Best first collection for Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, the Didache, Barnabas, Hermas, and Papias in one place.
Linus of Rome
c. 16* – c. 76 · b. Tuscany · Bishop of Rome
* Date marked with an asterisk is a placeholder estimate (lifespan heuristic), not a sourced claim. Hover for the derivation.
BishopMartyr
Quick facts
- Born
- c. 16*, Tuscany
- Died
- c. 76, Rome
- See
- Rome
- Region
- west
- Era
- apostolic father
- Significance
- Minor(1/4)
- Also known as
- Pope Linus
Highlights
- Main contribution
- Listed by Irenaeus and Eusebius as the first bishop of Rome after Peter and Paul.
- Primary source
- Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 3.3.3
Listed by Irenaeus and Eusebius as the first bishop of Rome after Peter and Paul. Often identified with the Linus greeted in 2 Timothy 4:21.
Recommended reading near Linus
A cover-visible starting point chosen from the curated reading path, either by this figure or by their era.
Chain to Jesus
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Common questions
- Who was Linus of Rome?
- Linus of Rome (?–76) — Listed by Irenaeus and Eusebius as the first bishop of Rome after Peter and Paul. Often identified with the Linus greeted in 2 Timothy 4:21.
- Who did Linus of Rome succeed as bishop of Rome?
- Peter.
- Who succeeded Linus of Rome as bishop of Rome?
- Anacletus of Rome.
Sources for biography
- Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 3.3.3 primary
- Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. 3.2, 3.13 primary
- 2 Timothy 4:21 primary
tradition connections(2)
- succeeded in see PeterIrenaeus' succession list names Linus as the man to whom 'the apostles' (Peter and Paul) committed the Roman episcopate. Episcopal succession lists for 1st-c Rome were reconstructed by Irenaeus c. 180 (Adv. Haer. 3.3); not contemporaneously attested.Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 3.3.3 · Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. 3.2
- succeeded in see (incoming) Anacletus of RomeRoman succession list reconstructed by Irenaeus c. 180; no contemporaneous attestation.Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 3.3.3 · Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. 3.13
External resources
📖WikipediaFull encyclopedic biography with footnotes and further reading.🔗WikidataStructured data hub linking to library catalogues, archives, and academic sources worldwide.🏛️WikisourcePublic-domain primary texts and translations (search).⛪Catholic Encyclopedia1913 reference — long entries, useful for less-known figures (search for Linus of Rome).