Aste'rius

(Ἀστέριος), succeeded Eulalius as bishop of Amaseia in Pontus, in the latter part of the fourth century. He had been educated in his youth by a Scythian slave.

Works

Homilies

Several of his homilies are still extant, and extracts from others, which have perished, have been preserved by Photius. (Cod. 271.) He belonged to the orthodox party in the Arian controversy, and seems to have lived to a great age.

Other figures named Asterius

Fabricius (Bibl. Graec. ix. p. 519, &c.) gives a list of 25 other persons of this name, many of whom were dignitaries of the church, and lived about the end of the fourth or the beginning of the fifth century.

Asterius the Cappadocian

Among them we may notice Asterius, a Cappadocian, who embraced Christianity, but apostatized in the persecution under Diocletian and Maximian (about A. D. 304). He subsequently returned to the Christian faith, and joined the Arian party, but on account of his apostasy was excluded from the dignity of bishop to which he aspired. He was the author of several theological works. There was also an Asterius of Scythopolis, whom St. Jerome (Epist. 83, ad Magnum Orat.) mentions as one of the most celebrated ecclesiastical writers.

[C.P.M]