Agonistici
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Agonistici were Donatists, Christian heretics, who were specifically sent into neighboring places, fairs, markets, to preach the doctrine of Donatus Magnus. For this reason, they were also variously called Circuitores, Cercelliones, Catropitae, Coropitae, and, in Rome, Montenses.
The name Agonistici (from the Greek αγων, "combat; struggle") was either used because they were sent to fight and subdue people into their opinions, or because they believed themselves to be fighting God's battles. The Catholics styled them "Circumcellions", i.e. circum cellas euntes, because they roved about among the peasants, living on those they sought to indoctrinate.
The Agonistici appeared about 317, and claimed that they were champions of Jesus Christ, fighting with the sword of Israel. Their war-cry was Laudes Deo ("Praises to God").
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- This article incorporates content from the 1728 Cyclopaedia, a publication in the public domain.
- This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.
