On Latin, Greek and Hebrew

St. Maximus the Confessor ca. 580-662

The notice on the inscription of the Savior’s charge clearly shows us that the One who was crucified is King and Lord of ascetic, natural and theological ways of wisdom. For we are told that the inscription was written in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Now by the Latin inscription I understand the ascetic state, since the empire of the Romans was, according to Daniel, appointed as the mightiest of all earthly empires, and strength is the characteristic of the ascetic state, if anything is. By the Greek inscription I understand natural contemplation because the Greek nation more than anyone else devoted themselves to natural philosophy. And by the Hebrew inscription I understand theological revelation because this nation was manifestly set up from above by God as our ancestors. (Chapters on Knowledge, Second Century 96)