John of Damascus, The Fount of Knowledge III: On the Orthodox Faith

Anger is the ebullition423 ζέσις, boiling. of the heart’s blood424 τοῦ περὶ καρδίαν αἵματος, the blood about the heart. produced by bilious exhalation or turbidity. Hence it is that the words χολή and χόλος425 Nemes., ch. 21. are both used in the sense of anger. Anger is sometimes lust for vengeance. For when we are wronged or think that we are wronged, we are distressed, and there arises this mixture of desire and anger.

There are three forms of anger: rage, which the Greeks also call χολή or χόλος, μῆνις and κότος. When anger arises and begins to be roused, it is called rage or χολή or χόλος. Wrath again implies that the bile endures, that is to say, that the memory of the wrong abides: and indeed the Greek word for it, μῆνις is derived from μένειν, and means what abides and is transferred to memory. Rancour, on the other hand, implies watching for a suitable moment for revenge, and the Greek word for it is κότος from κεῖσθαι.

Anger further is the satellite of reason, the vindicator of desire. For when we long after anything and are opposed in our desire by some one, we are angered at that person, as though we had been wronged: and reason evidently deems that there are just grounds for displeasure in what has happened, in the case of those who, like us, have in the natural course of things to guard their own position.

Περὶ θυμοῦ

Θυμὸς δέ ἐστι ζέσις τοῦ περὶ καρδίαν αἵματος ἐξ ἀναθυμιάσεως τῆς χολῆς ἢ ἀναθολώσεως γινομένη. Διὸ καὶ χολὴ λέγεται καὶ χόλος. Ἔστι δέ, ὅτε ὁ θυμὸς καὶ ὄρεξίς ἐστιν ἀντιτιμωρήσεως: ἀδικούμενοι γὰρ ἢ νομίζοντες ἀδικεῖσθαι θυμούμεθα, καὶ γίνεται τότε μικτὸν τὸ πάθος ἐξ ἐπιθυμίας καὶ θυμοῦ.

Εἴδη δὲ τοῦ θυμοῦ τρία: ὀργή, ἥτις καλεῖται χολὴ καὶ χόλος, καὶ μῆνις καὶ κότος. Θυμὸς μὲν γὰρ ἀρχὴν καὶ κίνησιν ἔχων ὀργὴ καὶ χολὴ καὶ χόλος λέγεται. Μῆνις δὲ χολὴ ἐπιμένουσα ἤγουν μνησικακία: εἴρηται δὲ παρὰ τὸ μένειν καὶ τῇ μνήμῃ παραδίδοσθαι. Κότος δὲ ὀργὴ ἐπιτηροῦσα καιρὸν εἰς τιμωρίαν: εἴρηται δὲ καὶ οὗτος παρὰ τὸ κεῖσθαι.

Ἔστι δὲ ὁ θυμὸς τὸ δορυφορικὸν τοῦ λογισμοῦ, ἔκδικος τῆς ἐπιθυμίας: ὅταν γὰρ ἐπιθυμήσωμεν πράγματος καὶ κωλυθῶμεν ὑπό τινος, θυμούμεθα κατ' αὐτοῦ ὡς ἀδικηθέντες, τοῦ λογισμοῦ δηλονότι κρίναντος ἄξιον ἀγανακτήσεως τὸ γινόμενον ἐπὶ τῶν φυλαττόντων κατὰ φύσιν τὴν οἰκείαν τάξιν.

Τοῦ δὲ μὴ πειθομένου λόγῳ ἐστὶ τὸ θρεπτικὸν καὶ γεννητικὸν καὶ σφυγμικόν: καλεῖται δὲ αὐξητικὸν μὲν τὸ θρεπτικὸν καὶ γεννητικόν, ζωτικὸν δὲ τὸ σφυγμικόν.

Τοῦ μὲν οὖν θρεπτικοῦ δυνάμεις εἰσὶ τέσσαρες: ἑλκτικὴ ἡ ἕλκουσα τὴν τροφήν, καθεκτικὴ ἡ κατέχουσα τὴν τροφὴν καὶ μὴ ἐῶσα αὐτὴν εὐθέως ἐκκριθῆναι, ἀλλοιωτικὴ ἡ ἀλλοιοῦσα τὴν τροφὴν εἰς τοὺς χυμούς, ἀποκριτικὴ ἡ τὸ περίττωμα διὰ τοῦ ἀφεδρῶνος ἐκκρίνουσα καὶ ἐκβάλλουσα.

Χρὴ δὲ εἰδέναι, ὅτι τῶν κατὰ τὸ ζῷον δυνάμεων αἱ μέν εἰσιν ψυχικαί, αἱ δὲ φυσικαί, αἱ δὲ ζωτικαί. Καὶ ψυχικαὶ μὲν αἱ κατὰ προαίρεσιν ἤγουν ἡ καθ' ὁρμὴν κίνησις καὶ ἡ αἴσθησις. Τῆς δὲ καθ' ὁρμὴν κινήσεώς ἐστι τό τε κατὰ τόπον μεταβατικὸν καὶ κινητικὸν ὅλου τοῦ σώματος καὶ φωνητικὸν καὶ ἀναπνευστικόν: ἐν ἡμῖν γάρ ἐστι ποιῆσαι ταῦτα καὶ μὴ ποιῆσαι. Φυσικαὶ δὲ καὶ ζωτικαὶ αἱ ἀπροαίρετοι. Καὶ φυσικαὶ μὲν ἡ θρεπτικὴ καὶ αὐξητικὴ καὶ σπερματική, ζωτικὴ δὲ ἡ σφυγμική: αὗται γὰρ καὶ θελόντων καὶ μὴ θελόντων ἐνεργοῦσι.