Dial.1 rem early: hard Scripture paths; learn from the saints
A presses Hermias: at home in quiet, does he keep the divine word in mind, holy books in hand, eagerness sharpening the mind like keen-nosed hounds for the hunt of what must be learned — or will old age be blamed for slackness? Hermias answers that the body is weak at life’s evening, yet the mind still loves learning; like a noble colt forced onto rough, unbroken ground, zeal for the God-breathed Scripture meets paths hard to enter and hard to tread, and at times the rough country drives the mind toward hesitation — especially when the talk is about the faith, the chief point of our hope.
A agrees: gifts from above are not won without sweat. Things too high, with a glory set apart, are not easy trails for whoever wants them; they are hard to take, hard to enter, uphill. What then should those do who long for these fairest findings when reaching them is hardest? Nothing else, A says, than to trust the ways of the holy ones.
Greek
. {Α.} Ἆρ' οὖν, ὦ Ἑρμεία, σχολαῖος οἴκοι διατελῶν, ταυτησὶ τῆς θείας ἀπομεμνῆσθαι φωνῆς ὅτι προσῆκεν ἡγῇ; Καί σοι καθὰ χθὲς καὶ πρώην βίβλοι μὲν μετὰ χεῖράς εἰσιν ἱεραί, φιλομαθεστάτη δέ τις ἐντρέφεται προθυμία τῷ νῷ, καθάπερ τινὰ τῶν εὐρινοτάτων παραθήγουσα κυνῶν, εἰς φιλοθηρίαν ὧν ἂν δέῃ σε μαθεῖν; Ἢ τάχα που καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀφιλεργίας ἀνάψομεν τὰς αἰτίας, ἀφηβηκότι τῷ χρόνῳ τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἡλικίας, ἢ γοῦν ἕτερόν τι καὶ οὐκ ἀληθὲς ἐρεῖς; Κατακερτομοίην δ' ἂν ὡς ἥδιστά σε, τοιόνδε τι λέγων ὡς φιλοψευδές τι χρῆμα καὶ τὰ ἐφ' οἷς ἂν βούλοιτό ποτε καὶ λέγοι πιστὸς ἑτοιμότατα δέχεσθαι ζητοῦν ἄνθρωπος γέρων. {Β.} Πολλὰ μὲν ἂν ἔχοιμι τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἀρρωστίας κατηγορεῖν· ἐπ' αὐτὰς γὰρ ἥκομεν τὰς τοῦ βίου δυσμάς· τὸ δ' οὖν ἀναγκαῖον ἐρῶ, παρεὶς τὰ τοιαῦτα νυνί. Χρηστομαθὴς γὰρ ἀεί πως ὁ νοῦς μὲν ἐμοί, γλίχεται δὲ οὐδενός πω τάχα πλὴν τοῦδέ τε καὶ μόνου· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τινὰ πῶλον εὐγενῆ τε καὶ δρομικώτατον, καίτοι ποδῶν ἀρετὴν ἀναφαίνειν ἐθέλοντα, τὰ μὴ σφόδρα τῶν πεδίων ἐψιλωμένα καὶ οὐχ ἑκόντα παραβιάζεται διακεκομμένην ὥσπερ καὶ οὐκ εἰς ἅπαν τεθαυμασμένην τῆς ἐνούσης εὐσθενείας αὐτῷ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἔνδειξιν· κατὰ τὸν ἴσον, οἶμαι, τουτονὶ τρόπον, καὶ αὐτὸν ἐμὲ θερμῇ τινι καὶ ἀσχέτῳ προθυμίᾳ κατισχημένον εἰς τὸ δεῖν ἑλέσθαι πολυπραγμονεῖν τὰ παρὰ τῇ θεοπνεύστῳ Γραφῇ, δυσέμβατά τε καὶ ἀστιβῆ κατάγχει χωρία, οὐχ 387 ἁπλῆν, ὡς ἄν τις εἰκάσαι, καὶ εὐκατάδρομον ἔχοντα τὴν προσβολήν, οὔτε μὴν τοῖς ἐθέλουσιν ἐκκειμένην ἑλεῖν. Ταύτῃ τοι κατασοβεῖ μὲν εἰς ὄκνον ἔσθ' ὅτε τὸν νοῦν οἱονεί πως ἡ δυσχωρία· καταπέφρικα δὲ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων, ὅτι μάλιστά γε τὸν περὶ πίστεως λόγον, καίτοι κεφάλαιον ὄ
About this text
Cyril of Alexandria, Dialogue 1 on the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity (Greek). Complete on this page: prologue + opening + rem CLOSEOUT.
English follows PG 75 Greek (CPG 5216). Durand SC French and modern English syncs were not used as wording. Dialogue 1 CLOSEOUT.
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 75 — De sancta et consubstantiali Trinitate dialogi (Greek · Dialogue 1 prologue + opening)
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.