Eusebius Book 4, Section 26

4.26.1

XXVI. Ἐπὶ τῶνδε καὶ Μελίτων τῆς ἐν Σάρδεσιν παροικίας ἐπίσκοπος Ἀπολινάριός τε τῆς ἐν Ἱεραπόλει διαπρεπῶς ἤκμαζον, οἳ καὶ τῷ δηλω- θέντι κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους ‘ Ρωμαίων βασιλεῖ λόγους ὑπὲρ τῆς πίστεως ἰδίως ἑκάτερος ἀπολογίας προσεφώνησαν. τούτων εἰς ἡμετέραν γνῶσιν ἀφῖκται τὰ ὑποτεταγμένα· Μελίτωνος, τὰ Περὶ τοῦ πάσχα δύο καὶ τὸ Περὶ πολιτείας καὶ προφητῶν καὶ ὁ Περὶ ἐκκλησίας καὶ ὁ Περὶ κυριακῆς λόγος, ἔτι δὲ ὁ Περὶ πίστεως ἀνθρώπου καὶ ὁ Περὶ πλάσεως, καὶ ὁ Περὶ ὑπακοῆς πίστεως καὶ Περὶ] αἰσθητηρίων καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ὁ Περὶ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος [ ηνενοισ] καὶ ὁ Περὶ λουτροῦ καὶ Περὶ ἀληθείας καὶ Περὶ πίστεως καὶ γενέσεως χριστοῦ καὶ λόγος αὐτοῦ προφητείας καὶ Περὶ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος καὶ ὁ Περὶ φιλοξενίας καὶ ἡ Κλεὶς καὶ τὰ Περὶ τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῆς Ἀποκαλύψεως Ἰωάννου καὶ ὁ Περὶ ἐνσωμάτου θεοῦ, ἐπὶ πᾶσι καὶ τὸ Πρὸς Ἀντωνῖνον βιβλίδιον.

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XXVI. In their time, too, Melito, bishop of the diocese of Sardis, and Apolinarius, bishop of Hierapolis, were at the height of their fame, and each addressed apologetic arguments of his own to the emperor of the Romans of that day, who has been already mentioned. The following of their works have come to our knowledge. Of Melito: two books On the Passover, a treatise On Christian Life and the Prophets, On the Church, and On the Lord's Day; besides these, On the Faith of Man, and On Creation, and On the Obedience of Faith, and On the Senses; besides these, On the Soul and Body, and On Baptism and Truth and Faith and Christ's Birth, and a treatise on prophecy and On Soul and Body, and On Hospitality, and the Key, and the books On the Devil and the Apocalypse of John, and On God Incarnate; above all, the little book To Antoninus.

4.26.2

Ἐν μὲν οὖν τῷ Περὶ τοῦ πάσχα τὸν χρόνον καθ’ ὅν συνέταττεν, ἀρχόμενος σημαίνει ἐν τούτοις· “ ἐπὶ Σερουιλλίου Παύλου ἀνθυπάτου τῆς Ἀσίας, ᾧ Σάγαρις καιρῷ ἐμαρτύρησεν, ἐγένετο ζήτησις πολλὴ ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ περὶ τοῦ πάσχα, ἐμπεσόντος κατὰ καιρὸν ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις, καὶ ἐγράφη παῦτα.” τούτου δὲ τοῦ λόγου μέμνηται Κλήμης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεὺς ἐν ἰδίῳ Περὶ τοῦ πάσχα λόγῳ, ὃν ὡς ἐξ αἰτίας τῆς τοῦ Μελίτωνος γραφῆς φησιν ἑαυτὸν συντάξαι. ἐν δὲ τῷ πρὸς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα βιβλίῳ τοιαῦτά τινα καθ’ ἡμῶν ἐπ’ αὐτοῦ γεγονέναι ἱστορεῖ· “ τὸ γὰρ οὐδεπώποτε γενόμενον , νῦν διώκεται τὸ τῶν θεοσεβῶν γένος καινοῖς ἐλαυ- νόμενον δόγμασιν κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν. οἱ γὰρ ἀναιδεῖς συκοφάνται καὶ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐραστασὶ τὴν ἐκ τῶν διαταγμάτων ἔχοντες ἀφορμήν, φανερῶς λῃστεύουσι, νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ’ ἡμέραν διαρπάζοντες τοὺς μηδὲν ἀδικοῦντας.” καὶ μεθ’ ἕτερά φησιν· “ καὶ εἰ μὲν ἀοῦ κελεύσαντος τοῦτο πράττεται, ἕστω καλῶς γινόμενον· δίκαιος γὰρ βασιλεὺς οὐκ ἂν ἀδίκως βουλεύσαιτο πώποτε, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἡδέως φέρομεν τοῦ τοιούτου θανάτου τὸ γέρας· ταύτην δέ ἀοῖ μόνην προσφέρομεν δέησιν ἵνα αὐτὸς πρότερον ἐπιγνοὺς τοὺς τῆς τοιαύτης φιλονεικίας ἐργάτας, δικαίως κρίνειας εἰ ἄξιοι θανάτου καὶ τιμωρίας ἢ σωτηρίας καὶ ἡσυχίας εἰσίν. εἰ δὲ καὶ παρὰ σοῦ μὴ εἴη ἡ βουλὴ αὕτη καὶ τὸ καινὸν τοῦτο διάταγμα, ὃ μηδὲ κατὰ βαρβάρων πρέπει πολεμίων, πολὺ μᾶλλον δεόμεθά ἀοῦ μὴ περιιδεῖν ἡμᾶς ἐν τοιαύτη δημώδει λεηλασίᾳ.” τούτοις αὖθις ἐπιφέρει λέγων· “ ἡ γὰρ καθ’ ἡμᾶς Φιλοσοφία πρό· μὲν ἐν βαρβάροις ἥκμασεν, ἐπανθήσασα δὲ τοῖς σοῖς ἕθνέσιν κατὰ τὴν Αὐγούστου τοῦ σοῦ προγόνου μεγάλην ἀρχήν, ἐγενήθη μάΛιστα τῇ σῇ βασιλείᾳ αἴσιον ἀγαθόν. ἔκτοτε γὰρ εἰς μέγα καὶ λαμπρὸν τὸ ‘ Ῥωμαίων ηὐξήθη κράτος· οὗ σὺ διάδοχος εὐκταῖος γέγονάς τε καὶ ἔση μετὰ τοῦ παιδός, φυλάσσων τῆς βασιλείας τὴν σύντροφον καὶ συναρξαμένην Αὐγούστῳ φιλοσοφίαν , ἢν καὶ οἱ πρόγονοί σου πρὸς ταῖς ἄλλαις θρῃσκείαις ετιμησαν, καὶ τοῦτο μεγιστον τεκμήριον του πρὸς ἀγαθοῦ τὸν καθ’ ἡμᾶς λόγον συνακμάσαι τῆ καλῶς ἀρξαμένῃ βασιλείᾳ, ἐκ τοῦ μηδὲν φαῦλον ἀπὸ τῆς Αὐγούστου ἀρχῆς ἀπαντῆσαι, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἅπαντα λαμπρὰ καὶ ἔνδοξα κατὰ τὰς πάντων εὐχάς. μόνοι πάντων, ἀναπεισθέντες ὑπό τινων βασκάνων ἀνθρώπων, τὸν καθ’ ἡμᾶς ἐν διαβολῇ καταστῆσαι λόγον ἠθέλησαν Νέρων καὶ Δομετιανός, ἀφ’ ὧν καὶ τὸ τῆς συκοφαντίας ἀλόγῳ συνηθείᾳ περὶ τοὺς τοιούτους ῥυῆναι συμβέβηκεν ψεῦδος· ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ἄγνοιαν οἱ σοὶ εὐσεβεῖς πατέρες ἐπηνωρθώσαντο, πολλάκις πολλοῖς ἐπιπλήξαντες ἐγγράφως, ὅσοι περὶ τούτων νεωτερίσαι ἐτόλμησαν· ἐν οἷς ὁ μὲν πάππος σου Ἁδριανὸς πολλοῖς μὲν καὶ ἄλλοις, καὶ Φουνδανῷ δὲ τῷ ἀνθυπάτῳ, ἡγουμένῳ δὲ τῆς Ἀσίας, γράφων φαίνεται, ὁ δὲ πατήρ ἀοῦ, καὶ σοῦ τὰ σύμπαντα διοικοῦντος αὐτῷ, ταῖς πόλεσι περὶ τοῦ μηδὲν νεωτερίζειν περὶ ἡμῶν ἔγραφεν, ἐν οἷς καὶ πρὸς νεωτερίζειν καὶ πρὸς Φεσσαλονικεῖς καὶ Ἀθηναίους καὶ πρὸς πάντας Ἕλληνας. ἀὲ δὲ καὶ μᾶλλον περὶ τούτων τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκείνοις ἔχοντα γνώμην καὶ πολύ γε φιλανθρωποτέραν καὶ φιλοσοφωτέραν, πεπείσμεθα πάντα πράσσειν ὅσα σου δεόμεθα.”

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At the beginning of the book On the Passover he indicates the time at which he was composing it as follows: “In the time of Servillius Paulus, proconsul of Asia, at the time when Sagaris was martyred, there was a great discussion about the Passover, which fell according to the season in those days, and this was written.” Clement of Alexandria mentions this treatise in his own On the Passover, which he says that he compiled in consequence of the writing of Melito. And in the book to the emperor he relates that in his time we were treated as follows: “It has never before happened as it is now that the race of the religious should be persecuted and driven about by new decrees throughout Asia. For shameless informers and lovers of other people's property have taken advantage of the decrees, and pillage us openly, harrying night and day those who have done nothing.” And after other points he says: “And if this is done as your command, let it be assumed that it is well done, for no righteous king would ever have an unrighteous policy, and we gladly bear the honour of such death. But we submit to you this single request, that you will first take cognizance yourself of the authors of such strife, and judge righteously whether they are worthy of death and punishment, or of acquittal and immunity. But if it be not from you that there comes this counsel and this new decree (and it would be improper even against barbarian enemies), we beseech you all the more not to neglect us in this brigandage by a mob.” He then continues as follows: “Our philosophy first grew up among the barbarians, but its full flower came among your nation in the great reign of your ancestor Augustus, and became an omen of good to your empire, for from that time the power of the Romans became great and splendid. You are now his happy successor, and shall be so along with your son, if you protect the philosophy which grew up with the empire and began with Augustus. Your ancestors nurtured it together with the other cults, and the greatest proof that our doctrine flourished for good along with the empire in its noble beginning is the fact that it met no evil in the reign of Augustus, but on the contrary everything splendid and glorious according to the wishes of all men. The only emperors who were ever persuaded by malicious men to slander our teaching were Nero and Domitian, and from them arose the lie, and the unreasonable custom of falsely accusing Christians. But their ignorance was corrected by your pious fathers, who wrote many rebukes to many, whenever any dared to take new measures against Christians. Your grandfather Hadrian shows this in his letters to many, and especially to the proconsul Fundanus, the governor of Asia, and your father, while you were joined with him in the administration of the world, wrote to the cities that no new measures should be taken concerning us. Among these are letters to the Larisians and to the Thessalonians and the Athenians and to all the Greeks. Since you hold the same opinion about them and, indeed, one which is far kinder and more philosophic, we are persuaded of your doing all which we beg of you.”

4.26.3

Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τῷ δηλωθέντι τέθειται λόγῳ· ἐν δὲ ταῖς γραφείσαις αὐτῷ Ἐκλογαῖς ὁ αὐτὸς κατὰ τὸ προοίμιον ἀρχόμενος τῶν ὁμολογουμένων τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης γραφῶν ποιεῖται κατάλογον· ὃν καὶ ἀναγκαῖον ἐνταῦθα καταλέξαι, γράφει δὲ οὕτως· “ Μελίτων Ὀνησίμῳ τῷ ἀδελφῷ χαίρειν. ἐπειδὴ πολλάκις ἠξίωσας, σπουδῇ τῇ πρὸς τόν λόγον χρώμενος, γενέσθαι σοι ἐκλογὰς ἔκ τε τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος καὶ πάσης τῆς πίστεως ἡμῶν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ μαθεῖν τὴν τῶν παλαιῶν βιβλίων ἐβουλήθης ἀκρίβειαν πόσα τὸν ἀριθμὸν καὶ ὁποῖα τὴν τάξιν εἶεν, ἐσπούδασα τὸ τοιοῦτο πρᾶξαι, ἐπιστάμενός ἀοῦ τὸ σπουδαῖον περὶ τὴν πίστιν καὶ φιλομαθὲς περὶ τὸν λόγον ὅτι τε μάλιστα πάντων πόθῳ τῷ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ταῦτα προκρίνεις, περὶ τῆς αἰωνίου σωτηρίας ἀγωνιζόμενος. ἀνελθὼν οὗν εἰς τὴν ἀνατολὴν καὶ ἕως τοῦ τόπου γενόμενος ἔνθα ἐκηρύχθη καὶ ἐπράχθη, καὶ ἀκριβῶς μαθὼν τὰ τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης βιβλία, ὑποτάξας ἔπεμψά σοι· ὧν ἐστι τὰ ὀνόματα· Μωυσέως πέντε, Γένεσις Ἔξοδος Ἀριθμοὶ Λευιτικὸν Δευτερονόμιον, Ἰησοῦς Ναυῆ, Κριταί, Ῥούθ, Βασιλειῶν τέσσαρα, Παραλειπομένων δύο, Ψαλμῶν Δαυίδ, Σολομῶνος Παροιμίαι ἡ καὶ Σοφία, Ἐκκλησιαστής, Ἆισμα Ἀισμάτων, Ἰὼβ, Προφητῶν Ἡσαΐου Ἱερεμίου τῶν δώδεκα ἐν μονοβίβλῳ Δανιὴλ, Ἰεζεκιήλ, Ἔσδρας· ἐξ ὧν καὶ τὰς ἐκλογὰς ἐποιησάμην, εἰς ἓξ βιβλία διελών.” καὶ τὰ μὲν τοῦ Μελίτωνος τοσαῦτα.

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These words are found in the treatise quoted, but in the Extracts which he wrote the same writer begins in his preface by making a list of the recognized scriptures of the Old Testament, which it is necessary to enumerate here, and he writes as follows: “Melito to Onesimus his brother, greeting. Since you often desired, in your zeal for the true word, to have extracts from the Law and the Prophets concerning the Saviour, and concerning all our faith, and, moreover, since you wished to know the accurate facts about the ancient writings, how many they are in number, and what is their order, I have taken pains to do thus, for I know your zeal for the faith and interest in the word, and that in your struggle for eternal salvation you esteem these things more highly than all else in your love towards God. Accordingly when I came to the east and reached the place where these things were preached and done, and learnt accurately the books of the Old Testament, I set down the facts and sent them to you. These are their names: five books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Joshua the son of Nun, Judges, Ruth, four books of Kingdoms, two books of Chronicles, the Psalms of David, the Proverbs of Solomon and his Wisdom, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, Job, the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, the Twelve in a single book, Daniel, Ezekiel, Ezra. From these I have made extracts and compiled them in six books.” Such are the facts about Melito.