The Apologists · AD 130–180 · External witness

Diognetus

fl. mid-2nd c. (death unrecorded) · Pagan inquirer · Addressee of the Epistle to Diognetus · Unknown (Greek East)

External witness

Who Diognetus was

“Most excellent Diognetus” — the courteous pagan to whom the anonymous epistle answers three questions he had evidently asked: what God the Christians trust, why they scorn the world's gods and the Jews' scruples alike, and why this new race entered the world so late. He is known only through the letter that honours his curiosity; the old identification with Diognetus the painting-master of Marcus Aurelius (named in the Meditations) is an established scholarly conjecture, attractive and unprovable. The named inquirer behind the loveliest of the apologies.

Also listed in non-christian witnesses.

Common questions

When was Diognetus active?

Diognetus is dated fl. mid-2nd c. (death unrecorded) in the archive, which places Diognetus in the Apologists (AD 130–180). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.

Which early sources mention Diognetus?

Diognetus is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Marcus Aurelius and The anonymous apologist. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.

Where was Diognetus from?

The archive associates Diognetus with Unknown (Greek East).

Who were Diognetus’ contemporaries?

The archive links Diognetus to 2 other figures, including The Epistle to Diognetus (anonymous) and Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.

Primary-source mentions (2)

Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.

Meditations I.6 (possibly the same Diognetus, the emperor's tutor — identification debated)

c. AD 175

From Diognetus: not to busy myself about trifling things.

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations I.6 · source text

Epistle to Diognetus 1

c. AD 180

Since I see, most excellent Diognetus, that thou art exceedingly anxious to understand the religion of the Christians… I welcome this thy zeal.

The anonymous apologist · 1 · source text

Names proposed by later tradition

Diognetus, tutor of Marcus Aurelius

The emperor thanks a Diognetus (Meditations I.6) for teaching him to distrust wonder-workers — the identification proposed by the older editors remains possible, not provable.