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to be; with this we also agree. but also that 20unbegottenness20 is substance; to this there is an objection from us. For we say that this is a name indicative of God subsisting unbegottenly, not that unbegottenness is God. He professes to refute our argument; what then is the refutation? That before the creation of 2.1.178 men He was, he says, unbegottenly. What has this to do with the question at hand? This man professes to show that the name is the same as the subject. For he defines 20unbegottenness20 to be substance. What then is the proof? To show that God pre-existed those who use speech? O the irrefutable and wonderful proof! This is the logical subtlety from the dialectical art, against which who <could> look 2.1.179 of those uninitiated in the secret teaching? But solemnly in his distinctions concerning concept, he ridicules the very name of concept. 20For of things so called by concept,20 he says, 20some have their existence only in utterance, as those that signify nothing, but others according to a particular thought; and of these, some are by way of augmentation, as in the case of colossi, others by way of diminution, as in the case of pygmies, others by way of addition, as in the case of the many-headed, or by way of combination, as in the case of 2.1.180 hybrid creatures20. Do you see into what the wise man, having minced the concept for us, did not deign to allow its power to proceed further? He says that the concept is meaningless, unthinkable, devising things contrary to nature or mutilating or exceeding the defined measures of nature or combining from different species or making monsters with strange additions. Having mocked the name of concept with these things, he shows it to be useless and 2.1.181 unprofitable for life, according to him. From where, then, the higher mathematics, from where geometry and the philosophy of arithmetic and the teaching of logical and physical theorems, and the inventions of machines and the wonders in water-clocks by means of bronze and water, and philosophy itself concerning being and the theory of intelligible things and, to speak concisely, every occupation of the soul concerning great and lofty things? And what of agriculture, and what of navigation, and what of the rest of our economy throughout life? 2.1.182 From where is the sea passable for man? How has the aerial been enslaved to the terrestrial, how is the wild tamed, how is the more fearful subdued, how does the stronger not run wild? Were not all these things invented for human life through concept? For according to my argument, concept is an inventive approach to unknown things, discovering what follows through immediate and consequent thoughts to the first thought about the matter under investigation. For having thought something about the thing sought, by fitting what follows to the beginning of what was grasped through the thoughts that are discovered, we bring the undertaking to the conclusion of the matters under investigation. 2.1.183 And why should I enumerate the greater and loftier achievements of concept? For it is possible for one who is not contentious towards the truth to perceive that all other things, whatever time has invented that is beneficial and useful for the life of men, have been discovered in no other way but through concept. And it seems to me that of all the goods operating in us in this life, which exist in our souls from divine providence, if someone were to judge concept more honorable, he would not be mistaken in his proper 2.1.184 judgment. And I say these things, having been taught by Job in the things which God has spoken, giving oracles to his servant through a whirlwind and clouds, saying both the other things that it was fitting for God to say, and that he himself was the one who set man over the arts and bestowed on women the science of weaving and embroidery. For that he did not teach us such arts by some activity, himself presiding over the work, as can be seen in those who are taught physically, no one would ever contradict, unless he were some carnal and 2.1.185 beastly person. But indeed it has been said by him that the instruction of such arts has come to be for us. Therefore, the one who gave to nature the conceptual and inventive [faculty] of

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εἶναι· τούτῳ καὶ ἡμεῖς συντιθέμεθα. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν 20ἀγεννησίαν20 οὐσίαν εἶναι· πρὸς τοῦτο παρ' ἡμῶν ἀντίρρησις. ὄνομα γὰρ τοῦτό φαμεν ἐνδεικτικὸν εἶναι τοῦ ἀγεννήτως τὸν θεὸν ὑφεστάναι, οὐ τὴν ἀγεννησίαν εἶναι θεόν. ἐλέγχειν ἐπαγγέλλεται τὸν ἡμέτερον λόγον· τίς οὖν ὁ ἔλεγχος; ὅτι πρὸ τῆς τῶν ἀν 2.1.178 θρώπων συστάσεως ἦν, φησίν, ἀγεννήτως. τί τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ ζητούμενον; δείξειν οὗτος κατεπαγγέλλεται ταὐτὸν εἶναι τῷ ὑποκειμένῳ τὸ ὄνομα. οὐσίαν γὰρ εἶναι τὴν 20ἀγεννη σίαν20 ὁρίζεται. τίς οὖν ἡ ἀπόδειξις; τὸ δεῖξαι προϋφε στῶτα τῶν φωνῇ κεχρημένων τὸν θεόν; ὢ τῆς ἀναντιρρήτου καὶ θαυμαστῆς ἀποδείξεως. αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐκ τῆς διαλε κτικῆς τέχνης λογικὴ λεπτουργία, πρὸς ἣν τίς <ἂν> ἀντιβλέ 2.1.179 ψειε τῶν ἀμυήτων τῆς ἀπορρήτου παιδεύσεως; ἀλλὰ σεμνῶς ἡμῖν ἐν ταῖς περὶ τῆς ἐπινοίας διαστολαῖς αὐτὸ διακωμῳδεῖ τῆς ἐπινοίας τὸ ὄνομα. 20τῶν γὰρ οὕτω κατ' ἐπί νοιαν λεγομένων20 φησὶ 20τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὴν προφορὰν ἔχειν μόνην τὴν ὕπαρξιν ὡς τὰ μηδὲν σημαίνοντα, τὰ δὲ κατ' ἰδίαν διάνοιαν· καὶ τούτων τὰ μὲν κατὰ αὔξησιν ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν κολοσσιαίων, τὰ δὲ κατὰ μείω σιν ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν πυγμαίων, τὰ δὲ κατὰ πρόσθεσιν ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν πολυκεφάλων ἢ κατὰ σύνθεσιν ὡς ἐπὶ 2.1.180 τῶν μιξοθήρων20. ὁρᾷς εἰς τί τὴν ἐπίνοιαν ἡμῖν ὁ σοφὸς διακερματίσας περαιτέρω τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῆς προελθεῖν οὐκ ἠξίωσεν. ἀσήμαντον εἶναί φησι τὴν ἐπίνοιαν, ἀδιανόητον, τὰ παρὰ φύσιν σοφιζομένην ἢ διακολοβοῦσαν ἢ ὑπερτείνουσαν τὰ ὡρισμένα μέτρα τῆς φύσεως ἢ ἐξ ἑτεροφυῶν συντιθεῖσαν ἢ τερατευομένην ταῖς ἀλλοκότοις προσθήκαις. ἐν τούτοις καταπαίξας τοῦ τῆς ἐπινοίας ὀνόματος ἄχρηστον αὐτὴν καὶ 2.1.181 ἀνόνητον τῷ βίῳ τὸ κατ' αὐτὸν ἀποδείκνυσιν. πόθεν οὖν τῶν μαθημάτων τὰ ὑψηλότερα, πόθεν ἡ γεωμετρία καὶ ἡ ἀριθμητικὴ φιλοσοφία καὶ τῶν λογικῶν τε καὶ φυσικῶν θεωρημάτων ἡ διδασκαλία, αἱ δὲ τῶν μηχανημάτων εὑρέσεις καὶ τὰ διὰ χαλκοῦ τε καὶ ὕδατος ἐν ὡροσκοπείοις θαύματα, αὐτὴ δὲ ἡ περὶ τοῦ ὄντος φιλοσοφία καὶ ἡ τῶν νοητῶν θεωρία καὶ συλλήβδην φάναι πᾶσα ἡ περὶ τὰ μεγάλα τε καὶ ὑψηλὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀσχολία; τί δὲ ἡ γεωργία, τί δὲ ἡ ναυτιλία, τί δὲ ἡ λοιπὴ κατὰ τὸν βίον ἡμῶν οἰκονομία; 2.1.182 πόθεν βάσιμος τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἡ θάλασσα; πῶς δεδούλωται τῷ χερσαίῳ τὸ ἐναέριον, πῶς τιθασσεύεται τὸ ἀνήμερον, πῶς δαμάζεται τὸ φοβερώτερον, πῶς οὐκ ἀφηνιάζει τὸ ἰσχυρότερον; ἆρ' οὐ δι' ἐπινοίας ἐφευρέθη ταῦτα πάντα τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ ζωῇ; ἔστι γὰρ κατά γε τὸν ἐμὸν λόγον ἡ ἐπί νοια ἔφοδος εὑρετικὴ τῶν ἀγνοουμένων, διὰ τῶν προσεχῶν τε καὶ ἀκολούθων τῇ πρώτῃ περὶ τὸ σπουδαζόμενον νοήσει τὸ ἐφεξῆς ἐξευρίσκουσα. νοήσαντες γάρ τι περὶ τοῦ ζητου μένου τῇ ἀρχῇ τοῦ ληφθέντος διὰ τῶν ἐφευρισκομένων νοη μάτων συναρμόζοντες τὸ ἀκόλουθον εἰς τὸ πέρας τῶν σπουδαζομένων τὴν ἐγχείρησιν ἄγομεν. 2.1.183 Καὶ τί μοι τὰ μείζω καὶ ὑψηλότερα τῶν τῆς ἐπινοίας κατορθωμάτων ἀπαριθμεῖσθαι; ἔξεστι γὰρ τῷ μὴ φιλο νείκως ἔχοντι πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν κατιδεῖν ὅτι καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα, ὅσα βιωφελῆ τε καὶ χρήσιμα τῇ ζωῇ τῶν ἀνθρώ πων ὁ χρόνος ἐφεῦρεν, οὐχ ἑτέρως ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἐπινοίας ἐξηύρηται. καί μοι δοκεῖ πάντων τῶν κατὰ τὴν ζωὴν ταύτην ἐνεργουμένων ἐν ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν τῶν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν παρὰ τῆς θείας προμηθείας ἐνυπαρχόντων τὴν ἐπί νοιάν τις προτιμοτέραν κρίνων μὴ ἂν τῆς πρεπούσης κρί 2.1.184 σεως διαψευσθῆναι. λέγω δὲ ταῦτα παρὰ τοῦ Ἰὼβ δι δαχθεὶς ἐν οἷς ὁ θεὸς τῷ λόγῳ πεποίηται διὰ λαίλαπος καὶ νεφῶν τῷ θεράποντι χρηματίζων, τά τε ἄλλα λέγων ὅσα θεῷ πρέπον ἦν λέγειν καὶ ὅτι αὐτὸς εἴη ὁ ταῖς τέχναις ἐπιστήσας τὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ γυναιξὶ χαρισάμενος ὑφαντικήν τε καὶ ποικιλτικὴν ἐπιστήμην. ὅτι γὰρ οὐκ ἐνεργείᾳ τινὶ τὰς τοιαύτας τέχνας ἡμᾶς ἐδιδάξατο αὐτὸς προκαθήμενος τῆς ἐργασίας, καθάπερ ἐν τοῖς σωματικῶς διδασκομένοις ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, οὐδεὶς ἂν ἀντείποι πάντως μὴ σάρκινος καὶ 2.1.185 κτηνώδης τις ὤν. ἀλλὰ μὴν εἴρηται παρ' αὐτοῦ γεγενῆ σθαι ἡμῖν τῶν τοιούτων τεχνῶν ἡ καθήγησις. οὐκοῦν ὁ δοὺς τῇ φύσει τὴν ἐπινοητικὴν καὶ εὑρετικὴν τῶν