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The early life of Hippolytus is unknown. He was born in the second half of the second century about the year 170, probably in Rome, and lived in Rome when young. Greek was his native tongue. He is believed to have been a disciple of St. [[Irenaeus of Lyons]] and to have met [[Origen]].  At the beginning of the third century he was a priest noted for his learning, eloquence, zeal, and moral earnestness, and became a major theological writer, biblical commentator and theologian. He was one of the most important second-third century Christian theologians of the early Church, whose provenance, identity and literary corpus remain elusive to scholars and historians.  

The early life of Hippolytus is unknown. He was born in the second half of the second century about the year 170, probably in Rome, and lived in Rome when young. Greek was his native tongue. He is believed to have been a disciple of St. [[Irenaeus of Lyons]] and to have met [[Origen]].  At the beginning of the third century he was a priest noted for his learning, eloquence, zeal, and moral earnestness, and became a major theological writer, biblical commentator and theologian. He was one of the most important second-third century Christian theologians of the early Church, whose provenance, identity and literary corpus remain elusive to scholars and historians.  

The best historians of literature in the ancient church, including [[Eusebius|Eusebius of Caesarea]] and [[Jerome]], openly confess they cannot name where Hippolytus served in leadership. They had read his works but did not possess evidence of his community. Photios I of Constantinople describes him in his ''Bibliotheca'' (codex 121) as a disciple of St. Irenæus. Oriental writers, as well as Pope Gelasius, place the See of Hippolytus at Bostra, the chief city of the Arabs.

The best historians of literature in the ancient church, including [[Eusebius|Eusebius of Caesarea]] and [[Jerome]], openly confess they cannot name where Hippolytus served in leadership. They had read his works but did not possess evidence of his community. Photios I of Constantinople describes him in his ''Bibliotheca'' (codex 121) as a disciple of St. Irenæus.  

Suggested communities include Palestine, Egypt, Anatolia, Rome and regions of the mideast. He was also noted to be a bishop of an unspecified city by Eusebius of Caesarea and Jerome and by the poet Prudentius as bishop of Portus, a port for Rome. (Prudentius may have confused him with another [[Hippolytus of Ponto, bishop and martyr|Hippolytus, bishop of Pontos, and martyr]] of the third century.)

Suggested communities include Palestine, Egypt, Anatolia, Rome and regions of the mideast. He was also noted to be a bishop of an unspecified city by Eusebius of Caesarea and Jerome and by the poet Prudentius as bishop of Portus, a port for Rome. (Prudentius may have confused him with another [[Hippolytus of Ponto, bishop and martyr|Hippolytus, bishop of Pontos, and martyr]] of the third century.)

St. Jerome likewise describes him as the bishop of an unknown see, gives a longer list of his writings, and says of one of his homilies that he delivered it in the presence of Origen, to whom he made direct reference.<ref>''Illustrious Men'' 61</ref>  

St. Jerome likewise describes him as the bishop of an unknown see, gives a longer list of his writings, and says of one of his homilies that he delivered it in the presence of Origen, to whom he made direct reference.<ref>''Illustrious Men'' 61</ref>  

Later Greek authors, for example Georgius Syncellus, Nicephorus Callistus <ref>Georgius Syncellus., ed. Bonn, 1829, 674 sqq.; Nicephorus Callistus, "Hist. eccl.", IV, xxxi</ref>, do not give much more information than Eusebius and Jerome; some of them call him Bishop of Rome, others Bishop of Porto. According to Photius I of Constantinople <ref>Bibliotheca, codex 121</ref>, he was a disciple of St. Irenæus. There is no difficulty in admitting that he could have been a disciple of St. Irenæus either in Rome or Lyons. (It is equally possible that Origen heard a homily by Hippolytus when he went to Rome about the year 212.) Oriental writers, as well as Pope Gelasius, place the See of Hippolytus at Bostra, the chief city of the Arabs.

Later Greek authors, for example Georgius Syncellus, Nicephorus Callistus <ref>Georgius Syncellus., ed. Bonn, 1829, 674 sqq.; Nicephorus Callistus, "Hist. eccl.", IV, xxxi</ref>, do not give much more information than Eusebius and Jerome; some of them call him Bishop of Rome, others Bishop of Porto. According to Photius I of Constantinople <ref>''Bibliotheca'', codex 121</ref>, he was a disciple of St. Irenæus. There is no difficulty in admitting that he could have been a disciple of St. Irenæus either in Rome or Lyons. (It is equally possible that Origen heard a homily by Hippolytus when he went to Rome about the year 212.) Oriental writers, as well as Pope Gelasius, place the See of Hippolytus at Bostra, the chief city of the Arabs.

===Writings===

===Writings===