Hieronymus
- a ruler of Syracuse, the grandson and successor of the younger Hiero, Liv. 24, 4 sq. —
- II A Greek peripatetic philosopher of Rhodes, Cic. Fin. 2, 3, 8; 5, 5, 14; id. Tusc. 2, 6, 15; 5, 30, 84; 5, 31, 87 sq.; 5, 41, 118.—
- III Jerome, a celebrated father of the Church in the fifth century of the Christian era, Sulp.Sev. Dial. 1, 8.
(Ἱερώνομος). (1) Of Cardia, accompanied Alexander the Great to Asia, and after the death of that monarch (B.C. 323) served under his countryman Eumenes. He afterwards fought under Antigonus, his son Demetrius, and grandson Antigonus Gonatas. He survived Pyrrhus, and died at the advanced age of 104. Hieronymus wrote a history of the events from the death of Alexander to that of Pyrrhus, if not later.
(2) King of Syracuse, succeeded his grandfather, Hieron II., B.C. 216, at fifteen years of age, and was assassinated after a short reign of only thirteen months.
(3) Of Rhodes, a Peripatetic philosopher, and a disciple of Aristotle.
(4) Saint Jerome, one of the best known of the Christian Fathers, born at Stridon on the borders of Dalmatia about A.D. 340. His full name was Hieronymus Sophronius. As a boy he studied Greek and Latin rhetoric and philosophy under Aelius Donatus at Rome, where he was baptized. After residing in Gaul, he settled at Aquilea in A.D. 370, with his friend Rufinus. From 374 to 378 he lived in the desert of Chalcis undergoing penance and studying the Hebrew language. In 379 he was admitted to the priesthood at Antioch, where he was the friend of Gregory Nanzianzenus. In 382, in which year he visited Rome and became secretary to Pope Damasus, he began his great version of the Bible into Latin, known as the Vulgate, undertaken at the pope's request. From a linguistic point of view this version is of very great interest, as containing many lexical and grammatical forms not found in the classical language, but peculiar to the popular speech (sermo plebeius). In 386 he fixed his residence at Bethlehem, whither two noble Roman ladies, Paula and her daughter Eustochium, followed him and founded four convents, one of which Jerome himself governed. He died Sept. 30, 420. His writings comprise, besides the Vulgate, letters, treatises, and commentaries on the Scriptures. Important is his translation of the Chronicle of Eusebius (q.v.), which he revised and enlarged, bringing it down to the year A.D. 378. A complete edition of the works of St. Jerome is that of Vallarsi (Verona, 1734-42), reprinted by Migne in 8 vols. (Paris, 1845). See the special works by Zöckler (Gotha, 1865), Cutts (London, 1878), and Goelzer (Paris, 1886).
- historian: Paus. 1.9.8
- partial to Antigonus, Paus. 1.13.9
- one of the founders of Megalopolis: Paus. 8.27.2
- Paus. 3.11.6
- Olympic victor: Paus. 6.14.13, Hdt. 9.33