Abercius of Hieropolis
Encyclopedia
Abercius of Hieropolis was a bishop of Hierapolis
at the time of Marcus Aurelius, also known as Abercius Marcellus. He was supposedly the successor to Papias.
He is said to have evangelized Syria
and Mesopotamia
, and is on that basis referred to as one of the Equals-to-the-Apostles
. He was imprisoned under Marcus Aurelius, and died about 167.
His feast day is celebrated on October 22 (for those churches which follow the Julian Calendar
, October 22 occurs on the Gregorian Calendar
date of November 4).
Several works are ascribed to him:
He is also the subject, and probable author, of the Inscription of Abercius
, preserved in the Vatican Museum.
Hierapolis
Hierapolis was the ancient Greco-Roman city which sat on top of hot springs located in south western Turkey near Denizli....
at the time of Marcus Aurelius, also known as Abercius Marcellus. He was supposedly the successor to Papias.
He is said to have evangelized Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
, and is on that basis referred to as one of the Equals-to-the-Apostles
Equal-to-apostles
An equal-to-the-apostles is a special title given to some canonized saints in Eastern Orthodoxy. It is also used by Eastern Rite Catholic Churches that are in communion with Rome...
. He was imprisoned under Marcus Aurelius, and died about 167.
His feast day is celebrated on October 22 (for those churches which follow the Julian Calendar
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
, October 22 occurs on the Gregorian Calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
date of November 4).
Several works are ascribed to him:
- An Epistle to the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, of which BaroniusCaesar BaroniusCesare Baronio was an Italian Cardinal and ecclesiastical historian...
speaks as extant, but he does not produce it - A Book of Discipline (Greek ) addressed to his clergy; this too is lost.
He is also the subject, and probable author, of the Inscription of Abercius
Inscription of Abercius
The inscription of Abercius is the Greek epitaph of Abercius, Bishop of Hieropolis, in Phrygia. It is an important example of early Christian epigraphy.-Archeology and context:...
, preserved in the Vatican Museum.
Other sources
- Holweck, F. G.Frederick George HolweckFrederick George Holweck was a German-American Roman Catholic priest and scholar, hagiographer and church historian.-Life:...
, A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints. St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co., 1924.
External links
- St Abercius the Bishop and Wonderworker of Hieropolis, Equal of the Apostles Orthodox iconIconAn icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
and synaxarion - Saint Abercius, Equal to the Apostles from the Prologue from Ochrid by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich