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Someone might say: Why did he not make the whole creation in one day or two or three or four or five, but in six? He who loves the truth will hear that since the angels are rational and mutable, one day would not have sufficed for their instruction, if the whole had come into being in one day; for they either would have thought that things had come into being in a disorderly way as some kind of phantoms and had been brought forth somehow without order. But the omnipotent God, having set aside a day for each individual work in an orderly fashion for the discernment and instruction of the angels, thus created the whole; first of all on the first day, after they were brought forth with the heaven and the earth and the elements, he made the light before their eyes, on the second day the firmament, on the third, having gathered the waters, he brought forth from the earth trees and green things, on the fourth the luminaries, having adorned the heaven, on the fifth the swimming and flying creatures from the waters, on the sixth the living creatures from the earth and man, having accomplished these six universal works in the six days. For this reason, therefore, he made the whole world part by part in the six days for the discernment and instruction of the angels, so that they, being more acute, could discern on each day the distinction of the work and its maker. 3.42 And it is possible for one who wishes to learn that the angels were brought forth along with the heaven and the earth, that while they were present for all of his works, God uttered a voice before their eyes for their instruction, saying: Let this and that be made, and Let us make this; but concerning the heaven and the earth, since they did not pre-exist, he did not utter a voice at all, saying: Let heaven and earth and the things with them be made; for there were none hearing and being taught; but for all the rest, since there were those being taught, the voice reasonably went forth. Since, therefore, they were brought forth at the same time with the heaven and the earth, the author Moses, through the Holy Spirit, began from the matter itself, saying, as they were all-encompassing: "In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth." 3.43 Further. The Apostle, knowing well the things concerning man, that is, also his form, in the Epistle to the Romans, placed man above all things as a heavenly being of the future; for he says: "And they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things," having spoken of man as above all, then the birds as lower than him, and again the four-footed beasts than these, and than these the creeping things that rather burrow under the earth, as if recounting them on a ladder. 3.44 Further. All the irrational four-footed animals, supporting their body on four feet and bending their gaze toward the earth, not one of them can easily look at the heaven, similarly also the creeping things, dragging their whole body on the ground, not one of them can look at the heaven. 3.45 Again. All flying creatures, being two-footed and having their feet proportionally in the middle of their body, when flying in the height look toward the earth, and when standing they too cannot easily look around at the heaven. But man alone of the animals on earth, as one who is rational and destined to be heavenly, received his form proportionally from the creator; for he is two-footed, as one destined to fly and walk in heaven; and he has his form stretched upward and erect, as one being ready and destined to ascend on high; and he easily looks at both the earth and the heaven with his eyes, as one hastening to ascend from the earth to heaven, earthly and heavenly things being joined through him. 3.46 Further. All the irrational animals in general, performing and joining in the union of mating from behind, not seeing one another face to face, engage in union irrationally and shamelessly; but man alone, approaching face to face, acts as a rational being, so that seeing one another they may accomplish the union with reason and modesty and honor and may thankfully praise with reason the one who made them, the one who gave and appointed for nature to have its own help and motion in itself for the increase and multiplication of our race. 3.47 Further. The woman from the side of the man

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τις· ∆ιατί μὴ ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ ἢ δύο ἢ τρισὶν ἢ τέτρασιν ἢ πέντε, ἀλλ' ἐν ἓξ πεποίηκε πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν; Ἀκούσεται φιλαλήθως ὅτι τῶν ἀγγέλων λογικῶν ὄντων καὶ τρεπτῶν, οὐκ ἂν ἡ μία ἡμέρα ἤρκεσε πρὸς διδασκαλίαν αὐτῶν, εἴπερ ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγεγόνει τὸ πᾶν· ἢ γὰρ ἂν ἐλογίζοντο χύδην ὡς φάσματά τινα γεγενῆσθαι καὶ ἀτάκτως πως παρῆχθαι. Ἀλλ' ὁ παντοδύναμος Θεὸς εὐτάκτως κατὰ μέρος ἑνὸς ἑκάστου ἔργου ἡμέραν ἀφορίσας πρὸς διάκρισιν καὶ διδασκαλίαν τῶν ἀγγέλων, οὕτως τὸ πᾶν εἰργάσατο· πρῶτον πάντων ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, μετὰ τὸ παραχθῆναι αὐτοὺς σὺν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ τῇ γῇ καὶ τοῖς στοιχείοις, τὸ φῶς ἐπ' ὄψεσιν αὐτῶν πεποίηκε, τῇ δευτέρᾳ ἡμέρᾳ τὸ στερέωμα, τῇ τρίτῃ συνάξας τὰ ὕδατα ἐξήγαγε τὰ ἐκ τῆς γῆς ξύλα καὶ χλωρά, τῇ τετάρτῃ τοὺς φωστῆρας, τὸν οὐρανὸν κατακοσμήσας, τῇ πέμπτῃ τὰ νηκτὰ καὶ πτηνὰ ἐκ τῶν ὑδάτων, τῇ ἕκτῃ τὰ ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἔμψυχα ζῷα καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, τὰ ἓξ ταῦτα καθολικὰ ἔργα ἐν ταῖς ἓξ ἡμέραις ἐργασάμενος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὖν κατὰ μέρος ἐν ταῖς ἓξ ἡμέραις πεποίηκε πάντα τὸν κόσμον πρὸς διάκρισιν καὶ διδασκαλίαν τῶν ἀγγέλων, καθὼς ἠδύναντο διακρῖναι ὡς ὀξύτεροι ἐν ἑκάστῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ ἔργου τὴν διάκρισιν καὶ τούτου τὸν ποιητήν. 3.42 Ἔνεστι δὲ μαθεῖν τῷ βουλομένῳ ὡς σὺν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ τῇ γῇ παρήχθησαν καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι, ὅτι ὄντων μὲν αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ, ὁ Θεὸς φωνὴν προκατεβάλλετο ἐπ' ὄψεσιν αὐτῶν πρὸς παιδείαν αὐτῶν λέγων· Γενηθήτω τόδε καὶ τόδε καὶ ποιήσωμεν τόδε· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς, ἐπειδήπερ οὐ προϋπῆρχον, ὅλως φωνὴν οὐ προκατεβάλετο λέγων· Γενηθήτω οὐρανὸς καὶ γῆ καὶ τὰ σὺν αὐτοῖς· οὐ γὰρ ἦσαν οἱ ἀκούοντες καὶ παιδευόμενοι· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν λοιπῶν πάντων, ἐπείπερ ἦσαν οἱ παιδευόμενοι, εὐλόγως ἡ φωνὴ προήρχετο. Ἐπεὶ οὖν σὺν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ τῇ γῇ παρήχθησαν ἅμα, ὁ συγγραφεὺς Μωϋσῆς διὰ Πνεύματος ἁγίου ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πράγματος ἤρξατο, ὡς περιεκτικῶν αὐτῶν ὄντων λέγων· "Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν." 3.43 Ἔτι. Εὖ εἰδὼς ὁ Ἀπόστολος τὰ κατὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, 3.43 ἤτοι καὶ τὸ αὐτοῦ σχῆμα, ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους Ἐπιστολῇ, ἀνώτερον πάντων ὡς οὐράνιον ἐκ τοῦ μέλλοντος τέθεικε τὸν ἄνθρωπον· φησὶ γάρ· "Καὶ ἤλλαξαν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἀφθάρτου Θεοῦ ἐν ὁμοιώματι εἰκόνος φθαρτοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πετεινῶν καὶ τετραπόδων καὶ ἑρπετῶν", ἀνωτέρω πάντων εἰπὼν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, εἶτα τούτου κατώτερα τὰ πετεινὰ καὶ τούτων πάλιν τὰ τετράποδα καὶ τούτων τὰ ἑρπετὰ τὰ ἐμφωλεύοντα μᾶλλον ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς, ὡς ἐπὶ κλίμακος αὐτὰ ἐξειπών. 3.44 Ἔτι. Πάντα τὰ ἄλογα ζῷα τὰ τετράποδα τοῖς τέσσαρσι ποσὶ τὸ σῶμα βασταζόμενα καὶ τὰς ὄψεις περὶ τὴν γῆν νεύοντα, οὔτε ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν εὐχερῶς δύναται τὸν οὐρανὸν κατοπτεύειν, ὁμοίως καὶ ἑρπετὰ τὸ πᾶν σῶμα περὶ τὴν γῆν εἱλούμενα, οὔτε ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν δύναται τὸν οὐρανὸν κατοπτεύειν. 3.45 Πάλιν. Τὰ πτηνὰ πάντα δίποδα ὄντα καὶ μέσον τοῦ σώματος τοὺς πόδας ἀναλόγως ἔχοντα, πετάμενα μὲν κατὰ τὸ ὕψος περὶ τὴν γῆν ὁρῶσιν, ἱστάμενα δὲ οὔτε αὐτὰ εὐχερῶς τὸν οὐρανὸν δύναται περιβλέπειν. Μόνος δὲ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ζῴων, ὡς λογικὸς καὶ οὐράνιος μέλλων εἶναι, ἀναλόγως τὸ σχῆμα παρὰ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ ἐδέξατο· δίπους μὲν γάρ ἐστιν, ὡς μέλλων ἵπτασθαι καὶ οὐρανοβατεῖν· ἀνατεταμένον δὲ τὸ σχῆμα καὶ ὄρθιον ἔχει, ὡς ἕτοιμος ὢν καὶ μέλλων ἀνιέναι ἐπ' ὕψος· εὐχερῶς δὲ καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν κατοπτεύει ταῖς ὄψεσιν, ὡς ἐκ τῆς γῆς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐπειγόμενος ἀνελθεῖν, ἐπίγεια καὶ οὐράνια δι' αὐτοῦ συναπτόμενα. 3.46 Ἔτι. Πάντα τὰ ἄλογα ζῷα καθόλου τὴν μίξιν τῆς συζυγίας ἐκ τῶν ὄπισθεν ἐργαζόμενα καὶ συναπτόμενα, ἄλληλα μὴ ὁρῶντα κατὰ πρόσωπον, ἀλόγως καὶ ἀναισχύντως κέχρηνται τῇ μίξει· μόνος δὲ ὁ ἄνθρωπος προσιὼν κατὰ πρόσωπον ὡς λογικὸς ἐργάζεται, ἵν' ἀλλήλους ὁρῶντες λόγῳ καὶ αἰδοῖ καὶ τιμῇ τὴν μίξιν ἀπεργάζωνται καὶ τὸν πεποιηκότα εὐχαρίστως μετὰ λόγου ἀνυμνῶσι, τὸν δώσαντα καὶ τάξαντα τῇ φύσει ἰδίαν ἔχειν βοήθειαν καὶ κίνησιν εἰς ἑαυτὴν πρὸς αὔξησιν καὶ πληθυσμὸν τοῦ ἡμετέρου γένους. 3.47 Ἔτι. Ἐκ τῆς πλευρᾶς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα