Against Celsus 6.31
Summary: Origen quotes the passwords that the Ophites taught their members to say to each of the seven archons as the soul ascends through their gates.
Greek text · Koetschau 2:100–102
Εἰ δέ τις βούλεται καὶ τὰ πλάσματα τῶν γοήτων ἐκείνων μαθεῖν, διʼ ὧν ἐβουλήθησαν μὲν ὑπάγειν ἀνθρώπους ἑαυτῶν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ ὡς ἀπόῤῥητά τινα ἔχοντες οὐ πάνυ δʼ ἐδυνήθησαν, ἀκουέτω ὃ διδάσκονται λέγειν μετὰ τὸ διελθεῖν ὃν ὀνομάζουσι „φραγμὸν κακίας“, πύλας ἀρχόντων αἰῶνι δεδεμένας· „βασιλέα μονότροπον, δεσμὸν ἀβλεψίας, λήθην ἀπερίσκεπτον ἀσπάζομαι, πρώτην δύναμιν, πνεύματι προνοίας καὶ σοφίᾳ τηρουμένην· ἔνθεν εἰλικρινὴς πέμπομαι, φωτὸς ἤδη μέρος υἱοῦ καὶ πατρός· ἡ χάρις συνέστω μοι, ναὶ πάτερ, συνέστω.“ καί φασι τῆς ὀγδοάδος τὰς ἀρχὰς ἐντεῦθεν εἶναι. εἶθʼ ἑξῆς διδάσκονται λέγειν διερχόμενοι ὅν φασιν Ἰαλδαβαώθ· „σὺ δὲ μετὰ πεποιθήσεως πρῶτε καὶ ἕβδομε γεγονὼς κρατεῖν Ἰαλδαβαὼθ, ἄρχων λόγος ὑπάρχων νοὸς εἰλικρινοῦς, ἔργον τέλειον υἱῷ καὶ πατρὶ, χαρακτῆρι τύπου ζωῆς σύμβολον ἐπιφέρων, ἣν ἔκλεισας αἰῶνι σῷ πύλην κόσμῳ ἀνοίξας. παροδεύω τὴν σὴν ἐλεύθερος πάλιν ἐξουσίαν· ἡ χάρις συνέστω μοι, ναὶ πάτερ, συνέστω.“ φασὶ δὲ τῷ λεοντοειδεῖ ἄρχοντι συμπαθεῖν ἄστρον τὸν Φαίνοντα. εἶτα οἴονται τὸν διελθόντα τὸν Ἰαλδαβαὼθ καὶ φθάσαντα ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰα(ὼ) δεῖν λέγειν· „σὺ δὲ κρυπτομένων μυστηρίων υἱοῦ καὶ πατρὸς ἄρχων νυκτοφαὴς δεύτερε Ἰαὼ καὶ πρῶτε δέσποτα θανάτου, μέρος ἀθώου. φέρων ἤδη τὴν ἰδίαν ὑπήνην σύμβολον, παροδεύων σὴν ἕτοιμος ἀρχήν· κατίσχυσας τὸν ἀπὸ σοῦ γενόμενον λόγῳ ζῶντι· ἡ χάρις συνέστω, πάτερ, συνέστω.“ εἶθʼ ἑξῆς τὸν Σαβαὼθ, πρὸς ὃν οἴονται λέξειν· „πέμπτης ἐξουσίας ἄρχων, δυνάστα Σαβαὼθ. προήγορε νόμου τῆς σῆς κτίσεως χάριτι λυομένης, πεντάδι δυνατωτέρᾳ, πάρες με, σύμβολον ὁρῶν σῆς τέχνης ἀνεπίληπτον, εἰκόνι τύπου τετηρημένον, πεντάδι λυθὲν σῶμα· ἡ χάρις συνέστω μοι, πάτερ, συνέστω.“ ἑξῆς δὲ αὐτῷ τὸν Ἀσταφαιὸν, ᾧ πιστεύουσι τοιαῦτα ἐρεῖν· „τρίτης ἄρχων πύλης Ἀσταφαιὲ, ἐπίσκοπε πρώτης ὕδατος ἀρχῆς, ἕνα βλέπων μύστην πάρες με παρθένου πνεύματι κεκαθαρμένον, ὁρῶν οὐσίαν κόσμου· ἡ χάρις συνέστω μοι. πάτερ, συνέστω.“ μετὰ δʼ αὐτὸν τὸν Αἰλωαιὸν, ᾧ τοιαῦτα λέγειν οἴονται· „δευτέρας ἄρχων πύλης Αἰλωαιὲ, πάρες με τῆς σῆς μητρὸς φέροντά σοι σύμβολον, χάριν κρυπτομένην δυνάμεσιν ἐξουσιῶν· ἡ χάρις συνέστω μοι, πάτερ, συνέστω.“ τελευταῖον δὲ τὸν Ὡραῖον ὀνομάζουσι καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγειν οἴονται· „ὑπερβὰς φραγμὸν πυρὸς ἀφόβως. πρώτης λαχὼν ἀρχὴν πύλης Ὡραῖς, πάρες με, σῆς ὁρῶν δυνάμεως σύμβολον καταλυθὲν τύπῳ ζωῆς ξύλου, εἰκόνι καθʼ ὁμοίωσιν ληφθὲν ἀθώου· ἡ χάρις συνέστω μοι, πάτερ, συνέστω.“
English · Claude translation
If anyone wishes to learn also the fictions of those sorcerers, by which they wished to draw people to their teaching as though they possessed some secrets, but were not at all able to, let him hear what they are taught to say after passing through what they call “the barrier of wickedness,” the gates of the archons bound for ever: “I greet the solitary king, the bond of blindness, heedless forgetfulness, the first power, guarded by the spirit of providence and by wisdom; from here I am sent pure, already a part of the light of Son and Father. Grace be with me; yes, Father, let it be with me.” And they say that the beginnings of the Ogdoad are from here. Then next they are taught to say, as they pass through the one they call Ialdabaoth: “And you, Ialdabaoth, first and seventh, born to rule with confidence, being the ruling word of a pure mind, a perfect work for Son and Father, I bring a symbol marked with the imprint of life, and open to the world the gate that you closed for your age; I pass by your authority free again. Grace be with me; yes, Father, let it be with me.” And they say that the star Phainon (Saturn) is in sympathy with the lion-shaped archon. Then they think that the one who has passed through Ialdabaoth and reached Iao must say: “And you, ruler of the hidden mysteries of Son and Father, shining by night, second Iao, and first lord of death, portion of the innocent, bearing now my own beard as a symbol, I pass by your dominion, ready; having prevailed by the living word over the one born of you. Grace be with me; Father, let it be with me.” Then next comes Sabaoth, to whom they think they will say: “Ruler of the fifth authority, sovereign Sabaoth, advocate of the law of your creation, which is undone by grace, by a mightier pentad, let me pass, seeing an unblemished symbol of your art, preserved by the image of an imprint, a body undone by the pentad. Grace be with me; Father, let it be with me.” After him comes Astaphaeus, to whom they believe they will say such things: “Ruler of the third gate, Astaphaeus, overseer of the first source of water, looking upon one who is an initiate, let me pass, purified by the spirit of a virgin, seeing the being of the world. Grace be with me; Father, let it be with me.” After him comes Ailoaeus, to whom they think they should say such things: “Ruler of the second gate, Ailoaeus, let me pass, bringing you a symbol of your mother, grace hidden by the powers of the authorities. Grace be with me; Father, let it be with me.” Last they name Horaeus and think they should say to him: “You who fearlessly crossed the barrier of fire, who received the rule of the first gate, Horaeus, let me pass, seeing the symbol of your power undone by the imprint of the tree of life, taken in the image, after the likeness, of the innocent. Grace be with me; Father, let it be with me.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- These formulas are obscure, and the Greek is uncertain in places; the translation is literal. The Ogdoad is the eighth, highest region above the seven planetary spheres. The archon names (Ialdabaoth, Iao, Sabaoth, Astaphaeus, Ailoaeus, Horaeus) are transliterated.
Cite this passage
Origen, Cels. 6.31 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/6/31/).
Plain text
Origen, Cels. 6.31 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/6/31/).
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