Asterius

ASTERIUS, as-tî´re-Us: Name of twenty-five writers mentioned in Fabricius-Harles (Bibliotheca Græca, ix, Hamburg, 1804, 513–522). The following axe the more important:

1. Asterius Urbanus: Montanist, editor of a collection of oracles used by the anti-Montanist mentioned in Eusebius, Hist. Eccl., V, xvi, 17.

G. Krüger.

Bibliography: ANF, vii, 333–337 (contains introduction and Eng. transl. of fragments); cf. Eusebius. Hist. Eccl. by McGiffert, NPNF, 2d series, i, 232, note 27.

2. Asterius of Cappadocia: A teacher of rhetoric, converted from paganism to Christianity. He relapsed in the persecution under Maximianus (c. 305), and, notwithstanding the support of the semi-Arian party, could not afterward attain to ecclesiastical dignities. Theologically he was a disciple 336of Lucian of Antioch (see Lucian the Martyr) and represented Arianism in a mild form. According to Jerome (De vir ill., xciv) he wrote commentaries on the Epistle to the Romans, the Gospels, and the Psalms.

G. Krüger.

Bibliography: T. Zahn, Marcellus von Ancyra, pp. 38 sqq., Gotha, 1867.

3. Bishop of Petra in Arabia. He was originally a follower of Eusebius, but renounced the party at Sardica in 343, and was banished to Libya. In 362 he took part in the synod held at Alexandria.

G. Krüger.

Bibliography: DCB, i, 177–178.

4. Bishop of Amasia in Pontus from 378; d. before 431. He was a famous pulpit orator of the ancient Greek Church; of his homilies, which have historical importance, twenty-one are wholly extant, and extracts from six others are given by Photius (codex 271). They are in MPG, xl.

G. Krüger.

Bibliography: K. F. W. Paniel, Pragmatische Geschichte der christlichen Beredsamkeit, i, part 2, 562–582, Leipsic, 1841; L. Koch, in ZHT, xli (1871), 77–107; DCB, i, 178; Krüger, History, p 367.