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having names, thrice-desired is the much-desired, thrice-blessed is the oft-blessed, thrice-fortunate is the oft-fortunate. And these things indeed have a place even for one person who is much-desired and very fortunate and very blessed. But the signification of the triadic number cannot be spoken of except properly in terms of the number itself, for example, it is impossible to call one not having two names double-named and one not having three colors three-colored. When, therefore, we say triple-named, we mean that the one called triple-named has only three names. If we say thrice-holy, it has a place with respect to the holy Trinity; for since it has only three hypostases, each of which is holy and hymned, it would properly be called thrice-holy. But if it were said of one hypostasis, someone might suspect that it possesses either three holy substances or three holy hypostases; each of which is both unlawful and impious to say of one of the hypostases of the Godhead. And we might also say this, that it is absurd to assign the Trisagion hymn, which is revelatory of the three hypostases of the Godhead, to one of the same hypostases. For if it were indicative of the commonality of the substance, it would be said of each of the hypostases; but since it is indicative of the number of the three hypostases, it is not opportune to say it of one, lest we declare the holy Trinity to be nine-holy. For the number three, when multiplied by itself, is wont to beget the number nine. 5 We said that one possessing two names is called double-named, and triple-named is one having three names and neither more nor less. Why then is the Father only thrice holy, or the Son, or the Holy Spirit, or is the Father alone three-hypostased, or the Son alone, or only the Holy Spirit, so that each might be called thrice-holy? May it not be so. But rather, infinitely many times and infinitely. But the holy Godhead, as having only three holy hypostases, would reasonably be called thrice-holy. Therefore one must not say the Trisagion hymn, which is indicative of the three hypostases of the Godhead, of one of the hypostases; for it is not possible to speak of a definite number with respect to the indefinite Godhead, except for the monad of substance, and the triad of hypostases. If someone were to ask us why in baptizing we make the immersion three times, what else would we say than that for each of the hypostases of the Godhead we perform one immersion, and three because of the threeness of the hypostases, and not three immersions for each of the hypostases, or else in that way we would perform nine immersions, which is unlawful? Therefore, at each of the immersions we pronounce the name of one of the three hypostases. Thus also, if we are asked for what reason "holy" is said three times and not twice or four times, speaking the truth we would say it is on account of the three-hypostased Godhead. How then could we say the Trisagion hymn of one of the hypostases? For we would establish ourselves as liars and transgressors of our own words; "each of the hypostases of the Godhead," as the divine Basil says, "is declared monadically." The Father is one Father and one holy one, because he is one hypostasis; the Godhead is one thrice-holy nature, because there are three hypostases. The Father is not thrice-holy, because he is one hypostasis; the Son is not thrice-holy, because he is one hypostasis; the Holy Spirit is not thrice-holy, because he is one hypostasis. The entire choir of the God-bearing and God-inspired fathers always proclaimed with every breath the Spirit as holy and all-holy. But we have not yet even now found him called thrice-holy in any discourse of the sacred fathers. This is the nonsense of the fuller who, out of the greatest madness, dared with bare head, as they say—which indicates the shamelessness of dissolute women—to full the Trisagion hymn like some unlovely fabric, as if forsooth he were wiser than the Seraphim and loftier in initiation. For if we shall say the Trisagion hymn is for the Son alone, the ambiguity is resolved without a doubt, and let us act foolishly, let us add the crucifixion to the Trisagion. But may it not be for me to bring this through my lips, may God be gracious, death is more preferable. Take from me the

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ὀνόματα ἔχων, τριπόθητος ὁ πολυπόθητος, τρισμακάριστος ὁ πολλάκις μακαριστός, τρισόλβιος ὁ πολλάκις ὄλβιος. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν καὶ ἐφ' ἑνὸς προσώπου πολυποθήτου καὶ πολυολβίου καὶ πολυμάκαρος χώραν ἔχει. Τὸ δὲ σημαντικὸν τοῦ τριαδικοῦ ἀριθμοῦ οὐ δυνατὸν εἰ μὴ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ κυρίως τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ λεχθῆναι, οἷον ἀδύνατον μὴ δύο ὀνόματα ἔχοντα διώνυμον εἰπεῖν καὶ τὸν τρεῖς χρόας μὴ ἔχοντα τρίχροον. Ὅταν οὖν λέγωμεν τριώνυμον, δηλοῦμεν τρία μόνον ἔχειν ὀνόματα τὸν τριώνυμον προσαγορευόμενον. Ἐὰν εἴπωμεν τρισάγιον, ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος χώραν ἔχει· τρεῖς γὰρ μόνας ὑποστάσεις ἔχουσα ἑκάστης ἁγίας οὔσης καὶ ὑμνουμένης, οἰκείως ἂν λεχθείη τρισάγιος. Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ μιᾶς ὑποστάσεως ῥηθείη, ὑποτοπάσει τις ἢ ὡς τρεῖς ἁγίας οὐσίας ἢ τρεῖς ἁγίας ὑποστάσεις κέκτηται· ὧν ἑκάτερον ἀθέμιτόν τε καὶ ἀσεβὲς ἐπὶ μιᾶς τῶν τῆς θεότητος εἰπεῖν ὑποστάσεων. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ φαίημεν, ὡς τὸν τρισάγιον ὕμνον ἐκφαντορικὸν ὄντα τῶν τριῶν τῆς θεότητος ὑποστάσεων ἄτοπον μιᾷ τῶν αὐτῶν ὑποστάσεων ἀνατιθέναι. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ κοινοῦ τῆς οὐσίας εἴη σημαντικός, ἐλέγετο ἂν ἐφ' ἑκάστης τῶν ὑποστάσεων· σημαντικὸν δὲ ὄντα τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τῶν τριῶν ὑποστάσεων οὐκ εὔκαιρον ἐπὶ μιᾶς αὐτὸν λέγειν, ἵνα μὴ ἐννάγιον τὴν ἁγίαν τριάδα ἀποφηνώμεθα. Ὁ γὰρ τρεῖς ἀριθμὸς ἐφ' ἑαυτὸν πολυπλασιαζόμενος τὸν ἐννέα ἀπογεννᾶν ἀριθμὸν πέφυκεν. 5 Εἴπομεν, ὡς ὁ δύο κεκτημένος ὀνόματα διώνυμος λέγεται, καὶ τριώνυμός ἐστιν ὁ τρία ἔχων ὀνόματα καὶ οὔτε πλείονα οὔτε ἐλάττω. Τί οὖν τρίτον μόνον ἅγιος ὁ πατὴρ ἢ ὁ υἱὸς ἢ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἢ τρισυπόστατος ὁ πατὴρ μόνος ἢ ὁ υἱὸς μόνος ἢ μόνον τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἵν' ἕκαστος λεχθείη τρισάγιος; Μὴ γένοιτο. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπειράκις ἀπείρως. Ἡ δὲ ἁγία θεότης ὡς τρεῖς μόνας ὑποστάσεις ἔχουσα ἁγίας εἰκότως ἂν ῥηθείη τρισάγιος. Ὥστε οὐκ ἐπὶ μιᾶς τῶν ὑποστάσεων χρὴ λέγειν τὸν τρισάγιον ὕμνον ἐνδεικτικὸν ὑπάρχοντα τῶν τριῶν τῆς θεότητος ὑποστάσεων· ὡρισμένον γὰρ ἀριθμὸν οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀορίστου θεότητος εἰ μὴ μονάδα μὲν οὐσίας, τριάδα δὲ ὑποστάσεων. Εἴ τις ἡμᾶς ἔροιτο, ἀνθ' ὅτου βαπτίζοντες τρίτον ποιούμεθα τὴν κατάδυσιν, τί ἂν ἄλλο φαίημεν, ἢ ὅτι καθ' ἑκάστην τῶν τῆς θεότητος ὑποστάσεων μίαν κατάδυσιν καὶ τρεῖς διὰ τὸ τρισσὸν τῶν ὑποστάσεων καὶ οὐ τρεῖς καταδύσεις καθ' ἑκάστην τῶν ὑποστάσεων ἢ οὕτω γε ἐννέα τὰς καταδύσεις ποιησόμεθα, ὅπερ ἀθέμιτον; ∆ιὸ καθ' ἑκάστην τῶν καταδύσεων τὸ ὄνομα μιᾶς τῶν τριῶν ὑποστάσεων ἐπιλέγομεν. Οὕτω καί, ἐὰν ἐρωτώμεθα, τίνος χάριν τρίτον τὸ «ἅγιος» λέγεται καὶ οὐ δὶς ἢ τετράκις, διὰ τὴν τρισυπόστατον θεότητα ἀληθεύοντες φαίημεν. Πῶς οὖν τὸν τρισάγιον ὕμνον ἐπὶ μιᾶς τῶν ὑποστάσεων εἴποιμεν; Ψεύστας γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς καὶ παραβάτας τῶν ἡμετέρων συνιστάνομεν λόγων· «ἑκάστη τῶν τῆς θεότητος ὑποστάσεων», ὥς φησιν ὁ θεῖος Βασίλειος, «μοναδικῶς ἐξαγγέλλεται.» Εἷς πατὴρ ὁ πατὴρ καὶ εἷς ἅγιος, ὅτι μία ὑπόστασις· μία τρισάγιος φύσις ἡ θεότης, ὅτι τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις. Οὐ τρισάγιος ὁ πατήρ, ὅτι μία ὑπόστασις· οὐ τρισάγιος ὁ υἱός, ὅτι μία ὑπόστασις· οὐ τρισάγιον τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὅτι μία ὑπόστασις. Τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καὶ πανάγιον σύμπας ὁ τῶν θεοφόρων καὶ θεοπνεύστων πατέρων χορὸς ἀεὶ σὺν ἀναπνοῇ πάσῃ ἐξεφώνει. Τρισάγιον δὲ τοῦτο οὔπω καὶ νῦν ἔν τινι λόγῳ τῶν ἱερῶν πατέρων εὑρήκαμεν. Τοῦ κναφέως τοῦτο τὸ λήρημα ἐξ ἀπονοίας ὅτι πλείστης τολμήσαντος γυμνῇ τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον κεφαλῇ, ὃ τῶν ἀκολάστων γυναίων μηνύει τὸ ἀναιδές, ὡς σοφωτέρου δῆθεν τῶν σεραφὶμ καὶ ὑψηλοτέρου τὴν μύησιν, οἷόν τι ἀφιλοκάλητον ὕφασμα κναφεῦσαι τὸν τρισάγιον ὕμνον. Εἰ γὰρ εἰς τὸν υἱὸν μόνον τὸν τρισάγιον φήσομεν ὕμνον, λέλυται τὸ ἀμφίβολον ἀνενδοιάστως, καὶ ἡμεῖς μαρωνήσωμεν, προσθῶμεν τῷ τρισαγίῳ τὴν σταύρωσιν. Ἀλλὰ μή μοι γένοιτο διὰ χειλέων τοῦτο ἀγαγεῖν, ἱλέῳ τυχόντι θεῷ, θάνατος αἱρετώτερος. Ἆρον ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὸν