Philopatris

Philopatris is the name of a dialogue found among the writings of Lucian (q.v.). It is quoted in Church history as a contribution to the heathen satires against Christianity. It is a frivolous derision of the character and doctrines of the Christians in the form of a dialogue between Critias, a professed heathen, and Triephon, an Epicurean, personating a Christian. It represents the Christians as disaffected to the government, dangerous to civil society, and delighting in public calamities. It calls St. Paul a half-bald, long-nosed Galilmean, who travelled through the air to the third heaven (2Co 12:1-4). It combats the Church doctrine of the Trinity, and of the procession of the Spirit from the Father, though not by argument, but only by ridicule. Not its intrinsic value, but its historic references, make it a valuable production. The authenticity of the work has been called in question by Gessner, in his De aetate et auctore dialogi Lucianei, qui Philop. inscribitur (Jen. 1714; Leips. 1730; Getting. 1741; et in tom. 9, ed.

Bip.), who ascribes to it a post-Nicaean age. Of like opinion are Neander (Church Hist. 2:90) and Tzschirner (Fall des Heidenthums, page 312). Niebuhr (Kleine histor. u. philolog. Schriften, 2:73) dates it from the reign of Nicephorus Phocas (963-969), but this date is generally regarded as too recent. Compare Bernhardy, Berl. Jahrb. 1832, 2:131; Ehrmaln, in Stein's Studien der evangel. Geistlichkeit Wiirtembergs, 1839, page 47; Schmid, De Philopatride Lucianeo dialogo nova dissert. (Leips. 1830); Wetzlar, De cetate, vita scriptisque Luciani Samos (Marb. 1834) ; Schaff, Ch. Hist. 2:79. (J.H.W.)