Hilary was born about the year 315 at Poitiers, France. He came from a very well to do and strongly pagan family. He was educated in the classics as well as philosophy. Hilary married and had a daughter named Abra. He has been described as a very quiet, gentle, friendly and unassuming man.
Through his philosophical reasoning he came to believe that: humans are moral, free agents; that belief in multiple gods was absurdity; and that man's purpose was to learn and exercise patience, temperance and other virtues. His search for this "one God" brought him to the conviction that God must be unchangeable, all powerful and eternal. God must be the beginning and the end of all things.
His study of Sacred Scripture, especially the Book of Exodus 3:14 convinced him of this Truth, which so sharply contrasted with the gross materialism of pagan mythology that he had been raised in. His study of the New Testament, especially the first chapter of the Gospel of John, brought him to the conviction that the Jesus, the Divine Word, God the Son, was coeternal and consubstantial with the Father. These convictions in his later life brought him to be baptized.
About the year 353, against his wishes, Hilary was appointed bishop of Poitiers. During his bishopric he wrote a commentary on the Gospel of Matthew which is still in existence today. The Arian Emperor, Constantius, and a Synod at Milan in 355 demanded that all bishops sign a document condemning St. Athanasius who was strongly refuting the Arian Heresy. Hilary refused and strongly supported the orthodox writings of Athanasius. As a result he was banished to Phrygia about the year 356.
The emperor refused to allow him to publicly debate with the Arian minded bishops. It was during this exile that he composed his most famous work, "De Trinitate" (On the Trinity). He is also believed to have written the earliest Latin hymn. After about three years Hilary was released because his influence was causing discord among the Arians.
He returned to his diocese where he was joined by an old disciple, Martin of Tours, whom he allowed to initiate the monastic movement in France. The remainder of Hilary's life was taken up writing against the Arians. He died about the year 367.
Hilary is considered by St. Augustine and St.Jerome to be an eloquent and illustrious doctor of the Church. His writings have been used by many down through the centuries to refute heresies and to teach the doctrines of Christianity. He is called the Athanasius of the West and was the first to bring to the West the great treasures of the Greek Fathers of the Church. He remained a humble, gentle, friendly and compassionate man through all of his sufferings. His refutations of the Arians show his deep all abiding love for the Truth of God. His life was spent first seeking that Truth and then using all his talents to defend and teach that Truth.