1

Liber de definitionibus

OF THE SAME, CONCERNING DEFINITIONS. Various definitions according to the tradition and faith of the Catholic Church, collected from Clement and other holy men and blessed Fathers; which it is necessary to pursue and commit to memory before any other study, for one who wishes with the help of God to be a champion of the Word of truth, and for every person of orthodox mind who has sincere faith in God. And for a more accurate transmission, it is necessary to know this: that every single inquiry or question has three questions and examinations; for example, what is this thing, and according to what is this said, and (in how many ways) is this name understood. And when we ask, what is this?, it is clear that we are seeking the definition of the thing; but when we say, according to what is this said?, we require the etymology of the name. And when we say, in how many ways is this name understood?, it is clear that we are asking how many are the meanings of the name. Therefore, he who attempts to dogmatize without knowledge of definitions is no different from a blind traveler wandering here and there. Therefore, the examination of the aforementioned methods must be made in three ways. The definition of definitions is that which defines all things, but is itself defined by none; so that God alone is the definition of definitions. A definition is a concise statement indicating the nature of the underlying thing. And they are called definitions (horoi), as being the visions (horaseis) and eyes of things, and as briefly determining the power of the intelligible. For man is a substance composed of flesh and soul, and reason and blood, and elements, and many other things. But we limit these, and say concisely through the definition, that Man is a rational, mortal animal, receptive of intellect and knowledge. Again, the full name for man is said to be "walking-uprightly". But the name-givers shortened the long word, and named him man (anthropos) for the sake of conciseness. And man is called "walking-uprightly", because irrational animals while walking, bending their heads, look down towards the earth; but man while walking looks and beholds the things above. But in abbreviation he is called man (anthropos). Again, he is called man (anthropos), because of looking upward (ano athrein) with his face (opa); that is, because of the action of our eyes seeing upward. For the eye and the mind always look upward. And for this reason it is called a definition (horos); because it limits (periorizei) and shortens the long word, and makes the long discourse concise. There are therefore many and innumerable definitions concerning every thing. But from many we include a few of the most 28.536 important ones because of the laziness of men. However, this must be known and believed, that he who diligently practices the definitions will be able to easily silence rhetors and skilled talkers in discussions. For when asked, what is a definition? and according to what is a definition said? and in how many ways is a definition understood? the opponent will be at a loss about these things, and will then be ashamed as knowing nothing. Three things are in their substance unknown and indefinable to men: God, angel, and soul, known in their substance only to God. What is definable? and what is indefinable? and what is hard to define? and what is easy to define? Definable is an impassable state; for example, the heaven and the earth, and the sea, which does not transgress its bounds. Indefinable is the only uncreated one, God. Hard to define is that which is created and boundless; for example, an angel, a soul, and a demon; or, hard to define is that which is not

1

Liber de definitionibus

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ, ΠΕΡΙ ΟΡΩΝ. Ὅροι διάφοροι κατὰ τὴν παράδοσιν καὶ πίστιν τῆς καθολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας, συλλεγέντες ἀπό τε Κλήμεντος καὶ ἑτέρων ὁσίων ἀνδρῶν καὶ μακαρίων Πατέρων· οὓς δεῖ πρὸ παντὸς ἑτέρου μαθήματος μετιέναι καὶ ἐνστηθίζειν, τὸν τῇ βοηθείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ προΐστασθαι τοῦ Λόγου τῆς ἀληθείας βουλόμενον, καὶ πάντα ἄνθρωπον ὀρθοδόξως φρονοῦντα, καὶ πίστιν πρὸς Θεὸν τὴν εἰλικρινῆ ἐσχηκότα. Πρὸς δὲ ἀκριβεστέραν παράδοσιν ἐκεῖνο εἰδέναι χρὴ, ὅτιπερ πᾶν τὸ οἱονοῦν ζήτημα ἢ ἐρώτημα τρεῖς τὰς ἐρωτήσεις καὶ ἐξετάσεις ἔχει· οἷον τί ἐστι τόδε πρᾶγμα, καὶ κατὰ τί εἴρηται τόδε, καὶ (ὁσαχῶς) νοεῖται τὸ ὄνομα τόδε. Καὶ ὅτε μὲν ἐρωτῶμεν, τί ἐστι τόδε; πρόδηλον, ὅτι τὸν ὅρον ζητοῦμεν τοῦ πράγματος· ὅταν δὲ λέγωμεν, κατὰ τί εἴρηται τόδε; τὴν ἐτυμολογίαν τοῦ ὀνόματος ἀπαιτοῦμεν. Ἡνίκα δὲ λέγομεν, ὁσαχῶς νοεῖται τὸ ὄνομα τόδε; πρόδηλον, ὅτι πόσα ζητοῦμεν τὰ σημαινόμενα τοῦ ὀνόματος. Ὁ γοῦν ἐκτὸς εἰδήσεως τῶν ὅρων δογματίζειν ἐπιχειρῶν οὐδὲν διαφέρει τυφλοῦ ὁδοιπόρου ὧδε κἀκεῖσε πλαζομένου. Εἰρητέον τοίνυν τῶν προειρημένων τρό πων τριχῶς ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐξέτασιν. Ὅρος τῶν ὅρων ἐστὶν ὁ πάντα μὲν ὁρίζων, αὐ τὸς δὲ ὑπ' οὐδενὸς ὁριζόμενος· ὥστε μόνος ὅρος τῶν ὅρων ἐστὶν ὁ Θεός. Ὅρος ἐστὶ λόγος σύντομος δηλω τικὸς τῆς φύσεως τοῦ ὑποκειμένου πράγματος. Ὅροι δὲ λέγονται, ὡς ὁράσεις καὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ τῶν πραγμάτων τυγχάνοντες, καὶ ὡς διορίζοντες συντόμως τὴν τοῦ νοητοῦ δύναμιν. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν οὐσία ἐκ σαρκὸς καὶ ψυχῆς, καὶ λόγου καὶ αἵματος, καὶ στοιχείων, καὶ ἑτέρων πλειόνων συνισταμένη. Ἡμεῖς δὲ περιορίζομεν ταῦτα, καὶ συντόμως λέγομεν διὰ τοῦ ὅρου, ὅτι Ὁ ἄνθρωπός ἐστι ζῶον λογικὸν, θνητὸν, νοῦ καὶ ἐπιστήμης δεκτικόν. Λέγεται καὶ πάλιν τὸ ἐντελὲς ὄνομα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀνορθοπεριπατητικόν. Συνέκοψαν δὲ οἱ ὀνοματοθέται τὴν πολυλεξίαν, καὶ ὠνόμασαν αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον διὰ τὴν συντομολογίαν. Ἀνορθοπεριπατητικὸν δὲ λέγεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἐπειδὴ τὰ ἄλογα ζῶα περιπατοῦντα, κλίνοντα τὴν κεφαλὴν βλέπουσι κάτω πρὸς τὴν γῆν· ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος περι πατῶν βλέπει καὶ θεωρεῖ τὰ ἄνω. Ἐν συγκοπῇ δὲ ὀνομάζεται ἄνθρωπος. Πάλιν ἄνθρωπος λέγεται, διὰ τὸ ἄνω ἀθρεῖν τὸν ὦπα· τοῦτ' ἔστι διὰ τὸ ἄνω θεω ρεῖν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἡμῶν τὴν ἐνέργειαν. Ὁ γὰρ ὀφθαλμὸς καὶ ὁ νοῦς πάντοτε ἄνω ὁρᾷ. Καὶ τούτου χάριν εἴρηται ὅρος· ὅτι περιορίζει καὶ συγκόπτει τὴν πολυλεξίαν, καὶ ποιεῖ σύντομον τὴν μακρολογίαν. Πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν εἰσι καὶ ἀναρίθμητοι ὅροι περὶ παντὸς πράγματος. Ἐκ πολλῶν δὲ ὀλίγους τοὺς κυ 28.536 ριωτέρους ἐντάττομεν διὰ τὸ ῥᾴθυμον τῶν ἀνθρώ πων. Πλὴν τοῦτο γνωστέον καὶ πιστευτέον, ὅτι ὁ φιλο πόνως πράττων τοὺς ὅρους ῥήτορας καὶ δεινοὺς πολυ λόγους δυνήσεται εὐχερῶς ἐν ταῖς διαλέξεσιν ἐπιστο μίζειν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐρωτηθεὶς, τί ἐστιν ὅρος; καὶ κατὰ τί εἴρηται ὅρος; καὶ ὁσαχῶς νοεῖται ὅρος; ἀπορήσει ὁ ἐξ ἐναντίας πρὸς ταῦτα, καὶ καταισχύνεται λοιπὸν ὡς μηδὲν ἐπιστάμενος. Τρία εἰσὶ κατ' οὐσίαν ἀνθρώποις ἀγνώριστα καὶ ἀόριστα, Θεὸς, ἄγγελος, καὶ ψυχὴ, μόνῳ Θεῷ κατ' οὐσίαν γνωριζόμενα. Τί ἐστιν ὁριστόν; καὶ τί ἀόριστον; καὶ τί δυσό ριστον; καὶ τί εὐόριστον; Ὁριστόν ἐστιν ἀνυπέρβα τος στάσις· οἷον ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ, καὶ ἡ θάλασσα, ἡ τοὺς ὅρους αὐτῆς μὴ ὑπερβαίνουσα. Ἀόριστόν ἐστι τὸ μόνον ἄκτιστον, ὁ Θεός. ∆υσόριστόν ἐστι τὸ κτι στὸν καὶ ἀόριστον· οἷον ἄγγελος, ψυχὴ, καὶ δαίμων· ἢ δυσόριστόν ἐστι τὸ μὴ