The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313
Anterus of Rome
d. c. 236 · Bishop of Rome · Rome
The Ante-Nicene Church
Who Anterus of Rome was
Bishop of Rome for barely a month or two in 235–236 before his death in the Maximinian troubles. The brevity of his tenure and the tradition of his suffering made him a martyr in Roman memory; his epitaph was among those found in the papal crypt of the Catacomb of Callistus. He is the record’s shortest papal reign of the era — a name held fast precisely because it was so nearly lost.
Also listed in the bishops of Rome.
Common questions
When did Anterus die?
Anterus of Rome is dated d. c. 236 in the archive, which places Anterus in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.
Which early sources mention Anterus?
Anterus of Rome is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Eusebius of Caesarea and The chronographer of 354. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Anterus from?
The archive associates Anterus of Rome with Rome.
Who were Anterus’ contemporaries?
The archive links Anterus of Rome to 2 other figures, including Pontian of Rome and Fabian of Rome. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.
Primary-source mentions (2)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Ecclesiastical History VI.29
c. AD 325Pontianus… was succeeded by Anteros, who, having held the office for a month, was succeeded by Fabianus.Eusebius of Caesarea · VI.29 · source text
Liberian Catalogue (Chronography of 354)
c. AD 354Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 177 · Persecution at Lyon and Vienne, AD 177
- AD 180 · The Scillitan martyrs, AD 180
- AD 190 · The Quartodeciman controversy, AD 190
- AD 202 · Perpetua and Felicity martyred, AD 202
- AD 235 · Maximinus Thrax targets the clergy, AD 235
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Anterus.
- 1Rome