Acts of Archelaus (Acta Archelai)

Hegemonius, Acta Archelai.

...of the most important correspondences will clarify the relationship of the Acta to this fourth part of Epiphanius:

Epiphanius Chapter 59 = Acta Chapter 17 ff.: the question of conversibilitas convertibility and inconversibilitas inconvertibility is discussed. Epiphanius (Chapter 61) refutes Manes' claim that he is the promised Paraclete (Acta, Chapter 38 ff.) and cites 1 Corinthians 13:9–10 (Acta Chapter 40) in this regard, accusing Manes of failing to foresee that he would not be able to convert Marcellus (Acta Chapter 53). Epiphanius (Chapter 67) treats the passage totus mundus in maligno positus est the whole world is situated in the evil one (Acta Chapter 16); in Chapter 74, the question of two new and two old testaments is touched upon (Acta Chapter 52). In Chapter 75, the relationship between the Old and the New Testament is illustrated by the story of the boy and his tutor, as well as that of the abandoned child and his savior (Acta Chapter 46). Epiphanius (Chapter 78) discusses the point that only those who live during the time of the reign of Tiberius up to that of Probus can be saved (Acta Chapter 31, 32); in Chapter 80, he treats the ministerium mortis ministry of death (Acta Chapter 34), and in Chapters 81, 82, and 85, the alleged contradictions of the Old and New Testaments (Acta Chapter 47, 48).

This part may also be consulted in some cases for the criticism of the Acta, e.g., Epiphanius, Chapter 74 regarding Acta p. 25, 16, and Epiphanius, Chapter 44, regarding Acta Chapter 28, especially p. 41, 4.

Also in De mens. et pond. On Weights and Measures, Chapter 20, Epiphanius gives a brief report on Manes.

Jerome (De vir. inl. On Illustrious Men 72) transmits the following note:

"Archelaus, Bishop of Mesopotamia, composed a book of his disputation, which he held against the Manichaean departing from Persia, in the Syriac language, which has been translated into Greek and is held by many. He flourished under the Emperor Probus, who had succeeded Aurelian and Tacitus."
Whether Jerome has read the work himself, we cannot know. Harnack thinks (op. cit. p. 163, note) that it is likely he obtained the name 'Probus' from the section corresponding to Chapter 32 of the Acta.

Heraclian of Chalcedon (in Photius, Bibl. 85) is the first and only one who provides the name of the author: "He [Heraclian] lists also all those who wrote against the godlessness of the Manichaean before him, and Hegemonius, who recorded the arguments of Archelaus against him [i.e., Manes]."