Eusebius Book 6, Section 19

Passages / Book 6 / Section 19

6.19.1

XIX. Μάρτυρες δὲ καὶ τῆς περὶ ταῦτα αὐτοῦ κατορθώσεως αὐτῶν Ἑλλήνων οἱ κατ’ αὐτὸν ἠκμακότες φιλόσοφοι, ὧν ἐν συγγράμμασιν πολλὴν μνήμην εὕρομεν τοῦ ἀνδρός, τοτὲ μὲν αὐτῷ προσφωνούντων τοὺς ἑαυτῶν λόγους, τοτὲ δὲ ὡς διδασκάλῳ εἰς ἐπίκρισιν τοὺς ἰδίους ἀναφερόντων πόνους. τί δεῖ ταῦτα λέγειν, ὅτε καὶ ὁ καθ’ ἡμᾶς ἐν Σικελίᾳ καταστὰς Πορφύριος συγγράμματα καθ’ ἡμῶν ἐνστησάμενος καὶ δι’ αὐτῶν τὰς θείας γραφὰς διαβάλλειν πεπειραμένος τῶν τε εἰς αὐτὰς ἐξηγησαμένων μνημονεύσας, μηδὲν μηδαμῶς φαῦλον ἔγκλημα τοῖς δόγμασιν ἐπικαλεῖν δυνηθείς, ἀπορίᾳ λόγων ἐπὶ τὸ λοιδορεῖν τρέπεται καὶ τοὺς ἐξηγητὰς ἐνδιαβάλλειν, ὧν μάλιστα τὸν Ὠριγένην· ὃν κατὰ τὴν νέαν ἡλικίαν ἐγνωκέναι φήσας, διαβάλλειν μὲν πειρᾶται, συνιστῶν δὲ ἄρα τὸν ἄνδρα ἐλάνθανεν, τὰ μὲν ἐπαληθεύων, ἐν οἷς οὐδ’ ἑτέρως αὐτῷ λέγειν ἦν δυνατόν, τὰ δὲ καὶ ψευδόμενος, ἐν οἷς λήσεσθαι ἐνόμιζεν, καὶ τοτὲ μὲν ὡς Χριστιανοῦ κατηγορῶν, τοτὲ δὲ τὴν περὶ τὰ φιλόσοφα μαθήματα ἐπίδοσιν αὐτοῦ διαγράφων.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-26

XIX. Now, as witnesses also to his achievements in this direction, we have the Greek philosophers themselves who flourished in his day, in whose treatises we find frequent mention of the man, sometimes they would dedicate their books to him, sometimes submit their own labours to him for judgement, as to a master. But why need one say this, when even Porphyry, who settled in our day in Sicily, having composed treatises against us and attempting in them to slander the sacred Scriptures, and mentioned those who had given their interpretations of them? And since he could not by any means bring any base charge against our opinions, for lack of argument he turned to deride and slander their interpreters also, and among these Origen especially. He says that in his early manhood he had known him; and he tries to slander the man, but unknown to himself really commends him, telling the truth in some cases, where he could not speak otherwise, in others telling lies, where he thought he could escape detection; and at one time accusing him as a Christian, at another describing his devotion to the study of philosophy.

6.19.2

Ἄκουε δ’ οὖν ἅ φησιν κατὰ λέξιν· “τῆς δὴ μοχθηρίας τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν γραφῶν οὐκ ἀπόστασιν, λύσιν δέ τινες εὑρεῖν προθυμηθέντες, ἐπ’ ἐξηγήσεις ἐτράποντο ἀσυγκλώστους καὶ ἀναρμόστους τοῖς γεγραμμένοις, οὐκ ἀπολογίαν μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ τῶν ὀθνείων, παραδοχὴν δὲ καὶ ἔπαινον τοῖς οἰκείοις φερούσας. αἰνίγματα γὰρ τὰ φανερῶς παρὰ Μωυσεῖ λεγόμενα εἶναι κομπάσαντες καὶ ἐπιθειάσαντες ὡς θεσπίσματα πλήρη κρυφίων μυστηρίων διά τε τοῦ τύφου τὸ κριτικὸν τῆς ψυχῆς καταγοητεύσαντες, ἐπάγουσιν ἐξηγήσεις.”

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-26

But hear the very words that he uses: “Some, in their eagerness to find an explanation of the wickedness of the Jewish writings rather than give them up, had recourse to interpretations that are incompatible and do not harmonize with what has been written, offering not so much a defence of what was outlandish as commendation and praise of their own works. For they boast that the things said plainly by Moses are riddles, treating them as divine oracles full of hidden mysteries, and bewitching the critical judgment of the soul by their own pretentious obscurity; and so they put forward interpretations.”

6.19.3

Εἶτα μεθ’ ἕτερά φησιν· “ὁ δὲ τρόπος τῆς ἀτοπίας ἐξ ἀνδρὸς ᾧ κἀγὼ κομιδῆ νέος ὢν ἔτι ἐντετύχηκα, σφόδρα εὐδοκιμήσαντος καὶ ἔτι δι’ ὧν καταλέλοιπεν συγγραμμάτων εὐδοκιμοῦντος, παρειλήφθω, Ὠριγένους, οὗ κλέος παρὰ τοῖς παρειλήφθω, τούτων τῶν λόγων μέγα διαδέδοται. ἀκροατὴς γὰρ οὗτος Ἀμμωνίου τοῦ πλείστην ἐν τοῖς καθ’ ἡμᾶς χρόνοις ἐπίδοσιν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ ἐσχηκότος γεγονώς, εἰς μὲν τὴν τῶν λόγων ἐμπειρίαν πολλὴν παρὰ τοῦ διδασκάλου τὴν ὠφέλειαν ἐκτήσατο, εἰς δὲ τὴν ὀρθὴν τοῦ βίου προαίρεσιν τὴν ἐναντίαν ἐκείνῳ πορείαν ἐποιήσατο. Ἀμμώνιος μὲν γὰρ χριστιανὸς ἐν Χριαριανοῖς ἀνατραφεὶς τοῖς γονεῦσιν, ὅτε τοῦ φρονεῖν καὶ τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἥψατο, εὐθὺς πρὸς τὴν κατὰ νόμους πολιτείαν μετεβάλετο, Ὠριγένης δὲ Ἕλλην ἐν Ἕλλησιν παιδευθεὶς λόγοις, πρὸς τὸ βάρβαρον ἐξώκειλεν τόλμημα· ᾧ δὴ φέρων αὐτόν τε καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις ἕξιν ἐκαπήλευσεν, κατὰ μὲν τὸν βίον Χριστιανῶς ζῶν καὶ παρανόμως, κατὰ δὲ τὰς περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ τοῦ θείου δόξας ἑλληνίζων τε καὶ τὰ Ἑλλήνων τοῖς ὀθνείοις ὑποβαλλόμενος μύθοις. συνῆν τε γὰρ ἀεὶ τῷ Πλάτωνι, τοῖς τε Νουμηνίου καὶ Κρονίου Ἀπολλοφάνους τε καὶ Λογγίνου καὶ Μοδεράτου Νικομάχου τε καὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς Πυθαγορείοις ἐλλογίμων ἀνδρῶν ὡμίλει συγγράμμασιν, ἐχρῆτο δὲ καὶ Χαιρήμονος τοῦ Στωϊκοῦ Κορνούτου τε ταῖς βίβλοις, παρ’ ὧν τὸν μεταληπτικὸν τῶν παρ’ Ἕλλησιν μυστηρίων γνοὺς τρόπον ταῖς Ἰουδαϊκαῖς προσῆψεν γραφαῖς.”

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-26

Then, after other remarks, he says: “But this kind of absurdity must be traced to a man whom I met when I was still quite young, who had a great reputation, and still holds it, because of the writings he has left behind him, I mean Origen, whose fame has been widespread among the teachers of this kind of learning. For this man was a hearer of Ammonius, who had the greatest proficiency in philosophy in our day; and so far as a grasp of knowledge was concerned he owed much to his master, but as regards the right choice in life he took the opposite road to him. For Ammonius was a Christian, brought up in Christian doctrine by his parents, yet, when he began to think and study philosophy, he immediately changed his way of life conformably to the laws; but Origen, a Greek educated in Greek learning, drove headlong towards barbarian recklessness; and making straight for this he hawked himself and his literary skill about; and while his manner of life was Christian and contrary to the law, in his opinions about material things and the Deity he played the Greek, and introduced Greek ideas into foreign fables. For he was always consorting with Plato, and was conversant with the writings of Numenius and Cronius, Apollophanes and Longinus and Moderatus, Nicomachus and the distinguished men among the Pythagoreans; and he used also the books of Chaeremon the Stoic and Cornutus, from whom he learnt the figurative interpretation, as employed in the Greek mysteries, and applied it to the Jewish writings.”

6.19.4

Ταῦτα τῷ Πορφυρίῳ κατὰ τὸ τρίτον σύγγραμμα τῶν γραφέντων αὐτῷ κατὰ Χριστιανῶν εἴρηται, ἐπαληθεύσαντι μὲν περὶ τῆς τἀνδρὸς ἀσκήσεως καὶ πολυμαθείας, ψευσαμένῳ δὲ σαφῶς (τί γὰρ οὐκ ἔμελλεν ὁ κατὰ χριστιανῶν;)· ἐν οἷς αὐτὸν μέν φησιν ἐξ Ἑλλήνων μετατεθεῖσθαι, τὸν δ’ Ἀμμώνιον ἐκ βίου τοῦ κατὰ θεοσέβειαν ἐπὶ τὸν ἐθνικὸν τρόπον ἐκπεσεῖν. τῷ τε γὰρ Ὠριγένει τὰ τῆς κατὰ χριστὸν διδασκαλίας ἐκ προγόνων ἐσῴζετο, ὡς καὶ τὰ τῆς πρόσθεν ἱστορίας ἐδήλου, τῷ τε Ἀμμωνίῳ τὰ τῆς ἐνθέου φιλοσοφίας ἀκέραια καὶ ἀδιάπτωτα καὶ μέχρις ἐσχάτης τοῦ βίου διέμενεν τελευτῆς, ὥς που καὶ οἱ τἀνδρὸς εἰς ἔτι νῦν μαρτυροῦσι πόνοι, δι’ ὧν κατέλιπε συγγραμμάτων παρὰ τοῖς πλείστοις εὐδοκιμοῦντος, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ ἐπιγεγπαρμμένος Περὶ τῆς Μωυσέως καὶ Ἰησοῦ συμφωνίας καὶ ὅσοι ἄλλοι παρὰ τοῖς φιλοκάλοις εὕρηνται.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-26

These statements were made by Porphyry in the third treatise of his writings against Christians. And while he tells the truth about the man's training and erudition, he clearly lies (for what is the opponent of Christians not prepared to do?) where he says that Origen came over from the Greeks, and that Ammonius lapsed from a godly life into paganism. For Origen kept safely the Christian teaching which he had from his parents, as the history above made clear; and Ammonius maintained his inspired philosophy pure and unshaken right up to the very end of his life. To this fact the man's works witness to the present day, and the widespread fame that he owes to the writings he left behind him, such as that entitled On the Harmony of Moses and Jesus, and all the other works that are to be found in the possession of lovers of literature.

6.19.5

Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν εἰς παράστασιν ἐκκείσθω τῆς τε τοῦ ψευδηγόρου συκοφαντίας καὶ τῆς Ὠριγένους καὶ περὶ τὰ Ἑλλήνων μαθήματα πολυπειρίας, περὶ ἧς πρός τινας μεμψαμένους αὐτῷ διὰ τὴν περὶ ἐκεῖνα σπουδὴν ἀπολογούμενος, ἐν ἐπιστολῇ τινι ταῦτα γράφει· “ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀνακειμένῳ μοι τῷ λόγῳ, τῆς φήμης διατρεχούσης περὶ τῆς ἕξεως ἡμῶν, προσῄεσαν ὁτὲ μὲν αἱρετικοί, ὁτὲ δὲ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν μαθημάτων καὶ μάλιστα τῶν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ, ἔδοξεν ἐξετάσαι τά τε τῶν αἱρετικῶν δόγματα καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν φιλοσόφων περὶ ἀληθείας λέγειν ἐπαγγελλόμενα. τοῦτο δὲ πεποιήκαμεν μιμησάμενοί τε τὸν πρὸ ἡμῶν πολλοὺς ὠφελήσαντα Πάνταινον, οὐκ ὀλίγην ἐν ἐκείνοις ἐσχηκότα παρασκευήν, καὶ τὸν νῦν ἐν τῷ πρεσβυτερίῳ καθεζόμενον Ἀλεξανδρέων Ἡρακλᾶν, ὅντινα εὗρον παρὰ τῷ διδασκάλῳ τῶν φιλοσόφων μαθημάτων, ἤδη πέντε ἔτεσιν αὐτῷ προσκαρτερήσαντα πρὶν ἢ ἐμὲ ἄρξασθαι ἀκούειν ἐκείνων τῶν λόγων· δι’ ὃν καὶ πρότερον κοινῇ ἐσθῆτι χρώμενος ἀποδυσάμενος καὶ φιλόσοφον ἀναλαβὼν σχῆμα μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο τηρεῖ βιβλία τε Ἑλλήνων κατὰ δύναμιν οὐ παύεται φιλολογῶ.”

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-26

Let these things be stated to prove at once the false one's calumny and Origen's great knowledge of Greek learning. With regard to such learning also he writes as follows in a certain epistle, defending himself against those who found fault with him for his zeal in that direction: “But as I was devoted to the word, and the fame of our proficiency was spreading abroad, there approached me sometimes heretics, sometimes those conversant with Greek learning, and especially philosophy, and I thought it right to examine both the opinions of the heretics, and also the claim that the philosophers make to speak concerning truth. And in doing this we followed the example of Pantaenus, who, before us, was of assistance to many, and had acquired no small attainments in these matters, and also Heraclas, who now has a seat in the presbytery of the Alexandrians, whom I found with the teacher of philosophy, and who had remained five years with him before I began to attend his lectures. And though he formerly wore ordinary dress, on his teacher's account he put it off and assumed a philosophic garb, which he keeps to this day, all the while studying Greek books as much as possible.”

6.19.6

καὶ ταῦτα μὲν αὐτῷ περὶ τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς ἀσκήσεως ἀπολογουμένῳ εἴρηται· κατὰ τοῦτον δὲ τὸν χρόνον ἐπ’ Ἀλεξανδρείας αὐτῷ τὰς διατριβὰς ποιουμένῳ ἐπιστάς τις τῶν στρατιωτικῶν ἀνεδίδου γράμματα Δημητρίῳ τε τῷ τῆς παροικίας ἐπισκόπῳ καὶ τῷ τότε τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐπάρχῳ παρὰ τοῦ τῆς Ἀραβίας ἡγουμένου, ὡς ἂν μετὰ σπουδῆς ἁπάσης τὸν Ὠριγένην πέμψοιεν κοινωνήσοντα λόγων αὐτῷ. καὶ δὴ ἀφικνεῖται ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀραβίαν· οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν δὲ τὰ τῆς ἀφίξεως εἰς πέρας ἀγαγών, αὖθις ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ἐπανῄει. χρόνου δὲ μεταξὺ διαγενομένου, οὐ σμικροῦ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἀναρριπισθέντος πολέμου, ὑπεξελθὼν τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, ᾔει μὲν ἐπὶ Παλαιστίνης, ἐν Καισαρείᾳ δὲ τὰς διατριβὰς ἐποιεῖτο· ἔνθα καὶ διαλέγεσθαι τάς τε θείας ἑρμηνεύειν γραφὰς ἐπὶ τοῦ κοινοῦ τῆς ἐκκΛησίας οἱ τῇδε ἐπίσκοποι, καίτοι τῆς τοῦ πρεσβυτερίου χειροτονίας οὐδέπω τετυχηκότα, αὐτὸν ἠξίουν· δ’ καὶ αὐτὸ γένοιτ’ ἄν ἔκδηλον ἀφ’ ὧν περὶ τοῦ Δημητρίου γράφοντες Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος καὶ Θεόκτιστος ὁ Καισαρείας ὧδέ πως ἀπολογοῦνται. “προσέθηκεν δὲ τοῖς γράμμασιν ὅτι τοῦτο οὐδέποτε ἠκούσθη οὐδὲ νῦν γεγένηται, τὸ παρόντων ἐπισκόπων λαϊκοὺς ὁμιλεῖν, οὐκ οἶδ᾿ ὅπως προφανῶς οὐκ ἀληθῆ λέγων. ὅπου γοῦν εὑρίσκονται οἱ ἐπιτήδειοι πρὸς τὸ ὠφελεῖν τοὺς ἀδελφούς, καὶ παρακαλοῦνται τῷ λαῷ προσομιλεῖν ὑπὸ τῶν ἁγίων ἐπισκόπων, ὥσπερ ἐν Λαράνδοις Εὔελπις ὑπὸ Νέωνος καὶ ἐν Ἰκονίω Παυλῖνος ὑπὸ ὑπὸ καὶ ἐν Συνάδοις Θεόδωρος ὑπὸ Ἀττικοῦ, τῶν μακαρίων ἀδελφῶν. εἰκὸς δὲ καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις τόποις τοῦτο γίνεσθαι, ἡμᾶς δὲ μὴ εἰδέναι. ”

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-26

This, indeed, is what he wrote in defence of his Greek training. But at this time, while he was living at Alexandria, one of the military appeared on the scene and delivered letters to Demetrius, the bishop of the community, and to the then governor of the province of Egypt, from the ruler of Arabia, to the intent that he should send Origen with all speed for an interview with him. He duly arrived in Arabia, but soon accomplished the object of his journey thither, and returned again to Alexandria. But after the lapse of some time, no small warfare broke out again in the city, and, leaving Alexandria secretly, he went to Palestine and abode at Caesarea. And although he had not yet received ordination to the presbyterate, the bishops there requested him to discourse and expound the divine Scriptures publicly in the church. That this is so is clear from what Alexander, the bishop of Jerusalem, and Theotistus, the bishop of Caesarea, write with reference to Demetrius. They make their defence somewhat as follows: “And he added to his letter that such a thing had never been heard of, nor taken place hitherto, that laymen should preach in the presence of bishops; though I do not know how he comes to say what is evidently not true. For instance, where there are found persons suited to help the brethren, they also are invited to preach to the people by the holy bishops, as, for example, in Laranda Euelpis by Neon, and in Iconium Paulinus by Celsus, and in Synada Theodore by Atticus, our brother bishops. And it is likely that this thing happens in other places also without our knowing it.”

6.19.7

Τοῦτον καὶ ἔτι νέος ὢν ὁ δηλούμενος ἀνὴρ οὐ πρὸς μόνων τῶν συνήθων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ ξένης ἐπισκόπων ἐτιμᾶτο τὸν τρόπον. ἀλλὰ γὰρ αὖθις τοῦ Δημητρίου διὰ γραμμάτων αὐτὸν ἀνακαλέσαντος δι’ ἀνδρῶν τε διακόνων τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐπισπεύσαντος ἐπανελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν, ίαν, ἀφικόμενος τὰς συνήθεις ἀπετέλει σπουδάς.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-26

In this way honour was paid to the man of whom we are speaking, while he was still young, not only by his fellow-countrymen but also by the bishops in a foreign land. But since Demetrius once again recalled him by letter, and by men who were deacons of the Church urged him to come back with speed to Alexandria, he returned and continued to labour with his accustomed zeal.