Asterius

Asterius.

There were several ancient writers of this name.

1. A Cappadocian, converted from paganism to Christianity, who became an Arian. He flourished after the Nicene Council, about the year 330, when he published his celebrated Syntagma, or Syntagmateon, which is repeatedly mentioned by Athanasius, in which he openly declares that there is in God another wisdom than Christ, which was the creator of Christ himself and of the world. Nor would he allow that Christ was the virtue of God in any other sense than that in which Moses called the locusts "a virtue of God." Athanasius quotes from this work in his Ep. de Synod. Arimin. et Seleuc. p. 684, and elsewhere.-Baronius, Annales, 370; Lardner, Works, iii, 587 sq.

2. Bishop of Petra, in Arabia. He was originally an Arian, and accompanied the Arian bishops to the Council of Sardica in 347; but when there he renounced Arianism. Hence he suffered, and was banished into Upper Libya. In 362 he attended the council held by Athanasius at Alexandria, and was deputed to endeavor to restore union to the Church of Antioch.

3. Archbishop of Amasea; flourished about 401. Eleven sermons and homilies of his are given in Combefis, Bibl. Patr. Appendix, 1648.