Basil: letters, hexaemeron - II. WORKS
646 aAEnarciva aAEpo; filarciva".
647 (Qo 9,17 Qo 9,
648 (Am 5,13 Am 5,
649 (Ez 23,5 Ez 23,
650 (Mt 24,12 Mt 24,
651 (Rm 14,1 Rm 14,
652 (1Co 13,5 1Co 13,
653 (Da 3,12 seqq.
654 cf. Rufinus 2,9.
1 (Ac 7,20 Ac 7, V.
2 cf. Joseph. 2,10,2. So Justin M., Cohort. ad gent., Philio, Vit. Moys, and Clem. Al., Strom. I). Vide Fialon, Et. Hist. 302.
3 (Nb 12,6, 7, 8.
4 (1Co 2,4).
5 (Gn 1,1 Gn 1,
6 cf. note on Letter 8,on the stoicei`a or elements which the Ionian philosophers made the aAErcai of the universe). Vide Plato, Legg. 10,§ 4 and Arist., Met. 1,3.
7 Posidonius the Stoic name Moschus, or Mochus of Sidon, as the originator of the atomic theory "before the Trojan period." VideStrabo, 16,757. But the most famous Atomists, Leucippus and Democritus of Abdera, in the 5th c). b.c., arose in opposition to the Eleatic school, and were followed in the 3d by Epicurus). VideDiog. Laert. 9,§ 30). sq. and Cicero, De Nat. Deo. I. 24–26). Ista enim flagitia Democriti, sive etiam ante Leucippi, esse corpuscula quaedam laevia, rotunda alia, partim autem angulata, curvata quae dam, et quasi adunca: ex his effectum esse coelum atque terram, nulla cogente natura, sed concursu quodam fortuito. Atqui, si haec Democritea non audisset, quid audierat? quid est in physicis Epicuri non a Democrito? Nam, esti quaedam commodavit, ut, quod paulo ante de inclinatione atomorum dixi: tamen pleraque dixit eadem; atomos, inane, imagines, infinitatem locorum, innumerabilitatemque mundorum eorum ortus, interitus, omnia fere, quibua naturae ratio continetur.
8 cf. the Fortuna gubernans of Lucretius (v. 108).
9 Fialon refers to Aristotle (De Caelo). i. 5) on the non-infinitude of the circle. The conclusion is "Oti me;n ou\n to; kuvklw kinouvmenon ouAEk e[stin aAEteleuvthton ouAEdj a[peiron, aAEllj e[cei tevlo", fanerovn.N
10 (1Co 7,31 1Co 7,
11 (Mt 24,35 Mt 24,
12 cf.. Artist). De Caelo. I. 12, 10 Dh`lon dj o[ti kai; eiAE genhto;n h) fqartovn, ouAEk aAEi Jdion).
13 (Rm 1,21, 22.
14 Artist., De Coelo. 2,1. 1. calls it ei\" kai; aAEivdio"). cf. the end of the Timaeus.
15 cf. Cic., De nat. Deo. 1,14,, ""Cleanthes" (of Assos, c. 264 b.c., a disciple of Zeno) "autem tum ipsum mundum Deum dicit esse; tum totius naturae ment: atque animo tribuit hoc nomen; tum ultimum. et altissimum, atque undique circumfusum, et extremum, omnia cingentem atque complexum, ardorem, qui aether nominetur, certissimum Deum judicat ," and id. 15, "Chrysippus" (of Tarsus, † c. 212 b.c.) . . . "ipsum mundum Deum dicit esse." Yet the Hymn of Cleanthes (apud Stoboeum) begins:
Kuvdistj avqanavtwn, poluwvnome, palkrate;" aiAEeei;,
Zeu;", fuvsew" oAEschge;, novmon mevta pavnta kubepvw`n.
cfOrig., v. Celsum V). Gsafw`" dh; to;n o[lon kovsmon ((Ellhne") levgousin ei\nai qeovn, Stwi[koi; me;n to;n prw`ton. oiv dj aAEpo; Plavtwno" ro;n deuvteron, tine;" dj auAEtw`n to;n tpivton; and Athan., De Incarn. § 2.
16 cf. Origen, De Principiiis, 2,1, 3.
17 diakovsmhsi"). cf. Arist., Met. 1,5, 2.
18 (Col i.. 16.
19 cf. Plato, Timaeus, § 14). ccrovno" dj ou\n metj auAEranou` geAEgonen i[na a[ma gennhqevnte" a[ma kai; luqw`sin, a[n pote luvsi" ti" auAEtw`n giAEgnhtai kai; kata; to; paraAEdeigma th`" ai;wniAEa" fuvsew" i[n, w J" o Juoiovtato" auAEtw` kata; duvnamin h\. Fialon (p. 311) quotes Cousin’s translation at greater length, and refers also to Plotinus, Enn. II. 7,10–12. The parallel transistoriness of time and things has become the commonplace of poets. "Immortalia ne speres monet annus et almun. Quae rapit hora diem." Hor., Carm. iv. 7).
20 (Pr 16,5 Pr 16,
21 (Pr 9,10 Pr 9,
22 cf. Arist., Met. 4,1). [Arch h J me;n levgetai o[qen a[n ti tou`psavgmato" kinhqeivh prw`ton: olon tou` mhvkou", kai; oAEdou` . . . h J de; o[qen a[n kavllista e[kston gevnoito : oi\on kai; maqhvsew", ouAEk aAEpo; tou` prwvtou kai; th`" tou` psavgmato" aAErch`" eAEnivote aAErktevon, aAEllj o[qen ra`stj a[n mavqoi, h J de;, o[qen psw`ton ginetai eAEnupavrconto" : oi\onn w J" pg Joivon tsovpi", kai; oiAEkiva" qemevlio" .
23 In the Homily of Origen extant n the Latin of Rufinus (Migne Pat. Gr. 12,146) aAEochv is used of the Divine Word, "In principio. Quod est omnium principuium nisi Dominus noster Christus Iesus? . . . In hoc ergo principio, hoc est in Verbo suo, Deus coelum et terram fecit." An interpretation of John viii. 25, thvn aAErch;n o)ti kai; lalw` uAEmin widely prevalent at all events in the Latin church, was "Initium quod et loquor vobis;" "I am the Beginning, that which I am even saying to you." See note to Sp. Comment. on Jn 8,ad fin.
24 Rom 1,20.
25 On the inconceivability either of an absolute minimum of space or of its infinite divisibility, cf. Sir Wm. Hamilton, Met. 2,371.
26 Aquila’s version in the Hexapla of Origen for eAEn aAErchv has eAEn kefalaivw e[ktisen.
27 h J a[pasa diavnoia h) psaktikh; h) poihtikh; h) qewrhtikhv. Arist., Met. 5,i).
28 The one and the perfect continually overflows, and from it ?Being, Reason, and Life are perpetually derived, without deducting anything from its substance, inasmuch as it is simple in its nature, and not, like matter, compound. (Enn. 4,5, 1,6)." Tennemann on Plotinus, Hist. Phil. § 207..
29 The Ben. note is "nequi idipsum in causa fuit cur esset, hoc est, non res caeca, non res coacta, non res invite et praeter voluntatem agens in causa fuit cur mundus exstiterit. Hoc igitur dicit Basilius Deum aliter agere atque corpora opaca aut lucida. Nam corpus producit umbram vi atque necessi tate, nec liberius agit corpus lucidum: Deus vero omnia nutu conficit et voluntate. Illud eAEpoihsen, etc., alio modo intellexit et interpretatus est Eustathius. Illius subjicimus verba: non causam praestitit ut esset solum, sed fecit ut bonus utilem."
30 cf. Plat., Tim. § 10). jAgaqo;" hvn, aAEgaqw` de; oudei;" peri; ouAEdeno;" ouAEdevpote e;ggivgnetai fqo;vo", touvtou dj eAEkto;" w)t npavnta o[ti mavlista genevsqai eAEboulhvqh paoaplhvoia e Jautw`.
31 cf. Huxley, Lay Sermons, 12,p. 286, on the "delicate finger" of the "hidden artist" in the changes in an egg.
32 cf. note on Letter viii.
33 fame`v de; pu`r kai; aAEevra kai; u[dwr givgnesqai eAEx aAEllhvlwn kai; e)kaston ev eAEkavstw u Jpavscein touvtwn dunavuei. Arist., Meteor. i. 3.
34 (Is 51,6, LXX.
35 (Is 40,22, LXX.
36 Fialon points to the coincidence with Arist., Met. 7,3). jAlla mh;n aAEfairoumevnou mhvkou" kai; plavtou" kai; bavqou", ouAEdevn o Jrw`men u Jpoleipovmenon plh;n eAEiv ti eAEoti; to; oAEpizovmenon u Jpo; touvtwn, w[ste th;n u(lhn aAEnavgkh fai;vesqai movnhn ouAEsivan ou(tw skopoumenoi". Devgw dj (vlhn h[ kaqj auAEthvn mhvte ti;, mhvte poso;n, mhvte a[llo mhde;n levgetai oi\" w(ristai to; o[n : e[sti ga;r ti kaqj ou\ kathgorei`tai touvwn e(kaston, w| to; ei\nai e(tepov, kai; tw`n kathgorew`n e Jkaavsth. Ta; me;n ga;r a[lla th`" ouAEsiva" kathgopei`tai : au(rn de;, th`" u(lh". \Wste to; e(scaton, kaqj au Jte ti;, ou(te poso;n, ou(te a[llo ouAEdevn eAEstin : ouAEde; dh; ai aAEpofavsei".
37 cf. Arist., De Coelo. 2,13, 16). janaximevnh" de; kai; [Aaxavgo pa" kai; Dhmovkrito" to; plavto" ai[tion ei\naiv fasi tou` mevnein auAEthvn : ouAE ga;r tevmnein aAEllj e;pipwmativzein (covers like a lid) to;n aAEevra to;n ka;twqen, o)per faivnetai ta plavto" e[conta tw`n swmatwn poiei`n.
38 The theory of Thales). cf. note on Letter 8,2 and Arist., De Coelo. 2,13, 13 where he speaks of Thales describing the earth floating like wood on water.
39 cf. Artist., De Coelo. 2,13 (Grote’ss tr).: "The Kolophonian Xenophanes affirmed that the lower depths of the earth were rooted downwards to infinity, in order to escape the troublesome obligation of looking for a reason why it remained stationary." To this Empedokles objected, and suggested velocity of rotation for the cause of the earth’s maintaining its position.
40 (Jb 38,6 Jb 38,
41 (Ps lxxv. 3.
42 (Ps 24,2 Ps 24,
43 (Ps xcv. 4, LXX.
44 oi J fusikoi; was the name given to the ionic and other philosophers who preceded Socrates. Lucian Ner. 4) calls Thales fusikw;tato".
45 cf). De Coelo. 2,14, 4). (Eti dj h J fora tw`n mopivwn kai; o(lh" auAEth`" n; kata; fuvsin eAEpiAE to; mevson tou` pantov" eAEstin, dia; tou`to ga;r kai; tugcavnei keimevnh nu`n eAEpi; tou` kentrou).
46 This is the doctrine of Plate vide Tim. The Combef). mss. reads not mivxi", mixture, but mevqexi", participation
47 Here appears to be a reference to Arist., De Gn Ann. 2,3, 11, pavsh" mevn ou`n yuch`" duvnami" e Jtevron swvmato" eAEovike kekoinwnhkevnai kai; qeiotevrou tw`n kaloumevnwn stoiceivwn : w J" de; diafevrousi timiovthti aiAE yucai; kai; aAEtimia aAEllhvlwn ou(tw kai; hAE toiauvtn diafevpei fuvsi", and again). pneu`ma . . . aAEnavlogon ou\sa tw` tw`n a(strwn stoiceivw. On the fifth element of Aristotle cf. Cic., Tusc. Disp. 1,10). Aristoteles . . . cum quatuor illa genera principiorum erat complexus, equibus omnia orirentur, quintam quandam naturam censet esse, equa sit mens. Aug., De Civ. Dei 22,11. 2, and Cudworth’s Int. Syst.. (Harrison’s Ed. 1845) 3,p. 465. Hence the word "quintessence," for which the Dictionaries quote Horard’s Translation of Plutarch, "Aristoteles hath put. . . for elements foure; and for a fifth quintessence, the heavenly body which is immutable." Skeat s. 5, points out that "the idea is older than Aristotle: cf. the five Skt). bhútas, or elements, which were earth air, fire, and water, and aether. This the fifth essence is aether, the subtlest and highest." It is evident that Milton had these theories in mind when he wrote (Par. Lost, 3,716):
"Swift to their several quarters hasted then
The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire;
And this ethereal quintessence of heaven
Flew upward, spirited with various forms,
That rolled orbicular, and turned to stars Numberless."
1 (Gn 1,2, LXX).
2 cf. Hom., Il. 18,485 eAEn de` ta` teivrea pavnta tav tj ouAErano;" eAEstefavnwtai, and Tennyson’s "When young night divine crowned dying day with stars." (Palace of Art).
3 On prime matter and its being a(swmato" and a(morfo" vide Cudwort, Int. Syst. 5,2,§ 27, and Mosheim’s note. "Ingens vero quondam summorum et inclytorum virorum numerus ab eorum semper stetit partibus, quibus ex qua dixi ratione, materiam placuit decernere aAEswvmaton esse, sive corpore carere Cicero omne" post Platonem philosopho" hoc dogma perhibet tenuisse, Acad. Quÿst. 1,7, `sed subjectam putant omnibu" sine ulla specie, atque carentem omni illa qualitate materiam quandam ex qua omnia expressa atque effecta sint.` Sed jam diu ante Platonem Pythagorÿorum multi ei addicti fuerunt, quod ex Timaei Locri, nobilis hujus scholae et perantiqui philosophi, De Anima Mundi libello Cap. I. p. 544, Ed. Galei) intelligitur: ta;u u[lan a(moofon de; kaqj auAEtm`n kai aAEcrhmavtiston decovmenon de; pa`san morfavn."
4 cf. Arist., Met. 6,7, pavnta j de` ta` gignovmena u Jpov tev tino" givgnetai, kai; e[k tino", kai` tiv . . . to` de` eAEx ou\ givgnetai, h)n levgomen u)lhn . . . to; de; uAEfj ou|, tw`n fuvsei ti o[ntwn . . . ei;do" de; levgw to; tiv h[n ei\nai e Jkavston, kai; th`n prwvthn ouAEsivan.
5 cf. Cudworth, Int. Syst. 4,6, and remarks there on Cic., Acad Quaest. 1,6. Arist. (IMetaph. 1,2) says Qeo;" gm`r dokei to; ai[tion pasin ei;nai kai; aAErchv ti", but does this refer only to form?
6 (Gn 2,5, "every herb of the field before it grew." There seems here an indication of the actual creation, poihsi", being in the mind of God.
7 Fialon quotes Bossuet: "Fene trouve point que Dieu, qui a créé toutes choses, it eu besoin, comme un ouvrier vulgaire, de trouver une matiére préparée sur laquelle il travaillât, et de laquelle il dît son ouvrage. Mais, n’ayant besoin pour agir que de lui-même et de sa propre puissance il a fait tout son ouvrage. Il n’est point un simple faiseur de formes et de figures dans une matière preexistance; il a fait et la matière et la forme, c’est-à-dire son ouvrage dans son tout: autrement son ouvrage ne lui doit pas tout, et dans son fond il est indépendamment de son ouvrier. . . ).
O Dieu quella a été l’ignorance des sages du monde, qu’on a appelés philosophes d’avoir cru que vons, parfait architecte et absolu formateur de tout ce qui est, vous aviez trouvé sous vos mains une matière qui vous ótait co-éternelle, informe néamoins, et qui attendait de vous sa perfection! Aveugles, qui n’entendaient pas que d’être capable de forme, c’est deja quelque forme; c’est quelque perfection, que d’être capable de perfection; et si la matière avail d’elle-même ce commencement de perfection et de forme, elle en pouvait aussitôt avoir d’ellemême l’entier accomplissement.
"Aveugles, conducteurs d’aveugles, qui tombez dans le prêcipice, et y jetez ceux qui vous suivent (St. Matthieu xv., 14), dites-mois qui a assejeti à Dieu ce qu’il n’a pas fait, ce qui est de soi aussi bien que Dieu, ce qui est indépendamment de Dieu même? Par où a t-il trouvé prise sur ce qui lui est étranger et independant et sa puissance; et par quel art ou quel pouvoir se l’est-il soumis? . . . Mais qu’est-ce après tout que celte matière si parfait, qu’elle ait elle-même ce fond de son être; et si imparfaite, qu’elle attende sa perfection d’un autre? Diu aura fait l’accident et n’aura pas fait la substance? (Bossuet, Elévations sur les mystères, 3e semaine, 2e elevat).
8 (Gn 1,2).
9 Acts. 20,29.
10 Marciion and Valentinus are roughly lumped together as types of gnostic dualism. On the distinction between their systems see Dr. Salmon in D.C.B. 3,820. Marcion, said to have been the son of a bishop of Sinope, is the most Christian of the gnostics, and "tries to fit in his dualism with the Christian creed and with the scriptures." But he expressly "asserted the existence of two Gods." The Valentinian ideas and emanations travelled farther afield.
11 On Manicheism, vide Beausobre’s Critical History of Manicheism, and Walch, Hist. Ketz. 1,770. With its theory of two principles it spread widely over the empire in the 4th c., was vigorous in Armenia in the 9th, and is said to have appeared in France in the 12th. (cf. Bayle, Dict. s.v.) On the view taken of the heresy in Basil’s time). cf. Gregory of Nyssa, Against Eunomiusi. § 35.
12 i.e. by those who would identify the a(busso" (Tehôm) of Gn 1,2 with that of Lc 1,31, and understand it to mean the abode in prison of evil spirits. The Hebrew word occurs in Jb xxviii. 14 and Dt 33,13 for the depth of waters.
13 With this view Plutarch charges the Stoics). AuAEtoi; tw`n kakw`n aAErch;n aAEgaqo;n o[nta to`n Qeon poiou`si. (c). Stoicos,1976). But it is his deduction form their statements - not their own statements). cf. Mosheim’s note on Cudworth 4,§ 13. Origen (c. Celsum vi). distinguishes between thn kakivan kai` ta;" aAEpj auvth`" pravxei", and kakovn as punitive and remedial; if the latter can rightly be called evil in any sense, God is the author of it). cf. Am 3,6). Vide, also, Basil’s treatment of this question in his Treatise o[ti ouvk e[otin ai[tio" tw`n kakw`n oAE qeo"). cf. Schoeck). Kirchengeschichte xiii, 104
14 Fialon points out the correspondence with Plat). Phaed. § 119, kaiv ti" ei;pe tw`n parovntwn aAEkouvsa" . . . pro;" Qen, ouvk eAEn toi`" pro Jsqen h Jmi`n lovgoi" auAEto; to; eAEnantivon tw`n nuni; legomevnwn w Jmologei`to, eAEk tou` eAElavttono" to; mei`zon givgnesqai, kai; eAEk tou` meizono" to; e[latton, kai; aAEtecnw`" au[th ei\nai h J gevnesi" toi`" e2nantivoi" ek tw`n eAEnantivwn; nu`n dev moi dokei` levgesqai o)ti tou`to ouAEk a)n pote yevnoito. Kai; o J Swkravth" . . . e)fh . . . ouAEk eAEnnoei`" to; diafevron tou" ti nu`n ledomevnon kai tou` tovte: tovte me;n ga;r eAElevgeto eAEk tou` eAEnantivou pravgmato" to; eAEnantivon pra`dma givgnesqai, nu`n de; o)ti auvto; to; eAEantivon e Jautw` eAEnantivon ouAEk a[n pote devnoito, ou[te to; eAEn h Jmi`n ou[te to; eAEn fuvsei: tovte me;n ga;r peri tw`n eAEcovntwn tw`n eAEnantivwn eAElevgomen, eAEponomavzonte" auAEta; th` eAEkeivnwn eAEpwnumiva, nu`n de; peri; e Jkeinwn auAEtw`n w\n eAEnovntwn, e[cel th;n eAEpwnumivan ta; oAEnomazovmena, auAEta; dj eAEkeivna ouAEk a[n potev famen eAEqegh`sai gevnesin aAEllhvlwn devxasqai.
15 "Cette phrase est prise textuellement dans Denys l’aréopagite, on du moins dans l’ouvrage qui lui est attribué. (De Div. Nom. iv 18. Laur. Lyd. de mensib. ed. Roeth. 186, 28)." Fialon. In the Treatise referred to, peri; Qeivwn jOnomavtwn, "evil" is said to be "nothing real and positive, but a defect, a negation only). Stevrhsi" a[ra eAEsti; to; kako;n, kai; e[lleiyi", kai aAEsqevneia, kai; aAEsummetriva." D.C.B. 1,846.
cf. "Evil is null, is nought, is silence implying sound." Browning. Abt. Vogler).
16 cf. Epictetus). Ench. 1,eAEf h Jmi`n me;n u Jpovlhui", o Jrmh;, o)rexi", e[kklisi", kai; e Jni; lovgw o Jsa h Jmevtera e[rga.
17 cf. M. Aurelius II. 11,o) ga;r ceirw mh; poiei` a)nqrwpon, pw`" dh J tou`to bion aAEnqrwvpon ceivrw poihvseien; . . ). qavnato" dev ge kai; zwh; dovxa kai; aAEdoxiva, novno" kai; hAEdonh; plou`to" iai; peniva, pavnta tau`ta eAEpivsh" sumbaivnei aAEnqrwvpwn toi`" te aAEgaqoi)" kai; toi`" kakoi`", ou[te kala; ou[te aiAEscrav : ouAEtj aAEgaqa; ou[te kakav eAEsti. Also Greg. Nyss). Orat. Cat. and Aug., De Civ. Dei. 1,8). Ista vero temporalia bona et mala utrisque voluit esse communia, ut nec bona cupidins appetantur, quae mali quoque habere cernuntur, nec mala turpiter evitentur, quibus et boni plerumque afficiuntur.
18 cf. He 1,14.
19 cf. Theod. (Quaest,, in Gn vi). who is ready to accept the creation of angels before the creation of the world. Origen,, Hom. I. in Gn Hom. iv in Is. taught the existence of angels "before the aeons." Greg. Nas., Orat. 38,The lxx. Trans of Jb 38,7, h)nesavn me pavnte" u)ngelaiv mou may have aided in the formation of the general opinion of the Greek Fathers. The systematization of the hierarchies is due to the pseudo, Dionysius, and was transmitted to the west through Jn Erigena). cf. Milman, Lat. Christ. 9,59.
20 (Pr 13,9, lxx.
21 (Col 1,12 Col 1,
22 cf. Mt 22,13.
23 (Gn 1,2, lxxx).
24 Tillemont understands Eusebius of Samosata. The Ben. note prefers Ephrem Syrus, and compares Jerome, Quaest. Heb. Col 508.
25 (Gn 1,2). Vide R.V. margin. The word rachaph, "brood," is not used of wind, and itself appears to fix the meaning of the Spirit in the place. An old interpretation of the Orphic Poem Argonautica would identify the brooding Spirit of Genesis with the All Wise Love of the Greek poet:
prw`ta me;n aAErcaivou caveo" megalh;faton u)mnon,
wAE\ eAEpavmeiye fuvsei", w)" tj ou;rano;" eAE" pevra" h\lqen,
gh\" tj euAErustevrnou gevnesin, puqmevna" te qalavssh",
presbuvtatovn te kai; auAEtotelh` pol uhtin )Erwta ,
.o)ssa tj e[fusen a)panta, tu; dj e[noiqen a[llou a[pj a[llo
Orph., Argon. 423–427.Pon the translation of rachaph by "brooding," cf. Milton, P). Lost, 7,:
"darkness profound
Covered the abyss; but on the watery calm
His brooding wings the Spirit of God outspread,
And vital virtue infused, and vital warmth,
Throughout the fluid mass."
26 zwogoniva). cf). De Sp. S. § 56, and Bp. Pearson, on the Creed. Art. V.
27 (Gn 1,3 Gn 1,
28 Light is sadi to travel straight at the rate of about 195,000 English miles a second; a velocity estimated by observations on the eclipses of Jupiter’s satellites. The modern undulatory theory of light, of which Huyghens († 1695) is generally regarded as the author, describes light as propagated by the vibrations of the imponderable matter termed Ether or Aether.
29 The simile seems hardly worthy of the topic. The practice is referred to by Plutarch, Symp. Quaest. 1,9, and by Pliny, Hist. Nat. 2,106. "Omne oleo tranqullari; et ob id urinantes ore spargere, quoniam mitiget naturam asperam lucemque deporiet." "genere" says the Delph. note, "tum credas oleum vicem conspiciliorum.
30 A statement not unlike the "Vibrations of the elastic medium," to which sound might now be referred. "Sed vocem Stoici corpus esse contendunt: eamque esse dicunt ictum aera: Plato autem non esse vocem corpus esse putat. Non enim percussus, inquit, aer, sed plaga ipsa atque percussio, vox est:: ouAEk a Jplw" plmghv aevro" eAEsti;n h J fwnhv : plhvttei ga;r to;n aAEera kai; davktulo" paragovmeno", kai; ouAEdevpw poiei` fwnhvn : aAEllj h J povsh plhgh, kai; sfodra;, kai tovth de; w)ste aAEkousth;n genesqai." Aul. Gell., N.A. 5,15. So Diog. Laert. in Vita Zenonis; e[sti fwnhv ah`r peplhgmevo"
31 Fialon quotes Bossuet 4me élév. 3me sem.: "Le roi dit Qu ’on marche; et l’armée marche; qu’on fasse telle évolution, et elle se fait; toute une armée se remue au seul commandement d’un prince, c’est à un seul petit mouvment de ces livres, c’est, parmi les choses humaines, l’image la plus excellente de la puissance de Dieu; mais an fond que c’est image est dèfectueuse! Dieu n’a point de lèvres àremuer; Dieu ne frappe point l’air pour en tirer quelque son; Dieu n’a qu’à vouloir en lui meme; et tout ce qu’il vent éternellement s’accomplit comme il l’a voulu, et au temps qu’il a marqué.
32 (Gn 1,4 Gn 1,
33 St. Basil dwells rather on the sense of "beautiful" in the lxx). kalovu. The Vulgate has pulchra).
34 cf. Bion. 16,1:
)Espere, kuaneva" iAEero;n, fivle, nukto;" a[galma,
Tovsson aAEfaurovtero" mhvna" o[son e[xoco" a[strwn,
and Milton, P.L. 4,605:
"Hesperus, that led The starry host, rode brightest."
35 (Gn 1,4 Gn 1,
36 (Gn 1,5 Gn 1,
37 lxx. The Heb.=literally "And evening happened and morning happened, one day." On the unique reckoning of the day from evening to morning, see the late Dr. McCaul in Replics to Essays and Reviews.
38 (Ps 90,10 Ps 90,
39 (Gn 47,9 Gn 47,
40 (Ps 23,6 Ps 23,
41 (Gn 1,5, LXX , and Heb.
42 (Jl 2,11).
43 (Am 5,18 Am 5,
44 The argument here is due to a misapprehension of the meaning of the term eighth in Psalm 6,and xi. title). cf. n.
45 (Rm 13,13 Rm 13,
1 (Ps 119,103 Ps 119,
2 (Gn I. 6).
3 Origen, c. Cels. 6,says to;n me;n prosecei`" dhmiourgo;n ei\nai to;n uio;n tou` Qeou` lovgon, kai; w Jspepei; auAEtourgo;n tou` kovsmou, to;n de; patevra tou` lovgou, tw` prostetacevnai tw` uiAEw eautou` lovgw` poih`sai to;n kovsmon, ei\nai prwvtw" dmuiourgovn). cf. Athan., c). gentes § 48. sq.
4 Solon is credited with the saying, duvskola ta; kala;). cf. the German proverb, Gut ding wil weile haben, and Virgil in Georg. 1,121:
"Pater ipse colendi
Haud facilem esse viam voluit."
5 Plato said one). povteron oAEu\n oAErqw" e[na ourano;u proeirhvkamen; h[ pollou;" h) a Jpeivrou" levgein h\n oAErqovteron ; ei)per kata; to; paravdeigma dedhmionpghm evno" e[otai, to; ya;r perievcon pavnta o Jpovsa nohta; zw`a, meqj e Jtevron deuvteron ouAEk a[n potj ei[h. . . ei\" o)de monogenh;" ouAErano;" gegonw;" e)sti te kai; e[stai. Plat., Tim. § 11. On the other hand, was the Epicurean doctrine of the aAEpeiriva kovsmwn, referred to in Luc. 1,73:
Ergo vivida vis animi pervicit, et extra
Processit longe flammantia moenia mundi.
6 (So Anaximander (Diog. Laert. 2,1,2) and Damocritus (Diog. Laert. 9,44).
But, As Fialon points out, the Greek philosophers used kovsmo" and ouAERANOV" as convertible terms: Basil uses ooAEuranov" of the firmament or sky.
7 cf. I1Co 12,2.
8 (Ps 147,4 Ps 147,
9 "You must conceive it" (the whirlh) "to be of such a kind as this: as if in some great hollow whirl, carved throughout, there was such another, but lesser, within it, adapted to it, like casks fitted one within another; and in the same manner a third, and a fourth, and four others, for that the whirls were eight in all, as circles one within another. . . and hat in each of its circles there was seated a siren on the upper side, carried round, and uttering one voice variegated by diverse modulations; but that the whole of them, being eight, composed one harmony." (Plat., Rep. x. 14, Davies’ Trans). Plato describes the Fates "singing to the harmony of the Sirens." Id. On the Pythagorean Music of the Spheres, cf. also Cic., De Divin. I. 3, and Macrobius In Somn: Scip.
cf. Shaksp., M. of Ven.. 5,1:
"There’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’st
But in his motion like an angel sings,
Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubim."
And Milton, Arcades:
"Then listen I
To the celestial Sirens’ harmony,
That sit upon the nine infolded spheres,
And sing to those that hold the vital sheres,
And turn the adamantine spindle round
On which the fate of gods and men is wound).
10 (Gn 1,6, 7.
11 (Ps 18,2, LXX.
12 (Ps lxxv. 3, LXX.
13 (Ps cl. 1. LXX.
14 nastov" (fr). navssw, press or knead) = close, firm. Democritus used it as opposed to kenovn, void. Arist. fr. 202.
15 (Am 4,13 Am 4,
16 Pliny (Hist. Nat. 2,43) writes: "(Si in nube luctetur flatus aut vapor, tonitrua edi: si erumpat ardens, fulmina; si longiore tractu nitatur, fulgetra. His fiindi nubew, illis perrumpi. Etesse tonitrua impactorum ignium plagas." cf. Sen., Quoest. Nat.. ii. 12.
17 Empedoklh\" sterevmnion ei\nai to;n ouAErano;n eAEx aAEevro" sumpagevnto" u Jno; puro;" krustalloeidw`", to; purw`de" kai; aAEerw`de" eAEn ekatevrw tw`n h Jmisfairivwn perievconta. (Plutarch peri; tw`n oAEreskovntw`n toi`" filosovfoi", 2,11) Pliny (Hist. Nat. xxxvii. 9) says that crystal is made "gelu (vide Sir T. Browne, Vulgar Errors, ii. 1) vehementiore concreto. . . glaciem que esso certum est; unde et nomen graeci dedere." So Seneca, Quaest. Nat. iii 25. Diodorus Siculus, however, asserts it "coalescere non a frigore sed divini ignis potentia." (Bibl. ii. 134).
18 i.e. the "Lapis Specularis." or mica, which was used for glazing windows). cf. Plin., Ep. 2,17. and Juv., Sat. iv. 21.
19 Mica is found in large plates in Siberia, Peru, and Mexico, as well as in Sweden and Norway).
20 (Gn 1,7 Gn 1,
21 With Christian associations it is startling to read tha the end of the Timaeus that the Cosmos is the eiAEkw;n tou` Qeou` , or, according to another reading, itself Qeov", . . . monogenh`" w)n.
22 (Gn 1,6 Gn 1,
23 According to Plutarch (peri; tw`n aAErevsk: etc. 3,10) Thales and the Stoics affirmed the earth to be spherical, Thales (id. 11) placing it "in the middle." Pliny, Hist. Nat. ii. 4, says that the earth "universi cardine stare pendentem librantem per quae pendeat; ita solam immobilem circa eam volubili universitate, eandem ex omnibus necti, eidemque omnia inniti."
24 On kolobov", docked, curtailed, cf. Mt 24,22.
25 The supremacy of fire was the idea of Heraclitus). To; pu`r Qeo;n uAEpeilhvfasin [Ippaso". . . kai` jHravkleito". Clem. Alex., LProtrep. 5,55. Plutarch has an essay on the comparative use fulness of fire and water.
26 (Jb 36,27, LXX.
27 Balkh.
28 Kerak.
29 Probably the Volga is meant.
30 Don.
31 Sea of Asov.
32 Phaz).
33 Ebro.
34 The Danube.
35 Used vaguely for any mountains in the north of Europe and Asia. Strabo (vii. pp. 295, 299) considers them fabulous.
36 A varia lectio is Eridanus.
37 Aivgwvn is properly the Aegean Sea.
38 Basil’s geography is bad. He might have improved it by consulting Strabo or Ptolemaeus, but has been content to go for his facts to Aristotle (Met. 1,13), whose errors he repeats. Fialon remarks "nouvelle preuve de l’indifference des cités grecques de l’ Asie pour cet Occident lointain dont elles se séparèrent si facilement. If this refers to the theological separation it is hardly fair. The East in the 4th c. and 5th c. shewed no indifference to the sympathy of the W., and when the split came the "separation" was not taken "easily."
39 (Is 44,27 Is 44,
40 Schools of "the wisdom of the world" did, however, teach that the world was a world genovmenon kai; fqartovn). cf. Lucretius 5,322, "totum nativum mortali corpore constat.
41 (So the "liquidissimus aether" of the Epicurean Lucretius (v. 501), "Suos ignes fert;" i.e. the fiery stars are of the nature of the element in which they move). cf. the Stoic Manilius 1,149, "Ignis in aethereas volucer se sustulit oras summaque complexus stellantis culmina coeli, Flammarum vallo naturae moenia fecit."
42 (So Aristotle, Meteor. 1,3, 30). jOpw`men dh J th;n kivnhsin o)ti duvnatai diakrivnein to;n aAEepa kai; eAEkpurou`n w)ste kai; ta; ferovmena thkovmena faivnesqai pollavki". To; me;n ou\n givgnesqai thn aAElevan kai; th;n qermovthta iAEkanh; eAEsti paraskevavein kai; hAE tou` h Jlivou fora; movnon).
43 cf. Diog. Laert. 7,on Zeno). Trevpesqai de; ta; e[mpura tiu`ta kai; ti; i[lla a[stoa, to;n mh;n h(lion eAEk th`" megavlh" qalavtth". So Zeno, Chrysippus, and Posidonius.
44 Pliny (ii. 103, 104) writes: "Itaque solis ardore siccatur liquor; . . . sic mari late patenti saporem incoqui salis, aut quia exhausto inde dulci tenuique, qod facillime, trahat vis ignea, omne asperius crassiusque linquatur: ideo summa aequarum aqua dulciorem profundam: hanc esse veriorem causam asperi saporis, quam quod mare terrae sudor sit aeternus: aut quia plurimum ex arido misceatur illi vapore, aut quia terrae natura sicut medicatas aquas inficat." The first of these trhee theories was that of Hippocrates (De Aere, Locis, et Aquis, 4,197) and of Anaximander (Plutarch peri; tw`n aAEoevsk, etc. 2,552). On the second vide Arist., Prob. 23,30. the idea of the sea being the earth’s sweat was that of Empedocles). cf. Arist., Meteor. 2,1.
45 (Gn 1,8 Gn 1,
46 The derivation of ouAErano;" from o Jravw is imaginary. Aristotle (De Coel i. 19, 9) derives it from o[ro", a boundarv). cf). JOrivzwn. The real root is the Skt). var=cover. M. Müller, Oxford Essays, 1856.
47 (Ps 8,8 Ps 8,
48 (Gn 1,20 Gn 1,
49 (Ps 107,26 Ps 107,
50 cf. Dt 33,13-15, LXX.
51 (Dt 28,23 Dt 28,
52 cf. Arist., Meteor. 1,9–12, Plutarch peri; tw`n aAErevsk. etc. 3,4.
53 Fialon quotes Hor., Ep. i. 18: "Ut matrona meretrici dispar erit atque Discolor."."
54 The well known "Per campos instructa, tua sine parte pericli suave etiam belli certamina magna tueri" (Lucr. 2,5) may be an echo of some Greek lines in the preacher’s mind, just as the preceeding "suave mari magno" is of Menander.
55 These Stocical atheists did also agree with the generality of the other Stoical theists n supposing a successive infinity of worlds generated and corrupted" (aAEpeirva kovsmwn) "by reason of intervening periodical conflagrations." Cudworth, I. 3,23).
56 i.e. Origen.
Basil: letters, hexaemeron - II. WORKS