Question 64 · The Church

Did the apostles found the church in Rome, and how did the apostles die?

What the sources show

Clement of Rome c. 96 · Ignatius of Antioch c. 110Martyred at Rome

A church existed at Rome before either apostle came (Paul's Letter to the Romans). Rome's own letter of about 96 counts Peter and Paul as martyrs "of our own generation", and Ignatius takes for granted that both taught there. ¹²

Irenaeus of Lyons (quoted by Eusebius) c. 180 · Gaius of Rome (quoted by Eusebius) c. 200 · Dionysius of Corinth (quoted by Eusebius) c. 170Martyred at Rome

Irenaeus, about 180, opens the third book of Against Heresies with Peter and Paul preaching at Rome and founding the church there. By about 170 to 200, writers name their graves on the Vatican hill and the Ostian Way, and say both planted the churches of Rome and Corinth. ³⁴⁵

Origen of Alexandria (as Eusebius quotes) c. 230 · Tertullian c. 203Their deaths

Tradition says Peter was crucified, head downward at his own request, and Paul beheaded. ⁶⁷

Eusebius of Caesarea c. 325Their deaths

Eusebius, about 325, gathers the traditions into one account: Thomas drew Parthia, Andrew Scythia, and John Asia, dying at Ephesus; and Paul, after a first release at Rome, was martyred when he came to the city a second time. ⁸⁹

The answers given:

ApostolicBefore NicaeaNicaea and afterMiddle AgesReformation to today

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Apostolic Fathers

30–150

96c. AD

Martyred at Rome

Clement of Rome fl. c. 96 ADFirst Letter to the Corinthians 5.1–7

But to stop with the ancient examples, let us come to the athletes nearest to us; let us take the noble examples of our own generation. Through jealousy and envy the greatest and most righteous pillars were persecuted and fought to the death. Let us set before our eyes the good apostles: Peter, who through unjust jealousy bore not one or two but many labors, and so, having borne witness, went to his appointed place of glory. Through jealousy and strife Paul showed the prize of endurance: seven times in chains, exiled, stoned, a herald in the East and in the West, he won the noble fame of his faith, teaching righteousness to the whole world ...

Written from Rome about thirty years after their deaths, by "our own generation". Clement adds that a great multitude suffered with them (6.1).

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110c. AD

Martyred at RomeIndirect: does not say it outright

Ignatius of Antioch d. c. 110 ADLetter to the Romans 4.3

I do not give you orders like Peter and Paul. They were apostles; I am a condemned man.

Ignatius assumes that both apostles had taught the Roman church.

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Before Nicaea

150–325

170c. AD

Martyred at RomeKnown through a later writer

Dionysius of Corinth (quoted by Eusebius) fl. c. 171 ADLetter to the Romans, in Eusebius, Church History 2.25.8

So by such an admonition you too have joined together the planting of Peter and Paul at Rome and at Corinth. For both of them planted in our Corinth and taught us alike, and alike they taught together in Italy and were martyred at the same time.

"At the same time" may mean the same period, not the same day.

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180c. AD

Martyred at Rome

Irenaeus of Lyons (quoted by Eusebius) c. 130–c. 202 ADAgainst Heresies, quoted in Eusebius, Church History 3.1.1

Matthew published a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own language, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome and founding the church there.

The opening of Book 3 of Against Heresies, quoted word for word by Eusebius to establish where the four Gospels came from. Irenaeus wrote about a century after the events; the Greek of this sentence survives in Eusebius's quotation (Migne PG 7 prints the same Greek).

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200c. AD

Martyred at RomeKnown through a later writer

Gaius of Rome (quoted by Eusebius) fl. c. 200 ADDialogue with Proclus, in Eusebius, Church History 2.25.7

I can show you the trophies of the apostles. For if you will go to the Vatican or to the Ostian Way, you will find the trophies of those who founded this church.

"Trophies" are monuments over their graves. Excavations under St Peter's found a second-century shrine that fits Gaius's words.

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203c. AD

Their deaths

Tertullian c. 155–c. 220 ADPrescription against Heretics 36.2–3

... you have Rome, from which our authority too is at hand. How happy is that church, on which the apostles poured out all their teaching together with their blood! where Peter suffers a passion like the Lord's, where Paul is crowned with John's death, where the apostle John, after being plunged into burning oil and suffering nothing, was banished to an island.

Peter crucified like Christ; Paul beheaded like John the Baptist. The story of John and the oil is found only here.

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230c. AD

Their deathsKnown through a later writer

Origen of Alexandria (as Eusebius quotes) c. 185–c. 254 ADCommentary on Genesis 3, in Eusebius, Church History 3.1.2

Peter seems to have preached in Pontus, Galatia, Bithynia, Cappadocia and Asia to the Jews of the dispersion. At the end he came to Rome and was crucified head downward, for he had asked to suffer in this way.

Eusebius says he is quoting Origen word for word.

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Nicaea to Chalcedon

325–451

325c. AD

Their deaths

Eusebius of Caesarea c. 260–c. 339 ADChurch History 3.1.1

Thomas, as the tradition holds, received Parthia as his lot, Andrew Scythia, and John Asia, and John stayed among them until he died at Ephesus.

Eusebius opens his third book with the fields the apostles were said to have drawn by lot. He then quotes Origen word for word on Peter and Paul (already quoted on this page).

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325c. AD

Their deaths

Eusebius of Caesarea c. 260–c. 339 ADChurch History 2.22.2

And coming to the same city a second time, he was perfected by martyrdom in his own season.

Eusebius argues from the second letter to Timothy that Paul was released after his first defence at Rome, sent out again to preach, and only on a second stay in the city was martyred under Nero. Luke's Acts, he notes, covers only the first two years.

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Witnesses not in the library yet

These writers also matter for this question. Their texts will join the timeline above once they are translated.

190
Acts of Peter, Martyrdom of Peter 37–38
The legend of the upside-down cross and "Quo vadis".

How this page was made

Every early quote was read in its Greek or Latin and translated for this page by Claude (Opus 5.5) on 13 October 2026. Each line names the printed edition it was read from. A quote marked indirect does not state the answer outright; read its note. A writer's silence is never counted as an answer.