dition, she was in the greatest perplexity. All these feelings were associated with ignorance.
And this ignorance of hers was not like that of her mother, the first Sophia, an Æon, due to
degeneracy by means of passion, but to an [innate] opposition [of nature to knowledge].69
Moreover, another kind of passion fell upon her (Achamoth), namely, that of desiring to
return to him who gave her life.
2. This collection [of passions] they declare was the substance of the matter from which
this world was formed. For from [her desire of] returning [to him who gave her life], every
soul belonging to this world, and that of the Demiurge70 himself, derived its origin. All
other things owed their beginning to her terror and sorrow. For from her tears all that is of
a liquid nature was formed; from her smile all that is lucent; and from her grief and perplexity
all the corporeal elements of the world. For at one time, as they affirm, she would weep and
lament on account of being left alone in the midst of darkness and vacuity; while, at another
time, reflecting on the light which had forsaken her, she would be filled with joy, and laugh;
then, again, she would be struck with terror; or, at other times, would sink into consternation
and bewilderment.
3. Now what follows from all this? No light tragedy comes out of it, as the fancy of every
man among them pompously explains, one in one way, and another in another, from what
kind of passion and from what element being derived its origin. They have good reason, as
seems to me, why they should not feel inclined to teach these things to all in public, but only
to such as are able to pay a high price for an acquaintance with such profound mysteries.
For these doctrines are not at all similar to those of which our Lord said, “Freely ye have
received, freely give.”71 They are, on the contrary, abstruse, and portentous, and profound
mysteries, to be got at only with great labour by such as are in love with falsehood. For who
would not expend all that he possessed, if only he might learn in return, that from the tears
of the enthymesis of the Æon involved in passion, seas, and fountains, and rivers, and every
liquid substance derived its origin; that light burst forth from her smile; and that from her
perplexity and consternation the corporeal elements of the world had their formation?
4. I feel somewhat inclined myself to contribute a few hints towards the development
of their system. For when I perceive that waters are in part fresh, such as fountains, rivers,
showers, and so on, and in part salt; such as those in the sea, I reflect with myself that all
such waters cannot be derived from her tears, inasmuch as these are of a saline quality only.
It is clear, therefore, that the waters which are salt are alone those which are derived from
her tears. But it is probable that she, in her intense agony and perplexity, was covered with
69 This sentence is very elliptical in the original, but the sense is as given above. Sophia fell from Gnosis by
degradation; Achamoth never possessed this knowledge, her nature being from the first opposed to it.
70 “The Demiurge derived from Enthymesis an animal, and not a spiritual nature.”— Harvey.
71 Matt. x. 8.
856
Chapter IV.—Account given by the heretics of the formation of Achamoth;…