TO THE FELLOW PRESBYTER TIMOTHY, DIONYSIUS

 being illuminated super-cosmically by them for the hymns of the Godhead and being conformed to the sacred hymnologies, so as to see the divine lights

 For all knowledges are of things that are and have their limit in things that are, but It is beyond all essence and is removed from all knowledge. <5>

 <7> Thus, therefore, to the Cause of all and which is above all, both the nameless will apply and all the names of the things that are, so that it may

 the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will, and that It is the Spirit that gives life? That the ent

 to the one-principled Trinity also is common the super-essential existence, the super-divine divinity, the super-good goodness, the identity beyond al

 has partaken of the Word, unless someone might say according to the good-pleasing and man-loving common will and according to all the transcendent and

 Jesus, he says in his compiled Theological Outlines: <10> The all-causing and fulfilling Godhead of the Son, which preserves the parts in harmony with

 <III.> <1> And first, if you please, let us investigate the name Good, which reveals the whole procession of God's emanations, invoking the Good-Pri

 to the hierarchs, when we too, as you know, both yourself and many of our sacred brethren, had gathered for the sight of the life-originating and God-

 communions, the unconfused distinctions, the powers of the subordinate that lead up to the superior, the providences of the senior for the secondary,

 moves and nourishes and increases and perfects and purifies and renews. And light is the measure and number of hours, of days, and of all our time. Fo

 impartations and as calling all things to itself, whence it is also called Beauty, and as gathering all in all into one, and Beautiful as being All-Be

 the beautiful and the good is that which is beyond all rest and motion. Wherefore every rest and motion and that from which and in which and to which

 <12> And yet it has seemed to some of our sacred writers that the name 'eros' is even more divine than that of 'agape'. And the divine Ignatius also w

 an eternal circle through the Good, from the Good and in the Good and to the Good, moving about in an unerring convolution and in the same and accordi

 Whence then is evil? one might say. For if evil does not exist, virtue and vice are the same thing, and the whole is the same as the whole, and the pa

 irrational desire, in this it neither exists nor desires existing things, but it nevertheless partakes of the good by virtue of the faint echo itself

 simply nor in respect to time. <22> But neither is evil in angels. For if the good-like angel proclaims the divine goodness, being secondarily by part

 <24> But would someone say that souls are evil? If, because they associate with evil things providentially and for salvation, this is not evil, but go

 <30> To speak concisely The good is from one and the whole cause, but the evil from many and partial deficiencies. God knows evil, insofar as it is g

 goodnesses. <34> Therefore evil is not a being, nor is evil in beings. For evil, as evil, is nowhere. And the coming-to-be of evil is not according to

 manifestation of the all-perfect providence of the one God, and those of the more universal and the more particular things of the same. <3> And yet on

 <6> Therefore, the Essential Super-Goodness, putting forth the first gift, that of being itself, is praised by the first and most ancient of participa

 For if our sun, although the substances and qualities of sensible things are many and various, yet it, being one and shining a uniform light, renews a

 godlike and unchangeable immortality and the unwavering and unswerving perpetual motion, extending through an abundance of goodness even to the life o

 and is the cause of being of Wisdom itself, both of the whole and of each particular. <2> From it the intelligible and intellectual powers of the ange

 the cause of all things. Therefore God is known both in all things and apart from all things. And God is known through knowledge and through unknowing

 to be power-in-itself, both by being beyond-power and by bringing forth other powers, infinitely many times the infinite number of existing powers, an

 of the age, as having fallen away from none of the things that are, but rather both surpassing and pre-eminent over all beings according to a supra-es

 is defined and all inequality, which is a privation of the equality in each of them, is banished. For if anyone were to take inequality to mean the di

 We said the neck was opinion, as between the rational and irrational the breast, spirit the belly, desire the legs and feet, nature, using the name

 the return to him of those who have proceeded from him. <10> But if one should take the divine name 'Same' from the Oracles, or 'Justice,' in the sens

 beings, inasmuch as He is both before eternity and above eternity and His kingdom is a kingdom of all the ages. Amen. <ΧI.> <1> Come now, let us c

 and would never willingly wish to be at rest. And if he who says these things says that otherness and distinction are the particularity of each of the

 self-deification, of which beings, partaking according to their own nature, both are and live and are divine, and are and are called, and the others l

 It is therefore Perfect not only as being self-complete and defined in itself by itself in a single form and most perfect whole through whole, but als

 And not even the name of Goodness do we offer to It as being applicable, but from a yearning to conceive and speak something about that ineffable Natu

an eternal circle through the Good, from the Good and in the Good and to the Good, moving about in an unerring convolution and in the same and according to the same, and always proceeding and remaining and being restored. These things our renowned hierophant also divinely taught in the Hymns on Love, of which it is not unfitting to make mention and, as it were, to place a sacred crown upon our discourse concerning love: <15> Whether we speak of love as divine, or angelic, or noetic, or psychic, or natural, let us understand it as a certain unitive and cohesive power, moving the superior to a providence for their inferiors, again, those of the same rank to a communal fellowship, and lastly, the subordinate to a turning back toward the better and the things which are set over them. <16> Since we have set in order the many loves from the one, speaking in sequence of what sort are the cognitions and powers of the loves within and beyond the cosmos, over which excel, according to the purpose of the discourse assigned, the orders and arrangements of the noetic and intelligible loves, after which the self-intelligible and divine loves of the truly beautiful things there stand preeminent, and have been fittingly hymned by us. Now again, taking them all up into the one and enfolded love and father of them all, let us at once roll up and gather them from the many, first reducing it to two universal powers of love, over which in all ways the uncontainable cause of all love, from the Beyond-all, prevails and is preeminent, and toward which the total love from all beings is extended congenitally in each of the beings. <17> Come now, gathering these again into one, let us say that there is a certain single, simple power, self-moving toward a unitive mixture, from the Good to the last of beings, and from that again in succession through all to the Good, from itself and through itself and upon itself, revolving itself back upon itself, and ever unfolding itself back into itself in the same way. <18> And yet someone might say: If for all things the beautiful and the good is lovable and desirable and cherished—for even non-being desires it, as has been said, and strives in a way to be in it, and it is this which gives form even to the formless, and upon it even non-being is super-essentially spoken of and is—how is it that the demonic multitude does not desire the beautiful and the good, but being attached to matter and having fallen away from the angelic sameness regarding the desire for the good, is the cause of all evils both for itself and for others, as many as are said to become evil? And how is it that the demonic race, produced from the Good, is not good-like? Or how did what came to be good from the Good become altered? And what is it that made it evil, and what is evil at all, and from what principle did it subsist, and in which of the beings is it? And how did the Good will to produce it, and how, having willed, was it able? And if evil is from another cause, what other cause is there for beings besides the Good? And how, when providence exists, is there evil, either coming into being at all or not being destroyed, and how does any of the beings desire it instead of the Good? <19> Perhaps, then, such a discourse, raising difficulties, will say these things. But we will ask it to look to the truth of the matters and first of all we shall speak boldly thus: Evil is not from the Good, and if it is from the Good, it is not evil. For it is not the nature of fire to cool, nor of the Good to produce not-good things. And if all beings are from the Good—for it is the nature of the Good to produce and to save, but of evil to corrupt and to destroy—then none of the beings is from evil. And neither will evil itself be, if it should be evil even to itself. And if not this, evil is not entirely evil, but has some portion of the Good, by which it exists at all. And if beings desire the beautiful and the good, and all things they do, they do for the sake of what seems good, and the entire purpose of beings has the Good as its beginning and end—for nothing does what it does by looking to the nature of evil—how will evil be in the beings, or be at all, bereft of such a good desire? And if all beings are from the Good, and the Good is beyond the beings, then in the Good even non-being has being, but evil is neither being—unless it is not entirely evil—nor non-being; for universal non-being will not exist at all, unless it is spoken of in the Good according to the super-essential. The Good, therefore, will be established far prior both to that which simply is and to that which is not. But evil is neither in the beings nor in the non-beings, but is even more alien than non-being itself, distant from the Good, and more essenceless.

ἀΐδιος κύκλος διὰ τἀγαθόν, ἐκ τἀγαθοῦ καὶ ἐν τἀγαθῷ καὶ εἰς τἀγαθὸν ἐν ἀπλανεῖ συνελίξει περιπορευόμενος καὶ ἐν ταὐτῷ καὶ κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ προϊὼν ἀεὶ καὶ μένων καὶ ἀποκαθιστάμενος. Ταῦτα καὶ ὁ κλεινὸς ἡμῶν ἱεροτελεστὴς ἐνθέως ὑφηγήσατο κατὰ τοὺς ἐρωτικοὺς ὕμνους, ὧν οὐκ ἄτοπον ἐπιμνησθῆναι καὶ οἷον ἱεράν τινα κεφαλὴν ἐπιθεῖναι τῷ περὶ ἔρωτος ἡμῶν λόγῳ· <15> Τὸν ἔρωτα, εἴτε θεῖον εἴτε ἀγγελικὸν εἴτε νοερὸν εἴτε ψυχικὸν εἴτε φυσικὸν εἴποιμεν, ἑνωτικήν τινα καὶ συγκρατικὴν ἐννοήσωμεν δύναμιν τὰ μὲν ὑπέρτερα κινοῦσαν ἐπὶ πρόνοιαν τῶν καταδεεστέρων, τὰ δὲ ὁμόστοιχα πάλιν εἰς κοινωνικὴν ἀλληλουχίαν καὶ ἐπ' ἐσχάτων τὰ ὑφειμένα πρὸς τὴν τῶν κρειττόνων καὶ ὑπερκειμένων ἐπιστροφήν. <16> Ἐπειδὴ τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ ἑνὸς πολλοὺς ἔρωτας διετάξαμεν ἑξῆς εἰρηκότες, οἷαι μὲν αἱ τῶν ἐγκοσμίων τε καὶ ὑπερκοσμίων ἐρώτων γνώσεις τε καὶ δυνάμεις, ὧν ὑπερέχουσι κατὰ τὸν ἀποδοθέντα τοῦ λόγου σκοπὸν αἱ τῶν νοερῶν τε καὶ νοητῶν ἐρώτων τάξεις τε καὶ διακοσμήσεις, μεθ' οὓς οἱ αὐτονόητοι καὶ θεῖοι τῶν ὄντως ἐκεῖ καλῶν ἐρώτων ὑπερεστᾶσι, καὶ ἡμῖν οἰκείως ὕμνηνται. Νῦν αὖθις ἀναλαβόντες ἅπαντας εἰς τὸν ἕνα καὶ συνεπτυγμένον ἔρωτα καὶ πάντων αὐτῶν πατέρα συνελίξωμεν ἅμα καὶ συναγάγωμεν ἀπὸ τῶν πολλῶν πρῶτον εἰς δύο συναιροῦντες αὐτὸν ἐρωτικὰς καθόλου δυνάμεις, ὧν ἐπικρατεῖ καὶ προκατάρχει πάντως ἡ ἐκ τοῦ πάντων ἐπέκεινα παντὸς ἔρωτος ἄσχετος αἰτία, καὶ πρὸς ἣν ἀνατείνεται συμφυῶς ἑκάστῳ τῶν ὄντων ὁ ἐκ τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων ὁλικὸς ἔρως. <17> Ἄγε δὴ καὶ ταύτας πάλιν εἰς ἓν συναγαγόντες εἴπωμεν, ὅτι μία τις ἔστιν ἁπλῆ δύναμις ἡ αὐτοκινητικὴ πρὸς ἑνωτικήν τινα κρᾶσιν ἐκ τἀγαθοῦ μέχρι τοῦ τῶν ὄντων ἐσχάτου καὶ ἀπ' ἐκείνου πάλιν ἑξῆς διὰ πάντων εἰς τἀγαθὸν ἐξ ἑαυτῆς καὶ δι' ἑαυτῆς καὶ ἐφ' ἑαυτῆς ἑαυτὴν ἀνακυκλοῦσα καὶ εἰς ἑαυτὴν ἀεὶ ταὐτῶς ἀνελιττομένη. <18> Καίτοι φαίη τις· Eἰ πᾶσίν ἐστι τὸ καλὸν καὶ ἀγαθὸν ἐραστὸν καὶ ἐφετὸν καὶ ἀγαπητόν, ἐφίεται γὰρ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ μὴ ὄν, ὡς εἴρηται, καὶ φιλονεικεῖ πως ἐν αὐτῷ εἶναι, καὶ αὐτό ἐστι τὸ εἰδοποιὸν καὶ τῶν ἀνειδέων, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ μὴ ὂν ὑπερουσίως λέγεται καὶ ἔστι, πῶς ἡ δαιμονία πληθὺς οὐκ ἐφίεται τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ ἀγαθοῦ, πρόσυλος δὲ οὖσα καὶ τῆς ἀγγελικῆς περὶ τὴν ἔφεσιν τἀγαθοῦ ταὐτότητος ἀποπεπτωκυῖα κακῶν ἁπάντων αἰτία καὶ ἑαυτῇ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὅσα κακύνεσθαι λέγεται; Πῶς δὲ ὅλως ἐκ τἀγαθοῦ παραχθὲν τὸ δαιμόνιον φῦλον οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθοειδὲς ἢ πῶς ἀγαθὸν ἐκ τἀγαθοῦ γεγονὸς ἠλλοιώθη; Καὶ τί τὸ κακῦναν αὐτὸ καὶ ὅλως τί τὸ κακόν ἐστι, καὶ ἐκ τίνος ἀρχῆς ὑπέστη, καὶ ἐν τίνι τῶν ὄντων ἔστιν; Καὶ πῶς ὁ ἀγαθὸς αὐτὸ παραγαγεῖν ἠβουλήθη, πῶς δὲ βουληθεὶς ἠδυνήθη; Καὶ εἰ ἐξ ἄλλης αἰτίας τὸ κακόν, τίς ἑτέρα τοῖς οὖσι παρὰ τἀγαθὸν αἰτία; Πῶς δὲ καὶ προνοίας οὔσης ἔστι τὸ κακὸν ἢ γινόμενον ὅλως ἢ μὴ ἀναιρούμενον, καὶ πῶς ἐφίεταί τι τῶν ὄντων αὐτοῦ παρὰ τἀγαθόν; <19> Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἴσως ἐρεῖ τοιόσδε ἀπορῶν λόγος, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀξιώσομεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ἀλήθειαν ἀποβλέπειν καὶ πρῶτόν γε τοῦτο εἰπεῖν παῤῥησιασόμεθα· Τὸ κακὸν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τἀγαθοῦ, καὶ εἰ ἐκ τἀγαθοῦ ἐστιν, οὐ κακόν, οὐδὲ γὰρ πυρὸς τὸ ψύχειν οὔτε ἀγαθοῦ τὸ μὴ ἀγαθὰ παράγειν. Καὶ εἰ τὰ ὄντα πάντα ἐκ τἀγαθοῦ, φύσις γὰρ τῷ ἀγαθῷ τὸ παράγειν καὶ σώζειν, τῷ δὲ κακῷ τὸ φθείρειν καὶ ἀπολλύειν, οὐδέν ἐστι τῶν ὄντων ἐκ τοῦ κακοῦ. Καὶ οὐδὲ αὐτὸ ἔσται τὸ κακόν, εἴπερ καὶ ἑαυτῷ κακὸν εἴη. Καὶ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο, οὐ πάντη κακὸν τὸ κακόν, ἀλλ' ἔχει τινὰ τἀγαθοῦ, καθ' ἣν ὅλως ἔστι, μοῖραν. Καὶ εἰ τὰ ὄντα τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ ἀγαθοῦ ἐφίεται καὶ πάντα, ὅσα ποιεῖ, διὰ τὸ δοκοῦν ἀγαθὸν ποιεῖ καὶ πᾶς ὁ τῶν ὄντων σκοπὸς ἀρχὴν ἔχει καὶ τέλος τἀγαθόν, οὐδὲν γὰρ εἰς τὴν τοῦ κακοῦ φύσιν ἀποβλέπον ποιεῖ, ἃ ποιεῖ, πῶς ἔσται τὸ κακὸν ἐν τοῖς οὖσιν ἢ ὅλως ὂν τῆς τοιαύτης ἀγαθῆς ὀρέξεως παρῃρημένον; Καὶ εἰ τὰ ὄντα πάντα ἐκ τἀγαθοῦ καὶ τἀγαθὸν ἐπέκεινα τῶν ὄντων, ἔστι μὲν ἐν τἀγαθῷ καὶ τὸ μὴ ὂν ὄν, τὸ δὲ κακὸν οὔτε ὄν ἐστιν, εἰ δὲ μὴ οὐ πάντη κακόν, οὔτε μὴ ὄν, οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔσται τὸ καθόλου μὴ ὄν, εἰ μὴ ἐν τἀγαθῷ κατὰ τὸ ὑπερούσιον λέγοιτο. Τὸ μὲν οὖν ἀγαθὸν ἔσται καὶ τοῦ ἁπλῶς ὄντος καὶ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος πολλῷ πρότερον ὑπεριδρυμένον. Τὸ δὲ κακὸν οὔτε ἐν τοῖς οὖσιν οὔτε ἐν τοῖς μὴ οὖσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος μᾶλλον ἀλλότριον ἀπέχον τἀγαθοῦ καὶ ἀνουσιώτερον.