Abercius of Hieropolis (? - d. c. 167) was a bishop of Hieropolis in Phrygia at the time of Marcus Aurelius. Location of Phrygia - traditional region (yellow) - expanded kingdom (orange line) In antiquity, Phrygia (Greek: ) was a kingdom in the west central part of the Anatolian Highland, part of modern Turkey. ... Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (April 26, 121[1] – March 17, 180) was Roman Emperor from 161 to his death. ...

He is said to have evangelized Syria and Mesopotamia, and is on that basis referred to as one of the Equal-to-apostles. He was imprisoned under Marcus Aurelius, and died about 167. Mesopotamia refers to the region now occupied by modern Iraq, eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and Southwest Iran. ... An equal-to-the-apostles is a special title given to some canonized Saints in Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Rite churches as an outstanding recognition of their service in spreading and assertion of Christianity comparable to that of the original apostles. ...

His feast day is celebrated on October 22. The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with a saint, and referring to the day as the saints day of that saint. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

Holweck, F. G. A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints. St. Louis, MO: B. Herder Book Co., 1924.