4. The Apogee of Valentinian Number Symbolism: Marcus “Magus” The most complex number symbolism of any Christian theology in the second century is found in the writings of a Valentinian named Marcus. He was given the epithet magus by ancient heresiologists because of his liturgi-cal alchemy and… Read more
5. Alternate Paths in theEarly Christian Theology of Arithmetic: Monoïmus and the Paraphrase of the “Apophasis Megale” Although the Valentinians provided a great variety of theologies of arithmetic, they were in reality part of a general trend. In this chapter we turn to two unrelated systems, those… Read more
6. The Orthodox Limits of theTheology of Arithmetic: Irenaeus of Lyons Most scholarly reconstructions of Valentinianism attempt to excise Irenaeus’ interpretation, so as to achieve as uncontaminated an account of the movement as possible. The ultimate goal, a bias-free view of the Valentinians, is misguided. For the… Read more
7. The Orthodox Possibilities of theTheology of Arithmetic: Clement of Alexandria Clement, a Christian intellectual who flourished in late second-century Alexandria, offers a perspective on the orthodox theology of arithmetic that departs from, yet complements, that of Irenaeus. Unlike Irenaeus and his head-on refutation, Clement criticizes the… Read more
8. How the Early Christian Theology of Arithmetic Shaped Neo-Platonism and Late Antique Christianity After the early third century, the controversy over the theology of arithmetic disappeared from the Church. The dispute need not have died down. Gnosticizing writings well into the fourth century show a continued… Read more
Excursus A. One versus One: The Differentiation between Hen and Monad in Hellenistic and Late Antique Philosophy Theon of Smyrna’s Mathematics Useful for Reading Plato, written in the second century CE, collects arithmetical, geometrical, musical, and astronomical lore relevant to Plato’s writings. In one passage, Theon summarizes… Read more
Excursus B. The Pythagorean Symbol of the Τετρακτύς The Pythagoreans symbolized the number ten with a special term for the first four numbers, the τετρακτύς. [1] The term is probably of Doric origin, but it is unclear exactly how this unusual word,… Read more
Excursus C. The Dyadic Character of A Valentinian Exposition The Nag Hammadi text A Valentinian Exposition has been said to champion monadic rather than dyadic Valentinianism. Four reasons are generally given: First, the Father is described as being alone, and is called ‘Monad’ (NH 11.2:22.19–23.21). Second, Silence,… Read more
Appendix. Greek Texts Irenaeus Revelation to Marcus Chapter 4 above (pp. 62–80). (1.14.1) Οὗτος <οὐν ὁ> Μάρκος μήτραν καὶ ἐκδοχεῖον τῆς Κολαρ-βάσου Σιγῆς αὐτὸν μονώτατον γεγονέναι λέγων, ἅτε Μονογενὴς ὑπάρχων, [αὐτὸ] τὸ σπέρμα τὸ κατατεθὲν εἰς αὐτὸν ὧδέ πως ἀπεκύησεν. Αὐτὴν τὴν πανυπερτάτην ἀπὸ τῶν… Read more
Bibliography Editions and Translations Aelius Herodianus: see pseudo-Herodian. Aetius Placita: Diels 1879. Alexander of Aphrodisias Commentary on Aristotle’s “Metaphysics”: Hayduck 1891. Alexander Polyhistor, fragments and testimonies (including Successions of the Philosophers): Müller 1849:210–244. Read more
