65

OF MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR

Various Definitions. Ousia and physis, the same; for both are common and universal, as predicated of many things and

differing in number, and are never in any way limited to one person.

What is enhypostatic is, the commonality according to ousia, that is, the species, which subsists in reality in the individuals under it, and is not observed by mere conception.

Otherwise, or again, what is enhypostatic is that which is composed and co-subsists with another, differing in ousia, for the constitution of one person and the generation of one hypostasis, and is in no way known by itself.

What is homoousios is that which happens to be of the same ousia as another, but being different from the same according to hypostasis; as is the case with man and the other species. If, therefore, something is the same as another according to ousia, it is not the same as it according to hypostasis; and if something happens to be one and united with it according to ousia, it happens to be neither one nor united with it according to hypostasis; and if something has a difference from another according to hypostasis, this has a union with it according to ousia.

An essential union, therefore, is that which brings together the many hypostases, differing in number, into one and the same ousia. And an essential difference happens to be the principle according to which the ousia, that is, physis, remains undiminished and unchanged, at once unmingled and unconfused, and making a union into one hypostasis with another different in species, it in no way departs from its own nature according to physis.

(152) Hypostasis and prosopon, the same; for both are particular and individual, as having their circumscription in themselves, but not naturally possessing predication in many.

What is enousion is that which has in itself not only the observed collection of properties, by which one is known from another, but also really possesses the commonality of the ousia.

What is homohypostatic is, that which is composed with another into one and the same hypostasis; but happening to be different from it according to ousia; as is the case with soul and body, and of all other things which, differing by a heterogeneity of nature, are united according to hypostasis. If, therefore, something composed with another through union is the same according to hypostasis, that is, has become one hypostasis with it, it is other than it according to ousia. And if something happens to be one and united with another according to hypostasis, this is neither one nor homogeneous with it according to ousia. And if something composed with another has a difference according to ousia, this has a union with it according to hypostasis.

A hypostatic union, therefore, is that which brings together and binds the different ousiae, that is, physes, into one prosopon, and one and the same hypostasis. And a hypostatic difference happens to be the principle, according to which the otherness, which is according to the collection of observed properties with respect to the commonality of the ousia, by cutting one from another according to number, makes the multitude of individuals.

65

ΜΑΞΙΜΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΟΜΟΛΟΓΗΤΟΥ

Ὅροι διάφοροι. Οὐσία καί φύσις, ταυτόν· ἄμφω γάρ κοινόν καί καθόλου, ὡς κατά πολλῶν καί

διαφερόντων τῷ ἀριθμῷ κατηγορούμενα, καί μήποτε καθοτιοῦν ἑνί προσώπῳ περιοριζόμενα.

Ἐνυπόστατόν ἐστι, τό κατά τήν οὐσίαν κοινόν, ἤγουν τό εἶδος, τό ἐν τοῖς ὑπ᾿ αὐτό ἀτόμοις πραγματικῶς ὑφιστάμενον, καί οὐκ ἐπινοίᾳ ψιλῇ θεωρούμενον.

Ἄλλως, ἤ πάλιν ἐνυπόστατόν ἐστι, τό ἄλλῳ διαφόρῳ κατά τήν οὐσίαν εἰς ἑνός σύστασιν προσώπου καί μιᾶς γένεσιν ὑποστάσεως, συγκείμενόν τε καί συνυφιστάμενον, καί οὐδαμῶς καθ᾿ αὐτό γνωριζόμενον.

Ὁμοούσιόν ἐστι τό τῆς αὐτῆς οὐσίας ἄλλῳ τυγχάνον, διάφορον δέ πρός τό αὐτό κατά τήν ὑπόστασιν ὄν· ὡς ἐπί τε ἀνθρώπου καί τῶν ἄλλων ἔχει εἰδῶν. Εἴ τι οὖν ἄλλῳ ταυτόν ὑπάρχει κατά τήν οὐσίαν, οὐ ταυτόν ὑπάρχει τῷ αὐτῶ καί κατά τήν ὑπόστασιν· καί εἴ τι ἕν καί ἡνωμένον τῷ αὐτῶ τυγχάνει κατά τήν οὐσίαν, οὐχ ἕν οὔτε ἡνωμένον τῷ αὐτῷ τυγχάνει καί κατά τήν ὑπόστασιν· καί εἴ τι διαφοράν ἔχει πρός ἄλλο κατά τήν ὑπόστασιν, τοῦτο ἕνωσιν ἔχει πρός τό αὐτό κατά τήν οὐσίαν.

Οὐσιώδης οὖν ἕνωσίς ἐστιν, ἡ τάς διαφόρους κατ᾿ ἀριθμόν καί πολλάς ὑποστάσεις εἰς μίαν καί τήν αὐτήν οὐσίαν συνάγουσα. Οὐσιώδης καί διαφορά τυγχάνει, λόγος καθ᾿ ὅν ἡ οὐσία, ἤγουν φύσις, ἀμείωτός τε καί ἄτρεπτος, ἄφυρτος ὁμοῦ καί ἀσύγχυτος διαμένει, καί τήν πρός ἄλλο κατ᾿ εἶδος ἕτερον εἰς μίαν ὑπόστασιν ποιουμένη σύνοδον, οὐδ᾿ ὅλως τῆς κατά φύσιν ἰδίας ἐξίσταται φύσεως.

(152) Ὑπόστασις καί πρόσωπον, ταυτόν· ἄμφω γάρ μερικόν τε καί ἴδιον, ὡς ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτῶν τήν περιγραφήν, ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἐν πλείοσι τήν κατηγορίαν φυσικῶς κεκτημένα.

Ἐνούσιόν ἐστι τό μή μόνον ἐνθεωρούμενον ἔχον ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ τό τῶν ἰδιωμάτων ἄθροισμα, καθ' ὅ ἄλλο ἀπ᾿ ἄλλου γνωρίζεται, ἀλλά καί τό κοινόν τῆς οὐσίας πραγματικῶς κεκτημένον.

Ὁμοϋπόστατόν ἐστι, τό εἰς μίαν καί τήν αὐτήν ὑπόστασιν ἄλλῳ συντεθειμένον· διάφορον δέ πρός τό αὐτό κατ᾿ οὐσίαν τυγχάνον· ὡς ἐπί τε ψυχῆς καί σώματος ἔχει, καί τῶν ἄλλων ὅσα φύσεως ἑτερότητι διαφέροντα, καθ᾿ ὑπόστασιν ἥνωται. Εἴ τι οὖν ἄλλῳ καθ᾿ ἕνωσιν συντεθέν, ταυτόν ὑπάρχει κατά τήν ὑπόστασιν, τουτέστιν, ὑπόστασις μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ γέγονε μία, ἕτερον τῷ αὐτῷ κατά τήν οὐσίαν ἐστί. Καί εἴ τι ἕν καί ἡνωμένον ἄλλῳ τυγχάνει κατά τήν ὑπόστασιν, τοῦτο οὐχ ἕν οὔτε ὁμογενές ἐστι τῷ αὐτῷ καί κατά τήν οὐσίαν. Καί εἴ τι συντεθειμένον ἄλλῳ διαφοράν ἔχει κατά τήν οὐσίαν, τοῦτο ἕνωσιν ἔχει πρός τό αὐτό κατά τήν ὑπόστασιν.

Ὑποστατική οὖν ἕνωσίς ἐστιν, ἤ τάς διαφόρους οὐσίας ἤγουν φύσεις εἰς ἕν πρόσωπον, καί μίαν καί τήν αὐτήν ὑπόστασιν συνάγουσά τε καί συνδέουσα. Ὑποστατική δέ διαφορά, τυγχάνει λόγος, καθ᾿ ὅν ἡ κατά τό ἄθροισμα τῶν ἐνθεωρουμένων ἰδιωμάτων τῷ κοινῷ τῆς οὐσίας ἑτερότης, τέμνουσα κατ᾿ ἀριθμόν ἄλλον ἀπ᾿ ἄλλου, τήν τῶν ἀτόμων ποιεῖται πληθύν.