The Apologists · AD 130–180

Hermas of Rome

fl. c. 90 – 140 · Freedman · Prophet of the Roman church · Rome

The Apologists

Hermas of Rome — historical depiction 1 — Hermas of Romeunknown artist, Rome, 3rd century A.D. · Public domain · Commons

Hermas of Rome — historical depiction 2 — Hermas of RomeWilpert, Joseph (1857—1944) · Public domain · Commons

Hermas of Rome — historical depiction 3 — Hermas of RomeJim Forest https://www.flickr.com/people/jimforest/ (artwork by unknown) · Public domain · Commons

Hermas of Rome — historical depiction 4 — Hermas of Romeunknown artist, circa 100-150 A.D. photo made under direction of Joseph Wilpert, published 1903 photos in the book made by Pompeo Sansaini hand coloring of photos by Carlo Tabanelli · Public domain · Commons

Hermas of Rome — historical depiction 5 — Hermas of RomeLondon, British Library · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons

Who Hermas of Rome was

Hermas was a former slave who farmed along the road from Rome to Cumae, a man of ordinary means, anxious about his unruly household — and the recipient, he reports, of a series of visions: an elderly lady who is the Church, and an angel in shepherd’s dress who gives the book its name. The Shepherd, written in installments in the early second century (the Muratorian fragment calls him brother of bishop Pius), wrestles with the question tormenting the post-apostolic church: can a baptized Christian who sins be restored? His answer — one repentance remains — made the book wildly popular. It was copied more than any text outside the New Testament and stands, complete, at the end of Codex Sinaiticus.

Common questions

When was Hermas active?

Hermas of Rome is dated fl. c. 90 – 140 in the archive, which places Hermas in the Apologists (AD 130–180). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.

What did Hermas write?

Hermas of Rome has 1 catalogued writing in the archive: The Shepherd (Visions, Mandates, Similitudes).

Which early sources mention Hermas?

Hermas of Rome is named in 3 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from The Muratorian canonist, Origen of Alexandria and Jerome. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.

Where was Hermas from?

The archive associates Hermas of Rome with Rome.

Writings (1)

The Shepherd (Visions, Mandates, Similitudes)

c. 90–140

The tower which thou seest building is myself, the Church… it is built upon the waters, because your life has been, and will be, saved through water.

Earliest witness · Codex Sinaiticus (British Library) (4th c.)

Read the interlinear source text →

Primary-source mentions (3)

Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.

Muratorian Fragment (the Shepherd written 'very recently, in our times')

c. AD 170

Hermas wrote the Shepherd very recently, in our times, in the city of Rome, while bishop Pius, his brother, was occupying the chair of the church of the city of Rome.

The Muratorian canonist · Muratorian Fragment · source text

Origen, Commentary on Romans X.31 (identifying him with the Hermas of Romans 16)

c. AD 246

Origen of Alexandria · Commentary on Romans X.31 · source text

On Illustrious Men 10

c. AD 393

Hermas whom the apostle Paul mentions in writing to the Romans… is reputed to be the author of the book which is called Pastor and which is also read publicly in some churches of Greece.

Jerome · 10 · source text