The Nature of Virtue and its Fruits
Ten years have not passed, and the impassibility of the wise man is because he aims to prepare the soul as it is suitable for the marriage. The matters of the upbringing have already been spoken of, that according to the aim of virtue, it is necessary to have first used the introductory things, so that through them he might first become a parent; and the children from the preliminary training are no less children of virtue because of the aim having done the same toward it. Having used this, therefore, he accomplished a better acquisition; for progress is most ready for the wise man.
"And he saw that she had conceived in the womb, and the lady was dishonored in her presence" (Gen 18:13). The aim, as has been spoken, is for the wise man to be trained in the preliminary training and in the shadow, so that having been trained in these things, he may proceed to the greater things; for as such a sequence is proper, so there is not a following return from the knowledge of the perfects into the smaller things. For the apostle neglects, writing to the Galatians, those who wish to live with the shadow of the law after the gospel (Gal 4:25). For the Jews, having the shadow as a companion, are one thing, and the Galatians, after believing the gospel, wished to Judaize (Acts 15:5), having been deceived by a certain Ebion, who wished to Judaize after Christianizing and was persuading the others thus, since he had the epithet of this name among the apostles because of his making poverty manifest; for Ebion is interpreted as poor, because of his shallow and poor intellect, being called Ebion the poor; for that the Galatians were Greeks, Paul writes: "But at that time you did not know God, but served those which are by nature not gods; but now having known God, or rather having been known by God" (Gal 4:8). He therefore blames them, as has been said; for it is necessary to repay the promise of the Scriptures: "Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected in the flesh?" (Gal 3:3); for having once been cast into a divine beginning, they were not appropriately seeking the types, for they were seeking them at an unseasonable time. For it is necessary to understand for what reason the sensory circumcision is given and until when...
For what period must he live as a citizen? If someone perceives this, he has fathered a child from a concubine, and after this he is able to perceive the circumcision being made in the heart by the Spirit (Rom 2:29). And this holy man, following the guidance of virtue, entered toward her to whom a maidservant had been handed to him, as we have shown, who also conceived, toward whom it is not fitting to remain thereafter exceeding what is necessary.
For many, having used preliminary exercises for the sake of complete instruction, having left behind them such things, are born in a slave-like manner and in a certain way dishonor virtue. But these things must not be referred to the person of Abraham, but to such a manner of those using this kind of way. And if, since we said that virtue... is the thing presupposing the things of the introduction, someone says that the offspring are a kind of part of it and such a person dwells with virtue primarily—for the underlying subject acts according to its postulates—it must be said therefore that of those things happening in time, some are prior to some and others are later, but when they are simultaneous, we take as understood that of those existing at once, one precedes and the other follows, as if regarding natural causes; virtue indeed is the cause of all things happening through it; therefore, even if such things precede it in time, it is by nature prior, just as marriage exists prior to child-rearing; for because of these things marriage... of virtue. And regarding the other sciences, the same...
Therefore, he who prefers other things to virtue dishonors virtue; for if someone were to choose it not for its own sake but for the sake of some other praise or glory, he in a certain way dishonors the good, it not receiving dishonor in itself. And take note that it has not even been said that Abram dishonored it—for this would not be harmonious with him—but since it is possible to happen from...
Greek
δέκα ἔτη οὐ συνείληφεν, καὶ τοῦ σοφοῦ δὲ τὸ ἀπαθὲς ὅτι σκοπῷ παιδοποιεῖ ὡς εἴκει τῇ γαμετῇ. Τὰ δὲ τῆς ἀναγωγῆς ἤδη προείρηται, ὅτι κατὰ τὸν 237 σκοπὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐστιν [τὸ] ὑποβάλλειν πρότερον τοῖς εἰσαγωγικοῖς κεχρῆσθαι, ἵν' [ἐξ] αὐτῶν πρότερον τεκνο- ποιήσῃ· οὐδὲν δ' ἧττον καὶ τὰ ἐκ τῆς προπαιδεύσεως τέκνα τῆς ἀρετῆς εἰσιν διὰ τὸ σκοπῷ τῷ πρὸς αὐτὴν αὐτὰ πεποιηκέναι. Χρησάμενος οὖν τούτοις θᾶττον τὴν σύλλημψιν εἰργάσατο· ἑτοιμοτάτη γὰρ τῷ σοφῷ ἡ προκοπή. χῃι, 4. Καὶ εἶδεν ὅτι ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχει, καὶ ἠτιμάσθη ἡ κυρία ἐναντίον αὐτῆς. *** ὁ σκοπός, ὡς προείρηται, προγυμνασθῆναι τὸν σοφὸν ἐν τῇ προπαιδεύσει καὶ τῇ σκιᾷ, ἵνα ἐν τούτοις γυμνασθεὶς χωρήσῃ ἐπὶ τὰ μείζονα· ὡς γὰρ πρέπουσα τάξις ἡ τ̣ο̣ι̣α̣υ´̣τ̣η̣, οὕτως οὐκ ἀκολούθως ἡ μετὰ τὴν τῶν τελείων γνῶσι̣ν̣ ε̣ι᾿̣ς̣ τ̣α`̣ μικρὰ ὑποστροφή. Ἀμέλει γοῦν ὁ ἀπόστολος Γαλάταις, γ̣ρ̣άφ̣ε̣ι̣ θέλουσιν μετὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῇ σκιᾷ τοῦ νόμου συζῆν. Ου᾿̣ γὰρ Ἰουδαῖοι, οἱ σύντροφον ἔχοντες τὴν σκιάν, Γαλᾶται δέ, μετὰ τὸ πιστεῦσαι τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ἤθελον ἰουδαΐζειν ἀπατηθέντες ὑπὸ Ἐβίωνός τινος ἰουδαΐζειν μετὰ τοῦ χριστιανίζειν θέλοντος καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους οὕτω πείθοντος, ὡς τὴν τοῦ ὀνόματος τούτου ἐπωνυμίαν πρὸς τῶν ἀποστόλων ἔσχεν διὰ τὸ δηλοῦσθαι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τὴν πτωχείαν· πτωχὸς γὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται Ἐβίων, διὰ τὸ σαθρὸν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ πτωχὸν τῆς διανοίας Ἐβίων καλούμενος· ὅτι δὲ Ἕλληνες ἦσαν Γαλᾶται, γράφει Παῦλος· "6Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν οὐκ εἰδότες Θεὸν ἐδουλεύετε τοῖς φύσει μὴ οὖσι̣ν̣ θ̣ε̣οῖς, νῦν δὲ γνόντες Θεόν, μᾶλλον δὲ γνωσθέντες υ῾̣πὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ"6. Αἰτιᾶται οὖν αὐτούς, ὡς προεῖπον· δεῖ γὰρ ἀποδοῦναι τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν γραφῶν· "6Ἐναρξάμενοι πνεύματος νῦν σαρκὶ ἐπιτελεῖσθε"6· ἅπαξ γὰρ ἀρχὴν θείαν καταβεβλημένοι οὐ προσηκόντως τοὺς τύπους ἐζήτουν, ἀκαίρως γοῦν ἐπιζητοῦντες. ∆εῖ γὰρ νοῆσαι τὴν αἰσθητὴν περιτομὴν διὰ τί δέδοται καὶ μέχρι 238 ποίου καιροῦ ὀφείλει πολιτεύεσθαι· ἐα`̣ν γα`̣ρ τοῦτο νοήσῃ τις, ἐτέκνωσεν ἐκ τῆς παλλακίδος καὶ μ̣ε̣τὰ τοῦτο δύναται νοῆσαι τὴν ἐν καρδίᾳ περιτομὴν π̣ν̣ε̣υ´̣μ̣α̣τ̣ι̣ γινομένην. Καὶ οὗτος ὁ ἅγιος καθ' ὑφήγησιν τῆς ἀρετῆς ει᾿̣σ̣η῀̣λθεν πρὸς ἣν ἐνεχείρισεν αὐτῷ θεραπαινίδα, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, ἣ καὶ συνέλαβεν, πρὸς ἣν οὐκ εἶτα μένε̣ι̣ν προσ̣η´̣κει ὑπερβαί- νοντα τὸ χρειῶδες. Πολλοὶ γὰρ ἕνεκα τῆς τελείας πα̣ι̣δ̣εύσεως χρησάμενοι προγυμνάσμασιν αὐτοῖς ἐναπομ̣ε̣ι´̣ναντες δου- λοπρεπῆ γεννῶσιν καὶ τρόπον τινὰ ἀτιμάζουσιν τὴν ἀρετήν. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐ δεῖ εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Ἀβρα`̣μ ἀναφέρειν ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν τρόπον τὸν τοιοῦτον και`̣ τ̣οὺς̣ τ̣ούτῳ̣ τῷ εἰ´̣δει χρωμένους. Εἰ δ' ὅτι ἔφαμεν τὴν ἀρετὴν ··· ··ειν τὴν ὑποτιθεμένην τὰ τῆς εἰσαγωγῆς, λέγοι τις ὅτι τρόπον τινὰ αὐτῆς ἐστι τὰ γεννήματα καὶ πρώτῃ τῇ ἀρετῇ σ̣υ̣νοικεῖ ὁ τοιοῦτος, – κατὰ γὰρ τὰς αὐτῆς ὑποθήκας ἐνεργεῖτ̣α̣ι̣ ὁ ὑποκείμενος αὐτῇ, –λεκτέον οὖν ὅτι τῶν ἐν χρόνῳ γινο̣με´̣ν̣ω̣ν τὰ μὲν πρότερά τινός ἐστιν, τὰ δ' ὕστερα, ἐσθότε δὲ σ̣υ´̣γ̣χ̣ρ̣ο̣ν̣α̣, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἅμα ὑπαρχόντων τὸ <μὲν> προυπάρχειν, τὸ δ' ἕπ̣ε̣σ̣θ̣α̣ι̣ ε᾿̣π̣ινοίᾳ λαμβάνομεν ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν φύσει αἰτιῶν· ἡ ἀρετὴ γ̣ο̣υ῀̣ν̣ α̣ι᾿̣τ̣ι´̣α̣ ἐστὶν πάντων τῶν δι' αὐτὴν γινομένων· διόπερ, κἂν χ̣ρ̣ο´̣ν̣ῳ̣ τ̣α̣υ῀̣τ̣α προήγηται, ἀλλ' αὐτή γε τῇ φύσει προτέρα ἐστὶν ὡς̣ γ̣α´̣μ̣ο̣ς̣ υ῾̣π̣α´̣ρ̣χ̣ει πρότερον ἢ παιδοποιΐα· διὰ γὰρ ταῦτα ὁ γάμος̣ ··· ··· ··· · τ̣ῆς ἀρετῆς. Καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων δὲ ἐπιστημῶν τὸ αυ̣···· τι̣ ··· ··· · Ἀτιμάζει οὖν τὴν ἀρετὴν ὁ ἕτερα προκ̣ρ̣ίν̣ων αὐτῆς̣· εἰ γάρ τις αὐτὴν αἱροῖτο μὴ δι' αὐτὴν ἀλλ' ἄλλου χάριν ο̣ἱ῀̣ο̣ν̣ ἐπαίνου ἢ δόξης, τρόπον τινὰ ἀτιμάζει τὸ ἀγαθόν, αὐτὸ καθ̣' ε῾̣α̣υ̣τ̣ὸ ἀτιμίαν οὐ δεχόμενον. Πρόσ<σ>χες δὲ ὅτι οὐδὲ εἴρηται ἠτίμασ̣ε̣ν̣ αὐτὴν 239 Ἀβράμ, –οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁρμόνιον ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦτο–· ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ τ̣ο̣υ῀̣το ἐνδέχεται παρά
About this text
Didymus the Blind reads the creation account verse by verse, finding Christ and the Spirit in Genesis.
Original English Translation — new OET from PG Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.