Beginning and first
For the making of the world has had a beginning, the Creator, yet it was not made first by the Creator — for the Creator made many things before [...]. But the things that came to be had a beginning, whether first or second in word. For the first is properly said only when nothing precedes; but beginning is signified of things that begin, even if they come last. And whatever is first is also a beginning; but what is a beginning is not already also first.
Greek
τῆς γὰ[ρ κοσμοποιί]ας ἀρχὴν ἐσχηκ[υίας τὸν δημιο]ουργό[ν], οὐ μέντ[οι γε πρώτης ὑπ]ὸ τοῦ δημ[ιουργοῦ ποιηθείσ]ης – πολλ[ὰ γὰρ πρότερον ὁ δη]μιου[ργὸς ἐποίησεν ... μι ... · ἀλ[λ]ὰ ἀρχὴν μὲν [εἶ]χεν [τὰ] γενόμεν[α εἴτε λ]όγῳ [τὰ] πρῶτα [ἢ δεύτερ]α· τ[ὸ μὲν γ]ὰρ πρῶ[τον μόνον] μη[δενὸς] προάγο[ντος κυρίω]ς λέγ[εται], ἡ δὲ ἀρχὴ ἐπὶ τ[ῶν ἀρ]χομέ[νων], κἂν τελευταῖ[α γέ]νηται, σημαίνεται. Κ[αὶ ὅ τι] μὲν πρῶτόν ἐστιν, τοῦ[τ]ο κ[αὶ] ἀρχή ἐστιν, οὐχ ὅ τι δὲ ἀρχή, ἤδη καὶ πρῶτον.