Ennodius spent most of his life in Ticinum
(Pavia) and Mediolanum (Milan) where he pursued a
secular life until 493, when he was ordained deacon
to the Bishop of Ticinum. From this time on, he
became more religious. In 507, Pope St. Symmachus
appointed him to author a panegyric in honor of the
Arian King Theodoric, in appreciation of the
toleration he
showed the Catholics. It has been suggested that not
long afterward, Ennodius and Theodoric became
personal friends, but I have seen little actual
evidence of this.
Ennodius became Bishop of Ticinum c. 513, and by
this time he had become completely religious in
nature. In 513, Ennodius was sent on an embassy by
Theodoric to the court of the Eastern Emperor
Anastasius I at Constantinople.
Public career notwithstanding, Ennodius, like his
kinsman
Boethius is primarily remembered for his
intellectual contributions. He wrote extensively,
including poetry; a biography of his predecessor in
the See of Ticinum, Epiphanius; a compilation of
model speeches called the Dictiones which
showed contemporary rhetorical styles; a series of
epistles on wide ranging topics, many of whom were
addressed to
Boethius; his Paraenesis didascalica was a
noted treatise on grammar and rhetoric; and many
other writings. In a number of his writings, one
finds him defending pagan Roman traditions and trying
to reconcile them with Christianity, this being an
apparent passion for him.
In 521, Ennodius died while still serving as
Bishop of Ticinum.
