Rufinus
Tyrannius Rufinus or Rufinus of Aquileia (344-410) monk, historian, and theologian, was most important as a translator of Greek patristic material into Latin -- especially the work of Origen.
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Life
Rufinus was born in 344 or 345 near Aquileia at the head of the Adriatic Sea. It appears that both of his parents were Christians. Around 370 he was living in a monastic community in Aquileia when he met Jerome. About 372 Rufinus travelled to the eastern Mediterranean, where he studied in Alexandria under Didymus the Blind for some time. From there he moved to Jerusalem, where he founded a monastery. In 397 he returned to Italy, eventually dying in Sicily in 410.
Works
Original Works
Rufinus wrote a commentary on the Apostles' Creed which gives evidence of its use and interpretation in 4th century Italy. Many of his extant works are defenses of himself against attacks by Jerome.
Translations from Greek to Latin
Rufinus translated the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius of Caesarea and continued the work from the reign of Constantine I to the death of Theodosius I (395).
Origen's commentary on the Biblical Epistle to the Romans survives only in an abbreviated version by Rufinus; his De principiis (On first principals) also survives only in Rufinus's translation. Jerome, earlier a friend of Rufinus, fell out with him and wrote at least three works opposing his opinions and condemning his translations as flawed. For instance, Jerome prepared a (now lost) translation of Origen's De principiis to replace Rufinus's translation, which Jerome said was too free.