Salvian of Marseille was a fifth-century Christian priest, theologian, and Latin writer whose works offer a vivid and often scathing portrait of late Roman society. Born in the Rhineland region around 400 AD, he became a presbyter at Lérins and later at Marseille, devoting his life to monastic discipline and moral reform. His surviving writings, collected in "The Writings of Salvian, the Presbyter", include his masterwork "On the Governance of God" and a collection of letters and treatises. Salvian used sharp rhetorical skill to condemn the moral failures of Romans while arguing that barbarian invasions were divine punishment for their sins.