CYPRIANUS, ST., THI'SCIUS CIECVLIUS, one of the most eloquent of the Latin fathers, was archbishop of Carthage towards the middle of the third century. The facts and dates relating to the early portion of his life are stated by different writers with a variation which occasions uncertainty. He was probably born about A.D. 200, at Carthage, where, before his conversion to Christianity, he acquired considerable affluence as a teacher of oratory, then so indispensable to success in all public affairs. His career as a Christian appears not to have exceeded ten or twelve years; for it was not until about the fiftieth year of his age that he was gained over to the church of Carthago by Cmcilius, a presbyter, whose name he henceforth adopted. On his conversion, he sold his mansion and estate for the benefit of the poor, and observed, in his made of life, the most ascetics severity. It is stated however that, from some unexplained circumstance, he afterwards becamerepossessed of his property. Having held for two years the office of presbyter, to which ho was elected on his joining the Christian community, he was importuned by the people to become their bishop, in opposition to several other presbyters who sought the promotion, and he is said to have been shut up in his house by the assembled populaco, who barricaded all the outlets to prevent his escape, which in vain he attempted to make at an upper window. He was consequently installed archbishop of Carthago, but the perse cution under the Emperor Deeius having soon afterwards commenced, Cyprian fled, and so closely concealed himself during about a year and a half, that the place of his retreat appears never to have been known. This flight and long desertion of his flock occasioned much scandal against the church, and caused the clergy of Rome to address three of Carthage on the subject. (Cypr., Epist: 2.) The plea anxiously alleged by the archbishop and his apologist Pontius is an especial revelation from Ood in a vision. (' Deus seceders me jussit,' Epist:
9.) That this however was a fiction is shown in Epiat.' 5, where one Tertullus is made responsible for the advice (" 4 Tertullo ratio reddetur.") Whou the persecution was abated, Cyprian, having suffered only proscription and the confiecation of his property, returned to Carthage, and being reinstated in his bishopric, he held several councils, at one of which 85 bishops attended to legislate concerning the rebaptiaing of heretics, apostates, and deserters, who, after escaping the severity of Decins by renouncing their religious pros feasiou, desired to be re-admitted into the church. On the renewal of the persecution by the Emperor Valerian, about six years afterwards, Cyprian was brought before the proconsul Paternue, with nine biehops of Numidia, who were condemned as profane disturbers of the peace, and sent to work in the mines. Cyprian was banished to Curubis, about 40 miles from Carthage. By Calerius, the successor of Paternus, he was restored to his former dignities; but on his refusal to 'sacrifice to the pagan deities in obedience to the emperor's commands, he was seized by a band of soldiers, and was sentenced to be beheaded as an enemy to the gods, and a dangerous seducer of the people. He was led from the consular palace of Sextus to an adjoining field surrounded with trees, which were filled with thousands of spectators, iu the midst of whom he submitted with much fortitude to his sentence. That the populace must have experienced a great reversion of senti ment towards their archbishop since they constrained his acceptance of office, is evident from this acquiescence in his dentli, rind from the fact that, previous to this event, they loudly demanded in the theatres that he should be thrown to the lions. This change arose apparently from the harsh and ascetic austerity of Cyprian in denouncing not only idolatry and licentiousness, but the reasonable and natural gratificatiou of the passions.