38 The Latin name is written by Hippolytus in Greek letters, and means "the public fish-market." The Piscina, one of the fourteen quarters of Rome, was the resort of money-dealers.
39 The Pistrinumwas the domestic treadmill of the Roman slaveholders.
40 [An instance illustrative of the touching sense of moral obligation owen in 2 Kings vi. 5.]
41 See Josephus, Antig., xix, 10.
42 The air of Sardinia was unwholesome, if not pestilential; and for this reason, no doubt, it was selected as a place of exile for martyrs. Hippolytus himself, along with the Roman bishop Pontianus, was banished thither. See introductory Notice.
43 Marcia's connection with the emperor would not seem very consistent with the Christian character which Hippolytus ives her. Dr. Wordsworth supposes that Hippolytus speaks ironically in the case of Marcia, as well as of Hyacinthus and Carpophorus. [I do not see the evidence of this. Poor Marcia, afterwards poisoned by the wretch who de degradeded, was a heathen who under a little light was awakening to some sense of duty, like the woman of Samaria, John iv. 19.]
44 [Note this expression in contrast with subsequent claims to be the "Universal Bishop."]
45 See Dio Cassius, ixii. 4. [See vol. ii. p. 604, this series ]
46 Or, "a presbyter, thouh an eunuch," thus indicating the decay of ecclesiastical discipline.
47 Or, "that Marcia had been brought up by him." [See what Bunsen has to say [ vol. i. pp. 126, and, and note) upon this subject, about which we know very little ]
48 The cemeteryof Callistus was situated in the Via Appia. [The catacombs near the Church of St. Sebastian still bear the name of this unhappy man, and give incidental corroboration to the incident.]
49 [Here wordsworth's note is valuable, p. 80. Callistus had doubtless sent letters to announce his consecration to other bishops, as was customary, and had received answers demanding proofs of his orthodoxy. See my note on the intercommunion of primitive bishops, vol. ii. p. 12, note 9; also on the Provincial System, vol. iv. pp. 111, 114p. Also Cyprian, this vol. passim.]
50 euqewj mhden. Scott reads euqeoj mhden, Dr. Wordsworth translates the words thus: "having no rectitude of mind."
52 [Here is a very early precedent for the Taxa Paenitentiaria,of which see Bramhall, vol. i. pp. 56, 180; ii. pp. 445, 446].
55 [Elucidation XIII. And on marriage of the clergy, vol. iv. p. 49, this series.]
58 This passage, of which there are different readings, has been variously interpreted. The rendering followed above does probably less violence to the text than others proposed. The variety of meaning generally turns on the word enaziain Miller's text. Bunsen alters it into en azia... hlikia, i.e., were inflamed at a proper age. Dr. Wordsworth reads hlikiwth... anaziw, i.e., an unworthy comrade. Roeper reads hlikia... anaziou, i.e., in the bloom of youth were enamoured with one undeserving of their choice.
59 Dr. Wordsworth places peridesmeisqaiin the first sentence, and translates thus: "women began to venture to bandage themselves with ligaments to produce abortion, and to deal with drugs in order to destroy what it was conceived."
60 [The prescience of Hermas and Clement is here illustrated. See vol. ii. pp. 9, 32, 279, 597, etc.]
62 [Bunsen, i. 115. Elucidation XV.]
63 See Eusebius, Hist. Ecclesiast., vi. 38; Epiphanius, Haer, xix.; and Theodoret, Haer. Fab., ii. 7.
64 For planhqhnaiDr. Wordsworth reads platunqhnai, i.e., did not suffer the heresy to spread wide.
65 Roeper reads teknwi.e., if any one is guilty of an unnatural crime.
66 [Concerning angels of repentance, etc., see Hermas, vol, ii. pp. 19, 24, 26.]
67 Miller suggests the singular number (dunamewj).
70 See Josephus, De Beil. Judaic. ii. 8, from whom Hippolytus seems to have taken his account of the Jewish sects, except, as Schneidewin remarks, we suppose some other writer whom Josephus and Hippolytus themselves followed. The Abbe Cruice thinks that the author followed by Hippolytus was not Josephus, but a Christian writer ref the first century, who derived his materials from the Jewish historian. Hippolytus' text sometimes varies from the text of Josephus, as well as of Porphyry, who has taken excerpts from Josephus work.
72 [The Essenes practised many pious and edifying rites; and this became Christian usage, after our Lord's example. Matt. xiv. 19; 1 Tim. iv. 3 - 5.]
73 [Query, unnecessarily? This seems the sense required.]
74 [Deut. xxiii. 13. The very dogs scratch earth upon their ordure; and this ordinance of decency is in exquisite consistency with the modesty of nature, against which Christians should never offend.]
75 [This zeal for the letterof the Second Commandment was not shared by our Lord (Matt. xxii. 20).]
76 [Important corroborations of Justin and other Fathers, vol. i p. 286; ii. p. 338, also 81, 117, 148.]
77 Thus Plato's "Laws" present many parallels to the writings of Moses. Some have supposed that Plato became acquainted with:he Pentateuch through the medium of an ancient Greek version extant prior to that of the Septuagint.