The Apologists · AD 130–180
Hierax
d. c. 165 · Martyr · Companion of Justin · Iconium → Rome
The Apologists
Who Hierax was
A Christian of Iconium in Phrygia, dragged from his homeland, who answered the prefect’s demand for the whereabouts of his parents with the line the church long treasured: “Our true father is Christ, and our mother is faith in him.” Beheaded with Justin and the others; his reply became a small classic of the martyr-literature.
Acts of Justin only.
Also listed in martyrs and under marcus aurelius.
Common questions
When did Hierax die?
Hierax is dated d. c. 165 in the archive, which places Hierax 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.
Which early sources mention Hierax?
Hierax is named in 1 primary-source passage catalogued here, drawn from Court transcript (Recension A). Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Hierax from?
The archive associates Hierax with Iconium, Rome. The sources record more than one location, so the places are listed in the order the record moves through them.
Who were Hierax’s contemporaries?
The archive links Hierax to 3 other figures, including Justin Martyr, Euelpistus and Paeon. 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.
Acts of Justin and Companions 4
c. AD 165Hierax said, ‘Christ is our true father, and faith in him is our mother.’Court transcript (Recension A) · 4 · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 95 · Domitian’s reprisals, AD 95
- AD 96 · Rome writes to Corinth: 1 Clement, AD 96
- 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
Place
Places served
The 2 places the sources put Hierax, in the order the record moves through them. This is what the sources attest, not a reconstructed route.