Hegesippus the Historian

Hegesippus, who lived not far from the age of the apostles, wrote a history of all the events of the church from the passion of our Lord down to his own time. Gathering many things useful to the reader, he composed five volumes in a simple style, trying to reproduce the manner of speech of those whose lives he described. He says that he went to Rome in the time of Anicetus, the tenth bishop after Peter, and stayed there until the time of Eleutherius, bishop of the same city, who had earlier been a deacon under Anicetus. Moreover, arguing against idols, he wrote a history showing from what error they first arose, and this work shows in what age he lived. He says: “They built monuments and temples to their dead, as we see to this day; such as the one to Antinous, the servant of the emperor Hadrian, in whose honor games were also held, a city was founded bearing his name, and a temple with priests was established.” The emperor Hadrian is said to have been in love with Antinous. [a]