Chapter XII.—The doctrines of the followers of Ptolemy and Colorbasus. 1. But the followers of Ptolemy say157 that he [Bythus] has two consorts, which they also name Diatheses (affections), viz., Ennœa and Thelesis. For, as they affirm, he first con- ceived the thought of producing something, and then willed to that effect. Wherefore, again, these two affections, or powers, Ennœa and Thelesis, having intercourse, as it were, between themselves, the production of Monogenes and Aletheia took place according to conjunction. These two came forth as types and images of the two affections of the Father,—visible rep- resentations of those that were invisible,—Nous (i.e., Monogenes) of Thelesis, and Aletheia of Ennœa, and accordingly the image resulting from Thelesis was masculine,158 while that from Ennœa was feminine. Thus Thelesis (will) became, as it were, a faculty of Ennœa (thought). For Ennœa continually yearned after offspring; but she could not of herself bring forth that which she desired. But when the power of Thelesis (the faculty of will) came upon her, then she brought forth that on which she had brooded. 2. These fancied beings159 (like the Jove of Homer, who is represented160 as passing an anxious sleepless night in devising plans for honouring Achilles and destroying numbers of the Greeks) will not appear to you, my dear friend, to be possessed of greater knowledge than He who is the God of the universe. He, as soon as He thinks, also performs what He has willed; and as soon as He wills, also thinks that which He has willed; then thinking when He wills, and then willing when He thinks, since He is all thought, [all will, all mind, all light,]161 all eye, all ear, the one entire fountain of all good things. 3. Those of them, however, who are deemed more skilful than the persons who have just been mentioned, say that the first Ogdoad was not produced gradually, so that one Æon was sent forth by another, but that all162 the Æons were brought into existence at once by Propator and his Ennœa. He (Colorbasus) affirms this as confidently as if he had assisted at their birth. Accordingly, he and his followers maintain that Anthropos and Ecclesia were not produced,163 as others hold, from Logos and Zoe; but, on the contrary, Logos and Zoe from Anthropos and Ecclesia. But they express this in another form, as follows: When the Propator conceived the thought of producing something, he received the name of Father. 157 We here follow the Greek as preserved by Hippolytus (Philosoph., vi. 38). The text followed by Epiphanius (Hær., xxxiii. 1) does not so well agree with the Latin. 158 The text is here hopelessly corrupt; but the general meaning seems to be that given above. 159 This sentence exists only in the Latin version, and we can give only a free translation. 160 Iliad, ii. 1, etc. 161 These words are found in Epiphanius, but omitted in the old Latin version. The Latin gives “sense” instead of “light.” 162 The text is here very uncertain. Some propose to read six Æons instead of all. 163 Here again the text is corrupt and obscure. We have followed what seems the most probable emendation. Chapter XII.—The doctrines of the followers of Ptolemy and Colorbasus. 882 Chapter XII.—The doctrines of the followers of Ptolemy and Colorbasus.