Donatus of Carthage

The party that set up Majorinus as bishop of Carthage against Caecilian came to be called the party of Donatus (Augustine, Letter 88.1). Optatus names Donatus as the leader of the accusers at the hearing in Rome in 313, where the bishops condemned him for rebaptising and for laying hands in penance on bishops who had lapsed (Optatus, Against the Donatists 1.24), and says that he afterwards returned to Carthage (Optatus, Against the Donatists 1.26).

Optatus, who calls him “Donatus of Carthage”, reports that when the emperor Constans sent officials with alms for the African churches, Donatus turned them away with the words “What has the Emperor to do with the Church?” (Optatus, Against the Donatists 3.3). Jerome, writing in 392–393, says that he persuaded almost all Africa, and Numidia above all, and left many writings, including one on the Holy Spirit (Jerome, On Illustrious Men 93). Every one of these reports comes from a writer of the other communion. See the Donatist Schism and the Council of Arles.