ARISTARCHUS ăr ĭs tär’ kəs (̓Αρίσταρχος, G752, best ruler). A Thessalonian Christian who was a close companion of Paul. All the NT references doubtless relate to the same man (Acts 19:29; 20:4; 27:2; Col 4:10; Philem 24).

Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica (Acts 27:2), first appeared as Paul’s companion during the riot at Ephesus. As “Paul’s companions in travel,” he and Gaius were seized by the mob and rushed into the theater (Acts 19:29), but seem to have been released unharmed. He and Secundus apparently were the official delegates from the Thessalonian church accompanying Paul to Jerusalem with the collection (Acts 20:4).

Aristarchus was present when Paul’s ship left Caesarea on the trip to Rome (Acts 27:2). Ramsay contended that he could only have accompanied Paul as his slave (St. Paul the Traveller, 315f.). It is not certain, however, that he went all the way to Rome with Paul. He may have been going home and stopped off at Myra (Acts 27:5), as Lightfoot suggested (Philippians, 34f.). But he was with Paul in Rome when he wrote Colossians and Philemon. In Philemon 24 he is designated as a fellow worker, but in Colossians 4:10 he is called “my fellow prisoner,” a title also given Epaphras (Philem 23). Perhaps the two alternated in voluntarily sharing Paul’s imprisonment. From the grouping of the names in Colossians, Aristarchus seems to be of Jewish origin.

According to tradition he was martyred in Rome under Nero.