Pammachius was born around 340 CE and belonged to the important and rich Roman family of the Furii. He studied with the grammar teacher Donatus and received a solid rhetorical training. Around 370/372 CE, he was a schoolmate and youthful friend of Jerome (Jer. Ep. 48.1). At the time he met Jerome, he was already a Christian, familiar with Scripture and with Christian authors (Ep. 48.3; 57.13). He married the Christian Paulina, the daughter of Toxotius and Paula, who, after the death of her husband, started to live a semi-monastic life. Paula wa…