Origen of Alexandria was a major Christian theologian and scholar who lived from approximately 185 to 254 CE. Born in Egypt to a Christian family, his father was martyred when Origen was young, an event that reportedly strengthened his own religious dedication. He received an extensive education in both Christian teachings and Greek philosophy. Origen led the Catechetical School in Alexandria before a dispute with his bishop forced him to relocate to Caesarea in Palestine, where he founded a new school. He was imprisoned and tortured during a period of persecution later in his life, which likely led to his death.
He was an extraordinarily prolific writer. His most significant works include On First Principles, an early attempt to create a systematic Christian theology, and the Hexapla, a massive six-column edition of the Old Testament for textual comparison, though most of it is now lost. He also wrote the apologetic treatise Against Celsus, numerous biblical commentaries, and hundreds of homilies. Many of his works survive only in fragments or in later Latin translations.
Origen is considered one of the most influential figures in early Christian thought. According to modern scholars, he was the first to construct a comprehensive theological system that integrated Greek philosophical concepts with Christian scripture. His method of allegorical biblical interpretation, which sought deeper spiritual meanings, became foundational for centuries of Christian exegesis. However, some of his speculative theological ideas, such as the pre-existence of souls, were later condemned as unorthodox, which complicated his legacy even as his interpretive methods remained widely used.
Available Works
Κατὰ Κέλσου
Against Celsus
647 passages
Σημειώσεις εἰς Δευτερονόμιον
Annotations-Deuteronomy
11 passages
Σημειώσεις εἰς Ἔξοδον
Annotations-Exodus
2 passages
Σημειώσεις εἰς Γένεσιν
Annotations-Genesis
4 passages
Σημειώσεις εἰς Ἰησοῦν τὸν Ναυῆ
Annotations-Joshua Son of Nun
13 passages
Σημειώσεις εἰς Κριτάς
Annotations-Judges
2 passages
Σημειώσεις εἰς Λευιτικόν
Annotations-Leviticus
3 passages
Σημειώσεις εἰς Ἀριθμούς
Annotations-Numbers
2 passages
Ὑπομνήματα εἰς Γένεσιν
Commentaries-Genesis
29 passages
Ὑπομνήματα εἰς τὴν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους
Commentaries-Romans
172 passages
Ὑπομνήματα εἰς τὴν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους
Commentaries-Romans III.5–V.7
52 passages
Ὑπομνήματα εἰς τὴν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους Ἐπιστολήν
Commentaries-the Epistle to the Romans
16 passages
Ὑπομνήματα εἰς τὴν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους Ἐπιστολήν
Commentaries-the Epistle to the Romans I.1–XII.21
58 passages
Ὑπομνήματα εἰς τὸ Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Εὐαγγέλιον
Commentaries-the Gospel of John
126 passages
Ὑπομνήματα εἰς τὸ Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Εὐαγγέλιον
Commentaries-the Gospel of John
2838 passages
Ὑπόμνημα εἰς τὸ Κατὰ Ματθαῖον Εὐαγγέλιον Βιβλία
Commentary-the Gospel of Matthew Books 10–11
73 passages
Ὑπόμνημα εἰς τὸ Κατὰ Ματθαῖον Εὐαγγέλιον Βιβλία
Commentary-the Gospel of Matthew Books 12–17
431 passages
Διάλογος πρὸς Ἡρακλείδην
Dialogue with Heraclides
29 passages
Ἐκλογαὶ εἰς Ψαλμούς
Excerpts-Psalms
42 passages
Παράκλησις πρὸς μαρτύριον
Exhortation to Martyrdom
54 passages
Ἐξήγησις εἰς Παροιμίας
ExpositiProverbs
74 passages
Ἀπόσπασμα ἐκ Ὑπομνημάτων εἰς Ὡσηέ
Fragment from Commentaries-Hosea
2 passages
Ἀπόσπασμα ἐκ Ὁμιλιῶν εἰς Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων
Fragment from Homilies-Acts of the Apostles
2 passages
Ἀπόσπασμα εἰς Θρῆνους
Fragment-Lamentations
2 passages
Ἀπόσπασμα εἰς τὸ Πρῶτον Βιβλίον Βασιλειῶν
Fragment-the First Book of Kings
1 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα ἐκ τῶν ὑπομνημάτων εἰς τὸ Ἐξοδον (= Εἰς τὸ: Ἐσκλήρυνεν κύριος τὴν καρδίαν Φαραώ)
Fragments from Commentaries-Exodus,-That: The Lord Hardened Pharaoh's Heart
14 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα ἐκ Ὑπομνημάτων εἰς τὴν Πρώτην πρὸς
Fragments from Commentaries-First Letter to the Corinthians
104 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα ἐκ Ὑπομνημάτων εἰς τὴν πρὸς Ἐφεσίους
Fragments from Commentaries-Letter to the Ephesians
51 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα ἐκ τῶν εἰς τὰ Παροιμία ὑπομνημάτων
Fragments from Commentaries-Proverbs
17 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα ἐκ Ὑπομνημάτων εἰς τὸ Κατὰ Ματθαῖον
Fragments from Commentaries-the Gospel of Matthew
4 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα εἰς Ἰεζεκιήλ
Fragments-Ezekiel
2 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα εἰς τὸ Πρῶτον Βιβλίον Βασιλειῶν
Fragments-First Book of Kings
17 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα περὶ Ἀρχῶν
Fragments-Principles
33 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα εἰς Ψαλμοὺς Αʹ–ΡΝʹ
Fragments-Psalms 1-150
974 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα εἰς τὸ Κατὰ Ματθαῖον
Fragments-the Gospel of Matthew
5 passages
Ὁμιλίαι εἰς Ἔξοδον
Homilies-Exodus
12 passages
Ὁμιλίαι εἰς Ἰεζεκιήλ
Homilies-Ezekiel
18 passages
Ὁμιλίαι εἰς Γένεσιν
Homilies-Genesis, in Chains
7 passages
Ὁμιλίαι εἰς Ἰώβ
Homilies-Job, Fragments in Chains, Type I+II. from Vatican Codices
30 passages
Ὁμιλίαι εἰς Ἰώβ
Homilies-Job, Fragments in Chains, Type II
40 passages
Ὁμιλίαι εἰς Λευιτικόν
Homilies-Leviticus
17 passages
Πρὸς Ἀφρικανόν
Letter to Africanus
23 passages
Πρὸς Ἄγνωστον
Letter to an Unknown Person, Fabianus Romanus
1 passages
Πρὸς Ἀλεξανδρον Ἱεροσολυμίτην
Letter to Certain Detractors, to Alexander of Jerusalem
1 passages
Πρὸς Γρηγόριον τὸν Θαυματουργόν
Letter to Gregory the Wonderworker
4 passages
Ὁμιλίαι εἰς Ἱερεμίαν α–κ
On Jeremiah Homilies 1–20
99 passages
Περὶ Ἰησοῦ Ὁμιλίαι καὶ Ἀποσπάσματα
On Joshua Homilies 26 Fragments
67 passages
Περὶ τῆς πρὸς Ἑβραίους Ὁμιλίαι καὶ Ἀποσπάσματα
On the Letter to the Hebrews Homilies Fragments
2 passages
Περὶ Ἀναστάσεως
On the Resurrection, Two Books, Fragments
1 passages
Περὶ Ἄσματος Ἀσμάτων
On the Song of Songs, Two Books Written in Youth
1 passages
Περὶ Ἐγγαστριμύθου
On the Ventriloquist
13 passages
Φιλοκαλία ἢ Ἐπιλογὴ ἐκ τῶν Ἀρίστων Ὀριγένους
Origen's Philocalia, Chapters 23, 25–27
54 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα εἰς Θρῆνους
Origen's Works
101 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα εἰς Λουκᾶν
Origen's Works
223 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα εἰς τὸ Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Εὐαγγέλιον
Origen's Works
136 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα εἰς Ἱερεμίαν
Origen's Works
65 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα εἰς Ἱερεμίαν
Origen's Works
4 passages
Ἐργα Ὀριγένους
Origen's Works
110 passages
Ἄλλα Ἀποσπάσματα περὶ Ἀρχῶν
Other Fragments-Principles
1 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὴν Ἀποκάλυψιν
Scholia-Apocalypse
61 passages
Σχόλια εἰς τὴν Ἀποκάλυψιν
Scholia-Apocalypse
23 passages
Σχόλια εἰς Λουκᾶν
Scholia-Luke
50 passages
Σχόλια εἰς Ματθαῖον
Scholia-Matthew
19 passages
Σχόλια εἰς Ἄσμα Ἀσμάτων
Scholia-Song of Songs
22 passages
Ἐκλογαὶ εἰς Δευτερονόμιον
Selections-Deuteronomy
12 passages
Ἐκλογαὶ εἰς Ἔξοδον
Selections-Exodus
16 passages
Ἐκλογαὶ εἰς Ἰεζεκιήλ
Selections-Ezekiel
56 passages
Ἐκλογαὶ εἰς Γένεσιν
Selections-Genesis
42 passages
Ἐκλογαὶ εἰς Ἰώβ
Selections-Job
17 passages
Ἐκλογαὶ εἰς Ἰησοῦν
Selections-Joshua
4 passages
Ἐκλογαὶ εἰς Κριτάς
Selections-Judges
1 passages
Ἐκλογαὶ εἰς Λευιτικόν
Selections-Leviticus
6 passages
Ἐκλογαὶ εἰς Ἀριθμούς
Selections-Numbers
8 passages
Ἐκλογαὶ εἰς Ψαλμούς
Selections-Psalms
498 passages
Δέκα Βιβλία περὶ Ἄσματος Ἀσμάτων
Ten Books-the Song of Songs
51 passages
Ἔργα Ὠριγένους
Works of Origen
83 passages
Ὁμιλίαι εἰς Λουκᾶν
Works of Origen
150 passages