The Apologists · AD 130–180

Soter of Rome

d. c. 174 · Bishop of Rome · Rome

The Apologists

Soter of Rome — historical depiction 1
Soter of RomeArtaud de Montor (1772–1849) · Public domain · Commons
Close
Soter of Rome — historical depiction 1

Soter of RomeArtaud de Montor (1772–1849) · Public domain · Commons

Who Soter of Rome was

Twelfth bishop of Rome, remembered for the generosity of his church: Dionysius of Corinth thanks him in a letter for continuing the Roman custom of sending relief “to many churches in every city,” a charity that “from the beginning” had marked Rome. His letter to Corinth was read there in worship beside 1 Clement. Under Soter the Roman church appears already as the empire’s great almoner.

Also listed in the bishops of Rome.

Common questions

When did Soter die?

Soter of Rome is dated d. c. 174 in the archive, which places Soter 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.

Which early sources mention Soter?

Soter of Rome is named in 3 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Dionysius of Corinth, Irenaeus of Lyon and The chronographer of 354. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.

Where was Soter from?

The archive associates Soter of Rome with Rome.

Who were Soter’s contemporaries?

The archive links Soter of Rome to 3 other figures, including Anicetus of Rome, Eleutherus of Rome and Dionysius of Corinth. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.

Primary-source mentions (3)

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

Dionysius of Corinth, via Eusebius IV.23

c. AD 170
For this has been your custom from the beginning, to do good in manifold ways to all the brethren, and to send contributions to the many churches in every city.
Dionysius of Corinth · IV.23 · source text

Against Heresies III.3.3

c. AD 180
Soter having succeeded Anicetus, Eleutherius does now, in the twelfth place from the apostles, hold the inheritance of the episcopate.
Irenaeus of Lyon · Against Heresies III.3.3 · source text

Liberian Catalogue (Chronography of 354)

c. AD 354
The chronographer of 354 · Liberian Catalogue · source text

Connected in the archive

People

Events in this lifetime

Place

Places served

The one place the sources put Soter.

  1. 1Rome

See this place on the atlas →