The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313
Marcianus of Smyrna
attested AD 155–160 · Courier-editor of the Martyrdom of Polycarp · Smyrna
The Ante-Nicene Church
Who Marcianus of Smyrna was
'These things we have written unto you by our brother Marcianus' — the bearer (or drafter) of the Smyrnaean encyclical, charged with sending the letter onward church by church.
Martyrdom of Polycarp 20 only; the Moscow-manuscript colophon naming him again is post-horizon.
Also listed in martyrs and under marcus aurelius.
Common questions
When was Marcianus active?
Marcianus of Smyrna is dated attested AD 155–160 in the archive, which places Marcianus in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313).
Which early sources mention Marcianus?
Marcianus of Smyrna is named in 1 primary-source passage catalogued here, drawn from The church of Smyrna. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Marcianus from?
The archive associates Marcianus of Smyrna with Smyrna.
Who were Marcianus’ contemporaries?
The archive links Marcianus of Smyrna to 2 other figures, including Polycarp of Smyrna and Evarestus of Smyrna. 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.
Martyrdom of Polycarp 20
c. AD 156These things we have written unto you by our brother Marcianus… send the letter to the brethren further on, that they also may glorify the Lord, who maketh choice of his own servants.The church of Smyrna · 20 · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- 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
- AD 177 · Persecution at Lyon and Vienne, AD 177
- AD 180 · The Scillitan martyrs, AD 180
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Marcianus.