Editing Pope Victor I (section)

==Biography==
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 [[Commodus]] (i.e. AD 189), 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]] (i.e. 193), while the Armenian version puts it in the seventh year of Commodus (186). The ''[[Liber Pontificalis]]'' dates his accession to the consulate of Commodus and Glabrio (i.e. 186), while the ''[[Liberian Catalogue]]'', a surviving copy of the source the ''Liber Pontificalis'' drew upon for its chronology, is damaged at this point.<ref>Raymond D. Davis, ''The book of Pontiffs (Liber Pontificalis)'' (Liverpool: University Press, 1989), pp. 6, 94.</ref>

Concerning the duration of his episcopate, Eusebius, in his ''[[Church History (Eusebius)|Ecclesiastical History]]'', does not state directly the duration of his episcopate, but the Armenian version of Eusebius' Chronicle gives it as 12 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'' (5.28) states Zephyrinus succeeded him "about the ninth year of Severus", (201), while the ''Liber Pontificalis'' dates it to the consulate of Laternus and Rufinus (197). 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.

According to an anonymous writer quoted by Eusebius, Victor excommunicated [[Theodotus of Byzantium]] for teaching that Christ was a mere man.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philip Schaff: NPNF2-01. Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine - Christian Classics Ethereal Library|url=https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.x.xxix.html|access-date=2022-01-20|website=www.ccel.org}}</ref> However, he is best known for his role in the [[Quartodecimanism|Quartodeciman controversy]]. Prior to his elevation, a difference in dating the celebration of the [[Christian observance of Passover|Christian Passover]]/[[Easter]] between [[Rome]] and the bishops of [[Asia Minor]] had been tolerated by both the Roman and Eastern churches.

The churches in Asia Minor celebrated Easter on the [[Quartodeciman|14th of the Jewish month of Nisan]], the day before Jewish [[Passover]], regardless of what day of the week it fell on, as the Crucifixion had occurred on the Friday before Passover, justifying this as the custom they had learned from the apostles; for this the Latins called them ''Quartodecimans''. Synods were held on the subject in various parts—in Judea under Theophilus of Caesarea and Narcissus of Jerusalem, in Pontus under Palmas, in Gaul under [[Irenaeus]], in Corinth under its bishop, Bachillus, at Osrhoene in Mesopotamia, and elsewhere—all of which disapproved of this practice and consequently issued by synodical letters declaring that "on the Lord's Day only the mystery of the resurrection of the Lord from the dead was accomplished, and that on that day only we keep the close of the paschal fast" (Eusebius H. E. v. 23).

Despite this disapproval, the general feeling was that this divergent tradition was not sufficient grounds for [[excommunication]]. Victor alone was intolerant of this difference, and severed ties with these ancient churches, whose bishops included [[Polycrates of Ephesus]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philip Schaff: NPNF2-01. Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine - Christian Classics Ethereal Library|url=https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.x.xxv.html|access-date=2022-01-20|website=www.ccel.org}}</ref> in response he was rebuked by Irenaeus and others, according to Eusebius.

[[File:Saint Victor de Tunis.jpg|thumb|Bilingual plaque in the [[Cathedral of Saint Vincent de Paul]], [[Tunis]], commemorating Victor I.]]