ASTERIUS

asterius, of cappadocia, sophist and teacher of rhetoric in galatia, was converted to christianity about the year 300, and became the disciple of lucian, the founder of the school of antioch. during the persecution under maximian (304) he relapsed into paganism, and thus, though received again into the church by lucian and supported by the eusebian party, never attained to ecclesiastical office. he is best known as an able defender of the semi-arian position, and was styled by athanasius the "advocate" of the arians. his chief work was the _syntagmation_, but he wrote many others, including commentaries on the gospels, the psalms, and romans. he attended many synods, and we last hear of him at the synod of antioch in 341.