Biographies of the Early Church Fathers

Biographies of the Early Church Fathers

 

Besides providing a mini-biography with each set of quoted passages from the Early Church Fathers in the corresponding topic pages, those same mini-biographies have been complied here in order to give you a Team Catholic view of the people, saints, and personalities involved during each patristic era. The patristic biographies are ordered:

• First, by their approximate date of birth, and
• Second, by their approximate date of death

Just pick any appropriate century from the
left navigation bar.

 

The names and corresponding quotes from this site may show up in different centuries on the topic pages, as my team of Priestly Book smiths who complied The Faith of Catholics, may have decided to put their various Church Fathers in different centuries.

 

First and Second Century Church Fathers

Diodorus, (Diodorus Siculus), ( B.C. 60 - B.C. 30)
Abercius, ( B.C. 5 - A.D. 167)
St. Hermas, (A.D. c.40 - 100)
St. Ignatius of Antioch, (A.D. 50 - 107)
Pope St. Clement I of Rome, (A.D. 60 - 97)
St. Polycarp of Smyrna, (A.D. 69 - 169)
St. Papias of Hierapolis, (post A.D. 70 - A.D. 150)
St. Justin Martyr, (A.D. 100 - 163)
St. Symphorosa, (A.D. c.110 - c.138)
St. Dionysius of Corinth, (A.D. c.110 - 171)
Aristides of Athens, (A.D. 110 - 180)
Melito of Sardis, (A.D. c.110 - c.180)
St. Hegesippus, (A.D. 110 - 184)
Tatian the Assyrian, (the Syrian), (A.D. c.120 - 180)
St. Theophilus of Antioch, (unknown - A.D. c.186)
St. Irenæus of Lyons, (A.D. 125 - 202)
(Marcus) Minucius Felix, (A.D. c.130 - c.270)
Sts. Epipodius and his companion Alexander, (martyred A.D. 178)
Athenagoras, (A.D. c.133 - 181)
St. Clement of Alexandria, (A.D. 150 - 220)
Tertullian, (A.D. 160 - 218)
St. Hippolytus of Rome, (A.D. 170 - 236)
Celsus, (A.D. c.184 - 253)
Origen of Alexandria, (A.D. 184 - 253)
St. Serapion of Alexandria, (A.D. 190 - 211)

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Third Century Church Fathers

St. Archelaus, (lived from early to late 3rd century)
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity (unknown - A.D. 203)
Pope St. Cornelius I, (unknown - A.D. c.253)
St. Cyprian of Carthage, (A.D. 200 - 258)
Pope St. Dionysius of Alexandria, (unknown - A.D. 268) (two entries)
Firmilian of Cæsarea, (A.D. 210 - 272)
St. Gregory Thaumaturgus (A.D. 213 - 270)
St. Anatolius, (unknown - A.D. 283)
Lactantius, (A.D. 240 - c.330)
St. Methodius of Olympus, (A.D. 250 - 311)
St. Alexander of Alexandria, (c .A.D. 250-325)
St. Anthony of Egypt (the Hermit), (A.D. c.251 - 356)
Hosius of Cordova, (A.D. 256 - 358)
St. Victorinus, (A.D. 260 - 303)
Eusebius of Cæsarea, (A.D. c.263 - 338)
St. Pamphilus of Cæsarea, (unknown - A.D. c.308)
Pope St. Liberius, (unknown - A.D. 366)
Aphracrtes, (possibly Aphraates, Aphrahat or Pharhad), (c.270 - c.345)
St. Eusebius of Vercelli, (A.D. 283 - 371)
Lucifer of Cagliagi, (unknown - A.D. 371)
St. Athanasius of Alexandria, (A.D. 296 - 372)
Caius, (flourished in the 3rd century)
Faustinus, (flourished in the 3rd century)
Magnes, (flourished in the 3rd century)
Malchion, (flourished in the 3rd century)
Pontius of Carthage, or Pontius the Deacon, (flourished in the 3rd century)

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Fourth Century Church Fathers

St. Macarius of Egypt, (A.D. c.300 - 391)
Sts. Tarachus, Andronicus, and Probus, (A.D. c.304)
Pope St. Damasus I, (A.D. 304 - 384)
St. Vincent of Saragossa, (A.D. 305)
St. Peter of Alexandria, (unknown - A.D. 311)
Arnobius of Sicca, (unknown - A.D. c.320)
Pope St. Julius I, (unknown - A.D. 352)
St. James of Nisibis, (unknown - A.D. 361)
St. Ephrem the Syrian (of Edessa) (A.D. 306 - 378)
St. Pacian of Barcelona, (A.D. c.310 - 375)
Timotheus of Alexandria ( AD. c.310 - c.395)
Didymus the Blind (of Alexandria) (A.D. 313 - 398)
St. Hilary of Poitiers, (A.D. 315 - 367)
St. Cyril of Jerusalem, (A.D. 315 - 386)
St. Gregory of Nazianzen, (A.D. 318 - 389)
Ammianus Marcellinus, (A.D. c.325 - post 391)
St. Basil the Great, (A.D. 328 - 379)
St. Victricius (A.D. c.330 - c.407)
St. Epiphanius of Salamis, (A.D. 332 - 403)
Pope St. Siricius, (A.D. c.334 - 398)
St. Gregory of Nyssa, (A.D. c.335 - c.394)
St. Amphilochius, (A.D. c.339 - c.403)
St. Jerome, (A.D. 342 - 420)
St. John Chrysostom, (A.D. 344 - 407)
Prudentius, (Aurelius Prudentius) (A.D. 348 - c.413)
St. Ambrose of Milan, (A.D. 340 - 396)
Diodore of Tarsus (pre A.D. c.350 - c.390)
St. Asterius Of Amasea, (A.D. c.350 - 400)
Pope St. Innocent I, (A.D. c.350 - 417)
St. Theodore of Mopsuestia, (A.D. 350 - 428)
St. Vigilius of Trent, (c.352 - 400)
St. Paulinus of Nola, (A.D. 353 - 431)
St. Augustine of Hippo, (A.D. 354 - 428)
St. John Cassian, (A.D. c.360 - 433)
Sulpicius Severus, (A.D. c.363 - c.425)
Palladius, (A.D. 368 - c.431)
Tichonius Afer, (c. A.D. 370 - 390)
Victor of Antioch, (A.D. c.370 - c.406)
Paulus Orosius (A.D. c.375 - c.418)
Fastidius (A.D. c.376 - c.444)
St. Cyril of Alexandria, (A.D. 376 - 444)
St. Valerian (of Abbenza), (A.D. 377 - 445)
St Cassian of Autun, (unknown - A.D. c.350)
Socrates of Constantinople, (A.D. c.380 - c.440)
St. Prosper of Aquitain, (A.D. c.390 - c.463)
Pope St. Leo I, ( A.D. c.391 - 461)
Theodoret of Cyrus or Cyrrhus, (A.D. 393 - 458)
St. Phoebadius, (unknown - A.D. c.392)
St. Philastrius of Brescia, (unknown - A.D. c.397)
St. Orsiesius of Tabenna, (unknown - A.D. 380)
St. Zeno of Verona, (unknown - A.D. c.383),
St. Optatus of Milevis, (unknown - A.D. 384)
Blessed Jerome Of Jerusalem, (flourished in A.D. 385)
St. Macarius of Alexandria, (unknown - A.D. 395)
Severus, Rhetor, (unknown - A.D. 398)
St. Chromatius of Aquileia, (unknown - A.D. c.407)
St. Gaudentius of Brescia, (unknown - A.D. 410)
Theophilus of Alexandria (unknown - A.D. 412)
Gaius Marius Victorinus, (flourished in the mid - 4th century)
Blessed Eusebius of Alexandria, (unknown - end of the 4th century)
Blessed Isaias, (unknown - end of the 4th century)
Julius Firmicus Maternus, (unknown - end of the 4th century)

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Fifth Century Church Fathers

Bacchiarius, (early 5th century)
St. Vincent of Lérins (A.D. c.400 - 445)
Sozomen, (Salminius Hermias Sozomenus), (A..D. c.400 - c.450)
St. Salonius, (A.D. c.400 - c.457)
Salvian, (A.D. c.400 - c.480)
St. Peter Chrysologus, (A.D. 406 - 450)
Apollinaris Sidonius, (A.D. c.430 - 489)
Victor Vitensis, (c.430 - 490), also known as Victor of Vite
St. Jacob (James) of Sarug, (A.D. 452 - 521)
St. Fulgentius of Ruspe, (A.D. 465 - 527)
St. Caesarius of Arles (A.D. 468 - 542)
St. Avitus, (Alcimus Ecdicius), (A.D. c.470 - 525)
Paulinus the Deacon, (also known as Paulinus of Milan) (unknown - c.425)
Capreolus of Carthage; (late 4th century - A.D. 437)
Pope St. Anastasius (unknown - A.D. 401)
Pope St. Zosimus, (unknown - A.D. 418)
Pope St. Boniface I, (unknown - A.D. 422),
St. Maximus, (unknown - A.D.423)
Zacchaeus, (unknown - A.D. c.430)
St. Nilus the Elder, (unknown - c. 430)
Pope St. Celestine I, (unknown - A.D. 432)
Sedulius (Flourish in A.D. 435)
St. Isidore of Pelusium, (unknown - A.D. 440)
Pope St. Sixtus III, also referred to as Pope St. Xistus III, (unknown - A.D. 440)
Salonius, (flourished/wrote A.D. c.445)
St. Proclus, (unknown - A.D. 447)
Arnobius Junior, (unknown - A.D. c.460)
St. Basil of Seleucia, (unknown - A.D. 460)
Julianus Pomerius, (unknown - c.490)
Gelasius of Cyzicus, (unknown - A.D. c.492)
Pope St. Felix III, (unknown - A.D. 492)
Pope St. Gelasius I, (unknown - A.D. 496)
Philo of Carpasium, (late 4th to early 5th century)
Theodotus of Ancyra, (fifth century)
Andrew of Cæsarea, (A.D. 563 - 637)
St. Maximus, (the Confessor), (A.D. c.580 - 662)
St. John Damascene, (A.D. 676 - 787)

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