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And might unexpectedly trip up the serpent that seemed wise, As one approaching Adam, but encountering God, Against whom he was about to break the strength of his own evil, Like the sea against a rough, sea-beaten rock. When he appeared, earth and heaven were shaken at his birth. The heavenly choir sent down hymns, And a star from the east led the way for the Magi, Gift-bearing worshipers of the newborn king. This is my account of the new birth of Christ. And there is no shame in it, since sin is the only shame; But for him there is no shame, since the Word fashioned him. 462 Nor did he become mortal by mortal stream, but from flesh, Which the Spirit had first sanctified, from a dear unwedded mother, He came, a self-formed mortal, and was purified for my sake. For he underwent all things, paying the dues of nurture according to the law, And also the rites of departure, as I suppose. But when by the far-shining lamp of the great light, He was proclaimed by the one who ran before his birth, and ran before his word, Crying out "my Christ, my God" in the midst of the desert, He appeared; he went into the midst of the peoples, those from afar, And those near (for he was the common cornerstone for both); And he gave a twofold purification to mortals Of the eternal Spirit, which cleansed my former Flesh-born evil, and of our own blood. 463 For it was mine, which Christ my God poured out As a deliverance for the first-parents, and a ransom for the world. If, indeed, man had not been changeable, but steadfast, Of what kind and great command of God did I have need, Which cared for me, saved me, and raised me to great glory. But now, since God did not make me a god, but fashioned me Wavering and inclined to fall, he also supports me with many things, Of which one is the grace of the bath for mortals. For as the destruction The children of the Hebrews once escaped by the anointed blood, Which purified the doorposts, when the first-born Generation of Egypt perished in one night, so also for me 464 This is the seal of God who wards off evil; for infants It is a seal, but for those who are growing, it is a cure and the best seal, Of Christ the light-giver, God-given, so that having escaped The depth of sorrow and lifting my neck a little from the burden, I may lead my foot back towards life. For even a traveler, Recovering from fatigue, raises his newly strengthened knees. Common to all is the air, and common the earth, Common is the broad heaven, which the cycle of the seasons turns; And common for men has become the man-saving bath. 10. Against Apollinarius, concerning the incarnation. We know the mind is the greatest part of human nature 465 The whole being formed, composed of three parts, Soul, and mind, and the density of the body, The whole of the first Adam, except for sin. For when God became man, God is made man for my honor; So that with what he took, having refashioned what I gave, He might loose the judgment of the whole of sin, And kill the killer with that which had died. Simple from above, then compounded, God; 466 Then crucified by deicidal hands. This is for you the account of the mingled God. He was God from above, from whom is also the Father, The Word of God and creator of all things, Superior to time and passions and body. But when he struck with the tree of knowledge, And envy ran down our whole nature, As easily captured and condemned; So that he might undo the arrogance of envy, 467 And create anew the corrupted image, He is born among us. For in a pure virgin God is conceived and comes forth. Whole God and whole man, saving me whole, Son both perceived by the mind and seen. I am a man-worshiper to you, adoring the whole Word mystically compounded for me, Himself both God and saving man. You are a flesh-worshiper, introducing me as mindless, If I persuasively turn your own cleverness back on you. Either accept this, dearest friend, or concede to me, If you remain a just arbiter of the argument, If for you God from God is the lesser part (For flesh is much lesser than that which is in the image), Then for me the greater part; for mind is nearer to God. 468 But for you, man is in danger of being half; For what has not been assumed is not saved. What say you, O most wise defender of the Word, You who are indignant with those who divide the divinity? Do you not also divide the composite nature of God, The one part

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Καὶ πινυτὸν δοκέοντα ὄφιν σφήλειεν ἀέλπτως, Ὡς μὲν Ἀδὰμ πελάσοντα, Θεῷ δέ τε ἀντιάσοντα, Τῷ πέρι κάρτος ἔμελλεν ἑῆς ἄξειν κακότητος, Τρηχείην περὶ πέτραν ἁλίκτυπον ὥς τε θάλασσα. Ὡς ἐφάνη, γαῖα τε καὶ οὐρανὸς ἀμφὶ γενέθλῃ Σείετο. Οὐρανίη μὲν ὕμνους κατέπεμπε χορείη, Ἀστὴρ δ' ἀντολίηθε Μάγοις ὁδὸν ἡγεμόνευε, ∆ωροφόροις λάτρισι νεηγενέος βασιλῆος. Οὗτος ἐμοὶ Χριστοῖο νέης λόγος ἐστὶ γενέθλης. Αἶσχος δ' οὐδὲν ἔπεστιν, ἐπεὶ μόνον αἶσχος ἁμαρτάς· Τῷ δ' οὐκ αἶσχος ἔπεστιν, ἐπεὶ Λόγος αὐτὸν ἔπηξεν. 462 Οὐδὲ ῥύσει βροτέῃ βροτὸς ἔπλετο, ἐκ δ' ἄρα σαρκὸς, Τὴν Πνεῦμ' ἥγνισε πρόσθεν ἀνυμφέα μητέρα κεδνὴν, Αὐτοπαγὴς βροτὸς ἦλθε, καθήρατο δ' εἵνεκ' ἐμεῖο. Καὶ γὰρ πάνθ' ὑπέδεκτο, νόμῳ θρεπτήρια τίνων, Ἣ καὶ χαζομένῳ πεμπτήρια, ὥσπερ ὀΐω. Αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ μεγάλοιο φάους ἐριλαμπέϊ λύχνῳ Κηρυχθεὶς προθέοντι γόνου, προθέοντι δὲ μύθου, Χριστὸν ἐμὸν βοόωντι Θεὸν μεσάτῃ ἐν ἐρήμῳ, Ἐξεφάνη, λαῶν μὲν ἔβη μέσος ὅς τ' ἀπὸ τηλοῦ, Ὅς τε πέλας (ξυνὸς γὰρ ἐπ' ἀμφοτέροις ἀκρόγωνος Λᾶας ἔην)· δισσὸν δὲ καθάρσιον ὤπασε θνητοῖς Πνεύματος ἀενάοιο, τό μοι προτέρην ἐκάθηρ Σαρκογενῆ κακίην, καὶ αἵματος ἡμετέροιο. 463 Καὶ γὰρ ἐμὸν, τὸ Χριστὸς ἐμὸς Θεὸς ἐξεκένωσε Ῥύσιον ἀρχεγόνων ποθέων, κόσμοιό τ' ἄποινον. Εἰ μὲν δὴ μὴ τρεπτὸς ἔην βροτὸς, ἀλλ' ἀδάμαστος, Οἴης καὶ μεγάλοιο Θεοῦ χρήϊζον ἐφετμῆς, Ἥ μ' ἐκόμει τ', ἐσάωσε, καὶ ἐς μέγα κῦδος ἄεξε. Νῦν δ', οὐ γάρ με θεὸν τεῦξεν Θεὸς, ἀλλά μ' ἔπηξεν Ἀμφιρεπῆ, κλιτόν τε, τὸ καὶ πλεόνεσσιν ἐρείδει, Ὧν ἓν καὶ λοετροῖο βροτοῖς χάρις. Ὡς γὰρ ὄλεθρον Ἑβραίων ποτὲ παῖδες ὑπέκφυγον αἵματι χριστῷ, Τὸ φλιὰς ἐκάθῃρεν, ὅτ' ὤλετο πρωτογένεθλος Αἰγύπτου γενεὴ νυκτὶ μιῇ, ὣς καὶ ἔμοιγε 464 Σφρηγὶς ἀλεξικάκοιο Θεοῦ τόδε, νηπιάχοις μὲν Σφρηγὶς, ἀεξομένοισι δ' ἄκος καὶ σφρηγὶς ἀρίστη, Χριστοῦ φωτοδόταο θεόῤῥυτος, ὥς κεν ἀλύξας Βένθος ἄχους καὶ βαιὸν ἀπ' ἄχθεος αὐχέν' ἀνασχὼν, Πρὸς ζωὴν παλίνορσον ἄγω πόδα. Καὶ γὰρ ὁδίτης Ἀμπνεύσας καμάτοιο, νεόσσυτα γούνατ' ἐγείρει. Ξυνὸς μὲν πάντεσσιν ἀὴρ, ξυνὴ δέ τε γαῖα, Ξυνὸς δ' οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς, ἅθ' ὥρια κύκλος ἑλίσσει· Ξυνὸν δ' ἀνθρώποισι σαόβροτον ἔπλετο λουτρόν. Ιʹ. Κατὰ Ἀπολλιναρίου, περὶ ἐνανθρωπήσεως. Νοῦν τὸν μέγιστον ἴσμεν ἀνθρώπου φύσιν 465 Πᾶσαν παγέντα, ἐκ τριῶν συγκειμένην, Ψυχῆς τε καὶ νοῦ καὶ πάχους τοῦ σώματος, Ἀδὰμ ὅλον τὸν πρόσθεν πλὴν ἁμαρτίας. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ οὖν ἐγίγνετ' ἄνθρωπος Θεὸς, Θεὸς τελεῖτ' ἄνθρωπος εἰς τιμὴν ἐμήν· Ἵν' οἷς περ εἴληφεν ὃ δέδωκ' ἀναπλάσας, Λύσῃ τὸ κρῖμα τῆς ὅλης ἁμαρτίας, Κτείνῃ τε τὸν κτείναντα τῷ τεθνηκότι. Ἁπλοῦς ἄνωθεν, εἶτα συμπαγεὶς, Θεός· 466 Παγεὶς ἔπειτα χερσὶ ταῖς θεοκτόνοις. Οὗτος Θεοῦ σοι τοῦ μεμιγμένου λόγος. Θεὸς μὲν ἦν ἄνωθεν, ἐξ οὗ καὶ Πατὴρ, Ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος τε καὶ κτίστης ὅλων, Κρείσσων χρόνου τε καὶ παθῶν καὶ σώματος. Ἐπεὶ δ' ἔπληγε τῷ ξύλῳ τῆς γνώσεως, Καὶ πᾶσαν ἡμῶν τὴν φύσιν κατέτρεχεν, Ὡς εὐάλωτον καὶ κατάκριτον, ὁ φθόνος· Ὡς ἂν λύσειε τὴν ἔπαρσιν τοῦ φθόνου, 467 Καὶ τὴν φθαρεῖσαν εἰκόνα κτίσῃ πάλιν, Ἐγγίνεθ' ἡμῖν. Ἐν γὰρ ἁγνῇ παρθένῳ Κυΐσκεταί τε καὶ προέρχεται Θεός. Ὅλος Θεός τε καὶ βροτὸς, σώζων μ' ὅλον, Υἱὸς νοούμενός τε καὶ ὁρώμενος. Ἀνθρωπολάτρης εἰμί σοι, σέβων ὅλον Τὸν συντεθέντα μυστικῶς ἐμοὶ Λόγον Αὐτὸν Θεόν τε καὶ βροτὸν σωτήριον. Σὺ σαρκολάτρης, εἰσάγων ἄνουν ἐμὲ, Ἄν σου τὸ κομψὸν πειθανῶς ἀντιστρέφω. Ἣ τοῦτο δέξαι, φίλτατ', ἢ κἀμοὶ πάρες, Εἴπερ δίκαιος τοῦ λόγου μένεις βραβεὺς, Εἴ σοι τὸ χεῖρόν ἐστιν ἐκ Θεοῦ Θεὸς (Χεῖρον γὰρ ἡ σὰρξ τοῦ κατ' εἰκόνα πολὺ), Κἀμοὶ τὸ κρεῖσσον· νοῦς γὰρ ἔγγιον Θεοῦ. 468 Πλὴν σοί γε κινδυνεύεθ' ἥμισυς βροτός· Ὃ μὴ προσείληπται γὰρ, οὐδὲ σώζεται. Τί φὴς, ἀμύντωρ τοῦ Λόγου σοφώτατε, Ὁ τοῖς τέμνουσι τὴν θεότητα δυσφορῶν; Οὐ καὶ σὺ τέμνεις τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ σύνθετον, Τὸ μὲν