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Fragments of a Faith Forgotten

By G.R.S. Mead

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The Myth which Valentinus made

Hippolytus (II.) inserts the following scrap of information in the midst of the lengthy description of the system of Marcus, which he copied from Irenæus:

The Wisdom of the "Little One.""Valentinus says that he once saw a child that had only just been born, and that he proceeded to question it to find out who it was. And the babe replied and said it was the Logos." To this, says Hippolytus, Valentinus subjoined a "tragic myth," which formed the basis of his teaching. Have we here an incident from the prologue to one of Valentinus’ treatises; and is the "tragic myth" Valentinus’ modification of the great Sophia-mythus which was the deus ex machinâ of part of his cosmogony?