The Apology of Aristides was frequently mentioned in late antiquity, but was thought lost until the surviving Syriac version was recovered in 1889. In this second-century defense of Christianity, Athenian philosopher Aristides explains to the Emperor why the Christian way of worship is the only philosophically adequate one. He contrasts Christianity to the "barbarian" worship of the elements, Greek worship of many gods with all-too-human immoralities, and Jewish worship of the angels. The text concludes with praise of Christian virtue and condemnation of the persecution of Christianity. This translation from the Syriac version is copiously annotated and ideal for scholars of antiquity, classics, and early Christian studies.