Abercius of Hieropolis

Aberkios (Greek: Αβέρκιος Latin Abercius. ) ( † about 200 in Hierapolis, Phrygia Salutaris ) was a bishop of Hierapolis in the Phrygian Pentapolis.

Life

The identity and exact vital statistics and circumstances of Aberkios have been repeatedly debated in the research, especially the later saints of Aberkios ( Vita Abercii of Symeon Metaphrastes or the Acta Sanctorum ) have embellished the true events with all sorts of Legendenhaftem. It is unclear whether Aberkios is identical to call with Aviricius Marcellus, Eusebius mentions, but without him bishop. This Aviricius Marcellus According to Eusebius to have been the author of a treatise against the Marcionites, which is dated to the end of the reign of the Emperor Commodus, ie the beginning of the 190 years. From a Aberkios also an epitaph (see below) is obtained, which must be incurred before 216 in Phrygia, as a stele from this year, which was built for Alexander, son of Anthony, the epitaph of Abercius quoted verbatim. On the other hand, is the time of Emperor Marcus Aurelius is transmitted, which is dated to the year 163 Aberkios for a stay in Rome. At the time of his death, according to his grave inscription Aberkios was 72 years old, which would be consistent with this trip to Rome at an early age and death 190-216.

The stay in Rome, however, is delivered in such a legendary that its actual process is difficult to reconstruct. Aberkios to have been the successor of Papias in the episcopate in the Phrygian Hierapolis. This assignment of Eusebius is but probably by mistake, since Abercius not actually worked in Hierapolis in the province Phryigia Pacatiensis, but in Hierapolis in Phrygia Salutaris, where his epitaph was found. Aberkios refused to Roman gods of sacrifice, which he had created many enemies, so that even devout Christians have advised him to escape. But he had then worked wonders and many pagans converted, and even the Emperor Marcus Aurelius had called him to Rome because of the Emperor of Demons daughter was possessed. It was Aberkios then managed to cure it. He had then traveled to Syria and Mesopotamia to proselytize there, and was eventually returned to Hierapolis (or Hierapolis ), where God had revealed to the old man that he would die soon. Thereupon he had himself dug the grave, had exhorted the believers to live a christian life and died peacefully.

Aberkiosinschrift

Of particular importance is the epitaph of Aberkios ( Aberkiosinschrift ), which today is located in the Vatican Museums. 1882 was William Ramsay in Kelendres at Synnada a stele dating as the year 300 of the Phrygian era (corresponding to 216 AD ), and almost literally corresponds to the available fragments of Aberkios inscription, up to this time only the beginning and the end were known. 1883 Ramsay was then in Hierapolis the missing middle part of the inscription, the text also had textual similarities with the stele of Alexander.

Translation of the inscription:

The inscription gives insight into the life of an early Christian bishop. In the inscription Aberkios calls himself a disciple of a holy shepherd who had guarded his sheep and who had taught him to revere the book of life. This shepherd had sent him to Rome, where he saw a magnificent queen. Then he traveled to Syria, where he had encountered brothers in faith. He had been fed with a big fish a virgin have drawn from a source and you 've given him the wine of virtue and bread.

The metaphorical language of the inscription has led to various interpretations. So Gerhard Ficker went 1894 on the assumption that the text of the epitaph proves that Aberkios was a priest of Cybele, while Adolf Harnack wanted 1895 to recognize signs of a religious syncretism in him. Giovanni Battista de Rossi, Louis Duchesne and Franz Cumont contradicted their theories, however, and argued for, seen in the author of the epitaph a Christian; this opinion is now generally followed.

Worship

Aberkios is venerated in the Orthodox Church as a saint. His feast day is October 22.