Introduction.

The Acta Archelai Acts of Archelaus1, the primary source for almost all Western accounts of Manichaeism, have, as is well known, reached us in their entirety only in a Latin translation2. Regarding the manuscript basis of the Latin version—which shall be referred to specifically as the Acta throughout this introduction—see page XIX ff. below. Here, we shall first compile the records and excerpts that have been transmitted to us, which refer to the Greek original of the Latin version, an original that must certainly be presumed to exist. For the time being, let us call this original Hegemonius, and use the term Acta only where the distinction between the original and the translation is not sharply emphasized.

1. The Literary Testimonies.

Cyril of Jerusalem (Cat. 6, 20 ff.) recounts the stay of Scythianus in Egypt, his four books—the Gospel, the Capitulorum Chapters, the Mysteriorum Mysteries, and the Thesaurus Treasure—as well as his student Terebinthus and his death in Judea. After the death of his teacher, Terebinthus traveled to Persia, changed his name to Budda (the manuscripts vary in the orthography of this name), and was defeated by priests of Mithras in a dispute. He fled to a widow and, while invoking the demons of the air from the roof of the house, was struck down by God and shattered. The widow inherited his books and his money and bought a slave boy, whom she raised. The boy became her heir, took the name Manes, and appointed himself the Paraclete. He attempted to heal the king's sick son;

1) Both this and the other names common in literature are not actually transmitted. It is likely that the first words of the Acta are to be considered the title: Thesaurus verus sive disputatio etc. [True Treasure or Disputation, etc.]
2) Cf. Traube, Acta Archelai, Proceedings of the Royal Bavarian Academy of Sciences 1903, pp. 533–549 and Harnack, Chronology of Ancient Christian Literature, Vol. 2, pp. 163 f. and 548 f.