The Non-Innate Nature of Souls
Regarding understanding, it is therefore not the case that souls were established as ungenerated in their nature. We know all things, then, that the soul is bound to the magnitudes of the bodies, not only continuously in the size or brevity of the members, but also by the other irrationalities of opinion.
Insofar as these things happen to be newly-formed in infants, for they lack every kind of conception and will everywhere; but occasionally and little by little they receive both intellect and prudence and reason. And if these things are indeed proper to the soul, but they receive better additions from abundance, does it not follow that just as it increases with the body—as it is commonly understood that this consumes the powers—so also the soul, as it progresses, increases the intellect?
But those who never ascend to the better, but remain foolish, it is evident that...
Greek
συνέσεως, οὐκ ἄρα καθέστηκαν ἀγέννητοι τὴν φύσιν αἱ ψυχαί. Σύμπαντες οὖν ἴσμεν, ὅτι τοῖς τῶν σωμάτων ὄγκοις ἡ ψυχὴ συνεκτέταται, διαρκῶς οὐ μεγέθει μόνον ἢ βραχύτητι μελῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις τῆς γνώμης ἀλογίαις· ἐς ὅσον μὲν νεόπλαστα τυγχάνει ταῦτα τὰ βρέφη, πάσης μὲν πανταχῶς ἐννοίας ἀπορεῖ καὶ βουλῆς· ἡρέμα δὲ καὶ κατ' ὀλίγον προϊόντα νοῦν τε καὶ φρόνησιν προσλαμβάνει καὶ λόγον. Εἰ δὲ ταῦτα ἴδια μέν ἐστιν ψυχῆς, ἐκ περιουσίας δὲ τὰς κρείττους ἐπιδέχονται προσθήκας, ἆρ' οὖν ὅτι συναυξάνει μὲν τῷ σώματι, καθάπερ δὲ τοῦτο λεληθότως ὑπαναλέγεται τὰς δυνάμεις, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ προκόπτουσα τὸν νοῦν· ὅσοι δὲ μηδέποτε βαίνουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ ἄμεινον, ἀλλὰ μωροὶ διαμένουσιν, δῆλον ὅτι
About this text
On the Soul against the Philosophers attributed to Eustathius of Antioch.
Original English Translation — new OET from PG 18 Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 18 (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.