Ticonius

Tyconius

Biography

Tyconius was a layman who lived in the second half of the fourth century in North Africa. Initially a supporter of the Donatist movement, he was excluded from it following criticism of his co-religionists. His conception of a universal church was too close to the Catholic party. The only surviving work of Tyconius is the Liber regularum, the oldest Latin-language biblical hermeneutics textbook. The Commentary on Revelation, which was more widely distributed, was only transmitted through later exegetes. Augustine, who appreciated him for its intellectual qualities, used his writings and recommended they be read, despite the fact that their author belonged to the Donatist party. His influence also extended to Quodvultdeus, Ambrose and many others as far as Bede the Venerable and beyond.