[Origen] had as his father Leonides, bishop and martyr, who attained perfection under the emperor Severus.[1] Being in Alexandria, Origen devoted great zeal to the divine word.[2] Many became his followers and especially Ambrosius, who relinquished the heresies of Valentinus and Marcion in his eagerness to gain knowledge of him.[3] Many non-Christian philosophers also studied with him and harvested great benefit. He was acknowledged as great by them, imparting geometry and arithmetic and the other preliminary studies. On that account, not a few of the philosophers among the Greeks mention him as a teacher. Precocious in childhood, at that time he was already disposed greatly to inquiry. As he understood the deepest meaning of the divine writings at a young age, his father repeatedly rebuked him lest he seek out matters beyond his years. When his father Leonides stood over the boy at night and looked at him, he kissed the boy's breast as if a divine spirit were enshrined within it and blessed himself for his good fortune in parenthood. Origen practiced from his youth such holiness and continence that he was satisfied each day with only four obols for sustenance. Without question he continued doing this for many years. Lying on the ground on a rush mat, he slept a few hours of the night, spending the greater part in study of the Holy Scriptures. He continued on to such a degree with these practices, as well as mortifying himself with vigils and fasting and nakedness, that he completely overpowered the vigor of his body, so that he appeared to have withered away.[4] Abstaining from wine and oil and other foodstuffs, he endured the greatest sloughing-off of the body.[5] Then truly it became widely known how he was distinguished above all in both word and deed, and having persuaded many Hellenes to abominate the madness of idol worship, he readied the martyr's crown to be fitted upon him.[6] With many reports flying about him and many flowing toward him from afar, not only did he draw to proper worship famous Hellenes, both philosophers and heretics, but he also ordered into closer formation those who were already Christians.[7] The aforesaid Ambrosius often entreating him, and constraining [him to live] in Caesarea, providing seven stenographers to attend him and more calligraphers, made him interpret the holy texts. Ambrosius also provided the necessities for his life. Origen, being engaged in his studies, dictated to the stenographers, and the book scribes (along with women who were well-trained in calligraphy) wrote up [their notes]. He interpreted the whole of the Scripture in eighteen years. It is said that Origen's oeuvre comprised six thousand books. Ambrosius displayed such a zeal in regard to the interpretation of Scripture that Origen, witnessing his repeated earnestness, wrote to some person, saying: "The holy Ambrosius, who is genuinely dedicated to God, sent many greetings. He, recognizing that I am a friend of God and that I thirsted exceedingly [for him], put me to shame with his own diligence in his love for learning. Whence, he outstripped me so far that [I] risked falling short of his hypotheses. It is neither the case that he does not converse while dining, nor, having dined, is it permitted to take walks and rest the body, but indeed at those times we are compelled to study and to make accurate copies. Nor are we permitted to sleep through the night for the health of the body, but more often he spent the time in arduous study. At dawn [we] read and from dawn until the ninth or tenth hour. All who are choosing to be industrious dedicate these times to the close examination of the Scriptures and to their reading." Thus he interpreted all of the holy text. During that time, running across the Old Testament in a storage jar in Jericho, Origen wisely and cleverly set this up.[8] In the end, however, his renown did not remain unextinguished. There came for him an exceptional fall from the pinnacle of experience. And of course, he bcame a pitfall and a cause of destruction for many. Wishing that none of the Scripture remain unexplained, in the course of his work he cast himself into the attraction of sin and became the fomenter of deadly interpretations. For Arius took from Origen his first propositions, and soon thereafter came the Anomoeans and unholy ones and all the rest.[9] Origen dared to affirm that at the beginning, the Only-begotten Son was unable to see the Father, nor was the Holy Spirit able to see the Son, nor the angels the Holy Spirit, nor mankind the angels. Furthermore, he does not accept that the Son is from the essence of the Father, but is a created being, and was called Son by grace, that his human soul existed beforehand, and his other blasphemies one after the other.[10] He certainly did make a fine composition in each of his works, and whenever he inquired into the nature of living things and animals in his introductory statements he carried himself impartially, many times writing graceful narratives. Whenever, though, he rendered opinions on faith, he has been found the most fallible of all. It was taught by him that one should undertake the ascetic life in this manner, as it was said that his body was ruined due to the excess of hunger and hard training. For he contrived against his body, some say to sever the member in order that he not be vexed by pleasure, others that he placed a drug on his genitals and withered them up, and others report other things about him.[11] Origen is said to have suffered many tribulations on behalf of Christ, being exceedingly well-versed in the Word and reared up in the Church. Calumniated due to envy by the rulers of the world through the evil machination of diabolical thoughts, they say that he was attacked as a man of the greatest shame by these workers of wickedness. They prepared for him an Ethiopian for the abuse of his body. He, however, being unable to bear such a filthy idea screamed loudly, and with two choices put before him, he agreed to make a sacrifice. Carrying frankincense in his hands unto the altar he kindled a fire. And thus, by these choices, he was rejected from martyrdom by the judges and he was forced out of the Church.[12] Leaving behind Alexandria on account of the disgrace, he seized upon Judea. Coming to Jerusalem as an exegete and learned man, he was persuaded by the priesthood to speak to the Church. He was previously a presbyter. Urged on by the bishops, he stood alone and said: "God said to the sinner, 'Why do you recite my statutes and receive my covenant in your mouth?'"[13] When he folded up the book, he sat down, shedding tears and wailing, with all weeping alike with him. There are many other statements and praises about him due to the magnitude of this man's knowledge and the composition of the books. Whence he is called Syntacticus because he made many books, not heeding, apparently words of Solomon who said: "Son, beware lest you write many books, and be not hasty with your mouth, and let your heart not hurry to carry a word from before the face of God. Because God is in heaven above and you are on earth below. Therefore let your words be few.[14] Many words increase foolishness.[15] Nor become overly righteous. The just man is slain in his righteousness. And, do not claim to know too much, lest you be impious."[16] Having pushed aside all this, Origen fell away from what was fitting.