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The Pseudo–Justinian “Oratio ad Graecos”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2011

Erwin R. Goodenough
Erwin R. Goodenough
Affiliation:
Yale University
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Extract

The “Oratio ad Graecos” is to be found in the third volume of Otto's “Corpus Apologetarum Christianorum,” and in Harnack's “Die pseudo-justinische Rede an die Griechen.” It represents itself as a defence for turning from the religion of the Greeks to the religion of the Logos, and presents its case most vigorously. The document opens with the traditional denunciation of the immoralities of the Greek gods and heroes, a purely Greek polemic which was begun at least as far back as Xenophanes. To this subject the author adds nothing, but presents an excellent epitome of the usual arguments. He then discusses the current way of living among the Greeks, and says that he rejected it with loathing; he justifies his opinion with a half-dozen vivid statements about Greek practices. From commenting upon the Greek religion and morality he turns in contrast to describe with equal pithiness the high moral and spiritual character of his new faith, exhorting his former associates to find the same peace and exaltation which the change has meant to him. The writer has remarkable power of going to the heart of what he discusses.

Type
Research Article
Information
Harvard Theological Review , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , April 1925 , pp. 187 - 200
Copyright
Copyright © President and Fellows of Harvard College 1925

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References

1 Sitzungsberichte, Berlin Academy, 1896, pp. 634 ff.

2 The translation is made from the text as printed by Harnack.

3 Cornutus, c. 16 (ed. Lang, p. 20), following the text as altered by E. Krebs, Der Logos als Heiland im ersten Jahrhundert, Freib. i. B., 1910, p. 34, n. 2.

4 C. Apion, ii, 275, ed. Niese; cf. ii, 242 ff.

5 Ibid., ii, 256.

6 § 97. One familiar with Philo will recognize that in this passage Philo is adapting to the Old Testament account of the cities of refuge his famous doctrine of the descending powers of the Logos as described in Quaest. in Exod. ii, 68; Harris, Fragments of Philo, p. 67. Paul's race to the goal in Phil. 3, 13 finds here a striking parallel.

7 De Somniis, ii, 265–267.

8 De congressu quaerendae eruditionis gratia, 34 ff.

9 A free paraphrase of Quod deus sit immutabilis, 152 ff. From Hans Windisch, Die Frömmigkeit Philos, Leipzig, 1909, p. 31, n. 5.

10 Handbuch zum Neuen Testament: Römerbrief, pp. 34 f.

11 Sitzungsberichte, Berlin Academy, 1896, p. 646.

12 In my Theology of Justin Martyr, Jena, 1923, pp. 139–142.

13 Handbuch zum Neuen Testament: An die Galater, 1910, p. 246.

14 Antiq. xiv, 110 (Niese). Cf. Schürer, Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, 11, ii, pp. 314 ff.