Manichaean Mythology in the Time of Justinian

Abstract This article proposes a reassessment of the mythological information collected by the abjuration formula known as Capita VII contra Manichaeos . This formula is the first anti-Manichaean work written in Greek that mentions some Manichaean mythological entities. However, in Manichaean texts, these figures appear together in a mythological exposition that describes the creation of the world, the creation of man, and the myth known as “myth of the giants.” The present study argues that the Capita VII have used a source on Manichaean mythology that does not appear to have been known by earlier anti-Manichaean texts.