ON ST. ABILIUS, THIRD PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA.
In the year of Christ XCVII.
CommentaryAbilius, Third Patriarch of Alexandria (S.)
By J. B.
[1] The third to preside over the Church of Alexandria after St. Mark the Evangelist was St. Abilius. So writes Eusebius, Book 3 of the Ecclesiastical History, Chapter 12: "In the fourth year of Domitian, [St. Abilius created Bishop of Alexandria in the 4th year of Domitian, i.e. Christ 84,] Anianus, who was the first to preside over the Church of Alexandria, died after completing twenty-two years. Abilius succeeded him." The Greek reads thus: Tetarto men oun etei Dometianou, tes kat' Alexandreian paroikias ho protos Anianos, dyo pros tois eikosin apoplesas ete, teleuta, diadechetai d' auton deuteros Abilios. Christophorsonus incorrectly translates this as: "In the fourth year of Domitian, Anianus was the first to preside over the Church of Alexandria, who, after completing twenty-two years in that office, departed this life. In his place, Abilius was appointed as the second." Baronius in his Notes on the twenty-second of February, letter F, suggests that the sentence should be restored by changing only one word: "In the fourth year of Domitian, Anianus, who was the first to preside over the Church of Alexandria, after twenty-two years," etc. He supports the correction both because the same Eusebius, Book 2, Chapter 23, places the beginning of Anianus in the eighth year of Nero, which was the year of Christ LXII, from which to the fourth year of Domitian, the year of Christ LXXXIV, there are twenty-two years; and because in the Chronicle of the same Eusebius at the fourth year of Domitian it is written: "Abilius is appointed the second Bishop of the Church of Alexandria, and he presided for thirteen years." And Rufinus, Book 3, Chapter 12, translates the former passage of Eusebius thus: "In the fourth year of Domitian, therefore, Anianus, having served in the priesthood for twenty-two years, died. In his place Abilius succeeded as second." Zonaras likewise in volume 2 of the Annals, under Domitian, writes thus: "In the fourth year of his reign, the first Bishop of the Church of Alexandria after Mark the Apostle died, and Abilius succeeded him, being designated second Bishop of Alexandria." But Nicephorus Callistus, Book 3, Chapter 2: "After him," namely Anianus, "Abilius took up that See, and after governing it excellently for thirteen years, he left it to his successor Cerdo."
[2] Concerning the illustrious deeds of St. Abilius, we have read nothing thus far, except what is found in the Coptic history of the Patriarchs of Alexandria, which was rendered into Latin by Abraham Ecchellensis the Maronite and published at Paris in the royal printing house in the year 1651, which has this about him: "III. Melianus. It is written in the Lives of the Patriarchs: They took a man named Melianus and ordained him Patriarch over the See of Mark; and the number of the faithful grew in Egypt, he spreads the faith: the Pentapolis, and Africa, and the Church was at peace during his time. He died on the first Monday of Tut, and the See was vacant for three years without a Patriarch, because at that time occurred the destruction of Jerusalem." These last words are absurd, for Jerusalem was captured in the second year of Vespasian, the year of Christ LXXI, while Abilius was made Bishop only in the year LXXXIV. The author himself soon corrects his error, but equally absurdly: for after writing that the See of Alexandria was vacant for three years from the death of Melianus, or Abilius, he then writes that Cerdo was elevated to it in the first year of the reign of Trajan, which was the year of Christ XCVIII according to the common era. he dies in the year 97. Was that the third or fourth year after the capture of Jerusalem? Otherwise, according to the reckoning of Eusebius adjusted to our era, St. Abilius appears to have died in the year XCVII.
[3] What is asserted in Epistle 3, published under the name of St. Anacletus -- that the venerable Abilius succeeded St. Mark -- as well as certain other points of that same epistle, we said on the first of February in the Life of St. Ignatius, Section 3, contradicts the writings of the ancient historians, he did not immediately succeed St. Mark. and that epistle is therefore of insufficiently certain authority. Nicephorus agrees with the ancients in his Chronology, composed about one thousand three hundred years ago, where he enumerates the Patriarchs of Alexandria thus: "1. Mark the Evangelist, 2 years. 2. Anianus, 22 years. 3. Abilius, 12 years." The Coptic history cited by Ecchellensis but rather St. Anianus: assigns to St. Abilius 12 years and 286 days. If St. Anianus died on the twenty-fifth of April, on which day he is inscribed in the tables of the Martyrology, it would follow that St. Abilius was ordained around the eleventh of May, from which to the twenty-second of February there are two hundred and eighty-six days. Some have computed twelve full years, he sat for not quite 13 years: disregarding what remained; others thirteen, though not entirely full. Thus we observe that the reckoning of the years of a reign or priesthood is frequently arranged in different ways by different authors.
[4] The name of St. Abilius is inscribed in the Latin Fasti on the eighth Kalends of March. In the Greek records I have not yet found it. The published Bede, Usuardus, Ado, and Notker have this: "At Alexandria, St. Abilius the Bishop, who, as the second Bishop after Blessed Mark, inscribed in the Martyrologies on 22 February, administered the priesthood for thirteen years, distinguished by his virtue." The Roman Martyrology has nearly the same, and Galesinius with varied phrasing. Maurolycus calls him Abyla or Abylen: "At Alexandria, St. Abyla the Bishop, who, the third from St. Mark, administered the priesthood for thirteen years, distinguished by his virtue." The old Roman Martyrology edited by Rosweydus, and certain manuscripts, commemorate him most briefly: "At Alexandria, of Abilius the Bishop."