The Nicene Age · AD 313–400
Triphylius of Ledra
d. c. AD 370 · Bishop of Ledra, Cyprus · Disciple of Spyridon · Ledra (Nicosia), Cyprus
The Nicene Age
Who Triphylius of Ledra was
The most eloquent bishop of his generation, Jerome judged — a Berytus-trained lawyer turned disciple of the unlettered shepherd-saint Spyridon, who once corrected his master's homely Gospel quotation ('pallet' for 'bed') and was rebuked before the church: 'Art thou better than he who said krabbaton?' He wrote a commentary on the Song of Songs; the story of his polished vocabulary humbled is what the church chose to remember.
Also listed in bishops beyond the great sees.
Common questions
When did Triphylius die?
Triphylius of Ledra is dated d. c. AD 370 in the archive, which places Triphylius in the Nicene Age (AD 313–400). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.
What did Triphylius write?
Triphylius of Ledra has 1 catalogued writing in the archive: Commentary on the Song of Songs. All are lost, known only from later citation.
Which early sources mention Triphylius?
Triphylius of Ledra is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Jerome and Sozomen. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Triphylius from?
The archive associates Triphylius of Ledra with Ledra (Nicosia), Cyprus. The sources record more than one location, so the places are listed in the order the record moves through them.
Writings (1)
Commentary on the Song of Songs
The polished Cypriot's exegesis — nothing survivesHe wrote a commentary on the Song of Songs. I have read nothing else of his. (Jerome, On Illustrious Men 92)Lost — known only from later citation.
Primary-source mentions (2)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
On Illustrious Men 92
c. AD 393Triphylius, bishop of Ledra in Cyprus, the most eloquent man of his age and celebrated in the reign of Constantius — I have read his commentary on the Song of Songs; nothing else of his works have I found.Jerome · 92 · source text
Church History I.11 ('call it a bed, not a couch' — Spyridon's rebuke of his pupil's rhetoric)
c. AD 445Thou art not better than He who said 'bed', that thou shouldest be ashamed to use His words.Sozomen · Church History I.11 · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 301 · Hripsime and her company, AD 301
- AD 303 · The Great Persecution begins, AD 303
- AD 303 · The search of the church at Cirta, AD 303
- AD 306 · The Council of Elvira, AD 306
- AD 311 · Galerius’ edict of Serdica, AD 311
- AD 313 · The Edict of Milan, AD 313
- AD 314 · The Council of Arles, AD 314
- AD 320 · Silvanus tried before Zenophilus, AD 320
- AD 325 · The Council of Nicaea, AD 325
- AD 339 · The persecution of Shapur II, AD 339
- AD 343 · The Council of Serdica, AD 343
- AD 361 · Julian’s pagan restoration, AD 361
- AD 366 · Damasus and the catacomb epigrams, AD 366
- AD 367 · Athanasius lists the 27 NT books, AD 367
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Triphylius.
- 1Cyprusprovince only