The Apologists · AD 130–180
Vettius Epagathus
d. 177 · Advocate of the accused · Martyr of Lyon · Lugdunum, Gaul
The Apologists
Who Vettius Epagathus was
A young man of high station and “fulness of love toward God and his neighbour,” who, watching the injustice of the trials, stepped forward uninvited to defend the accused — asking to be heard on their behalf. The mob roared him down, and the governor’s only question was whether he too was a Christian; when he confessed “in a loud voice,” he was taken into the ranks of the martyrs, called “the Advocate (Paraclete) of the Christians” by the letter, for “he had the Advocate within him.” The first recorded Christian defence attorney, made a defendant.
Also listed in martyrs and under marcus aurelius.
Common questions
When did Vettius Epagathus die?
Vettius Epagathus is dated d. 177 in the archive, which places Vettius Epagathus in the Apologists (AD 130–180).
Which early sources mention Vettius Epagathus?
Vettius Epagathus is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from The churches of Lyon & Vienne and The Hieronymian compilers. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Vettius Epagathus from?
The archive associates Vettius Epagathus with Lugdunum, Gaul. The sources record more than one location, so the places are listed in the order the record moves through them.
Who were Vettius Epagathus’ contemporaries?
The archive links Vettius Epagathus to 3 other figures, including Pothinus of Lyon, Sanctus of Vienne and Alexander of Lyon. 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.
Letter of the Churches of Lyons, via Eusebius V.1
c. AD 177Vettius Epagathus… asked to be heard himself in defence of the brethren, to say that there is nothing ungodly or impious among us… He was called the Advocate of the Christians, having the Advocate within him.The churches of Lyon & Vienne · 9 · source text
Martyrologium Hieronymianum (the Forty-Eight of Lyon, 2 June)
c. AD 450Connected 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
Place
Places served
The 2 places the sources put Vettius Epagathus, in the order the record moves through them. This is what the sources attest, not a reconstructed route.