Strong Reasons for Thinking 'Carpocrates' Was Originally named 'Harpocrates'

[Secret Alias]

Lawlor https://books.google.com/books?id=4pPYA ... na&f=false notices the strange 'προδεδηλωμένη' in the middle of the account of the sect:

In Anicetus’ time then, as I said, the Marcellina I have spoken of appeared at Rome spewing forth the corruption of Carpocrates’ teaching, and corrupted and destroyed many there.

ἐν χρόνοις τοίνυν, ὡς ἔφημεν, Ἀνικήτου ἡ προδεδηλωμένη Μαρκελλίνα ἐν Ῥώμῃ γενομένη τὴν λύμην τῆς Καρποκρᾶ διδασκαλίας ἐξεμέσασα πολλοὺς τῶν ἐκεῖσε λυμηναμένη ἠφάνισε.

But Epiphanius hasn't previously mentioned Marcellina. He is reading directly from Hegesippus and this word is retained. What Lawlor doesn't notice is that the specific form of the name of 'Carpocrates' is interesting - Καρποκρᾶς. Already Celsus cites the name of the sect as those of Harpocrates. But now Καρποκρᾶς is to Carpocrates as Ἁρποκρᾶς https://www.trismegistos.org/ref/514139 is to Ἁρποκράτης. I don't know how the extra letter got in front of the name. But notice that Epiphanius seems to think Cerinthos might have had a mistaken k put before it too.

Lawlor also notices:

Ἦλθεν δὲ εἰς ἡμᾶς ἤδη πως Μαρκελλίνα τις ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἀπατηθεῖσα, ἣ πολλοὺς ἐλυμήνατο ἐν χρόνοις Ἀνικήτου ἐπισκόπου Ῥώμης, τοῦ μετὰ τὴν διαδοχὴν Πίου καὶ τῶν ἀνωτέρω. ἐν Ῥώμῃ γὰρ γεγόνασι 1.309 πρῶτοι Πέτρος καὶ Παῦλος οἱ ἀπόστολοι αὐτοὶ καὶ ἐπίσκοποι, εἶτα Λίνος εἶτα Κλῆτος εἶτα Κλήμης, σύγχρονος ὢν Πέτρου καὶ Παύλου, οὗ ἐπιμνημονεύει Παῦλος ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ἐπιστολῇ.

[davidmartin]

Harpocrates (Ancient Greek: Ἁρποκράτης) was the god of silence, secrets
Sounds like them

I bet the K was some offensive alteration in some language or other.

[Secret Alias]

Apparently Harpokrates render 'Karpokrates' in Chalcis

Harder, Karpokrates von Chalkis und die memphitische Isispropaganda: Gnomon 21 (1949) 221-28 [298]. Karpokrates is thus invested with the attributes of Dionysus, Apollo, Graeco-Egyptian Religious Propaganda Review of

I am Karpokrates, son of Serapis and Isis … of Demeter and Kore and Dionysos and Iacchos … brother of Sleep and Echo. I am every season and take thought for all seasons, the inventor of … I created … I was the first to make adyta and sanctuaries for the gods; I devised measures and numbers … I produced the sistrum for Isis; I devised the ways to hunt all kinds of animals. … I established rulers for cities at all times; I preside over the upbringing of children; I established hymns … and dances of men and women, the Muses aiding me; I invented the mixing of wine and water; … of flutes and pipes; I am always at the side of litigants in order that nothing unjust may be done; I always share the thiasoi of Bakkhoi and Bakkhai; I caused … to spring up; I cleansed the whole earth; mountain-dwelling, sea-dwelling, river-dwelling, divining by throne, divining by stars … horn-shaped, Agyieus, Bassarios, of the heights, Indian-slaying, thyrsos-shaking, Assyrian hunter, wandering in dreams, giver of sleep …; approving … vengeful against those who are unjust in love. I hate the accursed … all the science of drugs … Titanian, Epidaurian. Hail Chalcis, my mother and nurse …. Ligyris inscribed this. [The Karpokrates Aretalogy from Chalcis [trans. by A. D. Nock Gnomon XXI.221 circa 250-300 CE]

[Secret Alias]

Nock writes this about the name Karpokrates:

Some more interesting things include the fact that the author gives the deity's name as Karpokrates instead of the more usual Harpokrates. The translator claims that this was a careless mistake on the part of the author - but I wonder if it might signify something deeper. Karpos means "fruit", "vegetation", "crops" - and krates means "strength", "might" - certainly an appropriate name for the child of Isis, the inventor of grain and agriculture! (In fact, Isis even took over the epiklesis Karpophoros from Demeter in a couple of her Hellenistic hymns.) Further proof that the author wasn't ignorant and had a poor grasp of Greek comes in the references to the seasons (something apparently missed by the translator). In Greek these are Horai and other Greek authors connect the name Horos with the Horai. (A natural enough connection when we remember that Horus is a solar deity.) So clearly our author knew that the god's actual name was Horus the Child, but chose this poetic epiklesis for effect. But even more interesting is the line about dreams - almost no Greek author mentions Horus in connection with dreams, but in some Egyptian texts - going as far back as the Coffin Texts - Horus is visited by his deceased father Osiris in a dream. However modified the cult of Harpokrates may have been in Hellenistic Chalcis there was still a vibrant core of Egyptian tradition to it.

[Secret Alias]

Interesting that the Isis title 'Carpophorus' is shared by a prominent Roman Christian at the end of the second century:

According to Hippolytus, Callistus was a slave in the household of a Christian named Carpophoros , who himself is described as being of the imperial household. Carpophoros is engaged in banking, and his good reputation attracted many deposits from widows and fellow Christians.