Orationes forenses et acta

 Each one of you has received benefits from him, that having set this forth here with goodwill toward him you might sway the votes, and by showing favo

 Having beset it and stirred herself up to be divinely inspired and worked herself into a bacchic frenzy. now, that the many are deceived by this, i do

 Of her, nor anything else of the things forbidden to me, but which are proclaimed and honored by them. for someone might perhaps excuse him for the fi

 To be enumerated? for divination is for the time being sufficient. but i think, if this had happened before, he would have nobly recorded these things

 Of the difference of theurgies, at the end he adds: one must remove in advance all obstacles to the visitation of the gods and impose a total tranqui

 In these matters i would gladly ask of you, whether it is permitted for a priest to be initiated into such mysteries and to be deemed worthy of such r

 Immediately, therefore, all blushed, or rather, indeed, they shouted with their voices and condemned the leaders of the impiety and named their writin

 Has he discerned? but if indeed the part of the synod has not joined with the senate council nor with the chosen of the nazirites—for this part was no

 Aristotle's theology and the psychogony of plato and the new numbers and the remodeling of doctrines and the expense of the divisible, who of all ever

 What argument is left to you concerning this, or how is it that you dispute with one another over matters of such importance and postpone the decision

 And i gladly admire in you the encomium of the good man in your memorandum. for where he holds on to the whole and bears the burden of common cares, y

 All those, with whom we disagree, have advocated for confusions or divisions. for what do matter and ideas have in common with our doctrines? but sinc

 And of the one who is lifted up and of the one seated on it. know the cherubic and seraphic wings, the perfection of their number, the symbolic coveri

 They have shaken. for if they happened to be uninitiated in our doctrines and completely uninstructed in the mysteries of the spirit, perhaps, having

 For he who receives a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, from the contrary and greater, he who receives an impious man will receive the punishme

 He has despised all things equally, although the law, standing as it were at his ears, cried out: let no one teach or learn profane things. and agai

 He both strung together and vomited up, this twenty-third writing he thinks, or rather he places it between those who were then in every way our own p

 Depicting the madness of nestorian rage. i have left it to you to compare it with the dogmas of the massalians. i brought forth to them from the inner

 The patriarch has acted impiously, clearly and openly. and it is not permitted for any of you who wish, nor for those zealous on his behalf, to defend

 And having brought over certain forces from the west, he stirred them up for war, and they come face to face with each other from both sides. and a fi

 Delaying he is persuaded and is moderate and descends with them. and he dares against two emperors, of whom the one the imperial court held, adorned w

 Being torn apart. but pilate sat judging my divinely-moved emperor, the lord's anointed, who was being considered, not hesitating, not washing his han

 To kill the emperor, unless he came down quickly and bowed his head to him, but he, fearing the tyrannical cruelty and cowering lest he suffer anythin

 An innovative rank and would come to be below. there, then, the morning star raged against the first goodness, but here the evening star has attacked

 Demonic in his life. but again i have turned to you, the judges, and again i ask: has anything been dared by this man or not? you will surely say the

 Then failing to achieve their purpose, they chose to strike and kill. is it not clear to all that, while digging through and breaking into the houses

 Ruin, if he should object saying that he neither urged these things nor wished them, but even punished many of those who dared with all punishments, w

 In the parts on the right, somewhere near the entrance, but you have immediately ascended into heaven on earth itself, as if considering it a terrible

 Disregarding the divine temples, he was destroying them? and he did not cease, piling one on top of another and making them abandoned ruins. for not o

 Leaning together walls collapsed together with their icons and statues. and everything was as if in a great earthquake, the air being darkened, the e

 And the remains of the apostle luke are burned by fire and reduced to dust. i fear that the bodies of martyrs also lay here. i am afraid that some of

 I shall grant you this also. he had no need, it is true, of the burial robes. i admit it, since they had all already decayed. but he did have need of

 Let us not even examine the scene after that, but let these things be considered by him as theaters and hunts. but where the mercy-seat is, and around

 Seeing what was happening was exulting and rejoicing, like of old the whelp of the beast, i mean the one from isauria. but you consider for me what a

 Fire was burning us and the zeal of the lord was consuming us, long ago the man would have perished, or rather, he would not even have had access to t

 To me the macedonian, to the right the spear, at a walk the half-file leader, captain, wheel around. and nothing new nor incredible for one who has

 I pray with the high priest, but the mixture and the sheath which has grown with us turns the mind, being raised aloft, back toward itself. therefore

 He would trace his genealogy from cronus and rhea and from those even further back, i mean hericapaeus and phanes and that orphic night and he traced

 And the same color over all, none of which moved or influenced him? but never to converse even with the more divine words nor to unroll any tablet, th

 The emperor's treasury is not supplied only from mines nor from the recesses of the earth, nor do tributes alone fill it, nor contributions from land

 And to speak of the audacity, or rather—but how could i speak, intertwining things?—and the diligently pursued plot, through which almost everything w

 Granting that you may meet with more benevolent judges above. and then the drink of deposition here will truly appear to you as a purification. and ma

 Suspicious to many. but if he has nothing in common with the one he has chosen to accuse, nor has anything come between them, it is somehow still unac

 They anticipate my tongue, scattering against me the things they did wrong on account of their own greed, and i confidently awaited the court, as one

 To vote against a priest on the spot the penance exceeds all punishment the examination and the penance must proceed canonically. and, as it seems,

 Of the whole age, an unbeliever, so that i may speak truly, to believe against a believer? for this would be far from reason and thought. for where we

 But i, but what might i say about this? he living the life of a private citizen, but i clothed in the high-priestly vestment. and such a man is agains

 With misfortunes and your example, for the sake of argument, let someone come forward as a condemned man to have his neck cut. and let the sword be ha

 Do you receive? for the pardon testifies that the deposition did not seem so even to himself. for if, according to you, it is like a cutting off, what

 Is the cause the comparison of the matter to a beheading? for from this, one absurdity having been granted, these many nonsensical things were consequ

 An evil tale about me for years, leave me to my former wounds, do not card new ones upon me. so may the lord heal you, if indeed there is anything in

 This is the law of accusation and defense, and from this the precise examination of matters is found. but he introduced a new kind of writing into the

 Of voice, for not even this is unworthy of the art, and with a rhythmic turn of the tongue, you perhaps might only approach him, you who indeed gaped

 Has been debarred from studies? but for you in deep old age, what share is there of education? who of all people has known you, as far as i know, afte

 Which they say came into being of their own accord. but these things are not acceptable to you, and for this reason we shall laugh at you again, havin

 Ever, not in courts, not in counsels, not in public, not in private. for this was not even without accusation, but the speech had some defense. from w

 And the nature of fire did not burn, and the steep rock sent forth springs, and the wood here sweetened the bitterness, and there lightened the heavy

 Did he transcend this time? and it is likely, o best one, for christ possessed a nature more free even according to human standards. whether, then, th

 From himself, having allotted a great portion of reason to his soul this man, therefore, having long ago established for himself a little adopted dau

 A contest, but more brilliant was the victory of elpidius, and he went away having overcome the vestarches by all votes and crowning himself with the

 Receiving. when the most compassionate soul heard this supplication, since she also knew the circumstances concerning the bestarches, and that for man

 I will let my tongue go from forbidden deeds. and first i shame myself relating unspeakable and improper things, since i will also become a stumbling

 The amounts owed will be reckoned against each other, and the fine will be reckoned to elpidios in place of the protospatharios's fee, and the protosp

 Having received a seaside property from him, i give back to him in exchange a mainland one as a permanent dwelling by gift. but the kalai property was

 Most complete, not measured by time, not defined by partial successions nor by these alienations or those, but eternal, sufficient for all successions

 Indicating by the documents, which it is also necessary to go through in order. and so that we may make the summaries concise, and not, by going throu

 At that time for the ruler to ratify to her through a gift of a golden bull the property which he had previously granted to the man, not having been i

 But the rest testified that they themselves were not present at such a sale, but had heard from the subscribing witnesses in the confirmatory document

 He marveled at our western setting sun as a morning sunrise, and with the unspeakable pangs of his soul he discerned the ineffable will of god concern

 On both sides the gift is valid for those who received it from there. for the estate was perhaps of the daughters of nicholas’s wife through paternal

 Harmony, who of all could dissolve such a great bond, or rather these wonderful and in reality altogether indissoluble connections? for the first and

 He has made known by an agreement to whom indeed you also entrusted everything under oath and, whatever they themselves should do, you have promised

 Emperor of the romans, doukas. konstantinos, in christ the god faithful emperor of the romans, doukas. ioannes, most humble archbishop of constantinop

and the nature of fire did not burn, and the steep rock sent forth springs, and the wood here sweetened the bitterness, and there lightened the heavy nature, but the incarnate Word was being shaped and formed according to nature beyond those things, but let the blasphemy be reckoned to you, the created things that conquered nature. But neither did that which was ignorant of nature overcome the creator of nature, nor did the guardian of the law transcend the limits of nature. For it is not the case that, if one grasps subjects of study more readily, having a sharp mind, while another less so, approaching his studies with dullness; that on this account the one knows nature, while the other has conquered it. But the one possessed it in a finer form, his imaginative spirit being ethereal, while the other was unfortunate to have it coarse and his brain more excessive. For this is beyond nature, O best of men; this is when, as in an image of bodies moving in a straight line, that which is by nature carried downward might be raised somehow upward from its own principle, while that which has its motion upward might in turn be carried downward. But if of things moving upward or downward, some move more upward or downward, while others do this less. It is not on this account that some know nature and others are ignorant of it; but according to nature, some being weighed down come to a stop at a certain point, while others hasten to reach the center; and some know the sphere of air as the limit of their own motion, while others hasten towards the aether. If, therefore, while our nature possesses knowledge through learning, the guardian of the law acquired it without learning, I myself also testify that this is beyond nature for him; but if, being blessed with a sharp mind, he quickly absorbed his education, shall I on this account grant him that which is beyond nature, he who rather had nature cooperating with him? But I might say he is beyond nature—perhaps your nature and not mine, and if even mine, yet not our common nature? But you, quite unlearnedly and ignorantly, conclude that he who conquered one of the things ordered beyond nature has conquered nature itself, or even the creator of nature. And you say nothing new, you who do not know what nature is, whether matter or form? that it is properly the form? for from this we define; and whether it is the natural or the artificial? that it is the natural, for in the other case matter has more authority; and that it is a principle of rest and of motion; and the other physical theorems of Aristotle, which I think you have never even heard mentioned. And what is the meaning of this new comparison, with one thing being compared to another and not according to the rule of comparison? For if the guardian of the law is beyond nature, having learned the laws in not a long time, while the son of God was fashioned and formed according to nature, is anything thereby concluded? For it should have been said thus: if the one through a very long time, and the other through a very short one; or, if not thus, then in that way. if the one was fashioned, but the other was formed spontaneously; for one should examine either fashioning against fashioning or learning against learning. But if not, I will argue against you according to your own proposition: if the Lord in being fashioned and formed knows nature, but in being conceived and born does not know it, the same one is at once beyond nature and according to nature, but not at the same time or in the same respect, but in one respect and another. If, then, you show that the guardian of the law blossomed with the knowledge of the laws before old age, while wisdom itself, coming somewhat slowly to learning, scarcely grasped it in extreme old age, not even thus will you win. For I again speak of the more and less of nature; nevertheless for you the points of comparison are strong. But if the points of your proof are confined, how is my victory not broad? But if he was baptized at thirty years of age, and before his baptism he was in the temple teaching, when also being sought by his mother he was not found, how is he not shown to have knowledge before such an age, being testified by you to be according to nature, would he not testify this very thing also for the guardian of the law, who also the

καὶ ἡ τοῦ πυρὸς φύσις οὐκ ἔφλεγε, καὶ ἡ ἀκρότομος τὰς πηγὰς ἠφίει, καὶ τὸ ξῦλον ὧδε μὲν τὴν πικρίαν ἐγλύκαινεν, ἐκεῖσε δὲ τὴν βαρεῖαν φύσιν ἐκούφιζεν, ὁ δὲ σαρκωθεὶς λόγος κατὰ φύσιν ἐμορφοῦτο καὶ διεπλάττετο ὑπὲρ ἐκεῖνα, σοὶ δὲ λογιζέσθω ἡ βλασφημία, τὰ τὴν φύσιν νικήσαντα κτίσματα. ἀλλ' οὐθ' ὃ τὴν φύσιν ἠγνόησε τοῦτο καὶ τὸν τῆς φύσεως ὑπερῆρε δημιουργόν, οὐθ' ὁ νομοφύλαξ τοὺς ὅρους ὑπερανέβη τῆς φύσεως. οὐ γάρ, εἰ ὁ μὲν μᾶλλον τῶν μαθημάτων ἀντιλαμβάνεται ὀξεῖαν ἔχων τὴν νόησιν, ὁ δὲ ἧττον ἀμβλυώπως πρὸς τὰς μαθήσεις ἐρχόμενος· παρὰ τοῦτο ὁ μὲν οἶδε τὴν φύσιν, ὁ δὲ ταύτην ἐνίκησεν. ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν λεπτοτέραν ταύτην ἐκτήσατο, τοῦ φανταστικοῦ πνεύματος ἀερώδους ὑποκειμένου αὐτῷ, ὁ δὲ παχεῖαν αὐτὴν ἐδυστύχησε καὶ περιττότερον τον ἐγκέφαλον. τοῦτο γὰρ ὐπὲρ φύσιν, ὦ βέλτιστε· τοῦτό ἐστιν ὅταν ὡς ἐν εἰκόνι τῶν ἐπ' εὐθείας φερομένων σωμάτων, τὸ μὲν κάτω πεφυκὸς φέρεσθαι μετεωρισθείη πως πρὸς τὸ ἄναντες ἐξ οἰκείας ἀρχῆς, τὸ δ' ἄνω λαχὸν τὴν κίνησιν, οὕτω πάλιν κατενεχθείη. εἰ δὲ τῶν ἄνω φερομένων ἢ κάτω, τὰ μὲν μᾶλλον ἄνω ἢ κάτω κινεῖται, τὰ δὲ ἣττονα αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐνεργεῖ. οὐ παρὰ τοῦτο, τὰ μὲν τὴν φύσιν οἶδε, τὰ δὲ ἠγνόησεν· ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν φύσιν, τὰ μὲν μέχρι τινὸς ἵσταται βαρυνόμενα, τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ κέντρον ἐλθεῖν ἐπείγεται· καὶ τὰ μὲν ὅρον τῆς ἑαυτῶν κινήσεως τὴν τοῦ ἀέρος σφαῖραν ἐπίσταται, τὰ δὲ πρὸς τὸν αἰθέρα ἐπείγεται. Εἰ μὲν οὖν τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς φύσεως τὴν γνῶσιν ἐχούσης διὰ μαθήσεως, ὁ νομοφύλαξ ἄνευ ἐκείνης ταύτην ἐκτήσατο, τὸ ὑπὲρ φύσιν αὐτῷ προσμαρτυρῶ καὶ αὐτός· εἰ δὲ νοῦν εὐτυχήσας ὀξύν, ὀξέως τὴν παίδευσιν ἀνελέξατο, παρὰ τοῦτο δώσω τούτῳ τὸ ὑπὲρ φύσιν, ὅς γε μᾶλλον τὴν φύσιν ἔσχηκε συνεργήσασαν. ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ φύσιν μὲν αὐτὸν ἂν εἴποιμι, τὴν σὴν δὲ καὶ οὐχὶ τὴν ἐμὴν ἴσως, εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐμήν, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ τὴν κοινήν; σὺ δὲ ἀμούσως πάνυ καὶ ἀμαθῶς τόν τι τῶν ὑπὲρ φύσιν οἰκονομουμένων νικήσαντα καὶ τὴν φύσιν αὐτὴν συμπεραίνῃ νενικηκέναι ἢ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν πλάστην τῆς φύσεως. καὶ καινὸν οὐδὲν λέγεις, ὅς γε μὴ ὅ τι φύσις ἐστὶν ἐπίστασαι, πότερον ἡ ὕλη ἢ τὸ εἶδος; ὅ τι κυρίως τὸ εἶδος; ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ ὁριζόμεθα· καὶ πότερον τὸ φυσικὸν ἢ τὸ τεχνητόν; ὅ τι τὸ φυσικόν, ἐπὶ γὰρ τοῦ λοιποῦ ἡ ὕλη μᾶλλον ἔχει τὸ κῦρος· καὶ ὅ τι ἀρχή ἐστιν ἠρεμίας τε καὶ κινήσεως· καὶ τἆλλα τῶν Ἀριστοτέλους φυσικῶν θεωρημάτων, ἃ μηδὲ ψιλῶς οἶμαι ἀκηκοέναι σε πώποτε. τί δὲ βούλεται καὶ ἡ καινὴ σύγκρισις, ἄλλου πρὸς ἄλλο παραβαλλομένου καὶ οὐ κατὰ λόγον συγκρίσεως; εἰ γὰρ ὁ μὲν νομοφύλαξ ὑπὲρ φύσιν ἐστί, μὴ διὰ πολλοῦ χρόνου τοὺς νόμους μεμαθηκώς, ὁ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ νἱὸς κατὰ φύσιν πλασθεὶς ἅμα καὶ μορφωθείς, ἄρα τι συμπεραίνεται; ἔδει γὰρ οὕτως εἰπεῖν· εἰ ὁ μὲν διὰ πλείστου, ὁ δὲ δι' ἐλαχίστου πάνυ· ἤ, εἰ μὴ οὕτως, ἐκείνως. εἰ ὁ μέν, ἐπλάσθη, ὁ δὲ αὐτομάτως μεμόρφωτο· ἢ γὰρ τὴν πλάσιν πρὸς τὴν πλάσιν ἐξέταζεν ἢ τὴν μάθησιν πρὸς τὴν μάθησιν. εἰ δὲ μή, ἀντισυλλογίσομαί σοι ἐγὼ κατὰ τὴν σὴν πρόθεσιν· εἰ ὁ κύριος πλαττόμενος μὲν καὶ μορφούμενος οἶδε τὴν φύσιν, συλλαμβανόμενος δὲ καὶ γεννώμενος οὐκ ἐπίσταται, ὑπὲρ φύσιν ἅμα ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ κατὰ φύσιν ἐστίν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἅμα ἤτοι κατὰ ταὐτό, ἀλλὰ κατ' ἄλλο καὶ ἄλλο. Εἰ μὲν οὖν δείξεις ὡς ὁ μὲν νομοφύλαξ πρὸ τῆς πολιᾶς τὴν γνῶσιν τῶν νόμων ἐπήνθησεν, ἡ δὲ αὐτοσοφία καὶ βραδεῖα πως πρὸς τὴν μάθησιν ἀπαντήσασα ἐν ἐσχάτῳ γήρει μόλις κατέλαβεν, οὐδ' οὕτω μὲν νικήσεις. ἐγὼ γὰρ αὖθις τὸ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον τῆς φύσεως· ὅμως δέ σοι τὰ τῆς συγκρίσεως ἔρρωται. εἰ δ' ἐστένωτό σοι τὰ τῆς ἀποδείξεως, πῶς οὐχὶ πλατεῖά μοι ἡ νίκη ἐστίν; εἰ δὲ τριακονταετὴς βεβάπτισται, πρὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος δὲ τὸ ἱερὸν κατέχων ἐδίδασκεν, ὅτε καὶ παρὰ τῆς μητρὸς ζητούμενος οὐχ εὑρίσκετο, πῶς οὐχὶ πρὸ τῆς τοιαύτης ἡλικίας τὴν γνῶσιν ἔχειν ἀποδεικνύμενος, παρά σοῦ τε τὸ κατὰ φύσιν προσμαρτυρούμενος, αὐτὸ τοῦτο προσμαρτυρήσειε καὶ τῷ νομοφύλακι, ὃς καὶ τὸν