Apostolic Fathers
Apology to Hadrian (fragment)
Quadratus of Athens · c. 124
Historical Context
The earliest known Christian apology, addressed to the emperor Hadrian on a visit to Athens; only a single paragraph survives, quoted by Eusebius.
Summary
Quadratus appeals to the enduring evidence of Christ's miracles: that some of those healed and even raised by Jesus had lived on into his own time. It is a small but striking claim of continuous eyewitness memory into the second century.
Major Themes
- Continuous witness
- Miracles as evidence
- Apologetics
Important Quotations
“The deeds of our Saviour were always before you… some of them survived even to our own times.”— Fragment in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 4.3
Related Doctrines
Primary Sources
Further Reading
- Michael Holmes (ed.), The Apostolic Fathers