Aristides of Athens
(C. 140 AD)
Historical Note
According to Eusebius, Aristides was an Athenian philosopher who was “a
man of faith and devoted to our religion.” Besides this, we know next to
nothing of him. His work To Emperor Hadrian Caesar from the Athenian
Philosopher Aristides is the oldest complete apologetical text we possess
(that written by Quadratus a few years earlier has been almost entirely lost).
For many centuries Aristides’ apology had also been considered almost
entirely lost with only a small Armenian fragment bearing the name of his
work in our possession. Only in 1889 was a complete Syriac text
rediscovered. Upon discovery of this Syriac text it was soon realised that a
complete Greek text had always been extant as chapters 26 and 27 of a
religious novel entitled Barlaam and Josaphat (author unknown).
The contents of Aristides’ apology examine the beliefs of the four classes
of men that comprise humanity – barbarians, Greeks, Jews and Christians.
Only the Christians have the true conception and worship of God and lead
lives worthy of Him. God must be eternal, impassible and perfect. The
existence and order of the world proves the existence of such a God. The
barbarians and Greeks worship either the elements, famous men or gods
that are slaves to passion; the Jews have only a child-like worship of the
true God. Therefore, Rome should cease persecuting the Christians and
convert to their religion.
Jurgens suggests (Vol. 1, p. 48) that Aristides’ apology was actually
addressed to the Emperor Antoninus Pius (Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus
Pius) rather than the Emperor Hadrian (Publius Aelius Nerva Trajanus
Hadrianus) in the early years of his reign (C. 140 AD).
Extracts
Apology to the Emperor Hadrian Caesar (C. 140 AD):
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