Gary Pollard
As I’ve mentioned in a previous article, a well-intentioned man named Rufinus made significant changes to Origen’s writings when he translated them from Greek into Latin. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of what has survived to this day is Rufinus’s Latin text. My goal in this series is to restore the text as it would’ve been read in Greek — before Rufinus’s sometimes radical changes.
So how does anyone restore a text if most of it’s in Latin? Thankfully, sections of these books have survived in the original Greek — especially Book III. This allows us to read the Latin and Greek texts side-by-side. Rufinus was also kind enough to write a preface for Book III, explaining further why he made the changes he made.
To be abundantly clear, I am not qualified to do serious textual criticism. While I’m interested in Greek and have studied it for some years now, I’m not nearly competent enough to do this unaided. For several weeks, I painstakingly worked on the text of Book I using the resources at my disposal (most helpfully Dr. Begley’s dissertation containing a critical apparatus for De Principiis). I compared this to what survives of Peri Archon, as well as Philocalia.
Then I used ChatGPT 4 to read every scrap of Greek text written by or quoting Origen himself. From this, ChatGPT was able to make a profile of the way Origen thought and spoke, and what he believed. It would flag texts that appeared to be redacted based on several criteria — e.g. words, traditions, teachings, or beliefs that weren’t seen prior to the 4th century, and the use of Latinisms. I check these flagged texts myself, especially when they may be controversial. AI fatigue is real, and I’m no AI apologist. However, the fact that some are now far more “intelligent” than any one human is well-established. This should keep my own bias out of the text as much as possible, and has provided a very helpful critical apparatus.
To demonstrate how needed this textual restoration is, I will share Rufinus’s Preface to Book III and a single verse of the same book translated from both Latin and Greek. I highly recommend reading an interlinear translation of Book III on your own so you can see the more egregious errors for yourself.
Preface of Rufinus, Book III
Reader, remember me when you pray so we may both emulate the spirit. I translated the last two books on The Principles, not only because you asked me to, but also because of the pressure you put on me during the days of Lent. Since you, my devout brother Macarius, were living closer to me and had more free time back then, I worked even harder on the books. It has taken me longer to translate these last two books, partially because you now live far away and haven’t had to hurry me on.
Don’t forget what I warned you about in my first preface — some people will get angry if I don’t speak evil of Origen. I’m sure you’ve already experienced this yourself! But if those daemons who compel people to slander are so enraged by Origen’s first two books (in which he has not yet fully revealed their secrets), what do you think they’ll do about these last two? In these books, Origen exposes all of the dark and subtle ways that they take over the hearts of men, and deceive weak, unstable souls.
You should expect to see many things thrown into confusion, seditions stirred up, and plenty of fuss raised. You should expect the person who makes these texts available to be summoned for condemnation; what do you expect when someone tries to dispel daemonic darkness with the light of the Gospel?
This isn’t a big deal for anyone more concerned with being trained in divine learning, though. We just have to maintain the integrity of the rule of Catholic faith while we do so. I’ll remind you that I’m still observing the same principles I did in the former two books:
- I won’t translate anything that appears to contradicts Origen’s other teachings.
- I won’t translate anything that contradicts our own beliefs. I’ll skip those as if they were forged by others.
If he talks about intelligent beings (a subject that does not threaten the essence of our faith), I’ll keep those texts for the sake of discussion and of adding to our knowledge. If I have to refute some heretical opinions, I’ll mention them. If he repeats the heresy in another book, I’ll just omit it.
If anyone wants to read these passages purely to expand their knowledge (and not to raise stupid objections), it would be best to have someone qualified explain it to them. Who would use a grammar expert to explain the finer aspects of poetry or comedy? Who tries to learn things spoken by God or the “heavenly virtues” without a master interpreter? It’s too easy to make mistakes and fall into some pagan error or heresy.
It is typical human nature to harshly and ignorantly condemn things that are obscure and difficult, rather than to try to understand them fully through great effort and study.
Book III, 3 from Greek:
Human beings, unlike other animals, not only have imagination but also reason. Reason helps us judge our thoughts and mental images—it rejects some and approves others—so that we can act according to sound judgment. Because reason naturally helps us recognize virtue and vice, we can choose good over evil. When we choose to live rightly, we deserve praise; when we choose the opposite, we deserve blame.
Still, we shouldn’t ignore the fact that different creatures have these abilities in varying degrees. For example, hunting dogs and warhorses have instincts that come surprisingly close to reason in some ways. Now, when something outside of us triggers a thought, feeling, or impulse, that’s not something we can always control. But what is within our control is how we respond—whether we decide to use that experience in a good way or a bad one. This power of choice belongs only to our reason, which can guide us either toward what is virtuous and fitting or away from it.
Book III, 3 from Latin:
Human beings, unlike other animals, not only have natural instincts and impulses but also possess reason to a much greater degree. This reason allows us to judge our natural urges—rejecting some and approving others—so that our actions can be guided toward a good and honorable life. Because reason enables us to tell the difference between right and wrong and to choose what we recognize as good, we deserve praise when we make good choices and blame when we choose what is evil or shameful.
It’s worth noting, though, that some animals seem to act with a kind of order or intelligence—like hunting dogs or warhorses—which might look like reason. But this isn’t truly rational thought; it’s an instinct they’ve been naturally given for their particular roles.
As we’ve already said, since human nature is rational, certain things can happen to us from the outside—through sight, hearing, or our other senses—that stir us toward good or bad thoughts and actions. Because these things come from outside ourselves, we can’t control their arrival. But we can control how we respond to them. It’s the job of our reason—our inner judgment—to decide how to use these experiences. Guided by reason, we can direct our natural impulses toward good actions or, if we choose poorly, toward the opposite.
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