Eugenius Vulgarius
EUGENIUS VULGARIUS
Grammarian; place and date of birth and death unknown. He lived in southern Italy and was known for his literary activity during the pontificate of sergius iii (904–911). Unlike Sergius, he defended the legality of the election of Pope formosus (891–896) and the validity of the Holy Orders conferred by him. His arguments as well as his literary form were inspired by auxilius of naples, although Vulgarius exhibited a greater knowledge of classical and Byzantine culture. Later he abandoned the Formosan cause and composed a submissive letter to sergius iii. His writings include Insimulator et actor (Patrologia Latina, ed. J.P. Migne [Paris 1878–90] 129:1103–12), De causa formosiana libellus (Dümmler 117–139), Letters and Poems (Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Poetae [Berlin 1826–] 4:412–440).
Bibliography: e. dÜmmler, ed., Auxilius und Vulgarius (Leipzig 1866). m. manitius Geschichte der lateinischen Literatur des Mittelalters (Munich 1911–31) 1:433–436. g. baader, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche 2 3: 1778–79.
[s. p. lindemans]