|
HOME | GREEK LANGUAGE |
LIBRARIES |
BLOG | HELP | SEARCH | BOOKSTORE | FREEWARE |
|
|
Translated by Bl. Jackson.
St Basil the Great Resources Online and in Print
|
80 Pages (Homilies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Page 27
6. Survey creation; you will see the power of heat reigning over all that is born and perishes. On account of it comes all the water spread over the earth, as well as that which is beyond our sight and is dispersed in the depths of the earth. On account of it are abundance of fountains, springs or wells, courses of rivers, both mountain torrents and ever flowing streams, for the storing of moisture in many and various reservoirs. From the East, from the winter solstice flows the Indus, the greatest river of the earth, according to geographers. From the middle of the East proceed the Bactrus, [1484] the Choaspes, [1485] and the Araxes, [1486] from which the Tanais [1487] detaches itself to fall into the Palus-Maeotis. [1488] Add to these the Phasis [1489] which descends from Mount Caucasus, and countless other rivers, which, from northern regions, flow into the Euxine Sea. From the warm countries of the West, from the foot of the Pyrenees, arise the Tartessus [1490] and the Ister, [1491] of which the one discharges itself into the sea beyond the Pillars and the other, after flowing through Europe, falls into Euxine Sea. Is there any need to enumerate those which the Ripaean mountains [1492] pour forth in the heart of Scythia, the Rhone, [1493] and so many other rivers, all navigable, which after having watered the countries of the western Gauls and of Celts and of the neighbouring barbarians, flow into the Western sea? And others from the higher regions of the South flow through Ethiopia, to discharge themselves some into our sea, others into inaccessible seas, the AEgon [1494] the Nyses, the Chremetes, [1495] and above all the Nile, which is not of the character of a river when, like a sea, it inundates Egypt. Thus the habitable part of our earth is surrounded by water, linked together by vast seas and irrigated by countless perennial rivers, thanks to the ineffable wisdom of Him Who ordered all to prevent this rival element to fire from being entirely destroyed.
However, a time will come, when all shall be consumed by fire; as Isaiah says of the God of the universe in these words, "That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers." [1496] Reject then the foolish wisdom of this world, [1497] and receive with me the more simple but infallible doctrine of truth.
[1484] Balkh.
[1485] Kerak.
[1486] Probably the Volga is meant.
[1487] Don.
[1488] Sea of Asov.
[1489] Phaz.
[1490] Ebro.
[1491] The Danube.
[1492] Used vaguely for any mountains in the north of Europe and Asia. Strabo (vii. pp. 295, 299) considers them fabulous.
[1493] A varia lectio is Eridanus.
[1494] Aigon is properly the AEgean Sea.
[1495] Basil's geography is bad. He might have improved it by consulting Strabo or Ptolemaeus, but has been content to go for his facts to Aristotle (Met. i. 13), whose errors he repeats. Fialon remarks "nouvelle preuve de l'indifference des cites grecques de l' Asie pour cet Occident lointain dont elles se separerent si facilement." If this refers to the theological separation it is hardly fair. The East in the 4th c. and 5th c. shewed no indifference to the sympathy of the W., and when the split came the "separation" was not taken "easily."
[1496] Isa. xliv. 27.
[1497] Schools of "the wisdom of the world" did, however, teach that the world was a world genomenon kai phtharton. cf. Lucretius v. 322, "totum nativum mortali corpore constat."
Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/basil/hexaemeron.asp?pg=27
