| Adelfius | |
| Uncertain | |
| Diocese: | Uncertain |
| Religion: | Catholic |
Adelfius was a Romano-British bishop, possibly from Londinium (London), Lindum (Lincoln), Camulodunum (Colchester) or Legionensium (Caerleon), who was part of the British delegation who attended the church council held at Arles, in Gaul, in AD 314.
The first council of Arles was the first council called by Constantine, and took place in Arelate, Gaul in 314, a year after the Edict of Milan which made Christianity a legal religion.[1]
The list of those who signed the Acta – the decisions made by the Council – included three bishops from Britain, along with a presbyter and a deacon.[2] [3] W. H. C. Frend in the Dictionary of National Biography says that the presbyter and deacon were accompanying Adelfius, suggesting his was the senior see.[4]
This list only survives in later manuscript copies, the oldest and best of which (the Corbie Codex, from the 6th or 7th century) names the British bishops as:
The Toulouse codex lists Adelfius as simply "ex civitate Colonia".[5]
Haddan and Stubbs note that Adelfius also appears as a signatory to a synodal letter to Pope Sylvester I; however, his see is not mentioned.[6] [7]
It has been generally agreed that the surviving copies of the Acta of the Council of Arles must be corrupt in assigning two bishops to London.
Since London was not a colonia - suspicion has fallen on the place of origin of Adelfius, listed as bishop of the "colonia of the people of London".
Most authorities have suggested emending "Colonia Londenensium" to "Colonia Lindensium" – the colonia of the people of Lindum (Lincoln).[3] [8] [9]
Others, including Haddan and Stubbs and the 1885 Dictionary of National Biography, proposed reading the location as Legionensium (Caerleon-on-Usk), though Miller disputed this as this was also not a colonia, and seemed an unlikely place to give rise to a bishop.[10] [11]
S. N. Miller considered that the word "colonia" was also suspect, noting that although many other coloniae had sent bishops to Arles, including York as well as Cologne, Trier and Lyons, none had been designated "colonia" in the list.[12] Miller argued that "de civitate Colonia Londenensium" was a mistake for "de civitate Camu/lodunensium" – "the city of the people of Camulodunum" (Colchester). This view was supported by archaeologist Sir Ian Richmond.[13]
Adelfius is portrayed as a character in the play Aaron and Julia by Oliver Myers, set in Roman Caerleon.[14]
. Charles Thomas (historian). 1981. Christianity in Roman Britain to AD 500. London. Batsford. 197.
. Francis Thackeray . 1843 . Researches into the ecclesiastical and political state of Ancient Britain under the Roman Emperors, with observations upon the principal events and characters connected with the Christian religion during the first five centuries . Latin, English . 1 . Thomas Cadell, Strand . London . 23 February 2015 . 275.