Apollinaris and
Synods on Easter Observance
Another controversy
in which Apollinaris sided with Rome concerned Easter observance. The problem
had arisen because the Asian churches were relying on the Jewish calendar in
order to relate Easter to the date of Passover, when Christ was crucified. At
Rome Easter was always observed on a Sunday; the matter had been discussed but
not resolved when Polycarp of Smyrna visited Anicetus at Rome about 155.
Disagreements also existed within the province of Asia itself, and at the end
of the second century Victor of Rome urged synods to convene “throughout the
world.” Such synods met in Palestine, at Rome, in Pontus, in Gaul, at Jerusalem
with the bishops of Caesarea and Jerusalem as presidents; at Rome under the bishop
Victor; in “Osrhoene and the cities there,” at Corinth, and in Asia (Eusebius Church
History 5.23). Eusebius, who lists these synods, says that outside Asia
they unanimously agreed that Easter should always be observed on a Sunday. He
does not cite any evidence from Phrygia.
Obviously the
unanimity was incomplete, for the Asians did not agree with the others. In addition,
Eusebius seems to have misunderstood his excerpts from the letter of the
Palestinians. They discussed their own apostolic tradition about the Passover
and ended with this warning: “Try to send copies of our letter to every church,
so that we may not be responsible for those who readily lead their own souls
astray. We inform you that also in Alexandria they observe the same day as we
do; for documents are exchanged between us so that we observe the holy day in
agreement and together” (Ibid., 5.25). The Palestinians were trying to give
publicity to their own minority report, evidently without success. Perhaps the
stand taken by Narcissus of Jerusalem explains why he was mysteriously
slandered and mysteriously disappeared from the episcopate, though later
restored to reach the age of 116 (Ibid., 6.9-10; 11.3). As for Alexandria, a
fragment from Irenaeus was addressed “to an Alexandrian to the effect that it
is right, with respect to the Feast of the Resurrection, that we should celebrate
it upon the first day of the week” (Irenaeus, Syriac frag. 27, II 456). The Alexandrian
evidently did not celebrate the feast on a Sunday. Polycrates of Ephesus may
have claimed the Palestinians and the Alexandrians for the Quartodeciman side,
which celebrated Easter on the fourteenth of the Jewish month Nisan.
He also claimed “Philip
of the twelve apostles, who sleeps at Hierapolis” as a Quartodeciman.
Presumably the present bishop Apollinaris stood with Rome against other Asians.
(Robert M. Grant, Greek Apologists of the Second Century [Philadelphia:
The Westminster Press, 1988], 89-90)
