55

for it has that which moves it, and it has as a cause that which calls and draws it to the end toward which it is moved. But if for every motion of every moved thing, that which moves is the beginning, and the end toward which the moved thing is borne is the cause (for nothing is moved without a cause), and none of the beings is unmoved, except the first mover (for the first mover is altogether unmoved, because it is also without beginning), therefore nothing among beings is without beginning, unless it is also unmoved. For all things that exist in any way are moved, apart from the sole and unmoved cause that is above all, the intellectual and rational beings, by way of knowledge and science, because they are not self-knowledge or self-science. For their knowledge and their science are not their essence, but states observed in their essence, arising from a right judgment according to mind and reason (I mean their constitutive powers).

NS (56). A THEORY CONCERNING THE CONTRACTION AND EXPANSION OF SUBSTANCE, AND OF QUALITY AND

QUANTITY... A theory concerning the contraction and expansion of substance, and of quality (14∆_230> and

quantity, according to which they cannot be without beginning. But even substance, simply so called, not only that which is in generation and

corruption is moved according to generation and corruption, but that of all beings both has been moved and is moved by the principle and mode of expansion and contraction. For it is moved from the most general genus through the more general genera to the species through which and into which it is naturally divided, proceeding to the most specific species by which its expansion is terminated, circumscribing its being downwards, and is gathered again from the most specific species, retracing its path through the more general genera up to the most general genus, by which its contraction is terminated, defining its being upwards, and so being circumscribed from both sides, I mean from above and from below, it is shown to have a beginning and an end, being completely unable to admit the principle of infinitude.

Likewise also quantity, not only that which is in generation and corruption in every way in which it is naturally observed is moved according to increase and decrease, but also all quantity of all things, being moved by the principle of relaxation and intensification and being specified according to its partial differences by expansion, is circumscribed, not being able to be poured out infinitely, and it is gathered again, retracing its path, releasing that which is according to them, but not its connatural form. Similarly also quality, not only that which is in generation and corruption is moved according to alteration, but also all quality of all things, being moved by the mutable and dispersible character of its difference, admits of expansion and contraction. But no one 1180 in his right mind would say that what is naturally dispersed and gathered by reason or in act is completely unmoved. But if it is not unmoved, it is not without beginning; and if it is not without beginning, it is clearly not ungenerated, but just as the moved thing knows it has a beginning of motion, so too the generated thing knows it has a beginning (14∆_232> of its generation into being, having received both its being and its being moved from the one and only ungenerated and unmoved source. That which has a beginning with respect to its generation into being can in no way be without beginning.

NZ (57). PROOF THAT, “ANYTHING WHATSOEVER APART FROM GOD IS ALTOGETHER IN A PLACE, AND FOR THIS

REASON..”. Proof that, Anything whatsoever apart from God is altogether in a place, and for this reason by

necessity also in time, and that what is in a place is altogether according to time and has a beginning of its being. But that I may omit to say that even the very being of things, having a how of being, but

not simply being, which is the first form of circumscription, is a strong and great proof

55

γάρ ἔχει τό κινοῦν, καί αἰτίαν ἔχει τό καλοῦν τε καί ἕλκον πρός ὅ καί κινεῖται τέλος. Εἰ δέ πάσης κινήσεως παντός κινουμένου τό κινοῦν ἐστιν ἀρχή, καί τέλος ἡ πρός ἥν φέρεται τό κινούμενον αἰτία (οὐδέν γάρ ἀναιτίως κινεῖται), οὐδέν δέ τῶν ὄντων ἀκίνητον, εἰ μή τό πρώτως κινοῦν (τό γάρ πρώτως κινοῦν πάντως ἀκίνητον, ὅτι καί ἄναρχον), οὐδέν ἄρα τῶν ὄντων ἐστίν ἄναρχον, ὅτι μή καί ἀκίνητον. Πάντα γάρ κινεῖται τά ὁπωσοῦν ὄντα, δίχα τῆς μόνης καί ἀκινήτου καί ὑπέρ πάντα αἰτίας, τά μέν νοερά τε καί λογικά, γνωστικῶς τε καί ἐπιστημονικῶς, ὅτι μή αὐτογνῶσις ἤ αὐτοεπιστήμη ἐστίν. Οὔτε γάρ οὐσία αὐτῶν ἡ γνῶσις αὐτῶν ἐστι καί ἡ ἐπιστήμη, ἀλλ᾿ ἕξεις τῇ αὐτῶν οὐσίᾳ ἐπιθεωρούμεναι, ἐκ τῆς κατά νοῦν καί λόγον (τάς συστατικάς αὐτῶν λέγω δυνάμεις) ὀρθῆς κρίσεως ἐπιγενόμεναι.

ΝS (56). ΘΕΩΡΙΑ ΠΕΡΙ ΣΥΣΤΟΛΗΣ ΚΑΙ ∆ΙΑΣΤΟΛΗΣ ΟΥΣΙΑΣ, ΠΟΙΟΤΗΤΟΣ ΤΕ ΚΑΙ

ΠΟΣΟΤΗΤΟΣ... Θεωρία περί συστολῆς καί διαστολῆς οὐσίας, ποιότητός (14∆_230> τε καί

ποσότητος, καθ᾿ ἥν ἄναρχοι εἶναι οὐ δύνανται. Ἀλλά καί αὐτή ἡ ἁπλῶς λεγομένη οὐσία οὐ μόνον ἡ τῶν ἐν γενέσει καί

φθορᾷ κατά γένεσιν κινεῖται καί φθοράν, ἀλλά καί ἡ τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων καί κεκίνηται καί κινεῖται τῷ κατά διαστολήν καί συστολήν λόγῳ τε καί τρόπῳ. Κινεῖται γάρ ἀπό τοῦ γενικωτάτου γένους διά τῶν γενικωτέρων γενῶν εἰς τά εἴδη δι᾿ ὧν καί εἰς ἅ διαιρεῖσθαι πέφυκε, προϊοῦσα μέχρι τῶν εἰδικωτάτων εἰδῶν οἷς περατοῦται ἡ κατ᾿ αὐτήν διαστολή, τό εἶναι αὐτῆς πρός τά κάτω περιγράφουσα, καί συνάγεται πάλιν ἀπό τῶν εἰδικωτάτων εἰδῶν διά τῶν γενικωτέρων ἀναποδίζουσα μέχρι τοῦ γενικωτάτου γένους, ᾧ περατοῦται ἡ κατ᾿ αὐτήν συστολή, πρός τό ἄνω τό εἶναι αὐτῆς ὁρίζουσα, καί λοιπόν διχόθεν περιγραφομένη, ἄνωθέν τε λέγω καί κάτωθεν, ἀρχήν καί τέλος ἔχουσα δείκνυται, τόν τῆς ἀπειρίας οὐδ᾿ ὅλως ἐπιδέξασθαι δυναμένη λόγον.

Ὡσαύτως δέ καί ἡ ποσότης, οὐ μόνον ἡ τῶν ἐν γενέσει καί φθορᾷ παντί τρόπῳ ᾧ πέφυκε θεωρεῖσθαι κατ᾿ αὔξησιν κινεῖται καί μείωσιν, ἀλλά καί ἡ πᾶσα καί πάντων τῷ κατ' ἄνεσιν καί ἐπίτασιν λόγῳ κινουμένη καί ταῖς κατά μέρος διαφοραῖς κατά διαστολήν εἰδοποιουμένη περιγράφεται, τό ἄπειρον χεῖσθαι οὐκ ἔχουσα, καί συνάγεται πάλιν ἀναποδίζουσα, τό κατ' αὐτάς, ἀλλ᾿ οὐ τό συμφυές εἶδος ἀπολύουσα. Ὁμοίως δέ καί ἡ ποιότης, οὐ μόνον ἡ τῶν ἐν γενέσει καί φθορᾷ κινεῖται κατ᾿ ἀλλοίωσιν, ἀλλά καί ἡ πᾶσα καί πάντων, τῷ τρεπτῷ τε καί σκεδαστῷ τῆς κατ᾿ αὐτήν διαφορᾶς κινουμένη, διαστολήν καί συστολήν ἐπιδέχεται. Οὐδείς δέ 1180 τό πεφυκός σκεδάννυσθαί τε καί συνάγεσθαι λόγῳ ἤ ἐνεργείᾳ εἴποι ἄν εὐφρονῶν ἀκίνητον εἶναι παντάπασιν. Εἰ δέ μή ἀκίνητον, οὐδέ ἄναρχον· εἰ δέ μή ἄναρχον, οὐδέ ἀγένητον δηλονότι, ἀλλ᾿ ὥσπερ οἶδεν ἠργμένον κινήσεως τό κινούμενον, οὕτως καί τῆς πρός τό εἶναι γενέσεως (14∆_232> ἦρχθαι τό γεγενημένον ἐπίσταται, καί ἐκ τοῦ μόνου καί ἑνός ἀγενήτου τε καί ἀκινήτου τό εἶναί τε καί τό κινεῖσθαι λαβόν. Τό δέ κατά τήν τοῦ εἶναι γένεσιν ἠργμένον οὐδαμῶς ἄναρχον εἶναι δύναται.

ΝΖ (57). ΑΠΟ∆ΕΙΞΙΣ ΤΟΥ, «ΠΑΝ ΟΤΙΟΥΝ ΑΝΕΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΠΑΝΤΩΣ ΕΝ ΤΟΠΩ, ΚΑΙ ∆ΙΑ

ΤΟΥΤΟ..». Ἀπόδειξις τοῦ, Πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ἄνευ Θεοῦ πάντως ἐν τόπῳ, καί διά τοῦτο ἐξ

ἀνάγκης καί ἐν χρόνῳ, καί ὅτι τό ἐν τόπῳ πάντως κατά χρόνον καί ἦρκται τοῦ εἶναι. Ἵνα δέ ἐάσω λέγειν ὅτι καί αὐτό τό εἶναι τῶν ὄντων, τό πῶς εἶναι ἔχον, ἀλλ᾿

οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ὅπερ ἐστί πρῶτον εἶδος περιγραφῆς, ἰσχυρόν τε καί μέγα πρός ἀπόδειξιν