The Apologists · AD 130–180
Attalus of Pergamum
d. 177 · Roman citizen · Martyr of Lyon · Pergamum → Lugdunum
The Apologists
Who Attalus of Pergamum was
A Pergamene by birth and a Roman citizen of standing, “always a pillar and foundation” of the church of Lyon. When the crowd demanded him, he was led round the amphitheatre behind a placard reading, in Latin, “This is Attalus the Christian.” Because he held citizenship the governor hesitated and wrote to the emperor; Marcus Aurelius’s rescript — behead the citizens, throw the rest to the beasts — sent him back to the iron chair and the sword. As he burned he answered the mocking crowd: “This which ye do is to devour men; but we neither devour men nor do any other wicked thing.”
Also listed in martyrs and under marcus aurelius.
Common questions
When did Attalus die?
Attalus of Pergamum is dated d. 177 in the archive, which places Attalus in the Apologists (AD 130–180).
Which early sources mention Attalus?
Attalus of Pergamum is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from The churches of Lyon & Vienne and The Hieronymian compilers. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Attalus from?
The archive associates Attalus of Pergamum with Pergamum, Lugdunum. The sources record more than one location, so the places are listed in the order the record moves through them.
Who were Attalus’ contemporaries?
The archive links Attalus of Pergamum to 6 other figures, including Maturus of Lyon, Blandina of Lyon, Ponticus of Lyon and Emperor Marcus Aurelius. 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.
Letter of the Churches of Lyons, via Eusebius V.1
c. AD 177Attalus… being placed upon the iron chair and scorched, when the fumes arose from his body, said to the multitude in the Roman tongue, ‘Lo, this which ye do is to devour men; but we neither devour men nor practise any other wickedness.’The churches of Lyon & Vienne · 52 · source text
Martyrologium Hieronymianum (the Forty-Eight of Lyon, 2 June)
c. AD 450Connected in the archive
People
- Maturus of Lyon
- Blandina of Lyon
- Ponticus of Lyon
- Emperor Marcus Aurelius
- Alcibiades of Lyon
- Alexander of Lyon
Events in this lifetime
- AD 112 · Pliny writes Trajan, AD 112
- AD 117 · Symeon and Ignatius martyred, AD 117
- AD 135 · Bar Kokhba crushed; Aelia Capitolina, AD 135
- AD 144 · Marcion expelled at Rome, AD 144
- AD 156 · The New Prophecy erupts, AD 156
- AD 177 · Persecution at Lyon and Vienne, AD 177
Place
Places served
The 2 places the sources put Attalus, in the order the record moves through them. This is what the sources attest, not a reconstructed route.