an ecclesiastical writer, flourished in the first half of the 4th century. He was a preacher in the Church in Africa after Gennadius became entangled in the Donatist heresy, and as a Donatist bishop secretly labored at Rome at one time. Before his separation from the orthodox he composed a discourse, Ad confessores et virgines, in which he insisted principally upon the beauty and the sanctity of chastity. After his union with the Donatists he addressed a letter to the laity of Carthage, De Passionea Maximiani et Isaaci Donatistatrum (published by Mabillon, Analecta [Paris, 1675], 4:119, and Optatus [Paris, 1700, Amst. 1701, Antwerp, 1702]). — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 32:607.