Gnostic/heretical timeline?

[rgprice]

Anyone have a good resource that provides an overview of the timeline of "Gnosticism"? I'm looking for like when the main heretics were supposedly active or died, or opened schools in Rome, etc.

[Peter Kirby]

The uncomfortable facts are that (a) the biggest "gnostic" names are pre-150, (b) the anti-heretical writings with specificity are post-150, and (c) there are no other sources with dates.

So there is a stretch of hundreds of years (150-present) where theologians are saying that they (the gnostics) corrupted the prior truth, laid down by the apostles (ca. 30-present).

These theologians deduce variously either that (a) they waited for the apostles to die and found their window of opportunity then, or (b) they were freaks who were rebuffed by the apostles themselves.

But I'm sure you already know how difficult this all is, and only you can determine how this material is still useful to you.

[rgprice]

Yeah, I'm trying to trying to see if anyone already has a resource that has pieced dates together as best as possible from Irenaeus. I'd rather not have to cross reference all the date markers. I assume someone has already done this work, as inaccurate as it may be. I don't even really need to know "real dates", just what the implied dates are.

[Peter Kirby]

The project of "date markers" is a little foreign to Irenaeus, even if a couple can be extracted or implied.

He is more interested in showing the "genealogical" descent of ideas from one errant teacher to another. A summary representation of Irenaeus here would be a "family tree of heretics," with only a couple possible "date markers" in the margins.

[Peter Kirby]

It's not chronological, but here is an attempt at a list of names, with who mentions them:

https://biblequery.org/OtherBeliefs/Gno ... stics.html

[Peter Kirby]

Simon Magus the Samaritan [traditionally 30-35], mentioned in Luke (Adv. Haer. 1.23.1), alleged to be father of all heresy (acknowledged or not)

Menander, a Samaritan, successor of Simon (Adv. Haer. 1.23.5)

Saturninus, of Antioch near Daphne, "arising among these men" (Adv. Hear. 1.24.1), mentioned after Menander

Basilides, also, "arising among these men" (Adv. Haer. 1.24.1), mentioned alongside Saturninus and after Menander

Carpocrates (Adv. Haer. 1.25.1) (origin not specified?)

"Marcellina, who came to Rome under [the episcopate of] Anicetus [traditionally 157-168]" (Adv. Haer. 1.25.6), who arose from among Carpocratians

Cerinthus, educated in Egyptian wisdom (Adv. Haer. 1.26.1) (origin not specified?)

Nicolas, ordained to the diaconate by the apostles (Adv. Haer. 1.26.3) (based on Revelation)

"Cerdo was one who took his system from the followers of Simon, and came to live at Rome in the time of Hyginus [traditionally 136-142], who held the ninth place in the episcopal succession" (Adv. Haer. 1.27.1)

"Marcion of Pontus succeeded" Cerdo (Adv. Haer. 1.27.2)

"The first of them, Valentinus, who adapted the principles of the heresy called 'Gnostic' to the peculiar character of his own school" (Adv. Haer. 1.11.1) (origin not specified?)
"was necessary clearly to prove, that, as their very opinions and regulations exhibit them, those who are of the school of Valentinus derive their origin from such mothers, fathers, and ancestors, and also to bring forward their doctrines" (Adv. Hear. 1.31.3) [which may be a general reference to the entire first book]

Secundus, mentioned after Valentinus (Adv. Haer. 1.11.2)

"I refer especially to the disciples of Ptolemaeus, whose school may be described as a bud from that of Valentinus." (Adv. Haer. 1.2.1)

A reference to a Sige of "Colorbasus" (Adv. 1.14.1), sometimes considered to be mentioned earlier in Adv. Haer. 1.12.3

Marcus, mentioned after Ptolemy, for whom a "master" is mentioned, but the reference isn't clear (Adv. Haer. 1.13.1)

Tatian, a "hearer of Justin" introduced heresy after Justin died [traditionally c. 165], influenced by ideas of Valentinus and Marcion/Saturninus (Adv. Haer. 1.28.1)

[billd89]

I tried.

One Hypothetical Gnostic Timeline.

[Leucius Charinus]

The uncomfortable facts are that (a) the biggest "gnostic" names are pre-150, (b) the anti-heretical writings with specificity are post-150, and (c) there are no other sources with dates.

It's not chronological, but here is an attempt at a list of names, with who mentions them:

https://biblequery.org/OtherBeliefs/Gno ... stics.html

Think relational data. Names are not going to help solve this mystery IMHO. What will be profitable IMHO is a list like that linked above not by names of the gnostics (via the heresiologists) but with the names of the extant texts which were supposedly authored by the gnostics (according to the heresiologists). We have a great deal of texts and manuscripts (even though a great many more have been lost).

There are not too many. Off the top of my head:

Tertulian witnesses to Acts of Paul
Irenaeus witnesses the Gospel of Judas
Irenaeus witnesses the Secret Book of John
Serapoin (via Eursbius) witnesses the Gospel of Peter
Porphyry (Life of Plotinus 16) witnesses Zostrianos et al
Eusebius is the earliest witness for the Acts of Pilate (and many others)

Is there another resource which exhaustively supplies this data on the gnostic texts (many of which have been preserved)?

[Peter Kirby]

Simon Magus the Samaritan [traditionally 30-35], mentioned in Luke (Adv. Haer. 1.23.1), alleged to be father of all heresy (acknowledged or not)

Menander, a Samaritan, successor of Simon (Adv. Haer. 1.23.5)

Saturninus, of Antioch near Daphne, "arising among these men" (Adv. Hear. 1.24.1), mentioned after Menander

Basilides, also, "arising among these men" (Adv. Haer. 1.24.1), mentioned alongside Saturninus and after Menander

Carpocrates (Adv. Haer. 1.25.1) (origin not specified?)

"Marcellina, who came to Rome under [the episcopate of] Anicetus [traditionally 157-168]" (Adv. Haer. 1.25.6), who arose from among Carpocratians

Cerinthus, educated in Egyptian wisdom (Adv. Haer. 1.26.1) (origin not specified?)

Nicolas, ordained to the diaconate by the apostles (Adv. Haer. 1.26.3) (based on Revelation)

"Cerdo was one who took his system from the followers of Simon, and came to live at Rome in the time of Hyginus [traditionally 136-142], who held the ninth place in the episcopal succession" (Adv. Haer. 1.27.1)

"Marcion of Pontus succeeded" Cerdo (Adv. Haer. 1.27.2)

"The first of them, Valentinus, who adapted the principles of the heresy called 'Gnostic' to the peculiar character of his own school" (Adv. Haer. 1.11.1) (origin not specified?)
"was necessary clearly to prove, that, as their very opinions and regulations exhibit them, those who are of the school of Valentinus derive their origin from such mothers, fathers, and ancestors, and also to bring forward their doctrines" (Adv. Hear. 1.31.3) [which may be a general reference to the entire first book]

Secundus, mentioned after Valentinus (Adv. Haer. 1.11.2)

"I refer especially to the disciples of Ptolemaeus, whose school may be described as a bud from that of Valentinus." (Adv. Haer. 1.2.1)

A reference to a Sige of "Colorbasus" (Adv. 1.14.1), sometimes considered to be mentioned earlier in Adv. Haer. 1.12.3

Marcus, mentioned after Ptolemy, for whom a "master" is mentioned, but the reference isn't clear (Adv. Haer. 1.13.1)

Tatian, a "hearer of Justin" introduced heresy after Justin died [traditionally c. 165], influenced by ideas of Valentinus and Marcion/Saturninus (Adv. Haer. 1.28.1)

Schematically, the relationships of the people named by Irenaeus in A.H. book one look like this:

Simon Magus, succeeded by Menander

• Saturninus
• Basilides
• Carpocrates --> Marcellina
• Cerinthus
• Nicolas
• Cerdo, succeeded by Marcion
• Valentinus --> Secundus, Ptolemy, Colorbasus(?), Marcus
• Tatian (influenced by Valentinus and Marcion/Saturninus)

[MrMacSon]

Perhaps wait to look at M David Litwa's pending book,

• Simon of Samaria and the Simonians: Contours of an Early Christian Movement, due in early April 2024 (ie., in 6-7 weeks)

Most if not all of his recent books allude to early Christianity in Alexandria, eg.,

• Early Christianity in Alexandria: From its Beginnings to the Late Second Century, Cambridege University Press, December 2023

• Carpocrates, Marcellina, and Epiphanes: Three Early Christian Teachers of Alexandria and Rome, Routledge, 2022

• Found Christianities: Remaking the World in the Second Century, Bloomsbury, 2022

Otherwise, look at Sethian and Valentinian scholars