Pseudo-Melito's Apology
From Encyclopedia of Syriac Literature
Revision as of 16:23, 1 April 2006 by 84.66.69.160 (talk)
A Syriac work ascribed to 'Melito the philosopher' exists in manuscript London BL Addit. 14658, among a range of other texts. It was published with an English translation by Cureton. The work professes to be an Apology for Christianity directed to Antoninus Caesar (i.e. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, 161-180). It belongs to the genre of the second century apologies. Brock comments (Brief intro. p.18) that because it envisages the possibility that the emperor might convert, "it is more likely to belong to the third" century.
Interestingly the work quotes 2 Peter, which was not in the early Syriac canon, and so may be evidence of translation from Greek.
Bibliography
- W. Cureton, Spicilegium Syriacum. (1855). Syriac text and English translation.
- A fresh translation was included in vol. 10 of the Ante-Nicene Fathers series.
