By Water & Blood

Origin of the Archontics (Eutactus and Peter)

1. A certain heresy of the Archontics follows these. It is not current in many places, but only in the province of Palestine. Yet they have already carried their poison somewhere also into Greater Armenia; and even in Lesser Armenia this weed has already been sown by a certain man who came as a visitor to the land of Palestine from Armenia in the times of Constantius, around his death—named Eutactus, or rather unordered (ataktos) in his manner—who learned this evil teaching, then returned to his own country and taught it.

He received it, as I said, in Palestine, like venom from an asp, from a certain old man Peter, unworthily called Peter, who lived in the jurisdiction of Eleutheropolis toward Jerusalem, three milestones beyond Hebron; they call the village Capharbaricha.

This old man at first had an impressive appearance, full of hypocrisy. For outwardly he was truly clothed in a sheep’s fleece, but inwardly he went unrecognized as a ravening wolf. For he seemed to be a recluse, sitting in a certain cave, who supposedly gathered many into renunciation and was supposedly called “father” because of his old age and habit, and he distributed his possessions to the poor and gave alms every day.

In his early years he was examined in many heresies; and under Bishop Aetius, when he was accused and convicted of then following the heresy of the Gnostics, he was deposed from the presbyterate (for he had once been appointed). And after the exposure he was driven out by Aetius and went away and settled in Arabia at Cocabe, where the roots of the Ebionites and Nazoraeans began, as I have also indicated concerning this place in many heresies.

Later, as if chastened toward old age, he returned again, bringing this venom with him in secret and unknown to all, until at last, from the words he whispered into certain people’s ears, he was exposed as such, anathematized by us, and refuted through our modest effort.

And thereafter he sat in the cave, abhorred by all and isolated from the brotherhood and from most of those who care for their own life.

Coming down to this old man was the aforementioned Eutactus—if indeed he was “well-ordered”—passing through from Egypt; and having received the old man’s evil teaching, he took this poison as a great piece of merchandise and carried it off to his own country. For he was from Lesser Armenia, as I said, from the regions near Satala.

So when he returned to his own country he corrupted many of the same Lesser Armenia, attaching himself to certain rich people—a certain woman of senatorial rank and other notable persons—through which prominent men he destroyed many there. But the Lord of life soon wiped him out; yet he had sown his weed.