CHAPTER I
BOOK] VP his son was still young.
How remarkable the predilection of this son was for the Divine Word, in consequence of his father's instruction, it will not be amiss to state briefly, as his fame has been very greatly celebrated by many.
CHAPTER I.
The Persecution under Severus.
Wuen Severus began to persecute the churches? glorious testimonies were given everywhere by the athletes of religion.
This was especially the case in Alexandria, to which city, as to a most prominent theater, athletes
CHAPTER II. of God were brought from Egypt and all Thebais according to their merit, and won crowns from God through their great patience under many tortures and every mode of death.
Among these was Leonides, who was called the father of Origen,' and who was beheaded while
Sansa TE The Training of Origen from Childhood.
Many things might be said in attempt-
ing to describe the life of the man while in school; but this subject alone would require a separate treatise.
Nevertheless, for the present, abridging most things, we shall state a few facts concerning him as briefly as possible, gathering them from certain letters, and from the statement of persons still living who were acquainted with him.
What they report of
Origen seems to me worthy of mention, 1 During the early years of the reign of Septimius Severus the Christians enjoyed comparative peace, and Severus himself showed them considerable favor.
Early in the third century a change set in, and in 202 the emperor issued an edict forbidding conversions to Christianity and to Judaism (Spartianus, in Severo, c. 16; cf. Tillemont, Hist. des Emp. III. p. 58)-. The cause of this radical change of conduct we do not know, but it is possible that the excesses of the Montanists produced a reaction in the emperor's mind against the Christians, or that the rapidity with which Christianity was spreading caused him to fear that the old Roman institutions would overturned, and hence produced a reaction against it. Why the ble too, should have been attacked, it is hard to og Hom ake th even, so to speak, from his swathing-bands.
It was the tenth year of the reign of Severus, 1 This sixth book of Eusebius' H/story is our chief source for a knowledge of Origen's life.
His own writings give us little information of a personal nature; but Eusebius was in a position to learn a great deal about him.
He had the advantage of personal converse with surviving friends of Origen, as he tells us in this connection; he had also a large collection of Origen's epistles (he had himself made a collection of more than one hundred of them, as he tells us in chap. 36); and he had access besides to official documents, and to works of Origen's contemporaries which contained references to him cause of a new attempt on their part to throw off the Roman yoke (see Spartianus, 7 Severo, c. 16); or perhaps there underlay the whole movement a reaction in the emperor's mind toward the old
Roman paganism so was always superstitious), and Judaism and Christianity being looked upon as alike opposed to it, were alike to be held in check.
The edict was aimed, not against those already Christians, but only against new converts, the idea being to prevent the further spread of Christianity.
But the change in the emperor's attitude, thus published abroad, at once intensified all the elements which were hostile to Christianity; and the popular disfavor, which continued widespread and was continually ventin itself in local persecutions, now allowed itself freer rein, and the result was that severe persecutions broke out, which were confined, however, almost wholly to Egypt and North Africa.
Our principal authorities for these persecutions (which went on intermittently during the rest of Severus' reign) are the first twelve chapters of thif book of Eusebius'
History, and a number of Tertullian's works, especially his De corona milites, Ad Scap., and De fuga in persecutione.
2'We know very little about Origen's father.
The fame of the son overshadowed that of the father, even though the latter was a (see chap. 33).
Asa result, he was ina position to write a full and accurate account of his life, and in fact, in connection with Pamphilus, he did write a Defense of Origen in six books, which contained both an exposition of his theology with a refutation of charges brought against him, and a full account of his life,
Of this work val the first book is extant, and that in the translation of Rufinus.
It deals solely with theological matters.
It is greatly to be regretted that the remaining books are lost, for they must have contained much of the greatest interest in connection with Origen's life, especially that period of it about which we are most poorly informed, his residence in Czsarea after his retirement from Alexandria (see chap.
23). Inthe present book Eusebius gives numerous details of Origen's life, frequently referring to the Defense for fuller particulars.
His account is very desultory, being interspersed with numerous notices of other men and events, introduced apparently without any method, though undoubtedly the design was to paris in general the chronological order.
There is no part of Eusebius' work which reveals more clearly the viciousness of the purely chronological method, breaking up as it does the account of a single person or movement into numerous detached pieces, and thus utterly destroying all historical continuity.
It may be well, therefore, to sum up in brief outline the chief events of Origen's life, most of which are scattered through the following pages.
This summary will be found below, on p. 391 sq.
In addition to the notices contained in this book, we have a few additional details from the Defexse, which have been r. The phrase used in this passage to describe him has caused some trouble, Aewvidns 0 Acyduevos 'Qpryévous matnp.
Taken in jts usual sense, the expression means '' said to be the father of Origen," or the '' so-called father of Origen," both of which appear strange, for there can have been no doubt as to his identity.
It seems better, with Westcott, to understand that Eusebius means that Origen's fame had so eclipsed his father's that the latter was distinguished as '' Leonides, the father of Origen," and hence says here,
" Leonides, who was known as the father of Origen." The name Leonides is Greek, and that he was of Greek nationality is further confirmed by the words of Porphyry (quoted in chap. 19, below), who calls Origen 'fa Greek, and educated in Greek literature.
Porhyry may simply have concluded from his knowledge of Greek letexschat he was a Greek by birth, and hence his statement taken alone has little weight; but taken in 'conjunction with Leonides' name, it makes it peatetls that the latter was at least of Greek descent; whether a native of Greece or not we do not know. A late tradition makes him a bishop, but there is no foundation for such a report.
From the next chapter we learn that Leonides' martyrdom took place in the tenth year of Severus (201-202 A.D-), which is stated reserved by Jerome, Rufinus, and Photius, none of whom seems to bave had much, if any, independent knowledge of Origen's life.
Epiphanius (Her. LXIII. and LXIV.) relates some anecdotes of douberal credibility.
The Panegyric of Gregory Thaumaturgus is valuable as a description of Origen's method of teaching, and of the wonderful influence which he possessed over his pupils.
(For outlme of Origen's life, see below, p. 391 sq-) also by the Chron,
THE CHURCH HISTORY OF EUSEBIUS.
[VI. 2.
Pe ee ed i busied himself with deeper speculations.
So that he puzzled his father with inquiries for the true meaning of the inspired Scriptures.
And his father rebuked him seemingly to
his face, telling him not to search beyond his age, or further than the manifest meaning.
But by himself he rejoiced greatly and thanked God, the author of all good, that he had deemed him worthy to be the father of such a child.
And they say that often, standing by the boy when asleep, he uncovered his breast as if the Divine Spirit were enshrined within it, and kissed it reverently; considering himself blessed in his goodly offspring. while Laetus? was governor of Alexandria and the rest of Egypt, and Demetrius® had lately received the episcopate of the parishes
there, as successor of Julian.* As the flame of persecution had been kindled greatly," and multitudes had gained the crown of martyrdom, such desire for martyrdom seized the soul of Origen, although yet a boy, that he went close to danger, springing forward and rush-
ing to the conflict in his eagerness.
And truly the termination of his life had been very near had not the divine and heavenly Providence, for the benefit of many, prevented his ll desire through the agency of his mother.
For, at first, entreating him, she begged him to have compassion on her motherly feelings toward him; but finding, that when he had learned that his father had been seized and imprisoned, he was set the more resolutely, and completely carried away with his zeal for These and other things like them are related of Origen when a boy.
But when
his father ended his life in martyrdom, he was left with his mother and six younger brothers when he was not quite seventeen years old.2
And the property of his father being 13: confiscated to the royal treasury, he and his family were in want of the necessaries of life,
But he was deemed worthy of Divine care.
And he found welcome and rest with a woman of great wealth, and distinguished in her manner of life and in other respects.
She was treating with great honor a famous heretic then in Alexandria ;* who, however, was born in Antioch.
He was with her as an adopted son, and. she treated him with the greatest kindness.
But although Origen was under the necessity of associating with him, he nevertheless gave from this time on strong evidences of his orthodoxy in the faith.
For when on account of the apparent skill in argument" of Paul, — for this was the man's name, —a great multitude came to him, not only of heretics but also of our people, Origen could never be induced to join with him in prayer ;™ for he held, although a boy, the rule of the Church," and abominated, as he somewhere expresses it, heretical teachings.* Having been instructed in the sciences of the Greeks by his father, he martyrdom, she hid all his clothing, and
thus compelled him to remain at home. But, as there was nothing else that he could do, and his zeal beyond his age would not suffer him to be quiet, he sent to his father an encouraging letter on martydom,® in which he exhorted him, saying, 'Take heed not to change your mind on our account."
This may be recorded as the first evidence of Origen's youthful wisdom and of his genuine
love for piety.
For even then he had stored up no small resources in the words of the faith, having been trained in the Divine
Scriptures from childhood.
And he had not studied them with indifference, for his father, besides giving him the usual liberal education,' had made them a matter of no sec-
ondary importance.
First of all, before inducting him into the Greek sciences, he drilled him in sacred studies, requiring
him to learn and recite every day.
Nor was this irksome to the boy, but he was eager and diligent in these studies.
And he was not satisfied with learning what was simple and obvious in the sacred words, but sought for something more, and even at that age
8 On the date of Origen's birth, see note 1.
® Of this Antiochene heretic Paul we know only what Eusebius. tells us here.
His patroness seems to have been a Christian, and in ee standing in the Alexandrian church, or Origen would hardly ave made his home with her.
2 This Lztus is to be distinguished from Q. Amilius Letus, precras prefect under Commodus, who was put to death by the 10 Sua 7d SoKody ixavoy év ASyw.
11 Redepenning (p. 189) refers to Origen's Jn Matt. Comment.
Series, sec. 89, where it is said, melius est cum nullo orare, quam cunt malts orare. mperor Didius Julianus, in 193; and from Julius Lztus, minister of Severus, who was executed in 199 (see Dion Cassius, Bk. LX XIII. chap. 16, and LXXV. chap. 10; cf. Tillemont, Hzs¢. des emp. III. p.
21,55,and58).
The dates of Lztus' rule in Egypt are unknown to us.
3On the dates of Demetrius' episcopacy, see Bk. V. chap. 22, note 4.
2 pvddtrwy efére maidds ravéva [two MSS. cavévas éxxAnotas..
Compare the words of the Afostolic Constitutions, VIII.
34: ' Let not one of the faithful pray with a catechumen, no, not in the house: for it is not reasonable that he who is admitted should be polluted with one not admitted.
Let not one of the godly pray with an 4 On Julian, see Bk. V. chap. 9, note z.
5 On the persecution, see more particularly chap. r, note x.
6 This epistle, which was apparently extant in the time of Eusebius, and may have been contained in the collection made by him heretic, no, not in the house.
For ' what fellowship hath light with darkness?'""
Compare also the Afostolic Canons, 11, 12, and 45.
The last reads: '' Let a bishop, or presbyter, or deacon, who only prays with heretics, be suspended; but if he also permit them to see any part of the office of a clergyman, let him be deprived."
(see chap. 36), is now lost, and we possess only this sentence from it.
17H Tov eyKuKAlwy watdeca, According to Liddell and Scott, eyx, matdeia in later Greek meant "' the circle of those arts and sciences which every free-born youth in Greece was obliged to go through before applying to any professional studies; school learnzug, as opposed to the business of life.'?
So Valesius says that the Greeks understood by ey. pa@nuara the branches in which the youth were instructed; i.e. mathematics, grammar, and rhetoric, philosophy not being included (see Valesius' note z7 /oco).
Tefele (Conciliengsch. I. p. 815) considers this canon only a '' consistent application of apostolic principles to particular cases, —an sppucamoe which was made from the Erst century on, and therefore very old.
18 Redepenning (p. 190) refers to the remarks of Origen upon the nature and destructivenes of heresy collected by Pamphilus (Fragm. Apol. Pamph. Opp. Origen, IV. 694 [ed. Delarue]).
WVInS:)
ORIGEN'S EARLY CATECHETICAL LABOURS.
He was in his eighteenth year when he
took charge of the catechetical , school.'
He was prominent also at this time, during the persecution under Aquila,' the governor of Alexandria, when his name became celebrated among the leaders in the faith, through the kindness and goodwill which he manifested toward all the holy martyrs, whether known to him or devoted himself after his death more assiduously and exclusively to the study of literature, so that he obtained considerable preparation in philology" and was able not long after the death of his father, by devoting himself to that subject, to earn a compensation amply sufficient for his needs at his age."
For not only was he with them
strangers. while in bonds, and until their final condemnation, but when the holy martyrs were led to death, he was very bold and went with them into danger. with great boldness saluted the martyrs with a kiss, oftentimes the heathen multitude round about them became infuriated, and were on the point of rushing upon him. Butthrough
the helping hand of God, he escaped absolutely and marvelously.
And this same divine and heavenly power, again and again, it is impossible to say how often, on account of his great zeal and boldness for the words of Christ, guarded him when thus endangered.'
So great was the enmity of the unbelievers toward him, on CHAPTER III.
While still very Young, he taught diligently the So that as he acted bravely, and Word of Christ.
But while he was lecturing in the school, as he tells us himself, and there was no one at Alexandria to give instruction in the faith, as all were driven away by the threat of persecution, some of the heathen came to him to hear the word of God.
The first of them, he says, was Plutarch,' who after liying well, was honored with divine martyrdom.
The second was Heraclas,? a brother of Plutarch ; who
after he too had given with him abundant evidence of a philosophic and ascetic life, was esteemed worthy to succeed Demetrius in the bishopric of Alexandria. nn El account of the multitude that were instructed by him in the sacred faith, that they placed bands of soldiers around the house where he abode.
Thus day by day the persecution burned
against him, so that the whole city could no longer contain him; but he removed from house to house and was driven in every direction because of the multitude who attended upon the divine instruction which he gave.
For his life also exhibited right and admirable conduct according to the practice of genuine philosophy. For they say that his manner oflifewas
as his doctrine, and his doctrine as his life.® Therefore, by the divine Power working with him he aroused a great many to his own zeal.
14 épi Ta ypawpatiKa.
15 See below, p. 392.
1 Of this Plutarch we know only what Eusebius tells us here, and in chap. 4, where he says that he was the first of Origen' pupils to suffer martyrdom.
(On the date of the persecution in which he suffered, see note 4).
2 Heraclas, brother of Plutarch, proved himself so good a pupil that, when Origen later found the work of teaching too great is him to manage alone, he made him his assistant, and committed the elementary instruction to him (chap. 15).
From chap. 19 we learn that he was for years a diligent student of Greek philosophy (chap.
15 implies his proficiency in it), and that he even went so far as to wear the philosopher's cloak all the time, although he was a presbyter in the Alexandrian church.
His reputation for learning became so great, as we learn from chap. 31, that Julius Africanus went to Alexandria to see him.
In 231, when Origen took his departure from Alexandria, he left the catechetical school in the chaige of Heraclas (chap. 26), and in 231 or 232, upon the death of Demetrius
(see Bk. V. chap.
22, note 4), Heraclas became the latter's successor as bishop of Alexandria (chaps. 26 and 29), and was succeeded in the presidency of the catechetical school by Dionysius (chap. aa According to chap. th this But when he saw yet more comingto him
for instruction, and the catechetical school a 35 he was bishop for sixteen years and wi! both versions of the Chron. agree, though Jerome puts his accession two years too early —into the ninth year of Alexander Severus in3 See below, p. 3924 It is not clear from Eusebius' language whether Aquila was successor of Lztus as viceroy of Egypt (as Redepenning assumes apparently quite without misgiving), or simply governor of Alexandria.
He calls Letus (in chap. 2) governor of Alexandria and of all Egypt, while Aquila is called simply governor of Alexandria.
If this difference were insisted on as marking a real distinction, then Aquila would have to be regarded as the chief officer of Alexandria only, and hence subordinate in dignity to the viceroy of Egypt. The term used to describe his position (nyovmevor) is not, however, the technical one for the chief officer of Alexandria (see Mommsen,
Provinces of the Roman Empire ; Scribner's ed., II. p. 267 ff.), and hence his position cannot be decided with certainty.
In any case, whether he succeeded Lzetus, or was his subordinate, the dates of his accession to and retirement from office are unknown, and hence the time at which the persecutions mentioned took place cannot be determined with exactness..
We simply know that they occurred after 203 (for Origen had already taken charge of the catechetical school, and some of his pupils perished in the persecutions) and before 211, the date of Severus' death.
'stead of the eleventh —while giving at the same time, quite inconsistently, the proper date for his death.
Heraclas' later relations to Origen are not quite clear.
He was evidently, in earlier years, one of his best friends, and there is no adequate ground for the assumption, which is quite common, that he was one of those who united with Bishop Demetrius in condemning him.
It is true, no attempt seems to have been made after he became bishop to reverse the sentence against Origen, and to invite him back to Alexandria; but this does not prove that Heraclas did not remain friendly to him; for even when Dionysius (who kept up his relations with Origen, as we know from chap. 46) became bishop (A.D. 248), no such attempt
'seems to have been made, although Origen was still alive and at 'the height of his power.
The fact that the greater part of the clergy of Alexandria and Egypt were unfavorable to Origen, as shown by their condemnation of him, does not imply that Heraclas could not have been elected unless he too showed hostility to Origen; for Dionysius, who we know was not hostile, was appointed at that time head of the catechetical school, and sixteen years later bishop.
It is true that Heraclas may not have sympathized with all of Origen's views, and may have thought some of them heretical (his strict judgment of heretics is seen from Bk. VII. chap.
7), but many even 5 How it happened that Origen escaped the persecution, when, according to Eusebius, he exposed himself so continually, and was so hated by the heathen populace, we cannot tell.
Eusebius ascribes it solely to the grace of God here, and in chap. 4.
6 ofos 6 Adyos Totos 6 Bios was a Greek proverb.
Compare the words of Seneca, in Ef. 114 ad Luctléum, ' Apud Graecos in proverbium cessit ¢alzs homtnibus fuit oratio, gualis vita" (quoted by Redepenning, p. 196). of the best of Origen's friends and followers di likewise, so that among his most devoted adherents were some of the most orthodox
Fathers of the Church (e.g. the two Gregories and Basil).
That Heraclas did not agree with Origen in all his opinions (if he did not, the may not have cared to press his return to Alexandria) does not prove therefore that he took part in the condemnatory action of the synod, and that he was himself in later life hostile to Origen.
THE CHURCH HISTORY OF EUSEBIUS.
[VI. 3a for a number of years never wearing a shoe, and, for a great many years, to have abstained from the use of wine, and of all other things beyond his necessary food ; so that he was in danger of breaking down and destroying his constitution." had been entrusted to him alone by Demetrius, who presided over the church, he considered the teaching of grammatical science inconsistent with training in divine subjects,' and forthwith he gave up his grammatical school as unprofitable
and ahindrance to sacred learning.
Then, with becoming consideration, that he might not need aid from others, he disposed of whatever valuable books of ancient literature he possessed, being satisfied with receiving from the purchaser four oboli a day.
For many years he lived philosophically ® in this manner, putting away all the incentives of youthful desires.
Through the entire day he endured no small amount of discipline ; and for the greater part of the night he gave himself to the study of the Divine Scriptures.
He restrained himself as much as possible by a most philosophic life ; sometimes by the discipline of fasting, again by limited time for By giving such evidences ofa philosophic
life to those who saw him, he aroused many of his pupils to similar zeal; so that prominent men even of the unbelieving heathen and men that followed learning and philosophy were led to his instruction.
Some of them having received from him into the depth of their souls faith in the Divine Word, became prominent in the persecution then prevailing; and some of them were seized and suffered martydom.
CHAPTER IV. sleep.
And in his zeal he never lay upona
bed, but upon the ground.
Most of all, he thought that the words of the Saviour in the Gospel should be observed, in which he exhorts not to have two coats nor to use shoes," nor The Pupils of Origen that became Martyrs.
Tue first of these was Plutarch, who was L mentioned just above.'
As he was led to death, the man of whom we are speaking being with him at the end of his life, came near being slain by his fellow-citizens, as if he were the cause of his death.
But the providence of God preserved him at this time also.
After
Plutarch, the second martyr among the pupils of Origen was Serenus,? who gave through fire a proof of the faith which he had received.
The third martyr from the same
school was Heraclides,' and after him the fourth was Hero.* The former of these was. as yet a catechumen, and the latter had but recently been baptized.
Both of them were beheaded.
After them, the fifth from the same school proclaimed as an athlete of piety was. another Serenus, who, it is reported, was beheaded, after a long endurance of tortures.
And of women, Herais® died while yet a catechumen, receiving baptism by fire, as Origen himself somewhere says. to occupy oneself with cares for the future."
With a zeal beyond his age he continued in cold and nakedness ; and, going to the very extreme of poverty, he greatly astonished those about him.
And indeed he grieved many of his friends who desired to share their possessions with him, on account of the wearisome toil which they saw him enduring in the teaching of divine things.
But he did not relax his perseverance.
Heis said to have walked
7 This does not mean that he considered the study of grammar and literature injurious to the Christian, or detrimental to his theological studies.
His opinion on that subject is clear enough from all his writings and from his conduct as pictured in chaps. 18 and 19.
Nor does it on the other hand imply, as Crusé supposes, that up to this time he had been teaching secular branches excluszvely » but it means simply that the demands upon him for instruction in the faith were so great, now that the catechetical school had been officially entrusted to him by Demetrius, that he felt that he could no longer continue to teach secular literature as he had been doing, but must give up that part of his work, and devote himself exclusively to instruction in sacred things.
8 The obolus was a scmall Greek coin, equivalent to about three and a half cents of ourmoney.
Four obolia day could have been sufficient, even in that age, only for the barest necessities of life.
But with his ascetic tendencies, these were all that Origen wished.
® It was very common from the fourth century on (the writer knows of no instances earlier than Eusebius) to call an ascetic mode of life '' philosophical," or '' the life of a philosopher" (see § 2 of this chapter, and compare Chrysostom's works, where the word occurs very frequently in this sense).
Origen, in his ascetic practices, was quite in accord with the prevailing Christian sentiment of his own and subsequent centuries, which looked upon bodily discias of an ascetic kind, not indeed as required, but as commended
12 Greek: Owpat, properly "' chest."
Rufinus and Christophorsonus translate Sy tees and Valesius approves; but there: is no authority for such a use of the term OWpaé, so far as I can ascertain.
The proper Greek term for stomach is otéuaxos, which is uniformly employed by Galen and other medical writers.
1 See the previous chapter, § 2.
The martyrdom of these disciples of Origen took place under Aquila, and hence the date depends. on the date of his rule, which cannot be fixed with exactness, as. remarked in note 4 on the previous chapter. y Christ.
The growing sentiment had its roots partly in the prevailing ideas of contemporary philosophy, which instinctively emphasized strongly the dualism of spirit and matter, and the necessity of subduing the latter to the former, and partly in the increasing moral corruptness of society, which caused those who wished to lea holy lives to feel that only by eschewing the things of sense could the soul attain purity.
Under pressure from without and within, it became very easy to misinterpret various sayings of Christ, and thus to find in the Gospels ringing exhortations to a life of the most rigid asceticism, Glement of Alexandria was almost the only one of the great Christian writers after the middle of the second century who distinguished between the true and the false in this matter.
Compare his admirable tract, oe dives salvetur, and contrast the position taken there with the foolish extreme pursued by Origen, as recorded in this chapter.
2 These two persons named Serenus, the first of whom was bere) the second beheaded, are known to us only from this. chapter.
3 Of this Heraclides, we know only what is told us in this chapter.
He, with the other martyrs mentioned in this connection, is commemorated in the medizval martyrologies, but our authentic information is limited to what Eusebius tells us here.
4 Our authentic information of Hero is likewise limited to this. account of Eusebius.
_ 5 Herais likewise is known to us from this chapter alone.
It is interesting to note that Origen's pupils were not confined to the male sex.
His association with female catechumens, which his office of instructor entailed upon him, formed one reason for the act of selfmutilation which he committed (see chap. 8, § 2).
10 See Matt, x. 10.
11 See Matt. vi. 34.