The Apology of Aristides

 I.  I, O King in the providence of God came into the world and when I had considered the heaven and the earth, the sun and the moon and the rest, I m

 II.  Having thus spoken concerning God, so far as it was possible for me to speak of Him, let us next proceed to the human race, that we may see which

 III.  Let us see then which of them participate in truth and which of them in error.

 IV.  Let us proceed then, O King, to the elements themselves that we may show in regard to them that they are not gods, but perishable and mutable, pr

 V.  They also erred who believed the water to be a god.  For it, too, has been made for the use of men, and is controlled by them it is defiled and d

 VI.  They also err who believe the sun to be a god.  For we see that it moves by necessity and revolves and passes from sign to sign, setting and risi

 VII.  They also err who believe that man is a god.  For we see that he is moved by necessity, and is made to grow up, and becomes old even though he w

 VIII.  Let us proceed then to the Greeks, that we may see whether they have any discernment concerning God.  The Greeks, indeed, though they call them

 IX.  But, further, if we be minded to discuss their gods individually, you will see how great is the absurdity for instance, how Kronos is brought fo

 X.  Along with him, too, they bring forward one Hephaistos as a god, and they say that he is lame and wields a hammer and tongs, working as a smith fo

 XI.  They represent Apollo also as a jealous god, and besides as the master of the bow and quiver, and sometimes of the lyre and flute, and as divinin

 XII.  The Egyptians, again, being more stupid and witless than these have gone further astray than all the nations.  For they were not content with th

 XIII.  So the Egyptians and the Chaldæans and the Greeks made a great error in bringing forward such beings as gods, and in making images of them, and

 XIV.  Let us proceed then, O King, to the Jews also, that we may see what truth there is in their view of God.  For they were descendants of Abraham a

 XV.  Now the Christians trace their origin from the Lord Jesus Christ.  And He is acknowledged by the Holy Spirit to be the son of the most high God,

 XVI.  Verily then, this is the way of the truth which leads those who travel therein to the everlasting kingdom promised through Christ in the life to

 XVII.  Thus far, O King, extends my discourse to you, which has been dictated in my mind by the Truth.   Wherefore let thy foolish sages cease their i

II.  Having thus spoken concerning God, so far as it was possible for me to speak of Him,1    The Greek might be rendered, “so far as there was room for me to speak of Him,” i.e., the attributes of the Deity are not further relevant to the discussion—as the translator into Syriac takes it.  The Armenian adopts the other meaning, viz., the theme is beyond man’s power to discuss.  As translated by F. C. Conybeare, the Armenian is in these words:  “Now by the grace of God it was given me to speak wisely concerning Him.  So far as I have received the faculty I will speak, yet not according to the measure of the inscrutability of His greatness shall I be able to do so, but by faith alone do I glorify and adore Him.” let us next proceed to the human race, that we may see which of them participate in the truth and which of them in error.

For it is clear to us, O King,2    The “King” in the Greek is Abenner, the father of Josaphat; in the Syriac, as in the Greek originally, he is the Roman Emperor, Hadrian. that there are three3    The Armenian and Syriac agree in giving four races, which was probably the original division.  To a Greek, men were either Greeks or Barbarians; to a Greek Christian it would seem necessary to add two new peoples, Jews and Christians.  The Greek calls the Barbarians “Chaldæans.”  This change of classification is probably the cause of the omission in the Greek of the preliminary accounts of the four classes.  The Greek blends the summaries with the fuller accounts. classes of men in this world; these being the worshippers of the gods acknowledged among you, and Jews, and Christians.  Further they who pay homage to many gods are themselves divided into three classes, Chaldæans namely, and Greeks, and Egyptians; for these have been guides and preceptors to the rest of the nations in the service and worship of these many-titled deities.

[2] Τούτων οὕτως εἰρημένων περὶ θεοῦ, καθὼς ἐμὲ ἐχώρησε περὶ αὐτοῦ λέγειν, ἔλθωμεν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον γένος, ὅπως ἴδωμεν, τίνες αὐτῶν μετέχουσι τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τίνες τῆς πλάνης. φανερὸν γάρ ἐστιν ἡμῖν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ὅτι τρία γένη εἰσὶν ἀνθρώπων ἐν τῷδε τῷ κόσμῳ. ὧν εἰσὶν οἱ τῶν παρ' ὑμῖν λεγομένων θεῶν προσκυνηταὶ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ Χριστιανοί: αὐτοὶ δὲ πάλιν οἱ τοὺς πολλοὺς σεβόμενοι θεοὺς εἰς τρία διαιροῦνται γένη, Χαλδαίους τε καὶ Ἕλληνας καὶ Αἰγυπτίους: οὗτοι γὰρ γεγόνασιν ἀρχηγοὶ καὶ διδάσκαλοι τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσι τῆς τῶν πολυωνύμων θεῶν λατρείας καὶ προσκυνήσεως.