Note 59 — BOOK II THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE FAITH

The more eminent of the Gnostic teachers who in the first instance separated themselves from the Christian congregations, as far as we can judge from the comparatively rare fragments which we possess of their writings, evidently had in view highly cultured readers and listeners. We allude especially to Valentinus and his famous pupil Heracleon. These Gnostic writers taught and wrote in the second half of the second century. The period of activity of the second of these, Heracleon, is generally given as circa A.D. 170–80. Valentinus was somewhat earlier.