Hierarch 5th century

Augustalis of Arles

died c. 450

Also known as Autal, Bishop of Arles

Bishop of Arles in Gaul and confessor (c. 450)

Feast Day
September 7
Draft
Draft — pending review. Not yet verified for publication.

Life

Augustalis is an early bishop of the Church in Gaul, venerated as a hierarch and confessor and commemorated on September 7. He is associated with the city of Arles in southern Gaul (modern France), and his name appears in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum and in the later Roman Martyrology, the latter recording his location only as 'in Gallia.' Beyond his episcopal office, little detailed biographical material survives.

The period in which Augustalis lived is uncertain and has been debated by scholars. Some have placed him in the third or fourth century, while others have argued for a fifth-century figure, the dating reflected in the tradition that he reposed around the year 450. There is likewise some debate over his see: although the witness of the martyrologies links him to Arles, scholarship has connected an Augustalis of the same era with the early episcopate of Toulon and with the conciliar and administrative life of the Gallic Church in the mid-fifth century. The sources agree that he was a bishop, even where they differ on the precise dates and jurisdiction.

As with many saints of the pre-schism Western Church, the surviving record of Augustalis is fragmentary, preserved chiefly through the martyrologies rather than a developed life. He is counted among the saints of the undivided Church of the West and is honoured within the Orthodox commemoration of the pre-schism See of Rome.

Contributions & Legacy

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Historical Uncertainty

The dating and see of Augustalis are not settled. He has been assigned variously to the third or fourth century and to the fifth century by different scholars. A connected tradition links an Augustalis of the mid-fifth century to the early episcopate of Toulon and to the councils and ecclesiastical disputes of Gaul in that period, but whether this is the same figure venerated at Arles is debated. The anchor commemoration follows the Arles association and a fifth-century date of repose around 450.

Sources: Roman Martyrology