Abercius of Hieropolis

Abercius of Hieropolis (Greek Αβέρκιος, died ca. 167) was a bishop of Hierapolis at the time of Marcus Aurelius, also known as Abercius Marcellus.^[1] 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:

1. An Epistle to the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, of which Baronius speaks as extant, but he does not produce it
2. A Book of Discipline (Greek Βίβλος διδασκαλίας) addressed to his clergy; this too is lost.^[2]

He is also the subject, and probable author, of the Inscription of Abercius, preserved in the Vatican Museum.

References

Footnotes

1. ^ "St. Abercius Marcellus - Catholic Online". http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1074. Retrieved 2007-09-08. 
2. ^ Albany James, Christie (1867). "Abercius". In Smith, William. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. 1. p. 2. http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0011.html 

Other sources

• Holweck, F. G., 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 icon and synaxarion
• Saint Abercius, Equal to the Apostles from the Prologue from Ochrid by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology by William Smith (1870).