Aristion

Aristion, one of the "elders" from whom Papias professed to have derived traditional information (Eus. H. E. iii. 39), and described by him as a personal follower of our Lord. Beyond this, there is no trustworthy information about him. The Roman Martyrology (p. 102, Ven. 1630), apparently referring to the description just quoted, states on the authority of Papias that he was one of the seventy-two disciples of Christ. It commemorates his martyrdom at Salamis in Cyprus on Feb. 22, the same day as that of Papias at Pergamus. Cotelerius conjectures that he may be the Aristo who is given as the first bp. of Smyrna (Apost. Const. vii. 45; Harnack, Altchr. Lit. i. 64; Conybeare, in Expositor, 1893).

[G.S.]