50. But now we shall speak of what is before us. For such measures will he, too, devise, seeking to afflict the saints in every way. For the prophet and apostle says:  “Here is wisdom, Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred threescore and six.” With respect to his name, it is not in our power to explain it exactly, as the blessed John understood it and was instructed about it, but only to give a conjectural account of it;112    ὅσον μόνον ὑπονοῆσαι. for when he appears, the blessed one will show us what we seek to know. Yet as far as our doubtful apprehension of the matter goes, we may speak. Many names indeed we find,113    ἰσόψηφα. the letters of which are the equivalent of this number: such as, for instance, the word Titan,114    Τειτάν.  Hippolytus here follows his master Irenæus, who in his Contra Hæres., v. 30, § 3, has the words,“ Titan…et antiquum et fide dignum et regale…nomen” = Titan…both an ancient and good and royal…name. [See this series, vol. i. p. 559.] an ancient and notable name; or Evanthas,115    Εὐάνθας, mentioned also by Irenæus in the passage already referred to. for it too makes up the same number; and many others which might be found. But, as we have already said,116    προέφθημεν, the reading proposed by Fabricius instead of προέφημεν. the wound of the first beast was healed, and he (the second beast) was to make the image speak,117    ποιήσει, Combef. ἐποίησε. that is to say, he should be powerful; and it is manifest to all that those who at present still hold the power are Latins. If, then, we take the name as the name of a single man, it becomes Latinus. Wherefore we ought neither to give it out as if this were certainly his name, nor again ignore the fact that he may not be otherwise designated.  But having the mystery of God in our heart, we ought in fear to keep faithfully what has been told us by the blessed prophets, in order that when those things come to pass, we may be prepared for them, and not deceived. For when the times advance, he too, of whom these thing are said, will be manifested.118    [Let us imitate the wisdom of our author, whose modest commentary upon his master Irenæus cannot be too much applauded. The mystery, however, does seem to turn upon something in the Latin race and its destiny.]

[50] νυνὶ δὲ πρὸς τὸ προκείμενον ἐροῦμεν. ταῦτα γὰρ οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς τεχνάζεται, κατὰ πάντα θλίβειν τοὺς ἁγίους θέλων. λέγει γὰρ ὁ προφήτης καὶ ἀπόστολος: „ὧδε ὁ νοῦς. ὁ ἔχων σοφίαν ψηφισάτω τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦ θηρίου: ἀριθμὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἀνθρώπου, καὶ ἀριθμὸς αὐτοῦ ἐστιν [χξϚ].„ περὶ μὲν οὖν τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν τοσοῦτον τὸ ἀκριβὲς ἐξειπεῖν, ὡς ἐνενόησε καὶ ἐδιδάχθη περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ μακάριος Ἰωάννης, ὅσον μόνον ὑπονοῆσαι: ἀναφανέντος γὰρ αὐτοῦ δείξει ὁ καιρὸς τὸ ζητούμενον. πλὴν ὅσον νοοῦμεν ἀμφιβάλλοντες λέγωμεν. πολλὰ γὰρ εὑρίσκομεν ὀνόματα τούτῳ τῷ ἀριθμῷ ἰσόψηφα περιεχόμενα, οἷον ὡς φέρε εἰπεῖν τὸ Τειτάν ἐστιν, ἀρχαῖον καὶ ἔνδοξον ὄνομα, ἢ τὸ Εὐάνθας: καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸ τῇ αὐτῇ ψήφῳ ἐμπεριέχεται, καὶ ἕτερα πλείονα εὑρεθῆναι δυνάμενα. ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ προέφθημεν λέγοντες, ὅτι ἐθεραπεύθη ἡ πληγὴ τοῦ θηρίου τοῦ πρώτου καὶ ποιήσει λαλεῖν τὴν εἰκόνα, τουτέστιν ἴσχυσε, φανερὸν δὲ πᾶσίν ἐστιν ὅτι οἱ κρατοῦντες ἔτι νῦν εἰσι Λατεῖνοι, εἰς ἑνὸς οὖν ἀνθρώπου ὄνομα μεταγόμενον γίνεται Λατεῖνος, ὥστε οὔτε προκηρύσσειν δεῖ, ὡς ὄντως τοῦτον ὄν, οὔτε πάλιν ἀγνοεῖν ὅτι μὴ ἄλλως δύναται λέγεσθαι, ”ἔχοντας δὲ τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ” μετὰ φόβου φυλάσσειν πιστῶς τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν μακαρίων προφητῶν προειρημένα, ἵνα γινομένων αὐτῶν προειδότες μὴ σφαλλώμεθα. τῶν γὰρ καιρῶν ἐπιγινομένων καὶ αὐτὸς περὶ οὗ ταῦτα προείρηται φανερωθήσεται καὶ τὸ ὄνομα δήλως πᾶσι σημανθήσεται.