Aristocritus (Ancient Greek: Ἀριστόκριτος) was a Christian, Platonist writer of the fifth century who was the author of a work titled Theosophy, ostensibly about oracles, but in which he expressed a controversial syncretic belief that Christianity, Judaism, and Manichaeism were all basically the same. This belief caused him to be condemned by Zacharias Rhetor as well as in various later Byzantine texts. He is known to us primarily by his mention in a list of medieval anathemas, written around the year 1000, known as the Long Anathema, primarily aimed at Manichaeans. His identification as a Manichaean is however considered somewhat dubious, as he was known to write uncharitable things about Mani himself.
Theosophy is a lost work, though some scholars have identified this with the so-called Theosophy of Tübingen. Other scholars disagree that these are the same works.
References
- Curnow, Trevor (2006). The Philosophers of the Ancient World: An A-Z Guide. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781849667708. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
- ^ Lieu, S.N.C. (2015). Manichaeism in Mesopotamia and the Roman East. Brill Publishers. pp. 120, 121, 124, 232. ISBN 9789004295810. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
- ^ Lieu, Samuel N. C. (1985). "From Constantine to Jovian". Manichaeism in the Later Roman Empire and Medieval China: A Historical Survey. Manchester University Press. p. 108. ISBN 9780719010880. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
- Pearse, Roger (2021). "Did Aristocritus identify Zoroaster and Christ?". Thoughts on Antiquity, Patristics, Information Access, and More. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
- Brinkmann, A. (1896). "Die Theosophie des Aristokritos". Rheinische Museum für Philologie (51). JD Sauerländer's Verlag: 273–80.