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remedies; for when mixed with other herbs, they become antidotes and providers of health. { XIV When the luminaries were created, what became of the first light? The Lord God both makes from non-existent things, and creates from existent things; for He created the first heaven from non-existent things, and the second He made from waters. Thus He brought forth the earth when it was not; and He commanded it to sprout the kinds of trees and of seeds. And so He created the light as He willed. And just as He divided the nature of the waters with the firmament, and placed some above, and left others below, 17 so, dividing that light as He willed, He constructed the great and the small luminaries. XV What is "for signs and for seasons and for years and for days"? The sun by rising and setting makes the days; and by running through the southern and the northern parts, it completes the annual cycle. This also works the solstices, which the divine scripture called seasons; for moving from the equinoctial place towards the north it makes spring; then returning from there up to these boundaries, it produces the summer solstice; and as it proceeds from there to the south, autumn occurs; and returning again, it makes the winter. And from the course of the moon we learn the number of the months; for in thirty days, lacking six hours, it completes its own course; for which reason we call the number of so many days a month. Since they also call the moon "mene". But we do not understand "for signs" according to the foolish; for not even Pythagoras, nor Socrates, nor Plato, nor the Stoics accepted the vain talk of genethlialogy. And if those who were brought up on myths abhorred the impiety of this myth, who, believing in the divine words, would endure words not only impious, but also exceedingly foolish? "Signs," therefore, the divine scripture calls the knowing of the time for sowing, for planting, for pruning, for cutting timbers suitable for shipbuilding and construction; from this also those who engage in seafaring have learned when it is fitting to set sail, and when to bring the vessel to anchor; and when it is necessary to spread 18 the sail, and when to take it down; for experience has taught them the risings and settings of the stars; and often we too, having seen a comet or a bearded star or a beam-like meteor, have recognized an attack of enemies or an invasion of locusts or a destruction of cattle or of men. These things, therefore, it called "signs," not those filled with all foolishness and impiety. XVI Why ever did He make the plants before the luminaries, but the animals after them? The animals have eyes, and would not have borne the excess of the light; but this, having been distributed into the small and great luminaries, emits a radiance commensurate with the sight of the animals; but the nature of plants is without sensation. XVII For what reason did He not bless the plants, but to the animals He said "increase" and the rest? Willing it, He immediately filled the whole earth with meadows and cornfields and all kinds of herbs and trees; but the irrational animals He brought forth two by two; reasonably, therefore, He offered the blessing to them, so that through their prolificacy some might fill the seas and lakes and rivers, others the air, and others the earth. XVIII Why has God made the wild beasts and the creeping things? 19 Children need both bogeys and straps and rods; with the one we frighten them, and with the other we also discipline them; and we do both, working out all good order for them. Since, therefore, the Lord God foreknew that we would incline to indolence, He prepared beforehand the wild beasts as certain straps and bogeys, so that by frightening us with these, He might draw us to Himself, and prepare us to call on Him for an alliance. But just as the perfect despise both bogeys and straps, so the pupils of virtue do not fear the attacks of wild beasts; for indeed to Adam before the sin the wild beasts stood by the

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ἰατήρια· κεραννύμενα γὰρ ἑτέραις βοτάναις ἀλεξίκακα γί νεται καὶ ὑγείας παρεκτικά. { XIV Τῶν φωστήρων δημιουργηθέντων, τί γέγονε τὸ πρότερον φῶς; Ὁ δεσπότης Θεὸς καὶ ἐκ μὴ ὄντων ποιεῖ, καὶ ἐξ ὄντων δημιουργεῖ· τὸν μὲν γὰρ πρότερον οὐρανὸν ἐκ μὴ ὄντων ἐδημιούργησε, τὸν δὲ δεύτερον ἐξ ὑδάτων ἐποίησεν. οὕτω τὴν γῆν μὴ οὖσαν παρήγαγεν· τὰ γένη δὲ τῶν δένδρων καὶ τῶν σπερμάτων αὐτῇ βλαστῆσαι προσέταξεν. καὶ τὸ φῶς τοίνυν ἐδημιούργησεν ὡς ἠθέλησεν. ὥσπερ δὲ τῷ στερεώματι διεῖλε τῶν ὑδάτων τὴν φύσιν, καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐπιτέθεικεν ἄνωθεν, τὰ δὲ κάτω κατα 17 λέλοιπεν, οὕτως ἐκεῖνο τὸ φῶς διελὼν ὡς ἠθέλησεν, τοὺς φωστῆρας τοὺς μεγάλους καὶ τοὺς μικροὺς κατεσκεύασεν. XV Τί ἐστι τὸ " εἰς σημεῖα καὶ εἰς καιροὺς καὶ εἰς ἐνιαυ τοὺς καὶ εἰς ἡμέρας "; Ὁ ἥλιος ἀνίσχων μὲν καὶ δυόμενος τὰς ἡμέρας ποιεῖ· εἰς δὲ τὰ νότια καὶ τὰ βόρεια μέρη διατρέχων, τὸν ἐνιαύσιον κύκλον ἀποτελεῖ. οὗτος καὶ τὰς τροπὰς ἐργάζεται, ἃς καιροὺς ὠνόμασεν ἡ θεία γραφή· ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ ἰσημερινοῦ τόπου πρὸς τὰ βόρεια μεταβαίνων τὸ ἔαρ ποιεῖ· εἶτα ἐκεῖθεν ἐπανιὼν μέχρι τούτων τῶν ὅρων, τὴν θερινὴν κατασκευάζει τροπήν· προϊόντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐντεῦθεν ἐπὶ τὰ νότια, τὸ μετόπωρον γίνεται· ἐπα νιὼν δὲ αὖθις, τὸν χειμῶνα ποιεῖ. ἐκ δὲ τοῦ δρόμου τῆς σελήνης τὸν τῶν μηνῶν μανθάνομεν ἀριθμόν· διὰ τριάκοντα γὰρ ἡμέρων, ἓξ ὡρῶν δεουσῶν, τὸν οἰκεῖον δρόμον πληροῖ· οὗ δὴ χάριν τὸν τῶν τοσούτων ἡμερῶν ἀριθ μὸν μῆνα προσαγορεύομεν. ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὴν σελήνην ὀνομάζουσι μήνην. τὸ δὲ " εἰς σημεῖα ", οὐ κατὰ τοὺς ἀνοήτους νοοῦμεν ἡμεῖς· τὴν γὰρ τῆς γενεθλιαλογίας ματαιολογίαν, οὐδὲ Πυθαγόρας, οὐδὲ Σωκράτης, οὐδὲ Πλάτων, οὐδὲ οἱ στωϊκοὶ προσεδέξαντο. εἰ δὲ οἱ τοῖς μύθοις ἐντεθραμ μένοι τοῦδε τοῦ μύθου τὸ δυσσεβὲς ἐβδελύξαντο, τίς ἂν τοῖς θείοις πιστεύων λόγοις, τῶν οὐ δυσσεβῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν ἀνοήτων ἀνάσχοιτο λόγων; " σημεῖα " τοίνυν ἡ θεία καλεῖ γραφὴ τὸ εἰδέναι σπόρου καιρόν, τοῦ φυτεῦσαι, τοῦ καθάραι, τοῦ ξύλα τεμεῖν εἰς ναυπηγίαν καὶ οἰκο δομίαν ἐπιτήδεια· ἐντεῦθεν καὶ οἱ ναυτιλίᾳ χρώμενοι μεμαθήκασι, πότε μὲν ἀπᾶραι, πότε δὲ καθορμίσαι προσήκει τὸ σκάφος· καὶ πότε μὲν πετάσαι 18 δεῖ τὸ ἱστίον, πότε δὲ καθελεῖν· ἡ πεῖρα γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐξεπαίδευσε τὰς τῶν ἀστέρων ἐπιτολάς τε καὶ δύσεις· πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς κομήτην ἢ πωγω νίτην ἢ δοκίδην ἰδόντες, ἢ πολεμίων ἔγνωμεν προσβολὴν ἢ ἀκρίδος ἐμ βολὴν ἢ κτηνῶν ἢ ἀνθρώπων φθοράν. ταῦτα τοίνυν " σημεῖα " ἐκά λεσεν, οὐκ ἐκεῖνα τὰ πάσης ἀνοίας καὶ δυσσεβείας μεστά. XVI Τί δή ποτε τὰ μὲν φυτὰ πρὸ τῶν φωστήρων ἐποίησε, τὰ δὲ ζῷα μετὰ τούτους; Ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχει τὰ ζῷα, καὶ τοῦ φωτὸς τὴν ὑπερβολὴν οὐκ ἂν ἤνεγκε· τοῦτο δὲ διανεμηθὲν εἰς τοὺς μικροὺς καὶ μεγάλους φωστῆρας σύμμετρον τῇ ὄψει τῶν ζῴων ἀφίησιν αἴγλην· τῶν δὲ φυτῶν ἡ φύσις αἰσθήσεως ἄμοιρος. XVII Τίνος χάριν τὰ μὲν φυτὰ οὐκ ηὐλόγησε, τοῖς δὲ ζῴοις ἔφη " αὐξάνεσ θε " καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς; Τῶν λειμώνων καὶ τῶν ληΐων καὶ τῶν παντοδαπῶν βοτανῶν καί τε δέν δρων εὐθὺς ἐθελήσας τὴν γῆν ἐπλήρωσεν ἅπασαν· τὰ δέ γε ἄλογα ζῷα ἀνὰ δύο παρήγαγεν· εἰκότως τοίνυν αὐτοῖς τὴν εὐλογίαν προσήνεγ κεν, ἵνα διὰ τῆς πολυγονίας τὰ μὲν πελάγη καὶ λίμνας καὶ ποταμούς, τὰ δὲ τὸν ἀέρα, τὰ δὲ πληρώσῃ τὴν γῆν. XVIII ∆ιὰ τί τὰ θηρία καὶ τὰ ἑρπετὰ πεποίηκεν ὁ Θεός; 19 ∆εῖται τὰ παιδία καὶ μορμολυκείων καὶ ἱμάντων καὶ ῥάβδων· καὶ τοῖς μὲν αὐτὰ δεδιττόμεθα, τοῖς δὲ καὶ παιδεύομεν· ἑκάτερα δὲ δρῶμεν, πᾶσαν αὐτοῖς εὐταξίαν πραγματευόμενοι. ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν προῄδει ἡμᾶς ὁ δεσπό της Θεὸς εἰς ῥαθυμίαν ἐκκλίνοντας οἷον ἱμάντας τινὰς καὶ μορμολυκεῖα προκατεσκεύασε τὰ θηρία, ἵνα τούτοις ἡμᾶς δεδιττόμενος, πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἕλκῃ, καὶ καλεῖν εἰς συμμαχιὰν παρασκευάζῃ. ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οἱ τέλειοι καὶ τῶν μορμολυκείων καὶ ἱμάντων καταφρονοῦσιν, οὕτως οἱ τῆς ἀρετῆς τρόφιμοι τὰς τῶν θηρίων οὐ δειμαίνουσι προσβολάς· καὶ γὰρ τῷ Ἀδὰμ πρὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας παρεστήκει τὰ θηρία τὴν