Destiny and stars (Philoc. 23)
Astrology that binds souls to star-fate is rejected; the heavens declare God’s glory, they do not write our sins.
Greek
Περὶ εἱμαρμένης καὶ πῶς προγνώςτου ὄντος το θεοῦ τῶν ὑφ᾿ ἑκάςτου πραττομένων τὸ ἐφ ἡμῖν ςώζεται. καὶ τίνα τπόπον οἱ ἀςτέρες οὐκ εἰςὶ ποιητικοὶ τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις, ςημαντικοὶ δὲ μόνον· καὶ ὅτι ἄνθρςπο πεπὶ τούτων γνῶςιν ἀκριβῶς ἔχειν οὐ δύνανται, ἀλλὰ δυνὰμεςι θείαις τὰ ςημεῖα ἔκκειτσγ καὶ τίς ή τούτων αίτία. τομου τρίου τῶν εἰς τήν γένεςιν. “καὶ ἔςτωςαν είς ςημεῖα καὶ εῖς καιροὺς καὶ εἰς ἡμέρας καὶ εἰς ἐνιαυτούς.” 1. Περὶ τοῦ εἰς σημεῖα γεγονέναι τοὺς φωστῆρας, οὐκ ἄλλους ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης καὶ τῶν ἀστέρων τυγχάνοντας, τῶν σφόδρα ἀναγκαιοτάτων ἐστὶ διαλαβεῖν· οὐ μόνον πολλῶν ἐθυῶν τῶν τῆς Χριστοῦ πίστεως ἀλλοτρίων σφαλλομένων εἰς τὸν περὶ τῆς εἱμαρμένης τόπον, τῇ τῶν πλανωμένων ἀστέρων ἐπιπλοκῇ πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τῷ ζωδιακῷ πάντων αὐτοῖς νομιζομένων συμβαίνειν τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ τῶν περὶ ἕκαστον ἄνθρωπον, τάχα δὲ καὶ ἀλόγων ζώων· ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ πολλῶν τῶν πεπιστευκέναι ὑπολαμβανομένων περισπωμένω…
About this text
Origen’s Philocalia (Greek anthology). SERIES on this page: §§1–27 (sampled bookends).
English follows Robinson 1893 Greek. George Lewis 1911 was not used as wording. Philocalia SERIES CLOSEOUT §§1–27.
Witnesses
- Copy-text J. A. Robinson, Cambridge 1893 — Greek (Greek · Philocalia §§1–27 SERIES)
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.