Church History 4.29.3
Summary: Irenaeus (quoted): Tatian, after Justin's martyrdom, left the church, taught Valentinian-like Aeons, called marriage corruption and immorality, and denied Adam's salvation.
Greek text · Dindorf 4:180
καὶ τοῦτο νῦν ἐξηυρέθη παρʼ αὐτοῖς, Τατιανοῦ τινος πρώτως ταύτην εἰσενέγκαντος τὴν βλασφημίαν, ὃς Ἰουστίνου ἀκροατὴς γεγονὼς, ἐφʼ ὅσον μὲν συνῆν ἐκείνῳ, οὐδὲν ἐξέφηνε τοιοῦτον, μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐκείνου μαρτυρίαν ἀποστὰς τῆς ἐκκλησίας, οἰήματι διδασκάλου ἐπαρθεὶς καὶ τυφωθεὶς ὡς διαφέρων τῶν λοιπῶν, ἴδιον χαρακτῆρα διδασκαλείου συνεστήσατο, αἰῶνάς τινας ἀοράτους ὁμοίως τοῖς ἀπὸ Οὐαλεντίνου μυθολογήσας, τὸν γάμον τε φθορὰν καὶ πορνείαν παραπλησίως Μαρκίωνι καὶ Σατορνίνῳ ἀναγορεύσας, τῇ δὲ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ σωτηρίᾳ παρʼ ἑαυτοῦ τὴν αἰτιολογίαν ποιησάμενος.
English · Claude translation
And this has now been devised among them, a certain Tatian first introducing this blasphemy. He had been a hearer of Justin, and as long as he was with him he showed nothing of the kind; but after Justin's martyrdom he departed from the church, and, elated and puffed up by the conceit of being a teacher, as though he were superior to the rest, he established his own type of school, telling myths of certain invisible Aeons like those from Valentinus, declaring marriage to be corruption and sexual immorality, similarly to Marcion and Saturninus, and making his own case against the salvation of Adam.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- Quotation from Irenaeus, Haer. 1.28.1. πορνεία is rendered “sexual immorality”: Tatian is reported to have classed marriage itself as such.
Cite this passage
Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 4.29.3 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-historia/4/29/3/).
Plain text
Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 4.29.3 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-historia/4/29/3/).
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