Against Celsus 6.30
Summary: Origen compares Celsus's list of seven animal-faced ruling demons with the Ophite diagram he himself had seen, to show that these are not Christian teachings.
Greek text · Koetschau 2:99–100
Εἶθʼ ἑξῆς ἐπαναλαμβάνει τὰ περὶ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀρχόντων δαιμόνων, μηδαμῶς μὲν ὑπὸ Χριστιανῶν ὀνομαζομένων οἶμαι δʼ ὑπὸ Ὀφιανῶν παραλαμβανομένων. καὶ εὕρομέν γε ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἡμεῖς διʼ ἐκείνους ἐκτησάμεθα διαγράμματι τὴν τάξιν ὁμοίως ἐκκειμένην οἷς ὁ Κέλσος ἐξέθετο. ὁ μὲν οὖν Κέλσος ἔλεγε τὸν πρῶτον ἰδέᾳ λέοντος μεμορφωμένον, οὐκ ἐκθέμενος, τίνα αὐτὸν ὀνομάζουσιν οἱ ἀληθῶς δυσσεβέστατοι· ἡμεῖς δὲ εὕρομεν ὅτι τὸν ἐν ταῖς ἱεραῖς γραφαῖς εὐφημούμενον ἄγγελον τοῦ δημιουργοῦ, τοῦτον τὸ μιαρὸν ἐκεῖνο διάγραμμα ἔλεγεν εἶναι Μιχαὴλ τὸν λεοντοειδῆ. πάλιν τʼ αὖ μὲν Κέλσος ἔφασκε τὸν ἑξῆς καὶ δεύτερον εἶναι ταῦρον· ὃ δʼ εἴχομεν διάγραμμα τὸν Σουριὴλ ἔλεγεν εἶναι τὸν ταυροειδῆ. εἶτα ὁ μὲν Κέλσος τρίτον ἀμφίβιόν τινα καὶ φρικῶδες ἐπισυρίζοντα· τὸ δὲ διάγραμμα τρίτον Ῥαφαὴλ ἔλεγεν εἶναι δρακοντοειδῆ. πάλιν τε αὖ ὁ μὲν Κέλσος τὸν τέταρτον ἀετοῦ ἔφασκεν ἔχειν μορφήν· τὸ δὲ διάγραμμα Γαβριὴλ ἔλεγεν εἶναι τὸν ἀετοειδῆ. εἶθʼ μὲν Κέλσος τὸν πέμπτον ἔφασκεν εἶναι ἄρκου πρόσωπον ἔχοντα· τὸ δὲ διάγραμμα τὸν Θαυθαβαὼθ ἔφασκεν εἶναι τὸν ἀρκοειδῆ. εἶθʼ ὁ μὲν Κέλσος τὸν ἕκτον κυνὸς πρόσωπον ἔλεγεν ἱστορεῖσθαι ἔχειν παρʼ ἐκείνοις· τὸ δὲ διάγραμμα ἔφασκεν εἶναι αὐτὸν Ἐραθαώθ. εἶθʼ ὁ μὲν Κέλσος τὸν ἕβδομον ἔφασκεν ὄνου ἔχειν πρόσωπον, καὶ ὀνομάζεσθαι αὐτὸν Θαφαβαὼθ ἢ Ὀνοήλ· ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐν τῷ διαγράμματι εὕρομεν ὅτι οὗτος καλεῖται Ὀνοὴλ ἢ Θαρθαραὼθ, ὀνοειδής τις τυγχάνων. ἔδοξε δὲ καὶ ἡμῖν ἀκριβῶς ἐκθέσθαι τὰ τοιαῦτα, ἵνα μὴ δοκῶμεν ἀγνοεῖν ἃ Κέλσος ἐπηγγέλλετο εἰδέναι· ἀλλὰ καὶ παραστήσωμεν ἀκριβέστερον ἐκείνου αὐτὰ ἐγνωκότες οἱ Χριστιανοὶ, ὡς οὐ Χριστιανῶν λόγους ἀλλὰ πάντῃ ἀλλοτρίων σωτηρίας καὶ οὐδαμῶς ἐπιγραφομένων Ἰησοῦν ἢ σωτῆρα ἢ θεὸν ἢ διδάσκαλον ἢ υἱὸν θεοῦ.
English · Claude translation
Then next he takes up again the matter of the seven ruling demons, who are in no way named by Christians but are, I believe, accepted by the Ophites. And in the diagram which we too acquired because of them we found the order set out in the same way as Celsus set it out. Celsus said that the first is shaped in the form of a lion, without stating what these truly most impious people call him; but we found that the angel of the Creator who is honoured in the sacred Scriptures is the one that abominable diagram said was Michael, the lion-shaped. Again Celsus said that the next, the second, is a bull; the diagram we had said that the bull-shaped one was Suriel. Then Celsus said the third was an amphibious creature hissing horribly; the diagram said the third was Raphael, the serpent-shaped. Again Celsus said that the fourth had the form of an eagle; the diagram said that the eagle-shaped one was Gabriel. Then Celsus said that the fifth had the face of a bear; the diagram said that the bear-shaped one was Thauthabaoth. Then Celsus said that the sixth is recorded among them to have the face of a dog; the diagram said that he was Erathaoth. Then Celsus said the seventh had the face of an ass and was named Thaphabaoth or Onoel; but we found in the diagram that he is called Onoel or Thartharaoth, being ass-shaped. We too thought it right to set out these things precisely, so that we may not seem ignorant of what Celsus professed to know, but may show that we Christians know these things more precisely than he, and know that they are not the teachings of Christians but of people wholly estranged from salvation, who in no way acknowledge Jesus as Saviour or God or Teacher or Son of God.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The names of the archons are given as the Greek spells them.
Cite this passage
Origen, Cels. 6.30 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/6/30/).
Plain text
Origen, Cels. 6.30 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/6/30/).
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