Книга пятая вера, поиск и познание

I. Harmony of faith and knowledge (1.1) With this we end our brief discussion of who can be called a Gnostic 848 and move on to a detailed study of the issue of faith. Some believe that through faith the Son is revealed to us, while knowledge (γνώσις) leads to the Father. (2) However, they forgot that in order to really believe in the Son, namely, to believe that He is the Son, that He came, and in what way, and for what purpose, and also what is the meaning of His sufferings, it is necessary to know that there is a Son of God. (3) This means that there cannot be faith without knowledge, just as there cannot be knowledge without faith, just as there is no son if there was no father, and accordingly, the father is the father of the son. 849 The Son is the true Teacher who reveals the Father. (4) Therefore, in order to believe in the Son, one must know the Father, with whom the Son is, and, on the contrary, faith in what the Son of God teaches is necessary for knowing the Father. So, from faith to knowledge, through the Son to the Father. Knowledge of the Father and the Son in accordance with the Gnostic rule 850, understandable only to true Gnostics, is the comprehension and embrace of truth through truth. 851 (5) Therefore, we believe in the incredible and know the unknowable, that is, that which no one else knows and seems incredible, but which few Gnostics believe and know. And they prefer not to express this in words or deeds, but confirm it with their contemplative life. (2.1) Happy is he whose words reach the ears of the hearers. 852 Faith is the ear of the soul, and it is to faith that the Lord mysteriously hints, saying: “He who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15), since only thanks to faith is the one who believes able to understand the meaning of what is said as it is said. (2) But Homer, the oldest of poets, uses the word hear in the sense of understanding, using a specific [term] instead of a generic one. He writes: I invite you to listen to my word. 853 That is, only mutual correspondence and agreement of the opinions of the two parties ultimately leads to the resolution of the dispute (salvation). (3) The infallible witness the Apostle speaks about it this way: “I greatly desire to see you, so that I may impart to you another spiritual gift for your strengthening, that is, to be comforted with you by the common faith, yours and mine.” And again below: “In him the truth of God is revealed, from faith to faith” 854. (4) The apostle seems to be teaching here a twofold faith, or rather a twofold faith, which can grow and improve. (5) At the basis of everything lies a common faith. (It is in this sense that the Lord, touched by his faith, said to the one striving for healing: “Your faith has saved you” - Matt. 9:22) (6) Another faith, the faith of a few, is based on this first one, is improved through it, and it is this one, thanks to the teaching, that achieves its full development through the commandment of the Logos. Such was the faith of the apostles, which is said to move mountains and remove trees (Matthew 17:20). (3.1) That is why they asked the Lord, realizing the greatness of his powers, for faith, which is “like a mustard seed” (Lk. 17:5) penetrates the soul and grows in it to such an extent that the mind itself rests on its foundation (Matthew 13:31–32). Basilides, Valentinus and Marcion on faith (2) Let us suppose that someone knows God by nature, as Basilides imagines; then [this chosen one] must have a mind better than faith, kingdom and ["sonship"] 855; interpreting the essence of the created as close in dignity to the creator, about such he says that faith is inherent in them, and is not in their power, by nature and hypostasis, as an inexpressible good of the all-surpassing creation, and is not acquired as a result of a rational choice made by the soul. (3) But then all the commandments of the Old and New Testaments are superfluous, because salvation is possible by nature, as Valentinus believes, or because some believe and are chosen by nature, as Basilides thinks. In this case, nature itself could be sanctified without waiting for the coming of the Savior. (4) If the coming of the Savior was necessary, as they themselves admit, then the advantage of nature is lost, and the elect are saved through discipleship, purification and good works, and not at all only “by nature.” (4:1) Abraham, then, who believed what was promised to him under the oak tree at Moor: “I will give this land to you and to your descendants,” 856 was he chosen or not? If not, then how did he believe then, if faith is given only by nature? If he was chosen, then their hypothesis collapses at its foundation, since it turns out that election and salvation existed before the coming of the Savior, since Abraham’s faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 857 (2) If anyone, following Marcion, dares to assert that the Demiurge saves those who believe in him even before the Savior comes, independently carrying out the act of salvation, then he slanders the Good Power, for it turns out that it begins to save only later and after the call of the Demiurge, having learned from him and in imitation of him. (3) And if, nevertheless, the All-Good One saves himself, then this salvation turns out to be not his unique work, and he does not do this in accordance with the original plan of the Creator, but under duress and with the help of some trick. (4) In this case, how can he be All-Good, being second? And if we are talking here about different places, and the location of the Almighty and the Good God are different, then all the same, the will of the Savior cannot lag behind the will of the Good God or obey it. (5.1) Thus, as can be seen from the previous, all these infidels are foolish: “Their ways are crooked and they do not know peace” (Is. 59:8), as the prophet says, or “Avoid foolish and useless debates, since they give rise to quarrels” 858, as the divine Paul advises. Or, according to Aeschylus: Do not exhaust yourself in vain labors in vain. 859 (2) Therefore, only those studies that are in agreement with faith and on its basis erect a magnificent edifice of true gnosis can be considered the best. (3) In the same way, it is foolish to make obvious things the subject of inquiry (for example, asking in the afternoon whether it is day), or to try to know what is unclear and cannot be known (for example, whether the number of stars is even or odd), or what is ambiguous (about which one can equally assert the direct and the opposite, for example, asking whether a child is alive in the womb or not). And finally, the fourth trope, when no matter how we consider a thing, an irresistible, but at the same time insoluble argument can be made regarding it. 860 (4) If, due to all these tropes, research becomes impossible, faith comes into its own. Let us present to our opponents an irresistible proof: God's own words, and on each of the subjects we examine we will give an answer based on Scripture itself. (6.1) And is there anyone who is godless to such an extent that he will not believe God himself and demand proof from him, as from a simple person? Further, some questions are answered by sensory experience; this is how we learn, for example, that fire is hot and snow is white; other questions are reprehensible, and the one who asks them, according to Aristotle 861, deserves censure, as, for example, the one who asks whether parents should be honored or not. For some questions one must be punished, such as one who demands proof of the existence of Providence. (2) Well, since Providence exists, then to think that all the prophecies and economy of the Savior are not in accordance with it is already impiety. Therefore it is best to refrain from attempting to prove this, since the divine Providence itself becomes visible through the contemplation of the physical world, skillfully and wisely created, arising in accordance with a certain order and manifesting itself in accordance with the order. (3) He who gave us existence and life also gave us reason, wanting us to live wisely and for good. After all, the word of the Father of all is not a “spoken word,” but wisdom and the most expressive divine goodness, and omnipotent power - true divinity; Even those who do not profess it are not devoid of ideas about it; it is the omnipotent will. (7.1) But since some do not believe, while others are prone to empty arguments, not everyone ultimately succeeds in achieving the perfect good. And achieving it is impossible without some preliminary plan, although not everything depends on our desire, such as, for example, our future. (2) “By grace we shall be saved” (Eph. 2:5), but not without good works, since, being created for good, we must strive for it. (3) A sober mind is necessary in order to strive unfalteringly for what is good, and for this we are given divine grace, right instruction and purity of feelings, as well as an attraction that directs us to the Father. (4) After all, being inextricably linked with earthly bodies, we comprehend the corporeal with our senses, while the intelligible is known by the power of reason alone. 862 (5) Anyone who believes that he can comprehend everything only through the power of feelings is far from the truth. For this reason, the apostle says about the spiritual knowledge of God: “We see through a glass darkly, but then face to face.” 863 (6) Indeed, few are given the opportunity to see the truth, or, as Plato says in the Post-Law: “I cannot say that all people will be able to achieve bliss and happiness. This share is only for a few. This is unattainable during life, but one can hope to have all the benefits after the end.” 864 (7) Moses says the same thing: “No one living is able to see My face” (Ex. 33:20). From this it is clear that no one can hope to see God during life, but “the pure in heart will see God” (Matthew 5:8) when they reach the final perfection. (8) Since our soul is too weak and is not capable of grasping the meaning of existence itself, it needs a divine mentor. Therefore, the Savior was sent to her, the good Teacher of all creation and its leader, revealing the holy knowledge of the incomprehensible Providence. (8.1) “Where is the scribe, where is the questioner of this age? Has not God turned the wisdom of this world into foolishness? 865 And again: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and reject the understanding of the prudent,” 866 and this is said, obviously, about those who like to philosophize and argue. (2) And here are the words of the all-good Jeremiah: “Thus says the Lord: Stand still in your ways... and ask about the ancient ways, where is the good way, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls” (Jer. 6:16). (3) “Question,” it is said, and test those who know, but not in order to contradict or quarrel with them. Having learned about the true path, stick to it relentlessly until you achieve what you want. (4) The Roman king Numa, being a Pythagorean, acted very wisely when he was the first of the people to build a church to Faith and Peace. 867 (5) Abraham's faith was "counted to him as righteousness," 868 since at first he indulged in the contemplation of celestial phenomena and the philosophy of the movement of celestial bodies, for which he was called Abram, that is, "exalted father." (6) Afterwards, looking up to heaven and seeing with spiritual eyes the Son, or, as some exegetes believe, an angel in glory, or through some other means, having come to the realization that God is superior to all creation and its entire order, he added to his name the letter “alpha,” the sign of the one and only God, and began to be called Abraham, from the explorer of nature, which he was before, turning into a sage and friend of God. This name can also be interpreted as “the chosen father of sound,” since the spoken word sounds, but the mind is its father, and the mind of a person is a sign of his chosenness. 869 (9.1) Where can we find words to adequately glorify the Akragant poet, who sang of faith in the following verses: Oh my friend, know that there is truth in myths too, that I will reveal to you. But only difficult and suspicious there is a rush of conviction [to penetrate] into the mind for people. 870 (2) Therefore, the apostle exhorts “that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men” who are skilled in the art of persuasion, “but in the power of God,” 871 which alone and without any proof is capable of leading to salvation through faith alone. (3) “Therefore, the perfect sage recognizes what is imaginary in order to warn against it,” says the Ephesian, and adds: “The truth will overtake the masters of lies and false witnesses.” 872 (4) Apparently, he learned from the barbarians about the purification of sinners by fire. Later, the Stoics called this cleansing “burning out (έκπύρωσις),” 873 also believing that everyone will be resurrected as they are. 874 (5) But Plato also writes about this, believing that the earth at certain periods of time undergoes purification by fire and water: “There have already been and will continue to be multiple and various cases of death of people, the most terrible from fire and water, and less significant ones due to thousands of other disasters.” (6) And a little lower: “Indeed, bodies, rotating in the vault of heaven around the earth, deviate from their paths and therefore, at certain intervals, everything on earth perishes from a great fire.” (7) And then he says this about the flood: “When the gods, creating purification on the earth, flood it with waters, only boot-herders and cattle-breeders in the mountains can survive, while the inhabitants of your cities find themselves carried away by the streams into the sea.” 875 (10.1) As we have already said in the first book of our Stromata, the Hellenic philosophers undoubtedly stole their teachings from Moses and the prophets, ungratefully hiding the source. 876 (2) It remains to add to this that some of the high-ranking angels, seduced by female beauty, revealed to their [beloved] secret higher knowledge known only to them. 877 Others hid this knowledge, or, better said, kept it until the coming of the Savior. From these first came the doctrines of Providence and other higher revelations. (3) And thanks to the dissemination of this prophetic knowledge among the Hellenic [poets], philosophers were able to create their own teaching about these subjects, sometimes correct when they accidentally grasped the secret meaning, sometimes erroneous when they were unable to comprehend the meaning of the prophetic allegories. However, we will limit ourselves here to this brief mention and move on to other problems worthy of mention. The path from faith to knowledge (continued) (11.1) As we have already said, faith is not inactive and not idle, but presupposes investigation. I am not saying that search is not needed at all, because it is not for nothing that it is said: “Seek and you will find” (Matthew 7:7). but whoever is lazy to look will not find, - according to Sophocles. 878 (3) And the comic poet Menander says the same: Look for what you want with close attention, This is the advice of the wisest. 879 (4) However, in order to find, we must direct the [natural] insight of our soul to this and eliminate all obstacles, such as the love of controversy, envy and discord, one of the most fatal human scourges. 880 (5) And also, as Timon of Phliasia beautifully said, When the Dispute comes down to words, empty, no matter how loud, There is no worse beast. That is a friend of the Strife, her worthy sister. Attacking everyone and penetrating everywhere, possessing mortals, it gives them hope. Who pushed them into such a heated battle? Did you give weapons for the battle of the hard-hearted? The crowd, the rival of the beautiful nymph Echo. Embittered by cautious silence, she spits out the contagion of words in a stream on the furious crowd of people. 881 This is about false conclusions, “horns”, “ignorance”, (so-called) “crocodiles” and “sorites”, as well as ambiguities and sophisms. 882 (12.1) Thus, investigations of the Divine, if they lead not to quarrel, but to discovery, are salutary. After all, it is written in David: Let the poor eat and be satisfied, let those who seek him praise the Lord, Let your hearts live forever and ever (Ps. 21:27). (2) This means that those who truly seek the Lord will find him and be filled with his gifts, that is, true knowledge (γνώσις), and will find their soul. The heart here is an allegory of the soul, since it owns life, and they will live with the soul, since through the Son they know the Father. (3) However, one should not listen to the words of all those who speak and write hastily. After all, the ears of the vessels, when they are often grabbed by them, wear out and fall off, and the vessels themselves break. (4) In the same way, those who have polluted their faith too much, listening to idle talk, become deaf to the truth and fall to the ground. (13.1) Therefore, it is reasonable to teach, known from childhood, to touch the ears of relatives by kissing them. This custom indicates that the feeling of mutual love is transmitted through hearing. “God is love” and he is led by those who love him. “God is faithful” and he reveals himself to the faithful through instruction. (2) Through love we can become like God, since only like can contemplate like, and through the words of truth heard sincerely and in simplicity, as do children who obey us. (3) An unknown person wanted to say about this when he inscribed on the gates of the church at Epidaurus: Enter the fence of this church in purity, This purity is in the purity of your thoughts. 883 (4) “Unless you become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven,” says the Lord (Matthew 18:3). The church of God is founded on three pillars - faith, hope and love. (14:1) We have already given enough evidence of faith belonging to the Hellenes. Now, in order not to exceed reasonable limits, we will limit ourselves to mentioning Socrates, who, as stated in “Crito” 884, preferred a good life and death to earthly life, believing that a person can hope that after this another life will come. (2) Likewise, in the Phaedrus, he says that only in a free state is the soul capable of achieving true wisdom, which surpasses human capabilities. 885 When the soul rises to heaven on the wings of Eros, then, through the love of philosophy, it reaches the limit of its hope and, as it is said, this becomes for it the beginning of another, eternal life. (15.1) Further in “Symposium” 886 he says that Eros has laid in everyone a natural desire to give birth to something similar to him. Thus, a person gives birth only to a person, and a good person only gives birth to something similar to him. (2) However, it is impossible to create a good person without possessing perfect virtues that could be transmitted to the person being educated. In this case, as the Theaetetus says, he is able to form people 887, (3) some give birth in the body, and some in the soul 888. So, instruction and enlightenment are called regeneration by Hellenic philosophers. But the same thing was said somewhere by the apostle: “I have begotten you in Christ Jesus.” 889 (4) According to Empedocles, friendship is one of the first principles, and love harmonizes everything: Contemplate it with your mind and don’t look at it with such amazement. 890 (5) Parmenides also points to hope in his poem when he says: Contemplate with your mind what is absent as always present, for it will not cut off beings from adjoining beings, nor when it is everywhere and completely scattered throughout space, nor when it coalesces into one again. 891 III. On the nature of the heavenly essence and emanation of the Logos (16, 1) The believer, like the one who hopes, comprehends the objects of his faith or hope, as well as the future, only with reason. And if we consider justice to be something existing, then we speak of both the beautiful and the true as existing, although we have never seen them with our eyes, but only with our minds. The Divine Logos says, “I am the truth,” because the Logos can only be seen by the mind. (2) “Who can be called a true philosopher? – he asked. “One who loves to contemplate the truth,” I answered. – And who do you consider to be true philosophers? “Those who love to discern the truth.” 892 (3) In the Phaedrus, Plato speaks of truth, calling it an idea. 893 The idea is the thought of God, that is, what barbarian philosophers call the Logos of God. (4) And the following is said about it: “After all, you must finally dare to tell the truth, especially when you are talking about the truth. This celestial region is occupied by a colorless, formless and intangible essence, visible only to the helmsman of the soul - the mind.” 894 (5) Logos, the creative cause, came into being (προελθῶν) and produced itself by taking on flesh in order to become visible. About search, faith and disbelief (continued) (6) The righteous seeks what can be opened by the power of love and in this finds bliss: “Knock, and it will be opened to you; seek, and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). (7) Those who take the Kingdom of Heaven “by force” 895 must use their efforts not for verbal argument, but direct them towards achieving a righteous life and “unceasing prayer”, which frees them from the dirt of previous sins. (8) To do as much evil as you want is a very simple matter, but virtue was separated from us by the immortal gods The favors of the muses will be given to us in difficult struggles, and they don’t lie on the road - take them and carry them. 897 (17, 1) The realization that you know nothing is the first lesson for the mind entering the path. Having realized his ignorance, he begins to search, searching, he finds a teacher, having found, he believes him and, believing, hopes in him. Imbued with hope, he is inflamed with love and strives to master the object of his love and become like him. (2) This is precisely the method that Socrates taught to Alcibiades when he asked him: “[Why do you not believe that] I could find out in another way what justice is? - Of course he could, if he discovered it himself. “And you think I’m incapable of this?” - No, on the contrary, if you look. - So you think that I am incapable of searching? “Of course you would be able to if you thought you didn’t know.” 898 (3) The same thing is meant by the lamps of wise virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), lit in the night, that is, in the darkness of ignorance, which is symbolized by night in Scripture. The wise soul, pure as a virgin, realizes its immersion in worldly ignorance, lights the light, awakens the mind, illuminates the darkness, and drives ignorance away, in its search for truth awaiting the coming of the Teacher. (4) “A man of the crowd cannot become a philosopher.” 899 “There are many Tyrians,” according to Plato, “but few Bacchants” 900, (5) “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:4) and “not everyone has gnosis,” says the apostle. 901 “So pray that we may get rid of disorderly and crafty people. For not everyone has faith.” 902 (6) Cleanthes, the Stoic philosopher, put it this way: Leave thoughts of glory if you want to become wise, Do not be afraid of the opinions of the empty crowd. They are unable to understand what is reasonable, beautiful or true, Only a few among you will be able to find this. 903 (18, 1) The comic poet expressed himself more aphoristically and briefly: It is a shame when something good is condemned by a noisy crowd. 904 (2) They heard, I think, what was revealed to us by Wisdom: “Among the foolish, abstain for the time being; among the wise, continue” (Sir. 27:12). (3) Or in another place: “The wise hide knowledge within themselves.” 905 The crowd always demands tangible evidence of the truth; salvation by faith alone is not enough for them: (4) Stubbornness and mistrust play into the hands of scoundrels. Follow obediently what the Muse commanded you, know that her word is firmly in your heart, 906 – for, let us say following Empedocles, it is a common tactic of the unrighteous to try to overcome the truth through unbelief. (5) The Hellenes will learn that our teachings are reliable and worthy of faith if they listen to what follows. After all, one learns like from like, and the fool “answers,” as Solomon says, “according to his stupidity.” 907 For this reason, the Hellenes who ask us about wisdom need to present it through others like themselves, so that they can come to faith in the truth in the easiest way for them. “I have become all things to all, that I might win all.” 908 Just as the rain of divine grace falls on the just and the unjust alike, so “is God really only the God of the Jews and not of the pagans? “Of course, and of the pagans, of course, there is only one God,” exclaims the noble apostle. 909 IV. Symbolism and esotericism On the symbolism of Hellenic and Christian writers (19:1) Since the Hellenes do not want to believe in good righteousness and knowledge leading to salvation, we ourselves will have to hand over to them their own teachings and explain them in understandable language, especially since everything good comes from God and everything that is best in the Hellenic scriptures is borrowed by them from us. After all, everything reasonable and righteous is assessed by this huge crowd not in accordance with the truth, but based only on what is close to them. (2) And they rejoice most of all in nothing else, but in what is similar to them. Moreover, being blind and deaf, not having sufficient understanding and ability for the fearless and vigilant spiritual contemplation that the Savior revealed to us, they, like the uninitiated during the sacrament or deaf during the dance, as insufficiently pure, not worthy of the holy truth and not sufficiently attuned to it, disordered and material, must be excluded from the Divine choir. 910 (3) The spiritual can only be appreciated by the spiritual 911, therefore, following the hidden paths, we must hide the holy, perfect and truly necessary speech for us in the true sanctuary, which the Egyptians call the sanctuary (ἀδύτων), and the Jews designated as a curtain, (4) which only the priests are allowed to cross, that is those who are completely devoted to God, cutting off all other sensual aspirations out of love for Him. Plato also agrees that the impure should not touch the pure. 912 (20.1) For the same reason, prophecies and oracles are expressed in riddles, and the sacraments are never communicated openly to everyone they meet, but only after some purifications and preliminary instructions. (2) The greedy muse did not hire then and the honey Terpsichore did not trade soft-voiced songs branded with silver. 913 (3) Those who studied with the Egyptians first studied that type of Egyptian characters called epistolography, and then the hieratic script which the church priests use for sacred writings. And only after that they studied perfect writing - hieroglyphics, divided into two types: according to the first signs, “kyriological” (κυριολογική) and symbolic. Symbolic writing sometimes directly imitates a pattern, sometimes it is figurative, and sometimes it is a riddle expressed figuratively. (4) For example, kyriological writing depicts the Sun as a circle and the Moon as a sickle. (5) Using a tropical type of writing, they carve images, changing (their shape and size), moving and rearranging them in various ways they need. (21.1) Giving praise to their rulers, they retell myths and create convex images (δια τών ανάγλυφων). (2) Let us give examples of the third, enigmatic, type of writing. Some stars, due to the curvature of their path, they depict as a serpentine sign, and the Sun is likened to a scarab beetle 915, which rolls a ball of bull dung in front of it. (3) They say that this beetle lives underground for six months and spends the rest of the time on its surface. It supposedly deposits seed directly into this ball, thus producing offspring without the help of a female scarab. Hellenic oracles and sayings "take care of time", "know yourself" and "nothing too much" (4) In other words, all barbarian and Greek theologians conceal the origins of their teachings and convey the truth by means of riddles, symbols, allegories, metaphors, or other similar means. This is what, for example, Hellenic soothsayers or Apollo of Pythia, called “evasive” (λοξίας), do. (22) The wisest of the Hellenes were able to express things of extraordinary importance in short apothegms. The saying “save time” undoubtedly means either that life is short and time is not worth wasting, or, on the contrary, it indicates that you need to save your strength, since life is long and you should not miss what can be used for your benefit. (23.1) Likewise, the saying “know thyself” is very significant. It indicates that you are mortal and born a man, reminds you of what you are in comparison with the greatness of Life, it does not matter whether you say that you are famous and rich or, on the contrary, you think that you are rich, but human rumor does not give you the privileges worthy of you. Find out, says the sage, where you come from, in whose image you were created, what your essence is, who created you and what is your relationship to God, and the like. (2) After all, the spirit says through Isaiah the prophet: “I will give you hidden, secret treasures” (Is. 45:3). These treasures and “inexhaustible riches” (Luke 12:33) are wisdom, so difficult to achieve. (24:1) However, poets, having learned this from theologians and prophets, philosophize with a hidden meaning. Such are Orpheus, Linus, Musaeus, Homer, Hesiod and others, marked by wisdom. (2) Their poetic magic (ψυχαγωγία) is like a curtain from the crowd. They hide the meaning of dreams and symbols from the uninitiated not out of jealousy (after all, it is unworthy to consider God subject to passions), but so that through the comprehension of the hidden meaning, the seeker in his research can himself reach the understanding of the truth. (3) So the tragedian Sophocles says somewhere: to the wise he is the revealer of the mysterious, And to the ignorant - deceitful. He teaches in few words. 916 When he says deceptive, he means simple. Esotericism of the Holy Scriptures (25:1) As for all our Scripture, as is clearly stated in the Psalm, [its main commandments] are expressed in parables: “Give attention, O people, to my law; incline your ear to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable and speak fortune-telling from ancient times” (Ps. 77:1-2). (2) Let us compare with these words the saying of the noble apostle: “We preach wisdom among the perfect, but the wisdom not of this age, and not of the passing powers of this age; but we preach the wisdom of God, secret and hidden, which God ordained before the ages for our glory, and which none of the authorities of this age knew; for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 917 (3) Philosophers were not involved in the dishonor to which they subjected the coming Lord, therefore the apostle condemns the opinions of the Jewish sages, (4) adding: “But, as it is written, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man the things that the Lord has prepared for those who love Him. God revealed this to us by His Spirit, for the Spirit penetrates everything, even the depths of God.” 918 (5) The Apostle considers the disciples of the Holy Spirit to be spiritual and knowledgeable (πνευματικόν καΐ γνωστικά), since they are guided by the very mind of Christ. “But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, considering them foolishness.” 919 (26:1) Further, the apostle, contrasting the general faith with Gnostic perfection, sometimes calling it “foundation” 920 sometimes “milk,” writes about it this way: “I could not speak to you, brothers, as spiritual, but as carnal, as babes in Christ. I fed you with milk, and not with solid food, for you were not yet strong, and even now you are not strong, because you are still carnal. For if there is envy, quarrels and disagreements among you, are you not carnal, are you not acting according to human custom?” 921 (2) This is the choice that sinners among men make, while others reject it, thinking about divine things and partaking of Gnostic food. (3) “By the grace given to me,” it is said, “like a wise builder, I have laid a foundation, that another may build upon it with gold, silver, and precious stones.” 922 (5) Such is the Gnostic building based on faith in Jesus Christ, and “straw, wood and grass” are buildings erected on heresy, “but whatever the work is, each one will be tested by fire.” 923 (5) In the Epistle to the Romans, the apostle once again points to the Gnostic structure: “I greatly desire to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift for your strengthening” (Rom. 1:11). Thus, it is unacceptable for a gift of this kind to be openly expressed in writing. V. About Pythagorean symbols (27.1) The mysterious Pythagorean symbols are also borrowed from barbarian philosophy. For example, the Samian philosopher commands “not to keep swallows in the house,” that is, he advises not to accept chatterboxes, whisperers and intemperate people who are unable to keep what is entrusted to them. 924 (2) “And the swallow, and the turtledove, and the crane watch the time when they should fly,” says Scripture (Jer. 8:7), and one should not live under the same roof with such idle talkers. (3) And the cooing turtle dove, which displays ungrateful slander, fully deserves to be expelled from the house: I get bored with your buzzing, starting one after another. 925 (4) The swallow should be shunned, since it reminds us of the story of Pandion, who received a (just) punishment for his heinous crimes. Tereus and his cousin also shared his fate. In addition, swallows chase cicadas, and cicadas are patronized by muses. 926 Therefore, it is quite right to drive out those who persecute the word. (5) Scepter-bearing Hera looking down from Olympus faithful guardian of my tongue, - says the poet. 927 (6) Or, according to Aeschylus, And I have the key, the guardian of my tongue. 928 (7) Pythagoras instructs: “When removing a cauldron from the fire, do not leave traces of it on the coals, but wipe them off.” And one more thing: “When getting up from the bed, shake the carpet.” (8) With these sayings he indicated that one should not only avoid anger, but also destroy all traces of it in the soul. When the seething itself stops, it is necessary to completely calm it down, as well as remove all reminders of evil. (9) “And let not the sun go down on your anger,” says Scripture (Eph. 4:26), and he who said, “Thou shalt not covet” (Ex. 20:17) commanded us to abandon all rancor, (10) since anger arouses desire in the sensual part of our soul and gives rise to a desire in it for excessive and unjustified retribution. 929 (28.1) In the same way, shaking the bed is required in order not to tolerate traces of night dreams and reminders of night fun in the daytime. (2) The saying indicates that dark fantasies should be instantly dispelled by the light of truth. “If you are angry, do not sin” (Ps. 4:5), says David, teaching us not to give in to fantasies and not allow anger to control us in our affairs. 930 (3) The following Pythagorean symbol is also known: “Do not swim on the ground.” It is clear that collecting taxes and renting are very troublesome and tempting affairs and must be abandoned. That is why the Logos says that the publican is unlikely to be saved. 931 (4) Pythagoras ordered “not to wear rings and not to carve images of gods on them.” 932 But Moses, only much earlier, commanded not to create cast, molded or painted images and not to worship anything material, but to turn only to the intelligible. (5) After all, the comparison of Divine greatness with visible objects and the worship of intelligible nature through the material means its humiliation through the sensible. (6) For this reason, the wisest of the Egyptian priests decided that the church of Athena should remain without a roof, 933 and the Jews created the church without any images in it. Some, having made a semblance of the firmament, worship the stars 934, (29:1) although Scripture says: “Let us make man in our image and likeness” (Gen. 1:26). I believe that mention should be made here of the Pythagorean Eurytus, who in his book “On the Occasion” writes that the Demiurge created man in his own image. (2) After this he adds: “The body, like everything else, is made of the same matter, but made by a perfect artist, who, in creating it, took himself as a model.” 935 (3) Pythagoras, his followers and Plato, more than all others, as can be seen from their teachings, are very well acquainted with the words of the Lawgiver. (4) By "some certain sacred revelation," 936 and not without divine assistance, they, to the extent and according to the manner available to them, grasped the truth in the prophecy, throwing some light on it, and defining it in terms not entirely external to the meaning hidden in it, thereby doing honor to it and revealing the ability to comprehend the nearest to the truth. (5) Therefore, Hellenic philosophy is like a torch made of dry grass, which a person lights, stealing light from the sun with an artificial device 937. But since after the revelation of the Logos all this sacred light shone clearly, (6) then the stolen light, which, perhaps, is useful at night for illuminating the house, must be replaced by a bright daylight poetic light, driving away all the remnants of night darkness. (30:1) Further, Pythagoras briefly expressed what Moses said about justice in the following symbolic saying: “Do not step over the yoke.” 938 This means - do not neglect equality and, sharing 939, honor justice: (2) She brings friends and warriors together, and the free city is connected to the city. Everything is in it, both justice and law. Where it is not there is poverty and luxury, in accordance with poetic revelation. 940 (3) Therefore, the Lord says: “Take My yoke, which is good and easy” (Matthew 11:29). And to the disciples arguing about primacy, he commanded equality in simplicity, saying that they should become like children (Matthew 18:3). (4) Likewise, according to the apostle, in Christ there is no slave or free, Greek or Jew; a new creation in Christ; there is no place for discord, greed, and equality reigns. (5) “Envy is outside the host of gods” 941, as well as jealousy and sorrow, therefore those knowledgeable in the mysteries command us “not to eat the heart.” We should not, they teach, allow despondency or suffering over what happened against our will to sting and gnaw at our soul. Truly miserable, as Homer says, is he who wanders and gnaws at his heart. 942 Other examples of symbolism (31, 1) And one more thing. The Gospel and the apostles, in agreement with all the prophets, speak of two paths: one, which is called strait and narrow and is achieved through observance of the commandments and instructions, and the other, opposite to it, leading to death, the wide and spacious path of indulging one’s desires and passions 943, or, literally: “Blessed is the man who has not entered into fellowship with the wicked and has not taken the path of sinners” ( Ps. 1:1). (2) Isn’t this what Prodicus of Ceos says in his allegory of Virtue and Vice? 944 Likewise, Pythagoras, imposing the prohibition: “Do not walk on the high roads,” instructs not to follow the opinions of the crowd, which are absurd and contradictory. 945 (3) Aristocritus, in the first book of “Objections to Heracliodorus,” mentions a letter with the following content: “King of Scythia Atheus to the people of Byzantium: do not delay the payment of tribute, otherwise my horses will drink the water of your rivers.” 946 The barbarian symbolically hints that he is going to go to war against them. (4) The inflammatory words of Nestor in the poet Euphorion 947 have a similar meaning: The Achaean horses in the waters of Simois had not yet been watered. (5) By placing the Sphinx in front of their churches, the Egyptians indicate that the words about God are mysterious and unclear. Therefore, perhaps God is to be feared and loved at the same time: he is worthy of love because he is kind and merciful to those who are pure, and he is to be feared because he is inexorably just to the wicked. This is indicated by the very appearance of the Sphinx, both animal and human. (32.1) An exposition of everything that is expressed enigmatically in the prophets and in the Law would be too long, since practically all sacred texts are written in this manner. For those who think sensibly, a few examples will suffice. On the Mysterious Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Accessories (2) Thus, the seven fences of the church described in the ancient Hebrew books indicate the mysterious, and various decorations on the clothes of the priests, through visible symbolism, signify the invisible connection of heaven and earth. (3) The cover and curtain were painted in hyacinth, purple, crimson and linen colors in commemoration of the fact that divine revelation embraces all nature and its primary elements, since purple comes from water, linen comes from earth, hyacinth is like dark air, and crimson is like fire. 948 (33.1) Behind the cover and curtain in the center of the tabernacle, where only priests were allowed to enter, there was an altar of incense (Ex. 30:1-10), a symbol of the earth, located in the center of the universe and emitting vapors. (2) The middle place behind the inner curtain, where on certain days only the bishop could enter, together with the outer courtyard, accessible to all Jews, symbolized, as they said, the center of heaven and earth. According to another interpretation, it symbolized, respectively, the intelligible and sensory world. (3) The curtain separating the sanctuary from the crowd of infidels was stretched on five pillars and blocked the path beyond the fence. (4) This is the same mysterious meaning of the five loaves that the Savior broke and fed the entire crowd of his listeners. Most are devoted only to the material, as if that is all that exists. (5) “Look carefully around and see that none of the uninitiated overhear us,” says Plato, “for there are people who agree to recognize as existing only what they can take with their hands, experience or see in development, and they do not assign a share in being to everything invisible” 949. (6) They trust only their five senses, but God is incomprehensible by hearing or in any other sensory way. (34.1) That is why the Son is called the face of the Father, because having become incarnate and becoming accessible to the five senses, the Logos revealed the essence of the Father. (2) “If we live in the Spirit, we must walk in the Spirit,” “for we walk by faith, not by sight,” says the glorious Apostle. 950 (3) Thus, the sacred service takes place behind a veil, which separates the participants from those standing outside. (4) The curtain covering the Holy of Holies is supported by four columns, which recall the holy quaternity of ancient covenants. (5) Therefore, the mysterious name of God, which is borne only by those who enter the sanctuary, tetragram, or Yahweh, and which means “he who is and who is to come,” (6) just as the Hellenic word θέος consists of four letters. (7) [And like the high priest] the Lord alone entered into the intelligible world and through suffering achieved inexpressible knowledge, surpassing “all names” (Phil. 2:9) that are comprehensible in word. (8) In the southern part of the altar there was a lamp, which showed the movement of the seven planets and their path to the south. (9) Three planets were located on each of its sides and the middle lamp, meaning the Sun, in accordance with divine harmony, shed light on those planets above it and on those below it. (35.1) According to another interpretation, the golden lampstand is a sign of Christ, and not only because of the similarity of form, but also as shedding light “in many ways and in many ways” (Heb. 1:1) on those who trust and look to Him through the instructions of the firstborn. (2) After all, it is said that “the Lord has seven eyes” (Rev. 5:6) and “seven spiritual gifts” abides on the flowering shoot “from the root of Jesse” (Is. 11:1–2). (3) On the left side of the altar there is a table with bread lying on it, since the most fertile winds blow from the north. (4) They are so arranged as to symbolize the various churches which together form one church assembly. (5) The inscriptions on the holy ark refer to the intelligible world, and therefore are mysterious and hidden from the majority. (6) Two golden figures, each of which had six wings, according to some meant the Great and Little Dipper, or, better, two hemispheres. Cherub's name means "great knowledge." (7) Together they had twelve wings, as an indication of the sensory world, the twelve signs of the Zodiac and the course of time determined by them. (36.1) After all, this is exactly what tragedy says about nature: Eternally tireless time moves in a deep stream, generating itself. And a pair of swift-winged bears guard the fixed star Atlantean. 951 (2) Atlas 952, the fixed star, means the fixed sphere, or more precisely, the fixed eternity. (3) However, it seems to me that the word ark (κιβωτόν), coming from the Hebrew θηβωθά, means something different and can be interpreted as “everywhere one for the sake of one.” And it means the Eight and the intelligible cosmos, or the all-embracing, formless and invisible God. But more on that later. Let us only add that the ark also signifies the peace granted to glorious souls and symbolized by the cherub. (4) Indeed, he who forbade the creation of molded images of holy objects [would not allow the depiction of cherubs], since in heaven there cannot be any complex creatures subject to the senses. Therefore, the image of cherubs has a symbolic meaning: the face is a symbol of the soul, the wings are the services and actions of the forces rising on the left and right, and the lips are a hymn to glory in unceasing contemplation. This will limit our mystical interpretation. (37.1) The long robe (ποδήρης) of the bishop was a symbol of the sensual cosmos. The five planets were represented by five precious stones, and Kronos and Selene by two carbuncles. Kronos is the principle of the south, humid, earth-like and heavy, and Selene is air-like, which is why some call her Artemis, because she is able to penetrate the air 953, cutting through dark clouds. (2) [Angels-]partners in the creation of everything that is under them, placed on the planets by the power of Divine Providence, were quite reasonably depicted on the chest and shoulders of the high priest. After all, they carried out the work of creation during the first week, and the chest is the container of the heart and soul. (3) According to another interpretation, the stones can signify the stages of salvation, as being rooted in the higher and lower parts of the being being saved. (4) Three hundred and sixty bells sewn to the bottom of the high priest's robe signified the annual cycle to "preach the year of the Lord" ( Isa. 61:2 ) and herald the great coming of the Savior. (5) The wide golden headdress (πίλος) indicated the royal dignity of the Lord, since the Savior is “the head of the whole church” (Eph. 5:23). (38.1) The headdress was thus a sign of supreme power. Therefore, let us listen to what was said: “The head of Christ is God” and “he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 954 (2) The plate on the chest was a symbol of works and sayings (λογίον), which indicated the Logos and that the heavens were created in the image of the Logos and are subject to Christ, the head of all, and move in accordance with his institutions. (3) Two luminous emeralds on the forearms were signs of the Sun and Moon, the moving principles of nature. Indeed, the shoulder is the beginning of the hand. (4) Twelve stones on the chest, arranged in four rows, were the sign of the Zodiac and the four seasons. (5) Or it may be interpreted as indicating that the Lord, as head, is subject to the law and the prophets, the agents of righteousness in both covenants. After all, it is fitting to say that the apostles were at the same time prophets and righteous people, and that one spirit acted through them and the prophets. (6) And since the Lord is above the whole world and is even beyond the limits of the intelligible world, the name on the breast plate meant “above all principles and powers,” that is, the written commandments and everything that is open to the senses. (7) Thus the name of God was revealed. Indeed, the Son sees the goodness of the Father and creates in accordance with it, and is therefore called God the Savior and the first principle of everything, in eternity the first-born image of the “invisible God,” who created everything in His own likeness. (39.1) Therefore, the utterances proclaim and preach the prophecies of the Logos about the future judgment, since the Logos simultaneously prophesies, judges and divides everything. (2) The rite of priestly vestment is itself a prophecy of the incarnation of God, a sign of his coming into the visible world. (3) The High Priest first takes off his sacred garments (after all, the world and everything that is sanctified by God and “very good” in the world), performs a washing, and then puts on new clothing suitable for entering the Holy of Holies, and only after that enters the sanctuary. (4) In my understanding, this means that the Levites and Gnostics head the priestly class. But the latter [in addition] are sanctified by the water of baptism, have put on the robe of faith and remain in it. They are able to separate the intelligible from the sensory, have risen above all other clergy and are directed only towards what is accessible to reason. Therefore, for purification they no longer need water ablutions, leaving this ritual to the Levites. 955 (40.1) After all, when he completely purifies them to the depths of their hearts, when they rise in their impeccability to the very top of priestly dignity, then their whole being - words and deeds 956 - is purified and clothed in the spirit of glory, and possesses an ineffable treasure, that which is accessible only to the perfect, the very thing that “the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard, and the thought of which has not entered into a person” 957 . Only then, having become a son and friend, will the perfect one be able to satiate himself “face to face” with complete contemplation. But the Logos himself reveals this in Scripture, only more fully and deeply: (2) “And he will enter into the tabernacle of meeting, and will take off the linen garments that he put on when he entered the sanctuary, and will leave them there. And he will wash his body with water in a holy place, and put on his clothes” (Lev. 16:23–24). (3) In other words, the Lord, descending into the sensory world, took off some clothes and put on others. Like him, those who believe in him take off some and put on other sacred, as the apostle says, clothes. In the image of the Lord, only the most glorious of the priestly class were elected bishops. These chosen ones combined royal and prophetic dignity. VII. About Egyptian symbolism (41.1) The Egyptians do not entrust the sacraments to the first person they meet and do not reveal knowledge of the divine to the uninitiated, but pass them on only to those who are destined to inherit the throne, and to the priests, who are preferred by the very method of their upbringing, education and origin. (2) Egyptian riddles and mysteries are very similar to those that were in use among the Jews. Thus, they imagined the Sun in the form of a ship or a crocodile. (3) This means that the Sun, making its way through the soft and moist air, gives rise to time, the symbol of which in some sacred myths was the crocodile. 958 (4) At Diopolis in Egypt, on the church called the Pylon (on one wall), are carved the figures of a child as a symbol of birth, an old man as a symbol of destruction, and on the other side, a falcon, a symbol of God, and a fish, a symbol of hatred. And in one more place a crocodile is depicted, which means impudence. (42.1) When put together, these symbols can mean: “O you who are born and die, God hates insolence.” 959 (2) Those of the Egyptians who make images of ears and eyes from wood and, having consecrated them, sacrifice them to the gods in churches, obviously indicate by this that God sees and hears everything. (3) In the same way, the lion symbolized strength and power, the ox, apparently, the whole earth, agriculture and nutrition. The symbolic meaning of the horse is courage and independence. The Sphinx meant strength combined with reason, since its body was lion-like and its face human. (4) Likewise, the image of a person was carved on the wall of the church to indicate intelligence, memory, strength and skill. (43.1) And one more thing. During the festive procession, which they called “komasia” 960, they carried golden figurines - two dogs, one hawk and one ibis, and, according to their ideas, they meant four letters. (2) The two dogs symbolized the two rotating hemispheres keeping guard. The hawk is the Sun, fiery and destructive (since they attributed infectious diseases to the action of the Sun). Ibis means the Moon: its black feathers represent its shadow side, and its white feathers represent the light side. (3) And according to another interpretation, the two dogs symbolize the two tropics, which stand guard and serve as gatekeepers to the southern and northern paths of the Sun. The falcon is a symbol of the equator, as the highest [point of the solar path] and scorching heat, and the ibis is the ecliptic (λόξον). After all, the ibis, it seems, more than any other creature was revered by the Egyptians as having taught the principles of arithmetic and measurement, and the curve serves as the beginning of a circle 961. (44.1) The symbolic method was used not only among Egyptian intellectuals, but also among the barbarians, as their philosophy developed. Symbolic letter of the Scythian king (2) They say that the king of Scythia Idanturan, as recorded by Pherecydes of Syros 962, sent to king Darius, who crossed the Ister, threatening war, instead of a letter a symbol: a mouse, a frog, a bird, an arrow and a plowshare. (3) And since doubts arose as to how this message should be interpreted, the thousand-man Orontopatus conjectured that the Scythians were ceding dominance over the country, and the mouse meant houses, the frog meant water, the birds meant air, and the opener meant earth. (4) But Xiphodros interpreted this sign in the opposite way. “If we do not fly away,” he said, “like birds, or if we do not disappear like a mouse under the ground, or like a frog under water, then we will not escape their arrows, because we are not the masters of this country.” (5) It is said that Anacharsis of Scythia, while sleeping, kept his left hand on the penis, and closed his mouth with his right, thereby indicating that both of these organs should be kept under control, and the tongue more than the desire for pleasure. Symbolism of Hellenic grammarians. Etymologies (45.1) But why dwell further on the barbarians, if you can give many examples from the Hellenic writings and show how they used the method of allegory? (2) The Pythagorean Androcydes said that the so-called Ephesian writings have a symbolic order: Ασκίον - devoid of shadow means darkness, since there are no shadows in darkness. Κατάσκιον - shadow, means light, since it illuminates the shadow, reveals it with its rays. Λίξ means earth, its ancient name, and Τετράς is the year, its four times, Δαμναμενεύς is the Sun, which rules everything (ὸ δαμνάζων), and Αίσια is the true voice. (3) The whole symbol means: “Everything divine forms the cosmos, darkness for light, sun for the year, earth for giving rise to all growth.” 963 (4) Dionysius the Thracian in his book “On Meanings,” discussing the symbol of circular motion, literally says the following: “Actions can be expressed not only in verbal form, but also with the help of symbols. Teachings in verbal form are, for example, the Delphic sayings “nothing too much” or “know thyself.” Examples of teaching in symbols can be the custom (borrowed from the Egyptians) of installing rotating wheels in churches. The branches that are distributed to those who come to worship have a symbolic meaning” 964, (5) after all, Orpheus of Thracia says: The affairs and concerns of earthly people are like branches, no one has a single destination in mind, he’s spinning everything is around, and you are not allowed to stand in one place, That’s how they run, no matter who started, the running tour is the same for everyone. 965 (6) The branches meant either the first food, or the fact that the fruit, before ripening, goes through a long path of flowering and growth, while the branches themselves have a short period of time. And this is precisely what those who established the custom of distributing branches in the church wanted to express. They wanted to teach that, like branches, we must soon leave life and become fuel for the fire. (46.1) Thus the symbolic method is useful in many respects, both as an aid to the building of correct theology, and as a means of pious expression, and as a training for the mind or an exercise in summary, and as an indication of manifest wisdom. “After all, the ability to speak symbolically is a sign of the wise,” says the grammarian Didymus, “as well as the ability to explain what is hidden behind these symbols.” 966 (3) Already in elementary school, children were given an idea of the four primary elements. 967 (4) They say that the Phrygians called water βέδυ, because this is exactly how the word is used by Orpheus: And the nymphs pour out pure water. 968 (5) The same is written by the priest Dion: “And having taken βέδυ, pour it into your hands and only after that begin to tell fortunes.” (6) However, the comic poet Philil considered βέδυ to be life-giving (βιόδωρος) air and expressed this in these words: Draw into yourself the saving βέδυ, the greatest source of health, draw in clean and unpolluted air. 969 (47.1) This opinion is shared by Neanthes of Cyzicus, who writes that the Macedonian priests turn βέδυ, asking for mercy for themselves and their children, meaning by this the air. 970 (2) Some believe that Ζάψ means "fire" and, through a misunderstanding, derive it from ζέσις "boil", but this word means "sea", as can be seen from Euphorion's "Reply to Theodorid": And Ζάψ, the great ship destroyer, threw them onto the rocks. 971 (3) Dionysius (Iambic) expressed himself in a similar way: The insane abyss groans, the salty sea (Ζάψ). 972 (4) Cratin the younger, the comic poet, says the same: Ζάψ brings shells and fish. 973 (5) Finally, in Simmias the Rhodian we read: The Ignites and Telkhins were produced by the salty sea (Ζάψ). 974 (6) Χθων is the earth, spreading in all directions (κεχυμένη). And πλήκτρον is, as some believe, πόλον (heavenly axis), or, according to another interpretation, air, pushing everything, promoting it to emergence and growth and filling everything with itself. 975 (48.1) But they, of course, did not read the works of the philosopher Cleanthes, who unambiguously calls πλήκτρον the sun: the radiance rising from the east, rests the rays and seems to strike the cosmos with them, bringing the light into orderly movement. The rest of the stars, by analogy with the sun, he calls the same. 976 (2) Σφίγξ is not the universal mind [or the connection of everything 977 ] and not the rotation of the cosmos, as the poet Arat 978 believes, but rather the tension of the pneuma, which spreads everywhere and permeates the entire cosmos. (3) It is best to imagine this in the form of the ether, which, according to Empedocles, unites and compresses everything: So I'll tell you first about the Sun, from which everything that is visible today arose, earth, and stormy abyss, and humid air, and Titan Ether, embracing everything. 979 (4) So, according to Apollodorus of Corfu, these were the words that the soothsayer Branchus recited during the rite of cleansing the Milesians from the plague: “He walked among the crowd, striking those who were nearby with a young laurel branch, writing out the words of the hymn: “Sing children of the savior and the savior (έκαεργον καί έκαέργαν).” (5) And the crowd echoed him with these words: βέδυ, ζάψ, χθώμ, πλήκτρον, σφίγξ, κναξζβιχ, θύπτης, φλεγμό, δρώψς". (6) This event is mentioned by Callimachus in the Iambus. 980 (6) κναξζβιχ is a disease, since it comes from the words κναίειν “to gnaw, torment” and διαφθείπειν “to destroy.” Θΰψαι means "to strike with lightning", (7) although Thespis, the tragic poet, believes that it means something else. He writes somewhere: I bring you a libation of white κναξζβιχ, milked from the red udder, and mixing (θύπτην) cheese with red honey, I put this mixture on yours, O two-horned Pan, Look, here it is, the fiery drink of Bromium. 981 (8) This may mean, I think, the first food for our soul, like milk and consisting of twenty-four elements, which, when condensed, turns into solid food. Finally, he teaches about the blood of the vine, the Logos, the “fiery wine,” and the perfect joy of teaching. (9) Δρώψ is the Logos acting (δραστήριος), which promotes maturity, starting with the simplest instructions and “to the extent of maturity,” igniting and enlightening a person. (49.1) Another example of copying that is taught to children is called: μάρπτε, σφίγχ, κλώψ, ζβυχθηδόν. And this means, I think, that through contemplation of the organization of the elements of the cosmos our path to the comprehension of perfect knowledge should lie, since eternal salvation is achieved only after coercion and labor. (2) Indeed, μόρψαι [μόρπτω] means “to embrace, take possession”, σφίγχ is cosmic harmony, ζβυχθηδόν means difficulties, and κλώψ means both the secret knowledge of the Lord and the day. 982 (3) Next. Epigenes, in his book On the Poetry of Orpheus, interprets some of his expressions. He writes: “Shuttles with a bent frame” mean plows, “weaving warp” means an arable furrow, the thread is an allegory of the seed, “Tears of Zeus” is rain, and “shares” are the half phases of the Moon, the thirtieth, fifteenth and new moon. That is why Orpheus calls them “clothed in white,” since they are shares of light. (4) Further, “flower” means spring, the time of birth, “idle” means night, the time of rest. The Moon is called “The Face of the Gorgon” because of the face visible on it, and “Aphrodite” is the time to sow, according to the theologian. 983 (50.1) In the same way, the Pythagoreans call the planets the dogs of Persephone, and give the sea the allegorical name “Cronus’s tears.” (2) It is easy to find countless other examples similar to these, when philosophers and poets express themselves using riddles. There are even entire books in which the thoughts of the authors are presented in an intimate form. This is, for example, the book of Heraclitus “On Nature”, for which he was called “dark”. The book of Pherecydes of Syros “Theology” is similar to this. And the works of the poet Eupharion, the Causes of Callimachus, Alexander of Lukofron and similar works constitute a real athletic exercise in exegesis for all grammarians. Old Testament allegories interpreted in the sense of the New Testament (51.1) In the same way, the barbarian philosophers, about whom we have yet to speak, express their prophecies in secret and symbolically. (2) Such, for example, is the instruction of Moses: “Do not eat the meat of a pig, a hawk, an eagle and a raven” 984, (3) since a pig is the embodiment of the love of pleasure and unclean desires of gluttony, lustful impulses and unrestrained voluptuousness. She is too corporeal, wallows in the mud and becomes obese only to then find death under the knife. (4) At the same time, he allowed the eating of ruminants and artiodactyls, “thus hinting,” says Barnabas, “that it is necessary to follow those who fear the Lord, who keep in their hearts the word they have heard, who discuss, observe and understand it, for whom constant meditation and labor on the word of God is joy. (5) What does artiodactyl mean: that the righteous, living in this world, awaits the coming of the eternal world.” (6) And further he adds: “See how spiritual the law of Moses is, but how could they [the Jews] understand it? We, having correctly understood the Covenant, act in accordance with the will of the Lord, since he circumcised our ears and hearts so that we could understand the mysterious meaning of the law.” 985 (52.1) And the prohibition: “Do not eat eagle, hawk, kite, or raven” 986 means: “Do not follow and do not be like those people who do not earn their living by labor and sweat, but live by robbery and lawlessness.” 987 (2) Indeed, the eagle robs, the hawk is unjust, and the raven is covetous. (3) For it is said: “With the innocent you will be innocent, with the elect you will be chosen, with the wicked you will be wicked,” therefore follow the saints, “for by following them you yourself will be sanctified.” 988 (4) Therefore, Theognis writes: From the noble ones you will become nobler, With the evil ones you will lose even the mind that you have. 989 Symbol of the mind - the helmsman of the soul (5) A line from a hymn: “I sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; he cast his horse and rider into the sea” (Ex. 15:1–21) - Moses wanted to say that he threw many bestial and coarse passions and lusts, together with their guide who ruled these passions, into the sea, that is, into cosmic disorder. (53.1) Plato in the dialogue “On the Soul” says the same thing, depicting the fall to the ground of a charioteer and his rebellious horse, that is, the unreasonable part of the soul, which is divided into two, into passions and desires. 990 The same meaning is hidden in the myth of Phaeton, an immoderate charioteer, overturned by his own chariot. Symbolism of Joseph's Coat of Many Colors (2) The story of Joseph has an allegorical meaning. The older brothers were jealous of him, his gift of foresight and knowledge, and “they took off his robe of many colors that he was wearing, took him and threw him into a ditch. That ditch was empty, there was no water in it” (Gen. 37:23–24). (3) Thus they rejected the various knowledge acquired by hard work, or else, guided only by an empty faith in the letter of the law, they threw him into the “empty ditch,” that is, they sold him into Egypt, the desert of the Divine Logos. And the ditch is a symbol of the lack of knowledge, in which, as it seemed to them, this arrogant sage would lose his knowledge and become like his brothers. (4) According to another interpretation, multi-colored clothing means passions that push towards a bottomless pit. (5) “If anyone opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, then the owner of the pit must give the money to its owner, and the carcass will be his” (Ex. 21:33–34). The "Legal" Responsibility of the Gnostic (54:1) Let us add to these words the statement of the prophet: “The ox knows his master, the donkey his master’s manger, but Israel does not know Me” (Isaiah 1:3). (2) In these words, an instruction is revealed to us: see that anyone who has received from you the knowledge that you teach does not later turn out to be unfaithful, unable to retain it, and does not fall away from you. Be careful, it is said, when opening the Word, and hide the depths of the living spring from those who approach it without understanding, and at the same time let those who thirst for truth drink. (3) Conceal, therefore, the “depths of gnosis” 991 from one who is not able to understand them, and “close the ditch,” (4) since the owner of the ditch, the Gnostic, “will be guilty,” as it is said, if he turns out to be the cause of temptation for another, or through his fault the converts turn out to be overturned by the greatness of the word, being insufficiently prepared, or he admits a simple performer to the sacrament of contemplation and thereby will unwisely distract him from simple faith, which is effective in itself. In this case, he will “pay silver” to the almighty will in the form of an account for his misdeeds. The meaning of the New Testament Revelation (55.1) This was the type of “law and prophets” until the time of John. The latter, although he expressed himself more clearly, since he no longer prophesied, but pointed to what is present now and was symbolically foreshadowed from the beginning, nevertheless said [allegorically]: “I am not worthy to untie the thong of His sandals.” 992 (2) Thus he indicated that he was not worthy to baptize such a great Ruler, whose work is to free the soul from corporeality and bodily sins, just as a leg is freed from the belts that bind it. (3) The last act of the Savior is approaching, he said, the time of his coming, hidden by the prophets in riddles, is approaching. Thus, clearly pointing to the one whose coming was predicted, preparing the way for his appearance and untying the knot of ancient prophecies, he revealed the meaning of this symbol. Legal symbolism per aes et libram (4) Even the formalities applied according to the custom established by Roman law in the making of a will are symbolic. [To the court] scales and small coins are brought and, after drawing up an agreement, those present touch each other's ears. 993 The scales serve as a sign that everything is done with justice, the coins determine the measure of value, and the last action reminds the witnesses of the burden of their responsibility. (56.1) But it is obvious that in trying to prove my opinion I have exceeded reasonable limits, because life is not enough to describe the teachings of those who philosophized in such a manner. (2) The writings of barbarian philosophers are like this, for the sake of memorability, brevity, as well as from the desire for truth. For only those who turn to them often and remain faithful to them throughout their lives do they allow them to approach the revealing philosophy and true theology. (4) They remind us that on this path an interpreter and mentor is needed, since in this case we will be able to approach this activity more diligently and do not risk going astray, since knowledge is communicated to us by knowledgeable people who have recognized us as worthy of the teaching being revealed. On the meaning of symbolic teachings (5) Hidden things, shining through the veil, leave a more impressive and significant impression of the truth, like that of fruit at the bottom of a stream, shining through the water, or forms covered with a veil, which slightly changes their outlines. On the contrary, the unconcealed looks quite definitely and is perceived unambiguously. (57.1) Comprehensive illumination reveals defects in things, while one can see multiple meanings in what is said with hidden meaning. (2) And although in such a situation the inexperienced and unlearned person falls into error, and only the Gnostic understands, this certainly does not mean that “everything should be explained to everyone in the light of day, or that good wisdom should come into contact with those who, even in their sleep, were not pure in soul. Is it fair for one and all to reveal the treasures obtained with such difficulty, and to interpret the mysteries of the Logos to the profane?” 994 Esotericism of Greek philosophers (3) It is said that the Pythagorean Hipparchus, accused of divulging Pythagorean wisdom in writing, was expelled from the school, and a pillar was erected for him as if he were dead. 995 (4) In the same way, barbarian philosophers call those who have fallen away from teaching and given their minds to the power of bodily desires dead men, “for what fellowship does righteousness have with lawlessness,” according to the divine apostle, “what common ground does light have with darkness? What is the agreement between Christ and Belial? Or what is the complicity of the faithful with the infidel?” The glory of the Olympians and those who are subject to decay are different. 996 (6) “Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean, and I will receive you. And I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters.” 997 (58.1) Not only Plato and Pythagoras hid much in their teachings, but the Epicureans also said that most of what they teach cannot be openly expressed, and not everyone they meet is worthy of their teachings. 998 (2) The Stoics do the same. They say that some of the works of the ancient philosopher Zeno are not intended for all students, so they give them to be read only by those who, in their opinion, have proven themselves to be genuine philosophers. 999 (3) The disciples of Aristotle claim that some of his treatises are esoteric, while others are general and exoteric. 1000 (4) Further, those who established the rites of the Mysteries, being philosophers, expressed their teachings in the form of myths so that they would not be clear to everyone. (5) And since even human opinions are hidden from the ignorant, is it not proper for the essentially existing, holy and blessed divine contemplations, above all others, to remain hidden from the uninitiated? (6) The whole point is that [the symbolism of] barbarian philosophy, Pythagorean myths, or all these Platonic stories about Er the son of Armenia in the Republic, Aeacus and Rhadamanthus in Gorgias, Tartarus in Phaedo, Prometheus and Epimetheus in Protagoras, as well as the story about the war between the Atlanteans and Athenians in Atlantis 1001 should be understood not simply as all kinds of allegorizations of all these names, but as expressing a universal meaning that must be found behind the symbols hidden behind the veil of these allegories. Esotericism of Greek philosophical schools: two levels of initiation (59.1) After all, the custom adopted in the Pythagorean League, dividing everyone, in accordance with two degrees of initiation, into acousmaticians, the majority, and mathematicians, those who are naturally inclined towards philosophy 1002, meant that something is open, something remains secret. 1003 (2) Likewise, the distinction between the two kinds of Peripatetic doctrines, probabilistic and scientific, 1004 is not far from the distinction between opinion, on the one hand, and glory and truth, on the other. (3) Let the wreath of glorious honor will not force you to accept it from mortals, if this requires saying something different from the truth 1005 (4) And the Ionian muses (Heraclitus. Epithet from Plato, Sophist, 242 d - Translator's note.) literally say the following: most people, wise in their own assessment, follow the popular aeds and sing the songs of the crowd, not knowing that many are bad and few are good. And only the best pursue glory: (5) “The best prefer one thing above all mortal things - eternal glory.” 1006 “But the majority live like animals, measuring happiness by the stomach, desire and penis” 1007. (6) And the great 1008 Parmenides of Elea teaches two paths: Like an infallible heart of easily convincing truth, so is the opinion of mortals, in which there is no true faith. 1009 X. Apostolic Doctrine of the Two Degrees of Consecration (60.1) The Divine Apostle had every reason to say: “The mystery was made known to me through Revelation, about which I wrote briefly above, so that when you read, you could discern my understanding of the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to previous generations of the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets” (Eph. 3:3-5). (2) This means that there is a special kind of instruction for the perfect, or, as he says in the Epistle to the Colossians: “Therefore, from the day we heard about this, we have not ceased to pray for you and ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk in a manner worthy of God, pleasing Him in everything, bearing fruit in every good work, and becoming perfect in the knowledge of God, being strengthened. with all power according to the might of His glory." (3) And further: “I became a minister according to God’s dispensation, entrusted to me for you, to bring to remembrance the word of God, the mystery hidden for centuries and generations, but now revealed to His saints, whom God blessed to show what is the riches of glory in this mystery to the nations.” 1010 (61:1) Thus, the mysteries, which were hidden in the Old Testament and remained secret until the times of the apostles, in the form in which they heard them from the Lord, were “now revealed to the saints” by them. At the same time, this “riches of glory in secret among the nations” is faith in Christ and hope in Him, which in another place he calls “foundation” 1011. (2) And the apostle further makes this clear by adding: “...Which we preach, admonishing every man, and teaching every man all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ” (Col. 1:28). (3) But not just “every” person, even an infidel, and not every believer he calls “perfect in Christ,” but what is said: πάντα άνθρωπον, “the whole person,” should be understood as όλον τον άνθρωπον, “whole person,” pure in soul and body. And he expresses this quite definitely, saying there: “Not everyone has gnosis” 1012, (4) “so that their hearts may be comforted, united in love to know the mystery of God in Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” “Be constant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving.” 1013 (5) I note that this thanksgiving extends not only to the soul and spiritual goods, but also to the body and bodily goods. (62.1) Further, he reveals even more clearly in such words that gnosis is not available to everyone: “Pray also for us, that God will open the door for us to speak, to proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, so that I may reveal it as I should proclaim it” (Col. 4:3-4). There were apparently unwritten mysteries which were passed on only by word of mouth, (2) as it is said in the book of Hebrews: “According to the times ye ought to have been teachers,” as if they had become elders through the Old Testament, “but ye are again to be taught the principles of the word of God, and ye need milk, not solid food. (3) And everyone who is fed on milk is ignorant of the word of righteousness, because he is still a child.” In fact, they are given only the first lessons, (4) “solid food is characteristic of the perfect, whose senses are habitually trained to distinguish between good and evil. Therefore, having left the beginnings of Christ’s teaching, let us hasten to perfection.” 1014 (63.1) In the same way, Barnabas, who himself took part in the preaching of the apostle and his campaign to the pagans 1015, says 1016: “I write for you as simply as possible, so that you can understand.” (2) Then, revealing the path of the Gnostic tradition, he writes: “What does the other prophet Moses say to them? - “And the Lord God said: (3) Go to the good country, which the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, promised, and he will bring you into a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 33:1-3). (4) What gnosis teaches: learn, believe, he says, in Jesus who appeared in the flesh, because man is a suffering earth, since Adam was created from clay taken from the face of the earth. (5) What does he say about the fertile land where milk and honey flow? Blessed is our Lord, brothers, who has given us wisdom and knowledge of His innermost secrets, says the prophet here. (6) Who will understand the parable of the Lord if not one who is wise, knows and loves him? And only a few have access to it.” (7) “It is not out of envy,” Barnabas further says, “that the Lord declares that “my mysteries are my heritage and the children of my house,” 1017 on the contrary, he thus enables the elect to remain safe and in a state of carelessness, so that they, appreciating the value of the choice they have made, will be above envy.” (8) Anyone who does not have the knowledge of what is good is an unkind person. After all, the Father alone is good and not knowing Him is tantamount to death, but knowing Him is “eternal life” and participation in His indestructible omnipotence. Not to be subject to decay means to be involved in the divine, and refusal of Divine gnosis entails destruction. (64:1) The Prophet says: “I will give you the treasures kept in darkness and the hidden riches, so that you may know (γνώσις) that I am the Lord God” (Isa. 45:3). (2) And David the Psalmist exclaims: “Behold, Thou hast loved truth in my heart, and hast shown me (Thy) wisdom within me.” (3) “Day imparts speech to day,” that is, that which is clearly written, and “night of night reveals knowledge,” hidden and mysterious, and “there is no language, and there is no dialect where their voice is not heard,” 1018 and “will he do anything in the darkness and not see it?” (4) Therefore the teaching is called "enlightenment" 1019, revealing the hidden and the Master opens the ark, while Zeus is depicted by the poets as closing it and opening another containing evil 1020. (5) “I am confident,” says the apostle, “when I come, I will come with the full blessing of the gospel of Christ” (Rom. 15:29). This “spiritual gift” and Gnostic tradition, which he wishes to convey only personally, since it cannot be communicated in writing, he calls “the fullness of Christ,” (6) “which was kept secret from eternity, but which has now been revealed and through the prophetic scripture, according to the commandment of the great God, made known to all nations for their conversion” (Rom. 14:25), that is, to those of the nations who believe in it. But even of these he showed few what the sacrament consisted of. Plato on the need to keep secrets (65.1) Plato in his theological Letters says the same thing: “I will answer you allegorically, so that if this tablet experiences any vicissitudes on land or sea, the one into whose hands it falls will not understand it.” (2) For the God of the whole world, He who is beyond all expression, understanding and thought, cannot be expressed in writing, since He is inexpressible even through His powers. (3) Plato says this about this: “Beware lest you have to regret that what was said has now received publicity in an unworthy manner. Most of all, one must take care not to write anything down, but to learn and assimilate everything, because it is impossible for what is written not to become public sooner or later.” 1021 Apostle Paul on the need to keep the secrets of gnosis (4) And the Apostle Paul speaks of the need to conceal the prophetic and truly ancient sacraments (from which the best of Hellenic teachings derive): (5) “We preach wisdom among the perfect, but not the wisdom of this age and not the passing powers of this age, but we preach the wisdom of God, secret and hidden.” 1022 Allegorical meaning of I Cor. 3:1–3 (66.1) Then he again reminds us of the danger of revealing this to the crowd: “I could not speak to you, brothers, as spiritual, but as carnal, as babes in Christ. I fed you with milk, and not with solid bread, for you were not yet strong, and even now you are not strong, because you are still carnal.” 1023 (2) And just as milk is food for children, and solid food for adults, “milk” in the saying of the apostle means the initial instructions, the first food for the soul, and “solid food” is mystical contemplation, which is the flesh and blood of the Logos, that is, the knowledge of divine powers and essence. (3) “Taste and know how good (χρηστός) the Lord is” (Ps. 33:9). He communicates himself to those who receive this food in a spiritual way, since the soul nourishes itself, as the truth-loving Plato says 1024, because the food and drink that the divine Logos gives is knowledge of the essence of God. (4) Or, as Plato says in the second book of the Republic: “And they will sacrifice not a pig, but something larger and difficult to obtain” 1025 by those who seek knowledge about God. (5) In accordance with the apostle: “Our Passover is Christ, sacrificed for us” 1026, for how can we truly appreciate the sacrifice of the Son of God sacrificed for us? XI. Distraction from the material is the first step on the path to knowledge of God (67.1) Immutable separation from the body and the passions associated with it is a sacrifice pleasing to God. And this is what true piety consists of. (2) Is this why Socrates called philosophy “care for death?” 1027 After all, only one who in his thinking does not rely on visual images or sensory data, but turns to the subject only by the power of reason alone, can rightfully be called a true philosopher. (3) Pythagoras also pursued the same goal when he prescribed five years of silence for his students at the beginning of their studies in order to give them the opportunity to turn away from the sensory and contemplate divine objects in purity of mind [...] The best of the Hellenes borrowed this method of philosophizing from Moses. (4) For it was he who commanded to “skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces,” 1028 because he considered it necessary that the soul of the Gnostic be freed from the goods of the material world and passions, and, left without the ghosts of the imagination that preserve emptiness and lies, abandon all bodily desires and be enlightened by the light. God is different from this world: allegories of the Old Testament (68.1) But the majority of people, hiding in corruptible bodies, like snails in shells, and, like a hedgehog with leaves, covered with their passions, ignorantly believe that the good and incorruptible God is like them. (2) What is hidden from them is that God has given them many things in which he himself is not involved. He gave them birth, being unborn, food, although he himself does not need anything, the opportunity for development, although he himself constantly remains equal to himself, a calm old age and a blissful death, being immortal and not aging. (3) And it is not to be supposed that hands, feet, mouth, eyes, coming, going, anger, or threatening are ascribed by the Jews to God in a literal and sensuous sense. No way. Each of these names is used in the most pious and allegorical sense, 1029 about which in due time, as we continue to expound, we will speak more clearly. (4) “Wisdom is an all-healing medicine,” writes Callimachus in his Epigrams. 1030 (5) “One learns from another,” says Bacchylides in the Paeans. “And it is not easy to find the gateway to the unspoken word.” 1031 The image of the “true Gnostic” by Isocrates (69.1) Isocrates in his Panathenaic 1032 well poses the question: “Who can be called well-mannered?” - and answers, “First of all, those who are able to cope with what they encounter on a daily basis and who accurately judge the course of events, whose opinion is suitable to the case and who are most often able to understand what is happening. (2) Secondly, those who always treat their neighbors as they should and fairly, easily and accommodatingly enduring the hostility and difficult character of others, while they themselves try to be as light and moderate as possible with their neighbors. (3) Further, those who are able to keep their feelings under control and not succumb to misfortunes, enduring them valiantly and in accordance with the dignity of our nature. (4) Fourthly, and this is most important, those who have not been corrupted by success, who have not betrayed themselves or become arrogant, and who always remain within the bounds of prudence.” (5) Finally, he comes to the following conclusion: “Those who are endowed not with just one, but with all these virtues, I call sensible and perfect men, who have all the virtues.” (6) You see how the Hellenes already deified the Gnostic life, although they did not know how to achieve it. What true gnosis is they did not even see in their dreams. (70.1) We agree that gnosis is food for the mind, in accordance with the words of Scripture “blessed are those who hunger and thirst” (Matthew 5:6) for the truth, for they will be satisfied with eternal food. "Prophecy" of Euripides about the Father and the Son (2) It is also surprising that if we listen to the stage philosopher 1033 Euripides, we will find that he almost agrees with what we have just said, and, I don’t know by what miracle, depicts both the Father and the Son at the same time, (3) exclaiming 1034 For you, patron of everything, this cup I bring libations and bread. O Zeus, or Aida What name would you prefer? Accept mine A sacrifice made from fresh fruits And a thick cup overflowing with moisture. After all, Christ is a sacrifice for us, abundant in fruits and incomprehensible. (4) And what the poet really, without knowing it, is saying about our Savior is clearly shown by the following words: (5) Indeed, among the heavenly gods You wield the scepter of Zeus, And you share the earthly power of Hades. (6) And then he adds explicitly: You sent enlightenment to human souls, To them who want to know the source of discord, And what are the roots of evil, and what We must offer sacrifices to the blessed, To find peace instead of needless torment. (7) It is no coincidence that purification in the Hellenic mysteries plays the main role, the same as in the barbarian mysteries - washing. (71.1) This purification is followed by small mysteries, which contain the fundamental principles of the teaching and prepare for the great mysteries that follow them, the mysteries of unity, which no longer teach anything, leading to direct contemplation and understanding of the principles of nature and things. (2) As for us, we achieve purification through confession, and contemplation through abstraction, moving towards the fundamental principles of thinking, arriving through abstraction from everything that is subject to it to the beginning, separating its sensory qualities from the body, pushing aside the dimension of depth, and then width and length. The remaining point is a monad, which, however, has a location [in space]. If we ignore this arrangement, it becomes an intelligible monad. (3) If now, abstracting from everything inherent in bodies and things called incorporeal, we surrender ourselves entirely to the greatness of Christ, rushing into the immensity of holiness, then perhaps we will be able to somehow comprehend Omnipotence, through the knowledge not of what it is, but of what it is not. (4) As for form, movement, immobility, rest, seat 1035, place, right hand, shuytsa, they should not be thought of as real attributes of the Father of all, although it is written so. What exactly each of them means will be made clear in the appropriate place. (5) The First Cause, therefore, does not reside in any place, but is above place, time, naming and thought. Therefore, Moses says: “show me yourself” 1036, thereby clearly hinting that God is incomprehensible and inexpressible in words, but can be known only through his powers. Therefore, the search is in vain, there is no form in which the invisible and ugly can be clothed, but the grace of knowledge is given to us through the Son. (72:1) Solomon clearly testifies to this, saying: “It is not human understanding that is in me, but God has given me wisdom, and I know holy things.” 1037 (2) Describing the divine understanding allegorically, Moses calls it the “tree of life” (Gen. 2:9) growing in paradise. Paradise, in turn, must depict a garden where everything created grows. (3) In him the Logos blossomed and produced fruit, “becoming flesh” 1038, and gives life to those who taste his goodness. And is not the tree of salvation the knowledge which he revealed to us? And does our life not rest on our faith? (4) Solomon further says: “Wisdom is the tree of immortality to those who receive it.” 1039 (5) And further: “Today I have set before you life and death (...), to love the Lord your God and to walk in His ways, and to listen to His voice, and to believe in life. If you turn away from righteousness and the commandments that I have given you, you will surely die (...) For this is your life and the length of your days, in the love of your Lord.” 1040 The “Place” of God and Plato’s “World of Ideas” (73.1) And again, “On the third day, Abraham, coming to the place that the Lord showed him, lifted up his eyes and saw that place from afar” (Gen. 22:3). (2) This means that the first day is filled with wonder at what is beautiful, the second - with the best aspirations of the soul, and, finally, the mind perceives spiritual entities with the eyes of reason 1041, which are opened by the Teacher, resurrected on the third day. These three days mark the mystery of the sacred sealing, and at the end of them the convert achieves true faith in God. (3) That is why it is said that Abraham saw this place from afar, because the world (χάρα) where God is located is difficult to reach - the one that Plato called the world of ideas, borrowing from Moses the idea of ​​it as a place where everything is contained in its entirety. (4) That is why Abraham saw her “from afar” when he was in the changing world of formation, and was mysteriously elevated there by an angel. (74.1) That is why the apostle said: “We see now as through a [dull] glass, but then face to face” 1042, through only the pure and unmixed application of reason. (2) After all, according to Plato, by “reasoning” everyone can explore the divine if “bypassing sensations, through reason alone he rushes to the essence of any object” and “does not retreat” from the sphere of existence until, having risen to what is beyond it, “with the help of thinking itself he grasps what is good, thus finding himself at the top of the intelligible.” 1043 “Thou shalt not make an idol”: the incomprehensibility and indescribability of God (3) Moses, by not allowing altars and sanctuaries to be erected in various places on the ground that there should be only one church to God, thereby proclaimed that the world was once created (as those like Basilides say), and that God is one (which is no longer found in the teaching of Basilides). (4) And since the Gnostic Moses did not seek to confine to a particular place that which could not be limited, he forbade the placing in the church of any images for worship, thereby saying that God is invisible and indescribable. In this way, he led the Jews to the concept of God through the veneration of his name in the church. (5) Further, the Logos, by prohibiting the construction of churches and sacrificial ceremonies, thereby indicates that the Pantocrator cannot be found in a limited space, or, in the words of Scripture, “What house will you build for Me? - says the Lord, “Heaven is my throne” (Is. 66:1) and so on. (6) Also about sacrifices: “I do not desire the blood of bulls or the fat of sheep” (Isa. 1:11). You see, and through the prophet He forbade it. (75.1) And the famous tragedian Euripides, quite in agreement with this, says: A stone cannot become for a deity. 1044 [no!], the deity is self-sufficient, All this is the nonsense of pathetic singers. 1045 (3) “It was not out of necessity that God created the world in order to glorify himself before man, or before other gods or demons,” says Plato, “by extracting some kind of profit from the creation, and from us, who are like smoke, and from the demons, his household servants.” 1046 (4) Paul in the Acts of the Apostles instructively says: “God, who created the world and everything in it, being the lord of heaven and earth, does not live in churches made with hands and does not require the service of human hands, as if he needed anything, Himself giving to all things breath and life and everything” (Acts 17:24). (76.1) Zeno, the founder of the Stoic school, in the book “The Republic” also says that we should not create either churches or images, for nothing created is worthy of the gods, and without doubt he literally writes the following: “There is no need to create churches. The church is not something really very worthy, and it should not be called holy. Because nothing can be worthy or holy enough that is created by the hands of a craftsman.” 1047 (2) In fairness, Plato, considering the cosmos as a church of God, allocated only a small place in the city for statues of gods, completely prohibiting the creation of them for home churches: (3) “Let no one dedicate churches to the gods, they already belong to them. Gold and silver in others, whether personally among citizens or in churches, evokes an envious passion for possession. And ivory, a body without a soul, is not a pious offering. Iron and copper are weapons of war. If anyone wants to dedicate something, then let it be a product made from a single piece of wood or a stone for a common church.” 1048 (77.1) He quite rightly says in the largest of his letters: “This is inexpressible in words, like other sciences. Only, as a result of a great community with a thing, a kind of heartfelt union with it, suddenly, like light shining from a spark, this consciousness arises in the soul and feeds itself there.” 1049 (2) Isn’t that what the prophet Zephaniah says: “And the spirit of God took me and lifted me up into the fifth heaven, and I beheld the angels called dominions, and on them was a diadem placed by the Holy Spirit, and each of them had a throne that shone seven times brighter than the rising Sun. They live in a house of salvation. They are in it - a hymn to the inexpressible supreme God.” 1050 XII. The Divine is inexpressible and unthinkable (78.1) “To find the Father and Creator of everything is not an easy task, but if we find him, it will be impossible to talk about him,” since “this is inexpressible in any way, unlike other sciences,” says the truth-loving Plato. 1051 (2) He had obviously heard about how the wise Moses, ascending the mountain to perform holy contemplations at the top of the intelligible, forbade all the rest of the people to follow him. (3) For, as the Scripture says: “Moses entered into darkness, where God himself was” (Ex. 20:21), - and this clearly shows those who are able to understand that God is invisible and ineffable, and the darkness, which truly is the unbelief and ignorance of the majority, obscures the radiance of the truth. (4) The theologian Orpheus, for the same reason, says 1052: “One is perfect, everything else is born as the offspring of one,” or “born”, since it is written so in another list. He adds: “No mortal sees him. He sees everything." (5) And then he explains: “I don’t see Him, because He is surrounded by a cloud, but all mortals have corruptible pupils in their eyes, only flesh and bones.” (79:1) The apostle also testifies to the ineffable, saying: “I know a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven, and there in paradise, who heard ineffable words, which it is impossible for a man to utter.” 1053 He thereby mysteriously hints that God is inexpressible in words, and not because it is “impossible” (оύκ εξόν) to imagine such a thing, due to prohibition or out of fear, but on the contrary, he says that human faculties become numb, having discovered the divine, if anyone living under the third heaven begins to speak. After all, this is only permissible for selected souls, mysteriously elevated there. Plato on the number of heavens (2) Plato, as far as I know, supposes the existence of many conceivable heavens. (We will consider examples of similar provisions from barbarian philosophy, of which there are many, along with other previously promised examples, at the appropriate time). (5) However, from the corresponding passage in the Timaeus it is difficult to understand whether we should think of many cosmos, or one, since Plato did not distinguish between the names cosmos and heaven. (4) The statement itself is as follows: “Are we right in speaking of one heaven, or is it more correct to speak of many, or even countless many? No, it is one, because it was created in accordance with the prototype.” 1054 New Testament parables about the “Kingdom of Heaven” (80.1) From Roman’s Epistle to the Corinthians: “Man will not set a limit to the ocean and the spaces that are beyond it.” 1055 (2) The noble apostle agrees with him: “O the depth of wealth and wisdom and knowledge of the Divine” (Rom. 11:33). (3) Is this not what the prophet meant when he instructed to bake unleavened bread in ashes 1056, thereby revealing that the sacred secret word about the truly uncreated and its powers should be hidden. (4) In the Epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle clearly confirms this: “We preach wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this world, nor the wisdom of the powers of this age, but we preach the wisdom of God hidden in the sacraments.” 1057 (5) And again in another place: “...to know the mystery of God in Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and gnosis” (Col. 2:2-3). (6) The same thought is captured in the words of the Savior: “It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 13:11). (7) In accordance with the Gospel, the Savior proclaims to his disciples the secrets of the teaching in parables, or, as the prophecy says about him: “I will open my mouth in a parable, I will utter what has been hidden since the creation of the world.” 1058 (8) And then the Lord explains the mysterious through the parable of leaven: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” 1059 (9) This is said because the “three-dimensional” 1060 soul is saved through obedience, through the spiritual power of faith inherent in it, or through the power of the word given to us, which, being strong and powerful, attracts mysteriously and invisibly everyone who accepts it, contains it within itself, and merges the whole being of this person into a single whole. Transcendence of the divine nature (81.1) Solon has a wise saying about God 1061: The most difficult thing to think with your mind is the invisible measure, which alone contains the limits of everything. (2) And the Akragant poet says that the divine ...cannot be brought closer to ourselves as accessible to our eyes, This is exactly the main road of persuasion penetrates into the hearts of people. 1062 (3) John the Apostle says: “But no one has ever seen God; He has revealed the Only Begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father,” 1063, calling the bosom of God invisible and ineffable. That is why many called them “the abyss” 1064, since they contain everything and everything is embedded in them (εγκολπισάμενον), inaccessible and limitless. (4) Truly this word about God is the most difficult to access. After all, the beginning of everything is difficult to comprehend. The first and oldest beginning and the first cause of everything that becomes and has become is difficult to imagine. (5) Indeed, how can one express in words something that is neither genus, nor distinction, nor species, nor indivisible, nor number, nor any adjunct quality, nor the basis of anything adjunct (συμβέβηκέν τι). What He is cannot be expressed correctly and fully. In His greatness He treats all things equally and is the Father of all things. (6) No part can be said about Him 1065 since the One is indivisible, and therefore also indefinable, if we understand this latter not as something discursively inconceivable, but as immeasurable and without limits, and therefore formless and nameless. (82.1) By calling God by certain names, for example, by saying that he is the One, or the Good, or the Mind, or the Self-Existing, or the Father, or God, or the Creator, or the Lord, we do not do this in the proper sense of the word. Finding it difficult to express His own Name, we use the best of them so that the mind does not wander among all the others and has support in them. (2) Moreover, none of these names expresses God, but they all together show the powers of the Almighty. The predicate (τάλεγόμενα) is either what is said about something inherent in things as such, or concerning their mutual relationship. But neither one nor the other applies if we are talking about God. (3) No knowledge of Him can be demonstrative, since any such knowledge must be based on first and already known principles. But nothing precedes the Unborn. 1066 Knowledge of the unknown is revealed as a gift (4) Only by the power of divine grace and through his Logos is the unknown revealed to us. In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke mentions the words of Paul: “Men of Athens, I see from everything that you are especially devout. For, passing and examining your shrines, I also found an altar on which was inscribed: To the Unknown God. This, whom you worship without knowing, I preach to you” (Acts 17:22). XIII. Knowledge of God is revelation (83.1) Everything that is named has a beginning, regardless of whether you want to admit it or not. One of two things: either the Father attracts to himself all those who lead a pure life, having achieved an understanding of the blissful and incorruptible nature, or the free will inherent in us itself achieves the knowledge of good, overcoming, as the gymnasts say, all barriers. But it is not without special grace that the soul is inspired and soars upward to the higher spheres, leaving everything that is heavy and indulging in what is more akin to it. 1067 (2) And Plato in the “Meno” speaks of virtue as something God-given, as is clear from the following: “From this reasoning of ours, O Meno, it becomes clear to us that if virtue is given to us, then it is given by divine destiny.” 1068 (3) Doesn’t it seem to you that he calls the gift of knowledge that descends upon everyone a divine destiny? (4) And further he explains: “...and since you and I have been searching well throughout our entire conversation, it turns out that virtue does not come either from nature or from teaching, but it is given only by divine destiny, and not apart from reason, in those in whom it is present.” 1069 (5) God-given wisdom, the power of the Father, elevates our free will, accepts faith and crowns a close community of the elect. (84.1) Here I would add a statement from Plato himself, who urges us to believe what the children of God say. He says this in Timaeus about the visible and born gods: “Talking about other demons and finding out their birth is too much for us. Here all that remains is to trust those who spoke about this earlier. Since they themselves were, according to them, the descendants of the gods, they must have clearly known their ancestors. The children of the gods cannot be denied trust, even if they speak without plausible and convincing evidence.” 1070 (2) I do not think that the Greeks are able to give us a clearer testimony than that which was revealed by our Savior, or that which was announced by prophecy - the true witnesses of the deity. After all, the latter are called the children of God, while the Lord is his true Son. That is why he [Plato] adds that they should be believed because they are inspired. (3) If someone exclaims in a tragic voice: why should we believe? For it was not Zeus who told me these words, 1071 then let him remember that it was God himself, through his Son, who made the Scripture known to us. Those who “proclaim to their own” 1072 must be believed. “No one,” says the Lord, “knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son revealed it.” (85.1) Therefore, what is preached in the Old and New Testaments must be believed, even if it is presented, in the words of Plato, “without plausible and convincing evidence.” 1073 “If you do not believe,” says the Lord, “you will die in your sins” 1074, on the contrary, “he who believes has eternal life,” “blessed are you who have believed in him.” 1075 (2) Trust is more than just faith. After all, he who believes that our Teacher is the Son of God trusts His teaching as true. (3) Just as “learning grows the mind,” 1076, in the words of Empedocles, trust in the words of the Lord grows faith. Greek Philosophers on the Innate Knowledge of God (4) And it should be noted that it is very characteristic of those who condemn philosophy, belittling the importance of faith, to praise injustice and present happiness as living in accordance with one’s whims. (86.1) Faith, since it is based on the voluntary consent of the soul, is the performer of good deeds and the standard of right action. (2) When Aristotle strictly distinguishes in his teaching ποιείν (to do) as a concept applicable only to irrational beings and inanimate objects, and πράττειν (to act) as inherent only in man, 1077 let this serve as an edification to those who teach that God is the Creator (ποιητή) everything. 1078 That which is accomplished (πρακτόν) is either good or necessary. To act unrighteously is not good (no one acts badly unless he is forced to do so by something else 1079). What is necessary is not voluntary. Therefore, an evil act is a kind of voluntary action, since it is not determined by any necessary cause. (3) Therefore, the good differ from the evil in their inclinations and good wishes. 1080 Every mental vice is associated with intemperance, and everyone who acts in accordance with his lust acts to the extent of his intemperance and depravity. (4) I will never cease to be amazed at the divine saying: “Truly, truly, I say to you, anyone who does not enter his father’s courtyard by the door, but climbs over elsewhere, is a thief and a robber. And he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” And then the Lord interprets: “I am the door of the sheep.” 1081 (87.1) For salvation, therefore, it is necessary to comprehend the truth revealed by Christ, even if this requires the methods of Greek philosophy. After all, the mystery is now clearly shown, “which was not made known to the former generations of the sons of men as it is now revealed” (Eph. 3:5). (2) Knowledge (έμφασις) of the one omnipotent God has always been naturally present in the souls of right-thinking people. And many of those who have not completely lost the shame to deny the truth are involved in this benefit, which divine Providence has eternally revealed to us. (3) Therefore, the idea of ​​​​Xenocrates from Chalcedon 1082 that knowledge of God is inherent even in dumb creatures is not completely crazy. Democritus, without meaning to, confirms this, at least if we consider the consequences of his teaching. In fact, he teaches that the same image-outflows (είδωλα) 1083 from the divine essence are found both in man and in the dumb animal. (4) To man, the divine plan, who from creation, as it is written, received the “breath of life” (Gen. 2:7), it is impossible to deny participation in this to a greater extent in comparison with other living beings. (88.1) Therefore, the Pythagoreans say that reason is present in man by divine destiny, and in this Plato and Aristotle agree with them. (2) We believe that the Holy Spirit inspires those who have faith. (3) According to the teaching of the Platonists 1084, the mind is a kind of outflow into the soul in accordance with the divine destiny, while the soul is embodied in the body. (4) This is expressly declared through Joel, one of the twelve prophets: “And it shall come to pass after this that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.” However, the spirit that is in each of us is not some “part of God.” (4) But we will talk about how this division occurs and what the holy spirit is in the books “On Prophecies” and “On the Soul.” 1085 (5) The hidden depths of gnosis are best hidden behind a veil of improbability, for, according to Heraclitus, they: “Escape from knowledge due to improbability.” 1086 (89.1) Let us now move on to what follows and show more clearly how dependent the Greeks are on barbarian philosophy and how much they borrowed from the barbarians. About Greek borrowings Allegorical meaning of Stoic pantheism (2) The Stoics teach that God, like the soul, is in essence both body and spirit. 1087 All this is clearly present in their writings. However, these allegories of theirs should be understood in the same sense in which they are presented in the tradition of Gnostic truth, because they, like the ancient sages, pointing to one thing, mean another. (3) The Stoics teach that the soul of God permeates all nature. 1088 We consider God the only Creator, Who created everything with the word. (4) Apparently, they were misled by the following saying from the Book of Wisdom: “It penetrates and passes through everything because of its purity” (Wis. 7:24). They did not understand that this was said about Wisdom, “the firstborn of God.” 1089 (5) Further, many of the philosophers, the same Stoics, Plato, Pythagoras and, even more so, Aristotle the Peripatetic consider matter one of the first principles, being apparently unable to limit themselves to a single first principle. (6) What they call matter is considered by them as something without quality and formless. 1090 Plato even decided to call it “non-existent.” 1091 (7) Knowing in a mysterious way that in fact the existing principle is one, he appropriately spoke about this in Timaeus: “This is what we think about this. We will not speak now about the beginning of everything, or about the beginnings, or whatever it is called, and only for the reason that with the method of research we have chosen, it would be difficult to bring our thoughts about this subject to proper clarity.” 1092 (90.1) Is it worth saying that it was the words of the prophet “the earth was formless and unsettled” (Gen. 1:2) that inspired them with the idea of ​​a formless material essence? (2) Epicurus's doctrine of chance is, accordingly, the result of a misinterpretation of the saying, "vanity of vanities, all vanity." 1093 (3) Aristotle, limiting the influence of Providence to the sublunary sphere, followed the psalm: “Lord, Thy mercy reaches to the heavens, Thy truth reaches to the clouds.” ( Ps. 35:6 .) However, in reality these words indicate that a clear interpretation of the prophetic ordinances was not revealed until the coming of the Savior. Philosophers on posthumous punishments (4) Likewise, the doctrine of posthumous punishments and fiery purifications was borrowed from barbarian philosophy not only by poets, but also by Hellenic philosophers. (5) Plato, in the last book of the Republic, speaks of it this way: “There were wild people there, fiery in appearance. Obedient to the roar coming from the abyss, they grabbed some and took them away, and tied Arideus and the others hand and foot, threw a noose around their neck, threw them to the ground, tore off their skin and dragged them off-road, over piercing thorns [moreover, they explained to everyone they met why such an execution and said that they would throw the criminals into Tartarus].” 1094 (6) It is clear that the fiery people are angels who, having captured the unrighteous, led them to execution. “You create,” it is said, “your angels, your spirits, your servants, a blazing fire” (Ps. 103:4). (91.1) The above also testifies to the fact that the soul is immortal, since the one punished or admonished (παιδευόμενον) is said to feel, which means he is alive and spends his life in suffering. (2) And doesn’t Plato know about the existence of rivers of fire and an earthly abyss, which the barbarians called Gehenna and which the poets called Tartarus? And isn’t this the meaning of all these rivers Cocytus, Acheron and Pyriphlegethon 1095 and all other types of torment, punitive and corrective? (3) Plato is not at all far from what Scripture says when he teaches about angels for the “little and least” and about guardian angels watching over us: (4) “And when all the souls had chosen this or that life for themselves, they, in order of lot, began to approach Lachesis. Whatever genius someone has chosen for himself, she sprinkles with him, as the guardian of life and the executor of the choice made.” 1096 (5) Socrates' daimon seems to hint at the same thing. Philosophers on the creation of the world (92.1) The philosophers taught that the world was created, borrowing this from Moses. (2) Plato literally says the following: “Was it [heaven] always there, or did it arise from some beginning? It arose because it is visible, which means it is tangible, and, being tangible, it is corporeal.” (3) And further: “Of course, the creator and parent of this universe is not easy to find.” 1097 He teaches, therefore, that the cosmos is not only created, but also that he was created as a son (since the creator is called father). This means that the cosmos received its beginning only from him alone and arose from nothing (μή ὁντος). (4) The Stoics also teach about the creation of the cosmos. 1098 (5) About the fact that the head of the demons - the one about whom much has been said in barbarian philosophy - is a malevolent soul, we read in the “Laws”: (6) “Should we not admit that the soul that rules over everything and dwells in everything, which moves in a variety of ways, also rules the sky? - Certainly. – But is she alone or are there many of them? I will answer for you, there are many of them. For we cannot in any way suppose less than two—one beneficent and the other capable of doing the opposite.” 1099 (93.1) Something similar is written in the Phaedrus: “There are many other bad things here, but some genius has mixed fleeting pleasure into most of them.” 1100 (2) Further, he simply complements the statement of the apostle: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the spirits [of wickedness] in high places” (Eph. 6:12), when [in the tenth book of the “Laws”] he writes the following: (3) “Since we have agreed among ourselves that in heaven there is a lot of good things, but also - but not in greater quantities - their opposite, then we believe that there is an endless struggle between them, requiring extreme vigilance 1101.” (4) The concepts of the intelligible and sensually perceived cosmos are not alien to barbarian philosophy. The first of them has the character of an archetype, while the second is an image of what is called a “paradigm”. And if the first, intelligible, is called a monad, then the second, sensually perceived, is a hexad. After all, according to the Pythagoreans, the number six is ​​associated with marriage and means the generative principle, (5) while the monad includes the invisible sky, the formless 1102 earth and the light of reason. “In the beginning,” it is said, “God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless." (94.1) And further: “And God said: Let there be light. And there was light” (Gen. 1:1–3). The creation of the sensual solid sky (after all, the solid is sensually perceived) is described as the creation of the visible earth and visible light. (2) Isn’t this what Plato also teaches, placing the ideas of living beings in the intelligible cosmos, and describing the species of sensory things in accordance with their genera as created in the image of the intelligible? 1103 Man as “image and likeness” (3) The body, as Moses teaches, was created “from dust,” while Plato calls it “an earthly prison.” 1104 The rational soul, further, was breathed by God “into the face” of man, (4) and it is here, says Plato, that the ruling part of the soul is placed, 1105 since this is how he interprets the appearance of sensations in primordial man. (5) Therefore, it is no coincidence that it is said that man is created “in the image and likeness” 1106, and the “image” of God is the divine and royal Logos, the [First] Man, not yet subject to passions. 1107 The human mind is the image of this image. (6) The [Platonic] doctrine of conformity can also be found in Moses, but he calls it following God: “Follow the Lord your God, and keep His commandments” (Deut. 13:4). Such, I believe, are all the righteous, since they follow God and serve Him. (95.1) In the same sense, according to the Stoics, the ultimate goal of practicing philosophy is life in accordance with nature 1108, and according to Plato, this is “becoming like God.” 1109 (However, this is stated in the second book of Stromatus 1110.) (2) Zeno the Stoic, taking this from Plato, and he from the barbarian philosophers, said that all good people are friendly to each other. 1111 (3) This is exactly what Socrates says in the Phaedrus: “After all, it is not such that a bad person is a friend to a bad person, and a good person is not a friend to a good person.” 1112 In the same way, in Lysis, he shows that friendship is never maintained between the unjust and the bad. 1113 (4) The Athenian guest also says that “there is a practice of friendship and following God, based on the ancient principle, which states that like is friendly to like within the limits of measure, but those deprived of this measure are not able to come to agreement either with others deprived of it, or with those who deviate from it. And only God can be the true measure of all things.” 1114 (96.1) And a little further it is said that the good is like the good, and, being in this like God, he becomes a friend not only to every good person, but also to God himself. 1115 (2) This reminded me of what was said at the end of the Timaeus: “We must achieve that the thinking becomes like the thought, as its original nature requires, and thus achieve that perfect life that the gods have proposed to us for these and future times.” 1116 (3) The meaning of these words is close to the following: “The seeker does not stop searching until he finds; having found, he admires; having admired, he owns; having mastered, he calms down.” 1117 (4) Isn’t that what Thales is talking about? After all, our teachings that God is glorious forever and ever and “knows the heart” of everyone, are interpreted by him as follows: “They say that Thales was asked: “What is divine?” He answered: “That which has neither beginning nor end.” When he was asked again: “Is a person able to hide his deeds from God?”, he answered: “How can it be, if a person is not able to hide even his thoughts?” 1118 Sufficient conditions for happiness (5) As is known from barbarian philosophy, only beauty and goodness, as well as virtue, are the grounds for happiness. Or, as it is said: “Behold, I have set before your eyes good and evil, life and death. Choose life” (Deut. 30:15, 19). (6) Life, as well as its choice, are good, but the opposite choice is evil. The ultimate goal when choosing goodness and life is one - to become a friend of God: “For this is your life and the length of your days” (Deut. 30:20), in love for the truth. (97.1) Let's be more specific. The Savior, bequeathing to love God and our neighbors, taught that “all the law and the prophets” rest on these two commandments. (2) We find something similar among the Stoics, and Socrates’ prayer about this in the Phaedrus: “O Pan and other gods, let me become internally beautiful.” 1119 (3) In the “Theaetetus” it is said: “He who speaks beautifully is himself beautiful and kind.” 1120 (4) In the same way, in the Protagoras, he tells his companions that he finally happened to meet even more beautiful than Alcibiades (meaning Protagoras), “if of course the wisest is the most beautiful.” 1121 (5) And this is because, as he says, valor is the beauty of the soul, while evil is the cause of its destruction. 1122 (6) The Stoic Antipater, who wrote three books on how “according to Plato, only beauty is good,” tried to show that only the possession of virtue is a sufficient condition for happiness. He also cites numerous evidence of this from the teachings of other Stoics. 1123 Authority of Aristobulus 1124 (7) Aristobulus, who lived in the time of Ptolemy Philometor 1125 and mentioned by the compiler of the Maccabees 1126, also believed that the Peripatetic philosophy was borrowed from the law and the prophets. So we will consider this justified. Plato's Ideal State (98.1) According to Plato, we are all brothers, since we were created by one God and have one teacher. (2) However, “although all members of the state are brothers (so we will say, continuing this myth), but God, who sculpted you, in those of you who are capable of ruling, mixed gold at birth, and therefore they are most valuable, silver in their assistants, and iron and copper in farmers and various artisans.” (3) Therefore, he goes on to say that “necessarily some of them strive to embrace and love what leads to knowledge, while others are limited to opinion.” 1127 (4) Thus, by inspiration from above, he teaches about chosen natures striving for knowledge. These three natures of people, as some believe, correspond to three types of societies: the Jewish is silver, the Hellenic is the last, third, and the Christian is the most perfect, since the royal gold, the Holy Spirit, is mixed into it. (5) The following words from the Theaetetus describe what is fully consistent with the ideal of Christian life: “Let us talk about luminaries, for what can be said about those who philosophize without special zeal? (6) These same people, from early youth, do not know the way to the agora, or to court, or to the Council, or to any other public meeting; they have never seen or heard laws and regulations, oral or written. (7) They do not strive to enter into a partnership with the aim of obtaining a position; they cannot even dream of gatherings, feasts and night processions with flutists. Whether one of the citizens is of a good family or a bad one, who has some troubles because of his parents, all this is more hidden from such a person than, according to the proverb, how many measures of water are in the sea. (8) He doesn’t even know that he doesn’t know this. [For he abstains from this not for the sake of honor,] ​​but the fact is that only his body remains in the city, but his mind, neglecting all this as empty and insignificant, soars above everything, according to Pindar 1128 measuring the expanses of the earth, descending underground and soaring above the heavenly bodies, everywhere experiencing the nature of any thing as a whole. 1129 (99.1) Next, let us compare with the words of the Lord “let you have yes - yes, no - no” the following statement: “I have no right to give in to a lie and hide the truth” 1130, (2) or the following words from the tenth book of the “Laws” “do not utter either praise or oath” 1131 - with our prohibition “do not swear.” (3) “All of them together, Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato, unanimously say that they heard the voice of God when they contemplated the process of creation of all things, created and continuously supported by God. But they apparently heard the words of Moses: “He spoke and it came into being,” because in this way he described the divine creation in words.” 1132 Poets about the creation of man (4) As for the creation of man from dust, philosophers constantly speak of the body as having an earthly nature. (5) Homer, without hesitation, pronounces the following curse 1133: May you all become water and mud! (6) Isaiah says the same thing: “Let your foot tread them like dirt” (Isaiah 41:25). (100.1) And Callimachus writes clearly 1134: This was at a time when birds and sea creatures and four-legged creatures made sounds like the clay of Prometheus. If you too were created by Prometheus, then nothing other than from the same clay. (3) Hesiod says about Pandora 1135: He gave the glorious order to Hephaestus, as soon as possible Mix earth and water, human voice and reason Symbolism of fire, water and earth (4) The Stoics define nature as “the creative fire that consistently follows the path of generation.” 1136 In Scripture, accordingly, God and his Logos are allegorically called “fire and light.” 1137 (5) And Homer, in the myth of the divorce of Tythys and Oceanus, did not represent the separation of water from the earth and the formation of land? He says 1138: Long dear hearts, embraces and marriage bed, On the theology of poets and philosophers (6) Let's go further. The most intelligent of the Hellenes attributed providential power to God. For example, Epicharmus (and he was a Pythagorean) says 1139: Nothing can be hidden from God, you should know this. He watches over us and nothing is impossible for him. (101.1) Or lyric poet 1140: God can from the impenetrable darkness of the night bring out the untainted light, and from the dark foggy haze - the pure radiance of the day, - Thus, he says that only God can create night in broad daylight. (2) Arat in the poem “On Phenomena” expressed himself as follows 1141: Let no mortal dare to leave his name is unmentioned. Everything is full of Zeus, all the streets, all the places of public assembly, the depths of the sea, harbor, everything testifies to him. (3) He further adds (referring to creation): one who is merciful to people. He gives signs of the beginning to everything. He calls people to their deeds by placing stars in the sky and arranging the constellations. He crowned the year these stars, and they are meant to signify so that everything grows in order. That's why we always call on him. When starting or finishing any business, we say: Glory to you Father, great and wonderful, protection to all. (4) And even before him, Homer, describing the shield forged by Hephaestus, in full agreement with Moses, said 1142: There he imagined the earth, imagined both the sky and the sea (...) All the beautiful stars that crown the sky. Indeed, Zeus, glorified by poets and authors of prose works, lifts our minds to God. (102.1) Democritus presents it this way: “Indeed, there are few people in the world who raise their hands to what the Greeks now call air, and say: Zeus discusses everything 1143 and knows everything, and gives and takes away, and reigns over everything.” (2) Pindar the Boeotian in an allegorical form - after all, he was a Pythagorean - says 1144: and from one mother they received life, that is, from “matter”. He also says that there is only one “father-artist” 1145 who, to the best of our abilities, leads us to a god-like state. (3) But I forgot about Plato. After all, in his letter to Erastus and Coriscus, based on the Hebrew Scripture, he thus speaks of the Father and the Son: (4) “You, in justice, must take an oath with all seriousness, but not with such seriousness that is unpleasant, but with a kindred joke, swearing in the name of God, the ruler of all things, and in the name of the powerful Parent of this ruler and the author of the existing one, whom, if we are true philosophers, we must know.” 1146 (5) God is also called father in Timaeus: “Gods of gods! I am your demiurge and the Father of everything created.” 1147 (103.1) When he says that “everything gravitates towards the king of all, and everything is done for his sake, and he is the cause of everything beautiful. The second gravitates towards the second, and the third towards the third,” then this should be understood as an indication of the Holy Trinity. The third in it is the Holy Spirit, the second is the Son, through whom everything came into being according to the will of the Father. 1148 Heavenly Journey of the Soul (2) Further, in the tenth book of the Republic, Plato mentions a certain Er, the son of Armenius from Pamphylia, who was none other than Zoroaster: “This was written by Zoroaster the son of Armenius, born in Pamphylia, who was killed in battle, visited Hades and learned this from the gods themselves.” 1149 (3) This Zoroaster, as Plato says, came to life twelve days after death, already being on the funeral pyre. (4) This may be understood as an allusion to the resurrection, or as an indication that, in their ascension, souls must pass through all twelve signs of the Zodiac. They repeat the same path when descending for [new] birth. 1150 (5) This is how the twelve labors of Hercules should be understood, after the completion of which the soul is finally freed from the hardships of this world. (6) Let us not forget to mention Empedocles, since it is precisely according to the teachings of this physicist that all things are periodically renewed, turning into a fiery essence. 1151 (104.1) It is clear that Heraclitus of Ephesus held the same opinion, who taught about the eternal cosmos, but also about another subject to destruction, realizing however that this latter, in the sense of its “division,” is no different from the previous one, which is in a certain state. 1152 (2) The fact that he considered a single cosmos, but consisting of a collection of essences, to be eternal, is clear from the following: “This cosmos, the same for everyone, was not created by any of the gods, none of the people, but it was, is and will be an eternally living fire, gradually flaring up and gradually dying out.” (3) And that he also considered it to be born and subject to destruction is shown by the following words: “Reversal of fire: first the sea. And the [circulation] of the sea is half earth, half πρηστήρ [hurricane, whirlwind, whirlpool].” 1153 (4) This means the following: fire, by the power of the Logos and God who governs everything, is transformed through air into moist nature, into the seed of cosmic change, that is, into what it calls the sea. From this latter arises the earth and the sky, and everything that is contained between them. (5) Then the cosmos returns again to its original state and ignites, as is clear from the following statement: “The sea is wasted and replenished to the same measure as it was before it became earth.” The same is said about other first principles. (105.1) The most famous of the Stoics similarly teach about the combustion of the cosmos, its government and, in particular, about the place of man in it and about the maintenance (έπιδιαμονης) of our soul. 1154 (2) Plato, in the seventh book of the Republic, called the earthly day darkness, meaning “the princes of the darkness of this world.” 1155 In another place, following Heraclitus, he taught that the descent of the soul into the body is similar to sleep and death. 1156 (3) However, is not this the same thing that the spirit speaking through David declared about our Savior: “I lay down and slept, but I rise up, for the Lord sustains me”? (Ps. 3:6). (4) Consequently, not only did he allegorically call the resurrection of Christ an awakening, but he also designated the incarnation of the Lord as a dream. (106.1) The Savior Himself therefore bequeaths: “Watch!”, that is, worry about life and how to free your soul from the power of the body. (2) In the tenth book of the Republic, Plato speaks prophetically about the day of the Lord: “Everyone who spent seven days in that meadow had to get up on the eighth and set out on the road to cover it in four days.” 1157 (3) Meadow means a motionless sphere, a quiet and pleasant place, the abode of saints. Seven days are the movement of the seven planets and the works of creation that take place over seven days and lead to tranquility. (4) Through all these [planetary] wanderings and movements the path leads to heaven, to the eighth movement and the eighth day. The four days of the journey that the soul makes means progress through the four elements. (107.1) The Holy Week was revered not only by the Jews, but also by the Greeks, because in accordance with the sevenfold cycle the entire cosmos, living and plant nature moves. (2) Hesiod put it this way: 1158 Holy days, the day before the first, and the fourth, On the seventh day the sunlight shone. 1159 And on the seventh, when the holy day arrived... And on the seventh day, when everything is finished... On the seventh morning we left the Acheron River. 1160 By the seventh morning everything will be accomplished. The seventh day is as beautiful as the seventh creation. Seven is both the first and the last. The week created in the starry sky, sparkling, it daily resumes its circular motion. 1161 (108.1) The week is also deified in the elegies of Solon. 1162 Plato's "Prophecy" about the Savior (2) And isn’t it the prophecy of salvation that Plato pronounces in the second book of the Republic? Indeed, the Scripture says: “Remove the righteous from among us, for they are a hindrance to us.” (3) According to Plato: “Such a righteous person will be subjected to scourging, torture on the rack, they will put shackles on him, burn out his eyes, and after all these evil torments they will impale him.” 1163 (4) A follower of Socrates, Antisthenes, paraphrasing the words of Scripture “To whom will you liken me? “says the Lord,” writes: “God is not like anything. Therefore, no image can say anything about him.” 1164 (5) The same thought is expressed by Xenophon of Athens: “He who keeps the entire universe in order, (...) this God, whose great deeds we see, remains invisible to us. Keep in mind also that the Sun, which seems to be visible to everyone, does not allow people to look closely at it, but if anyone decides to boldly look at it, it takes away his sight.” 1165 (6) Whoever sees the immortal God with bodily eyes, heavenly and true, dwelling in the zenith? After all, even the rays of the Sun cannot resist weak human vision, - (109.1) Therefore, Xenophanes of Colophon, teaching that God is one and incorporeal, adds 1167 There is only God, the greatest among gods and men, He is not similar to mortals either in face or in mind. ... people think that gods are born, They have the same clothes, voice, and appearance. If bulls or lions [or horses] had hands, To draw or create sculptures like people, The horses would then be like horses, and the bulls would be like bulls They painted the gods and sculpted their bodies Exactly the same as everyone's appearance. (110.1) Let us listen to the words of the lyricist Bacchylides about the deity, With impunity and in no way like people. 1168 (2) The Stoic Cleanthes discusses God in one of his poems 1169: (3) You ask, what is the nature of good? Listen! It is orderly, just, holy, pious, autocratic, useful, beautiful, pleasant, majestic, independent, always suitable, fearlessly, carefree, savingly, painlessly, profitable, glorious, unshakable, friendly, famous, modest, attentive, kind-hearted, zealous, ageless, selfless, unchanging. (111.1) He, indirectly condemning the devil's idolatry, adds: A slave is one who pays close attention to [people's] opinions, As if anything useful could be extracted from them. (2) Indeed, the doctrine of divinity should not be based on the opinion of the majority: (3) ... No, I can’t believe that secretly, becoming like a villain in behavior, Zeus himself, disguised as a man, crept into your bedroom, Amphion says to Antiope. 1170 (4) And Sophocles 1171 is even more frank: Zeus himself slept with his mother, and not with golden rain or in plumage a false swan, but like a maiden Plevronskaya, he knocked her up, How can a husband in the prime of his life do this? (5) Further, he, continuing to depict in detail the intemperance of Zeus, writes: (6) Immediately along the steps to the maiden’s bed And without touching any food or drink. His impulse draws his heart to the bed, And the night opened its loving embrace to them. (7) But let’s leave the theatergoers to their nonsense. Heraclitus writes the following: “It is this speech, which exists forever, that people do not understand before listening, and even after listening once.” 1172 (112.1) Melanippides the lyricist sings 1173: Hear me father, mortal surprise, (2) The great Parmenides, as Plato calls him in the Sophist, is credited with these words about the divine: “There are many signs that what exists is not created and is not subject to destruction, whole, only begotten, unshakable and ungenerated.” 1174 (3) Hesiod writes 1175: You are the king, you are the master of all immortals, who can compare with you in strength? Theology of poets and philosophers (113.1) According to the historian Hecataeus 1176, the author of the stories about Abram and the Egyptians, Sophocles exclaims from the stage: (2) Truly there is one deity, Organizer of the heavens and the wide earth, blue elements of the sea and mighty winds. We mortals are in error and the weakness of our hearts seeking consolation, we build idols of stone and copper, of gold and ivory, We dedicate holidays and sacrifices to them, considering it pious. (114.1) Euripides says 1177: Look up into the boundless ether, hugging the earth with wet embraces. His name is Zeus, and he is God. (2) He writes in Perita 1178: entwined with an etheric ring throughout nature, you are surrounded by light and night darkness, and a countless round dance of stars. (3) The self-born being, originated from itself, is the creative mind, the rest is about the cosmos, where light opposes darkness. (4) The following significant words belong to Aeschylus son of Euphorion 1179: Zeus - ether, Zeus - earth, Zeus - sky, Zeus is all that exists and all that is above it. (115.1) As far as I know, Plato mentions the following words of Heraclitus: “The one and only wise being does not want to be called and wants the name of Zeus.” (2) And again: “The law is precisely to obey the will of one.” (3) And, if you like, “he who has ears, let him hear” is represented by Ephesus in this way: “Those who heard but did not understand are like the deaf. Present - absent, says the proverb about them.” 1180 (4) But would you like to hear the opinions of the Hellenes about a single origin? Timaeus of Locris in his book “On Nature” testifies to the following: “The single beginning of everything was not created. For if it were created, then the beginning would not be it, but the one who created this first.” 1181 (5) But a similar true opinion follows from the following statement: “Hear Israel, the Lord your God is one, and He must be served” (Deut. 6:4, 13). (6) Look! This is the one who is open to everyone (116.1) Homer, not otherwise than by divine inspiration, alludes to the Father and the Son 1183: If “no one” why are you the only one roaring like that? But if you are sick, then it is the will of Zeus; you cannot escape it. We, the Cyclops, have no need for either God or Zeus. (2) And Orpheus 1184, even before him: O son of the great Zeus, father of the aegis-bearing Zeus. (3) Xenocrates of Chalcedon, speaking of the upper and lower Zeus, obviously meant the Father and the Son. 1185 (4) However, Homer, although he honors the gods, portrays them as subject to human passions, unlike Epicurus, who generally refuses to honor them. 1186 (117.1) Homer, for example, writes 1187: What are you doing to me, O Pelid, relying on quick legs, Mortal, are you pursuing the immortal god, or hitherto (2) Indeed, it is not possible for a mortal to grasp God with the strength of his hands or feet, to see or, in other words, to realize with the help of his senses. (3) “To whom will you liken God, what likeness will you find to Him? - the Scripture says, - (4) The artist pours out the idol, or the gilder covers it with gold...” (Is. 40:18). (118.1) The comic poet Epicharmus 1188 speaks very clearly about the Logos in the book “The Republic”: Man needs calculation (λογισμός) and number. We live by numbers and calculation, that's what saves people. Reason rules people as it should and always saves. There is human calculation, but also divine reason. Only the human mind from birth is turned to life, And the divine initially accompanies the arts, And one only teaches people what is beneficial to them. For it was not man who invented art, but God, Just as the human mind came from the Divine. (119:1) Truly the Holy Spirit thus declares through Isaiah: “Why do I need the multitude of your sacrifices? “says the Lord, “I am satisfied with the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle and the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.” And a little further: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean, remove your evil deeds from your thoughts” (Is. 1:11, 16). (2) And the comic poet Menander 1189 literally says this: O Pamphilus, I swear by Zeus, if otherwise Sacrifices many bulls or goats, Or other animals, or some handiwork, Chlamys of gold or purple, Or statues made of bone or beryl And in this way he strives to attract God’s mercy, Then he is deluded by his empty mind. He must prove that he is a worthy husband, He who honors the purity of virgins and the purity of marriage, Not prone to theft or robbery Because of the passion for wealth. O Pamphilus, God sees everything and is not far from you. (3) “Am I God near, and not God far away? Can a man do anything in the dark where I cannot see him? – according to Jeremiah (Jer. 23:23–24). (120.1) And further, paraphrasing the words “offer, ye righteous, sacrifices and trust in the Lord,” (2) he writes: Even the tip of someone else's arrow. After all, God I am happy only with righteous deeds, and not with dishonorable ones, And recognizes the wealth only of those who work, Working the land day and night. Therefore, sacrifice your perfect righteousness to him, Showing not the luxury of clothes, but the purity of the heart. Don't run when you hear thunder. Why do you need this if your conscience is clear, my friend? God sees everything, he is not far from you. (3) “If you will only say,” says Scripture, “behold, I am here.” 1190 (121.1) The comic poet Diphilus writes about the trial: Do you really think, O Nikerat, that those Who spent their lives in luxury They will escape divine judgment, There is all-seeing Justice, And two different roads lead to Hades: For the righteous there is one, but for the unrighteous there is another. However, if you are sure that the earth will hide them forever, Then go, rob, steal, lie, mix everything! However, do not be deceived: there is also judgment in Hades, Which is decided by the judge of everything, God, – I don’t dare say his name – And even to villains he gives a long earthly life. 1191 (2) And if a mortal imagines that day after day He can do evil and avoid God, He thinks evil, and this thought is his He will see Dike and turn to him. 1192 (3) Look, you who think that there is no God, He exists, and if anyone does good, Born evil, he gains time, After all, Dike is given a short sentence. 1193 (4) In agreement with him, the tragedian: And it will be so. The time will come When the ether opens the golden-eyed path For secret fire. And a burning flame will burn the whole earth - And everything that is underground and above it. And when everything comes to ruin, and the abyss of the sea waves disappears, And the earth will be empty, and there will be no plants And there will be no flocks of birds in the hot air, Then the one who destroyed everything will restore everything. 1194 (2) We find something similar in the Orphic hymns: And having hidden everything, he entered the radiant light He brought everything out of the holy heart again, Many times more beautiful. 1195 (3) Indeed, if we spend this whole life holy and righteous, we will be happy here, but even more so there, after we leave this world. Instead of temporary happiness, we will find eternal peace there: Living by the same hearth and dining with other immortals, Free from human passions and indestructible, according to the philosopher Empedocles. 1196 (4) No one was so great, according to the Hellenic proverb, as to stand taller than the great Dike, or so small and unnoticed as to escape her gaze. (123.1) The same Orpheus says this: Contemplate the irresistibly divine Logos, Follow with your heart the movement of your mind, Keep your path confident and straight, Look only at the immortal King of All. (2) In another place he again speaks of God, calling him invisible and mentioning a certain man of the Chaldean race, to whom alone he revealed himself. Here, apparently, it is said about Abraham or about his son: Only one scion of the Chaldean family knew the correct path of the stars and the movement of the spheres around the earth, Their uniform movement around the axes And the flight of the chariots of the winds through the air and over the sea. (124.1) And as if paraphrasing the words: “heaven is My throne and earth is My footstool” (Is. 66:1), he adds: In the middle of the vast sky is affirmed And the earth spreads at his feet. His right hand reaches to the limits of the Ocean, And the foundations of the mountains tremble with his wrath. No one is able to resist him. He is the beginning of everything, heavenly and earthly, He is the beginning, middle and end. But I can't tell you more: My voice and mind are confused. He rules everything from his heights, and so on. 1197 (2) These words clarify the saying of the prophet: “And if You rend the heavens and come down, the mountains would tremble at Your presence. And they would melt like wax before fire” (Isaiah 64:1–2). (125:1) And again Isaiah asks: “Who has exhausted the waters with His handful and measured the heavens with a span?” (Isa. 40:12). O lord of ether, Hades, sea and earth, From whose thunder Olympus trembles, Whom both demons and gods fear, Who owns the indestructible Moira? (2) Eternal being, Mother and Father (μητροπάτωρ), Everything trembles from your anger, You move the winds and shroud the earth in fog, You cut through the wide air with lightning. The luminaries move, obeying order, (3) Around your throne of fire The hardworking messengers are standing, Called to serve the needs of people. Thanks to you, young spring Scattering purple flowers, You send winter with its icy clouds, You give us a harvest of grapes and fruits. (126.1) And further he writes about God, calling him Almighty: Indestructible, immortal, spoken only by immortals, Come, greatest of gods, Accompanied by great Necessity, Terrible, invincible, great and indestructible, (2) By calling God μητροπάτωρ, he not only clearly indicates that everything was created “out of nothing,” but also prevents any attempt to present the “divine spouse” as a partner in creation. (3) The words of the prophet Hosea 1199: “I establish the thunder and create the wind, and with My hands the heavenly armies were formed” (4) and the saying of Moses: “You see now, it is I and there is no other God besides Me. I kill and I give life, I smite and I heal, and nothing will deliver out of My hand” 1200 (5) paraphrased by Orpheus as follows: O you who instill mortal sorrows, Cruel wars and a deplorable fate there, Where were the joys just now? 1201 (127.1) But isn’t Archilochus of Paria talking about the same thing? O Zeus, father Zeus, the sky is your domain, and you bring evil and unjust forces upon people. 1202 (2) And again, according to the Thracian Orpheus: and the earth spreads at his feet. 1203 (3) And this, obviously, is a paraphrase of the words of Scripture: “The Lord saves whole cities and His hand seizes whole lands as nests,” “He created the earth by His power and established the world by His wisdom.” 1204 (4) Phocylides, calling angels demons, believes that some of them are good and others are evil. But we also teach the same thing, calling some angels rebellious 1205: Various demons are associated with man, But undoubtedly there are those who protect him from evil. (128.1) Philemon 1206, the comic poet, rightly condemns idolatry in these words: Τύχη - not divine and not a deity, Everything that happens by chance is called that. (2) And Sophocles the tragedian says 1207: Even the gods can't do anything But only to Zeus: after all, he is the beginning and he is the end. (3) Or, according to Orpheus 1208: One ruler and demon, The great and sparkling vault of heaven. He alone created everything and sets fire, water and earth in motion. (129.1) The lyricist Pindar exclaims in bacchanalian delight 1209: God who created all mortals. Do you hope for wisdom? She is rare among people. You cannot penetrate God’s council with a corruptible mind, Born of a mortal woman, - then he borrows this thought from the following: (4) “Who understood the mind of God and was his adviser?” (Isa. 40:13). (5) And Hesiod, in full agreement with him, writes 1211: Where is that soothsayer from earthly and mortals, Who comprehended the mind of the scepter-bearing Zeus? In the same way, following Hesiod, Solon of Athens writes in his elegies 1212: The mind of immortals is incomprehensible to people. (130.1) Further, according to Moses, as a sign of disobedience, the woman was destined to give birth in pain. So the poet, far from unknown, writes 1213: There will be no respite for them either at night or during the day from labor and grief, And from misfortunes. The gods will give them heavy worries. (2) Homer 1214 saying that God, the Provider, has laid out the golden scales, thereby indicating that God is just. (3) The comic poet Menander 1215 has good words about the divine: A demon is given to serve everyone from birth, The one who mysteriously directs life towards good. And to believe that he is evil and corrupt is insane. άπαντα δ αγαθόν είναι τον θεόν, – and this means either that “every God is good (πάντα θεόν άγαθόνς),” or, which is preferable, “God is good in everything (έν πασι τον θεόν άγαθόν).” (131.1) The tragedian Aeschylus, speaking of divine power, does not hesitate to call him the Most High 1216: (2) Distinguish gods from mortals and do not think That God is like you and corporeal, You don't know him. Here it is fire In its furious power, behold - water or darkness. He may be a species like a wild beast, Wind and cloud, lightning, thunder and rain. (3) The sea and the rocks are subject to him, Both water sources and streams. And the mountains, the earth and the depths of the sea tremble, If the eerie eye of the ruler looks at them: Almighty is the glory of the Most High. (4) Don't you think this is just a paraphrase: “At the presence of the Lord the earth trembles” ( Ps. 113:7 )? (132.1) Apollo, a knower of the future, proclaiming the glory of God, told about Athena, who, having come to Zeus, asked him to help Attica in the days when the Medes attacked Hellas. (2) The oracle was 1217: Unable to soften the Olympian Pallas Athena, Approaching him with pleas or cunning advice... The flames will destroy many churches of the immortal gods, they sweat in fear and trembling, (133.1) Fearid in his book “On Nature” writes: “The beginning of everything, the true beginning of everything, is one; after all, it is precisely this that is at the beginning, the one and only.” (2) Verily, there is nothing except the great king,— says Orpheus. 1218 (3) And the comic poet Diphilus said the following gnome 1219: Honor the Father of all that exists, now and forever, Inventor and creator of all goods. (4) Plato quite rightly says that “the best natures should be forced to master that knowledge that we previously called the highest, that is, the ability to see the good and ascend to it,” (5) after all, [bringing it to the light] is not the same as turning over a shard? In the same way, the soul must be turned from a certain twilight day to the true day of existence. And we rightly call such an ascent the striving for wisdom.” 1220 (6) He classifies those who have entered this path as the genus of “golden” people: “You are all brothers” 1221, but only those belonging to this genus have the ability to make correct judgments. Innate Knowledge of God and Natural Theology (7) The Father and Creator of everything, by virtue of some innate ability that does not need to be taught, people perceive as the principle present in everything. Inanimate nature strives in every way for living nature. Of the animate beings, some are born immortal and work in the light of day, while others are mortal. Of these latter, some are constantly immersed in fear, being in their mother's womb, while others are able to intelligently manage their freedom. (8) All people are divided into Hellenes and barbarians, but not a single human race, be it farmers, nomads or city dwellers, can live without an innate sense of faith in a perfect being. (9) That is why all the peoples of the West, and those whose dominions extend even to the eastern shores or the north and south winds, have a single idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe ruler who rises above all. This is because the most important of his deeds apply equally to everyone. (134, 1) The best of the Hellenes, engaged in many sciences and philosophy, advanced further than all others in the study of barbarian wisdom, accepting the invisible, one and powerful God, the creator and first cause of all that is best. But even they did not know all the consequences of these truths, except in those cases when they were taught by us. And not being able to comprehend the divine nature, they limited themselves, as we have repeatedly noted, to only a more or less true approximate description of it. (2) After all, the apostle rightly says: “Is God really the God of the Jews only, and not of the Greeks?” (Rom.3:29). He indicates here not only that God will become God for the Hellenes who believed in him, but also that the Lord has the power to become God for everyone, being the Almighty of all things, (3) including for those who do not have access to the true knowledge of God, the understanding that He exists, that He is Lord, Father and Creator, as well as other truths about God, unless, of course, they are taught this. (135.1) And the prophets strongly point to the same thing. Isaiah, for example, says: “And if you say: We trust in the Lord our God. Now we will enter into an alliance with my lord, the king of Assyria.” And further: “And did I come to this land without the will of the Lord to destroy it?” 1222 (2) So Jonah speaks about the same thing by the power of prophecy: “And the captain of the ship came to him and said to him: Why are you sleeping? Arise, call on Your God, maybe He will save us and we will not perish?” (John 1:6). (3) By the words “Thy God,” he showed that he considered him a man who knew God, and the continuation of the phrase, “that He might save us,” makes it clear that the idea of ​​an Almighty was already present in the minds of the heathen, although they did not yet believe in Him. (4) Further it is said: “And he said to them: I am a Jew, I honor the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” (136.1) “Then they cried: We pray to Thee, O Lord, that we may not perish for the soul of this man.” 1223 (2) Malachi the prophet puts the following words into the mouth of the Lord: “The offering of your hands is not pleasing to Me, for from the rising of the Sun to the going down My name will be great among the nations, and in every place a sacrifice will be offered to Me,” (3) And again: “For I am a great king, and My name has been made known among the nations” (Mal. 1:10-14). What name are we talking about here? About the name of the Father, mysteriously revealed through the Son, God the Creator, as the Greeks call him. 1224 Once again about poets and philosophers (4) Plato teaches about free will as follows: “Virtue is not only the property of any one admirer or non-admirer of it. Everyone joins it to a greater or lesser extent. And the guilt lies with the chooser, but God is innocent.” 1225 God, indeed, cannot be the cause of evil. (5) The Lyricist speaks about it this way 1226: O war-loving Trojans, the Almighty Zeus, who sees all It is not the cause of mortal sorrows, However, each person can do it himself Find the path of the holy and pure Dike, Accompanied by legitimacy and cautious Themis, And blessed are your parents, If they all live in your house. (137.1) About Zeus the Savior, the husband of Themis, the saving and righteous king, Pindar speaks in these words 1227: First, the fairest Themis heavenly On a golden chariot to the steep ocean shore Moira leads us to the very beginning of the sparkling steps, What leads to high Olympus, Before the eyes of the savior Zeus as his wife. Gold-crowned and fruit-bearing. (2) He who does not wish to submit to the dictates of truth, and is too proud of his human teachings, is truly unhappy and in distress, according to Euripides 1228: Although they see this, but not knowing God and Discussing celestial phenomena, They inevitably utter absurd sophisms, Loosening your tongue, chattering at random about the invisible, Claiming to know what is inaccessible to them. (138.1) That is why those who want to know the true teaching should not neglect the promise of Parmenides of Elea 1229: You will recognize the ethereal nature and what is in the ether, Signs and deeds of the pure radiant Sun, Making him invisible, and where they came from, You will also learn about the circular movements of the round-eyed Moon, And nature and the all-encompassing sky, Where did it come from and how is it an all-compelling Necessity? He was bound to guard the boundaries of the stars. (2) And Metrodorus, although an Epicurean, said the following only through divine inspiration: “Remember, Menestratus, that you were born mortal, and the term of your life will not exceed the allotted limits. And therefore lift up your soul to the eternal and boundless, to that which “will be and has already been” 1230. not involved in the evil that awaited us later, admitted to visions that were pure, simple, unshakable and happy, contemplating them in pure light and pure themselves, not yet marked by that shell that we now call the body, chained to it, like a snail to its house 1232.” (139.1) Heaven is called Antichthon (Anti-earth) by the Pythagoreans, and on this other earth, according to Jeremiah, “I will number you among the number of My children, and I will give you the desired land, the most beautiful inheritance of the almighty God” (Jer. 3:19), and those who inherit it will reign on earth. (2) Countless other examples come to my mind, but we must stop here and keep our narrative within reasonable limits, so as not to become like those of whom the tragedian Agathon said 1233: For them, side affairs are the most important, and real work is only in between. (140.1) Having shown with sufficient clarity in what sense the Lord called the Greeks thieves, I deliberately leave the analysis of the opinions of philosophers. (2) After all, if I continued it, I would never finish, no matter how much I expanded these notes for my memory, and everywhere I would come across evidence that the Hellenes borrowed their wisdom from barbarian philosophy. (3) We will certainly return once again to the opinions of the Hellenes when our reasoning touches on the doctrine of first principles. (4) All the previous, however, shows how one should approach the Hellenic writings in order to be able to “avoid the waves” 1234 and not be overturned by them. (5) Or, as Empedocles rightly says 1235: having acquired a wealth of mind in the understanding of the Divine. The one who cherishes a dark opinion about the gods is pitiful. He wonderfully and inspiredly shows that knowledge and ignorance lead, respectively, to happiness or misfortune, (6) for “wise men should be experts in extremely many things,” 1236, according to Heraclitus, and indeed, it is necessary who wants to become good. 1237 (141.1) Thus, from the above, it becomes clear that divine beneficence is eternal, and that all peoples, according to their dignity, have a natural piety, the source of which is a first cause that has not been created by anyone and has no other beginning. (2) After all, God did not become the Lord or a good being, but always was and is what he is - God. And he will never stop doing good, bringing everything to the necessary conclusion. (3) And each of us, to the extent that he himself wishes, has a share in his benefits. The individual degree of chosenness depends on the merit of the correct choice made by each soul and on the efforts it makes to implement it. (4) With this we conclude the fifth book of our Stromata, Gnostic notes for memory, devoted to true philosophy. The sixth and seventh books of the Stromat are devoted to the doctrine of true gnosis, briefly outlined in the fourth book. "Fatherland" presupposes the presence of a son. Wed. Origenes, De principiis I 2, 10; In Johan. X 246, as well as the Gnostic Tractatus Tripartitus 51, 8–15 Zandee. Clement speaks more than once about the “Gnostic canon,” the rule or tradition followed by the Gnostics and which is unknown to the uninitiated. On this see the fourth chapter of R. C. R. Hanson, Origen's Doctrine of Tradition (London, 1954). Wed. In. 14:6–7, ἐπιβολὴ καὶ διάληψίς are Epicurean terms. This passage contains a lacuna and is corrected in accordance with Früchtel's addition. In general, the plot concerns the problem of “natural theology”. If God is unknowable, then how can we know about him? John of Damascus (Exp. fidei 3.4–5 Kotter) sought to resolve this difficulty by also admitting that our faith in God is inherent in us “by nature.” The term “sonship” played a crucial role in the system of Basilides (as presented by Hippolytus). For more details, see the comment to this place. Aeschylus, Bound Prometheus, 44. Wed. Sextus Empiricus, Adv. Math. XI, 25. 316; X1, 59; Pyrr. Hyp. II, 97; Sirianus, Schol. in Hermog. II 42, 1 Rabe; Aulus Gell., Noctes Atticae V 10, 3; Maximus Confessor, Schol. in opera Dionysii, 11 r. 215. See below 11.6 and our commentary on this passage. Wed. Topica 1, 11, 105a 3–9; Xenophon, Mem. IV 4, 19–20. Wed. Plato, Phaedo 81e2; 81с7; 79d1. Plato, Post-Law, 973 c3–6. According to Plutarch (Numa, 16) he ordered the construction of a church to Fidelity and Terminus (god of boundaries), since respect for boundaries is the basis of peace. Clement's surprising suggestion (following Philo of Alexandria?) that Numa was a Pythagorean reflects his Pythagorean bias. For more details, see the commentary and the corresponding section of the introduction. This passage is an exposition of what is found in Philo of Alexandria (De Cherubim, 4-7; cf. Philo, De Abrahamo 82, De mutatione nominum, 66), and is a striking example of the Alexandrian exegetical method. This kind of interpretation, independent and going back to Philo, we have already encountered and will encounter more than once in the text of the Stromatus. Heraclites, fr. 19–20 Marcovich (28 DK). Chrysippus, fr. phys. 630 Arnim; cf. Heraclitus, fr 82 Marcovich (66 DK). Wed. Origen., Contra Celsum V, 20; IV, 68. This idea of the Hellenes' dependence on "barbarian philosophy", that is, Jewish and Christian teachings, was very popular in the time of Clement. For more on this, see the fourteenth chapter of this book by Stromatus, which is entirely devoted to “plagiarism of the Hellenes.” Wed. Strom., I, 87. Wed. Life 6:2; Enoch. 16:3; Tertullian, On the Soul, 2, 3. Sophocles, Oedipus the King, 110–111. Menander, fr. 164 Koerte. Timon of Phlius was a student of the founder of skepticism, Pyrrho. The passage cited by Clement (Timo Phliasius, fr. 795–96 L. Lloyd-Jones-Parsons, Suppl. Hell.) is a parody of the Iliad (V, 518; VI, 440–443). For more information about these figures, see the commentary. No. 207 Preger (Inscript. Gr. Metr.). I Cor. 4:15. Wed. I Peter. 1: 3.23. Empedocles, fr. 17, 21 DK (31, 21 Bollack; trans. A. Lebedev). Wed. Empedocles, fr. 17, 7 (31, 7). Plato, Republic, V 475 e. Perhaps this refers to Phaedrus, 246a. However, at this point Plato talks about the soul, and not about truth. Hesiod, Works and Days, 287–289; cf. Euripides, fr. 432 Nauck (TGF). This passage is a paraphrase attributed to various authors. Wed. Poet. Lyr. Gr., 86 b (959 Page, PMG). Plato, Republic, VI 494a3. Cleanthes, fr. 559 Arnim; fr. 4 Powell. Cf. CAF III, ii 518. Author unknown. Perhaps this refers to an “open vote”, when a decision is made in favor of those whose “opinion” is louder. Empedocles, fr. 4 DK (27 Bollack). This sentence is a platonic reminiscence. Wed. Republic, 475e5, Phaedo, 69c5, Phaedrus 247a7–8. Pindar, Isthm. 2, 5–7 (translated by M. Gasparov). The scarab beetle was depicted in the language of the god Apis. Sophocles, fr. inc. 704 Nauck, 771 Radt. I Cor. 3: 10.12. Rom.1:11. Wed. Porphyrius, Vita Pythagorae, 42; Plutarchus, Quest. conv. VIII, 7, 727 pp. Jamblichus (Protrepticus 21) makes the following comment: "... that is, be restrained in your tongue before others, following the gods." Homer, Iliad, IX, 311. τρύξετε - from τρυϒών turtledove. That is, literally, “to pester you with cooing and whispering.” This refers to the myth of Philomel, the murderer of his own children. Wed. Plutarchus, Quest. conv., VIII, 727d; On the myth of the cicadas, see Plato, Phaedrus, 259bd. The author of this text is unknown. Th. Bergk (PLG III, adesp. 87, p. 1341) believes that the author may be Pindar. Wed. fr. inc. 960 Page (Poet. Mel. Gr.). Wed. Plutarchus, Quest. conv. 728 pp. The Greek word τῦφος means simultaneously smoke, smoke and pride, arrogance. Similarly, ἀναζέσασα παύσηται means “to stop boiling, to burst into flames” and “to flare up with anger.” This clarifies the meaning of the saying. Wed. Plutarchus, Quest. conv. 728 b: “Spouses should not leave the bed uncleaned as a reminder of the night spent.” Wed. Matt. 19:23; Mk. 10:23 ; OK. 18:24. Wed. Jamblichus, De vita pythagorica, 84; Prot., 21. This refers to the church of Isis. However, the Greek churches of Athena and Zeus were also “roofless” and open. Wed. Porphyrius, De antro nympharum, 6; Wed. Stahlin, arr. crit., ad loc. He probably refers to the Pythagorean Eurytus, who lived in the fourth century BC, but the passage that Clement quotes was taken by him from another (pseudo-Pythagorean) treatise “On the Kingdom,” which belongs to a certain Ecphantus (Thesleff, Introd., p. 69; 69 p.4). Plato, Laws, VII 792d3. CAF III, r. 483, adesp. 395. Matt. 18:3. Porphyry (Vita Pythagorae, 42) comments on this saying: “... do not covet.” Homer speaks about the equality of inheritances, which neither man nor god can cross (Iliad, XV, 209). Euripides, Phoenician Women 536–540 (trans. I. Annensky). Prodikus, fr. 2 DK Xenophon, Memorabilia P, 1, 21–34. This refers to the well-known story of Valor and Vice quarreling among themselves over the soul of Hercules. Jamblichus, De vita Pythagorica, 83: “...for it is not known whether those who visit these places are pure.” Historian of the Hellenistic era. See: Aristocritos, fr. 4 FHG, IV 336 (fr. 6 FGrH 493). Euphorion of Chalcis, poet of the late third century BC, fr. 66 Powell. Wed. Strom. V 50, 3. Clement follows Philo of Alexandria in this section; De vita Mosis II, 87–88.101.102–103.104.122.124. For the exact sequence of quotations and paraphrases, see Index. For an analysis of this text, see A. van den Hoek, Clement of Alexandria and his Use of Philo (Leiden, 1988), p. 116–147. Gal. 5:25; II Cor. 5:7. [Euripides] Peritoos, fr. 594 Critias fr.18 DK. ἀεροτόμος – chopping the air. I Cor. 11:3; II Cor. 11:31. Or "Gnostic word." Wed. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics IV, 13, 1127a24. Wed. Plutarch., De Is. et Os., 34. Wed. Plutarch., De Is. et Os., 32. This was the name of the processions in honor of Bacchus. Pherekydes, fr. 113 FHG, p. 98; FGrH 3 F 174. Androcydes, fr. 2 Holk (De acusm. sive symb. Pyth., p. 47). Dionysius Thrac., fr. 2 Schmidt (fr. 52 K. Linke, Die Fragmente des Grammatikers Dionysios Thrax, Berlin - New York, 1977). Wed. R. Pfeiffer, History of Classical Scholarship, p. 266 f. For rotating wheels see: Heron, Pneumatica 1 32; Plutarch., Numa 14, 9, 69 f – 70 a. Orpheus, fr. 227 Kern (translated by A. Lebedev). Didymus, Symposiaca, fr. 9 Schmidt (Didymi Chalcenteri Grammatici Alexandrini Fr., Leipzig, 1854). Next, Clement gives several examples for memorization (ὑπογραμμοί), which were in use in school education. Orpheus, fr. 219 Kern (Orth. phragm. B 219с5а Lebedev). Philyllios, fr. 20, CAF I, p. 787. Neanthes, fr. 27 FHG (FgrHist 84 F 36). Euphorion, fr. 3 Powell, b. 29. Dionysios Iambos, ap. Duntzer, Fragm. d. ep. Poes. d. Gr. II, p. 91. Cratinos, fr. 13 CAF II, p. 293. The Telchins, the mythical children of the Ocean, were considered the first inhabitants of the island of Rhodes. Simmias Rhod., fr. 11 Powell, b. 113. πλῆκτρον is a stick that was used to hit the strings of a cithara or lyre and, in general, what is used to strike (from πλήσσω - to hit, beat). Cleanthes, fr. 502 Arnim. Stahlin σύνδεσις – connection, MS (L) σύνεσις – meeting, merging, as well as reason, common sense. Aratus, Phaenomena, 22–24. Empedocles, fr. 38 DK (320 Bollack). Callimachus, fr. 194, 28 Pfeiffer. The founder of Attic tragedy, VI century. BC Thespis, fr. 4 TGF. Wed. I Thess. 5:2.4; II Peter. 3:10: “And the day of the Lord will come like a thief (κλέπτης).” Orpheus, fr. 33 Kern (B 22 Lebedev). Lion. 11: 7.13–14; Deut. 14: 8.12–13. Barnabas, Message 10, 1. Barnabas, Message 10, 11–12. Ps. 17:25.26; cf. Clement of Rome, First Corinthians 46, 2–3. Theognidea, 35–36; Wed. Plato, Meno 95 d. Plato, Phaedrus, 247 b; Xenophon, Memorabilia I 2, 20. Gaius, Institutiones II, 102 sq. Fragment from a letter from Lysias Hipparchus. See: Thesleff, Pythagorean Texts, p. 111–114, cf. Jamblichus, De vita pythagorica 75. Jamblichus, De vita pythagorica 199. Cf. 8 (Hyppas.) fr. 2 DK. II Cor. 6, 14–15. Wed. Plato, Laws V, 727e. Wed. Origen, Contra Celsum I 7, 60. Plato, Republic, X, 614 b; Gorgias, 524 a; Phaedo, 112 a; Protagoras, 320 d; Timaeus, 25 d; Critias, 108 next. Wed. 8 (Hyppas.) fr. 2 DK. Aristotle, Topeka I 1, 100b19. Empedocles, fr. 3, 67 DK (14, 6–7 Bollack). Heraclitus, fr. 104 Marcovich (29 DK). Demosthenes, De corona, 296, which also mentions the “traitor” Hipparchus. Epithet from Plato, Sophist, 237 a. Parmenides, fr. 1, 29–30 DK. What follows is an extensive quotation from the epistle of pseudo-Barnabas (6:5-10). Wed. Book of Sayings of Jesus 24:16; cf. Spruche Jesu, p. 94; Resch, Agraphon 84 (S. 108). Ps. 50:8, 18:3–4; Jer. 23:24. This refers to the myth of Pandora. Wed. Homer, Iliad, XXIV, 527–533; Hesiod, Works and Days, 94 pp. [Plato], Letter II, 312 d, 314 b-c. Wed. Plato, Phaedo 65 e – 67 d. Lion. 1:6. Wed. Philo, De sacrificiis Abelis et Caini, 84. De sacrificiis Abelis et Caini, 95.98.100.96. Callimachos, Epigr. 46, 4 (Anth. Pal. HP, 150, II p. 94 Pfeiffer 1950). Bacchylides, Fr. 5 Snell. See Peadar, Bacchylides. Odes, Fragments. Translation by M.L. Gasparova (Moscow, 1980). Wed. Theodoretus, Graecorum affectiorum curatio I, 78; Cyrill. Alex., Contra Julian., I. Isocrates, Panath. 30–32. The same epithet cf. Sextus Empiricus, Adv. Math. I, 288; Origen, Contra Celsum, IV, 77. Euripides, Fr. Inc. 912 TGF. In another reading: temporality. Ref. 33:13. Wed. Stromata II 6, 1.; Philo, De posteritate Caini, 14–16. Proverbs 30:2–3. This famous passage about the divine φρόνησις in the Septuagint reads: “I have no wisdom, neither do I know the saints.” Deut. 30:15–20. This passage, like the previous one, is slightly modified in Clement's text from the canonical version of the Septuagint. Wed. Plato, Republic, VII, 532 a-b. Euripides, Fr. dub. 1130. Euripides, Hercules, 1345–6; translation by I. Annensky. This place is unknown, but is also attributed to Plato and Theodoret (Graec. affect. curatio IV, 34; VII, 48). It is possible that both of these authors relied on some source unknown to us, such as an anthology. Zeno, fr. 264 Arnim. Wed. Origen., Contra Celsum I, 5; Epiphanius, Panarion, III 36. Plato, Laws, XII, 955e-956a. Plato, Letter VII, 341 pp. Apocryphal Apocalypse of Zephaniah. Plato, Timaeus, 28 c; Letter VII, 341 pp. Orpheus, fr. 245, 8–10.14–16 Kern. Timaeus, 31 a. It is further said: “...that which embraces all intelligible living beings...would more accurately be considered an image of the cosmos.” Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the Corinthians, 20, 8. Life 18:6; cf. Philo, De sacrificiis Abelis et Caini 59–62. Wed. Clement Alex., Teacher, III, 1; Plutarchus, Mor, 898 f. Solon, fr. 16 Diehl; 16 West. βυθός is a term used by the Gnostic Valentinians. See comment. Λεκτέον – predicate, predicate. Wed. Aristotle, Second Analytics I 2, 71b20. Wed. Plato, Phaedrus, 246p. Menon, 100 b (trans. S. Osherov). Timaeus, 40 d-e (trans. S. Averintsev). Empedocles, fr. 17, 14 DK (31, 14 Bollack). Wed. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics VI 2, 1139a20; VI 4, 1140a1; Eudemian Ethics, II 6; 1222b20; II 8, 1224a28. This is exactly what Plato says (Protagoras, 345 d): oujdev eJkw>n kako>v. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, X 5, 1175b26: “Every activity has its own pleasure associated with it, just as good pleasure is associated with good activity, and vicious pleasure with bad activity.” Xenocrates, fr. 21 Heinze (See also the new edition of the fragments: Isnardi-Parente M. Senocrate-Ermodorö Fragmenti. Naples, 1982, ad. loc.). Democritus, A 79 DK, cf. A 116, 117. Diogenus Laertius, IX, 45; Plutarchus, Quest. Conv. VIII, 10, 2 r. 734 f – 735 b. Wed. also: “And Democritus, who included in the number of gods either the images walking around, or the nature that emits these images from itself... didn’t he fall into the greatest mistake?” (Cicero, De natura deorum II 12 p. 29, trans. M.I. Rizhsky). No such works of Clement have survived. “On Prophecies” is perhaps his notebook, called Prophetic Eclogues. Fr. 12 Marcovich (86 DK; translation by A. Lebedev). Chrysippus, fr. phys. 1035 Arnim; cf. Strom. I, 53; Protr. 5. Wed. Chrysippus, fr. phys. 300, 301, 311 Arnim; Plato, Timaeus, 48 ​​ff. (Clement speaks about this in more detail below); cf.: Alkinoos, Didascalicos VII, 2–3. Eccl. 1:2. Epicurea, fr. 383 User. State, X 615e – 616a. Wed. Plato, Phaedo 112e – 113d. The last of the river names means “river of fire.” "Kokit" - lit. means "howling". Near the Acheron River, according to Herodotus (V 92.7), a ritual was performed to summon the dead. Timaeus, 26 b-c; cf. Strom.V 78, 1 word. Wed. Chrysippus, fr. phys. 574 Arnim. Stehlin's correction. In the manuscript and in Eusebius: aJgi>an. This formless earth is further contrasted by Clement with the visible and tangible. [Plato] Axiochus, 365 e: “We are the soul, an immortal being, locked in a prison subject to death.” Wed. Plato, Phaedrus, 246 a-b. Wed. Philo, Quis rerum divinarum heres, 231. Wed. e.g. Chrysippus, fr. mor. 6 Arnim. Wed. Laws, IV 716d1–2; Lysis, 214s6–7. Gospel of the Hebrews (Heb. Euang. fr.16 Handmann). Wed. Diogenes Laertius I, 36. Antipater Tarsensis, fr. 56 Arnim. Φιλομήτορα; cm. Strom. II 150, 1 where he is also called φιλάδελφον. Plato, Republic, III, 415a; V 479e. Plato, Theaetetus, 173 pp. – 174 a. This quotation is from Aristobulus (Stahlin, II, 392; cf. Eusebius, Pr. Euang. XIII 12.3). Callimachus, fr. 192, 1–3; 493 Pfeiffer. Chrysippus, fr. phys. 1134 Arnim (translated by A.A. Stolyarov). This definition coincides with what Galen gives (Med. definition 95), adding “... and actively moving by itself.” Ref. 3:3; cf. Origen., In Johan. XIII 124. Iliad, XIV 206. Note that according to some ideas, Tithys really meant the Earth (Schol. Hom.) Most likely, the name comes from τήθη - nurse, mother of all. Pindarus, fr. 108 b Snell-Maehler. μυθέεται – Diels: “beredet mit sich”; Voulet: "meditate"; Bammel: “He decides everything himself.” Democrites, fr. 30 DK. [Plato] Letter VI 323 d. [Plato] Letter II, 312 f; cf. Origen., Contra Celsum VI, 18. Inaccurate quotation from the State, X 614 b. Empedocles, fr. 13 DK (44 Bollack). Heraclitus fr. 30 DK (51 Marcovich; translation of fragments by A. Lebedev). Fr. 31 DK (53 Marcovich). Chrysippus, fr. phys. 590 Arnim. State, VII 521c. Eph. 6:12. Wed. Strom. III 21, 1 (here the statement of Heraclitus is given in full). Heraclit., fr. 21DK (49 Marcovich). Wed. Plato, Phaedo, 95cd. [Hesiod] fr. dub. 273 Rzach; fr. dub. 362 Merkelbach-West. Homer, fr. dub. Kinkel (EGF 1, 75), cf. Od. V 262. Callimachus, fr. dub. 145 Schneider. R. Pfeiffer this fr. excluded. Solon, fr. 19 Diehl; cf. Strom. VI 144, 3. “Weeks of Human Life” translated by V. Latyshev, see: Ancient Lyrics. Moscow, 1968, p. 133. Prem. 2:12; State, II 361e-362e. Is. 40:18. Antisthenes, fr. 24 Mullach (FPG II, p. 277); 40a Caizzi. Xenophon, Memorabilia IV, 3, 13–14. Orac. Sybill., fr. 1, 10–13. Cleanthes, fr. 557 Arnim; fr. 3 Powell, b. 229–30. Fr. 560 Arnim; fr. 5 Powell, p. 230. Clement quotes the same text in Protrepticus 6, 72. Euripides, Antiope, fr. 210. Sophocles, fr. dub. 1026. Melanippides, fr. 6 Diehl (762 Page, PMG). Parmenides, fr. 8, 3–4 DK; Plato, Sophist, 237 a. Hesiodus, fr. 195 Rzach; fr. inc. 308 West. Hecataios, fr. dub. 18; FHG II, r. 396 (ps. – Sophocles, fr. 1025 TGF). [Euripides] Peiritoos, fr. 593 Kritias, fr. 19 DK. Aeschylus, Heliades, fr. 70. Heraclitus, fr. 32–34 DK (84, 104, 2 Marcovich). Timaeus Locr., test. 7 Mar. In fact, this is a quotation from the neo-Pythagorean treatise of Aristaeus of Croton (Aristaios, περί αρμοηίας, Stobaeus, I, pp. 176–77). Wed. Thesleff, Pythagorean Texts. Odyssey, IX, 410–411. "Nobody" was the name Odysseus used to deceive the Cyclops. Xenocrates, fr. 18 Heinze (217 Isnardi-Parente); cf. Plutarch., Quest. Plat. 9 (Mor. 1007 sq.). [Menander] Pseudoepigr., fr. 1130. This text, like the following, appears to be some kind of Hellenistic Jewish imitation of the classical authors. Therefore, it is not surprising that the similarity with the Old Testament is almost verbal, as in this case rightly noted by Clement. Is. 65:24. Wed. Philemon, Pseudoepigr., fr 246 Kock (CAP). Euripides, Phrixos, fr. 835. Euripides, fr. dub. 1131. Sophocles, fr. dub. 1027. Orpheus, fr. 246 Kern. A little lower, the last text is given in a slightly different reading: Strom. V, 127. Amos. 4:13. Deut. 32:39. Archilochos, France 94 Diehl. The text of this fragment is corrupted. Along with our translation in accordance with the version given by Eusebius, another reading is possible: “From the heights of your heavenly home you see evil and unjust deeds.” Phokylides, fr. 16 Diehl. Sophocles, fr. dub. 1028. Orpheus, fr. 168, 6–8 Kern. Pindarus, fr. 140, 141 Snell. Hesiodus, Melampodie, fr. 169 Rzach; fr. inc. 303 West. Hesiod, Works and Days, 176–178. Menander, fr. 714 Koerte. The same oracle is given by Herodotus, in a more complete form and in a slightly different sequence, see: Herodotus, VII, 140–141. Plato, Republic, VII, 519 pp., 521 pp. This and further see State, III 415 a-b. Plato, Republic, X 617e. Bacchylides, XV 50–56 Snell. Metrodorus, fr. 37 Koerte. Wed. Plato, Phaedrus, 250 b-s. Agathon, fr. inc. 11 Nauck. This metaphor is found in Plato, Republic, V 457 b. Heraclitus, fr. 7 Marcovich (35 DK). Phokylides, fr. 13 Diehl.