John of Damascus, Dialectic Brief Recension

to be receptive of opposites in turn, and not in itself but according to its own change. By opposites I mean non-essential accidents; for the rational does not admit the irrational, but the body is heated and, by changing, is cooled, and the soul at one time receives virtue and at another vice. 32 Further concerning things of the same genus and of the same species, and of different genus and of different species, and of the same hypostasis and differing in number. Things are of the same genus which are classed under the same category, for example, whatever things are under substance, and similarly for the other nine categories; for it must be known that there are ten categories in all, or the most general genera, under which every term simply stated is referred. And these are: 1. substance, e.g., a stone; 2. quantity, e.g., two, three; 3. relation, e.g., father, son; 4. quality, e.g., white, black; 5. where, e.g., in Damascus, and this indicates place; 6. when, yesterday, tomorrow, and this indicates time; 7. having, e.g., to wear a cloak; 8. position, e.g., to stand, to sit; 9. acting, e.g., to burn; 10. being acted upon, e.g., to be burned. But things are of a different genus which are under a different category; and things of the same genus are for example man and horse, for both are under substance, but of a different genus are man and knowledge; for man is under substance, but knowledge is under quality. Things are of the same species which are classed under the same species and share in the definition of the substance, for example Peter, Paul; for both are under one species, that of man. But things are of a different species which differ in species, that is, in the definition of the substance, for example man and horse. The holy fathers say that things of the same genus and the same species are the same as consubstantial, that is, the hypostases under the same species. Things are of the same hypostasis, when two natures are united in one hypostasis and have one composite hypostasis and one person, as soul and body. But things of a different hypostasis and differing in number are those that by the combination of accidents have distinguished the particularity of their own hypostasis, that is, those that differ from one another in their accidents and have a particular and individual existence, for example the individuals Peter and Paul; for this one is other, and that one is other. 33 Concerning the quantitative and quantity. Quantity is a collection of units; for they say that the unit is not quantity but the principle of quantity. When a unit and a unit come together, therefore, they become two, so that quantity is not a division but a collection and conjunction of units; for to divide two into one and one in turn, this is division, but to call one and one two, this is rather a conjunction. And it must be known that quantity is the measure itself and the number that measures and numbers, but quantitative things are those subject to number and measure, that is, the things measured and numbered. Of quantitative things, some are discrete, and others are continuous. It is continuous, then, when the thing being measured is one, just as one piece of wood is found to be two cubits, three cubits, or a stone or some such thing, and being one, it is measured and called continuous. But discrete are things separated from one another, as in the case of ten stones or ten palm trees; for these are separated from one another. These, then, are said to be numbered, unless on account of smallness and multitude they are measured by a modius or some such thing, like wheat or some such thing. Continuous things are defined as those whose parts join at some common boundary; for since the wood of two cubits is one, that is, having two cubits, the end of the one cubit and the beginning of the other cubit is one, for they are glued together and joined and are not divided from one another; but discrete things, whose parts at some common

τῶν ἐναντίων εἶναι δεκτικὸν ἀνὰ μέρος καὶ οὐ κατ' αὐτὸν ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτῆς μεταβολήν. Ἐναντίων δὲ λέγω συμβεβηκότων ἐπουσιωδῶν· τὸ γὰρ λογικὸν οὐκ ἐπιδέχεται τὸ ἄλογον, τὸ δὲ σῶμα θερμαίνεται καὶ μεταβαλλόμενον ψύχεται, καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ποτὲ μὲν δέχεται ἀρετὴν ποτὲ δὲ κακίαν. 32 Ἔτι περὶ ὁμογενῶν καὶ ὁμοειδῶν ἑτερογενῶν τε καὶ ἑτεροειδῶν καὶ ὁμοϋποστάτων καὶ ἀριθμῷ διαφερόντων. Ὁμογενῆ εἰσιν, ὅσα ὑπὸ τὴν αὐτὴν κατηγορίαν τάσσονται, οἷον ὅσα εἰσὶν ὑπὸ τὴν οὐσίαν, ὁμοίως καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐννέα κατηγοριῶν· δεῖ γὰρ γινώσκειν, ὡς δέκα εἰσὶν αἱ πᾶσαι κατηγορίαι ἤτοι τὰ γενικώτατα γένη, ὑφ' ἃς ἀναφέρεται πᾶσα φωνὴ ἁπλῶς λεγομένη. Εἰσὶ δὲ αὗται· αʹ οὐσία οἷον λίθος· βʹ ποσὸν οἷον δύο, τρία· γʹ πρός τι οἷον πατήρ, υἱός· δʹ ποιὸν οἷον λευκόν, μέλαν· εʹ ποῦ οἷον ἐν ∆αμασκῷ, τοῦτο δὲ τόπου ἐστὶ δηλωτικόν· ϛʹ ποτέ, χθές, αὔριον· τοῦτο δὲ χρόνου ἐστὶ δηλωτικόν· ζʹ ἔχειν οἷον ἱμάτιον φορεῖν· ηʹ κεῖσθαι οἷον ἵστασθαι, καθέζεσθαι· θʹ ποιεῖν οἷον καίειν· ιʹ πάσχειν οἷον καίεσθαι. Ἑτερογενῆ δέ εἰσιν, ὅσα ὑπ' ἄλλην καὶ ἄλλην κατηγορίαν εἰσί· καὶ ὁμογενῆ μὲν οἷον ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ ὁ ἵππος, ὑπὸ τὴν οὐσίαν γάρ εἰσιν ἀμφότερα, ἑτερογενῆ δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἐπιστήμη· ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ὑπὸ τὴν οὐσίαν ἐστίν, ἡ δὲ ἐπιστήμη ὑπὸ τὴν ποιότητα. Ὁμοειδῆ εἰσιν, ὅσα ὑπὸ τὸ αὐτὸ εἶδος τάσσονται καὶ κοινωνοῦσι τῷ λόγῳ τῆς οὐσίας οἷον Πέτρος, Παῦλος· ἀμφότεροι γὰρ ὑφ' ἓν εἶδός εἰσι, τὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Ἑτεροειδῆ δέ εἰσιν, ὅσα τῷ εἴδει διαφέρουσιν ἤγουν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς οὐσίας οἷον ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἵππος. Οἱ δὲ ἅγιοι πατέρες ὁμογενῆ καὶ ὁμοειδῆ ταὐτὸν λέγουσι τὰ ὁμοούσια ἤγουν τὰς ὑπὸ τὸ αὐτὸ εἶδος ὑποστάσεις. Ὁμοϋπόστατά εἰσιν, ὅτε δύο φύσεις ἐν μιᾷ ὑποστάσει ἑνωθῶσι καὶ μίαν σχῶσιν ὑπόστασιν σύνθετον καὶ ἓν πρόσωπον ὡς ψυχὴ καὶ σῶμα. Ἑτεροϋπόστατα δὲ καὶ ἀριθμῷ διαφέροντα, ὅσα τῇ συμπλοκῇ τῶν συμβεβηκότων τὴν ἰδιότητα τῆς οἰκείας ὑποστάσεως ἀφωρίσαντο ἤγουν ὅσα τοῖς συμβεβηκόσι διαφέρουσιν ἀλλήλων καὶ τὴν ἀνὰ μέρος καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸ ἔχουσιν ὕπαρξιν οἷον τὰ ἄτομα Πέτρος καὶ Παῦλος· ἄλλος γάρ ἐστιν οὗτος καὶ ἄλλος ἐκεῖνος. 33 Περὶ ποσοῦ καὶ ποσότητος. Ποσότης ἐστὶ σωρεία μονάδων· τὴν μὲν γὰρ μονάδα οὔ φασι ποσότητα ἀλλ' ἀρχὴν ποσότητος. Μονάδος οὖν καὶ μονάδος συνερχομένων γίνονται δύο, ὥστε οὐ διαίρεσίς ἐστιν ἡ ποσότης ἀλλὰ σωρεία καὶ συνάφεια μονάδων· τὸ μὲν γὰρ τὰ δύο διελεῖν εἰς ἓν καὶ ἓν ἀνὰ μέρος, τοῦτο διαίρεσίς ἐστι, τὸ δὲ τὸ ἓν καὶ ἓν δύο εἰπεῖν, τοῦτο μᾶλλον συνάφειά ἐστιν. Ἰστέον δέ, ὅτι ποσότης μέν ἐστιν αὐτὸ τὸ μέτρον καὶ ὁ ἀριθμὸς ὁ μετρῶν καὶ ἀριθμῶν, ποσὰ δὲ τὰ τῷ ἀριθμῷ καὶ τῷ μέτρῳ ὑποκείμενα ἤγουν τὰ μετρούμενα καὶ ἀριθμούμενα. Τῶν δὲ ποσῶν τὰ μέν εἰσι διωρισμένα, τὰ δὲ συνεχῆ. Συνεχὲς μὲν οὖν ἐστιν, ὅτε ἕν ἐστι τὸ μετρούμενον, ὥσπερ ἓν ξύλον εὑρίσκεται δίπηχυ, τρίπηχυ, ἢ λίθος ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων, καὶ ἓν ὑπάρχον μετρεῖται καὶ λέγεται συνεχές. ∆ιωρισμένα δέ εἰσι τὰ ἀπ' ἀλλήλων κεχωρισμένα ὡς ἐπὶ δέκα λίθων ἢ δέκα φοινίκων· ταῦτα γὰρ κεχωρισμένα εἰσὶν ἀπ' ἀλλήλων. Ταῦτα οὖν ἀριθμεῖσθαι λέγονται, εἰ μὴ διὰ σμικρότητα καὶ πλῆθος μετρηθῶσι μοδίῳ ἤ τινι τῶν τοιούτων ὥσπερ σῖτος ἤ τι τοιοῦτον. Ὁρίζονται δὲ τὰ μὲν συνεχῆ, ὧν τὰ μόρια πρός τινα κοινὸν ὅρον συνάπτουσιν· ἑνὸς γὰρ ὄντος τοῦ ξύλου τοῦ διπήχεος ἤγουν δύο πήχεις ἔχοντος τὸ τέλος τοῦ ἑνὸς πήχεος καὶ ἡ ἀρχὴ τοῦ ἄλλου πήχεος μία ἐστί, κεκολλημέναι γάρ εἰσι καὶ συνημμέναι καὶ οὔκ εἰσιν ἀπ' ἀλλήλων διῃρημέναι· τὰ δὲ διωρισμένα, ὧν τὰ μόρια πρός τινα κοινὸν