ὡς δὲ τῆς παρὰ τούτοις νομοθεσίας βοωμένης καὶ πνοῆς δίκην εὐώδους εἰς ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους διαδιδομένης, ἤδη τότε ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ τοῖς πλείοσιν τῶν ἐθνῶν διὰ τῶν πανταχόσε νομοθετῶν τε καὶ φιλοσόφων ἡμέρωτο τὰ φρονήματα, τῆς ἀγρίας καὶ ἀπηνοῦς θηριωδίας ἐπὶ τὸ πρᾶον μεταβεβλημένης, ὡς καὶ εἰρήνην βαθεῖαν φιλίας τε καὶ ἐπιμιξίας πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἔχειν,
τηνικαῦτα πᾶσι δὴ λοιπὸν ἀνθρώποις καὶ τοῖς ἀνὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἔθνεσιν ὡς ἂν προωφελημένοις καὶ ἤδη τυγχάνουσιν ἐπιτηδείοις πρὸς παραδοχὴν τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς γνώσεως, ὁ αὐτὸς δὴ πάλιν ἐκεῖνος ὁ τῶν ἀρετῶν διδάσκαλος, ὁ ἐν πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς τοῦ πατρὸς ὑπουργός, ὁ θεῖος καὶ οὐράνιος τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, δι' ἀνθρώπου κατὰ μηδὲν σώματος οὐσίᾳ τὴν ἡμετέραν φύσιν διαλλάττοντος ἀρχομένης τῆς Ῥωμαίων βασιλείας ἐπιφανείς,
τοιαῦτα ἔδρασέν τε καὶ πέπονθεν, οἷα ταῖς προφητείαις ἀκόλουθα ἦν, ἄνθρωπον ὁμοῦ καὶ θεὸν ἐπιδημήσειν τῷ βίῳ παραδόξων ἔργων ποιητὴν καὶ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἔθνεσιν διδάσκαλον τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς εὐσεβείας ἀναδειχθήσεσθαι τό τε παράδοξον αὐτοῦ τῆς γενέσεως καὶ τὴν καινὴν διδασκαλίαν καὶ τῶν ἔργων τὰ θαύματα ἐπί τε τούτοις τοῦ θανάτου τὸν τρόπον τήν τε ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἔνθεον ἀποκατάστασιν αὐτοῦ προκηρυττούσαις.
quae tamen lex cum velut initium quoddam luminis mundo huic offulsisset et odoris sui fraglantia mare ac terras longe lateque conplesset atque ex ipsa diversis in orbis partibus nidorem quendam prudentiores quique capientes legislatores vel philosofi modesta quaeque et verecundiora praecepta atque honestatis et iustitiae conscia auditoribus suis paulatim tradere atque insinuare coeperunt et agrestes ac feros homininn mores ad decora atque honesta instituta revocare. tune amicitiis coire inter se viros et concordiae subire foedera docuerunt, tune iuvare se invicem homines et usum rerum discunt habere communem,
donec instituti prudentioris docilis humana mens et societatis ad invicem patiens redderetur, ut huiuscemodi consuetudinis prolusione praemissa apti iam et parati etiam ad divina fierent instituta patrisque omnium dei scientiae capaces existerent. in quo ipse
iterum omnium virtutum magister, ipse sermo ac ratio et verbum ac sapientia dei, ipse qui in initio cum patre creaverat hominem, ipse, inquam, humanae quoque naturae adsumpta substantia et specie formae servilis indutus in nullo penitus ab eo, quod nos sumus, differentis, tempore, quo Romani imperii regnum nobilius latiusque consurgere ipse
praestiterat, ingressus hunc mundum communi quidem nobiscum nascendi aditu,
sed nullo auctore patefacto ea egit et pertulit, quae de eo futura (27) prophetae praedixerant. viri etenim divinitus inspirati hominem qui simul esset et dens, adventare huic mundo et doctorem omnium gentium paternae pietatis ac religionis futurum sacrosanctis oraculis cecinerunt, sed et mortis modum, quo de hac vita discederet utque rursum inusitato more ad viventes repedaret a mortuis et post haec caelum adiret, unde descenderat, atque in deum rediret.
(23) ܟܕ ܕܝܢ ܢܡܘܣܐ ܕܐܬܣܝܡ ܠܗܠܝܢ ܐܫܬܡܗ. ܘܐܝܟ ܪܝܚܐ ܒܣܝܡܐ ܒܟܠܗܘܢ ܒ̈ܢܝ ܐܢܫܐ ܡܬܝܒܠ ܗܘܐ. ܡܢܗܘܢ ܕܝܢ ܡܢ ܗܠܝܢ ܐܦ ܣܘܓܐܐ ܕܥ̈ܡܡܐ. ܒܝܕ ܣܝܡ̈ܝ ܢܡ̈ܘܣܐ. ܘܦܝ̈ܠܣܦܐ ܕܗܘܘ ܒܟܠ ܐܬܪ. ܡܢ ܗ̇ܝ ܩܫܝܘܬܐ ܘܒܥܪܝܪܘܬܐ. ܐܬܗܦܟܘ ܪ̈ܥܝܢܐ ܕܣ̈ܓܝܐ ܠܫܝܢܐ ܘܡܟܝܟܘܬܐ. ܐܝܟ ܕܢܗܘܐ ܫܝܢܐ ܣܓܝܐܐ. ܘܪܚܡܘܬܐ ܘܚܠܝܛܘܬܐ ܕܥܡ ܚ̈ܕܕܐ.
ܘܡܟܝܠ ܠܟܠܗܘܢ ܒ̈ܢܝ ܐܢܫܐ. ܠܟܠ ܥܡ̈ܡܝܢ ܕܐܝܬ ܒܒܪܝܬܐ. ܐܝܟ ܕܠܐܢܫܐ ܕܩܕܡܘ ܐܬܥܕܪܘ. ܘܡܫܟܚܝܢ ܡܟܝܠ ܠܡܩܒܠܘ ܝܕܥܬܗ ܕܐܒܐ. ܗܘ ܗ̇ܘ ܡܠܦܢܐ ܕܓܒ̈ܝܬܐ ܘܡܫܒ̈ܚܬܐ. ܗ̇ܘ ܕܡܫܘܬܦ ܥܡ ܐܒܐ ܒܟܠܗܝܢ ܛܒ̈ܬܐ. ܡܠܬܗ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܘܚܟܡܬܗ. ܠܒܫ ܦܓܪܐ. ܘܥܒܕ ܬܪܥܘܬܐ ܠܓܢܣܐ ܕܐܢܫܘܬܐ. ܐܬܚܙܝ ܕܝܢ ܒܫܘܪܝ ܡܠܟܘܬܐ ܕܪ̈ܗܘܡܝܐ.
ܘܣܥܪ ܘܣܒܠ. ܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܠܡ̈ܠܐ ܕܢܒ̈ܝܘܬܐ ܫܠܡܢ ܗܘ̈ܝ. ܡܩܕܡ ܗܘܐ ܓܝܪ ܘܐܡܝܪ ܒܢܒ̈ܝܐܐ. ܕܐܠܗܐ .... ܒܪܢܫܐ ܢܐܬܐ ܠܗ ܠܥܠܡܐ. ܐܦ ܣܥܘܪܐ ܕܥܒ̈ܕܐ ܫܒ̈ܝܚܐ. ܘܡܠܦܢܐ ܕܥ̈ܡܡܐ ܟܠܗܘܢ ܕܣܓܕܬ ܐܒܐ. ܐܦ ܥܠ ܡܝܬܪܘܬܐ ܕܝܢ ܕܝܕܥܬܗ. ܘܕܝܘܠܦܢܗ ܚܕܬܐ ܘܕܣܘܥܪ̈ܢܘܗܝ ܬܡ̈ܝܗܐ. ܡܩܕܡ ܗܘܐ ܘܐܡܝܪ. ܘܥܡ ܗܠܝܢ. ܘܐܦ ܥܠ ܛܘܦܣܐ ܕܡܘܬܗ. ܘܥܠ ܩܝܡܬܗ ܕܡܢ ܒܝܬ ܡ̈ܝܬܐ. ܘܡܣܩܗ ܕܠܫܡܝܐ. ܘܕܐܬܓܡܪܬ ܐܢܫܘܬܗ ܒܐܠܗܘܬܗ.
23. But when their law became celebrated, and, like a sweet odor, was diffused among all men, as a result of their influence the dispositions of the majority of the heathen were softened by the lawgivers and philosophers who arose on every side, and their wild and savage brutality was changed into mildness, so that they enjoyed deep peace, friendship, and social intercourse.
Then, finally, at the time of the origin of the Roman Empire, there appeared again to all men and nations throughout the world, who had been, as it were, previously assisted, and were now fitted to receive the knowledge of the Father, that same teacher of virtue, the minister of the Father in all good things, the divine and heavenly Word of God, in a human body not at all differing in substance from our own.
He did and suffered the things which had been prophesied. For it had been foretold that one who was at the same time man and God should come and dwell in the world, should perform wonderful works, and should show himself a teacher to all nations of the piety of the Father. The marvelous nature of his birth, and his new teaching, and his wonderful works had also been foretold; so likewise the manner of his death, his resurrection from the dead, and, finally, his divine ascension into heaven.
Complete text