A Xmas Present for Me - The Great German Scholars of Marcionitism ALL Identify 'Marcion' as a Diminutive of Mark

I don't know why the whole of Adolph von Harnack's Marcion: Das Evangelium vom fremden Gott hasn't been translated into English.  I doubt very much that many of the English speaking 'authorities' on Marcion have actually read what the most important Marcionite scholar in history has had to say about the lman from Pontus.'  So why should any of us take what they say seriously?  

German was actually my mother tongue and I find von Harnack challenging.  I can only imagine how even someone who learned German at school would struggle with this 800+ page tome. 

In any event, I have been re-reading the material again and have just discovered that von Harnack confirms what I have suspected all along - that Marcion is a well established Greek diminutive of Mark.  Here is the pertinent section of his work which comes after a citation of the term  in Justin's Apology  .  First the original German:

Die Μαρκιανοί sind höchstwahrscheinlich Marcioniten; denn bei Hegesipp, der von Justin nicht unabhängig sein wird, liest man 1. c. Μαρκιανισταί. Daß aber diese (die Codd. TcERB, Euseb. Lat., Euseb. Syr. Μαρκίωνισταί) Marcioniten sind, ergibt sich aus Euseb. V, 16, 21: οί ἀπό Μαρκίωνος αιρέσίως Μαρκιανισταί (so Schwatz mit AT(1)D). Korrekt ist Μαρκιανισταί für die Messalianer (Euchiten), genannt nach dem Wechsler Marcianus; s. Anrich, Hagios Nikolaos I S. 425; II S. 340 f. Die Marcianisten im Theodos. Codex XVI, 5.65 (Gesetz v. 30. Mai 428 = Justinian. 1,5,5 ) zwischen Phrygern und Borborianern sind wohl Anhänger des Gnostikers Marcus. Aber auch Marcions Anhänger konnten "Marcianisten" und " Marcianer" heißen da "Marcion" lediglich eine Nebenform zu "Marcus" ist; diese Nebenform ist nicht häufig; doch s. den christkatholischen Bruder " Marcion" im Mart.Polye. 20 und die Inschrift auf der Basis Capitolina [von Harnack Marcion II.9]

And now for my quick 'it's one o'clock in the morning' Xmas Eve translation:


Yet it is Wolfgang Schenk in his Die Jesus-Rezeption des Markion als theologisches Problem (in Von Jesus zum Christus: christologische Studien:Festgabe für Paul Hoffmann (1989) p. 509) who clarifies von Harnack's argument by specifically noting that "Marcion is just a Greek diminutive subform to the Latin Marcus" (da 'Markion' ja nur eine diminutive griechische Nebenfom zum lateinischen 'Marcus' ist).  This confirms Hilgenfeld's (“Häreseologische Berichtigungen”, Zeitschrift für wissenschaftliche Theologie,(1888), XXIII, 478—483) original argument cited here a few months ago:

Dass Μαρκίων ein Deminutivum von Μαρκος ist, schliesse ich auch aus dem Verhaltniss von Εὐρυτίων zu Εὔρυτος (vgl. Phil. Griech. Gramm. 21. Aufl. S. 119, Anm. 12), κοδράτίων (bei Philostratus vit. sophist. II, 6 p. 250) zu κοδράτος (vgl. W. H. Waddington, Memoire sur la Chronologie de la vie du rheteur Aristide, 1867, p. 32). So möchte ich auch an den von dem Verfasser der Philosophumena so angefeindeten κάλλιστος, romanischen Bishof 217 - 222, denken, wenn Rhodon bei Eusebius KG, V, 13, 8 κάλλιστίωνι προσφωνων genanne wird. Um so mehr werden die Μαρκιανοί welche Justinus Dial. c. Tr. c. 35 p. 253 vor Valentinianern, Basilidianern, Satornillianern, u.s.w. erwahnt, Marcioniten sein. Ebenso wird man in dem Muratorianum Z 82 - 84 zu lesen haben: quia etiam novum psalmorum librum Marciani (= Marcionitae) conscripserunt.

That Μαρκίων is a diminutive of Μαρκος, I conclude also from the relation of Εὔρυτος to Εὐρυτίων, (vgl. Phil. Griech. Gramm. 21. Aufl. S. 119, Anm. 12), κοδράτίων (from Philostratus vit. sophist. II, 6 p. 250) to κοδράτος (vgl. W. H. Waddington, Memoire sur la Chronologie de la vie du rheteur Aristide, 1867, p. 32). So also I think κάλλιστος, the Roman Bishop (217 - 222) against whom the author of the Philosophumena shows such hostility, is behind Rhodon's reference to κάλλιστίωνι προσφωνων (Eusebius, Church History V, 13, 8). Stronger still is the case for the Μαρκιανοί - which Justin Dial c. Tr. c. 35 p. 253 mentions before the Valentinians, Basilideans, Satornillians, etc - being a reference to Marcionites. Similarly, one will have to read the Muratorianum Z 82-84: quia etiam librum novum psalmorum Marciani (= Marcionitae conscripserunt).

We now have a number of German scholars who support the idea that Marcion is a diminutive of Mark and my guess is that we can add a few more including Hermann Raschke when his books finally arrive here.

The Μαρκιανοί are most likely Marcionites, because that which appears in Justin will not be independent from Hegesippus where we read first the term Μαρκιανισταί. But that these others - i.e. the MSS. TcERB, Eusebius. Lat., Eusebius. Syr. Μαρκίωνισταί are Marcionites is demonstrable from Eusebius. V, 16, 21: οί ἀπό Μαρκίωνος αιρέσίως Μαρκιανισταί (so chat with AT (1) D).  It is correct to use Μαρκιανισταί for Messalians (Euchites) named after the moneychanger Marcianus; see Anrich, Aghios Nikolaos I, p. 425; II, p. 340 in f. The Marcianisten in Theodosius. Codex XVI, 5.65 (Act of May 30 428 = Justinian. 1,5,5) are placed between the Phrygians and the Borborites and are certainly  followers of the Gnostic Marcus. But Marcion's followers could be called "Marcianisten" and "Marcian" as "Marcion" is only a subform of 'Marcus,' this subform is not common, but see in the Christian Catholic Brother "Marcion" Mart.Polyc. 20 and the inscription on the Capitoline Base