Demetrianus was a former pupil of
Lactantius
Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius (c. 250 – c. 325) was an early Christian author who became an advisor to Roman emperor, Constantine I, guiding his Christian religious policy in its initial stages of emergence, and a tutor to his son Cr ...
, but little is known about him. It was to him that Lactantius, a convert to Christianity, addressed his book ''On the Workmanship of God'' (''De Opificio Dei''), probably written in
Bithynia
Bithynia (; Koine Greek: , ''Bithynía'') was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Pa ...
around 304 C.E. In'' Divine Institutes'' 2.10.15, Lactantius also mentioned having written for Demetrianus about God’s workmanship.
Lactantius urged him not to allow wealth to lead him away from virtue (''On the Workmanship of'' God 1). In addition
Jerome
Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, th ...
wrote of Lactantius, “we have his…two books of letters to Demetrianus” (''Concerning Illustrious Men'', 80). (Only a few words of these letters survive, preserved by Jerome.) Demetrianus seems to have had an official job (''On the Workmanship of Go''d 1.4), and its description seems to contain another reference to Christianity. In 1.9 of the same book, Lactantius reminded Demetrianus where his real allegiance lay. The evidence clearly points to Demetrianus having been a Christian.
[Perrin, ''Lactance'', vol. 2, p. 231.]
References
External links
Bibliography on LactantiusThe Christianity of Demetrianus
4th-century Christians
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