The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313
Epimachus of Alexandria
d. AD 250 (burned) · Confessor in long imprisonment · Martyr · Alexandria
The Ante-Nicene Church
Who Epimachus of Alexandria was
Held in chains a long time and worked over with the iron scrapers before he was burned. He and Alexander are named together as a pair throughout the tradition, and the later Roman calendar keeps them so, commemorating them on 12 December with the three women who died beside them.
Named once in Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History; no other ancient source names him.
Also listed in martyrs and the decian persecution.
Common questions
When did Epimachus die?
Epimachus of Alexandria is dated d. AD 250 (burned) in the archive, which places Epimachus in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313).
Which early sources mention Epimachus?
Epimachus of Alexandria is named in 1 primary-source passage catalogued here, drawn from Dionysius of Alexandria. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Epimachus from?
The archive associates Epimachus of Alexandria with Alexandria.
Who were Epimachus’ contemporaries?
The archive links Epimachus of Alexandria to 3 other figures, including Alexander the Martyr of Alexandria, Ammonarium and Macar the Libyan. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.
Primary-source mentions (1)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Letter to Fabius of Antioch, VI.41.17 — transmitted in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History (c. 325)
c. AD 251After them Epimachus and Alexander, having remained in bonds for a long time, and endured countless agonies from scrapers and scourges, were also consumed in a fierce fire.Dionysius of Alexandria · Ecclesiastical History VI.41.17 · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- 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
- AD 250 · The Decian persecution, AD 250
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Epimachus.