{"slug":"tlg2959.tlg010","id":"greek:tlg2959.tlg010","title":"Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","author":"Methodius","genre":"other","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"none","publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-14T23:12:21Z","cost_usd":0.002628},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:tlg2959.tlg010","work_id":"tlg2959.tlg010","edition":"first1k","language":"","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"},"stats":{"passages":6,"english_words":326,"coptic_letters":0,"commentary_units":31,"commentary_kinds":9,"derived_notes":3,"ambiguities":7,"work_notes":4,"external_links":3,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"tlg2959.tlg010","abstract":"The Fragmenta Incerta attributed to Methodius of Olympus survive only in later florilegia and catenae, lacking a continuous manuscript tradition. Their authenticity is uncertain, and they do not appear in the main manuscript tradition of his genuine works. If genuine, they would date to the late 3rd or early 4th century, but no external evidence confirms this. The fragments are transmitted under Methodius’ name but their original context and order are lost. This edition provides no critical apparatus or stemma, leaving the reader unable to assess variant readings or editorial choices among witnesses.","historical_context":"Methodius of Olympus (died ca. 311 CE) was a Greek Christian bishop and theologian active in Lycia, known for his works on eschatology, virginity, and resurrection. He wrote in Greek and engaged with Origenist thought, often opposing Origen’s views on the pre-existence of souls and the resurrection. The Fragmenta Incerta are transmitted under his name but survive only in later florilegia and catenae, not in a continuous manuscript. Their original context and order are lost, and they do not appear in the main manuscript tradition of his genuine works. If genuine, they would date to the late 3rd or early 4th century, but no external evidence confirms this. The fragments may derive from lost works or from the manuscript tradition of his authentic writings. The Greek heading indicates editorial uncertainty, and the English draft merely translates a German editorial note, preserving no substantive content.","significance":"These fragments, if authentic, could provide insight into Methodius’ ethical and eschatological thought, particularly his comprehensive view of righteousness as the fulfillment of all commandments. The use of the classical topos of righteousness as 'foursquare' (τετράγωνος) links him to Platonic and later Christian traditions. However, their uncertain authenticity and fragmentary survival limit their value for reconstructing Methodius’ corpus.","timeline":[{"date":"late 3rd–early 4th c.","event":"Methodius of Olympus active; possible composition of the fragments if genuine."},{"date":"ca. 311 CE","event":"Death of Methodius of Olympus."},{"date":"4th–9th c.","event":"Fragments transmitted in florilegia and catenae; original context lost."},{"date":"modern","event":"Edition published in first1k source; no critical apparatus provided."}],"relations":[{"work":"Methodius, Symposium","relation":"Genuine work by Methodius; fragments may relate to similar themes of virginity and eschatology.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Methodius, De resurrectione","relation":"Genuine work by Methodius; fragments may derive from lost sections.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Origen, De principiis","relation":"Methodius opposed Origen’s views; fragments may reflect this polemic.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Plato, Republic","relation":"Source of the 'foursquare' topos used in the fragments.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"wikipedia:Methodius of Olympus","label":"Methodius of Olympus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodius_of_Olympus","reason":"Biographical context for the attributed author."},{"key":"wikipedia:Florilegium","label":"Florilegium","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florilegium","reason":"Genre of transmission for the fragments."},{"key":"wikipedia:Catenae","label":"Catenae","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catena","reason":"Another mode of transmission for the fragments."}],"cautions":["The fragments are transmitted under Methodius’ name but their authenticity is uncertain.","No external evidence confirms a late 3rd- or early 4th-century date.","The fragments survive only in later florilegia and catenae, not in a continuous manuscript; original context and order are lost.","This edition provides no critical apparatus or stemma, so variant readings and editorial choices cannot be assessed.","The English draft merely translates a German editorial note; no substantive content is preserved."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.00042,"generated":"2026-11-14T23:12:21Z"},"checks":{"work":"tlg2959.tlg010","status":"warn","blocking":[],"warnings":[{"code":"short-output-warn","i":3,"words":7}],"stats":{"passages":6,"translated":6,"commentary_passages":6,"commentary_units":31,"english_words":326,"source_letters":2204,"commentary_kinds":9},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The fragments are transmitted under Methodius’ name but their authenticity is uncertain; they do not appear in the main manuscript tradition of his genuine works.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The fragments survive only in later florilegia and catenae, not in a continuous manuscript; their original context and order are lost.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"If genuine, the fragments would date to the late 3rd or early 4th century, the period of Methodius’ activity; no external evidence confirms this.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"This edition does not provide a critical apparatus or stemma; the reader cannot assess variant readings or the editor’s choices among witnesses.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: other in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 6 narrative."},{"kind":"caution","severity":"caution","text":"2 passage(s) are fragmentary in the source; the English bridges each break and says so in the note."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: first1k — CC BY-SA 4.0"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":6},"term_index":[],"citations":{"ed:tlg2959.tlg010":{"label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Fragmente ohne nähere Bestimmung.","english":"Fragments without closer determination.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"Fragmente ohne nähere Bestimmung","severity":"info","text":"The Greek heading indicates that these fragments lack a more precise identification, reflecting the editorial uncertainty of the source edition.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Fragmente ohne nähere Bestimmung","severity":"caution","text":"The passage is a placeholder title rather than a continuous text; the English draft merely translates the German editorial note, so no substantive content is preserved.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Methodius of Olympus (died ca. 311 CE) wrote in Greek on eschatology, virginity, and resurrection; these unattached fragments may derive from lost works or from the manuscript tradition of his authentic writings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek phrase 'Fragmente ohne nähere Bestimmung' is a modern editorial label, not an ancient title; it is unclear whether these fragments belong to a known work of Methodius or are spurious."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Δικαιοσύνη ἐστὶν ἡ πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν πλήρωσις. — Οὐ δύναται\nἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις αὐτὸ καθαρῶς τὸ δίκαιον [ἐν] ψυχῇ θεάσασθαι,\n τὰ πολλὰ τῷ λογισμῷ ἀμβλυώττουσα. — Ὡς ἔοικεν ἡ δικαιοσύνη\nτετράγωνός ἐστι πάντοθεν ἴση καὶ ὁμοία. — Ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ\nδικαιοκρισία ταῖς ἡμετέραις διαθέσεσιν ἐξομοιοῦται καὶ οἷάπερ ἂν τὰ\nπαρ' ἡμῶν ᾖ, τοιαῦτα ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν ὁμοίων ἀντιπαρέχεται. \n 2 Theodoret Eranistes Dial. I (Bd. lY, 55 f J. F. Schulze, PGr. 83, 88 C) —\n4 Phil. 2, 6 — 6 S. Parall. 453 S. 208 Holl, vgl. zu ffiob 25, 1 Nr. 5. De res.\n11, Iff. Nilus Ep. IV, 15 — 8 Antonius Melissa PGr. 136, 805 B — S. Parall. 257\nS. 209 Holl; vgl. Ps. Justin, Quaest. ad Orthod. 1 (189) \n 2 Οὕτω — S. 5 στέψῃ (C) Theodoret. Lemma: τοῦ ἁγίου Μεθοδίου ἐπισκόπου\nκαὶ μάρτυρος ἐκ τοῦ περὶ τῶν μαρτύρων λόγου 6 f Πάσης — θεῷ in Coislin\n276 Bl. 252 (C). Ottob. 79 Bl. 299 v (0 PGr. 96, 340 b). Paris. 928 Bl. 325 (P).\nEupefuc. 1450 Bl. 259 v (R). Lemma: τοῦ ἁρίου Μεθοδίου ἐκ τοῦ περὶ μαρτυρίας\nC, τοῦ ἁγίου ἱερομάρτυρος Μεθοδίου Πατάρων R, Μεθοδίου Ο P Ι καταρχεῖ\nP Ι πράξεως ἡ καταρχὴ R 7 τῷ < P 8 Δικαιοσύνη — ἀντιπαρέχεται Ζ. 13\nbei Anton. Melissa Ι Οὐ δύναται — ἀμβλύλυώττουσα Z. 10 auch in 105 v A καφ.\nΔιδ. (PGr. 95, 13S1 A). P 131 v. Μ 129 (alle vier mit Einem Archetypus) und\nR 147 v f. Lemma in R τοῦ ἁγίου Μεθοδίου, A P M Μεθοδίου 9 τὸν δίκ. Ο\n9 f τὸν λογισμὸν vor θεάσ. R 10 ἀμβλυώτουσα M, ἀμβλυόττουσα OAPR","english":"Righteousness is the fulfillment of all the commandments. — Human nature cannot behold justice itself purely in the soul, being for the most part dim-sighted in its reasoning. — Righteousness appears to be foursquare, equal and alike from all sides. — The just judgment of God is made like our dispositions, and whatever our deeds are, such are given back to us from like things.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Δικαιοσύνη ἐστὶν ἡ πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν πλήρωσις","severity":"info","text":"The opening definition equates righteousness with the fulfillment of all commandments, a comprehensive ethical stance typical of Methodius.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"δικαιοσύνη","severity":"info","text":"Δικαιοσύνη is rendered 'righteousness' but carries the sense of justice as a divine and moral order, not merely human virtue.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τετράγωνός ἐστι πάντοθεν ἴση καὶ ὁμοία","severity":"info","text":"The image of righteousness as 'foursquare' (τετράγωνος) is a classical topos, found in Plato and later Christian writers, denoting stability and equality.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοκρισία ταῖς ἡμετέραις διαθέσεσιν ἐξομοιοῦται","severity":"info","text":"The notion that divine judgment mirrors human dispositions echoes Proverbs 22:6 and similar wisdom traditions, though no direct citation is given.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","severity":"info","text":"The fragment is transmitted in multiple manuscripts (Coislin 276, Ottob. 79, Paris. 928, Eupefuc. 1450) with varying lemmata attributing it to Methodius, but its authenticity is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐ δύναται ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις αὐτὸ καθαρῶς τὸ δίκαιον [ἐν] ψυχῇ θεάσασθαι","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text has a bracketed [ἐν] and variant readings (e.g., τὸν δίκ. in some manuscripts), indicating textual uncertainty; the translation 'in the soul' follows one plausible reconstruction.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The fragment's attribution to Methodius is uncertain (marked 'Sp.'), and the original context (e.g., a treatise on martyrdom) is not securely identified."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Πονηρία ἀρετήν τε καὶ ἑαυτὴν οὐδέποτε ἂν γνοίη.","english":"Wickedness could never know virtue nor itself.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The sentence asserts that wickedness is inherently incapable of knowing either virtue or itself, implying a radical epistemological limitation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"πονηρία","severity":"info","text":"Πονηρία (ponēria) denotes moral depravity or wickedness, often contrasted with ἀρετή (virtue) in Greek ethical discourse.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The idea that evil cannot know good or itself echoes Platonic and early Christian notions of ignorance as a root of vice.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This gnomic statement functions as a concluding aphorism in the narrative sequence, summarizing the preceding discussion on righteousness and judgment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text is unambiguous; the Coptic Vorlage is not extant for this fragment."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"check","severity":"info","code":"short-output-warn","text":"Automatic check: the English is short for the Coptic of this passage. Short passages are legitimate; this one is at the margin."}]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Μή πως ἄρα αἱ τρεῖς αὗται τῶν προγόνων κεφαλαὶ πάσης\nτῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ὁμοούσιοι ὑποστάσεις κατ' εἰκόνα τινά, ὡς καὶ\nΜεθοδίῳ δοκεῖ, τυπικῶς γεγόνασι τῆς ἁγίας καὶ ὁμοουσίου τριάδος,\n τοῦ μὲν ἀναιτίου καὶ ἀγεννήτου Ἀδὰμ τύπον καὶ εἰκόνα ἔχοντος τοῦ\nἀναιτίου καὶ πάντων αἰτίου παντοκράτορος θεοῦ καὶ πατρός, τοῦ\nδὲ γεννητοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰκόνα προδιαγράφοντος τοῦ γεννητοῦ υἱοῦ\nκαὶ λόγου τοῦ θεοῖ, τῆς δὲ ἐκπορευτῆς Εὕας σημαινούσης τὴν τοῦ\nἁγίου πνεύματος ἐκπορευτὴν ὑπόστασιν.","english":"Lest perhaps these three heads of the ancestors of all humanity are consubstantial hypostases according to some image, as also seems to Methodius, having come into being typologically of the holy and consubstantial triad, with Adam, who is without cause and unbegotten, bearing the type and image of the without-cause and cause-of-all omnipotent God and Father, and with the begotten Son prefiguring the image of the begotten Son and Word of God, and with Eve, who is derived, signifying the derived hypostasis of the Holy Spirit.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"αἱ τρεῖς αὗται τῶν προγόνων κεφαλαὶ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'these three heads of the ancestors' refers to Adam, his son, and Eve as three primordial figures, not to three distinct individuals but to a typological triad.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ὁμοούσιοι ὑποστάσεις","severity":"info","text":"'Consubstantial hypostases' is a technical term from Trinitarian theology, here applied to Adam, the Son, and Eve as a typological prefiguration of the Trinity.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Μεθοδίῳ","severity":"info","text":"Methodius of Olympus (d. ca. 311) is known for his allegorical exegesis and opposition to Origen; this passage reflects his typological reading of Genesis.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀδὰμ ... Εὕας","severity":"info","text":"The figures Adam and Eve are drawn from Genesis 1–3, but here they are interpreted as types of the Father and the Holy Spirit, a non-literal reading.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"τοῦ μὲν ... τοῦ δὲ ... τῆς δὲ","severity":"info","text":"The correlative structure 'the one ... the other ... the third' organizes the typological correspondence: Adam–Father, Son–Son, Eve–Holy Spirit.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Μή πως ἄρα","severity":"caution","text":"The opening 'Lest perhaps' introduces a hypothetical or cautious assertion; the passage may be a tentative suggestion rather than a dogmatic claim.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τῶν προγόνων κεφαλαὶ' could mean 'heads of the ancestors' (i.e., chief ancestors) or 'heads of the forefathers' (i.e., the first three humans); the reading taken is the latter.","The term 'ἀγεννήτου' (unbegotten) applied to Adam is ambiguous: it may mean 'not generated' in a biological sense or 'not created' in a theological sense; the context suggests the former, as Adam is a type of the unbegotten Father."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"Εἴη ὑμῖν κωφεῦσαι καὶ ἀποβήσεται ὑμῖν σοφία. 1 S. Parall. 258 S. 209 Holl — 2 Anast. Sin., Mai, Script. Vet. Nova Coli. (Rom 1837) IX, 019 — 8 vgl. Gen. 2, 21 — 10 S. Parall. 259 S. 209 Holl \n 1 πονηρία — γνοίη R 237. Lemma Μεθοδίου 2 Anastas. Περὶ τοῦ κατ\nεἰκόνα 10 Ohne Lemma an das Citat aus Symp. Χ, S. 1 angeschlossen in\nHieros. s. Sep. 15 Bl. 180\nΔικαιοσύνη ἐστὶν ἡ πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν πλήρωσις. — Οὐ δύναται\nἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις αὐτὸ καθαρῶς τὸ δίκαιον [ἐν] ψυχῇ θεάσασθαι,\n τὰ πολλὰ τῷ λογισμῷ ἀμβλυώττουσα. — Ὡς ἔοικεν ἡ δικαιοσύνη\nτετράγωνός ἐστι πάντοθεν ἴση καὶ ὁμοία. — Ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ\nδικαιοκρισία ταῖς ἡμετέραις διαθέσεσιν ἐξομοιοῦται καὶ οἷάπερ ἂν τὰ\nπαρ' ἡμῶν ᾖ, τοιαῦτα ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν ὁμοίων ἀντιπαρέχεται. 2 Theodoret Eranistes Dial. I (Bd. lY, 55 f J. F. Schulze, PGr. 83, 88 C) —\n4 Phil. 2, 6 — 6 S. Parall. 453 S. 208 Holl, vgl. zu ffiob 25, 1 Nr. 5. De res. 11, Iff. Nilus Ep. IV, 15 — 8 Antonius Melissa PGr. 136, 805 B — S. Parall. 257\nS. 209 Holl; vgl. Ps. Justin, Quaest. ad Orthod. 1 (189) \n 2 Οὕτω — S. 5 στέψῃ (C) Theodoret. Lemma: τοῦ ἁγίου Μεθοδίου ἐπισκόπου\nκαὶ μάρτυρος ἐκ τοῦ περὶ τῶν μαρτύρων λόγου 6 f Πάσης — θεῷ in Coislin\n276 Bl. 252 (C). Ottob. 79 Bl. 299 v (0 PGr. 96, 340 b). Paris. 928 Bl. 325 (P). Eupefuc. 1450 Bl. 259 v (R). Lemma: τοῦ ἁρίου Μεθοδίου ἐκ τοῦ περὶ μαρτυρίας\nC, τοῦ ἁγίου ἱερομάρτυρος Μεθοδίου Πατάρων R, Μεθοδίου Ο P Ι καταρχεῖ\nP Ι πράξεως ἡ καταρχὴ R 7 τῷ < P 8 Δικαιοσύνη — ἀντιπαρέχεται Ζ. 13\nbei Anton. Melissa Ι Οὐ δύναται — ἀμβλύλυώττουσα Z.","english":"Justice is the fulfillment of all the commandments. — The human nature cannot behold justice itself purely in the soul, being mostly dim-sighted in reasoning. — Justice appears to be foursquare, equal and similar from all sides. — The just judgment of God is assimilated to our dispositions, and whatever our actions are, such are the things given back to us from like things.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Δικαιοσύνη ἐστὶν ἡ πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν πλήρωσις","severity":"info","text":"The opening definition equates justice with the fulfillment of all commandments, a comprehensive ethical claim typical of patristic moral theology.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"τετράγωνός","severity":"info","text":"The term 'foursquare' (τετράγωνός) is a classical ethical metaphor for perfect virtue, used by Plato and later Christian writers to denote moral stability.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοκρισία ταῖς ἡμετέραις διαθέσεσιν ἐξομοιοῦται","severity":"info","text":"The idea that divine judgment mirrors human dispositions echoes biblical wisdom literature, e.g., Proverbs 12:21 or Sirach 15:10, though no direct citation is given.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"Methodius","severity":"info","text":"Methodius of Olympus (d. ca. 311) was a bishop and martyr; his works often engage Origenist thought while defending orthodox doctrines on resurrection and free will.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Bonner 1937"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"Lemma: τοῦ ἁγίου Μεθοδίου ἐπισκόπου καὶ μάρτυρος","severity":"info","text":"The manuscript tradition attributes this fragment to Methodius via lemmas in Theodoret and other florilegia, but the original context (e.g., De martyribus) is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐ δύναται ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις αὐτὸ καθαρῶς τὸ δίκαιον [ἐν] ψυχῇ θεάσασθαι","severity":"caution","text":"The bracketed [ἐν] indicates a textual emendation; the original preposition may be missing or corrupt, affecting the syntax of the phrase 'in the soul'.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The fragment's original work is unknown; it may belong to a lost treatise on justice or martyrdom. The phrase 'foursquare justice' could be a quotation from a classical source, but no direct parallel is identified."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"10 auch in 105 v A καφ. Διδ. (PGr. 95, 13S1 A). P 131 v. Μ 129 (alle vier mit Einem Archetypus) und\nR 147 v f. Lemma in R τοῦ ἁγίου Μεθοδίου, A P M Μεθοδίου 9 τὸν δίκ. Ο\n9 f τὸν λογισμὸν vor θεάσ. R 10 ἀμβλυώτουσα M, ἀμβλυόττουσα OAPR\nΠονηρία ἀρετήν τε καὶ ἑαυτὴν οὐδέποτε ἂν γνοίη. Μή πως ἄρα αἱ τρεῖς αὗται τῶν προγόνων κεφαλαὶ πάσης\nτῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ὁμοούσιοι ὑποστάσεις κατ' εἰκόνα τινά, ὡς καὶ\nΜεθοδίῳ δοκεῖ, τυπικῶς γεγόνασι τῆς ἁγίας καὶ ὁμοουσίου τριάδος,\n τοῦ μὲν ἀναιτίου καὶ ἀγεννήτου Ἀδὰμ τύπον καὶ εἰκόνα ἔχοντος τοῦ\nἀναιτίου καὶ πάντων αἰτίου παντοκράτορος θεοῦ καὶ πατρός, τοῦ\nδὲ γεννητοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰκόνα προδιαγράφοντος τοῦ γεννητοῦ υἱοῦ\nκαὶ λόγου τοῦ θεοῖ, τῆς δὲ ἐκπορευτῆς Εὕας σημαινούσης τὴν τοῦ\nἁγίου πνεύματος ἐκπορευτὴν ὑπόστασιν. Εἴη ὑμῖν κωφεῦσαι καὶ ἀποβήσεται ὑμῖν σοφία. 1 S. Parall. 258 S. 209 Holl — 2 Anast. Sin., Mai, Script. Vet. Nova Coli. (Rom 1837) IX, 019 — 8 vgl. Gen. 2, 21 — 10 S. Parall. 259 S. 209 Holl \n 1 πονηρία — γνοίη R 237. Lemma Μεθοδίου 2 Anastas. Περὶ τοῦ κατ\nεἰκόνα 10 Ohne Lemma an das Citat aus Symp. Χ, S. 1 angeschlossen in\nHieros. s. Sep. 15 Bl. 180","english":"Wickedness could never know virtue nor itself. Could it be, then, that these three heads of the ancestors of all humanity are, in some image, consubstantial hypostases, as also seems to Methodius, having come into being typologically of the holy and consubstantial Trinity, with the causeless and unbegotten Adam bearing the type and image of the causeless and all-causing almighty God and Father, and the begotten son prefiguring the image of his begotten son and Word of God, and the processional Eve signifying the processional hypostasis of the Holy Spirit? May you become deaf, and wisdom will come to you.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ὁμοούσιοι","severity":"info","text":"The term 'homoousioi' (consubstantial) is a key theological term from the Nicene Creed, applied here to the three ancestors of humanity as a typological prefiguration of the Trinity.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Gen. 2, 21","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Eve as 'processional' (ἐκπορευτῆς) alludes to her creation from Adam's side in Genesis 2:21-22, which Methodius interprets typologically.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τρεῖς αὗται τῶν προγόνων κεφαλαὶ","severity":"info","text":"The 'three heads of the ancestors' likely refers to Adam, his son (Seth or Cain), and Eve, though the text does not name the son explicitly. This triadic scheme is rare in patristic exegesis.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Μεθοδίῳ δοκεῖ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'as also seems to Methodius' indicates that this typological interpretation of the first family as a Trinity prefiguration is attributed to Methodius himself, possibly from his lost works.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Anastas.","severity":"info","text":"The passage is cited by Anastasius of Sinai in his work 'On the Image' (Περὶ τοῦ κατ' εἰκόνα), showing its reception in later Byzantine theology.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἴη ὑμῖν κωφεῦσαι","severity":"caution","text":"The final sentence 'May you become deaf, and wisdom will come to you' is obscure; it may be a proverbial or ascetic exhortation, but its precise meaning in context is uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2959.tlg010","label":"source edition: Fragmenta Incerta [Sp.]","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2959.tlg010.opp-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'begotten son' (γεννητοῦ υἱοῦ) among the ancestors is not specified; it could be Seth or Cain. The phrase 'processional Eve' (ἐκπορευτῆς Εὕας) is ambiguous as to whether it refers to her origin from Adam or her role in salvation history."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}