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12

we expect punishment. But that you may also teach, most wonderful one, those who are ignorant of how we think, know that we believe, as we have been taught, in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. For not in two sons, as some slanderously claim, were we either made disciples, or baptized, or do we believe, or do we teach to believe; but just as we know one Father, and one Holy Spirit, so also one Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, the Word of God made man. We do not, however, deny the properties of the natures; but just as we consider those who divide the one Lord Jesus Christ into two sons to be impious, so we call those who attempt to confuse the natures enemies of the truth. For we believe that an unconfused union has taken place, and we know that certain things are proper to the humanity and certain things to the divinity. For just as man—I mean the common one, the rational and mortal animal—has a soul and has a body, yet is understood as one animal; and the difference of the two natures does not divide the one into two persons; and yet in the one we know both the immortality of the soul and the mortality of the body; and we confess the soul is invisible, but the body is visible, yet one animal, as I said, at once rational and mortal; so our Lord and God, I mean the Son of God, the Master Christ, even after the incarnation we know as one Son; for the union is indivisible, just as it is also unconfused. Nevertheless, we know both the beginninglessness of the divinity, and the recentness of the humanity. For the one is from the seed of Abraham and David (for from them is the holy Virgin); but the divine nature was begotten from God the Father before the ages, without time, without passion, without division. But if the difference of flesh and divinity were to be done away with, what weapons would we use when arrayed against Arius and Eunomius? And how will we demolish their blasphemy against the Only-Begotten? For now we attribute the humble words to him as man, and the lofty and God-befitting ones to him as God, and the proof of the truth is exceedingly easy for us. But indeed the discussion concerning the faith exceeds the measure of a letter. But these few words are sufficient to show the character of the apostolic faith. 22 TO ULPIANUS THE COMES. They say that words reshape even ill-disposed characters and make them better. But it seems to me that things blended by nature into beauty themselves adorn words, and have no need of rhetoric; just as well-formed bodies do not require imported adornments. By these things the most renowned rhetor Athanasius is made brilliant. He delighted me the more, having become a fervent admirer of your magnificence. For he constantly praises you. But I, competing and recounting your deeds, was victorious in praises; for I know more of your achievements. But I am grieved not to praise all of your qualities, but to see the chief of good things lacking in the praises; which if God should grant to be added, in all forms of virtue you will hold the supremacy over all who pursue the same life as you. 23 TO AREOBINDAS THE PATRICIAN. The Creator and Governor of all things distributed wealth and poverty to men, not using an unjust decree, but providing an occasion of benefit to the rich, the want of the poor. So also he brings chastisements upon men, not only exacting penalties for sins committed, but also supplying a pretext for philanthropy to the well-to-do. Since, therefore, the... has brought scourges upon us this year,

12

προσδεχόμεθα τιμωρίαν. Ἵνα δὲ καὶ διδάξῃς, θαυμασιώτατε, τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας ὅπως φρονοῦμεν, ἴσθι πιστεύειν ἡμᾶς, ὡς ἐδιδάχθημεν, εἰς τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα. Οὐ γὰρ εἰς δύο υἱούς, ὥς τινες συκοφαντοῦσιν, ἢ ἐμαθητεύθημεν, ἢ ἐβαπτίσ θημεν, ἢ πιστεύομεν, ἢ πιστεύειν διδάσκομεν· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἕνα ἴσμεν Πατέρα, καὶ ἓν ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, οὕτως ἕνα Υἱὸν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν μονογενῆ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱόν, τὸν ἐνανθρωπήσαντα Θεὸν Λόγον. Οὐκ ἀρνούμεθα μέντοι τὰς τῶν φύσεων ἰδιότητας· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἀσεβεῖν νομίζομεν τοὺς εἰς δύο υἱοὺς διαιροῦντας τὸν ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, οὕτω τῆς ἀληθείας πολεμίους ἀποκαλοῦμεν τοὺς συγχέειν τὰς φύσεις ἐπιχειροῦντας. Ἀσύγχυτον γὰρ ἕνωσιν γεγενῆσθαι πιστεύομεν καὶ ἴσμεν τινά τε τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος καί τινα τῆς θεότητος ἴδια. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, τὸν κοινὸν λέγω, τὸ λογικὸν καὶ θνητὸν ζῶον, ἔχει μὲν ψυχήν, ἔχει δὲ σῶμα, ἓν δὲ ζῶον νοεῖται· καὶ ἡ διαφορὰ τῶν <δύο> φύσεων οὐκ εἰς δύο πρόσωπα μερίζει τὸν ἕνα· ἐν δέ γε τῷ ἑνὶ καὶ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἴσμεν ἀθανασίαν καὶ τοῦ σώματος τὴν θνητότητα· καὶ ὁμολο γοῦμεν τὴν ψυχὴν ἀόρατον, ὁρατὸν δὲ τὸ σῶμα, ἓν δὲ ζῶον, ὡς ἔφην, λογικὸν ὁμοῦ καὶ θνητόν· οὕτω τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν καὶ Θεόν, τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγω Υἱόν, τὸν ∆εσπότην Χριστόν, καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν ἕνα ἴσμεν Υἱόν· ἀδιαίρετος γὰρ ἡ ἕνω σις, ὥσπερ δὴ καὶ ἀσύγχυτος. Ἴσμεν δὲ ὅμως καὶ τὸ τῆς θεότητος ἄναρχον, καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος πρόσφατον. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἐκ σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ καὶ ∆αβὶδ (ἐξ αὐτῶν γὰρ ἡ ἁγία Παρθένος)· ἡ δὲ θεία φύσις ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς πρὸ αἰώνων, ἀχρόνως, ἀπαθῶς, ἀτμήτως ἐγεννήθη. Εἰ δὲ ἀναιρε θείη σαρκὸς καὶ θεότητος τὸ διάφορον, τίσιν ὅπλοις χρησό μεθα κατὰ Ἀρείου καὶ Εὐνομίου παραταττόμενοι; Πῶς δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν κατὰ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς καταλύσομεν βλασφημίαν; Νῦν γὰρ τοὺς μὲν ταπεινοὺς τῶν λόγων ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ προσ άπτομεν, τοὺς δὲ ὑψηλοὺς καὶ θεοπρεπεῖς ὡς Θεῷ, καὶ εὐπε τὴς ἄγαν ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἡ τῆς ἀληθείας ἀπόδειξις. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὑπερβαίνει μέτρον ἐπιστολῆς ὁ περὶ τῆς πίστεως λόγος. Ἀρκεῖ δὲ καὶ τὰ ὀλίγα ταῦτα ῥημάτια δεῖξαι τὸν τῆς ἀποστο λικῆς πίστεως χαρακτῆρα. 22 ΟΥΛΠΙΑΝΩ ΚΟΜΗΤΙ. Τοὺς λόγους φασὶν καὶ τὰ οὐκ εὖ διακείμενα τῶν ἠθῶν μεταρυθμίζειν καὶ ἀμείνω ποιεῖν. Ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ, τὰ παρὰ τῆς φύσεως εἰς κάλλος κραθέντα, αὐτὰ τοὺς λόγους κοσμεῖν, καὶ μὴ δεῖσθαι ῥημάτων· καθάπερ οὐδὲ τὰ εὖ πεφυκότα τῶν σωμά των χρῄζει τῶν ἐπεισάκτων χρημάτων. Τούτοις ὁ ἐλλογιμώ τατος Ἀθανάσιος ὁ ῥήτωρ λαμπρύνεται. Ἧσε δέ με πλέον, ἐραστὴς θερμὸς τῆς ὑμετέρας μεγαλοπρεπείας γεγονώς. Ἀεὶ γὰρ ὑμᾶς εὐφημῶν διατελεῖ. Ἁμιλλώμενος δὲ ἐγὼ καὶ διεξιὼν τὰ ὑμέτερα, τοῖς ἐπαίνοις ἐνίκων· πλείονα γὰρ ὑμῶν ἐπίστα μαι κατορθώματα. Ἀνιῶμαι δὲ μὴ πάντα ἐπαινῶν τὰ ὑμέτερα, ἀλλὰ τὸ κεφάλαιον τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐλλεῖπον τοῖς ἐπαίνοις ὁρῶν· ὅπερ εἰ δοίη προσγενέσθαι Θεός, ἐν ἅπασι τοῖς τῆς ἀρετῆς εἴδεσι κατὰ πάντων σχήσετε τὸ κράτος, τῶν τὴν αὐτὴν ὑμῖν βιοτὴν μετιόντων. 23 ΑΡΕΟΒΙΝ∆Α ΠΑΤΡΙΚΙΩ. Πλοῦτον καὶ πενίαν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις διένειμεν ὁ τῶν ὅλων ∆ημιουργός τε καὶ Πρύτανις, οὐκ ἀδίκῳ ψήφῳ χρησάμενος, ἀλλ' ἀφορμὴν ὠφελείας τοῖς πλουσίοις παρέχων, τῶν πενήτων τὴν ἔνδειαν. Οὕτω καὶ τὰς παιδείας τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐπάγει, οὐ μόνον δίκας τῶν πεπλημμελημένων πραττόμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρόφασιν εἰς φιλανθρωπίαν τοῖς εὐπόροις πορίζων. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν μάστιγας ἡμῖν τῆτες ἐπήνεγκεν ὁ