ON ST. ARISTIDES THE PHILOSOPHER,
AT ATHENS IN GREECE,
In the second century.
His public cult, and the eulogies made of him.
Aristides the philosopher, at Athens in Greece (St.)
BY J. P.
Athens, a city of Greece in the province of Attica, memorable of old, He is inscribed in the ancient Martyrologies, and a most celebrated school of the liberal arts, among the many other learned men whom she nourished and cultivated, brought forth into the light St. Aristides, who no less expressed in himself the ancient glories of his native land by his singular wisdom than he defended the Christian faith by a wonderful fortitude of soul and by his learning. His name is inscribed in the Martyrologies of the first rank (I do not mention the more recent ones). The old or lesser Roman Martyrology commemorates him thus: At Athens, of Aristides, who presented to the emperor Hadrian books concerning the Christian religion. Ado somewhat amplified this: On the same day (the XXXI of August), at Athens, of blessed Aristides, most illustrious in faith and wisdom. He presented to the emperor Hadrian books concerning the Christian religion, and, in the emperor's own presence, most eloquently argued that Christ Jesus alone was God. Usuard transcribed this same announcement. To these add the modern Roman Martyrology: At Athens, of St. Aristides, most illustrious in faith and wisdom: who presented to the emperor Hadrian a volume concerning the Christian religion, containing an account of our doctrine, and, in the emperor's own presence, most eloquently argued that Christ Jesus alone was God. This last clause, which is not in the old Roman, and which was added to the modern Roman after Ado and Usuard, is not sufficiently approved, because the more ancient writers say nothing of it — writers whose eulogies in praise of the holy man have been handed down to posterity, from which we learn various things about him, and have in brief compass his life and its circumstances.
[2] and is praised St. Jerome, in Epistle 83 of the more recent edition (elsewhere 84), volume 4 of his Works, column 656, says: Aristides, a philosopher, a most eloquent man, presented to the same emperor (the emperor Hadrian) an apology woven together out of the opinions of the philosophers; whom Justin afterwards imitated, etc. The same holy Father, in his Chronicle, printed in the year 1606, says this at the year of Christ 127: Quadratus, a disciple of the Apostles, and Aristides, our Athenian philosopher, presented to Hadrian books composed in defense of the Christian religion; and Serenus Granius, a legate, a man of the highest nobility, sent letters to the emperor, saying that it was unjust that the blood of innocent men should be granted to the clamors of the mob, and that men should be made guilty without any crime, merely on account of a name and a sect. Moved by these, Hadrian wrote to Minucius Fundanus, proconsul of Asia, that Christians were not to be condemned without the charge of crimes; and a copy of this letter survives even to our own memory. The divine mercy therefore chose this excellent pair of holy men as an instrument by which to provide for its Church. St. Quadratus you will find in volume VI of May, on the XXVI day, page 357.
[3] But in those things which were there recited, on the occasion of that Saint, concerning other apostolic men of that time, by ecclesiastical I scarcely doubt that Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History, book 3, chapter 37, there cited, has depicted, among the others whom he praises, at least in part the manner of life of St. Aristides. Receive his words from Valesius's edition, page 109: At the same period (namely, in the reign of Trajan) there also flourished Quadratus, who is recorded to have been illustrious, together with the daughters of Philip, by the gift of prophecy. Besides these, many others also flourished at the same time, holding the chief place among the successors of the Apostles. These men, as disciples of such great men, wholly admirable and divine, built up the foundations of the churches which the Apostles had before laid in various places, adding buildings thereto; advancing the preaching of the Gospel more and more, and scattering far and wide throughout the whole globe of lands the saving seeds of the heavenly kingdom. For most of the disciples of that time, whose minds the divine word had kindled with a desire of a more ardent philosophy, had already fulfilled our Savior's precept by dividing their goods among the needy. Then, leaving their native land and setting out abroad, they discharged the office of Evangelists, eagerly striving to preach Christ to those who had not yet heard the word of the faith, and to deliver to them the books of the holy Gospels. Of the Daughters of Philip we have spoken in the Commentary on the Life of St. Philip the Apostle, in volume 1 of May, on the 1st day of that month, page 9.
[4] writers. The aforesaid Eusebius, in chapter 3 of book 4, from page 116, says: Aristides, a faithful man from among the followers of our religion, left an Apology in defense of our faith, dedicated, like that of Quadratus, to the emperor Hadrian. And this book indeed is still preserved by many. St. Jerome, in his On Ecclesiastical Writers, chapter 20, declares like things about him, and adds certain other matters in these words: Aristides, a most eloquent Athenian philosopher, and, under his former garb, a disciple of Christ, presented to the emperor Hadrian, at the same time as Quadratus, a volume containing an account of our doctrine — that is, an Apology on behalf of the Christians — which, surviving to this day, is among scholars a proof of his genius. Tillemont, in volume 2 of his Ecclesiastical Monuments, note 6 on the persecution of Hadrian, discusses the time at which St. Quadratus's Apology was composed, and, from his own copy of St. Jerome's Chronicle, following the Chronicle of Eusebius, which he cites, assigns it to the year 126; whereas I read above in our edition the year 127. But since it has just been said from Jerome that St. Aristides presented his Apology at the same time as Quadratus, we see nothing inconsistent in supposing that St. Aristides's Apology was given to Hadrian in the year of Christ 126 or 127.