COLUMBANUS (•. 550-615), an Irish monk, was born in Leinster about the year 550, and was educated in the monastery of Bangor. Ile left the monastery in 590, together with twelve youths whom he was training, and established himself in the Vosges, among the ruins of an ancient town called Anagratis. Crowds quickly flocked round them, and the monasteries of Luseuil and Foutenay were erected, But the enemies of Columbanus accused him before a synod of French bishops (602) for keeping Easter according to the old British and now unorthodox way, while a more powerful conspiracy was organized against him at the court, for boldly and haughtily rebuking for their crimes both the king of Burgundy, Thierry and the queen-mother Brunehaut. In consequence of this he was banished, but he proudly refused to stir. He was at length removed from his monastery by force, and, with St Gall and others of the monks, he withdrew into Switzerland, where he preached with no great success to the Suevi and Alemanni. Being again compelled to flee, he retired to Italy, and founded the monastery of Bobbie, in which he remained till his death. His writings, which include some Latin poems, prove him a man of learning, and he appears to have been acquainted not only with the Latin classics, but also with Greek, and even Hebrew. His works were published at Louvain in 1667. His Regula Camobitulis cum Pcenitentiali is to be found in the Codex Regularum (Paris, 1638). The order of the Colmnbans merged in that of the Benedictines in the beginning of the 8th century.