EPENETO. - A Christian mentioned in Rom. 16, 5.
The name (Ἐπέλωνος, “praiseworthy”) was not borne, so far as is known, by any Jew, whereas it was fairly common in the Greco-Roman world (W. Dittenberger, Sylloge inscriptionum Graecorum, 3rd ed., Leipzig 1915-24, nos. 43, 39; 585, 250; 944, 26; 1174, 4). E. was of pagan origin, the first convert of the Roman province of Asia
(“first fruits offered by Asia to Christ”: Rom. 16, 5; cf. I Cor. 16, 15, to which is due the variant Ἀρχέας in Rom.); this does not mean that he was the first fruit of Paul’s preaching at Ephesus. Aquila and Priscilla had worked there before him; and the fact that E. comes after the two spouses, and after the small group centred on their house, is good reason to say that he was one of their converts. Relations between him and Paul were very cordial, for Paul calls him “most beloved.” He is commemorated in the Greek Menologies on 30 July, and by the Latins on the 15th.
Teodorico da Castel San Pietro