The Nicene Age · AD 313–400
Gregory of Elvira
d. c. AD 392 · Bishop of Elvira · Intransigent Nicene exegete · Elvira (Illiberis), Baetica
The Nicene Age
Who Gregory of Elvira was
Bishop of Elvira in Spain and one of the last hard-line Nicenes to refuse all compromise with the Arianizing creeds of Constantius. The Luciferian petitioners of 384 claimed him as their living standard-bearer, though recent scholarship judges his actual involvement with the party to have been overestimated. Jerome notices him in De viris illustribus as still living and still writing; a body of Tractatus on Scripture recovered under his name has made him the most substantial Latin exegete of fourth-century Spain.
Also listed in bishops beyond the great sees.
Common questions
When did Gregory die?
Gregory of Elvira is dated d. c. AD 392 in the archive, which places Gregory in the Nicene Age (AD 313–400). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.
What did Gregory write?
Gregory of Elvira has 1 catalogued writing in the archive: On the Orthodox Faith (with the Tractatus Origenis).
Which early sources mention Gregory?
Gregory of Elvira is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from The Luciferian petition and Jerome. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Gregory from?
The archive associates Gregory of Elvira with Elvira (Illiberis), Baetica. The sources record more than one location, so the places are listed in the order the record moves through them.
Writings (1)
On the Orthodox Faith (with the Tractatus Origenis)
A corpus that survived under borrowed names — Ambrose, Phoebadius, even 'Origen' — reassigned by Morin in 1902[The intransigent Nicene's books outlived their labels]Read the interlinear source text →
Primary-source mentions (2)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Faustinus & Marcellinus, Libellus precum to the Emperors (c. AD 384; original Latin, working translation)
c. AD 384[The earliest witness — the Luciferian petition to the emperors names him as the living confessor.] Gregory, bishop of Elvira in Spain, could never be driven to the communion of the prevaricators: when Osius himself lapsed, Gregory withstood him and refused his communion, standing immovable for the faith — for which constancy the confessor Eusebius of Vercelli hailed him by letter.The Luciferian petition · source text
Jerome, On Illustrious Men 105 (AD 393; original Latin, working translation)
c. AD 393Gregory the Baetican, bishop of Elvira, even to extreme old age wrote various treatises in plain style, and an elegant book On Faith, which is said to be extant.Jerome · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 325 · The Council of Nicaea, AD 325
- 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
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Gregory.
- 1Baeticaprovince only