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Arnobius
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Introductory Notice to Arnobius.
[3793] This has been supposed to refer to Heraclitus, as quoted by Clem. Alex., Stromata, v. p. 469 B., where his words are, “Neither God nor man made the world; but there was always, and is, and will be, an undying flame laying hold of its limits, and destroying them;” on which cf. p. 437. n. 8, supra. Here, of course, fire does not mean that perceived by the senses, but a subtle, all-penetrating energy.
[3794] Cf. ch. 52, p. 453.
[3795] Lit., “by ordinary necessity.” The Stoics (Diog. Lært., vii. 134) said that the world was made by God working on uncreated matter, and that it was perishable (§ 141), because made through that of which perception could take cognizance. Cf. ch. 31, n. 9, p. 446.
[3796] Orelli thinks that there is here a confusion of the parts of the world with its elements, because he can nowhere find that any philosopher has fixed the number of the elements either above or below four. The Stoics, however (Diog. Lært., vii. 134), said “that the elements (ἀρχάς of the world are two—the active and passive;” while, of course, the cosmic theories of the early philosophers affirm that the world sprang from one, and it seems clear enough that Arnobius here uses the word “element” in this sense.
[3797] Lit., “its material.”
[3798] A conjecture of Meursius adopted by Oehler, merely dropping u from aut—“or,” which is read in the ms. and edd.
[3799] Lit., “refute falsities placed.”
[3800] Cf. Cicero, de Nat. Deor., i. 1, 12, 19, 23, etc.
[3801] Lit., “something is given to them to life.” So the Stoics taught, although Chrysippus (cf. n. 9, ch. 31, p. 446) held that only the souls of the wise remained at all after death.
[3802] The ms., first four edd., and Oehler read et rerum contrarietatibus dissonare—“and that they disagree from the oppositions of things.” Hild. reads dissonora, a word not met with elsewhere, while the other edd. merely drop the last two letters, -re, as above; a reading suggested in the margin of Ursinus.
[3803] Lit., “a most vain thing,” etc.
[3804] So the ms., LB., Elmenh., Hild., and Oehler, reading conjectamus, the other edd. reading commetamur or -imur—“measure,” except Gelenius and Canterus, who read commentamur—“muse upon.”
[3805] Lit., “audacity of.”
[3806] Lit., “world which holds us.”
[3807] The first five edd. insert the mark of interrogation after “hollow:” “Whether does a solid axis,” etc.
[3808] So the edd. except. Hild., who retains the ms. reading in scientissime—“most unskilfully” (the others omitting in-), and Oehler, who changes e into i—“and being most witless show,” etc.
[3809] Lit., “touch.”
[3810] So the later edd., reading from the margin of Ursinus figi? cur alia, for the ms. figuralia, except LB., which reads figurari—“be formed.”
[3811] So the ms.; but all edd. except Hild. and Oehler omit nobis.
[3812] So the ms., reading folgora dilatarit, followed by LB.
[3813] Salsa, corrected from the ms. sola.
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