{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/003/0030701.htm","path":"chr/ecf/003/0030701.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/003/0030701.htm","text":"Chapter IV.\u2014Valentinus, Ptolemy and Secundus, Heracleon.\nValentinus the heretic, moreover, introduced many fables. These I will retrench and briefly summarize. For he introduces the Pleroma and the thirty \u00c6ons. These \u00c6ons, moreover, he explains in the way of syzygies, that is, conjugal unions 8381 of some kind. For among the first, 8382 he says, were Depth 8383 and Silence; of these proceeded Mind and Truth; out of whom burst the Word and Life; from whom, again, were created Man 8384 and the Church. But (these are not all); for of these last also proceeded twelve \u00c6ons; from Speech, 8385 moreover, and Life proceeded other ten \u00c6ons: such is the Triacontad of \u00c6ons, which is made up in the Pleroma of an ogdoad, a decad, and a duodecad. The thirtieth \u00c6on, moreover, willed to see the great Bythus; and, to see him, had the hardihood to ascend into the upper regions; and not being capable of seeing his magnitude, desponded, 8386 and almost suffered dissolution, had not some one,\u2014he whom he calls Horos, to wit,\u2014sent to invigorate him, strengthened him by pronouncing the word \u201cIao.\u201d 8387 This \u00c6on, moreover, which was thus reduced to despondency, he calls Achamoth, (and says) that he was seized with certain regretful passions, and out of his passions gave birth to material essences. 8388 For he was panic-stricken, he says, and terror-stricken, and overcome with sadness; and of these passions he conceived and bare. Hence he made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and whatever is in them: for which cause all things made by him are infirm, and frail, and capable of falling, and mortal, inasmuch as he himself was conceived and produced from despondency. He, however, originated this world 8389 out of those material essences which Achamoth, by his panic, or terror, or sadness, or sweat, had supplied. For of his panic, he says, was made darkness; of his fear and ignorance, the spirits of wickedness and malignity; of his sadness and tears, the humidities of founts, the material essence of floods and sea. Christ, moreover, was sent by that First-Father who is Bythus. He, moreover, was not in the substance of our flesh; but, bringing down from heaven some spiritual body or other, passed through the Virgin Mary as water through a pipe, neither receiving nor borrowing aught thence. The resurrection of our present flesh he denies, but (maintains that) of some sister-flesh. 8390 Of the Law and the prophets some parts he approves, some he disapproves; that is, he disapproves all in reprobating some. A Gospel of his own he likewise has, beside these of ours.\nAfter him arose the heretics Ptolemy and Secundus, who agree throughout with Valentinus, differing only in the following point: viz., whereas Valentinus had feigned but thirty \u00c6ons, they have added several more; for they first added four, and subsequently four more. And Valentine\u2019s assertion, that it was the thirtieth \u00c6on which strayed out from the Pleroma, (as falling into despondency,) they deny; for the one which desponded on account of disappointed yearning to see the First-Father was not of the original triacontad, they say.\nThere arose, besides, Heracleon, a brother 8391 -heretic, whose sentiments pair with Valentine\u2019s; but, by some novelty of terminology, he is desirous of seeming to differ in sentiment. For he introduces the notion that there existed first what he terms (a Monad); 8392 and then out of that Monad (arose) two, and then the p. 653 rest of the \u00c6ons. Then he introduces the whole system of Valentine.\nConjugationes. Cowper uses our word \u201cconjugation\u201d in this sense in one of his humorous pieces. [\u201cPairing-time.\u201d] The \u201csyzygies\u201d consisted of one male and one female \u00c6on each.\n652:8382\nOehler separates \u201cin primis;\u201d but perhaps they ought to be united\u2014\u201cinprimis,\u201d or \u201cimprimis\u201d\u2014and taken as =\"primo ab initio.\u201d\n652:8383 652:8384 652:8385\n\u201cSermone:\u201d he said \u201cVerbum\u201d before.\n652:8386 652:8387\nCf. adv. Valent. cc. x. xiv. [Routh says that this IAO (see note 8) is wanting in the older editions. It was borrowed from the Adv. Valentin. to eke out a defect.]\n652:8388\nSuch appears to be the meaning of this sentence as Oehler gives it. But the text is here corrupt; and it seems plain there must either be something lost relating to this \u201cAchamoth,\u201d or else some capital error in the reading, or, thirdly, some gross and unaccountable confusion in the writer: for the sentence as it stands is wholly irreconcilable with what follows. It evidently makes \u201cAchamoth\u201d identical with \u201cthe thirtieth \u00c6on\u201d above-named; and yet, without introducing any fresh subject, the writer goes on to state that this despondent \u0152on, who \u201cconceived and bare,\u201d was itself the offspring of despondency, and made an infirm world out of the infirm materials which \u201cAchamoth\u201d supposed it with. Now it is apparent from other sources\u2014as, for instance, from Tert. adv. Valentin, above referred to\u2014that the \u201cthirtieth \u00c6on\u201d was supposed to be female, Sophia (Wisdom) by name, and that she was said to be the parent of \u201cAchamoth,\u201d or \u201cEnthymesis\u201d (see adv. Valentin. cc. ix. x. xi. xiv. xxv.), while \u201cAchamoth\u201d herself appears by some accounts to be also called \u03ba\u03ac\u03c4\u03c9 \u03a3\u03bf\u03c6\u03af\u03b1. The name \u201cAchamoth\u201d itself, which Tertullian (adv. Valentin. c. xiv. ad init.) calls an \u201cuninterpretable name,\u201d is believed to be a representation of a Hebrew word meaning \u201cwisdom;\u201d and hence, possibly, some of the confusion may have arisen,\u2014from a promiscuous use, namely, of the titles \u201cAchamoth\u201d and \u201cSophia.\u201d Moreover, it would appear that some words lower down as to the production by \u201cAchamoth\u201d of \u201cDemiurgus,\u201d must have dropped out. Unless these two omissions be supplied, the passage is wholly unintelligible. Can the fact that the Hebrew word which \u201cAchamoth\u201d represents is a fem. pl. in any way explain this confused medley, or help to reconcile conflicting accounts? The \u1f04\u03bd\u03c9 and \u03ba\u03ac\u03c4\u03c9 \u03a3\u03bf\u03c6\u03af\u03b1 seem to point in some degree to some such solution of some of the existing difficulties. \u201cIao,\u201d again, is a word which has cause much perplexity. Can it possibly be connected with \u1f30\u03ac\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1\u03b9, \u201cto heal?\u201d [See note 8.]\n652:8389 652:8390\nOehler\u2019s suggestion is to vary the pointing so as to give this sense: \u201cThe resurrection of this flesh he denies. But of a sister-Law and prophets,\u201d etc. But this seems even more harsh than the other.\n652:8391\n\u201cAlter,\u201d i.e., perhaps another of the same class.\n652:8392\nIt seems almost necessary to supply some word here; and as \u201cMonade\u201d follows, it seemed simple to supply \u201cMonada.\u201d","title":"Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol III: Tertullian: Part II: Valent...","type":"page"}