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to speak truth, but of opposites, the opposites; for to be temperate belongs to the disposition of virtue; but to be intemperate, to that of vice; therefore vices are not of the powers, but of the dispositions and of the choice. For it is not the power that prepares us to be intemperate or to lie, but the choice. For it was in our power to speak truth and not to lie. If, then, vice is not a power but a disposition, not the one who gave the power is the cause of our evils, but the disposition that is added from us and through us and on account of us. For it was possible to acquire the opposite disposition from practice and not the base one. And power differs from disposition in that all powers are natural, but dispositions are acquired; and in that powers are untaught, but dispositions are added from learning and habit. If, therefore, power is something natural and untaught, but disposition is acquired and taught, nature is not the cause of evils, but that we were badly led, and for this reason acquired a bad disposition. For every disposition was shown to be acquired. That powers are by nature is clear from the fact that all have the same powers, except those who are maimed. That dispositions are not natural is clear from the fact that not all have the same dispositions, but some have some and others others. For things by nature are the same among all. 41 On Providence That man has free will, and over what things he has free will, and for what reason he has come to have free will, has been sufficiently stated in what has preceded. But since not everyone who proposes to murder actually murders, but sometimes he murders and sometimes not, the action having been hindered and not running according to its aim, and we said that providence is the cause of these things and not fate, the discussion concerning providence is consequent to what is in our power. And this is also divided into three parts: first, if there is providence; second, what it is; third, over what things it is. But a Jew, not even if he were mad, would be ignorant of providence, knowing the wonders in Egypt, having heard of those in the desert, in which providence appeared more conspicuous than visible things to men, and having perceived many works of providence both in the prophets and in Babylon that admit of no doubt. And all these things teach Christians that there is providence, but especially the most divine and, on account of its exceeding love for mankind, most incredible work of providence, the incarnation of God for our sake. But since the discussion is not only with these but also with the Greeks, come let us prove through other things which they believe that providence exists. That providence exists, then, one might show through the same things by which we showed that God also exists. For the permanence of all things, and especially of those in generation and corruption, and the position and order of beings always preserved in the same way, and the motion of the stars never changing at all, and the cycle of the year and the restoration of the seasons, the equality of nights and days throughout the year, with each increasing and decreasing in turn by neither a lesser nor a greater measure, how could it continue being conducted in the same way if no one were providing for it? Moreover, also the punishment that follows sins, or rather even the revelation of the sins themselves when, there being no one able to convict, it is made manifest by certain circumstances, shows that providence exists. And the writings of the Hebrews and the treatises among the Greeks are full of such stories. For such was said in the Scripture to be the suffering concerning Susanna, and among the Greeks, that concerning Ibycus the poet. For as he was being murdered by some men and having neither ally nor witness of the plot, seeing some cranes, he said, 'You, O cranes, avenge my murder for me.' And while the city was seeking the murderers and was not able to find them, as a theatrical performance was being held and the people were sitting, cranes flew by. And the murderers, seeing them, laughed and said, 'Behold, the avengers of Ibycus.' And one of those sitting nearby, having heard, reported it to the authorities, and having been arrested they confessed the murder. And there is a multitude of many other such things recorded by the ancients, which if

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ἀληθεύειν, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐναντίων αἱ ἐναντίαι· τὸ μὲν γὰρ σωφρονεῖν τῆς κατ' ἀρετήν ἐστιν ἕξεως· τὸ δὲ ἀκολασταίνειν τῆς κακίας· οὐκ εἰσὶν ἄρα τῶν δυνάμεων αἱ κακίαι ἀλλὰ τῶν ἕξεων καὶ τῆς προαιρέσεως. οὐ γὰρ ἡ δύναμίς ἐστιν ἡ παρασκευάζουσα ἡμᾶς ἀκολασταίνειν ἢ ψεύδεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἡ προαίρεσις. ἐφ' ἡμῖν γὰρ ἦν ἀληθεύειν καὶ μὴ ψεύδεσθαι. εἴπερ οὖν οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ κακία δύναμις ἀλλ' ἕξις οὐχ ὁ τὴν δύναμιν δοὺς αἴτιος ἡμῖν τῶν κακῶν ἀλλ' ἡ ἕξις ἡ παρ' ἡμῶν καὶ δι' ἡμῶν καὶ δι' ἡμᾶς προσγινομένη. ἐξῆν γὰρ τὴν ἐναντίαν ἕξιν ἐκ τῆς γυμνασίας κτήσασθαι καὶ μὴ τὴν φαύλην. διαφέρει δὲ δύναμις ἕξεως τῷ πάσας μὲν τὰς δυνάμεις φυσικὰς εἶναι, τὰς δὲ ἕξεις ἐπεισάκτους· καὶ τῷ τὰς μὲν δυνάμεις ἀδιδάκτους εἶναι, τὰς δὲ ἕξεις ἐκ μαθήσεως καὶ ἔθους προσγίνεσθαι. εἰ τοίνυν ἡ δύναμις φυσική τις καὶ ἀδίδακτος, ἡ δὲ ἕξις ἐπίκτητος καὶ διδακτή, οὐχ ἡ φύσις αἰτία τῶν κακῶν, ἀλλὰ τὸ κακῶς ἡμᾶς ἦχθαι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο κακὴν ἕξιν κτήσασθαι. πᾶσα γὰρ ἕξις ἐπίκτητος ἐδείχθη. ὅτι δὲ φύσει εἰσὶν αἱ δυνάμεις δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ πάντας τὰς αὐτὰς ἔχειν δυνάμεις πλὴν τῶν πεπηρωμένων. ὅτι δὲ αἱ ἕξεις οὐ φυσικαὶ δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ μὴ πάντας τὰς αὐτὰς ἕξεις ἔχειν, ἄλλους δὲ ἄλλας. τὰ γὰρ φύσει τὰ αὐτὰ παρὰ πᾶσιν. 41 περὶ προνοίασ Ὅτι μὲν αὐτεξούσιός ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ τίνων ἐστὶν αὐτεξούσιος καὶ διὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν αὐτεξούσιος γέγονεν αὐτάρκως ἐν τοῖς προλαβοῦσιν εἴρηται. ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ πᾶς ὁ προθέμενος φονεῦσαι πάντως φονεύει, ἀλλὰ ποτὲ μὲν φονεύει ποτὲ δὲ οὔ, τῆς πράξεως παρεμποδισθείσης καὶ μὴ δραμούσης κατὰ σκοπόν, πρόνοιαν δὲ τούτων ἔφαμεν αἰτίαν εἶναι καὶ οὐχ εἱμαρμένην, ἀκόλουθος τοῖς ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐστιν ὁ περὶ τῆς προνοίας λόγος. διαιρεῖται δὲ καὶ οὗτος εἰς τρία· πρῶτον μὲν εἰ ἔστιν πρόνοια, δεύτερον τί ἐστιν, τρίτον τίνων ἐστιν. ἀλλ' Ἰουδαῖος μὲν οὐδ' ἂν μαινόμενος ἀγνοήσειεν πρόνοιαν, εἰδὼς μὲν τὰ κατ' Αἴγυπτον θαύματα, ἐπακούσας δὲ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον, ἐν οἷς τηλαυγεστέρα τῶν ὁρατῶν ἐφάνη τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἡ πρόνοια, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἐν προφήταις καὶ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι κατανοήσας ἔργα τῆς προνοίας μηδεμίαν ἀμφιβολίαν ἐπιδεχόμενα. Χριστιανοὺς δὲ καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἅπαντα διδάσκει πρόνοιαν εἶναι, μάλιστα δὲ τὸ θειότατον καὶ δι' ὑπερβολὴν φιλανθρωπίας ἀπιστότατον ἔργον τῆς προνοίας, ἡ δι' ἡμᾶς ἐνσωμάτωσις τοῦ θεοῦ. ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ πρὸς τούτους μόνους ὁ λόγος ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς Ἕλληνας, φέρε καὶ δι' ἄλλων οἷς ἐκεῖνοι πιστεύουσιν ἀποδείξωμεν πρόνοιαν οὖσαν. ὅτι τοίνυν ἐστὶ πρόνοια διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν ἄν τις ἐπιδείξειεν δι' ὧν ὅτι καὶ θεός ἐστιν ἐδείξαμεν. ἡ γὰρ διαμονὴ τῶν ἁπάντων καὶ μάλιστα τῶν ἐν γενέσει καὶ φθορᾷ, καὶ ἡ θέσις καὶ ἡ τάξις τῶν ὄντων ἀεὶ φυλαττομένη κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον, καὶ ἡ τῶν ἄστρων φορὰ μηδὲν μηδέποτε διαλλάττουσα καὶ ὁ κύκλος τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ καὶ ἡ τῶν ὡρῶν ἀποκατάστασις τῶν τε νυκτῶν καὶ τῶν ἡμερῶν ἡ κατ' ἔτος ἰσότης, παρὰ μέρος ἑκατέρας αὐξανομένης τε καὶ μειουμένης οὔτε ἐλάττονι οὔτε πλείονι μέτρῳ, πῶς ἂν διετέλεσεν ὁμοίως διεξαγομένη μηδενὸς προνοοῦντος; οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν ἡ παρεπομένη τιμωρία, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἡ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτῶν ἀποκάλυψις ὅταν μηδενὸς ὄντος τοῦ διελέγξαι δυναμένου κατά τινας περιστάσεις ἐμφανίζηται, δείκνυσι πρόνοιαν εἶναι. γέμουσι δὲ τῶν τοιούτων ἱστοριῶν αἵ τε τῶν Ἑβραίων γραφαὶ καὶ τὰ παρ' Ἕλλησι συγγράμματα. τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἐρρέθη τῇ γραφῇ τὸ κατὰ Σωσάνναν πάθος, ἐν δὲ τοῖς παρ' Ἕλλησι τὸ κατὰ Ἴβυκον τὸν ποιητήν. φονευόμενος γὰρ οὗτος ὑπό τινων καὶ μηδένα μήτε σύμμαχον μήτε μάρτυρα τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ἔχων, θεωρήσας γεράνους, ὑμεῖς ἔφησεν ὦ γέρανοι, τιμωρήσατέ μοι τὸν φόνον. τῆς δὲ πόλεως ζητούσης τοὺς φονεύσαντας καὶ μὴ δυναμένης εὑρεῖν, ἐπιτελουμένου θεάτρου καὶ τοῦ δήμου καθεζομένου γέρανοι διέπτησαν· θεασάμενοι δὲ οἱ φονεῖς ἐγέλασαν καὶ ἰδοὺ εἶπον αἱ τιμωροὶ τοῦ Ἰβύκου. τῶν δὲ πλησίον καθεζομένων τις ἀκούσας ἀπήγγειλεν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς, καὶ συλληφθέντες ὡμολόγησαν τὸν φόνον. πολλῶν δὲ καὶ ἄλλων τοιούτων ἐστὶ πλῆθος ἀναγεγραμμένον τοῖς παλαιοῖς, ὅπερ εἴ