Chapter XIII.—Mention of the Heretic Colarbasus; Alliance Between Heresy and the Pythagorean Philosophy.

Certain, adhering partly to these, as if having propounded great conclusions, and supposed things worthy of reason, have framed enormous and endless heresies; and one of these is Colarbasus,173    Colarbasus is afterwards mentioned in company with Marcus the heretic, at the beginning and end of book vi. of The Refutation. who attempts to explain religion by measures and numbers. And others there are (who act) in like manner, whose tenets we shall explain when we commence to speak of what concerns those who give heed to Pythagorean calculation as possible; and uttering vain prophecies, hastily assume174    This word (σχεδιάζουσι), more than once used by Hippolytus, is applied to anything done offhand, e.g., an extempore speech. It therefore might be made to designate immaturity of opinion. Σχεδία means something hastily put together, viz., a raft; σχέδιος, sudden. as secure the philosophy by numbers and elements. Now certain (speculators), appropriating175    Schneidewin suggests ὅμως instead of οἱμοίως. The word (ἐρανισάμενοι) translated “appropriating” is derived from ἔρανος, which signifies a meal to which those who partake of it have each contributed some dish (pic-nic). The term, therefore, is an expressive one for Hippolytus’ purpose. similar reasonings from these, deceive unsophisticated individuals, alleging themselves endued with foresight;176    προγνωστικοὺς.  Some would read πρὸς γνωστικοὺς. sometimes, after uttering many predictions, happening on a single fulfilment, and not abashed by many failures, but making their boast in this one. Neither shall I pass over the witless philosophy of these men; but, after explaining it, I shall prove that those who attempt to form a system of religion out of these (aforesaid elements), are disciples of a school177    Some propose δόξης, “opinion.” Hippolytus, however, used the word ῥίζης (translated “school”) in a similar way at the end of chap. i. of book iv.  “Novelty” is read instead of “knavery;” and for ἀναπλέου, “full,” is proposed (1) ἀναπλέοντας, (a) ἀναπτεροῦντας. weak and full of knavery.

[13] Τούτοις ἐν μέρει ἐπισχόντες τινές, ὡς μεγάλα κρίναντες καὶ λόγου ἄξια νομίσαντες, αἱρέσεις ἀμέτρους καὶ ἀπείρους συνεστήσαντο: ὧν εἷς μὲν Κολάρβασος, ὃς διὰ μέτρων καὶ ἀριθμῶν ἐκτίθεσθαι θεοσέβειαν ἐπι[χει]ρεῖ, καὶ ἕτεροι δὲ ὁμοίως, οὓς ἐπιδείξομεν, ἐπὰν τὰ περὶ αὐτῶν ἀρξώμεθα λέγειν. οἳ Πυθαγορείῳ ψήφῳ ὡς δυνατῇ προσέχουσι καὶ τὴν ἀσφαλῆ φιλοσοφίαν δι' ἀριθμῶν καὶ στοιχείων σχεδιάζουσι, μαντευόμενοι μάταια. ὧν ὁμοίως λόγους ἐρανισάμενοί τινες ἀποπλανῶσιν ἰδιώτας, προγνωστικοὺς ἑαυτοὺς φάσκοντες, ἔσθ' ὅτε διὰ τὸ πολλὰ μαντεύεσθαι ἓν ἐπιτυγχάνοντες, καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀποτεύγμασι μὴ αἰδούμενοι, ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ ἑνὶ ἐγκομπάζοντες. οὐδὲ τούτων τὴν ἄσοφον σοφίαν παραπέμψομαι, ἀλλ' ἐκθέμενος τοὺς ἐκ τούτων ἐπιχειροῦντας θεοσέβειαν συνιστᾶν ἐλέγξω ῥίζης ἀσυστάτου καὶ [πα]νουργίας ἀνάπλε[ω] ὄντας μαθητάς.