Note 997 — Chapter XIII · MANES AND THE MANICHAEANS

Hegemonius, Acta Arch. c. XL., p. 59, Beeson. Rochat, op. cit. pp. 9-49, discusses the authenticity of the Acta chapter by chapter. He thinks the pretended discussion between Archelaus and Manes unhistorical, and the account of it possibly modelled on that between St Augustine and Faustus the Manichaean. The remainder of the Acta he considers fairly trustworthy as an account of Manes’ own tenets. This may well be, as Epiphanius, Haer. LXVI. cc. 6-7, 25-31, transcribes the epistle to Marcellus, its answer, and the exposition of Turbo, and could scarcely have heard, as early as 375 A.D., about which time he wrote, of St Augustine’s discussion. The Acta owe much to the care of the American scholar, Mr Beeson of Chicago, who has given us the careful edition of them mentioned in n. 1, p. 277 supra. It is a pity that he did not see his way to keep the old numeration of the chapters.