,

THE COMPLETE WORKS, OF MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR *

3rd Volume 14 B ....................................................................................................................... 1 TO THALASSIUS .............................................................................................................. 1 4th Volume 14 C ................................................................................................................... 100 ... continuation ... TO THALASSIUS ................................................................................. 100

3rd Volume 14 B TO THALASSIUS * THESE THINGS ARE CONTAINED IN THIS FIRST BOOK OF THE DIFFICULTIES OF DIVINE

SCRIPTURE 14Β_018 PROLOGUE OF MAXIMUS THE MONK TO THE ACCOMPANYING SCHOLIA IN THE MARGINS Reason is by nature the beauty of rational beings; and the beauty of reason is the precise understanding of rational things according to reason; and the beauty of understanding is the fruitful state of rational beings according to virtue with reason; and the beauty of this state is the unerring contemplation concerning true knowledge, whose end is wisdom, being the clearest fulfillment of understanding, which is, as it were, reason perfected according to nature, which is pure intellect, having received through union with the Cause a state beyond intellection; in which, having ceased its multifarious natural movement and relation toward the things after the Cause, it clings unknowingly only to the all-blessed silence beyond intellection, having come to an ineffable cessation, which reason or intellection can in no way declare, but only, through participation, the experience of those deemed worthy of the enjoyment beyond intellection, of which a readily known and manifest sign to all is the soul's complete insensibility and separation by disposition toward this age.

Hence, knowing that by nature nothing is more kindred to rational beings than reason, nor indeed than its study and understanding for God-lovers for the sake of good repute

ΑΠΑΝΤΑ, ΜΑΞΙΜΟΥ τοῦ ΟΜΟΛΟΓΗΤΟΥ *

3ος Τόμος 14 Β ....................................................................................................................... 1 ΠΡΟΣ ΘΑΛΑΣΣΙΟΝ .............................................................................................................. 1 4ος Τόμος 14 Γ ................................................................................................................... 100 ... συνέχεια ... ΠΡΟΣ ΘΑΛΑΣΣΙΟΝ ................................................................................. 100

3ος Τόμος 14 Β ΠΡΟΣ ΘΑΛΑΣΣΙΟΝ * ΤΑ∆Ε ΕΝΕΣΤΙΝ ΕΝ Τῼ ∆Ε Τῼ ΠΡΩΤῼ ΒΙΒΛΙῼ ΤΩΝ ΑΠΟΡΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΙΑΣ

ΓΡΑΦΗΣ 14Β_018 ΜΑΞΙΜΟΥ ΜΟΝΑΧΟΥ ΠΡΟΛΟΓΟΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΑΡΑΚΕΙΜΕΝΩΝ ΕΝ ΤΟΙΣ ΜΕΤΩΠΙΟΙΣ ΣΧΟΛΙΩΝ Φυσικὸν μὲν τοῖς λογικοῖς πέφυκε κάλλος ὁ λόγος· λόγου δὲ κάλλος ἡ κατὰ

τὸν λόγον ἀκριβὴς τῶν λογικῶν ἐστι σύνεσις· συνέσεως δὲ κάλλος ἐστὶν ἡ κατὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν σὺν λόγῳ τῶν λογικῶν γόνιμος ἕξις· ταύτης δὲ κάλλος τῆς ἕξεως ἡ περὶ τὴν ἀληθῆ γνῶσιν ἀπλανὴς θεωρία καθέστηκεν, ἧς τέλος ἐστὶν ἡ σοφία, συνέσεως ὑπάρχουσα σαφεστάτη συμπλήρωσις, οἷα δὴ λόγος τυγχάνουσα κατὰ φύσιν τετελεσμένος, ὅστις ἐστὶ νοῦς καθαρός, τῇ περὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἑνώσει σχέσιν λαβὼν ὑπὲρ νόησιν· καθ᾽ ἥν, ἀποπαύσας τὴν πολυποίκιλον πρὸς τὰ μετὰ τὴν αἰτίαν φυσικὴν αὐτοῦ κίνησίν τε καὶ σχέσιν, μόνης ἀγνώστως ἀντέχεται, κατὰ τὴν ἄφθεγκτον λῆξιν γεγενημένος, τῆς ὑπὲρ νόησιν παμμακαρίστου σιγῆς, ἣν δηλῶσαι παντελῶς οὐ δύναται λόγος ἢ νόησις, ἀλλὰ μόνη κατὰ τὴν μέθεξιν ἡ πεῖρα τῶν ἀξιωθέντων τῆς ὑπὲρ νόησιν ἀπολαύσεως, ἧς σημεῖόν ἐστιν εὔγνωστόν τε καὶ πᾶσι κατάδηλον ἡ κατὰ διάθεσιν πρὸς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦτον παντελὴς ἀναισθησία τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ διάστασις.

Ἐντεῦθεν, εἰδὼς μηδὲν λόγου κατὰ φύσιν εἶναι τοῖς λογικοῖς οἰκειότερον, μήτε μὴν τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν τριβῆς καὶ συνέσεως τοῖς φιλοθέοις πρὸς εὐδοξίαν