chapter 10 the monism of darkness and the dualism of limit and ...

MONISM OF DARKNESS - DUALISM OF LIMIT AND INDETERMINACY 47
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àÚ¯c ÎÙ›Ûˆ˜ êapple¿ÓÙˆÓØ ·éÙe ‰b (sc. Ùe ÓÂÜÌ· = ÓÔ‹) ÔéÎ âÁ›-
ÁÓˆÛΠÙcÓ ·éÙÔÜ 6 ÎÙ›ÛÈÓ. ηd âÎ Ùɘ ·éÙÔÜ Û˘ÌappleÏÔÎɘ, ÙÔÜ Ó‡-
Ì·ÙÔ˜, âÁ¤ÓÂÙÔ MÒÙ. ÙÔÜÙfi ÙÈÓ¤˜ Ê·ÛÈÓ åχÓ, Ôî ‰b ñ‰·ÙÒ‰Ô˘˜
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Á¤ÓÂÛȘ ÙáÓ ¬ÏˆÓ... ηd àÓÂappleÏ¿ÛıË (sc. MÒÙ) ïÌÔ›ˆ˜ ˇèÔÜ Û¯‹Ì·ÙÈ.
etc.
The theology of Sidon, according to the account preserved by the
Peripatetic Eudemus, exhibits striking similarities. There are three first
principles: Time, Desire and Mist. The mixture of the latter two gives
birth to Breeze and Air from the copulation of which oøÙÔ˜ or
MáÙÔ˜ is begotten. (Eudemus’ account is preserved in Damascius, De
primis principiis 125c (I p. 323.1 sqq. Ruelle).) 7 The Mist
corresponds to the dark and misty Chaos of Sanchouniathon. The
Breeze and the Air together correspond to the dark and windy air or
(=) to the Breath of dark air. The difference lies in the partial reversion
of the sequence: air’s breath is the offspring of the first copulation, not
one of the member’s thereof. (The presence of Time in the first
position of the first principles deserves separate analysis which would
entail an examination of the major issue of the Zurvanistic Theology
of Persia.) 8
The third account of Phoenician mythology of first principles that
has been preserved (it is the account of Mochus, translated into Greek
by Laetus in the Hellenistic period, cf. FGrH 784) also exhibits
characteristic similarities. Two first principles are postulated, Aether
and Air, from which Oulomos is given birth. Oulomos’ selffertilization
begets first the opener Chousoros and then the worldcreating
Egg. Prior to Oulomos the Winds are also taken to exist, but
Damascius does not specify the precise sequence (in all likelihood
because that would affect the smoothness of assimilations, of which he
is so fond, between the described cosmogonies and his own system of
the derivation of reality from first principles). Nevertheless, Aether, Air
and Wind signify the pneumatic (spiritual and blowing) first principle
that has been recognized above, whereas Oulomos is the Greek version
of the Semitic lm = infinite (cf. e.g. Die Schoepfungsmythen ed. M.
Eliade, p. 182). Chousoros the opener is attested as Kothar-wa-Chassis