ULFILAS, the apostle of the Goths, vs-as de scended from a family which originally belonged to Sadagolthina, near the town of Parnassus in Cappa docia, whence his ancestors were carried captive by tne Goths about the middle of the 3d century (Philostorg. Hist. Eccl. ii. 5). He was born A.D. 313 ; and, his mother being probably a Goth, he received a Gothic name, VuWer= cuo(fkin, from Vulfo, wolf IIe grew up familiar with both the Gothic and Greek tong-ties. He commenced his career as a religious teacher among the \Vest-Goths on the banks of the Danube ; and in 343 he was consecrated bishop. This is the account of Aux entius, which seems preferable to that of Philos torgius, who says he was consecrated by Eusebius and other bishops on the occasion of his being sent to Constantine the Great on an embassage by the ruler of the Goths ; for as Constantine died in 337, when Ulfilas was only 24 years of age, we cannot suppose that one so young would be set apart to so responsible an office. Philostorgius says he was the first bishop of the Goths ; but in the list of bishops who were at the Council of Nice in 325 appears the name of an earlier Gothic bishop, Theophilus. From the first Ulfilas belonged to
the Arian party, and in the synod at Constan tinople in A.D. 360 acted with that party. He laboured with earnest zeal for the conversion of the heathen Goths, and with such success as to draw down on the Christians the persecution of the ruling powers. Ulfilas having obtained permission of the emperor to retire with his adherents beyond the limits of the empire, betook himself to Mcesia. where, at tbe foot of Mount Hmmus, near Nico polis, a settlement was formed by those who had accompanied him in his exile. Here the rest of his life was spent, not without vicissitudes and agita tions, yct in unwearied efforts for the spiritual good of the people among whom he dwelt. At what time his trav slation of the Bible into the Gothic tongue—the great and abiding monument of his evangelistic zeal—was executed is uncertain ; but it was probably about A.D. 370 [GOTHIC VERSION]. Ile died in 383, ovenvhelmed, it is said, by finding himself ranked as a heretic by the Council.of 381. —W. L. A.