Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/845

 PETER

773

PETER

Buper Perphyrium"; "In Arist. Metaphysicam"; "In libros Politicorum " ; "Desomnoet vigilia"; "De veget. et plantis"; "Deanima".

WiDDINO, Script. Minor. (1690), 279; Du BotJLAV, Hist. Univ. de Paris, III (Paria, 1666), 709; Hist. ant. eccl. XIV (Paris, 1701), 214; Qu^TiF-EcHABD, Script. Freed., 1 (Paris, 1719), 489; OuDlN. Cumm. de script, eccl., HI (Paris, 1722), 927; Fabricius, Bibl mt-rf.irt., V (Paris, 1736), 711 ; Lajard in //is(. ii«. de France, XXV (Paris, 1869), 93, 114- Denifle, Carl. Unio. Paris, I (Paris, 1889), 930; II, 69, 90; F^ret, La Faculte de theologie de Paris, III (Paris, 1896), 221-7. JOSEPH DedIEU.

Peter of Bergamo (Almadura), theologian, date of birth unknown; d. at Plaeentia, in 1482. He en- tered the Dominican Order m his native town, and completed his studies at the University of Bologna, where he received his degree. In the Dominican House of Studies he filled the offices of Master of Stu- dents and Bachelor of the Studium. The people of Piacenza venerated him as a saint, and Fr. Leander Alberti states that miracles were wrought through his intercession. His remains were deposited in a crypt under the high altar of the chapel of St. Thomas. All of his writings that have come down to us deal with th? works of St. Thomas: "Index universalis in omnia opera D. Th. de Aquino" (Bologna, 1475) and "Con- cordantiae locorum doct. Angel, qua; sibi invicem ad- versari videntur" (Basle, 1478), combined under the title, "Tabula in libros . . . cum additionibus con- clusionum, concordantiis locorum et S. Script, auctori- tatibus" (Venice, 1497; Rome, 1535). In 'he edition of St. Thomas's works published by order of St. Pius V all Almadura's indices, etc, appear under the name : "Tabula aurea exim. doct. Fr. Petri de Bergamo . . . in omnes libros, opuscula et commentaria D. Th. Aquin. . . ." (Rome, 1.570). This "Tabula aurea" was republished as vol. XXV of the Parma edition of St. Thomas's works (Parma, 1873).

QuiTiF and Echard. .Scri;>(. Ord. Praed., 1 (Paris. 1719), 863: TouRON, Hist, des homines illustres de I'Ordre de S. Dum., Ill (P'aris, 1746), 529; Alberti, De viris illus. Ord. Prad. (Bo- logna, 1517) ; Descrittione di tutta Italia (Bologna, 1550).

D. J. Kenedy

Peter of Bruys. See Petrobrtjsians.

Peter of Ghent. See Mexico.

Peter of Pisa, Blessed. See Hierontmites.

Peter of Poitiers, French scholastic theologian, b. at Poitiers or in its neighbourhood about 1130; d. in Paris in 1215. He studied at the University of Paris, where he became professor of theology and lec- tured for thirty-eight years. In 1169 he succeeded Peter Comestor in the chair of scholastic theology. His lectures were so briUiant as to inspire the enmity of Gauthier de St-Victor, one of the bitterest oppo- nents of Scholasticism, who ranked him with Gilbert de la Porree, Abelard, and Peter Lombard in the pamphlet wherein he tries to throw ridicule on the four doctors, under the name of the "Four Labyrinths of France". In 1179 he published five books of sen- tences which are a synopsis of his lectures. His doc- trine is orthodox, iDut, though containing no con- demned proposition, it exhibits more vain subtilty than real theology based on Holy Scripture. Those who accuse Scholasticism of being a mere logomachy can find arguments in the writings of Peter of Poitiers. He wrote commentaries, still unedited, on Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and the Psalms. A chronological and genealogical abridgment of the Bible is attrib- uted to him, but the authorship is uncertain. As Chancellor of the Church of Paris he displayed great zeal on behalf of poor students, and to supply their want of text-books, which were very expensive, he had a kind of synopsis engraved on the walls of the class- rooms for their assistance. In 1191 he was appointed by Celestine III to settle a dispute between the Abbeys of St-Eloi and St-Victor. He was a constant correspondent of Celestine III and Innocent III. Certain writers erroneously believe that he died Bishop of Embrun; the "Gallia Christiana Nova"

shows that he was only Chancellor of Paris. His works were pubhshed by Dom Mathoud with those of Robert PuUus (Paris, 1855).

Du BouLAY, Hist, del'unioersitede Paris. II; Gallia Christiana, VII; Bihliolhiijiie latine du moyen Age (Paris, 1759).

J. Lataste.

Peter of Sebaste, Saint, bishop, b. about 340; d. 391. He belonged to the richly blest family of Basil and Emmelia of Caesarea in Cappadocia, from which also sprang St. Macrina the Younger (q. v.) and the two great Cappadocian doctors, Basil of Cssarea and Gregory of Nyssa. He was the youngest of a large family, and Macrina, his eldest sister, exercised a great influence over his religious training, acting as his in- structress in the way of Christian perfection, and directing him towards the spiritual and ascetic life. Renouncing the study of the profane sciences, he de- voted himself to meditation on Holy Writ and the cultivation of the religious life. Shortly after his brother's elevation to the episcopal See of Caesarea, Peter received from hira priestly ordination, but sub- sequently, withdrawing from active affairs, resumed the life of a solitary ascetic. He assisted his sister towards the attainment of her life's object, and aided her and her mother in their monastic establishment after his father's death (Gregory of Nyssa, "Vita s. Macrina;"). About 380-81 he was elevated to the See of Sebaste in Armenia and, without displaying any literary activity, took his stand beside his brothers Basil and Gregory in their fight against the Arian her- esy (Theodoret, "H. E.", IV, xxvii). In his life and episcopal administration he displayed the same splen- did characteristics as Basil. Linked together in the closest manner with his brothers, he followed their writings with the greatest interest. At his advice Gregory of Nyssa wrote his great work "Against Eunomius", in defence of Basil's similarly named book answering the polemical work of Eunomius. It was also at his desire that Gregory wrote the "Treatise on the Work of the Six Days", to defend Basil's similar treatise against false interpretations and to complete it. Another work of Gregory's, "On the Endowment of Man", was also written at Peter's suggestion, and sent to the latter with an appropriate preface as an Easter gift in 397. We have no detailed information concerning his activity as a bishop, except that he was present at the (Ecumenical Council of Constantinople in 381. After his death in 391 he was venerated as a saint. His feast falls on 8-9 January.

Acta SS., I Jan., 588-590; Butleh, Lives of the Saints, I, 9 Jan. ; see bibliography under Basil the Gre.^t and Gregory of Nyssa. J. p. KiRSCH.

Peter of Verona, Saint, b. at Verona, 1206; d. near Milan, (i April, 12.')2. His parents were adherents of the .M;inicliaan heresy, which still survived in northern Italy in the thirteenth century. Sent to a Catholic school, and later to the University of Bologna, he there met St. Dominic, and entered the Order of the Friars Preachers. Such were his virtues, severity of life and doctrine, talent for preaching, and zeal for the Faith, that Gregory IX made him general inquisitor, and his superiors destined hira to combat the Manichiean errors. In that capacity he evangelized nearly the whole of Italy, preaching in Rome, Florence, Bologna, Genoa, and Como. Crowds came to meet him and fol- lowed him wherever he went; and conversions were numerous. He never failed to denounce the vices and errors of Catholics who cdnfcssc-d the Faith by words, but in deeds denied it. The Manidueans did all they could to compel the inquisitor to '■ease from preaching against their ?rrors and propaganda. Persecutions, calumnies, threats, nothing was left untried.

When returning from Como to Milan, he met a certain Carino who with some other Manicha-ans had plotted to murder him. The assassin struck him with an axe on the head with such violence, that the holy