Magnus F. Ennodius

Ennodius, Magnus Felix, was born at Aries, circa 473, and was connected with several Romans of distinction. Losing his property at an early age through the invasion of the Visigoths, he went to Milan, where he was received and educated by an aunt. In 489, through the death, of his aunt, he was again reduced to destitution: but soon retrieved his fortunes by marrying a lady of wealth. A recovery from a dangerous sickness led him to reflect on his somewhat dissolute character, and to change his whole life. His wife retired into a convent, and he was ordained Deacon by the Bishop of Pavia. Under Pope Hermisdas he was advanced to the see of Pavia about 514, and was employed on two important missions to the Emperor Anastasius in order to oppose the spread of the Eutychian heresy; but in both instances he was unsuccessful. He died in 521, and was buried in the Church of St. Michael, Pavia, July 17, 521.

His works, eleven in all, were published amongst the Auctores Orthodoxographici, Basle, 1591; again, by Andrew Schott, Tournai, 1611, and in Migne, tom, lxiii. Sixteen of his hymns, some consisting only of a few lines, were included in Daniel , i., cxxi.-cxxxvi. Of these the following have been translated by the Rev. S. A. W. Duffield:—
1. Christe lumen perpetuum. Trust in Christ. Translated as “0 Christ, the eternal light," in Laudes Domini, N. Y., 1883.
2. Christe precamur annue. Evening. Translated as "To Thee, 0 Christ, we ever pray," in Laudes Domini, N. Y., 1883.
For fuller details concerning Ennodius and his works, see Dictionary of Christian Biog., art. Ennodius.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Ennodius, Magnus Felix, p. 350, ii. Since this article was sent to press we have reason to conclude that the two hymns annotated on p, 351, i. are not by Ennodius. They are not in the two critical editions of his Opera, viz.: (1) the Monumenta Germaniae, by F. Vogel, Berlin, vol. vii., 1885, (2) and the Corpus Scriptorum, by E. Hartel, Vienna, vol. vi., 1882. We have not found them earlier than the Mozarabic Breviary, published at Toledo in 1502.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)