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| Recapitulation of Theologies and Cosmogonies; System of the Persians; Of the Babylonians; The Egyptian Notion of Deity; Their Theology Based on a Theory of Numbers; Their System of Cosmogony.
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Chapter
XLIII.—Recapitulation of Theologies and Cosmogonies; System of
the Persians; Of the Babylonians; The Egyptian Notion of Deity; Their
Theology Based on a Theory of Numbers; Their System of
Cosmogony.
Among all those who throughout the earth, as
philosophers and theologians, have carried on investigations, has
prevailed diversity of opinion278
| 278
See Aristotle’s Metaphysics, book i.; Cicero, De
Naturâ Deorum, book i. (both translated in Bohn’s
Classical Library); and Plutarch, De Placitis Philosophorum.
lib. i. |
concerning the Deity, as to His essence or nature. For some
affirm Him to be fire, and some spirit, and some water, while others
say that He is earth. And each of the elements labours under some
deficiency, and one is worsted by the other. To the wise men of
the world, this, however, has occurred, which is obvious to persons
possessing intelligence; (I mean) that, beholding the stupendous works
of creation, they were confused respecting the substance of existing
things, supposing that these were too vast to admit of deriving
generation from another, and at the same time (asserting) that neither
the universe itself is God. As far as theology was concerned,
they declared, however, a single cause for things that fall under the
cognizance of vision, each supposing the cause which he adjudged the
most reasonable; and so, when gazing on the objects made by God, and on
those which are the most insignificant in comparison with His
overpowering majesty, not, however, being able to extend the mind to
the magnitude of God as He really is, they deified these (works of the
external world).
But the Persians,279
| 279 The
mention of the Persians, Babylonians, and Egyptians shows the
subject-matter of the lost books to have been concerning the
speculative systems of these nations. | supposing that they had penetrated more
within the confines of the truth, asserted that the Deity is luminous,
a light contained in air. The Babylonians, however, affirmed that
the Deity is dark, which very opinion also appears the consequence of
the other; for day follows night, and night day. Do not the
Egyptians, however,280
| 280 This
rendering follows Miller’s text. Schneidewin thinks there
is a hiatus, which the Abbe Cruice fills up, the latter translating the
passage without an interrogation: “The Egyptians, who think
themselves more ancient than all, have formed their ideas of the power
of the Deity by calculations and computing,” etc. | who suppose
themselves more ancient than all, speak of the power of the
Deity? (This power they estimate by) calculating these intervals
of the parts (of the zodiac; and, as if) by a most divine
inspiration,281
| 281 Or,
“meditation on the divine nature,” or “godlike
reflection.” | they asserted
that the Deity is an indivisible monad, both itself generating itself,
and that out of this were formed all things. For this, say
they,282
| 282
The ms. has “says
he.” | being
unbegotten, produces the succeeding numbers; for instance, the monad,
superadded into itself, generates the duad; and in like manner, when
superadded (into duad, triad, and so forth), produces the triad and
tetrad, up to the decade, which is the beginning and end of
numbers. Wherefore it is that the first and tenth monad is
generated, on account of the decade being equipollent, and being
reckoned for a monad, and (because) this multiplied ten times will
become a hundred, and again becomes a monad, and the hundred
multiplied ten times will produce a thousand, and this will be a
monad. In this manner also the thousand multiplied ten times make
up the full sum of a myriad; in like manner will it be a monad.
But by a comparison of indivisible quantities, the kindred numbers of
the monad comprehend 3, 5, 7, 9.283
| 283 The
Abbe Cruice suggests the elimination of 9, on account of its being a
divisible number. |
There is also, however, a more natural relation of
a different number to the monad, according to the arrangement of the
orbit of six days’ duration,284
| 284 Miller
considers some reference here to the six days’ creation
(Hexaëmeron), on account of the word φυσικωτέρα, i.e., more natural. The Abbe Cruice considers that there is an
allusion to an astronomic instrument used for exhibiting harmonic
combinations; see Ptolem., Harmon., i. 2. Bunsen
reads τοῦ
ἑξακύκλου
ὑλικοῦ. | (that is), of the duad, according to the
position and division of even numbers. But the kindred number is
4 and 8. These, however, taking from the monad of the
numbers285
| 285 The
text is obviously corrupt. As given by Schneidewin, it might be
rendered thus: “These deriving from the monad a numerical
symbol, a virtue, have progressed up to the elements.” He
makes no attempt at a Latin version. The Abbe Cruice would
suggest the introduction of the word προστεθεῖσαν,
on account of the statement already made, that “the monad,
superadded into itself, produces a duad.” | an idea of
virtue, progressed up to the four elements; (I allude), of course, to
spirit, and fire, and water, and earth. And out of these having
made the world, (God) framed it an ermaphrodite, and allocated two
elements for the upper hemisphere, namely spirit and fire; and this is
styled the hemisphere of the monad, (a hemisphere) beneficent, and
ascending, and masculine. For, being composed of small particles,
the monad soars into the most rarified and purest part of the
atmosphere; and the other two elements, earth and water, being more
gross, he assigned to the duad; and this is termed the descending
hemisphere, both feminine and mischievous. And likewise, again,
the upper elements themselves, when compared one with another, comprise
in one another both male and female for fruitfulness and increase of
the whole creation. And the fire is masculine, and the spirit
feminine. And again the water is masculine, and the earth
feminine. And so from the beginning fire consorted with spirit,
and water with earth. For as the power of spirit is fire, so also
that of earth is water;286
| 286 There
is a hiatus here. Hippolytus has said nothing concerning
enneads. | …and the elements themselves, when
computed and resolved by subtraction of enneads, terminate properly,
some of them in the masculine number, and others of them in the
feminine. And, again, the ennead is subtracted for this cause,
because the three hundred and sixty parts of the entire (circle)
consist of enneads, and for this reason the four regions of the world
are circumscribed by ninety perfect parts. And light has been
appropriated to the monad, and darkness to the duad, and life to light,
according to nature, and death to the duad. And to life (has been
appropriated) justice; and to death, injustice. Wherefore
everything generated among masculine numbers is beneficent, while that
(produced) among feminine (numbers) is mischievous. For instance,
they pursue their calculations thus: monad—that we may
commence from this—becomes 361, which (numbers) terminate in a
monad by the subtraction of the ennead. In like manner, reckon
thus: Duad becomes 605; take away the enneads, it ends in a duad,
and each reverts into its own peculiar (function).E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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