Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/106

 NILUS

80

NIMBUS

a Nitrian monk whose life is held up as an example (ib., (595-712); "Of Asceticism" (AA70S (Io-kijtikAj, about the monastic ideal, ib., 719-810); "Of volun- tary poverty" (vfpl iKTrnioavyrit, ib., 968-1000); "Of the superiority of monks" (ib., 1061-1094); "To Eulogios the monk " (ib., 1093-1140). (3) "Admoni- tions" (TI'u^lal) or "Chapters" (xf^dXaia), about 200 precepts drawn up in short maxims (ib., 1239-62). These are probably made by his disciples from his discourses. (1) "Letters": — Possinus published 355, Allatius 101)1 Irttors, divided into four books (P. G., LXXIX, S1-5S5). Many are not complete, several overlap, or are not really letters but excerpts from Nilus' works; some are spurious. Fessler-Jungmaun divides them into classes, as dogmatic, exegetical, moral, and ascetic. Certain works wrongly attributed to Nilus arc named in Fessler-Jungmann, pp. 125-6.

NiKEPHOROs K.\LLiST08, Nist. EccL, XIV, xliv; Leo Allatids, Diatriba de Nitis et eorum scriptis in his edition of the letters (Rome, 1668); Tillemont, Mdnoires pour servir A I'histoire eccUsiastigue, XIV (Paris, 1693-1713), 189-218; Fabricius- Harles, Bibliotheca grtcca, X (Hamburg, 1790-1809), 3-17; Ceiluer. Uistoire ginlrale des auteurs sacris, XIH (Paris, 1729- 1763), iii; Fessler-Jungmann, Instituliones PatrologicE, II (Inns- bruck, 1896), ii, 108-128.

Adrian Fortescoe.

Nilus the Younger, of Rossano, in Calabria; b. in 910; d. 27 December, 1005. For a time he was married (or lived unlawfully); he had a daughter. Sickness brought about his conversion, however, and from that time he became a monk and a propagator of the rule of St. Basil in Italy. He was known for his ascetic life, his virtues, and theological learning. For a time he lived as a hermit, later he spent certain periods of his life at various monasteries which he either founded or restored. He was for some time at Monte Cassino, and again at the Alexius monastery at Rome. When Gregory V (966-999) was driven out of Rome, Nilus opposed the usurpation of Philogatos (John) of Piacenza as anti-pope. Later when Philo- gatos was tortured and mutilated he reproached Gregory and the Emperor Otto III (993-1002) for this crime. Nilus' chief work was the foundation of the famous Greek monastery of Grottaferrata, near Frascati, of which he is counted the first abbot. He spent the end of his life partly there and partly in a hermitage at Valleluce near Gaeta. His feast is kept on 26 September, both in the Byzantine Calendar and the Roman martyrology.

Viti S. Nili abbatis Crypice FerratoE, probably by Bartholomew, Abbot of Grottaferrata (d. 1065), in the Acta Sanctorum, VII, Sept., 283-343; P. L., LXXI, 509-588; P. G., IV, 616-618; Minasi, jS. Nilo di Calabria (Naples, 1892) ; Krumbacher, Byzantinische LiUeralur (2nded., Munich, 1897), 195, 198.

Adrian Fortescue.

Nimbus (Lat., related to Nebula, veififKrj, properly vapour, cloud), in art and archaeology signifies a shin- ing light implying great dignity. Closely related are the halo, glory, and aureole.

In Nature. — All such symbols originate in natural phenomena, scientifically accounted for in textbooks on physics (M tiller-Peter, " Lehrbuch der kosmischen Physik"; Pemter, " Meteorologische Optik"). There are circular phenomena of light in drops or bubbles of water and in ice crystals which by the refraction of light reveal in greater or less degree the spectral col- ours. Of the accompanying phenomena the hori- zontal and vertical diameters, the "column of light", may be mentioned. The curious rings of light or colour similar to the above, which often form themselves be- fore the iris of the eye even in candle light, are more gorgeous on the mountain mist (Pilatus, Rigi, and Brocken), if the beholder has the sun behind him; they surround his shadow as it is projected upon the clouds. The dewdrops in a meadow can produce an appearance of light around a shadow, without, how- ever, forming distinct circles. Occasionally one even sees the planet Venus veiled by a disc of light. The

phenomena of discs and broad rings are more usual in the sun and moon. The Babylonians studied them diligently (Kugler, "Sternkunde und Stcrndienst in Babel", II, 1). The terminology of the.se phenomena is vague. The disc or circle around the sun ciin be cor- rectly called "anthelia", and the ring around the moon "halo". A more usual name is "aureole", which in a restricted sense means an oval or cilipitical ray of light like a medallion. If the brightness is merely a luminous glow without definitely forming ring, circle, or ellipse, it is usually spoken of as a "glory". The types in nature in which rays or beams of light with or without colour challenge attention, suggested the symbolical use of the nimbus to denote high dignity or power. It is thus that Divine charac- teristics and the loftiest types of humanity were de- noted by the nimbus.

In Poetry, this symbol of light is chiefly used in the form of rays and flames or a diftused glow. Holy Writ presents the best example: God is Light. The Son of God, the Brightness of His Father's glory (Hebr., i, 3). An emerald light surrounds God and His throne (Apoc, iv, 3), and the Son of Man seems to the pro|)het a flame of fire (Apoc, i, 14 sq.). So also He appeared in His Transfiguration on Tabor. On Sinai, God ap- peared in a cloud which at once concealed and revealed Him (Ex., xxiv, 16, sq.) and even the countenance of Moses shone with a marvellous light in the presence of God (Ex., xxxiv, 29, sq.). Such descriiitions may have influenced Christian artists to distinguish God and the saints by means of a halo, especially around the head. They were also familiar with the descrip- tions of the classical poets whose gods appeared veiled by a cloud; e. g. according to Virgil, divinity appears "nimbo circumdata, succincta, effulgens" (bathed in light and shining through a cloud).

In Art. — In the plastic arts (painting and sculp- ture) the symbolism of the nimbus was early in use among the pagans who determined its form. In the monuments of Hellenic and Roman art, the heads of the gods, heroes, and other distinguished persons are often found with a disc-shaped halo, a circle of light, or a rayed-fillet. They are, therefore, associ- ated especially with gods and creatures of light such as the Pha'nix. The disc of light is likewise used in the Pompeian wall paintings to typify gods and demi- gods only, but later, in profane art it was extended to cherubs or even simple personifications, and is simply a reminder that the figures so depicted are not human. In the miniatures of the oldest Virgil manuscript all the great personages wear a nimbus (Beissel, "Vati- kanische Miniaturen "). The custom of the Egyptian and Syrian kings of having themselves represented with a rayed crown to indicate the status of demi-gods, spread throughout the East and the West. In Rome the halo was first used only for deceased emperors as a sign of celestial bliss, but afterwards living rulers also were given the rayed crown, and after the third century, although not first by Constantine, the simple rayed nimbus. Under Constantine the rayed crown appears only in exceptional cases on the coin, and was first adopted emblematically by Julian the Apostate. Henceforth the nimbus appears without rays, as the emperors now wished themselves considered worthy of great honour, but no longer as divine beings. In early Christian art, the rayed nimbus, as well as the rayless disc were adopted in accordance with tradi- tion. The sun and the Phcenix received, as in pagan art, a wreath or a rayed crown, also the simple halo. The latter was reserved not only for emperors but for men of genius and personifications of all kinds, al- though both in ecclesiastical and profane art, this emblem was usually omitted in ideal figures. In other cases the influence of ancient art tradition must not be denied.

The Middle Ages scarcely recognized such influence, and were satisfied to refer to Holy Writ as an example