Some More Notes to My Last Post

In my last post I referred the readers to an article that I published over at Hermann Detering's website three years ago. At the time I had no idea about the significance of the Christian inner circle of Commodus' Imperial court. Throughout that work I cite William Killen's attack against Lightfoot's interpretation of the Ignatian letters.

I am now developing a theory that what is described when the Martyrdom of Polycarp and the Passing of Peregrinus are read together is a description of the inner workings of the Carpocratian circle. 'Carpocrates' being the numerological equivalent of 'the seven churches of Asia Minor.'

I am particularly intrigued by the reference to 'little Marcia' the Carpocratian in various heretical works. I suspect this is a description of Marcia Aurelia Ceionia Demetrias, the woman who would eventually become the Emperor Commodus' concubine but was interestingly first the concubine to a wealthy senator named Quadratus - Marcus Ummidius Quadratus Annianus.

Killen already puts forward the view that the Quadratus mentioned in the Martyrdom of Polycarp might well be the first consort of the Christian concubine.

We read:

It is far more probable that the writer has been slightly inaccurate as to the exact designation of the proconsul of Asia about the time of the martyrdom. He was called Quadratus--not perhaps _Statius_, but possibly _Ummidius Quadratus. There is nothing more common among ourselves than to make such a mistake as to a name. How often may we find John put for James, or Robert for Andrew? Quadratus was a patrician name, well known all over the empire; and if Statius Quadratus had, not long before, been proconsul of Asia, it is quite possible that the writer of this postscript may have taken it for granted that the proconsul about the time of Polycarp's death was the same individual. The author, whoever he may have been, was probably not very well acquainted with these Roman dignitaries, and may thus have readily fallen into the error. Dr. Lightfoot has himself recorded a case in which a similar mistake has been made--not in an ordinary communication such its this, but in an Imperial ordinance. In a Rescript of the Emperor Hadrian, _Licinius_ Granianus, the proconsul, is styled _Serenus_ Granianus. If such a blunder could be perpetrated in an official State document, need we wonder if the penman of the postscript of the Smyrnaean letter has written Statius Quadratus for Ummidius Quadratus?

The implications of Killen's argument on our reconstruction of the Carpocratians should be obvious. If we stick to the standard reading of Irenaeus' reference to he and Florinus sitting in a 'royal court' listening to Polycarp, the context is now likely to be the palace of Marcus Ummidius Quadratus Annianus.

While this has yet to be proved in any way, what is certain is that by the time Quadratus resettled in Rome he had with him Marcia and Eclectus - individuals who would eventually be transferred to the household of the Emperor Commodus and more importantly - who would have a decisive role in the development of the Roman papacy.

As such if we follow this logical development a circle of Christians who had already gathered around one of the wealthiest men in the Empire - AND THE NEPHEW OF THE THEN EMPEROR Marcus Aurelius - came to Rome 'during the reign of Pope Anicetus' (exactly like 'little Marcia' is described in the writings of the Church Fathers).

They were now one within arms reach of Commodus.

It is noteworthy that the Moscow manuscript of the Martyrdom of Polycarp makes Irenaeus the ultimate conduit for the details of what happened in Asia Minor regarding the death of his master. We read:

This account Gaius copied from the papers of Irenaeus. The same lived with Irenaeus who had been a disciple of the holy Polycarp. For this Irenaeus, being in Rome at the time of the martyrdom of the bishop Polycarp, instructed many; and many most excellent and orthodox treatises by him are in circulation. In these he makes mention of Polycarp, saying that he was taught by him. And he ably refuted every heresy, and handed down the catholic rule of the Church just as he had received it from the saint. He mentions this fact also, that when Marcion, after whom the Marcionites are called, met the holy Polycarp on one occasion, and said "Recognize us, Polycarp," he said in reply to Marcion, "Yes indeed, I recognize the firstborn of Satan." The following statement also is made in the writings of Irenaeus, that on the very day and hour when Polycarp was martyred in Smyrna Irenaeus being in the city of the Romans heard a voice as of a trumpet saying, "Polycarp is martyred."

From these papers of Irenaeus then, as has been stated already, Gaius made a copy, and from the copy of Gaius, Isocrates made another in Corinth.

One may add that the added detail that Irenaeus was in Rome rather than Asia Minor is rather strange. It is almost as if a later editor is doing his best to distance Irenaeus from Asia Minor.

The implications of all of this cast doubt on the traditional assumptions about the age of Irenaeus. When he mentions being a child at the 'royal court' listening to Polycarp it would make him about the same age as 'little Marcia' coming over to Rome.

I still suspect that Irenaeus is Eclecta in John 2. It is also worth noting that the 'Annianus' in Marcus Ummidius Quadratus Annianus might to a creative mind have suggested a translation of 'John' (i.e. a Hellenized form of a Hebrew "Hananiah"). The implication of this should be obvious to the development of Polycarp's devotion to 'John' in the same way, we must imagine Irenaeus developed his 'Luke' from his association with Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus.

I am very busy tonight. No time to proof read this but I can tell my readers that I have managed to download an amazing number of files from my old laptop. Will upload them after the 19th.