Aristobulus was one of the Seventy Apostles,* and a follower of the Holy Apostle Paul, with whom
he preached the gospel of Christ in various places, and ministered to him.** He was ordained by
Paul as Bishop of the British Isles, which was inhabited by a very warlike and fierce people.*** By
them he was sometimes scourged, and sometimes dragged to the marketplace, and through his
sufferings and torments he convinced many of them to believe in Christ. Having established a
Church, and ordained Deacons and Presbyters, the blessed one reposed in peace.****
Notes:
* It is said that Aristobulus was a Jew from Cyprus and a brother of the Apostle Barnabas. Like
Barnabas, he accompanied Saint Paul on his journeys, and was ordained a Bishop either by Paul or
Barnabas. Some believe he was one of the assistants of Saint Andrew the Apostle, along with Urban
of Macedonia, Stachys, Ampliatus, Apelles of Heraklion and Narcissus of Athens, who are together
commemorated on October 31st. However, though some were assistants of Saint Andrew, their
more likely association is that they are all mentioned by Paul in his epistle to the Romans.
** According to Dorotheos, Bishop of Tyre (ca. 255–362): "Aristobulus, whom Paul saluted, writing
to the Romans, was Bishop of Britain." Saint Paul writes in Romans 16:10: "Greet those who belong
to the household of Aristobulus." If this is the same Aristobulus, then it may be that Aristobulus lived
in or had family in Rome.
*** It is believed that previous to this, he preached the Gospel to the Celts of Northern Spain, i.e.
Celtiberians, whilst on his way to Britain. He is said to have labored in the part of Britain now known
as Glastonbury and Wales; and the district of Arwystli (said to be named after Aristobulus) in
Montgomeryshire on the Severn river commemorates one of the areas he labored in. Arwystli later
became a small medieval British kingdom, and continues to this day as a district, or more precisely, a
cantref within the county of Powys, Wales.
**** Other sources and local tradition in Britain says he was martyred there.
Source:
https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2017/03/synaxarion-of-holy-apostle-aristobulus.html
