A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

TATIANUS. TATIANUS. 981
Syria are used by the ancients; however, we think IHypomnesticon, that they were broached in Mesoit most probable that by "the land of the As- potamia, leads to the conclusion that Tatian settled
syrians" (E'V Tr cyv'ArAUvptwv yp) Tatian means in that province; but when he further states that
the country east of the Tigris; but his mode of they were embraced by some persons at Antioch,
expression affords some ground to think that the capital of Syria, and spread from thence into
though born in the land of Assyria, he was not Cilicia and Pisidia, we cannot determine whether
of Assyrian race; and his name has some ap- this was through the personal exertions and teachpearance of being Roman. He appears to have ing of Tatian, or whether through some of his disfollowed the profession of a sophist, or teacher ciples. We have no further account of him; and
of rhetoric; and he was, perhaps a teacher of phi- neither the time nor place of his death is known.
losophy also (comp. Tatian. Orat. ad Graec. c. ii. Ill fact, the chronology of his whole life is unand lvi.; Euseb. H. E. iv. 16; Hieron. De Viris certain; we only know that he was contemporary
Illustr. c. 29; Theodoret. 1. c.), though Valesius with Justin, and was at Rome before and at the
(Not. in Euseb. I. c.) contends earnestly against the time of that martyr's death, the date of which, as
supposition. He certainly acquired a considerable we have shown elsewhere [JusTINUS, NO. 1], is by
knowledge of Greek literature. He travelled over no means determined, but may be probably fixed
many countries, and appears to have been engaged in or near A. D. 166 or 167.
in a variety of pursuits (riE'Xvacs aL E7rE'oLats The followers of Tatian constituted a sect, deEycvpuo-as 7roAhas, Orat. ad Graec. c. lvi.) until, signated from him Tatiani. (Epiphan. Haeres. xlvi.;
at last, he came to Rome. He had probably im- Augustin. Haeres. xxv.) They appear to have
bibed the doctrines of the Platonic philosophy been nearly identical with the Encratitae (the
(comp. Orat. ad Graec. c. xix. and Worth's note name is variously written'EyKpaTes, Irenaels,'in loc.), but he was dissatisfied with the hollowness Adv. Haeres. lib. i. c. 30,'EyKpaTrralI, Epiphan.,of the professions of the philosophers of his day, and Haeres. xlvii.; or'EYKcpa-qwial, Clem. Alex. St'ro).'disgusted with the cruelty and impurity of the wor- lib. i. c. 15, Paedagog. lib. ii. c. 2) and with the
(ship both of the Greeks and Romans (Orac. ad Graec. Severiani, who derived their name from Severus, a
cc. xliii-xlvi.); and his mind was anxiously longing contemporary of Tatian. [SEVERUS, Greek, lite-:for something more ennobling, when he met with the rary and ecclesiastical, No. 3.] These sects were
Scriptures of the Old Testament. By the perusal also known by the name of'Tapo7rapao —riati, " Hyof these, his conversion to Christianity was effected. droparastatae," or "Offerers of water," fiom their
-Whether his connection with Justin Martyr, of use of water in the Eucharist. From this last
whom, according to the testimony of Irenaeus peculiarity they were called by some of the Latin.(Adv. Ilaeres. lib. i. c. 31), Epiphanius (Haeres. fathers (Augustin.Haeres. lxiv.; Philastrius, Ilueres.
xlvi.), Jerome (1. c.), Philastrius (De laeres. c. 48), lxxvii.) " Aquarii." Tillemont has collected ia:and Theodoret (1. c.), he was the hearer or disciple, number of other names which he supposes to have
was previous to his conversion or subsequent to it, been given them. The tenets of the Tatiani and
is not clear. Encratitae and Severiani, whether these names deDuring Justin's life, Tatian remained in con- note one sect, or different, but kindred sects, parnection with the Catholic church; but after Justin's took of the usual character of the Gnostic body to
death he embraced views of a Gnostic character, which they belonged. Tatian held the doctrine
with which probably the notions imbibed during his of Aeons, which lie is said to have derived from
early residence in the East disposed him to sympa- Valentinus or Marcion (Philastrius, Ilaeres. xlviii.),
thize. Whetherhe hadbeen previouslyrestrained by and to have given further development to it. He
the influence of Justin from embracing those views, distinguished the Demiurgus, the Creator of the:is not clear, though Irenaeus, Jerome, and Epipha- world and giver of the Mosaic law, fiom the Sunius seem to intimate that he had. He appears to preme and Benignant God, from whom the Gospel
have remained for.a time after Justin's death in came. Epiphanius (a not very trustworthy authocommunion with the church. Tillemont thinks that rity), ascribes to the Severiani the belief that beafterJustin's death many of his disciples,aniong them side the Supreme Being there was "a great ruler
Rhodon [RHoDON] placed themselves under Tatian's of the powers" named'IaXaagac6O " Ialdabaoth,"
instruction; but though Rhodon himself (apud or ZaCa0, " Sabaoth" (an obvious corruption of
Euseb. H. E. v. 13) states that he was a disciple the " Jehovah-Sabaoth" of the Jewish Scriptures),
of Tatian, it does not follow that this was after of whom 6 AtiLCoXos,'" the devil," was the son;
Justin's death. Like Justin, Tatian engaged in and that the devil, being by the Supreme God cast
controversies with the philosophers of his day, at- down to the earth in the form of a serpent, protacking them on the corruptions of heathenism, duced the vine, the tendrils of which indicated
and pointing out the superiority of the Jewish their origin by their serpent-like form: they
and Christian religions. He was involved in a ascribed also to the devil the formation of woman,
dispute with the Cynic Crescens [CRESCENS], and of the lower part of the mall. The " ruler of
whom he charges with having plotted his death, as the powers," Ialdabaoth, is apparently the DIemiwell as that of Justin. [JJSTINUS, No. 1.] urgus of Tatian; but how far the other opinions
His embracing, at least his avowal of his here- described were held by him is not clear'; it is,
tical opinions, was apparently not very long after however, remarkable that he and his followers
Justin's death, otherwise we cannot account for abstained from wine and animal food, and conthe general impression that he had been kept from demned marriage. But what especially shocked
heresy by Justin's influence. He does not appear the piety and charity of the Catholics was Tatian's
to have broached his obnoxious sentiments at affirming the damnation of Adam, a " blasphemy"
Rome. According to Epiphanius, he returned into which is said to have' originated with him, and
the East, and there imbibed and promulgated drew upon him especial odium.
them. The statement of Epiphanius (I. c.), fol- The sects of the Tatiani aild Severiani are said
lowed by Josephus [JosrPHvus No. 12] in his by Epiphanius to have been nearly extinct in his
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