The Apologists · AD 130–180 · External witness
Serennius Granianus
proconsul of Asia c. AD 121–122 · Proconsul of Asia · Questioner of the trials · province of Asia
External witness
Who Serennius Granianus was
The proconsul whose letter to Hadrian — asking whether Christians should be condemned to please shouting mobs without formal accusation — drew the rescript to his successor Fundanus that Justin proudly appended to his Apology.
Also listed in non-christian witnesses.
Common questions
When did Serennius Granianus live?
Serennius Granianus is dated proconsul of Asia c. AD 121–122 in the archive, which places Serennius Granianus in the Apologists (AD 130–180). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.
What did Serennius Granianus write?
Serennius Granianus has 1 catalogued writing in the archive: Letter to Hadrian on the trials of the Christians. All are lost, known only from later citation.
Which early sources mention Serennius Granianus?
Serennius Granianus is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Emperor Hadrian and Eusebius of Caesarea. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Serennius Granianus from?
The archive associates Serennius Granianus with province of Asia.
Writings (1)
Letter to Hadrian on the trials of the Christians
The proconsul's lost query that provoked the surviving rescriptI have received the letter addressed to me by your predecessor Serennius Granianus, a most illustrious man. (Hadrian's rescript)Lost — known only from later citation.
Primary-source mentions (2)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
The Rescript of Hadrian (his query answered by name)
c. AD 125I have received the letter addressed to me by your predecessor Serennius Granianus, a most illustrious man.Emperor Hadrian · The Rescript of Hadrian · source text
Ecclesiastical History IV.8–9
c. AD 325He received a letter in behalf of the Christians from Serennius Granianus, a most illustrious governor, saying that it was not just to slay them, to gratify the clamours of the people, without accusation or trial.Eusebius of Caesarea · IV.8 · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- 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
- AD 112 · Pliny writes Trajan, AD 112
- AD 117 · Symeon and Ignatius martyred, AD 117
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Serennius Granianus.
- 1Asiaprovince only