Fish with fins/scales vs mud-dwellers; world-sea begins
Cyril: ...thus somehow again: 'And these you will eat from all the in the waters; all as many as there are for them fins and scales in the waters, and in the seas, and in the torrents, these you will eat; and all as many as there are not for them fins, nor scales in the waters, and in the seas, and in the torrents, from all which the waters belch-up and from every living soul in the water, an abomination it is, and abominations they will be for you. From their fleshes you will not eat, and their carcasses you will abominate, and all as many as there are not in them fins nor scales of the in the waters, an abomination this is for you.' (Leviticus 11:9–12)
Palladius: But what ever is at least in these the difference, according to contemplation at least I say the spiritual, you yourself would speak. For I understand not somehow very much.
Cyril: Very much so; for I will speak, as possible, reshaping unto the apparent the as in a manner of examples having been taken-beside by the law; for as many as of the in the waters have been well-formed by the Craftsman of all according to the law of the fishes, as it were always rowing-through with the castings of the fins, they make the movement which they would somehow choose as well-strong and most well-running. And with sun casting from above into the waters the approach of the ray, they swim-up, and all but also dare to leap-up from the waters themselves, refusing to remain always below, and they go-through easily also the nets of those hunting. And those at least not being in scales and fins, or being in hard shells, and having been clothed with the connatural shell, least know the above, and they always sink-in the grass unto the below, and love-to-dwell in the muddy of the places. And they are strengthless and easy-to-catch, and for those having seen them once, takeable without sweat. And a word at least upon those, this, both clear and true; and let us go again as from images and types unto the more apparent.
Palladius: You would speak most excellently, and toward this at least going eagerly.
Cyril: The distraction of this life
Greek
ὡδί πη πάλιν· «Καὶ ταῦτα φάγεσθε ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι· πάντα ὅσα ἐστὶν αὐτοῖς πτερύγια καὶ λεπίδες ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι, καὶ ἐν ταῖς θαλάσσαις, καὶ ἐν τοῖς χειμάῤῥοις, ταῦτα φάγεσθε· καὶ πάντα ὅσα οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῖς πτερύγια, οὔτε λεπίδες ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι, καὶ ἐν ταῖς θαλάσσαις, καὶ ἐν τοῖς χειμάῤῥοις, ἀπὸ πάντων ὧν ἐρεύγεται τὰ ὕδατα καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης ψυχῆς ζώσης ἐν τῷ ὕδατι, βδέλυγμά ἐστι, καὶ βδελύγματα ἔσονται ὑμῖν. Ἀπὸ τῶν κρεῶν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔδεσθε, καὶ τὰ θνησιμαῖα αὐτῶν βδελύξεσθε, καὶ πάντα ὅσα οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς πτερύγια οὔτε λεπίδες τῶν ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι, βδέλυγμα τοῦτό ἐστιν ὑμῖν.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἀλλ' ἥτις ποτέ ἐστιν ἔν γε δὴ τούτοις ἡ διαφορὰ, κατὰ θεωρίαν δὴ λέγω τὴν πνευματικὴν, φράσαις ἂν αὐτός. Συνίημι γὰρ οὔτι που μάλα ἐγώ.
{ΚΥΡ.} Πάνυ μὲν οὖν· ἐρῶ γὰρ, ὡς ἔνι, μεταπλάττων ἐπὶ τὸ ἐμφανὲς τὰ ὡς ἐν τρόπῳ παραδειγμάτων τῷ νόμῳ παρειλημμένα· ὅσα μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι πρὸς τοῦ πάντων Δημιουργοῦ τῷ τῶν ἰχθύων εὖ μάλα πεπλαστούργηται νόμῳ, ταῖς τῶν πτερυγίων ἐκβολαῖς οἱονείπως ἀεὶ διερέττοντα, τὴν οἵπερ ἂν ἕλοιντο τυχὸν ὡς εὐσθενῆ καὶ εὐδρομωτάτην ποιοῦνται κίνησιν. Καὶ ἡλίου μὲν θερμὴν ἄνωθεν ἐνιέντος τοῖς ὕδασι τῆς ἀκτῖνος τὴν προσβολὴν, ἀνανήχεται, καὶ μονονουχὶ καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ὑδάτων ἀναθρώσκειν ἀποτολμᾷ, τὸ κάτω μένειν ἀεὶ παραιτούμενα, διεξοίχεται δὲ ῥᾳδίως καὶ τῶν θηρώντων τὰ λῖνα. Τά γε μὴν οὐκ ἐν λεπίσι καὶ πτερυγίοις, ἤγουν ἐν ἐλύτροις ὄντα σκληροῖς, καὶ ὀστράκῳ τῷ συμφυεῖ κατημφιεσμένα, ἥκιστα μὲν οἶδε τὸ ἄνω, εἰσδύεται δὲ τὴν εἰς τὸ κάτω πόαν ἀεὶ, καὶ τοῖς ἰλυώδεσι τῶν τόπων ἐμφιλοχωρεῖ. Ἀδρανῆ τέ ἐστι καὶ εὐάλωτα, καὶ τοῖς ἅπαξ τεθεαμένοις, ἱδρῶτος δίχα ληπτά. Καὶ λόγος μὲν ἐπ' ἐκείνοις, οὑτοσὶ, σαφής τε καὶ ἀληθής· ἴωμεν δ' αὖ ὡς ἐξ εἰκόνων καὶ τύπων ἐπὶ τὰ ἐμφανέστερα.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Φράσειας ἂν ἄριστα, καὶ πρός γε δὴ τούτῳ προθύμως ἰών.
{ΚΥΡ.} Τὸν τοῦδε τοῦ βίου περισπασμὸν, καὶ τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ τῶν πραγμάτων πικρὰν ἀνάχυσιν καὶ ἀναφυρμὸν κατασημαίνων ἡμῖν ἀστείως ὁ Μελῳδὸς ψάλλει· «Αὕτη ἡ θάλασσα ἡ μεγάλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος. Ἐκεῖ ἑρπετὰ ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμὸς, ζῶα μικρὰ μετὰ μεγάλων.» Ἰχθύσι γὰρ παρεικαστέον εὖ μάλα τοὺς ἐπ' οὐδενὶ μὲν ἔσθ' ὅτε τῶν ἀναγκαίων εἰς ὄνησιν, τῇδέ τε κἀκεῖσε διᾴττοντας, καὶ μόνα συλλέγοντας τὰ ὅσαπερ ἂν ἀποφῆναι σαρκικοὺς καὶ εἰκαίους ἀνατλῆναι παρασκευάζει πόνους.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Εὖ λέγεις.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἐπιπλήττει δέ που τοῖς τοιοῖσδέ τισι καὶ ὁ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθητὴς, ὡδὶ λέγων· «Ἄγε δὴ νῦν οἱ λέγοντες· Σήμερον καὶ αὔριον πορευσόμεθα εἰς τήνδε τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ποιήσομεν ἐνιαυτὸν ἕνα, καὶ ἐμπορευσόμεθα, καὶ κερδήσομεν.» Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· «Ἀντὶ τοῦ λέγειν ὑμᾶς· Ἐὰν ὁ Κύριος θελήσῃ, καὶ
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 14 of a seventeen-book dialogue — not the whole work.
English follows Migne PG 68 (Aubert reprint). The PDF and a cleaned text of the same print were checked against each other. This page is Book 14 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 14 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 14)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 14)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.