On Pascha

Melito of Sardis (early 2nd century — c. 190) was the bishop of the city of Sardis, a Christian theologian. There is very little information about Melito’s life; the main source is Eusebius’s «Ecclesiastical History.» Melito became bishop of Sardis in Lydia under the emperor Antoninus Pius. Here is given his «Homily On Easter,» written in accordance with the literary techniques of ancient rhetoric in the genre of an oratorical address. It was translated into Russian by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev and read specially for the radio program “Gorod Petrova” [«City of Peter»] by the archpriest Konstantin Smirnov.
Melito of Sardis is venerated among the saints; in the Orthodox Church his commemoration is April 1 (according to the Julian calendar).