Jerome. Lives of Illustrious Men 54
54 Origen, surnamed Adamantius PL 23, 663
Origen, surnamed Adamantius, a persecution having been raised against the Christians in the tenth year of Severus Pertinax, and his father Leonidas having received the crown of martyrdom for Christ, was left at the age of about seventeen, with his six brothers and widowed mother, in poverty, for their property had been confiscated because of confessing Christ. When only eighteen years old, he undertook the work of instructing the Catechetes in the scattered churches of Alexandria. Afterwards appointed by Demetrius, bishop of this city, successor to the presbyter Clement, he flourished many years. When he had already reached middle life, on account of the churches of Achaia, which were torn with many heresies, he was journeying to Athens, by way of Palestine, under the authority of an ecclesiastical letter, and having been ordained presbyter by Theoctistus and Alexander, bishops of Cæsarea and Jerusalem, he offended Demetrius, who was so wildly enraged at him that he wrote everywhere to injure his reputation. It is known that before he went to Cæsarea, he had been at Rome, under bishop Zephyrinus. Immediately on his return to Alexandria he made Heraclas the presbyter, who continued to wear his philosopher’s garb, his assistant in the school for catechetes. Heraclas became bishop of the church of Alexandria, after Demetrius. How great the glory of Origen was, appears from the fact that Firmilianus, bishop of Cæsarea, with all the Cappadocian bishops, sought a visit from him, and entertained him for a long while. Sometime afterwards, going to Palestine to visit the holy places, he came to Cæsarea and was instructed at length by Origen in the Holy Scriptures. It appears also from the fact that he went to Antioch, on the request of Mammaea, mother of the Emperor Alexander, and a woman religiously disposed, and was there held in great honour, and sent letters to the Emperor Philip, who was the first among the Roman rulers, to become a christian, and to his mother, letters which are still extant. Who is there, who does not also know that he was so assiduous in the study of Holy Scriptures, that contrary to the spirit of his time, and of his people, he learned the Hebrew language, and taking the Septuagint translation, he gathered the other translations also in a single work, namely, that of Aquila, of Ponticus the Proselyte, and Theodotian the Ebonite, and Symmachus an adherent of the same sect who wrote commentaries also on the gospel according to Matthew, from which he tried to establish his doctrine. And besides these, a fifth, sixth, and seventh translation, which we also have from his library, he sought out with great diligence, and compared with other editions. And since I have given a list of his works, in the volumes of letters which I have written to Paula, in a letter which I wrote against the works of Varro, I pass this by now, not failing however, to make mention of his immortal genius, how that he understood dialectics, as well as geometry, arithmetic, music, grammar, and rhetoric, and taught all the schools of philosophers, in such wise that he had also diligent students in secular literature, and lectured to them daily, and the crowds which flocked to him were marvellous. These, he received in the hope that through the instrumentality of this secular literature, he might establish them in the faith of Christ.
It is unnecessary to speak of the cruelty of that persecution which was raised against the Christians and under Decius, who was mad against the religion of Philip, whom he had slain,—the persecution in which Fabianus, bishop of the Roman church, perished at Rome, and Alexander and Babylas, Pontifs of the churches of Jerusalem and Antioch, were imprisoned for their confession of Christ. If any one wishes to know what was done in regard to the position of Origen, he can clearly learn, first indeed from his own epistles, which after the persecution, were sent to different ones, and secondly, from the sixth book of the church history of Eusebius of Cæsarea, and from his six volumes in behalf of the same Origen.
He lived until the time of Gallus and Volusianus, that is, until his sixty-ninth year, and died at Tyre, in which city he also was buried.
Origenes, qui et Adamantius, decimo Severi Pertinacis anno adversum Christianos persecutione commota, a Leonide Patre, Christi martyrio coronato, cum sex fratribus et matre vidua, pauper relinquitur, annos natus circiter decem et septem. Rem enim familiarem ob confessionem Christi fiscus occupaverat. Hic Alexandriae dispersa Ecclesia, decimo octavo aetatis suae anno, κατηχήσεων opus aggressus, postea a Demetrio, ejus urbis episcopo, in locum Clementis presbyteri confirmatus, per multos annos floruit: et cum jam mediae esset aetatis, et propter Ecclesias Achaiae, quae pluribus 893 haeresibus vexabantur, sub testimonio Ecclesiasticae epistolae Athenas per Palaestinam pergeret, a Theoctisto et Alexandro, Caesareae et Hierosolymorum episcopis, presbyter ordinatus Demetrii offendit animum; qui tanta in eum debacchatus est insania, ut per totum mundum super nomine ejus scriberet. Constat eum, antequam Caesaream migraret, fuisse Romae sub Zephyrino episcopo, et statim Alexandriam reversum, Heraclan presbyterum, qui sub habitu philosophi perseverabat, adjutorem sibi fecisse κατηχήσεως, qui quidem et post Demetrium Alexandrinam tenuit Ecclesiam.
Quantae autem gloriae fuerit, hinc apparet, quod Firmilianus, Caesareae episcopus, cum omni Cappadocia eum invitavit, et diu tenuit, et postea sub occasione sanctorum locorum Palaestinam veniens, diu Caesareae in sanctis Scripturis ab eo eruditus est. Sed et illud, quod ad Mammeam, matrem Alexandri imperatoris, religiosam feminam, rogatus venit Antiochiam, et summo honore habitus est: quodque ad Philippum imperatorem, qui primus de regibus Romanis Christianus fuit, et ad matrem ejus litteras fecit, quae usque hodie exstant. Quis ignorat et quod tantum in Scripturis divinis habuerit studii, ut etiam Hebraeam linguam, contra aetatis gentisque suae naturam edisceret: et exceptis Septuaginta interpretibus, alias quoque editiones in unum congregaret volumen: Aquilae scilicet Pontici proselyti, et Theodotionis Hebionei, et Symmachi ejusdem dogmatis, qui in Evangelium quoque κατὰ Ματθαῖον scripsit commentarios, de quo et suum dogma confirmare conatur. Praeterea quintam et sextam et septimam editionem, quas etiam nos de ejus bibliotheca habemus, miro labore reperit, et cum caeteris editionibus comparavit.
895 Et quia indicem operum ejus in voluminibus epistolarum, quas ad Paulam scripsimus, in quadam epistola contra Varronis opera conferens posui, nunc omitto: illud de immortali ejus ingenio non tacens, quod dialecticam quoque et geometriam, et arithmeticam, musicam, grammaticam et rhetoricam, omniumque philosophorum sectas ita didicit, ut studiosos quoque saecularium litterarum sectatores haberet, et interpretaretur eis quotidie, concursusque ad eum miri fierent: quos ille propterea recipiebat, ut sub occasione saecularis litteraturae in fide Christi eos institueret. De crudelitate autem persecutionis, quae adversum Christianos sub Decio consurrexit, eo quod in religionem Philippi desaeviret, quem et interfecit, superfluum est dicere: cum etiam Fabianus, Romanae Ecclesiae episcopus, in ipsa occubuerit, et Alexander Babylasque Hierosolymorum et Antiochenae Ecclesiae pontifices, in carcere pro confessione Christi dormierint. Et super Origenis statu si quis scire velit, quid actum sit, primum quidem de epistolis ejus, quae post persecutionem ad diversos missae sunt: deinde de sexto Eusebii Caesariensis ecclesiasticae historiae libro, et pro eodem Origene in sex voluminibus, poterit liquido cognoscere. Vixit usque ad Gallum et Volusianum, id est, usque ad LXIX aetatis suae annum; et mortuus est Tyri, in qua urbe et sepultus est.
Ὠριγένης, ὁ καὶ Ἀδαμάντιος, δεκάτῳ ἐνιαυτῷ Σεβήρου τοῦ Περτίνακος κατὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν διωγμοῦ κινηθέντος, παρὰ Λεωνίδου πατρὸς, τοῦ καὶ μαρτυρήσαντος, μετὰ ἓξ ἀδελφῶν καὶ μητρὸς χήρας πένης κατελείφθη, ἐτῶν περί που ἑπτακαίδεκα. Τοῦτων γὰρ ἡ περιουσία διὰ τὸ εἶναι Χριστιανῶν ἐδημίσθη. Ὅστις ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ διασκορπισθεῖσαν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ὀκτωκαίδεκα ἐτῶν τὴν ἡλικίαν ἄγων, κατηχήσεων ἐπιστήμην παρειληφὼς, μετ' οὐ πολὺ παρὰ Δημητρίου τῆς αὐτῆς πόλεως ἐπισκόπου, εἰς τόπον Κλήμεντος πρεσβυτέρου κατασταθεὶς, ἐπὶ ἔτη πολλὰ διέπρεψε, μεσῆλιξ τε γενόμενος, διὰ τὰς ἐν τῇ Ἀχαΐᾳ Ἐκκλησίας, αἵτινες παρὰ πολλῶν αἱρέσεων ἐσκύλοντο, ἐπὶ μαρτυρίᾳ Ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ἐπιστολλῆς 894 ἀπιὼν διὰ Παλαιστίνης εἰς Ἀθήνας, παρὰ Θεοκτίστου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου Καισαρείας καὶ Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπισκόπων, πρεσβύτερος χειροτονηθεὶς, Δημητρίῳ προσέκρουσεν, ὅστις τοιαύτῃ κατ' αὐτοῦ ἐχρήσατο ἀνοίᾳ, ὥστε ἐπ' ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην γράψαι. Πρὸ τοῦ δὲ μετελθεῖν εἰς Καισάρειαν, τὴν Ῥώμην κατείληφεν ἐπὶ Ζεφυρίνου ἐπισκόπου, εὐθύς τε εἰς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ἀναζεύξας, Ἡρακλᾶν τὸν πρεσβύτερον τὸν ἐν σχήματι φιλοσόφου διατελοῦντα, βοηθὸν συνελάβετο κατηχήσεως, ὅστις καὶ μετὰ Δημήτριον τὴν Ἀλεξανδρέων ἐυβέρνησεν Ἐκκλησίαν. Ὅσης δὲ δόξης ἐγένετο, ἐκ τούτου δηλοῦται· Φιρμιλλιανὸς γὰρ Καισαρείας ἐπίσκοπος μετὰ πάσης τῆς Καππαδοκίας καὶ προέπεμψεν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ κατέσχε, καὶ ὕστερον προφάσει τῶν ἁγίων τόπων εἰς Παλαιστίνην ἐλθὼν, ἐν τῇ Καισαρέων παρ' αὐτοῦ τὰς θείας ἐπαιδεύθη γραφάς. Κᾀκεῖνο δὲ οὐδεὶς ἀγνοεῖ, ὅτι περ πρὸς Μαμέαν τὴαν τὴν μητέρα Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ βασιλέως εὐλαβεστάτην γυναῖκα παρακληθεὶς. ἦλθεν εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν, καὶ ἐν μεγίστῃ γέγονε τιμῇ· καὶ πρὸς Φίλιππον τὸν βασιλέα τὸν πρῶτον ἐκ τῶν Ῥωμαίων βασιλέων Χριστιανὸν γενόμενον, καὶ πρὸς τὴν τούτου μητέρα γράμματα ἀπέσταλεν, ἄχρι τοῦ παρόντος τυγχάνοντα· καὶ ὅτι τοσαύτην ἔσχε σπουδὴν περὶ τὰς θείας γραφὰς, ὥστε καὶ τὴν Ἑβραϊκὴν διάλεξιν ἐναντιουμένην τῇ τε ἡλικίᾳ, καὶ τῇ οἰκείᾳ φύσει, ἐκμαθεῖν· καὶ δίχα τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα ἑρμηνευτῶν, ἄλλας ἐκδόσεις εἰς ἓν συναγαγεῖν, Ἀκύλα λέγῳ Ποντικοῦ προσηλύτου, καὶ Θεοδοτίωνος Ἡβιωναίου, καὶ Συμμάχου τοῦ αὐτοῦ δόγματος, ὃς τὸ κατὰ Ματθαῖον Εὐαγγέλιον ὐπεμνημάτισε, δι' οὗ καὶ τὸ ἴδιον δόγμα βεβαιῶσαι σπεύδει. Ὁμοίως δὲ πέντε καὶ ἓξ καὶ ἑπτὰ τὰς ἐκδόσεις, ἅστινας καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐκ τῆς αὐτοῦ βιβλιοθήκης ἔσχομεν, πολλῷ πόνῳ εὑρὼν, μετὰ ἑτέρων ἐκδόσεων ὠνήσατο. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ τὸν ἔλεγχον τῶν αὐτοῦ συνταγμάτων ἐν τῷ τεύχει τῶν ἐπιστολῶν τῶν πρὸς Παύλαν παρ' ἡμῶν γραφεισῶν, ἐν μιᾷ ἐπιστολῇ συγκρίνων τοῖς Βάῤῥωνος ἔργοις τέθεικα, νῦν παραλιμπάνω, ἐκεῖνο περὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀθανάτου εὐφυΐας μὴ σιωπῶν, ὅτι περ διαλεκτικὴν, καὶ γεωμετρικὴν, ἀριθμητικὴν, μουσικὴν, γραμματικὴν, 896 καὶ ῥητορικὴν, καὶ πάντων τῶν φιλοσόφων τὰ δόγματα, οὕτως ἐξέμαθεν, ὥστε σπουδαστὰς τῶν κοσμικῶν γραμμάτων ἀκροατὰς ἐσχηκέναι, καὶ ἐξηγεῖσθαι αὐτοῖς ἑκάστοτε, συνδρομάς τε πρὸς αὐτὸν πολλὰς γίνεσθαι, ἃς διὰ τοῦτο ἐδέχετο, ἐφ' ᾧγε προφάσει τῆς διδασκαλίας, εἰς τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ πίστιν ἀνάγειν πάντας. Περὶ γὰρ τῆς ὠμότητος τοῦ διωγμοῦ, τοῦ κατὰ τῶν Χρισιανῶν ἐπὶ Δεκίου κινηθέντος· ἐλύσσα γὰρ εἰς Φιλίππου εὐλάβειαν, ὃν καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν· εἰπεῖν ἡγοῦμαι περισσόν. Ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ τῷ διωγμῷ, καὶ Φαβιανὸς ὁ Ῥώμης ἐπίσκοπος ἐτελεύτησεν, καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος καὶ Βαβύλας Ἱεροσολύμων καὶ Ἀντιοχείας ἐπίσκοποι, ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ ὁμολογηταὶ ἐκοιμήθησαν. Εἴ τις γὰρ περὶ Ὠριγένους μαθεῖν ἐθελήσῃ, πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν αὐτοῦ, τῶν μετὰ τὸν διωγμὸν πρὸς διαφόρους ἀποσταλεισῶν, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἕκτου λόγου τῆς Εὐσεβίου Καισαρείας ἐπισκόπου ἱστορίας, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ αὐτοῦ Ὠριγένους βιβλίων ἓξ τηλαυγῶν μαθεῖν δυνήσεται. Ἔζησεν ἕως Γάλλου καὶ Βολουσιανοῦ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἕως ἐννάτου καὶ ἑξηκοστοῦ τῆς ἡγλικίας αὐτοῦ ἔτους, καὶ ἐκοιμήθη ἐν Τύρῳ, ἐν ᾗ καὶ ἐτάφη.