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Tatian · Author Profile

Tatian of Adiabene, or Tatian the Syrian or Tatian the Assyrian, (; Latin: Tatianus; Ancient Greek: Τατιανός; Classical Syriac: ܛܛܝܢܘܣ; c. 120 – c. 180 AD) was an Assyrian Christian writer and theologian of the 2nd century. In this library, Tatian is linked to 1 document, including Address to the Greeks.

Activity
AD 120 - AD 180
Documents in this library
1
Corpus date window
AD 165

History and Context

Tatian of Adiabene, or Tatian the Syrian or Tatian the Assyrian, (; Latin: Tatianus; Ancient Greek: Τατιανός; Classical Syriac: ܛܛܝܢܘܣ; c. 120 – c. 180 AD) was an Assyrian Christian writer and theologian of the 2nd century. Tatian's most influential work is the Diatessaron, a Biblical paraphrase, or "harmony", of the four gospels that became the standard text of the four gospels in the Syriac-speaking churches until the 5th-century, after which it gave way to the four separate gospels in the Peshitta version. Concerning the date and place of his birth, little is known beyond what Tatian tells about himself in his Oratio ad Graecos, chap. xlii (Ante-Nicene Fathers, ii. 81–82): that he was born in "the land of the Assyrians", scholarly consensus is that he died c. Tatian is described in reference records as theologian, philosopher, and writer. Place associations in major reference datasets include Assyria. The documents preserved here span AD 165 and include Address to the Greeks (1 total).

What We Know

  • Activity window in reference data: AD 120 - AD 180.
  • Approximate lifespan from biographical records: AD 120-AD 180.
  • Roles in major reference data: theologian, philosopher, and writer.
  • No securely dated office chronology is preserved in current reference records.
  • Associated places: Assyria.
  • Tradition labels vary across sources; classification should be read with historical caution.
  • Languages linked to writing or transmission: Ancient Greek and Syriac.
  • Notable works cited in reference data: Diatessaron and Address to the Greeks.
  • Documents in this corpus: 1 (Address to the Greeks).
  • Corpus date range for attributed texts: AD 165.

Works in This Library

Legacy

Concerning the date and place of his birth, little is known beyond what Tatian tells about himself in his Oratio ad Graecos, chap. xlii (Ante-Nicene Fathers, ii. 81–82): that he was born in "the land of the Assyrians", scholarly consensus is that he died c. Tatian's reception in theology and church history is closely tied to ongoing study of Address to the Greeks.

Source Notes