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using hands as helpers. And they harvest the vine, and gather the olive, and press out wine, and cultivate all kinds of vegetables, and devising myriad types of fruits with their skills, they both pluck and offer them to those who wish to enjoy them. Through hands the human mind not only beautifies the continent with flowering meadows, and waving cornfields, and luxuriant groves, but has also adorned the sea with many paths, and has contrived for that which is impassable to all who by nature walk on foot to have many travelers; for by God-given wisdom, having discovered the art of shipbuilding, from the art of the smith, which he devised before this one, taking an axe, and a saw, and an adze, and as many tools as belong to carpentry, and from its elder sister, agriculture, cutting the unfruitful trees with those tools, and laying the keel like a kind of foundation, then upon this weaving the planks like some walls, and fitting them together excellently with bolts, and smearing it with an ointment of pitch, and in this way walling off the inflow of the waters, he rendered the hull a sea-going vehicle. But since this team also needed horses and mules, and the flowing substance was not able to bear them, the ship's pilot wisely devises this also, again using hands as servants; for instead of a pole, raising the mast, and attaching the sails to it like a yoke, he uses the striking breezes of the winds instead of horses and mules, and brings them under the harness like some colts. And since the vessel also needed to have reins, the rudders imitate these, and the pilot, having taken hold of the tillers, like some charioteer, having the stern like the rim of a chariot, easily moves the vessel here and there; and not only does he know how to steer skillfully when a friendly wind is blowing, but also to break up the disorderly attacks of the winds, and to hold back with the bridle what are like some untamable and unruly colts, and these things the human mind devises, using hands as ministers. Through these a sailor rows, and a pilot steers, and a merchant unloads the cargo which he bought, and every fisherman fishes, and hunts the unseen prey with the ingenious weaving of nets. But come, let us descend from the sea to the land. For time is not sufficient for a precise narration of each art. Observe, then, all the arts borrowing what is useful from one another; 83.617 building, for instance, its tools from smithing; and smithing, its house from building; and both of them, their food from agriculture. And agriculture in turn, from these both the construction of houses, and the things able to help in farming. Or rather, consider from the beginning how the Creator showed this living being its necessary needs. For whence did it know to mine iron and bronze and lead and tin? Who showed it the veins of silver? Who taught it to dig the golden earth, and showed it how to collect the small nuggets of gold? Whence did it learn the nature of glass? Who instructed it in the difference of sand? Who taught it for such sand to be given over to the fire, and how, and for how long? and to separate the continuous, but to change the separated into a continuous, indivisible thing? How did it know to fashion from this, using fire and breath as a helper, myriad kinds of drinking vessels, bowls, and cups, and narrow-necked flasks, and small amphorae, and furniture, and other utensils suitable for every need of food and drink? It is clear, therefore, that it received the knowledge of all these things from the one who made it, and that the Creator instilled in its nature the powers of invention and the discoveries of the arts. Wherefore also, speaking to the great Job, he said: “Who has given to women the wisdom of weaving, and the knowledge of embroidery? For indeed this color of the art is also God-given. To the

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χερσὶ χρώμε νοι συνεργοῖς. Καὶ ἄμπελον τρυγῶσι, καὶ ἐλαίαν συλλέγουσι, καὶ οἶνον ἀποθλίβουσι, καὶ λαχάνων γένη παντοδαπὰ γεωργοῦσι, καὶ ὀπωρῶν εἴδη μυρία ταῖς φιλοτεχνίαις ἐπινοοῦντες, δρέπονταί τε καὶ προσφέ ρουσι τοῖς ἀπολαύειν ἐθέλουσι. ∆ιὰ χειρῶν ὁ ἀνθρώ πειος νοῦς οὐ μόνον τὴν ἤπειρον εὐανθέσι λειμῶσι, καὶ κυμαίνουσι ληΐοις, καὶ ἀμφιλαφέσιν ἄλσεσι καλλωπίζει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν πολλαῖς ὁδοῖς κατεκόσμησε, καὶ τὴν πᾶσιν ἄβατον τοῖς φύσιν λα χοῦσι πεζὴν, πολλοὺς ἔχειν ὁδίτας ἐμηχανήσατο· τῇ γὰρ θεοσδότῳ σοφίᾳ τὴν ναυπηγικὴν εὑράμενος τέ χνην, παρὰ τῆς χαλκευτικῆς, ἣν πρὸ ταύτης ἐμη χανήσατο πέλεκυν λαβὼν, πρίονά τε, καὶ σκέπαρ νον, καὶ ὅσα τεκτονικῆς ὄργανα, καὶ παρὰ τῆς πρε σβυτέρας αὐτῆς ἀδελφῆς τῆς γεωργίας τῶν ξύλων τὰ ἄκαρπα τοῖς ὀργάνοις ἐκείνοις τεμὼν, καὶ τὴν μὲν τρόπιν οἷόν τινα θεμέλιον ὑποθεὶς, εἶτα ἐπὶ ταύτης καθάπερ τινὰς τοίχους τὰς σανίδας ὑφήνας, καὶ τοῖς γόμφοις ἄριστα συναρμόσας, τῇ δὲ τῆς πίσσης ἀλοιφῇ καταχρίσας, καὶ τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ τοῖς ὕδασι τὴν εἰσροὴν ἀποτειχίσας, ὄχημα θαλάτ τιον τὸ σκάφος ἀπέφηνε. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἔδει καὶ ἵππων καὶ ἡμιόνων τῷδε τῷ ζεύγει, φέρειν δὲ τούτους οὐκ ἴσχυεν ἡ ῥοώδης οὐσία, μηχανᾶται καὶ τοῦτο σοφῶς, ταῖς χερσὶ πάλιν χρησάμενος ὑπουργοῖς, ὁ τοῦ πλοίου κυβερνήτης· ἀντὶ ῥυμοῦ γὰρ τὸν ἱστὸν ἀνορθώσας, καὶ τὰ ἱστία ζυγοῦ δίκην αὐτῷ συνάψας, ταῖς τῶν ἀνέμων αὔραις προσβαλλούσαις, ἀντὶ ἵππων καὶ ἡμιόνων κέχρηται, καὶ ταύτας ὥσπερ τινὰς πώλους ὑπάγει ταῖς ζεύγλαις. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἔδει καὶ ἡνίας ἔχειν τὸ σκάφος, τὰ πηδάλια ταύτας μιμεῖται, καὶ τῶν οἰάκων ἐπειλημμένος ὁ κυβερνήτης, οἷά τις ἡνίοχος, καθάπερ ἴτυν ἅρματος τὴν πρύμναν ἔχων, μεταφέρει ῥᾳδίως τῇδε κἀκεῖσε τὸ σκάφος· καὶ οὐ μόνον φιλίου πνεύματος ῥέοντος οἶδεν ἐπιστη μόνως ἰθύνειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς τῶν ἀνέμων ἀτάκτους προσβολὰς διαλύειν, καὶ οἷόν τινας πώλους ἀδαμά στους καὶ δυσηνίους ἀνέχειν τῷ χαλινῷ, καὶ ταῦτα ὁ ἀνθρώπειος νοῦς μηχανᾶται, χερσὶ διακόνοις χρώ μενος. ∆ιὰ τούτων καὶ ναύτης ἐρέττει, καὶ κυβερ νήτης ἰθύνει, καὶ ἔμπορος ὃν ἐπρίατο ἀποτίθεται φόρτον, καὶ πᾶς ἁλιευτὴς ἀγρεύει, καὶ τὴν μὴ φαι νομένην θήραν τῇ εὐμηχάνῳ τῶν δικτύων θηρεύει πλοκῇ. Ἀλλὰ δεῦρο, καταχθῶμεν ἀπὸ τῆς θαλάττης εἰς τὴν ἤπειρον. Οὐκ ἀρκεῖ γὰρ ὁ χρόνος εἰς ἀκριβῆ τέχνης ἑκάστης διήγησιν. Βλέπε τοίνυν τὰς τέχνας ἁπάσας παρ' ἀλλήλων 83.617 ἐρανιζομένας τὸ χρήσιμον· οἰκοδομικὴν μὲν, παρὰ τῆς χαλκευτικῆς τὰ ὄργανα· χαλκευτικὴν δὲ, παρὰ τῆς οἰκοδομικῆς τὴν οἰκίαν· ἀμφοτέρας δὲ, παρὰ τῆς γεωργικῆς τὴν τροφήν. Καὶ τὴν γεωργικὴν αὖ, παρὰ τούτων τήν τε τῶν οἰκιῶν κατασκευὴν, καὶ τὰ συνεργεῖν εἰς γεωργίαν δυνάμενα. Μᾶλλον δὲ σκόπη σον ἐξ ἀρχῆς πῶς ὑπέδειξεν ὁ Ποιητὴς τῷδε τῷ ζώῳ τὰς ἀναγκαίας χρείας. Πόθεν γὰρ ἔγνω μεταλ λεύειν σίδηρον καὶ χαλκὸν καὶ μόλυβδον καὶ καττί τερον; Τίς δὲ αὐτῷ τὰς ἀργυρίτιδας ὑπέδειξε φλέ βας; Τίς δὲ τὴν χρυσῖτιν γῆν ὀρύττειν ἐδίδαξε, καὶ τὰ μικρὰ ψήγματα τοῦ χρυσίου συλλέγειν ὑπ έδειξε; Πόθεν ἔμαθε φύσιν ὑέλου; Τίς αὐτὸν τῆς ψάμμου τὴν διαφορὰν ἐπαίδευσε; Τίς αὐτὸν ἐδίδαξε τὴν τοιάνδε ψάμμον τῷ πυρὶ παραδίδοσθαι, καὶ ὅπως, καὶ ἐπὶ πόσον; καὶ τὴν συνεχῆ μὲν χω ρίζειν, τὴν χωριστὴν δὲ εἰς συνεχὲς ἀχώριστον μεταβάλλειν; Πῶς ἔγνω διαπλάττειν ἐκ ταύτης, πυρὶ καὶ πνεύματι συνεργῷ κεχρημένος, ἐκπωμά των εἴδη μυρία, φιάλας, καὶ κύλικας, καὶ βομβύ λους, καὶ ἀμφορίσκους, καὶ ἔπιπλα, καὶ ἕτερα σκεύη πρὸς πᾶσαν χρείαν βρωτῶν καὶ ποτῶν ἐπι τήδεια; ∆ῆλον τοιγαροῦν, ὡς τούτων ἁπάντων τὴν γνῶσιν παρὰ τοῦ πεποιηκότος ἐδέξατο, καὶ τῶν ἐπι νοιῶν τὰς δυνάμεις, καὶ τῶν τεχνῶν τὰς εὑρέσεις, τῇ φύσει ὁ δημιουργήσας ἐγκατεβάλετο. ∆ιὸ καὶ τῷ μεγάλῳ Ἰὼβ προσδιαλεγόμενος ἔλεγε· «Τίς ἔδωκε γυναιξὶν ὑφάσματος σοφίαν, καὶ ποικιλτικὴν ἐπι στήμην; Θεόσδοτον γὰρ τῷ ὄντι καὶ τοῦτο τῆς τέ χνης τὸ χρῶμα. Τῷ