Carpocrates

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Carpocrates of Alexandria (1st half of the 2nd century) was the founder of the Gnostic - Christian group of the Carpocratians , who in Rome were also called Marcellians after their leader Marcellina there.

Whether Karpocrates is a historical person is controversial. In relation to the tradition by Celsus , Karpocrates is also equated with Harpocrates .

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Information about Carpocrates and the Carpocrats can be found mainly in Irenaeus of Lyons and Clement of Alexandria . While Irenaeus' presentation of the teachings of Karpokrates' was often viewed with suspicion because of his opposition to Gnosticism, Irenaeus' fundamental credibility has been largely corroborated by the finds in Nag Hammadi .

Karpokrates is also mentioned by the later authors Tertullian , Eusebius of Caesarea , Theodoret and Augustine of Hippo . However, most writers assume they got their information from the sources above.

When evaluating the sources, it must be taken into account that all authors are church fathers who were very hostile to Gnosticism.

Life

So little is known about the life of Carpocrates that many authors doubt whether he is a historical person.

In Irenaeus there is no information on the person of Carpocrates.

Clement of Alexandria reports that Karpocrates was from Alexandria , that he was married to an Alexandreia native of the island of Kefalonia , and that he had a son named Epiphanes , who was also the leader of the Carpocrats and who died at the age of 17.

The Chronicle of Michael Syrus dates Karpokrates to the first half of the 2nd century.

Teaching

The earliest and most detailed description of the teaching of Carpocrates comes from Irenaeus ( Adversus haereses I, 25.1–6). Even if one takes his existence as certain, it would be difficult to say anything reliable about his very own teaching, since even Irenaeus does not separate the statements of Carpocrates from those of his followers and successors.

Carpocratians

According to Origen, the doctrine of the Carpokratians was brought to Rome during the time of Bishop Anicetus (approx. 154-166) by a woman named Marcellina, who was also the leader of the Carpokratians in Rome. Irenaeus reports that this group were also called Marcellians after their leader and that they called themselves Gnostics.

The Carpokratians in Alexandria were probably destroyed in 202 during the persecution of Christians under Septimius Severus .

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literature

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Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Clemens Scholten: Art. Karpokrates (Karpokratianer) . In: Real Lexicon for Antiquity and Christianity . Vol. 20. Hiersemann, Stuttgart 2004, column 175.
  2. ↑ Cf. Robert McLachlan Wilson: Art. Gnosis . In: Theological Real Encyclopedia . Vol. 13. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1994, pp. 542-548.
  3. ↑ Caspar Detlef Müller Gustav: Art. Alexandria I . In: Theological Real Encyclopedia . Vol. 2. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1978, p. 253.
personal data
SURNAME Carpocrates
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Carpocrates of Alexandria (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Founder of the Gnostic Christian group of the Carpokratians
DATE OF BIRTH 1st century or 2nd century
DATE OF DEATH 2nd century or 3rd century