This work is divided into ten books, 8 of which have survived more or less intact. Books II and III, however, have not been unearthed, and their contents remain the subject of conjecture. Book I offers a summary of the thought of various ancient Greek philosophers.
Catherine Osborne identifies Book I as being an important source of information on
Pre-Socratic Philosophy. The most extensive treatment is given to the works of
Pythagoras,
Plato, and
Aristotle. An outline of the philosophies of the
Brahmins of India,
Zamolxis of
Thrace and the
Celtic druids and also of the mythological poetry of
Hesiod is given here. Book IV details and seeks to refute the various beliefs and practices of various diviners and magicians,
i.e., the
Chaldeans, the
Metoposcopists, the
Magicians, and those who practice
divination by astronomy. This book closed with a perceived explanation of the connection between the
Gnostic heresies of
Valentinus and
Simon Magus and certain ideas ascribed to Pythagoras, thus linking discussion of Greek philosophy in Book I with later arguments against Gnosticism. Book V concerns itself with the
Ophite heresies. The author in particular identifies the
Naassenes, the
Peratae, the
Sethians, and the beliefs of a heretic,
Justinus. The Ophite error is identified as being rooted in the philosophy of the ancients. In Chapter 2 of this book, the author accuses the Naassenes of (a) believing that the pagan god
Attis "has been emasculated, that is, he has passed over from the earthly parts of the nether world to the everlasting substance above, where...there is neither female nor male, but a new creature, a new man, which is hermaphrodite" [trans. J. H. McMahon]; and (b) of conflating Jesus and Attis based on the
Gospel of Thomas and the
Greek Gospel of the Egyptians. In Book VI, the attack begun at the end of Book IV against Simon Magus and Valentinus resumes. The author sketches out their ideas, again affirming the source of their error to be the teaching of Pythagoras. The remainder of this book discusses the heresies of Valentinus' supposed followers. Book VII challenges the teachings of such heretics as
Basilides and his disciple
Saturnilus,
Marcion of Sinope, and
Carpocrates of Alexandria, among others. These
heresiarchs all held varying opinions on the God of the
Old Testament, from Saturnilus, who are stated as believing that "the God of the Jews is one of the angels", directly opposed by Christ, to Carpocrates who asserted that the Father was for the most part aloof from physical creation, which had been formed by his angels. A discussion of the heretical Docetae begins Book VIII. Who exactly the Docetae were is unclear, though the author seems to make a distinction between this group and others who considered Jesus to exist merely in appearance, the latter being the doctrine to which the term "
Docetism" is now affixed. This heresy is associated with a misinterpretation of the
Parable of the Sower of
Matthew's Gospel and a belief that Christ's soul was separated from his body at his
Crucifixion. The author proceeds to explain and argue against the Gnostics
Monoimus,
Tatian, and Hermogenes, before digressing from the Gnostic theme to refute the practices of the
Quartodecimans. He likewise condemns the "Phrygians",
i.e., the
followers of Montanus and the Gnostic heresy of the
Encratites. Book IX begins with a refutation of the heresy of
Noetus. This particular 'error' is said to implicate the now-canonised popes
Zephyrinus and
Callixtus I. This theme of conflict with the papacy is expanded upon in the second chapter of Book IX, which deals in particular with the errors of Pope Callixtus, whom is identified as a "sorcerer". The author then attacks the
Elcesaites, who he says had a different baptismal practice than that of orthodox Christians. Book IX concludes with a summary of the "heresy" of the
Jews, who are divided into
Pharisees,
Sadducees, and
Essenes. Book X concludes the work with a summary of what has written throughout. ==Legacy==