The distinction between dry land and the dry element
They have become like an ocean; this element has been gathered into one, and the others, as we say, have been gathered into parts. And 'and so the dry land appeared', and observe that it does not say 'all the dry land'. For under the waters there is land; for water cannot exist without land or some supporting base beneath iten saying 'dry land' and 'land' from what was said in the prophet: 'Once again I will shake the heaven and the earth, the sea and the dry land' (Isa 66:15).
Another says that the same thing is being indicated; yet by another thought, 'dry' and 'land' are named, as regarding the land as that which lies under the heaven, but regarding the dry element as being called so. For it is said, 'This is the sea of God and he himself made it, and his hands formed the dry land' (Ps 95:5), and concerning Jonah being cast from the belly of the sea-monster that 'the sea-monster approached and cast Jonah out onto the dry land' (Jon 2:10) from the liquid substance. These things indeed regarding the literal sense, but regarding the thought which follows the patterns, we say that the waters remaining above the firmament are not perceptible, nor are they part of these perceptible waters; for neither plants nor animals subject to this need of water find themselves there, and whatever was said before as indicative of nothing being water there is stated sufficiently as perceptible water.
We say, therefore, that what remains at hand will establish by its own logic that these are waters held in various and diverse collections under the firmament. For it is impossible for those in a state of discord to ever be of one mind; for discord is alien to both confusion and unity. For virtue is unifying, having a certain continuity. For indeed the temperate man is brave and wise and just, and he who has one virtue has the others, just as in the beatitudes in the Gospel (Matt 5); for he who has the one making-virtue has the others. And there often occurs a deviation regarding the same virtue, such as one being called merciful from the excess, and the just and other temperate man, and thus they are able to be different virtues. He who perfectly has one has the others, and I say 'perfectly' because of the frequent introduction...
The rational animal
Greek
8 εἰώθασιν ὠκεανόν, τοῦτο δὲ τὸ εἰ[ς] μίαν συναχθὲν καὶ εἰς τὰς ἄλλας, ὡς εἴπο̣μεν, συνήχθη, εἰς τὰς κατὰ μέρος. "6Καὶ"6 οὕτω "6ὤφθη ἡ ξηρά"6, καὶ θεώρει ὅτι οὐκ εἶπεν πᾶσα ἡ ξηρά. Καὶ ὑπὸ τὰ ὕδατα γάρ ἐστιν γῆ· ἀδύνατον γάρ ἐστιν ὑφεστάναι ὕδωρ μὴ ἔχον γῆν ἢ σῶμα ἀντίτυπο̣ν ὑποκειμένην. Πρόσσχες δὲ εἰ διαφέρει ξηρὰν εἰπεῖν καὶ γῆν ἐκ τοῦ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ εἰρημένου· "6Ἔτι ἅπαξ ἐγὼ <σ>είσω τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὴν ξηράν."6 Ἕτερος δὲ ἐρεῖ τὴν αὐτὴν δηλοῦσθαι· καθ' ἑτέραν μέντοι ἐπίνοιαν ξηρὰ καὶ γῆ ὀνομάζεται, ὡς πρὸς μὲν τὸ ὑποκεῖσθαι τῷ οὐρανῷ γῇ, ὡς δὲ πρὸς τὴν ὑγρὰν οὐσίαν ξηρὰ προσαγορευομένη. Εἴρηται γὰρ ὅτι "6αὕτη ἐστὶν 26 Θεοῦ θα´̣λ̣α̣σσα καὶ αὐτὸς ἐποίησεν αὐτήν, καὶ τὴν ξηρὰν αἱ χεῖ[ρ]ες α̣υ᾿̣τ̣ο̣υ῀̣ ἔπ̣λασαν"6, καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰωνᾶ δὲ κατα- ποθέντος [ἐ]ν τῇ [κο]ιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους ὅτι "6προσετάγη τὸ κῆτος καὶ ἐξέβ̣α̣λ[εν] τ̣ο`̣ν Ἰωνᾶν εἰς τὴν ξηρὰν"6 ἐκ τῆς ὑγρᾶς οὐσίας. Καὶ ταῦ[τα] μ̣ὲν πρὸς τὸ ῥητόν, πρὸς δὲ τὴν διάνοιαν τὴν τοῖς φθά[σ]ασιν ἀκόλουθον λέγομεν ὅτι τὰ ἀπομείναντα ἐπάνω το̣ῦ στερεώματος ὕδατα οὐκ αἰσθητά εἰσιν οὐδὲ με´̣ρη̣ τῶν̣ υ῾̣δα´̣των τούτων τῶν αἰσθητῶν· οὐδὲ γὰρ φυτὰ οὔτε ζ̣ῷα̣ ταύτῃ τῇ χρείᾳ τοῦ ὕδατος ὑπαγόμενα ἐκεῖ τ̣υγχα´̣νει, καὶ ὅσα ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτων εἴρηται δεικτικὰ τοῦ μ̣η̣δε`̣ν̣ εἶναι ὕδωρ ἐκεῖ αἰσθητὸν αὐτάρκως διείρηται. Λέγομ̣εν [οὖ]ν ὅτι τὰ ἀπομείναντα ἐν χείρονι καταστάσει λογικὰ κ̣ατα`̣ κ̣α̣κίαν ἰδίαν ταῦτ' εἶναι τὰ ὑπὸ τὸ στερέωμα διαφόροις [συ]να̣[γω]γαῖς καὶ ποικίλαις ἐνεχόμενα ὕδατα. Ἀδύνατον γάρ ε᾿̣στιν̣ το̣ὺς ἐν κακίᾳ ὁμοφρονῆσαί ποτε· συγχυτικὸν γὰρ αὐτὴ καὶ ἑνώσεως ἀλλότριον. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀρετὴ ἑνοποιὸν ἅτε α᾿̣ντακολουθίαν ἔχουσα. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ σώφρων ἀνδρεῖος καὶ φρόνιμος καὶ δίκαιος, καὶ ὁ μίαν ἔχων καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς ἔχει, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ μακαρισμῶν· ὁ γὰρ τὸ ποιητικὸν ἑνὸς ἔχων μακαρισμοῦ καὶ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἔχει. Γίγνεται δὲ πολλάκις ῥοπή τις ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀρετήν, ὡς τὸν μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλεονάζοντος ἐλεῆμο̣ν καλεῖσθαι, τὸν δὲ δίκαιον καὶ ἄλλον σώφρον̣α, καὶ οὕτως ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων δύνανται ἀρετῶν. Ὁ τε<λεί>ως μι´̣αν ἔχων καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἔχει, τελείως δὲ λέγω διὰ τὸ πολλάκις ἐν εἰσ̣αγωγῇ καὶ προκοπῇ εἶναι. 27 Ὅτι δὲ ἀντακολουθοῦσιν αἱ ἀρεταί, ἐντεῦθεν ἔσται φανερόν. Τὸ λο[γ]ικὸν ζῷον προτεθειμένον κατὰ ἀρετὴν ζῆν φρονήσεω[ς χρῆ]ται ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸ πρακτέον καὶ μὴ πρακτέον καὶ τὸ αἱ[ρετὸ]ν̣ καὶ φευκτὸν καὶ τὸ ψόγον φέρον καὶ ἔπαινον, χρεία[ς ἡμῖν πα]ν̣τελῶς οὔσης ἐπιστήμης δια- κριτικῆς ἀγαθοῦ καὶ κα[κοῦ], ἱ´̣ν̣α τὸ μὲν ἑλώμεθα, τὸ δὲ φύγωμεν. Ὁ οὕτως ἔχων φρόνησιν καὶ διελὼν τὸ κακὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ, πάντως εἰδ̣[ὼς ὅ]τ̣ι̣ τ̣ὸ ἀγαθὸν αἱρετόν ἐστιν καὶ πρακτόν, αἵρεται αὐτ[ό· καὶ φεύγε]ι τὸ ἐναντίον εἰδὼς ὅτι καὶ φευκτὸν καὶ βλαβερὸν καὶ [····]·μ̣ον καὶ ἐπιζήμιόν ἐστιν. Καὶ δικαιοσύνης οὖν τῷ τοι[ούτῳ] χρεία, ὅπως ἑκάστῳ ἀπονέμῃ τὸ κατάλληλον, τῷ μὲν ἀγ[αθ]ῷ τὸ αἱρετόν, τῷ δὲ κακῷ τὸ φευκτόν. Ἐγνωκὼς οὖν ποῖα ψε[κτ]ὰ καὶ [πο]ῖα ἐπαινετὰ ἀνδρείας χρῄζει, ἵνα κατα- φρονητικὸς γένητα̣ι̣ τ̣ῶν̣ δόλων μὴ ὑπαγόμενος τοῖς αἱρετίζουσιν. ∆ιὸ καὶ σώφρων ὁ τοιοῦτος· κατάλληλον γὰρ τῷ λογικῷ ζῴῳ σωφροσύνη. Καὶ ὁρᾷ[ς] ὅτι ὁ μίαν ἔχων πᾶσας ἔχει, καὶ ἓν τούτων τέλος ὡς [ἐπὶ] τῶν μακα- ρισμῶν, κἂν ὦσιν διάφοροι. Ὡς γάρ, ἐν πόλει τινὶ δι̣αφόρων τῶν εἰσόδων ὑπαρχουσῶν, ὁ διὰ μιᾶς εἰσιὼν̣ ἀλλ' ε᾿̣ν̣ τ̣ῃ῀̣ π̣όλει ἐστίν, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρετῶν. Ἑνοποιὸν οὖν ἡ α᾿̣ρ̣ετὴ καθὰ καὶ Παῦλος πρὸς τοὺς οὕτω διάγοντας λέγει· "6Ἵνα ᾖτ̣ε κατηρτισμένοι τῷ αὐτῷ νοῒ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ γνώμῃ."6 Ἡ δὲ κακία̣ οὐχ οὕτως· αἱ γὰρ ὑπερβολαὶ ταῖς ἐλλείψεσιν οὐ δύνανται συμ̣φωνεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ ἔχων θρασύτητα καὶ δειλίαν ἔχει. Πάλιν μέση κεῖται εὐσέβεια ἀσεβείας καὶ δεισιδαιμονίας, εὐσέβεια δέ ἐστιν ἡ ἀπο- δεχομένη καὶ σέβουσα ἃ δεῖ, δεισιδαιμονία δὲ τὸ πάντα σέβειν καὶ μὴ σεβάσμια, ἀσέβεια δὲ τὸ μηδαμῶς σέβειν 28 τι μηδὲ τ[ίθε]σθαί τι σεπτόν, ὅπερ ἀθέων ἐστίν. Οὐκ ἂν οὖν συνδρα´̣μοι [δεισιδαι]μονία καὶ 9 ἀσέβεια. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ ὑπὸ τὸ στερέωμα λογικα`̣ ἦσ[αν] ἐνεχόμενα κακίᾳ καὶ ῥοπῇ τῇ πρὸς τὸ κακόν, ἄτακτος δέ [ἐστιν] καὶ συγκεχυμένη ἡ κακία, οὐχ οἷόν τέ ἐστιν ἅπαντα [ἐν] μιᾷ γνώμῃ εἶναι ἢ προαιρέσει. Ὡς γὰρ οἱ διαψηφίζον[τες], ὁ´̣[τε] μὲν ἀληθεύουσιν, ἐν μιᾷ ψήφῳ τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας προφέρουσ[ιν], τῶν διασφαλλομένων ἢ ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλαττον ἢ ἐπὶ τὸ πλέον, [··· ···]ων καὶ τούτων διαφόρως, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς
About this text
Didymus the Blind reads the creation account verse by verse, finding Christ and the Spirit in Genesis.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.