ACHAICUS ('Αγαχός; Latin Achaicus). - A Christian of Corinth, one of the first converted by St. Paul in Achaia.

The Roman name, perpetuated in the family of L. Mummius, the conqueror of Corinth (146 B.C.), suggests that A. was a freedman or client of the Mummii. With Stephanas and Fortunatus he came to Ephesus to visit St. Paul, "refreshing his spirit" (I Cor. 16:17). But it does not appear that the three brought him the news (they were "those of Chloe," I Cor. 1:11), nor — though this could nevertheless be maintained — the letter in which the community of Corinth proposed cases to be resolved (ibid. 7:1), news and letter that led the Apostle to write the 1st letter to the Corinthians.

Like Stephanas, A. had labored with much fruit for the community of Corinth (ibid. vv. 15-18: "they have supplied what was lacking on your part"); B. Allo supposes them to be charismatic. He was the third "first-fruit" of Corinth, and was therefore established in the "ministry (διακονία) of the saints," that is, in a hierarchical dignity "conferred by the apostles," as Clement of Rome clarifies (Ia ad Cor. 42).

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: A. Robertson, s. v. in Hastings' Dict. of the Bible, I (1898), p. 23; B. Allo, Premiere ep. aux Corinth., Paris 1934, pp. 339, 464-66; L. Hertling, I Kor. 16, 15 und I Clem. 42, in Biblica, 20 (1939), pp. 276-78.

@incollection{ec1_acaico_agakhos_lat_achaicus, author = {Romeo, Antonino}, title = {Acaico ('ΑΓΑΧΌΣ; Lat. Achaicus)}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {I}, pages = {159}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1948}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/acaico-agakhos-lat-achaicus} }

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