A Letter from Origen to Africanus.

 2.  You begin by saying, that when, in my discussion with our friend Bassus, I used the Scripture which contains the prophecy of Daniel when yet a you

 3.  And in many other of the sacred books I found sometimes more in our copies than in the Hebrew, sometimes less.  I shall adduce a few examples, sin

 4.  Again, through the whole of Job there are many passages in the Hebrew which are wanting in our copies, generally four or five verses, but sometime

 5.  In all these cases consider whether it would not be well to remember the words, “Thou shalt not remove the ancient landmarks which thy fathers hav

 6.  Let us now look at the things you find fault with in the story itself.  And here let us begin with what would probably make any one averse to rece

 7.  Moreover, I remember hearing from a learned Hebrew, said among themselves to be the son of a wise man, and to have been specially trained to succe

 8.  And I knew another Hebrew, who told about these elders such traditions as the following:  that they pretended to the Jews in captivity, who were h

 9.  But probably to this you will say, Why then is the “History” not in their Daniel, if, as you say, their wise men hand down by tradition such stori

 10.  Your next objection is, that in this writing Daniel is said to have been seized by the Spirit, and to have cried out that the sentence was unjust

 11.  Your other objections are stated, as it appears to me, somewhat irreverently, and without the becoming spirit of piety.  I cannot do better than

 12.  I had nearly forgotten an additional remark I have to make about the prino-prisein and schino-schisein Essa chos isouoth essa is Hesre aïs is ess

 13.  You raise another objection, which I give in your own words:  “Moreover, how is it that they, who were captives among the Chaldeans, lost and won

 14.  But you say, “How could they who were in captivity pass sentence of death?” asserting, I know not on what grounds, that Susanna was the wife of a

 15.  I find in your letter yet another objection in these words:  “And add, that among all the many prophets who had been before, there is no one who

 Your last objection is, that the style is different.  This I cannot see.

Your last objection is, that the style is different.  This I cannot see.

This, then, is my defence.  I might, especially after all these accusations, speak in praise of this history of Susanna, dwelling on it word by word, and expounding the exquisite nature of the thoughts.  Such an encomium, perhaps, some of the learned and able students of divine things may at some other time compose.  This, however, is my answer to your strokes, as you call them.  Would that I could instruct you!  But I do not now arrogate that to myself.  My lord and dear brother Ambrosius, who has written this at my dictation, and has, in looking over it, corrected as he pleased, salutes you.  His faithful spouse, Marcella, and her children, also salute you.  Also Anicetus.  Do you salute our dear father Apollinarius, and all our friends.

Πρὸς τούτοις ἔφασκες καὶ τὸν τῆς φράσεως χαρακτῆρα διαλλάσσειν: ὅπερ ἐμοὶ οὐ πάνυ τι ἐφάνη. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἀπελογησάμην: ἦν δ' ἂν προηγουμένως μετὰ τὰ ἐγκλήματα ἐγκώμιον εἰπεῖν τῆς περὶ Σωσάνναν Γραφῆς ἐπιβαίνοντα ἑκάστῃ λέξει, καὶ δεικνύντα τὸ ἐξαίρετον τῶν νενοημένων: ὅπερ ἰδίᾳ τις τῶν φιλομαθῶς καὶ ἱκανῶς μεμελετηκότων τὰ θεῖα συντάξαι δυνήσεται. Ταῦτα πρὸς τὰ, ὡς φὴς, κρούματα ἀπεκρινάμην, καὶ ἀντιγράφω: εἴθε καὶ παιδεύειν δυναίμην! νυνὶ δὲ οὐ τηλικαῦτα ἐμαυτῷ δίδωμι. Προσαγορεύει σε ὁ συναγωνισάμενος τῇ ὑπαγορεύσει τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, καὶ παρατυχὼν πάσῃ αὐτῇ, ἐν οἷς βεβούληται διορθωσάμενος, κύριός μου καὶ ἀδελφὸς ἱερὸς Ἀμβρόσιος. Ἀσπάζεται δέ σε καὶ ἡ πιστοτάτη σύμβιος αὐτοῦ Μαρκέλλα ἅμα τοῖς τέκνοις, καὶ Ἀνίκητος. Σὺ τὸν καλὸν ἡμῶν πάπαν Ἀπολλινάριον ἄσπασαι, καὶ τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας ἡμᾶς.