44. Ep. 93.10.36–10.40 (CCL 31A:193–96); trans. Parsons, FOTC 18:91–94. (continued)
Against the Donatists 265 surviving accounts with a critical eye, alert to the politics of the reporter. From Possidius of Calama, Life of St. Augustine:
(10) Now these Donatists had in almost all their churches a strange group of men, perverse and violent, who professed continence and were called Circumcellions. They were very numerous and were organized in bands throughout almost all the regions of Africa. Inspired by evil teachers of insolent boldness and lawless temerity, they spared neither their own people nor strangers, but, contrary to right and justice, deprived men of their civil rights. Those who refused to submit to them were visited with the severest losses and injuries, as the Circumcellions, armed with various kinds of weapons, madly overran farms and estates and did not even fear to resort to bloodshed. Moreover, when the word of God was diligently preached and a plan for peace was suggested, they who hated peace freely assailed the person who proposed it. Those Circumcellions who wished and were able broke away or secretly withdrew from their sect, when, in the face of their teachings, the truth became known. They then came back to the peace and unity of the Church with as many of their own group as they could take with them. Consequently, when the remaining Circumcellions saw that the congregations of their sect were growing smaller, they became envious of the Church's growth. Inflamed with intense anger, they carried out intolerable persecutions against the unity of the Church, with the help of confederates. By day as well as by night, Catholic priests and ministers were attacked; they were robbed of all their possessions; many servants of God were even crippled by torture. Some had lime mixed with vinegar thrown in their eyes, and others were killed. As a result, these rebaptizing Donatists came to be hated even by their own people.45
Episodic Violence
In the early 400s, the Catholic campaigning was enjoying some successes. With it came an uptick in the level of violence. Sometimes it was Circumcellions, sometimes local ruffians, who committed acts of violence, especially against those who left the Donatists and joined the Catholic cause. Such violence brought reprisals from the government and, in the end, damaged the Donatist cause. In an open letter to Donatist churches, from around 406, Augustine retails a recent wave of violence. From Letter 105:
(2.3) If you are angry with us because you are forced by the decrees of the emperors to rejoin us,46 you brought this on yourselves by stirring up violence and threats whenever we wished to preach the truth, and you tried to pre-
45. Vita 10 (Geerlings, 42–44); trans. Muller and Deferrari, FOTC 15:84. 46. "Decrees of the emperors": Augustine seems to be referring here to the Edict of Unity in 405, which was only erratically enforced.