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| Chapter XVII.—The theory of the Marcosians, that created things were made after the image of things invisible.
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Chapter XVII.—The theory of the
Marcosians, that created things were made after the image of things invisible.
1. I wish also to
explain to thee their theory as to the way in which the creation itself
was formed through the mother by the Demiurge (as it were without his
knowledge), after the image of things invisible. They maintain, then,
that first of all the four elements, fire, water, earth, and air, were
produced after the image of the primary Tetrad above, and that then, we
add their operations, viz., heat, cold, dryness, and humidity, an exact
likeness of the Ogdoad is presented. They next reckon up ten powers in
the following manner:—There are seven globular bodies, which they
also call heavens; then that globular body which contains these, which
also they name the eighth heaven; and, in addition to these, the sun and
moon. These, being ten in number, they declare to be types of the
invisible Decad, which proceeded from Logos and Zoe. As to the Duodecad,
it is indicated by the zodiacal circle, as it is called; for they affirm
that the twelve signs do most manifestly shadow forth the Duodecad, the
daughter of Anthropos and Ecclesia. And since the highest heaven, beating
upon the very sphere [of the seventh heaven], has been linked with the
most rapid precession of the whole system, as a check, and balancing that
system with its own gravity, so that it completes the cycle from sign to
sign in thirty years,—they say that this is an image of Horus,
encircling their thirty-named mother.2877
| 2877 Such is the translation which Harvey, following the text
preserved by Hippolytus, gives of the above intricate and obscure
sentence. | And then, again, as the moon travels through her
allotted space of heaven in thirty days, they hold, that by these days
she expresses the number of the thirty Æons. The sun also, who runs
through his orbit in twelve months, and then returns to the same point in
the circle, makes the Duodecad manifest by these twelve months; and the
days, as being measured by twelve hours, are a type of the invisible
Duodecad. Moreover, they declare that the hour, which is the twelfth part
of the day, is composed2878
of thirty parts, in
order to set forth the image of the Triacontad. Also the circumference of
the zodiacal circle itself contains three hundred and sixty degrees (for
each of its signs comprises thirty); and thus also they affirm, that by
means of this circle an image is preserved of that connection which
exists between the twelve and the thirty. Still further, asserting that
the earth is divided into twelve zones, and that in each zone it receives
power from the heavens, according to the perpendicular [position of the
sun above it], bringing forth productions corresponding to that power
which sends down its influence upon it, they maintain that this is a most
evident type of the Duodecad and its offspring.
2. In addition to these things, they declare that the
Demiurge, desiring to imitate the infinitude, and eternity, and
immensity, and freedom from all measurement by time of the Ogdoad above,
but, as he was the fruit of defect, being unable to express its
permanence and eternity, had recourse to the expedient of spreading out
its eternity into times, and seasons, and vast numbers of years,
imagining, that by the multitude of such times he might imitate its
immensity.
They declare further, that the truth having
escaped him, he followed that which was false, and that, for this reason,
when the times are fulfilled, his work shall perish. E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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