Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/807

 PESCENNIUS

739

PESCH

In the Almerici palace is a muspum of ancient inscrip- tions, coins, and ivory carvings, a collection of majol- ica, a small picture gallery, and the Olivieri library. Beside the episcopal residence is the ancient duomo, now closed, and the remains of a Christian nym- phaeum. Outside the city is the Villa Imperiale, built by Alessandro Sforza (1469). Among the scientific insti- tutions mention should be made of the Liceo Musicale, dedicated to Rossini, a native of Pesaro. Of the char- itable institutions, the infant asylum dates from 1257, and the retreat for penitent women from 1619.

At the beginning of the fourth century b. c, Pesaro was occupied by the Senones, who were driven from there in 28.3. The town became a colony in 184. During the Gothic War, it underwent frequent sieges. In the eighth century Pesaro fell four times into the handsof the Lombards, and finally was annexed to the Pontifical States. Giovanni Malatesta, the Lame, be- came podes/d of Pesaro in 128.5. Galeazzo Malatesta, having no children, gave Pesaro as a dower to his niece, Costanza Varano, wife of Alessandro Sforza, and the latter was confirmed in the possession of the city by the Holy See in 1447. Costanzo Sforza (1473) fought against the pope in the service of Florence, and left the duchy to his natural son Giovanni (1481); the latter married Lucrezia Borgia, from whom he was eventu- ally separated. Costanzo II inherited the duchy in 1510, under the tutelage of his uncle Galeazzo, but in 1512 Julius II gave Pesaro to Francesco M. della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, and the city remained united to this duchy, of which it became the capital. In 1860 the town was valiantly defended by 800 men of the Pontifical troops against the army of Cialdini, but it was compelled to surrender.

The Blessed Francis of Pesaro (1350) and the Blessed Michelina Metelli (1356) were of this city; the first is buried in the cathedral, and the second in the church of the Conventuals; other natives of Pesaro ' were the Blessed Santo, O. Min., who died in 1393; Blessed Pietro Giacomo (1496), an Augustinian, and Blessed Serafina Sforza (1478), wife of the Duke Ales- sandro Sforza; at the cathedral is the body of the Blessed Felice Meda (d. 1444). The people of Pesaro have great veneration for St. Terentius, a martyr of uncertain date. The first bishop, St. Florentius, is said to have governed this see in the middle of the second century, while the bishop, St. Decentius, ac- cording to tradition, suffered martyrdom under Dio- cletian; Bishop Heraclianus was at the Council of Sardica in 343. Other bishops were Germanus, who went with Cresconius di Todi to Constantinople in 497 as legate of Anastasius II; Felix, whom St. Gregory the Great brought to trial; Maximus (649); Bene- natus, a legate to the Sixth General Council (680); Stabilinus (769); Adelberto (998), founder of the monastery of S. Tommaso in Folgia, where Clement II died in 1047; Pietro (1070), who was deposed, being a partisan of the schism of Barbarossa; Bartolomeo (1218); Omodio (1346); Biagio Geminelli (1354); Leale Malatesta (1370), who was the first to convoke a diocesan synod; Cardinal Antonio Casini (1406); Giulio Simonetti (1.560), was at the Council of Trent, and founded the seminary; Gian Lucido Palombara (1658), consecrated the new cathedral; Umberto Radicati (1742), held an important diocesan synod; Cardinal Gennaro .Aint. de' Simoni (1775) ; and Andrea Mastai-Ferretti (1806).

The diocese is a suffragan of Urbino; it has 39 parishes, 47,000 inhabitants, 9 religious hou.ses of men, 7 of women, 2 educational establishments for male students, and 4 for girls.

Cappelletti, Le Chieae d'ltalia. Ill; Marcolini, Notizie sloriche delln provincia di Pesaro e Urbino (2nd cd., Pesaro, 1883).

U. Benigni.

Pescennius Niger, Emperor of Rome (193-194). He was a native of central Italy, and during the reigns

of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus had kept the Germans from invading Roman territory. In 192 he suppressed an outbreak of the Jews and Saracens. After the death of Pertinax the prtetorian guards proclaimed Didius Julianus emperor; the troops in Britain elected Clodius Albinus; those on the Danube chose Lucius Septimius Severus; and the soldiers in Syria elected the governor of that province, Caius Pescennius Niger Justus. Septimius Severus advanced to Rome with the Pannonian legions. Julianus was killed, and the senate acknowledged Severus. Severus now made Albinus practically a co-emperor. Forth- with he addressed himself against Pescennius Niger. The latter had many adherents at Rome. Moreover, Antioch, where the proclamation of the rival emperor had been issued, aspired to the same position as Rome. Pescennius gained the support of the petty Oriental rulers. In preparation for the advance of Severus he appointed the able proconsul of the Province of Asia, Asellius vEmilianus, as his chief of staff. The ports of Asia were closed; the passes over the Taurus moun- tains were fortified; and Byzantium was garrisoned.

Severus also had made far-reaching preparations. Troops were sent to Africa and the seasoned army of the Danube was brought together. The advance guards of the opposing armies met at Perinthus, the capital of Thrace. The soldiers of Severus were re- pulsed. Severus, however, proceeded with his main army across the Bosporus and by way of Candeto near Cyzicus. Here in 194 a battle took place in which jlimilianus was slain. Niger himself now hastened to the scene but was defeated near Nica-a, with the result that most of the cities of the Province of Asia came into the hands of Severus. Niger fled to reach Anti- och. The possession of this city was decided by a battle fought south of Issus in which Pescennius Niger was defeated. While making his escape to the Par- thians he was overtaken and killed towards the end of 194. His severed head was exhibited by order of Severus before the besieged city of Byzantium. Se- verus mercilessly punished Niger's adherents, whether private individuals or cities. Byzantium did not sui-render until 196. Severus was also successful against the vassal states of the Parthians, Adiabene and Osrhoene. For the time being the Roman Prov- ince of Osrhoene was established.

For bibliography see Pertinax.

Karl Hoeber.

Pesch, TiLMANN, a Jesuit philosopher, b. at Co- logne, 1 Feb., 1836; d. at Valkenburg, Holland, 18 Oct., 1899. He became a Jesuit on 15 October, 18.52, and made his novitiate at Friedrichsburg near Miinstcr; he studied classics two years at Paderborn, philosophy two years at Bonn; taught four years at Feldkirch, Switzerland; stucUed theology one year at Paderborn and three years at Maria-Laach, after which he made his third year of novitiate at Pader- born. He then tauglit i)liilosophy at Maria-Laach (1867-69). From ISTOtill 1S76 he worked in the min- istry, and again taught philosophy eight years (1876- 84), at Blyenbeck. The literary activity of Pesch began in 1876. He contributed to "Philosophia La- censis"; "Institutiones philosophise naturalis" (1880); "Institutiones logicales" (18SS); " In.stitutiones psy- chologica'" (1S96-98). The last fifteen years of his life were devoted entirely to writing and to the ministry. By publishing treatises in German, Pesch helped much to spread Catholic truth. Such treatises were "Wcltphiinonienon" (1881), "Weltratscl" (1884), "Scclc mid Lcib" (1893), and "Christliche Lebensphi- losophic" (1S05). The last work n-arlii'd its fourth edition williiii three years. Besides tbesc more schol- arly writ inns, he published poinilar iiliiloso)iliic and apoldfii'tic ;ulicl('s .■iiid paiuphlcls. TIip most irnpor- tanl (pf tlicsc were the articles pulilished in the "Ger- inania" above the pseudonym "(iottlieb"; they were