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we have divided the work into dialogues. And the first will take up the contest concerning the divinity of the only-begotten Son being immutable; the second, God willing, will show that the union of the divinity and humanity of the Lord Christ has come to be without confusion; and the third will contend for the impassibility of the divinity of our Savior. However, after the three contests, like prizes for victory, we shall add some other things, fitting a syllogism to each chapter, and showing that the preaching of the apostles is preserved among us openly.

THE IMMUTABLE, DIALOGUE 1 {ORTHODOX.}

It were better for us to be in agreement and to keep the apostolic teaching undefiled. But since, I know not for what reason, you have dissolved our concord and now propose empty dogmas to us, let us, if you please, seek the truth together without any contention. {ERANISTES.} We have no need of seeking; for we hold fast to the truth exactly. {ORTH.} Every one of the heretics has supposed this; and indeed both Jews and Greeks think they are champions of the dogmas of truth, and not only those who revere the teachings of Plato and Pythagoras, but also those of the school of Epicurus and those who are altogether atheists and without reputation. But it is fitting not to be a slave to prejudice, but to seek after true knowledge. {ERAN.} I am persuaded by your counsel, and I accept the proposal. {ORTH.} Since, then, you have obediently accepted my former exhortation, I ask you again not to entrust the search for the truth to human reasonings, but to seek out the tracks of the apostles and prophets and of the saints after them. For travelers are accustomed to do this, when they have turned aside from the main road, to examine the paths to see if they have the prints of feet of any going or coming, whether of men or horses or donkeys or mules; and when they find them, they track them like hounds, and do not give up until they have recovered the straight road. {ERAN.} Let us do so. You, then, lead on, since you began the discussion. {ORTH.} Therefore, concerning the divine names—I mean of ousia and hypostases and persons and properties—let us first make a clear distinction, and let us know and define what difference they have with respect to one another; then, at last, we may take up what follows. {ERAN.} You have given a most excellent and necessary introduction to the dialogue. For when these things have been made clear, the discussion will proceed more easily. {ORTH.} Since, therefore, it is settled and we have agreed together that these things should 64 be so, answer me, friend. Do we say there is one ousia of God, both of the Father and of the only-begotten Son and of the all-holy Spirit, as we have been taught by the divine Scripture, both old and new, and by the fathers who assembled at Nicaea, or do we follow the blasphemies of Arius? {ERAN.} We confess one ousia of the holy Trinity. {ORTH.} Do we think that hypostasis signifies something different from ousia, or have we understood it to be another name for ousia? {ERAN.} Does ousia have some difference with respect to hypostasis? {ORTH.} According to worldly wisdom it does not. For ousia signifies that which is, and hypostasis that which subsists. But according to the teaching of the fathers, the difference that the common has with respect to the particular, or the genus with respect to the species or the individual, this ousia has with respect to hypostasis. {ERAN.} Speak more clearly about the genus and the species and the individual. {ORTH.} We call "animal" a genus, for it signifies many things at once. For it denotes both the rational and the irrational; and again, in turn, there are many species of irrational creatures: the winged, the amphibious, the terrestrial, the aquatic. And each of these is divided into many. For of the terrestrial, one is a lion, another a leopard, another a bull, and

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διαλόγους διελοῦμεν τὸ σύγγραμμα. Καὶ ὁ μὲν πρῶτος περὶ τοῦ ἄτρεπτον εἶναι τοῦ μονο γενοῦς υἱοῦ τὴν θεότητα δέξεται τὸν ἀγῶνα· ὁ δὲ δεύτερος ἀσύγχυτον, σὺν θεῷ φάναι, δείξει γεγενημένην τὴν ἕνωσιν τῆς τοῦ δεσπότου Χριστοῦ θεότητός τε καὶ ἀνθρωπότητος· ὁ δέ γε τρίτος περὶ τῆς ἀπαθείας τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀγωνιεῖται θεότητος. Μετὰ μέντοι τοὺς τρεῖς ἀγῶνας, οἷον ἐπαγωνίσματα, ἄλλ' ἄττα προσθήσομεν, ἑκάστῳ κεφαλαίῳ συλλογισμὸν προσαρμόζοντες, καὶ δεικνύντες ἄντι κρυς παρ' ἡμῖν φυλαττόμενον τῶν ἀποστόλων τὸ κήρυγμα.

ΑΤΡΕΠΤΟΣ ∆ΙΑΛΟΓΟΣ Αʹ {ΟΡΘΟ∆ΟΞΟΣ.}

Ἄμεινον μὲν ἦν συμφωνεῖν ἡμᾶς καὶ τὴν ἀπο στολικὴν διδασκαλίαν φυλάττειν ἀκήρατον. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐκ οἶδ' ἀνθ' ὅτου τὴν ὁμόνοιαν διαλύσαντες, κενὰ νῦν ἡμῖν προβάλλεσθε δόγματα, δίχα τινὸς ἔριδος, εἰ δοκεῖ, κοινῇ ζητήσωμεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. {ΕΡΑΝΙΣΤΗΣ.} Ἡμεῖς ζητήσεως οὐ δεόμεθα· ἀκριβῶς γὰρ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχόμεθα. {ΟΡΘ.} Τοῦτο καὶ τῶν αἱρετικῶν ὑπείληφεν ἕκαστος· καὶ μέντοι καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ Ἕλληνες τῶν τῆς ἀληθείας δογμάτων προστατεύειν νομίζουσιν, καὶ οὐ μόνοι γε οἱ τὰ Πλάτωνος καὶ Πυθαγόρου θρησκεύοντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ τῆς Ἐπικούρου συμμορίας καὶ οἱ πάμπαν ἄθεοι καὶ ἀδόξαστοι. Προσήκει δὲ μὴ προλήψει δουλεύειν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀληθῆ γνῶσιν ἐπιζητεῖν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Πείθομαι τῇ παραινέσει, καὶ δέχομαι τὴν εἰσήγησιν. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τὴν προτέραν εὐπειθῶς ἐδέξω παράκλησιν, ἀξιῶ σε πάλιν μὴ λογισμοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις ἐπιτρέψαι τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν ἔρευναν, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν καὶ τῶν μετ' ἐκείνους ἁγίων ἐπιζητῆσαι τὰ ἴχνη. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ τοῖς ὁδοιπόροις φίλον ποιεῖν, ὅταν ἐκτραπῶσι τῆς λεωφόρου καὶ τὰς ἀτραποὺς διασκοπεῖν, εἴ τινων ἀπιόντων ἢ ἐρχομένων ἔχουσι τύπους ποδῶν, ἢ ἀνθρώπων ἢ ἵππων ἢ ὄνων ἢ ἡμιόνων· καὶ ὅταν εὕρωσι, κατὰ τοὺς κύνας ἰχνηλα τοῦσι, καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἀφιᾶσιν, ἕως ἂν τὴν εὐθεῖαν ὁδὸν ἀπολάβωσιν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὕτω ποιῶμεν. Ἡγοῦ τοίνυν αὐτός, ἅτε δὴ ἄρξας τοῦ λόγου. {ΟΡΘ.} Οὐκοῦν περὶ τῶν θείων ὀνομάτων, οὐσίας φημὶ καὶ ὑπο στάσεων καὶ προσώπων καὶ ἰδιοτήτων, διευκρινησώμεθα πρότερον, καὶ γνῶμεν καὶ ὁρισώμεθα τίνα ἔχει πρὸς ἄλληλα διαφοράν· εἶθ' οὕτω λοιπὸν ἁψώμεθα τῶν ἑξῆς. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Κάλλιστον καὶ ἀναγκαιότατον ἔδωκας τῷ διαλόγῳ προοί μιον. Τούτων γὰρ εὐκρινῶν γενομένων, ῥᾷον προβήσεται ἡ διάλεξις. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἄραρε καὶ συνεψηφισάμεθα ταῦθ' οὕτω χρῆ 64 ναι γενέσθαι, ἀπόκριναι, ὦ φιλότης. Τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ παναγίου πνεύματος, μίαν οὐσίαν φαμέν, ὡς παρὰ τῆς θείας γραφῆς ἐδιδάχθημεν παλαιᾶς τε καὶ νέας καὶ τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνεληλυθότων πατέρων, ἢ ταῖς Ἀρείου βλασφημίαις ἀκολουθοῦμεν; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Μίαν ὁμολογοῦμεν τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος οὐσίαν. {ΟΡΘ.} Τὴν δὲ ὑπόστασιν ἄλλο τι παρὰ τὴν οὐσίαν σημαίνειν νομί ζομεν, ἢ τῆς οὐσίας ἕτερον ὑπειλήφαμεν ὄνομα; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἔχει τινὰ διαφορὰν ἡ οὐσία πρὸς τὴν ὑπόστασιν; {ΟΡΘ.} Κατὰ μὲν τὴν θύραθεν σοφίαν οὐκ ἔχει. Ἥ τε γὰρ οὐσία τὸ ὂν σημαίνει, καὶ τὸ ὑφεστὸς ἡ ὑπόστασις. Κατὰ δέ γε τὴν τῶν πατέ ρων διδασκαλίαν, ἣν ἔχει διαφορὰν τὸ κοινὸν πρὸς τὸ ἴδιον, ἢ τὸ γένος πρὸς τὸ εἶδος ἢ τὸ ἄτομον, ταύτην ἡ οὐσία πρὸς τὴν ὑπόστασιν ἔχει. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Σαφέστερον τὰ περὶ τοῦ γένους καὶ τοῦ εἴδους καὶ τοῦ ἀτόμου εἰπέ. {ΟΡΘ.} Γένος καλοῦμεν τὸ ζῷον, πολλὰ γὰρ σημαίνει κατὰ ταὐτόν. ∆ηλοῖ γὰρ καὶ τὸ λογικὸν καὶ τὸ ἄλογον· καὶ αὖ πάλιν τῶν ἀλόγων εἴδη πολλά, τὰ μὲν πτηνά, τὰ δὲ ἀμφίβια, τὰ δὲ πεζά, τὰ δὲ νηκτά. Καὶ τούτων δὲ ἕκαστον εἰς πολλὰ διαιρεῖται. Τῶν γὰρ πεζῶν ἄλλο μέν ἐστι λέων, ἄλλο δὲ πάρδαλις, ἄλλο δὲ ταῦρος, καὶ