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An archon, in the Gnosticism of late antiquity, was any of several servants of the Demiurge, the "creator god" that stood between the human race and a transcendent God that could only be reached through ''gnosis''. In this context they have the role of the angels and demons of the Old Testament. They give their name to the sect called Archontics. The term was taken from the ancient Greek office archon. ==Hebdomad== A characteristic feature of the Gnostic concept of the universe is the role played in almost all Gnostic systems by the seven world-creating archons, known as the ''Hebdomad'' (ἑβδομάς). These Seven are in most systems semi-hostile powers, and are reckoned as the last and lowest emanations of the Godhead; below them—and frequently considered as derived from them—comes the world of the actually devilish powers. There are indeed certain exceptions; Basilides taught the existence of a "great archon" called Abraxas who presided over 365 archons (Irenaeus, ''Adversus Haereses'', i. 24). The ancient astronomy taught that above the seven planetary spheres was an eighth, the sphere of the fixed stars.〔Clem. Alex. ''Stromata'', iv. 25, xxv. p. 636: see also his quotation, v. 11, p. 692, of a mention of the fifth heaven in apocryphal writings ascribed to Zepbaniah〕 In the eighth sphere, these Gnostics taught, dwelt the mother to whom all these archons owed their origin, Sophia (Wisdom) or Barbelo. In the language of these sects the word Hebdomad not only denotes the seven archons, but is also a name of place, denoting the heavenly regions over which the seven archons presided; while ''Ogdoad'' denotes the supercelestial regions which lay above their control. The Ophites accepted the existence of these seven archons (Origen, ''Contra Celsum'', vi. 31; a nearly identical list is given in ''On the Origin of the World''):〔For "feminine names," see For planets, see 〕 *Yaldabaoth, called also Saklas and Samael * *Saturn. * *Feminine name: Pronoia (Forethought) Sambathas, "week". * *Prophets:〔"Moreover, they distribute the prophets in the following manner.... Each one of these, then, glorifies his own father and God, and they maintain that Sophia, herself has also spoken many things through them regarding the first Anthropos (man), and concerning that Christ who is above, thus admonishing and reminding men of the incorruptible light, the first Anthropos, and of the descent of Christ." ((Irenaeus i. 30 ))〕 Moses, Joshua, Amos, Habakkuk. * *From Hebrew ''yalda bahut,'' "Child of Chaos"? The outermost who created the six others, and therefore the chief ruler and Demiurge ''par excellence.'' Called "the Lion-faced", ''leontoeides''. *Iao * *Jupiter. * *Feminine name: Lordship. * *Prophets: Samuel, Nathan, Jonah, Micah. * *Perhaps from Yahu, Yahweh, but possibly also from the magic cry ''iao'' in the Mysteries. *Sabaoth * *Mars. * *Feminine name: Deity. * *Prophets: Elijah, Joel, Zechariah. * * * *The Old Testament phrase Yahweh sabaoth or 'Jehovah of Armies' was thought a proper name, hence Jupiter Sabbas. *Astaphanos, or Astaphaios * *Venus. * *Feminine name: Sophia (Wisdom). * *Prophets: Esdras, Zephaniah. * *Astraphaios is beyond doubt the planet Venus, as there are gnostic gems with a female figure and the legend ASTAPHE, which name is also used in magic spells as the name of a goddess. *Adonaios * * The Sun. * *Feminine name: Kingship. * *Prophets: Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel. * *From the Hebrew term for "the Lord", used of God; Adonis of the Syrians representing the Winter sun in the cosmic tragedy of Tammuz. In the Mandaean system Adonaios represents the Sun. *Elaios, or Ailoaios, or sometimes Ailoein * *Mercury. * *Feminine name: Jealousy. * *Prophets: Tobias, Haggai. * *From Elohim, God (El). *Horaios * *The Moon. * *Feminine name: Wealth. * *Prophets: Michaiah, Nahum. * *From Jaroah? or "light"? or Horus? In the hellenized form of Gnosticism either all or some of these names are replaced by personified vices. Authadia (Authades), or Audacity, is the obvious description of Yaldabaoth, the presumptuous Demiurge, who is lion-faced as the Archon Authadia. Of the Archons Kakia, Zelos, Phthonos, Errinnys, Epithymia, the last obviously represents Venus. The number seven is obtained by placing a proarchon or chief archon at the head. That these names are only a disguise for the Sancta Hebdomas is clear, for Sophia, the mother of them, retains the name of Ogdoad, ''Octonatio''. Occasionally one meets with the Archon ''Esaldaios'', which is evidently the El Shaddai of the Bible, and he is described as the Archon "number four" (''harithmo tetartos''). In the system of the Gnostics mentioned by Epiphanius we find, as the Seven Archons, *Iao *Saklas (the chief demon of Manichaeism) *Seth *David *Eloiein *Elilaios (probably connected with En-lil, the Bel of Nippur, the ancient god of Babylonia) *Yaldabaoth (or no. 6 Yaldaboath, no. 7 Sabaoth) The last book of the ''Pistis Sophia'' contains the myth of the capture of the rebellious archons, whose leaders here appear as five in number.〔Schmidt, ''Koptisch-gnostische Schriften'', p. 234 seq. These ideas may possibly be traced still further back, and perhaps even underlie St Paul's exposition in .〕 *Paraplex *Hekate *Ariouth (females) *Typhon *Iachtanabas (males) 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Archon (Gnosticism)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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