Chapter IV.—Valentinus, Ptolemy and Secundus, Heracleon.

Valentinus the heretic, moreover, introduced many fables. These I will retrench and briefly summarize.  For he introduces the Pleroma and the thirty Æons. These Æons, moreover, he explains in the way of syzygies, that is, conjugal unions51    Conjugationes. Cowper uses our word “conjugation” in this sense in one of his humorous pieces.  [“Pairing-time.”] The “syzygies” consisted of one male and one female Æon each. of some kind. For among the first,52    Oehler separates “in primis;” but perhaps they ought to be united—“inprimis,” or “imprimis”—and taken as ="primo ab initio.” he says, were Depth53    Bythus. and Silence; of these proceeded Mind and Truth; out of whom burst the Word and Life; from whom, again, were created Man54    Hominem. and the Church. But (these are not all); for of these last also proceeded twelve Æons; from Speech,55    “Sermone:” he said “Verbum” before. moreover, and Life proceeded other ten Æons: such is the Triacontad of Æons, which is made up in the Pleroma of an ogdoad, a decad, and a duodecad. The thirtieth Æon, moreover, willed to see the great Bythus; and, to see him, had the hardihood to ascend into the upper regions; and not being capable of seeing his magnitude, desponded,56    In defectione fuisse. and almost suffered dissolution, had not some one,—he whom he calls Horos, to wit,—sent to invigorate him, strengthened him by pronouncing the word “Iao.”57    Cf. adv. Valent. cc. x. xiv.  [Routh says that this IAO (see note 8) is wanting in the older editions. It was borrowed from the Adv. Valentin. to eke out a defect.] This Æon, moreover, which was thus reduced to despondency, he calls Achamoth, (and says) that he was seized with certain regretful passions, and out of his passions gave birth to material essences.58    Such appears to be the meaning of this sentence as Oehler gives it.  But the text is here corrupt; and it seems plain there must either be something lost relating to this “Achamoth,” or else some capital error in the reading, or, thirdly, some gross and unaccountable confusion in the writer: for the sentence as it stands is wholly irreconcilable with what follows. It evidently makes “Achamoth” identical with “the thirtieth Æon” above-named; and yet, without introducing any fresh subject, the writer goes on to state that this despondent Œon, who “conceived and bare,” was itself the offspring of despondency, and made an infirm world out of the infirm materials which “Achamoth” supposed it with. Now it is apparent from other sources—as, for instance, from Tert. adv. Valentin, above referred to—that the “thirtieth Æon” was supposed to be female, Sophia (Wisdom) by name, and that she was said to be the parent of “Achamoth,” or “Enthymesis” (see adv. Valentin. cc. ix. x. xi. xiv. xxv.), while “Achamoth” herself appears by some accounts to be also called κάτω Σοφία. The name “Achamoth” itself, which Tertullian (adv. Valentin. c. xiv. ad init.) calls an “uninterpretable name,” is believed to be a representation of a Hebrew word meaning “wisdom;” and hence, possibly, some of the confusion may have arisen,—from a promiscuous use, namely, of the titles “Achamoth” and “Sophia.” Moreover, it would appear that some words lower down as to the production by “Achamoth” of “Demiurgus,” must have dropped out. Unless these two omissions be supplied, the passage is wholly unintelligible.  Can the fact that the Hebrew word which “Achamoth” represents is a fem. pl. in any way explain this confused medley, or help to reconcile conflicting accounts? The ἄνω and κάτω Σοφία seem to point in some degree to some such solution of some of the existing difficulties. “Iao,” again, is a word which has cause much perplexity. Can it possibly be connected with ἰάομαι, “to heal?” [See note 8.] For he was panic-stricken, he says, and terror-stricken, and overcome with sadness; and of these passions he conceived and bare. Hence he made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and whatever is in them: for which cause all things made by him are infirm, and frail, and capable of falling, and mortal, inasmuch as he himself was conceived and produced from despondency.  He, however, originated this world59    Mundum. out of those material essences which Achamoth, by his panic, or terror, or sadness, or sweat, had supplied. For of his panic, he says, was made darkness; of his fear and ignorance, the spirits of wickedness and malignity; of his sadness and tears, the humidities of founts, the material essence of floods and sea.  Christ, moreover, was sent by that First-Father who is Bythus. He, moreover, was not in the substance of our flesh; but, bringing down from heaven some spiritual body or other, passed through the Virgin Mary as water through a pipe, neither receiving nor borrowing aught thence. The resurrection of our present flesh he denies, but (maintains that) of some sister-flesh.60    Oehler’s suggestion is to vary the pointing so as to give this sense:  “The resurrection of this flesh he denies. But of a sister-Law and prophets,” etc. But this seems even more harsh than the other. Of the Law and the prophets some parts he approves, some he disapproves; that is, he disapproves all in reprobating some. A Gospel of his own he likewise has, beside these of ours.

After him arose the heretics Ptolemy and Secundus, who agree throughout with Valentinus, differing only in the following point: viz., whereas Valentinus had feigned but thirty Æons, they have added several more; for they first added four, and subsequently four more. And Valentine’s assertion, that it was the thirtieth Æon which strayed out from the Pleroma, (as falling into despondency,) they deny; for the one which desponded on account of disappointed yearning to see the First-Father was not of the original triacontad, they say.

There arose, besides, Heracleon, a brother61    “Alter,” i.e., perhaps another of the same class.-heretic, whose sentiments pair with Valentine’s; but, by some novelty of terminology, he is desirous of seeming to differ in sentiment.  For he introduces the notion that there existed first what he terms (a Monad);62    It seems almost necessary to supply some word here; and as “Monade” follows, it seemed simple to supply “Monada.” and then out of that Monad (arose) two, and then the rest of the Æons. Then he introduces the whole system of Valentine.

IV.

Valentinum deinceps, ac ejus sequaces Ptolomaeum, Secundum, Heracleonem.

Valentinus autem haereticus multas introducit fabulas, 0068A has ego circumducens breviter expediam. Introducit enim Pleroma et Aeones triginta: exponit autem hos per syzygias, id est, conjugationes quasdam. Nam dicit in primis, esse Bython et Silentium; ex his processisse semen , Mentem et Veritatem: ex quibus erupisse Verbum et Vitam: de quibus rursum creatum hominem et Ecclesiam. Sed enim ex his quoque processisse duodecim aeonas; de Sermone autem et Vita, aeonas alios decem: hanc esse aeonum triacontada, quae fit in Pleromate ex ogdoade et decade, ac dyodecade. Tricesimum autem aeonem, Bython illum videre voluisse, et ad videndum illum ausum esse in superiora Pleromatis conscendere. Et quoniam ad magnitudinem 0068B ipsius videndam capax non fuit, in defectione fuisse, et pene dissolutum esse, nisi quia missus ad constabiliendum illum, ille quem appellant Horon, confirmasset illum dicto Iao . Hoc pronuntiat Io Apelles . Istum autem Aeonem in defectionem factum Achamoth dicit in passionibus desiderii quibusdam fuisse, et ex passionibus materias edidisse. Expavit enim, inquit, et extimuit, et contristata 0069A est, et ex his passionibus concepit et edidit. Hinc fecit coelum et terram et mare, et omnia quaecumque sunt in eis, ob quam caussam omnia infirma esse et fragilia, et caduca, et mortalia quaecumque sunt ab ipso facta: quoniam quidem ipse fuerit de aporiatione conceptus atque prolatus: hunc tamen instituisse istum mundum ex his materiis, quas Achamoth, vel pavendo, vel timendo, vel contristando, vel sudando praestiterat. Nam ex pavore, inquit, tenebrae factae sunt: ex timore et ignorantia, spiritus nequitiae et malignitatis: ex tristitia et lacrymis, humida fontium, fluminum materia, marisque. Christum autem missum ab illo propatore qui est Bythos. Hunc autem in substantia corporis nostri non fuisse, sed spiritale 0069B nescio quod corpus de coelo deferentem, quasi aquam per fistulam, sic per Mariam virginem transmeasse, nihil inde vel accipientem, vel mutuantem. Resurrectionem hujus carnis negat, sed alterius . Legis et prophetarum quaedam probat, quaedam improbat: id est, omnia improbat, dum quaedam reprobat. Evangelium habet etiam suum, praeter haec nostra. Post hunc extiterunt Ptolomaeus et Secundus haeretici, qui cum Valentino per omnia consentiunt. In illo solo differunt. Nam cum Valentinus Aeonas tantum triginta finxisset, isti addiderunt alios complures. Quatuor enim primum, deinde alios quatuor aggregaverunt. Et quod dicit Valentinus Aeonem trigesimum excessisse de pleromate, ut in defectionem, negant isti. Non enim ex illa triacontade fuisse 0069C hunc, qui fuerit in defectionem, propter desiderium videndi propatoris. Extitit praeterea Heracleon alter haereticus, qui cum Valentino paria sentit, sed novitate quadam pronuntiationis vult videri alia sentire. Introducit enim in primis illud fuisse quod pronuntiat, et deinde ex illa monade duo, ac deinde reliquos Aeonas, deinde introducit totum Valentinum.