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a bridle, because of which it cannot flood the mainland, but rushing against the sand, it fears the boundaries, and seeing the divine law written there, like some proud horse being checked by a horse-tamer, it bends its neck back, and goes backward, as if regretting that it even touched the sand. Through this it is possible to see the divided continents, though sitting far from one another, brought together into friendship. For the Creator, 83.585 wishing to implant harmony in the nature of men, bound them to one another by their needs. Through this we make long journeys, and contribute to one another's needs, and exchange the materials for our necessities. For the Guardian did not allow each part of the earth to produce everything men need, so that self-sufficiency might not harm friendship. For satiety is insolent, and the father of disorder. Therefore the sea is set in the middle of the inhabited world, divided into countless bays, like the marketplace of a great city, providing all abundance of necessities, and receiving many sellers and buyers, and sending those from here over there, and bringing those from there to here. For since the journey through the mainland was laborious, and it was not only laborious but also impossible to supply every want through it, the surface of the sea is set forth, receiving ships both small and great, and carrying much and necessary cargo to those in need. For it is possible to see the cargo of one merchant ship being the load for many thousands of beasts of burden. And so that its travelers might not be distressed, the Creator fixed the islands like certain stations, in which, landing, and resting, and buying their provisions, they set sail again for wherever they are bound. Therefore be ashamed of the multitude of benefits, said the sea. For the words of the prophet fit you more than Sidon. For she, not knowing the Creator, divided the Godhead into many gods, and cutting up the one worship, she offered it to those who are not gods, not denying Providence, but attributing it to these. For she would not have sacrificed to those whom she considered gods, if she had not strongly convinced herself that they provide benefit and avert harm. But you, having been delivered from the polytheistic error and confessing that all visible things are created works, and worshiping their Creator, cast Him out of what He has made, and set Him somewhere far from creation, and say that so great a world is without a pilot, and is carried at random like some unballasted ship. Be ashamed, therefore, of the benefits through the sea, those from the earth, from the air, from the sun, of heaven, the roof set over you. Respect the tribute which you receive from creation; for each of the aforementioned pays tribute to you, and offers its service as a kind of tax; the sun gives light, gives heat, ripens the fruits from the earth; the moon is your torch-bearer at night; the stars, for you remaining on land, indicate the time of night, and signify the changes of the seasons, but for one who is at sea they become guides to the mainland; the air, when breathed in, cools your innate heat; and when raining, it nourishes the fruits of agriculture; producing frost, it stops the upward growth of both plants and seeds, 83.588 but sends down into the roots the power of growth, and as with a whip, by the frost, it drives downward that which is carried upward. It destroys the bodies of creeping things that harm both plants and seeds; it supplies to you the kinds of birds for food. And what need is there to speak of the fruits from the earth, from springs, from rivers, from the sea? Enjoying these things, are you unmindful of the giver? And while reaping the harvest of creation, do you rage against the Creator, and are you mad, and are you delirious? And are you not sensible of the gifts, while carrying them in your hands, but are you in travail with contradiction? For I know your objections, but I will neither add these to this discourse, nor the

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χαλινὸν, δι' ὃν τὴν ἤπειρον ἐπικλύζειν οὐ δύναται, ἀλλ' ὁρμῶντα κατὰ τῆς ψάμμου φοβεῖται τοὺς ὅρους, καὶ τὸν θεῖον ἐκεῖ νόμον γεγραμμένον ὁρῶντα, οἷόν τις γαῦρος ἵππος ἀγχόμενος ὑπὸ πωλοδάμνου, ἀνακλᾷ τὸν αὐχένα, καὶ εἰς τοὐπίσω χωρεῖ, ὥσπερ μεταμελόμενα ὅτι καὶ τῇ ψάμμῳ προσέψαυσε. ∆ιὰ ταύτης ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τὰς μεμερισμένας ἠπείρους, καὶ πόῤῥωθεν ἀλλήλων καθημένας, εἰς φιλίαν συναγομένας. Ὁμόνοιαν γὰρ 83.585 ἐνθεῖναι τῇ φύσει τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁ Ποιητὴς ἐθελή σας, ταῖς χρείαις αὐτοὺς ἀλλήλοις συνέδησε. ∆ιὰ ταύτης τὰς μακρὰς ἀποδημίας ποιούμεθα, καὶ τὰς χρείας παρ' ἀλλήλων ἐρανιζόμεθα, καὶ τῶν ἀναγ καίων τὰς ὕλας ἀντιδιδόαμεν. Οὔτε γὰρ εἴασεν ὁ κηδεμὼν ἕκαστον τμῆμα τῆς γῆς ἅπασαν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις φέρειν τὴν χρείαν, ἵνα μὴ τὸ ἀνεν δεὲς τῇ φιλίᾳ λυμήνηται. Ὑβριστὴς γὰρ ὁ κόρος, καὶ ἀταξίας πατήρ. Πρόκειται τοιγαροῦν ἡ θά λασσα μέση τῆς οἰκουμένης, εἰς κόλπους μυρίους διῃρημένη, οἷόν τις πόλεως μεγίστης ἀγορὰ, πᾶσαν τῶν ἀναγκαίων τὴν ἀφθονίαν παρέχουσα, καὶ πολλοὺς πρατῆρας καὶ ὠνητὰς δεχομένη, καὶ τούς τε ἐντεῦ θεν ἐκεῖσε παραπέμπουσα, καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν ἄγουσα τῇδε. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐπίπονος ἡ διὰ τῆς ἠπεί ρου πορεία, οὐκ ἐπίπονον δὲ μόνον ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀδύνατον, διὰ ταύτης πᾶσαν ἀναπληρῶσαι τὴν ἔνδειαν, πρόκειται τῆς θαλάττης τὰ νῶτα, σκάφη καὶ σμικρὰ καὶ μεγάλα δεχόμενα, καὶ φόρτον πολὺν καὶ ἀναγκαῖον τοῖς δεομένοις κομίζοντα. Ἔστι γὰρ ἰδεῖν μιᾶς ὁλκάδος φορτία πολλὰς κτηνῶν χιλιάδας ἀχθοφορούσας. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ δυσχεραίνωσιν οἱ ταύτης ὁδῖται, οἷόν τινας σταθμοὺς κατέπηξε τὰς νήσους ὁ Ποιητὴς, ἐν αἷς καταγόμενοι, καὶ διαναπαυόμε νοι, καὶ τὰς χρείας ὠνούμενοι, πάλιν ἀπαίρουσιν ἔνθα ἂν τὴν ὁρμὴν ἔχωσιν. Αἰσχύνθητι τοιγαροῦν τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν τὸ πλῆθος, εἶπεν ἡ θάλασσα. Ἁρ μόττει σοι γὰρ μᾶλλον, ἢ τῇ Σιδῶνι, τοῦ προφήτου τὰ ῥήματα. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀγνοοῦσα τὸν Ποιητὴν, εἰς πολλοὺς τὸ Θεῖον διῄρει θεοὺς, καὶ τὴν μίαν προσκύ νησιν κατατέμνουσα, τοῖς μὴ οὖσι ταύτην προσ έφερεν, οὐκ ἀρνουμένη τὴν Πρόνοιαν, ἀλλὰ τούτοις αὐτὴν προσάπτουσα. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἔθυσεν οἷς ἐνόμιζε θεοῖς, εἰ μὴ λίαν ἑαυτὴν ἔπειθεν, ὡς καὶ ὠφέλειαν πορίζουσι, καὶ βλάβην ἀποτρέπουσι. Σὺ δὲ τῆς πο λυθέου πλάνης ἀπηλλαγμένος καὶ πάντα τὰ ὁρώμενα ὁμολογῶν εἶναι ποιήματα, καὶ τὸν τούτων Ποιητὴν προσκυνῶν, ἐκβάλλεις αὐτὸν ὧν ἐποίησε, καὶ πόῤῥω που καθίζεις τῆς κτίσεως, καὶ τὸν τοσοῦτον κόσμον ἀκυβέρνητον εἶναι λέγεις, καὶ οἷόν τι σκάφος ἀνερ μάτιστον ὡς ἔτυχε φέρεσθαι. Αἰσχύνθητι τοιγαροῦν τὰς διὰ θαλάττης εὐεργεσίας, τὰς ἐκ γῆς, τὰς ἐξ ἀέρος, τὰς ἐξ ἡλίου, οὐρανὸν τὸν ἐπικείμενον ὄρο φον. Αἰδέσθητι τὸν δασμὸν, ὃν λαμβάνεις παρὰ τῆς κτίσεως· δασμοφορεῖ γάρ σοι τῶν εἰρημένων ἕκα στον, καὶ οἷόν τινα φόρον προσφέρει τὴν χρείαν· ἥλιος μὲν φωτίζει, θερμαίνει, τοὺς ἐκ γῆς πεπαίνει καρπούς· σελήνη δᾳδουχεῖ σοι νύκτωρ· ἀστέρες, ἐπὶ γῆς μένοντί σοι τὸν νυκτερινὸν δηλοῦσι καιρὸν, καὶ τῶν ὡρῶν τὰς μεταβολὰς προσημαίνουσι, θα λαττίῳ δὲ γινομένῳ ποδηγοὶ γίνονται πρὸς τὴν ἤπειρον· ἀὴρ, ἀναπνεόμενος μὲν, τὴν ἔμφυτόν σου καταψύχει θερμότητα· ὕων δὲ, τοὺς τῆς γεωργίας ἐκτρέφει καρπούς· κρυμὸν ἐργαζόμενος, παύει μὲν τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ ἄνω βλάστην, καὶ φυτῶν, καὶ σπερμά 83.588 των, εἰς δὲ τὰς ῥίζας ἐκπέμπει τὴν αὐξητικὴν δύ ναμιν, καὶ οἷόν τινι μάστιγι τῷ κρυμῷ, τὴν ἄνω φερομένην ἐπὶ τὰ κάτω διώκει. ∆ιαφθείρει τῶν ἑρπετῶν τὰ σώματα, καὶ φυτοῖς καὶ σπέρμασι λυ μαινόμενα· χορηγεῖ σοι τῶν τροφίμων ὀρνίθων τὰ γένη. Καὶ τί δεῖ λέγειν τοὺς ἀπὸ γῆς καρποὺς, τοὺς ἐκ πηγῶν, τοὺς ἐκ ποταμῶν, τοὺς ἐκ θαλάττης; Τούτων ἀπολαύων ἀμνημονεῖς τοῦ δοτῆρος; Καὶ τὴν κτίσιν τρυγῶν, κατὰ τοῦ Κτίστου λυττᾷς, καὶ μέμηνας, καὶ παραπαίεις; Καὶ οὐκ αἰσθάνῃ τῶν δωρεῶν, ταύτας ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ περιφέρων, ἀλλ' ὠδί νεις τὴν ἀντίῤῥησιν; Οἶδα γάρ σου τὰς ἀντιθέ σεις, ἐγὼ δὲ οὔτε ταύτας τῷδε τῷ λόγῳ προσ θήσω, οὔτε τὰς