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314 Credibility of the Gospel History.
and that he computed the apostolic age to have ended about
the year of Christ 77. It may be also supposed that Cyril
took his date of Manichieisni from The Acts of Archelaus,
M here Mani's coming is placed under the emperor Probus.
Epiphanius is not consistent with himself, placing- Mani
earlier at one time than another. In one of his works he
says that'' Mani came from Persia, and disputed with Archelaus
in the ninth of Valerian and Gallienus ; that is, in the
year of our Lord 261 or 262 ; Avhich date is also in" Pliotius.
But, in his work Against Heresies, Epiphanius sometimes
mentions > the fourth of Aurelian; that is, the year 273 or
274; at other times^ the reigns of Aurelian and Probus;
that is, about the year 276. Moreover, Epiphanius, who
wrote about the year 376, says hc^ had conversed with persons
who were acquainted with llermias, disciple of Mani.
Pope Leo*^ placeth the rise of Manichneism in the consulate
of Probus and Paulinus, or the year 277.
In the Edessen Chronicle,'^ published by Asseman, Mam's
birth is placed at the year of our Lord 240, a thing not
mentioned, that we know of, any where^' else.
Alexander of Lycopolis mentions it as a common report
thaf^ Mani lived in the tinie of the emperor Valerian, who
was taken captive by the Persians in*^ the year 259 ; that he
went to the wars with Sapor king of Persia ; and, having by
some means displeased the king, was put to death by him.
Having' put down so many accounts from ancient authors,
1 shall now mention the opinions of moderns.
The general opinion, as Asseman owns, is, thats Mani
" IV T([) ivvariff BV ith ttjq thtiov ftamXeiag tvifir] Mavi^g otto r>]g
nipntcog, K. X. De Mens, et Pond. c. 20. p. 176. A.
" Contr. Manich. 1. I.e. 15. in.
y Ilfpi iTog TiTuprov Tt]g avra [Avp;?Xtav8] Paffikeiag. Haer. 66. C. i. in.
^ "Eojg Ts xpovH rs TrpoStjXioOevTOQ AvprjKiav^ ti kcu IJpops, iv (fi HTog 6
MavTjg tyvwpiitTO. k. X. lb. c. 19. f. vid. etn. 20. p. 6-37. D. Upo(3og fs r]v6
KciT iKtivn Kaipa fiaciKivg, km Avp)]\iavog 6 vpo avra, ots utoqo Mavt]Q tveSt]-
fill. lb. n. 77. in. * Odk «ti yap apY«i2« Trpofipjj/itvy 'Ep^£(^, jiaBtjTy ovTi TH MavT], rijifv ra kot
avTov cirjyrjfTcivTo.^. 66. n. 12.
^ Manicheeas ergo, magister falsitatis diabolica;, et conditor siiperstitionis
obsccenae, eo tempore damnandus innotuit.—Probo Imperatore Paulinoque
Consulibus. Leo. Horn. 2. de Pentec. cap. 7.
'^ Anno quingentesimo qiiinquagesimo prime natiis est Manes. Chr. Ed.
ap. As.sem. Bib. Orient. T. i. p. 393.