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Let this be set forth as proof both of the slanderer's calumny and of Origen's great experience in the learning of the Greeks, concerning which, defending himself in a certain letter against some who blamed him for his diligence in these matters, he writes these things: 6.19.12 "Since, when I was devoted to the Word, and the report of our proficiency was spreading, there came to me at one time heretics, at another time those from the Greek disciplines and especially from philosophy, it seemed good to examine both the doctrines of the heretics and the things that the philosophers profess to say concerning truth. 6.19.13 This we have done, imitating Pantaenus, who before us benefited many and who had no little preparation in these matters, and Heraclas, who now sits in the presbytery of the Alexandrians, whom I found with the teacher of philosophical studies, having already attended him for five years before I began to hear those discourses. 6.19.14 On his account I also laid aside the common clothing I previously used and took up the habit of a philosopher, which I keep to this day, and I do not cease, as far as I am able, from studying the books of the Greeks." And these things were said by him in his defense concerning his Greek training. 6.19.15 But at this time, while he was spending his time in Alexandria, a certain soldier appeared and delivered letters to Demetrius, the bishop of the parish, and to the then prefect of Egypt, from the governor of Arabia, asking that they send Origen with all speed to confer with him. And so he arrived in Arabia; and not long after bringing the purpose of his arrival to a conclusion, he returned again to Alexandria. 6.19.16 Some time having passed in the interval, and no small war having broken out in the city, he left Alexandria and went to Palestine, and spent his time in Caesarea; where the bishops of that place, although he had not yet received the laying on of hands for the presbyterate, thought him worthy to discourse and to interpret the divine scriptures in the public assembly of the church. 6.19.17 And this itself would be made clear from what Alexander, the bishop of Jerusalem, and Theoctistus of Caesarea, writing about Demetrius, say in their defense as follows: "He added in his letters that it was never heard of, nor has it happened now, that laymen should preach in the presence of bishops, speaking, I know not how, what is manifestly untrue. 6.19.18 For wherever those are found who are fit to benefit the brethren, they are also urged by the holy bishops to preach to the people, as for instance in Laranda Euelpis by Neon, and in Iconium Paulinus by Celsus, and in Synnada Theodore by Atticus, our blessed brethren. And it is likely that this happens in other places also, though we do not know it." In this manner the man in question, while still young, was honored not only by his own people, but also by bishops in foreign lands. 6.19.19 But when Demetrius again recalled him by letters and through deacons of the church, urging him to return to Alexandria, he arrived and carried on his accustomed labors. 6.20.1 At this time many learned and ecclesiastical men were flourishing, whose letters, which they exchanged with one another, it is easy to find still preserved; which have also been kept for us in the library at Aelia, established by Alexander who then presided over the church there, from which we ourselves have also been able to gather the materials for our present undertaking. 6.20.2 Of these, Beryllus, along with his letters, has left behind various elegant writings; he was bishop of the Arabs in Bostra. Likewise also Hippolytus, who himself presided over some other church. 6.20.3 There has also come down to us a dialogue of Gaius, a most learned man, held in Rome in the time of Zephyrinus against Proclus, a champion of the Phrygian heresy; in which those of the opposite side, the concerning the composing of new

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παράστασιν ἐκκείσθω τῆς τε τοῦ ψευδηγόρου συκοφαντίας καὶ τῆς Ὠριγένους καὶ περὶ τὰ Ἑλλήνων μαθήματα πολυπειρίας, περὶ ἧς πρός τινας μεμψαμένους αὐτῷ διὰ τὴν περὶ ἐκεῖνα σπουδὴν ἀπολογούμενος, ἐν ἐπιστολῇ τινι ταῦτα γράφει· 6.19.12 «ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀνακειμένῳ μοι τῷ λόγῳ, τῆς φήμης διατρεχούσης περὶ τῆς ἕξεως ἡμῶν, προσῄεσαν ὁτὲ μὲν αἱρετικοί, ὁτὲ δὲ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν μαθημάτων καὶ μάλιστα τῶν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ, ἔδοξεν ἐξετάσαι τά τε τῶν αἱρετικῶν δόγματα καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν φιλοσόφων περὶ ἀληθείας λέγειν ἐπαγγελλόμενα. 6.19.13 τοῦτο δὲ πεποιήκαμεν μιμη σάμενοί τε τὸν πρὸ ἡμῶν πολλοὺς ὠφελήσαντα Πάνταινον, οὐκ ὀλίγην ἐν ἐκείνοις ἐσχηκότα παρασκευήν, καὶ τὸν νῦν ἐν τῷ πρεσβυτερίῳ καθεζόμενον Ἀλεξανδρέων Ἡρακλᾶν, ὅντινα εὗρον παρὰ τῷ διδασκάλῳ τῶν φιλοσόφων μαθημάτων, ἤδη πέντε ἔτεσιν αὐτῷ προσκαρτερήσαντα πρὶν ἢ ἐμὲ ἄρξασθαι ἀκούειν ἐκείνων τῶν λόγων· 6.19.14 δι' ὃν καὶ πρότερον κοινῇ ἐσθῆτι χρώμενος ἀποδυσάμενος καὶ φιλόσοφον ἀναλαβὼν σχῆμα μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο τηρεῖ βιβλία τε Ἑλλήνων κατὰ δύναμιν οὐ παύεται φιλολογῶν». καὶ ταῦτα μὲν αὐτῷ περὶ τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς ἀσκήσεως ἀπολογουμένῳ εἴρηται· 6.19.15 κατὰ τοῦτον δὲ τὸν χρόνον ἐπ' Ἀλεξανδρείας αὐτῷ τὰς διατριβὰς ποιουμένῳ ἐπιστάς τις τῶν στρατιωτικῶν ἀνεδίδου γράμματα ∆ημητρίῳ τε τῷ τῆς παροικίας ἐπισκόπῳ καὶ τῷ τότε τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐπάρχῳ παρὰ τοῦ τῆς Ἀραβίας ἡγουμένου, ὡς ἂν μετὰ σπουδῆς ἁπάσης τὸν Ὠριγένην πέμψοιεν κοινωνήσοντα λόγων αὐτῷ. καὶ δὴ ἀφικνεῖται ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀραβίαν· οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν δὲ τὰ τῆς ἀφίξεως εἰς πέρας ἀγαγών, αὖθις ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ἐπανῄει. 6.19.16 χρόνου δὲ μεταξὺ διαγενομένου, οὐ σμικροῦ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἀναρριπισθέντος πολέμου, ὑπεξελθὼν τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, ᾔει μὲν ἐπὶ Παλαιστίνης, ἐν Καισαρείᾳ δὲ τὰς διατριβὰς ἐποιεῖτο· ἔνθα καὶ διαλέγεσθαι τάς τε θείας ἑρμηνεύειν γραφὰς ἐπὶ τοῦ κοινοῦ τῆς ἐκκλησίας οἱ τῇδε ἐπίσκοποι, καίτοι τῆς τοῦ πρεσβυτερίου χειροτονίας οὐδέπω τετυχηκότα, αὐτὸν ἠξίουν· 6.19.17 ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ γένοιτ' ἂν ἔκδηλον ἀφ' ὧν περὶ τοῦ ∆ημητρίου γράφοντες Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος καὶ Θεόκτιστος ὁ Καισαρείας ὧδέ πως ἀπολογοῦνται· «προσέθηκεν δὲ τοῖς γράμμασιν ὅτι τοῦτο οὐδέποτε ἠκούσθη οὐδὲ νῦν γεγένηται, τὸ παρόντων ἐπισκόπων λαϊκοὺς ὁμιλεῖν, οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως προφανῶς οὐκ ἀληθῆ λέγων. 6.19.18 ὅπου γοῦν εὑρίσκονται οἱ ἐπιτήδειοι πρὸς τὸ ὠφελεῖν τοὺς ἀδελφούς, καὶ παρακαλοῦνται τῷ λαῷ προσομιλεῖν ὑπὸ τῶν ἁγίων ἐπισκόπων, ὥσπερ ἐν Λαράνδοις Εὔελπις ὑπὸ Νέωνος καὶ ἐν Ἰκονίῳ Παυλῖνος ὑπὸ Κέλσου καὶ ἐν Συνάδοις Θεόδωρος ὑπὸ Ἀττικοῦ, τῶν μακαρίων ἀδελφῶν. εἰκὸς δὲ καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις τόποις τοῦτο γίνεσθαι, ἡμᾶς δὲ μὴ εἰδέναι». τοῦτον καὶ ἔτι νέος ὢν ὁ δηλούμενος ἀνὴρ οὐ πρὸς μόνων τῶν συνήθων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ ξένης ἐπισκόπων ἐτιμᾶτο τὸν τρόπον. 6.19.19 ἀλλὰ γὰρ αὖθις τοῦ ∆ημητρίου διὰ γραμμάτων αὐτὸν ἀνακαλέσαντος δι' ἀνδρῶν τε διακόνων τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐπισπεύσαντος ἐπανελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν, ἀφικόμενος τὰς συνήθεις ἀπετέλει σπουδάς. 6.20.1 Ἤκμαζον δὲ κατὰ τοῦτο πλείους λόγιοι καὶ ἐκκλησιαστικοὶ ἄνδρες, ὧν καὶ ἐπιστολάς, ἃς πρὸς ἀλλήλους διεχάραττον, ἔτι νῦν σῳζομένας εὑρεῖν εὔπορον· αἳ καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐφυλάχθησαν ἐν τῇ κατὰ Αἰλίαν βιβλιοθήκῃ, πρὸς τοῦ τηνικάδε τὴν αὐτόθι διέποντος ἐκκλησίαν Ἀλεξάνδρου ἐπισκευασθείσῃ, ἀφ' ἧς καὶ αὐτοὶ τὰς ὕλας τῆς μετὰ χεῖρας ὑποθέσεως ἐπὶ ταὐτὸν συναγαγεῖν δεδυνήμεθα. 6.20.2 τούτων Βήρυλλος σὺν ἐπιστολαῖς καὶ συγγραμμάτων διαφόρους φιλοκαλίας καταλέλοιπεν, ἐπίσκοπος δ' οὗτος ἦν τῶν κατὰ Βόστραν Ἀράβων· ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ Ἱππόλυτος, ἑτέρας που καὶ αὐτὸς προεστὼς ἐκκλησίας. 6.20.3 ἦλθεν δὲ εἰς ἡμᾶς καὶ Γαΐου, λογιωτάτου ἀνδρός, διάλογος, ἐπὶ Ῥώμης κατὰ Ζεφυρῖνον πρὸς Πρόκλον τῆς κατὰ Φρύγας αἱρέσεως ὑπερμαχοῦντα κεκινημένος· ἐν ᾧ τῶν δι' ἐναντίας τὴν περὶ τὸ συντάττειν καινὰς