The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313 · External witness

Hilarianus, procurator of Africa

acting governor AD 203 · Procurator · Judge of Perpetua's company · Carthage

External witness

Who Hilarianus, procurator of Africa was

The procurator exercising a dead proconsul's capital power who tried Perpetua and her companions — 'Spare your father's grey head,' he urged her; 'sacrifice for the emperors' welfare.' Her answer — Christiana sum — sent the company to the birthday games of Geta.

Also listed in non-christian witnesses.

Common questions

When did Hilarianus, procurator live?

Hilarianus, procurator of Africa is dated acting governor AD 203 in the archive, which places Hilarianus, procurator in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313).

Which early sources mention Hilarianus, procurator?

Hilarianus, procurator of Africa is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from The Passion's redactor and Tertullian of Carthage. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.

Where was Hilarianus, procurator from?

The archive associates Hilarianus, procurator of Africa with Carthage.

Who were Hilarianus, procurator’s contemporaries?

The archive links Hilarianus, procurator of Africa to 3 other figures, including Vibia Perpetua, Felicity (Felicitas) and Saturus. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.

Primary-source mentions (2)

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

Passion of Perpetua 6

c. AD 210
Hilarianus the procurator, who had received the power of the sword in place of the late proconsul Minucius Timinianus, said: Spare thy father's grey hairs; spare the infancy of the boy; perform the rite for the emperors' welfare. And I answered: I will not. Hilarianus asked: Art thou a Christian? And I answered: I am a Christian.
The Passion's redactor · 6 · source text

To Scapula 3 (the procurator's cry 'Areae non sint' remembered)

c. AD 212
Under Hilarian the president, when there was a cry about our places of sepulture, 'Let them have no areae' — their own areae, their threshing-floors, were a-wanting: for they gathered in no harvest.
Tertullian of Carthage · To Scapula 3 · source text

Connected in the archive

People

Events in this lifetime

Place

Places served

The one place the sources put Hilarianus, procurator.

  1. 1Carthage

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