Erastus, Treasurer in Corinth

In Romans 16:23 (“Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works[1], and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.”) Paul conveys greetings to the Roman church from several people, one of whom is identified as “Erastus, the city’s director of public works.” Since the apostle almost certainly wrote this letter from Corinth , Erastus was probably the treasurer of Corinth . Erastus is even specifically associated with Corinth in 2 Timothy 4:20 (“Erastus stayed in Corinth ”). This same Erastus is likely also referred to in Acts 19:22 (“He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia ”) as the helper of Paul, who Paul sent from Ephesus (near Corinth ) to Macedonia .

In 1929 a limestone slab which was part of the pavement near the theater in Corinth was discovered upon which a Latin inscription was found. This inscription has been dated to the second half of the first century AD. Originally it consisted of letters cut into limestone paving blocks and then inlaid with metal. Only two metal punctuation marks remain, however, although most of the inscription itself is still in a small plaza just east of the theater. It reads as follows:

[ … ] ERASTVS PRO AEDILIT[AT]E S P STRAVIT

“Erastus in return for his aedileship laid [the pavement] at his own expense.” [2]

Erastus Inscription in Corinth

No other person with this name is known to have been an official in Corinth , and since the name itself is not common, it would appear that this Erastus is the same one whom Paul mentioned. Although an aedile was not a city treasurer, but more like a commissioner of public works, one did not attain an aedileship without having first served the city in other important capacities. In the case of Erastus the aedile, we may suppose, one of those earlier offices was that of quaestor, or municipal financial officer. [3]