Soon after, both Pope St. Pontian and St. Hippolytus died in the salt mines.
Since St. Hippolytus had confessed his fault there was nothing to prevent
his recognition as a true martyr. Pope St. Fabian (236–250 AD) had his
relics later brought back to Rome. A statue of St. Hippolytus was
discovered in 1551, apparently marking the site of his burial. His followers
probably erected it shortly after his death.
St. Hippolytus’ writing activity was prodigious, but like Origen only a
small percentage of it remains extant to this day. We possess only the titles
of thirty-five of his works and even less texts. What we know comes
mainly from the writings of Eusebius, St. Jerome, Theodoret and Photius,
This was probably due to the fact that he wrote in Greek at a time when
Latin was fast becoming the official language of the Roman church, as well
as the unhappy memory of his schism. He was undoubtedly a man of great
talent with skills in exegesis, apology, dogma, morals, discipline, history
and geography. Above all he was an exegete. As a preacher and homilist he
exhibited true oratorical ability with a style that was clear, elegant and
unaffected.
Extracts
Commentary on Daniel (C. 204 AD):
1, 16
“And she said to her maids, ‘Bring me oil.’ Indeed, faith and love prepare oil and
cleansing unguents for those who are washed. But what were these unguents if not
the commands of the Holy Word? And what the oil, if not the power of the Holy
Spirit? It is with these, after the washing, that believers are anointed as with a
sweet-smelling oil. All these things were prefigured through the blessed Susanna
for our sakes, so that we of the present time who believe in God, might not regard
as strange the things which now are done in the Church, and that we might believe
that all of them have been set forth in figures by the patriarchs.”
22
“For when the Gospel is preached in every place, the times being then
accomplished…the abomination of desolation will be manifested, and when he (the
Antichrist) comes, the sacrifice and oblation will be removed, which are now
offered up to God in every place by the gentiles.”
23
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