Tertullian attacked the novel doctrine of the absolution of sins, postulated by Callixtus of Rome. Ernst Rolffs here reconstructs his source, a narrative of the Flight of Callixtus out of Rome, and discusses the results of this on the conflict between Callixtus and Hippolytus over the leadership and structure of the Christian community of Rome. A pivotal contribution to the study of the constitution of the Primitive Church.