Folia Theologica 21. (2010)

Perendy László: An Enigmatic Apology - Aristides on God's created world

AN ENIGMATIC APOLOGY

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C. Vona examines the criticism of the adoration of each element. The sky was adored by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Hittites, the Persians54 55, but it was regarded as divine also by several Greek philosophers: "In quanto alia filosofia greca ricordiamo: Anassimand- ro, Diels, o.c. 304, à7tecpf|vaxo xoùç àneipouç oùpavoùç Geoùç; Senocrate, Diels, 304, 0eôv 5’eîvat Kai xôv oùpavôv Pitagora, Diels, 589,acopa Aiyet eivat xôv 0eôv,xoûx’ èaxiv xôv oùpavôv; (...).55The earth was worshipped also by the Egyptians, and the Phrygians. The following Greek philosophers thought that it was the principle of all beings: Archaelaus, Xenophanes, Parmenides, the Stoics, and Empedocles. Vona gives a very detailed description of the possible sources of Aristides.56

The characteristics of the Jewish apologies are obvious also in this part of the Apology, as they are pointed out by Berthold Altaner, referring to Philo: "In der Polemik gegen die Barbaren (Chaldäer), welche die vier Elemente u. die Gestirne verehren u. auch Menschen göttliche Ehren erweisen (Kp.3/7), ist A. von der sehr agressiven jüdischen Apologetik abhängig, welche die Unvernünftigkeit des Götzendienstes dartut (,..)."57

No matter how detailed the description of the elements is, Aristides has one main aim: to point at the contrast between the corruptible elements and their eternal Creator. In C. Vona's words: "Passando poi alia considerazione dei singoli elementi, Tautore ribadisce un principio fondamentale: il contrasta fra il concetto del vero Dio e gli elementi. Dio infatti è immutabile, incorruttibile e invisibile e causa di tutte le variazioni ehe avvengono negli esseri."58 59 So human beings should not

54 Cf. Duchesne-Guillemin, J., Ormazd et Ahriman. L'aventure dualiste dans l'antiquité, Paris 1953.

55 Vona, C., L’Apologia di Aristide, 81.

56 Ibid. 81-88.

57 Altaner, B., Aristides von Athen, in Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum, I. Stuttgart 1950. 652-654, especially 653.

58 Vona, C., L'Apologia di Aristide, 59.

59 For further information on Aristides, see also the following works: Alfonsi, L., La teológia della storia nelV “Apologia" di Aristide, in Augustinianum 16 (1976) 37-40. Essig, K-G., Erwägungen zum geschichtlichen Ort der Apologie des Aristides, in Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte 97 (1986) 163-188. Harris, H. B. - Harris, J. R., The Newly Recovered Apology of Aristides. Its doctrine and ethics, London 1893. Ogara, F., Aristidis et epistolae ad Diognetum cum Theophilo