Apology of Aristides
Brief description:
This written defense of Christianity is probably the earliest surviving example of such a defense, or apology, as they are often called. It was written by a man named Aristides from Athens and was presented to the Roman Emperor, probably some time around 125 A.D., although possibly as late as the middle of the second century. The full text of this Apology (in a Syriac translation of the Greek original) was not rediscovered until 1889.
Suggested first translation(s):
Both of the below works have translations from the Syriac in fairly easy-to-read English.
English translations:
- James Rendel Harris (translated ~1891)
- The Apology of Aristides on behalf of the Christians (published 1891/1893) — facsimile
- The Apology of Aristides on behalf of the Christians (published 1891) — text/HTML
- David Miller Kay (translated ~1896)
- Ante-Nicene Fathers volume 9 (published 1896)