Magnus Felix Ennodius (477/4–521) was a Roman noble from the senatorial family, born in Gaul and raised in Northern Italy. He became a cleric in Pavia and is ordained by the bishop of this city, Epiphanius. Later he joins the clergy of Milan where he is promoted to the diaconate around the year 502. In the year 515 he was elevated to the see of Pavia. He was a bishop there until his death in 521. Ennodius was involved in many ecclesiastical and political affaires of his time, he also gained the reputation of a good rhetorician and teacher. He maintained the good relations with the Ostrogothic King Theodoric–in 507 he even composed the panegyric for the king. During his episcopacy, he was also sent as an envoy to Constantinople in order to negotiate the ending of the schism between Rome and Constantinople (the Acacian schism). For the general information on Ennodius see PCBE, Italie, v. 1, Magnus Felix Ennodius; Kennel 2000.

 

Epiphanius, bishop of Pavia whom Enndius personally knew and who introduced him into the clergy, died in 496. Ennodius composed the Life of Epiphanius shortly after his death, after 501 or 502 (he mentions that Bishop Rusticus of Lyon is already dead) and before 504 (the year of Theoderic`s campaign against the Gepids in Pannonia; in the Life Ennodius says that Theodoric had not yet begun any war since his victory over Odoacer). The Life is a main source for the life and activity of Epiphanius.