{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/003/0030523.htm","path":"chr/ecf/003/0030523.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/003/0030523.htm","text":"Chapter VIII.\u2014The Names and Descent of Other \u00c6ons; First Half a Score, Then Two More, and Ultimately a Dozen Besides. These Thirty Constitute the Pleroma. But Why Be So Capricious as to Stop at Thirty?\nFor, behold, when the second Tetrad\u2014Sermo and Vita, Homo and Ecclesia 6697 \u2014had borne fruit to the Father\u2019s glory, having an intense desire of themselves to present to the Father something similar of their own, they bring other issue into being 6698 \u2014conjugal of course, as the others were 6699 \u2014by the union of the twofold nature. On the one hand, Sermo and Vita pour out at a birth a half-score of \u00c6ons; on the other hand, Homo and Ecclesia produce a couple more, so furnishing an equipoise to their parents, since this pair with the other ten make up just as many as they did themselves procreate. I now give the names of the half-score whom I have mentioned: Bythios (Profound) and Mixis (Mixture), Ageratos (Never old) and Henosis (Union), Autophyes (Essential nature) and Hedone (Pleasure), Acinetos (Immoveable) and Syncrasis (Commixture,) Monogenes (Only-begotten) and Macaria (Happiness). On the other hand, these will make up the number twelve (to which I have also referred): Paracletus (Comforter) and Pistis (Faith), Patricas (Paternal) and Elpis (Hope), Metricos (Maternal) and Agape (Love), Ainos (Praise) 6700 and Synesis (Intelligence), Ecclesiasticus (Son of Ecclesia) and Macariotes (Blessedness), Theletus 6701 (Perfect) and Sophia (Wisdom). I cannot help 6702 here quoting from a like example what may serve to show the import of p. 508 these names. In the schools of Carthage there was once a certain Latin rhetorician, an excessively cool fellow, 6703 whose name was Phosphorus. He was personating a man of valour, and wound up 6704 with saying, \u201cI come to you, excellent citizens, from battle, with victory for myself, with happiness for you, full of honour, covered with glory, the favourite of fortune, the greatest of men, decked with triumph.\u201d And forthwith his scholars begin to shout for the school of Phosphorus, \u03c6\u03b5\u1fe6 6705 (ah!). Are you a believer in 6706 Fortunata, and Hedone, and Acinetus, and Theletus? Then shout out your \u03c6\u03b5\u1fe6 for the school of Ptolemy. 6707 This must be that mystery of the Pleroma, the fulness of the thirty-fold divinity. Let us see what special attributes 6708 belong to these numbers\u2014four, and eight, and twelve. Meanwhile with the number thirty all fecundity ceases. The generating force and power and desire of the \u00c6ons is spent. 6709 As if there were not still left some strong rennet for curdling numbers. 6710 As if no other names were to be got out of the page\u2019s hall! 6711 For why are there not sets of fifty and of a hundred procreated? Why, too, are there no comrades and boon companions 6712 named for them?\nWe everywhere give Tertullian\u2019s own names, whether of Greek form or Latin. On their first occurrence we also give their English sense.\n507:6698 507:6699 507:6700\nOf this name there are two forms\u2014\u0391\u1f36\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 (Praise) and \u1fbd\u0391\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c2 (Eternal Mind).\n507:6701\nOr \u03a4\u03b5\u03bb\u03b5\u03c4\u03cc\u03c2 (Teletus). Another form of this \u00c6on\u2019s name is \u03a6\u03b9\u03bb\u03b7\u03c4\u03cc\u03c2 (Philetus = Beloved). Oehler always reads Theletus.\n507:6702 508:6703 508:6704\nCum virum fortem peroraret\u2026inquit.\n508:6705\nTertullian\u2019s joke lies in the equivocal sense of this cry, which may mean either admiration and joy, or grief and rage.\n508:6706 508:6707 508:6708 508:6709 508:6710 508:6711\nThe p\u00e6dagogium was either the place where boys were trained as pages (often for lewd purposes), or else the boy himself of such a character.\n508:6712\nOehler reads, \u201chet\u00e6ri (\u1f11\u03c4\u03b1\u1fd6\u03c1\u03bf\u03b9) et syntrophi.\u201d Another reading, supported by Rigaltius, is \u201cstercei\u00e6,\u201d instead of the former word, which gives a very contemptuous sense, suitable to Tertullian\u2019s irony.","title":"Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol III: Tertullian: Part II: The Na...","type":"page"}