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98 CHAPTER 10 stucture of being notwithstanding Parmenides’ definitive influence on the formation of the theory of Ideas. The transition from the Archaic Logicomythical conception of reality to its Classical Logical representation corresponds to, and conforms with, the contemporary augmentation of Limit’s dominion beyond the immutable boundaries of the ordinances of lawless Night. The first principle conceived as abyss of Water (Thales), as Unboundedness agitated by eternal mobility (Anaximander), and as Air breathing large, endlessly spirited and always blowing (Anaximenes) are philosophical formulations and conceptual projections of the dark and chaotic pre-eternal Depth. Early Pythagoreanism set against, and conjugated with, female Limitlessness (\AappleÂÈÚ›·) her Son whom it finally positioned and venerated above her as consort and co-governor. In the Classical era, the Abyss of Indeterminacy loses much of its ontological power and becomes underestimated in value. Limitlessness dynamism, having become other than and alienated from Ideterminacy itself, seeks a new vehicle: thus arises a tendency to hypostasize a third principle of active creativity 55 . Mature Classicism provided two solutions: the mathematical Pythagoreanism of the Ancient Academy and Aristotelian teleology. Hellenistic reaction manifested itself positively with the bold synthesis of Monism and Dualism in Stoicism on the one hand, and the Epicurean continuation of the ancient atomistic application of Eleatic Pythagoreanism on the other. When, in the centuries of the Great Turn, the Limit seems to usurp the inappropriate horrible throne of the Very First Principle, pushing thus Unlimitedness to the lower threshold of existence as its farthest declension, there emerges again unmanifest, far above Limit, the primordial Night, inviolable in its inescapable supreme jurisdiction. In his first act of lawlessness, Light takes maternal Darkness as his wife; he in his last finally rejects her as his very last lowest offspring. Nevertheless, what he encompasses and what he rules over, is only a limited portion taken from boundless and independent Unlimitedness. Unlimitedness herself stands always on top, undiminishable and undebilitable, universal fertile Mother and inexhaustible Nurse of all things, progenitor of Limit and hypostasis of its activities, sole root and power of his Transgression (Hybris) against her, as well as of the ensuing inflexible Retribution (Nemesis), very first Cause above all relationships, references and co-ordinations, most
MONISM OF DARKNESS - DUALISM OF LIMIT AND INDETERMINACY 99 ancient Darkness beyond any beginning and any ordering, unspeakable, lawless, law-imposing Night. NOTES 1. V. (i) Chapter 12, infra; (ii) A.L. Pierris, First Principles and the Beginning of World-Formation in Stoicism in K. Boudouris (ed.) Hellenistic Philosophy, vol. II, 1994, pp. 149-176 [First Principles]; (iii) Id. Hellenistic Philosophy: Continuity and Reaction in an Oecumenical Age in K. Boudouris (ed.) Hellenistic Philosophy vol. I, 1993, pp. 133-135 (especially Excursus I: On the Hybris of Limitation and Order and Excursus II: Immanence, Dualism and Theodicy. 2. For an analysis of related procedures see the articles cited in the previous note. 3. Cf. O. Kaiser, Die Mythische Bedeutung des Meeres in Aegypten, Ugarit und Israel, 1962, pp. 116, 169. 4. The idea that the primary impetus towards world-formation is due to Eros (who is identical with, or conceived by, the Demiurge) has deep religious roots and a long philosophical history and articulation. Pherecydes 7 B 3 DK: Âå˜ òEÚˆÙ· ÌÂÙ·‚Â‚ÏÉÛı·È ÙeÓ ¢›· Ì¤ÏÏÔÓÙ· ‰ËÌÈÔ˘ÚÁÂÖÓ, ¬ÙÈ ‰c ÙeÓ KfiÛÌÔÓ âÎ ÙáÓ âÓ·ÓÙ›ˆÓ Û˘ÓÈÛÙa˜ Âå˜ ïÌÔÏÔÁ›·Ó Î·d ÊÈÏ›·Ó õÁ·ÁÂ Î·d Ù·˘ÙfiÙËÙ· appleÄÛÈÓ âÓ¤ÛappleÂÈÚÂ Î·d ≤ÓˆÛÈÓ ÙcÓ ‰È’ ¬ÏˆÓ ‰È‹ÎÔ˘Û·Ó. Cf. infra, Chapter 12, p. 175 and nn. 55-56. In the eleborate and brilliant cosmogonic myth that Dion Chrysostomus narrates (Oratio XXX, 55), the first principle, primary beginning and sole eternal God and endless Being: ¬ÙÂ Î¿ÏÏÈÛÙÔ˜ Á›ÁÓÂÙ·È ... Âéıf˜ âapplefiıËÛÂ ÙeÓ âÍ àÚ¯É˜ ‚›ÔÓ, öÚˆÙ· ‰b Ï·‚ÒÓ ... œÚÌËÛÂÓ âappled Ùe ÁÂÓÓÄÓ Î·d ‰È·Ó¤ÌÂÈÓ ≤Î·ÛÙ· Î·d ‰ËÌÈÔ˘ÚÁÂÖÓ ÙeÓ ùÓÙ· ÓÜÓ KfiÛÌÔÓ ... àÛÙÚ¿„·˜ ‰b ¬ÏÔ˜ ÔéÎ ôÙ·ÎÙÔÓ Ôé‰b Ú˘apple·ÚaÓ àÛÙÚ·apple‹Ó ... àÏÏa Î·ı·ÚaÓ Î·d àÌÈÁÉ apple·ÓÙe˜ ÛÎÔÙÂÈÓÔÜ (~ º¿ÓË˜) ÌÂÙ¤‚·ÏÂ Ú·‰›ˆ˜ ±Ì· ÙFÉ ÓÔ‹ÛÂÈ. ÌÓËÛıÂd˜ ‰b \AÊÚÔ‰›ÙË˜ etc. In Parmenides the creator is Aphrodite, 28 B 12. 4-6 DK: âÓ ‰b Ì¤Ûˇˆ ÙÔ‡ÙˆÓ ¢·›ÌˆÓ m apple¿ÓÙ· Î˘‚ÂÚÓ÷ÄØ apple¿ÓÙ· ÁaÚ < m> ÛÙ˘ÁÂÚÔÖÔ ÙfiÎÔ˘ Î·d Ì›ÍÈÔ˜ ôÚ¯ÂÈ apple¤ÌappleÔ˘Û’ ôÚÛÂÓÈ ıÉÏ˘ ÌÈÁÉÓ Ùfi Ù’ âÓ·ÓÙ›ÔÓ ·sÙÈ˜ ôÚÛÂÓ ıËÏ˘Ù¤Úˇˆ with Eros as her first offspring (B 13): appleÚÒÙÈÛÙÔÓ ÌbÓ òEÚˆÙ· ıÂáÓ ÌËÙ›Û·ÙÔ apple¿ÓÙˆÓ.
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