The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313
Irenaeus of Sirmium
d. AD 304 (martyr) · Bishop of Sirmium · Martyr · Sirmium, Pannonia
The Ante-Nicene Church
Who Irenaeus of Sirmium was
The young bishop of Sirmium beheaded under the governor Probus and thrown into the river Sava, who — the contemporary Passio records — turned aside the pleas of his own weeping family to keep his confession. His acta are among the most vivid of the Illyrian martyrdoms.
Also listed in martyrs, bishops beyond the great sees and the great persecution.
Common questions
When did Irenaeus die?
Irenaeus of Sirmium is dated d. AD 304 (martyr) in the archive, which places Irenaeus in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313).
Which early sources mention Irenaeus?
Irenaeus of Sirmium is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Passio Irenaei and The Hieronymian compilers. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Irenaeus from?
The archive associates Irenaeus of Sirmium with Sirmium, Pannonia. The sources record more than one location, so the places are listed in the order the record moves through them.
Who were Irenaeus’ contemporaries?
The archive links Irenaeus of Sirmium to 3 other figures, including Emperor Diocletian, Quirinus of Siscia and Anastasia of Sirmium. 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.
Passio Irenaei Sirmiensis (near-contemporary passio, c. AD 304; original Latin, working translation)
c. AD 304[Among the earliest and most sober of the Danubian martyr-acts.] His household stood about him weeping. 'Have pity on thy youth,' said Probus the governor; 'thou hast a wife: sacrifice.' Irenaeus said: 'My wife and my children have God, whom they may have as I do... I have a commandment of my Lord Jesus Christ, to whom I hasten.' He was struck with the sword, and his body cast from the bridge into the river Sava.Passio Irenaei · source text
Martyrologium Hieronymianum (Irenaeus of Sirmium)
c. AD 450Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 235 · Maximinus Thrax targets the clergy, AD 235
- AD 250 · The Decian persecution, AD 250
- AD 251 · The Novatianist schism, AD 251
- AD 257 · The Valerian persecution, AD 257
- AD 260 · Gallienus’ edict of toleration, AD 260
- AD 268 · Antioch deposes Paul of Samosata, AD 268
- AD 272 · Aurelian awards the Antioch church, AD 272
- AD 301 · Hripsime and her company, AD 301
- AD 303 · The Great Persecution begins, AD 303
- AD 303 · The search of the church at Cirta, AD 303
Place
Places served
The 2 places the sources put Irenaeus, in the order the record moves through them. This is what the sources attest, not a reconstructed route.