The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313

Lawrence (Laurentius) of Rome

d. 10 August 258 · Archdeacon of Rome · Martyr · Rome

The Ante-Nicene Church

Lawrence (Laurentius) of Rome — historical depiction 1
Lawrence (Laurentius) of RomeMeister des Mausoleums der Galla Placidia in Ravenna · Public domain · Commons
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Lawrence (Laurentius) of Rome — historical depiction 1

Lawrence (Laurentius) of RomeMeister des Mausoleums der Galla Placidia in Ravenna · Public domain · Commons

Who Lawrence (Laurentius) of Rome was

Archdeacon of Rome under Sixtus II, keeper of the church’s treasury and charity, and the most famous of the Roman martyrs after Peter and Paul. When the prefect demanded the church’s riches after Sixtus’s execution, Lawrence — by the tradition Ambrose and Prudentius made canonical — gathered the poor, the crippled, and the widows and presented them: “These are the treasures of the Church.” For the insolence he was, in the legend, roasted on a gridiron, jesting even then. The historical core is firm — Cyprian’s contemporary letter names the archdeacon’s death in the Valerian terror — and his cult became one of the greatest in Christendom.

Also listed in martyrs.

Common questions

When did Lawrence die?

Lawrence (Laurentius) of Rome is dated d. 10 August 258 in the archive, which places Lawrence in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313).

Which early sources mention Lawrence?

Lawrence (Laurentius) of Rome is named in 5 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from The chronographer of 354, Damasus of Rome, Ambrose of Milan and Prudentius. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.

Where was Lawrence from?

The archive associates Lawrence (Laurentius) of Rome with Rome.

Who were Lawrence’s contemporaries?

The archive links Lawrence (Laurentius) of Rome to 3 other figures, including Xystus II (Sixtus II) of Rome, Emperor Valerian and Vincent of Saragossa. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.

Primary-source mentions (5)

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

Depositio martyrum: 'IV Id. Aug. Laurenti in Tiburtina'

c. AD 354
IV Id. Aug.: Laurenti in Tiburtina — Lawrence, on the Tiburtine Way.
The chronographer of 354 · Depositio martyrum · source text

Epigram of Damasus on Lawrence

c. AD 380
Damasus of Rome · Epigram on Lawrence · source text

On the Duties of the Clergy I.41

c. AD 385
‘The treasures of the Church are these,’ said Lawrence, pointing to the poor. ‘These are the treasure indeed, in whom Christ lives, in whom there is faith.’
Ambrose of Milan · source text

Crowns of Martyrdom 2 (the gridiron passion and the treasures of the church)

c. AD 405
Prudentius · Peristephanon 2 · source text

Sermons 302–305 (preached on his August feast)

c. AD 417
Augustine of Hippo · Sermon 302 · source text

Connected in the archive

People

Events in this lifetime

Place

Places served

The one place the sources put Lawrence.

  1. 1Rome

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