Глава XLII. Об ипостаси

The name: “hypostasis” has two meanings. Sometimes it means simple being. According to this meaning, substance and hypostasis are one and the same. Therefore, some of the holy fathers said: “natures, or hypostases.” Sometimes the same name; hypostasis means being in itself, being independent. According to this meaning, it is understood as an individual who differs from others only numerically, for example, Peter, Paul, a particular horse. It should be noted that neither substance exists in itself without species, nor essential difference, nor species, nor accident, but only hypostases, or individuals. In them one contemplates (θεωρουνται) substances, and essential differences, and species, and accidents. At the same time, simple substance is contemplated equally in all hypostases: inanimate and animate, rational and unreasonable, mortal and immortal. On the contrary, the essential differences in inanimate are different from those in animate; among the reasonable - different from those among the unreasonable; those of immortals are different from those of mortals. In a word, the hypostases of each lowest type are characterized by the same essential differences, which, on the one hand, connect them with each other through the concept of substance, and on the other, separate them from the hypostases of another type. In the same way they are contemplated in them, i.e. in hypostases and accidents, separating each hypostasis from hypostases of the same type. Therefore, the individual is called primarily by the name of hypostasis, because (only) in him the substance, together with its accidents, receives real existence (ενεργεια ὑφισταται). You might be interested in: