Saint Athenogenes
Saint Athenogenes is a Christian author praised by Saint Basil for his testimony on the divinity of the Holy Spirit. The historian Baronius suggests that he might be the true author of the apology for Christianity addressed to the emperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, often attributed to Athenagoras.
Guided reading
4 reading sections
SAINT ATHENOGENES.
Testimony of Saint Basil
The entry relates the testimony cited by Saint Basil.
Saint Athenogenes was excellently praised by Saint Basil in his *Tre atise on the Holy Spir it*. This great doctor cites his testimony in favor of t he divinity of the Holy Spirit.
Homonymic Distinction
The work distinguishes a bishop of Sebaste bearing the same name.
There was also a bishop of S ebaste who bore the same name. He will be discussed further on.
Baronius's Hypothesis
The connection with Athenagoras is presented as an hypothesis.
Baronius suspects that Saint Athenogenes might well be the author of the fine apology for Christianity addressed to the emperors Marcus Aure lius and Co mmodus, and commonly attributed to an Athe nagoras about whom absolutely nothing is known. According to this opinion, the name of Athenagoras would be merely an alteration of Athenogenes.
Source and Editorial Note
This entry reproduces the historical text of the Petits Bollandistes, proofread against digitized pages. The traditions and assessments of the author belong to the era of the work.
Paul Guérin, Les Petits Bollandistes, volume 1, p. 462. Digitized copy from the Bibliothèque nationale de France: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k30731s
Editorial note: The connection with Athenagoras is an hypothesis reported by the Petits Bollandistes, and not an established identification. The entry also distinguishes a bishop of Sebaste bearing the name of Athenogenes.
Entities
Narrative network
The names, places, and concepts most present in the entry, weighted by centrality in the text.
Frequently asked questions about Saint Athenogenes
Who was Saint Athenogenes?
Saint Athenogenes is a Christian author praised by Saint Basil for his testimony on the divinity of the Holy Spirit. The historian Baronius suggests that he might be the true author of the apology for Christianity addressed to the emperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, often attributed to Athenagoras.
Annexes & related entities
Structured data for exploration: events, miracles, quotes, places, attributes, patronages, and important entities cited in the text.
Key Events
- Cited by Saint Basil in his Treatise on the Holy Spirit
- Possible identification as the author of an apology for Christianity under Marcus Aurelius and Commodus