ποικιλη διακόσμησις. διακόσμησις was the technical term of the Pythagorean philosophy for the orderly arrangement of the universe (cf. Arist. Metaph. I. v. 2. “ἡ ὅλη διακόσμησις); Pythagoras being credited with the first application of the word κόσμος to the universe. (Plut. 2, 886 c.) So mundus in Latin, whence Augustine’s oxymoron, “O munde immunde!” On the scriptural use of κόσμος and ἀιών vide Archbp. Trench’s New Testament Synonyms, p. 204.