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according to our argument, but that three natures of our savior Jesus Christ are to be conceived. {ERAN.} For do you not say that the essence of the soul is other than the nature of the body? {ORTH.} Yes. {ERAN.} How then did the argument seem strange to you? {ORTH.} Because while refusing to say two, you have confessed three natures. {ERAN.} The struggle against opponents forces one to do this. For how else could one reason with those who deny the assumption of the flesh or of the soul or 143 of the mind, or adduce proofs concerning these things from the divine scripture? And how could one refute those who furiously strive to diminish the divinity of the only-begotten, by showing that the divine scripture has spoken some things theologically, and others economically? {ORTH.} This argument is true; for it is ours, or rather, that of all who have kept the apostolic rule unwavering. But you yourself have appeared as an advocate of our doctrines. {ERAN.} And how do I advocate for your doctrines by not saying two sons? {ORTH.} When have you heard us professing two sons? {ERAN.} He who says two natures says two sons. {ORTH.} Then you, therefore, say three sons; for you have spoken of three natures. {ERAN.} There was no other way to resolve the problems of our opponents. {ORTH.} Hear this same thing from us also; for we too deal with the same antagonists. {ERAN.} But I do not say two natures after the union. {ORTH.} And yet many generations after the union you just now used these arguments. But teach us nevertheless, how you say one nature after the union: as one having come into being from both, or as one remaining, and the other having been destroyed? {ERAN.} I say that the divinity remained, but that the humanity was swallowed up by it. {ORTH.} These are myths of the Greeks and nonsense of the Manicheans. And I am ashamed even to bring these things forward. For the one group told myths about gods being swallowed, while the others made mention of the daughter of light in their teachings. But we turn away from such arguments not only as impious, but also as exceedingly foolish. For how could the simple and uncompounded nature, that which contains all things, which is incomprehensible, which is uncircumscribed, have swallowed the nature which it assumed? {ERAN.} As the sea does a drop of honey it has received. For that drop immediately vanishes, being mixed with the water of the sea. {ORTH.} The difference between the sea and the drop is in quantity, and in a certain quality; for the one is very great, and the other very small; and the one is sweet, the other salty; but in other respects it is possible to find the greatest kinship. For both have a flowing and wet and liquid nature; and that they are likewise created, and that they are inanimate is 144 similarly a common characteristic, and indeed this one and that one are called 'body'. It is therefore not unlikely that kindred natures should undergo mixture, and that one should be obliterated by the other. But here the difference is infinite, and so great that no image of the truth can be found. I, however, can show that many things which are mixed are not confounded, but remain unmixed. {ERAN.} And who has ever heard of an unmixed mixture? {ORTH.} I will make you agree to this. {ERAN.} If what is about to be said should appear true, I will not set myself against the truth. {ORTH.} Answer then, either shaking your head 'no' or nodding 'yes', as the argument seems to you to hold. {ERAN.} I will answer. {ORTH.} Does it seem to you that the rising light fills all the air, unless someone shut up in cavernous little rooms should remain unlit? {ERAN.} It seems so to me. {ORTH.} And that the light passes through the whole of the air? {ERAN.} This too seems so to me. {ORTH.} And does not the mixture pass through the whole of the things mixed? {ERAN.} True. {ORTH.} But do we not both see and call the illuminated air 'light'? {ERAN.} Certainly. {ORTH.} But nevertheless, even when the light is present, we perceive both a dry and a wet quality; and often a cold and a hot one. {ERAN.} We perceive these things. {ORTH.} But after the light's

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κατὰ τὸν ἡμέτερον λόγον, ἀλλὰ τρεῖς νοεῖσθαι φύσεις τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Σὺ γὰρ οὐκ ἄλλην τινὰ φὴς οὐσίαν τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς παρὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος φύσιν; {ΟΡΘ.} Ναιχί. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Πῶς τοίνυν ὁ λόγος παράδοξος ὤφθη σοι; {ΟΡΘ.} Ὅτι δύο παραιτούμενος εἰπεῖν τρεῖς ὡμολόγησας φύσεις. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἡ πρὸς τοὺς ἀντιπάλους διαμάχη τοῦτο ποιεῖν βιάζεται. Πῶς γὰρ ἄν τις ἑτέρως διαλεχθείη τοῖς τῆς σαρκὸς ἢ τῆς ψυχῆς ἢ 143 τοῦ νοῦ τὴν ἀνάληψιν ἀρνουμένοις, ἢ τὰς περὶ τούτων ἀποδείξεις ἀπὸ τῆς θείας προφέρων γραφῆς; Πῶς δὲ ἄν τις τοὺς τοῦ μονογενοῦς τὴν θεότητα σμικρύνειν φιλονεικοῦντας διελέγξαι λυττῶντας, ἢ τὰ μὲν θεολογικῶς, τὰ δὲ οἰκονομικῶς δεικνὺς εἰρηκυῖαν τὴν θείαν γραφήν; {ΟΡΘ.} Ἀληθὴς οὗτος ὁ λόγος· ἡμέτερος γάρ, μᾶλλον δὲ πάντων, ὅσοι τὸν ἀποστολικὸν κανόνα διετήρησαν ἀκλινῆ. Αὐτὸς δὲ συνήγορος τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀνεφάνης δογμάτων. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Καὶ πῶς τοῖς ὑμετέροις συνηγορῶ δύο μὴ λέγων υἱούς; {ΟΡΘ.} Πότε ἡμῶν ἀκήκοας δύο πρεσβευόντων υἱούς; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ὁ δύο λέγων φύσεις δύο λέγει υἱούς. {ΟΡΘ.} Τρεῖς οὖν ἄρα σὺ λέγεις υἱούς· τρεῖς γὰρ εἴρηκας φύσεις. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὐκ ἦν ἑτέρως τὰ τῶν ἐναντίων διαλύσαι προβλήματα. {ΟΡΘ.} Ταὐτὸ τοῦτο καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν ἄκουσον· τοῖς αὐτοῖς γὰρ χρώμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀνταγωνισταῖς. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἀλλ' ἐγὼ μετὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν δύο φύσεις οὐ λέγω. {ΟΡΘ.} Καὶ μὴν μετὰ πολλὰς τῆς ἑνώσεως γενεὰς τούτοις ἔναγχος ἐχρήσω τοῖς λόγοις. ∆ίδαξον δὲ ὅμως ἡμᾶς, πῶς μίαν λέγεις μετὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν φύσιν· ὡς μιᾶς ἐξ ἀμφοῖν γενομένης, ἢ ὡς θατέρας μεινά σης, τῆς δὲ ἑτέρας ἀναιρεθείσης; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἐγὼ τὴν θεότητα λέγω μεμενηκέναι, καταποθῆναι δὲ ὑπὸ ταύτης τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἑλλήνων ταῦτα μῦθοι καὶ Μανιχαίων λῆροι. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τὸ φέρειν τούτους εἰς μέσον αἰσχύνομαι. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ καταπόσεις θεῶν ἐμυθεύσαντο, οἱ δὲ τῆς τοῦ φωτὸς θυγατρὸς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις αὐτῶν ἐμνημόνευσαν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τοὺς τοιούσδε λόγους οὐχ ὡς δυσσεβεῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς ἄγαν ἀνοήτους ἀποστρεφόμεθα. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν ἡ ἁπλῆ καὶ ἀσύνθετος φύσις, ἡ περιληπτικὴ τῶν ὅλων, ἡ ἀνέφικτος, ἡ ἀπερίγραφος, κατέπιεν ἣν ἀνέλαβε φύσιν; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ὡς ἡ θάλασσα μέλιτος προσλαβοῦσα σταγόνα. Φροῦδος γὰρ εὐθὺς ἡ σταγὼν ἐκείνη γίνεται τῷ τῆς θαλάττης ὕδατι μιγνυμένη. {ΟΡΘ.} Τῆς θαλάττης καὶ τῆς σταγόνος ἐν ποσότητι τὸ διάφορον, καὶ ἐν μιᾷ γε ποιότητι· ἡ μὲν γὰρ μεγίστη, ἡ δὲ σμικροτάτη· καὶ ἡ μὲν γλυκεῖα, ἡ δὲ ἁλμυρά· ἐν δέ γε τοῖς ἄλλοις πλείστην συγγένειαν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν. Ῥυτὴν γὰρ ἔχουσι καὶ ὑγρὰν καὶ ῥοώδη τὴν φύσιν ἀμφότεραι· καὶ τὸ εἶναι δὲ αὐταῖς ὁμοίως κτιστόν, καὶ τὸ ἄψυχον δὲ 144 ὡσαύτως κοινόν, καὶ μέντοι καὶ σῶμα αὕτη κἀκείνη καλεῖται. Οὐδὲν οὖν ἀπεικός, τὰς ἀγχιστευούσας φύσεις ὑπομεῖναι τὴν κρᾶσιν, καὶ θατέραν ὑπὸ θατέρας ἀφανισθῆναι. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸ διάφορον ἄπειρον, καὶ τοσοῦτον, ὡς μηδεμίαν εἰκόνα τῆς ἀληθείας εὑρίσκεσθαι. Ἐγὼ μέντοι δείκνυμι πολλὰ τῶν κεραννυμένων μὴ συγχεόμενα, ἀλλ' ἀκραιφνῆ διαμένοντα. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Καὶ τίς ἀκήκοε κρᾶσιν ἄκρατον πώποτε; {ΟΡΘ.} Ἐγώ σε τοῦτο συνομολογῆσαι παρασκευάσω. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Εἰ φανείη τὸ ῥηθησόμενον ἀληθές, οὐκ ἀντιτάξομαι τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἀπόκριναι τοίνυν, ἢ ἀνανεύων ἢ κατανεύων, ὅπως ἄν σοι ἔχειν ὁ λόγος δοκῇ. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἀποκρινοῦμαι. {ΟΡΘ.} Τὸ φῶς ἀνίσχον πάντα δοκεῖ σοι τὸν ἀέρα πληροῦν, πλὴν εἰ μή τις ἐν ἀντρίοις οἰκίσκοις καθειργμένος ἀφώτιστος διαμένοι; {ΕΡΑΝ.} ∆οκεῖ μοι. {ΟΡΘ.} Καὶ ὅλον δι' ὅλου τοῦ ἀέρος χωρεῖν τὸ φῶς; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Καὶ τοῦτό μοι συνδοκεῖ. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἡ δὲ κρᾶσις οὐ δι' ὅλων τῶν κεραννυμένων χωρεῖ; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἀληθές. {ΟΡΘ.} Τὸν δέ γε πεφωτισμένον ἀέρα οὐ φῶς καὶ ὁρῶμεν καὶ ὀνομάζομεν; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Πάνυγε. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ παρόντος τοῦ φωτός, καὶ ξηρᾶς ποιότητος αἰσθανόμεθα καὶ ὑγρᾶς· πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ψυχρᾶς καὶ θερμῆς. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Αἰσθανόμεθα τούτων. {ΟΡΘ.} Μετὰ δέ γε τὴν τοῦ φωτὸς