of the ruling substances, and so he says: For Empedocles, Strife divides, and Friendship unites; and this is also incorporeal for him, but the elements are as matter. 2.47 So that if the coming together of the elements contributes some benefit of its own to terrestrial bodies, we will not accept the matter without examination. For we will necessarily investigate by whose decree it befell them and who brought together into one things that by nature are in conflict, and, as it were, tamed them, so that the power of each did not become unmixed with the others, but all, as it were, concurred with one another for the existence and generation of any one thing. Is it not, then, that the master craftsman of all, God, clearly contrives this also for terrestrial bodies, so that, being deprived of none of the elements, they might have the benefit from them? For in some way like is dear to like. Therefore, the creators of the three kinds would not be certain others, but rather the author of all things would reasonably be considered the highest and only one and the principle of all, after whom there is absolutely nothing beyond, but rather all things are under him and through him and under his feet, as created. And the writings of the Greeks also maintain that he rejoices in his works, and we too say it, with the divinely-inspired Scripture itself also confessing this. For Wisdom says: I was she in whom he delighted, and daily I rejoiced in his presence, at all times when he rejoiced in completing the world and rejoiced in the sons of men. Then how is it not better for him to delight in his own rather than in the creations of others? 2.48 But Plato says that he was overcome, perhaps, by sloth, or, as I said, that he had begrudged what is better to those on earth; and it is not surprising, since having placed the good itself above the creating God, he says it is unmoved, at rest, stable and removed from the need and desire to make any of the things that have been brought into existence, and as if shrinking from these tasks, he assigns the creating to the second god from him and after him. But behold, he also appoints others for him, those who know how to do equal work, so that nothing superior may appear in him. But since he thinks he says something wise and precise, that if the Creator of all things is conceived as one and alone, heaven will in no way differ from man, and indeed from beast and from those that are constituted to swim in the sea and also from reptiles, for this reason it is necessary for the Creator also to be introduced in a manner analogous to the measures of each of the things that have been made, come, let us say this to him: And yet what opposes or conflicts with right concepts, if someone should choose to say that all things are from one Creator? For is it that the power which sufficed for things so far superior would be least sufficient for lesser things? Or is this not the case at all, but to be superior and to excel would be that alone for those who differ most from the others, to have obtained direct creation from God? 2.49 Then how is this matter not a peculiar allotment of its own, as if he dishonored the rest of creation and said a long farewell, so to speak, to terrestrial things? But we have already said that these things are nonsense and full of the utmost folly; nevertheless let him say that. He says that the created gods made the remaining three kinds; is it not then that among them, with ours excepted, a very great difference is clearly seen according to kinds and species and sizes of bodies? For their generation would extend from the highest things down to the most insignificant of all; and indeed, if these things were said about the plants themselves, one would not be mistaken. Shall we then assign a Creator analogous to each, so that what is superior may not be insulted if the same were said to be the maker of the subordinate things as well? therefore one is the creator of men, and very reasonably so, but so many are the creators of

ἀρχικῶν ὑποστάσεων, οὕτω τέ φησι· Τῷ δὲ Ἐμπεδοκλεῖ τὸ μὲν Νεῖκος διαιρεῖ, ἡ δὲ Φιλία τὸ ἕν· ἀσώματον δὲ καὶ αὐτῷ τοῦτο, τὰ δὲ στοιχεῖα ὡς ὕλη. 2.47 Ὥστε καὶ εἴ τινα συνεισφέρει τοῖς ἐπιγείοις σώμασι τὴν παρ' ἑαυτῶν ὄνησιν τῶν στοιχείων ἡ σύνοδος, οὐκ ἀβασανίστως τὸ χρῆμα παραδεξόμεθα. Πολυπραγμονήσομεν γὰρ ἀναγκαίως τίνος αὐτοῖς τὸ συμβῆναι βραβεύοντος καὶ τὰ τῇ φύσει μαχόμενα συναγηγερκότος εἰς ἕν, καὶ οἱονεὶ τιθασσεύοντος ὥστε τὴν ἑκάστου δύναμιν οὐκ ἀσυμμιγῆ γενέσθαι ταῖς ἄλλαις, συννεῦσαι δὲ ὥσπερ ἀλλήλαις ἁπάσας εἰς ἑνὸς ὁτουοῦν ὕπαρξίν τε καὶ γένεσιν. Ἆρ' οὖν οὐχὶ τοῦ πάντων ἀριστοτέχνου Θεοῦ καὶ τόδε σαφῶς ἐκμηχανωμένου τοῖς ἐπιγείοις σώμασιν ἵνα μηδενὸς τῶν στοιχείων ἠμοιρηκότα τὴν ἀπ' αὐτῶν ὄνησιν ἔχοι; Φίλον γάρ πως τὸ συγγενές. Οὐκοῦν εἶεν ἂν οὐχ ἕτεροί τινες τῶν τριῶν γενῶν οἱ δημιουργοί, ἁπάντων δὲ μᾶλλον γενεσιουργὸς νοοῖτ' ἂν εἰκότως ὁ ἀνωτάτω καὶ μόνος καὶ πάντων ἀρχή, μεθ' ὃν ἐπέκεινα παντελῶς οὐδέν, πάντα δὲ μᾶλλον ὑπ' αὐτῷ τε καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑπὸ πόδας, ὡς ἐκτισμένα. Χαίρειν δὲ αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἰσχυρίζονται λόγοι, καὶ ἡμεῖς δέ φαμεν, ὁμολογούσης τοῦτο καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς θεοπνεύστου Γραφῆς. Ἡ γάρ τοι Σοφία φησίν· Ἐγὼ ἤμην ᾗ προσέχαιρε, καθ' ἡμέραν δὲ ηὐφραινόμην ἐν προσώπῳ αὐτοῦ, ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ὅτε εὐφραίνετο τὴν οἰκουμένην συντελέσας καὶ ἐνηυφραίνετο ἐν υἱοῖς ἀνθρώπων. Εἶτα πῶς οὐκ ἄμεινον τοῖς ἰδίοις αὐτὸν μᾶλλον ἐπιγάννυσθαι καὶ οὐχὶ τοῖς ἑτέρων κτίσμασιν; 2.48 Ἀλλ' ὄκνῳ τάχα πού φησιν αὐτὸν κεκρατῆσθαι Πλάτων, ἤγουν, ὡς ἔφην, διεφθονηκέναι τοῦ κρείττονος τοῖς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· καὶ θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν, ὅτε καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ δημιουργοῦντος Θεοῦ προαναθεὶς τἀγαθὸν αὐτὸ μὲν ἀκίνητον, ἀτρεμοῦν, εὐσταθὲς καὶ ἀφεστηκὸς τοῦ καὶ χρῆναι καὶ θέλειν ἐργάσασθαί τι τῶν εἰς ὕπαρξιν παρενηνεγμένων φησί, κατοκνῆσαν δὲ ὥσπερ πρὸς ταῦτα νεῖμαι τὸ δημιουργεῖν τῷ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τε καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν δευτέρῳ θεῷ. Ἀλλ' ἰδοὺ καὶ αὐτῷ προσκαθίστησιν ἑτέρους, τοὺς ἰσουργεῖν εἰδότας, ἵνα μηδὲν ἐν αὐτῷ φαίνηται τὸ ὑπερτεροῦν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ σοφὸν οἴεταί τι καὶ ἀκριβὲς εἰπεῖν ὡς, εἰ νοοῖτο τῶν ὅλων εἷς τε καὶ μόνος ὁ ∆ημιουργός, οὐρανὸς μὲν ἀνθρώπου κατ' οὐδένα διοίσει τρόπον καὶ μὴν καὶ θηρίου καὶ τῶν ἐν θαλάσσῃ διανήχεσθαι πεφυκότων καὶ μέντοι καὶ ἑρπετῶν, ταύτητοι χρῆναι καὶ ἀναλόγως ἔχοντα τοῖς ἑκάστου μέτροις τῶν πεποιημένων εἰσκομίζεσθαι τὸν ∆ημιουργόν, φέρε καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο λέγωμεν αὐτῷ· Καίτοι τί τὸ ἀνθεστηκὸς ἢ μαχόμενον ταῖς ὀρθῶς ἐχούσαις ἐννοίαις, εἴπερ τις ἕλοιτο λέγειν ἑνὸς τὰ πάντα ∆ημιουργοῦ; Ἆρα γὰρ ἡ τοῖς τοσοῦτον ὑπερκειμένοις ἀρκέσασα δύναμις ὡς πρός γε τὰ μείω διαρκέσειεν ἥκιστά γε; Ἢ τοῦτο μὲν οὐδαμῶς, τὸ δὲ ὑπερκεῖσθαι καὶ προὔχειν τοῖς ὅ τι μάλιστα διενεγκοῦσι τῶν ἄλλων εἴη ἂν ἐκεῖνο καὶ μόνον τὸ τῆς παρὰ Θεοῦ λαχεῖν αὐτουργίας; 2.49 Εἶτα πῶς οὐκ ἀποκλήρωσις ἰδικὴ τὸ χρῆμα αὐτῆς, ἀτιμάσαντος ὥσπερ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν κτισμάτων καὶ τοῖς ἐπιγείοις μονονουχὶ καὶ μακρὰ χαίρειν εἰπόντος αὐτοῦ; Λῆρος δὲ ὅτι ταυτὶ καὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης ἀβελτηρίας ἀνάμεστα προλαβόντες εἰρήκαμεν· πλὴν ἐκεῖνο φραζέτω. Εἰργάσθαι φησὶ τοὺς γεννητοὺς θεοὺς τὰ λοιπὰ τρία γένη· ἆρ' οὖν ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἐξῃρημένων τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς, οὐ πλείστη τις ὅση διαφορὰ κατὰ τὰ γένη καὶ εἴδη καὶ μεγέθη σωμάτων ὁρᾶται σαφῶς; Ἀπὸ γάρ τοι τῶν ἀνωτάτω καὶ μέχρι τοῦ πάντων εὐτελεστάτου διήκοι ἂν αὐτῶν ἡ γένεσις· καὶ μὴν καὶ περὶ αὐτῶν εἰ δὴ λέγοιτο ταυτὶ τῶν φυτῶν, οὐκ ἂν διαψεύσαιτό τις. Ἆρ' οὖν ἀναλόγως ἑκάστῳ τὸν ∆ημιουργὸν ἐπιστήσομεν, ἵνα μὴ ὑβρίζηται τὸ ὑπερτεροῦν εἰ καὶ τῶν ὑφιζηκότων ὁ αὐτὸς εἶναι λέγοιτο ποιητής; οὐκοῦν ἕτερος μὲν ὁ ἀνθρώπων καὶ μάλα εἰκότως , τόσοι δὲ τῶν