apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

HADRIAN, PIUS, AND MARCUS. 501
occurs in Fronto's correspondence (p. 173, Naber) and to whom Phrynichus dedicates
his Edog-t'.
It is unnecessary to refute the argument of Pitra(-4«(/.^^/tw«. 11. pp. 165, 177)
who, following Baronius, interprets
nozji homines in Capitolinus {Marcus 7
'pueros et
puellas novorum hominum fnimentariae perception! adscribi praeceperunt ')
of the
Christians, and finds in the passage a remarkable confirmation of the story of the dole
given to the Hieropolitans (see above, p. 493). By a strange error Pitra represents
Casaubon as supporting an interpretation which he distinctly rejects.
The expression
7iovi homines has a well-known meaning in Latin writers.
This Abercius of Hieropolis was credited with some literary distinction.
Baronius
had in his hands an epistle to M. Aurelius, purporting to have been written by him,
which he obviously considered genuine and which he describes as ' apostolicum
redolens spiritum,' promising to publish it in his Annals {Martyr. Rotn. Oct. 22). To
his great grief however he afterwards lost it ('
doluimus vehementer e manibus
nostris elapsam nescio quomodo '),
and was therefore unable to fulfil his promise
{An7ial. s.a. 163, n. 15).
It may be conjectured that this letter was only another
fiction belonging to the Abercius legend, having no more authority than the letter of
the emperor to Euxenianus which I have printed above. A j3t/3Xos StSatr/caX^as also
by Abercius is mentioned in the Acts {§ 39); and allusion is made to it in the Hymn
of Clemens on Abercius {Anal. Solesn. 11. p. 185 pi^Xov iepav 5t5otrKaXtas KarAtires
TrpaKTiKr]v d^daxv" t'S-ctl toTs iwi yrjs KaTayyiWovaav). It was not unusual in later
times to father a didascalia upon any famous bishop of the primitive church, as we see
in the cases of Clement, Ignatius, and Polycarp (see above, p. 351).
The follov/ing inscription has been communicated to me by Prof. Ramsay who
discovered it in Prymnessos, about 30 miles by road from Hieropolis, but very much
less across the mountains ;
ABi'pKioc . nop^ypioY • Aiakoon . KATecKeyACA . to . MeiwdpiON .
CAYTO) KAl TH CYMBiO) MOY GeYHpeniH . . . . • . KAI . TOC . TEKNOIC.
Beneath the inscription is a figure (presumably the Saviour) with the right hand
uplifted, perhaps in the act of benediction, and on either side at a lower level
are busts of a man and woman, doubtless Abircius and his wife. The style of the
monument belongs in Prof. Ramsay's opinion to the early years of the third century.
The form U6.kw (comp. Boeckh C. I. C. 9517) is startling at this early date, but
may perhaps be explained by the fact that Greek was not the vernacular language
of these parts. Unless this is the monument of some relation of the famous
Ilieropolitan bishop, it may be taken as a testimony to the popularity which he had
won for the name in these parts. In the same way we have seen a subdeacon in
Smyrna (see above, p. 437) bearing the name of its famous bishop Polycarp.
To Prof. Ramsay also I owe another Christian inscription containing the name
Abircius and found likewise in the neighbourhood of Prymnessos ;
[a]yP • AOOpoGeOC . ABipKlOY . KATeCKGYACA . TO . HpcOION . AIAYTO) .
[ka]'| . TH . MHTpi . MOY
•
MApKeAAlNH
. KAI . TOC . lAl'olC .
MOY •
[ka]| . TOIC . AN 6^101 C . MOY
•
X'^^'P^'''^ • 0' • HAplONTeC.
Above the inscription are the Christian symbols A . ^
.
03 . As the great
Abercius bore the name Marcellus, and as the mother of his namesake in this inscription
is called Marcellina, there is a presumption that the two were related.