Refutation.

        It is as an antiheretical writer, however, that we naturally think of Hippolytus, because, of his works that have come down to us, his Refutation of All Heresies is the longest and most interesting. The succession of discoveries that has restored at least eight of its ten books to us in Greek has already been described. Long before he wrote it, or soon after A.D. 200, Hippolytus had written a shorter work Against All Heresies, also known as the work Against Thirty-two Heresies. (This was afterward used by various writers on heresy-Epiphanius, Philastrius [A.D. 383], and the author of an anonymous work Against All Heresies, long ascribed to Tertullian). He had also written a work against the Alogi, or opponents of the Logos doctrine of John-the work In Defense ofthe Gospel and Revelation of John, probably about A.D. 204-5. This book is sometimes identified with the Heads against Gaius,[80] which was more probably an independent work, written a little later to defend the Revelation against the claim of a Roman Christian, perhaps a presbyter, named Gaius who in his Dialogue with Proclus, the leading Montanist in Rome, had maintained that the Revelation was really written by the early heretic Cerinthus.[81]

        But the Refutation was Hippolytus' great work in this field. It made use of the earlier Refutation written by Hippolytus' teacher Irenaeus and perhaps of Hippolytus' own earlier work Against Thirty-two Heresies, written a quarter-century before. Hippolytus seeks to show that the heresies had their source_in Greek philosophy and in pagan religions; this is why he devoted his first book to a survey of Greek philosophies, his (lost) second and third, probably, to the mystery and his fourth to astrology and magic, in preparation for his discussion of the heresies, which begins with the fifth book. His picture of the Gnostics has been criticized as based upon secondary and biased sources and as seriously misrepresenting their views. The Refutation was written in the years 225-30.

        Two other polemic works of his are known, at least by name: one Against Marcion, now lost, and one Against Artemon, written about A.D. 23o-certainly after the Refutation, which makes no mention of Artemon. It was also called the Little Labyrinth, perhaps because it formed a sort of supplement to the Labyrinth (as Hippolytus may perhaps call the Refutation, x. 5), bringing it up to date. This, too, is lost, except for three substantial fragments preserved in Eusebius Church History v. 28.[82]