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

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

The Chaldæans, then, not knowing God went astray after the elements and began to worship the creation more than their Creator.

And of these they formed certain shapes and styled them a representation of the heaven and the earth and the sea, of the sun too and the moon and the other primal bodies or luminaries.  And they shut them up together in shrines, and worship them, calling them gods, even though they have to guard them securely for fear they should be stolen by robbers.  And they did not perceive that anything which acts as guard is greater than that which is guarded, and that he who makes is greater than that which is made.  For if their gods are unfit to look after their own safety, how shall they bestow protection upon others? Great then is the error into which the Chaldæans wandered in adoring lifeless and good-for-nothing images.

And it occurs to me as surprising, O King, how it is that their so-called philosophers have quite failed to observe that the elements themselves are perishable.  And if the elements are perishable and subject to necessity, how are they gods?  And if the elements are not gods, how do the images made in their honour come to be gods?

[3] Ἴδωμεν οὖν, τίνες τούτων μετέχουσι τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τίνες τῆς πλάνης. οἱ μὲν γὰρ Χαλδαῖοι, οἱ μὴ εἰδότες θεόν, ἐπλανήθησαν ὀπίσω τῶν στοιχείων καὶ ἤρξαντο σέβεσθαι τὴν κτίσιν παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα αὐτούς: ὧν καὶ μορφώματά τινα ποιήσαντες ὠνόμασαν ἐκτύπωμα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ τῆς θαλάσσης, ἡλίου τι καὶ σελήνης, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν στοιχείων ἢ φωστήρων, καὶ συγκλείσαντες ναοῖς προσκυνοῦσι θεοὺς καλοῦντες, οὓς καὶ τηροῦσιν ἀσφαλῶς, ἵνα μὴ κλαπῶσιν ὑπὸ λῃστῶν, καὶ οὐ συνῆκαν ὅτι πᾶν τὸ τηροῦν μεῖζον τοῦ τηρουμένου ἐστὶ καὶ ὁ ποιῶν μείζων ἐστὶ τοῦ ποιουμένου. εἰ γὰρ ἀδυνατοῦσιν οἱ θεοὶ αὐτῶν περὶ τῆς ἰδίας σωτηρίας, πῶς ἄλλοις σωτηρίαν χαρίσονται; πλάνην οὖν μεγάλην ἐπλανήθησαν οἱ Χαλδαῖοι, σεβόμενοι ἀγάλματα νεκρὰ καὶ ἀνωφελῆ. καὶ θαυμάζειν μοι ἐπέρχεται, ὦ βασιλεῦ, πῶς οἱ λεγόμενοι φιλόσοφοι αὐτῶν οὐδ' ὅλως συνῆκαν ὅτι καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα φθαρτά ἐστιν. εἰ δὲ τὰ στοιχεῖα φθαρτά ἐστι καὶ ὑποτασσόμενα κατὰ ἀνάγκην, πὼς εἰσὶ θεοί; εἰ δὲ τὰ στοιχεῖα οὐκ εἰσὶ θεοί, πῶς τὰ ἀγάλματα, ἃ γέγονεν εἰς τιμὴν αὐτῶν, θεοὶ ὑπάρχουσιν;