JEROME: ILLUSTRIOUS MEN
JEROME AND GENNADIUS: ILLUSTRIOUS MEN
[... 117.Gregory another bishop.
118.Lucius the bishop.
119.Diodorus the bishop.
120.Eunomius the heresiarch.
121.Priscillianus the bishop.
122.Latronianus.
123.Tiberianus.
124.Ambrose the bishop.
125.Evagrius the bishop.
126.Ambrose the disciple of Didymus.
127.Maximus,first philosopher, then bishop.
128.Another Gregory, also a bishop.
129.John the presbyter.
130.Gelasius the bishop.
131.Theotimus the bishop.
132.Dexter, son of Pacianus, now praetorian prefect.
133.Amphilochius the bishop.
134.Sophronius.
135.Jerome the presbyter.]
CHAPTER I.
SIMON PETER(1) the son of John, from the village of Bethsaida in the
province of Galilee, brother of Andrew the apostle, and himself chief of the
apostles, after having been bishop of the church of Antioch and having preached to the
Dispersion(2)--the believers in circumcision,(3) in Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia--pushed on to Rome in the second year of Claudius to
over-throw Simon Magus,(4) and held the sacerdotal chair there for twenty-five years
until the last, that is the fourteenth, year of Nero. At his hands he received
the crown of martyrdom being nailed to the cross with his head towards the
ground and his feet raised on high, asserting that he was unworthy to be crucified
in the same manner as his Lord. He wrote two epistles which are called
Catholic, the second of which, on account of its difference from the first in style,
is considered by many not to be by him. Then too the Gospel according to Mark,
who was his disciple and interpreter, is ascribed to him. On the other hand, the
books, of which one is entitled his Acts, another his Gospel, a third his
Preaching, a fourth his Revelation, a fifth his "Judgment" are rejected as
apocryphal.(5)
Buried at Rome in the Vatican near the triumphal way he is venerated by
the whole world.(1)
CHAPTER II.
JAMES,(2) who is called the brother of the Lord,(3) surnamed the Just, the
son of Joseph by another wife, as some think, but, as appears to me, the son
of Mary sister of the mother of our Lord of whom John makes mention in his
book,(4) after our Lord's passion at once ordained by the apostles bishop of
Jerusalem, wrote a single epistle, which is reckoned among the seven Catholic Epistles
and even this is claimed by some to have been published by some one else under
his name, and gradually, as time went on, to have gained authority. Hegesippus
who lived near the apostolic age, in the fifth book of his Commentaries,
writing of James. says "After the apostles, James the brother of the Lord surnamed
the Just was made head of the Church at Jerusalem. Many indeed are called James.
This one was holy from his mother's womb. He drank neither wine nor strong
drink, ate no flesh, never shaved or anointed himself with ointment or bathed. He
alone halt the privilege of entering the Holy of Holies, since indeed he did
not use woolen vestments but linen and went alone into the temple and prayed in
behalf of the people, insomuch that his knees were reputed to have acquired the
hardness of camels' knees." He says also many other things, too numerous to
mention. Josephus also in the 20th book of his Antiquities, and Clement in the 7th
of his Outlines mention that on the death of Fetus who reigned over Judea,
Albinus was sent by Nero as his successor. Before he had reached his province,
Ananias the high priest, the youthful son of Ananus of the priestly class taking
advantage of the state of anarchy, assembled a council and publicly tried to
force James to deny that Christ is the son of God. When he refused Ananius ordered
him to be stoned. Cast down from a pinnacle of the temple, his legs broken,
but still half alive, raising his hands to heaven he said, "Lord forgive them for
they know not what they do." Then struck on the head by the club of a fuller
such a club as fullers are accustomed to wring out garments(1) with--he died.
This same Josephus records the tradition that this James was of so great sanctity
and reputation among the people that the downfall of Jerusalem was believed to
be on account of his death. He it is of whom the apostle Paul writes to the
Galatians that "No one else of the apostles did I see except James the brother of
the Lord," and shortly after the event the Acts of the apostles bear witness
to the matter. The Gospel also which is called the Gospel according to the
Hebrews,(2) and which I have recently translated into Greek and Latin and which also
Origen(3) often makes use of, after the account of the resurrection of the
Saviour says, "but the Lord, after he had given his grave clothes to the servant
of the priest, appeared to James (for James had. sworn that he would not eat
bread from that hour in which he drank the cup of the Lord until he should see him
rising again from among those that sleep)" and again, a little later, it says"
' Bring a table and bread,' said the Lord." And immediately it is added, "He
brought bread and blessed and brake and gave to James the Just and said to him,
' my brother eat thy bread, for the son of man is risen from among those that
sleep.'" And so he ruled the church of Jerusalem thirty years, that is until the
seventh year of Nero, and was buried near the temple from which he had been
cast down. His tombstone with its inscription was well known until the siege of
Titus and the end of Hadrian's reign. Some of our writers think he was buried in
Mount Olivet, but they are mistaken.
CHAPTER III.
MATTHEW,(4) also called Levi, apostle and aforetimes publican, composed a
gospel of Christ at first published in Judea in Hebrew(5) for the sake of those
of the circumcision who believed, but this was afterwards translated into
Greek though by what author is uncertain. The Hebrew itself has been preserved
until the present day in the library. at Caesarea which Pamphilus so diligently
gathered. I have also had the opportunity of having the volume described to me by
the Nazarenes(1) of Beroea,(2) a city of Syria, who use it. In this it is to
be noted that wherever the Evangelist, whether on his own account or in the
person of our Lord the Saviour quotes the testimony of the Old Testament he does
not follow the authority of the translators of the Septuagint but the Hebrew.
Wherefore these two forms exist "Out of Egypt have I called my son," and "for he
shall be called a Nazarene."
CHAPTER IV.
JUDE (3) the brother of James, left a short epistle which is reckoned
among the seven catholic epistles, and because in it(4) he quotes from the
apocryphal book of Enoch it is rejected by many. Nevertheless by age and use it has
gained authority and is reckoned among the Holy Scriptures.
CHAPTER V.
PAUL,(4) formerly called Saul, an apostle outside the number of the twelve
apostles, was of the tribe of Benjamin and the town of Giscalis(6) in Judea.
When this was taken by the Romans he removed with his parents to Tarsus in
Cilicia. Sent by them to Jerusalem to study law he was educated by Gamaliel a most
learned man whom Luke mentions. But after he had been present at the death of
the martyr Stephen and had received letters from the high priest of the temple
for the persecution of those who believed in Christ, he proceeded to Damascus,
where constrained to faith by a revelation, as it is written in the Acts of the
apostles, he was transformed from a persecutor into an elect vessel. As Sergius
Paulus Proconsul of Cyprus was the first to believe on his preaching, he took
his name from him because he had subdued him to faith in Christ, and having been
joined by Barnabas, after traversing many cities, he returned to Jerusalem and
was ordained apostle to the Gentiles by Peter, James and John. And because a
full account of his life is given in the Acts of the Apostles, I only say this,
that the twenty-fifth year after our Lord's passion, that is the second of
Nero, at the time when Fetus Procurator of Judea succeeded Felix, he was sent bound
to Rome, and remaining for two years in free custody, disputed daily with the
Jews concerning the advent of Christ. It ought to be said that at the first
defence, the power of Nero having not yet been confirmed, nor his wickedness
broken forth to such a degree as the histories relate concerning him, Paul was
dismissed by Nero, that the gospel of ChriSt might be preached also in the West. As
he himself writes in the second epistle to Timothy, at the time when he was
about to be put to death dictating his epistle as he did while in chains; "At my
first defence no one took my part, but all forsook me: may it not be laid to
their account. But the Lord stood by(1) me and strengthened me; that through me
the message might be fully proclaimed and that all the Gentiles might hear, and I
was delivered out of the mouth of the lion"(2)-- clearly indicating Nero as
lion on account of his cruelty. And directly following he says "The Lord
delivered me from the month of the lion" and again shortly "The Lord delivered me(3)
from every evil work and saved me unto his heavenly kingdom,"(4) for indeed he
felt within himself that his martyrdom was near at hand, for in the same epistle
he announced "for I am already being offered and the time of my departure is at
hand."(5) He then, in the fourteenth year of Nero on the same day with Peter,
was beheaded at Rome for Christ's sake and was buried in the Ostian way, the
twenty-seventh year after our Lord's passion. He wrote nine epistles to seven
churches: To the Romans one, To the Corinthians two, To the Galatians one, To the
Ephesians one, To the Philippians one, To the Colossians one, To the
Thessalonians two; and besides these to his disciples, To Timothy two, To Titus one, To
Philemon one. The epistle which is called the Epistle to the Hebrews is not
considered his, on account of its difference from the others in style and language,
but it is reckoned, either according to Tertullian to be the work of Barnabas,
or according to others, to be by Luke the Evangelist or Clement afterwards
bishop of the church at Rome, who, they say, arranged and adorned the ideas of
Paul in his own language, though to be sure, since Paul was writing to Hebrews and
was in disrepute among them he may have omitted his name from the salvation
on this account. He being a Hebrew wrote Hebrew, that is his own tongue and
most fluently while the things which were eloquently written in Hebrew were more
eloquently turned into Greek @ and this is the reason why it seems to differ
from other epistles of Paul. Some read one also to(2) the Laodiceans but it is
rejected by everyone.
CHAPTER VI.
BARNABAS(3) the Cyprian, also called Joseph the Levite, ordained apostle
to the Gentiles with Paul, wrote one Epistle, valuable for the edification of
the church, which is reckoned among the apocryphal writings. He afterwards
separated from Paul on account of John, a disciple also called Mark,(4) none the less
exercised the work laid upon him of preaching the Gospel.
CHAPTER VII.
LUKE(5) a physician of Antioch as his writings gas indicate was not
unskilled in the Greek language. An adherent of the apostle Paul, and companion of
all his journeying, he wrote a Gospel, concerning which the same Paul says, "We
send with him a brother whose praise in the gospel is among all the churches"(6)
and to the Colossians "Luke the beloved physician salutes you,"(7) and to
Timothy "Luke only is with me."(8) He also wrote another excellent volume to which
he prefixed the title Acts of the Apostles, a history which extends to the
second year of Paul's sojourn at Rome, that is to the fourth(9) year of Nero, from
which we learn that the book was composed in that same city. Therefore the Acts
of Paul and Thecla(10) and all the fable about the lion baptized by him we
reckon among the apocryphal writings,(11) for how is it possible that the
inseparable companion of the apostle in his other affairs, alone should have been
ignorant of this thing. Moreover Tertullian who lived near those times, mentions a
certain presbyter in Asia, an adherent of the apostle Paul,(12) who was
convicted by John of having been the author of the book, and who, confessing that he
did this for love of Paul, resigned his office of presbyter. Some suppose that
whenever Paul in his epistle says "according to my gospel" he means the book of
Luke and that Luke not only was taught the gospel history by the apostle Paul
who was not with the Lord in the flesh, but also by other apostles. This he too
at the beginning of his work declares, saying "Even as they delivered unto us,
which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word." So he
wrote the gospel as he had heard it, but composed the Acts of the apostles as he
himself had seen. He was buried at Constantinople to which city, in the
twentieth year of Constantius, his bones together with the remains of Andrew the
apostle were transferred.
CHAPTER VIII.
MARK (1) the disciple and interpreter of Peter wrote a short gospel at the
request of the brethren at Rome embodying what he had heard Peter tell. When
Peter had heard this, he approved it and published it to the churches to be read
by his authority as Clemens in the sixth book of his Hypotyposes and Papias,
bishop of Hierapolis, record. Peter also mentions this Mark in his first
epistle, figuratively indicating Rome under the name of Babylon "She who(2) is in
Babylon elect together with you saluteth you(3) and so doth Mark my son." So,
taking the gospel which he himself composed, he went to Egypt and first preaching
Christ at Alexandria he formed a church so admirable in doctrine and continence
of living that he constrained all followers of Christ to his example. Philo most
learned of the Jews seeing the first church at Alexandria still Jewish in a
degree, wrote a book(4) on their manner of life as something creditable to his
nation telling how, as Luke says, the believers had all things in common(5) at
Jerusalem, so he recorded that he saw(6) was done at Alexandria, under the
learned Mark. He died in the eighth year of Nero and was buried at Alexandria,
Annianus succeeding him.(7)
CHAPTER IX.
JOHN, (1) the apostle whom Jesus most loved, the son of Zebedee and
brother of James, the apostle whom Herod, after our Lord's passion, beheaded, most
recently of all the evangelists wrote a Gospel, at the request of the bishops of
Asia, against Cerinthus and other heretics and especially against the then
growing dogma of the Ebionites, who assert that Christ did not exist before Mary.
On this account he was compelled to maintain His divine nativity. But there is
said to be yet another reason for this work, in that when he had read Matthew,
Mark, and Luke, he approved indeed the substance of the history and declared
that the things they said were true, but that they had given the history of only
one year, the one, that is, which follows the imprisonment of John and in which
he was put to death. So passing by this year the events of which had been set
forth by these, he related the events of the earlier period before John was shut
up in prison, so that it might be manifest to those who should diligently read
the volumes of the four Evangelists. This also takes away the discrepancy
which there seems to be between John and the others. He wrote also one Epistle
which begins as follows "That which was from the beginning, that which we have
heard, that which we have seen with our eyes and our hands handled concerning the
word of life" which is esteemed of by all men who are interested in the church
or in learning. The other two of which the first is "The eider to the elect lady
and her children" and the other "The elder unto Gaius(2) the beloved whom I
love in truth," are said to be the work of John the presbyter to the memory of
whom another sepulchre is shown at Ephesus to the present day, though some think
that there are two memorials of this same John the evangelist. We shall treat
of this matter in its turn(3) when we come to Papias his disciple. In the
fourteenth year then after Nero(4) Domitian having raised a second persecution he was
banished to the island of Patmos, and wrote the Apocalypse, on which Justin
Martyr and Irenaeus afterwards wrote commentaries. But Domitian having been put
to death and his acts, on account of his excessive cruelty, having been annulled
by the senate, he returned to Ephesus under Pertinax(1) and continuing there
until the tithe of the emperor Trajan, founded and built churches throughout all
Asia, and, worn out by old age, died in the sixty-eighth year after our Lord's
passion and was buried near the same city.
CHAPTER X.
HERMAS (2)(3) whom the apostle Paul mentions in writing to the Romans
"Salute(4) Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas(5) and the brethren that are with
them"(6)is reputed to be the author of the book which is called Pastor and which
is also read publicly in some churches of Greece. It is in fact a useful book
and many of the ancient writers quote from it as authority, but among the Latins
it is almost unknown.
CHAPTER XI.
PHILO 7 the Jew, an Alexandrian of the priestly class, is placed by us
among the ecclesiastical writers on the ground that, writing a book concerning the
first church of Mark the evangelist at Alexandria, he writes to our praise,
declaring not only that they were there, but also that they were in many
provinces and calling their habitations monasteries. From this(8) it appears that the
church of those that believed in Christ at first, was such as now the monks
desire to imitate,(9) that is, such that nothing is the peculiar property of any
one of them, none of them rich, none poor, that patrimonies are divided among the
needy, that they have leisure for prayer and psalms, for doctrine also and
ascetic practice, that they were in fact as Lake declares believers were at first
at Jerusalem. They say that under Caius(10) Caligula he ventured to Rome,
whither he had been sent as legate of his nation, and that when a second time he had
come to Claudius, he spoke in the same city with the apostle Peter and enjoyed
his friendship, and for this reason also adorned the adherents of Mark,
Peter's disciple at Alexandria, with his praises. There are distinguished and
innumerable works by this man: On the five books of Moses, one book Concerning the
confusion of tongues, one book On nature and invention, one book On the things
which our senses desire and we detest, one book On learning, one book On the heir
of divine things, one book On the division of equals and contraries, one book
On the three virtues, one book On why in Scripture the names of many persons are
changed, two books On covenants, one book On the life of a wise man, one book
Concerning giants, five books That dreams are sent by God, five books of
Questions and answers on Exodus, four books On the tabernacle and the Decalogue, as
well as books On victims and promises or curses, On Providence, On the Jews, On
the manner of one's life,, On Alexander, and That dumb beasts have right
reason, and That every fool should be a slave, and On the lives of the Christians,
of which we spoke above, that is, lives of apostolic men, which also he
entitled, On those who practice the divine life, because in truth they contemplate
divine things and ever pray to God, also trader other categories, two On
agriculture, two On drunkenness. There are other monuments of his genius which have not
come to our hands. Concerning him there is a proverb among the Greeks "Either
Plato philonized, or Philo platonized," that is, either Plato followed Philo, or
Philo, Plato, so great is the similarity of ideas and language.
CHAPTER XII.
LUCIUS Annus Seneca(1) of Cordova disciple of the Stoic Sotion(2) and
uncle of Lucan the Poet, was a man of most continent life, whom I should not place
in the category of saints were it not that those Epistles of Paul to Seneca and
Seneca a to Paul, which are read by many, provoke me. In these, written when
he was tutor of Nero and the most powerful man of that time, he says that he
would like to hold such a place among his countrymen as Paul held among
Christians. He was put to death by Nero two years before Peter and Paul were crowned with
martyrdom.
CHAPTER XIII.
JOSEPHUS, (1) the son of Matthias, priest of Jerusalem, taken prisoner by
Vespasian and his son Titus, was banished. Coming to Rome he presented to the
emperors, father and son, seven books On the captivity of the Jews, which were
deposited in the public library and, on account of his genius, was found worthy
of a statue at Rome. He wrote also twenty books of Antiquities, from the
beginning of the world until the fourteenth year of Domitian Csar, and two of
Antiquities against Appion, the grammarian of Alexandria who, under Caligula, sent as
legate on the part of the Gentiles against Philo, wrote also a book containing
a vituperation of the Jewish nation. Another book of his entitled, On all
ruling wisdom, in which the martyr deaths of the Maccabeans are related is highly
esteemed. In the eighth book of his Antiquities he most openly acknowledges that
Christ was slain by the Pharisees on account of the greatness of his miracles,
that John the Baptist was truly a prophet, and that Jerusalem was destroyed
because of the murder of James the apostle. He wrote also concerning the Lord
after this fashion: "In this same time was Jesus, a wise man, if indeed it be
lawful to call him man. For he was a worker of wonderful miracles, and a teacher of
those who freely receive the truth. He had very many adherents also, both of
the Jews and of the Gentiles, and was believed to be Christ, and when through the
envy of our chief men Pilate had crucified him, nevertheless those who had
loved him at first continued to the end, for he appeared to them the third day
alive. Many things, both these and other wonderful things are in the songs of the
prophets who prophesied concerning him and the sect of Christians, so named
from Him, exists to the present day."
CHAPTER XIV.
JUSTUS (2)(3) of Tiberias of the province Galilee, also attempted to write
a History of Jewish affairs and certain brief Commentaries on the Scriptures
but Josephus convicts him of falsehood. It is known that he wrote at the same
time as Josephus himself.
CHAPTER XV.
CLEMENT, (4) of whom the apostle Paul writing to the Philippians says
"With Clement and others of my fellow-workers whose names are written in the book
of life,"(1) the fourth bishop of Rome after Peter, if indeed the second was
Linus and the third Anacletus,(2) although most of the Latins think that Clement
was second after the apostle.(3) He wrote, on the part of the church of Rome,
an especially valuable Letter to the church of the Corinthians, which in some
places is publicly read, and which seems to me to agree in style with the epistle
to the Hebrews which passes under the name of Paul but it differs from this
same epistle, not only in many of its ideas, but also in respect of the order of
words, and its likeness in either respect is not very great. There is also a
second Epistle under his name which is rejected by earlier writers, and a
Disputation between Peter and Appion written out at length, which Eusebius in the
third book of his Church history rejects. He died in the third year of Trajan and a
church built at Rome preserves the memory of his name unto this day.
CHAPTER XVI.
IGNATIUS,(4) third bishop of the church of Antioch after Peter the
apostle, condemned to the wild beasts during the persecution of Trajan, was sent bound
to Rome, and when he had come on his voyage as far as Smyrna, where Polycarp
the pupil of John was bishop@ he wrote one epistle To the Ephesians, another To
the Magnesians a third To the Trallians a fourth To the Romans, and going
thence, he wrote To the Philadelphians and To the Smyrneans and especially To
Polycarp, commending to him the church at Antioch. In this last(5) he bore witness to
the Gospel which I have recently translated, in respect of the person of
Christ saying, "I indeed saw him in the flesh after the resurrection and I believe
that he is," and when he came to Peter and those who were with Peter, he said to
them "Behold ! touch me and see me bow that I am not an incorporeal spirit"
and straightway they touched him and believed. Moreover it seems worth while
inasmuch as we have made mention of such a man and of the Epistle which he wrote to
the Romans, to give a few "quotations"(6): "From Syria even unto Rome I fight
with wild beasts, by land and by sea, by night and by day, being bound amidst
ten leopards, that is to say soldiers who guard me and who only become worse
when they are well treated. Their wrong doing, however is my schoolmaster, but I
am not thereby justified. May I have joy of the beasts that are prepared for me;
and I pray that I may find them ready; I will even coax them to devour me
quickly that they may not treat me as they have some whom they have refused to
touch through fear. And if they are unwilling, I will compel them to devour me.
Forgive me my children, I know what is expedient for me. Now do I begin to be a
disciple, and desire none of the things visible that I may attain unto Jesus
Christ. Let fire and cross and attacks of wild beasts, let wrenching of bones,
cutting apart of limbs, crushing of the whole body, tortures [1] of the devil,--let
all these come upon me if only I may attain unto the joy which is in Christ."
When he had been condemned to the wild beasts and with zeal for martyrdom
heard the lions roaring, he said "I am the grain of Christ. I am ground by the
teeth of the wild beasts that I may be found the bread of the world." He was
put to death the eleventh year of Trajan and the remains of his body lie in
Antioch outside the Daphnitic gate in the cemetery.
CHAPTER XVII.
POLYCARP [2] disciple of the apostle John and by him ordained bishop of
Smyrna was chief of all Asia, where he saw and had as teachers some of the
apostles and of those who had seen the Lord. He, on account of certain questions
concerning the day of the Passover, went to Rome in the time of the emperor
Antoninus Pins while Anicetus ruled the church in that city. There he led back to the
faith many of the believers who had been deceived through the persuasion of
Marcion and Valentinus, and when. Marcion met him by chance and said "Do you know
us" he replied, "I know the firstborn of the devil." Afterwards during the
reign of Marcus Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus in the fourth persecution
after Nero, in the presence of the proconsul holding court at Smyrna and all the
people crying out against him in the Amphitheater, he was burned. He wrote a
very valuable Epistle to the Philippians which is read to the present day in the
meetings in Asia.
CHAPTER XVIII.
PAPIAS, [1] the pupil of John, bishop of Hierapolis in Asia, wrote only
five volumes, which he entitled Exposition of the words of our Lord, in which,
when he had asserted in his preface that he did not follow various opinions but
had the apostles for authority, he said "I considered what Andrew and Peter
said, what Philip, what Thomas, what James, what John, [2] what Matthew or any one
else among the disciples of our Lord, what also Aristion and the elder John,
disciples of the Lord had said, not so much that I have their books to read, as
that their living voice is heard until the present day in the authors
themselves." It appears through this catalogue of names that the John who is placed among
the disciples is not the same as the eider John whom he places after Aristion
in his enumeration. This we say moreover because of the opinion mentioned
above, where we record that it is declared by many that the last two epistles of
John are the work not of the apostle but of the presbyter.
He is said to have published a Second coming of Our Lord or Millennium.
Irenaeus and Apollinaris and others who say that after the resurrection the Lord
will reign in the flesh with the saints, follow him. Tertullian also in his
work On the hope of the faithful, Victorinus of Petau and Lac-tantius follow this
view.
CHAPTER XIX.
QUADRATUS [3] disciple of the apostles, after Publius bishop of Athens had
been crowned with martyrdom on account of his faith in Christ, was substituted
in his place, and by his faith and industry gathered the church scattered by
reason of its great fear. And when Hadrian passed the winter at Athens to
witness the Eleusinian mysteries and was initiated into almost all the sacred
mysteries of Greece, those who hated the Christians took opportunity without
instructions from the Emperor to harass the believers. At this time he presented to
Hadrian a work composed in behalf of our religion, indispensable, full of sound
argument and faith and worthy of the apostolic teaching. In which, illustrating
the antiquity of his period, he says that he has seen many who, oppressed by
various ills, were healed by the Lord in Judea as well as some who had been raised
from the dead.
CHAPTER XX.
ARISTIDES [1] a most eloquent Athenian philosopher, and a disciple of
Christ while yet retaining his philosopher's garb, presented a work to Hadrian at
the same time that Quadratus presented his. The work contained a systematic
statement of our doctrine, that is, an Apology for the Christians, which is still
extant and is regarded by philologians as a monument to his genius.
CHAPTER XXI.
AGRIPPA [2] surnamed Castor, a man of great learning, wrote a strong
refutation of the twenty-four volumes which Basilides the heretic had written
against the Gospel, disclosing all his mysteries and enumerating the prophets
Barcabbas and Barchob [3] and all the other barbarous names which terrify the hearers,
and his most high God Abraxas. whose name was supposed to contain the year
according to the reckoning [4] of the Greeks. Basilides died at Alexandria in the
reign of Hadrian, and from him the Gnostic sects arose. In this tempestuous
time also, Cochebas leader of the Jewish faction put Christians to death with
various tortures.
CHAPTER XXII.
HEGESIPPUS [5] who lived at a period not far from the Apostolic age,
writing a History of all ecclesiastical events from the passion of our Lord, down to
his own period, and gathering many things useful to the reader, composed five
volumes in simple style, trying to represent the style of speaking of those
whose lives he treated. He says that he went to Rome in the time of Anicetus, the
tenth bishop after Peter, and continued there till the time of Eleutherius,
bishop of the same city, who had been formerly deacon under Anicetus. Moreover,
arguing against idols, he wrote a history, showing from what error they had first
arisen, and this work indicates in what age he flourished. [6] He says, "They
built monuments and temples to their dead as we see up to the present day, [1]
such as the one to Antinous, servant to the Emperor Hadrian, in whose honour
also games were celebrated, and a city founded bearing his name, and a temple
with priests established." The Emperor Hadrian is said to have been enamoured of
Antinous.
CHAPTER XXIII.
JUSTIN, [2] a philosopher, and wearing the garb of philosopher, a citizen
of Neapolis, a city of Palestine, and the son of Priscus Bacchius, laboured
strenuously in behalf of the religion of Christ, insomuch that he delivered to
Antoninus Pius and his sons and the senate, a work written Against the nations,
and did not shun the ignominy of the cross. He addressed another book also to the
successors of this Antoninus, Marcus Antoninus Verus and Lucius Aurelius
Com-modus. Another volume of his Against the nations, is also extant, where he
discusses the nature of demons, and a fourth against the nations which he entitled,
Refutation and yet another On the sovereignty of God, and another book which be
entitled, Psaltes, and another On the Soul, the Dialogue against the Jews,
which he held against Trypho, the leader of the Jews, and also notable volumes
Against Marcion, which Irenaeus also mentions in the fourth book [3] Against
heresies, also another book Against all heresies which he mentions in the Apology
which is addressed to Antoninus Pius. He, when be had held
<greek>diatribas</greek> in the city of Rome, and had convicted Crescens the cynic, who said many
blasphemous things against the Christians, of gluttony and fear of death, and bad
proved him devoted to luxury and lusts, at last, accused of being a Christian,
through the efforts and wiles of Crescens, he shed his blood for Christ.
CHAPTER XXIV.
MELITO [4] of Asia, bishop of Sardis, addressed a book to the emperor
Marcus Antoninus Verus, a disciple of Fronto the orator, in behalf of the Christian
doctrine. He wrote other things also, among which are the following: On the
passover, two books, one book On the lives of the prophets, one book On the
church, [5] one book On the Lord's day, one book On faith, one book On the psalms
(?) one On the senses, one On the soul and body, one On baptism, one On truth.
one On the generation of Christ, On His prophecy [1] one On hospitality and
another which is called the Key--one On the devil, one On the Apocalypse of John,
one On the corporeality of God, and six books of Eclogues. Of his fine oratorical
genius, Tertullian, in the seven books which he wrote against the church on
behalf of Montanus, satirically says that he was considered a prophet by many of
us.
CHAPTER XXV.
THEOPHILUS, [2] sixth bishop of the church of Antioch, in the reign of the
emperor Marcus Antoninus Verus composed a book Against Marcion, which is still
extant, also three volumes To Autolycus and one Against the heresy of
Hermogenes and other short and elegant treatises, well fitted for the edification of
the church. I have read, under his name, commentaries On the Gospel and On the
proverbs of Solomon which do not appear to me to correspond in style and language
with the elegance and expressiveness of the above works.
CHAPTER XXVI.
APOLLINARIS, [3] bishop of Hierapolis in Asia, flourished in the reign of
Marcus Antoninus Verus, to whom he addressed a notable volume in behalf of the
faith of the Christians. There are extant also five other books of his Against
the Nations, two On truth and Against the Cataphrygians written at the time
when Montanus was making a beginning with Prisca and Maximilla.
CHAPTER XXVII.
DIONYSIUS, [4] bishop of the church of Corinth, was of so great eloquence
and industry that he taught not only the people of his own city and province
but also those of other provinces and cities by his letters. Of these one is To
the Lacedaemonians, another To the Athenians, a third To the Nicomedians, a
fourth To the Cretans, a fifth To the church at Amastrina and to the other churches
of Pontus, a sixth To the Gnosians and to Pinytus bishop of the same city, a
seventh To the Romans, addressed to Sorer their bishop, an eighth To Chrysophora
a holy woman. He flourished in the reign of Marcus Antoninus Verus and Lucius
Aurelius Commodus.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
PINYTUS [1] of Crete, bishop of the city of Gnosus, wrote to Dionysius
bishop of the Corinthians, an exceedingly elegant letter in which he teaches that
the people are not to be forever fed on milk, lest by chance they be overtaken
by the last day while yet infants, but that they ought to be fed also on solid
food, that they may go on to a spiritual old age. He flourished under Marcus
Antoninus Verus and Lucius Aurelius Com-modus. [2]
CHAPTER XXIX.
TATIAN [3] who, while teaching oratory, won not a little glory in the
rhetorical art, was a follower of Justin Martyr and was distinguished so long as he
did not leave his master's side. But afterwards, inflated [4] by a swelling of
eloquence, he rounded a new heresy which is called that of the Encratites, the
heresy which Severus afterwards augmented in such wise that heretics of this
party are called Severians to the present day. Tatian wrote besides innumerable
volumes, one of which, a most successful book Against the nations, is extant,
and this is considered the most significant of all his works. He flourished in
the reign of Marcus Antoninus Verus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus.
CHAPTER XXX.
PHILIP [5] bishop of Crete, that is of the city of Gortina, whom Dionysius
mentions in the epistle which he wrote to the church of the same city,
published a remarkable book Against Marcion and flourished in the time of Marcus
Antoninus Verus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus.
CHAPTER XXXI.
MUSANUS, [6] not inconsiderable among those who have written on
ecclesiastical doctrine, in the reign of Marcus Antoninus Verus wrote a book to certain
brethren who had turned aside from the church to the heresy of the Encratites.
CHAPTER XXXII.
MODESTUS [1] also in the reign of Marcus Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius
Commodus wrote a book Against Marcion which is still extant. Some other
compositions pass under his name but are regarded by scholars as spurious.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
BARDESANES [2] of Mesopotamia is reckoned among the distinguished men. He
was at first a follower of Valentinus and afterwards his opponent and himself
founded a new heresy. He has the reputation among the Syrians of having been a
brilliant genius and vehement in argument. He wrote a multitude of works against
almost all heresies which had come into existence in his time. Among these a
most remarkable and strong work is the one which he addressed to Marcus
Antoninus On fate, and many other volumes On persecution which his followers translated
from the Syriac language into Greek. If indeed so much force and brilliancy
appears in the translation, how great it must have been in the original.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
VICTOR, [3] thirteenth bishop of Rome, wrote, On the Paschal Controversy
and some other small works. He ruled the church for ten years in the reign of
the Emperor Severus.
CHAPTER XXXV.
IRENAEUS, [4] a presbyter trader Pothinus the bishop who ruled the church
of Lyons in Gaul, being sent to Rome as legate by the martyrs of Ibis place, on
account of certain ecclesiastical questions, presented to Bishop Eleutherius
certain letters under his own name which are worthy of honour. Afterwards when
Pothinus, nearly ninety years of age, received the crown of martyrdom for
Christ, he was put in his place. It is certain too that he was a disciple of
Poly-carp, the priest and martyr, whom we mentioned above. He wrote five books Against
heresies and a short volume, Against the nations and another On discipline, a
letter to Marcianus his brother On apostolical preaching, a book of Various
treatises; also to Blastus, On schism, [5] to Florinus On monarchy or That God is
not the author of evil, also an excellent Commentary on the Ogdoad at the end of
which indicating that he was near the apostolic period he wrote "I adjure thee
whosoever shall transcribe this book, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by his
glorious advent at which He shall judge the quick and the dead, that you diligently
compare, after you have transcribed, and amend it according to the copy from
which you have transcribed it and also that you shall similarly transcribe this
adjuration as you find it in your pattern." Other works of his are in
circulation to wit: to Victor the Roman bishop On the Paschal controversy in which he
warns him not lightly to break the unity of the fraternity, if indeed Victor
believed that the many bishops of Asia and the East, who with the Jews celebrated
the passover, on the fourteenth day of the new moon, were to be condemned. But
even those who differed from them did not support Victor in his opinion. He
flourished chiefly in the reign of the Emperor Commodus, who succeeded Marcus
Antoninus Verus in power.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
PANTAENUS, [2] a philosopher of the stoic school, according to some old
Alexandrian custom, where, from the time of [3] Mark the evangelist the
ecclesiastics were always doctors, was of so great prudence and erudition both in
scripture and secular literature that, on the request of the legates of that nation,
he was sent to India by Demetrius bishop of Alexandria, where he found that
Bartholomew, one of the twelve apostles, had preached the advent of the Lord Jesus
according to the gospel of Matthew, and on his return to Alexandria he brought
this with him written in Hebrew characters. Many of his commentaries on Holy
Scripture are indeed extant, but his living voice was of still greater benefit
to the churches. He taught in the reigns of the emperor Severus and Antoninus
surnamed Caracalla.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
RHODO, [4] a native of Asia, instructed in the Scriptures at Rome by
Tatian whom we mentioned above, published many things especially a work Against
Marcion in which he tells how the Marcionites differ from one another as well as
from the church and says that the aged Apelles, another heretic, was once engaged
in a discussion with him, and that he, Rhodo, held Apelles up to ridicule
because he declared that he did not know the God whom he worshipped. He mentioned
in the same book, which he wrote to Callistion, that he had been a pupil of
Tatian at Rome. He also composed elegant treatises On the six days of creation and
a notable work against the Phrygians. [1]
He flourished in the reigns of Commodus and Severus.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
CLEMENS, [2] presbyter of the Alexandrian church, and a pupil of the
Pantaenus mentioned above, led the theological school at Alexandria after the death
of his master and was teacher of the Catechetes. He is the author of notable
volumes, full of eloquence and learning, both in sacred Scripture and in secular
literature; among these are the Stromata, eight books, Hypotyposes eight
books, Against the nations one book, On pedagogy [3] three books, On the Passover,
Disquisition on fasting and another book entitled, What rich mast is saved? one
book On Calumny, On ecclesiastical canons and against those who follow the
error of the Jews one book which he addressed to Alexander bishop of Jerusalem. He
also mentions in his volumes of Stromata the work of Tatian Against the nations
which we mentioned above and a Chronography of one Cassianus, a work which I
have not been able to find. He also mentioned certain Jewish writers against the
nations, one Aristobulus and Demetrius and Eupolemus who after the example of
Josephus asserted the primacy of Moses and the Jewish people. There is a letter
of Alexander the bishop of Jerusalem who afterwards ruled the church with
Narcissus, on the ordination of Asclepiades the confessor, addressed to the
Antiochians congratulating them, at the end of which he says "these writings honoured
[4] brethren I have sent to you by the blessed presbyter Clement, a man
illustrious and approved, whom you also know and with whom now you will become better
acquainted a man who, when he had come hither by the special providence of God.
strengthened and enlarged the church of God." Origen is known to have been his
disciple. He flourished moreover during the reigns of Severus and his son
Antoninus.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
MILTIADES [1] of whom Rhodo gives an account in the work which he wrote
against Montanus, Prisca and Maximilla, wrote a considerable volume against these
same persons, and other books Against the nations and the Jews and addressed
an Apology to the then ruling emperors. He flourished in the reign of Marcus
Antoninus and Commodus.
CHAPTER XL.
APOLLONIUS, [2] an exceedingly talented man, wrote against Montanus,
Prisca and Maximilla a notable and lengthy volume, in which he asserts that Montanus
and his mad prophetesses died by hanging, and many other things, among which
are the following concerning Prisca and Maximilla, "if they denied that they
have accepted gifts, let them confess that those who do accept are not prophets
and I will prove by a thousand witnesses that they have received gifts, for it is
by other fruits that prophets are shown to be prophets indeed. Tell me, does a
prophet dye his hair? Does a prophet stain her eyelids with antimony? Is a
prophet adorned with fine garments and precious stones? Does a prophet play with
dice and tables? Does he accept usury? Let them respond whether this ought to be
permitted or not, it will be my task to prove that they do these things." He
says in the same book, that the time when he wrote the work was the fortieth
year after the beginning of the heresy of the Cataphrygians. Tertullian added to
the six volumes which he wrote On ecstasy against the church a seventh, directed
especially against Apollonius, in which he attempts to defend all which
Apollonius refuted. Apollonius flourished in the reigns of Commodus and Severus.
CHAPTER XLI.
SERAPION, [3] ordained bishop of Antioch in the eleventh year of the
emperor Commodus, wrote a letter to Caricus and Pontius [4] on the heresy of
Montanus, in which he said " that you may know moreover that the madness of this false
doctrine, that is the doctrine of a new prophecy, is reprobated by all the
world, I have sent to you the letters of the most holy Apollinaris bishop of
Hierapolis in Asia." He wrote a volume also to Domnus, who in time of persecution
went over to the Jews, and another work on the gospel which passes under the name
of Peter, a work to the church of the Rhosenses in Cilicia who by the reading
of this book had turned aside to heresy. There are here and there short letters
of his, harmonious in character with the ascetic life of their author.
CHAPTER XLII.
APOLLONIUS, [1] a Roman senator under the emperor Commodus, having been
denounced by a slave as a Christian, gained permission to give a reason for his
faith and wrote a remarkable volume which he read in the senate, yet none the
less, by the will of the senate, he was beheaded for Christ by virtue of an
ancient law among them, that Christians who had once been brought before their
judgment seat should not be dismissed unless they recanted.
CHAPTER XLIII.
THEOPHILUS, [2] bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, the city formerly called
Turris Stratonis, in the reign of the emperor Severus wrote, in conjunction
with other bishops, a synodical letter of great utility against those who
celebrated the passover with the Jews on the fourteenth day of the month.
CHAPTER XLIV.
BACCHYLUS, [3] bishop of Corinth, was held in renown under the same
emperor Severus, and wrote, as representative of all the bishops who were in Achaia,
an elegant work On the passover.
CHAPTER XLV.
POLYCRATES [4] bishop of the Ephesians with other bishops of Asia who in
accordance with some ancient custom celebrated the passover with the Jews on the
fourteenth of the month, wrote a synodical letter against Victor bishop of
Rome in which he says that he follows the authority of the apostle John and of the
ancients. From this we make the following brief quotations, "We therefore
celebrate the day according to usage, inviolably, neither adding anything to nor
taking anything from it, for in Asia lie the remains of the greatest saints of
those who shall rise again on the day of the Lord, when he shall come in majesty
from heaven and shall quicken all the saints, I mean Philip one of the twelve
apostles who sleeps at Hierapolis and his two daughters who were virgins until
their death and another daughter of his who died at Ephesus full of the Holy
Spirit. And John too, who lay on Our Lord's breast and was his high priest
carrying the golden frontlet on his forehead, both martyr and doctor, fell asleep at
Ephesus and Polycarp bishop and martyr died at Smyrna. Thraseas of Eumenia also,
bishop and martyr, rests in the same Smyrna. What need is there of mentioning
Sagaris, bishop and martyr, who sleeps in Laodicea and the blessed Papyrus and
Melito, eunuch in the Holy Spirit, who, ever serving the Lord, was laid to rest
in Sardis and there awaits his resurrection at Christ's advent. These all
observed the day of the passover on the fourteenth of the month, in nowise
departing from the evangelical tradition and following the ecclesiastical canon. I
also, Poly-crates, the least of all your servants, according to the doctrine of my
relatives which I also have followed (for there were seven of my relatives
bishops indeed and I the eighth) have always celebrated the passover when the
Jewish people celebrated the putting away of the leaven. And so brethren being
sixty-five years old in the Lord and instructed by many brethren from all parts of
the world, and having searched all the Scriptures, I will not fear those who
threaten us, for my predecessors said "It is fitting to obey God rather than men."
I quote this to show through a small example the genius and authority of the
man. He flourished in the reign of the emperor Severus in the same period as
Narcissus of Jerusalem.
CHAPTER XLVI.
HERACLITUS [1] in the reign of Commodus and Severus wrote commentaries on
the Acts and Epistles.
CHAPTER XLVII.
MAXIMUS, [2] under the same emperors pro-pounded in a remarkable volume
the famous questions, What is the origin of evil? and Whether matter is made by
God.
CHAPTER XLVIII.
CANDIDUS [3] under the above mentioned emperors published most admirable
treatises On the six days of creation.
CHAPTER XLIX.
APPION (1) under the emperor Severus likewise wrote treatises On the six
days of creation.
CHAPTER L.
SEXTUS (2) in the reign of the emperor Severus wrote a book On the
resurrection.
CHAPTER LI.
ARABIANUS (3) under the same emperor published certain small works
relating to christian doctrine.
CHAPTER LII.
JUDAS, (4) discussed at length the seventy weeks mentioned in Daniel and
wrote a Chronography of former times which he brought up to the tenth year of
Severus. He is convicted of error in respect of this work in that he prophesied
that the advent of Anti-Christ would be about his period, but this was because
the greatness of the persecutions seemed to forebode the end of the world.
CHAPTER LIII.
TERTULLIAN (5) the presbyter, now regarded as chief of the Latin writers
after Victor and Apollonius, was from the city of Carthage in the province of
Africa, and was the son of a proconsul or Centurion, a man of keen and vigorous
character, he flourished chiefly in the reign of the emperor Severus and
Antoninus Caracalla and wrote many volumes which we pass by because they are well
known to most. I myself have seen a certain Paul an old man of Concordia, a town of
Italy, who, while he himself was a very young man had been secretary to the
blessed Cyprian who was already advanced in age. He said that he himself had seen
how Cyprian was accustomed never to pass a day without reading Tertullian, and
that be frequently said to him, "Give me the master," meaning by this,
Tertullian. He was presbyter of the church until middle life, afterwards driven by the
envy and abuse of the clergy of the Roman church, he lapsed to the doctrine of
Montanus, and mentions the new prophecy in many of his books.
He composed, moreover, directly against the church, volumes: On modesty,
On persecution, On fasts, On monogamy, six books On ecstasy, and a seventh which
he wrote Against Apollonius. He is said to have lived to a decrepit old age,
and to have composed many small works, which are not extant.
CHAPTER LIV.
ORIGEN, (1) surnamed Adamantius, a persecution having been raised against
the Christians in the tenth year of Severus Pertinax, and his father Leonidas
having received the crown of martyrdom for Christ, was left at the age of about
seventeen, with his six brothers and widowed mother, in poverty, for their
property had been confiscated because of confessing Christ. When only eighteen
years old, he undertook the work of instructing the Catechetes in the scattered
churches of Alexandria. Afterwards appointed by Demetrius. bishop of this city.
successor to the presbyter Clement, he flourished many years. When he had already
reached middle life, on account of the churches of Achaia, which were torn
with many heresies, he was journeying to Athens, by way of Palestine, under the
authority of an ecclesiastical letter, and having been ordained presbyter by
Theoctistus and Alexander, bishops of Caesarea and Jerusalem, he offended
Demetrius, who was so wildly enraged at him that he wrote everywhere to injure his
reputation. It is known that before he went to Caesarea, he had been at Rome, trader
bishop Zephyrinus. Immediately on his return to Alexandria he made Heraclas
the presbyter, who continued to wear his philosopher's garb, his assistant in the
school for catechetes. Heraclas became bishop of the church of Alexandria,
after Demetrius. How great the glory of Origen was, appears from the fact that
Firmilianus, bishop of Caesarea, with all the Cappadocian bishops, sought a visit
from him, and entertained him for a long while. Sometime afterwards, going to
Palestine to visit the holy places, he came to Caesarea (2) and was instructed
at length by Origen in the Holy Scriptures. It appears also from the fact that
he went to Antioch, on the request of Mammaea, mother of the Emperor Alexander,
and a woman religiously disposed, and was there held in great honour, and sent
letters to the Emperor Philip, who was the first among the Roman rulers, to
become a christian, and to his mother, letters which are still extant. Who is
there, who does not also know that he was so assiduous in the study of Holy
Scriptures, that contrary to the spirit of his time, and of his people, he learned the
Hebrew language, and taking the Septuagint translation, he gathered the other
translations also in a single work, namely, that of Aquila, of Ponticus the
Proselyte, and Theodotian the Ebonite, and Symmachus an adherent of the same sect
who wrote commentaries also on the gospel according to Matthew, from which he
tried to establish his doctrine. And besides these, a fifth, sixth, and seventh
translation, which we also have from his library, he sought out with great
diligence, and compared with other editions. And since I have given a list of his
works, in the volumes of letters which I have written to Paula, in a letter
which I wrote against the works of Varro, I pass this by now, not failing however,
to make mention of his immortal genius, how that he understood dialectics, as
well as geometry, arithmetic, music, grammar, and rhetoric, and taught all the
schools of philosophers, in such wise that he had also diligent students in
secular literature, and lectured to them daily, and the crowds which flocked to him
were marvellous. These, he received in the hope that through the
instrumentality of this secular literature, he might establish them in the faith of Christ.
It is unnecessary to speak of the cruelty of that persecution which was
raised against the Christians and under Decius, who was mad against the religion
of Philip, whom he had slain,--the persecution in which Fabianus, bishop of the
Roman church, perished at Rome, and Alexander and Babylas, Pontifs of the
churches of Jerusalem and Antioch, were imprisoned for their confession of Christ.
If any one wishes to know what was done in regard to the position of Origen, he
can clearly learn, first indeed from his own epistles, which after the
persecution, were sent to different ones, and secondly, from the sixth book of the
church history of Eusebius of Caesarea, and from his six volumes in behalf of the
same Origen.
He lived until the time of Gallus and Volusianus, that is, until his
sixty-ninth year, and died at Tyre, in which city he also was buried.
CHAPTER LV.
AMMONIUS, (1) a talented man of great philosophical learning, was
distinguished at Alexandria, at the same time. Among many and distinguished monuments
of his genius, is the elaborate work which he composed On the harmony of Moses
and Jesus, and the Gospel canons, which he worked out, and which Eusebius of
Caesarea, afterwards followed. Porphyry falsely accused him of having become a
heathen again, after being a Christian, but it is certain that he continued a
Christian until the very end of his life.
CHAPTER LVI.
AMBROSIUS, (1) at first a Marcionite but afterwards set right by Origen,
was deacon in the church, and gloriously distinguished as confessor of the Lord.
To him, together with Protoctetus the presbyter, the book of Origen, On
martyrdom was written. Aided (2) by his industry, funds, and perseverance, Origen
dictated a great number of volumes. He himself, as befits a man of noble nature,
was of no mean literary talent, as his letters to Origen indicate. He died
moreover, before the death of Origen, and is condemned by many, in that being a man
of wealth, he did not at death, remember in his will, his old and needy friend.
CHAPTER LVII.
TRYPHO, (3) pupil of Origen, to whom some of his extant letters are
addressed, was very learned in the Scriptures, and this many of his works show here
and there, but especially the book which he composed On the red heifer (4) in
Deuteronomy, and On the halves, which with the pigeon and the turtledoves were
offered by Abraham as recorded in Genesis. (5)
CHAPTER LVIII.
MINUCIUS (6) Felix, a distinguished advocate of Rome, wrote a dialogue
representing a discussion between a Christian and a Gentile, which is entitled
Octavius, and still another work passes current in his name, On fate, or Against
the mathematicians, but this although it is the work of a talented man, does not
seem to me to correspond in style with the above mentioned work. Lactantius
also mentions this Minucius in his works.
CHAPTER LIX.
GAIUS, (7) bishop of Rome, in the time of Zephyrinus, that is, in the
reign of Antoninus, the son of Severus, delivered a very notable disputation
Against Proculus, the follower of Montanus, convicting him of temerity in his defence
of the new prophecy, and in the same volume also enumerating only thirteen
epistles of Paul, says that the fourteenth, which is now called, To the Hebrews,
is not by him, and is not considered among the Romans to the present day as
being by the apostle Paul.
CHAPTER LX.
BERYLLUS, (1) bishop of Bostra in Arabia, after he had ruled the church
gloriously (2) for a little while, finally lapsed into the heresy which denies
that Christ existed before the incarnation. Set right by Origen, he wrote various
short works, especially letters, in which he thanks Origen. The letters of
Origen to him, are also extant, and a dialogue between Origen and Beryllus as
well, in which heresies are discussed. He was distinguished during the reign of
Alexander, son of Mammaea, and Maximinus and Gordianus, who succeededhimin power.
CHAPTER LXI.
HIPPOLYTUS, (3) bishop of some church (the name of the city I have not
been able to learn) wrote A reckoning of the Paschal feast and chronological
tables which be worked out up to the first year of the Emperor Alexander. He also
discussed the cycle of sixteen years, which the Greeks called
<greek>ekkaQdekaeGhrida</greek> and gave the cue to Eusebius, who composed on the same Paschal
feast a cycle of nineteen years, that is <greek>euueakaidekaeGhrida</greek>. He
wrote Some commentaries on the Scriptures, among which are the following: On the
six days of creation, On Exodus, On the Song of Songs, On Genesis, On
Zechariah, On the Psalms, On Isaiah, On Daniel, On the Apocalypse, On the Proverbs, On
Ecclesiastes, On Saul, On the Pythonissa, On the Antichrist, On the
resurrection, Against Marcion, On the Passover, Against all heresies, and an exhortation On
the praise of our Lord and Saviour. in which he indicates that he is speaking
in the church in the presence of Origen. Ambrosius, who we have said was
converted by Origen from the heresy of Marcion, to the true faith. urged Origen to
write, in emulation of Hyppolytus, commentaries on the Scriptures, offering him
seven, and even more secretaries, and their expenses, and an equal number of
copyists, and what is still more, with incredible zeal. daily exacting work from
him, on which account Origen, in one of his epistles, calls him his"Task-master."
CHAPTER LXII.
ALEXANDER, (1) bishop of Cappadocia, desiring to visit the Holy Land, came
to Jerusalem, at the time when Narcissus, bishop of this city, already an old
man, ruled the church. It was revealed to Narcissus and many of his clergy,
that on the morning of the next day, a bishop would enter the city, who should be
assistant on the sacerdotal throne. And so it came to pass, as it was
predicted, and all the bishops I of Palestine being gathered together, Narcissus
himself being especially urgent, Alexander took with him the helm of the church of
Jerusalem. At the end of one of his epistles, written to the Antinoites On the
peace of the church. He says "Narcissus, who held the bishopric here before me,
and now with me exercises his office by his prayers, being about a hundred and
sixteen years old, salutes you, and with me begs you to become of one mind." He
wrote another also To the Antiocheans, by the hand of Clement, the presbyter of
Alexandria, of whom we spoke above, another also To Origen, and In behalf of
Origen against Demetrius, called forth by the fact that, according to the
testimony of Demetrius, he had made Origen presbyter. There are other epistles of his
to different persons. In the seventh persecution under Decius, at the time
when Babylas of Antioch was put to death, brought to Caesarea and shut up in
prison, he received the crown of martyrdom for confessing Christ.
CHAPTER LXIII.
JULIUS Africanus, (2) whose five volumes On Chronology, are yet extant, in
the reign of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, who succeeded Macrinus, received a
commission to restore the city of Emmaus, which afterwards was called Nicopolis.
There is an epistle of his to Origen, On the question of Susanna, where it is
contended that this story is not contained in the Hebrew, and is not consistent
with the Hebrew etymology in respect of the play on "prinos and prisai,"
"schinos and schisai." In reply to this, Origen wrote a learned epistle. There is
extant another letter of his, To Aristides, in which he discusses at length the
discrepancies, which appear in the genealogy of our Saviour, as recorded by
Matthew and Luke.
CHAPTER LXIV.
GEMINUS, (1) presbyter of the church at Antioch, composed a few monuments
of his genius, flourishing in the time of the Emperor Alexander and Zebennus,
bishop of his city, especially at the time at which Heraclas was ordained
Pontiff of the church at Alexandria.
CHAPTER LXV.
THEODORUS, (2) afterwards called Gregory, bishop of Neocaesarea in Pontus,
while yet a very young man, in company with his brother Athenodorus, went from
Cappadocia to Berytus, and thence to Caesarea in Palestine, to study Greek and
Latin literature. When Origen had seen the remarkable natural ability of these
men, he urged them to study philosophy, in the teaching of which he gradually
introduced the matter of faith in Christ, and made them also his followers. So,
instructed by him for five years, they were sent back by him to their mother.
Theodorus, on his departure, wrote a panegyric of thanks to Origen, and
delivered it before a large assembly. Origen himself being present. This panegyric is
extant at the present day.
He wrote also a short, but very valuable, paraphrase On Ecclesiastes, and
current report speaks or other epistles of his, but more especially of the
signs and wonders. which as bishop, he performed to the great glory of the churches.
CHAPTER LXVI.
CORNELIUS, (3) bishop of Rome, to whom eight letters of Cyprian are
extant, wrote a letter to Fabius, (4) bishop of the church at Antioch, On the Roman,
Italian, and African councils, and another On Novatian and those who had fallen
from the faith, a third On the acts of the council, and a fourth very prolix
one to the same Fabius, containing the causes of the Novatian heresy and an
anathema of it. He ruled the church for two years under Gallus and Volusianus. He
received the crown of martyrdom for Christ, and was succeeded by Lucius.
CHAPTER LXVII.
CYPRIAN (5) of Africa, at first was famous as a teacher of rhetoric, and
afterwards on, the persuasion of the presbyter Caecilius, from whom he received
his surname, he became a Christian, and gave all his substance to the poor. Not
long after he was inducted into the presbytery, and was also made bishop of
Carthage. It is unnecessary to make a catalogue of the works of his genius, since
they are more conspicuous thou the sun.
He was put to death under the Emperors Valerian and Gallienus, in the
eighth persecution, on the same day that Cornelius was put to death at Rome, but
not in the same year.
CHAPTER LXVIII.
PONTIUS, (1) deacon of Cyprian, sharing his exile until the day of his
death, left a notable volume On the life and death of Cyprian.
CHAPTER LXIX.
DIONYSIUS, (2) bishop of Alexandria, as presbyter had charge of the
catechetical school under Heraclas, and was the most distinguished pupil of Origen.
Consenting to the doctrine of Cyprian and the African synod, on the rebaptizing
(3) of heretics, he sent many letters to different people, which are yet
extant; He wrote one to Fabius, bishop of the church at Antioch, On penitence,
another To the Romans, by the hand of Hippolytus, two letters To Xystus, who had
succeeded Stephen, two also To Philemon and Dionysius, presbyters of the church at
Rome, and another To the same Dionysius, afterwards bishop of Rome; and To
Novatian, treating of their claim that Novatian had been ordained bishop of Rome,
against his will. The beginning of this epistle is as follows: "Dionysius to
Novatian, his brother greeting. If you have been ordained unwillingly, as you say,
you will prove it, when yon shall willingly retire."
There is another epistle of his also To Dionysius and Didymus, and many
Festal epistles on the passover, written in a declamatory style, also one to the
church of Alexandria On exile, one To Hierax, (4) bishop in Egypt, and vet
others On mortality, On the Sabbath, and On the gymnasium, also one To Hermammon
and others On the persecution of Decius, and two books Against Nepos the bishop,
who asserted in his writings a thousand years reign in the body. Among other
things he diligently discussed the Apocalypse of John, and wrote Against
Sabellius and To Ammon, bishop of Bernice, and To Telesphorus, also To Euphranor, also
four books To Dionysius, bishop of Rome, to the Laodiceans On penitence, to
Origen On martyrdom, to the Armenians On penitence, (1) also On the order of
transgression, to Timothy On nature, to Euphranor On temptation, many letters also
To Basilides, in one of which he asserts that he also began to write
commentaries on Ecclesiastes. The notable epistle which he wrote against Paul of Samosta,
a few days before his death is also current. He died in the twelfth year of
Gallienus.
CHAPTER LXX.
NOVATIANUS, (2) presbyter of Rome, attempted to usurp the sacerdotal chair
occupied by Cornelius, and established the dogma of the Novatians, or as they
are called in Greek, the Cathari, by refusing to receive penitent apostates.
Novatus, author of this doctrine, was a presbyter of Cyprian. He wrote, On the
passover, On the Sabbath, On circumcision, On the priesthood, On prayer, (3) On
the food of the Jews On zeal, On Attalus, and many others, especially, a great
volume On the Trinity, a sort of epitome of the work of Tertullian, which many
mistakenly ascribe to Cyprian.
CHAPTER LXXI.
MALCHION, (4) the highly gifted presbyter of the church at Antioch, who
had most successfully taught rhetoric in the same city, held a discussion with
Paul of Samosata, who as bishop of the church at Antioch, had introduced the
doctrine of Artemon, and this was taken down by short hand writers. This dialogue
is still extant, and vet another extended epistle written by him, in behalf of
the council, is addressed to Dionysius and Maximus, bishops of Rome and
Alexandria. He flourished under Claudius and Aurelianus.
CHAPTER LXXII.
ARCHELAUS, (5) bishop of Mesopotamia, composed in the Syriac language, a
book of the discussion which he held with Manichaeus, when he came from Persia.
This book, which is translated into Greek, is possessed by many.
He flourished under the Emperor Probus, who succeeded Aurelianus and
Tacitus.
CHAPTER LXXIlI.
ANATOLIUS (1) of Alexandria, bishop of Laodicea in Syria, who flourished
under the emperors Probus and Carus, was a man of wonderful learning in
arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic. We can get an
idea of the greatness of his genius from the volume which he wrote On the passover
and his ten books On the institutes of arithmetic.
CHAPTER LXXIV.
VICTORINUS, (2) bishop of Pettau, was not equally familiar with Latin and
Greek. On this account his works though noble in thought, are inferior in
style. They are the following: Commentaries On Genesis, On Exodus, On Leviticus, On
Isaiah, On Ezekiel. On Habakkuk, On Ecclesiastes, On the Song of Songs, On the
Apocalypse of John, Against all heresies and many others. At the last he
received the crown of martyrdom.
CHAPTER LXXV.
PAMPHILUS (3) the presbyter, patron of Eusebius bishop of Caesarea, was so
inflamed with love of sacred literature, that he transcribed tim greater part
of the works of Origen with his own hand and these are still preserved in the
library at Caesarea. I have twenty-five volumes (4) of Commentaries of Origen,
written in his hand, On the twelve prophets which I hug and guard with such joy,
that I deem myself to have the wealth of Croesus. And if it is such joy to
have one epistle of a martyr how much more to have so many thousand lines which
seem to me to be traced in his blood. He wrote an Apology for Origen before
Eusebius had written his and was put to death at Caesarea in Palestine in the
persecution of Maximinus.
CHAPTER LXXVI.
PIERIUS, (5) presbyter of the church at Alexandria in the reign of Carus
and Diocletian, at the time when Theonas ruled as bishop in tim same church,
taught the people with great success and attained such elegance of language and
published so many treatises on all sorts of subjects (which are still extant)
that he was called Origen Junior. He was remarkable for his self-discipline,
devoted to voluntary poverty, and thoroughly acquainted with the dialectic art.
After the persecution, he passed the rest of his life at Rome. There is extant a
long treatise of his. On the prophet Hoses which from internal evidence appears
to have been delivered on the vigil of Passover.
CHAPTER LXXVII.
LUCIANUS, (1) a man of great talent, presbyter of the church at Antioch,
was so diligent in the study of the Scriptures, that even now certain copies of
the Scriptures bear the name of Lucian. Works of his, On faith, and short
Epistles to various people are extant. He was put to death at Nicomedia for his
confession of Christ in the persecution of Maximinus, and was buried at Helenopolis
in Bithynia.
CHAPTER LXXVIII.
PHILEAS (2) a resident of that Egyptian city which is called Thmuis, of
noble family, and no small wealth, having become bishop, composed a finely
written work in praise of martyrs and arguing against the judge who tried to compel
him to offer sacrifices, was beheaded for Christ during the same persecution in
which Lucianus was put to death at Nicomedia.
CHAPTER LXXIX.
ARNOBIUS (3) a was a most successful teacher of rhetoric at Sicca in
Africa during the reign of Diocletian, and wrote volumes Against the nations which
may be found everywhere.
CHAPTER LXXX.
FIRMIANUS, (4) known also as Lactantius, a disciple of Arnobius, during
the reign of Diocletian summoned to Nicomedia with Flavius the Grammarian whose
poem On medicine is still extant, taught rhetoric there and on account of his
lack of pupils (since it was a Greek city) he betook himself to writing. We have
a Banquet of his which he wrote as a young man in Africa and an Itinerary of a
journey from Africa to Nicomedia written in hexameters, and another book which
is called The Grammarian and a most beautiful one On the wrath of God, and
Divine institutes against the nations, seven books, and an Epitome of the same work
in one volume, without a title, (6) also two books To Asclepiades, one book On
persecution, four books of Epistles to Probus, two books of Epistles to
Severus, two books of Epistles to his pupil Demetrius (1) and one book to the same On
the work of God or the creation of man. In his extreme old age he was tutor to
Crispus Caesar a son of Constantine in Gaul, the same one who was afterwards
put to death by his father.
CHAPTER LXXXI.
EUSEBIUS (2) bishop of Caesarea in Palestine was diligent in the study of
Divine Scriptures and with Pamphilus the martyr a most diligent investigator of
the Holy Bible. He published a great number of volumes among which are the
following: Demonstrations of the Gospel twenty books Preparations for the Gospel
fifteen books, Theophany (3) five books, Church history ten books, Chronicle of
Universal history and an Epitome of this last. Also On discrepancies between
the Gospels, On Isaiah, ten books, also Against Porphyry, who was writing at that
same time in Sicily as some think, twenty-five books, also one book of Topics,
six books of Apology for Origen, three books On the life of Pamphilus, other
brief works On the martyrs, exceedingly learned Commentaries on one hundred and
fifty Psalms, and many others. He flourished chiefly in the reigns of
Constantine the Great and Constantius. His surname Pamphilus arose from his friendship
for Pamphilus the martyr.
CHAPTER LXXXII.
RETICIUS (4) bishop of Autun, among the Aedui, had a great reputation in
Gaul in the reign of Constantine. I have read his commentaries On the Song of
Songs and another great volume Against Novatian but besides these, I have found
no works of his.
CHAPTER LXXXIII.
METHODIUS, (5) bishop of Olympus in Lycia and afterwards of Tyre, composed
books Against Porphyry written in polished and logical style also a Banquet of
the ten virgins, an excellent work On the resurrection, against Origen and On
the Pythonissa and On free will, also against Origen. He also wrote
commentaries On Genesis and On the Song of Songs and many others which are widely read. At
the end of the recent persecution or, as others affirm, in the reign of Decius
and Valerianus, he was crowned with martyrdom at Chalcis in Greece.
CHAPTER LXXXIV.
JUVENCUS,[1] a Spaniard of noble family and presbyter, translating the
four gospels almost verbally in hexameter verses, composed four books. He wrote
some other things in the same metre relating to the order of the sacraments. He
flourished in the reign of Constantinus.
CHAPTER LXXXV.
EUSTATHIUS,[2] a Pamphilian from Side, bishop[3] first of Beroea in Syria
and then of Antioch, ruled the church and, composing many things against the
doctrine of the Arians, was driven into exile under the emperor Constantius[4]
into Trajanopolis in Thrace where he is until this day. Works of his are extant
On the soul, On ventriloquism Against Origen and Letters too numerous to mention.
CHAPTER LXXXVI.
MARCELLUS,[5] bishop of Ancyra, flourished in the reign of Constantinus
and Constantius anti wrote many volumes of various Propositions and especially
against the Arians. Works of Asterius and Apollinarius against him are current,
which accuse him of Sabellianism. Hilary too, in the seventh book of his work
Against the Arians, mentions him as a heretic, but he defends himself against the
charge through the fact that Julius and Athanasius bishops of Rome and
Alexandria communed with him.
CHAPTER LXXXVII.
ATHANASIUS [6] bishop of Alexandria, hard pressed by the wiles of the
Arians, fled to Constans emperor of Gaul. Returning thence with letters and, after
the death of the emperor, again taking refuge in flight, he kept in hiding
until the accession of Jovian, when he returned to the church and died in the reign
of Valens. Various works by him are in circulation; two book Against the
nations one Against Valens and Ursacius, On virginity, very many On the persecutions
of the Arians, also On the titles of the Psalms and Life of Anthony the monk,
also Festal epistles and other works too numerous to mention.
CHAPTER LXXVIII.
ANTHONY[1] the monk, whose life Athanasius bishop of Alexandria wrote a
long work upon, sent seven letters in Coptic to various monasteries, letters
truly apostolic in idea and language, and which have been translated into Greek.
The chief of these is To the Arsenoites. He flourished during the reign of
Constantinus and his sons.
CHAPTER LXXXIX.
BASIL [2] bishop of Ancyra, [a doctor of][3] medicine, wrote a book
Against Marcellus and on virginity and some other things--and in the reign of
Constantius was, with Eustathius of Sebaste, primate of Macedonia.
CHAPTER XC.
THEODORUS,[4] bishop of Heraclea in Thrace, published in the reign of the
emperor Constantius commentaries On Matthew and John, On the Epistles and On
the Psalter. These are written in a polished and clear style and show an
excellent historical sense.
CHAPTER XCI.
EUSEBIUS [5] of Emesa, who had fine rhetorical talent, composed
innumerable works suited to win popular applause and writing historically he is most
diligently read by those who practise public speaking. Among these the chief are,
Against Jews, Gentiles and Novatians and Homilies on the Gospels, brief but
numerous. He flourished in the reign of the emperor Constantius in whose reign he
died, and was buried at Antioch.
CHAPTER XCII.
TRIPHYLIUS, bishop of Ledra or Leucotheon,[7] in Cyprus, was the most
eloquent man of his age, and was distinguished during the reign of Constantius. I
have read his Commentary on the Song of Songs. He is said to have written many
other works, none of which have come to our hand.
CHAPTER XCIII.
DONATUS,[1] from whom the Donatians arose in Africa in the reigns of the
emperors Constantinus and Constantius, asserted that the scriptures were given
up to the heathen by the orthodox during the persecution, and deceived almost
all Africa, and especially Numidia by his persuasiveness. Many of his works,
which relate to his heresy, are extant, including On the Holy Spirit, a work which
is Arian in doctrine.
CHAPTER XCIV.
ASTERIUS,[2] a philosopher of the Arian party, wrote, during the reign of
Constantius, commentaries On the Epistle to the Romans, On the Gospels and On
the Psalms, also many other works which are diligently read by those of his
party.
CHAPTER XCV.
LUCIFER,[3] bishop of Cagliari, was sent by Liberius the bishop, with
Pancratius and Hilary, clergy of the Roman church, to the emperor Constantius, as
legates for the faith. When he would not condemn the Nicene faith as represented
by Athanasius, sent again to Palestine, with wonderful constancy and
willingness to meet martyrdom, he wrote a book against the emperor Constantius and sent
it to be read by him, and not long after he returned to Cagliari in the reign
of the emperor Julian and died in the reign of Valentinian.
CHAPTER XCVI.
EUSEBIUS,[4] a native of Sardinia, at first a lector at Rome and
afterwards bishop of Vercelli, sent by the emperor Constantius to Scythopolis, and
afterwards to Cappadocia, on account of his confession of the faith, returned to the
church under the emperor Julian and published the Commentaries of Eusebius of
Caesarea on the Psalms, which lie had translated from Greek into Latin, and
died during the reign of Valentian and Valens.
CHAPTER XCVII
FORTUNATIANUS,[5] an African by birth, bishop of Aquilia during the reign
of Constantius, composed brief Commentaries on the gospels arranged by
chapters, written in a rustic style, and is held in detestation because, when Liberius
bishop of Rome was driven into exile for the faith, he was induced by the
urgency of Fortunatianus to subscribe to heresy.
CHAPTER XCVIII
ACACIUS,[1] who, because he was blind in one eye, they nicknamed "the
one-eyed," bishop of the church of Caesarea in Palestine, wrote seventeen volumes
On Ecclesiastes and six of Miscellaneous questions, and many treatises besides
on various subjects. He was so influential in the reign of the emperor
Constantius that lie made Felix bishop of Rome in the place of Liberius.
CHAPTER XCIX.
SERAPION,[2] bishop of Thmuis, who on account of his cultivated genius was
found worthy of the surname of Scholasticus, was the intimate friend of
Anthony the monk, and published an excellent book Against the Manichaeans, also
another On the titles of the Psalms, and valuable Epistles to different people. In
the reign of the emperor Constantius he was renowned as a confessor.
CHAPTER C.
H@A@,a bishop of Poitiers in Aquitania, was a member of the party of
Saturninus bishop of Arles. Banished into Phrygia by the Synod of Beziers lie
composed twelve books Against the Arians and another book On Councils written to the
Gallican bishops, and Commentaries on the Psalms that is on the first and
second, from the fifty-first to the sixty-second, and from the one hundred and
eighteenth to the end of the book. In this work be imitated Origen, but added also
some original matter. There is a little book of his To Constantius which he
presented to the emperor while he was living in Constantinople, and another On
Constantius which he wrote alter his death and a book Against Valens and Ursacius,
containing a history of the Ariminian and Selucian Councils and To Sallust the
prefect or Against Dioscurus, also a book of Hymns and mysteries, a commentary
On Matthew and treatises On Fob, which lie translated freely from the Greek of
Origen, and another elegant little work Against Auxentius and Epistles to
different persons. They say he has written On the Song of Songs but this work is not
known to us. He died at Poictiers during the reign of Valentinianus and Valens.
CHAPTER CI.
VICTORINUS,[1] an African by birth taught rhetoric at Rome under the
emperor Constantius and in extreme old age, yielding himself to faith in Christ
wrote books against Arius, written in dialectic style and very obscure language,
books which can only be understood by the learned. He also wrote Commentaries on
the Epistles.
CHAPTER CII.
TITUS[2] bishop of Bostra, in the reign of the emperors Julian and
Jovinian wrote vigorous works against the Manichaeans and some other things. He died
under Valens.
CHAPTER CIII.
DAMASUS,[3] bishop of Rome, had a fine talent for making verses and
published many brief works in heroic metre. He died in the reign of the Emperor
Theodosius at the age of almost eighty.
CHAPTER CIV.
APOLLINARUS,[4] bishop of Laodicea, in Syria, the son of a presbyter,
applied himself in his youth to the diligent study of grammar, and afterwards,
writing innumerable volumes on the Holy Scriptures, died in the reign of the
Emperor Theodosius. There are extant thirty books by him Against Porphyry, which are
generally considered as among the best of his works.[3]
CHAPTER CV.
GREGORY,[6] bishop of Elvira,[7] in Baetica, writing even to extreme old
age, composed various treatises in mediocre language, and an elegant work On
Faith. He is said to be still living.
CHAPTER CVI.
PACIANUS,[8] bishop of Barcelona, in the Pyrenees Mountains, a man of
chaste eloquence, and as distinguished by his life as by his speech, wrote various
short works, among which are The Deer,[9] and Against the Novatians, and died
in the reign of Emperor Theodosian, in extreme old age.
CHAPTER CVII.
PHOTINUS,[1] of Gallograecia, a disciple of Marcellus, and ordained bishop
of Sirmium, attempted to introduce the Ebionite heresy, and afterwards having
been expelled from the church by the Emperor Valentinianus, wrote many volumes,
among which the most distinguished are Against the nations, and To
Valentinianus.
CHAPTER CVIII.
PHOEBADIUS,[2] bishop of Agen, in Gaul, published a book Against the
Arians. There are said to be other works by him, which I have not yet read. He is
still living, infirm with age.
CHAPTER CIX.
DIDYMUS,[3] of Alexandria, becoming blind while very young, and therefore
ignorant of the rudiments of learning, displayed such a miracle of intelligence
as to learn perfectly dialectics and even geometry, sciences which especially
require sight. He wrote many admirable works: Commentaries on all the Psalms,
Commentaries on the Gospels of Matthew and John, On the doctrines, also two
books Against the Arians, and one book On the Holy Spirit, which I translated in
Latin, eighteen volumes On Isaiah, three books of commentaries On Hosea,
addressed to me, and five books On Zechariah, written at my request, also commentaries
On Job, and many other things, to give an account of which would be a work of
itself.[4] He is still living, and has already passed his eighty-third year.
CHAPTER CX.
OPTATUS[5] the African, bishop of Milevis,[6] during the reign of the
Emperors Valentinianus and Valens, wrote in behalf of the Catholic party six books
against the calumny of the Donatian party, in which he asserts that the crime
of the Donatists is falsely charged upon the catholic party.
CHAPTER CXI.
ACILIUS Severus[1] of Spain, of the family of that Severus to whom
Lactantius' two books of Epistles are addressed, composed a volume of mingled poetry
and prose which is a sort of guide book to his whole life. This he called
Calamity or Trial.[2] He died in the reign of Valentinianus.
CHAPTER CXII.
CYRIL,[3] bishop of Jerusalem often expelled by the church, and at last
received, held the episcopate for eight consecutive years, in the reign of
Theodosius. Certain Catachetical lectures of his, composed while he was a young man,
are extant.
CHAPTER CXIII.
EUZOIUS,[4] as a young man, together with Gregory, bishop of Nazianzan,
was educated by Thespesius the rhetorician at Caesarea, and afterwards when
bishop of the same city, with great pains attempted to restore the library,
collected by Origen and Pamphilus, which had already suffered injury. At last, in the
reign of the Emperor Theodosian, he was expelled from the church. Many and
various treatises of his, are in circulation, and one may easily become acquainted
with them.
CHAPTER CXIV.
EPIPHANIUS,[5] bishop of Salamina in Cyprus, wrote books Against all
heresies and many others which are eagerly read by the learned, on account of their
subject matter, and also by the plain people, on account of their language. He
is still living, and in his extreme old age composes various brief works.
CHAPTER CXV.
EPHRAIM,[6] deacon of the church at Edessa, composed many works in the
Syriac language, and became so distinguished that his writings are repeated
publicly in some churches, after the reading of the Scriptures.
I once read in Greek a volume by him On the Holy Spirit, which some one
had translated from the Syriac, and recognized even in translation, the incisive
power of lofty genius. He died in the reign of Valens.
CHAPTER CXVI.
BASIL,[1] bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, the city formerly called
Mazaca, composed admirable carefully written books Against Eunomius, a volume On the
Holy Spirit, and nine homilies On the six days of creation, also a work On
asceticism and short treatises on various subjects. He died in the reign of
Gratianus.
CHAPTER CXVII.
GREGORY,[2] bishop of Nazianzen, a most eloquent man, and my instructor in
the Scriptures, composed works, amounting in all to thirty thousand lines,
among which are On the death of his brother Caesarius, On charity, In praise of
the Maccabees, In praise of Cyprian. In praise of Athanasius, In praise of
Maximus the philosopher after he had returned from exile. This latter however, some
superscribe with the pseudonym of Herona, since there is another work by
Gregory, upbraiding this same Maximus, as if one might not praise and upbraid the same
person at one thee or another as the occasion may demand. Other works of his
are a book in hexameter, containing, A discussion between virginity and
marriage, two books Against Eunomius, one book On the Holy Spirit, and one Against the
Emperor Julian. He was a follower of Polemon in his style of speaking. Having
ordained his successor in the bishopric, during his own life time, he retired to
the country where he lived the life of a monk and died, three years or more
ago, in the reign of Theodosius.
CHAPTER CXVIII.
LUCIUS,[3] bishop of the Arian party after Athanasius, held the bishopric
of the church at Alexandria, until the thee of the Emperor Theodosius, by whom
he was deposed. Certain festal epistles of his, On the passover are extant, and
a few short works of Miscellaneous propositions.
CHAPTER CXIX.
DIODORUS,[4] bishop of Tarsus enjoyed a great reputation while he was
still presbyter of Antioch. Commentaries of his On the epistles are extant, as well
as many other works in the manner of Eusebius the great of Emesa, whose
meaning he has followed, but whose eloquence he could not imitate on account of his
ignorance of secular literature.
CHAPTER CXX.
EUNOMIUS,[1] bishop of Cyzicus and member of the Arian party, fell into
such open blasphemy in his heresy, as to proclaim publicly what the others
concealed. He is said to be still living in Cappadocia, and to write much against the
church. Replies to him have been made by Apollinarius, Didymus, Basil of
Caesarea, Gregory Nazianzen, and Gregory of Nyssa.
CHAPTER. CXXI.
PRISCILLIANUS,[2] bishop of Abila, belonged to the party of Hydatius and
Ithacius, and was put to death at Treves by the tyrant Maximus. He published
many short writings, some of which have reached us. He is still accused by some,
of being tainted with Gnosticism, that is, with the heresy of Basilides or Mark,
of whom Irenaeus writes. while his defenders maintain that he was not at all
of this way of thinking.
CHAPTER CXXII.
LATRONIANUS[3] of Spain, a man of great learning, and in the matter of
versification worthy to be compared with the poets of ancient thee, was also put
to death at Treves with Priscillianus, Felicissimus, Julianus, and Euchrotia,
cooriginators with him of schism. Various fruits of his genius written in
different metres are extant.
CHAPTER CXXIII.
TIBERIANUS,[4] the Baetican, in answer to an insinuation that he shared
the heresy of Priscillian, wrote an apology in pompous and mongrel language. But
after the death of his friends, overcome by the tediousness of exile, he
changed his mind, as it is written in Holy Scripture "the dog returned to his vomit,"
and married a nun, a virgin dedicated to Christ.
CHAPTER CXXIV.
AMBROSE [5] a bishop of Milan, at the present thee is still writing. I
withhold my judgment of him, because he is still alive, fearing either to praise
or blame lest in the one event, I should be blamed for adulation, and in the
other for speaking the truth.
CHAPTER CXXV.
EVAGRIUS,[1] bishop of Antioch, a man of remarkably keen mind, while he
was yet presbyter read me various treatises on various topics, which he had not
yet published. He translated also the Life of the blessed Anthony from the Greek
of Athanasius into our language.
CHAPTER CXXVI.
AMBROSE[2] of Alexandria, pupil of Didymus, wrote a long work On doctrines
against Apollinaris, and as some one has lately informed me, Commentaries on
Job. He is still living.
CHAPTER CXXVII.
MAXIMUS[3] the philosopher, born at Alexandria, ordained bishop at
Constantinople and deposed, wrote a remarkable work On faith against the Arians and
gave it to the Emperor Gratianus, at Milan.
CHAPTER CXXVIII.
GREGORY[4] bishop of Nyssa, the brother of Basil of Caesarea, a few years
since read to Gregory Nazianzan and myself a work against Eunomius. He is said
to have also written many other works, and to be still writing.
CHAPTER CXXIX.
JOHN,[5] presbyter of the church at Antioch, a follower of Eusebius of
Emesa and Diodorus, is said to have composed many books, but of these I have only
read his On the priesthood.
CHAPTER CXXX.
GELASIUS,[6] bishop of Caesarea in Palestine after Euzoius, is said to
write more or less in carefully polished style, but not to publish his works.
CHAPTER CXXXI.
THEOTIMUS,[7] bishop of Tomi, in Scythia, has published brief and
epigrammatical treatises, in the form of dialogues, and in olden style. I hear that he
is now writing other works.
CHAPTER CXXXII.
DEXTER,[1] son of Pacianus whom I mentioned above, distinguished in his
generation and devoted to the Christian faith, has, I am told, written a
Universal History, which I have not yet read.
CHAPTER CXXXIII.
AMPHILOCHIUS,[2] bishop of Iconium, recently read to me a book On the Holy
Spirit, arguing that He is God, that He is to be worshipped, and that He is
omnipotent.
CHAPTER CXXXIV.
SOPHRONIUS,[3] a man of superlative learning, wrote while yet a lad, In
praise of Bethlehem and recently a notable volume, On the overthrow of Serapis,
and also to Eustachius, On virginity, and a Life of Hilarion the monk. He
rendered short works of mine into Greek in a very finished style, the Psalter also,
and the Prophets, which I translated from Hebrew into Latin.
CHAPTER CXXXV.
I, JEROME,[4] son of Eusebius, of the city of Strido, which is on the
border of Dalmatia and Pannonia and was overthrown by the Goths, up to the present
year, that is, the fourteenth of the Emperor Theodosius, have written the
following: Life of Paul the monk, one book of Letters to different persons, an
Exhortation to Heliodorus, Controversy of Luciferianus and Orthodoxus, Chronicle of
universal history, 28 homilies of Origen on Jeremiah and Ezekiel, which I
translated from Greek into Latin, i On the Seraphim, On Osanna, On the prudent and
the prodigal sons, On three questions of the ancient law, Homilies on the Song
of Songs two, Against Helvidius, On the perpetual virginity of Mary, To
Eustochius, On maintaining virginity, one book of Epistles to Marcella, a consolatory
letter to Paula On the death of a daughter, three books of Commentaries on the
epistle of Paul to the Galatians, likewise three books of Commentaries on the
epistle to the Ephesians, On the epistle to Titus one book, On the epistle to
Philemon one, Commentaries on Ecclesiastes, one book of Hebrew questions on
Genesis, one book On places in Judea, one book of Hebrew names, Didymus on the Holy
Spirit, which ]2 translated into Latin one book, 39 homilies on luke, On Psalms
10 to 16, seven books, On the captive Monk, The Life of the blessed Hilarion. I
translated the New Testament from the Greek, and the Old Testament from the
Hebrew,[2] and how many Letters I have written To Paula and Eustochius I do not
know, for I write daily. I wrote moreover, two books of Explanations on Micah,
one book On Nahum, two books On Habakkuk, one On Zephaniah, one On Haggai, and
many others On the prophets, which are not yet finished, and which I am still at
work upon.[3]