About the soul

About the poetry of St. Gregory the Theologian 1 The poetic heritage of St. Gregory the Theologian still remains insufficiently studied. It has never been published in accordance with the modern level of patristic research. Most of the poetic texts given in the latest computer version of TLG 5 are based on the Greek patrolology of J.-P. Minya, in turn based on the Benedictine edition of A.B. Kayo (A.V. Сaillau) 2. And only individual poems or cycles of poems received critical editions 3 . Moreover, the number of manuscripts dating only to the Byzantine period amounts to hundreds. Blessed Jerome considered St. Gregory is the author of more than 30,000 poetic lines 4. Although two-thirds of the saint’s poetic works have been lost, the volume of the surviving corpus is nevertheless significant and numbers over 400 works. Most of the poems were written in Arian seclusion, where the saint was in the last years of his life (383–390). According to the testimony of St. Gregory, he turned to poetic creativity, partly seeking consolation in fine literature, which he loved throughout his life, partly in competition with those authors whose works were always considered the property of pagan culture, and also for the sake of refuting heretics and instructing his own flock 5 . The poetry of Saint Gregory continues the ancient tradition in those poetic genres that were well known to him from his school days. He writes in quantitative verse, using hexameters, elegiac distichy, iambics, iambic trimeters and pentameters. At the same time, in his poems one cannot detect any Syrian influence, which is clearly visible not only in St. Ephraim, but also at St. Roman the Sweet Singer, and even St. Methodius of Olympia 6. In general, it can be noted that in his poetry St. Gregory tried to bring together and describe in poetic form all aspects of Christian life. Even a quick comparison of the contents of the verses with other works of the saint shows that they fully reflect the range of his theological interests. Expressing himself in his verses much more concisely and figuratively compared to prose, St. Gregory expounded the doctrine of the incomprehensibility of God, His holy Fatherhood, about Christ the Logos and, at the same time, the Sacrifice, High Priest and Shepherd, and about the indisputability of the Divine nature of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps one of the goals of the saint was to ensure that his poems could be memorized and recited as a counterbalance to the hymns of the Arians and Apollinarians, which were very widespread at that time. In the verses of St. Gregory calls for a virtuous life and asceticism; they often talk about grace and church sacraments. They are often imbued with a feeling of love and paternal care for people close to him. The special importance and significance of the poetry of St. We see Gregory in the fact that it allows us to get closer to understanding the personality of one of the greatest Greek theologians. None of the Eastern fathers revealed to such an extent the inner world of their experiences and doubts, disappointments and hopes 8. A.B. Kayo (and after him Minh) divides the poems of St. Gregory the Theologian for two books. The first contains “Theological Poems” and in turn is divided into two parts (sectiones) – “dogmatic” and “moral”. The first of them includes hymns to God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, as well as poems concerning issues of ontology, anthropology and the action of God's providence; The second part includes poems of a predominantly didactic nature; they are devoted to ascetic issues, issues of Christian ethics and morality 9. The second book, significantly larger in volume than the first, contains the so-called “Historical Poems”, and is divided into two parts: “Poems about oneself” and “Poems to others”. The first part is very autobiographical and full of vivid feeling; the second includes poetic works written on a special occasion, such as “Advice to the Olympics,” composed on the occasion of her wedding. This is followed by 128 short epitaphs and 94 epigrams, written in the traditional Hellenistic style of the Greek anthologies, which undoubtedly had an influence on St. Gregory the poet. The addressees of these last works are for the most part unknown to us, and we can assume that this part of the corpus of St. Gregory included a number of inauthentic poems attributed to him. As an appendix to the poetic corpus published by A.B. Kayo, the tragedy “The Suffering Christ” was placed: this text, which for a long time was attributed to St. Gregory, is a centon composed of verses taken from the works of Euripides, and is presumably attributed to the 11th or 12th century 10. In the edition described above, the poem “On the Soul” is included in the first part of the first book and is in 8th place in it 11. It is written in hexameter. Compositionally, its text consists of two sections. In the first (lines 1–52) St. Gregory polemicizes with various non-Christian ideas about the origin and existence of the human soul; the second (lines 53–129) sets out the positive Orthodox teaching on the matter. According to the content, the intonation of the work also changes: irony and even sarcasm, present at the beginning, are replaced by reverence and joy born from contact with the truth. It should be noted that although St. Gregory fully embraced the most important, enduring advantage of ancient culture - the ability and taste for dialectics; he never strives to achieve exhaustive knowledge in the field of philosophical ideas, which are certainly false from the point of view of Christianity 12. In particular, in the poem “On the Soul” not only these ideas themselves, but also their criticism are presented quite briefly and schematically. This is partly explained by the fact that the refutation of paganism began to lose its relevance after the death of Emperor Julian, who tried to revive it in 363, but to some extent it is also determined by the requirements of the poetic genre. In addition, the schematic presentation of ancient concepts of the soul is largely due to the fact that St. Gregory did not rely on primary sources, but on educational summaries like the “Opinions of the Philosophers” (Placita philosophorum) of pseudo-Plutarch or more extensive anthologies (cf., for example, “Anthology” by John Stobaeus). With such textbooks, St. Gregory could have met while studying in Caesarea Palestine, Alexandria and Athens. The question of the need for a poetic translation of the poetic works of St. Gregory has been repeatedly staged by Russian researchers. So, in the middle of the 19th century. Archimandrite Porfiry (Uspensky) wrote with bitterness about this: “...The lack of harmonious musicality of genuine verse constitutes an important and great loss...” 13. The beginning of Russian poetic translations of St. Gregory was ordained St. Philaret (Drozdov), who read the saint’s poems with students of the Bethany Theological Seminary back in the beginning. XIX century 14 However, poetry publications in this early period remained a thing of the future. In 1842, the Mayak magazine published a translation of the poem “Life”, written in hexameter, its author unknown 15. Subsequently, on the occasion of the death of Metropolitan Philaret (Gumilevsky), Archbishop of Chernigov († August 9, 1866), St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, at the very end of his life, at the age of 84, proposed a translation of the “Admonitory Song” (Παρακλητικόν) with exact preservation of the elegiac distich, which was reprinted several times 16. And finally, in 1886 A. Govorov published a fundamental study in Russian, which remains the only one to this day - “St. Gregory as a Christian poet." At the same time, the author, being a subtle connoisseur and connoisseur of the poetry of St. Gregory and quoting it repeatedly, did not dare to undertake a poetic translation 17. The poem “On the Soul” is among other works of St. Gregory in the middle of the 19th century. was translated into Russian by the prose of the prot. Peter Delitsin 18. Recently, abbot, and now bishop Hilarion (Alfeev), in his book “The Life and Teaching of St. Gregory the Theologian” gave a new prose translation of some verses from the poem “On the Soul” 19. Of the translations of other poetic works of St. Gregory, I would like to note the translation of the poem “About Himself and About the Bishops” (Εἰς ἑαυτὸν καὶ περὶ ἐπισκόπων), very competently performed by priest Alexei Yastrebov 20 . However, this is also not a poetic translation. Academician S.S. Averintsev is the only modern philologist who has left examples of remarkable poetic translations from the heritage of St. Gregory the Theologian 21. In conclusion, it should be noted that it is hardly possible to adequately convey poems and the poet’s inner experience contained in them, abandoning their inherent poetic form. At present, it seems very important to help the Russian reader become familiar with the patristic poetic works, especially since Russian literature has a wealth of experience in poetic translation, including the best examples of ancient literature 22 . The content of a truly artistic work always has an enduring freshness, always new in comparison with the content of the ideas expressed in it. At the very beginning of the universe, God saw that His creation was “very good.” Beauty is the universal principle of creation, and to man, the crown of God’s creation, it is in beauty that the word of the Creator and Creator of the world addressed to him is revealed. The reader is offered a poetic translation of the poem “On the Soul” with a parallel Greek text taken from the patrolology of J.-P. Minya (PG 37, 446–456). It is based on the Greek original, taking into account the Latin translation (see ibid.). The author of the translation expresses gratitude to Doctor of Philosophy Yu.A. Shichalin for creative direction and philological editing of the translation. The soul is the breath of God, 23 and yet it suffers confusion, Unborn, with feathers; lamp hidden Yet she is incorruptible and divine, for she cannot The image of the Great God 25 will disappear forever without a trace, As if she were a creeping creature or unreasonable cattle 26, - Even though sin tries to make an immortal mortal. Also, scorching fire is not her nature (after all, it cannot To be a torturer for the victim with your source of life) 27, And not the changeable air that we move with inhalation and exhalation 28; Nor is she a stream of blood running through flesh 29 ; And not the harmony of the bodily members, brought into unity 30, For the immortal form and body are of different nature. How then will the virtuous surpass the worst, If they are beautiful or bad because of the mixture of elements? 31 And why are dumb people deprived of intelligent nature, If their mortal flesh is in harmony with the form, And everything harmonious should be the best, if you believe them? This is how they reason, considering only that as the basis of life, When something is removed, the souls of the bodies are left behind. You would not call food the cause of life, but a mortal I am not able to live without her, because she contains strength and strength. I also know another teaching, although I do not accept it: For the soul, being divided and common among all, 32 is unlikely to wander in the air. After all, if it were so, then the soul Everyone would exhale one and inhale, and everyone who breathes Would be in others, in accordance with the nature of the air, What is poured in one thing or another. Well, if he wanders, - What from her and what from the womb I took for life, If I was drawn into being from outside by the one who gave birth? If you think that she gave birth to many, You reward her with only a large number of souls consumed 33 . And not the teaching of the wise, but an empty book prank, As if the soul is destined to change bodies constantly Lives according to their previous lives - bad or good: Either as punishment for sin, or as some kind of honor according to merit 34. They will dress the soul in clothes, like a certain husband, Then they will be indecently undressed. They rotate with great effort In vain they wheel Ixionovo 35, making the soul Beast, plant, mortal, dog, fish, bird, snake. Often and twice in one, as long as the rotation pleases. Where is the end? I have never seen an intelligent beast, Or the talking thorn. The crow croaks forever, And a dumb fish swims across the salty sea 36. If they say that the soul will undergo imprisonment Karu, then there’s no point in arguing with them. After all, if without flesh, - Strange. And with the flesh, which of the many will you consign to fire? But something else is more incomprehensible: after all, if with other bodies You connected me and made me knowledgeable in many things, How only one thing escapes my mind: who first Who was my skin, who then, and how many did I die? But it's clear The one who imposes the bond is not rich in souls at all, but in bags. Or have I forgotten my previous lives because of my long wanderings? Listen now to our perfect word about the soul. Here I’ll try to embellish my song a little. It was like this: the highest Word of the mind approved The world, which did not exist until then, was inspired by the mind of the Father 37 He spoke, and it was done according to His will. And as soon as The world was ordered, becoming land, sky and sea, A contemplator of Wisdom, the mother of beings, became needed, God-fearing king of creation; here the Word said: “The expansive sky is full of pure, immortal servants, Intact minds, virtuous faithful angels, Hymns of those who ever sing to My endless glory; Only unreasonable creatures decorate the earth with themselves. The race in whom I now desire to create both, A wise man standing between immortals and mortals, May he enjoy My works. May he be Heaven Wise secret, great ruler of the earth and new An angel of dust, a witness of My mind and greatness! 38 Thus he speaks, and, taking a little of the newly created dust, With ever-living hands, he creates a human image. And giving away from His life, He sends into it Spirit, which is an invisible branch of the Deity 39. So from the dust of the earth and the breath I was created, a mortal - Image of the Immortal; for reason reigns over both 40. That is why, like the earth, I am connected with life here, My heart is drawn to it there as a communicant The first-born man was thus mated, and later The body was born from flesh, but the soul through an unexplored path It penetrated into the ringed composition, as he knows He who first breathed the soul, betrothed His image to the earth. Unless someone boldly (but, however, following many) To help my speeches, the following explanation will be offered 42: Just like the body that was first molded from dust, Afterwards it became a stream of people, an endless branching The created root, which has enclosed us all one by one, So the inspired soul of God from that time to this, Reborn from the original seed, enters In every composition of man, but, distributed among many, In mortal bodies it always retains its image unchanged. With him he receives the dominion of the mind 43. But - as in small Strong breathing on flutes sounds ugly and weak, Even though the flute player is skilled, when will he get his hands on The flutes are big, they pour out beautiful sounds - So is the soul, in weak parts it is weak, but in strong parts It glows brightly and fully reveals the power of the mind. When the immortal Son created His man, So that he finds new glory, and, leaving the earth 44, To God as God in the last days ascended 45, He created neither completely free, nor completely bound; Having given nature its law, having outlined virtue In his heart, he settled in a flowering tract of paradise, Equally inclined, having created what he will choose while waiting; He was naked and did not yet know either sin or deceit. Paradise is heavenly life, as it seems to me 46. In it And he settles, the fulfiller of God’s covenants. Only from a single tree, which was more perfect than others And contained within itself the distinction between good and evil Completely, God restrained the man. But complete knowledge Only those who succeed are benefited, while those who are inexperienced are harmed, Likewise, adult food is always difficult for babies. The same man-killer with envious tricks And succumbing to the persuasion of the wife of the spoken word, I tasted the sweet fruit before its time, recklessly, And he clothed himself in white flesh, in clothes made of skin 47, Having fallen into decay (since Christ moderated sin by death). So the man returned to the land from which he came, Having accepted the share of a difficult life. And the sacred tree God has been protecting us with fiery jealousy ever since; So that some new Adam, like the old one, before the deadline Didn’t go inside, and didn’t miss the fruit of the devouring sweetness, Being evil, he would not have eaten from the tree of life. And just like that, Like a sailor, carried away by bad weather, leaves his goal, Afterwards, entrusting the sail to a light breeze, Or on the oars it’s difficult to return to the same path, We, having departed into an endless distance from the Great God, Once again, not without much effort, we complete the longed-for hike. This one came, sown by the firstborn, Trouble is coming to people, and a deadly spike has grown from it. Uspensky 1863 – Porfiry (Uspensky), archimandrite. About the poems of St. Gregory the Theologian // Proceedings of the Kiev Theological Academy, 1863. T. 1. pp. 398–430. Govorov 1886 – Govorov A. St. Gregory the Theologian as a Christian poet. Kazan: Printing house of the Imperial University, 1886. Korsunsky 1894 – Korsunsky I. On the history of the Greek language and its literature at the Moscow Theological Academy Sergiev Posad, 1894. Mysterious chants 2000 – St. Gregory the Theologian. The chants are mysterious. M.: Rule of Faith, 2000. Alfeev 2001 – Hilarion (Alfeev), abbot. Life and teaching of St. Gregory the Theologian. St. Petersburg, 2001 Musurillo 1970 – Musurillo H. The Poetry of Gregory of Nazianzus // Thought 45, 1970. No. 176. P. 45–55. Ps – Plut. Placit. – Pseudo-Plutarchus. Placita philosophorum/ed. J. Ma u, Plutarchi Moralia. Vol. 5.2.1. Leipzig, 1971. Patillion, Segonds 1995 – Porphyre. De l'abstinence T. III. Livre IV / Text ed., trad et annoté par M . Patillion et A. Ph. Segonds avec le concours de L. Briss on. Paris, 1995. The general background information in the introductory article is taken from the article: Musurillo 1970. See also: Uspensky 1863; Govorov 1886; Pellegrino M. La poesia di S. Gregorio Nazianzeno. Milan, 1932; Router R. Gregory of Nazianzus: Rhetor and Philosopher. Oxford, 1969. S. Patris nostri Gregorii Theologi opera omnia, quae extant post operam et studium monachorum ordinis S. Benedicti edente et accurante. A.V. Caillau. T. II. Paris, 1842 (The publication by A.B. Caillot is Volume II, which includes the poetic works of St. Gregory; Volume I, with prose works, was published much earlier by D. Clemencet [Paris, 1778].) A list of poems from this inaccessible edition, indicating pages, poetic meters, number of verses and the name of the previous publisher (Billia, Muratori or Toll) can be found in as a separate appendix in: Govorov 1886. pp. I–XII. For earlier editions, see Govorov 1886. pp. 9–29. List of poetic works of St. Gregory, included in TLG in addition to PG. De vita sua (ed. C. Jungck 1974. TLG 2022/4. P. 34–148); Comparatio vitarum (= carmen morale 8), (ed. H.M. Werhahn 1953. 2022/12 P. 22–29); De testamentis et adventu Christi (= carmen dogmaticum 9, additamentum inter vv 18 et 19) (ed B. Wyss. 1946. 2022/13. P. 161–163); Alphabeticum paraeneticum 1 (e cod. Patm. 33) (ed. J. Sakkelion. 1890. 2022/14 Σ. 18–19); Epigrammata (2022/57). Hier. Strid. De viris illustribus, 117, PL 23, 707. Greg. Naz. Carmina de se ipso, 39, PG 37, 1331:14–1333:9. In this respect, he can be compared with St. Augustine in the west (see, for example, his Confessions). About the didactic poetry of St. Gregory see: Ackermann W. Die didaktische Poesie des Gregorius von Nazianz. Leipzig, 1903. Christus patiens [Dub.] (fort, auctore Constantino Manasse), ed. A. Tuilier. Grégoire de Nazianze. La passion du Christ. Paris: Cerf, 1969. pp. 124–338 [SC 149] (TLG 2022/3). On the problem of the authenticity of this text, see p. 11–18. In Russian translations on the 7th. Compare: Ruether R.R. Gregory of Nazianzus, Rhetor and Philosopher. New York; Oxford, 1969. P. 26. Lighthouse, 1842. T. IV. pp. 17–18 (Republished in: Mysterious Chants 2000. P. 11). St. Philaret translated from the Greek text written especially for him by Archpriest. A. Gorsky. See: Korsunsky 1894. P. 25. For the first time a translation of St. Philareta was published in: Spiritual conversation. 1868. T. I. S. 22. Then in: Govorov 1886. pp. 263–264; Soulful reading. 1890. Part I. P. 92; Korsunsky 1894. P. XVII; The chants are mysterious. 2000. P. 12. The translations given in the book are far from poetic. See, for example: Govorov 1886. pp. 272–274. See, for example. Creations like the saints of our father Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople. T. 1–6. M., 1843–1848. List of Russian translations of St. Gregory is listed in: Bibliographic index of TSO // BV 3. 2003. P. 276–349. Alfeev 2001. P. 310, 311. For translations of other poems, see: Alfeev 2001. pp. 18, 19, 26, 28–29, 30, 33–35, 54–57, etc. Creg. Naz. Carmina de se ipso 12, PG 37, 1166–1227. Rus. Transl.: Church and time. 22. 2003. No. 1. P. 106–172. See: Pearl of Great Price: St. Ephraim the Syrian, St. Gregory the Theologian, Palladius of Elenopol, rev. Roman Sladkopevets, teacher. Isaac the Syrian, Rev. John of Damascus, Rev. Theodore / Trans. S.S. Averintseva. K.: Spirit i Litera, 2003. P. 109–115 (Doxology = Song to God 2 [TSO Bibliographic Index, No. 147]; Apophatic Doxology = Song to God 1 [No. 146]; Reflection = To oneself in questions and answers [No. 67]; On the grave of the father = Tombstones, Father 1 [No. 321]; Epitaph of the Mother = Tombstone, Mother who died in the sanctuary 14 [No. 324]; Lamentation of Gregory about himself 3 [No. 173]; Fall = Lamentation and supplication to Christ 4 [No. 166]; Steps of Resentment = Unkind Friends 1 [No. 233]; Chastity 2 [No. 224]). Among the translators one can name such names as N.I. Gnedich, V.A. Zhukovsky, I.F. Annensky, A.A. Fet, V.V. Veresaev, V.Ya. Bryusov, S.V. Shervinsky, whose tradition is successfully continued today by M.L. Gasparov, Yu.A. Shichalin and others. Saint Gregory begins by affirming the fundamental thesis of Christian anthropology, based on Holy Scripture: “And the Lord God created man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). The image is certainly inspired by Plato's famous myth of the cave (Plat. Resp. 514a:1–518b:4). On the synthesis of biblical ideas about man and ancient philosophical anthropology, see: Elverson A.S. The Dual Nature of Man. A Study in the Theological Anthropology of Gregory of Nazianzus. Uppsala, 1981 and Alfeev 2001, pp. 306–307. However, it is better to say that St. Gregory, like most of the Eastern holy fathers, appears before us as a well-educated Greek Christian, a teacher of the Church, who uses in his theological reasoning images learned from school, reinterpreting them in the spirit of Christian doctrine. Compare: “And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him...” (Gen. 1:27). St. Gregory argues with those who argued that the human soul is mortal, in particular with the followers of Democritus and Epicurus. In the textbook of pseudo-Plutarch we read: συνδιαφθειρομένην (Ps – Plut Placit. 899C:7. Here and further, whenever possible, references are made to the certainly famous pseudo-Plutarch St. Gregory). Criticism of Democritus, who believed that the soul consists of spherical mobile atoms, similar to atoms of fire: θεωρητῶν, σφαιρικὰς μὲν ἐχόντων τὰς ἰδέας, πυρίνην δὲ τὴν δύναμιν, ὅπερ σῶμα εἶναι (Ps-Plut. Placit. 898D:3–5). This refers to the idea of ​​the soul as air or breath, characteristic of representatives of the Ionian tradition, for example, Anaximenes, Heraclitus, and philosophers whose views were formed under its influence. Thus, in pseudo-Plutarch about Anaxagoras: Οἱ δ´ ἀπ´ Ἀναξαγόρου ἀεροειδῆ ἔλεγόν τε καὶ σῶμα ( Ps.-Plut PL Placit. 898D:1. Empedocles believed that human consciousness lies in the blood: Ἐμπεδοκλῆς ἐν τῇ τοῦ αἵματος συστάσει (Ps.-Plut. Placit. 899A:13). Simmias speaks about the soul as a combination of bodily qualities (κρᾶσιν οὖσαν τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν ἐν τῷ σώματι) in Plato’s dialogue “Phaedo” (Plat. Phaed. 85e.3–86d:4). In the commentary by A.F. Losev and A.A. Tiho-Godi to the Russian translation of the dialogue with reference to the book of H. Dils (Diels H. Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker. Griechisch und deutsch. Berlin, 1959–1960, 44A:23) it is said that perhaps here we are talking about the teaching of the Pythagoreans, whose students were Simmias and Cebes: “Macrobius reports: “Pythagoras and Philolaus said that the soul is harmony"; “They say that it is a kind of harmony, for harmony is a mixture and combination of opposites, and the body consists of opposites” (Quoted from: Plato. Phaedo. Symposium. Phaedrus. Parmenides. M., 1999. pp. 431–432). The peripatetic Dicaearchus taught about the soul as a more or less harmonious mixture of four elements: Placit. 898D:8). The Stoic doctrine of the human soul as part of the world's rational soul is criticized. According to this teaching, the soul in the form of a kind of hot breath (πνεῦμα θερμόν, Ps-Plut. Placit. 898D:2) permeates the whole world and with death is separated from the body, ceasing to be the bearer of personal properties. The fact that all souls are parts of a single whole can also be read in Plotinus’s Enneads (Plotin. Enn. 4.9 1:1 – 4.9 5:28 [ed. P. Henry, H.–R. Schwyzer]). In addition, the Manichaeans taught that there is one universal soul, scattered and divided in individual bodies, both animate and inanimate. Unlike, in particular, the Neoplatonists, they argued that when entering the body, the very essence of the soul is divided into parts. On this see: Nevesius Emesenus. De natura hominis 2. P. 516–546 (ed. B. Einarson). A place that requires clarification. Apparently, St. Gregory, with the sarcasm characteristic of him in a critical manner, poses a rhetorical question here, which can be developed as follows: “If, despite my previous statement, we still assume that the soul remains (μένει) divided among everyone, common to everyone and wandering through the air, then what part of my soul did I receive from this common soul, and what part from the mother who gave birth to me? If we assume that this mother gave birth to many, then she simply devoured a large number of souls.” St. Gregory polemicizes with the doctrine of the transmigration of souls, or “metempsychosis” (μετεμψύχωσις, properly “re-inspiration”). In a certain sense, it would be more accurate to talk about changes in bodies or “metensomatosis”, and this term is indeed found in later authors (see, for example, in Hippolytus: εἶναι γὰρ οὔτοι [sc. Pythagoras, Plato and their followers] τῶν ψυχῶν μετενσωμάτωσιν νομίζουσιν, ὠς καὶ ὁ Ἐμπεδοκλῆς πυθαγορίζων λέγει. Refutatio omnium haeresium. 6, 26, 2, 4–5 [= Philosophumena / ed. M. 1986]. The word “metempsychosis,” which has come into modern use, is first found in Diodorus Siculus (1st century BC) (Diod. Siculus. Bibliotheca historica, 10, 6 [ed. F. Vogel, K. T. Fischer. 1890]); then in Galen (Gal. De substantia facultatum naturalium fragmentum, 4, 763, 7 [= De propriis placitis fragmentum, ed. C.G. Kuhn 1964]); in Alexander Aphrodisiensis (Alexander Aphrodisiensis. De anima, 27, 18 [ed. I. Bruns. 1887]). This term is especially characteristic of the Neoplatonic tradition, it is found in Porphyry (Porph. De abstinentia, 4, 16, 2. TLG 2034/3 [= Patillion, Segonds 1995. P. 25]; see also: Patillion, Segonds 1995. Note 229. P. 82); in Hermias as presented by Stobeus (Jo. Stobeus. Anthologium. 1, 49, 69 [Vol. 1. Berlin, 1884]) and others. It is necessary to distinguish between teachings according to which the soul enters the “first available” body, and religious and philosophical concepts in which the ascent or descent of the soul along the hierarchical ladder of living beings is determined by the moral merits of the personality of the deceased, i.e. is interpreted as posthumous retribution. Judging by the testimony of Aristotle: “... according to Pythagorean myths, any soul can put on any random body” (... Aristoteles De anima. 407b21–23 [ed. W . D Ross 1961]), the Pythagoreans were characterized by the first form of “metempsychosis”, which caused Heraclitus’s protest, “the more worthy the death, the better the fate” (μέζονες μέζονας μοίρας λαγχάνουσι. Heraclitus Ephesius. Fr. 25 [ed. H. Kranz. Plato adopted the doctrine of “metempsychosis” from the Pythagorean tradition, rethinking it in the spirit of moral retribution (the most developed presentation is the myth of Er (Plat. Resp. 614b–621d)). It is with this interpretation of the doctrine of the transmigration of souls that St. polemicizes. Grigory. Ixion is a hero of Greek mythology who, as punishment for his wickedness, was tied to an ever-revolving wheel in Tartarus. Here is almost a retelling of an excerpt quoted by Diogenes Laertius from the unpreserved work of Empedocles: I was once a boy, I was once a virgin, Was a bush, was a bird, and a dumb fish of the sea ἢδη γὰρ ποτ´ ἐγὼ γενὸμην κοῦρός τε κόρη τε θάμνος τ´ οἰωνός τε καὶ ἔξαλος ἔλλοπος ἰχθύς (Diogenes Laertius. Vitae philosophorum 8, 77: 5–6 St. Gregory emphasizes that all three Persons of the Holy Trinity participated in the act of creation (see also line 73), establishing and developing the corresponding Christian teaching. The Gospel testifies that everything came into being through the Word: “All things came into being through Him, and without Him nothing began to be that was made” (John 1:3). The Book of Genesis speaks of the presence of the Holy Spirit during creation: “...and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters” (Gen. 1, 2). St. Irenaeus of Leon wrote: “Man was created in the beginning by the hands of God, that is, by the Son and the Spirit” τοῦ Θεοῦ, τουτέστιν ϒἱοῦ καὶ Πνεύματος. Adversus haereses. Rousseau, L. Doutreleau, S. Mercier 1969]). St. himself Gregory, in his second accusatory word on Julian, speaks of the creative role of the Word: “God with the Word dispelled darkness, with the Word brought forth light, established the earth, rounded the sky, set up the stars, poured out the air, set limits to the sea, extended rivers, animated animals, created man in His image (πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐμόρφωσε)” (PG 35, 704:25–29). He also speaks about the participation of the Holy Spirit in creation: “and thought became deed, which was filled with the Word and completed by the Spirit” (καὶ τὸ ἐννόημα ἔργον ἦν Λόγῳ St. Gregory almost repeats St. Basil the Great, according to which God the Father creates through the Son and completes in the Holy Spirit: “For there is one beginning of all things, through the Son he creates and completes in the Spirit” (Ἀρχὴ γὰρ τῶν ὄντων μία, δι´ ϒἱοῦ δημιουργοῦσα, καὶ τελειοῦσα ἐν Πνεύματι. De Spiritu Sancto 16, 38, 21–23 [ed. B. Pruche 1968]. also the entire 16th chapter of this book of St. Basil). Saint Gregory more than once touches upon issues of anthropology in his other works. Thus, about the fact that a person contains both material and spiritual principles, see: In theophany (PG 36, 321: 45–324: 7) and the same text in: In sanctum Pascha (PG 36, 632: 7–19). Wed. also in: Ι. Περὶ ἁρετῆς from C armina moralia (PG 37, 688:8–689:1). Both in the Russian translation of the 19th century and in Bishop Hilarion (Alfeev) ἀμφοτέροισι is given as “in both,” apparently in the sense that reason dominates both in mortal (βροτός), i.e. in man, and in the Immortal, i.e. in God, in whose image man was created. However, it would be more accurate to translate “over both,” meaning above the dust and the breath. Famous researcher of the heritage of St. Gregory J. Mosset gives the following translation of this passage: “Je fus composé de poussière et de souffle, image mortelle de l'immortel; oui, en effet, la nature de l'intelligence commande aux deux principes" (“I was conjugated from dust and breath; the mortal image of the Immortal, for in reality the nature of the mind controls two principles”) (Justin Mossay. La mort et l'au-delà dans saint Grégoire de Nazianze. Louvain, 1966. P. 119). He believes that St. Gregory reveals the three principles of human nature, about the mystery and paradox of which the saint writes in such works as Περὶ ἁρετῆς (in Russian translation: “On humility, chastity and abstinence”) (8, Carmina moralia, PG 37, 68, 5: 5–11) and De theologia (“On the second theology”) (Orat. 28, 22:1–23:18 [ed. J. Barbel. 1963]). In the poem “Against Apollinaris on the Incarnation” (Κατὰ Ἀπολλιναρίου, περὶ ἐνανθρωπήσεως) the three-component nature of human nature is spoken of as an immutable truth: We know that it is composed of three parts The highest mind has rewarded human nature Souls, fatness of body and mind. Νοῦν τὸν μέγιστον ἴσμεν ἀνθρώπου φύσιν Πᾶσαν παγέντα, ἐκ τριῶν συγκειμένην, Ψυχῆς τε καὶ νοῦ καὶ πάχους τοῦ σώματος 10, Carmina dogmatica, PG 37. 464:11–465:2. However, it should be noted that some holy fathers and church writers had a different opinion on this matter. On the problem of dichotomy and trichotomy, see, for example: Vladimirsky F.S. The relationship of Nemesius’ cosmological and anthropological views to patristic literature and his influence on subsequent writers // Nemesius of Emesa. About human nature. M., 1998. pp. 269–306. In the poem “On Virtue” (Περὶ ἀρετῆς) by St. George, speaking about human nature, uses the same image: Θεοῦ τε μοῖραν ἣν ἔχει σέβων (10, Carmina moralia, PG 37, 690:6). Wed. also: 9, Carmina moralia, PG 37, 678:2. Compare similar reasoning in the treatise of St. Gregory of Nyssa “On the structure of man.” According to the saint, human development is a single organic process, during which “in a certain natural order the power inherent in the seed is manifested” σπέρματι δύναμιν φανεροῦσθαι. Greg, Nys. De opificio hominis, PG 44, 236:14–15), and that, as the adult species is first inherent in man, “so there is a soul in him, although not manifested; but it will manifest itself through its inherent natural energy, developing along with the growth of the body" φαινομένη, φανήσεται δὲ διὰ τῆς οἰκείας ἑαυτῆς καὶ κατὰ φύσιν ἐνεργείας, τῇ σωματικῇ αὐξήσει συμπροϊοῦσα 243:43–46). As V.M. rightly notes. Lurie in his commentary to his translation of this work by St. Gregory of Nyssa, such a concept is “a patristic alternative to the doctrine of the gradual growth and development of an initially absent rational soul... The soul is not absent, but its existence does not appear at first, the soul exists as a possibility and only gradually comes into reality” (St. Gregory of Nyssa. On the structure of man. St. Petersburg, 2000. pp. 172–173). In addition, cf.: Nemesius Emesenus. De natura hominis, 2, 246–515. There is a possibility that St. Gregory knew this treatise of the Bishop of Emesa. According to some assumptions, they could even know each other personally. About this see: Khorkov M.L. Nemesius of Emesa and his essay “On the Nature of Man” // Nemesius of Emesa. About human nature. M, 1998. pp. 451–457. In the existing Russian versions, γαῖαν ἀμείψας is translated as “replacing the earthly in oneself” or “changing the earthly in oneself.” These translations are an interpretation of the text that is fully consistent with Orthodox teaching. However, the literal translation is “leaving the earth.” See Latin translations of this passage in: PG 37, 454. In another of his works, St. Gregory the Theologian writes “the purpose of human life is ... become God and spirit, Having thrown off the plumpness and the opposite flesh, Take your place in the radiant and angelic choir, Having acquired glory in great works, greater than before.” Ѳεὸν, καὶ πνεῦµα γενέσθαι, Σάρκ' ἀποδυσάµενος καὶ πάχος ἀντίτυπον, Ἀγγελικοῦ τε χοροῖο λαχεῖν στάσιν αἰγλήεντος Μεῖζον τῶν µεγάλων ἆθλον ἔχων καµάτων. 45, Carmina de se ipso. PG 37, 1355:3–5. According to St. Athanasius the Great, God gives man His image - the Logos. God puts in man an attraction to the knowledge of the Logos, so that in Him man will know the Father and find true bliss in this knowledge (Ath. Alex. De incarnatione Vegbi, PC 25, 11, 1: 1–12, 6.7). The Orthodox teaching about the purpose of the creation of man received the greatest development from St. Maximus of the Confessor, according to which man had to, having consistently overcome the division of existence into male and female, paradise and the rest of the earth, earth and sky, sensual and speculative and, finally, created and uncreated, unite with God. And then man would - by grace - possess everything that God possesses by nature (see: Max. Conf. De ambiguis, PG 91, 1305C-1308B). On paradise and the fall cf.: Greg. Naz. Hom. 27–37. R. 126–130 (ed. C. Moreschini, P. Gallay. 1990 [SC 358]). For various ideas about heaven, see: Dionysius (Shlenov), hieromonk. The Mystery of Paradise: excerpts about paradise from the theological works of St. Nikita Stifata on the Slavic “Dioptra” of Philip the Hermit (with theological and exegetical commentary) // BV 3. 2003. pp. 70–128. Wed: Gen. 3, 21. According to St. Gregory, the “leather vestments” (δερμάτινοι χιτῶνες), which God gave to Adam and Eve after the Fall, are human flesh. This interpretation is typical for the Alexandrian tradition (see, for example: Alfeev 2001, p. 318). Wed. also from Gregory of Nyssa: “And by skin, I think, we should mean the form of the unreasonable nature in which we, doomed to suffering, are clothed” (δέρμα δὲ ἀκούων τὸ σχῆμα τῆς ἀλόγου φύσεως νοεῖν μοι δοκῶ, ᾧ πρὸς τὸ πάθος οἰκειωθέντες περιεβλήθημεν. Greg. Dialogus de anima et resurrectione, PC 46, 148: 41–43). Translation, introductory article and notes by the priest. Andrey Zuevsky You might be interested in: