▁of ▁Africa , ▁North ▁Africa ▁in ▁modern ▁day ▁Tun is ia , ▁during ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁and ▁ 6 th ▁century . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁canon ized ▁as ▁a ▁Christian ▁saint . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Fab ius ▁Claud ius ▁G ord ian us ▁Ful gent ius ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 4 6 2 ▁at ▁Tele p te ▁( mod ern - day ▁Med inet - el - K ed ima ), ▁Tun is ia , ▁North ▁Africa , ▁into ▁a ▁sen atorial ▁family . ▁His ▁grand father , ▁G ord ian us , ▁a ▁sen ator ▁of ▁Car th age , ▁was ▁des po iled ▁of ▁his ▁poss essions ▁by ▁the ▁inv ader ▁G enser ic , ▁then ▁ban ished ▁to ▁Italy . ▁His ▁two ▁sons ▁returned ▁after ▁his ▁death ; ▁though ▁their ▁house ▁in ▁Car th age ▁had ▁been ▁taken ▁over ▁by ▁A rian ▁pri ests , ▁they ▁recovered ▁some ▁property ▁in ▁By z ac ene . ▁ ▁His ▁father ▁Claud ius ▁died ▁when ▁Ful gent ius ▁was ▁still ▁quite ▁young . ▁His ▁mother ▁Mar iana ▁taught ▁him ▁to ▁speak ▁Greek ▁and ▁Latin . ▁Ful gent ius ▁became ▁particularly ▁fl uent ▁with ▁the ▁former , ▁speaking ▁it ▁like ▁a ▁native . ▁His ▁bi ograph er ▁says ▁that ▁at ▁an ▁early ▁age ▁Ful gent ius ▁committed ▁the ▁entire ▁works ▁of ▁H omer ▁to ▁memory . ▁He ▁quickly ▁gained ▁wide ▁public ▁respect ▁for ▁the ▁conduct ▁of ▁his ▁family ' s ▁affairs . ▁This ▁reputation ▁helped ▁him ▁to ▁ac quire ▁a ▁post ▁as