Page "Irenaeus" Paragraph 3

Irenaeus was born during the first half of the 2nd century ( the exact date is disputed: between the years 115 and 125 according to some, or 130 and 142 according to others ), Irenaeus is thought to have been a Greek from Polycarp's hometown of Smyrna in Asia Minor, now İzmir, Turkey.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, he was brought up in a Christian family rather than converting as an adult.