Dial.2 rem early: begotten means natural Son, not creature word-play
A drives the Arian dodge into the open: they say “Son” and “begotten,” yet deny a natural begetting from the Father, as if the Word were other in kind and outside the begetter’s relation. That folly, he says, buys them nothing but a further absurdity Hermias asks to hear.
The talk turns on what “Father” and “begetting” must mean if Scripture’s names are not empty. If the Son is truly begotten, he is not a made thing ranked by grace alone; the Father’s own begetting sets him in the Father’s nature. Condensed early rem: lemma-led from PG 75 after the leopard/Arius opening.
Greek
{Α.} Τὸ κατωφρυῶσθαι λίαν, οἴεσθαι δέ τι τῶν ἄλλων εἰδέναι φρονεῖν τε καὶ λέγειν ἀπορρητότερον, ἐπησκῆσθαί τε καὶ λόγων ἁμίλλας καὶ μὴν καὶ δοκησισόφοις ἐντεθράφθαι τέχναις, καὶ ταῖς τῶν ἐννοιῶν πρὸς πᾶν ὁτιοῦν εὐκόλοις περιστροφαῖς κατὰ κράτος ἑλεῖν δύνασθαι τοὺς ἁπλῇ συνέσει διαβιοῦν ἑλομένους, καλαμίνην δὲ ὥσπερ ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ψυχαῖς ὑποστήσαντες ῥάβδον τὴν ἐν κόσμῳ σοφίαν καὶ νενοθευμένων ἐννοιῶν συρφετοὺς συλλέγοντες, τῆς τῶν δογμάτων ὀρθότητος τὸ μὴ χρῆναι διαμαρτεῖν οὐδέν, οἶμαι, καταλογίζονται. Οὐ γὰρ ἐννοοῦσιν ὅτι ξυνωρὶς μὲν ἱερὰ τῶν Ἀαρὼν κατεφλέχθη παίδων, ἐπεί τοι τὸ Θεῷ δοκοῦν ἐβιάζετο καὶ ὀθνεῖον τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ προσεκόμιζε πῦρ, οὔτε μὴν ἐπαΐειν τάχα που λοιπὸν ἀνέχονται διακεκραγότος τοῦ νόμου· "Καὶ οὐκ εἰσοίσεις βδέλυγμα εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, καὶ ἀνάθεμα ἔσῃ ὥσπερ καὶ τοῦτο. Προσοχθίσματι προσοχθιεῖς καὶ βδελύγματι βδελύξῃ, ὅτι ἀνάθεμά ἐστι." Πῦρ γὰρ ἀληθῶς ἀλλότριον καὶ ἀπᾴδον Θεῷ θερμὸν διανοίας κίνημα, τῆς δαιμονιώδους σοφίας ἐκμεμεστωμένον καὶ οὔ τί που τῶν ἱερῶν Γραμμάτων ἐκκεκαυμένον. Βδέλυγμα δὲ αὖ τὸ εἰς Θεοῦ τύπον πλαστουρ γούμενον ἄγαλμα. Τοιουτονὶ δὲ κἀκεῖνοι διαπλάττουσι τὸν Υἱόν, τιμῇ μὲν καὶ δόξῃ λαμπρᾷ καὶ θεοπρεπεὶ κατη γλαϊσμένον {καὶ θεοπρεπῶς}, πλὴν οὐκ ἀληθῆ, νόθοις δὲ ὥσπερ ὀνόμασι καὶ θεοπρεπέσι φωναῖς εἰδοποιηθέντα Θεόν. Τὸ γάρτοι φάναι μὲν ὅτι γεγέννηται, καὶ Υἱὸν ὀνομάζειν αὐτόν, μὴ μὴν ἔτι καὶ οἴεσθαι γεγεννῆσθαί τε καὶ Υἱὸν 419 εἶναι κατὰ φύσιν, τί ἂν εἴη λοιπὸν ἢ τοῦτο; Ἡμῖν δὲ ὁ θησαυρὸς ἐν ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσι, καὶ γυμνὴ σοφίας κοσμικῆς καὶ δαιμονιώδους ἀπάτης ἡ ἀλήθεια φίλη. {Β.} Φίλη γάρ, καὶ ἄριστά γε ἔφης. Ἀλλ' ἴοις ἂν ἤδη καὶ πρὸς βάσανον τῶν ἐκείνοις ὑπειλημμένων περί τε τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ. Τὸ γὰρ δὴ μάλιστα τελοῦν εἰς ὄνησιν τοῖς ἐντευξομένοις τουτὶ δοίην ἄν. {Α.} Ὀνήσειεν ἂν οἶδ' ὅτι μάλιστά γε τουτί. Καὶ ἐπείπερ ὧδε ἔχειν ἀριστά σοι δοκεῖ, φέρε καθάπερ Ἑλλήνων οἱ ποιηταί φασι, πεῖσμ' ἀπολυσάμενοι, καὶ οἱάπερ ἀκτῆς καὶ ὁρμητηρίων ἀπαίροντες, ἀφῶμεν εἰς πέλαγος ὁλκάδα ὅπως τὸν λόγον. {Β.} Ἰτέον δὴ οὖν. {Α.} Ἴδιον μ
About this text
Cyril of Alexandria, Dialogue 2 on the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity (Greek). Complete on this page: opening + rem CLOSEOUT.
English follows PG 75 Greek (CPG 5216). Durand SC French and modern English syncs were not used as wording. Dialogue 2 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.