A 9th-century tradition says he was martyred in the Crimean Chersonesos in 102; earlier authorities say he died a natural death; he is commemorated on November 23 in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church. According to the Rheims Gospel, Roger, Bishop of Chalons, visited Kiev in 1048, in order to arrange Henri I's marriage to Anna of Kiev. Yaroslav the Wise showed him the head of Clement that had been brought by him from Chersonesos during a military expedition.

Identity

There is no proof for identifying him with the Clement mentioned in Philippians 4:3 [1]. He may have been a freedman of Titus Flavius Clemens, who was consul with his cousin, the Emperor Domitian. The Shepherd of Hermas (Vision II. 4. 3) mentions a Clement whose office it is to communicate with other churches; this function has been adduced to support Clement's authorship of the letter to the church at Corinth, Greece, ascribed to him: full details are at the entry Epistles of Clement.

Liber Pontificalis believes that Clement of Rome had personally known Saint Peter, and states that he wrote two letters (the second letter, 2 Clement is no longer ascribed to Clement) and that he died in Greece in the third year of Trajan's reign, or 100. A 9th century tradition says he was martyred in Crimea in 102, tied to a ship's anchor and thrown overboard to drown, but earlier sources say he died a natural death. The Vatican's "Annuario Pontificio" (2003) cites a reign from 92 to 99. He is commemorated on November 23.

Symbolism

Saint Clement, by TiepoloIn art, Saint Clement can be recognized as a pope with an anchor and fish. Sometimes there is an addition of a millstone; keys; a fountain that sprung forth at his prayers; or with a book. He might be shown lying in a temple in the sea.

The Mariner's Cross is also referred to as St. Clement's Cross in reference to the way he was martyred.

Writings

Clement is perhaps best known by a letter to the Church in Corinth, often called 1 Clement. It is not clear that it was written by Pope Clement I, as is traditionally believed.

A second epistle, better described as a homily and written in the second century, has been traditionally ascribed to Clement, but recent scholarship discredits his authorship.[2]

Clement is also the hero of an early Christian romance or novel that has survived in at least two different versions, known as the Clementine literature, where he is identified with Domitian's cousin T. Flavius Clemens.

Reference

1. "Writers of the 3rd and 4th cents., like Origen, Eusebius, and Jerome, equate him [St. Clement I], perhaps, correctly, with the Clement whom St. Paul mentions (Phil. 4:3) as a fellow worker." — Kelly (1985). The Oxford Dictionary of Popes. Oxford University Press, p. 7.
2. "A second letter attributed to him (2 Clement) is not authentic." — McBrien (2000). Lives of The Popes. Harper, p. 35.