The Nicene Age · AD 313–400
Fabiola
d. AD 399 · Roman noblewoman · Founder of the first Christian hospital · Rome → Bethlehem → Rome
The Nicene Age
Who Fabiola was
A Roman aristocrat of the Fabian house who did public penance for a disputed second marriage and poured her fortune into the poor, founding at Rome — Jerome says — the first Christian public hospital, and nursing the sick with her own hands. Jerome's Epistle 77, written to eulogize her, is the portrait; she had visited him at Bethlehem.
Jerome alone (Epp. 64, 77).
Also listed in women.
Common questions
When did Fabiola die?
Fabiola is dated d. AD 399 in the archive, which places Fabiola in the Nicene Age (AD 313–400).
Which early sources mention Fabiola?
Fabiola is named in 1 primary-source passage catalogued here, drawn from Jerome. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Fabiola from?
The archive associates Fabiola with Rome, Bethlehem, Rome. The sources record more than one location, so the places are listed in the order the record moves through them.
Who were Fabiola’s contemporaries?
The archive links Fabiola to 2 other figures, including Jerome of Stridon and Blaesilla. 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 77, To Oceanus (in praise of Fabiola)
c. AD 393Today you give me as my theme Fabiola, the praise of the Christians, the marvel of the gentiles, the sorrow of the poor, and the consolation of the monks.Jerome · 77 · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 339 · The persecution of Shapur II, AD 339
- AD 343 · The Council of Serdica, AD 343
- AD 361 · Julian’s pagan restoration, AD 361
- AD 366 · Damasus and the catacomb epigrams, AD 366
- AD 367 · Athanasius lists the 27 NT books, AD 367
- AD 372 · The martyrdom of Sabbas the Goth, AD 372
- AD 378 · Queen Mavia’s revolt, AD 378
- AD 380 · The Edict of Thessalonica, AD 380
- AD 381 · The Council of Constantinople, AD 381
- AD 381 · The Council of Aquileia, AD 381
- AD 384 · The Altar of Victory petition, AD 384
- AD 390 · Thessalonica and the penance of Theodosius, AD 390
- AD 397 · Carthage confirms the canon, AD 397
Place
Places served
The 2 places the sources put Fabiola, in the order the record moves through them. This is what the sources attest, not a reconstructed route.