MARCUS, GNOSTIC. - A disciple of Valentinus, he taught, according to Irenaeus (Haer., I, 7, 4, ed. W. Harvey, p. 121; I, 13, 5 of the ed. A. Stieren, p. 154), in Asia, perhaps in the times of St. Irenaeus. His speculation on the letters of the alphabet and on numbers is characteristic.
Irenaeus encountered adherents of M. in the Rhône valley, and this was the occasion for which he occupied himself with gnosis. The reports on M. in Irenaeus have a special interest because they make known liturgical usages and formulas. The liturgical formulas are in part transmitted also in the Aramaic language, which leads one to suppose that this gnosis was widespread in Syria, or in a Judeo-Christian milieu. The Marcosians performed Baptism in water, but they also knew a post-baptismal anointing. Also interesting are their prayers for the dead, which were to facilitate the passage of souls among the hostile powers in heaven. A mention by St. Irenaeus, though polemical, testifies to the sect's belief in eucharistic transubstantiation. M. believed himself a prophet and also communicated the gift of prophecy to others (Haer., I, 7, 2, ed. Harvey, p. 117; I, 13, 3, ed. Stieren, p. 147).
Bibliography2 worksThe best explanation of the speculation of M. is in M. Sagnard, La gnose valentinienne et le témoignage de st Irénée, Paris 1947, p. 338 ff.
BIBL.: The best explanation of the speculation of M. is in M. Sagnard, La gnose valentinienne et le témoignage de st Irénée, Paris 1947, p. 338 ff. On the liturgy see W. Bousset, Hauptprobleme der Gnosis, Göttingen 1907 (see index s. v. Marcosier). See also for the speculation of M.: F. Dornseiff, Das Alphabet in Mystik u. Magie, 2nd ed., Leipzig 1925, p. 126 ff.; C. I. Scholem, Les grands courants de la mystique juive, Paris 1950, p. 78.
Peterson, Erik. “Marco, gnostico.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VIII, coll. 49–50. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952. https://azioneromana.com/article/marco-gnostico.
MLA
Peterson, Erik. “Marco, gnostico.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VIII, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952, coll. 49–50. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/marco-gnostico.
BibTeX
@incollection{ec8_marco_gnostico,
author = {Peterson, Erik},
title = {Marco, gnostico},
booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
volume = {VIII},
pages = {49--50},
note = {Cited by column},
publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
address = {Città del Vaticano},
year = {1952},
url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/marco-gnostico}
}
One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.
Click or scroll to zoom · drag to pan · Esc to close
