Fragment 4 of Berossus' Babylonian History, which was published in 278 BCE, in the translation by G.P Verbrugghe and J.M. Wickersham (with some minor modifications).The text itself is lost, but was quoted by a Byzantine author named George Syncellus, who lived in the early ninth century. Syncellus, Chronological Excerpts 53-56 [53] In the second book, Berossus records
The Epic of Gilgameš is one of the most famous texts from ancient Babylonia. It tells the story of a king who is trying to find immortality, and meets Ut-napištim, who has survived the Great Flood and has found what Gilgameš is looking for. In the following text, tablet of XI of the standard edition
The Epic of Atraḥasis is the fullest Mesopotamian account of the Great Flood, with Atraḥasis in the role of Noah. It was written in the seventeenth century BCE. Translation Complaints of the Lower Gods [1] When the gods were man they did forced labor, they bore drudgery. Great indeed was the drudgery of the gods, the forced labor was heavy, the
Berossus' own account (in Babylonian History) is lost, but it was summarized by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus in his Against Apion. One such account is the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II (562 BC – 605 BC). Berossus [...] at length comes down to Nabopolassar, who was king of Babylon and the Chaldaeans. And when he was
Berossus' own account (Babylonian History) is lost, but it was summarized in an Armenian translation of the Chronicon by the Christian author Eusebius. Below is its description of the creation of the world and mankind based on the epic Enûma êliš, and includes the story of Oannes, who taught wisdom to man, and a Babylonian
THE EPISTLES OF CYPRIAN LV-LXXXII. EPISTLE LV. TO THE PEOPLE OF THIBARIS, EXHORTING TO MARTYRDOM. ARGUMENT. --CYPRIAN FIRST OF ALL EXCUSES HIMSELF TO THE THIBARITANS THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN TO VISIT THEM, AND GIVES THEM WARNINGS OF THE PERSECUTION AT HAND; HE THEN FURNISHES INDUCEMENTS READILY TO UNDERGO MARTYRDOM. 1. Cyprian to the people abiding
Caecilius Cyprianus, aka Thascius, was probably born around 200 AD. He converted to Christianity around the age of 40. He was the bishop of Carthage and notable early Christian writer. During this time, Christian persecution was especially severe at Carthage. Many Christians fell away, and were thereafter referred to as "Lapsi" (the fallen). Many gave
The following writing dates from around 203 AD. It so closely relates to Tertullian's Ad Martyras, it grew to be known as the "appendix" to Ad Martyras. THE MARTYRDOM OF PERPETUA AND FELICITAS. PREFACE. IF ancient illustrations of faith which both testify to God's grace and tend to man's edification are collected in writing, so that by the
Tertullian's Ad Martyras may be Tertullian's earliest work. It was written around 197 AD. The writing is addressed to imprisoned Christians awaiting their execution. CHAP. I. BLESSED Martyrs Designate, - Along with the provision which our lady mother the Church from her bountiful breasts, and each brother out of his private means, makes for your bodily wants
Adversus Valentinianos or Against the Valentinians is a famous refutation of Valentinianism by Tertullian. Valentinianism was a gnostic movement founded by Valentinus (an early Roman gnostic theologian) around 200 AD. It began as a Christian movement, morphed into something else entirely (possibly out of frustration when Valentinus failed his bid for a bishop of Rome),