Chromatius of Aquileia and the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles

Abstract This paper focuses for the first time on the problem of Chromatius of Aquileia’s knowledge and use of the apocryphal Acts of the apostles. Unlike other orthodox bishops and writers of his time (the decades between the fourth and fifth centuries), Chromatius shows appreciation for apocryphal sources and traditions concerning the apostles Peter, John, Andrew, and Thomas, never expressing doubts or reservations about their authority and reliability. This unprecedented study is an attempt to find a plausible explanation for the positive attitude of Chromatius in the religious education he had received from his family of Spanish origin.