Primary source · Koine Greek

Against Eunomius

Name: Against Eunomius
Author: Basil the Great

Basil the Great · c. AD 364

Patrologia Graeca, vol. 29 (Migne) — manuscript witness to Against Eunomius — Patrologia Graeca, vol. 29 (Migne) — 1857Eastern Orthodox St. Fathers · Public domain · Commons

What this text is

Basil's first major work: the demolition of Eunomius's claim that God's very essence — 'unbegottenness' — can be captured in a name and therefore fully known.

Profile of Basil the Great →

Public-domain translations

Literal gloss of the Greek (I.12–14)

We know our God from his energies, but we do not undertake to approach his essence itself. His energies come down to us, but his essence remains beyond reach. To claim to know the essence of God is the first of all impieties.

Manuscript witnesses

Byzantine dogmatic collections

10th c. onward

The three authentic books against Eunomius (IV–V are later).

PRINCIPAL WITNESSES

Patrologia Graeca, vol. 29 (Migne)

1857

Standard pre-critical text of the corpus.

PRINTED PROXY

Provenance

Caesarea, c. AD 364–365 — against the Anomoian logic-chopper

Editions & scholarship

Critical editions and standard translations behind the text above.

Basile de Césarée: Contre Eunome (SC 299, 305)
Bernard Sesboüé et al., 1982–1983
Critical edition with French translation.
St. Basil of Caesarea: Against Eunomius (FOC 122)
Mark DelCogliano & Andrew Radde-Gallwitz, 2011
Annotated English translation.

Figures named in this text (1)

Eunomius of Cyzicus