BARO'NIUS, C.ESAR (1538-16071. An emi nent Roman Catholic ecclesiastical historian. He was born at Sora in the old Kingdom of Naples, October 30, 1538, and educated at Naples and Rome. He was one of the first pupils of Saint Philip Neri, who founded the Congregation of the Oratory, of which Baronius became su perior in 1593. He soon after became father confessor to the Pope, apostolical prothonotary (1595), cardinal in 1596, and librarian of the Vatican Library (1597). On the death of Clement V111., in 1605, and on that of Leo XI., his successor, he was, against his will, voted on for the Papacy. He received -30 votes on the last occasion, and would probably have been elected but for the opposition of the Spaniards, who were indignant with him for his treatise, De Mon archic' Sicula (cf. F. J. Sentio. Die Monarchic Sienla [Freiburg im Br. 1869]), in which lie denied the genuineness of the document at tributed to Urban II., on which the Spaniards based their claim to spiritual jurisdiction over Sicily, which had already been weakly attempted by Mnzio in 1570. Having already evinced his great diligence and learning as a Church his torian, he was commissioned by Philip Neri to prepare the Roman Catholic to the Protestant "Magdeburg Centuries" (q.v.). Ba ronius entered upon this commission with great energy and in a position most favorable for ac cess to authorities, composing his Annales Effie siastici a Christ° no to ad annum, 1198 (12 vols.,
Rome, 1588-1607), in which work he labored till his death, June 30, 1607. His polemical pur pose affects his use of material, but still the material itself is so enormous and often so re condite that his work is a storehouse of learning of permanent value. Ile made many mistakes of all kinds,' of course, especially in chronology. These were to a considerable extent corrected by A. F. Pagi. 0. Raynaldus and others prepared a continuation of the down to 1646. The best edition of the Annals is that by A. Theiner (Bar-le-Due and Paris, 1864-83, 37 vols.), but as it is not complete, the one best to use is that by Mansi (Lucca, 173S-57). Both editions contain Pagi's corrections and the con tinuation, although the latter is of inferior value.
Consult: Rauschen, Jahrbiicher der christ lichen Kirehe voter den? Kaiser Theodosius dent Grossen: Icrsuch eine?. Ernencrung der Annales Eeelesiastici des Baronius file die Jahre 378-95. (Freiburg im Br. 1897) : Baronius's Martyro logium Romanum (1586) is also worthy of 'sep arate mention. There is a. life of Barouius by Hieronymns Barnabeus (Rome 1651, 2d ed., Vi enna, 1718).