The works of Nathaniel Lardner - The Christian Researcher - Home

Archblaus, Bishop in Mesopotamia. 253
This piece, as we now have it, contains two conferences
with Mani, one at Cascliar, or Carchar, a city in the Konian
part of Mesopotamia, and another at Diodoris, a villaoe, or a
small town, in the same country: Mithan historical account
of the life and death of Mani, and some other thini>s.
The greatest part of it is now only in a Latin translation,
not made from the supposed Syriac original, but from''
Greek. A\'hen this Latin translation Mas made is not certain.
Zacagni, the editor, supposeth thaf it was not in being in
Jerom's time, but that however it was made before the
seventh century. Another learned writer argues, that*^
this translation was not made sooner than the sixth, or the
because the conference itself
latter part of the fifth century ;
was unknown to Augustine, and likewise to pope Leo, who
died in 461.
It is thought thaf^ this piece is not now entire and complete.
Archelaus is placed by Cave, and many others, as flourishing"
about the year 278. Beausobre's opinion of this book,
entitled ' The Acts of the Disputation of Archelaus with
' Mani, or Manichee,' is, ' that*^ it is, in general, a romance,
' published by some Greek, about the year of our Lord 330,
' fifty or sixty years after Mani's death.' ' There are in it,'
hes says, ' some truths, but not many; and those disguised
' and mixed with manifest falsehoods.' Again :
' It'^ is a
' fiction of some Greek, who, having- got some memoirs
' concerning" the life and opinions of 3Iani, resolved to write
' a history of him, and confute his errors.'
I fear that account of this book is too just, and that a
large part of it is fiction : of which I may say more in the
next' chapter. At present I would chiefly consider the
author and the time of this work.
'' Porro Graecam versionem, non voro Syriacum toxturn, prae manibus
Latinum interpretem habuisse satis superque demonstratur. Zacagn. Praef.
sect. V. in.