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Tyrannius Rufinus or Rufinus of Aquileia (c. 344– 410 CE) was a monk, historian, and theologian. He is most known as a translator of Greek patristic material into Latin—especially the work of Origen.1 Life
Rufinus was born in 344 or 345 CE near Aquileia (in modern-day Italy) at the head of the Adriatic Sea. It appears that both of his parents were Christians. Around 370, he was living in a monastic community in Aquileia when he met JeromeFor other uses see: Jerome (disambiguation Jerome (about 340 September 30, 420), (full name Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus is best known as the translator of the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into Latin. Jerome's edition, the Vulgate, is still the official. In about 372, Rufinus travelled to the eastern Mediterranean, where he studied in AlexandriaLocated on the Mediterranean Sea coast, Alexandria (in Arabic, al-iskandariyyah is the chief seaport in Egypt, and that country's second largest city, and the capital of the Al Iskandariyah governate. It is located at 31°12'N, 29°15'E, 208 km (129 miles) under Didymus the Blind for some time. From there he moved to JerusalemCapitals in Asia For alternate uses see Jerusalem (disambiguation Jerusalem ( Modern Hebrew: Yerushalayim Biblical Hebrew: Arabic: al-Quds see also Names of Jerusalem) is an ancient Middle Eastern city of key importance to the religions of Judaism, Christ, where he founded a monasteryA monastery is the habitation of monks. Originally: a hermit's cell. Christian monasteries are also called abbey, priory, charterhouse, friary, and preceptory The habitation of nuns is also called a convent. The communal life of a monastery is called ceno. In 397, he returned to Italy, eventually dying in Sicily in 410.
2 Works
2.1 Original Works
Rufinus wrote a commentary on the Apostles' Creed which gives evidence of its use and interpretation in 4th-century Italy. Many of his extant works are defenses of himself against attacks by Jerome.
2.2 Translations from Greek to Latin
Rufinus translated the Historia Ecclesiastica (Church History) of Eusebius of Caesarea and continued the work from the reign of Constantine I to the death of Theodosius I ( 395).
Origen's commentary on the New Testament Epistle to the Romans survives only in an abbreviated version by Rufinus; his De principiis (On first principals) also survives only in Rufinus's translation. Jerome, earlier a friend of Rufinus, fell out with him and wrote at least three works opposing his opinions and condemning his translations as flawed. For instance, Jerome prepared a (now lost) translation of Origen's De principiis to replace Rufinus's translation, which Jerome said was too free.
Ancient Roman Christianity
