INTRODUCTION

THE name of “Apostolic Fathers” is so firmly established by usage that it will certainly never be abandoned; but it is not altogether a satisfactory title for the collection of writings to which it is given. It means that the writers in question may be supposed to have had personal knowledge of some of the Apostles, but not actually to have belonged to their number. Thus, for instance, Clement and Hermas are reckoned as disciples of St. Paul, and Polycarp as a disciple of St. John. It is not, however, always possible to maintain this view: Barnabas, to whom one of these writings is ascribed, was not merely a disciple of the Apostles, but belonged to their actual number, and the Didache claims in its title to belong to the circle of “the Twelve.” It should also be noted that the title does not represent any ancient tradition: there are no traces of any early collection of “Apostolic Fathers,” and each of them has a separate literary history.

There is very little important difference in the text of any of the more recent editions; but various discoveries of new MSS. and versions enable the text to be improved in detail from time to time. This is especially the case with I Clement and Hermas.

For the purposes of the present publication the text has been revised, but it has not been possible to give critical notes unless the evidence was so balanced that more than one reading was carable of defence.