Περίληψη : Gegnesios was born in the second half of the 7 th century. Around 688 he and his father, Paul, along with his brother left Kibossa and took refuge in Episparis. In ca. 718 he was proclaimed third teacher of the Paulicians under the name Timotheos. He was interrogated as a possible heretic in Constantinople after 730 but managed to be acquitted. Later on he escaped with his students to Mananalis of Armenia, where he died, possibly in 748. Άλλα Ονόματα Timotheos Τόπος και Χρόνος Γέννησης second half of the 7 th century, place unknown Τόπος και Χρόνος Θανάτου ca. 748, Mananalis, Armenia Κύρια Ιδιότητα Teacher of the Paulicians 1. Birth - Family Gegnesios was born in the second half of the 7 th century. It is not known whether he was born in Armenia or Kibossa in Koloneia. He was the son of Paul, an Armenian who had been student of the early teachers of the Paulician group of Kibossa. He had a brother named Theodore, with whom he later disputed over the leadership of the Paulician community. It is very likely that he got married at Episparis and had a son, Zacharias. Gegnesios also adopted an illegitimate child he had found abandoned, Joseph, whom he employed as a shepherd at an early age. 2. Upbringing - Education Nothing is known about the upbringing and education of Gegnesios. We assume that he have been initiated into the Paulicians by the teachers of Kibossa and his father. 3. Activity 3.1. Gegnesios becomes teacher of the Paulicians In the first years of his life Gegnesios with his father, Paul, and his brother, Theodore, were at Kibossa of Koloneia, where they studied under Constantine-Silouanos and Symeon-Titos, the first teachers of the Paulician community. Around 688 Gegnesios, who must have been very young at the time, abandoned Kibossa along with his father and brother in order to escape the persecution launched against the Paulicians by Emperor Justinian II (685-695, 705-711). Gegnesios family sought shelter in Episparis, the birthplace of Paul and John, both Manichaeans and mythical precursors of the Paulicians. Around 718 1 Gegnesios was proclaimed by his father third teacher of the Paulicians, after Constantine-Silouanos and Symeon-Titos (although Paul was the head of the Paulician community from 688 to 718 and had gathered in Episparis those who had survived the persecutions, he was never awarded the title of the teacher). At the same time (following the example of the first Paulician teachers, whose names were derived from the Acts of the Apostles) he was named Timotheos after one of the students of the Apostle Paul. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 14/3/2017 Σελίδα 1/7
The rise of Gegnesios-Timotheos to the rank of a Paulician teacher generated tension in his relations with his brother, Theodore, who believed that he should also have been appointed teacher because he was Paul s son as well and had received the grace of God through their father. Gegnesios-Timotheos answered that their father had offered the grace of God exclusively to him, not to Theodore. The conflict between the two brothers lasted until their death, but it seems that it did not affect the cohesion of the Paulician community. 3.2. Gegnesios' interrogation at Constantinople and escape to Mananalis Gegnesios-Timotheos taught untroubled in Episparis for many years. But the development of the Paulician community became finally noticeable and the then Byzantine emperor, Leo III the Isaurian, decided to call Gegnesios-Timotheos to Constantinople in order to interrogate him as suspect of heretical preaching. The Paulician teacher must have apologised between January 730 and June 741. Gegnesios-Timotheos arrived in Constantinople and was immediately tried by an ecclesiastical court presided by the patriarch of Constantinople, Anastasios (730-754). Tradition says that Gegnesios-Timotheos's answers to all the questions asked by the court were satisfactory because he twisted the meaning of his answers and concealed his heretical beliefs. After he was acquitted by the ecclesiastical court, Gegnesios-Timotheos asked and received from the emperor a document permitting him to stay in his place and protecting him from further persecutions. However, almost immediately after he returned to Episparis, he decided to abandon the Byzantine Empire and take refuge along with his students in Mananalis, Armenia, the birthplace of Constantine-Silouanos, the first Paulician teacher. Gegnesios founded a new Paulician community there, which he called Achaia, and taught until he died. 4. Death Gegnesios-Timotheos died in Mananalis ca. 748. 2 He was among the victims of the plague epidemic afflicting the Byzantine Empire and the neighbouring territories since 746. His succession provoked a conflict between his two descendants, his legitimate son, Zacharias, and his adopted son, Joseph. Unlike the earlier conflict between Gegnesios and his brother, Theodore, the discord between the two sons caused a schism within the Paulician community. 5. Evaluation and judgements The negative judgements of the Orthodox Byzantines about Gegnesios-Timotheos were focused on the way he deceived the patriarch during his interrogation. 3 He was considered a Manichaean 4 who tried to conceal his heretical faith behind the apostolic texts because of opportunism and fear for his life. As for the rest, the same accusations of heresy and impiety also levelled at other Paulician teachers are repeated in the case of Gegnesios, commenting that his death from plague was in accord with his sordid life. Furthermore, there was a pun on his apostolic name, Timotheos, which was changed to Thymotheos, meaning he who causes anger to God. On the other hand, the Paulicians honoured Gegnesios-Timotheos as their third teacher and, when they were arrested and asked to renounce their faith, refused to curse him. The respect they felt for him is also evidenced by the fact that they supported him in his dispute with his brother, Theodore, who was never recognised as a teacher by the Paulicians. 1. Garsoïan, N., The Paulician Heresy. A Study of the Origin and Development of Paulicianism in Armenia and the Eastern Provinces of the Byzantine Empire (The Hague-Paris 1967), pp. 118, 121, dates the event to 717. 2. Garsoïan, N., The Paulician Heresy. A Study of the Origin and Development of Paulicianism in Armenia and the Eastern Provinces of the Byzantine Empire (Τhe Hague Paris 1967), pp. 118, 121, dates the death of Gegnesios Timotheos to 746. 3. The major sources of information about Gegnesios are Peter of Sicily, Peter Hegoumenos and Patriarch Photios. According to Grégoire, H., Sur Δημιουργήθηκε στις 14/3/2017 Σελίδα 2/7
l'histoire des Pauliciens, Académie royale de Belgique. Bulletin de la Classe des Lettres et des Sciences morales et politiques 22 (1936), pp. 224-226, and Loos, M., Deux contributions à l histoire des Pauliciens I: À propos des sources grecques reflétant des Pauliciens, Byzantinoslavica 17 (1956), pp. 19-57, Peter of Sicily is identified with Peter Hegoumenos, the writer of a work on the Paulicians, which is quite similar to the text by Peter of Sicily. Grégoire says that the historical text by Peter Hegoumenos on the Paulicians provides a summary of the history of the Paulicians, written by Peter of Sicily, which is not accepted by Loos, who believes that the historical text by Peter Hegoumenos was written before the History. 4. On the identification of the Paulicians with the Manichaeans by the Byzantines, see Garsoïan, N. Byzantine Heresy. A reinterpretation, Dumbarton Oaks Studies 25 (1971), pp. 94-97. Βιβλιογραφία : Νυσταζοπούλου-Πελεκίδου Μ., "Η ανόρθωση", Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Έθνους Η, Αθήνα 1979, Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Έθνους Αναστασίου Ι.Ε., Οι Παυλικιανοί. Η ιστορία και η διδασκαλία των από της εμφανίσεως μέχρι των νεωτέρων χρόνων, Αθήνα 1959 Χριστοφιλοπούλου Α., Βυζαντινή Ιστορία 2:1, Θεσσαλονίκη 1993 Garsoïan N., The Paulician Heresy. A Study of the Origin and Development of Paulicianism in Armenia and the Eastern Provinces of the Byzantine Empire, The Hague Paris 1967 Ostrogorsky G., Iστορία του βυζαντινού κράτους 2, Aθήνα 1979, Παναγόπουλος, I. (μτφρ.) Runciman S., The Medieval Manichee. A Study of the Christian Dualist Heresy, Cambridge 1947 Grégoire H., "Sur l histoire des Pauliciens", Académie royale de Belgique. Bulletin de la Classe des Lettres et des Sciences morales et politiques, 22, 1936, 224-226 Lemerle P., "L histoire des Pauliciens d Asie Mineure d après les sources grecques", Travaux et Mémoires, 5, 1973, 1-144 Loos M., "Deux contributions à l histoire des Pauliciens I: À propos des sources grecques reflétant des Pauliciens", Byzantinoslavica, 17, 1956, 19-57 Ludwig C., "Wer hat was in welcher Absicht wie beschrieben? Bemerkungen zur Historia des Petros Sikeliotes über die Paulikianer", Berger, Α. et al. (eds), Varia II, Bonn 1987, ΠΟΙΚΙΛΑ ΒΥΖΑΝΤΙΝΑ 6, 149-227 Πέτρος Σικελιώτης, Ιστορία, Les sources grecques pour l histoire des Pauliciens d Asie Mineure, Astruc, C. et al. (eds), Travaux et Mémoires 4, Paris 1970 "Makarios, αρ. 4672", Lilie, R.-J. et al. (eds), Prosopographie der Mittelbyzantinischen Zeit. Erste Abteilung (641-867), Berlin New York 2000, 120-123 Πέτρος Ηγούμενος, Περί Παυλικιανών των και Μανιχαίων, Les sources grecques pour l'histoire des Pauliciens d'asie Mineure, Astruc, C. et al. (eds), Travaux et Mémoires 4, Paris 1970 Φώτιος Πατριάρχης, Διήγησις της νεοφανούς των Μανιχαίων αναβλαστήσεως, Les sources grecques pour l'histoire des Pauliciens d'asie Mineure, Astruc, C. et al. (eds), Travaux et Mémoires 4, Paris 1970 Garsoïan N., "The Byzantine Heresy. A reinterpretation", Dumbarton Oaks Papers, 25, 1971, 85-113 Δημιουργήθηκε στις 14/3/2017 Σελίδα 3/7
Δικτυογραφία : Review: The Paulician Heresy de GARSOIAN( Nina G.) http://www.persee.fr/showpage.do;jsessionid=2240ea634e20119d0f0f93885980f839.erato?urn=assr_0003-9659_1969_num_27_1_2658_t1_0180_0000_1 The Paulician Heresy http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3ftitle=1559&chapter=90435&layout=html&itemid=27 Γλωσσάριo : Manichaeism A religious doctrine that appeared in the East during the 3rd cent. and combined elements of Christianity, Buddhism and Zoroastrism. It was named after Manes, legendary founder of the religion. Manicheans believe that the world is composed of two fundamental, equal and competitive principles, Good and Evil. Πηγές Peter of Sicily, Historia, Astruc Ch. et al. (eds), Les sources grecques pour l histoire des Pauliciens d Asie Mineure, Travaux et Mémoires 4 (1970), pp. 47.17 49.29, 61.20 21. Peter Hegoumenos, Peri Paulicianon kai Manichaeon (On Paulicians and Manichaeans), Astruc Ch. et al. (eds), Les sources grecques pour l histoire des Pauliciens d Asie Mineure, Travaux et Mémoires 4 (1970), pp. 82.2 3, 83.1 5. Patriarch Photios, Diegesis tis Manichaeon anablastiseos (Account on the resurgence of the Manichaeans), Astruc Ch. et al. (eds), Les sources grecques pour l histoire des Pauliciens d Asie Mineure, Travaux et Mémoires 4 (1970), pp. 145.21 149.32. Παραθέματα Peter of Sicily describes Gegnesios' activity: Εἷς δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν ὀνόματι Παῦλος, Ἀρμένιος τῷ γένει, ἔχων δύο υἱούς, ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα Γεγνέσιος καὶ Θεόδωρος, μεθ ὧν καὶ ἀποδιδράσκει, ἔρχεται εἰς Ἐπίσπαριν, τὴν προλεχθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς διὰ πλάτους, ὅτε περὶ Παύλου καὶ Ἰωάννου τῶν Σαμοσατέων τῶν υἱῶν Καλλινίκης ἐλέγομεν ἀφ οὗ Παύλου καὶ Παυλικιάνοι ἀντὶ Μανιχαίων μετωνομάσθησαν. Προβάλλεται οὖν ὁ Παῦλος τὸν ἑαυτοῦ υἱὸν Γεγνέσιον εἰς τὸ τῆς ἀθεότητος διδασκαλεῖον, ὃν καὶ Τιμόθεον μετονομάζει. Καὶ γίνεται στάσις μεταξὺ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν ἀδελφῶν, Γεγνεσίου, φημί, καὶ Θεοδώρου, τοῦ μὲν λέγοντος χάριν εἰληφέναι θεϊκὴν τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος, τοῦ δὲ πάλιν ἑαυτὸν ἐπὶ τοῦτο προβαλλομένου καὶ οὕτως εἰς ἑαυτοὺς στασιάζοντες καὶ τέλειον μῖσος ἀλλήλους μισήσαντες οἱ τοῦ μύσους προστάται διέμειναν οὕτως μέχρι τέλους ζωῆς αὐτῶν. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τὰ περὶ τούτων ἀκούσας ἦν δὲ τηνικαῦτα Λέων ὁ Ἴσαυρος μεταστέλλεται τὸν Γεγνέσιον τὸν καὶ Τιμόθεον, μᾶλλον δὲ Θυμόθεον, καὶ παραπέμπει αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν πατριάρχην Κωνσταντινουπόλεως. Ὡς δὲ εἶδεν αὐτὸν ὁ πατριάρχης, λέγει αὐτῷ «Διὰ τί ἠρνήσω τὴν ὀρθόδοξον πίστιν;» Ὁ δὲ λέγει «Ἀνάθεμα τὸν ἀρνησάμενον τὴν ὀρθόδοξον πίστιν.» Ἔλεγε δὲ ὀρθόδοξον πίστιν τὴν οἰκείαν αἵρεσιν. Καὶ ὁ πατριάρχης πάλιν λέγει «Διὰ τί οὐ πιστεύεις καὶ προσκυνεῖς τὸν τίμιον σταυρόν;» Ὁ δὲ λέγει «Ἀνάθεμα τὸν μὴ προσκυνοῦντα καὶ μὴ σεβόμενον τὸν τίμιον καὶ ζωοποιὸν σταυρόν.» Ἔλεγε δὲ σταυρὸν τὸν Χριστὸν τῇ ἐκτάσει τῶν χειρῶν σταυρὸν ἀποτελοῦντα. Καὶ πάλιν ἐρωτᾷ αὐτόν «Διὰ τί οὐ σέβῃ καὶ προσκυνεῖς τὴν ἁγίαν θεοτόκον;» Ὁ δέ φησιν «Ἀνάθεμα τὸν μὴ προσκυνοῦντα τὴν παναγίαν θεοτόκον, ἐν ᾗ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός, τὴν μητέρα πάντων ἡμῶν.» Ἔλεγεν δὲ ταύτην εἶναι τὴν ἄνω Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἐν ᾗ πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰσῆλθε Χριστός. Καὶ πάλιν πρὸς αὐτόν φησιν ὁ πατριάρχης «Διὰ τί οὐ μεταλαμβάνεις τοῦ ἀχράντου σώματος καὶ τοῦ τιμίου αἵματος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλὰ ἀτιμάζεις αὐτό;» Ὁ δὲ Θυμόθεος λέγει «Ἀνάθεμα τὸν μὴ μεταλαβόντα ἢ ἀτιμάζοντα τὸ σῶμα καὶ αἷμα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.» Ἔλεγε δὲ τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῦ. Πάλιν δὲ περὶ τῆς ἁγίας καθολικῆς καὶ ἀποστολικῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐρωτηθεὶς ὡσαύτως ἔλεγεν, ἐκκλησίαν καθολικὴν τὰ συνέδρια τῶν Μανιχαίων ἀποκαλῶν. Καὶ περὶ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ὁμοίως ἔλεγεν τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ὑπάρχειν τὸ βάπτισμα καὶ οὐκ ἄλλο, διότι γέγραπται «Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ζῶν». Καὶ οὕτως πάντα διαστρέψας ὁ Θυμόθεος καὶ καθ Δημιουργήθηκε στις 14/3/2017 Σελίδα 4/7
ἕκαστον ἀναθεματίσας, ὡς ἀναίτιος κακοῦ ἐνομίσθη, καὶ λαβὼν παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως σιγίλλιον ἦλθεν πάλιν εἰς Ἐπίσπαριν καὶ συνάξας πάντας τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ φεύγει σὺν αὐτοῖς καὶ κατῆλθεν εἰς τὴν θεόλεστον Μανάναλιν, ἐξ ἧς ἀνεδείχθη ὁ προρρηθεὶς Κωνσταντῖνος. Εἶτα ἐκεῖσε χρόνους ἱκανοὺς ἐπιμείνας, καὶ εἰς ἄκρον μανίας ἐλάσας, καὶ «θυμὸν καὶ ὀργὴν καὶ θλῖψιν ἀποστολὴν δι ἀγγέλων πονηρῶν» δεξάμενος, θεόπληκτος γενόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ βουβῶνος τὸν βίον κατέστρεψεν, ἐν ὅλοις τριάκοντα ἔτεσι καὶ αὐτὸς τῆς ἀσεβείας γενόμενος προστάτης. Οὗτος ἔσχεν υἱὸν τοὔνομα Ζαχαρίαν καὶ μίσθιον αἶγας νέμοντα, ὅν ποτε ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ εὗρεν ἐσπαργανωμένον, διὰ τὸ ἐκ παρανόμου καὶ μεμιαμμένης προελθεῖν κοίτης οἶδε γὰρ πόρνη τῆς κοιλίας αὐτῆς τὰ ἔκγονα ἐν ὁδῷ ῥίπτειν δεδιῶσα τὸ πταῖσμα. Ἀποθανόντος τοίνυν Γεγνεσίου ἐσχίσθησαν οἱ τούτου μαθηταί καὶ οἱ μὲν προσερρύησαν Ζαχαρίᾳ, οἱ δὲ Ἰωσήφ τῷ νόθῳ προσέδραμον οὕτως γὰρ ὠνομάζετο. Στάσεως οὖν πολλῆς γενομένης μεταξὺ ἀμφοτέρων, ὡς καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πρὸ αὐτῶν, καὶ θάτερος ἑαυτὸν ψηφιζόμενος τὴν χάριν εἰληφέναι τοῦ πνεύματος, τὴν ἐνέργειαν μᾶλλον τοῦ ἀκαθάρτου ἐδέξαντο πνεύματος. Peter of Sicily, Historia, Astruc Ch. et al. (eds), Les sources grecques pour l histoire des Pauliciens d Asie Mineure, Travaux et Mémoires 4 (1970), pp. 47.17 49.29. Teacher Sergios, in one of his epistles, refers to the community founded by Gegnesios: «Τὴν Ἀχαΐαν ἀνιστόρησε Τιμόθεος» λέγει δὲ Ἀχαΐαν τὴν Μανάναλιν, καὶ τὸν Γεγνέσιον Τιμόθεον ὀνομάζει τὸν ὄντως Θυμόθεον. Peter of Sicily, Ιστορία, Astruc Ch. et al. (eds), Les sources grecques pour l histoire des Pauliciens d Asie Mineure, Travaux et Mémoires 4 (1970), p. 61.20 21. Peter Hegoumenos refers to Gegnesios/Timotheos: Τρίτον δὲ Ἀρμένιόν τινα τῷ γένει, Γεγνέσιον μὲν καλούμενον, μετονομάσαντα δὲ ἑαυτὸν Τιμόθεον. Peter Hegoumenos, Peri Paulicianon..., Astruc Ch. et al. (eds), Les sources grecques pour l histoire des Pauliciens d Asie Mineure, Travaux et Mémoires 4 (1970), p. 82.2 3. Peter Hegoumenos reckons Gegnesios among the Paulician teachers: Μάνεντα τοίνυν καὶ Παῦλον καὶ Ἰωάννην, καὶ ἄλλους οὓς ἐάν τις εἴπῃ αὐτοῖς, προθύμως ἀναθεματίζουσιν. Κωνσταντῖνον δὲ τὸν Σιλουανὸν ἐπικληθέντα, καὶ Συμεὼν τὸν καὶ Τίτον, καὶ Γεγνέσιον τὸν καὶ Τιμόθεον, καὶ Ἰωσὴφ τὸν καὶ Ἐπαφρόδιτον, καὶ Βαάνην τὸν ῥυπαρόν, καὶ Σέργιον τὸν καὶ Τυχικόν, ὡς διδασκάλους αὐτῶν οὐδαμῶς ἀναθεματίζουσιν, ἀλλ ἔχουσιν αὐτοὺς ὥσπερ ἀποστόλους Χριστοῦ. Peter Hegoumenos, Peri Paulicianon..., Astruc Ch. et al. (eds), Les sources grecques pour l histoire des Pauliciens d Asie Mineure, Travaux et Mémoires 4 (1970), p. 83.1 5. Patriarch Photios's account of the life and activity of Gegnesios: Καὶ τὸ μὲν ἄλλο πλῆθος ἅμα Συμεῶνι τῷ καὶ Τίτῳ, οὕτω τοῦ ζῆν πικρῶς ἐστερήθησαν, Παῦλος δέ τις, γένος Ἀρμένιος, δύο παίδων πατήρ, ὧν τῷ μὲν ἦν Γεγναίσιος, τῷ δὲ Θεόδωρος ὄνομα, τοῦ θανάτου διαδιδράσκει, ὃς κατὰ πάσης τῆς ἀποστάτιδος μοίρας ἐψήφιστο, καὶ παραγίνεται μὲν εἰς τὴν ἄνωθεν ἡμῖν ὀνομασθεῖσαν Ἐπίσπαριν καὶ σπείρειν ἐσπούδαζε τὴν ἀσέβειαν. Ἐκ τούτου δὴ τοῦ Παύλου μερὶς οὐκ ἐλαχίστη τῆς ἀποστασίας καὶ τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ἕλκει, μᾶλλον ἢ ἐκ τῶν τῆς Καλλινίκης παίδων, τὸ μυσαρὸν τῶν Μανιχαίων ἔθνος νομίζουσιν. Οὗτος τὸν ἑαυτοῦ υἱὸν Γεγναίσιον εἰς τὸ τῆς ἀθεότητος προκαθίζει διδασκάλιον, μετονομάσας Τιμόθεον. Ἐξ οὗ δὴ φθόνος μὲν ἐμφύεται τῶν ἀδελφῶν καὶ ὁ φθόνος τὴν στάσιν ἀπέτικτεν καὶ ἑαυτὴν διαιρεθεῖσα κατενέμετο ἡ ἀσέβεια, τῶν ἀδελφῶν καὶ τὴν μήτραν καὶ τὴν ἀσέβειαν, τοῦ μὲν λέγοντος τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς ἄνωθεν ἀπεσταλμένην χάριν ἑαυτόν τε παρὰ τοῦ λαβόντος εἰσδέξασθαι καὶ τοῦ προνομίου Δημιουργήθηκε στις 14/3/2017 Σελίδα 5/7
τῆς ἀσεβείας τῷ δευτέρῳ μὴ ἐξίστασθαι, τοῦ δὲ Θεοδώρου ταύτην ἀντισπῶντος ἐφ ἑαυτῷ καὶ μὴ πατρόθεν ἐκ τοῦ λαβόντος δευτέρᾳ δόσει μετασχεῖν, ἀλλ ἐκ τῆς πρώτης δωρεᾶς καὶ ὅθεν ὁ πατὴρ ταύτην εἵλκυσεν. Ἔμεινεν οὖν ἡ τοιαύτη στάσις καὶ φιλονεικία μέχρι τοῦ ἐβδελυγμένου τέλους τῆς αὐτῶν δυσσεβεστάτης ζωῆς. Ὁ δὲ ἐκ Γερμανικείας τῆς κατὰ Συρίαν Λέων τηνικαῦτα τὰ σκῆπτρα τῆς ῥωμαϊκῆς ἀρχῆς ἐνεχειρίζετο, ὃς τὰ περὶ τῶν ἀσεβεστάτων τούτων ἀναμαθὼν μετάπεμπτον μὲν ποιεῖται τὸν Γεγναίσιον, οὐκ ἔχων δὲ κρίσιν τὰ τοιαῦτα διερευνᾶν καὶ τοῦτο καλῶς συνειδώς, αὐτὸς μὲν οὐκ ἐξετάζει τὸν αἰτιαθέντα, τῷ δὲ κατὰ καιροὺς τῶν ἱερατικῶν θρόνων τὴν προεδρίαν λαχόντι ἐξετασθησόμενον ὑπὲρ τῆς θρησκείας διαπέμπει. Λόγων οὖν πολλῶν πρὸς τὸν ἀποστάτην προεληλυθότων, καὶ τὰ μὲν τῶν ἀσεβημάτων, ὡς ἔθος αὐτοῖς, διὰ τῆς ἀρνήσεως ἀποδυομένου, τὰ δὲ ῥήμασιν ὀρθοδόξοις ἐπιχρωννύντος καὶ τῷ πολυπλόκῳ τῶν μεταβολῶν, ἧς ἔνοχος ἦν ἀποστασίας, διεισδύνοντός τε καὶ διολισθαίνοντος, ἡ τῶν ἀκροατῶν ψῆφος ἀφεώρα πρὸς ἀθώωσιν, καὶ ὁ πάσης ἀσεβείας πλήρης ἀνεύθυνος εἶναι τῶν ἐπικλημάτων ἐνομίζετο. Οἱ δὲ λόγοι, ὡς ἂν ἡ μίμησις εἴποι, τοιούτῳ διετυποῦντο σχήματι «Διατί, φησὶν ὁ πατριάρχης, ὦ οὗτος, τὴν ὀρθόδοξον ἀπηρνήσω πίστιν;» Ὁ δὲ ἀποστάτης τὸν ἀρνησάμενον τὴν ὀρθόδοξον πίστιν ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ὑπεκρίνατο, ὀρθόδοξον καλῶν τὸ οἰκεῖον ἀσέβημα. Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ δευτέρα προῆλθεν ἐρώτησις «Διατί οὐ προσκυνεῖς καὶ περιπτύσσῃ τὸν σταυρὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ;» ὁ ἀποστάτης πάλιν τῇ ὁμοίᾳ ἀρᾷ τὸν μὴ προσκυνοῦντα τὸν ζωοποιὸν σταυρὸν παρεπέμπετο, σταυρὸν ὁ πάσης ἀρᾶς ἔνοχος καὶ τὰ ἄνω κάτω ποιῶν αὐτὸν ἀποκαλῶν τὸν Χριστόν τῇ γὰρ τῶν χειρῶν ἐκτάσει αὐτός, φησί, διέγραψε τὸν σταυρόν καὶ τὰ μὲν ῥήματα ἦσαν τοῦ θεάτρου καὶ κοινά, τὰ δὲ διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων δηλούμενα τῆς ἀποστασίας καὶ μυστικά. Ἐπὶ τούτοις ἠρωτᾶτο, τί δήποτε τὴν παναγίαν θεοτόκον τῆς ὀφειλομένης τιμῆς καὶ προσκυνήσεως οὐκ ἀξιοῖ. Ὁ δὲ τὸ σύνηθες αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὗ μήποτε διέστη, ἀνάθεμα κατὰ τῶν μὴ προσκυνούντων τὴν παναγίαν θεοτόκον ἀπέρριπτεν, προστιθεὶς ἀσπάζεσθαι καὶ σεβάζεσθαι αὐτήν, ἐν ᾗ ἐξῆλθεν καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός, τὴν μητέρα πάντων ἡμῶν. Ταῦτα δὲ ὁ δόλιος τῇ γλώττῃ λέγων, κατὰ τὴν μυσαρὰν αὐτού τελετὴν καὶ διάνοιαν τὴν ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐσκηνοποίει καὶ ἀνέπλαττεν θεοτόκον, ἐν ᾗ καὶ πρόδρομον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰσελθεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν τὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου κηρύσσει διδάγματα. Τέταρτον εἰς ἐρώτησιν αὐτῷ προὔκειτο, τί δήποτε τὸ ἄχραντον καὶ φρικτὸν σῶμα καὶ αἷμα Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν ὑβρίζει τε καὶ διαπτύει καὶ μετασχεῖν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀνέχεται. Ὁ δὲ τρισαλιτήριος πάλιν τόν τε ἀτιμίαις ὑπάγοντα τὸ σῶμα καὶ αἷμα Χριστοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ τὸν τῆς μετοχῆς αὐτῶν ἔξω διαμένοντα τῷ ἀναθέματι παρετίθετο, σῶμα πάλιν καὶ αἷμα ὁ κατάρατος ἐννοῶν οὐχ ἅπερ ἡμᾶς ἐδίδαξεν ὁ κοινὸς δεσπότης σῶμα καὶ αἷμα καλεῖν, ἀλλ ἀντ ἐκείνων τὰ κυριακὰ λόγια. Τὰ ἵσα δὲ καὶ ὅμοια περὶ τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας ἀπαιτηθεὶς καὶ ἀποφηνάμενος, τὰ συνέδρια τῶν Μανιχαίων καθολικὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐνενόει τε καὶ ἀπεσέμνυνεν. Ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἕκτη ἐρώτησις περὶ τοῦ βαπτίσματος αὐτὸν ἀνεπυνθάνετο, εἰ μὴ καθάρσιον ἡγεῖται τοῦτο τῶν ψυχικῶν μολυσμάτων καὶ λουτρὸν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀφέσεως. Ὁ δὲ πάλιν διὰ τῆς ὁμοίας μηχανῆς καὶ προθύμως ἀπεδίδου τὴν τιμῶσαν τὸ βάπτισμα καὶ ἀποδεχομένην ἀπόκρισιν, τῇ τοῦ βαπτίσματος φωνῇ ὁ πάντα φύρων καὶ συγχέων τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ὑποβάλλων γεγράφθαι γὰρ αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ζῶν. Οὕτως δὴ οὕτως τὸ δόλιον ἐκεῖνο καὶ κακομήχανον τέρας μηδὲν μὲν τῆς ἀποστολικῆς καὶ καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας τὸ παράπαν φρονοῦν, μᾶλλον δὲ τἀναντία πάντα περιθάλπον τε καὶ περιέπον καὶ τιμῶν, ἐπεὶ πρὸς τὰς ἐκκλησιαστικὰς ἐνομίσθη τοῖς παροῦσιν οὐκ ἀπομάχεσθαι λέξεις, ὑφ αἷς ἐκεῖνος τὸν θανατηφόρον τῆς ἀποστασίας ἔκρυπτεν ἰόν, ἔδοξεν, ὥσπερ ἔφημεν ἀπ ἀρχῆς, ὁ τρισαλιτήριος ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἔνοχος ἀσεβείας εἶναι, ἀλλὰ τοῦ φρονήματος ὑπάρχειν τοῦ ἐκκλησιαστικοῦ. Ἀπολύεται δὴ διὰ τοῦτο τῆς ἐτάσεως ἠθωωμένος ὁ διπλῆν ἄξιος ὑποσχεῖν τιμωρίαν τῆς τε πατρῴας ἀσεβείας καὶ τῆς ἀπάτης, δι ἧς τῶν τε κρινόντων τὴν ὀρθὴν κρίσην διέστρεψεν, καὶ δόξαν ἑαυτῷ, δυσσεβέστατος ὤν, τῆς ἡμῶν εὐσεβείας περιέφερεν. Πλὴν ἀλλ ἐπί γε τοιαύταις μηχαναῖς τοῦ κριτηρίου ἀπολυθεὶς αἰτεῖται καὶ λαμβάνει παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τύπον ἔγγραφον πᾶσαν αὐτῷ διδόντα τὴν ἄδειαν οἴκοι τε διατρίβειν καὶ τὰ αὐτοῦ ἀνεπηρεάστως καὶ μηδὲν ἔτι τῶν συκοφαντῶν δεδιέναι τὰς γλώσσας. Ἀπάρας οὖν τῆς βασιλίδος καὶ καταλαβὼν τὴν Ἐπίσπαριν συναθροίζει μὲν τοὺς τῆς ἀποστασίας μαθητάς, ἐκεῖθεν δὲ πρὸς τὴν Μανάναλιν, ἐξ ἧς ὁ προειρημένος ὡρμᾶτο Κωνσταντῖνος, φυγὰς σὺν τοῖς ἑπομένοις παραγίνεται. Χρόνους δὲ ἱκανοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ κατατρίψας καὶ πολλὰς ψυχὰς ἀνθρώπων ὁ δείλαιος διαφθείρας, λοιμικῷ θανάτῳ ἐπενέμετο γὰρ κατὰ τοὺς καιροὺς ἐκείνους ἀφειδῶς τὸ ἀνθρώπινον καὶ αὐτὸς ἁλοὸς τὸν βίον κατέστρεψεν, ἐπὶ ἔτη που τριάκοντα προστάτης τῆς ἀσεβείας γενόμενος. Οὗτος οὖν ὁ τρισαλιτήριος υἱὸν ἐκ σκοτίας μίξεως τὸν Ζαχαρίαν τίκτει, ὅν, ὡς ἔφημεν, ἔνιοι τῶν τὰ Μανιχαίων τιμῶντων μισθωτόν τε ἡγοῦνται καὶ τοῦ ποιμένος ἀνάξιον καὶ τοῦ διδασκαλικοῦ χοροῦ ὑπερόριον. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ γὰρ τοῦ Γεγναισίου ἀποφθαρέντος τὸ τῶν μαθητῶν εἰς δύο σχίζεται πλῆθος, καὶ οἱ μὲν τὸν Ζαχαρίαν ἑταιρίζονται, οἱ δὲ τὸν Ἰωσήφ, ὃν καὶ νόθον τινὲς ἐπεφήμιζον. Patriarch Photios, Diegesis..., Astruc Ch. et al. (eds), Les sources grecques pour l histoire des Pauliciens d Asie Mineure, Travaux et Mémoires 4 (1970), pp. 145.21 149.32. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 14/3/2017 Σελίδα 6/7
Χρονολόγιο second half of 7th c.: Birth of Gegnesios. ca. 688: Gegnesios escapes from Kibossa to Episparis. ca. 718: Gegnesios Timotheos is proclaimed third teacher of the Paulicians at Episparis. between January 730 and June 741: Gegnesios Timotheos is interrogated by the patriarch in Constantinople. The Paulician community migrates from Episparis to Mananalis. ca. 748: Gegnesios Timotheos dies of an epidemic of bubonic plague at Mananalis. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 14/3/2017 Σελίδα 7/7