Akouas (or Acuas) was an important figure in early
Manichaeism
Manichaeism (;
in New Persian ; ) is a former major religionR. van den Broek, Wouter J. Hanegraaff ''Gnosis and Hermeticism from Antiquity to Modern Times''SUNY Press, 1998 p. 37 founded in the 3rd century AD by the Parthian prophet Mani ( ...
. He has been identified with another Manichaean figure from Iranian sources named Mar Zaku.
Identity
Akouas was an early disciple of
Mani, and was sent by him to preach in the Western
Sassanid Empire
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Name ...
.
Epiphanius of Salamis
Epiphanius of Salamis ( grc-gre, Ἐπιφάνιος; c. 310–320 – 403) was the bishop of Salamis, Cyprus, at the end of the 4th century. He is considered a saint and a Church Father by both the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches. He ...
reported that Akouas was a military veteran ("veteranus"), leading
Samuel N. C. Lieu to suggest he may have been a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
prisoner of war who discovered Manichaeism during his "enforced stay" in the Sassanid Empire.
[ Lieu, Samuel N.C. ''Manichaeism in the Later Roman Empire and Medieval China: a Historical Survey.'' Pages 68-69. Manchester University Press, 1985.]
Significance
Epiphanius of Salamis
Epiphanius of Salamis ( grc-gre, Ἐπιφάνιος; c. 310–320 – 403) was the bishop of Salamis, Cyprus, at the end of the 4th century. He is considered a saint and a Church Father by both the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches. He ...
stated that Akouas was the first to bring Manichaeism to his hometown of
Eleutheropolis
Eleutheropolis (Greek, Ἐλευθερόπολις, "Free City"; ar, إليوثيروبوليس; in Hebrew, בית גוברין, Beit Gubrin) was a Roman and Byzantine city in Syria Palaestina, some 53 km southwest of Jerusalem. After the Mu ...
in
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East J ...
. He stated that Manichaeans there were known as "Akouanitans" (or "Acuanites") due to his influence.
John of Damascus
John of Damascus ( ar, يوحنا الدمشقي, Yūḥanna ad-Dimashqī; gr, Ἰωάννης ὁ Δαμασκηνός, Ioánnēs ho Damaskēnós, ; la, Ioannes Damascenus) or John Damascene was a Christian monk, priest, hymnographer, and ...
later described Manichaeans as being referred to as "Aconites."
[Chase, Frederic H. (ed.) ''Saint John of Damascus: Writings''. Page 127. CUA Press, 2000.]
Epiphanius dates Akouas' preaching in Eleutheropolis to the reign of
Aurelian
Aurelian ( la, Lucius Domitius Aurelianus; 9 September 214 October 275) was a Roman emperor, who reigned during the Crisis of the Third Century, from 270 to 275. As emperor, he won an unprecedented series of military victories which reunited ...
(273-274). According to
Samuel N. C. Lieu, this places Akouas "among Mani's second generation of disciples whom Mani sent to consolidate the work of Adda and
Patik" in Rome's eastern provinces.
See also
*
Mar Ammo
Mar Ammo was a 3rd-century Manichean disciple of the prophet Mani. According to Manichaen tradition he spread Manichaeism eastward into Sogdiana during the time period when Mani was living. Mar Ammo is well known as the apostle of the east in Man ...
References
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Manichaeism
3rd-century people