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48

along the Ocean and the land beyond; and again, being towards the west and north under the height of the earth, there it makes night, until circling it should appear again at the low parts of the east and again rising towards the south it illuminates this whole thing. 4.13 The eclipses of the moon, therefore, even according to this shape, if indeed it happens to be true according to the pagans, are able to happen with the sun, or rather the moon, being under the height of the earth. For they say that the solar eclipse does not happen from the shadow of the earth, but from the moon being perpendicularly below the sun, being illuminated rather on the part which the sun sees, but on the part which it does not see, not being illuminated, but rather also hindering it from appearing as it runs underneath, when it is supposedly the new moon of the lunar month, when it also happens to be unlit on its part that is visible to us. 4.14 Therefore, such things will in no way harm our positions, except only for the moving and circling of the heaven, which is an overthrow of all of holy Scripture together, of both the Old and New Testament and of Christian doctrine. But we have no leisure to inquire further into these things—for such knowledge is unprofitable, as we are more concerned with profitable knowledge, which creates a good and beneficial hope in our souls, which God also promised to give rather to those who believe in him, but to the unbelievers, a ruinous penalty. 4.15 Let us show, with God, drawing from the opposite side, the shape of the earth at the northern part, so that we may be able in part to draw again the circle of the stars. It is thus. Therefore, when the sun, setting from here, runs through according to the ministry of the invisible Powers, as it seems to holy Scripture, it makes night over the other part, that is, the inhabited part; but when it runs through from there, it makes night here. And in summary, as far as possible, let us draw again the heaven and the earth. It is thus. And these things, as far as it was possible to draw, we have made, following holy Scripture. Let us therefore also draw the sphere according to the pagans and let us see if it is possible, as they say, for it to be moved. Marginal note 4.16 This part of the earth again, the part beyond the north, is the uninhabited part, where they run from west through the north to the east, being upright like a wall, in which the sun, coming to the other part of it, the inhabited part, produces night. Therefore, across the diameter of the width of its inhabited parts, it is found to have height in this part, from beneath the Ocean up to its height; whence, being in the middle of the light of the stars, the nights and all other things follow. Marginal note 4.17 It is necessary to ask those who wish to be Christians, concerning these eight or nine heavens, into which of them Christ was taken up, where they themselves also hope to ascend, and what is the use of the other seven or eight heavens. For we, supposing the former shape, as it seems to Scripture, say that two places have come into being, one fitting for this state and the other one fitting for the future one, since we also have such a hope, which is better than the life here. And you, if you as Christians have such a hope, it will be necessary to be asked the use of the other seven or eight heavens. For the pagans, those who hold the doctrine of the sphere, following themselves, neither hope for such a hope, nor say there are waters above the heaven, nor do they accept to confess a consummation of the stars and of the world. 4.18 Further. If the sphere of fixed stars carries the others with it by force from east to west, from where does the contrary motion of the seven planets come? From the spheres moving in the opposite direction, or from the stars themselves? But if it is from the spheres, how is it possible for them to revolve at the same time both to the west and to the east? But if it is from the stars, how do the planets cut through heavenly bodies? Is it not manifest that a body being cut through is not heavenly? For if it were not corruptible, it could not be cut. How then do you suppose such things? 4.19 Outside of this neither of any place, nor of body, nor of element, nor of any of the parts of the world

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κατὰ τὸν Ὠκεανὸν καὶ τὴν πέραν γῆν· καὶ πάλιν πρὸς δυσμὰς καὶ βορρᾶν γινόμενος ὑπὸ τὸ ὕψος τῆς γῆς ἐνταῦθα ποιεῖ νύκτα, ἄχρις ἂν κυκλεύων ἀναφανῇ κατὰ τὰ χθαμαλὰ μέρη τῆς ἀνατολῆς καὶ πάλιν ἀνιὼν κατὰ τὸν νότον καταλάμψῃ τόδε τὸ πᾶν. 4.13 Αἱ ἐκλείψεις οὖν τῆς σελήνης καὶ κατὰ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦτο, εἴ γε ἀληθῆ τυγχάνει κατὰ τοὺς ἔξω, δύνανται γενέσθαι ὑπὸ τὸ ὕψος τῆς γῆς γινομένου τοῦ ἡλίου, ἤγουν τῆς σελήνης. Τὴν γὰρ ἡλιακὴν ἔκλειψιν οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς σκιᾶς τῆς γῆς γίνεσθαι λέγουσιν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ κατὰ κάθετον ὑπὸ κάτω εἶναι τοῦ ἡλίου τὴν σελήνην φωτιζομένην μᾶλλον τῷ μέρει, ᾧ ὁρᾷ ὁ ἥλιος, ᾧ δὲ μὴ ὁρᾷ, μὴ φωτίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον καὶ ἐμποδίζειν αὐτῷ μὴ φαίνεσθαι διατρέχουσαν ὑποκάτωθεν, ὅτε νεουμηνία δῆθέν ἐστι σεληνίου, ὅτε καὶ ἀφώτιστος τυγχάνει κατὰ τὸ μέρος αὐτῆς τὸ φαινόμενον παρ' ἡμῖν. 4.14 Οὐδὲν οὖν τὰ ἡμέτερα παραβλάψει τὰ τοιαῦτα πλὴν μόνου τοῦ κινεῖσθαι καὶ κυκλεύειν τὸν οὐρανόν, ὅπερ ἀνατροπή ἐστι πάσης ὁμοῦ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς, Παλαιᾶς τε καὶ Καινῆς ∆ιαθήκης καὶ τοῦ δόγματος τοῦ χριστιανικοῦ. Ζητῆσαι δὲ περαιτέρω τούτων ἡμῖν οὐ σχολήἀνωφελὴς γὰρ ἡ τοιαύτη γνῶσις, τῆς ἐπωφελοῦς μᾶλλον γινόμενοι γνώσεως, ἥτις ἐλπίδα χρηστὴν καὶ ὠφελίμην ἐμποιεῖ ταῖς ἡμετέραις ψυχαῖς, ἣν καὶ ἐπηγγείλατο ὁ Θεὸς διδόναι μᾶλλον τοῖς αὐτῷ πιστεύουσι, τοῖς δὲ ἀπιστοῦσι δίκην ὀλέθριον. 4.15 ∆είξωμεν δὲ σὺν Θεῷ, διαγράφοντες ἐξ ἀντιστρόφου, τὸ σχῆμα τῆς γῆς τὸ κατὰ τὸ βόρειον μέρος, ἵνα δυνηθῶμεν ἐκ μέρους πάλιν διαγράψαι τῶν ἄστρων τὸν κύκλον. Ἔστι δὲ οὕτως. Ἡνίκα οὖν ἔνθεν δύνων ὁ ἥλιος διατρέχει κατὰ τὴν διακονίαν τῶν ἀοράτων ∆υνάμεων, καθὰ τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ δοκεῖ, νύκτα κατὰ τὸ ἕτερον μέρος, τουτέστι τὸ οἰκούμενον, ποιεῖ· ἡνίκα δὲ ἐκεῖθεν διατρέχει, ἐνθάδε νύκτα ποιεῖ. Συλλήβδην δὲ κατὰ τὸ ἐνδεχόμενον πάλιν διαγράψωμεν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν. Ἔστι δὲ οὕτως. Καὶ ταῦτα μέν, ὅσον ἐνεδέχετο διαγραφῆναι, πεποιήκαμεν ἀκολουθοῦντες τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ. ∆ιαγράψωμεν τοίνυν καὶ κατὰ τοὺς ἔξω τὴν σφαῖραν καὶ ἴδωμεν εἰ δυνατόν, καθά φασι, κινεῖσθαι. Παραγραφή 4.16 Τοῦτο πάλιν τὸ μέρος τῆς γῆς, τὸ ἐπέκεινα τοῦ βορρᾶ, ἐστὶ τὸ ἀοίκητον, ἔνθα διατρέχουσιν ἀπὸ δύ σεως διὰ τοῦ βορρᾶ ἐπὶ ἀνατολάς, ὀρθὸν ὡς ἐπὶ τοίχου ὑπάρχον, ἐν ᾧ γινόμενος ὁ ἥλιος εἰς τὸ ἄλλο μέρος αὐτῆς, τὸ οἰκούμενον, νύκτα ἀπεργάζεται. Κατὰ διάμετρον οὖν τοῦ πλάτους τῶν οἰκουμένων αὐτῆς μερῶν εὑρίσκεται ὕψος ἔχουσα ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει, ἀποκάτωθεν τοῦ Ὠκεανοῦ ἕως ἄνω τοῦ ὕψους αὐτῆς· ὅθεν μεσάζουσα τῷ φωτὶ τῶν ἄστρων, αἱ νύκτες καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ἐπακολουθοῦσιν. Παραγραφή 4.17 Ἀνάγκη ζητῆσαι τοὺς χριστιανίζειν ἐθέλοντας ἀπὸ τούτων τῶν ὀκτὼ ἢ ἐννέα οὐρανῶν, εἰς ποῖον αὐτῶν ἀνελήφθη ὁ Χριστός, ἔνθα καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐλπίζουσιν ἀνελθεῖν, καὶ τί τὸ χρήσιμον τῶν ἄλλων ἑπτὰ ἢ ὀκτὼ οὐρανῶν. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ὑποτιθέμενοι τὸ πρότερον σχῆμα, καθὰ τῇ Γραφῇ δοκεῖ, δύο χώρους λέγομεν γεγενῆσθαι, ἕνα ἁρμόζοντα ταύτῃ τῇ καταστάσει καὶ τὸν ἄλλον ἕνα ἁρμόζοντα τῇ μελλούσῃ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐλπίδα τοιαύτην κεκτήμεθα κρείττονα οὖσαν τῆς ἐνθάδε ζωῆς. Καὶ ὑμεῖς, ἐὰν τοιαύτην ἐλπίδα ὡς χριστιανοὶ κέκτησθε, ἀνάγκη ἀπαιτηθήσεσθαι τὸ χρήσιμον τῶν ἄλλων ἑπτὰ ἢ ὀκτὼ οὐρανῶν. Οἱ γὰρ ἔξωθεν, οἱ δοξάζοντες τὴν σφαῖραν, ἑαυτοῖς ἀκολουθοῦντες, οὔτε τοιαύτην ἐλπίδα ἐλπίζουσιν, οὔτε ὕδατα ἐπάνω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ εἶναι λέγουσιν, οὔτε συντέλειαν ἄστρων καὶ τοῦ κόσμου καταδέχονται ὁμολογεῖν. 4.18 Ἔτι. Εἰ ἡ ἀπλανὴς σφαῖρα τὰς ἄλλας βίᾳ συμπεριφέρει ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἐπὶ δυσμάς, ἡ ἔμπαλιν ἀναδρομὴ τῶν ἑπτὰ πλανητῶν πόθεν γίνεται; Τῶν σφαιρῶν τὸ ἔμπαλιν κινουμένων, ἢ αὐτῶν τῶν ἄστρων; Ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν τῶν σφαιρῶν, πῶς δυνατὸν κατὰ ταὐτὸν καὶ ἐπὶ δυσμὰς καὶ ἐπὶ ἀνατολὰς περιφέρεσθαι; Εἰ δὲ τῶν ἄστρων, πῶς οὐράνια σώματα διατέμνουσιν οἱ πλανῆται; Ἆρ' οὐ πρόδηλον ὅτι σῶμα διατεμνόμενον οὐράνιον οὐκ ἔστιν; Εἰ μὴ γὰρ φθαρτὸν εἴη, οὐκ ἂν τμηθείη. Πῶς οὖν τὰ τοιαῦτα ὑποτίθεσθε; 4.19 Ἔξωθεν ταύτης μὴ τόπου οἱουδήποτε, μὴ σώματος, μὴ στοιχείου, μή τινος τῶν τοῦ κόσμου μερῶν