St. Possidius of Calama

Possidius was a disciple and close friend of St. Augustine. As bishop of Calama in North Africa, he faced violent religious divisions. Butler recounts an attack in which he was beaten and threatened with death, followed by his efforts to obtain pardon for those who had injured him.

Further violence damaged his church and harmed the clergy. His ministry continued amid the troubles of the region, with Augustine's counsel and friendship sustaining their common work. When the Vandals overran Calama, Possidius sought refuge at Hippo and was present during Augustine's final illness in 430.

Exile separated him from his own people, but his friendship with Augustine bore lasting fruit in a different form. He wrote the saint's life and compiled a list of his works. Butler distinguishes him from Possidonius, another African bishop, and treats the later account of his journey to Italy as a local tradition rather than part of his secure early history.