# On the Sole Government of God

- Author: Anonymous
- Latin title: *De monarchia*
- Date: 2nd–3rd century (disputed) (disputed)
- Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Graeca 6 (Paris: Migne, 1857), cols. 311–328

- Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator
- Editions and translations: Miroslav Marcovich, ed., Pseudo-Iustinus: Cohortatio ad Graecos; De monarchia; Oratio ad Graecos, PTS 32 (Berlin: de Gruyter, 1990)
- Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-de-monarchia/
- Passages: 6

## On the Sole Government of God 1

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-de-monarchia/1/#p-1
- Source: PG 6:313a–313b
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Envy turned humanity from the one Lord to idols; the author will refute idolatry from the Greek poets themselves.

### Greek text

Τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως τὸ κατʼ ἀρχὴν συζυγίαν συνέσεως καὶ σωτηρίας λαχούσης, εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας, θρησκείας τε τῆς εἷς τὸν ἕνα καὶ πάντων δεσπότην, παρεισδῦσα είς εἰδωλοποιίας ἐξέτρεψε βασκανία τὸ ὑπερβάλλον τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων μεγαλειότητος· καὶ πολλῷ χρόνῳ μεῖναν τὸ περισσὸν ἔθος, ὡς οἶκείαν καὶ ἀληθῆ τὴν πλάνην τοῖς πολλοῖς παραδίδωσι, Φιλανθρώπου δὲ ἢ μᾶλλον φιλοθέου ἔργον ἐστὶν, ὑπομνῆσαι τοὺς ἂπερ ὤφειλον εἰδέναι παραλελοιπότας. Ἠν μὲν γὰρ καθʼ αὕτην ἀρκοῦσα ἡ ἀλήθεια δεικνύναι ἐκ τῶν συνεχόντων ὑπὸ τὸν πόλον τὴν τοῦ δημιουργήσαντος ταῦτα τὰξιν. Λήθη δὲ διὰ τὸ μακρόθυμον τοῦ Θεοῦ περικρατήσασα τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων γνώμης, ἐρᾳδιοῦργησε, τὸ μόνᾳ τῷ ὅντως Θεῷ πρέπον ὄνομα, ἐπὶ θνητοὺς μεταφέρουσα, καὶ διʼ ὀλίγων νομὴν πονηρίας ἔσχον oi πολλοὶ, ἀμαυρούμενοι τῇ εἰς τὸ βέβαιον καὶ ἄτρεπτον γνώσει ὀχλικῇ συνηθείᾳ. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὸ κατʼ ἀρχὴν εἰς τιμὴν τῶν ὑπερεχόντων, τελετὰς καὶ λειτουργίας τελοῦντες, ἀμνηστίαν τοῖς μετʼ αὖτοὺς τῆς καθολικῆς δόξης ἐνέβαλον· ἐγὼ δὲ, ὡς μικρῷ πρόσθεν ὑπέστην, φιλοθέῳ τῇ γνώμῃ κεχρημένος, φιλανθρώπῳ χρήσομαι τῇ φωνῇ, καὶ παρίστημι τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσι, δέον ὑπάρχειν πᾶσι τος κεχρημένοις τῇ τῶν ὅλων διοικήσει, ἄτρεπτον ἔχειν τὴν εἷς τὸν πάντων γνώστην θρησκείαν. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐ λόγῳ καλλωπίζων, ἀποδείξει δὲ τῇ ἐκ τῶν κατὰ τὸ παλαιὸν εἷς τὸ παντελὲς τῆς Ἐλληνικῆς ἱστορίας ποιήσει κεχρημένος, ἐκ τῶν πᾶσι κοινῆ δεδομένων γραμμάτων, Ἐξ ὤν γαρ οἱ πάν) τὰς τῶν εῑδώλων θρησκείας νόμον to”: πολλοῖς παρέδοσαν, μαθόντες ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀγνῶτες νοῦ ἐλεγχθήσονται ὑπὸ τῶν παρʼ αὺτοῖς ποιητῶν καὶ μελογράφων.

### English translation (Claude)

Human nature at the beginning received a union of understanding and salvation, for the knowledge of truth and for the worship of the one Lord of all; but envy crept in and turned the surpassing greatness of men aside to the making of idols; and the superfluous custom, having lasted a long time, hands down the error to the many as if it were natural and true. It is the work of a lover of men, or rather of a lover of God, to remind those who have neglected what they ought to know. For the truth by itself was sufficient to show, from the things contained under the vault of heaven, the order of the one who created them. But forgetfulness, through the long-suffering of God, gained mastery over the minds of men and acted recklessly, transferring to mortals the name fitting only for the true God; and from a few the many caught the infection of wickedness, darkened by the custom of the crowd in their knowledge of what is firm and unchangeable. For those who at the beginning performed rites and services in honour of those who were more powerful brought forgetfulness of the universal belief upon those after them. But I, as I undertook a little before, with a God-loving mind, will use a man-loving voice, and set before those who have understanding (which all ought to have who make use of the government of the universe) that they should hold the worship of him who knows all things unchanging. This I will do not by adorning it with words, but by using proof from the ancient poetry of the whole of Greek history, from writings given to all in common. For those who handed down the worship of idols as a law to the many will be refuted as ignorant, learning it from them, by their own poets and lyric writers.

### Scripture references

- Rom 1:23: echo, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- "Universal belief" renders καθολικὴ δόξα (the belief common to all).

### Citation (SBL)

Ps.-Justin, Mon. 1 (PG 6:313a–313b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-de-monarchia/1/#p-1).

## On the Sole Government of God 2

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-de-monarchia/1/#p-2
- Source: PG 6:313b–317d
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Philemon, Orpheus, and Pythagoras are quoted as witnesses to the one invisible God.

### Greek text

Πρῶτος μὲν γὰρ Αἰσχύλος, τὴν τῶν καθʼ αὑτὸν λόγων σύνταξιν ἐκθείς, καὶ τὴν περὶ Θεοῦ τοῦ μόνου ἐξήνεγκε φωνήν, ὡς λέγει· « Χώριζε θνητῶν τὸν Θεόν, καὶ μὴ δόκει ὅμοιον σαυτῷ σάρκινον καθεστάναι. Οὐκ οἶσθα δʼ αὐτόν· ποτὲ μὲν ὡς πῦρ φαίνεται, ἄπλατον ὁρμῇ, ποτὲ δʼ ὕδωρ, ποτὲ θηρσὶν αὐτὸς γίνεται παρεμφερής, ἀνέμῳ, νέφει τε κἀστραπῇ, βροντῇ, βροχῇ. Ὑπηρετεῖ δʼ αὐτῷ θάλασσα καὶ πέτραι καὶ πᾶσα πηγὴ χὕδατος συστήματα. Τρέμει δʼ ὄρη καὶ γαῖα καὶ πελώριος βυθὸς θαλάσσης κὠρέων ὕψος μέγα, ὅταν ἐπιβλέψῃ γοργὸν ὄμμα δεσπότου. Πάντα δύναται γάρ· δόξα δʼ ὑψίστου Θεοῦ. » Οὐ μόνον δὲ οὗτος τὴν περὶ Θεοῦ ἐμυήθη γνῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ Σοφοκλῆς τὴν τοῦ μόνου ποιητοῦ τῶν ὅλων καὶ ἑνὸς Θεοῦ ἱστορεῖ τάξιν οὕτως· « Εἷς ταῖς ἀληθείαισιν, εἷς ἐστιν Θεός, ὃς οὐρανόν τʼ ἔτευξε καὶ γαῖαν μακράν, πόντου τε χαροπὸν οἶδμα κἀνέμων βίας. Θνητοὶ δὲ πολλοὶ καρδίαν πλανώμενοι ἱδρυσάμεσθα πημάτων παραψυχὰς θεῶν ἀγάλματʼ ἐκ λίθων ἢ χαλκέων ἢ χρυσοτεύκτων ἢ ἐλεφαντίνων τύπους· θυσίας τε τούτοις καὶ καλὰς πανηγύρεις τεύχοντες, οὕτως εὐσεβεῖν νομίζομεν. » Ἀλλὰ καὶ Φιλήμων, τὰ ἀρχαῖα εὐπορήσας φράσαι, κοινωνεῖ τῇ περὶ τῶν ὄντων γνώσει, ὡς γράφει· « Θεὸν δὲ ποῖον, εἰπέ μοι, νομιστέον; Τὸν πάνθʼ ὁρῶντα καὐτὸν οὐχ ὁρώμενον. » Μαρτυρήσει δέ μοι καὶ Ὀρφεύς, ὁ παρεισάγων τοὺς τριακοσίους ἑξήκοντα θεούς, ἐν τῷ Διαθῆκαι ἐπιγραφομένῳ βιβλίῳ, ὁπότε μετανοῶν ἐπὶ τούτῳ φαίνεται ἐξ ὧν γράφει· « Φθέγξομαι οἷς θέμις ἐστί· θύρας δʼ ἐπίθεσθε βέβηλοι πάντες ὁμῶς· σὺ δʼ ἄκουε, φαεσφόρου ἔκγονε Μήνης, Μουσαῖʼ· ἐξερέω γὰρ ἀληθέα· μηδέ σε τὰ πρὶν ἐν στήθεσσι φανέντα φίλης αἰῶνος ἀμέρσῃ. Εἰς δὲ λόγον θεῖον βλέψας, τούτῳ προσέδρευε, ἰθύνων κραδίης νοερὸν κύτος· εὖ δʼ ἐπίβαινε ἀτραπιτοῦ, μοῦνον δʼ ἐσόρα κόσμοιο ἄνακτα. Εἷς ἔστʼ, αὐτογενής, ἑνὸς ἔκγονα πάντα τέτυκται· ἐν δʼ αὐτοῖς αὐτὸς περιγίγνεται· οὐδέ τις αὐτὸν εἰσοράᾳ θνητῶν, αὐτὸς δέ γε πάντας ὁρᾶται. Οὗτος δʼ ἐξ ἀγαθοῖο κακὸν θνητοῖσι δίδωσι καὶ πόλεμον κρυόεντα καὶ ἄλγεα δακρυόεντα· οὐδέ τις ἔσθʼ ἕτερος χωρὶς μεγάλοιο ἄνακτος. Αὐτὸν δʼ οὐχ ὁρόω· περὶ γὰρ νέφος ἐστήρικται· πᾶσι γὰρ θνητοῖς θνηταὶ κόραι εἰσὶν ἐν ὄσσοις, ἀσθενέες δʼ ἰδέειν Δία τὸν πάντων μεδέοντα. Οὗτος γὰρ χάλκειον ἐς οὐρανὸν ἐστήρικται χρυσέῳ εἰνὶ θρόνῳ, γαίης δʼ ἐπὶ ποσσὶ βέβηκε, χεῖρά τε δεξιτερὴν ἐπὶ τέρματος Ὠκεανοῖο πάντοθεν ἐκτέτακεν· περὶ γὰρ τρέμει οὔρεα μακρὰ καὶ ποταμοί, πολιῆς τε βάθος χαροποῖο θαλάσσης. » Καὶ ταῦτα οὕτως φράζει, ὡς αὐτόπτης γεγονὼς τοῦ μεγέθους Θεοῦ. Κοινωνεῖ δʼ αὐτῷ καὶ Πυθαγόρας, ἐν οἷς γράφει· « Εἴ τις ἐρεῖ· Θεός εἰμι, πάρεξ ἑνός, οὗτος ὀφείλει κόσμον ἴσον τούτῳ στήσας εἰπεῖν· Ἐμὸς οὗτος. Κοὐχὶ μόνον στήσας εἰπεῖν· Ἐμός, ἀλλὰ κατοικεῖν αὐτὸς ἐν ᾧ πεποίηκε· πεποίηται δʼ ὑπὸ τούτου. »

### English translation (Claude)

First Aeschylus, setting out the composition of his own words, also uttered this saying about the only God: "Set God apart from mortals, and do not think that he is fleshly like yourself. You do not know him: at one time he appears as fire, unapproachable in his onset, at another as water, at another he becomes like wild beasts, like wind, cloud, lightning, thunder, rain. The sea serves him, and the rocks, and every spring and gathering of water. The mountains tremble, and the earth, and the vast depth of the sea, and the great height of the hills, whenever the fearsome eye of the Master looks upon them. For he can do all things; this is the glory of the highest God." And not only was he initiated into the knowledge of God, but Sophocles too recounts the order of the only Maker of the universe, the one God, thus: "One, in truth, one is God, who made heaven and the broad earth, the grey-blue swell of the sea and the might of the winds. But we mortals, many of us straying in heart, set up as consolations for our pains images of gods of stone or bronze, or figures wrought of gold or ivory; and furnishing these with sacrifices and fine festivals, we think we are pious so." And Philemon too, well versed in setting out ancient things, shares in the knowledge of what truly is, as he writes: "What kind of God, tell me, must we hold? The one who sees all things but is himself unseen." And Orpheus too, who introduces the three hundred and sixty gods, will bear witness for me in the book entitled Testaments, where he evidently repents of this, from what he writes: "I will speak to those for whom it is lawful; shut the doors, you profane, all alike; but you, hear, Musaeus, child of the light-bearing Moon; for I will declare the truth; and let not what appeared before in your breast rob you of your dear life; but looking to the divine Word, attend to it, directing the intelligent vessel of your heart; walk well on the path, and look only to the King of the world. He is one, self-begotten; all things are born, offspring of the one; and he himself goes about among them; nor does any mortal see him, but he sees all. He gives to mortals evil after good, and chilling war and tearful pains; nor is there any other besides the great King. Him I do not see, for a cloud is set about him; for in all mortals there are mortal pupils in their eyes, too weak to see Zeus who rules all. For he is established in the bronze heaven on a golden throne, and treads the earth with his feet; and he has stretched out his right hand over all the bounds of Ocean; and around him the great mountains tremble, and the rivers, and the depth of the grey-blue sea." And he speaks thus as if he had been an eyewitness of the greatness of God. And Pythagoras too agrees with him, when he writes: "If anyone says, I am God, besides the One, he ought to set up a world equal to this one and say, This is mine; and not only set it up and say, Mine, but also dwell in it himself, in what he has made; and it has been made by him."

### Extrabiblical texts

- Aeschylus, frag. 464 (Aeschylus (plays and fragments)): quotation, medium confidence
- Sophocles, frag. 1025 (Sophocles (plays and fragments)): quotation, high confidence
- Philemon, frag. (Philemon (fragments)): quotation, medium confidence
- Orpheus (attributed), Orph. frag. 245 (Orpheus (attributed), Orphic poems (fragments)): quotation, high confidence
- Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 5.14.131 (Miscellanies): echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- The verses are known mainly from this work and from Clement of Alexandria (Miscellanies 5.14; Exhortation 7.74) and are generally thought to be Jewish-Hellenistic compositions under classical names.
- The Greek of this chapter is rebuilt from the library scans of PG 6; Migne's Latin column and his notes on variant readings are dropped. The verses are corrupt in every scan; where the scans fail, the wording of the same verses in Clement, Miscellanies 5.14.131 (Aeschylus) and Exhortation 7.74 (Orpheus) is followed; Migne's notes and the scans' own variants are not otherwise reported.

### Citation (SBL)

Ps.-Justin, Mon. 2 (PG 6:313b–317d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-de-monarchia/1/#p-2).

## On the Sole Government of God 3

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-de-monarchia/1/#p-3
- Source: PG 6:317d–320d
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Sophocles and Philemon are quoted on the coming fiery judgment and the eye of justice that sees all.

### Greek text

Καὶ περὶ τοῦδε, ὅτι μόνος δυνατός ἐστι καὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ συντελουμένων πράξεων καὶ τῆς περὶ τὸ θεῖον ἀγνωσίας κρίσιν ἐνστήσασθαι, οἰκείους μάρτυρας περιστῆσαι ἔχω· καὶ πρῶτόν γε Σοφοκλέα καὶ περὶ τούτου λέγοντα· « Ἔσται γὰρ ἔσται κεῖνος αἰώνων χρόνος, ὅταν πυρὸς γέμοντα θησαυρὸν σχάσῃ χρυσωπὸς αἰθήρ· ἡ δὲ βοσκηθεῖσα φλὸξ ἅπαντα τἀπίγεια καὶ μετάρσια φλέξει μανεῖσʼ. Ὅταν δʼ ἐκλίπῃ τὸ πᾶν, φροῦδος μὲν ἔσται κυμάτων ἅπας βυθός, γῆ δενδρέων ἔρημος, οὐδʼ ἀὴρ ἔτι πτερωτὰ φῦλα βαστάσει πυρούμενος. Καὶ γὰρ καθʼ ᾅδην δύο τρίβους νομίζομεν, μίαν δικαίων, χἀτέραν ἀδίκων ὁδόν. … σώσει … ἃ πρόσθʼ ἀπώλεσεν. » Ἀλλὰ καὶ Φιλήμων πάλιν· « Οἴει σὺ τοὺς θανόντας, ὦ Νικόστρατε, τρυφῆς ἁπάσης μεταλαβόντας ἐν βίῳ, καὶ γῆν καλύψειν … εἰς χρόνον, πεφευγέναι τὸ θεῖον ὡς λεληθότας; Ἔστιν Δίκης ὀφθαλμός, ὃς τὰ πάνθʼ ὁρᾷ. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ δίκαιος καὶ ὁ ἀσεβὴς ἕξουσιν ἕν, ἅρπαζʼ ἀπελθών, κλέπτʼ, ἀποστέρει, κύκα. Μηδὲν πλανηθῇς· ἔστι κἀν ᾅδου κρίσις, ἥνπερ ποιήσει Θεὸς ὁ πάντων δεσπότης, οὗ τοὔνομα φοβερὸν οὐδʼ ἂν ὀνομάσαιμʼ ἐγώ. » Καὶ Εὐριπίδης· « … ἄφθονον βίου μῆκος δίδωσι πρὸς κρίσιν. Ὅστις δὲ θνητῶν οἴεται τοὐφʼ ἡμέραν κακόν τι πράσσων τὸν Θεὸν λεληθέναι, δοκεῖ πονηρὰ καὶ δοκῶν ἁλίσκεται, ὅταν σχολὴν ἄγουσα τυγχάνῃ Δίκη. Ὁρᾶτʼ, ὅσοι νομίζετʼ οὐκ εἶναι θεόν, δὶς ἐξαμαρτάνοντες οὐκ εὐγνωμόνως· ἔστιν γάρ, ἔστιν· εἰ δέ τις πράσσει καλῶς, κακὸς πεφυκώς, τὸν χρόνον κερδαινέτω· χρόνῳ γὰρ οὗτος ὕστερον δώσει δίκην. »

### English translation (Claude)

And concerning this, that he alone is able to institute judgment both on the deeds done in life and on ignorance concerning the divine, I can set witnesses of your own around me; and first Sophocles, who says also about this: "For there will come, there will come that span of the ages, when the golden-faced ether will open its treasure filled with fire, and the flame, feeding on it, will rage and burn all things on earth and in the heights. And when the universe fails, the whole depth of the waves will be gone, the earth will be bare of trees, and the air, set on fire, will no longer bear the winged tribes. For we think there are two paths in Hades, one the road of the righteous, the other of the unrighteous. … he will save … what he destroyed before." And Philemon again: "Do you think, Nicostratus, that the dead, who shared every luxury in life, (expect) the earth to cover them … for all time, (and) to have escaped the divine notice, as though they had lain hidden? There is an eye of Justice, which sees all things. For if the righteous and the ungodly are to have one (end), go off and seize, steal, rob, stir things up. Make no mistake: there is judgment in Hades too, which God, the master of all, will execute, whose name is fearful, and I would not even name it." And Euripides: "… he gives an ungrudging length of life for judgment. And whoever of mortals thinks that, doing some evil day by day, he escapes God's notice, thinks wickedly and, so thinking, is caught, when Justice happens to be at leisure. See, you who think there is no God, sinning doubly and without good sense: for there is, there is (a God); and if someone who is evil by nature prospers, let him make gain of the time; for in time he will later pay the penalty."

### Scripture references

- 2 Pet 3:10: echo, medium confidence
- Matt 7:13: echo, low confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Sophocles, frag. (Sophocles (plays and fragments)): quotation, medium confidence
- Philemon, frag. (Philemon (fragments)): quotation, medium confidence
- Euripides, frag. (Euripides (plays and fragments)): quotation, low confidence

### Translation notes

- These verses too are known chiefly from this work and from Clement, Miscellanies 5.14.121–122 (where the "Philemon" lines are given to Diphilus and the "Sophocles" lines to "the tragedy"), and are generally thought to be Jewish-Hellenistic compositions.
- The Greek of this chapter is rebuilt from the library scans of PG 6, which supply the lines lost in the first scan (from "go off and seize" to "sinning doubly"); where every scan is corrupt, Clement's wording is followed. Words still lost in every scan are shown as "…": before "he will save" (Clement: "and then he will save all that he destroyed before"), in the line on the earth covering the dead, and at the start of the Euripides quotation. "Prospers" follows Clement's "fares well" (πράσσει καλῶς); the first scan reads "fares badly".

### Citation (SBL)

Ps.-Justin, Mon. 3 (PG 6:317d–320d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-de-monarchia/1/#p-3).

## On the Sole Government of God 4

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-de-monarchia/1/#p-4
- Source: PG 6:320d
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: God is not won by costly sacrifices but by righteousness; Philemon and Plato are quoted.

### Greek text

Καὶ ὅτι οὒ σπονδῇ καὶ θυμιάματι κακούργων προσφέρεται ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλʼ εὖθύτητι τὰς τιμωρίας προσνέμει ἑκάστῳ, μαρτυρήσει μοι Φιλήμων πάλιν Εἴ τις δὲ θυσίαν προσφέρων, Πάμφιλε, Inopia» τὶ πλῆθοςγίξιι ἐρίφωνη, ἣ νὴ Δία Ετέρων τοιούτων, ἢ κατασκευάσματα, ξρυσᾶςποιήσας χλαμύδας, ἤτοι πορφύρας, ’Ἦ διʼ ἐλέφαντος pii σμαράγδου ζώδια, Εὔνουν νομίζει τὸν Θεὸν καθεστάναι, Πλανᾶται ἐκεῖνος, καὶ φρένας κούφας ἔχει. Δεῖ γὰρ τὸν ἄνδρα χρήσιμον καθεστάναι, ΜςὴΔ παρθένους φθείροντα, καί μοιχώμενον, κλέπτοντα καὶ σφάζοντα χρημάτων χάριν, τάλλότρια βλέποντα, κάπιθυμοῑνιτα ...η--.ρ- mm..- πη.-- -,.,.. itaret γυναικὸς, πολυτελοῦςΙ-ἶῆ δώματος, κτήσεως, παιδός τε, παιδίσκης θʼ ἅπλῶς, 1Ἰπςετων, βοῶν τὸ σύνολον, ἢ κτηνῶν. Ti δή ’ς μηδὲ βελόνης ἓν ἄμμʼ ἐπιθυμῇς, Πάμφιλε γάρ Θεὸς ’βλέπει-σε πλησίον nuptm, ι) γα uso; ρΛεπει σε πλησίον παρων, ος ἔργοις ἥδεται δικαίοις, οὐκ ἀδίκοις ' Πονοῦντα δʼ ἐᾷ τὸν ἲιον ὑψῶσαι βίον, Τὴν γῆν ἀροῦντα νύκτανκαῖ τὴν ἡμέραν. Θεῷ δὲ θῦε διὰ τέλους δίκαιος ὢν, Μὴ λαμπρὸς ’ὢν ταῖς εχλαμύσιν, ὥς τῆ καρδίᾳ. Βροντῆς ἆκούσας, μηδαμῶς πόρρωγφύγῃς, βροντης ακουσας, μηοαμως πορ ω φυγῃς, μηδὲν συνειδὼς αύτὸς αὐτῷς, δέσποτα. Ὀ γὰρ Θεὸς βλέπει σε πλήσίον παρών, λιν τε Πλάτων ἐν Τιμαίῳ · α El δέ τις τούτων ἵργῳ σκοπούμενος βάσανον λαμβάνοιτο, τῆς ἆνθρωπίνης καὶ θείας φύσεως ἧγνοηκὼς ἂν εἵη τὸ διόφορον, ὅτι Θεὸς μὲν τὰ πολλὰ εἰς ἓν συγκεράννυται, καὶ πάλιν ἐξ ἑνὸς εἷς πολλὰ διαλύειν ἱκανὸς, ὡς ἐπιστάμενος ἅμα καὶ δυνατὸς ὤν· ἀνδρῶν δὲ οὐδεὶς οὐδέτερα τούτων ἱκανὸς οὒτʼ ἐστὶ νῦν, οὔτʼ εἰσαῦθις ἔσται ποτέ. ι)

### English translation (Claude)

And that God is not won over by the libation and incense of evildoers, but assigns punishments to each in uprightness, Philemon again will bear witness for me: "If anyone, Pamphilus, offering sacrifice, a multitude of bulls or kids, or, by Zeus, of other such things, or works of art, making golden or purple robes, or figures of ivory or emerald, thinks that God has become well disposed, he is mistaken and has a light mind. For a man must be useful, not corrupting virgins and committing adultery, stealing and slaughtering for money's sake, looking at what belongs to others and coveting … a wife, a costly house, property, a boy or a slave girl, in short, horses, oxen, or any beasts. What, then? Do not desire even a needle's thread, Pamphilus; for God sees you, being near; he delights in righteous deeds, not unrighteous ones, and lets the one who labours raise up his own life, ploughing the earth night and day. Sacrifice to God continually by being righteous, splendid not in your robes but in your heart. When you hear thunder, do not flee far away, master, being conscious of nothing against yourself; for God sees you, being near." And again Plato in the Timaeus: "But if anyone, examining these things by deed, should put them to the test, he would be ignorant of the difference between human and divine nature: that God is able to mix many things into one and again to dissolve one into many, as having knowledge and power together; but no man is able to do either of these, either now or ever hereafter."

### Scripture references

- Exod 20:17: echo, medium confidence
- Mic 6:7: echo, low confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Philemon, frag. (Philemon (fragments)): quotation, medium confidence
- Plato, Tim. 68d (Plato (works)): quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- The verses ascribed to Philemon (also in Clement, Miscellanies 5.14) are generally thought to be Jewish-Hellenistic; they echo the tenth commandment (Exod 20:17). Plato, Timaeus 68d. Several lines are garbled in the scan, and some appear twice (a duplicated line is ignored); "committing adultery" renders μοιχώμενον.

### Citation (SBL)

Ps.-Justin, Mon. 4 (PG 6:320d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-de-monarchia/1/#p-4).

## On the Sole Government of God 5

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-de-monarchia/1/#p-5
- Source: PG 6:320d–324d
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Menander and Euripides are quoted mocking gods who are carried about, unjust, adulterous, or greedy, and pointing to the one God.

### Greek text

Περὶ δὲ τῶν δοκούντων παρὰ τισὶ μετέχειν τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ τελείου ὀνόματος, ὅπερ παραδόσει ματαίᾳ τινὲς ἀπηνέγκαντο ὡς Θεῷ, Μένανδρος ἒν Ἐνιόχῳ λέγει· Οὐδείς μʼ ἀρέσκει περιπατῶν ἔξω Θεὸς Μετὰ γραὸς, οὐδʼ εἱς οἰκίας παρεισιὼν Ἐπὶ τοῦ σανιδίου, Τὸν δίκαιον δεῖ Θεὸν Οῗκοι μένειν σώζοντα τοὺς ἱδρυμένους, “Ο αὐτὸς Μένανδρος ἐν Ἰερείφ ρῦθεὶς διʼ ἀνθρώπου Θεὸς σῴζει, γύναι, Ἐτέαου τὸν ἕτερον ’ εὶ, γὰρ ἕλκει τινὰ Θεὸν Ὀ τοῦτο ποιῶν, fieri μείζων τοῦ Θεοῦ, ’ Ἀλλʼ ἔστι τόλμης καῖ βίου τοῦςι ῥʼργιανοι Εὑρημέν hoping“ ἀναιδέσιν, Ῥόδτῖ Εἰς καταγέλωτα τῷ βίῳ πεπχασμένα, Ἐν Μισοῦμένιι. δὲ πάλιν ἀποφαίνων τῶν ιίςθε παραλαμβανομένων τὰς γνώμας, μᾶλλον δὲ ὶλέγ) ὡς οὒκ ὄντας, ὁ αὐτὸς Μένανδρος · Εἰ γὰρ ἐπίδοιμι τοῦτο, καὶ ψυχὴν ἂνα- Λάὸοιμξ ἐγώ. Νυνὶ γὰρ ἀλλᾶ ποῦ θεοὺς Aa'ootp.’ ta) εγὼ. Νυνὶ γαρ «AA: που υιους Οὕτως δικαίους ἔστιν εὖρεῖν, ὧ Γέται ; Καὶ ἐν Παρακαταθήκῃ. ’Ἔστιν χαίσις ἄδικος, ὡς ἔοικε, κάν θεοῖς. Καὶ Εὖριπίδης ὁ τράγῳδιογράφος ἒν Ὀρέστῃ φοιβος κελεύσας μητρὸς ἐλιπρᾶξαι φόνοι, Ἀμαθέστερός γʼ ὣν τοῦ καλοῧ καὶ sic δίέης, τὶουλεύομεν θεοῖς, ὃ τί ποτʼ εἰσὶ Θεοίη Ὀρᾶς δʼβΛπόλλων, ’ὃς μεσομφάλοος ἕδρας gat-tm, βροτοῖσι σέόμανέμει σαφέστατον, ’ῼ πειθέμεσθα πένθ”ὅὲ ἂν κεῖνος λέγῃ. ’ Τούτῳ πειθόμενος τὴν τεκυῦσαν ἔκτανον. Ἐκεῖνον ἡγεῖσθʼ ἀνόσιον, καὶ κτείνετε · Ἐκεῖνος ἥμαρτʼ οὒκ ἐγώ. Τί χρή με δρᾷν, "El ὠιι ὰξγίόχξρεως ὁ eia; ἀναξέρονῖί plot Μιασμα, σῶσαι (ὃ) ; ’0 who: καὶ ἐν Ἱππολύτῳ · Ἀλλʼ οὒ γὰρ ὀρθῶς ταῦτα κρίνουσιν θιοέ. Καὶ ἰν τῳ "lum ' Ἀτὰρ θδγατρὸς τῆς Ἐρεχθέως τί μοι Μέλέι ; προσῆκέ μʼ οὖδέῖ, ’Ᾰλλὰ χρυσέοις Had-Ionam ἐλθὼν εἷς ἂποόὧαντήοια Πρόχοισιν ἐλθὼν εἷς ἂπορῤαντήρια Δρἀὸν καθήσω. Νουθετήέέος δέ μοι Φοῖβος, τί παρέχει. Παρθένοος διὰ γαμῶν Προδίδωσι [τοῦς]’παῒδὰς, ἒίιτεκνούμςνος λάβρα, βνήσιιονιξαξ ἀμελεῖ, uti. γʼ ξ. air ἐπεὶ ιιραιτίιτς1 Ἀρετᾶς δίωκέ · καὶ γὰρ ὅστις ἂν βροτῶν ’ Ἷ Κκὲὸς πεφύκῃ, ζημιοῦσιν οἱ θεοί. Πῶς οὖν δίκαιον,ἑοὺς νόμους ὑμᾶς βροτοῖς Γράψαντας, ρῦτοὺς ἀδικίας ὀφλισκάνειν ς Ei δὑ οὐ Ripa-crs, τῷ λόγῳ ὶεχξρήᾶομαι · ’ Δίκας βιαίων δώσετʼ ἀνθρὼποιςʼ γάμων, Σὺ καὶ Ποσειδῶν, Ζεύς θʼ· ὃς οὐρανοῦ κρατεῖ, Natobcflvowe; δί ἀδικίας (ll) ιιενώσατέ · Τὰς ἡδονὰς γὰρ τῆςγπρομῆθζάς πάρος Σπεύόοντες, ἆὲικεϊτʼ. Ὀῦκίτ ἀνθρώπους κακοὺς Λὶγειν diua-Leu, si τᾷ τιῦνλθεῶν ’χαλᾷ ν Mtpoépdi', ἀλλὰ τοὺς διδάξαντας τάδε) ’ κᾱὶ ἐν· eadem? ο Πόλλʼ ὦ ἡέῆνον, σφάλλουσιν ἀνθρώπους θεοί, Καὶ ἒν Βιλλεροφοντῃ ’ Εἰ θεοί τι (li) δρῶσι φαῦλον, οὒκ ιῐσὶ θεοί, Καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῷ αὖιῴ ' Φησὶν τις εἶναι δῆτʼ ἒν οὐρανῷ βιούς, Οὗκ εἰσιν, οὒκ εἴσʼ. Εἴ τις ἀνθρώπων λέγει, Μὴ τῷ παᾈαιῴνμωρὸς ᾣν χρήσθω λόκξῳί Σχεψασθε δʼ αὐτὰ, μὴ ὶπὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς Mm κτείνειν 1's- πλείστους, κτημάτων τʼ ἀποστερεῖν, ιὈρκους τε παραβαίνοντας ἐκπορθεῖν male“. Καῖ ταῦτα δρῶντες, μᾶλλον εἴςʼ εὐδαίμονες Τῶν εὖσεβοὗντων ἠουχῆ καθʼ ἡμέραν. Αἳ μειζόνων ιιλύουσι δυσσεβεστέρων Λόγχης ἀριθμῷ πλείονος κροτούμενοί-ι. Οἶμαι δʼ ἂν ὑμᾶς, εἴ τις ἀργὸς ὢν θεοῖς εὔχοιτο καὶ μὴ χειρὶ συλλέγοι βίον, … τὰ θεῖα πυργοῦσʼ αἱ κακαί τε συμφοραί. Καὶ Μένανδρος ἐν Διφίλῳ ’ Διότι τὸν ὄντα κύριον πάντων ἀεὶ καὶ πατέρα, τοῦτον διὰ τέλους τιμᾶν μόνον, ἀγαθῶν τοσούτων εὑρετὴν καὶ κτίστορα. ’0 αὐτὸς καὶ ἐν Ἀλιεῦσι In ἶξιρᾶρεφον με, tofm? ἐγὼ κρίνω θεόν. Το δʼ εἰθισμένον τρέφειν 0'3 χεῖταιι τῆς παρὰ τοῦ δεομένου χορηγίας ’0 αὐτὸς ἓν Ἀδελςῖοϊς · Θεός ἐστι τοῖς χρηστοῖς ἀει ’0 νοῦς χὰρ, die ἔοικε τοῖς σοφωτάτοις. Καὶ ἒν Λῦλητρίσι Πάντ ἐστὶ τῷ καλῷ λόγῳ Ἱερόν. Ὀ vos; γὰρ ἐστιν ὁ λαλήσων Θεός, Ἐν Υριξῳ γὸ Τρκγικός ” Εἰ δʼ stici-55%.; νῶν τοῦσι δυσσεβεστάτοις Ἐς ταῦτʼ ἔπραττεν (ω), rtth τὰδʼ ἂν καλῶς ἔχοι, ΕἰῖΖεὺς, δ λίῖηιτος, ἔνδικον φρονεῖ ; fl ' Εν Υι).οκτήτ.ῃ ’ ὀρᾶτε δʼ Gtc-nth θεοῖσι κερδαίνειν Ψιλὸν, Θάυμάζεται ὁ πλεῖστον Ἐν ναοςῐςἔχων c ὶξρῦξιόν · τί δῆτα ml os κωλύεινλᾷῦεῖν κέρδος, παρόν γι κʼ ἐξομοιοῦσθαι θεοῖς ; ’ Εν Ἐκάβῃ ° Ζεὺς, ὅστις εἴ Ζεύς ' οὒ γὰργ οἷα πλὴν λόγῳ leber εἴτʼ ἀνάγκη φύσεως εἴτε νοῦς βροτῶν, Προσηυξάμην σε,

### English translation (Claude)

And about those who seem to some to share in the holy and perfect name, which some have carried off for themselves by a vain tradition as if they were God, Menander in the Charioteer says: "No god pleases me who walks about outside with an old woman, or enters houses on a little board; the righteous God must stay at home, saving those who have set him up." The same Menander in the Priestess: "No god, woman, saves one man through another; for if one draws the god with cymbals where he wishes, the one who does this is greater than the god. But these, Rhode, are instruments of daring and of livelihood invented by shameless men, fashioned to be a laughing-stock in life." And again in the Hated Man, the same Menander, declaring the opinions of those who are taken as gods, or rather proving that they are not: "For if I saw this, I would take back my soul again. For now where, Getas, can one find gods so just?" And in the Deposit: "There is unjust judgment, it seems, even among the gods." And Euripides the tragic poet in the Orestes: "Phoebus, who commanded me to do my mother's murder … ; we are slaves to the gods, whatever the gods are … You see Apollo, who dwells in the seat at the navel of the earth and gives mortals the clearest oracle, whom we obey in whatever he says; obeying him I killed her who bore me. Consider him unholy, and kill him; he sinned, not I. What should I do? Is not the god … able to remove the defilement?" And the same in the Hippolytus: "But the gods do not judge these things rightly." And in the Ion: "But what is the daughter of Erechtheus to me? She is nothing to me. But going with golden pitchers to the sprinklers I will pour the water. I must admonish Phoebus: what is he doing? Does he force maidens and betray them? Begetting children in secret, does he neglect them as they die? Not so; but since you have power, pursue virtue. For whatever mortal is bad, the gods punish him. How, then, is it just that you, who wrote laws for mortals, should yourselves incur the charge of lawlessness? But if (it will not happen, but I will use the argument) you shall pay penalties to men for violent unions, you and Poseidon, and Zeus who rules heaven, you will empty your temples paying for your wrongs. For in pursuing your pleasures beyond forethought you do wrong. It is no longer right to call men bad, if we imitate the evils of the gods, but those who taught them these things." And in …: "Much, O stranger, do the gods trip men up." And in the Bellerophon: "If gods do anything base, they are not gods." And again in the same: "Does someone say there are gods in heaven? There are not, there are not, if a man will not foolishly use the old argument. Consider it yourselves, not resting on my words. I say that tyranny kills very many and robs them of possessions, and that oath-breakers sack cities; and doing these things they are happier than those who live piously and quietly day by day. And I know small cities that honour the gods, which are subject to greater, more impious ones, overpowered by a greater number of spears. I think that if one of you, being idle, prayed to the gods and did not gather his living by his hand, … ; it is evil misfortunes that build up (reverence for) the divine." And Menander in the Diphilus: "Therefore (honour) the one who is always lord of all, and father, him alone to the end, the inventor and maker of so many goods." The same in the Fishermen: "What nourishes me, this I judge to be God …" The same in the Brothers: "God is always with the good; for mind, it seems, (is God) for the wisest." And in the Flute-girls: "Everything is sacred to the good word; for mind is the god who will speak." In the Phrixus the tragic poet: "If the pious … fared the same as the most impious, how would this be well, if Zeus, the most just, does not think justly?" In the Philoctetes: "You see how among the gods gain is admired, and the one who has most gold in the temples is admired. What then prevents you too from taking gain, when it is possible to be made like the gods?" In the Hecuba: "Zeus, whoever you are, Zeus, for I do not know you except by report, whether necessity of nature or mind of mortals, I have prayed to you."

### Extrabiblical texts

- Menander, frag. (Menander (fragments)): quotation, medium confidence
- Euripides, Or. 591-599 (Euripides (plays and fragments)): quotation, high confidence
- Euripides, Ion 436-451 (Euripides (plays and fragments)): quotation, high confidence
- Euripides, frag. 292 (Euripides (plays and fragments)): quotation, high confidence
- Euripides, frag. 286 (Euripides (plays and fragments)): quotation, high confidence
- Euripides, Tro. 884-888 (Euripides (plays and fragments)): quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- A collection of quotations from Menander's comedies and Euripides' tragedies (Orestes 591–599; a line given as from the Hippolytus, not found in the extant play; Ion 436–451; Bellerophon fragments 292 and 286; Phrixus; Philoctetes; Troades 884–888 for the last lines, which the author ascribes to the Hecuba). The lines given to Menander's "Diphilus" are given by Clement (Miscellanies 5.14.133) to the comic poet Diphilus.
- The scan is very badly garbled and mixed with Latin and stray letters; the other library scans of PG 6 help only in a few lines (the end of the Bellerophon passage; the Diphilus lines, whose last word is illegible in every scan and is read as in Clement). The verses are translated as far as they can be recognized, unrecognizable words are shown as "…", and the play named before "Much, O stranger" is illegible.

### Citation (SBL)

Ps.-Justin, Mon. 5 (PG 6:320d–324d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-de-monarchia/1/#p-5).

## On the Sole Government of God 6

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-de-monarchia/1/#p-6
- Source: PG 6:324d–325d
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Gods with human passions, taught by men and given to adultery, cannot be lords of all; one must embrace the one true name before the Judge.

### Greek text

Ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἔλεγχος ἀρετῆς καὶ γνωμης σύνεσιν ἀγαπώσης, ὲπαναδραμεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς ’συζυγίας κοινωνίαν, ui προσάψαι teme συνέσει εἰς σωτηρίην, αἱρεῖσθιί τε τὴν τῶν χρεισνόνων ἐκλογὴν, iuri τὸ ἐπʼ ἀνθρώπῳ κείμενον ιιῢτεξούσιον, μὴ τοὺς ἀνθρωποπαθετς ἡγουμένοις τώο ὅλων δεσπότις, ὅπου βε οὒδὲ ἀνθρώποις ἴσην ἔχοντες φανήσονται. Παρʼ Ὁμήρῳ γὰρ ὁ μὲν Δημόδοκος αὒτοὸίδκκτος φησὶν εἶναι, Θεὸς δέ μοι (ἓξ) ἔμβαλεν οἵμους, θνητὸς ὤν. Ἀσκληπιὸς καὶ Ἀπόλλων παρὰ Χείρωνι τῷ κενταύρῳ ἰᾶσθαι διδάσκονται, τὸ καινότατον παρὰ ἀνθρώπῳ θεοί. Τί γὰρ δίειμι περὶ Διονύσου, ὅν μαινόμενόν φησιν ὁ ποιητής· ἢ Ἡρακλέους. ὅν καὶ αὖτὸν σχέτλιον λέγει ; Τί δὲ μοι ἂναγορεύειν "Agat mil. Ἀφροδίτην τοὺς τῆς μοιχείας ἀρχηγοὺς, καὶ ἐξ ἀπάντων τούτων κρίσιν ἐπάγειν τοῖς δεικνυμένοις ς Εἰ γὰρ τις, μή μαθὼν, τὰς περὶτὰ λεγόμενα θεῖσι πράξεις μιμήσαιτο, κείν ἐπὶ τῶν κιβδήλων ἀλλότριος βίου καὶ ἆνρωπότητος λογισθείη γνοὺς δὲ τις, εὔλογον ἕξει τὴν τῶν τιμωριῶν ὰποφυγὴν, οὗ παρανομίαν δεικνύων τὴν τῶν θεϊκῶν τολμημάτων μίμησιν. Εἰ δʼ ἃρι τις τοῖς ἔργοις ἑπιμέμψκιτο, ἀνελεῖ xxi τὰ ὲκ τούτων γνωσθέντα avsum, κτὶ μηδὲ πιθανωμέναιες καὶ στωμύλοις ῥήσεσιν ἐπισκεπὰσει αὖτοτς, Ἀσπάζεσθαι δὲ χρὴ τὸ ἀληθινὸν καὶ ἄτρεπτον ὄνομα, ὠχὶ διὰ τῆς ἐμῆς φωνῆς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν ιίσαγαγόντων ἡμᾶς εἷς τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς παιδείαις κιλρὲσσόμενον, ἵνα. μὴ ἀργῶς τελειώσαντες τὸν ἒνταῦθίι τοῦ ζῆν χρόνον, οὗ μόνον ὡς ἀγνῶτες τῆς οὗ· ρκνίου δόξης, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς ἀχάριστοιτῷ κριτῇ τὰς εὗθύνας παρέξωμεν,

### English translation (Claude)

Here, then, is the test of virtue and of a mind that loves understanding: to run back to the fellowship of the original union, to attach oneself to understanding for salvation, and to choose the better choice, as befits the free will that lies in man; not considering those who are subject to human passions to be lords of the universe, when they will not even appear to be equal to men. For in Homer Demodocus says that he is self-taught, "and God put songs into my heart," though he is mortal. Asclepius and Apollo are taught to heal by Chiron the centaur, a most novel thing, gods taught by a man. Why should I go on about Dionysus, whom the poet calls mad, or Heracles, whom he also calls wretched? And why should I proclaim Ares and Aphrodite, the leaders in adultery, and bring judgment from all these upon those who are put on show? For if anyone, not having learned it, should imitate the deeds told of the so-called gods, he would be reckoned among the counterfeits, alien to life and humanity; but if he knew it, he will have a plausible escape from punishment, showing that the imitation of the gods' bold deeds is not lawlessness. But if anyone should blame the deeds, he will do away also with the names known from them, and will not cover them with plausible and glib speeches. One must embrace the true and unchangeable name, proclaimed not only by my voice but also by those who introduced us to the beginning of education, so that, having idly finished our time of life here, we may not render our account to the Judge not only as ignorant of the heavenly glory but also as ungrateful.

### Scripture references

- Rom 14:12: echo, medium confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Homer, Od. 22.347-348 (Homer, Odyssey): quotation, high confidence
- Homer, Il. 6.132 (Homer, Iliad): allusion, high confidence
- Homer, Od. 21.28 (Homer, Odyssey): allusion, high confidence
- Homer, Od. 8.266-366 (Homer, Odyssey): allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- Odyssey 22.347–348 (Demodocus here stands for the bard Phemius); Iliad 6.132 (Dionysus "mad"); Odyssey 21.28 (Heracles "wretched"); Odyssey 8.266–366 (Ares and Aphrodite). Several words are garbled in the scan and read by sense.

### Citation (SBL)

Ps.-Justin, Mon. 6 (PG 6:324d–325d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ps-justin-de-monarchia/1/#p-6).