Acts of Apollonius

Brief description:

This writing appears to be an eye-witness account of the trial of Apollonius in Rome during the reign of Commodus (180-192 A.D.). Eusebius (writing in the early forth century) says that Apollonius was “a Christian celebrated for his faith and learning” and that the judge asked him to provide an account of himself in the Senate. Jerome (writing in the late fourth century) claims that he was a Roman senator, although nothing in this account suggests this.

The account survives in a Greek text and an Armenian text.

Suggested first translation(s):

An easy-to-read, modern English translation that is freely available is the one by Anthony Alcock from 2018 listed below.

English tranlsations:

• Frederick Cornwallis Conybeare (translated ~1894)
  • The Apology and Acts of Apollonius and Other Monuments of Early Christianity (published 1894) — facsimile
    • This is a translation of the Armenian text.
• Herbert Anthony Musurillo (translated ~1972)
  • The Acts of the Christian Martyrs, Oxford/Clarendon Press (published 1972) — facsimile
    • This is a translation of the Greek text.
• Éric Rebillard (translated ~2017)
  • Greek and Latin Narratives about the Ancient Martyrs, Oxford Univeristy Press (published 2017) — facsimile
• Anthony Alcock (translated ~2018)
  • The trial and martyrdom of Apollonius (published 2018) — text/PDF
    • This is a translation of the Greek text, with reference to the Armenian.