← Lineage
Share:XFacebookRedditEmail

Valentinus

c. 100 – c. 160 · b. Phrebonis, Egypt
Theologian

Quick facts

Born
c. 100, Phrebonis, Egypt
Died
c. 160, Cyprus
Region
egypt
Era
ante nicene
Significance
Notable(2/4)
Also known as
Valentinos

Highlights

Main contribution
Influential Gnostic teacher active in Rome c. 136-160; founder of the Valentinian school.
Primary source
Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 1.1-9

Influential Gnostic teacher active in Rome c. 136-160; founder of the Valentinian school. Considered heterodox; refuted at length by Irenaeus.

Recommended reading near Valentinus

A cover-visible starting point chosen from the curated reading path, either by this figure or by their era.

More books →
Cover of Against the Heresies by Irenaeus
Read this when you care about tradition, bishops, and heresy.

Against Heresies

Irenaeus of Lyons

The key text for public apostolic tradition, anti-gnostic argument, and the chain from John to Polycarp to Irenaeus.

Find a copy →

Chain to Jesus

Loading…

Common questions

Who was Valentinus?
Valentinus (100–160) — Influential Gnostic teacher active in Rome c. 136-160; founder of the Valentinian school. Considered heterodox; refuted at length by Irenaeus.
Who did Valentinus oppose?
Irenaeus of Lyons, Tertullian, and Hippolytus of Rome.

Sources for biography

  • Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 1.1-9 primary
  • Tertullian, Adversus Valentinianos primary

documented connections(3)

  • opposed (incoming) Irenaeus of Lyons
    The bulk of Adversus Haereses is directed against the Valentinian system.
    Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 1.1-9, 2 passim
  • opposed (incoming) Tertullian
    Tertullian's Adversus Valentinianos refutes the Valentinian school.
    Tertullian, Adversus Valentinianos
  • opposed (incoming) Hippolytus of Rome
    Hippolytus' Refutatio devotes considerable space to refuting Valentinian and other Gnostic systems.
    Hippolytus, Refutatio Omnium Haeresium 6

External resources

📖WikipediaFull encyclopedic biography with footnotes and further reading.🔗WikidataStructured data hub linking to library catalogues, archives, and academic sources worldwide.🏛️WikisourcePublic-domain primary texts and translations (search).⛪Catholic Encyclopedia1913 reference — long entries, useful for less-known figures (search for Valentinus).
·XFacebookRedditEmail