Embassy for the Christians

work by Athenagoras

Also known as: “Presbeia peri Christianon”

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Last updated

June 26, 2026

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The Embassy for the Christians is a work by Athenagoras, a 2nd-century Greek Christian philosopher and apologist. Written around 177 CE, it was addressed to the Roman emperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus.1

The Embassy aimed to refute pagan accusations that Christians were disloyal and immoral. Athenagoras defended Christians against charges of atheism, cannibalism, and incest. He argued that Christians worship a single, perfect God, not in a polytheistic manner, and that their moral code, which prohibited actions like abortion and second marriages, refuted claims of sexual depravity.1

Athenagoras used Neoplatonic concepts to explain Christian beliefs to Greek and Roman audiences, asserting that Christians deserved the same rights as other citizens.1

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Athenagoras
177; Embassy for the Christians) is one of the earliest works to use Neoplatonic concepts to interpret Christian belief and worship for Greek and Roman cultures and to refute early pagan charges that Christians were disloyal and immoral.
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177; Embassy for the Christians) is one of the earliest works to use Neoplatonic concepts to interpret Christian belief and worship for Greek and Roman cultures and to refute early pagan charges that Christians were disloyal and immoral.
Read More