Epistle 36 of Basil of Caesarea Greek Text with Vocabulary and Commentary Seumas Macdonald
Epistle 36 of Basil of Caesarea Greek Text with Vocabulary and Commentary Patristic Readers, Sample Text 204 by Seumas Macdonald The author has made an online version of this work available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. The terms of the license can be accessed at creativecommons.org. Accordingly, you are free to copy, alter, and distribute this work freely under the following conditions: () You must attribute the work to the author (but not in any way that suggests that the author endorses your alterations to the work). (2) You may not use this work for commercial purposes. (3) If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license as this one. The Greek Text for Basil s Epistle 36 is taken from the text of J.P. Migne Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Series Graeca Volume 32, Paris, 857-887. Published by: Seumas Macdonald Fonts: Gentium seumas.jeltzz@gmail.com
Epistles of Basil of Caesarea, 36.-0 Τῷ δεσπότῃ μου τῷ αἰδεσιμωτάτῳ Ἀπολιναρίῳ, Βασίλειος. Πρότερον μέν σοι περὶ τῶν ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς ἀσαφῶν ἐπεστέλλομεν, καὶ ηὐφραινόμεθα, οἷς τε ἔπεμπες, καὶ οἷς ὑπισχνοῦ. Νῦν δὲ μείζων ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ μειζόνων ἡ φροντὶς προσελήλυθεν, εἰς ἣν οὐδένα ἕτερον ἔχομεν ἐν τοῖς νῦν ἀνθρώποις, τοιοῦτον κοινωνὸν καὶ προστάτην ἐπικαλέσασθαι, ὁποῖόν σε καὶ ἐν γνώσει καὶ ἐν λόγῳ ἀκριβῆ τε ὁμοῦ καὶ εὐπρόσιτον ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῖν ἐδωρήσατο. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οἱ πάντα φύροντες, καὶ λόγων καὶ ζητημάτων τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐμπλήσαντες τὸ τῆς οὐσίας ὄνομα, ὡς ἀλλότριον τῶν θείων λογίων, ἐξέβαλον, καταξίωσον ἡμῖν σημᾶναι, ὅπως τε οἱ Πατέρες αὐτῷ ἐχρήσαντο, καὶ 5 0 αἰδέσιμος, ον: venerable, ἀκριβής, ές: exact, accurate, precise, 2 ἀλλότριος, α, ον: belonging to another, strange, Ἀπολιναρίος, ὁ: Apollinarius, 2 ἀσαφής, ές: indistinct, uncertain, obscure, βασίλειος, -α, -ον: royal, of the king, γνῶσις, ἡ: knowledge, 2 γραφή, ἡ: writing, scripture, 2 δεσπότης, ὁ: master, lord, δωρέω: to give, present, ἐμπίπλημι: to fill completely, fill up, ἐκβάλλω: to throw out of, cast away, ἐπεί: when, after, since, because, πέμπω: to send, ἐπιστέλλω: to send to; enjoin, command, ἐπικαλέω: to summon, call upon, ἕτερος, α, ον: other, the other of two, 2 εὐπρόσιτος, ον: accessible, agreeable, εὑρίσκω: to find, discover, devise, invent, χράομαι: to lack; desire; use, ζήτημα, τό: inquiry, question; dispute, εὐφραίνω: to cheer; (mid) enjoy, rejoice, θεῖος, -α, -ον: divine, θεός, ὁ: god, divinity, 3 καταξίω: to deem worthy, κοινωνός, ὁ: companion, partner, λογίος, α, ον: related to words; oracles, λόγος, ὁ: word, speech, account, argument 2 μείζων, -ον (-ονος): greater, 3 μηδαμοῦ: nowhere, οἰκουμένη, ἡ: the world, ὁμοῦ: at the same place, together, ὄνομα, -ατος, τό: name, noun, ὁποῖός, α, ον: of what sort, quality, ὅπως: how, in what way; so that, οὐδείς, οὐδεμία, οὐδέν: no one, nothing, 2 οὖν: and so, then; at all events, 2 οὐσία, ἡ: essence, substance, property, 7 πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν: all; each, every, 2 περί: around, about, concerning, 2 προσέρχομαι: to come or go to, approach, προστάτης, ὁ: one who stands before; leader, ruler; patron, champion, πρότερος, -α, -ον: before, in front of; earlier, 2 σημαίνω: to sign, signify, indicate, τοιοῦτος, -αύτη, -οῦτο: such, 3 ὑπισχνέομαι: to take upon oneself; to promise, φροντίς, ἡ: thought, care, consideration, φύρω: to mix, combine; confuse, ὡς: as, thus, so, that; when, since, 3 αἰδεσιμωτάτῳ: the superlative is used as a title; most Reverend or something similar. 5 Take the two adjectives and apply them to the two datives as a pair, and then treat the whole phrase as modifying σε
2 Epistles of Basil of Caesarea, 36.-20 εἰ μηδαμοῦ εὗρες ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ κείμενον. Τὸν γὰρ ἐπιούσιον ἄρτον, καὶ τὸν λαὸν τὸν περιούσιον, καὶ εἴ τι τοιοῦτον, ὡς οὐδὲν ἔχοντα κοινὸν διαπτύουσιν. Ἔπειτα μέντοι καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου (οὗ ἕνεκεν ἡγοῦμαι ταῦτα κατασκευάζειν αὐτοὺς, βαθέως τὴν οὐσίαν διαβάλλοντας, ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδεμίαν χώραν τῷ ὁμοουσίῳ καταλιπεῖν) διαλαβεῖν ἡμῖν πλατύτερον βουλήθητι, τίνα τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχει, καὶ πῶς ἂν ὑγιῶς λέγοιτο, ἐφ ὧν οὔτε γένος κοινὸν ὑπερκείμενον θεωρεῖται, οὔτε ὑλικὸν ὑποκείμενον προϋπάρχον, οὐκ ἀπομερισμὸς τοῦ προτέρου εἰς τὸ δεύτερον. Πῶς οὖν χρὴ λέγειν ὁμοούσιον τὸν Υἱὸν τῷ Πατρὶ, εἰς μηδεμίαν ἔννοιαν τῶν εἰρημένων καταπίπτοντας, 5 20 ἀπομερισμὸς, ὁ: division, fragmentation, ἄρτος, ὁ: bread, food, βάθος, τό: depth, βουλεύω: to deliberate, plan, take counsel, διαβάλλω: throw over; pass over; slander, διαλαμβάνω: take severally; divide, distribute, διάνοια, ἡ: thought, notion; thinking, intellect, διαπτύω: to spit upon, ἔννοια, ἡ: concept, conceptualisation, 3 ἔπειτα: then, next, secondly, ἐπιούσιος, ον: for the day, ἡγέομαι: to lead; consider, believe (dat) θεωρέω: to look at, to consider, καταλείπω: to leave behind, abandon, καταπίπτω: to fall, drop, collapse, κατασκευάζω: to prepare, build, equip, κεῖμαι: to lie, be situated, posited, occur, μέντοι: however, nevertheless; certainly, μηδαμοῦ: nowhere, μηδείς, μηδεμία, μηδέν: no one, nobody, nothing, 3 ὁμοούσιος, ον: of the same substance, 4 οὐσία, ἡ: essence, substance, property, 7 περιούσιος, ον: having more; peculiar, πλατύς, εῖα, ύ: wide, broad, 2 πρότερος, -α, -ον: before, in front of; earlier, 2 προϋπάρχω: to take initiative; be pre-existent, ὑγιής, ές: healthy, sound, ὑλικός, ή, όν: pertaining to matter, material, ὑπέρκειμαι: to lie above, be situated above, ὑπόκειμαι: to lie under; exist, be the subject, χρή: it is necessary, it is fitting; must, ought, 2 χώρα, ἡ: land, region, country, 2 εἴ τ τοιοῦτον: and anything of this kind 2 ὡς... κοινόν: as having nothing in common 6 βουλήθητι: aor. impv. from βουλέομαι 7 λέγοιτο: pres opt. 7 a common classification imposed 8 a pre-existing material substrate
3 Epistles of Basil of Caesarea, 36.2-30 θέλησον ἡμῖν πλατύτερον διαρθρῶσαι. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ὑπειλήφαμεν, ὅπερ ἂν εἶναι καθ ὑπόθεσιν ἡ τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσία ληφθῇ, τοῦτο εἶναι πάντως ἀναγκαῖον καὶ τὴν τοῦ Υἱοῦ λαμβάνεσθαι. Ὥστε εἰ φῶς νοητόν, ἀΐδιον, ἀγέννητον, τὴν τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίαν τις λέγοι, φῶς νοητόν, ἀΐδιον, γεννητὸν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς οὐσίαν ἐρεῖ. Πρὸς δὲ τὴν τοιαύτην ἔννοιαν δοκεῖ μοι ἡ τοῦ ἀπαραλλάκτως ὁμοίου φωνὴ μᾶλλον ἤπερ ἡ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου ἁρμόττειν. Φῶς γὰρ φωτὶ μηδεμίαν ἐν τῷ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον τὴν διαφορὰν ἔχον, ταὐτὸν μὲν οὐκ εἶναι (διότι ἐν ἰδίᾳ περιγραφῇ τῆς οὐσίας ἐστὶν ἑκάτερον), ὅμοιον δὲ κατ οὐσίαν ἀκριβῶς καὶ ἀπαραλλάκτως, ὀρθῶς ἂν οἶμαι λέγεσθαι. 2 25 30 ἀγέννητος, ον: unbegotten, ἀΐδιος, ον: everlasting, timeless, 2 ἀκριβής, ές: exact, accurate, precise, 2 ἄν: modal adv., 3 ἀναγκαῖος, -η, -ον: necessary, inevitable, ἀπαράλλακτος, ον: precisely similar, indistinguishable, 2 ἁρμόττω: to fit together, join, adapt, γεννητός, ή, όν: begotten, διαρθρόω: to articulate, differentiate, διαφορά, ἡ: difference, variance, distinction, διότι: because, since, wherefore, δοκέω: to seem (good), think, imagine, ἐθέλω: to will, wish, ἑκάτερος, -α, -ον: each of two, either, ἔννοια, ἡ: concept, conceptualisation, 3 ἐρῶ: to say, speak, 2 ἤπερ: than at all, than even, ἧττων, ον: inferior, lesser, ἴδιος, -η, -ον: one s own; private, lone, μᾶλλον: more, rather, 2 μηδείς, μηδεμία, μηδέν: no one, nobody, nothing, 3 μονογενής, ές: unique; only-begotten, νοητός, ή, όν: mental; (subs) thought, idea, 2 οἶμαι: to think, suppose, believe, ὅμοιος, -η, -ον: resembling, similar, like, 2 ὁμοούσιος, ον: of the same substance, 4 ὅπερ: the very thing; wherefore, as, like, ὀρθῶς: correctly, straightly, rightly, περιγραφή, ἡ: outline, appearance; individuality, πλατύς, εῖα, ύ: wide, broad, 2 τοιοῦτος, -αύτη, -οῦτο: such, 3 ὑπολάμβανω: to take up, to understand, ὑπόθεσις, ἡ: proposal; affirmation; premise, 2 ὑπειλήφαμεν: st pl per find act from ὑπολάμβανω. 24 λέγοι: pres. opt. 25 ἐρεῖ from ἐρῶ
4 Epistles of Basil of Caesarea, 36.3-38 Εἴτε οὖν ταύτας χρὴ διαλέγεσθαι τὰς ἐννοίας, εἴτε ἑτέρας μείζους ἀντιλαβεῖν, ὡς σοφὸς ἰατρὸς (καὶ γὰρ ἐξεφήναμέν σοι τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ), τὸ μὲν ἀρρωστοῦν ἴασαι, τὸ δὲ σαθρὸν ὑποστήριξον παντὶ δὲ τρόπῳ βεβαίωσον ἡμᾶς. Τοὺς μετὰ τῆς εὐλαβείας σου ἀδελφοὺς ἀσπάζομαι, καὶ ἀξιῶ μετὰ σοῦ εὔχεσθαι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα σωθῶμεν. Ὁ ἑταῖρος Γρηγόριος, τὸν μετὰ τῶν γονέων ἑλόμενος βίον, αὐτοῖς σύνεστιν. Ὑγιαίνων ἐπὶ πλεῖστον φυλαχθείης ἡμῖν, ὠφελῶν ἡμᾶς καὶ ταῖς εὐχαῖς καὶ τῇ γνώσει. 3 35 αἱρέω: to take, seize; choose, ἀντιλαμβάνω: to receive instead/in turn, ἀξιόω: deem worthy, think, ἀρρωστέω: to be unwell, sick, ἀσπάζομαι: to greet, βεβαιόω: to confirm, strengthen, establish, γνῶσις, ἡ: knowledge, 2 γονεύς, ὁ: begetter; pl. parents, Γρηγόριος, ὁ: Gregory, διαλέγομαι: to converse with, discuss, ἐκφαίνω: to bring to light, reveal, appear, ἔννοια, ἡ: concept, conceptualisation, 3 ἑταῖρος, ὁ: companion, ἕτερος, α, ον: other, the other of two, 2 εὐλαβεία, ἡ: reverence, piety, εὐχή, ἡ: prayer, vow, εὔχομαι: to pray, vow, wish, ἰάομαι: to cure, treat, heal, ἰατρός, ὁ: physician, doctor, μείζων, -ον (-ονος): greater, 3 πλεῖστος, -η, -ον: most, very many, σαθρός, ά, όν: unsound, σοφός, -ή, -όν: wise, skilled, σύνειμι: to be with, be joined with, σῴζω: to rescue, save, τρόπος, ὁ: a manner, way; turn, direction, ὑγιής, ές: healthy, sound, ὑποστηρίζω: to underprop, sustain, φυλάσσω: to guard, keep, observe, χρή: it is necessary, it is fitting; must, ought, 2 ὠφελέω: to help, aid, benefit, 32 ἐχεφήνασμεν: from ἐκφαίνω 35 ἑλόμενος: from αἱρέω, having chosen 37 ἐπὶ πλεῖστον: In the Migne edition this is a single word. 37 φυλαχθείης: 2nd sg aor. opt. pass. It is expressing a wish.
5 Basil, Epistle 36, Vocabulary ἀγέννητος, ον: unbegotten, ἀδελφός, ὁ: a brother, αἰδέσιμος, ον: venerable, ἀΐδιος, ον: everlasting, timeless, 2 αἱρέω: to take, seize; choose, ἀκριβής, ές: exact, accurate, precise, 2 ἀλλότριος, α, ον: belonging to another, strange, ἄν: modal adv., 3 ἀναγκαῖος, -η, -ον: necessary, inevitable, ἄνθρωπος, ὁ: human being, person, ἀντιλαμβάνω: to receive instead/in turn, ἀξιόω: deem worthy, think ἀπαράλλακτος, ον: precisely similar, indistinguishable, 2 Ἀπολιναρίος, ὁ: Apollinarius, 2 ἀπομερισμὸς, ὁ: division, fragmentation, ἁρμόττω: to fit together, join, adapt, ἀρρωστέω: to be unwell, sick, ἄρτος, ὁ: bread, food, ἀσαφής, ές: indistinct, uncertain, obscure, ἀσπάζομαι: to greet, αὐτός, -ή, -ό: -self; he, she, it; the same, 4 βάθος, τό: depth, βασίλειος, -α, -ον: royal, of the king, βεβαιόω: to confirm, strengthen, establish, βίος, ὁ: life, βουλεύω: to deliberate, plan, take counsel, γάρ: for, since, 4 γεννητός, ή, όν: begotten, γένος, τό: lineage, family; race; kind γνῶσις, ἡ: knowledge, 2 γονεύς, ὁ: begetter; pl. parents, γραφή, ἡ: writing, scripture, 2 Γρηγόριος, ὁ: Gregory, δέ: but, and, on the other hand, 5 δεσπότης, ὁ: master, lord, δεύτερος, -η, -ον: second, διαβάλλω: throw over; pass over; slander, διαλαμβάνω: take severally; divide, distribute, διαλέγομαι: to converse with, discuss, διάνοια, ἡ: thought, notion; thinking, intellect, διαπτύω: to spit upon, διαρθρόω: to articulate, differentiate, distinguish, διαφορά, ἡ: difference, variance, distinction, διότι: because, since, wherefore, δοκέω: to seem (good), think, imagine, δωρέω: to give, present, ἐγώ: I, me, my 2 ἐθέλω: to will, wish, εἰ: if, whether, 3 εἰμί: to be, exist, 4 εἰς: into, to, in regard to (+ acc.), 3 εἶτα: then, next, and so, therefore, 2 ἑκάτερος, -α, -ον: each of two, either, ἐκβάλλω: to throw out of, cast away, ἐκφαίνω: to bring to light, reveal, appear, ἐμπίπλημι: to fill completely, fill up, ἐν: in, on, among. (+ dat.), 8 ἕνεκεν: on account of, in consequence of, ἔννοια, ἡ: concept, conceptualisation, 3 ἐπεί: when, after, since, because, ἔπειτα: then, next, secondly, ἐπί: near (gen.), to, toward (acc.); near, at, 2 ἐπικαλέω: to summon, call upon, ἐπιούσιος, ον: for the day, ἐπιστέλλω: to send to; enjoin, command, ἐρῶ: to say, speak, 2 ἑταῖρος, ὁ: companion, ἕτερος, α, ον: other, the other of two, 2 εὐλαβεία, ἡ: reverence, piety, εὐπρόσιτος, ον: accessible, agreeable, εὑρίσκω: to find, discover, devise, invent, εὐφραίνω: to cheer; (mid) enjoy, rejoice, εὐχή, ἡ: prayer, vow, εὔχομαι: to pray, vow, wish, ἔχω: to have, hold, 4 ζήτημα, τό: inquiry, question; dispute, ἡγέομαι: to lead; consider, believe (dat) ἡμεῖς: we, 0 ἤπερ: than at all, than even, ἧττων, ον: inferior, lesser, θεῖος, -α, -ον: divine, θεός, ὁ: god, divinity, 3 θεωρέω: to look at, to consider, ἰάομαι: to cure, treat, heal, ἰατρός, ὁ: physician, doctor, ἴδιος, -η, -ον: one s own; private, lone, ἵνα: in order that (+ subj.); where (+ ind.), καί: and, also, even, too, 2 καρδία, ἡ: heart, κατά: down from (+ gen.), down, down along (+ acc.), 2 καταλείπω: to leave behind, abandon, καταξίω: to deem worthy, καταπίπτω: to fall, drop, collapse, κατασκευάζω: to prepare, build, equip, κεῖμαι: to lie, be situated, posited, occur, κοινός, ή, όν: common, shared, public, 2 κοινωνός, ὁ: companion, partner, λαμβάνω: to take, catch, receive, 2 λαός, ὁ: people (usu. collectively), λέγω: to say, speak; 4 λογίος, α, ον: related to words; oracles, λόγος, ὁ: word, speech, account, argument 2 μᾶλλον: more, rather, 2
6 Basil, Epistle 36, Vocabulary μείζων, -ον (-ονος): greater, 3 μέν: on the one hand, 3 μέντοι: however, nevertheless; certainly, μετά: with (+ gen.); after (+ acc.), 3 μηδαμοῦ: nowhere, μηδείς, μηδεμία, μηδέν: no one, nobody, nothing, 3 μονογενής, ές: unique; only-begotten, νοητός, ή, όν: mental; (subs) thought, idea, 2 νῦν: now; as it is, 2 ὁ, ἡ, τό: the, 55 οἰκουμένη, ἡ: the world, οἶμαι: to think, suppose, believe, ὅμοιος, -η, -ον: resembling, similar, like, 2 ὁμοούσιος, ον: of the same substance, 4 ὁμοῦ: at the same place, together, ὄνομα, -ατος, τό: name, noun, ὅπερ: the very thing; wherefore, as, like, ὁποῖός, α, ον: of what sort, quality, ὅπως: how, in what way; so that, ὀρθῶς: correctly, straightly, rightly, ὅς, ἥ, ὄ: who, which, what, 5 οὐ, οὐκ, οὐχ: not, 2 οὐδείς, οὐδεμία, οὐδέν: no one, nothing, 2 οὖν: and so, then; at all events, 2 οὐσία, ἡ: essence, substance, property, 7 οὔτε: neither, nor, and not, 2 οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο: this, 3 πάντως: in all ways, altogether, πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν: all; each, every, 2 πατήρ, ὁ: a father, 4 πέμπω: to send, περί: around, about, concerning, 2 περιγραφή, ἡ: outline, appearance; limit; individuality, περιούσιος, ον: having more; peculiar, πλατύς, εῖα, ύ: wide, broad, 2 πλεῖστος, -η, -ον: most, very many, πρός: to (acc.), near, in addition to (dat.), προσέρχομαι: to come or go to, approach, προστάτης, ὁ: one who stands before; leader, ruler; patron, champion, πρότερος, -α, -ον: before, in front of; earlier, 2 προϋπάρχω: to take initiative; be pre-existent, πῶς: how? in what way?, 2 σαθρός, ά, όν: unsound, σημαίνω: to sign, signify, indicate, σοφός, -ή, -όν: wise, skilled, σύ: you, 5 σύνειμι: to be with, be joined with, σῴζω: to rescue, save, ταὐτός, ή, όν: identical, τε: both, and, 3 τις, τι: anyone, anything, someone, something, 2 τίς, τί: who? which?, τοιοῦτος, -αύτη, -οῦτο: such, 3 τρόπος, ὁ: a manner, way; turn, direction, ὑγιαίνω: to be sound, healthy, ὑγιής, ές: healthy, sound, υἱός, ὁ: son, 2 ὑλικός, ή, όν: pertaining to matter, material, ὑπέρ: above, on behalf of (gen.); over, beyond (acc.), 3 ὑπέρκειμαι: to lie above, be situated above, ὑπισχνέομαι: to take upon oneself; to promise, ὑπόθεσις, ἡ: proposal, intention; supposition; premise, ὑπόκειμαι: to lie under; exist, be the subject, ὑπολάμβανω: to take up, to understand, ὑποστηρίζω: to underprop, sustain, φροντίς, ἡ: thought, care, consideration, φυλάσσω: to guard, keep, observe, φύρω: to mix, combine; confuse, φωνή, ἡ: voice, noise, sound, φῶς, τό: light (φάος), 4 χράομαι: to lack; desire; use, χρή: it is necessary, it is fitting; must, ought, 2 χώρα, ἡ: land, region, country, ὡς: as, thus, so, that; when, since, 3 ὥστε: so that, that, so as to, ὠφελέω: to help, aid, benefit,