# Tome to the Armenians

- Author: [Proclus of Constantinople](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/proclus-of-constantinople/)
- Latin title: *Tomus ad Armenios*
- Date: ca. 435-437 (probable)
- Source: Eduard Schwartz, ed., Acta conciliorum oecumenicorum, vol. 4.2 (Strasbourg: Trübner, 1914), the Tome to the Armenians, Greek text with the apparatus omitted (also Migne, PG 65:856-873) (Greek text: E. Schwartz, ACO IV.2 (1914), from a scanned copy supplied by the editor; the text layer is an uncorrected OCR)

- Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator
- Editions and translations: Eduard Schwartz, ed., Acta conciliorum oecumenicorum 4.2 (1914); Migne, PG 65:856-873
- Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/
- Passages: 35

## Tome to the Armenians 0

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-0
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Proclus greets the bishops, presbyters, and archimandrites of Armenia.

### Greek text

Τοις θεοφιλεστάτοις καί θεοσεβεστάτοις έπισκόποις καί πρεσβυτέροις και αρχιμανδρίταις τοίς ουσι κατά πάσαν την Αρμενίαν της ορθοδόξου αγίας εκκλησίας Πρόκλος έν κυρίωι χαίρειν.

### English translation (Claude)

To the most God-beloved and most God-fearing bishops, presbyters, and archimandrites of the orthodox holy church who are throughout all Armenia: Proclus, greeting in the Lord.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. pref. (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/0).

## Tome to the Armenians 1

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-1
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Proclus says the report of new errors sown in Armenia has grieved him deeply, because they endanger the faith itself.

### Greek text

Ού μετρίως, αδελφοί, συνεχεεν ημών τήν ψυχήν καί τον λογισμόν τήι τυράννωι λύπηι κατέτρωσεν ή φήμη τών νεαρών της απάτης μανιών, απερ έναγχος τήι ύμετέραι πανούργως έπέσπειρεν χώραι ό κοινός της φύσεως έχθρός. πλήττειν γαρ άφορήτως ή τών άπευκτών εϊωθεν ακοή τήν μήπω προγυμνασθεΐσαν έν τήι τοιαύτηι μελετηι ψυχήν καί τοσούτωι πλέον χαλεπώτερον τοξεύει, κατά βάθους είσωθοΟσα τα βέλη, δσωι τον κίνδυνον ου περί τήν τοΰ σώματος ϊστησι παχύτητα, άλλα τό αυλον πολιορκεί, ταις φήμαις τό εντιμον της πίστεως διαθρυλουσα ή έλεεινώς διερρήχθαι ή παντελώς σεσυλήσθαι ίμάτιον.

### English translation (Claude)

Not moderately, brothers, has the report of the new frenzies of deceit confounded our soul and wounded our mind with tyrannous grief, frenzies which the common enemy of nature has lately and craftily sown in your country. For the hearing of things one prays never to hear is wont to strike unbearably a soul not yet trained in such an exercise, and it shoots all the more grievously, driving its darts deep within, inasmuch as it sets the danger not about the grossness of the body but lays siege to what is immaterial, spreading the rumour that the precious garment of the faith has either been pitifully torn or utterly stolen.

### Translation notes

- The 'new frenzies' are the teachings associated with Theodore of Mopsuestia that were being spread in Armenia; the letter does not name him.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 1 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/1).

## Tome to the Armenians 2

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-2
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Virtue is sought and vice abhorred by the sound-minded, who guard against what is harmful.

### Greek text

πάσα μέν γάρ αρετή περισπούδαστος υπάρχει τοίς τό λογικόν μή άμαυρωθείσιν υπό της ϋλης, πάσα δέ κακία βδελυκτή ουκ άπεικότως τοίς ευ φρονοϋσιν κρίνεται, οία δή κατ' έναντιότητα πολεμούσα τήι φύσει τώι παρά φύσιν. ώσπερ γαρ τό συμφέρον τοίς αίρουμένοις άναγκαίως περιμάχητον, ούτως τό μή τοιούτον άλλ' άντικείμενον ή παρόν αποβολής άΕιον ή προσδοκώμενον τοΰ μή συμβήναι φροντίδος ούκ άλλότριον.

### English translation (Claude)

For every virtue is earnestly sought by those whose reason has not been darkened by matter, and every vice is, not unreasonably, judged abhorrent by those of sound mind, since by its very opposition it wars against nature with what is against nature. For as what is advantageous is necessarily fought for by those who choose it, so what is not such but opposed to it, if present, is worth casting off, or if expected, is not outside our concern that it may not come to pass.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 2 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/2).

## Tome to the Armenians 3

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-3
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Greeks and Christians define virtue differently; the Greeks, groping in darkness, see only visible things.

### Greek text

Αρετής μεν οδν είδη πολλά, διαφόρως δε ώρίσαντο περί ταύτης ο'ί τε υπό πλάνης άγχόμενοι 'Έλληνες καί τό ακριβές της διακρίσεως υπό της περί τό θείον αγνοίας έπισκοτούμενοι καί οί δια πίστεως τους όφθαλμούς τής διανοίας πεφωτισμένοι Χριστιανοί καί προς τον της δικαιοσύνης ήλιον τρανώς δια τής όμολογίας άτενίΖειν δυνάμενοι. οΐ μεν γάρ τοις οίκείοις λογισμοις ώσπερ έν σκότει προσπταίοντες καί άνηγεμόνευτον έχοντες ύπό προλήψεως τον νοΰν, έπισφαλώς όδεύουσι τοις λογισμοίς, μόνην èv oîç δογματίίουσιν ψηλαφώντες την ρέουσαν και άστατον τών δρωμένων φύσιν, το δέ της αληθούς θεωρίας όμμα

### English translation (Claude)

Now there are many forms of virtue, and it has been defined differently both by the Greeks, who are strangled by error and have the precision of their discernment darkened by ignorance of the divine, and by the Christians, who have had the eyes of the mind enlightened through faith and are able to gaze clearly at the Sun of righteousness through their confession. For the former, stumbling in their own reasonings as in darkness and having a mind left without a guide because of preconceptions, travel unsafely in their reasonings, groping, in the doctrines they lay down, only at the flowing and unstable nature of visible things, while the eye of true contemplation

### Scripture references

- Mal 4:2 (3:20 LXX): echo, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- 'Sun of righteousness' echoes Mal 4:2 (3:20 LXX).

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 3 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/3).

## Tome to the Armenians 4

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-4
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The Greek philosophers' four cardinal virtues stay earthbound and confine virtue to visible things.

### Greek text

άμβλυώττοντες ύπό χρόνου ή πηρωθέντες υπό πλάνης. και φασίν αρετής τετταρα είδη είναι, δικαιοσύνην φημί καί φρόνησιν σωφροσύνην τε και άνδρίαν" όίπερ εΐ καΐ καλά δοκεΐ τυγχάνειν, χθαμαλά τε ερπει καί περί γήν νήχεται καί κατώτερα τής του ουρανού τυγχάνει άψίδος. άνδρίαν γάρ φήσαντες τήν προς την υλην πάλην καί σωφροσύνην τό κατά τών παθών κράτος καί φρόνησιν τήν èv ταΐς πολιτείαις άριστοκρατίαν καί δικαιοσύνην τήν άρίστην τοΟ ίσου μερίδα, τώι βίωι, ως γε ένόμισαν, τάΗιν ενομοθέτησαν, χαλινώσαντες τώι δρωι τήν έφ' έκάτερα του πλείονος άμετρίαν" ύψηλόν δε καί τής παρούσης λήΣεως κρείττον ουδέ νοήσαι ουδέ έκθεσθαι τι ήδυνήθησαν, άλλα τώι άσυνέτωι τής πεπωρωμένης καρδίας βιασάμενοι, τό γε έπ' αύτοίς, τήν άρετήν, τοις όρωμένοις αυτήν περιέκλεισαν μόνον,

### English translation (Claude)

they have either dulled through time or maimed through error. And they say that there are four forms of virtue, I mean justice and prudence, temperance and courage. These, even if they seem to be fine, creep along the ground, swim about the earth, and lie below the vault of heaven. For by calling courage the wrestling against matter, temperance the mastery over the passions, prudence the rule of the best in commonwealths, and justice the best share of what is equal, they legislated order for life, as they supposed, bridling with a limit the immoderation of excess in either direction. But anything lofty and higher than our present lot they could neither conceive nor set forth; rather, constrained by the senselessness of their hardened heart, they enclosed virtue, so far as it lay with them, within visible things alone,

### Scripture references

- Mark 8:17: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- The four virtues are those of the Platonic and Stoic tradition.
- 'Hardened heart' echoes Mark 8:17 and Eph 4:18.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 4 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/4).

## Tome to the Armenians 5

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-5
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Christians, taught by Paul, define virtue as what raises us to God and orders earthly things.

### Greek text

μηδέν συγχωρήσαντες αυτήν Ιχειν ύψηλόν τε καί τής τών ούρανών εύκοσμίας έφάμιλλον. οί δε γε πεφωτισμένοι δια πίστεως τούς οφθαλμούς τής καρδίας, ων καθηγητής καί διδάσκαλος ó μακάριος ύπάρχει Παύλος, άρετήν ώρίσαντο τήν προς τον θεόν άναπτεροΰσαν καί τά περί γήν εν τά£ει

### English translation (Claude)

granting that it has nothing lofty, nothing rivalling the good order of the heavens. But those enlightened through faith in the eyes of the heart, whose guide and teacher is the blessed Paul, defined virtue as that which lifts us up on wings toward God and steers in good order the things on earth.

### Scripture references

- Eph 1:18: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- 'Enlightened in the eyes of the heart' alludes to Eph 1:18. The sentence runs on into the next section.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 5 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/5).

## Tome to the Armenians 6

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-6
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Paul names faith, hope, and love as the chief virtues; faith gives men knowledge beyond even the angels and lifts the mind to God.

### Greek text

πηδαλιουχούσαν. τοιγαρούν αυτός ούτος ó èv πάσιν άοίδιμος πολλά μεν άπηρίθμησεν αρετής είδη, τρία δε ταύτα έΕαίρετα άνεβόησεν, πίστιν, ελπίδα καί άγάπην" ων ή μεν πίστις χαρίζεται τοις άνθρώποις τά ύπερ φύσιν, τοις νοητοίς ήδη καταμιγνύσα τον ετι φοροΰντα τό πολύπαθες τής υλης ίμάτιον. α γάρ ή τών αγγέλων καί τών λοιπών άσαρκων δυνάμεων ήγνόησεν δια μέγεθος φύσις, τούτων τοις χαμαί βαδίΣουσιν καί έπί γης καλινδουμένοις άνθρώποις τήν έπιστήμην χαρίΣεται ή πίστις, προσάγουσά τε τώι βασιλικώι καί άσχηματίστωι θρόνωι καί ακριβή τήν έλλαμψιν ενιείσα τής άναρχου καί άκτίστου φύσεως τήι τε οίκείαι άστραπήι τήν άχλύν τών αισθήσεων άπελαύνουσα καί εϊ τι παχύ καί νεφώδες τών τήιδε, του νού άποψήσασα, ποιεί τρανώς έκέίνα όραν, ä τώι μή φθάνεσθαι όραται καί

### English translation (Claude)

Accordingly, this very man, celebrated in all things, enumerated many forms of virtue, but proclaimed these three as preeminent: faith, hope, and love. Of these, faith grants to human beings things beyond nature, already mingling with the intelligible beings one who still wears the much-suffering garment of matter. For the things of which the nature of the angels and of the other bodiless powers was ignorant because of their greatness, the knowledge of these faith grants to human beings who walk below and roll about upon the earth; it brings them to the royal and formless throne, sends into them the exact radiance of the unoriginate and uncreated nature, drives away by its own lightning the mist of the senses, and, wiping from the mind whatever is thick and cloudy among things here, makes it see clearly those things which are seen by not being reached and are grasped by being unapproachable.

### Scripture references

- 1 Cor 13:13: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Pet 1:12: allusion, medium confidence
- Eph 3:10: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- 1 Cor 13:13. The things unknown to the angels allude to 1 Pet 1:12 and Eph 3:10.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 6 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/6).

## Tome to the Armenians 7

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-7
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Hope makes future things present to the mind and joins the one who longs to the object of longing.

### Greek text

τώι άπροσίτωι καταλαμβάνεται. ή δε έλπίς ουκ όνειροπολείν άΕιοί, ώς αν τις εΐποι, άλλα γενναίως κρατεΐν èv τοις παρούσι παρασκευάζει τά μέλλοντα, τής αναμφίβολου πληροφορίας τό μήπω παρόν τώι χρόνωι, ώς ένεστός ήδη, τώι λογισμώι έγχειριΣούσης καί σχεδόν τά προσδοκώμενα ύπ' όψιν άγούσης. υπερβάσα γάρ ή έλπίς τά εμποδών κωλύματα, συνάπτει τό ποθούν προς τό έρώμενον, τό παραρρέον τοΟ χρόνου τήι τού μέλλοντος

### English translation (Claude)

Hope does not think fit to dream, as one might say, but prepares one nobly to hold fast, amid present things, the things to come, since its unwavering full assurance hands over to the reason what is not yet present in time as though already here, and almost brings the things awaited before the eyes. For hope, overleaping the obstacles in the way, joins what longs to what is loved, conquering the flowing-by of time by its relation to what is to come.

### Scripture references

- Heb 11:1: echo, low confidence

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 7 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/7).

## Tome to the Armenians 8

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-8
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Love moved God the Word to become flesh; he became incarnate without change of nature and without adding a fourth to the Trinity.

### Greek text

σχέσει νικώσα. ή δε αγάπη του καθ' ημάς μυστηρίου έστί τό κεφάλαιον αυτη γαρ τον θεόν λόγον, έπί γής άεί παρόντα, έλθείν δια σαρκός έδυσώπησεν. έκάτερα τοίνυν άλλήλαις συμβαίνει " · ή μεν γάρ πίστις έσοπτρόν έστιν άγάπης, ή δε άγάπη βεβαίωσις υπάρχει πίστεως. πιστεύομεν δτι ó θεός λόγος άπαθώς έσαρκώθη, καί εύσεβώς πιστεύομεν' αυτη γάρ τής ημετέρας σωτηρίας ή κρηπίς' άλλα καί άγαπώμεν τόν δι' ημάς τήν τού δούλου μορφήν λαβόντα μήτε φύσεως τροπήν ύπομείναντα μήτε προσθήκην τήι τριάδι εργασάμενον.

### English translation (Claude)

And love is the head of the mystery concerning us; for it was love that prevailed on God the Word, who is ever present on earth, to come through flesh. Each, then, agrees with the other: faith is the mirror of love, and love is the confirmation of faith. We believe that God the Word became flesh impassibly, and we believe piously, for this is the foundation of our salvation; but we also love him who for our sake took the form of the servant, neither undergoing a change of nature nor making an addition to the Trinity.

### Scripture references

- Phil 2:7: allusion, high confidence
- John 1:14: allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- 'The form of the servant': Phil 2:7.
- 'Impassibly' (ἀπαθῶς): the Word's divine nature did not suffer change in becoming flesh; a key term of the letter.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 8 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/8).

## Tome to the Armenians 9

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-9
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Moral virtue without faith, hope, and love does not win the crown; the faith must be kept pure within the bounds of the Gospels and apostles.

### Greek text

Πας τοίνυν Χριστιανός ό μή πλουτών πίστει καί ελπίδι καί άγάπηι ουκ εστίν ö λέγεται, άλλ' ei καί δοκεΐ πολλάκις δουλαγωγείν το σώμα καί των της ψυχής παθών έλευθεριάΣειν, την ήθικήν μόνην άρετήν κατορθώσας, τών της νίκης στεφάνων ουκ άΕιοΰται, οία δή προς εκείνον τήι θεολογίαι μή φθάσας τον βραβευτήν όντα τών στεφάνων τοις υπέρ αρετής γενναίως άθλήσασιν. πίστις τοίνυν, καθά προέφην, πάντων τών αγαθών υπάρχουσα κεφάλαιον, φυλαττέσθω ανόθευτος, μηδέν κίβδηλον επαγόμενη Ικ λογισμών ανθρωπίνων μηδέ μήν βεβήλοις κενοφωνίαις επιθολουμένη, άλλ' εισω τών ευαγγελικών τε καί αποστολικών μένουσα δρων, μηδενός τολμώντος παρεγχειρειν τήι δι' ής έσώθημεν καί

### English translation (Claude)

Every Christian, then, who is not rich in faith, hope, and love is not what he is called. Even if he often seems to bring the body into subjection and to be free of the passions of the soul, having achieved moral virtue alone, he is not counted worthy of the crowns of victory, since by theology he has not reached that umpire who gives the crowns to those who have contended nobly for virtue. Faith, then, as I said before, being the head of all good things, must be guarded unadulterated, bringing in nothing counterfeit from human reasonings nor muddied by profane empty talk, but remaining within the bounds of the Gospels and the apostles, no one daring to tamper with the faith by which we were saved and

### Scripture references

- 1 Cor 9:27: echo, medium confidence
- 1 Tim 6:20: allusion, high confidence
- 2 Tim 2:16: allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- 'Bring the body into subjection' echoes 1 Cor 9:27; 'profane empty talk', 1 Tim 6:20 and 2 Tim 2:16.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 9 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/9).

## Tome to the Armenians 10

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-10
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The faith confessed in baptism may not be altered even by an angel, as Paul says.

### Greek text

ήν èv τώι βαπτίσματι τήι γλώττηι εχειρογραφήσαμεν. αποπέμπεται γαρ τό υψος τής πίστεως πάσαν εφοδον θράσους καί τόλμαν, ού μόνον άνθρωπίνην, άλλα καί υπό φύσεως άσάρκου κορυφουμένην, του μακαρίου Παύλου βοώντος" εάν ημείς ή άγγελος έΕ ουρανών εύαγγελίσηται ΰμίν παρ' ö παρελάβετε , ανάθεμα ?στω. λειτουργείν γαρ άγγελος έτάχθη, ού δογματίίειν, καί επισφαλές τυγχάνει τό μή έκαστον èv οις έτάχθη, έμμένειν, άλλ' έπιχειρεΐν τοις υπέρ φύσιν' ώστε ει καί τό τής φύσεως ó τολμών επάγοιτο

### English translation (Claude)

which we signed with our tongue in baptism. For the height of the faith repels every assault of boldness and daring, not only human but even that headed by a bodiless nature, as the blessed Paul cries: 'Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be anathema.' For an angel was appointed to minister, not to lay down doctrine, and it is perilous for anyone not to remain in what he was appointed to but to attempt things beyond his nature. So even if the one who dares should bring forward the credibility of his nature,

### Scripture references

- Gal 1:8: quotation, high confidence
- Gal 1:9: quotation, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- The quotation combines Gal 1:8 with the wording of 1:9 ('contrary to what you received').

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 10 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/10).

## Tome to the Armenians 11

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-11
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Proclus summarizes what Scripture teaches: creation, the natural law, the commandment, the fall, and God's training of humanity through the patriarchs, law, and prophets.

### Greek text

άΕιόπιστον, απαράδεκτος !στω ή καινοτομία του κηρύγματος. φυλάΕωμεν τοίνυν άνυστάκτως δ παρελάβομεν, άμετεώριστον αεί επί τώι θησαυρώι τής πίστεως τό τής ψυχής διανοίγοντες ομμα. τί δέ έκ τών γραφών παρελάβομεν ή πάντως τούτο ; ότι ó θεός έδημιούργησεν λόγωι τον κόσμον καί παρήγαγεν ού πρότερον ουσαν τήν κτίσιν, ότι νόμωι φυσικώι τό λογικόν ετίμησε Σώιον, δτι δέδωκεν εντολήν τώι αύτεΕουσίωι ύποδεικνυς τό συμφέρον, ίνα φύγηι τήι καλλίστηι αίρέσει τό βλάπτον, καί ότι ή έθελούσιος προς τό χείρον τοΟ άνθρωπου όρμή έΕόριστον έποίησε τον άπειθή τού παραδείσου, δτι δια πατέρων καί πατριαρχών καί νόμου καί κριτών καί προφητών επαίδευσεν ó πλάστης τήν φύσιν κατα-

### English translation (Claude)

let the innovation in preaching be inadmissible. Let us then guard unsleepingly what we received, ever keeping the eye of the soul open, undistracted, upon the treasure of the faith. And what did we receive from the Scriptures if not altogether this: that God created the world by a word and brought forth the creation that did not exist before; that he honoured the rational living being with a natural law; that he gave a commandment to the free will, pointing out what is advantageous, so that by the best choice it might flee what harms; that the voluntary impulse of man toward the worse made the disobedient one an exile from paradise; that through fathers and patriarchs, law and judges and prophets, the Fashioner trained our nature to despise

### Scripture references

- Gen 1:1: echo, medium confidence
- Gen 2:16: allusion, medium confidence
- Gen 3:23: allusion, medium confidence

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 11 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/11).

## Tome to the Armenians 12

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-12
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: When law and prophets could not rescue humanity, God the Word himself became flesh of a virgin, beginning from the very start of human existence.

### Greek text

φρονείν μεν του άμαρτάνειν, φροντίίειν δέ του δικαιοπραγείν' δτι τέλος, ως επεκράτει βουλομένων ημών ή αμαρτία, ó δέ διάβολος δίκην του πλημμελείν άπήιτει τήν τής φύσεως πανωλεθρίαν, οια δή καί του φυσικοί) νόμου άμαυρωθέντος καί του γραπτού φαυλισθέντος καί τών προφητών ως άνθρώπων ύπομνησάντων τοΟ πρακτέου, άλλ' ούκ έΕαρπασάντων τοΟ χείρονος, αύτός ó θεός ó άσχημάτιστος και άναρχος καί άπερίγραπτος καί παντοδύναμος λόγος έλθών έσαρκώθη (τό γαρ δυνατόν παρήν αύτώι βουλομένωι) καί λαβών τήν του δούλου μορφήν, έγένετο σάρΕ καί έτέχθη έκ παρθένου, πανταχού βουλόμενος δείΕαι δτι κατά άλήθειαν γέγονεν άνθρωπος. άναγκαίως γαρ τήι φύσει παρέπονται αί άρχαί καί τα σχήματα καί τα πάθη. ούδέ γάρ λέγει ó εύαγγελιστής δτι είσήλθεν εις τέλειον ανθρωπον, άλλ' έγένετο σάρΕ, έπ' αύτήν τήν καταβολή ν τής φύσεως φθάσας καί είς τήν

### English translation (Claude)

sinning and to take care to do right; that at last, as sin prevailed with our own consent, and the devil demanded as penalty for the offence the utter destruction of our nature, since the natural law had been darkened, the written law slighted, and the prophets, being men, had reminded us of what was to be done but had not snatched us out of the worse, God himself, the formless, unoriginate, uncircumscribed, and almighty Word, came and was made flesh (for the power was present to him as he willed), and taking the form of the servant, he became flesh and was born of a virgin, wishing to show in every way that he truly became man. For beginnings and shapes and passions necessarily attend nature. For the evangelist does not say that he entered into a perfect man, but that he 'became flesh', having reached the very foundation of nature and run back to

### Scripture references

- John 1:14: quotation, high confidence
- Phil 2:7: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- John 1:14; Phil 2:7. Proclus rejects the phrase 'entered into a perfect man', associated with Antiochene Christology.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 12 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/12).

## Tome to the Armenians 13

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-13
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: As a man begins as flesh and grows, so the Word began from the root of human generation, becoming flesh without being changed into it.

### Greek text

άρχήν τής γενέσεως άναδραμών. ώσπερ γάρ ó τικτόμενος κατά φύσιν άνθρωπος ούκ εύθυ τέλειος ταΐς ένεργείαις πρόεισιν, άλλ' αύτή ή καταβολή τής φύσεως πρώτον γίνεται σάρΕ, εϊτα τώι χρόνωι κατά μικρόν προσλαμβάνει τάς προς άπαρτισμόν τών αισθήσεων τε και ένεργειών συντελούσας δυνάμεις, ούτως ό θεός λόγος επ' αύτήν τήν άρχήν καί βίΣαν της ανθρωπείας γένεσεως άναδραμών, πρώτον γέγονε σάρ£, ού τραπείς εις σάρκα, μή γένοιτο" μένει γαρ ή θεότης αλλοιώσεως ανωτέρα, έπείπερ τό τρεπτόν παραρρεούσης

### English translation (Claude)

the beginning of generation. For as a man born according to nature does not come forth at once perfect in his activities, but the very foundation of the nature first becomes flesh, and then in time it takes on, little by little, the powers that contribute to the completion of the senses and the activities, so God the Word, having run back to the very beginning and root of human generation, first became flesh, not changed into flesh, God forbid! For the Godhead remains above alteration, since changeability is a property of a flowing

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 13 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/13).

## Tome to the Armenians 14

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-14
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: 'Became flesh' shows the indivisible union in one person; 'took the form of a servant' shows the Godhead's immutability.

### Greek text

φύσεως πάθος, της δέ άϊδίου και άεί ωσαύτως έχούσης τό ατρεπτον ϊόιον. φαμεν ουν έκατέραις κεχρημένοι ταΐς γραφικαΐς φωναΐς δτι και έγένετο σαρξ καΐ έλαβεν την τοΰ δούλου μορφήν, και έκάτερα εύσεβώς νοούμενα, σωτηρίας ήμίν τυγχάνει σπέρματα. διά μέν γαρ τοΟ έγένετο τό άδιαίρετον της άκρας ενώσεως ó ευαγγελιστής ύπαινίττεται. ώσπερ γαρ ή μονάς ούκ αν τμηθείη είς μονάδας δύο' ή γάρ εις ταύτας διαιρουμένη ούκ αν εΐη μονάς, άλλα δυάς' ούτως τό εν κατά τήν άκραν ένωσιν ούκ αν διαιρεθείη εις δύο. τό δε έλαβεν βοαι τό ατρεπτον της φύσεως" έπειδή γάρ πάν τό γινόμενον ή έΗ ούκ οντος γίνεται, ως ó ουρανός μή πρότερον ων, ή έκ τού υπάρχοντος άλλοιοΰται, ώς τό Νειλώιον βείθρον eS ύδατος είς αίμα μετεβλήθη" έκάτερα δε έπί της θείας φύσεως ανάρμοστα" ουτε γάρ έ£ ούκ όντων παρήχθη ó άεί άναρχος ουτε ίί δντων έτράπη ó αναλλοίωτος λόγος" διά τοΰτο δι' έκατέρων και τό ατρεπτον της θεότητος καί τό άδιαίρετον τοΰ μυστηρίου ή θεία ύπεμφαίνουσα γραφή τό έγένετο είπεν καί τό έλαβεν έκήρυζεν, ίνα διά μέν τοΟ προτέρου τό ένικόν του προσώπου παραστήσηι, διά δέ του έτέρου

### English translation (Claude)

nature, while immutability belongs to the eternal nature that is always the same. We say, then, using both scriptural expressions, that he both 'became flesh' and 'took the form of the servant', and both, piously understood, are seeds of salvation for us. By 'became' the evangelist hints at the indivisibility of the highest union. For as a unit could not be cut into two units (what is divided into these would not be a unit but a pair), so what is one by the highest union could not be divided into two. And 'took' proclaims the immutability of the nature. For since everything that comes into being either comes from what is not, as heaven, which did not exist before, or is altered from what exists, as the stream of the Nile was changed from water into blood, and both are unfitting in the case of the divine nature (for neither was the ever-unoriginate brought forth from non-being, nor was the unalterable Word changed from what exists), therefore the divine Scripture, indicating through both the immutability of the Godhead and the indivisibility of the mystery, said 'became' and proclaimed 'took', so that through the former it might present the singleness of the person, and through the other

### Scripture references

- John 1:14: quotation, high confidence
- Phil 2:7: quotation, high confidence
- Exod 7:20: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- John 1:14 and Phil 2:7; the Nile turned to blood, Exod 7:20.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 14 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/14).

## Tome to the Armenians 15

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-15
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The Word became perfect man unchanged; as man he paid sin's debt by dying, as God he destroyed the devil, and he fulfilled all righteousness.

### Greek text

τό άναλλοίωτον τής φύσεως έκβοήσηι. έγένετο τοίνυν ό θεός λόγος τέλειος άνθρωπος, ού κολοβώσαντος τήν ατρεπτον φύσιν του ύπέρ έννοιαν θαύματος' άλλα πίστει τό τοιούτο μεμαθήκαμεν, ούκ έρεύνηι κατειλήφαμεν. καί γενόμενος άνθρωπος, σώιζει τώι όμοιοπαθεί τό κατά σάρκα όμόφυλον γένος, έκτίσας μέν τής αμαρτίας τό χρέος τώι ύπέρ απάντων άποθανείν ώς άνθρωπος, καταργήσας δέ τον τό κράτος έχοντα του θανάτου, τουτέστι τον διάβολον, ώς μισοπόνηρος θεός, του τε νόμου τό (άδύνατον) δυνατόν ύπέδει£εν διά τού πληρώσαι πάσαν δικαιοσύνην, καί τήι φύσει τήν προτέραν εύγένειαν άπέδωκεν διά τοΟ

### English translation (Claude)

cry out the unalterability of the nature. God the Word, then, became perfect man, the wonder beyond thought not mutilating the immutable nature; but this we have learned by faith, not grasped by investigation. And having become man, by sharing our passions he saves the race akin to him according to the flesh: as man he paid the debt of sin by dying for all, and as God who hates evil he abolished him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; he showed what was impossible for the law to be possible by fulfilling all righteousness; and he gave back to our nature its former nobility by

### Scripture references

- Heb 2:14: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 3:15: allusion, high confidence
- Rom 8:3: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Heb 2:14; Matt 3:15; Rom 8:3. 'Impossible' (ἀδύνατον) is supplied by the editor in round brackets and translated.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 15 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/15).

## Tome to the Armenians 16

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-16
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: There is one Son, eternally begotten, who without leaving the Father became man through a virgin birth beyond nature.

### Greek text

τιμήσαι τώι ένανθρωπήσαι τήν έκ γής παρ' αύτοΟ διαπλασθεΐσαν φύσιν. εις τοίνυν έστίν υίός" τριάδα γάρ όμοούσιον προσκυνουντες, τέταρτον τώι άριθμώι ούκ έπεισφέρομεν, άλλ' έστιν εϊς υίός ó άνάρχως έκ πατρός γεννηθείς, δι' ou τους αιώνας πιστεύομεν γεγενήσθαι, ó συναΐδιος τήι ρίΣηι κλάδος, ó άρεύστως έκ πατρός έκλάμψας, ó άχωρίστως τού νου προιών τε καί μένων λόγος" εί γάρ καί έπί γής ώφθη, άλλα του γεννήσαντος ούκ έχωρίσθη. ούτος ήθέλησεν σώσαι δν έπλασεν, καί έσωσέν γε, μήτραν οίκήσας τήν κοινήν τής φύσεως πύλην, ήν καί τήι οικήσει εύλογήσας καί τήι γεννήσει σφραγίσας, έδειΗεν τώι ύπέρ φύσιν τόκωι έαυτόν ύπέρ λόγον ένανθρωπήσαντα.

### English translation (Claude)

honouring, by becoming man, the nature fashioned by him from the earth. There is, then, one Son. For worshipping a Trinity of the same essence, we do not bring in a fourth in number; but there is one Son, begotten without beginning from the Father, through whom we believe the ages were made: the branch co-eternal with the root, who shone forth from the Father without flux, the Word who proceeds from the mind inseparably and yet remains. For even if he was seen on earth, he was not separated from the one who begot him. He willed to save the one he had fashioned, and save him he did, dwelling in a womb, the common gate of nature; and having blessed it by his dwelling and sealed it by his birth, he showed by a birth beyond nature that he became man beyond reason.

### Scripture references

- Heb 1:2: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- 'Of the same essence' renders ὁμοούσιον. 'Sealed' refers to the virginity of Mary kept intact in the birth.
- 'Through whom ... the ages were made': Heb 1:2.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 16 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/16).

## Tome to the Armenians 17

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-17
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Christ and God the Word are one Son, not two; otherwise Christ would be a mere man, and the worship of heaven and the prophets would make no sense.

### Greek text

Ούκ άλλος ουν ó Χριστός καί άλλος ó θεός λόγος, (μή γένοιτο). δύο γάρ υίούς ή θεία φύσις ούκ οϊδεν " ó μόνος μονογενή έγέννησεν. ένθα γάρ ούκ έστι συίυγία των τικτόντων, έκεΐ ούχ ευρίσκεται δυάς των τικτομένων. έν τώι όνόματι Ιησού Χριστού παν γόνυ κάμπτει έπουρανίων καί έπιγείων καί καταχθόνιων . εί δέ άλλος έστίν ó Χριστός παρά τον θεόν λόγον, άναγκαίως ψιλός άνθρωπος ó Χριστός, (καν ήι ναός του θεού) κατά τόν τών έμπλήκτων λόγον" εί δέ ψιλός άνθρωπος ó Χριστός, πώς τού κατά φύσιν αυτόν προτιμαι τα ουράνια καί γονυπετεί τήν έπωνυμίαν του ήττονος; πώς κδν δεΗώμεθα τάς προφητικός φωνάς βοώσας" ó θεός ήμών έπί γής ώφθη καί τοίς άνθρώποις συνανεστράφη ; όπτασίαν γάρ φησι τήν κατά σάρκα φανέρωσιν καί συναναστροφήν όνομάίει τήν έπί καιρού μετά ανθρώπων πολιτείαν, έν ήι δημοσιεύων ó άφθονος το παντοδύναμον ëôeiSev δτι ώς παντοκράτωρ, καί δ ήν, ?μεινεν δι' έαυτόν καί δ ήθέλησεν, γέγονεν δι' ημάς.

### English translation (Claude)

Christ, then, is not one and God the Word another (God forbid!). For the divine nature does not know two sons: the only one begot an only-begotten. For where there is no pairing of those who beget, there no pair of those begotten is found. 'At the name of Jesus Christ every knee bends, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth.' But if Christ is other than God the Word, Christ is necessarily a mere man (even if he is a temple of God), according to the reasoning of the deranged. And if Christ is a mere man, how do the heavenly beings honour him above the one who is God by nature, and bend the knee to the name of the lesser? How shall we receive the prophetic voices that cry: 'Our God was seen on earth and lived among men'? For it calls his manifestation in the flesh a sight, and names as living among men his temporary sojourn with them, in which the bountiful one, displaying his almighty power, showed that as Almighty he both remained what he was through himself and became what he willed for our sake.

### Scripture references

- Phil 2:10: quotation, high confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Bar 3:38 (Baruch): quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Phil 2:10. The prophetic text is Bar 3:38 (3:37 LXX), cited as a prophet's voice.
- The sense of 'honour him above the one who is God by nature' is uncertain in the damaged text; translated by sense.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 17 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/17).

## Tome to the Armenians 18

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-18
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Those who mock Christ's human weaknesses deny his real human nature and so lose salvation; they must either deny the nature with the Manichees or accept the passions with it.

### Greek text

Εί δε τισιν σκανδάλου παραίτια γίνεται τά σπάργανα καί ή έν φάτνηι άνάκλισις καί ή έν χρόνοις κατά σάρκα αυΗησις καί τό καθευδήσαι έν πλοίωι καί τό κοπιάσαι όδοιπορήσαντα καί τό πεινήσαι έν καιρώι καί δσα τώι κατά άλήθειαν γεγονότι συμβαίνει άνθρώπωι, ϊστωσαν ώς κωμωιδοΟντες τα πάθη άρνουνται τήν φύσιν, άρνούμενοι δέ τήν φύσιν ού πιστεύουσι τήι οίκονομίαι, μή πιστεύοντες δέ τήι οίκονομίαι ΐημιουνται τήν σωτηρίαν. εί μέν γάρ έΗωλίσθησεν από γένεσεως κόσμου εις τον βίον άνθρωπος έτέραν παρά ταύτην φύσεως βαδίσας όδόν, δεικνύτωσαν οί φιλόνεικοι, καί τότε τους οικείους ύφαινέτωσαν λήρους' εί δέ αυτη της κοινής φύσεως ή αρχή, ó δέ θεός λόγος κατά άλήθειαν γέγονεν άνθρωπος, του χάριν συνομολογουντες τήν φύσιν σκώπτουσιν τά πάθη; θάτερον ουν έκατέρων έπιλεΗάσθωσαν " ή έπαισχυνόμενοι τά πάθη, άρνείσθωσαν τήν φύσιν καί τά Μανιχαίων φρονουντες τοις άσεβέσι συντετάχθωσαν, ή εί προσίενται τό έκ της ένανθρωπήσεως κέρδος, όμολογουντες τήν φύσιν, μή αίσχυνέσθωσαν τά τηι φύσει

### English translation (Claude)

But if the swaddling clothes, the lying in a manger, the growth over time according to the flesh, the sleeping in a boat, the weariness from journeying, the hunger at its time, and all that befalls one who has truly become man, become an occasion of stumbling to some, let them know that in mocking the passions they deny the nature, in denying the nature they do not believe the economy, and in not believing the economy they forfeit salvation. For if, since the creation of the world, a man has slipped into life by travelling another road of nature than this, let the contentious show it, and then let them weave their own nonsense. But if this is the beginning of the common nature, and God the Word truly became man, why do they confess the nature and jeer at the passions? Let them then choose one of the two: either, being ashamed of the passions, let them deny the nature and, holding the views of the Manichees, be ranked with the impious; or, if they accept the gain that comes from the incarnation, let them confess the nature and not be ashamed of the passions that befall the nature.

### Scripture references

- Luke 2:7: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 2:52: allusion, medium confidence
- Matt 8:24: allusion, high confidence
- John 4:6: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 4:2: allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- The human experiences recall Luke 2:7, 2:52, Matt 8:24, John 4:6, Matt 4:2.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 18 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/18).

## Tome to the Armenians 19

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-19
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Proclus confesses one hypostasis of God the Word made flesh: the same Son works miracles and suffers.

### Greek text

συμβαίνοντα πάθη. θαυμάζω δέ καί τήν φρενοβλάβειαν των καινός όδούς απάτης άνατεμνόντων. έγώ γάρ ένα είδώς τε καί διδαχθείς εύσεβώς υίόν, μίαν όμολογώ τήν του σαρκωθέντος θεου λόγου υπόστασιν. ένός δέ δντος του τε τά πάθη ΰπομείναντος καί του τά θαύματα τελεσιουργήσαντος, του χάριν τά θειότερα σιωπώντες, τά ήττονα κωμωιδουσιν; ίνα γάρ πιστώσηται δτι θεός ών καί λόγος υπάρχων καί μείνας δ ήν, γέγονεν σάρΗ καί βρέφος καί άνθρωπος, μηδεμιάς τροπής τό μυστηριον ύβριΣούσης, ó αυτός καί θαυματουργεί καί πάσχει, δια μέν τών σημείων τό είναι δ ήν, αίνιττόμενος, δια δέ των παθών τό γενέσθαι δ Ιπλασεν, πιστούμενος. Ινα τοίνυν καί τον αυτόν άιδίως τε καί έπ' έσχάτων σαρκωθέντα όμολογουμεν υίόν, μηδέν έπεισάγοντες τήι φύσει νόθον ουδέν γάρ περιττόν έν τώι θρόνωι.

### English translation (Claude)

I am amazed, too, at the madness of those who cut new roads of deceit. For I, knowing and piously taught one Son, confess one hypostasis of God the Word made flesh. And since it is one and the same who endured the passions and who performed the miracles, why do they keep silent about the more divine things and mock the lesser? For to give assurance that, being God and being the Word and remaining what he was, he became flesh and an infant and a man, with no change doing outrage to the mystery, the same one both works wonders and suffers: through the signs hinting that he is what he was, and through the passions giving assurance that he became what he had fashioned. Let us then confess the same one as Son both eternally and as made flesh in the last times, bringing nothing spurious into the nature, for there is nothing superfluous on the throne.

### Translation notes

- 'One hypostasis of God the Word made flesh' is a central formula of the letter; translated as written.
- 'Nothing superfluous on the throne': no fourth person is added to the Trinity.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 19 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/19).

## Tome to the Armenians 20

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-20
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Proclus states the opponents' syllogism that, since the Trinity is impassible, the one crucified must be someone other than God the Word, and calls it a spider's web.

### Greek text

Άλλα πάντως έκεΐνο τό πολυθρύλητόν μοι έροΰσιν, πλέκοντες συλλογισμούς αράχνης άσθενεστέρους" εί ή τριάς, φησίν, όμοούσιος, ή τριάς απαθής' ó δέ θεός λόγος έν τήι τριάδι όραται καί ó λόγος άρα άπαθής. εί δέ ó θεός λόγος άπαθής, εύρεθήσεται ó σταυρωθείς έτερος παρά τον θεόν λόγον τον άπαθή. δντως ιστόν αράχνης υφαίνουσιν oí ταύτα λέγοντες και καθ'υδάτων γράφουσιν οί τά κενά ταΟτα μελετώντες προβλήματα. φάσκοντες γαρ είναι σοφοί, έμωράνθησαν, καί έσκοτίσθη ή ασύνετος αυτών καρδία" λημών γαρ οφθαλμός ηλίου ακτίνας καθαρώς ού δέχεται καί ασθενούσα

### English translation (Claude)

But surely they will bring up against me that much-repeated argument, weaving syllogisms weaker than a spider's web: 'If the Trinity,' they say, 'is of the same essence, the Trinity is impassible; God the Word is seen in the Trinity; therefore the Word too is impassible. And if God the Word is impassible, the one crucified will be found to be another besides God the Word, the impassible.' Truly those who say this weave a spider's web, and those who rehearse these empty problems write on water. For claiming to be wise they became fools, and their senseless heart was darkened. For a bleary eye does not receive the sun's rays cleanly, and a sick

### Scripture references

- Isa 59:5: allusion, high confidence
- Rom 1:22: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 1:21: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Isa 59:5 (spider's web); Rom 1:22, 21.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 20 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/20).

## Tome to the Armenians 21

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-21
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The Trinity is impassible in its Godhead; the one of the Trinity became flesh so that in his flesh he might abolish the passions and death while his Godhead remained impassible.

### Greek text

διάνοια πίστεως ού προσίεται υψος. τί τοίνυν φαμεν ημείς; δτι κατά τον λόγον της θεότητος ή τριάς ομοούσιος έστι καί απαθής. ουδέ γαρ φάσκοντες αυτόν πεπονθέναι, έν τώι λόγωι της θεότητός φαμεν αυτόν πεπονθέναι" ανεπίδεκτος γαρ ή θεία φύσις παντός πάθους" άλλ' όμολογούντες τον θεόν λόγον, τον ένα τής τριάδος, σεσαρκώσθαι, διδόαμεν την αίτίαν του νοείν τοις μετά πίστεως έρωτώσιν, δι' δ έσαρκώθη. έπειδή γαρ ήβούλετο ó θεός λόγος καταργήσαι τά πάθη, ων πέρας ην ó θάνατος, προσίεσθαι δέ πάλιν τά πάθη ή άνώλεθρος φύσις ούχ ο'ία τε ήν " εί γαρ παν πάθος στάσις έστί καί μάχη τών συνθέτων, περί δέ τό αυλον καί μόνον ουδεμία σύνθεσις, ούκ άρα έκέί έφθανεν πάθος, Ινθα ουδέ σύνθεσις τυγχάνει' βουληθείς τοιγαροΟν τά τυραννουντα την λογικήν σάρκα πάθη καταργήσαι, καθά προέφημεν, ών ακρόπολις ύπήρχεν ó θάνατος, σαρκοΰται εκ παρθένου, ώς οϊδεν, ó θεός λόγος καί σχηματίζεται ώς άνθρωπος" τούτο γαρ ηύδόκησεν" καί κενοί εαυτόν έν δούλου μορφήι, μηδεμίαν τής θεότητος περιγραφήν ύπομείνας, καί οΰτω σώιίει πάν τό άνθρώπινον γένος, έν τήι σαρκί μεν αύτοΰ καταργήσας τά πάθη, φυλάίας δέ αύτοΟ

### English translation (Claude)

mind does not admit the height of faith. What then do we say? That according to the principle of the Godhead the Trinity is of the same essence and impassible. For in saying that he suffered we do not say that he suffered in the principle of his Godhead, for the divine nature does not admit any passion; but confessing that God the Word, the one of the Trinity, became flesh, we give to those who ask with faith the reason, so that they may understand why he became flesh. For since God the Word wished to abolish the passions, whose end was death, and yet the indestructible nature could not admit passions (for if every passion is a strife and battle of composite things, and in what is immaterial and simple there is no composition, then passion could not reach where there is no composition), he therefore, wishing to abolish the passions that tyrannize the rational flesh, of which, as we said, death was the citadel, takes flesh from a virgin, as he knows how; God the Word is formed as a man, for this was his good pleasure, and he empties himself in the form of a servant, undergoing no circumscription of the Godhead. And thus he saves the whole human race, abolishing the passions in his flesh and keeping his

### Scripture references

- Phil 2:7: allusion, high confidence
- Heb 2:14: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- 'The one of the Trinity' (τὸν ἕνα τῆς τριάδος) became a disputed formula in the following century; translated as written.
- Phil 2:7.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 21 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/21).

## Tome to the Armenians 22

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-22
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Gabriel's words show that the one born is God, whose people he saves; being one, God and man, born of a virgin, Jesus Christ saved the world.

### Greek text

απαθή τήν θεότητα. δια τούτο καί ó Γαβριήλ εύαγγελιίόμενος την του τεχθέντος αύθεντίαν καί δύναμιν, έβόα προς τήν Μαριάμ" αυτός γάρ, φησίν, σώσει τον λαόν αύτου άπό τών ανομιών αύτών. λαός δέ ουκ αν εϊη άνθρωπου, άλλα θεού, ούδ' αν άπαλλάΕειεν τόν κόσμον αμαρτημάτων ó μετά φθοράς είσπηδήσας εις τον βίον καί τήν αρχήν τής γενέσεως ούκ έσχηκώς άκατηγόρητον " άλλα άναγκαίως ó αυτός θεός τε ών καί άνθρωπος, ού διαιρούμενος εις δύο, άλλα μένων εις, δια μέν τού έκ γυναικός γεννηθήναι δεικνύς δτι άνθρωπος, δια δέ τού άσυνδυάστως καί φυλάΕαι τήν τεκούσαν παρθένον μαρτυρόμενος δτι έστί θεός, Ισωσεν τόν κόσμον Ιησούς ó Χριστός, έλθών έπί γής καί τοις

### English translation (Claude)

Godhead impassible. That is why Gabriel too, announcing the good news of the authority and power of the one to be born, cried to Mary: 'For he,' he says, 'will save his people from their lawless deeds.' But the people would not be a man's but God's; nor could one who leapt into life with corruption and did not have a blameless beginning of his generation free the world from sins. But necessarily the same one, being both God and man, not divided into two but remaining one, showing through his birth from a woman that he is man, and testifying, by keeping the one who bore him a virgin without union, that he is God, Jesus the Christ saved the world, having come upon earth and

### Scripture references

- Matt 1:21: quotation, high confidence
- Gal 4:4: allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- Matt 1:21, words spoken in Matthew by the angel to Joseph; Proclus ascribes them to Gabriel speaking to Mary, and reads 'lawless deeds' for 'sins'. Gal 4:4 (born of a woman).

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 22 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/22).

## Tome to the Armenians 23

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-23
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Since all things were made through Christ, as Paul and John say, Christ is God the Word, not a mere man.

### Greek text

άνθρώποις συναναστραφείς. ει δέ ó Χριστός ψιλός έστιν άνθρωπος καί ούκ αύτός ó θεός λόγος, πώς Ικτισεν τά πάντα έν άρχήι, τότε ούκ ών; εί γάρ μεταγενέστερος τής δημιουργίας ó άνθρωπος, ευδηλον ώς τοις προ αύτοΰ τήν γένεσιν ούκ έχαρίσατο ó Χριστός, οία δή μεταγένεστερος προαχθείς ώς ψιλός άνθρωπος. πώς ουν Παύλος έβόα" εις κύριος ' Ιησούς ó Χριστός , δι'οΰ τά πάντα; εί γάρ διά Χριστού τά πάντα, ευδηλον δτι Χριστός θεός έστι λόγος, τού εύαγγελιστού βοώντος' έν άρχήι ήν ó λόγος, καί ó λόγος ήν προς τόν θεόν, καί θεός ήν ó λόγος, ούτος ήν έν άρχήι προς τόν θεόν. πάντα δΓ αύτου έγένετο. εί τοίνυν ó ευαγγελιστής βοάι δτι διά του λόγου τά πάντα έγένετο, καί ó ΤΤαύλος τούτο έρμηνεύων λέγει εις κύριος Ιησούς ó Χριστός , δΓ οδ τά πάντα, ευδηλον δτι Χριστός θεός έστι λόγος.

### English translation (Claude)

lived among men. But if Christ is a mere man and not God the Word himself, how did he create all things in the beginning, when he did not then exist? For if man is later than the creation, it is plain that Christ did not grant coming-into-being to the things before him, since he was brought forth later as a mere man. How then did Paul cry: 'One Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things'? For if all things are through Christ, it is plain that Christ is God the Word, since the evangelist cries: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him.' If, then, the evangelist cries that all things came into being through the Word, and Paul, interpreting this, says, 'One Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things,' it is plain that Christ is God the Word.

### Scripture references

- 1 Cor 8:6: quotation, high confidence
- John 1:1–3: quotation, high confidence

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 23 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/23).

## Tome to the Armenians 24

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-24
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Texts calling Christ a man show that he truly became man, not that he is only a man; he is of the same essence with the Father as God and of one race with the virgin as man.

### Greek text

Et δέ προφέροιεν τάς èv ταΐς θείαις γραφαΐς φωνάς έν αις κέκληται άνθρωπος, του Πέτρου λέγοντος Ίησούν τον από Ναζαρέτ άνδρα , καί του Παύλου λέγοντος έν ανδρί ώι ώρισεν πίστιν παρασχών , καί αυτού του δεσπότου περί έαυτοΟ λέγοντος τί με ζητείτε άποκτεΐναι άνθρωπον , ϊστωσαν ώς δια νωθείαν άπελείφθησαν της γραφικής έννοιας ή δια πονηρίαν προς την έαυτών μοχθηρίαν διαστρέφουσι τα καλώς γραφέντα. καί άνθρωπος γάρ έστι κατά άλήθειαν ó Χριστός, άλλα τούτο γέγονεν, ού πρότερον ών ει μή μόνον θεός. ώσπερ γαρ θεός ού κτιστός, ούτως ó αυτός καί άνθρωπος ού φανταστός, καί ώσπερ τώι πατρί κατά την θεότητα όμοούσιος, ούτως ó αύτός καί τηι παρθένωι κατά τήν σάρκα όμόφυλος, πανταχού της αληθείας του μυστηρίου προλαμπούσης καί πάσης απάτης σχολαίούσης. ει δε μή ίτεκεν θεόν ή παρθένος, ούδε πολλού θαύματος άζία ή αφθορος' πολλαί γαρ καί αλλαι γυναίκες έκαρποφόρησαν τώι βίωι

### English translation (Claude)

And if they bring forward the expressions in the divine Scriptures in which he is called a man, Peter saying, 'Jesus of Nazareth, a man,' and Paul saying, 'by a man whom he appointed, having given assurance,' and the Master himself saying of himself, 'Why do you seek to kill me, a man?', let them know that they have fallen short of the scriptural sense either through dullness or through wickedness, twisting what is well written to their own depravity. For Christ is truly man as well, but he became this, not having been before anything but God alone. For as he is God not created, so the same one is also man not imaginary; and as he is of the same essence with the Father according to the Godhead, so the same one is of one race with the virgin according to the flesh, the truth of the mystery shining forth everywhere and all deceit having nothing to do. But if the virgin did not bear God, then the incorrupt one is not worthy of much wonder; for many other women too have borne in life

### Scripture references

- Acts 2:22: quotation, high confidence
- Acts 17:31: quotation, high confidence
- John 8:40: quotation, high confidence
- John 7:19: allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- Acts 2:22; Acts 17:31; John 7:19 with 8:40.
- 'Of the same essence' renders ὁμοούσιος.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 24 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/24).

## Tome to the Armenians 25

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-25
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The prophets foretold a virgin bearing Emmanuel, 'God with us'.

### Greek text

δικαίους. ει δε προφητών γλώσσαι, τό άρρητον προσαλπίίουσαι μυστηριον, βοώσιν" ιδού ή παρθένος έν γαστρί έΗει, καί τέΗεται υίόν , και καλέσουσι τό όνομα αύτου Εμμανουήλ , δ έρμηνεύων ó Γαβριήλ φάσκει" μεθ ' ημών ó θεός, τού χάριν

### English translation (Claude)

righteous children. But if the tongues of the prophets, trumpeting the ineffable mystery, cry, 'Behold, the virgin shall conceive in the womb and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,' which Gabriel interprets, saying, 'God with us,' why

### Scripture references

- Isa 7:14: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 1:23: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Isa 7:14; the interpretation is Matt 1:23, which Proclus ascribes to Gabriel.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 25 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/25).

## Tome to the Armenians 26

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-26
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Proclus answers the argument that a human mother bears only a human: in a birth beyond nature the one born is God.

### Greek text

δια τήν τοΟ τεχθέντος συγκατάβασιν τήν δόΕαν της τεκούσης περικόπτουσιν ; αλλ' άντιτιθέασι πάντως τούτο' πάν τό τικτόμενον, φησίν, όμόφυλον υπάρχει τηι τικτούσηι· εί τοίνυν άνθρωπος ή τεκουσα, άνθρωπος άναγκαίως καί ó τεχθείς. εύλόγως φατέ, ώ ούτοι ' αλλά τό όμόφυλον τίκτει ή ώδίνουσα, δταν κατά φύσιν προβαίη ó τόκος, φυσικού τε τόκου τό προοίμιον φθορά, έπειδή καί μΐ£ις προηγείται τής φθοράς. ένθάδε δέ της ύβρεως ταύτης ούδε έννοια, αλλ' έσχεδιάσθη υπέρ λόγον τό θαύμα. όπου ύπερ φύσιν

### English translation (Claude)

do they, because of the condescension of the one born, cut away the glory of the one who bore him? But they surely object this: 'Everything that is born,' they say, 'is of the same race as the one who bears it; if, then, she who bore was human, the one born is necessarily human.' You speak well, sirs; but she who travails bears what is of her own race when the birth proceeds according to nature, and corruption is the prelude of natural birth, since union precedes the corruption. But here there was not even a thought of that outrage; the wonder was brought about beyond reason. Where the birth is beyond nature,

### Translation notes

- The argument concerns the title Theotokos ('bearer of God') for Mary.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 26 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/26).

## Tome to the Armenians 27

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-27
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The one Son made the world, gave the law, and became flesh; Proclus condemns Arius, Eunomius, Macedonius, and the new teaching, which he says outdoes Judaism in blasphemy.

### Greek text

ó τόκος, έκεΐ ό τεχθείς θεός. όμολογουμεν τοίνυν τον αύτόν καί τον κόσμον παραγαγόντα καί τον νόμον δεδωκότα καί έν προφήταις έμπνεύσαντα καί έπ' έσχάτων σαρκωθέντα και τους αποστόλους εις σωτηρίαν έθνών τε καί λαών άλιεύσαντα" φύγωμεν τους θολερους καί βορβορώδεις τής απάτης βύακας, τάς θεομάχους λέγω αιρέσεις, τήν Αρείου μανίαν διαιρούσαν τήν άμέριστον τριάδα, τήν Εύνομίου τόλμαν περικλείουσαν τηι γνώσει τήν άκατάληπτόν φύσιν, τήν Μακεδονίου λύσσαν χωρίΣουσαν τής θεότητος τό άχωρίστως έκπορευόμενον πνεύμα, καί τήν νεότευκτον ταύτην καί καινήν βλασφημίαν τήν τον Ίουδαϊσμόν κατά πολύ είς βλασφημίαν νικώσαν. οΐ μεν γάρ τον οντα υίόν άθετουσιν, Σημιούντες τήν ρίΣαν του κλάδου ' οΐ δέ τώι οντι καί έτερον έπεισάγουσι, στηλιτεύοντες ώς πολύγονον τήν

### English translation (Claude)

there the one born is God. We confess, then, that the same one brought forth the world, gave the law, breathed in the prophets, was made flesh in the last times, and fished the apostles for the salvation of nations and peoples. Let us flee the muddy and filthy streams of deceit, I mean the God-fighting heresies: the madness of Arius, dividing the undivided Trinity; the audacity of Eunomius, enclosing within knowledge the incomprehensible nature; the rage of Macedonius, separating from the Godhead the Spirit who proceeds inseparably; and this newly forged and novel blasphemy that far outdoes Judaism in blasphemy. For the one party rejects the Son who is, depriving the root of its branch; the others bring in besides the one who is another also, branding as having many offspring the

### Translation notes

- The comparison with Judaism is Proclus's own polemic, translated as written. The 'one party' who reject the Son are the Jews; the 'others' are the teachers of two sons.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 27 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/27).

## Tome to the Armenians 28

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-28
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Christ, who united Jew and Greek in one new man, cannot himself be divided into two.

### Greek text

ακήρατο ν φύσιν. εϊπωμεν ουν μετά Παύλου" Χριστός έστιν ή ειρήνη ήμών, ó ποιήσας τά αμφότερα ëv' Ίουδαΐον γάρ καί Έλληνα δια του βαπτίσματος εις Ινα καινόν έκτισεν ανθρωπον, ένώσας τηι δυνάμει τά τηι πολιτείαι διεστώτα. φριττέτωσαν τήν κατάκρισιν οί νεωτεροποιοί είς άσέβειαν, εϊ γε τά μεν διεστώτα εις συμφωνίαν ήνώθη, ó δέ ένώσας είς δυάδα τό γε έπ' αύτοίς διηιρέθη.

### English translation (Claude)

undefiled nature. Let us then say with Paul: 'Christ is our peace, who made both one.' For through baptism he created Jew and Greek into one new man, uniting by his power those separated in their way of life. Let the innovators in impiety shudder at their condemnation, if indeed things separated were united into concord, while the one who united them is, so far as it lies with them, divided into a pair.

### Scripture references

- Eph 2:14: quotation, high confidence
- Eph 2:15: allusion, high confidence

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 28 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/28).

## Tome to the Armenians 29

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-29
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Paul's list of Israel's privileges in Rom 9:4–5 shows that Christ came from the Jews only according to the flesh and is God before the ages.

### Greek text

Άλλα λοιπόν τό μήκος τών λόγων παρείς, έπί τήν συντομίαν έλεύσομαι τού όρθου δόγματος. ει τις θέλει γνώναι κατά άλήθειαν δτι αυτός έστιν ó eîç καί μόνος υιός ó πρίν ή τον 'Αβραάμ γένεσθαι ών καί έπ' έσχατων προκόψας σοφίαι και ήλικίαι κατά σάρκα (έχει γάρ αεί ή θεότης αύτοΟ το τέλειον), έρωτάτω Παύλον, καί αύτός βροντήσει τήν εύσέβειαν, δεικνύς ότι, καί έ£ Ιουδαίων προελθών το κατά σάρκα, θεός υπάρχει προαιώνιος, φάσκων γαρ περί τών Ιουδαίων καί σεμνύνων τό άχάριστον καί θεομάχον έθνος δια τήν ρίΣαν, τον Αβραάμ, καί τό σπέρμα, τον δεσπότην Χριστόν, ούτως λέγει' ών, φησίν, ή υιοθεσία (έβόα γαρ θεός έν προφήταις υιός πρωτότοκός μου ' Ισραήλ ) καί ή δόΕα [μου], αμετρον γαρ προσώδευεν όόίαν τοις τροφοφορουμένοις τα επάλληλα θαύματα, καί αί διαθήκαι αί προς τον Αβραάμ τό πλήθος καί τήν εύλογίαν παρεγγυώσαι καί ή νομοθεσία ή èv ορει δακτύλω θεού γραφείσα καί αί έπαγγελίαι ή τε γης της Παλαιστίνης και ™ σπέρματος του Αβραάμ εύλογηθήναι πάντα τα έθνη, ών οι πατέρες οί εν τήι νυκτί της πλάνης άνατείλαντες ώς πίστεως φωστήρες καί έΕ ών ó Χριστός. καί ούκ έστη μέχρι τούτων Παύλος· ούδε γάρ άφ' ου ό εκ Μαρίας τόκος, έκτοτε του άναρχου λόγου ή ΰπαρΕις, αλλ' ευθύς έπήγαγεν τό κατά σάρκα , 'ίνα ύποσημήνηται τήν κατά

### English translation (Claude)

But now, leaving aside the length of my words, I shall come to a brief statement of the right doctrine. If anyone wishes to know truly that he is the one and only Son, who existed before Abraham came to be and in the last times advanced in wisdom and stature according to the flesh (for his Godhead always has its perfection), let him ask Paul, and he will thunder piety, showing that, even though he came forth from the Jews according to the flesh, he is God before the ages. For speaking of the Jews and dignifying the ungrateful and God-fighting nation because of the root, Abraham, and the seed, the Master Christ, he speaks thus: 'Theirs,' he says, 'is the adoption' (for God cried in the prophets, 'Israel is my firstborn son'), 'and the glory' (for immeasurable glory accompanied those who were nourished on successive miracles), 'and the covenants' (those with Abraham, pledging multitude and blessing), 'and the giving of the law' (written on the mountain by the finger of God), 'and the promises' (both of the land of Palestine and that in the seed of Abraham all the nations would be blessed), 'theirs are the fathers' (who rose in the night of error as luminaries of faith), 'and from them is the Christ.' And Paul did not stop at these words, for the existence of the unoriginate Word did not begin at the birth from Mary, but at once he added 'according to the flesh', to signify the manifestation according to

### Scripture references

- Rom 9:4: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 9:5: quotation, high confidence
- John 8:58: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 2:52: allusion, high confidence
- Exod 4:22: quotation, high confidence
- Exod 31:18: allusion, high confidence
- Gen 22:18: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Rom 9:4–5; John 8:58; Luke 2:52; Exod 4:22; Exod 31:18; Gen 22:18.
- The editor deletes 'my' (μου) after 'glory'. The phrase about the seed of Abraham is damaged in the digital text and translated by sense.
- A note of Schwartz printed here (that sections 23–34 also survive in a Latin version in the acts of the Council of Constantinople) is removed as editorial matter.
- The description of the Jews as 'ungrateful and God-fighting' is Proclus's own; translated as written.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 29 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/29).

## Tome to the Armenians 30

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-30
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: The Christ born of the virgin is the same one who came down from heaven; Paul, taught by revelation, shows who he is.

### Greek text

σάρκα φάνερωσιν, άλλ' ού τήν κατά θεότητα γέννησιν. τίς μεν ουν εστίν ούτος ó Χριστός ó έκ παρθένου γεννηθείς, ó έν σπηλαίωι χωρηθείς ώς οϊδεν, ó έν φάτνηι άνακλιθείς, ó τώι χρόνωι κατά σάρκα αύΕήσας, ó μέχρι τών κατωτάτω τής γής καταβάς, ó πάντα τα τής σαρκός ύπομείνας, ίνα πιστώσηται δτι κατά άλήθειαν γέγονεν άνθρωπος, ό ούκ άλλος ών παρά τον καταβάντα, άλλ' αυτός ών καί ό καταβάς καί ό άναβάς (ού γάρ άνέβη πρότερον, άλλα κατέβη, οια δή ούκ έκ προκοπής θεός" μή γένοιτο' άλλα δι' εύσπλαγχνίαν άνθρωπος' τούτου γαρ έδεόμεθα), μή παρ' έμοΟ μάθηις ή παρ' άλλου τινός, άλλά παρά Παύλου του παρά πατρός έν άποκαλύψει μαθόντος τον υίόν καί φάσκοντος' δτε δε εύδόκησεν ό θεός ό άφορίσας με έκ κοιλίας μητρός μου καί καλέσας δια

### English translation (Claude)

the flesh, not the generation according to the Godhead. Who, then, is this Christ who was born of the virgin, who was contained in a cave as he knows how, who was laid in a manger, who grew in time according to the flesh, who went down to the lowest parts of the earth, who endured all the things of the flesh to give assurance that he truly became man, who is not another besides the one who came down but is himself both the one who came down and the one who went up (for he did not first go up, but came down, since he is not God by advancement, God forbid! but man through compassion, for this is what we needed)? Do not learn it from me or from anyone else, but from Paul, who learned the Son from the Father by revelation and says: 'But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb and called me through

### Scripture references

- Luke 2:7: allusion, high confidence
- Eph 4:9: allusion, high confidence
- Eph 4:10: allusion, high confidence
- Gal 1:15: quotation, high confidence

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 30 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/30).

## Tome to the Armenians 31

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-31
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Rom 9:5 calls Christ God over all, blessed forever, and Proclus explains each phrase against those who make him a mere man.

### Greek text

τής χάριτος αύτού άποκαλύψαι τον υίόν αύτού έν έμοί. ούτος γάρ σε διδάΕει άληθώς τίς έστιν 'Ιησούς ό Χριστός, βοών έΕ ών ό Χριστός τό κατά σάρκα , ό ών έπί πάντων θεός εύλογητός εις τους αιώνας . ποίαν παρείσδυσιν συκοφαντίας ούκ άποτειχίίει τα Παύλου ρήματα τοις φιλολοιδόροις ; ειπεν αύτόν Χριστόν, ίνα δείΕηι δτι κατά άλήθειαν γέγονεν άνθρωπος' εϊπεν αυτόν έ£ 'Ιουδαίων τό κατά σάρκα, 'ίνα δείΕηι δτι ούκ άφ' ου έσαρκώθη, έκτοτε μόνον υπάρχει' εΐπεν αύτόν όντα, ϊνα άναρχον βροντήσηι ειπεν αύτόν έπί πάντων, ϊνα τής κτίσεως δεσπότην κηρύΕηι" ειπεν αύτόν θεόν, 'ίνα μή προς τά πάθη καί τό σχήμα δελεασθέντες τήν άνώλεθρον αύτού άρνησώμεθα φύσιν" ειπεν αύτόν εύλογητόν, ίνα ώς παντοκράτορα προσκυνήσωμεν, άλλ' ούχ ώς σύνδουλον συκοφαντώμεν' εϊπεν αύτόν εις τους αιώνας, 'ίνα δείΕηι δτι περ ó λόγωι τούτους δημιουργήσας

### English translation (Claude)

his grace, to reveal his Son in me.' For he will teach you truly who Jesus the Christ is, crying: 'from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed forever.' What slanderous infiltration do the words of Paul not wall out for the lovers of abuse? He called him Christ, to show that he truly became man; he said he was from the Jews according to the flesh, to show that he does not exist only from the time he was made flesh; he called him 'the one who is', to thunder that he is without beginning; he said 'over all', to proclaim him Master of creation; he called him God, so that we may not, enticed by the passions and the outward form, deny his indestructible nature; he called him blessed, so that we may worship him as Almighty and not slander him as a fellow servant; he said 'forever', to show that the one who created the ages by a word

### Scripture references

- Gal 1:16: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 9:5: quotation, high confidence

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 31 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/31).

## Tome to the Armenians 32

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-32
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Proclus calls for the worship of Christ as God and points to the coming judgment.

### Greek text

άιδίως έν αύτοις θεολογείται. έχοντες ούν τον Χριστόν καί οντα (καί) θεόν καί εύλογητόν, αυτώι προσκυνήσωμεν, λέγοντες προς τούς έτεροδόίους' eï τις πνεύμα Χριστού ουκ έχει , ούτος ούκ έστιν αύτοΰ' ημείς δέ νουν Χρίστου £χομεν, διό καί προσδεχόμεθα την δόίαν του μεγάλου θεού και σωτήρος ημών Ιησού Χριστού, δς αποδώσει τοις μεν εύσεβοΰσι τα της δόΗης έπαθλα, τοις δε άθετούσι τα της τόλμης έπίχειρα.

### English translation (Claude)

is eternally confessed as God in them. Having, then, Christ as both the one who is and God and blessed, let us worship him, saying to those of other opinions: 'If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.' But we have the mind of Christ; and therefore we await the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who will give to those who are pious the prizes of glory, and to those who reject him the wages of their audacity.

### Scripture references

- Rom 8:9: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 2:16: quotation, high confidence
- Titus 2:13: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- 'And' before 'God' is the editor's addition in round brackets, translated.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 32 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/32).

## Tome to the Armenians 33

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-33
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Proclus explains he wrote at the Armenians' request and urges them to keep the faith of Nicaea, of Basil and Gregory, against the new teachers.

### Greek text

Ταύτα δε προς τήν ύμετέραν έπεστείλαμεν άγάπην, έκ τών υμετέρων προτραπέντες λιβέλλων ών προς ήμάς διεπέμψασθε, φήσαντες λυμεώνάς τινας καί τερατολόγους ανθρώπους εαυτούς έπεισφρήσαι τήι υμετέραι χώραι, βουλομένους δια πονηρών γραμμάτων και τών αντιθέσεων της ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως διαστρέφειν τό άπλοΰν καί άμαγγάνευτον τής όρθοδό£ου πίστεως κάλλος. αλλά τά τού μακαρίου Παύλου καί πάλιν φημί προς υμάς" βλέπετε μη τις υμάς έσται ó συλαγωγών δια τής φιλοσοφίας καί κενής άπάτης κατά τήν παράδοσιν τών είκαιοβούλων ανθρώπων καί ου κατά Χριστόν. θεμέλιον γαρ άλλον ουδείς δύναται θεΐναι ευσεβούς πίστεως παρά τον κείμενον, δς έστι Χριστός Ιησούς . στήκετε τοίνυν èv ένί πνεύματι , μιαι ψυχήι συναθλούντες τήι π ί στ ει τού ευαγγελίου καί μή πτυρόμενοι èv μηδενί ύπό τών αντικειμένων , άλλα φυλάττοντες τάς παραδόσεις ας παρελάβετε τών άγιων και μακαρίων πατέρων τών εν Νικαίαι τήν όρθόδοΣον πίστιν εκθεμένων καί τών περί τόν αγιον καί μακάριον Βασίλειον καί Γρηγόριον καί τών λοιπών τών αύτοίς όμοφρόνων, ών τά ονόματα èv βίβλωι Εωής.

### English translation (Claude)

We have written this to your love, prompted by your petitions, which you sent to us, saying that certain corrupting men, tellers of marvels, had slipped into your country, wishing through wicked writings and 'the contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge' to pervert the simple and unadulterated beauty of the orthodox faith. But I say to you once more the words of the blessed Paul: 'See that no one makes a prey of you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of thoughtless men, and not according to Christ.' For 'no one can lay another foundation' of the pious faith 'than the one that is laid, which is Christ Jesus.' 'Stand firm, then, in one spirit, striving together with one soul for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by the opponents,' but keeping the traditions which you received from the holy and blessed fathers who set forth the orthodox faith at Nicaea, and from the holy and blessed Basil and Gregory and the rest of like mind with them, 'whose names are in the book of life.'

### Scripture references

- 1 Tim 6:20: quotation, high confidence
- Col 2:8: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 3:11: quotation, high confidence
- Phil 1:27: quotation, high confidence
- Phil 1:28: quotation, high confidence
- Phil 4:3: quotation, high confidence
- 2 Thess 2:15: allusion, medium confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Conc. Nic. (Creed and Canons of the Council of Nicaea (325)): allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- 1 Tim 6:20; Col 2:8 (Proclus reads 'thoughtless men' for 'men'); 1 Cor 3:11; Phil 1:27–28; Phil 4:3; 2 Thess 2:15.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 33 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/33).

## Tome to the Armenians 34

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/proclus-tomus-armenios/0/#p-34
- Source: ACO IV.2 4.2
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-23

Summary: Closing greeting.

### Greek text

Πάσαν τήν σύν ύμίν èv Χριστώι άδελφότητα έγώ τε καί οί συν έμοί προσαγορεύομεν.

### English translation (Claude)

I and those with me greet all the brotherhood with you in Christ.

### Citation (SBL)

Proclus, Tom. Arm. 34 (ACO IV.2 4.2; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/proclus-tomus-armenios/34).