# Apology - Author: [Aristides of Athens](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/aristides-of-athens/) - Latin title: *Apologia* - Date: ca. 125–145 (disputed) - Source: Woodward and Mattingly, eds., St John Damascene, Barlaam and Ioasaph, Loeb Classical Library 34 (London: Heinemann, 1914), Greek text of chs. 26–27 only - Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator - Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/ - Passages: 17 ## Apology 1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-1 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: Aristides tells the emperor how the order of the world led him to know God, the eternal and self-sufficient mover and sustainer of all. ### Greek text Ἐγώ, βασιλεῦ, προνοίᾳ Θεοῦ ἦλθον εἰς τὸν κόσμον καὶ θεωρήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν, ἥλιόν τε καὶ σελήνην καὶ τὰ λοιπά, ἐθαύμασα τὴν διακόσμησιν τούτων. ἰδὼν δὲ τὸν κόσμον καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ πάντα, ὅτι κατὰ ἀνάγκην κινεῖται, συνῆκα τὸν κινοῦντα καὶ διακρατοῦντα εἶναι Θεόν: πᾶν γὰρ τὸ κινοῦν ἰσχυρότερον τοῦ κινουμένου, καὶ τὸ διακρατοῦν ἰσχυρότερον τοῦ διακρατουμένου ἐστίν. αὐτὸν οὖν λέγω εἶναι Θεὸν τὸν συστησάμενον τὰ πάντα καὶ διακρατοῦντα, ἄναρχον καὶ ἀΐδιον, ἀθάνατον καὶ ἀπροσδεῆ, ἀνώτερον πάντων τῶν παθῶν καὶ ἔλαττωμάτων, ὀργῆς τε καὶ λήθης καὶ ἀγνοίας καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν. δι᾽ αὐτοῦ δὲ τὰ πάντα συνέστηκεν. οὐ χρήζει θυσίας καὶ σπονδῆς, οὐδὲ πάντων τῶν φαινομένων' πάντες δὲ αὐτοῦ χρήζουσι. ### English translation (Claude) I, O king, by the providence of God came into the world; and having contemplated the heaven and earth and the sea, the sun and moon and the rest, I marveled at their orderly arrangement. And seeing the world and all things in it, that it is moved by necessity, I understood that the one who moves and controls it is God; for everything that moves is stronger than what is moved, and what controls is stronger than what is controlled. Him, then, I say to be God, who established all things and controls them, without beginning and eternal, immortal and without need, above all passions and defects, anger and forgetfulness and ignorance and the rest. Through him all things hold together. He does not need sacrifice and libation, nor any of the things that appear; but all need him. ### Scripture references - Col 1:17: echo, low confidence - Acts 17:25: echo, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Text: the Greek of the Apology as reworked in the romance Barlaam and Ioasaph (chs. 26–27), printed by J. A. Robinson (1891). The Barlaam author adapted the text; the Syriac version preserves a fuller form, and the address to the emperor (Hadrian or Antoninus Pius) is shorter here than in the Syriac. - The OCR of this text is noisy; margin references and garbled letters are removed by logged corrections. ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 1 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-1). ## Apology 2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-2 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: Aristides divides humanity into worshipers of many gods (Chaldeans, Greeks, Egyptians), Jews, and Christians. ### Greek text 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 ὑμῶν λεγομένων θεῶν προσκυνηταί, καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ Χριστιανοί αὐτοὶ δὲ πάλιν, οἱ τοὺς πολλοὺς σεβόμενοι θεούς, 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. ### English translation (Claude) These things having been said concerning God, so far as it was granted me to speak about him, let us come also to the human race, so that we may see which of them share in the truth and which in error. For it is clear to us, O king, that there are three races of human beings in this world: the worshipers of those who among you are called gods, the Jews, and the Christians. And these again, who worship many gods, are divided into three races: Chaldeans, Greeks, and Egyptians; for these have become the leaders and teachers to the other nations of the service and worship of the many-named gods. ### Translation notes - The Syriac version has four races (barbarians, Greeks, Jews, Christians); the threefold division here is the Barlaam author's form. ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 2 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-2). ## Apology 3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-3 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: The Chaldeans worship the elements and images of them, though the elements are perishable and the images cannot even protect themselves. ### Greek text 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 ἐκτυπώματα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ τῆς θαλάσσης, ἡλίου τε καὶ σελήνης, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν στοιχείων ἢ φωστήρων, καί, συγκλείσαντες ναοῖς, προσκυνοῦσι θεοὺς καλοῦντες, οὗς καὶ τηροῦσιν ἀσφαλῶς ἵνα μὴ κλαπῶσιν ὑπὸ λῃστῶν. καὶ οὐ συνῆκαν ὅτι πᾶν τὸ μεῖζον τοῦ τηρουμένου ἐστί, 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 οὐδόλως συνῆκαν ὅτι καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα φθαρτά ἐστιν. εἰ δὲ τὰ στοιχεῖα φθαρτά ἐστι καὶ ὑποτασσόμενα κατὰ ἀνάγκην, πῶς εἰσι θεοί; εἰ δὲ τὰ στοιχεῖα οὐκ εἰσὶ θεοί, πῶς τὰ ἀγάλματα, ἃ γέγονεν εἰς τιμὴν αὐτῶν, θεοὶ , ὑπάρχουσιν; ### English translation (Claude) Let us see, then, which of these share in the truth and which in error. The Chaldeans, not knowing God, went astray after the elements and began to worship the creation rather than the one who created them; and making certain figures of these, they called them likenesses of the heaven and the earth and the sea, of the sun and moon, and of the other elements or luminaries; and shutting them up in temples, they worship them, calling them gods, and they guard them securely so that they may not be stolen by robbers. And they did not understand that everything that guards is greater than what is guarded, and the one who makes is greater than what is made. For if their gods are powerless concerning their own safety, how will they grant safety to others? The Chaldeans, then, went greatly astray, worshiping dead and useless images. And it comes over me to marvel, O king, how those among them who are called philosophers did not at all understand that the elements themselves too are perishable. But if the elements are perishable and subject to necessity, how are they gods? And if the elements are not gods, how are the images, which were made in their honor, gods? ### Scripture references - Rom 1:25: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - “Everything that guards is greater”: the text as printed lacks the word for “that guards” (τὸ τηροῦν); it is translated by the evident sense. ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 3 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-3). ## Apology 4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-4 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: The heaven and the earth are not gods, since they are moved, ordered, and used, and are works of God. ### Greek text Ἕλθωμεν οὖν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἐπὶ αὐτὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα, ὅπως ἀποδείξωμεν περὶ αὐτῶν ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶ θεοί, ἀλλὰ φθαρτὰ καὶ ἀλλοιούμενα, ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος παραχθέντα προστάγματι τοῦ ὄντως Θεοῦ, ὅς ἐστιν ἄφθαρτός τε καὶ ἀναλλοίωτος καὶ ἀόρατος αὐτὸς δὲ πάντα ὁρᾷ, καί, καθὼς βούλεται, ἀλλοιοῖ καὶ μεταβάλλει. τί οὖν λέγω περὶ τῶν στοιχείων; Οἱ νομίζοντες τὸν οὐρανὸν εἶναι θεὸν πλανῶνται. ὁρῶμεν γὰρ αὐτὸν τρεπόμενον καὶ κατὰ ἀνάγκην κινούμενον, καὶ ἐκ πολλῶν συνεστῶτα διὸ καὶ κόσμος καλεῖται. κόσμος δὲ κατασκευή ἐστί τινος τεχνίτου τὸ κατασκευασθὲν δὲ ἀρχὴν καὶ τέλος ἔχει. κινεῖται δὲ ὁ οὐρανὸς κατὰ ἀνάγκην σὺν τοῖς αὐτοῦ φωστῆρσι· τὰ γὰρ ἄστρα τάξει, καὶ διαστήματι φερόμενα ἀπὸ σημείου εἰς σημεῖον, οἱ μὲν δύουσιν, οἱ δὲ ἀνατέλλουσι, καὶ κατὰ καιροὺς πορείαν ποιοῦνται τοῦ ἀποτελεῖν θέρη καὶ χειμῶνας, καθὰ ἐπιτέτακται αὐτοῖς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ οὐ παραβαίνουσι τοὺς ἰδίους ὅρους, κατὰ ἀπαραίτητον φύσεως ἀνάγκην, σὺν τῷ οὐρανίῳ κόσμῳ. ὅθεν φανερόν ἐστι μὴ εἶναι τὸν οὐρανὸν θεὸν ἀλλ᾽ ἔργον Θεοῦ. Οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες τὴν γῆν εἶναι θεὰν ἐπλανήθησαν. ὁρῶμεν γὰρ αὐτὴν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑβριζομένην καὶ κατακυριευομένην καὶ … καὶ ἄχρηστον γινομένην. ἐὰν γὰρ ὀπτηθῇ, γίνεται νεκρά ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ ὀστράκου φύεται οὐδέν. ὄτι δὲ καὶ ἐὰν ἐπὶ πλέον βραχῇ, φθείρεται καὶ αὐτὴ καὶ οἱ καρποὶ αὐτῆς. καταπατεῖται δὲ ὑπό τε ἀνθρώπων καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ζῴων, αἵμασι φονευομένων μιαίνεται, διορύσσεται, νεκρῶν θήκη γίνεται σωμάτων. τούτων οὕτως ὄντων, οὐκ ἐνδέχεται τὴν γῆν εἶναι θεὰν ἀλλ᾽ ἔργον Θεοῦ εἰς χρῆσιν ἀνθρώπων. ### English translation (Claude) Let us come, then, O king, to the elements themselves, so that we may demonstrate concerning them that they are not gods, but perishable and changeable, brought forth from what is not by the command of the true God, who is incorruptible and unchangeable and invisible, while he himself sees all things and, as he wills, changes and transforms them. What, then, do I say about the elements? Those who think the heaven is a god are in error. For we see it turning and moved by necessity, and composed of many parts; and that is why it is called kosmos. And a kosmos is the construction of some craftsman; and what has been constructed has a beginning and an end. The heaven is moved by necessity together with its luminaries; for the stars, carried in order and at intervals from sign to sign, some set and others rise, and at their seasons they make their course to bring about summers and winters, as it has been commanded them by God; and they do not transgress their own boundaries, by an inexorable necessity of nature, together with the heavenly order. Hence it is clear that the heaven is not a god but a work of God. Those who think the earth is a goddess have gone astray. For we see it outraged by human beings and subdued and … and becoming useless. For if it is baked, it becomes dead; for from a potsherd nothing grows. And if it is soaked too much, it is destroyed, both itself and its fruits. It is trodden underfoot by human beings and the other animals; it is defiled with the blood of the slain; it is dug up; it becomes a tomb for dead bodies. These things being so, it is not possible that the earth is a goddess, but it is a work of God for the use of human beings. ### Translation notes - Kosmos means both “world” and “ornament, arrangement”; Aristides argues from the second sense. - One participle describing the earth's treatment is lost in the OCR (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 4 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-4). ## Apology 5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-5 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: Water, fire, and wind are not gods, since they serve human needs and obey God's command. ### Greek text Οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες τὸ ὕδωρ εἶναι θεὸν ἐπλανήθησαν. καὶ αὐτὸ γὰρ εἰς χρῆσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων γέγονε, καὶ κατακυριεύεται ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν, μιαίνεται καὶ φθείρεται, καὶ ἀλλοιοῦται ἑψόμενον καὶ ἀλλασσόμενον χρώμασι, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ κρύους πηγνύμενον, καὶ εἰς πάντων τῶν ἀκαθάρτων πλύσιν ἀγόμενον. διὸ ἀδύνατον τὸ ὕδωρ εἶναι θεὸν ἀλλ᾽ ἔργον Θεοῦ. Οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες τὸ πῦρ εἶναι θεὸν πλανῶνται. καὶ αὐτὸ γὰρ εἰς χρῆσιν ἐγένετο ἀνθρώπων. καὶ κατακυριεύεται ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν, περιφερόμενον ἐκ τόπου εἰς τόπον εἰς ἕψησιν καὶ ὄπτησιν παντοδαπῶν κρεῶν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ νεκρῶν σωμάτων. φθείρεται δὲ καὶ κατὰ πολλοὺς τρόπους, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων σβεννύμενον. διὸ οὐκ ἐνδέχεται τὸ πῦρ εἶναι θεὸν ἀλλ᾽ ἔργον Θεοῦ. Οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες τὴν τῶν ἀνέμων πνοὴν εἶναι θεὰν πλανῶνται φανερὸν γάρ ἐστιν ὅτι δουλεύει ἑτέρῳ, καὶ χάριν τῶν ἀνθρώπων. κατεσκεύασται ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς μεταγωγὴν πλοίων καὶ συγκομιδὰς τῶν σιτίων, καὶ εἰς λοιπὰς αὐτῶν χρείας αὔξει τε καὶ λήγει, κατ᾽ ἐπιταγὴν Θεοῦ. διὸ οὐ νενόμισται τὴν τῶν ἀνέμων πνοὴν εἶναι θεὰν ἀλλ᾽ ἔργον Θεοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) Those who think water is a god have gone astray. For it too came into being for the use of human beings, and is mastered by them; it is defiled and destroyed, and altered when boiled and changed by colors, and frozen by the cold, and brought to the washing of all unclean things. Therefore it is impossible that water is a god, but it is a work of God. Those who think fire is a god are in error. For it too came into being for the use of human beings, and is mastered by them, carried about from place to place for the boiling and roasting of all kinds of meat, and moreover of dead bodies. And it is destroyed in many ways, being quenched by human beings. Therefore it is not possible that fire is a god, but it is a work of God. Those who think the blowing of the winds is a goddess are in error; for it is clear that it serves another, and for the sake of human beings; it has been prepared by God for the conveying of ships and the transport of grain, and for their other needs; it rises and ceases at the command of God. Therefore the blowing of the winds is not to be considered a goddess, but a work of God. ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 5 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-5). ## Apology 6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-6 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: The sun and moon are not gods, since they move by necessity, suffer eclipses, and serve human use. ### Greek text Οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες τὸν ἥλιον εἶναι θεὸν πλανῶνται. ὁρῶμεν γὰρ αὐτὸν κινούμενον κατὰ ἀνάγκην καὶ τρεπόμενον, καὶ μεταβαίνοντα ἀπὸ σημείου εἰς σημεῖον, δύνοντα καὶ ἀνατέλλοντα, τοῦ θερμαίνειν τὰ φυτὰ καὶ βλαστὰ εἰς χρῆσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἔτι δὲ καὶ μερισμοὺς ἔχοντα μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀστέρων, καὶ ἐλάττονα ὄντα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πολύ, καὶ ἐκλείποντα τοῦ φωτός, καὶ μηδεμίαν αὐτοκράτειαν ἔχοντα. διὸ οὐ νενόμισται τὸν ἥλιον εἶναι θεὸν ἀλλ᾽ ἔργον Θεοῦ. Οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες τὴν σελήνην εἶναι θεὰν πλανῶνται. ὁρῶμεν γὰρ αὐτὴν κινουμένην κατὰ ἀνάγκην καὶ τρεπομένην, καὶ μεταβαίνουσαν ἀπὸ σημείου εἰς σημεῖον, δύνουσάν τε καὶ ἀνατέλλουσαν εἰς χρείαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἐλάττονα οὖσαν τοῦ ἡλίου, αὐξομένην τε καὶ μειουμένην, καὶ ἐκλείψεις ἔχουσαν. διὸ οὐ νενόμισται τὴν σελήνην εἶναι θεὰν ἀλλ᾽ ἔργον Θεοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) Those who think the sun is a god are in error. For we see it moved by necessity and turning, and passing from sign to sign, setting and rising, so as to warm plants and shoots for the use of human beings; and moreover having its divisions with the other stars, and being much smaller than the heaven, and failing of its light, and having no sovereign power. Therefore the sun is not to be considered a god, but a work of God. Those who think the moon is a goddess are in error. For we see it moved by necessity and turning, and passing from sign to sign, setting and rising for the use of human beings, and smaller than the sun, waxing and waning, and having eclipses. Therefore the moon is not to be considered a goddess, but a work of God. ### Translation notes - “Failing of its light”: eclipses. ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 6 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-6). ## Apology 7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-7 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: A human being is not a god but a creature subject to need, passion, and death; the Chaldeans' error is complete. ### Greek text Οἱ δὲ νομίζοντες τὸν ἄνθρωπον εἶναι θεὸν πλανῶνται. ὁρῶμεν γὰρ αὐτὸν κινούμενον κατὰ ἀνάγκην, καὶ τρεφόμενον καὶ γηράσκοντα, καὶ μὴ θέλοντος αὐτοῦ. καί ποτε μὲν χαίρει, ποτὲ δὲ λυπεῖται, δεόμενος βρωμάτων καὶ ποτοῦ καὶ ἐσθῆτος. εἶναι δὲ αὐτὸν ὀργίλον καὶ ζηλωτὴν καὶ ἐπιθυμητήν, καὶ μεταμελόμενον, καὶ πολλὰ ἐλαττώματα ἔχοντα. φθείρεται δὲ κατὰ πολλοὺς τρόπους, ὑπὸ στοιχείων καὶ ζῴων, καὶ τοῦ ἐπικειμένου αὐτῷ θανάτου. οὐκ ἐνδέχεται οὖν εἶναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον θεὸν ἀλλ᾽ ἔργον Θεοῦ. πλάνην οὖν μεγάλην ἐπλανήθησαν οἱ Χαλδαῖοι, ὀπίσω τῶν ἐπιθυμημάτων αὐτῶν. σέβονται γὰρ τὰ φθαρτὰ στοιχεῖα καὶ τὰ νεκρὰ ἀγάλματα, καὶ οὐκ αἰσθάνονται ταῦτα θεοποιούμενοι. Ἔλθωμεν οὖν ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ἵνα ἴδωμεν εἴ τι φρονοῦσι περὶ Θεοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) Those who think a human being is a god are in error. For we see him moved by necessity, and nourished and growing old even against his will. And sometimes he rejoices, sometimes he grieves, needing food and drink and clothing. And he is irascible and jealous and full of desire, and repents, and has many defects. And he is destroyed in many ways, by the elements and by animals, and by the death that lies upon him. It is not possible, then, that a human being is a god, but he is a work of God. The Chaldeans, then, went greatly astray, following after their desires. For they worship the perishable elements and the dead images, and do not perceive that they are making these into gods. Let us come, then, to the Greeks, so that we may see whether they think anything about God. ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 7 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-7). ## Apology 8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-8 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: The Greeks invented gods with human passions and crimes, giving cover to every kind of wickedness. ### Greek text οἱ οὖν Ἕλληνες σοφοὶ λέγοντες εἶναι ἐμωράνθησαν χεῖρον τῶν Χαλδαίων, παρεισάγοντες πολλοὺς θεοὺς γεγενῆσθαι, τοὺς μὲν ἄρρενας, τοὺς δὲ θηλείας, παντοίων παθῶν καὶ παντοδαπῶν δημιουργοὺς ἀνομημάτων. ὅθεν γελοῖα καὶ μωρὰ καὶ ἀσεβῆ παρεισήγαγον οἱ ἔλληνες, βασιλεῦ, ῥήματα, τοὺς μὴ ὄντας προσαγορεύοντες θεούς, κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας αὐτῶν τὰς πονηράς, ἵνα, τούτους συνηγόρους ἔχοντες τῆς κακίας, μοιχεύωσιν, ἁρπάζωσι, φονεύωσι, καὶ τὰ πάνδεινα ποιῶσιν. εἰ γὰρ οἱ θεοὶ αὐτῶν τοιαῦτα ἐποίησαν, πῶς καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐ τοιαῦτα πράξουσιν; ἐκ τούτων οὖν τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων τῆς πλάνης συνέβη τοὺς ἀνθρώπους πολέμους ἔχειν συχνούς, καὶ σφαγὰς καὶ αἰχμαλωσίας πικράς. ### English translation (Claude) The Greeks, then, saying they are wise, became fools, worse than the Chaldeans, introducing many gods who were born, some male and some female, makers of every kind of passion and of all sorts of lawless deeds. Hence the Greeks, O king, introduced ridiculous and foolish and impious sayings, calling gods those who are not, according to their own evil desires, so that, having these as advocates of their wickedness, they might commit adultery, rob, murder, and do the most terrible things. For if their gods did such things, how will they themselves not do such things? From these practices of error, then, it has come about that people have frequent wars, and slaughters, and bitter captivities. ### Scripture references - Rom 1:22: allusion, high confidence ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 8 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-8). ## Apology 9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-9 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: Aristides lists the scandalous myths of Kronos, Zeus, and Hephaestus to show they cannot be gods. ### Greek text ἀλλὰ καὶ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν εἰ θελήσομεν ἐλθεῖν τῷ λόγῳ, πολλὴν ὄψει τὴν ἀτοπίαν. Ὃ πρῶτος παρεισάγεται αὐτοῖς πρὸ πάντων θεὸς ὁ λεγόμενος Κρόνος, καὶ τούτῳ θύουσι τὰ ἴδια τέκνα, ὃς ἔσχε παῖδας πολλοὺς ἐκ τῆς Ῥέας, καὶ μανεὶς ἤσθιε τὰ ἴδια τέκνα. φασὶ δὲ τὸν Δία κόψαι αὐτοῦ τὰ ἀναγκαῖα καὶ βαλεῖν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, ὅθεν ᾿Αφῥοδίτην μυθεύεται γεννᾶσθαι. δήσας οὖν τὸν ἴδιον πατέρα ὁ Ζεὺς ἔβαλεν εἰς τὸν Τάρταρον. ὁρᾷς τὴν πλάνην καὶ ἀσέλγειαν ἣν παρεισάγουσι κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτῶν; ἐνδέχεται οὖν θεὸν εἶναι δέσμιον καὶ ἀπόκοπον; ὦ τῆς ἀνοίας τίς τῶν νοῦν ἐχόντων ταῦτα φήσειεν; Δεύτερος παρεισάγεται ὁ Ζεύς, ὅν φασι βασιλεῦσαι τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ μεταμορφοῦσθαι εἰς ζῷα, ὅπως μοιχεύσῃ θνητὰς γυναῖκας. παρεισάγουσι γὰρ τοῦτον μεταμορφούμενον εἰς ταῦρον πρὸς Εὐρώπην, καὶ εἰς χρυσὸν πρὸς Δανάην, καὶ εἰς κύκνον πρὸς Λήδαν, καὶ εἰς σάτυρον πρὸς ᾿Αντιόπην, καὶ εἰς κεραυνὸν πρὸς Σεμέλην' εἶτα γενέσθαι ἐκ τούτων τέκνα πολλά, Διόνυσον, καὶ Ζῆθον καὶ ᾿Αμφίονα, καὶ Ἡρακλῆν, καὶ ᾿Απόλλωνα καὶ Αρτεμιν, καὶ Περσέα, Κἀστορά τε καὶ Ἑλένην καὶ Πολυδεύκην, καὶ Μίνωα, καὶ Ῥαδάμανθον, καὶ Σαρπηδόνα, καὶ τὰς ἐννέα θυγατέρας ἃς προσηγόρευσαν Μούσας. οὕτως παρεισάγουσι τὰ κατὰ τὸν Γανυμήδην. συνέβη οὗν, βασιλεῦ, τοῖς ἀνθρώποις μιμεῖσθαι ταῦτα πάντα, καὶ γίνεσθαι μοιχοὺς καὶ ἀρρενομανεῖς, καὶ ἄλλων δεινῶν ἔργων ἐργάτας, κατὰ μίμησιν τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτῶν. πῶς οὖν ἐνδέχεται θεὸν εἶναι μοιχὸν ἢ ἀνδροβάτην ἢ πατροκτόνον; Σὺν τούτῳ δὲ καὶ Ἡφαιστόν τινα παρεισάγουσι θεὸν εἶναι, καὶ τοῦτον χωλόν, καὶ κρατοῦντα σφῦραν καὶ πυρόλαβον, καὶ χαλκεύοντα χάριν τροφῆς. ἄρα ἐπιδεής ἐστιν: ὅπερ οὐκ ἐνδέχεται θεὸν εἶναι χωλὸν καὶ προσδεόμενον ἀνθρώπων. ### English translation (Claude) But if we will go through each of their gods in our account, you will see much absurdity. The first god introduced by them, before all, is the one called Kronos, and to him they sacrifice their own children; he had many children by Rhea, and, going mad, he ate his own children. And they say that Zeus cut off his private parts and threw them into the sea, from which Aphrodite is fabled to have been born. Zeus, then, having bound his own father, threw him into Tartarus. Do you see the error and licentiousness that they introduce against their god? Is it possible, then, for a god to be a prisoner and castrated? O the folly! Who of those with sense would say these things? Second is introduced Zeus, who they say reigned over their gods and changed himself into animals in order to commit adultery with mortal women. For they present him changed into a bull for Europa, and into gold for Danae, and into a swan for Leda, and into a satyr for Antiope, and into a thunderbolt for Semele; and then that many children were born from these: Dionysus, and Zethus and Amphion, and Heracles, and Apollo and Artemis, and Perseus, Castor and Helen and Polydeuces, and Minos, and Rhadamanthus, and Sarpedon, and the nine daughters whom they called Muses. So too they introduce the story of Ganymede. It has come about, then, O king, that people imitate all these things, and become adulterers and men mad for males, and workers of other terrible deeds, in imitation of their god. How, then, is it possible for a god to be an adulterer or a sodomite or a parricide? Together with him they also introduce one Hephaestus as a god, and him lame, holding a hammer and tongs, and working as a smith for the sake of food. So he is in need; which it is not possible for a god to be, lame and in need of human beings. ### Translation notes - The myths are told as Aristides gives them; he names the episodes of Zeus with Europa, Danae, Leda, Antiope, Semele, and Ganymede. - Sexual language is translated as plainly as the Greek (ἀρρενομανεῖς, ἀνδροβάτης). ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 9 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-9). ## Apology 10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-10 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: Hermes, Asclepius, Ares, Dionysus, Heracles, and Apollo are shown by their own myths to be needy, sinful, or mortal, and so not gods. ### Greek text Εἶτα τὸν Ἑρμῆν παρεισάγουσι θεὸν εἶναι ἐπιθυμητὴν καὶ κλέπτην καὶ πλεονέκτην καὶ μάγον, καὶ κυλλὸν καὶ λόγων ἑρμηνευτήν. ὅπερ οὐκ ἐνδέχεται θεὸν εἶναι τοιοῦτον. Τὸν δὲ ᾿Ασκληπιὸν παρεισάγουσι θεὸν εἶναι, ἰατρὸν ὄντα καὶ κατασκευάζοντα φάρμακα καὶ σύνθεσιν ἐμπλάστρων, χάριν τροφῆς (ἐπενδεὴς γὰρ ἦν), ὕστερον δὲ κεραυνοῦσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ Διὸς διὰ Τυνδάρεων Λακεδαίμονος υἱόν, καὶ ἀποθανεῖν. εἰ δὲ ᾿Ασκληπιὸς θεὸς ὧν καὶ κεραυνωθεὶς οὐκ ἠδυνήθη ἑαυτῷ βοηθῆσαι, πῶς ἄλλοις βοηθήσει; Ἄρης δὲ παρεισάγεται θεὸς εἶναι πολεμιστὴς καὶ ζηλωτής, καὶ ἐπιθυμητὴς θρεμμάτων καὶ ἑτέρων τινῶν ὕστερον δὲ αὐτὸν μοιχεύοντα τὴν ᾿Αφροδίτην δεθῆναι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ νηπίου Ἔρωτος καὶ ὑπὸ Ἡφαίστου. πῶς οὖν θεός ἐστιν ὁ ἐπιθυμητὴς καὶ πολεμιστὴς καὶ δέσμιος καὶ μοιχός; Τὸν δὲ Διόνυσον παρεισάγουσι θεὸν εἶναι, νυκτερινὰς ἄγοντα ἑορτὰς καὶ διδάσκαλον μέθης, καὶ ἀποσπῶντα τὰς τῶν πλησίον γυναῖκας, καὶ μαινόμενον καὶ φεύγοντα ὕστερον δὲ αὐτὸν σφαγῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν Τιτάνων. εἰ οὖν Διόνυσος σφαγεὶς οὐκ ἠδυνήθη ἑαυτῷ βοηθῆσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μαινόμενος ἣν καὶ μέθυσος καὶ δραπέτης, πῶς ἂν εἴη θεός; Τὸν δὲ Ἡρακλῆν παρεισάγουσι μεθυσθῆναι καὶ μανῆναι, καὶ τὰ ἴδια τέκνα σφάξαι, εἶτα πυρὶ ἀναλωθῆναι καὶ οὕτως ἀποθανεῖν. πῶς δ᾽ ἂν εἴη θεός, μέθυσος καὶ τεκνοκτόνος, καὶ κατακαιόμενος; ἢ πῶς ἄλλοις βοηθήσει, ἑαυτῷ βοηθῆσαι μὴ δυνηθείς; Τὸν δὲ ᾿Απόλλωνα παρεισάγουσι θεὸν εἶναι ζηλωτήν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τόξον καὶ φαρέτραν κρατοῦντα, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ κιθάραν καὶ …, καὶ μαντευόμενον τοῖς ἀνθρώποις χάριν μισθοῦ. ἄρα ἐπενδεής ἐστιν: ὅπερ οὐκ ἐνδέχεται θεὸν εἶναι ἐνδεῆ καὶ ζηλωτὴν καὶ κιθαρῳδόν. ### English translation (Claude) Then they introduce Hermes as a god, full of desire, a thief, greedy, a magician, crooked, and an interpreter of words; which it is not possible for a god to be. And they introduce Asclepius as a god, being a physician and preparing drugs and compounding plasters for the sake of food (for he was in need), and that afterward he was struck by a thunderbolt by Zeus on account of Tyndareus, son of Lacedaemon, and died. But if Asclepius, being a god and struck by a thunderbolt, could not help himself, how will he help others? Ares is introduced as a god, a warrior and jealous, and desirous of cattle and some other things; and afterward, while committing adultery with Aphrodite, he was bound by the infant Eros and by Hephaestus. How, then, is he a god, the one full of desire, a warrior, a prisoner, and an adulterer? And they introduce Dionysus as a god, holding nocturnal festivals and a teacher of drunkenness, carrying off the wives of his neighbors, raving and fleeing; and afterward he was slaughtered by the Titans. If, then, Dionysus, when slaughtered, could not help himself, but was also mad and a drunkard and a runaway, how could he be a god? And they introduce Heracles as having become drunk and mad, and slaughtered his own children, then been consumed by fire and so died. How could he be a god, a drunkard and a child-murderer, and burned up? Or how will he help others, when he was unable to help himself? And they introduce Apollo as a god, jealous, and moreover holding a bow and quiver, and at times also a lyre and …, and giving oracles to people for the sake of pay. So he is in need; which it is not possible for a god to be, in need and jealous and a lyre-player. ### Translation notes - “Crooked” (κυλλός, literally “crippled, bent”) is uncertain in sense here. In Apollo's description one word (printed ἐπαυθίδα) is garbled in the OCR and is shown as “…”. The OCR's margin references and the catchword at the end of the page are removed. ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 10 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-10). ## Apology 11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-11 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: Artemis, Aphrodite, and Adonis are no gods, and such myths have led people into every kind of wickedness. ### Greek text Ἄρτεμιν δὲ παρεισάγουσιν᾽ ἀδελφὴν αὐτοῦ εἶναι, κυνηγὸν οὖσαν, καὶ τόξον ἔχειν μετὰ φαρέτρας, καὶ ταύτην ῥέμβεσθαι κατὰ τῶν ὀρέων μόνην μετὰ τῶν κυνῶν, ὅπως θηρεύσει ἔλαφον ἢ κάπρον. πῶς οὖν ἔσται θεὸς ἡ τοιαύτη γυνὴ καὶ κυνηγὸς καὶ ῥεμβομένη μετὰ τῶν κυνῶν; ᾿Αφροδίτην δὲ λέγουσι καὶ αὐτὴν θεὰν εἶναι μοιχαλίδα. ποτὲ γὰρ ἔσχε μοιχὸν τὸν Ἄρην, ποτε δὲ ᾿Αγχίσην, ποτὲ δε ᾿Αδωνιν, οὕτινος καὶ τὸν θάνατον κλαίει, ζητοῦσα τὸν ἐραστὴν αὐτῆς ἣν λέγουσιν καὶ εἰς Αδου καταβαίνειν, ὅπως ἐξαγοράσῃ τὸν ᾿Αδωνιν ἀπὸ τῆς Περσεφόνης. εἶδες, ὦ βασιλεῦ, μείζονα, ταύτης ἀφροσύνην; θεὰν παρεισάγειν τὴν μοιχεύουσαν καὶ θρηνοῦσαν καὶ κλαίουσαν; Αδωνιν δὲ παρεισάγουσι θεὸν εἶναι κυνηγόν, καὶ τοῦτον βιαίως ἀποθανεῖν πληγέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ ὑός, καὶ μὴ δυνηθέντα βοηθῆσαι τῇ ταλαιπωρίᾳ ἑαυτοῦ. Πῶς οὖν τῶν ἀνθρώπων φροντίδα ποιήσεται ὁ μοιχὸς καὶ κυνηγὸς καὶ βιοθάνατος; Ταῦτα πάντα καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα καὶ πολλῷ πλεῖον αἰσχρότερα καὶ πονηρὰ παρεισήγαγον οἱ Ἕλληνες, βασιλεῦ, περὶ τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν, ἃ οὔτε λέγειν θέμις, οὔτ᾽ ἐπὶ μνήμης ὅλως φέρειν ὅθεν λαμβάνοντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀφορμὴν ἀπὸ τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν, ἔπραττον πᾶσαν ἀνομίαν καὶ ἀσέλγειαν καὶ ἀσέβειαν, καταμιαίνοντες γῆν τε καὶ ἀέρα ταῖς δειναῖς αὐτῶν πράξεσιν. ### English translation (Claude) And they introduce Artemis as his sister, being a huntress, and having a bow with a quiver, and roaming over the mountains alone with the dogs, to hunt a deer or a boar. How, then, will such a woman, a huntress and roaming with the dogs, be a god? And they say that Aphrodite herself too is a goddess, an adulteress. For at one time she had Ares as an adulterer, at another Anchises, at another Adonis, whose death she also bewails, seeking her lover; and they say she even went down to Hades to ransom Adonis from Persephone. Have you seen, O king, greater folly than this, to introduce as a goddess one who commits adultery and laments and weeps? And they introduce Adonis as a god, a hunter, and that he died violently, struck by the boar, and was unable to help himself in his misery. How, then, will the adulterer and hunter and one who died a violent death take care of human beings? All these things, and many such, and far more shameful and evil, the Greeks introduced, O king, concerning their gods, which it is neither lawful to speak nor even to bring to memory at all; whence people, taking occasion from their gods, practiced every lawlessness and licentiousness and impiety, defiling earth and air with their terrible deeds. ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 11 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-11). ## Apology 12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-12 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: The Egyptians erred worst of all, worshiping the unhappy Isis, Osiris, and Typhon and even animals and plants. ### Greek text Αἰγύπτιοι δέ, ἀβελτερώτεροι καὶ ἀφρονέστεροι τούτων ὄντες, χεῖρον πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπλανήθησαν, οὐ γὰρ ἠρκέσθησαν τοῖς τῶν Χαλδαίων καὶ Ἑλλήνων σεβάσμασιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι καὶ ἄλογα ζῷα παρεισήγαγον θεοὺς εἶναι χερσαῖά τε καὶ ἔνυδρα, καὶ τὰ φυτὰ καὶ βλαστά, καὶ ἐμιάνθησαν ἐν πάσῃ μανίᾳ καὶ ἀσελγείᾳ χεῖρον πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. ἀρχῆθεν γὰρ ἐσέβοντο τὴν Ἴσιν, ἔχουσαν ἀδελφὸν καὶ ἄνδρα τὸν Ὄσιριν, τὸν σφαγέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ Τύφωνος. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο φεύγει ἡ Ἴσις μετὰ Ὥρου τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτῆς εἰς Βύβλον τῆς Συρίας, ζητοῦσα τὸν Ὄσιριν, πικρῶς θρηνοῦσα, ἕως ηὔξησεν ὁ Ὧρος καὶ ἀπέκτεινε τὸν Τύφωνα. οὔτε οὖν ἡ Ἴσις ἴσχυσε βοηθῆσαι τῷ ἰδίῳ ἀδελφῷ καὶ ἀνδρί· οὔτε ὁ Ὄσιρις σφαζόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Τύφωνος ἠδυνήθη ἀντιλαβέσθαι ἑαυτοῦ· οὔτε Τύφων ὁ ἀδελφοκτόνος, ἀπολλύμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Ὥρου καὶ τῆς Ἴσιδος, εὐπόρησε ῥύσασθαι ἑαυτὸν τοῦ θανάτου. καὶ ἐπὶ τοιούτοις ἀτυχήμασι γνωρισθέντες αὐτοὶ θεοὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀσυνέτων Αἰγυπτίων ἐνομίσθησαν. Οἵτινες, μηδ᾽ ἐν τούτοις ἀρκεσθέντες ἢ τοῖς λοιποῖς σεβάσμασι τῶν ἐθνῶν, καὶ τὰ ἄλογα ζῷα παρεισήγαγον θεοὺς εἶναι. τινὲς γὰρ αὐτῶν ἐσεβάσθησαν πρόβατον, τινὲς δὲ τράγον, ἕτεροι δὲ μόσχον καὶ τὸν χοῖρον, ἄλλοι δὲ τὸν κόρακα καὶ τὸν ἱέρακα καὶ τὸν γῦπα καὶ τὸν ἀετόν, καὶ ἄλλοι τὸν κροκόδειλον, τινὲς δὲ τὸν αἴλουρον καὶ τὸν κύνα, καὶ τὸν λύκον καὶ τὸν πίθηκον, καὶ τὸν δράκοντα καὶ τὴν ἀσπίδα, καὶ ἄλλοι τὸ κρόμυον καὶ τὸ σκόροδον καὶ ἀκάνθας, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ κτίσματα. καὶ οὐκ αἰσθάνονται οἱ ταλαΐπωροι περὶ πάντων τούτων ὅτι οὐδὲν ἰσχύουσιν. ὁρῶντες γὰρ τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν βιβρωσκομένους ὑπὸ ἑτέρων ἀνθρώπων καὶ καιομένους καὶ σφαττομένους καὶ σηπομένους, οὐ συνῆκαν περὶ αὐτῶν ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶ θεοί. ### English translation (Claude) The Egyptians, being more stupid and senseless than these, went astray worse than all the nations. For they were not content with the objects of worship of the Chaldeans and Greeks, but further introduced irrational animals as gods, both land and water creatures, and plants and shoots, and were defiled with every madness and licentiousness worse than all the nations on the earth. For from the beginning they worshiped Isis, who had as brother and husband Osiris, the one slain by his brother Typhon. And for this reason Isis fled with Horus her son to Byblos in Syria, seeking Osiris, lamenting bitterly, until Horus grew up and killed Typhon. So neither did Isis have strength to help her own brother and husband; nor could Osiris, when being slain by Typhon, defend himself; nor was Typhon the fratricide, when perishing at the hands of Horus and Isis, able to rescue himself from death. And though they were known by such misfortunes, they were thought gods by the senseless Egyptians. And these, not content even with these or with the other objects of worship of the nations, introduced also the irrational animals as gods. For some of them worshiped the sheep, some the goat, others the calf and the pig, others the raven and the hawk and the vulture and the eagle, and others the crocodile, some the cat and the dog, and the wolf and the ape, and the serpent and the asp, and others the onion and the garlic and thorns, and the other created things. And the wretches do not perceive concerning all these that they have no power. For seeing their gods eaten by other people, and burned and slaughtered and rotting, they did not understand concerning them that they are not gods. ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 12 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-12). ## Apology 13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-13 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: The idols and the myths refute themselves: gods at war with one another, and guilty of what the laws punish, cannot be gods, however their stories are interpreted. ### Greek text Πλάνην οὖν μεγάλην ἐπλανήθησαν οἵ τε Αἰγύπτιοι καὶ οἱ Χαλδαῖοι καὶ οἱ Ἑλληνες τοιούτους παρεισάγοντες θεούς, καὶ ἀγάλματα αὐτῶν ποιοῦντες, καὶ θεοποιούμενοι τὰ κωφὰ καὶ ἀναίσθητα εἴδωλα. καὶ θαυμάζω πῶς ὁρῶντες τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν ὑπὸ τῶν δημιουργῶν πριζομένους καὶ πελεκωμένους, παλαιουμένους τε ὑπὸ τοῦ χρόνου καὶ ἀναλυομένους, καὶ χωνευομένους, οὐκ ἐφρόνησαν περὶ αὐτῶν ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶ θεοί. ὅτε γὰρ περὶ τῆς ἰδίας σωτηρίας οὐδὲν ἰσχύουσι, πῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων πρόνοιαν ποιήσονται; ἀλλ᾽ οἱ ποιηταὶ αὐτῶν καὶ φιλόσοφοι, τῶν τε Χαλδαίων καὶ Ἑλλήνων καὶ Αἰγυπτίων, θελήσαντες τοῖς ποιήμασιν αὐτῶν καὶ συγγραφαῖς σεμνῦναι τοὺς παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς θεούς, μειζόνως τὴν αἰσχύνην αὐτῶν ἐξεκάλυψαν καὶ γυμνὴν πᾶσι προὔθηκαν. εἰ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου πολυμερὲς ὃν οὐκ ἀποβάλλεταί τι τῶν ἰδίων μελῶν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς πάντα τὰ μέλη ἀδιάρρηκτον ἕνωσιν ἔχον ἑαυτῷ ἐστι σύμφωνον, πῶς ἐν φύσει θεοῦ μάχη καὶ διαφωνία ἔσται τοσαύτη; εἰ γὰρ μία φύσις τῶν θεῶν ὑπῆρχεν, οὐκ ὥφειλεν θεὸς θεὸν διώκειν, οὔτε σφάζειν, οὔτε κακοποιεῖν εἰ δὲ οἱ θεοὶ ὑπὸ θεῶν ἐδιώχθησαν καὶ ἐσφάγησαν, καὶ ἡρπάγησαν καὶ ἐκεραυνώθησαν, οὐκέτι μία φύσις ἐστὶν ἀλλὰ γνῶμαι διῃρημέναι, πᾶσαι κακοποιοΐ, ὥστε οὐδεὶς ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐστι θεός. φανερὸν οὖν ἐστιν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, πλάνην εἶναι πᾶσαν τὴν περὶ τῶν θεῶν φυσιολογίαν. Πῶς δὲ οὐ συνῆκαν οἱ σοφοὶ καὶ λόγιοι τῶν Ἑλλήνων ὅτι καὶ οἱ νόμους θέμενοι κρίνονται ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων νόμων; εἰ γὰρ οἱ νόμοι δίκαιοί εἰσιν, ἄδικοι πάντως οἱ θεοὶ αὐτῶν εἰσι, παράνομα ποιήσαντες, ἀλληλοκτονίας καὶ φαρμακίας, καὶ μοιχείας καὶ κλοπὰς καὶ ἀρσενοκοισίας. εἰ δὲ καλῶς ἔπραξαν ταῦτα, οἱ νόμοι ἄρα ἄδικοί εἰσι, κατὰ τῶν θεῶν συντεθέντες. νυνὶ δὲ οἱ νόμοι καλοί εἰσι καὶ δίκαιοι, τὰ καλὰ ἐπαινοῦντες καὶ τὰ κακὰ ἀπαγορεύοντες τὰ δὲ ἔργα τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν παράνομα παράνομοι ἄρα οἱ θεοὶ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔνοχοι πάντες θανάτου καὶ ἀσεβεῖς οἱ τοιούτους θεοὺς παρεισάγοντες. εἰ μὲν γὰρ μυθικαὶ αἱ περὶ αὐτῶν ἱστορίαι, οὐδέν εἰσιν, εἰ μὴ μόνον λόγοι εἰ δὲ φυσικαί, οὐκ ἔτι θεοί εἶσιν οἱ ταῦτα ποιήσαντες καὶ παθόντες: εἰ δὲ ἀλληγορικαί, μῦθοί εἰσι καὶ οὐκ ἄλλο τι. ### English translation (Claude) The Egyptians, then, and the Chaldeans and the Greeks went greatly astray, introducing such gods, and making images of them, and making gods of the dumb and senseless idols. And I marvel how, seeing their gods sawn and hewn by craftsmen, and growing old with time and falling apart, and melted down, they did not realize concerning them that they are not gods. For when they have no power concerning their own safety, how will they take care of human beings? But their poets and philosophers, of the Chaldeans and Greeks and Egyptians, wishing by their poems and writings to dignify the gods among them, rather uncovered their shame and set it out naked before all. For if the body of a human being, which has many parts, does not cast off any of its own members, but, having an unbroken union with all the members, is in harmony with itself, how will there be such strife and discord in the nature of a god? For if there were one nature of the gods, god ought not to pursue god, nor slay, nor do harm; but if gods were pursued and slain by gods, and carried off and struck by thunderbolts, there is no longer one nature but divided wills, all of them evildoers, so that none of them is a god. It is clear, then, O king, that all the natural philosophy about the gods is error. And how did the wise and learned among the Greeks not understand that even those who laid down laws are judged by their own laws? For if the laws are just, their gods are altogether unjust, having done unlawful things, killings of one another and sorceries, and adulteries and thefts and sex between males. But if they did these things rightly, then the laws are unjust, having been framed against the gods. But as it is, the laws are good and just, praising what is good and forbidding what is evil; and the deeds of their gods are lawless; their gods, then, are lawless, and all are liable to death, and impious are those who introduce such gods. For if the stories about them are mythical, they are nothing but mere words; if they are natural, then those who did and suffered these things are no longer gods; and if they are allegorical, they are myths and nothing else. ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 13 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-13). ## Apology 14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-14 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: The Jews descend from the patriarchs and were delivered by God from Egypt, but turned to idols, killed the prophets, and rejected Christ. ### Greek text ἀποδέδεικται τοίνυν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ταῦτα πάντα τὰ πολύθεα σεβάσματα πλάνης ἔργα καὶ ἀπωλείας ὑπάρχειν. οὐ χρὴ οὖν θεοὺς ὀνομάζειν ὁρατοὺς καὶ μὴ ὁρῶντας: ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀόρατον καὶ πάντας δημιουργήσαντα δεῖ σέβεσθαι Θεόν. Ἔλθωμεν οὖν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, ὅπως ἴδωμεν τί φρονοῦσι καὶ αὐτοὶ περὶ Θεοῦ. οὗτοι γάρ, τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ὄντες ἀπόγονοι καὶ ᾿Ισαάκ τε καὶ Ἰακώβ, παρῴκησαν εἰς Αἴγυπτον. ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς ἐν χειρὶ κραταιᾷ καὶ ἐν βραχίονι ὑψηλῷ διὰ Μωσέως τοῦ νομοθέτου αὐτῶν καὶ τέρασι πολλοῖς καὶ σημείοις ἐγνώρισεν αὐτοῖς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν. ἀλλ᾽, ἀγνώμονες καὶ αὐτοὶ φανέντες καὶ ἄχρηστοι, πολλάκις ἐλάτρευσαν τοῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν σεβάσμασι, καὶ τοὺς ἀπεσταλμένους πρὸς αὐτοὺς προφήτας καὶ δικαίους ἀπέκτειναν. εἶτα ὡς εὐδόκησεν ὁ Ὑἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἐμπαροινήσαντες εἰς αὐτόν, προέδωκαν Πιλάτῳ τῷ ἡγεμόνι τῶν Ῥωμαίων καὶ σταυρῷ κατεδίκασαν, μὴ αἰδεσθέντες τὰς εὐεργεσίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἀναρίθμητα θαύματα ἅπερ ἐν αὐτοῖς εἰργάσατο. διὸ ἀπώλοντο τῇ ἰδίᾳ παρανομίᾳ. σέβονται γὰρ καὶ νῦν Θεὸν τὸν μόνον παντοκράτορα, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ κατ᾽ ἐπίγνωσιν' τὸν γὰρ Χριστὸν ἀρνοῦνται τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καί εἰσι παρόμοιοι τοῖς ἔθνεσι, κἂν ἐγγίζειν πως τῇ ἀληθείᾳ δοκῶσιν, ἧς ἑαυτοὺς ἐμάκρυναν. ταῦτα περὶ τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων. ### English translation (Claude) It has been demonstrated, therefore, O king, that all these polytheistic objects of worship are works of error and destruction. One ought not, then, to name as gods things that are seen and do not see; but one must worship the invisible God who made all things. Let us come, then, O king, also to the Jews, so that we may see what they too think about God. For these, being descendants of Abraham and of Isaac and Jacob, sojourned in Egypt; and from there God brought them out with a mighty hand and an uplifted arm through Moses their lawgiver, and by many wonders and signs made known to them his own power. But they too proved ungrateful and useless, and often served the objects of worship of the nations, and killed the prophets and righteous men sent to them. Then, when the Son of God was pleased to come upon the earth, they treated him with drunken insolence and betrayed him to Pilate, the governor of the Romans, and condemned him to the cross, not respecting his benefits and the countless wonders that he worked among them. Therefore they perished by their own lawlessness. For even now they worship God, the only Almighty, but not according to knowledge; for they deny Christ the Son of God, and they are like the nations, even though they seem in some way to draw near to the truth, from which they have removed themselves. So much concerning the Jews. ### Scripture references - Deut 5:15: allusion, medium confidence - Exod 6:6: allusion, low confidence - Matt 23:37: allusion, medium confidence - Rom 10:2: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - This chapter's account of the Jews, more hostile than the Syriac version's, is largely the Barlaam author's rewriting; it is translated as printed. - “Treated him with drunken insolence” renders ἐμπαροινήσαντες. ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 14 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-14). ## Apology 15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-15 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: The Christians descend from Christ, the Son of God born of a virgin, crucified, risen, and ascended; they know the true God and live by his commandments in purity, justice, and love. ### Greek text Οἱ δὲ Χριστιανοὶ γενεαλογοῦνται ἀπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. οὗτος δὲ ὁ Ὑἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου ὁμολογεῖται, ἐν Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ ἀπ᾽ οὐρανοῦ καταβὰς διὰ τὴν σωτηρίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἐκ Παρθένου ἁγίας γεννηθεὶς ἀσπόρως τε καὶ ἀφθόρως σάρκα ἀνέλαβε, καὶ ἀνεφάνη ἀνθρώποις, ὅπως ἐκ τῆς πολυθέου πλάνης αὐτοὺς ἀνακαλέσηται. καί, τελέσας τὴν θαυμαστὴν αὐτοῦ οἰκονομίαν, διὰ σταυροῦ θανάτου ἐγεύσατο ἑκουσίᾳ βουλῇ κατ᾽ οἰκονομίαν μεγάλην· μετὰ δὲ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀνεβίω, καὶ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνῆλθεν. οὗ τὸ κλέος τῆς παρουσίας ἐκ τῆς παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς καλουμένης εὐαγγελικῆς ἁγίας Γραφῆς ἔξεστί σοι γνῶναι, βασιλεῦ, ἐὰν ἐντύχῃς. οὗτος δώδεκα ἔσχε μαθητάς, οἵ, μετὰ τὴν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἄνοδον αὐτοῦ, ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὰς ἐπαρχίας τῆς οἰκουμένης, καὶ ἐδίδαξαν τὴν ἐκείνου μεγαλωσύνην καθάπερ εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν τὰς ᾿καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς περιῆλθε χώρας, τὸ δόγμα κηρύττων τῆς ἀληθείας. ὅθεν οἱ εἰσέτι διακονοῦντες τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ κηρύγματος αὐτῶν καλοῦνται Χριστιανοί. καὶ οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς εὑρόντες τὴν ἀλήθειαν γινώσκουσι γὰρ τὸν Θεόν, κτίστην καὶ δημιουργὸν τῶν ἁπάντων ἐν Ὑἱῷ μονογενεῖ καὶ Πνεύματι ᾿Αγίῳ, καὶ ἄλλον θεὸν πλὴν τούτου οὐ σέβονται. ἔχουσι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις κεχαραγμένας, καὶ ταύτας φυλάττουσι, προσδοκῶντες ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν καὶ ζωὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. οὐ μοιχεύουσιν, οὐ πορνεύουσιν, οὐ ψευδομαρτυροῦσιν, οὐκ ἐπιθυμοῦσι τὰ ἀλλότρια, τιμῶσι πατέρα καὶ μητέρα, καὶ τοὺς πλησίον φιλοῦσι, δίκαια κρίνουσιν, ὅσα οὐ θέλουσιν αὐτοῖς γίνεσθαι ἑτέρῳ οὐ ποιοῦσι, τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας αὐτοὺς παρακαλοῦσι καὶ προσφιλεῖς αὐτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς ποιοῦσι, τοὺς ἐχθροὺς εὐεργετεῖν σπουδάζουσι, πραεῖς εἰσι καὶ ἐπιεικεῖς, ἀπὸ πάσης συνουσίας ἀνόμου καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης ἀκαθαρσίας ἐγκρατεύονται, χήραν οὐχ ὑπερορῶσιν, ὀρφανὸν οὐ λυποῦσιν ὁ ἔχων τῷ μὴ ἔχοντι ἀφθόνως ἐπιχορηγεῖ ξένον ἐὰν ἴδωσιν, ὑπὸ στέγην εἰσάγουσι, καὶ χαίρουσιν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ ὡς ἐπὶ ἀδελφῷ ἀληθινῷ: οὐ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ἀδελφοὺς ἑαυτοὺς καλοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πνεῦμα. ἕτοιμοί εἰσιν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν προέσθαι: τὰ γὰρ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ ἀσφαλῶς φυλάττουσιν, ὁσίως καὶ δικαίως ζῶντες, καθὼς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοῖς προσέταξεν, εὐχαριστοῦντες αὐτῷ κατὰ πᾶσαν ὥραν ἐν παντὶ βρώματι καὶ ποτῷ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀγαθοῖς. ### English translation (Claude) The Christians trace their descent from the Lord Jesus Christ. And he is confessed to be the Son of God most high, who came down from heaven in the Holy Spirit for the salvation of human beings; and, born of a holy virgin without seed and without corruption, he took flesh and appeared to human beings, so as to call them back from the error of many gods. And having accomplished his wonderful dispensation, he tasted death through the cross by his own will, according to a great dispensation; and after three days he came to life again and went up into the heavens. The glory of his coming you may learn, O king, from what among them is called the holy Gospel Scripture, if you read it. He had twelve disciples, who after his ascent into the heavens went out into the provinces of the inhabited world and taught his greatness; just as one of them went around the regions where we live, proclaiming the doctrine of the truth. Hence those who still serve the righteousness of their preaching are called Christians. And these are the ones who, beyond all the nations of the earth, have found the truth; for they know God, the creator and maker of all things, in the only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit, and they worship no other god besides him. They have the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ himself engraved on their hearts, and they keep them, looking for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come. They do not commit adultery, they do not commit sexual immorality, they do not bear false witness, they do not covet what belongs to others; they honor father and mother, and love their neighbors; they judge justly; what they do not wish to happen to themselves they do not do to another; they appeal to those who wrong them and make them their friends; they are eager to do good to their enemies; they are gentle and forbearing; they keep themselves from every unlawful union and from all impurity; they do not overlook the widow; they do not grieve the orphan; the one who has supplies the one who has not without grudging; if they see a stranger, they bring him under their roof and rejoice over him as over a true brother; for they call themselves brothers not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. They are ready to lay down their lives for Christ; for they keep his commands steadfastly, living holy and righteous lives, as the Lord God commanded them, giving thanks to him at every hour, for all food and drink and the other good things. ### Scripture references - Luke 1:35: allusion, medium confidence - Heb 2:9: allusion, medium confidence - Exod 20:12: allusion, high confidence - Exod 20:14: allusion, high confidence - Exod 20:16: allusion, high confidence - Exod 20:17: allusion, high confidence - Matt 7:12: allusion, high confidence - Matt 5:44: allusion, medium confidence - Jer 31:33: allusion, low confidence - Jas 1:27: echo, medium confidence ### Translation notes - “In the Holy Spirit” may also be taken with “is confessed” (“is confessed in the Holy Spirit to be the Son of God most high”); the Greek allows both. - The confession “in the only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit” may reflect the Barlaam author's wording rather than Aristides'; translated as printed. - “One of them went around the regions where we live”: in the romance setting, the apostle Thomas in India; the original reference is uncertain. ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 15 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-15). ## Apology 16 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-16 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: The Christian way is the way of truth leading to the eternal kingdom; their Scriptures confirm it, while the nations stumble in darkness. ### Greek text ὄντως οὖν αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ὁδὸς τῆς ἀληθείας, ἥτις τοὺς ὁδεύοντας αὐτὴν εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον χειραγωγεῖ βασιλείαν, τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην παρὰ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ μελλούσῃ ζωῇ. ἵνα γνῷς, βασιλεῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ ταῦτα λέγω, ταῖς Γραφαῖς ἐγκύψας τῶν Χριστιανῶν, εὑρήσεις οὐδὲν ἔξω τῆς ἀληθείας με λέγειν. καλῶς οὖν συνῆκεν ὁ υἱός σου, καὶ δικαίως ἐδιδάχθη λατρεύειν ζῶντι Θεῷ καὶ σωθῆναι εἰς τὸν μέλλοντα ἐπέρχεσθαι αἰῶνα. μεγάλα γὰρ καὶ θαυμαστὰ τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν Χριστιανῶν λεγόμενα καὶ πραττόμενα οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρώπων ῥήματα λαλοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ ἔθνη πλανῶνται καὶ πλανῶσιν ἑαυτούς ὁδεύοντες γὰρ ἐν σκότει προσρήσσονται ἑαυτοῖς ὡς μεθύοντες. ### English translation (Claude) Truly, then, this is the way of truth, which leads those who travel it to the eternal kingdom promised by Christ in the life to come. And so that you may know, O king, that I do not say these things of myself, if you look into the Scriptures of the Christians you will find that I say nothing outside the truth. Well, then, has your son understood, and rightly has he been taught to serve the living God and to be saved for the age that is to come. For great and wonderful are the things said and done by the Christians; for they speak not the words of human beings but those of God. But the other nations go astray and lead themselves astray; for walking in darkness they dash against one another like drunken men. ### Scripture references - 1 Thess 1:9: echo, low confidence - 1 John 2:11: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - “Your son”: in the Barlaam romance, the king's son Ioasaph; this sentence belongs to the romance setting, not to Aristides' original address. ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 16 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-16). ## Apology 17 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-17 - Source: Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914) - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-15 Summary: Aristides closes by urging the king to worship the Creator and heed his words, so as to escape judgment and inherit eternal life. ### Greek text ἕως ὧδε ὁ πρὸς σέ μου λόγος, βασιλεῦ, ὁ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐν τῷ νοΐ μου ὑπαγορευθείς. διὸ παυσάσθωσαν οἱ ἀνόητοί σου σοφοὶ ματαιολογοῦντες κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου: συμφέρει γὰρ ὑμῖν Θεὸν κτίστην σέβεσθαι καὶ τὰ ἄφθαρτα αὐτοῦ ἐνωτίζεσθαι ῥήματα, ἵνα, κρίσιν ἐκφυγόντες καὶ τιμωρίαν, ζωῆς ἀνωλέθρου δειχθείητε κληρονόμοι. ### English translation (Claude) Thus far, O king, my discourse to you, which was dictated in my mind by the truth. Therefore let your foolish wise men cease talking idly against the Lord; for it is to your advantage to worship God the creator and to give ear to his incorruptible words, so that, escaping judgment and punishment, you may be shown to be heirs of indestructible life. ### Citation (SBL) Aristides, Apol. 17 (Woodward–Mattingly, Barlaam and Ioasaph (Loeb 34, 1914); trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/aristides-apologia/1/#p-17).