ATHENAGORAS, a Christian apologist of the 2nd century A.D., was, according to an emendator of the Paris Codex 451 of the 11th century, a native of Athens. The only sources of in formation regarding him are a short notice by Philip of Side, in Pamphylia (c. 420 A.D.), and the inscription on his principal work, the Apology. The inscription describes the Apology as the "Embassy of Athenagoras, the Athenian, a philosopher and a Christian, concerning the Christians, to the Emperors Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus, etc." The date of the Apology (IIpec43Ela irEpl X pLcrTCavc2v) may be fixed at about 177 A.D. Athenagoras also wrote a discourse on the resur rection of the body, which is not authenticated otherwise than by the titles on the various manuscripts. In the Apology, he refutes the accusations brought against the Christians of atheism, eating human flesh and licentiousness. The discourse on the resur rection attempts to prove the truth of the doctrine from con sideration of God's purpose in the creation of man, His justice and the nature of man himself. Athenagoras is a powerful and clear writer, who strives to comprehend his opponents' views and is acquainted with the classical writers. He used the Apology of Justin, but hardly the works of Aristeides or Tatian. His theology is strongly tinged with Platonism.
Translations: Humphreys (1714) ; B. P. Pratten (Ante-Nic. Fathers, Edinburgh, 1867) ; P. A. Eberhard (Munchen, 1913).
Literature: A. Harnack, Gesch. der altchr. Litt., pp. 526-58, and similar works by O. Bardenhewer and A. Ehrhard; Herzog-Hauck, Realencyk.; G. Kruger, Early Chr. Lit., p. 13o (where additional literature is cited) . In 1559 and 1612 appeared in French a work on True and Perfect Love, purporting to be a translation from the Greek of Athenagoras; it is a palpable forgery.