De Viris Illustribus (Jerome)

De Viris Illustribus

Manuscript of the late 15th century, with this page showing entries for Musanus, Modestus and Bardaisan.
Author	Jerome
Original title	De viris illustribus
Translator	Ernest Cushing Richardson Ernest J. Engler Philip Schaff Thomas P. Halton
Language	Latin
Genre	Biography, bibliography
Published	AD 393
Publication place	Roman Empire (Palaestina Prima)
Media type	Manuscript
Dewey Decimal	270.1
LC Class	BR60.F3 J4713
Original text	De viris illustribus at Latin Wikisource
Translation	De Viris Illustribus at Wikisource

De Viris Illustribus (On Illustrious Men) is a collection of short biographies of 135 authors, written in Latin, by the 4th-century Latin Church Father Jerome. He completed this work at Bethlehem in 392–393 AD.^[1] The work consists of a prologue plus 135 chapters, each consisting of a brief biography. Jerome himself is the subject of the final chapter. A Greek version of the book, possibly by the same Sophronius who is the subject of Chapter 134, also survives. Many biographies take as their subject figures important in Christian Church history and pay especial attention to their careers as writers. It "was written as an apologetic work to prove that the Church had produced learned men."^[2] The book was dedicated to Flavius Lucius Dexter, who served as high chamberlain to Theodosius I and as praetorian prefect to Honorius. Dexter was the son of Saint Pacianus, who is eulogized in the work.^[3]