Pope Victor I

Who was Pope Victor I?

Pope Victor I was bishop of Rome or pope; the dates of his tenure are uncertain, but one source states he became pope in 189 and gives the year of his death as 199. He was the first bishop of Rome born in the Roman Province of Africa—probably in Leptis Magna. He was later canonized. His feast day is celebrated on 28 July as "St Victor I, Pope and Martyr".

The primary sources vary over the dates assigned to Victor’s episcopate, but indicate it included the last decade of the second century. Eusebius puts his accession in the tenth year of Commodius, which is accepted by Lipsius as the correct date. Jerome’s version of the Chronicle puts his accession in the reign of Pertinax, or the first year of Septimius Severus, while the Armenian version puts it in the seventh year of Commodus. The Liber Pontificalis dates his accession to the consulate of Commodius and Glabrio, while the Liberian Catalogue, a surviving copy of the source the Liber Pontificalis drew its information for its chronology, is damaged at this point Concerning the duration of his episcopate, Eusebius, in his History, does not state directly the duration of his episcopate, but the Armenian version of Eusebius' Chronicle gives it as twelve years. The Liberian Catalogue gives his episcopate a length of nine years two months and ten days, while the Liber Pontificalis states it was ten years and the same number of months and days; the Felician Catalogue something over ten. Finally, Eusebius in his History states Zephyrinus succeeded him "about the ninth year of Severus", while the Liber Pontificalis dates it to the consulate of Laternus and Rufinus. Lipsius, considering Victor in connection with his successors, concludes that he held office between nine and ten years, and therefore gives as his dates 189–198 or 199.