The fact that Hippolytus was a schismatic Bishop of Rome and yet was held in high honour afterwards both as martyr and theologian, explains why as early as the fourth century nothing was known as to his see, for he was not on the list of the Roman bishops. The theory championed by Lightfoot (see below), that he was actually Bishop of Porto but with his official residence in Rome, is untenable.

This statement, made by a few authorities, results from a confusion with a martyr of Porto, due perhaps to a legendary account of his martyrdom. Moreover De Rossi's hypothesis, based on the inscription by Damasus, that Hippolytus returned from exile, and subsequently became an adherent of Novatian, his reconciliation with the Roman Church not being effected until just before his martyrdom under the Emperor Valerian [Roman emperor 253–260, who persecuted bishops and clergy] (253-60), is incompatible with the supposition that he is the author of the "Philosophumena." The feast of St. Hippolytus is kept on 13 August, a date assigned in accordance with the legend of St. Laurence; that of Hippolytus of Porto is celebrated on 22 August.

Hippolytus was the most important theologian and the most prolific religious writer of the Roman Church in the pre-Constantinian era. Nevertheless the fate of his copious literary remains has been unfortunate. Most of his works have been lost or are known only through scattered fragments, while much has survived only in old translations into Oriental and Slavic languages; other writings are freely interpolated. The fact that the author wrote in Greek made it inevitable that later, when that language was no longer understood in Rome, the Romans lost interest in his writings, while in the East they were read long after and made the author famous. His works deal with several branches of theology, as appears from the aforementioned list on the statue, from Eusebius [Eusebius of Caesarea (d. c. 339), the first historian of the Church], St. Jerome, and from Oriental authors. His exegetical treatises were numerous: he wrote commentaries on several books of the Old and New Testaments. Most of these are extant only in fragments. The commentary on the Canticle of Canticles, however, has probably been preserved in its entirety ("Werke des Hippolytus", ed. Bonwetsch, 1897, 343 sqq.); likewise the fullest extant commentary on the Book of Daniel in 4 books (ibid., 2 sqq.). Eight of his works, known by their titles, dealt with dogmatic and apologetic subjects, but only one has come down entire in the original Greek. This is the work on Christ and Antichrist ("De Antichristo", ed. Achelis, op. cit., I, II, 1 sqq.); fragments of a few others have been preserved. Of his polemics against heretics the most important is the "Philosophumena", the original title of which is kata pason aireseon elegchos (A Refutation of All Heresies). The first book had long been known; books IV to X, which had been discovered a short time previously, were published in 1851. But the first chapters of the fourth and the whole of the second and third books are still missing. The first four books treat of the Hellenic philosophers; books V to IX are taken up with the exposition and refutation of Christian heresies, and the last book contains a recapitulation. The work is one of the most important sources for the history of the heresies which disturbed the early Church. Origen is cited in some manuscripts as the author of the first book. Photius attributes it to the Roman author Caius (q.v.), while by others it has been ascribed also to Tertullian and Novatian. But most modern scholars hold for weighty reasons that Hippolytus is undoubtedly its author. A shorter treatise agains heresies (Syntagma), and written by Hippolytus at an earlier date, may be restored in outline from later adaptations (Libellus adversus omnes haereses; Epiphanius, "Panarion"; Philastrius, "De haeresibus"). He wrote a third antiheretical work which was universal in character, called the "Small Labyrinth". Besides these Hippolytus wrote special monographs against Marcion, the Montanists, the Alogi, and Caius. Of these writings only a few fragments are extant. Hippolytus also produced an Easter cycle, as well as a chronicle of the world which was made use of by later chroniclers. And finally St. Jerome mentions a work by him on Church laws. Three treatises on canon law have been preserved under the name of Hippolytus: the "Constitutiones per Hippolytum" (which are parallel with the eighth book of the Apostolic Constitutions), the Egyptian Church Ordinance, in Coptic, and the "Canones Hippolyti". Of these works the first two are spurious beyond doubt, and the last, the authenticity of which was upheld even by Achelis (Die Canones Hippolyti, Leipzig, 1891), belongs in all probability to the fifth or sixth century.

The works of Hippolytus have been edited by Fabricius, "S. Hippolyti episcopi et mart. opera" (2 vols., Hamburg, 1716-18); by Gallandi in "Bibliotheca veterum patrum", II, 1766; in Migne, P.G., X; by Lagarde (Leipzig and London, 1858); and by Bonwetsch and Achelis, "Hippolytus" I, pts. I and II (Leipzig, 1897), in "Die gr. chr. Schriftsteller", a series published by the Berlin Academy. The "Philosophumena" was edited by Miller, as the work of Origen (Oxford, 1851); by Duncker and Schneidewin as the work of Hippolytus (Göttingen, 1859), and in P.G., XVI. The "Canones Hippolyti" were edited by Haneberg (Munich, 1870); by Achelis, "Die altesten Quellen des orientalischen Kirchenrechts:, I, in "Texte und Untersuchungen", VI (Leipzig, 1891), 4.

II. Besides the presbyter, St. Hippolytus of Rome, others of the name are mentioned in the old martyrologies and legends of martyrs as having shed their blood for the Faith. Some of these, however, are to be identified with him. In the Acts of St. Laurence we find an officer Hippolytus who, with his nurse Concordia and nineteen others of his household, was put to death for the Faith. The same statement also appears in the Roman Martyrology under the date of 13 August. But this Hippolytus is without doubt identical with the presbyter and martyr who has been connected by legend with St. Laurence, whose grave is situated near the cemetery of Hippolytus.

Hippolytus was also commemorated at a later date in common with St. Cassian, with whom he had no connection whatsoever. According to the hymn of Prudentius on Cassian (Peristephanon, hymn IX), the latter was a teacher at Imola (Forum Cornelii) and was surrendered to the fury of his pupils, who tortured him to death with their iron styles. He is without doubt an historical martyr, who probably suffered in the persecution of Diocletian [Roman emperor 284–305, who began the ‘Great Persecution’ of Christians in 303].

Another Hippolytus is likewise found among a group of martyrs described as "Greek martyrs" (martyres groeci), whose burial place was venerated in the catacomb of Callistus. This Hippolytus is certainly distinct from the Roman presbyter (De Rossi, "Roma sotterranea", III, 201-208). The feast of these saints is celebrated on 2 December.

Furthermore the bishop and martyr Hippolytus of Porto is commemorated on 22 August in the Roman Martyrology. This statement, which occurs even in ancient martyrologies, is connected with the confusion regarding the Roman presbyter, resulting from the Acts of the Martyrs of Porto. It has not been ascertained whether the memory of the latter was localized at Porto merely in connection with the legend in Prudentius, without further foundation, or whether a person named Hippolytus was really martyred at Porto, and afterwards confounded in legend with Hippolytus of Rome.

Baring-Gould’s sources: In the Menology of Basil (nth cent.) on Aug. 29. " Hippolytus, Pope." Also by the Greeks on January 30; on which day also the Abyssinian Kalendar, as “Pope of Rome." So also the Russian Kalendar. Usuardus on Aug. 23; in other later martyrologies, " S. Ypolitus in porte," on Aug. 22; on the following day “ In porte Romae natale S. Hippolytii, quj dicitur Nonnus." On this day the Modern Roman Martyrology. The Acts are utterly worthless, and deserve no further notice. They make him synchronize both with Alexander Severus and S. Pelagia — i.e., live in the 3rd and 5th centuries. There is another Hippolytus commemorated on Aug. 13, and the greatest confusion reigns between the saints of the same name. Whether S. Hippolytus, the ecclesiastical writer, was bishop of the Port of Rome, or whether the Hippolytus who was a martyr at Ostia was another person altogether, cannot be decided, but it is more than probable that several persons, a bishop and two martyrs, have been confounded together.] Eusebius says, “At the same time,’' i.e., in the reign of Alexander Severus, “ Hippolytus, who composed many other treatises, also wrote a work on the passover.”1 After mentioning Beryllus, Bishop of Bostra, in Arabia, he adds, “ Hippolytus, also, who was bishop of another Church, has left us some works.”2 S. Jerome, in a disputed passage, says he was a Roman senator.3 What is more certain is that he was a disciple of S. Irenaeus, for he tells us so himself,4 and that he knew Origen.6 That he was a bishop is also certain, but S.. Jerome says “of what city I have not been able to learn.” Later writers say he was bishop of the Port of Rome; Anastasius the Librarian says so positively. George Syncellus, the author of the Chronicon Paschale, Zonaras, Nicephorus, and others say the same. But they differ as to whether the Portus Romanus was Aden in Arabia, or Porto on the Tiber. What seems to favour the former of these opinions is that Eusebius names him 1 He goes on to give a list of his works, vi. 22. * vi. 20. 3 Hieron. Ep. 70. * Photius, Cod. 121. 3 Idem, Hieron. Catal. c. 61. immediately after the Arabian bishop Beryllus, and Origen one day assisted at a lesson given by Hippolytus, consequently delivered in the East. S. Jerome and Theodoret assert that he suffered martyrdom,1 but we do not know anything of the details. He flourished under Alexander Severus; but as he combated Noetus, who, according to S. Epiphanius, did not appear until a.d. 244, it is probable that he died in the persecution of Decius; he certainly could not have obtained his crown in the reign of Alexander Severus in a.d. 225, as the Roman Martyrology asserts. In r55i a statue of S. Hippolytus was found in the rubbish under the church of his title at Rome. The statue did not bear his name, but contained a table on one of its sides on which were inscribed in Greek a list of books of which S. Hippolytus is known to have been the author. This statue is now in the Vatican.

That S. Hippolytus was Bishop of Porto is the most probable conclusion at which we can arrive, but that he was early confounded with the martyr of the same name, who suffered either at Ostia or at Rome. This must have taken place when the statue was erected in the church of S. Hippolytus at Rome. A recently recovered work, a Confutation of Heresies, in Greek, has been supposed to be his Philosophoumena. If it be, then he was certainly at Rome, and bitterly hostile to Pope Callixtus. But the arguments in favour of attributing this book to Hippolytus are by no means conclusive.2 The question of the authorsnip of the Philosophoumena 1 Hieron. Prsef. in Matt,, Theod. Dialog, iii. tc De lmpatihili.” 2 The Chevalier Bunsen, in his “ Hippolytus and his Age,” 1852, attributes the book to Hippolytus. Dr. Wordsworth, in his “ Saint Hippolytus and the Church of Rome,” 1853, adopts the same view. But a masterly essay by the Abbe Cruice, “ Etudes sur la Philosophumena,” 1853, disputes their arguments with great ability, but the author does not feel justified in attributing the work to any known author. Dr. Dftllinger, in his “ Hippolytus und Kallistus,” combats Bunsen, and attempts an apology for Callixtus.

S. Gunifortis. is not one on which it is incumbent on us to enter here. The balance of probability leans towards Hippolytus being the author. He is said to have disputed the authority of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and to have been involved at one time in the heresy of Novatus j but it is a charge probably brought against him for so vehemently opposing the easy terms of pardon accorded to the fallen by Pope Callixtus. The Refutation of Heresies exhibits to us two factions at Rome during the pontificate of Callixtus, one an indulgent party, the other very austere. At the head of the former stood the Pope, at the head of the latter the author of the Refutation of Heresies, a bishop under him, therefore probably one of the suburban bishops. The Bishop of Porto would answer to the requirement, and the charge of Novatianism which clung to the memory of Hippolytus may be due to the fact that he steadfastly, even violently, opposed the laxer discipline of Callixtus.