mountainman

Could you or anyone else point me at any JSTOR articles or google books related to this rejection of the Leucius legend. I would like to see how they deal with the evidence of the appearance of this name in the later 4th century, and subsequent centuries concluding with Photius's direct citation many centuries later.

Many thanks.

mountainman

The Sources that mention Leucius (Charinus)
("The Shadowy author of Tall Apocryphal Tales")

Chronological index of Ancient Historical Mention

n.b. * denotes mention of name(s)

0180 ... Irenaeus' Adversus haereses - no mention of names
0220 ... Hippolytus (disciple of Irenaeus) The Refutation of all Heresies - no mention of names
0220 ... Tertullian The Prescription against Heretics - the author of the Acts of Paul was "a presbyter in Asia" !!
0325 ... Eusebius' Historia Ecclesiastica - on "Heretical books" - no mention of names, but cites the titles of texts by "Leucius"
0325 * Eusebius' Historia Ecclesiastica - and the fiasco over The Forged Acts of Pilate, where "Leucius and Charinus" visit the underworld.
0370 ... Ephraem - "these Acts were written by Bardesanites" - no author name mentioned [Source (1)]
0375 ... Amphilochius of Iconium - certain heretical writings were "not the Acts of the Apostles, but accounts of demons".
0377 *. Epiphanius "Against Heresies" - makes the first explicit reference to the name Leucius - "a disciple of John"
0385 ... Pacian (bishop of Barcelona 365-391 CE) (3 Ep. i. ad Sympr., c. 2.)
0387 ... Philastrius of Brescia - testifies to the use of apocryphal acts among the Manichaeans. (De haeresibus 88)
0399 *. Augustine Contra Faustum Manichaeum (22:79) identified the author "Leucius", a "cobbler of fables".
0??? * Euodius De fide contra Manichaeos (38) identifies the author as "Leucius".
0400 ... Jerome repeats Tertullian, with the addition that the judgment of the priest took place in the presence of the Apostle John, an assertion which is surely erroneous. [Source 3]
0410 *. Pope Innocent I. declared that Leucius was the author of both the Acts of Peter and the Acts of John. [Source 2]
0450 *. Turibius of Astorga - identifies Acts of Andrew, John, Thomas, mentions Leucius, as the author of the Acts of John.
0451 ... Pope Leo I ( Council of Chalcedon) on the "Leucian Acts": "they should be utterly swept away and burned". [HURST]
0491 *. Decretum Gelasianum (4th century?) - in no uncertain terms states that "Leucius is the disciple of the devil"
0590 ... Gregory of Tours epitomed (and censored) the Acts of Andrew, but does not mention the author.
0787 ... Second Council of Nicaea - "Acts of John" as "this abominable book" - "Let no one read it; and not only so, but we judge it is worthy of being committed to the flames."
0845 *. Photios I of Constantinople - reports that the author is Leucius Charinus, and his books as the "source and mother of all heresy"
1920 ... WACE on Leucius - Background Summary


Can anyone furnish any additional references?

avi

terrific research, Pete. Thanks for that.

avi

mountainman

You're welcome avi.

The Jesusland is Zombieland thread provided some very interesting statistics on "the revised revivified body count" of 29 to 9 in favor of the noncanonical crew. We only have one name provided by the victors of the conflict between the victorious canon following people and the gnostic heretics (i.e. the noncanonical crew). And that name also happens to be the names of both of the two zombies who, according to the text itself, authored the "Acts of Pilate".

It's a mystery waiting to be solved, since the name does not appear until the later 4th century, although the legend of an author represented in the writings of Tertullian is explicitly corroborated (and elaborated upon) by Jerome. Eusebius explicitly tells us he is going to name names of these vile heretics, but fails to do so, although it is not improbable that the preservers of Eusebius expunged names of the Gnostic author or authors.

mountainman

Another two mentions of the full name "Leucius Charinus"


0400 * Faustas of Milevas refers to a collection of the five major Apocyrphal Acts, by a certain Leucius Charinus, a Manichaean.

0400 * Philaster refers to a collection of the five major Apocyrphal Acts, by a certain Leucius Charinus, a Manichaean.


SOURCE: The apocryphal acts of Thomas By Jan N. Bremmer

mountainman

Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing - By Stephan A. Hoeller (2002).

The author apparently thinks that Leucius is an historical figure who wrote c.130 CE. This date seems very early. It relies on two sets of testimony -

(1) Tertullian's comments about the "Acts of Paul" and
(2) Jerome's embellishment c.400 CE, that Leucius was the disciple of John, an embellishment which many commentators claim to be "surely erroneous".