178. Apolinarius of Hierapolis. Miltiades. (Chapter 13: Literature of the Ante-Nicene Church, and Biographical Sketches o...) (History of the Christian Church) (Schaff, Philip)

Claudius Apolinarius,1 bishop of Hierapolis in Phrygia, a successor of Papias, was a very active apologetic and polemic writer about a.d. 160-180. He took a leading part in the Montanist and Paschal controversies. Eusebius puts him with Melito of Sardis among the orthodox writers of the second century, and mentions four of his �many works� as known to him, but since lost, namely an �Apology� addressed to Marcus Aurelius (before 174). �Five books against the Greeks� �Two books on Truth.� �Two books against the Jews.� He also notices his later books �Against the heresy of the Phrygians� (the Montanists), about 172.

Apolinarius opposed the Quartodeciman observance of Easter, which Melito defended. Jerome mentions his familiarity with heathen literature, but numbers him among the Chiliasts. The latter is doubtful on account of his opposition to Montanism. Photius praises his style. He is enrolled among the saints.

Miltiades was another Christian Apologist of the later half of the second century whose writings are entirely lost. Eusebius mentions among them an �Apology� addressed to the rulers of the world, a treatise �against the Greeks,� and another �against the Jews;� but be gives no extracts. Tertullian places him between Justin Martyr and Irenaeus.