Musanus

fl. c. AD 170–180 (death unrecorded) · Writer against the Encratites · unknown

The Ante-Nicene Church

Who Musanus was

Named by Eusebius among the church's able men of the age of Marcus Aurelius for a 'very elegant' book recalling brethren who had slipped away to the newly formed Encratite sect — the abstainers who traced themselves to Tatian. The book is lost; the compliment, and Jerome's echo of it, are the whole of his memorial.

Also listed in heretics & schismatics.

Common questions

When was Musanus active?

Musanus is dated fl. c. AD 170–180 (death unrecorded) in the archive, which places Musanus in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.

What did Musanus write?

Musanus has 1 catalogued writing in the archive: To the Encratites. All are lost, known only from later citation.

Which early sources mention Musanus?

Musanus is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Eusebius of Caesarea and Jerome. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.

Where was Musanus from?

The archive associates Musanus with unknown.

Writings (1)

To the Encratites

Against the followers of Tatian

A most elegant book, addressed to certain brethren who had swerved to the heresy of the Encratites. (after Eusebius, HE IV.28)

Lost — known only from later citation.

Primary-source mentions (2)

Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.

Ecclesiastical History IV.28

c. AD 325

Musanus… wrote a very elegant discourse against certain brethren who had gone over to the heresy of the so-called Encratites, which had recently sprung up.

Eusebius of Caesarea · IV.28 · source text

On Illustrious Men 31

c. AD 393

Musanus… wrote a book against certain brethren who had turned aside from the church to the heresy of the Encratites.