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an accurate judge, placing human affairs under the very sight of the gods, has left them neglected and uncared for, administered by a certain nature and not by the reasoning of God. Whence he himself would not even escape that charge, which some conjecture against Epicurus, that not according to his opinion, but because of fear of men, he assigned a place in the universe to the 15.5.13 gods like a spectacle in a theater. They take as proof of the man’s opinion that he deprived them of their activity toward us, from which alone the existence of the gods was going to have its rightful belief. For Aristotle does this very same thing; having removed and committed belief to sight alone, which is too weak to judge matters at such a distance by its activity, he might seem 15.5.14 out of reverence to say that gods are here. For by neither leaving anything outside the world, nor bringing the gods to things on earth, he was under the necessity either of confessing that he was altogether an atheist, or of preserving the reputation of leaving gods, having settled the gods somewhere here. But he, having rejected the precision of the superior beings by their lack of mingling, seems plausibly to disbelieve in the gods.” These things Atticus says against Aristotle, who defaults on the argument concerning providence. And the same man also adds these things to what has been said, directing them against the same one who is unwilling for the world to be created.

15.6.1 2. FROM THE SAME, AGAINST THE SAME WHO DISAGREED WITH MOSES AND PLATO ALSO IN NOT ADMITTING THAT THE WORLD IS CREATED

Since Moses determined that the world is created, and set God over the universe as its maker and creator, and Plato philosophized the same things as Moses, Aristotle, having taken the opposite path in this matter as well, is refuted by the writer mentioned, writing thus word for word: 15.6.2 “First, then, inquiring about the genesis of the world and believing it necessary to examine everything concerning this great and most beneficial doctrine of providence, and having reasoned that what has not come into being has no need of any maker or guardian in order to come into being well, so that he might not deprive the world of providence he took away its 15.6.3 uncreated state. We now ask that those of the same school, who are pleased that even according to Plato the world is uncreated, not stand in our way. For they are right to grant us pardon if, concerning Plato’s opinions, we believe what he himself, being a Greek, has spoken to us Greeks with a clear and distinct voice. 15.6.4 “For,” he says, “God, taking over all that was visible, not keeping quiet, but moving discordantly and without order, brought it into order from disorder, considering this in every way better than that.” And still more, that he did not accept genesis through riddles nor for the sake of clarity, he shows by what the father of all spoke to him about this after the creation of all things. 15.6.5 “For since,” he says, “you have come into being”—he speaks to the gods—“you are not immortal nor altogether indissoluble, yet you shall not be dissolved, having obtained my 15.6.6 will.” But, as I said, we might be distinguished from those within who mutter against us, since they are friends, in a friendly and quiet manner with gentle refutations. For Aristotle seems to have converted these too, since they were unable to oppose the accusation of the doctrine, but not wanting the opinion to be convicted as 15.6.7 false, they attributed it to Plato. But according to what we have heard, Plato claiming that the world has come to be a most beautiful work by the most beautiful of creators, and having ascribed to the maker of the universe a power through which he both made the world when it did not exist before and, having made it, will keep it safe forever, if he so wishes, and in this way of a created and

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ἐπιγνώμων ἀκριβὴς ὑπ' αὐτὴν τὴν ὄψιν τῶν θεῶν τὰ ἀνθρώπινα πράγματα ὑποθεὶς εἴασεν ἀτημέλητα καὶ ἀφρόντιστα, φύσει τινὶ καὶ οὐ θεοῦ λογισμῷ διοικούμενα. ὅθεν εἰκότως ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς οὐδ' ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἔγκλημα ἐκφύγοι, ὃ κατ' Ἐπικούρου τινὲς μαντεύονται, ὡς ἄρα μὴ κατὰ γνώμην, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ πρὸς ἀνθρώπων δέος τοῖς 15.5.13 θεοῖς κατένειμεν ἐν τῷ παντὶ χώραν ὥσπερ ἐν θεάτρῳ θέαν. τεκμήριον δὲ ποιοῦνται τῆς γνώμης τἀνδρός, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἀφεῖλε τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐνέργειαν, ἐξ ἧς μόνης τὸ εἶναι τοὺς θεοὺς ἔμελλε τὴν δικαίαν πίστιν ἕξειν. τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ τοῦτο καὶ Ἀριστοτέλης ποιεῖ· ἀποστήσας καὶ παραδοὺς ὄψει μόνῃ τὴν πίστιν, πραγματείᾳ κρίνειν ἀσθενεῖ τὰ ἐκ τοσοῦδε διαστήματος, τάχ' ἂν 15.5.14 αἰδοῖ δοκοίη λέγειν ἐνταῦθα εἶναι θεούς. οὐ γὰρ ἀπολιπὼν ἔξω τι τοῦ κόσμου, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς προσαγαγὼν τοὺς θεοὺς ἀνάγκην ἔσχεν ἢ παντάπασιν ἄθεος ὁμολογεῖν εἶναι ἢ τὴν τοῦ δοκεῖν ἀπολείπειν θεοὺς δόξαν ἀνασῴζειν, ἐνταῦθά που τοὺς θεοὺς ἀποικίσας. ὁ δὲ τὴν τῶν κρειττόνων ἀκρίβειαν παραιτησάμενος τῇ ἀμιξίᾳ ἔοικεν εὐσχημόνως ἀπιστεῖν τοῖς θεοῖς.» Ταῦτα ὁ Ἀττικὸς πρὸς Ἀριστοτέλην χρεωκοποῦντα τὸν περὶ προνοίας λόγον. ὁ δ' αὐτὸς ἔτι καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς εἰρημένοις προστίθησι, πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν ἀποτεινόμενος μὴ βουλόμενον γενητὸν εἶναι τὸν κόσμον·

15.6.1 ʹ. ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΝ ∆ΙΕΝΕΧΘΕΝΤΑ ΜΩΣΕΙ ΚΑΙ ΠΛΑΤΩΝΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΝ ΤΩΙ ΜΗ ΣΥΓΧΩΡΕΙΝ ΓΕΝΗΤΟΝ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΤΟΝ ΚΟΣΜΟΝ

Μωσέως γενητὸν εἶναι τὸν κόσμον ὁρισαμένου ποιητήν τε καὶ δημιουργὸν τοῖς ὅλοις τὸν θεὸν ἐπιστήσαντος τοῦ τε Πλάτωνος τὰ ἴσα Μωσεῖ φιλοσοφοῦντος, τὴν ἐναντίαν κἀν τούτῳ ὁ Ἀριστοτέλης ὁδεύσας ἀπελέγχεται πρὸς τοῦ δηλωθέντος συγγραφέως, ὧδε πρὸς ῥῆμα γράφοντος· 15.6.2 «Πρῶτον δὴ περὶ γενέσεως κόσμου σκοπῶν καὶ τὸ τῆς προνοίας τὸ μέγα τοῦτο καὶ πολυωφελὲς δόγμα πάντα ζητεῖν ἀναγκαῖον ἡγούμενος καὶ λογισάμενος, ὅτι τῷ μὴ γενομένῳ οὔτε τινὸς ποιητοῦ οὔτε τινὸς κηδεμόνος πρὸς τὸ γενέσθαι καλῶς χρεία, ἵνα μὴ ἀποστερήσῃ τὸν κόσμον τῆς προνοίας ἀφεῖλε τὸ 15.6.3 ἀγένητον αὐτοῦ. παραιτούμεθα δὲ νῦν μὴ ἐμποδὼν ἡμῖν τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς ἑστίας εἶναι, οἷς ἀρέσκει καὶ κατὰ Πλάτωνα τὸν κόσμον ἀγένητον εἶναι. δίκαιοι γάρ εἰσιν ἡμῖν συγγνώμην νέμειν, εἰ περὶ τῶν δοκούντων Πλάτωνι πιστεύομεν οἷς αὐτὸς Ἕλλην ὢν πρὸς Ἕλληνας ἡμᾶς σαφεῖ καὶ τρανῷ τῷ στόματι διεί15.6.4 λεκται. «Παραλαβὼν γάρ,» φησίν, «ὁ θεὸς πᾶν ὅσον ἦν ὁρατὸν οὐχ ἡσυχίαν ἄγον, πλημμελῶς δὲ καὶ ἀτάκτως κινούμενον, εἰς τάξιν ἤγαγεν ἐκ τῆς ἀταξίας, ἡγησάμενος τοῦτο ἐκείνου πάντως ἄμεινον.» ἔτι δὲ καὶ μᾶλλον, ὅτι μὴ δι' αἰνιγμάτων μηδ' ἐπὶ τοῦ σαφοῦς χρείᾳ τὴν γένεσιν παρεδέξατο, δηλοῖ δι' ὧν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῷ τῶν πάντων διείλεκται περὶ τούτου μετὰ τὴν τῶν ὅλων 15.6.5 δημιουργίαν. «Ἐπεὶ γάρ,» φησί, «γεγένησθε» λέγει δὲ πρὸς τοὺς θεούς «ἀθάνατοι μὲν οὐκ ἐστὲ οὐδ' ἄλυτοι τὸ πάμπαν, οὔτι μὲν δὴ λυθήσεσθε τῆς 15.6.6 ἐμῆς βουλήσεως τυχόντες.» ἀλλ', ὅπερ ἔφην, πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἔνδον ἡμῖν ὑποφθεγγομένους, ἅτε φίλους ὄντας, φιλίως τε καὶ μεθ' ἡσυχίας πραέσιν ἐλέγχοις διακριθεῖμεν ἄν. ἔοικε γὰρ καὶ τούτους Ἀριστοτέλης μεταθεῖναι, τῇ μὲν κατηγορίᾳ τοῦ δόγματος ἀντισχεῖν ἀδυνατήσαντας, τὸ δὲ ἁλῶναι 15.6.7 δόξαν ὡς ψεῦδος οὐ βουληθέντας ἀναθεῖναι Πλάτωνι. κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀκοὴν ἀξιοῦντος Πλάτωνος τὸν κόσμον γεγονέναι κάλλιστον ἔργον ὑπὸ τοῦ καλλίστου τῶν δημιουργῶν καὶ περιθέντος τῷ τοῦ παντὸς ποιητῇ δύναμιν, δι' ἧς καὶ οὐκ ὄντα πρότερον ἐποίησε τὸν κόσμον καὶ ποιήσας εἰσαεὶ βουλόμενός γε σῶον διαφυλάξει, καὶ ταύτη δὴ γενητοῦ καὶ