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the higher things of learning, whence geometry and arithmetical philosophy and the teaching of logical and physical theorems, the inventions of machines and the wonders in timepieces by means of bronze and water, and philosophy itself concerning being and the contemplation of intelligible things and to speak concisely, every preoccupation of the soul with great and lofty things? And what of agriculture, what of navigation, what of the rest of the economy of our life? 2.1.182 Whence is the sea traversable by man? How has the aerial been subjected to the terrestrial, how is the untamed tamed, how is the more terrible subdued, how does the stronger not run wild? Were not all these things invented for human life through inventive thought? For according to my reasoning, inventive thought is an inventive approach to unknown things, discovering what follows by means of things that are immediate and consequent to the first thought about the object of study. For having conceived something about what is sought, by fitting together the consequent things through invented thoughts to the beginning of what was grasped, we bring the undertaking to the end of our investigations. 2.1.183 And why should I enumerate the greater and loftier achievements of inventive thought? For it is possible for one who is not contentious toward the truth to see that all other things too, whatever beneficial and useful things for the life of men time has invented, have not been discovered otherwise but through inventive thought. And it seems to me that of all the good things operating in us in this life, which exist in our souls from divine providence, one who judges inventive thought to be more precious would not be mistaken in his proper 2.1.184 judgment. And I say these things, having been taught by Job, in the passages where God has made a discourse, speaking 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 granted to women the skill of weaving and embroidery. For that he did not teach us such arts by some direct action, presiding himself over the work, as can be seen in those who are taught bodily, no one would deny at all, unless he were some carnal and 2.1.185 bestial person. But indeed, it is said by him that the instruction of such arts has come to us. Therefore, he who gave to nature the inventive and heuristic power for things sought, himself led us to the arts, and by the principle of causality, everything that is discovered and achieved is referred back to the author of this power; thus life also discovered medicine, but nevertheless 2.1.186 one who says medicine is a gift of God will not err. And whatever has been discovered in human life, in peace and war, suited for some useful purpose, has come to us from nowhere else, but from the mind conceiving and discovering each thing for us appropriately; and the mind is the work of God; therefore, all things that have been provided for us through the 2.1.187 mind are from God. But as for the claim by our opponents that mythical fictions and false marvels are fabricated and fashioned by inventive thought, I myself do not dispute it; for their argument also contributes to our purpose. For we too say that the knowledge of opposites is the same, of things both beneficial and of those that are otherwise, such as medicine and piloting and if there is anything else of this kind; for he who knows how to help the sick with a drug would also know, if he were to use his art for evil, how to administer poison to the healthy; 2.1.188 and he who directs the ship to the harbor with the rudder could also direct it onto reefs or rocks, if it became his wish to destroy the sailors through treachery; and the painter with the same art has shown the most beautiful form on the panel and has again vividly imitated the ugliest; thus the trainer has set a dislocated limb through his anointing skill and has dislocated a healthy one, if he wished, through the same art. 2.1.189 And why must one, by speaking of each particular, introduce a great crowd into the argument? As

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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 ζητου μένων δύναμιν αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὰς τέχνας προήγαγε, καὶ τῷ τῆς αἰτίας λόγῳ πᾶν τὸ εὑρισκόμενόν τε καὶ κατορθού μενον εἰς τὸν ἀρχηγὸν τῆς δυνάμεως ταύτης ἐπαναφέρεται· οὕτω καὶ τὴν ἰατρικὴν ὁ βίος εὕρατο, ἀλλ' ὅμως θεοῦ 2.1.186 δῶρον τὴν ἰατρικὴν εἰπών τις οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεται. καὶ πᾶν ὅτιπέρ ἐστι κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ζωὴν ἐξευρημένον κατ' εἰρήνην καὶ πόλεμον πρός τι τῶν χρησίμων ἐπιτηδείως ἔχον, οὐδαμόθεν ἡμῖν ἔσχε τὴν πάροδον, ἀλλὰ τοῦ νοῦ τὰ καθ' ἕκαστον ἡμῖν καταλλήλως νοοῦντος καὶ ἐφευρίσκοντος· νοῦς δὲ ἔργον θεοῦ· οὐκοῦν ἐκ θεοῦ πάντα ὅσα διὰ τοῦ 2.1.187 νοῦ ἡμῖν πεπόρισται. τὸ δὲ λέγεσθαι παρὰ τῶν ὑπεναν τίων τὰ μυθώδη πλάσματα καὶ τὰ ψευδῆ τερατεύματα παρὰ τῆς ἐπινοίας λογοποιεῖσθαι καὶ πλάσσεσθαι, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ἀντιλέγω· πρὸς γὰρ τὸν ἡμέτερον σκοπὸν καὶ ὁ ἐκείνων λόγος συμφέρεται. φαμὲν γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς τὴν αὐτὴν εἶναι τῶν ἐναντίων τὴν ἐπιστήμην τῶν τε ἐπωφελῶν καὶ τῶν ὡς ἑτέρως ἐχόντων οἷον τὴν ἰατρικὴν καὶ τὴν κυβερνητικὴν καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· ὁ γὰρ εἰδὼς βοηθῆσαι τοῖς ἀρρωστοῦσι διὰ φαρμάκου ἐπιγνοίη ἄν, εἴπερ ἐπὶ κακῷ χρῷτο τῇ τέχνῃ, καὶ τοῖς ὑγιαίνουσιν ἐντρῖψαι τὸ δηλητή 2.1.188 ριον· καὶ ὁ πρὸς τὸν λιμένα διευθύνων τῷ πηδαλίῳ τὸ σκάφος εὐθύνειεν ἂν καὶ ἐπὶ χοιράδας ἢ σκοπέλους, εἰ τοῦτο γένοιτο φίλον αὐτῷ τὸ δι' ἐπιβουλῆς διαφθεῖραι τοὺς πλέοντας· καὶ ὁ ζῳγράφος τῇ αὐτῇ τέχνῃ τήν τε καλλίστην μορφὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ πίνακος ἔδειξε καὶ τὴν αἰσχίστην πάλιν ἐν αργῶς ἐμιμήσατο· οὕτως ὁ παιδοτρίβης τὸ ἐξηρθρωμένον μέλος διὰ τῆς ἀλειπτικῆς ἐμπειρίας ἐνήρμοσε καὶ τὸ ὑγι αῖνον, εἰ βούλοιτο, διὰ τῆς αὐτῆς τέχνης ἐξήρμοσε. 2.1.189 Καὶ τί χρὴ τὰ καθ' ἕκαστον λέγοντα πολὺν ὄχλον ἐπεισάγειν τῷ λόγῳ; ὡς