The standard one-volume reference: an article on every Father, bishop, heretic and writing of the first six centuries, with their sects and doctrines.
Edition: Internet Archive · archive.org
Free to read, with no account needed. Public domain or openly licensed, with every source named.
From the opening: Dictionary of Christian Biography
etc. ; Lat. Avircius, or Avercius; on the form and origin, see Ramsay, Expositor, ix. (3rd ser.), pp. 268, 394, and Zahn, art. " Avercius," Realencyclopddie jiir protest. Theol. und Kirche, Hauck). The Life of the saint, described as bp. of Hierapolis in Phrygia in the time of M. Aurelius and L. Verus, as given by Symeon Metaphrastes and in the Boliandist Acta Sanctorum, Oct. 22, is full of worthless and fantastic tales. But the epitaph which the Acts incorporate, placed, according to the story, on the altar brought from Rome by the demon whom the saiut had driven out of the emperor's daughter, is of great value, and the discovery of some of the actual fragments of the inscription may well be called " a romance of archaeology." For this rediscovery our thanks are due to the rich labours of Prof. Ramsay. The fact that Abercius was described as bp. of Hierapolis at the time mentioned above had contributed to hesitation as to the genuineness of the epitaph. But Ramsay {Bulletin de correspondance hellenique, Juillet 1882) pointed out that Hierapolis had been frequently confounded with Hieropolis; and he also published in the same journal a metrical and early Christian epitaph of a certain Alexander (a.d. 216), discovered at Hieropolis, and evidently copied from the epitaph of Abercius, as given in his Life. As to the copying, there can be no doubt, for the third line of the epitaph of Alexander, son of Antonius, will not scan, owing to the substitution of his name for that of Abercius (Lightfoot, Apost. Fathersi, i. p. 479; Headlam in Authority and Archaeology, pp. 307 ff., 1899). Ramsay's attention being drawn to the earlier epitaph, he collected various topographical notices in the Life of the saint, which pointed to Hieropolis, near Synnada (not HierapoUs on the Maeander), and he further established the case for the former by finding, in 1883, in the bath-room at some hot springs near Hieropolis, a small portion of the epitaph of Abercius himself on the fragment of an altarshaped tomb; the hot springs in their position near the city exactly correspond with the position of the hot springs described in the Life. We have thus fortunately a threefold help in reconstructing the text of the whole epitaph — (i) the text in the Life; (2) the rediscovered fragments in the stone; (3) the epitaph on the tomb of Alexander.
Contents (212 sections)
- Opening
- Title page
- Preface
- Preface (continued)
- Preface (continued)
- Dictionary of Christian Biography
- Dictionary of Christian Biography (continued)
- Dictionary of Christian Biography (continued)
- Dictionary of Christian Biography (continued)
- Dictionary of Christian Biography (continued)
- Dictionary of Christian Biography (continued)
- Apollinaris the Elder
- Apollinaris the Younger
- Apollinaris the Younger (continued)
- Apollinaris the Younger (continued)
- Arius, Followers of
- Arius, Followers of (continued)
- Arius, Followers of (continued)
- Arius, Followers of (continued)
- Arius, Followers of (continued)
- 'I (continued)
- 'I (continued)
- 'I (continued)
- Ausonius, Decimus Magnus
- Ausonius, Decimus Magnus (continued)
- Avitus, Alcimus Ecdicius
- Avitus, Alcimus Ecdicius (continued)
- Barnabas, Epistle of
- Barnabas, Epistle of (continued)
- Barnabas, Epistle of (continued)
- Barnabas, Epistle of (continued)
- Barnabas, Epistle of (continued)
- Barnabas, Epistle of (continued)
- Barnabas, Epistle of (continued)
- Barnabas, Epistle of (continued)
- Basilius of Ancyra
- Basilius of Ancyra (continued)
- Basilius of Ancyra (continued)
- Benedictus of Nursia
- Benedictus of Nursia (continued)
- Benedictus of Nursia (continued)
- Benedictus of Nursia (continued)
- Benedictus of Nursia (continued)
- Cassiodorus Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Magnus Aurelius
- Cassiodorus Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Magnus Aurelius (continued)
- Cassiodorus Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Magnus Aurelius (continued)
- Cassiodorus Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Magnus Aurelius (continued)
- Clement of Alexandria
- Clement of Alexandria (continued)
- Clement of Alexandria (continued)
- Clement of Alexandria (continued)
- Clement of Alexandria (continued)
- Clement of Alexandria (continued)
- Clement of Alexandria (continued)
- Clement of Alexandria (continued)
- Clement of Alexandria (continued)
- Clement of Alexandria (continued)
- Clement of Alexandria (continued)
- Clement of Alexandria (continued)
- Clement of Alexandria (continued)
- Diognetus, Epistle to
- Diognetus, Epistle to (continued)
- Diognetus, Epistle to (continued)
- Diognetus, Epistle to (continued)
- Dionysius of Alexandria
- Dionysius of Alexandria (continued)
- Dionysius of Alexandria (continued)
- Dionysius of Alexandria (continued)
- Dionysius of Alexandria (continued)
- Dionysius of Alexandria (continued)
- Ephraim the Syrian
- Ephraim the Syrian (continued)
- Ephraim the Syrian (continued)
- Ephraim the Syrian (continued)
- Eusebius of Caesarea
- Eusebius of Caesarea (continued)
- Eusebius of Caesarea (continued)
- Eusebius of Caesarea (continued)
- Eusebius of Caesarea (continued)
- Eusebius of Caesarea (continued)
- Eusebius of Caesarea (continued)
- Eusebius of Caesarea (continued)
- Eusebius of Caesarea (continued)
- Forty Martyrs, the
- Forty Martyrs, the (continued)
- Forty Martyrs, the (continued)
- Forty Martyrs, the (continued)
- Forty Martyrs, the (continued)
- Forty Martyrs, the (continued)
- Forty Martyrs, the (continued)
- Forty Martyrs, the (continued)
- Nyssenus 41 D
- Nyssenus
- Nyssenus (continued)
- Nyssenus (continued)
- Hadrianus, Publius Aelius
- Hadrianus, Publius Aelius (continued)
- Hadrianus, Publius Aelius (continued)
- Hadrianus, Publius Aelius (continued)
- Hadrianus, Publius Aelius (continued)
- Hadrianus, Publius Aelius (continued)
- Hadrianus, Publius Aelius (continued)
- Hadrianus, Publius Aelius (continued)
- Hadrianus, Publius Aelius (continued)
- Hadrianus, Publius Aelius (continued)
- Hadrianus, Publius Aelius (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus Honorius, Flavius Augustus
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Honorius, Flavius Augustus (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Julianus, Flavius Claudius (continued)
- Magnentius, Flavius Popilius
- Magnentius, Flavius Popilius (continued)
- Magnentius, Flavius Popilius (continued)
- Magnentius, Flavius Popilius (continued)
- Magnentius, Flavius Popilius (continued)
- Maternus, Julius Firmicus
- Maternus, Julius Firmicus (continued)
- Maximus of Ephesus
- Maximus of Ephesus (continued)
- Maximus of Ephesus (continued)
- Minucius Felix, Marcus
- Minucius Felix, Marcus (continued)
- Minucius Felix, Marcus (continued)
- Minucius Felix, Marcus (continued)
- Nero, Claudius Caesar
- Nero, Claudius Caesar (continued)
- Nero, Claudius Caesar (continued)
- Nero, Claudius Caesar (continued)
- Nero, Claudius Caesar (continued)
- Nero, Claudius Caesar (continued)
- Nero, Claudius Caesar (continued)
- Nero, Claudius Caesar (continued)
- Nero, Claudius Caesar (continued)
- Nero, Claudius Caesar (continued)
- Nero, Claudius Caesar (continued)
- Nero, Claudius Caesar (continued)
- Paulus of Samosata
- Paulus of Samosata (continued)
- Paulus of Samosata (continued)
- Paulus of Samosata (continued)
- Paulus of Samosata (continued)
- Paulus of Samosata (continued)
- Paulus of Samosata (continued)
- Paulus of Samosata (continued)
- Priscillianus, Priscillianism
- Priscillianus, Priscillianism Priscillianus, Priscillianism
- Procopius of Caesarea
- Procopius of Caesarea (continued)
- Procopius of Caesarea (continued)
- Procopius of Caesarea (continued)
- Procopius of Caesarea (continued)
- Procopius of Caesarea (continued)
- Severus, L. Septimius
- Severus, L. Septimius (continued)
- Severus, Aurelius Alexander Severus, Aurelius Alexander
- Severus, Aurelius Alexander Severus, Aurelius Alexander (continued)
- Severus, Aurelius Alexander Severus, Aurelius Alexander (continued)
- Sirmium, Stonemasons of
- The first council of Carthage on the subject, held in 255, issued a synodal letter…
- Symmachus Q. Aurelius
- Symmachus Q. Aurelius (continued)
- Symmachus Q. Aurelius (continued)
- Symmachus Q. Aurelius (continued)
- Teaching of the Twelve Apostles
- 'Teaching of the Twelve" "Teaching of the Twelve
- 'Teaching of the Twelve" "Teaching of the Twelve (continued)
- 'Teaching of the Twelve" "Teaching of the Twelve (continued)
- 'Teaching of the Twelve" "Teaching of the Twelve (continued)
- 'Teaching of the Twelve" "Teaching of the Twelve (continued)
- 'Teaching of the Twelve" "Teaching of the Twelve (continued)
- 'Teaching of the Twelve" "Teaching of the Twelve (continued)
- 'Teaching of the Twelve" "Teaching of the Twelve (continued)
- 'Teaching of the Twelve" "Teaching of the Twelve (continued)
- Trajanus, M. Ulpius
- Trajanus, M. Ulpius (continued)
- Trajanus, M. Ulpius (continued)
- Victor, Claudius Marius
- Victor, Claudius Marius (continued)
- Appendix; and in Maittaires' Corpus Poetarttm Lat. ii. 1567. h.a.w (continued)
- Vigilius Thapsensis
- Vigilius Thapsensis (continued)
How to cite it
- Chicago
- Henry Wace and William C. Piercy (editors). A Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century. Internet Archive, 1911. https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofchri00waceuoft
- MLA
- Henry Wace and William C. Piercy (editors). A Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century. Internet Archive, 1911. https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofchri00waceuoft
- APA
- Henry Wace and William C. Piercy (editors) (1911). A Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofchri00waceuoft
More from Historical Theology
- Hefele: A History of the Councils of the Church, Vol. 1 — Karl Joseph von Hefele
- Hefele: A History of the Councils of the Church, Vol. 2 — Karl Joseph von Hefele
- Hefele: A History of the Councils of the Church, Vol. 3 — Karl Joseph von Hefele
- Hefele: A History of the Councils of the Church, Vol. 4 — Karl Joseph von Hefele
- Hefele: A History of the Councils of the Church, Vol. 5 — Karl Joseph von Hefele
- Seeberg: Text-Book of the History of Doctrines, Vol. 1 — Reinhold Seeberg
- Seeberg: Text-Book of the History of Doctrines, Vol. 2 — Reinhold Seeberg
- Fisher: History of Christian Doctrine — George Park Fisher