Aristides the Athenian
Encyclopedia
Aristides the Athenian was a 2nd century Greek
Christian
author who is primarily known as the author of the Apology of Aristides
. His feast day is August 31 in Roman Catholicism.
and Saint Jerome
. According to their account, Aristides practiced philosophy in Athens, where he lived, prior to and after his conversion to Christianity. Eusebius writes in his Ecclesiastical History
"Aristides also, a faithful disciple of our religion, has left an Apology of the faith dedicated to Hadrian
." Eusebius and Jerome both state that the Apology was given to Hadrian at the same time that Quadratus
delivered his own apology. This theory suggests Aristides gave his apology during Hadrian's reign (117-138) as emperor of Rome; which supports the theory of Aristides' death between the years 133-134. It is also supported by the express language of the Apology in the Armenian version. It is contradicted only by the second superscription to the Syriac version, which says that the Apology was given to the emperor Antoninus Pius
in the year 140. If this is taken to mean that it was delivered in person by Aristides, it would rule out the dating of Aristides' death in 133-134. It has been suggested that Eusebius was confused by the fact that Antoninus Pius had adopted the name "Hadrianus" (Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius) and believed it was Hadrian to whom the Apology was given, and further that Jerome had never read the Apology and copied Eusebius' mistake accidentally. But Jerome tells us that the Apology was extant in his day, and he gives an account of its contents. The testimony of Eusebius and Jerome and the text of the Armenian version are all in favor of its being delivered to Hadrian, probably c. 124-25.
. In 1889, the authenticity of the fragment was confirmed with the discovery of a complete Syriac translation of the Apology by American scholar Rendel Harris in the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. With this new discovery, J. A. Robinson was able to show Aristides' work had been in fact extant and edited in the religious book The Life of Barlaam and Josaphat
since the 7th century. Another fragment of the Apology containing two portions of original text in Greek was published in 1922 by the British Museum
on papyri. The Apology of Aristides is the oldest extant Christian apology since only a fragment of the older apology of Quadratus exists.
In the 1889 Syriac translation, Aristides begins his apology by stating his name, where he is from and that he is delivering it to Antoninus Pius. In the first chapter, he proclaims God exists because the world exists and that God is "eternal, impassible and perfect." In the second chapter, he writes there are four races of the world; (1) Barbarians, (2) Greeks (includes Egyptians and Chaldeans), (3) Jews, and (4) Christians. He then devotes chapters 3-16 to describing the different groups of people and how they practice religion. The Barbarians (ch. 3-7) worship dead warriors and the elements of the Earth, which he claims are the works of God, therefore they do not know who the true God is. The Greeks (ch. 8-13) are next because:
. This theory is supported by similar writing styles, descriptions of Christian, the treatment of Jews, as well as other similarities. Abbé H. Doulcet was primarily the leading voice of this theory in the late 19th century. The Epistle to Diognetus has been credited to Justin Martyr
but without any sufficient evidence. Aristides is also credited with a sermon on Luke 23:43.
of the 2nd century. His writing style and thesis are very similar to the likes of Quadratus, Aristo of Pella
, Justin Martyr and the author of the Epistle to Diognetus. Jerome
suggests Aristides' apology was the combined opinions of philosophers at the time and imitated by Justin Martyr afterwards. Negatively, Celsus
used the Apology for his arguments against the Jews and "also certain features which he used in order to scoff at Providence." However, he was easily countered by Origen
.
. Only with the rediscovery of the Apology in 1878 and 1889, did it reappear in history books. Rendel Harris, J. A. Robinson and few European scholars provided some commentary and studies of the text in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There has been little revisionist history on the Apology of late, except for an article by G. C. O'Ceallaigh in 1958. He suggested the Apology was of Jewish work in the 2nd century and was then edited by a Christian writer in the 4th century to be a Christian apology. W. Fairweather, D. W. Palmer and Massey Hamilton Shepherd Jr. have used the Apology of Aristides, and other apologists' works, in order to support their theories on early Christian thought and Greek apologists of the 2nd century.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
author who is primarily known as the author of the Apology of Aristides
Apology of Aristides
The Apology of Aristides was written by the early Christian writer Aristides . Until 1878, our knowledge of Aristides was confined to some references in works by Eusebius of Caesarea and Saint Jerome. Eusebius said that he was an Athenian philosopher and that Aristides and another apologist,...
. His feast day is August 31 in Roman Catholicism.
Life
Very little is known of Aristides, except for the introductory information given by Eusebius of CaesareaEusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea also called Eusebius Pamphili, was a Roman historian, exegete and Christian polemicist. He became the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine about the year 314. Together with Pamphilus, he was a scholar of the Biblical canon...
and Saint Jerome
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
. According to their account, Aristides practiced philosophy in Athens, where he lived, prior to and after his conversion to Christianity. Eusebius writes in his Ecclesiastical History
Church History (Eusebius)
The Church History of Eusebius, the bishop of Caesarea was a 4th-century pioneer work giving a chronological account of the development of Early Christianity from the 1st century to the 4th century. It was written in Koine Greek, and survives also in Latin, Syriac and Armenian manuscripts...
"Aristides also, a faithful disciple of our religion, has left an Apology of the faith dedicated to Hadrian
Hadrian
Hadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
." Eusebius and Jerome both state that the Apology was given to Hadrian at the same time that Quadratus
Quadratus of Athens
Saint Quadratus of Athens is said to have been the first of the Christian apologists. He is said by Eusebius of Caesarea to have been a disciple of the Apostles...
delivered his own apology. This theory suggests Aristides gave his apology during Hadrian's reign (117-138) as emperor of Rome; which supports the theory of Aristides' death between the years 133-134. It is also supported by the express language of the Apology in the Armenian version. It is contradicted only by the second superscription to the Syriac version, which says that the Apology was given to the emperor Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius , also known as Antoninus, was Roman Emperor from 138 to 161. He was a member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty and the Aurelii. He did not possess the sobriquet "Pius" until after his accession to the throne...
in the year 140. If this is taken to mean that it was delivered in person by Aristides, it would rule out the dating of Aristides' death in 133-134. It has been suggested that Eusebius was confused by the fact that Antoninus Pius had adopted the name "Hadrianus" (Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius) and believed it was Hadrian to whom the Apology was given, and further that Jerome had never read the Apology and copied Eusebius' mistake accidentally. But Jerome tells us that the Apology was extant in his day, and he gives an account of its contents. The testimony of Eusebius and Jerome and the text of the Armenian version are all in favor of its being delivered to Hadrian, probably c. 124-25.
The Apology of Aristides
In 1878, an Armenian fragment of an apology titled To Emperor Hadrian Caesar from the Athenian Philosopher Aristides was published by the Mechitarists of San Lazzaro in Venice from a 10th century manuscript. The Armenian translation was accepted by most scholars as the long lost Apology of Aristides; however, a few did dispute its authenticity, most notably Ernest RenanErnest Renan
Ernest Renan was a French expert of Middle East ancient languages and civilizations, philosopher and writer, devoted to his native province of Brittany...
. In 1889, the authenticity of the fragment was confirmed with the discovery of a complete Syriac translation of the Apology by American scholar Rendel Harris in the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. With this new discovery, J. A. Robinson was able to show Aristides' work had been in fact extant and edited in the religious book The Life of Barlaam and Josaphat
Barlaam and Josaphat (book)
Barlaam and Josaphat is the title given to a large number of different books in various languages, all dealing with the lives of Saints Barlaam and Josaphat in India. In this hagiographic tradition, the life and teachings of Josaphat have many parallels with those of the Buddha...
since the 7th century. Another fragment of the Apology containing two portions of original text in Greek was published in 1922 by the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
on papyri. The Apology of Aristides is the oldest extant Christian apology since only a fragment of the older apology of Quadratus exists.
In the 1889 Syriac translation, Aristides begins his apology by stating his name, where he is from and that he is delivering it to Antoninus Pius. In the first chapter, he proclaims God exists because the world exists and that God is "eternal, impassible and perfect." In the second chapter, he writes there are four races of the world; (1) Barbarians, (2) Greeks (includes Egyptians and Chaldeans), (3) Jews, and (4) Christians. He then devotes chapters 3-16 to describing the different groups of people and how they practice religion. The Barbarians (ch. 3-7) worship dead warriors and the elements of the Earth, which he claims are the works of God, therefore they do not know who the true God is. The Greeks (ch. 8-13) are next because:
In other words, Aristides is calling the Greek gods corrupt, immoral and guilty of being human. He concludes his chapters on the Greeks by commenting on the religious beliefs of the Egyptians, who he claims is the most ignorant people on earth since they did not accept the beliefs of the Greeks or Chaldeans and instead worshiped gods modeled after plants and animals. The Jews (ch. 14) are only commented on in a concise manner. Aristides commends them for their worship of God as the Creator and almighty but claims they have gone "astray" because "their service is to angels and not to God, in that they observe sabbaths and new moons and the passover and the great fast, and the fast, and circumcision, and cleanness of meats: which things not even thus have they perfectly observed." In chapters 15 and 16, Aristides describes the commandments of God and claims Christians "walk in all humility and kindness, and falsehood is not found among them, and they love one another." He explains "they ask from Him petitions which are proper for Him to give and for them to receive: and thus they accomplish the course of their lives." He concludes the Apology in chapter 17 by requesting the emperor stop persecuting the Christians and convert to their faith; where he ends with a nice description of the Christian life.
they are wiser than the Barbarians but have erred even more than the Barbarians, in that they have introduced many gods that are made; and some of them they have represented as male and some of them as female; and in such a way that some of their gods were found to be adulterers and murderers, and jealous and envious, and angry and passionate, and murderers of fathers, and thieves and plunderers.
Other Works
It has been suggested Aristides is the author of the Epistle to DiognetusEpistle to Diognetus
The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus is probably the earliest example of Christian apologetics, writings defending Christianity from its accusers...
. This theory is supported by similar writing styles, descriptions of Christian, the treatment of Jews, as well as other similarities. Abbé H. Doulcet was primarily the leading voice of this theory in the late 19th century. The Epistle to Diognetus has been credited to Justin Martyr
Justin Martyr
Justin Martyr, also known as just Saint Justin , was an early Christian apologist. Most of his works are lost, but two apologies and a dialogue survive. He is considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church....
but without any sufficient evidence. Aristides is also credited with a sermon on Luke 23:43.
Relation to Contemporaries
Aristides is the second Greek Christian apologeticChristian apologetics
Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections, and expose the perceived flaws of other world views...
of the 2nd century. His writing style and thesis are very similar to the likes of Quadratus, Aristo of Pella
Aristo of Pella
Aristo of Pella, Jordan was a hellenized Jewish Christian writer , who like Hegesippus represents a school of thought more liberal than that of the Pharisaic and Essene Ebionites....
, Justin Martyr and the author of the Epistle to Diognetus. Jerome
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
suggests Aristides' apology was the combined opinions of philosophers at the time and imitated by Justin Martyr afterwards. Negatively, Celsus
Celsus
Celsus was a 2nd century Greek philosopher and opponent of Early Christianity. He is known for his literary work, The True Word , written about by Origen. This work, c. 177 is the earliest known comprehensive attack on Christianity.According to Origen, Celsus was the author of an...
used the Apology for his arguments against the Jews and "also certain features which he used in order to scoff at Providence." However, he was easily countered by Origen
Origen
Origen , or Origen Adamantius, 184/5–253/4, was an early Christian Alexandrian scholar and theologian, and one of the most distinguished writers of the early Church. As early as the fourth century, his orthodoxy was suspect, in part because he believed in the pre-existence of souls...
.
Influence on Later Writing
The Apology of Aristides was later adapted into the work The Life of Barlaam and Josaphat during the 7th century. In the book, the Apology is told by a pagan philosopher by the name of Nachor, a character in the legend of Barlaam and Josaphat. The unknown use of the Apology in the book, allowed for the text to remain extant the entire time and influence Christian perception of BuddhismBuddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. Only with the rediscovery of the Apology in 1878 and 1889, did it reappear in history books. Rendel Harris, J. A. Robinson and few European scholars provided some commentary and studies of the text in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There has been little revisionist history on the Apology of late, except for an article by G. C. O'Ceallaigh in 1958. He suggested the Apology was of Jewish work in the 2nd century and was then edited by a Christian writer in the 4th century to be a Christian apology. W. Fairweather, D. W. Palmer and Massey Hamilton Shepherd Jr. have used the Apology of Aristides, and other apologists' works, in order to support their theories on early Christian thought and Greek apologists of the 2nd century.
Translations
- HARRIS, J. R. The Apology of Aristides. Vol. 1, Texts and Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1891.
Secondary Sources
- ALTANER, Berthold. Patrology. Translated by Hilda C. Graef. New York: Herder and Herder, 1960.
- CARRINGTON, Philip. Christian Apologetics of the Second Century: In their Relation to Medieval Thought. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1921.
- CAYRÉ, F. Manual of Patrology: and History of Theology. Translated by H. Howitt. Paris: Desclée & Co., 1936.
- FAIRWEATHER, W. "The Greek Apologists of the Second Century." The Biblical World 26, no. 2 (1905): 132-143.
- GRANT, Robert M. "The Chronology of the Greek Apologists." Vigiliae Christianae 9, no. 1 (1955): 25-33.
- JURGENS, W. A. The Faith of the Early Fathers. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1970.
- MILNE, H. J. M. "A New Fragment of the Apology of Aristides." Journal of Theological Studies 25 (1923): 73-77.
- O'CEALLAIGH, G. C. "'Marcianus' Aristides, On the Worship of God." The Harvard Theological Review 51, no. 4 (1958): 227-254.
- PALMER, D. W. "Atheism, Apologetic, and Negative Theology in the Greek Apologists of the Second Century." Vigiliae Christianae 37, no. 3 (1983): 234-259.
- QUASTEN, Johannes. Patrology. Vol. 1, The Beginnings of Patristic Literature. Westminster, Maryland: The Newman Press, 1962.
- SHEPHERD, Massey Hamilton, Jr. "The Early Apologists and Christian Worship." The Journal of Religion 18, no. 1 (1938): 60-79.
- WOLFF, Robert Lee. "The Apology of Aristides: A Re-Examination." The Harvard Theological Review 30, no. 4 (1937): 233-247.
See also
- Christian ApologeticsChristian apologeticsChristian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections, and expose the perceived flaws of other world views...
- The Apology of AristidesApology of AristidesThe Apology of Aristides was written by the early Christian writer Aristides . Until 1878, our knowledge of Aristides was confined to some references in works by Eusebius of Caesarea and Saint Jerome. Eusebius said that he was an Athenian philosopher and that Aristides and another apologist,...
- Early centers of Christianity#Greece