The Apostolic Fathers · AD 70–130
Julia
fl. c. 57 (death unrecorded) · Believer of a Roman house circle · Rome
The Apostolic Fathers
Who Julia was
Paired with Philologus as wife or sister — bearer of the imperial gentile name, hence almost certainly a freedwoman or slave of the Julian house. The commonest female name in Roman epigraphy, borne here by one of the five women Paul singles out in the capital’s church. Her namelessness beyond the name is the ordinary condition of the first Christian generation.
Common questions
When was Julia active?
Julia is dated fl. c. 57 (death unrecorded) in the archive, which places Julia in the Apostolic Fathers (AD 70–130). 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 Julia?
Julia is named in 3 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Paul, Origen of Alexandria and John Chrysostom. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Julia from?
The archive associates Julia with Rome.
Who were Julia’s contemporaries?
The archive links Julia to 2 other figures, including Philologus and Nereus and His Sister. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.
Scripture record
Primary-source mentions (3)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Romans 16:15
c. AD 55Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas…Paul · read ↗
Origen, Commentary on Romans X (on Romans 16:15)
c. AD 246Homilies on Romans XXXI
c. AD 391“Salute Philologus, and Julius, and Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them” — which was the greatest dignity, and unspeakable height of honor. [The homily reads Julius, a masculine form, where the Greek of Romans 16:15 is usually printed Julia; the variant is in the text the translators followed, not in the translation.]John Chrysostom · Homilies on Romans XXXI · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 30 · Crucifixion, Resurrection and Pentecost, AD 30–33
- AD 44 · Persecution under Herod Agrippa I, AD 44
- AD 49 · The Council of Jerusalem, AD 49
- AD 57 · Paul writes Romans, AD 57
- AD 62 · James the Just stoned, AD 62
- AD 64 · The Great Fire and Nero’s persecution, AD 64
- AD 70 · The fall of Jerusalem, AD 70
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Julia.
- 1Rome