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Of the Manichaeans

Alexander of Lycopolis

Chapter 22

About this work

Author: Alexander of Lycopolis

Chapter XXII.—The Light of the Moon from the Sun; The Inconvenience of the Opinion that Souls are Received in It; The Two Deluges of the Greeks.

Now, they say that the sun and the moon

‹ Chapter 21 Chapter 23 ›

having

by

degrees

separated

the

divine

virtue

from

matter

,

transmit

it

to

God

.

But

if

they

had

only

to

a

slight

degree

frequented

the

schools

of

the

astronomers

,

it

would

not

have

happened

to

them

to

fall

into

these

fancies

,

nor

would

they

have

been

ignorant

that

the

moon

,

which

,

according

to

the

opinion

of

some

,

is

itself

without

light

,

receives

its

light

from

the

sun

,

and

that

its

configurations

are

just

in

proportion

to

its

distance

from

the

sun

,

and

that

it

is

then

full

moon

when

it

is

distant

from

the

sun

one

hundred

and

eighty

degrees

.

It

is

in

conjunction

when

it

is

in

the

same

degree

with

the

sun

.

Then

,

is

it

not

wonderful

how

it

comes

to

pass

that

there

should

be

so

many

souls

,

and

from

such

diverse

creatures

?

For

there

is

the

soul

of

the

world

itself

,

and

of

the

animals

,

of

plants

,

of

nymphs

,

and

demons

,

and

amongst

these

are

distinguished

by

appearance

those

of

fowls

,

of

land

animals

,

and

animals

amphibious

;

but

in

the

moon

one

like

body

is

always

seen

by

us

.

And

what

of

the

continuity

of

this

body

?

When

the

moon

is

half

-

full

,

it

appears

a

semicircle

,

and

when

it

is

in

its

third

quarter

,

the

same

again

.

How

then

,

and

with

what

figure

,

are

they

assumed

into

the

moon

?

For

if

it

be

light

as

fire

,

it

is

probable

that

they

would

not

only

ascend

as

far

as

the

moon

,

but

even

higher

,

continually

;

but

if

it

be

heavy

,

it

would

not

be

possible

for

them

at

all

to

reach

the

moon

.

And

what

is

the

reason

that

that

which

first

arrives

at

the

moon

is

not

immediately

transmitted

to

the

sun

,

but

waits

for

the

full

moon

until

the

rest

of

the

souls

arrive

?

When

then

the

moon

,

from

having

been

full

,

decreases

,

where

does

the

virtue

remain

during

that

time

?

until

the

moon

,

which

has

been

emptied

of

the

former

souls

,

just

as

a

desolated

city

,

shall

receive

again

a

fresh

colony

.

For

a

treasure

-

house

should

have

been

marked

out

in

some

part

of

the

earth

,

or

of

the

clouds

,

or

in

some

other

place

,

where

the

congregated

souls

might

stand

ready

for

emigration

to

the

moon

.

But

,

again

,

a

second

question

arises

.

What

then

is

the

cause

that

it

is

not

full

immediately

?

or

why

does

it

again

wait

fifteen

days

?

Nor

is

this

less

to

be

wondered

at

than

that

which

has

been

said

,

that

never

within

the

memory

of

man

has

the

moon

become

full

after

the

fifteen

days

.

Nay

,

not

even

—

in

the

time

of

the

deluge

of

Deucalion

,

nor

in

that

of

Phoroneus

,

when

all

things

,

so

to

speak

,

which

were

upon

the

face

of

the

earth

perished

,

and

it

happened

that

a

great

quantity

of

virtue

was

separated

from

matter

.

And

,

besides

these

things

,

one

must

consider

the

productiveness

of

generations

,

and

their

barrenness

,

and

also

the

destruction

of

them

;

and

since

these

things

do

not

happen

in

order

,

neither

ought

the

order

of

the

full

moon

,

nor

the

these

of

the

waning

moon

,

to

be

so

carefully

observed

.