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from those very things Philo labored on, the theft of Eunomius will become manifest. But I have noted this for the present, not so much to reproach the speechwriter for the poverty of his own words and thoughts, as wanting to show to his readers the affinity of the doctrines of Eunomius with the words of the Jews. 3.7.9 For the word of Philo would not have been so harmonized in its very wording with this man’s thoughts, unless there were also some kinship of his mind with that of the other. For thus it is possible to find the phrase written in the Hebrew, 20God before all other things that are begotten20, but what follows was patched on from the new Judaism: 20masters his own power20. And how much absurdity this has, the argument, when examined, will clearly show. 20God,20 he says, 20masters his own power.20 Being what, tell me, does he master what? Is he himself something other than the power, and does he master the power which is something else? Therefore the power is overcome by 3.7.10 powerlessness. For that which is something other than power is certainly not power; and thus he is found, insofar as he is not power, in that very respect mastering the power. But God, being power, again has another power in himself and by this one masters the other. And what is the battle and the division, such that God, having divided his inherent strength for himself, with one part of the power wrestles down the other? For he could not master his own power, unless some greater and more forceful power were allied with him for this purpose. Such is the god of Eunomius, some dual-natured or multi-composite being, divided against himself, having power dissonant with power, so that by one he is carried away to disorder, but by the other he prevents the discordance of the move- 3.7.11 ment. And with what intention does he master the power that is rushing toward generation—lest some evil should happen from the generation not being hindered? But rather, before this, let him explain what by nature this thing being mastered is. For what is said indicates some impulsive and volitional motion, contemplated as existing specially by itself. For that which masters is one thing, and that which is mastered is of necessity another. So God masters the power—what is it, some self-willing nature or 3.7.12 something other than this? Rushing toward activity, or remaining at rest? For if he supposes it to be at rest, that which is quiet has no need of one who masters it; but if he says he masters it, clearly he masters something that is moving and rushing. And this he will certainly say is something different in nature from the one who has mastery over it. What, then, he thinks this is, let him make clear in his argument. Something other than God, contemplated in a hypostasis? And how could that which is alien be in God? Or some state which is non-subsistent, contemplated in the divine 3.7.13 nature? But he would not say this. For that which does not subsist does not exist, and that which does not exist is neither mastered nor released. What then is that power which is mastered and hindered from its own activity, until the time of the Son's generation, having arrived, was about to release the power without hindrance to be carried to its natural activity? And what is the reason for the intervening delay, on account of which God postponed the generation of the Only-begotten, not yet thinking it good to become 3.7.14 Father? And what is this interval which is inserted between the life of the Father and of the Son? Not time, not space, not any concept of interval, not anything else of this sort. Toward what, then, does the sharp and perceptive eye, gazing intently, discern the separation of the Son's life from the Father's life? But being hard-pressed from all sides, he himself also of necessity agrees that there is nothing in between. And since there is nothing mediating, does he not accept that the fellowship is immediate and connected? But he condescends to our measures of knowledge and speaks to us in a human way, as one of us himself, quietly admitting the weakness of his reasonings and taking refuge in the argument which neither Aristotle nor his followers taught. 20For then,20 he says, 20it was good and fitting to beget the Son, when he willed, with no question arising from this for sensible people about ‘why not sooner?’20. What is this, Eunomius? Do you also speak plainly like us common folk and

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αὐτῶν τῶν πεπονη μένων τῷ Φίλωνι κατάφωρος ἡ κλοπὴ τοῦ Εὐνομίου γενή σεται. ἐγὼ δὲ τοῦτο παρεσημηνάμην ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος οὐ τοσοῦτον τὴν πτωχείαν τῶν ἰδίων λόγων τε καὶ νοη μάτων τῷ λογογράφῳ ἐπονειδίζων, ὅσον δεῖξαι τοῖς ἐντυγ χάνουσι θέλων τὴν οἰκειότητα πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίων λόγους 3.7.9 τῶν Εὐνομίου δογμάτων. οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐπ' αὐτῆς τῆς λέξεως τοῖς τούτου νοήμασιν ὁ τοῦ Φίλωνος ἐνηρμόσθη λόγος, εἰ μή τις ἦν καὶ τῆς διανοίας τούτου πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου συγγέ νεια. οὕτω γὰρ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν κείμενον παρὰ τῷ Ἑβραίῳ τὸν λόγον τὸ 20ὁ θεὸς πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ὅσα γεννητά20, τὸ δὲ ἐφεξῆς ἐκ τῆς νέας Ἰουδαϊκῆς προσερρίφη τὸ 20τῆς ἰδίας κατακρατεῖ δυνάμεως20. τοῦτο δὲ ὅσην τὴν ἀτοπίαν ἔχει, δείξει σαφῶς ὁ λόγος ἐξεταζόμενος. 20ὁ θεός20, φησί, 20κρατεῖ τῆς ἰδίας δυνάμεως20. τί ὤν, εἰπέ μοι, τίνος κρατεῖ; ἄλλο τι παρὰ τὴν δύναμιν ὢν αὐτὸς ἄλλο τι οὔσης κατακρατεῖ τῆς δυνάμεως; οὐκοῦν ἡττᾶται τῆς ἀδυ 3.7.10 ναμίας ἡ δύναμις. τὸ γὰρ ἄλλο τι παρὰ τὴν δύναμιν ὂν δύναμις πάντως οὐκ ἔστιν· καὶ οὕτως εὑρίσκεται καθὸ δύ ναμις οὐκ ἔστιν, κατ' ἐκεῖνο κρατῶν τῆς δυνάμεως. ἀλλὰ δύναμις ὢν ὁ θεὸς πάλιν ἄλλην ἐν ἑαυτῷ δύναμιν ἔχει καὶ ταύτῃ κατακρατεῖ τῆς ἑτέρας. καὶ τίς ἡ μάχη καὶ ἡ διά στασις, ὥστε μερίσαντα τὸν θεὸν τὴν ἐνυπάρχουσαν ἰσχὺν ἑαυτῷ τῷ ἑνὶ τμήματι τῆς δυνάμεως καταπαλαίειν τὸ ἕτερον; οὐ γὰρ ἂν κρατήσειε τῆς δυνάμεως ἑαυτοῦ, μὴ συμμαχούσης αὐτῷ πρὸς τοῦτο μείζονός τινος καὶ βιαιοτέρας δυνάμεως. τοιοῦτος ὁ Εὐνομίου θεός, διφυής τις ἢ πολυ σύνθετος, αὐτὸς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν μεριζόμενος, ἀσύμφωνον ἔχων τῇ δυνάμει τὴν δύναμιν, ὡς ταύτῃ μὲν πρὸς ἀταξίαν ἐκ φέρεσθαι, τῇ δὲ ἑτέρᾳ κωλύειν τὸ πλημμελὲς τῆς κινή 3.7.11 σεως. τί δὲ καὶ βουλόμενος κρατεῖ πρὸς γέννησιν ὁρμῶσαν τὴν δύναμιν, μὴ τί γένηται κακὸν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ κωλυθῆναι τὴν γέννησιν, μᾶλλον δὲ πρὸ τούτου τί τῇ φύσει τὸ κρα τούμενόν ἐστιν, ἑρμηνευσάτω. τὸ γὰρ λεγόμενον ὁρμητικήν τινα καὶ προαιρετικὴν ὑποδείκνυσι κίνησιν ἐφ' ἑαυτῆς ἰδια ζόντως θεωρουμένην. ἄλλο γάρ τι τὸ κρατοῦν καὶ ἕτερον ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἐστὶ τὸ κρατούμενον. κρατεῖ τοίνυν ὁ θεὸς τῆς δυνάμεως τί οὔσης, αὐτοπροαιρέτου τινὸς φύσεως ἢ 3.7.12 ἄλλο τι παρὰ τοῦτο; ὁρμώσης πρὸς ἐνέργειαν ἢ ἀτρεμού σης; εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἠρεμεῖν ὑποτίθεται, τὸ ἡσυχάζον τοῦ κρατοῦντος οὐκ ἐπιδέεται· εἰ δὲ κρατεῖν φησι, δηλονότι κι νουμένου τε καὶ ὁρμῶντος κρατεῖ. τοῦτο δὲ ἄλλο τι τῇ φύσει παρὰ τὸν ἐπικρατοῦντα πάντως ἐρεῖ. τί οὖν νοεῖ τοῦτο, φανερωσάτω τῷ λόγῳ. ἄλλο τι παρὰ τὸν θεὸν ἐν ὑποστάσει θεωρούμενον; καὶ πῶς ἂν εἴη ἐν τῷ θεῷ τὸ ἀλλότριον; ἢ ἕξιν τινὰ κατὰ τὸ ἀνυπόστατον ἐν τῇ θείᾳ 3.7.13 φύσει θεωρουμένην; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν εἴποι τοῦτο. τὸ γὰρ μὴ ὑφεστὼς οὐκ ἔστι, τὸ δὲ μὴ ὂν οὔτε κρατεῖται οὔτε ἀφίεται. τίς οὖν ἡ κρατουμένη δύναμις ἐκείνη καὶ κωλυομένη πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν ἐνέργειαν, ἕως ἔμελλεν ὁ καιρὸς τῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ γεννήσεως ἐπιστὰς ἀκώλυτον ἀφιέναι τὴν δύναμιν πρὸς τὴν κατὰ φύσιν ἐνέργειαν φέρεσθαι; τίς δὲ ἡ ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τῆς ἀναβολῆς αἰτία, δι' ἣν ὁ θεὸς τὴν τοῦ μονογενοῦς ὑπερέ θετο γέννησιν, οὔπω καλὸν εἶναι οἰόμενος τὸ γενέσθαι 3.7.14 πατήρ; τί δὲ τὸ μέσον τοῦτο ὃ μεταξὺ τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ ζωῆς παρενείρεται; οὐ χρόνος, οὐ τόπος, οὐ διαστηματικόν τι νόημα, οὐκ ἄλλο τοιοῦτον οὐδέν. πρὸς τί τοίνυν ὁ ὀξὺς καὶ διορατικὸς ὀφθαλμὸς ἀτενίζων ἐνορᾷ τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς ζωὴν τὴν διάστασιν; ἀλλὰ πανταχόθεν συνελαυνόμενος οὐδὲν μὲν εἶναι τὸ μεταξὺ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξ ἀνάγκης συντίθεται. μηδενὸς δὲ ὄντος τοῦ μεσιτεύοντος, ἄμεσον καὶ συναφῆ τὴν κοινωνίαν εἶναι οὐ καταδέχεται; 3.7.15 Ἀλλ' ὑποκαταβαίνει πρὸς τὰ ἡμέτερα τῆς γνώσεως μέτρα καὶ ἀνθρωπικῶς ἡμῖν ὡς εἷς ἡμῶν καὶ αὐτὸς δια λέγεται ὑφομολογῶν ἠρέμα τῶν λογισμῶν τὴν ἀσθένειαν καὶ καταφεύγων ἐπὶ τὸν λόγον ὃν Ἀριστοτέλης τε καὶ οἱ κατ' αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐδίδαξαν. 20τότε γάρ20, φησί, 20καλὸν καὶ πρέπον γεννῆσαι τὸν υἱόν, ὅτε ἐβούλετο, μηδε μιᾶς ἐκ τούτου ζητήσεως ἐγγινομένης τοῖς σώφροσιν τοῦ διὰ τί μὴ πρότερον20. τί ταῦτα, Εὐ νόμιε; καὶ σὺ πεζεύεις κατὰ τοὺς ἰδιώτας ἡμᾶς καὶ