcd., reprinted and improved, Venice 1766, II vols. 4to.—S. L.