On the temple, and on the schools, and on the theaters in Athens. OF ATHANASIUS THE GREAT EXPOSITORY WORK ON THE TEMPLE IN ATHENS.
A To those who do not understand the Holy Scriptures, we must be persuaded to speak about the knowledge of God from the very nature of things. For we see among created things certain substances which minister to one another not according to nature, but above nature itself. What do I mean? The nature of water is a fluid substance, and it tends downwards; yet how do we see what are called waterspouts drawing water up from the sea to the clouds? And the marvel is this, that the salt water which rises ascends, but descends in rain as sweet water upon the earth! Again, how is it that when bodies by their nature tend to the bottom, yet in the waters of the Marmarican Pentapolis they neither tend to the bottom nor sink? Furthermore, when water and fire are contrary in nature, yet they were once one B in the mountain in Lycia which they call Olympus, as countless men have seen, and those who frequent that place still see even to this day. And other things similar to these are seen in nature and are held in admiration; all of which could not happen so far above nature if there were not some substance of God which rules over these things, and commands them not to be at variance with one another. O Gentiles! How comes it that when thunder happens with a great noise, the whole nature of men trembles, shudders, and is astonished? By this very sign it shows that it is being subjected to the Lord, the author of thunders. And these are indeed arguments which can lead the ruder and more ignorant of the Gentiles to the knowledge of God. But to those among them who are wise, we say that, from ancient and eminent philosophers, certain wise men of the Greeks brought forward many testimonies concerning the worship of God, and indeed also vaguely foreshadowed the economy, or Incarnation, of Christ. For many years before the coming C of Christ, a certain wise man named Apollo, moved—as I think—by God, built a temple in Athens, placing on its altar this inscription: "To the Unknown God." To that place, therefore, the first philosophers of the Greeks gathered, so that they might question him about that temple, and about prophecy, and the worship of God, whose names we shall relate: the first, Thiton; the second, Bias; the third, Solon; the fourth, Chilon; the fifth, Thucydides; the sixth, Menander; the seventh, Plato. These seven philosophers said to Apollo, "Prophesy to us, O prophet, O Apollo, who is the..."
one whose altar this is after thee?" To whom Apollo said: "Whatever regards virtue and ornament, that which you are afraid to do, do it. For I herald the thrice-great, high-ruling One, whose unspoken Word, in a blameless A maiden, shall be conceived, and like a fire-bearing bow, having captured the whole world, he shall offer it as a gift to the Father. Mary is her name."
Now, the resolution of the prophecy is as follows... regarding the temple, this is the first word. "Whatever," he says, "pertains to the ornament of the temple, and beauty, it is possible for you to do, things pleasing to God and to men." For I suppose there is in heaven a great, most high, King in three substances. His God and Word, without beginning, is incarnated in an unwed maiden, and like a fire-bearing bow, or as something more powerful, he shall appear to the whole world, fishing for men, as if they were fish from the B deep of unbelief and ignorance, whom he shall offer as a gift to his own Father; and Mary is her name.
And Apollo said this while prophesying. Titon said: "The maiden who knows not man carries in her womb the heavenly Son of God and the Father who is about to rise for us." Bias said: "This is he who from the heavens has descended, having cast down an eternal fire; whom heaven, earth, sea, tartarus, and the deep dæmons tremble at, the self-fathered, thrice-blessed One." Solon said: "Though late, a God shall sometime come upon this vessel, the earth, and without blame shall become flesh of tireless divinity, bearing remedies for incurable C passions; and of this, a small portion of envious people shall come to be, and having been hung on high, as if condemned to death, he shall fall toward all things." Chilon said: "An indefatigable nature of God shall come to be, and from him [is] the same one, [who is] substance and Word." Thucydides said: "Worship God and learn; but do not seek who he is or how. For there is not a time when he is not, so worship him as existing and learn of him; for he is impious in his mind who wishes to comprehend God." Menander said: "The old man is new, and the new is ancient; the Father alone, and the Father only; the one is three, and the three one; the bodiless is fleshly. Earth has brought forth D the heavenly king." Plato said: "Since God is good, he cannot be the cause of all things, as the many say. Of many things he is not the cause; and of good things we say there is no other cause than him, but of evils, no longer."
Again, these seven spoke and said concerning the dispensation of Christ and concerning the holy Trinity. Another wise man among the Greeks, named Æsculapius, with certain others, when they asked for an interpretation from all the philosophers, giving them a more philosophical account concerning the nature of God, Hermes, having taken a pen, wrote thus: "If there were not some providence of the Lord of all, they would not have wished to reveal this word; nor would he have kept us occupied with such works, that one should ask concerning these things. For it is not possible to provide such mysteries to the uninitiated; but listen with your mind to those who have heard. There was one only; intelligible light before intelligible light, and it was a union from the mind, with light, and spirit. All things [are] from him and to him, descending into a fertile [being] from a fertile [being], upon fertile water, he made the water pregnant." You know how the sons of the Greeks prophesied, and the God who is before the beginning, and the co-beginning...