Philo Judaeus, De Opificio Mundi, ed. Leopold Cohn, 51

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[51] πρὸς δὲ τούτοις οὐδ’ ἐκεῖνο ἀγνοητέον, ὅτι πρῶτος ἀριθμῶν ὁ τέτταρα τετράγωνός ἐστιν ἰσάκις ἴσος, μέτρον δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἰσότητος, καὶ ὅτι μόνος ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν καὶ συνθέσει καὶ δυνάμει πέφυκε γεννᾶσθαι, συνθέσει μὲν ἐκ δυοῖν καὶ δυοῖν, δυνάμει δὲ πάλιν ἐκ τοῦ ¹² δὶς δύο, πάγκαλόν τι συμφωνίας εἶδος ἐπιδεικνύμενος, ὃ μηδενὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀριθμῶν συμβέβηκεν· αὐτίκα γοῦν ὁ ἓξ συντιθέμενος ἐκ δυοῖν τριάδων οὐκέτι γεννᾶται πολυπλασιασθεισῶν, ἀλλ’ ἕτερος, ὁ ἐννέα.

De Opificio Mundi. Philo Judaeus. ed. Leopold Cohn. Germany. 2014.

Funding provided by European Social Fund Saxony.

Current edition First1KGreek

De Opificio Mundi (Greek) (Philo Judaeus. Opera que supersunt, Volume 1. Cohn, Leonard, editor. Berlin: Reimer, 1896.)

Translations (1)

On the Creation of the World First1KGreek (The works of Philo Judaeus, the contemporary of Josephus, volume 1. Yonge, C. D., translator. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1854.) — 51 focus

[51] And in addition to this there is this point also of which we should not be ignorant, the number four is the first number which is a square, being equal on all sides, the measure of justice and equality. And that it is the only number the nature of which is such that it is produced by the same numbers whether in combination, or in power. In combination when two and two are added together; and again in power when we speak of twice two;¹ and in this it displays an exceedingly beautiful kind of harmony, which is not the lot of any other number.

If we examine the number six which is composed of two threes, if these two numbers are multiplied it is not the number six that is produced, but a different one, the number nine.

Notes on the current edition

De opificio mundi

1.
1 δεχθῆναι V
2 ἔδειξεν V
4 σημεῖον V: εἶναι σημεῖον ceteri
5 διότι—γραμμή VF2G: διότι φύσει ἐκ (διὰ M) σημείου συνίσταται ἡ γραμμή MABP, om. F1G δ’ ἐστὶ V: δέ ἐστι ceteri προσγινομένου BG
7 ἐπιφανείᾳ scripsi: ἐπιφάνειαι V, ἐπιφάνεια ceteri τοῦ ocq. F
8 δεῖ (corr. ex δὴ) V: δέεται M, δεῖται ceteri οὗ προστεθέντος coni. Wendl. τῇ τριάδι M
9 ὃς] ὡς Μ
10 ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔννοιαν Η
11 τοῦ Wendl.: τῇ codd. συνεὶς V: συνιεὶς ceteri τὸ λεγόμενον om. M
12 εἴσεται] εὑρεταὶ (sic) M οἱ τὰ κάρυα παίζοντες MABP
13 κάρυα προτιθέντες VR: προτιθέντες κάρυα FGP, προστιθέντες κάρυα Η, κάρυα ante τρία transp. M, κάρυα om. ΑΒ
14 ἐν om. V 14.
15 τὸ ἐπιτεθὲν δὲ G
15 σχήμασι VMFG: σχήματι ceteri 15.
16 στερρὸν Η
16 οὐδ’] οὐδὲ Μ, οὐκ V
17 ὁ τέτταρα] ὅτι πάρα V ἰσάκις ἴσος] ἱκανὸς ἰσάκις ἴσοις V, ἴσος om. ΑBP1 μέτρον FGH: ἰσόμετρον V, ὃ ἰσόμετρον καὶ MABP
18 πέφυκεν V

2. 12—16 οἱ καρυατίζοντες—σῶμα R fol. 89v, tum pergit: ἔστι δὲ ὁ τούτων ἰσάκις καὶ ἴσος καὶ ὡσανεὶ ἠμιόλιος, μέτρον τε ἰσότητος ἔχων μηδὲν διαφέρον τῶν πλανητῶν. ἀλλὰ τίς δύναται τὴν ἀκριβεστέραν κατάληψιν ἰχνηλατῆσαι τῶν δεδημιουργημένων; 16—17,2 loann. Lyd. de mens. II c. 8: περὶ δὲ τοῦ κατ’ ἀριθμὸν ἀξιώματος ὁ ἀριθμὸς τετράγωνός ἐστι· μόνος γὰρ ἰσάκις ἴσος ἰσομερὴς ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν καὶ συνθέσει καὶ δυνάμει πέφυκε γεννᾶσθαι, σύνθεσιν μὲν οὑν ἐκ δυεῖν καὶ δυεῖν, δύναμιν δὲ ἐκ τοῦ δὶς δύο, πάγκαλόν τι συμφωνίας εἶδος ἐπιδεικνύμενος, ὃ μηδενὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀριθμῶν συμβέβηκεν.

Philo Judaeus De Opificio Mundi 51

ed. Leopold Cohn

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