Anania Shirakatsi on a global scale. Anania Shirakatsi. "Cosmography and calendar"

Anania Shirakatsi - Armenian philosopher, mathematician, cosmographer, geographer and historian of the 7th century. In the "Geography" of Anania Shirakatsi (later erroneously attributed to Movses Khorenatsi) there is a valuable description of Europe, Africa, and Asia. The main attention is paid to Western Asia, in particular Armenia. He compiled synchronistic tables of European patriarchs, Persian, Roman and Armenian kings, specifying the years of their reign and noting the most significant events of their reign.

Soviet historical encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 1. AALTONEN – AYANY. 1961.

Works: Armenian geography of the 7th century. according to R. X., ed. and lane K. P. Patkanov, St. Petersburg, 1877.

Anania Shirakatsi - Armenian geographer, cartographer, historian, astronomer, successor to the work of the Armenian historian of the 5th century Movses Khorenatsi. Born in Armenia near Shirak in the first decade of the 7th century, he died in 685. He studied in his homeland, then in Theodosiopolis, the capital of Byzantine Armenia, and finally in Trebizond with the Byzantine scholar Tychicus. Ananias was well acquainted with the works of the astronomer, mathematician and geographer of the 2nd century AD Ptolemy and his Alexandrian followers, with the works of Greek mathematicians. He is the author of a number of scientific treatises: “Arithmetic”, “Calendar Theory”, etc. Ananias, for the first time in the history of mathematics, compiled arithmetic summary tables with four operations, and wrote a number of astronomical works. Ananias was probably the author of “Geography,” previously considered anonymous or attributed to Moses of Khoren (Movses Khorenatsi). Along with his fundamental work “Cosmography”, “Geography” by Anania Shirakatsi contains the most important material for the study of cosmographic ideas of the 7th century.

Byzantine dictionary: in 2 volumes / [comp. General Ed. K.A. Filatov]. SPb.: Amphora. TID Amphora: RKhGA: Oleg Abyshko Publishing House, 2011, vol. 1, p. 81-82.

Anania Shirakatsi (mid 7th century) - Armenian mathematician, geographer, natural philosopher and astronomer. He traveled around the countries of the East, studied in Trebizond, then in Constantinople. Upon returning home, he devoted himself to sciences, primarily natural ones. Based on the ancient doctrine of the four elements, he created a natural philosophical doctrine of heaven, earth, sea, celestial bodies, and other natural phenomena. Author of works on cosmography, geography, mathematics. The textbook on arithmetic “Questions and Solutions...” (1918, translated into Russian, published and introduced by Academician I. A. Orbeli) is one of the oldest treatises on arithmetic that has reached us.

V. F. Pustarnakov

New philosophical encyclopedia. In four volumes. / Institute of Philosophy RAS. Scientific ed. advice: V.S. Stepin, A.A. Guseinov, G.Yu. Semigin. M., Mysl, 2010, vol. I, A - D, p. 106.

Read further:

Philosophers, lovers of wisdom (biographical index).

Essays:

Cosmography. Yerevan, 1962.

Literature:

Chaloyan V.K. Natural science views of Anania Shirakatsi. - “Byzantine temporary book”. M., 1957, t. 12, p. 157-71;

Abrahamyan A. G., Petrosyan G. B. Anania Shirakatsi. Yerevan, 1970;

Grigoryan G. O. Philosophical thought in Armenia in the era of the development of feudalism. Yerevan, 1984.

(mid 7th century) – Armenian , mathematician, astronomer and geographer. In order to study science, he traveled to different countries of the East, studied for 8 years in Trebizond, after which he returned to his homeland, where he had many. followers. A. Sh. decided on the question of God’s relationship to nature in favor of the primacy of God, who, as he thought, is “everything produced, visible and knowable” (“Cosmography and calendar” 1, 1940, with a foreword by A. Abrahamyan, pp. 2–3). However, having created, God, according to A. Sh., usually does not interfere with nature. the course of its development. The created is as real as the nature of the producing God. A. Sh. based his understanding of nature on the doctrine of the four elements (fire, air, water and earth). For fire and air, the common connecting principle is heat, for air and water - humidity, for water and earth - cold, and, finally, for earth and fire - dryness. Through these intermediate links there is interaction between the elements. The world as a whole, as well as finite things, are a mixture of elements. Based on the relationship between dep. parts of the world, A. Sh. argued that “emergence is the beginning of destruction and destruction is, in turn, the beginning of emergence; from this undying contradiction the world acquires its existence” (ibid., p. 31). A strict pattern reigns in space. “There are things that are comprehended by sight, and there are also those that are comprehended through” (Works 2, 1944, p. 318).

Although A. Sh’s views on the universe are contradictory, he still sought to take a critical approach to understanding the essence of reality and was not content with biblical ideas (see “Armenian geography of the 7th century AD...”, Russian translation, St. Petersburg, 1877, p. 1). He contrasted the Church’s view of a flat Earth surrounded on all sides by the sea with the idea that the Earth is spherical. "...The Earth is in the middle, there is air around the Earth, and it surrounds everything on all sides" ("Cosmography...", p. 10). “Everything that is surrounded by the sky is spherical; this is what has reached perfection; such is the Earth in its form” (Works, pp. 332–333). According to A. Sh., between the sky (ether) and the Earth there are intermediate spheres of fire, water and air. Refusing the clergy about the supports holding up the sky and the Earth, A. Sh. tried to decide on what the Earth is supported in boundless space, pointing to the vortex of air that does not allow it to “fall down” (see “Cosmography...”, pp. 9–10). The words of the psalm that “there are pillars under the sea that hold the weight of the Earth” caused A. Sh. “bewilderment” and doubts (see ibid., p. 12). A. Sh. has a peculiar division of the sky into 7; is not found in the works of Aristotle and Ptolemy and differs sharply from those generally accepted in the Middle Ages. theories. A. Sh. fought against astrology (especially Chaldean), fatalism and witchcraft. Op. A. Sh. “Questions and solutions...” (1918, in Russian, published and introduced by academician I. A. Orbeli) is one of the oldest works on arithmetic that have reached us.

Lit.: Pigulevskaya N., Byzantium on the routes to India, M.–L., 1951; Chaloyan V.K., Natural scientific views of Anania Shirakatsi, “Byzantine Time Book”, 1957, vol. 12; him. History of Armenian philosophy, Yerevan, 1959 (see Index); History of philosophy, vol. 1, M., 1957, p. 258–59.

V. Chaloyan. Yerevan.

Philosophical Encyclopedia. In 5 volumes - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Edited by F. V. Konstantinov. 1960-1970 .

ANANIAH SHIRAKATSI (mid 7th century) - Armenian mathematician, geographer, natural philosopher and astronomer. He traveled around the countries of the East, studied in Trebizond, then in Constantinople. Upon returning home, he devoted himself to sciences, primarily natural ones. Based on the ancient doctrine of the four elements, he created a natural philosophical doctrine of heaven, earth, sea, celestial bodies, and other natural phenomena. Author of works on cosmography, geography, mathematics. The textbook on arithmetic “Questions and Solutions...” (1918, translated into Russian, published by academician I. A. Orbeli) is one of the oldest treatises on arithmetic that has reached us.

Works: Cosmography. Yerevan, 1962.

Lit.: ChaYaoyan V.K. Natural science views of Anania Shirakatsi. - “Byzantine temporary book”. M., 1957, t. 12, p. 157-71; Abrahamyan A. G., Petrosyan G. B. Anania Shirakatsi. Yerevan, 1970; Grigoryan G. O. Philosophy in Armenia in the era of the development of feudalism. Yerevan, 1984.

V. F. GEUSTARNAKOV

New Philosophical Encyclopedia: In 4 vols. M.: Thought. Edited by V. S. Stepin. 2001 .

See what "ANANIA SHIRAKATSI" is in other dictionaries:

Armenian philosopher, mathematician, cosmographer (7th century). The natural scientific views of Anania Shirakatsi played a big role in the history of Armenian culture... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (VII century), Armenian philosopher, mathematician, cosmographer. The natural scientific views of Anania Shirakatsi played a big role in the history of Armenian culture. * * * ANANIA SHIRAKATSI ANANIA SHIRAKATSI, Armenian philosopher, mathematician, cosmographer (7th century).… … encyclopedic Dictionary

Armenian philosopher, mathematician, cosmographer and geographer of the mid-7th century. Traveled to the countries of the East, studied in Trebizond. Returning to his homeland, he devoted himself to science. The basis for A. Sh.’s understanding of nature is the ancient materialistic teaching... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

- [Arm. Աճաճիա շիրակացի] (610 – 685), 1st known Armenian. scientist, mathematician, cosmographer and expert on Easter eggs, writer. Genus. in the region Shirak. The initial period of his life is known from the short autobiography of A. Sh. (where he calls himself “Shirakatsi” (Shiraksky) ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

- [OK. 605, p. Aneank (Ani?) in the region. Shirak, now in the territory. Turkey, approx. 685], ancient Arm. scientist, philosopher and teacher. He studied at the Dprevank school, improved in mathematics. knowledge in Trebizond and other cities. Founded (30s) a school, where for the first time in... ... Russian Pedagogical Encyclopedia

Anania Shirakatsi- ANANIA SHIRAKATSI, Armenian. philosopher, mathematician, cosmographer (7th century). Natural scientific A. Sh.'s views played a big role in the history of Armenian history. culture... Biographical Dictionary

Arm. philosopher, mathematician, cosmographer, geographer and historian of the 7th century. In the Geography of A. Sh. (later erroneously attributed to Movses Khorenatsi) there is a valuable description of Europe, Africa, and Asia. Ch. attention is paid to Western Asia, in particular Armenia. Compiled... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia

- ... Wikipedia

Anania, Shirakatsi- (c. 605 c. 685) ancient Armenian mathematician, philosopher, cosmographer and teacher. Basic (630s) school, where for the first time in Armenia he developed a program of natural mathematics education in the traditions of the Armenian Greek school, set out in... ... Pedagogical terminological dictionary

Anania Shirakatsi- Armenians philosopher, mathematician, cosmographer and geographer. 7th century AD, representative of education. the top of the secular feudal lords. He travels. in different countries of the East, in current. He studied in Trebizond for eight years, after which he returned to his homeland, dedicated... ... Ancient world. encyclopedic Dictionary

Anania Shirakatsi – [Arm. Անանիա Շիրակացի] (610s - 685), thinker of the 7th century, the first famous Armenian scientist, mathematician, cosmographer, geographer, cartographer, historian, astronomer, successor of the works of Movses Khorenatsi and an expert on Easter, writer, some of whose works have come to us in the form manuscripts...

The exact place of birth of Shirakatsi is not known. According to many scientists, he was born in Shirakavan or in the village of Anania in the Shirak region near the ancient settlement of Ani and belonged to the Kamsarakan or Artsruni clan - the rulers of this region.

The initial period of his life is known from the short autobiography of Ananias himself, where he calls himself “Shirakatsi” (Shiraksky), as well as “Shirakavantsi” and “son of Ioannes Shirakaini.”

It is believed that he received his initial education in the nearby Dprevank monastery, where he studied mathematics from an early age.

In addition to the basics of mathematics, having studied the Holy Scriptures, Armenian and Greek literature, he goes abroad. Through Feodosiopolis (today it is the Turkish city of Erzurum) he arrived in the province of IV Armenia (the ancient region of Greater Armenia in the upper reaches of the Tigris - the territory of modern Turkey) to study with the mathematician Christosatur.

Having studied for some time with Kistosatur and seeing, as Ananias himself put it, that he “did not know all science,” he went to Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium, and from there to Trebizond, to the shore of the sea of ​​Pontus Polemonia (Black Sea - editor's note).

At the age of about 20, he began studying at a school where he taught the Byzantine mathematician Tihik (Tyukhik), known throughout medieval educated society, “... full of wisdom and knowledgeable in Armenian writing...”. Shirakatsi spent eight long years studying the art of mathematics with Tyukhik and was one of his most successful students.

Around 651, already in adulthood, he returned to Greater Armenia, where he began educational activities and taught the “science of numbers” - mathematics.

But disappointment awaited him in his homeland... In some manuscripts the name Shirakatsi appears without any indication of clergy, in some it is indicated “vardapet”, but Armenologists are inclined to the secular meaning of this word - “teacher”, confident that upon returning to his homeland Shirakatsi, having begun teaching according to on his own initiative, without the sanction of the Church, he soon found himself in disgrace.

Ill-wishers reported that such a person, who turned more to the mind than to the Gospel, was rather a gift from the devil to the people. The patronage of the powerful Kamsarakan clan, who valued the practical knowledge of Shirakatsi, further strengthened the Church’s dissatisfaction with the unauthorized actions of a scientist who wanted to pass on his knowledge to his students.

Here, Shirakatsi himself, who lived to a ripe old age, said: “...And I, the most insignificant of the Armenians, having studied this powerful science, desired by the kings, brought it to our country, without being supported by anyone, obliged only to my hard work, the help of God and the prayers of the Holy One. Enlightener. And no one thanked me for my efforts...” (translation by K. P. Patkanov).

However, distracting from the main topic, we note that the manuscripts left by Shirakatsi somehow amazed contemporaries. Someone made sure that they were preserved and passed on as gospel.

So, three centuries later, the manuscripts fell into the hands of another bright Armenian leader, a high-ranking Byzantine official Grigor Magistros Pahlavuni (990-1058), who actively contributed to the revival of the ancient education system in Armenia.

Grigor Magistros addressed a letter to Catholicos Petros Getadarts, in which he asked to change the Church’s position towards the manuscript heritage of Shirakatsi.

The following excerpt from the letter is a kind of metaphorical description of Ananias as a bearer of knowledge, centuries after his death: “Shirakatsi, like a hardworking bee, collected sciences in his hive, extracting them from the Chaldeans, Greeks and other peoples...”

As a result, the ban on reproduction was lifted from Shirakatsi’s manuscripts, and the copied copies settled in the libraries of educational centers of medieval Armenia of the 11th-14th centuries, happily surviving until the time of printing, when the Armenians, having created numerous cultural centers, began to take a serious interest in their handwritten heritage, cataloging and check it, publish the most interesting.

In Armenia, during the time of Shirakatsi, they used a moving solar calendar: all years consisted of 365 days - there were no leap years as such, due to which the beginning of the year and church holidays gradually moved through the seasons.

Catholicos Anastas (662-668), instructed him to streamline the Armenian calendar, make it more flexible and convenient. Anania Shirakatsi created a “fixed” calendar based on the Roman model, but his work remained unclaimed due to the death of Catholicos Anastas.

Over his long life, Ananias created several dozen scientific works in various fields of natural science.

For example, to classify church modes and explain the essence of their intonation through determining the quantitative relationships of the tones of the natural scale, Anania Shirakatsi used in one of his works a ten-row table from the “Introduction to Arithmetic” by the neo-Pythagorean Nicomachus of Geras (2nd century), which expressed the structure of relationships between integers, their rows and corresponding musical tones.

Perhaps it was through Anania Shirakatsi that the ideas of the Alexandrian Greeks about acoustics spread to Iran, where Arabic translations of the works of ancient authors concerning these problems appeared no earlier than the 8th-9th centuries.

Ananiy Shirakatsi also wrote a number of theological works in which the greatest authority for him is the Bible, then the works of the Church Fathers, and only then the works of “good philosophers.”

“The word of the mathematician Anania Shirakatsi, spoken on the Epiphany of our Lord and Savior” proves that Christmas should be celebrated not on December 25, but on January 6, simultaneously with the feast of Epiphany.

The “Word of Anania Shirakatsi, Spoken on the Passover of the Lord” sets out the history of the celebration of Easter.

A chronicle from Adam to the year 685 is also attributed to Ananias Shirakatsi. “Keeping divine faith, filled with the fruits of the teachings of philosophers and firmly adhering to faith, we will always be fruitful in science” - this was the unshakable principle of the scientist.

Peru Anania Shirakatsi owns a number of works on arithmetic, the theory of chronology, cosmography and geography. Ananias is the author of astronomical works “On Celestial Movements”, “On Astronomical Geometry”. Shirakatsi is also the author of a 48-chapter work, “Cosmography and Calendar,” which examines issues of astronomy, meteorology and physical geography.

Much earlier than many European scientists, he argued that the Earth is not falling anywhere because it is in balance under the influence of opposing forces.

Shirakatsi viewed the Milky Way as a mass of densely arranged and luminous stars. He believed that the Moon shines from reflected sunlight. Correctly connected the ebb and flow of the tides with the influence of the Moon on the Earth.

For you and me today, all this that Anania Shirakatsi studied and assumed is something self-evident, but for his contemporaries who lived in the early Middle Ages, and in the late Middle Ages too, it was so unusual, and in some cases unacceptable.

He also wrote the work “Mathematics of Anania Shirakatsi - on weights and measures.” And his textbook on arithmetic, entitled in the manuscripts “Knnikon” (“Questions and solutions of Vardapet Ananias Shirakts, an Armenian mathematician of the 7th century,” 1918, in Russian. publication and introduction by academician I. A. Orbeli - editor’s note), including material on the art of numbering in the form of tables, is one of the oldest works on arithmetic that have reached us. In particular, it uses arithmetic and geometric progressions.

In the multiplication tables of Ananias Shirakatsi, the same 37 values ​​were used as in the later (by seven centuries) tables of Nikolai Artavazd Rabda, a learned Armenian monk at the Byzantine court, and the same 703 products were written in them, only in Armenian letters and numbers

Tables of reciprocal quantities for numbers not exceeding 5000, 4000, 3000 were also discovered, which complement the tables from the “Six-thousander” of this scientist, as well as the text of five entertaining problems.

Ananias adhered to progressive philosophical views for his time, for which he was persecuted by the clergy. According to his concept, although God is “... the cause of everything produced, visible and knowable...”, however, after the creation of the world, the development process occurs without the intervention of divine forces, and the cosmos is governed by strict laws.

His works have come down to us in handwritten copies of the 11th-17th centuries, stored in Matenadaran (Yerevan, Armenia) and other famous book depositories in the world.

The natural scientific views of Shirakatsi played a big role in the history of Armenian culture.

One of the highest state awards of the Republic of Armenia is named after him - the Anania Shirakatsi Medal, which is awarded for outstanding activity, significant discoveries and inventions in the field of engineering, architecture, science and technology.

The Yerevan University of International Relations (founded in 1990) and the Armenian National Lyceum (Educational Complex) bear his name.

The monument to Anania Shirakatsi stands at the entrance to the Matenadaran, behind the figure of the seated Mesrop Mashtots, in a row with other monuments to figures of Armenian science and culture who glorified their Motherland - Armenia for centuries.

In this famous sculptural composition Mashtots-Koryun, installed in front of the Matenadaran in Yerevan, the sculptor included a stele with the Armenian phonetic alphabet of 36 letters carved on it, but the letters are not arranged in the form of a Mashtots matrix, where the horizontal is highlighted (4 lines of 9 letters each) , and in the form of a matrix, where the vertical is highlighted (4 columns of 9 letters each) - this is how the letters of the Armenian alphabet were arranged by Anania Shirakatsi in the 7th century, for whom the vertical, apparently, seemed more natural.

At one of the international mathematical conferences, after a brilliant report by the then young mathematician Sergei Mergelyan, foreign colleagues approached him and congratulated him as the first Armenian mathematician to attract attention. To which Mergelyan, smiling, said: “The honor of being the first Armenian mathematician to attract attention belongs to Anania Shirakatsi, who lived in the 7th century.”

This statement of the future luminary of modern world mathematical science is true for all times - both past and future, as long as human thought lives.

We couldn’t resist and cited here several problems from Aninania Shirakatsi’s collection “Questions and Solutions.” Try to solve them. Remember, these are arithmetic problems from the 7th century.

Problem N8. “During the uprising of the Armenians against the Persians, when Zaurak Kamsarakan killed Suren, one of the Armenian Azats sent an ambassador to the Persian king to report this sad news to him; he traveled fifty miles a day; when Zaurak Kamsarakan found out about this fifteen days later, he sent a chase to bring him back; the messengers traveled eighty miles a day. So, find out how many days they could catch up with the ambassador.”

Problem N9. “The Kamsarakans had a hunt in Gen; a lot of game was captured, and they sent me a boar as a share of the spoils; since he was monstrous in appearance, I weighed him, and it turned out that his entrails made up a fourth of his total weight, his head a tenth, his legs a twentieth, his fangs a ninetieth; his body weighed two hundred and twelve liters. So, find out how many liters the boar weighed in total.”

Problem N14. “There was wine flavored with roses in one carp, and there were three stone jugs, and I ordered the wine to be poured into them; one contained a third of the wine, another a sixth, and a third a fourteenth; and the rest of the wine was poured into other vessels, and this amounted to fifty-four pas. So, find out how much wine there was.”

Problem N19. “One man went to three churches and asked God in the first: “Give me as much as I have, and I will give you twenty-five dahekans.” And in the second church he asked the same and gave twenty-five dahekans, and in the third, and he had nothing left. So, find out how much he had before.”

Problem N22. “Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, celebrated his birthday, and it was his custom to distribute on that day to ten nobles, according to the dignity of each of the ten, one hundred carats of wine flavored with incense. So divide this according to the worth of all ten.”

The reader who wishes to become a student of Shirakatsi for a while should try to solve problems without resorting to the arithmetic and algebraic symbolism familiar to us.

The correct answers are in the article “Questions and Solutions...”, 1918, in Russian. Publication and introduction by academician I. A. Orbeli.

Armenian geographer, cartographer, historian, astronomer, successor of the works of Movses Khorenatsi

Biography

The exact place of birth of Shirakatsi is not known. Presumably he was born in Shirakavan or in the village of Anania in the Shirak region near Ani. His father's name was Hovhannes, and presumably he belonged to the Kamsarakan or Artsruni clan, the rulers of this region. It is believed that he received his initial education at the Dprevank monastery, where he studied mathematics from an early age.

Shirakatsi continued his education in Byzantine Trebizond, where he was a student of the famous Greek scientist Tycia for eight years. Around 651, Shirakatsi returned to Armenia, where he opened schools in which teaching was conducted on the basis of the quadrivium.

Proceedings

"Ashkharatsuyts"

Shirakatsi compiled the “Geographical Atlas of the World” (“Ashkharatsuyts”), which contains detailed information about the historical geography of Armenia - here, along with geographical and cartographic information relating to the countries of Asia, Europe and Libya (Africa), the historical administrative and political state is described in detail the territory of ancient and early medieval Armenia within the borders of Greater Armenia and Lesser Armenia located to the west of it.

"Cosmography and calendar"

Anania Shirakatsi (VII century) - an outstanding philosopher, astronomer and mathematician, the founder of the natural science direction in ancient Armenian philosophy. He continued the traditions of ancient science and, when interpreting a number of philosophical problems, deviated from the requirements of contemporary church dogma. In the conditions of the 7th century. defended the idea of ​​the spherical shape of the earth, gave a correct explanation of the causes of eclipses of the sun and moon, and criticized astrology and superstitions. He attached decisive importance to experience and observations in the knowledge of nature.

The most important works of A. Shirakatsi are “Cosmography”, “Theory of the Calendar”, “On the Rotation of the Heavens” and “Arithmetic”. The famous “Ashkharatsuyts” (“Armenian Geography”), containing a detailed description of Armenia and neighboring countries, is also attributed to his pen.

A. Shirakatsi had a great influence on the subsequent development of natural science and the natural science direction in the philosophical thought of medieval Armenia, in particular on Ioann Sarkavag (XI-XII centuries), Ioann Yerzynkatsi (XIII century), etc. There is a Russian translation of his “Cosmography” ( translated by K. S. Ter-Davtyan and S. S. Arevshatyan. Yerevan, 1962) and “Armenian Geography” (translated by K. Patkanov. St. Petersburg, 1877).

Cosmography

For me and for everyone who is engaged in rational knowledge, the sayings of the glorious ancestors seem true, and nothing [of what they said] remains inexplicable in words and inaccessible to reason.

And now, since we are talking about the rational, it is necessary [first] to turn to the incorporeal form. Then we must begin to understand what has a beginning. After all, what has a beginning comes from something without beginning, and this without beginning is inexplicable and incomprehensible to reason, but it is cognizable with the help of what is accessible to knowledge...

The earth is installed on four sides in the middle of the sky, which, due to the speed of its rotation, does not allow it to descend to the lower hemisphere [of the sky]. For the earth, with its weight, tends to go down, and the wind, with its force, tries to lift it up. And neither the weight of the earth allows [her] to rise up, nor the strength of the wind allows [her] to go down. And so she remains at the point of balance.

If anyone would like to receive from pagan philosophers a clear example reproducing the position of the earth, then it seems to me suitable [an example] with an egg: just as in the middle [of an egg] there is a spherical yolk, around it is the white, and the shell contains everything , in the same way, the earth is in the middle, and the air surrounds it and the sky closes everything.

Pagan philosophers say that living beings inhabit the earth on this side and that side, and that on the lower side of the earth there are people and other creatures - our antipodes, who are located around the earth like flies clinging to an apple from all sides. Persisting, they insist that if there were no antipodes inhabiting the lower part, then to whom would the sun give its light for half the day when we plunge into shadow at night, for it is impossible to say that the sun runs its course in vain...

However, I must tell you that there were doubts in my thinking on this issue. I heard that, according to the prophets, all the Holy Scriptures and church teachers, there are no creatures at all living on the lower side [of the earth], but I recognized the existence of the antipodes. I believed that this corresponded to the divine word. And now do not judge me, beloved. The occultist knows that I am not lying...

The Chaldeans cannot understand that if the stars are really, as they say, the cause of evil, then the cause of their evil nature goes back to the one who created them, for if they are evil by nature, then the creator who created them must be more evil... Great the stupidity of the misguided teachers of the flat, ignorant and empty art [astrologers]. For they endow [people] with good and evil not according to their dignity, but according to the random arrangement of the stars...

Emergence is the beginning of destruction, and destruction in turn is the beginning of emergence. And from this indestructible contradiction the world gains eternity...

And so, everything that exists is under the power of formation and destruction. And in this there is a considerable share of divine

providence, so that no one, seeing creations indestructible, would mistake them for creators and, constantly seeing the service of created luminaries to earthly existence, would place the creator of all things above all else...