IREN,EUS, iW-ne'fis (Lat., from Gk. Elan vabos, L'irjnaios). SAINT (c.130-c.202 ) . Bishop of Lugdunum (Lyons), and one of the leading Church Father, of the 'West. He was born in Asia Minor. perhaps about 130, and died after the year 200. He was a pupil of Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, who had been a disciple of the Apostle John. Thus Irena-us preserves a direct line of apostolic tradition. In 155 he accompanied Polyearp on a mission to Ani cetus, Bishop of Rome, concerning the dispute between the Asiatic and the Western churches over the time of observing Easter. (See EASTER.) Some time after this he removed to Gaul. where he became a presbyter in the Church of Lugdunum. Pothinus. the aged Bishop of Lyons. suffered death in the persecution under Marcus AunAius (177), and Iremeus was chosen to succeed him. Shortly before this time he visited Rome again, carrying letters with refer ence to the Montanists. (See :NIONTANus.) The remainder of his life seems to have been passed in the successful administration of his see. When toward the end of the century the Easter con troversy broke out afresh. and Victor. Bishop of Rome. threatened the Asiatic churches with excommunication unless they conformed to the Roman usage, Irenaals intervened with a fra ternal letter to Victor, admonishing him to peace. Nothing is known about Irenams's life
after this time. A fifth-century tradition. which cannot be traced further back than -heroine. says that he met a martyr's death in the persecution under Septimius Severus (202). Gregory of Tours gives a full account of the alleged martyr dom in his History of the Franks.
lrena'us wrote in Greek. His work Against Heresies has survived only in a Latin translation. It was written in Gaul to combat the Gnostie teaching (see and from 181 DO. It is valuable for the history of doctrine. Fragments of some of his other works are pre served by the later writers. Ilarnack has recently shown that the so-called 'Nathan Fragments' were forged by Pfaff himself. The first edition of Irenieus's works was edited by Erasmus (Basel. 1526). Modern editions are by Migne, Patrologia Grose., vii., and Harvey (Cambridge, 1857). An English translatien of the .Ider Thrreses may be found in the Ante- \ leen(' lath( rs, ed. by ( oxe, cols i. ;Buffalo, 1885). In general. consult Cruttwell, Litt rosy History of Early Christianity (London. 1893).