Miltiades (Father Of The Church)
Miltiades was a church father of the second century whose works are all lost.
Tertullian called "Miltiades the sophist" (meaning of "rhetorician") which seems an allusion to the elegance of his style. The list of approximately retained its title suggests he was originally from Asia Minor. For the same reason, he is often compared to his contemporary Tatian and suggests he was perhaps, like himself, a pupil of Justin Martyr. But these are mere assumptions.
Eusebius , who is practically our only source, quoted him an apology, two books of controversy, one against the Greeks, the other against the Jews, both in two books. Nothing remains of these writings. Indirectly, it tells us about an anti-treaty Montanist that there may still be traces.
Eusebius informs us, therefore, that Miltiades wrote, "for the princes of this world" ( ), an apology for the "philosophy" that he practiced. These princes are vraisemblalement Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his partner, or Lucius Verus or chest , which would put the structure in 161-169 or 176-179. It recognizes the type of petition, dear to apologists of the second century and we think obviously the apologies of Justin and, more importantly, to about Christians Plea of Athenagoras who, addressing him as to Marcus Aurelius proclaimed himself "Christian philosopher" and called for this reason that Christian thought has its place among the mainstream of Greek philosophy. But the existence of a work "against the Greeks suggested rather think that, as Tatian, Miltiades rejected Greek culture as a whole. For G. Bardy, translator of Eusebius, that philosophy has here the meaning of "way of life" or "Christian conduct."
Summary |
Notes
- Several manuscripts have , which has sometimes led to believe that Militiadis addressed to the governors of the eastern provinces. Modern criticism agrees to consider this as an unfortunate addition and to agree with Rufinus who translated: ad regni Romani principles. Miltiades recipients are the emperors.
- Chapter 17 of Eusebius raises difficult and perhaps insurmountable. After introducing Miltiades "who also have composed a treatise against the heresy, all manuscripts (except one) show a Alcibiades" our brother "who" shows there should not be a prophet speaks in ecstasy. " There is clearly a writer too, and the error should go back to Eusebius or his scribe. Most modern editors correct Alcibiades Miltiades, following the copyist of a manuscript in Paris. But others prefer to correct the initial Miltiades and Alcibiades therefore make this Alcibiades, otherwise unknown, the author of the treatise. The problem is further complicated when one realizes that the anonymous author of the treatise knows another Miltiades, also otherwise unknown, who was an important figure in the Church Montanist (but at a later date than our Miltiades / Alcibiades ). Moreover, it is difficult to distinguish in Chapter 17 citing anonymous author by Eusebius of any quotation embedded in the first.
See also
Bibliography
- Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, V, 17 - were used the edition of G. Bardy, Sources Christian collection (see also footnotes);
- Tertullian, Adversus Valentianos, V;
- Labriolle Stone. Montanist Crisis - Paris, 1913, pp 163-175;
- Quasten, J. Introduction to the Fathers of the Church ... - Trad. French 1959, p. 258;
- (De) Pratscher Wilhelm, "Militades" in -Biographisch bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL), Band 5, Herzberg 1993 ( ISBN 3-8830-9043-3 ), Sp.1234-1236.
External Links
- (In) V Eusebius, 17 , trans. Early Church Fathers of the English to Schaff, the site of Calvin College. - (All the elements of a good record on Miltiades are in the notes, including a discussion of the problem Alcibiades).
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