Avitus

Avitus (properly Sextus Alcimus Edicus, or Ecditius, Avitus), bishop of Vienne, was born at Vienne about the middle of the fifth century. At a religious disputation between the orthodox and Arian theologians in 499, he was the leading spokesman of the orthodox, and gained the confidence of king Gondebaud of Burgundy, whose son and successor, Sigismund, he converted from Arianism (after Gondebaud's death). He vigorously attacked the Arian heresy, both by writing and speaking, and presided at the council of Epaone in 517. He died, according to the commonly received opinion, February 5th, 525,, although other accounts assign an earlier date. He was a man of great learning, and there are still extant a number of his letters, homilies, and poems, which may be found in Bib. Max. Patr. 9, 560; and in Bib. Patr. Galland. t. x. — Dupin, Hist. Eccl Writers, v. 4.