Apollinaris Claudius

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Saint Apollinaris Claudius
Died 2nd century
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church
Feast January 8
Saints Portal

Saint Apollinaris Claudius, otherwise Apollinaris of Hierapolis or Apollinaris the Apologist, was a Christian leader and writer of the 2nd century.

He was Bishop of Hierapolis in Phrygia and became famous for his polemical treatises against the heretics of his day, whose errors he showed to be entirely borrowed from the pagans. He wrote two books against the Jews, five against the pagans, and two on "Truth". In 177 he published an "Apologia" for the Christians, addressed to Marcus Aurelius, and appealing to the Emperor's own experience with the "Thundering Legion", whose prayers won him the victory over the Quadi. The exact date of his death is not known, but it was probably while Marcus Aurelius was still Emperor.

Nothing survives of his writings except for a few extracts, the longest of which relates to the date of Passover. His feast day is commemorated on January 8.

[edit] External links

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.