authorship and pseudepigraphy in early christian literature 55
that which Mark published may be affirmed to be Peter’s whose interpreter
Mark was. for even luke’s form of the gospel men usually ascribe to Paul.
and it may well seem that the works which disciples publish belong to their
masters. Well, then, Marcion ought to be called to a strict account concern-
ing these (other gospels) also, for having omitted them, and insisted in pref-
erence on luke; as if they, too, had not had free course in the churches, as
well as luke’s gospel, from the beginning. nay, it is even more credible that
they existed from the very beginning; for, being the work of apostles, they
were prior, and coeval in origin with the churches themselves.
Vitruvius, de architectura 7 pr. 3–7, 10–11
about 31 bce, the roman architect, engineer, and writer Vitruvius criti-
cized in the 7th book of his work On Architecture all those authors who
stole the books of their predecessors and presented them as their own. he
called for severe penalties for plagiarism. to underscore his point Vitruvius
related a remarkable incident from the life of a certain aristophanes.76
While, then, these men (i.e., the original authors) deserve our gratitude, on
the other hand we must censure those who plunder their works and appro-
priate them to themselves; writers who do not depend upon their own ideas,
but in their envy boast of other men’s goods whom they have robbed with
violence, should not only receive censure but punishment for their impious
manner of life.
4 the attalid kings (282–133 bce), impelled by their delight in literature,
established for general perusal a fine library at Pergamum. then Ptolemy,
moved by unbound jealousy and avaricious desire, strove with no less indus-
try to establish a library at alexandria after the same fashion. When he had
completed it with great diligence, he did not think it enough unless he should
provide for its increase by sowing and planting. so he consecrated games in
honor of the Muses and apollo, and established prizes and honors for the
successful writers of the day, in the same way as for successful athletes. 5 When
the arrangements were completed, and the games were at hand, learned
judges had to be chosen to examine the competitors. When the king had
chosen six persons from the city and could not quickly find a seventh person
suitable, he consulted the governors of the library whether they knew anyone
prepared for such a duty. they gave the name of aristophanes, who read each
book in the library systematically day by day with comprehensive ardor and
diligence. therefore at the assemblage for the games special seats were allot-
ted to the judges, and aristophanes, being summoned with the rest, took his
seat in the place allotted to him. 6 the competition for poets was first on the
list; and when their poems were recited, the whole multitude by its utter-
ances warned the judges what to approve. When, therefore, the judges were
asked one by one, the six agreed and gave the first prize to the poet who, they
76 trans. by f. granger, lCl 280:63–71.