Hippolytus, Fragments on Genesis
He did not say 'first day,' because if he had said 'first day,' he would have been obliged to speak of a second day as well. Instead, he had to say not 'first' but 'one,' so that by the word 'one' he might show this day as cyclical, completing the week, yet itself remaining one. The excess of water was brought over the face of the earth, which is why the earth was invisible and unformed; when the Master of all wished to make the invisible visible, he froze a third of the waters in the middle, separated a third upward, lifted the solid part by his own power at the same time, and left a third below for human use and enjoyment.
Greek
Οὐκ εἶπεν ,,οἡμέρα πρώτη“. εἰ γὰρ πρώτην ἡμέραν εἶπεν, ἀνάγκὴν εἶχεν εἰπεῖν καὶ δευτέραν γινομένην. ἀλλ᾽ ἔδει μὴ πρώτην λέγειν ἀλλὰ ο,,μίων“, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ ,,μίαν““ εἰπεῖν ταύτην δείξῃ κυκλουμένην ὅ καὶ ἑβδομάδα διατελοῦσαν, μίαν δὲ ὑπάρχουσαν. Τῆς γὰρ τοῦ ὕδατος περισσείας ἐπιφερομένης εἷς τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς, διὸ καὶ ἀόρατος ἣν ἡ γῆ καὶ ἀκατασχεύαστος“, ἡνίκα ἢϑέλησεν ὃ πάντων δεσπότης ὁρατὸν τὸ ἀόρατον“ ποιῆσαι, τότε δὴ τότε τὸ τρίτον μέρος τῶν ὑδάτων πήγνυσιν ἐν μέσῳ, τὸ τρίτον δὲ εἰς τὸ ἄνῶ ἐχώριζεν. ἀναλαμβανῶν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμει ἀμα τῷ στερεῶματι, τὸ δὲ τρίτον εἰς τὸ κάτω κατέλιπε πρὸς χρῆσιν καὶ ,,(ἀπόλαυσιν“ τοῖς ἀνϑοώποις.