The Apostolic Fathers · AD 70–130
Philo of Cilicia
fl. c. 108 (death unrecorded) · Deacon of Cilicia · Minister to Ignatius · Cilicia → Troas
The Apostolic Fathers
Who Philo of Cilicia was
A deacon from Cilicia who, with Rheus Agathopus, followed Ignatius out of Syria and ministered to him along the road, undeterred by those who tried to slight them. Ignatius commends the pair warmly to Philadelphia and Smyrna, naming them among the living proofs that his own bereaved church of Antioch was not without friends.
Common questions
When was Philo active?
Philo of Cilicia is dated fl. c. 108 (death unrecorded) in the archive, which places Philo 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 Philo?
Philo of Cilicia is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Ignatius of Antioch. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Philo from?
The archive associates Philo of Cilicia with Cilicia, Troas. The sources record more than one location, so the places are listed in the order the record moves through them.
Who were Philo’s contemporaries?
The archive links Philo of Cilicia to 2 other figures, including Ignatius of Antioch and Rheus Agathopus. 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.
To the Philadelphians 11.1 (the deacon from Cilicia who followed him)
c. AD 107Philo the deacon, of Cilicia, a man of good report, who still ministers to me in the word of God.Ignatius of Antioch · To the Philadelphians 11 · source text
To the Smyrnaeans 13
c. AD 108Philo the deacon, of Cilicia, a man of repute, who still ministereth to me in the word of God, together with Rheus Agathopus…Ignatius of Antioch · 13 · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- 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
- AD 95 · Domitian’s reprisals, AD 95
- AD 96 · Rome writes to Corinth: 1 Clement, AD 96
Place
Places served
The 2 places the sources put Philo, in the order the record moves through them. This is what the sources attest, not a reconstructed route.