father
St. Pamphilus of Caesarea
Priest and martyr of Caesarea Maritima who gathered the greatest theological library of the ancient world and devoted years of imprisonment to copying and defending the writings of Origen; beheaded under Maximian Daia with eleven companions.
Saint Pamphilus of Caesarea — Hand-curated icon.
Life
Pamphilus was a presbyter and scholar of Caesarea in Palestine in the late third and early fourth century, head of the great library at Caesarea that had been assembled by Origen and which his student Eusebius would inherit and use. Born probably in Phoenicia, he studied at Alexandria under Pierius, a successor of Origen at the Catechetical School there, and then settled at Caesarea, where he devoted his life to the collection, copying, and correction of manuscripts — particularly the Hexapla of Origen. He was a devoted defender of Origen's theological legacy, collaborating with Eusebius on a written Apology for Origen of which the first book survives.
He was arrested in the Diocletianic persecution and remained in prison for two years, using the time to continue his scholarly work before he was martyred in 309/310. Eusebius took his name (Eusebius Pamphili) in his honor. He is venerated as a martyr; his feast falls on February 16 in some Orthodox traditions.
Traditions
Feast day
February 16
Topics
Works in library