Refutation of Certain Doctrines of Aristotle 64–65
Pseudonymous: Transmitted under Justin's name; a 5th-century work, often ascribed to Theodoret of Cyrrhus.
Greek text: PG 6.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 64
64PG 6:1503
Ἐχ τοῦ αὑτοῦ « ᾿Αἴδια μὲν οὖν εἶναι ἀδύνατον - ὁρῶμεν γὰρ χε ᾿ πῦρ, καὶ ὕδωρ, καὶ ἕχαστον τῶν ἀπλῶν σωμάτων διαλυόμενον, ὥστ᾽ ἀνάγχη γενητὰ καὶ φθαρτὰ εἶαι τὰ στοιχεῖα τῶν σωμάτων.» Εἰ στοιχεῖον τῶν σωμάτων ἐστὶ καὶ ἢ γῆ, πῶς τὴν μὲν γῆν συναΐδιόν τε καὶ συναγένητον εἴρηχας ! τῷ οὐρανῷ, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα στοιχεῖα γενητὰ καὶ φθαρτί;
Ech tou hautou « ᾿Aidia men oun einai adynaton - horōmen gar che ᾿ pyr, kai hydōr, kai hechaston tōn aplōn sōmatōn dialyomenon, hōst᾽ ananchē genēta kai phtharta eiai ta stoicheia tōn sōmatōn.» Ei stoicheion tōn sōmatōn esti kai ē gē, pōs tēn men gēn synaïdion te kai synagenēton eirēchas ! tǭ ouranǭ, ta de alla stoicheia genēta kai phtharti?
From the same: “That they are eternal is impossible; for we see fire and water and each of the simple bodies being dissolved, so that the elements of bodies must be generated and perishable.” If earth too is an element of bodies, how have you said that the earth is co-eternal and co-ungenerated with the heaven, but the other elements generated and perishable?
Notes and citation
Summary: Aristotle says the elements are generated and perishable, yet calls the earth co-eternal with the heaven, which the author calls inconsistent.
- Aristotle, On the Heaven 3.6, 304b.
Extrabiblical texts: Aristotle, Cael. 3.6, 304b (Aristotle (works); quotation)
Cite (SBL): Ps.-Justin, Confut. 64 (PG 6:1503; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-confutatio/64/#p-64). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (archive.org OCR; slips and Migne's Latin removed as logged corrections) and compared afterwards with ANF where it has the text; otherwise re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 65
65PG 6:1503
᾿Εχ τοῦ αὐτοῦ «.ἰόγου. «ε Τῶν στοιχείων ἣ γένεσις ἐξ ἀλλήλων. » ' Πῶς γίνεται ἐξ ἀλλήλων τὰ στοιχεῖα πρῶτον μὲ γινομένων χατὰ τὴν γένεσιν τὴν ἐξ ἀλλήλων; Ταὺγενέσεως. "Ὄντων γὰρ αὐτῶν, μεταδάλλεται εἰς ἄλλη λα, καὶ γίνονται ἐξ ἀλλήλων.
᾿Ech tou autou «.iogou. «e Tōn stoicheiōn hē genesis ex allēlōn. » ' Pōs ginetai ex allēlōn ta stoicheia prōton me ginomenōn chata tēn genesin tēn ex allēlōn? Taugeneseōs. "Ontōn gar autōn, metadalletai eis allē la, kai ginontai ex allēlōn.
From the same book: “The generation of the elements is from one another.” How do the elements come to be from one another … first … coming to be according to the generation from one another? … of generation. For they exist, and change into one another, and come to be from one another.
Notes and citation
Summary: The author questions how the elements can come to be from one another, as Aristotle says, if they must already exist in order to change.
- Aristotle, On the Heaven 3.6, 305a. The refutation is garbled in the scan (marked “…”); the end of the work is lost. Migne's reference at the end is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's reference at the end removed): ἰἰοὶ!, ἴ. π. δ. → .
Extrabiblical texts: Aristotle, Cael. 3.6, 305a (Aristotle (works); quotation)
Cite (SBL): Ps.-Justin, Confut. 65 (PG 6:1503; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-confutatio/64/#p-65). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-ps-justin-confutatio-65) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (archive.org OCR; slips and Migne's Latin removed as logged corrections) and compared afterwards with ANF where it has the text; otherwise re-read against the Greek.