Melito of Sardis

Melito (also Meliton ) was in the 2nd century Bishop of Sardis and died around 180 AD

We only know of Eusebius of Caesarea about his life. Melito one of the early apologists and is particularly by his Easter sermon from Passa, which is preserved in various sources, become famous. It also appears for the first time in the history of the theory of deicide.

His Passapredigt about Israel's Exodus from Egypt increases its guilt for the death of Jesus to the mythological world crime:

From this he stated the current suffering of the Jews after their dispersion in the Roman Empire.

As an apologist Melito defended Christianity, especially against Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

Melito of Sardis wants to have traveled to the Holy Land itself, in order to sift through the writings of the Old Testament and catalog. His records show a strong close to the Jewish canon of the Tanach.

In the Paschal controversy he scored an important representative of the Quartodezimaner who demanded a celebration of Easter on 14 Nisan.

Editions and translations

• Melito Sardianus: Sur la pâque et fragments. Edited by Othmar Perler, Paris 1966.
• Melito of Sardis: From Passover. The oldest Christian Easter sermon. Übers v. Joseph Blank, Freiburg 1963.