Exhortation to the Greeks (Protrepticus)
An appeal by Clement, a Christian teacher in Alexandria, to educated Greeks. He mocks the myths and mystery cults, shows that the poets and philosophers caught only glimpses of the truth, and invites readers to turn to the Word of God, whom he presents as the new song. Clement is steeped in Greek literature, so the text is full of quotations and allusions to poets and myths.
GreekStählin edition, 1905
English, ANFAnte-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2 (1885)
Modern EnglishSermonIndex
A note for readers. Clement wrote for educated pagans and uses their own poets and philosophers freely, sometimes treating them as pointing toward Christ. Readers have long debated how far he goes in that. Many of his quotations come second-hand from earlier collections, so some are not exact.
Chapter 1
Ἀμφίων ὁ Θηβαῖος καὶ Ἀρίων ὁ Μηθυμναῖος ἄμφω μὲν ἤστην ᾠδικώ (μῦθος δὲ ἄμφω· καὶ τὸ ᾆσμα εἰσέτι τοῦτο Ἑλλήνων ᾄδεται χορῷ), τέχνῃ τῇ μουσικῇ ὃ μὲν ἰχθὺν δελεάσας, ὃ δὲ Θήβας τειχίσας. Θρᾴκιος δὲ ἄλλος σοφιστὴς (ἄλλος οὗτος μῦθος Ἑλληνικός) ἐτιθάσευε τὰ θηρία γυμνῇ τῇ ᾠδῇ καὶ δὴ τὰ δένδρα, τὰς φηγούς, μετεφύτευε τῇ μουσικῇ. ἔχοιμ᾿ ἄν σοι καὶ ἄλλον τούτοις ἀδελφὸν διηγήσασθαι μῦθον καὶ ᾠδόν, Εὔνομον τὸν Λοκρὸν καὶ τέττιγα τὸν Πυθικόν. πανήγυρις Ἑλληνικὴ ἐπὶ νεκρῷ δράκοντι συνεκροτεῖτο Πυθοῖ, ἐπιτάφιον ἑρπετοῦ ᾄδοντος Εὐνόμου· ὕμνος ἢ θρῆνος ὄφεως ἦν ἡ ᾠδή, οὐκ ἔχω λέγειν· ἀγὼν δὲ ἦν καὶ ἐκιθάριζεν ὥρᾳ καύματος Εὔνομος, ὁπηνίκα οἱ τέττιγες ὑπὸ τοῖς πετάλοις ᾖδον ἀνὰ τὰ ὄρη θερόμενοι ἡλίῳ.
Exhortation to Abandon the Impious Mysteries of Idolatry for the Adoration of the Divine Word and God the Father.Amphion of Thebes and Arion of Methymna were both minstrels, and both were renowned in story. They are celebrated in song to this day in the chorus of the Greeks; the one for having allured the fishes, and the other for having surrounded Thebes with walls by the power of music. Another, a Thracian, a cunning master of his art (he also is the subject of a Hellenic legend), tamed the wild beasts by the mere might of song; and transplanted trees-oaks-by music. I might tell you also the story of another, a brother to these-the subject of a myth, and a minstrel-Eunomos the Locrian and the Pythic grasshopper. A solemn Hellenic assembly had met at Pytho, to celebrate the death of the Pythic serpent, when Eunomos sang the reptile's epitaph. Whether his ode was a hymn in praise of the serpent, or a dirge, I am not able to say. But there was a contest, and Eunomos was playing the lyre in the summer time: it was when the grasshoppers, warmed by the sun, were chirping beneath the leaves along the hills; but they were singing not to that dead dragon, but to God All-wise,-a lay unfettered by rule, better than the numbers of Eunomos.
Amphion of Thebes and Arion of Methymna were both singers. Both are the stuff of legend, and the Greeks still sing of them in their choruses. By the art of music, one lured a fish and the other built walls around Thebes. Another master, a Thracian (his story is another Greek legend), tamed wild beasts with song alone, and even moved trees, oaks, and replanted them by his music. I could also tell you of another legend and singer, a brother to these: Eunomus the Locrian and the Pythian cicada. A Greek festival was being held at Pytho over a dead serpent, and Eunomus was singing the reptile’s funeral song. Whether the song was a hymn or a lament for the snake, I cannot say. But there was a contest, and Eunomus was playing the lyre in the heat of the day, when the cicadas, warmed by the sun, were singing among the leaves on the mountains.
Translator’s note. “Pythian” refers to Pytho (Delphi), where Apollo was said to have killed the serpent.
ᾖδον δὲ ἄρα οὐ τῷ δράκοντι τῷ νεκρῷ, τῷ Πυθικῷ, ἀλλὰ τῷ θεῷ τῷ πανσόφῳ αὐτόνομον ᾠδήν, τῶν Εὐνόμου βελτίονα νόμων· ῥήγνυται χορδὴ τῷ Λοκρῷ· ἐφίπταται ὁ τέττιξ τῷ ζυγῷ· ἐτερέτιζεν ὡς ἐπὶ κλάδῳ τῷ ὀργάνῳ· καὶ τοῦ τέττιγος τῷ ᾄσματι ἁρμοσάμενος ὁ ᾠδὸς τὴν λείπουσαν ἀνεπλήρωσε χορδήν. οὔκουν ᾠδῇ τῇ Εὐνόμου ἄγεται ὁ τέττιξ, ὡς ὁ μῦθος βούλεται, χαλκοῦν ἀναστήσας Πυθοῖ τὸν Εὔνομον αὐτῇ τῇ κιθάρᾳ καὶ τὸν συναγωνιστὴν τοῦ Λοκροῦ· ὃ δὲ ἑκὼν ἐφίπταται καὶ ᾄδει ἑκών, Ἕλλησι δὲ δοκεῖ ὑποκριτὴς γεγονέναι μουσικῆς. Πῇ δὴ οὖν μύθοις κενοῖς πεπιστεύκατε, θέλγεσθαι μουσικῇ τὰ ζῷα ὑπολαμβάνοντες; ἀληθείας δὲ ὑμῖν τὸ πρόσωπον τὸ φαιδρὸν μόνον, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐπίπλαστον εἶναι δοκεῖ καὶ τοῖς ἀπιστίας ὑποπέπτωκεν ὀφθαλμοῖς.
The Locrian breaks a string. The grasshopper sprang on the neck of the instrument, and sang on it as on a branch; and the minstrel, adapting his strain to the grasshopper's song, made up for the want of the missing string. The grasshopper then was attracted by the song of Eunomos, as the fable represents, according to which also a brazen statue of Eunomos with his lyre, and the Locrian's ally in the contest, was erected at Pytho. But of its own accord it flew to the lyre, and of its own accord sang, and was regarded by the Greeks as a musical performer. How, let me ask, have you believed vain fables and supposed animals to be charmed by music while Truth's shining face alone, as would seem appears to you disguised, and is looked on with incredulous eyes?
But they were not singing to the dead Pythian serpent. They were singing to the all-wise God a song bound by no rule but its own, better than the tunes of Eunomus. The Locrian’s string snapped. The cicada flew onto the neck of the lyre and chirped there as if on a branch, and the singer tuned his playing to the cicada’s song and so filled in the missing string. So the cicada was not drawn by the song of Eunomus, as the legend would have it. That legend even had a bronze statue set up at Pytho of Eunomus with his lyre, and with him the Locrian’s partner in the contest. No, the cicada flew there of its own will and sang of its own will, but the Greeks think it was a performer playing along to his music. How, then, have you come to believe empty myths, and suppose that animals are charmed by music? Only the bright face of truth, it seems, looks false to you, and it is met with unbelieving eyes.
Translator’s note. Clement plays on the Greek word nomos, which means both “law” and a kind of melody, and on the name Eunomus (“good nomos”). The cicada’s song is autonomos, a “law (or tune) unto itself,” and better than the nomoi of Eunomus.
Κιθαιρὼν δὲ ἄρα καὶ Ἑλικὼν καὶ τὰ Ὀδρυσῶν ὄρη καὶ Θρᾳκῶν, τελεστήρια τῆς πλάνης, διὰ τὰ μυστήρια τεθείασται καὶ καθύμνηται. ἐγὼ μέν, εἰ καὶ μῦθός εἰσι, δυσανασχετῶ τοσαύταις ἐκτραγῳδουμέναις συμφοραῖς· ὑμῖν δὲ καὶ τῶν κακῶν αἱ ἀναγραφαὶ γεγόνασι δράματα καὶ τῶν δραμάτων οἱ ὑποκριταὶ θυμηδίας θεάματα. ἀλλὰ γὰρ τὰ μὲν δράματα καὶ τοὺς ληναΐζοντας ποιητάς, τέλεον ἤδη παροινοῦντας, κιττῷ που ἀναδήσαντες, ἀφραίνοντας ἐκτόπως τελετῇ βακχικῇ, αὐτοῖς σατύροις καὶ θιάσῳ μαινόλῃ, σὺν καὶ τῷ ἄλλῳ δαιμόνων χορῷ, Ἑλικῶνι καὶ Κιθαιρῶνι κατακλείσωμεν γεγηρακόσιν, κατάγωμεν δὲ ἄνωθεν ἐξ οὐρανῶν ἀλήθειαν ἅμα φανοτάτῃ φρονήσει εἰς ὄρος ἅγιον θεοῦ καὶ χορὸν [τὸν] ἅγιον τὸν προφητικόν. ἣ δὲ ὡς ὅτι μάλιστα τηλαυγὲς ἀποστίλβουσα φῶς καταυγαζέτω πάντῃ τοὺς ἐν σκότει κυλινδουμένους καὶ τῆς πλάνης τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀπαλλαττέτω, τὴν ὑπερτάτην ὀρέγουσα δεξιάν, τὴν σύνεσιν, εἰς σωτηρίαν.
And so Cithaeron, and Helicon, and the mountains of the Odrysi, and the initiatory rites of the Thracians, mysteries of deceit, are hallowed and celebrated in hymns. For me, I am pained at such calamities as form the subjects of tragedy, though but myths; but by you the records of miseries are turned into dramatic compositions. But the dramas and the raving poets, now quite intoxicated, let us crown with ivy; and distracted outright as they are, in Bacchic fashion, with the satyrs, and the frenzied rabble, and the rest of the demon crew, let us confine to Cithaeron and Helicon, now antiquated. But let us bring from above out of heaven, Truth, with Wisdom in all its brightness, and the sacred prophetic choir, down to the holy mount of God; and let Truth, darting her light to the most distant points, cast her rays all around on those that are involved in darkness, and deliver men from delusion, stretching out her very strong right hand, which is wisdom, for their salvation.
So Cithaeron and Helicon and the mountains of the Odrysians and Thracians, the sites of rites of error, have been treated as sacred and celebrated in hymns because of the mysteries. For my part, even if these are only myths, I am grieved at so many disasters being played out as tragedy. But for you, even the records of evils have become dramas, and the actors in them a delight to watch. Well, let us crown the dramas and the poets of the wine-press, already thoroughly drunk, with ivy. Let us shut them up, raving wildly in Bacchic ritual with the satyrs and their frenzied band and the rest of the chorus of demons, on Helicon and Cithaeron, now grown old. And let us bring down truth from heaven above, together with the most radiant wisdom, to the holy mountain of God and the holy prophetic chorus. Let her shine her light as far as it can reach, all around on those who wallow in darkness. Let her free people from error, holding out her supreme right hand, which is understanding, for their salvation.
Translator’s note. “Poets of the wine-press” renders a word linked to the Lenaea, an Athenian festival of Dionysus at which plays were performed.
οἳ δὲ ἀνανεύσαντες καὶ ἀνακύψαντες Ἑλικῶνα μὲν καὶ Κιθαιρῶνα καταλειπόντων, οἰκούντων δὲ Σιών· »ἐκ γὰρ Σιὼν ἐξελεύσεται νόμος, καὶ λόγος κυρίου ἐξ Ἱερουσαλήμ«, λόγος οὐράνιος, ὁ γνήσιος ἀγωνιστὴς ἐπὶ τῷ παντὸς κόσμου θεάτρῳ στεφανούμενος. ᾄδει δέ γε ὁ Εὔνομος ὁ ἐμὸς οὐ τὸν Τερπάνδρου νόμον οὐδὲ τὸν Καπίωνος, οὐδὲ μὴν Φρύγιον ἢ Λύδιον ἢ Δώριον, ἀλλὰ τῆς καινῆς ἁρμονίας τὸν ἀίδιον νόμον, τὸν φερώνυμον τοῦ θεοῦ, τὸ ᾆσμα τὸ καινόν, τὸ Λευιτικόν, »νηπενθές τ᾿ ἄχολόν τε, κακῶν ἐπίληθες ἁπάντων«, γλυκύ τι καὶ ἀληθινὸν φάρμακον πένθους, ἐγκέκραται τῷ ᾄσματι. Ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν δοκοῦσιν ὁ Θρᾴκιος ἐκεῖνος [Ὀρφεὺς] καὶ ὁ Θηβαῖος καὶ ὁ Μηθυμναῖος, ἄνδρες τινὲς οὐκ ἄνδρες, ἀπατηλοὶ γεγονέναι, προσχήματί τε μουσικῆς λυμηνάμενοι τὸν βίον, ἐντέχνῳ τινὶ γοητείᾳ δαιμονῶντες εἰς διαφθοράς, ὕβρεις ὀργιάζοντες, πένθη ἐκθειάζοντες, τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐπὶ τὰ εἴδωλα χειραγωγῆσαι πρῶτοι, ναὶ μὴν λίθοις καὶ ξύλοις, τουτέστιν ἀγάλμασι καὶ σκιαγραφίαις, ἀνοικοδομῆσαι τὴν σκαιότητα τοῦ ἔθους, τὴν καλὴν ὄντως ἐκείνην ἐλευθερίαν τῶν ὑπ᾿ οὐρανὸν πεπολιτευμένων ᾠδαῖς καὶ ἐπῳδαῖς ἐσχάτῃ δουλείᾳ καταζεύξαντες.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἐκ, Ἱερουσαλήμ«,, »νηπενθές, ἁπάντων«,). Check it against the printed edition.
And raising their eyes, and looking above, let them abandon Helicon and Cithaeron, and take up their abode in Sion. "For out of Sion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem," -the celestial Word, the true athlete crowned in the theatre of the whole universe. What my Eunomos sings is not the measure of Terpander, nor that of Capito, nor the Phrygian, nor Lydian, nor Dorian, but the immortal measure of the new harmony which bears God's name-the new, the Levitical song. "Soother of pain, calmer of wrath, producing forgetfulness of all ills. Sweet and true is the charm of persuasion which blends with this strain. To me, therefore, that Thracian Orpheus, that Theban, and that Methymnaean,-men, and yet unworthy of the name,-seem to have been deceivers, who, under the pretence of poetry corrupting human life, possessed by a spirit of artful sorcery for purposes of destruction, celebrating crimes in their orgies, and making human woes the materials of religious worship, were the first to entice men to idols; nay, to build up the stupidity of the nations with blocks of wood and stone,-that is, statues and images,-subjecting to the yoke of extremest bondage the truly noble freedom of those who lived as free citizens under heaven by their songs and incantations.
Let them lift their heads and look up, leave Helicon and Cithaeron, and live in Zion. “For out of Zion will go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” This is the heavenly Word, the true champion crowned on the stage of the whole world. My Eunomus does not sing the tune of Terpander or of Capion, nor the Phrygian, Lydian or Dorian mode. He sings the eternal tune of the new harmony, which bears the name of God: the new song, the Levitical song, “that banishes pain and anger, and makes us forget all evils.” A sweet and true remedy for sorrow is blended into the song. To my mind, then, that Thracian Orpheus, and the Theban and the Methymnaean, men who were not truly men, were deceivers. Under the pretext of music they ruined human life. Raving with a kind of skilled sorcery, as if possessed by demons, they brought people to ruin. They celebrated outrages in their rites and made sorrows into things divine. They were the first to lead people by the hand to idols, and to build up foolish custom out of stones and wood, that is, statues and painted images. With their songs and incantations they bound in the worst slavery the truly splendid freedom of those who lived as citizens under heaven.
Translator’s note. Terpander was a famous early Greek musician from Lesbos.
Scripture: Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:2
Ἀλλ᾿ οὐ τοιόσδε ὁ ᾠδὸς ὁ ἐμὸς οὐδ᾿ εἰς μακρὰν καταλύσων ἀφῖκται τὴν δουλείαν τὴν πικρὰν τῶν τυραννούντων δαιμόνων, ὡς δὲ τὸν πρᾶον καὶ φιλάνθρωπον τῆς θεοσεβείας μετάγων ἡμᾶς ζυγὸν αὖθις εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνακαλεῖται τοὺς εἰς γῆν ἐρριμμένους. μόνος γοῦν τῶν πώποτε τὰ ἀργαλεώτατα θηρία, τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἐτιθάσευεν, πτηνὰ μὲν τοὺς κούφους αὐτῶν, ἑρπετὰ δὲ τοὺς ἀπατεῶνας, καὶ λέοντας μὲν τοὺς θυμικούς, σύας δὲ τοὺς ἡδονικούς, λύκους δὲ τοὺς ἁρπακτικούς. λίθοι δὲ καὶ ξύλα οἱ ἄφρονες· πρὸς δὲ καὶ λίθων ἀναισθητότερος ἄνθρωπος ἀγνοίᾳ βεβαπτισμένος. μάρτυς ἡμῖν προφητικὴ παρίτω φωνή, συνῳδὸς ἀληθείας, τοὺς ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ καὶ ἀνοίᾳ κατατετριμμένους οἰκτείρουσα· »δυνατὸς γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ«.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»δυνατὸς, Ἀβραάμ«.). Check it against the printed edition.
But not such is my song, which has come to loose, and that speedily, the bitter bondage of tyrannizing demons; and leading us back to the mild and loving yoke of piety, recalls to heaven those that had been cast prostrate to the earth. It alone has tamed men, the most intractable of animals; the frivolous among them answering to the fowls of the air, deceivers to reptiles, the irascible to lions, the voluptuous to swine, the rapacious to wolves. The silly are stocks and stones, and still more senseless than stones is a man who is steeped in ignorance. As our witness, let us adduce the voice of prophecy accordant with truth, and bewailing those who are crushed in ignorance and folly: "For God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham; " and He, commiserating their great ignorance and hardness ofheart who are petrified against the truth, has raised up a seed of piety, sensitive to virtue, of those stones-of the nations, that is, who trusted in stones.
But my singer is not like that. He has come to put a swift end to the bitter slavery under tyrant demons. He leads us away to the gentle, humane yoke of reverence for God, and calls back up to heaven those who were thrown down to earth. He alone of all who have ever lived has tamed the most difficult of all wild beasts, human beings. The birds are the flighty among them, the reptiles the deceivers, the lions the hot-tempered, the swine the pleasure-lovers, and the wolves the greedy. The senseless are stones and wood. Indeed, a person soaked in ignorance is even duller than stones. Let the voice of prophecy stand as our witness, in harmony with the truth, pitying those worn down by ignorance and folly: “For God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”
Translator’s note. The quotation is John the Baptist’s saying in Matthew 3:9 (also Luke 3:8), which Clement calls the voice of prophecy.
Scripture: Matthew 3:9; Matthew 11:29
ὃς κατελεήσας τὴν ἀμαθίαν τὴν πολλὴν καὶ τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν τῶν εἰς τὴν ἀλήθειαν λελιθωμένων ἤγειρεν θεοσεβείας σπέρμα ἀρετῆς αἰσθόμενον ἐκ λίθων ἐκείνων, τῶν λίθοις πεπιστευκότων ἐθνῶν. αὖθις οὖν ἰοβόλους τινὰς καὶ παλιμβόλους ὑποκριτὰς ἐφοδεύοντας δικαιοσύνῃ »γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν« κέκληκέ που· ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων εἴ τις τῶν ὄφεων μετανοήσαι ἑκών, ἑπόμενος δὴ τῷ λόγῳ »ἄνθρωπος« γίνεται »θεοῦ«. »λύκους« δὲ ἄλλους ἀλληγορεῖ προβάτων κῳδίοις ἠμφιεσμένους, τοὺς ἐν ἀνθρώπων μορφαῖς ἁρπακτικοὺς αἰνιττόμενος. καὶ πάντα ἄρα ταῦτα τὰ ἀγριώτατα θηρία καὶ τοὺς τοιούτους λίθους ἡ οὐράνιος ᾠδὴ αὐτὴ μετεμόρφωσεν εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἡμέρους. »ἦμεν γάρ, ἦμέν ποτε καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀνόητοι, ἀπειθεῖς, πλανώμενοι, δουλεύοντες ἡδοναῖς καὶ ἐπιθυμίαις ποικίλαις, ἐν κακίᾳ καὶ φθόνῳ διάγοντες, στυγητοί, μισοῦντες ἀλλήλους«, ᾗ φησιν ἡ ἀποστολικὴ γραφή· »ὅτε δὲ ἡ χρηστότης καὶ ἡ φιλανθρωπία ἐπεφάνη τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεοῦ, οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων τῶν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, ἃ ἐποιήσαμεν ἡμεῖς, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ αὐτοῦ ἔλεος ἔσωσεν ἡμᾶς.« ὅρα τὸ ᾆσμα τὸ καινὸν ὅσον ἴσχυσεν· ἀνθρώπους ἐκ λίθων καὶ ἀνθρώπους ἐκ θηρίων πεποίηκεν.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»γεννήματα, ἐχιδνῶν«, »ἄνθρωπος«, »θεοῦ«., »λύκους«, »ἦμεν). Check it against the printed edition.
Again, therefore, some venomous and false hypocrites, who plotted against righteousness, He once called "a brood of vipers. But if one of those serpents even is willing to repent, and follows the Word, he becomes a man of God. Others he figuratively calls wolves, clothed in sheep-skins, meaning thereby monsters of rapacity in human form. And so all such most savage beasts, and all such blocks of stone, the celestial song has transformed into tractable men. "For even we ourselves were sometime foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. Thus speaks the apostolic Scripture: "But after that the kindness and love of God our saviour to man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us. Behold the might of the new song! It has made men out of stones, men out of beasts.
God took pity on the deep ignorance and hardness of heart of those who had been turned to stone against the truth. Out of those very stones, the nations who had trusted in stones, he raised up a seed of godliness that is able to sense virtue. Again, he somewhere calls certain venom-spitting, treacherous hypocrites, who lie in wait to attack righteousness, “offspring of vipers.” Yet even of these serpents, if one willingly repents and follows the Word, he becomes a “man of God.” Others he speaks of in a figure as wolves dressed in sheepskins, hinting at those who are predatory in human form. So the heavenly song itself has changed all these most savage beasts, and all such stones, into gentle men. As the apostolic Scripture says: “For we too were once, yes once, senseless, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various pleasures and desires, spending our lives in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness and love for mankind of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his own mercy.” See how great the power of the new song is! It has made men out of stones and men out of beasts.
Translator’s note. The quotation is from Titus 3:3–5.
Scripture: Matthew 3:7; Matthew 7:15; Titus 3:3-5
οἱ δὲ τηνάλλως νεκροί, οἱ τῆς ὄντως οὔσης ἀμέτοχοι ζωῆς, ἀκροαταὶ μόνον γενόμενοι τοῦ ᾄσματος ἀνεβίωσαν. τοῦτό τοι καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἐκόσμησεν ἐμμελῶς καὶ τῶν στοιχείων τὴν διαφωνίαν εἰς τάξιν ἐνέτεινε συμφωνίας, ἵνα δὴ ὅλος ὁ κόσμος αὐτῷ ἁρμονία γένηται· καὶ θάλατταν μὲν ἀνῆκεν λελυμένην, γῆς δὲ ἐπιβαίνειν κεκώλυκεν αὐτήν, γῆν δ᾿ ἔμπαλιν ἐστερέωσεν φερομένην καὶ ὅρον αὐτὴν ἔπηξεν θαλάττης· ναὶ μὴν καὶ πυρὸς ὁρμὴν ἐμάλαξεν ἀέρι, οἱονεὶ Δώριον ἁρμονίαν κεράσας Λυδίῳ· καὶ τὴν ἀέρος ἀπηνῆ ψυχρότητα τῇ παραπλοκῇ τοῦ πυρὸς ἐτιθάσευεν, τοὺς νεάτους τῶν ὅλων φθόγγους τούτους κιρνὰς ἐμμελῶς. καὶ δὴ τὸ ᾆσμα τὸ ἀκήρατον, ἔρεισμα τῶν ὅλων καὶ ἁρμονία τῶν πάντων, ἀπὸ τῶν μέσων ἐπὶ τὰ πέρατα καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἄκρων ἐπὶ τὰ μέσα διαταθέν, ἡρμόσατο τόδε τὸ πᾶν, οὐ κατὰ τὴν Θρᾴκιον μουσικήν, τὴν παραπλήσιον Ἰουβάλ, κατὰ δὲ τὴν πάτριον τοῦ θεοῦ βούλησιν, ἣν ἐζήλωσε Δαυίδ.
Those, moreover, that were as dead, not being partakers of the true life, have come to life again, simply by becoming listeners to this song. It also composed the universe into melodious order, and tuned the discord of the elements to harmonious arrangement, so that the whole world might become harmony. It let loose the fluid ocean, and yet has prevented it from encroaching on the land. The earth, again, which had been in a state of commotion, it has established, and fixed the sea as its boundary. The violence of fire it has softened by the atmosphere, as the Dorian is blended with the Lydian strain; and the harsh cold of the air it has moderated by the embrace of fire, harmoniously arranging these the extreme tones of the universe. And this deathless strain,-the support of the whole and the harmony of all,-reaching from the centre to the circumference, and from the extremities to the central part, has harmonized this universal frame of things, not according to the Thracian music, which is like that invented by Jubal, but according to the paternal counsel of God, which fired the zeal of David.
Even those who were otherwise dead, with no share in the life that truly is, came back to life simply by becoming hearers of the song. This song also set the whole universe in tuneful order. It brought the discord of the elements into the order of harmony, so that the whole world might become a harmony for it. It let the sea go free, yet forbade it to overrun the land. The earth, which had been unsettled and adrift, it made firm, and it fixed the earth as the sea’s boundary. It softened the rush of fire with air, as if blending the Dorian mode with the Lydian. It tamed the harsh coldness of air by mixing it with fire, blending these outermost notes of the universe in tune. And so the pure song, the support of the whole and the harmony of all things, stretched from the middle to the ends and from the extremes to the middle, and tuned this universe. It did so not after the manner of Thracian music, which is like Jubal’s, but according to the fatherly will of God, which David eagerly followed.
Translator’s note. “Thracian music” points to Orpheus, the legendary Thracian singer whom Clement mocked at the start of the work. Jubal appears in Genesis 4:21 as the father of all who play the lyre and pipe.
Scripture: Genesis 4:21; John 5:25
ὁ δὲ ἐκ Δαυὶδ καὶ πρὸ αὐτοῦ, ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, λύραν μὲν καὶ κιθάραν, τὰ ἄψυχα ὄργανα, ὑπεριδών, κόσμον δὲ τόνδε καὶ δὴ καὶ τὸν σμικρὸν κόσμον, τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ψυχήν τε καὶ σῶμα αὐτοῦ, ἁγίῳ πνεύματι ἁρμοσάμενος, ψάλλει τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ πολυφώνου ὀργάνου καὶ προσᾴδει τῷ ὀργάνῳ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ. »σὺ γὰρ εἶ κιθάρα καὶ αὐλὸς καὶ ναὸς ἐμοί·« κιθάρα διὰ τὴν ἁρμονίαν, αὐλὸς διὰ τὸ πνεῦμα, ναὸς διὰ τὸν λόγον, ἵν᾿ ἣ μὲν κρέκῃ, τὸ δὲ ἐμπνέῃ, ὃ δὲ χωρήσῃ τὸν κύριον. ναὶ μὴν ὁ Δαυὶδ ὁ βασιλεύς, ὁ κιθαριστής, οὗ μικρῷ πρόσθεν ἐμνήσθημεν, προὔτρεπεν ὡς τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἀπέτρεπε δὲ εἰδώλων, πολλοῦ γε ἔδει ὑμνεῖν αὐτὸν τοὺς δαίμονας ἀληθεῖ πρὸς αὐτοῦ διωκομένους μουσικῇ, ᾗ τοῦ Σαοὺλ ἐνεργουμένου ἐκείνοις ᾄδων μόνον αὐτὸν ἰάσατο.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»σὺ, ἐμοί·«). Check it against the printed edition.
And He who is of David, and yet before him, the Word of God, despising the lyre and harp, which are but lifeless instruments, and having tuned by the Holy Spirit the universe, and especially man,-who, composed of body and soul, is a universe in miniature, makes melody to God on this instrument of many tones; and to this instrument-I mean man-he sings accordant: "For thou art my harp, and pipe, and temple." -a harp for harmony-a pipe by reason of the Spirit-a temple by reason of the word; so that the first may sound, the second breathe, the third contain the Lord. And David the king, the harper whom we mentioned a little above, who exhorted to the truth and dissuaded from idols, was so far from celebrating demons in song, that in reality they were driven away by his music. Thus, when Saul was plagued with a demon, he cured him by merely playing.
But the Word of God, who comes from David and was before him, disregarded the lyre and harp, those lifeless instruments. He tuned this universe by the Holy Spirit, and in particular the little universe, man, both soul and body. He makes music to God on this many-voiced instrument, and he sings to the accompaniment of that instrument, man. “For you are a harp and a pipe and a temple for me.” A harp because of its harmony, a pipe because of the Spirit, a temple because of the Word. So the first may sound, the second breathe, and the third receive the Lord. David the king, the harpist we mentioned a little earlier, urged people toward the truth and away from idols. He was far from singing the praises of demons. They were driven away by his true music, and when Saul was under their influence, David healed him just by singing.
Translator’s note. The story of Saul is in 1 Samuel 16:14–23. There David drives off the evil spirit by playing the lyre; Clement says he healed Saul by singing.
καλὸν ὁ κύριος ὄργανον ἔμπνουν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐξειργάσατο κατ᾿ εἰκόνα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ· ἀμέλει καὶ αὐτὸς ὄργανόν ἐστι τοῦ θεοῦ παναρμόνιον, ἐμμελὲς καὶ ἅγιον, σοφία ὑπερκόσμιος, οὐράνιος λόγος. Τί δὴ οὖν τὸ ὄργανον, ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, ὁ κύριος, καὶ τὸ ᾆσμα τὸ καινὸν βούλεται; ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀναπετάσαι τυφλῶν καὶ ὦτα ἀνοῖξαι κωφῶν καὶ σκάζοντας τὼ πόδε ἢ πλανωμένους εἰς δικαιοσύνην χειραγωγῆσαι, θεὸν ἀνθρώποις ἀφραίνουσιν ἐπιδεῖξαι, παῦσαι φθοράν, νικῆσαι θάνατον, υἱοὺς ἀπειθεῖς διαλλάξαι πατρί. φιλάνθρωπον τὸ ὄργανον τοῦ θεοῦ· ὁ κύριος ἐλεεῖ, παιδεύει, προτρέπει, νουθετεῖ, σῴζει, φυλάττει καὶ μισθὸν ἡμῖν τῆς μαθήσεως ἐκ περιουσίας βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν ἐπαγγέλλεται, τοῦτο μόνον ἀπολαύων ἡμῶν, ὃ σῳζόμεθα. κακία μὲν γὰρ τὴν ἀνθρώπων ἐπιβόσκεται φθοράν, ἡ δὲ ἀλήθεια ὥσπερ ἡ μέλιττα, λυμαινομένη τῶν ὄντων οὐδέν, ἐπὶ μόνης τῆς ἀνθρώπων ἀγάλλεται σωτηρίας.
A beautiful breathing instrument of music the Lord made man, after His own image. And He Himself also, surely, who is the supramundane Wisdom, the celestial Word, is the all-harmonious, melodious, holy instrument of God. What, then, does this instrument-the Word of God, the Lord, the New Song-desire? To open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of the deaf, and to lead the lame or the erring to righteousness, to exhibit God to the foolish, to put a stop to corruption, to conquer death, to reconcile disobedient children to their father. The instrument of God loves mankind. The Lord pities, instructs, exhorts, admonishes, saves, shields, and of His bounty promises us the kingdom of heaven as a reward for learning; and the only advantage He reaps is, that we are saved. For wickedness feeds on men's destruction; but truth, like the bee, harming nothing, delights only in the salvation of men.
The Lord made man a beautiful breathing instrument, after his own image. And he himself is also God’s all-harmonious instrument, tuneful and holy: the wisdom that is above the world, the heavenly Word. What, then, does this instrument, the Word of God, the Lord, the new song, want? He wants to open the eyes of the blind, to unstop the ears of the deaf, and to take by the hand those who limp on both feet, or who wander, and lead them to righteousness. He wants to show God to foolish people, to put an end to corruption, to conquer death, and to reconcile disobedient sons to their Father. God’s instrument loves mankind. The Lord pities, trains, urges, warns, saves and guards. Out of his abundance he promises us the kingdom of heaven as the reward for our learning, and the only enjoyment he gets from us is that we are saved. For evil feeds on the ruin of human beings. But truth is like the bee: it harms nothing that exists, and delights only in the salvation of human beings.
Translator’s note. “After his own image” recalls Genesis 1:26–27. The opening of the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf, and the healing of the lame, echo Isaiah 35:5–6.
Scripture: Genesis 1:27; Isaiah 35:5
ἔχεις οὖν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, ἔχεις τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν· τῆς χάριτος μεταλάμβανε. καί μου τὸ ᾆσμα τὸ σωτήριον μὴ καινὸν οὕτως ὑπολάβῃς ὡς σκεῦος ἢ ὡς οἰκίαν· »πρὸ ἑωσφόρου« γὰρ ἦν, καὶ »ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος·« παλαιὰ δὲ ἡ πλάνη, καινὸν δὲ ἡ ἀλήθεια φαίνεται. εἴτ᾿ οὖν ἀρχαίους τοὺς Φρύγας διδάσκουσιν αἶγες μυθικαί, εἴτε αὖ τοὺς Ἀρκάδας οἱ προσελήνους ἀναγράφοντες ποιηταί, εἴτε μὴν αὖ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους οἱ καὶ πρώτην ταύτην ἀναφῆναι τὴν γῆν θεούς τε καὶ ἀνθρώπους ὀνειρώσσοντες· ἀλλ᾿ οὐ πρὸ γε τοῦ κόσμου τοῦδε τούτων οὐδὲ εἷς, πρὸ δὲ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου καταβολῆς ἡμεῖς, οἱ τῷ δεῖν ἔσεσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ πρότερον γεγεννημένοι τῷ θεῷ, τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου τὰ λογικὰ πλάσματα ἡμεῖς, δι᾿ ὃν ἀρχαΐζομεν, ὅτι »ἐν ἀρχῇ ὁ λόγος ἦν.« ἀλλ᾿ ὅτι μὲν ἦν ὁ λόγος ἄνωθεν, ἀρχὴ θεία τῶν πάντων ἦν τε καὶ ἔστιν· ὅτι δὲ νῦν ὄνομα ἔλαβεν τὸ πάλαι καθωσιωμένον, καὶ τῆς δυνάμεως ἄξιον, ὁ Χριστός, καινὸν ᾆσμά μοι κέκληται.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»πρὸ, ἑωσφόρου«, »ἐν, λόγος·«, ἦν.«). Check it against the printed edition.
You have, then, God's promise; you have His love: become partaker of His grace. And do not suppose the song of salvation to be new, as a vessel or a house is new. For "before the morning star it was; " and "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Error seems old, but truth seems a new thing. Whether, then, the Phrygians are shown to be the most ancient people by the goats of the fable; or, on the other hand, the Arcadians by the poets, who describe them as older than the moon; or, finally, the Egyptians by those who dream that this land first gave birth to gods and men: yet none of these at least existed before the world. But before the foundation of the world were we, who, because destined to be in Him, pre-existed in the eye of God before,-we the rational creatures of the Word of God, on whose account we date from the beginning; for "in the beginning was the Word. Well, in as much as the Word was from the first, He was and is the divine source of all things; but in as much as He has now assumed the name Christ, consecrated of old, and worthy of power, he has been called by me the New Song.
So you have the promise, and you have his love for mankind. Share in his grace. And do not suppose that my song of salvation is new the way a vessel or a house is new. “Before the morning star” it was, and “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Error is old, but truth appears as the new thing. Maybe the Phrygians are the oldest people, as the fabled goats teach. Maybe the Arcadians are, as the poets say who write that they lived before the moon. Maybe the Egyptians are, as those dream who say this land first produced both gods and men. But not one of these existed before this world. We existed before the foundation of the world. Because we were destined to exist in him, we were born to God beforehand. We are the rational creatures of God’s Word, and because of him we can claim great age, because “in the beginning was the Word.” Because the Word was from the first, he was and is the divine beginning of all things. But he has now received the name “Christ,” a name consecrated long ago and worthy of power. That is why I have called him a new song.
Translator’s note. Where the older English says “pre-existed in the eye of God,” the Greek says simply “were born to God beforehand.”
Scripture: John 1:1; Ephesians 1:4
αἴτιος γοῦν ὁ λόγος, ὁ Χριστός, καὶ τοῦ εἶναι πάλαι ἡμᾶς (ἦν γὰρ ἐν θεῷ), καὶ τοῦ εὖ εἶναι· νῦν δὴ ἐπεφάνη ἀνθρώποις αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ λόγος, ὁ μόνος ἄμφω, θεός τε καὶ ἄνθρωπος, ἁπάντων ἡμῖν αἴτιος ἀγαθῶν· παρ᾿ οὗ τὸ εὖ ζῆν ἐκδιδασκόμενοι εἰς ἀίδιον ζωὴν παραπεμπόμεθα. κατὰ γὰρ τὸν θεσπέσιον ἐκεῖνον τοῦ κυρίου ἀπόστολον »ἡ χάρις ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ σωτήριος πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐπεφάνη, παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς, ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι, προσδεχόμενοι τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.« τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ᾆσμα τὸ καινόν, ἡ ἐπιφάνεια ἡ νῦν ἐκλάμψασα ἐν ἡμῖν τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὄντος καὶ προόντος λόγου· ἐπεφάνη δὲ ἔναγχος ὁ προὼν σωτήρ, ἐπεφάνη ὁ ἐν τῷ ὄντι ὤν, ὅτι »ὁ λόγος [ὃς] ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν,« διδάσκαλος, ἐπεφάνη ᾧ τὰ πάντα δεδημιούργηται λόγος, καὶ τὸ ζῆν ἐν ἀρχῇ μετὰ τοῦ πλάσαι παρασχὼν ὡς δημιουργός, τὸ εὖ ζῆν ἐδίδαξεν ἐπιφανεὶς ὡς διδάσκαλος, ἵνα τὸ ἀεὶ ζῆν ὕστερον ὡς θεὸς χορηγήσῃ.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἡ, Χριστοῦ.«, »ὁ, θεόν,«). Check it against the printed edition.
This Word, then, the Christ, the cause of both our being at first (for He was in God) and of our well-being, this very Word has now appeared as man, He alone being both, both God and man-the Author of all blessings to us; by whom we, being taught to live well, are sent on our way to life eternal. For, according to that inspired apostle of the Lord, "the grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for the blessed hope, and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. This is the New Song, the manifestation of the Word that was in the beginning, and before the beginning. The Saviour, who existed before, has in recent days appeared. He, who is in Him that truly is, has appeared; for the Word, who "was with God," and by whom all things were created, has appeared as our Teacher. The Word, who in the beginning bestowed on us life as Creator when He formed us, taught us to live well when He appeared as our Teacher; that as God He might afterwards conduct us to the life which never ends.
So the Word, the Christ, is the cause both of our being long ago (for he was in God) and of our well-being. Now this same Word has appeared to men. He alone is both, God and man, and he is the cause of all good things for us. Taught by him how to live well, we are sent on our way to eternal life. For, as that inspired apostle of the Lord says, “The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, training us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live soberly, righteously and godly in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” This is the new song: the appearing, now shining out among us, of the Word who was in the beginning and who existed before. The Savior who existed before has appeared only recently. He who is in the One who truly is has appeared, because the Word who “was with God” has appeared as Teacher. He is the Word through whom all things were made. In the beginning, as Creator, he gave us life when he formed us. Appearing as Teacher, he taught us to live well, so that afterward, as God, he might supply us with life that never ends.
Translator’s note. The apostle is Paul (Titus 2:11-13).
Scripture: Titus 2:11-13; John 1:1-3
ὃ δὲ οὐ νῦν γε πρῶτον ᾤκτειρεν ἡμᾶς τῆς πλάνης, ἀλλ᾿ ἄνωθεν ἀρχῆθεν, νῦν δὲ ἤδη ἀπολλυμένους ἐπιφανεὶς περισέσωκεν. τὸ γὰρ πονηρὸν καὶ ἑρπηστικὸν θηρίον γοητεῦον καταδουλοῦται καὶ αἰκίζεται εἰσέτι νῦν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν, βαρβαρικῶς τιμωρούμενον, οἳ νεκροῖς τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους συνδεῖν λέγονται σώμασιν, ἔστ᾿ ἂν αὐτοῖς καὶ συσσαπῶσιν. ὁ γοῦν πονηρὸς οὑτοσὶ τύραννος καὶ δράκων, οὓς ἂν οἷός τε ᾖ ἐκ γενετῆς σφετερίσασθαι, λίθοις καὶ ξύλοις καὶ ἀγάλμασιν καὶ τοιούτοις τισὶν εἰδώλοις προσσφίγξας τῷ δεισιδαιμονίας ἀθλίῳ δεσμῷ, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ λεγόμενον, ζῶντας ἐπιφέρων συνέθαψεν αὐτούς, ἔστ᾿ ἂν καὶ συμφθαρῶσιν. οὗ δὴ χάριν (εἷς γὰρ ὁ ἀπατεὼν ἄνωθεν μὲν τὴν Εὔαν, νῦν δὲ ἤδη καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀνθρώπους εἰς θάνατον ὑποφέρων) εἷς καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπίκουρος καὶ βοηθὸς ἡμῖν ὁ κύριος, προμηνύων ἀρχῆθεν προφητικῶς, νῦν δὲ ἤδη καὶ ἐναργῶς εἰς σωτηρίαν παρακαλῶν.
He did not now for the first time pity us for our error; but He pitied us from the first, from the beginning. But now, at His appearance, lost as we already were, He accomplished our salvation. For that wicked reptile monster, by his enchantments, enslaves and plagues men even till now; inflicting, as seems to me, such barbarous vengeance on them as those who are said to bind the captives to corpses till they rot together. This wicked tyrant and serpent, accordingly, binding fast with the miserable chain of superstition whomsoever he can draw to his side from their birth, to stones, and stocks, and images, and such like idols, may with truth be said to have taken and buried living men with those dead idols, till both suffer corruption together. Therefore (for the seducer is one and the same) he that at the beginning brought Eve down to death, now brings thither the rest of mankind. Our ally and helper, too, is one and the same-the Lord, who from the beginning gave revelations by prophecy, but now plainly calls to salvation.
This is not the first time he has pitied us for our error. He has done so from the first, from the very beginning. But now, by appearing, he has fully rescued us when we were already perishing. For the evil, creeping beast still enslaves and torments people with his sorcery. It seems to me he takes a barbarian’s revenge, like those who are said to tie captives to dead bodies until the captives rot together with them. In the same way this wicked tyrant and dragon takes whomever he can claim from birth and fastens them with the miserable chain of superstition to stones, wood, statues and idols of that kind. As the saying goes, he buries them alive, until the people and the idols decay together. There is one deceiver. From the beginning he brought Eve down to death, and now he brings the rest of mankind down as well. For this reason there is also one helper and defender for us, the Lord. From the beginning he foretold it through prophecy, and now he calls us plainly to salvation.
φύγωμεν οὖν ἀποστολικῇ πειθόμενοι παραγγελίᾳ »τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος, τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ νῦν ἐνεργοῦντος ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας,« καὶ τῷ σωτῆρι τῷ κυρίῳ προσδράμωμεν, ὃς καὶ νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ προὔτρεπεν εἰς σωτηρίαν, διὰ τεράτων καὶ σημείων ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, ἐν ἐρήμῳ δὲ διά τε τῆς βάτου καὶ τῆς ἀκολουθούσης χάριτι φιλανθρωπίας θεραπαίνης δίκην Ἑβραίοις νεφέλης. τούτων μὲν δὴ τῷ φόβῳ τούς σκληροκαρδίους προὔτρεπεν· ἤδη δὲ καὶ διὰ Μωσέως τοῦ πανσόφου καὶ τοῦ φιλαλήθους Ἡσαΐα καὶ παντὸς τοῦ προφητικοῦ χοροῦ λογικώτερον ἐπὶ τὸν λόγον ἐπιστρέφει τοὺς [τὰ] ὦτα κεκτημένους· καὶ ἔσθ᾿ ὅπῃ μὲν λοιδορεῖται, ἔστιν δ᾿ οὗ καὶ ἀπειλεῖ· τοὺς δὲ καὶ θρηνεῖ τῶν ἀνθρώπων· ᾄδει δὲ ἄλλοις, καθάπερ ἰατρὸς ἀγαθὸς τῶν νοσούντων σωμάτων τὰ μὲν καταπλάττων, τὰ δὲ καταλεαίνων, τὰ δὲ καταντλῶν, τὰ δὲ καὶ σιδήρῳ διαιρῶν, ἐπικαίων δὲ ἄλλα, ἔστι δ᾿ οὗ καὶ ἀποπρίων, εἴ πως οἷόν τε κἂν παρὰ μέρος ἢ μέλος τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὑγιᾶναι.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»τὸν, ἀπειθείας,«). Check it against the printed edition.
In obedience to the apostolic injunction, therefore, let us flee from "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience," and let us run to the Lord the saviour, who now exhorts to salvation, as He has ever done, as He did by signs and wonders in Egypt and the desert, both by the bush and the cloud, which, through the favour of divine love, attended the Hebrews like a handmaid. By the fear which these inspired He addressed the hard-hearted; while by Moses, learned in all wisdom, and Isaiah, lover of truth, and the whole prophetic choir, in a way appealing more to reason, He turns to the Word those who have ears to hear. Sometimes He upbraids, and sometimes He threatens. Some men He mourns over, others He addresses with the voice of song, just as a good physician treats some of his patients with cataplasms, some with rubbing, some with fomentations; in one case cuts open with the lancet, in another cauterizes, in another amputates, in order if possible to cure the patient's diseased part or member.
So let us obey the apostolic command and flee “the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now at work in the sons of disobedience.” Let us run to the Savior, the Lord. Both now and always he has urged people toward salvation. He did so through wonders and signs in Egypt, and in the desert through the bush and through the cloud that followed the Hebrews like a servant, out of his gracious love for mankind. By the fear these things caused he urged the hard-hearted. But through Moses, who was wise in everything, through Isaiah, the lover of truth, and through the whole chorus of the prophets, he turns to the Word, in a more reasoned way, those who have ears. At one point he reproaches, at another he threatens. Over some people he mourns, and to others he sings. He is like a good physician with sick bodies. He applies poultices to some, soothes others, and bathes others. He cuts some with the knife, cauterizes others, and sometimes even saws off a limb, if there is any way to make the man healthy, even at the cost of a part or limb.
Translator’s note. The last clause means the physician will, if necessary, sacrifice “a part or limb” to restore the whole person to health.
Scripture: Ephesians 2:2
πολύφωνός γε ὁ σωτὴρ καὶ πολύτροπος εἰς ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίαν· ἀπειλῶν νουθετεῖ, λοιδορούμενος ἐπιστρέφει, θρηνῶν ἐλεεῖ, ψάλλων παρακαλεῖ, διὰ βάτου λαλεῖ (σημείων ἐκεῖνοι καὶ τεράτων ἔχρῃζον) καὶ τῷ πυρὶ δεδίττεται τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἀνάπτων ἐκ κίονος τὴν φλόγα, δεῖγμα ὁμοῦ χάριτος καὶ φόβου· ἐὰν ὑπακούσῃς, τὸ φῶς, ἐὰν παρακούσῃς, τὸ πῦρ. ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ κίονος καὶ βάτου ἡ σὰρξ τιμιωτέρα, προφῆται μετ᾿ ἐκεῖνα φθέγγονται, αὐτὸς ἐν Ἡσαΐᾳ ὁ κύριος λαλῶν, αὐτὸς ἐν Ἡλίᾳ, ἐν στόματι προφητῶν αὐτός· σὺ δὲ ἀλλ᾿ εἰ προφήταις μὴ πιστεύεις, μῦθον δ᾿ ὑπολαμβάνεις καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας καὶ τὸ πῦρ, αὐτός σοι λαλήσει ὁ κύριος, »ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ· ἐκένωσεν δὲ ἑαυτόν« ὁ φιλοικτίρμων θεός, σῶσαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον γλιχόμενος· καὶ αὐτὸς ἤδη σοὶ ἐναργῶς ὁ λόγος λαλεῖ, δυσωπῶν τὴν ἀπιστίαν, ναί φημι, ὁ λόγος ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος γενόμενος, ἵνα δὴ καὶ σὺ παρὰ ἀνθρώπου μάθῃς, πῇ ποτε ἄρα ἄνθρωπος γένηται θεός.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ὃς, ἑαυτόν«). Check it against the printed edition.
The Saviour has many tones of voice, and many methods for the salvation of men; by threatening He admonishes, by upbraiding He converts, by bewailing He pities, by the voice of song He cheers. He spake by the burning bush, for the men of that day needed signs and wonders. He awed men by the fire when He made flame to burst from the pillar of cloud-a token at once of grace and fear: if you obey, there is the light; if you disobey, there is the fire; but. since humanity is nobler than the pillar or the bush, after them the prophets uttered their voice,-the Lord Himself speaking in Isaiah, in Elias,-speaking Himself by the mouth of the prophets. But if thou dost not believe the prophets, but supposest both the men and the fire a myth, the Lord Himself shall speak to thee, "who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but humbled Himself," -He, the merciful God, exerting Himself to save man. And now the Word Himself clearly speaks to thee, Shaming thy unbelief; yea, I say, the Word of God became man, that thou mayest learn from man how man may become God.
The Savior has many voices and many ways of saving people. By threatening, he warns. By rebuking, he turns people around. By mourning, he shows pity. By singing, he encourages. He speaks through a bush (those people needed signs and wonders), and he frightens people with fire, kindling a flame from a pillar, a sign of grace and of fear together. If you obey, there is light; if you disobey, there is fire. But flesh is more precious than a pillar or a bush, so after those the prophets spoke, with the Lord himself speaking in Isaiah, himself in Elijah, himself through the mouth of the prophets. Perhaps you do not believe the prophets, and you suppose both the men and the fire to be a myth. Then the Lord himself will speak to you. He “being in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be seized, but emptied himself.” He is the God who loves to show compassion, and he longs to save man. Now the Word himself speaks to you plainly and shames your unbelief. Yes, I say it: the Word of God became man, so that you too might learn from a man how a man may become God.
Translator’s note. Clement quotes Philippians 2:6-7; the Greek verb ekenōsen means “emptied himself.”
Scripture: Philippians 2:6-7
εἶτ᾿ οὐκ ἄτοπον, ὦ φίλοι, τὸν μὲν θεὸν ἀεὶ προτρέπειν ἡμᾶς ἐπ᾿ ἀρετήν, ἡμᾶς δὲ ἀναδύεσθαι τὴν ὠφέλειαν καὶ ἀναβάλλεσθαι τὴν σωτηρίαν; ἦ γὰρ οὐχὶ καὶ Ἰωάννης ἐπὶ σωτηρίαν παρακαλεῖ καὶ τὸ πᾶν γίνεται φωνὴ προτρεπτική; πυθώμεθα τοίνυν αὐτοῦ· »τίς πόθεν εἶς ἀνδρῶν;« Ἡλίας μὲν οὐκ ἐρεῖ, Χριστὸς δὲ εἶναι ἀρνήσεται· φωνὴ δὲ ὁμολογήσει ἐν ἐρήμῳ βοῶσα. τίς οὖν ἔστιν Ἰωάννης; ὡς τύπῳ λαβεῖν, ἐξέστω εἰπεῖν, φωνὴ τοῦ λόγου προτρεπτικὴ ἐν ἐρήμῳ βοῶσα. τί βοᾷς, ὦ φωνή; »εἰπὲ καὶ ἡμῖν.« »Εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς ὁδοὺς κυρίου.« πρόδρομος Ἰωάννης καὶ ἡ φωνὴ πρόδρομος τοῦ λόγου, φωνὴ παρακλητική, προετοιμάζουσα εἰς σωτηρίαν, φωνὴ προτρέπουσα εἰς κληρονομίαν οὐρανῶν· δι᾿ ἣν ἡ στεῖρα καὶ ἔρημος ἄγονος οὐκέτι.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»τίς, ἀνδρῶν;«, »εἰπὲ, ἡμῖν.«, »Εὐθείας, κυρίου.«). Check it against the printed edition.
Is it not then monstrous, my friends, that while God is ceaselessly exhorting us to virtue, we should spurn His kindness and reject salvation? Does not John also invite to salvation, and is he not entirely a voice of exhortation? Let us then ask him, "Who of men art thou, and whence? "He will not say Elias. He will deny that he is Christ, but will profess himself to be "a voice crying in the wilderness. Who, then, is John? In a word, we may say, "The beseeching voice of the Word crying in the wilderness. What criest thou, O voice? Tell us also. "Make straight the paths of the Lord. John is the forerunner, and that voice the precursor of the Word; an inviting voice, preparing for salvation,-a voice urging men on to the inheritance of the heavens, and through which the barren and the desolate is childless no more.
Is it not absurd, my friends, that God should always be urging us toward virtue, while we shrink back from the benefit and put off our salvation? Does not John also call us to salvation, and has he not become wholly a voice of exhortation? Then let us question him: “Who are you among men, and where from?” He will not say he is Elijah. He will deny that he is Christ. But he will confess that he is a voice crying in the wilderness. Who then is John? To sketch it in outline, let me say: he is the exhorting voice of the Word, crying in the wilderness. What are you crying, O voice? “Tell us too.” “Make straight the ways of the Lord.” John is the forerunner, and his voice is the forerunner of the Word. It is a voice of encouragement, preparing people for salvation, a voice urging them toward an inheritance in the heavens. Through it the barren woman and the desert are fruitless no more.
Translator’s note. Clement’s wording, “Make straight the ways of the Lord,” differs slightly from the Gospels’ wording of Isaiah 40:3.
Scripture: John 1:19-23; Isaiah 40:3
ταύτην μοι τὴν κυοφορίαν προεθέσπισεν ἀγγέλου φωνή· πρόδρομος ἦν κἀκείνη τοῦ κυρίου, στεῖραν εὐαγγελιζομένη γυναῖκα, ὡς Ἰωάννης τὴν ἔρημον. διὰ ταύτην τοίνυν τοῦ λόγου τὴν φωνὴν ἡ στεῖρα εὐτεκνεῖ καὶ ἡ ἔρημος καρποφορεῖ· αἱ πρόδρομοι τοῦ κυρίου φωναὶ δύο, ἀγγέλου καὶ Ἰωάννου, αἰνίσσονταί μοι τὴν ἐναποκειμένην σωτηρίαν, ὡς ἐπιφανέντος τοῦ λόγου τοῦδε εὐτεκνίας ἡμᾶς καρπὸν ἀπενέγκασθαι, ζωὴν ἀίδιον. ἄμφω γοῦν ἐς ταὐτὸν ἀγαγοῦσα τὰ φωνὰ ἡ γραφὴ σαφηνίζει τὸ πᾶν· »ἀκουσάτω ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα· ῥηξάτω φωνὴν ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα, ὅτι πλείονα τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα.« ἡμῖν εὐηγγελίζετο ἄγγελος, ἡμᾶς προὔτρεπεν Ἰωάννης νοῆσαι τὸν γεωργόν, ζητῆσαι τὸν ἄνδρα. εἷς γὰρ καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς οὗτος, ὁ τῆς στείρας ἀνήρ, ὁ τῆς ἐρήμου γεωργός, ὁ τῆς θείας ἐμπλήσας δυνάμεως καὶ τὴν στεῖραν καὶ τὴν ἔρημον.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἀκουσάτω, ἄνδρα.«). Check it against the printed edition.
This fecundity the angel's voice foretold; and this voice was also the precursor of the Lord preaching glad tidings to the barren woman, as John did to the wilderness. By reason of this voice of the Word, therefore, the barren woman bears children, and the desert becomes fruitful. The two voices which heralded the Lord's-that of the angel and that of John-intimate, as I think, the salvation in store for us to be, that on the appearance of this Word we should reap, as the fruit of this productiveness, eternal life. The Scripture makes this all clear, by referring both the voices to the same thing: "Let her hear who has not brought forth, and let her who has not had the pangs of childbirth utter her voice: for more are the children of the desolate, than of her who hath an husband. The angel announced to us the glad tidings of a husband. John entreated us to recognise the husbandman, to seek the husband. For this husband of the barren woman, and this husbandman of the desert-who filled with divine power the barren woman and the desert-is one and the same.
This pregnancy, as I see it, was foretold by the voice of an angel. That voice, too, was a forerunner of the Lord, bringing good news to a barren woman, as John did to the wilderness. Because of this voice of the Word, then, the barren woman is blessed with children and the desert bears fruit. The Lord’s two forerunning voices, that of the angel and that of John, hint to me at the salvation laid up for us. When this Word appeared, we were to carry off the fruit of that good childbearing, eternal life. Scripture brings the two voices together and makes it all plain: “Let her who does not bear listen. Let her who is not in labor break out in a cry, because the children of the desert are more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband.” The angel brought good news to us, and John urged us to understand who the farmer is and to seek the husband. For he is one and the same: the husband of the barren woman, the farmer of the desert, who filled both the barren woman and the desert with divine power.
Translator’s note. The quotation is Isaiah 54:1, given in Clement’s wording (also quoted in Galatians 4:27). The Greek word erēmos means both “desolate” and “desert,” which allows Clement’s pairing of the barren woman with the desert.
Scripture: Isaiah 54:1; Galatians 4:27
ἐπεὶ γὰρ πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς εὐγενοῦς, ἄπαις δὲ ἦν διὰ ἀπείθειαν ἡ πολύπαις ἀνέκαθεν Ἑβραία γυνή, ἡ στεῖρα τὸν ἄνδρα λαμβάνει καὶ ἡ ἔρημος τὸν γεωργόν· εἶτα ἣ μὲν καρπῶν, ἣ δὲ πιστῶν, ἄμφω δὲ μητέρες διὰ τὸν λόγον· ἀπίστοις δὲ εἰσέτι νῦν καὶ στεῖρα καὶ ἔρημος περιλείπεται. ὁ μὲν Ἰωάννης, ὁ κῆρυξ τοῦ λόγου, ταύτῃ πῃ παρεκάλει ἑτοίμους γίνεσθαι εἰς θεοῦ, τοῦ Χριστοῦ, παρουσίαν, καὶ τοῦτο ἦν ὃ ᾐνίσσετο ἡ Ζαχαρίου σιωπή, ἀναμένουσα τὸν πρόδρομον τοῦ Χριστοῦ καρπόν, ἵνα τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ φῶς, ὁ λόγος, τῶν προφητικῶν αἰνιγμάτων τὴν μυστικὴν ἀπολύσηται σιωπήν, εὐαγγέλιον γενόμενος· σὺ δὲ εἰ ποθεῖς ἰδεῖν ὡς ἀληθῶς τὸν θεόν, καθαρσίων μεταλάμβανε θεοπρεπῶν, οὐ δάφνης πετάλων καὶ ταινιῶν τινων ἐρίῳ καὶ πορφύρᾳ πεποικιλμένων, δικαιοσύνην δὲ ἀναδησάμενος καὶ τῆς ἐγκρατείας τὰ πέταλα περιθέμενος· πολυπραγμόνει Χριστόν· »ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι ἡ θύρα,« φησί που· ἣν ἐκμαθεῖν δεῖ νοῆσαι θελήσασι τὸν θεόν, ὅπως ἡμῖν ἀθρόας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀναπετάσῃ τὰς πύλας· λογικαὶ γὰρ αἱ τοῦ λόγου πύλαι, πίστεως ἀνοιγνύμεναι κλειδί· »θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἔγνω, εἰ μὴ ὁ υἱὸς καὶ ᾧ ἂν ὁ υἱὸς ἀποκαλύψῃ.« θύραν δὲ εὖ οἶδ᾿ ὅτι τὴν ἀποκεκλεισμένην τέως ὁ ἀνοιγνὺς ὕστερον ἀποκαλύπτει τἄνδον καὶ δείκνυσιν ἃ μηδὲ γνῶναι οἷόν τε ἦν πρότερον, εἰ μὴ διὰ Χριστοῦ πεπορευμένοις, δι᾿ οὗ μόνου θεὸς ἐποπτεύεται.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἐγὼ, θύρα,«, »θεὸν, ἀποκαλύψῃ.«). Check it against the printed edition.
For because many were the children of the mother of noble rule, yet the Hebrew woman, once blessed with many children, was made childless because of unbelief: the barren woman receives the husband, and the desert the husbandman; then both become mothers through the word, the one of fruits, the other of believers. But to the Unbelieving the barren and the desert are still reserved. For this reason John, the herald of the Word, besought men to make themselves ready against the coming of the Christ Of God. And it was this which was signified by the dumbness of Zacharias, which waited for fruit in the person of the harbinger of Christ, that the Word, the light of truth, by becoming the Gospel, might break the mystic silence of the prophetic enigmas. But if thou desirest truly to see God, take to thyself means of purification worthy of Him, not leaves of laurel fillets interwoven. with wool and purple; but wreathing thy brows with righteousness, and encircling them with the leaves of temperance, set thyself earnestly to find Christ. "For I am," He says, "the door," which we who desire to understand God must discover, that He may throw heaven's gates wide open to. us. For the gates of the Word being intellectual, are opened by the key of faith. No one knows God but the Son, and he to whom the Son shall reveal Him. And I know well that He who has opened the door hitherto shut, will afterwards reveal what is within; and will show what we could not have known before, had we not entered in by Christ, through whom alone God is beheld.
The children of the noble woman are many. But the Hebrew woman, who from of old had many children, became childless through disobedience. So the barren woman receives the husband and the desert receives the farmer. One then becomes the mother of fruits, the other of believers, and both are mothers through the Word. But for unbelievers she is still left barren and desolate even now. John, the herald of the Word, was in this way urging people to be ready for the coming of God, the Christ. This is what the silence of Zechariah hinted at, as it waited for the fruit that would go before Christ. The Word, the light of truth, was to become the gospel and release the mystic silence of the prophetic riddles. If you long to see God in truth, take part in purifications fit for God. Do not use laurel leaves or headbands decorated with wool and purple. Bind righteousness around your head and put on the leaves of self-control. Search diligently for Christ. “I am the door,” he says somewhere. If we want to understand God, we must learn about this door, so that he may throw the gates of heaven wide open to us all at once. The gates of the Word are rational, and they are opened by the key of faith. “No one has known God except the Son, and the one to whom the Son reveals him.” I know well that the one who opens the door, shut until now, will afterward reveal what is inside. He will show what could not have been known before, except by those who have gone in through Christ, through whom alone God is seen.
Translator’s note. “Is seen” renders a verb that was also used of the highest stage of initiation in the Greek mystery religions.
Scripture: Isaiah 54:1; John 10:9; Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22
Chapter 2
Ἄδυτα τοίνυν ἄθεα μὴ πολυπραγμονεῖτε μηδὲ βαράθρων στόματα τερατείας ἔμπλεα ἢ λέβητα Θεσπρώτιον ἢ τρίποδα Κιρραῖον ἢ Δωδωναῖον χαλκεῖον· γεράνδρυον δὲ ψάμμοις ἐρήμαις τετιμημένον καὶ τὸ αὐτόθι μαντεῖον αὐτῇ δρυῒ μεμαρασμένον μύθοις γεγηρακόσι καταλείψατε. σεσίγηται γοῦν ἡ Κασταλίας πηγὴ καὶ Κολοφῶνος ἄλλη πηγή, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὁμοίως τέθνηκε νάματα μαντικὰ καὶ δὴ τοῦ τύφου κενὰ ὀψὲ μέν, ὅμως δ᾿ οὖν διελήλεγκται τοῖς ἰδίοις συνεκρεύσαντα μύθοις. διήγησαι ἡμῖν καὶ τῆς ἄλλης μαντικῆς, μᾶλλον δὲ μανικῆς, τὰ ἄχρηστα χρηστήρια, τὸν Κλάριον, τὸν Πύθιον, τὸν Διδυμέα, τὸν Ἀμφιάρεω, τὸν † Ἀπόλλω, τὸν Ἀμφίλοχον, εἰ δὲ βούλει, καὶ τερατοσκόπους καὶ οἰωνοσκόπους καὶ τοὺς ὀνείρων κριτὰς ἀνιέρου σὺν αὐτοῖς· στῆσον δὲ ὁμοῦ παρὰ τὸν Πύθιον τοὺς ἀλευρομάντεις ἄγων καὶ κριθομάντεις καὶ τοὺς εἰσέτι παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς τετιμημένους ἐγγαστριμύθους· ναὶ μὴν ἄδυτα Αἰγυπτίων καὶ Τυρρηνῶν νεκυομαντεῖαι σκότῳ παραδιδόσθων.
The Absurdity and Impiety of the Heathen Mysteries and Fables About the Birth and Death of Their Gods.Explore not then too curiously the shrines of impiety, or the mouths of caverns full of monstrosity, or the Thesprotian caldron, or the Cirrhaean tripod, or the Dodonian copper. The Gerandryon, once regarded sacred in the midst of desert sands, and the oracle there gone to decay with the oak itself, consigned to the region of antiquated fables. The fountain of Castalia is silent, and the other fountain of Colophon; and, in like manner, all the rest of the springs of divination are dead, and stripped of their vainglory, although at a late date, are shown with their fabulous legends to have run dry. Recount to us also the useless oracles of that other kind of divination, or rather madness, the Clarian, the Pythian, the Didymaean, that of Amphiaraus, of Apollo, of Amphilochus; and if you will, couple with them the expounders of prodigies, the augurs, and the interpreters of dreams. And bring and place beside the Pythian those that divine by flour, and those that divine by barley, and the ventriloquists still held in honour by many. Let the secret shrines of the Egyptians and the necromancies of the Etruscans be consigned to darkness.
So do not pry into godless inner sanctuaries. Leave alone the mouths of chasms full of monstrous trickery, the Thesprotian cauldron, the Cirrhaean tripod, and the bronze of Dodona. Leave the ancient oak honored in the desert sands, and the oracle there that withered along with the oak itself, to myths that have grown old. The spring of Castalia is silent, and so is the other spring at Colophon. The rest of the prophetic waters are dead in the same way. Emptied of their vanity, they have at last been exposed, late though it is, as having run dry together with their own myths. Tell us also about the other kind of divination, or rather madness, and its useless oracles: the Clarian, the Pythian, the Didymaean, those of Amphiaraus, of Apollo, and of Amphilochus. If you like, consecrate along with them the readers of portents, the watchers of birds, and the interpreters of dreams. Bring the flour-diviners and barley-diviners and stand them beside the Pythian, along with the ventriloquists, who are still honored by many people. And let the secret shrines of the Egyptians and the necromancies of the Etruscans be handed over to darkness.
Translator’s note. “Ventriloquists” translates engastrimythoi, “belly-talkers.” These were diviners whose oracles seemed to speak from inside them.
μανικὰ ταῦτα ὡς ἀληθῶς ἀνθρώπων ἀπίστων σοφιστήρια καὶ πλάνης ἀκράτου κυβευτήρια· συνέμποροι τῆσδε τῆς γοητείας αἶγες [αἱ] ἐπὶ μαντικὴν ἠσκημέναι καὶ κόρακες ἀνθρώποις χρᾶν ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων διδασκόμενοι. Τί δ᾿ εἴ σοι καταλέγοιμι τὰ μυστήρια; οὐκ ἐξορχήσομαι μέν, ὥσπερ Ἀλκιβιάδην λέγουσιν, ἀπογυμνώσω δὲ εὖ μάλα ἀνὰ τὸν τῆς ἀληθείας λόγον τὴν γοητείαν τὴν ἐγκεκρυμμένην αὐτοῖς καὶ αὐτούς γε τοὺς καλουμένους ὑμῶν θεούς, ὧν αἱ τελεταὶ αἱ μυστικαί, οἷον ἐπὶ σκηνῆς τοῦ βίου τοῖς τῆς ἀληθείας ἐκκυκλήσω θεαταῖς. Διόνυσον μαινόλην ὀργιάζουσι Βάκχοι ὠμοφαγίᾳ τὴν ἱερομανίαν ἄγοντες καὶ τελίσκουσι τὰς κρεονομίας τῶν φόνων ἀνεστεμμένοι τοῖς ὄφεσιν, ἐπολολύζοντες Εὐάν, Εὔαν ἐκείνην, δι᾿ ἣν ἡ πλάνη παρηκολούθησεν· καὶ σημεῖον ὀργίων βακχικῶν ὄφις ἐστὶ τετελεσμένος. αὐτίκα γοῦν κατὰ τὴν ἀκριβῆ τῶν Ἑβραίων φωνὴν τὸ ὄνομα τὸ Ἕυια δασυνόμενον ἑρμηνεύεται ὄφις ἡ θήλεια· Δηὼ δὲ καὶ Κόρη δρᾶμα ἤδη ἐγενέσθην μυστικόν, καὶ τὴν πλάνην καὶ τὴν ἁρπαγὴν καὶ τὸ πένθος αὐταῖν Ἐλευσὶς δᾳδουχεῖ.
Insane devices truly are they all of unbelieving men. Goats, too, have been confederates in this art of soothsaying, trained to divination; and crows taught by men to give oracular responses to men. And what if I go over the mysteries? I will not divulge them in mockery, as they say Alcibiades did, but I will expose right well by the word of truth the sorcery hidden in them; and those so-called gods of yours, whose are the mystic rites, I shall display, as it were, on the stage of life, to the spectators of truth. The bacchanals hold their orgies in honour of the frenzied Dionysus, celebrating their sacred frenzy by the eating of raw flesh, and go through the distribution of the parts of butchered victims, crowned with snakes, shrieking out the name of that Eva by whom error came into the world. The symbol of the Bacchic orgies. is a consecrated serpent. Moreover, according to the strict interpretation of the Hebrew term, the name Hevia, aspirated, signifies a female serpent. Demeter and Proserpine have become the heroines of a mystic drama; and their wanderings, and seizure, and grief, Eleusis celebrates by torchlight processions.
These are truly mad things: workshops of trickery for unbelieving men, and gambling dens of unmixed delusion. Partners in this sorcery are goats trained for divination, and crows taught by men to give oracles to men. What if I were to go through the mysteries for you? I will not mimic them in dance and so give them away, as they say Alcibiades did. Instead I will strip bare, by the word of truth, the sorcery hidden in them. And I will wheel out your so-called gods themselves, whose mystic rites these are, as on the stage of life, before an audience of the truth. The Bacchants hold their orgies for the raving Dionysus. They celebrate their sacred madness by eating raw flesh, and they perform the apportioning of the butchered meat with snakes wound around their heads. They cry out “Euan!” and so call on Eva, that Eve through whom error followed. The sign of the Bacchic orgies is a consecrated snake. Indeed, in the exact speech of the Hebrews, the name Hevia, pronounced with the aspirate, is interpreted “female serpent.” Deo and Kore have become a mystic drama, and Eleusis lights the torches for their wandering, the abduction, and their grief.
Translator’s note. Clement links the Bacchic cry “Euan” to Eve (Genesis 3); Aramaic has a word like ḥewya meaning “serpent,” and a similar wordplay on Eve’s name appears in later Jewish interpretation (Genesis Rabbah 20.11).
Καί μοι δοκεῖ τὰ ὄργια καὶ τὰ μυστήρια δεῖν ἐτυμολογεῖν, τὰ μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς τῆς Δηοῦς τῆς πρὸς Δία γεγενημένης, τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ μύσους τοῦ συμβεβηκότος περὶ τὸν Διόνυσον· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ Μυοῦντός τινος Ἀττικοῦ, ὃν ἐν κυνηγίᾳ διαφθαρῆναι Ἀπολλόδωρος λέγει, οὐ φθόνος· ὑμῶν δεδόξασται τὰ μυστήρια ἐπιτυμβίῳ τιμῇ. πάρεστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλως μυθήριά σοι νοεῖν ἀντιστοιχούντων τῶν γραμμάτων τὰ μυστήρια· θηρεύουσι γὰρ εἰ καὶ ἄλλοι τινές, ἀτὰρ δὴ καὶ οἱ μῦθοι οἱ τοιοίδε Θρᾳκῶν τοὺς βαρβαρικωτάτους, Φρυγῶν τοὺς ἀνοητοτάτους, Ἑλλήνων τοὺς δεισιδαίμονας. ὄλοιτο οὖν ὁ τῆσδε ἄρξας τῆς ἀπάτης ἀνθρώποις, εἴτε ὁ Δάρδανος, ὁ Μητρὸς θεῶν καταδείξας τὰ μυστήρια, εἴτε Ἠετίων, ὁ τὰ Σαμοθρᾴκων ὄργια καὶ τελετὰς ὑποστησάμενος, εἴτε ὁ Φρὺξ ἐκεῖνος ὁ Μίδας, ὁ παρὰ τοῦ Ὀδρύσου μαθών, ἔπειτα διαδοὺς τοῖς ὑποτεταγμένοις ἔντεχνον ἀπάτην.
I think that the derivation of orgies and mysteries ought to be traced, the former to the wrath (o0rgh/) of Demeter against Zeus, the latter to the nefarious wickedness (mu/soj) relating to Dionysus; but if from Myus of Attica, who Pollodorus says was killed in hunting-no matter, I don't grudge your mysteries the glory of funeral honours. You may understand mysteria in another way, as mytheria (hunting fables), the letters of the two words being interchanged; for certainly fables of this sort hunt after the most barbarous of the Thracians, the most senseless of the Phrygians, and the superstitious among the Greeks. Perish, then, the man who was the author of this imposture among men, be he Dardanus, who taught the mysteries of the mother of the gods, or Eetion, who instituted the orgies and mysteries of the Samothracians, or that Phrygian Midas who, having learned the cunning imposture from Odrysus, communicated it to his subjects.
It seems to me that we should trace the words “orgies” and “mysteries” to their sources. Orgies come from the anger (orgē) of Deo against Zeus, and mysteries from the pollution (mysos) that befell Dionysus. If they come instead from a certain Myus of Attica, who Apollodorus says was killed while hunting, I do not object. Then your mysteries have been glorified with the kind of honor paid at a tomb. You can also understand “mysteries” as “myth-hunts,” since the letters correspond. For if anything hunts down the most barbarous of the Thracians, the most foolish of the Phrygians, and the superstitious among the Greeks, myths like these certainly do. So let him perish, whoever first began this deception among men. It may have been Dardanus, who showed people the mysteries of the Mother of the gods. It may have been Eetion, who established the orgies and rites of the Samothracians. It may have been that Phrygian Midas, who learned from Odrysus and then passed on the skillful deceit to his subjects.
Translator’s note. “Odrysus” may instead mean “the Odrysian,” a member of a Thracian people.
οὐ γάρ με ὁ Κύπριος ὁ νησιώτης Κινύρας παραπείσαι ποτ᾿ ἄν, τὰ περὶ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην μαχλῶντα ὄργια ἐκ νυκτὸς ἡμέρᾳ παραδοῦναι τολμήσας, φιλοτιμούμενος θειάσαι πόρνην πολίτιδα. Μελάμποδα δὲ τὸν Ἀμυθάονος ἄλλοι φασὶν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου μετακομίσαι τῇ Ἑλλάδι τὰς Δηοῦς ἑορτάς, πένθος ὑμνούμενον. τούτους ἔγωγ᾿ ἂν ἀρχεκάκους φήσαιμι μύθων ἀθέων καὶ δεισιδαιμονίας ὀλεθρίου πατέρας, σπέρμα κακίας καὶ φθορᾶς ἐγκαταφυτεύσαντας τῷ βίῳ τὰ μυστήρια. Ἤδη δέ, καὶ γὰρ καιρός, αὐτὰ ὑμῶν τὰ ὄργια ἐξελέγξω ἀπάτης καὶ τερατείας ἔμπλεα. καὶ εἰ μεμύησθε, ἐπιγελάσεσθε μᾶλλον τοῖς μύθοις ὑμῶν τούτοις τοῖς τιμωμένοις. ἀγορεύσω δὲ ἀναφανδὸν τὰ κεκρυμμένα, οὐκ αἰδούμενος λέγειν ἃ προσκυνεῖν οὐκ αἰσχύνεσθε. ἡ μὲν οὖν »ἀφρογενής« τε καὶ »κυπρογενής«, ἡ Κινύρᾳ φίλη (τὴν Ἀφροδίτην λέγω, τὴν »φιλομηδέα, ὅτι μηδέων ἐξεφαάνθη,« μηδέων ἐκείνων τῶν ἀποκεκομμένων Οὐρανοῦ, τῶν λάγνων, τῶν μετὰ τὴν τομὴν τὸ κῦμα βεβιασμένων), ὡς ἀσελγῶν ὑμῖν μορίων ἄξιος [Ἀφροδίτη] γίνεται καρπός, ἐν ταῖς τελεταῖς ταύτης τῆς πελαγίας ἡδονῆς τεκμήριον τῆς γονῆς ἁλῶν χόνδρος καὶ φαλλὸς τοῖς μυουμένοις τὴν τέχνην τὴν μοιχικὴν ἐπιδίδοται· νόμισμα δὲ εἰσφέρουσιν αὐτῇ οἱ μυούμενοι, ὡς ἑταίρᾳ ἐρασταί.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἀφρογενής«, »κυπρογενής«,, »φιλομηδέα,, ἐξεφαάνθη,«). Check it against the printed edition.
For I will never be persuaded by that Cyprian Islander Cinyras, who dared to bring forth from night to the light of day the lewd orgies of Aphrodité in his eagerness to deify a strumpet of his own country. Others say that Melampus the son of Amythaon imported the festivals of Ceres from Egypt into Greece, celebrating her grief in song. These I would instance as the prime authors of evil, the parents of impious fables and of deadly superstition, who sowed in human life that seed of evil and ruin-the mysteries. And now, for it is time, I will prove their orgies to be full of imposture and quackery. And if you have been initiated, you will laugh all the more at these fables of yours which have been held in honour. I publish without reserve what has been involved in secrecy, not ashamed to tell what you are not ashamed to worship. There is then the foam-born and Cyprus-born, the darling of Cinyras,-I mean Aphrodité, lover of the virilia, because sprung from them, even from those of Uranus, that were cut off,-those lustful members, that, after being cut off, offered violence to the waves. Of members so lewd a worthy fruit-Aphrodité-is born. In the rites which celebrate this enjoyment of the sea, as a symbol of her birth a lump of suit and the phallus are handed to those who are initiated into the art of uncleanness.
For Cinyras, the islander from Cyprus, could never persuade me. He dared to bring the lewd orgies of Aphrodite out of the night and into the day, in his eagerness to make a goddess of a prostitute from his own city. Others say that Melampus, son of Amythaon, carried the festivals of Deo from Egypt to Greece, with her grief sung in hymns. I would call these men the originators of evil and the fathers of godless myths and deadly superstition. They planted the mysteries in human life as a seed of wickedness and corruption. Now, since the time has come, I will prove that your rites are full of deceit and charlatanry. If you have been initiated, you will laugh all the more at these myths of yours that are held in honor. I will speak openly of what is hidden. I am not ashamed to tell what you are not ashamed to worship. There is, then, the “foam-born” and “Cyprus-born” goddess, the friend of Cinyras. I mean Aphrodite, “the lover of genitals, because she appeared from the genitals.” These were the lustful parts cut off from Uranus, which after the cutting forced themselves upon the waves. A fruit worthy of such shameless parts is born to you in Aphrodite. In the rites of this sea-born pleasure, as a token of her birth, a grain of salt and a phallus are given to those being initiated into the craft of adultery. The initiates bring a coin to her, as lovers do to a courtesan.
Translator’s note. The phrases come from Hesiod’s Theogony (lines 188–200), which tells of Aphrodite’s birth from the foam around the severed genitals of Uranus (Heaven); there she is called philommeidēs (“laughter-loving”) “because she appeared from the genitals (mēdea),” a pun Hesiod makes himself, and Clement gives the word as philomēdea (“genital-loving”) to bring out the crude meaning.
Δηοῦς δὲ μυστήρια [καὶ] Διὸς πρὸς μητέρα Δήμητρα ἀφροδίσιοι συμπλοκαὶ καὶ μῆνις (οὐκ οἶδ᾿ ὅ τι φῶ λοιπόν, μητρὸς ἢ γυναικός) τῆς Δηοῦς, ἧς δὴ χάριν Βριμὼ προσαγορευθῆναι λέγεται, καὶ ἱκετηρίαι Διὸς καὶ πόμα χολῆς καὶ καρδιουλκίαι καὶ ἀρρητουργίαι· ταὐτὰ οἱ Φρύγες τελίσκουσιν Ἄττιδι καὶ Κυβέλῃ καὶ Κορύβασιν· τεθρυλήκασιν δὲ ὡς ἄρα ἀποσπάσας ὁ Ζεὺς τοῦ κριοῦ τοὺς διδύμους φέρων ἐν μέσοις ἔρριψε τοῖς κόλποις τῆς Δηοῦς, τιμωρίαν ψευδῆ τῆς βιαίας συμπλοκῆς ἐκτιννύων, ὡς ἑαυτὸν δῆθεν ἐκτεμών. τὰ σύμβολα τῆς μυήσεως ταύτης ἐκ περιουσίας παρατεθέντα οἶδ᾿ ὅτι κινήσει γέλωτα καὶ μὴ γελασείουσιν ὑμῖν διὰ τοὺς ἐλέγχους· »ἐκ τυμπάνου ἔφαγον· ἐκ κυμβάλου ἔπιον· ἐκερνοφόρησα· ὑπὸ τὸν παστὸν ὑπέδυν.« ταῦτα οὐχ ὕβρις τὰ σύμβολα;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἐκ, ὑπέδυν.«). Check it against the printed edition.
And those initiated bring a piece of money to her, as a courtesan's paramours do to her, Then there are the mysteries of Demeter, and Zeus's wanton embraces of his mother, and the wrath of Demeter; I know not what for the future I shall call her, mother or wife, on which account it is that she is called Brimo, as is said; also the entreaties of Zeus, and the drink of gall, the plucking out of the hearts of sacrifices, and deeds that we dare not name. Such rites the Phrygians perform in honour of Attis and Cybele and the Corybantes. And the story goes, that Zeus, having torn away the orchites of a ram, brought them out and cast them at the breasts of Demeter, paying thus a fraudulent penalty for his violent embrace, pretending to have cut out his own. The symbols of initiation into these rites, when set before you in a vacant hour, I know will excite your laughter, although on account of the exposure by no means inclined to laugh. "I have eaten out of the drum, I have drunk out of the cymbal, I have carried the Cernos, I have slipped into the bedroom. Are not these tokens a disgrace?
The mysteries of Deo involve Zeus’s sexual union with his mother Demeter, and the rage of Deo. (I do not know what to call her now, mother or wife.) Because of this rage she is said to have been named Brimo. They also include the pleading of Zeus, a drink of bile, the tearing out of hearts, and unspeakable rites. The Phrygians perform the same rites for Attis, Cybele and the Corybantes. They have gone on and on with a story that Zeus tore the testicles from a ram and threw them into Deo’s lap. This was supposedly a penalty for his violent union with her, as though he had castrated himself. The tokens of this initiation, which I set out here as something extra, will make you laugh, I know, even though the exposure leaves you in no mood for it. “I ate from the drum. I drank from the cymbal. I carried the sacred vessel. I slipped into the bridal chamber.” Are these tokens anything but an outrage?
Translator’s note. The “sacred vessel” is the kernos, a ritual vessel used in cults of Demeter.
οὐ χλεύη τὰ μυστήρια; τί δ᾿ εἰ καὶ τὰ ἐπίλοιπα προσθείην; κυεῖ μὲν ἡ Δημήτηρ, ἀνατρέφεται δὲ ἡ Κόρη, μίγνυται δ᾿ αὖθις ὁ γεννήσας οὑτοσὶ Ζεὺς τῇ Φερεφάττῃ, τῇ ἰδίᾳ θυγατρί, μετὰ τὴν μητέρα τὴν Δηώ, ἐκλαθόμενος τοῦ προτέρου μύσους [πατὴρ καὶ φθορεὺς κόρης ὁ Ζεύς] καὶ μίγνυται δράκων γενόμενος, ὅς ἦν, ἐλεγχθείς. Σαβαζίων γοῦν μυστηρίων σύμβολον τοῖς μυουμένοις ὁ διὰ κόλπου θεός· δράκων δέ ἐστιν οὗτος, διελκόμενος τοῦ κόλπου τῶν τελουμένων, ἔλεγχος ἀκρασίας Διός. κυεῖ καὶ ἡ Φερέφαττα παῖδα ταυρόμορφον· ἀμέλει, φησί τις ποιητὴς εἰδωλικός, ταῦρος δράκοντος καὶ πατὴρ ταύρου δράκων, ἐν ὄρει τὸ κρύφιον, βουκόλος, τὸ κέντρον, βουκολικόν, οἶμαι, κέντρον τὸν νάρθηκα ἐπικαλῶν, ὃν δὴ ἀναστέφουσιν οἱ βάκχοι.
Are not the mysteries absurdity? What if I add the rest? Demeter becomes a mother, Core is reared up to womanhood. And, in course of time, he who begot her,-this same Zeus has intercourse with his own daughter Pherephatta,-after Ceres, the mother,-forgetting his former abominable wickedness. Zeus is both the father and the seducer of Core, and shamefully courts her in the shape of a dragon; his identity, however, was discovered. The token of the Sabazian mysteries to the initiated is "the deity gliding over the breast,"-the deity being this serpent crawling over the breasts of the initiated. Proof surely this of the unbridled lust of Zeus. Pherephatta has a child, though, to be sure, in the form of a bull, as an idolatrous poet says,- "The bull The dragon's father, and the father of the bull the dragon, On a hill the herdsman's hidden ox-goad,"- alluding, as I believe, under the name of the herdsman's ox-goad, to the reed wielded by bacchanals.
Are these mysteries not a mockery? What if I add the rest? Demeter becomes pregnant, and Kore is brought up. Then Zeus, who fathered her, unites with Pherephatta, his own daughter, after having done so with her mother Deo. He has forgotten his earlier pollution. Zeus is both the father and the corrupter of the girl. He unites with her as a serpent, and so is exposed for what he was. In the Sabazian mysteries, at any rate, the token for the initiated is “the god through the bosom.” This god is a serpent drawn through the bosom of those being initiated, which proves the lack of self-control in Zeus. Pherephatta also bears a child in the shape of a bull. As one poet of the idols says: “The bull is the serpent’s father, and the serpent the bull’s father; on the mountain, the herdsman’s hidden goad.” By “herdsman’s goad,” I suppose, he means the fennel stalk that the bacchants wreathe.
Translator’s note. Deo is another name for Demeter. Pherephatta is a form of the name Persephone, the same goddess as Kore (“the Maiden”).
βούλει καὶ τὰ Φερεφάττης ἀνθολόγια διηγήσωμαί σοι καὶ τὸν κάλαθον καὶ τὴν ἁρπαγὴν τὴν ὑπὸ Ἀιδωνέως καὶ τὸ χάσμα τῆς γῆς καὶ τὰς ὗς τὰς Εὐβουλέως τὰς συγκαταποθείσας ταῖν θεαῖν, δι᾿ ἣν αἰτίαν ἐν τοῖς Θεσμοφορίοις μεγαρίζοντες χοίρους ἐμβάλλουσιν; ταύτην τὴν μυθολογίαν αἱ γυναῖκες ποικίλως κατὰ πόλιν ἑορτάζουσι, Θεσμοφόρια, Σκιροφόρια, Ἀρρητοφόρια, πολυτρόπως τὴν Φερεφάττης ἐκτραγῳδοῦσαι ἁρπαγήν. τὰ γὰρ Διονύσου μυστήρια τέλεον ἀπάνθρωπα· ὃν εἰσέτι παῖδα ὄντα ἐνόπλῳ κινήσει περιχορευόντων Κουρήτων, δόλῳ δὲ ὑποδύντων Τιτάνων, ἀπατήσαντες παιδαριώδεσιν ἀθύρμασιν, οὗτοι δὴ οἱ Τιτᾶνες διέσπασαν, ἔτι νηπίαχον ὄντα, ὡς ὁ τῆς Τελετῆς ποιητὴς Ὀρφεύς φησιν ὁ Θρᾴκιος· κῶνος καὶ ῥόμβος καὶ παίγνια καμπεσίγυια, μῆλά τε χρύσεα καλὰ παρ᾿ Ἑσπερίδων λιγυφώνων. καὶ τῆσδε ὑμῖν τῆς τελετῆς τὰ ἀχρεῖα σύμβολα οὐκ ἀχρεῖον εἰς κατάγνωσιν παραθέσθαι· ἀστράγαλος, σφαῖρα, στρόβιλος, μῆλα, ῥόμβος, ἔσοπτρον, πόκος.
Do you wish me to go into the story of Persephatta's gathering of flowers, her basket, and her seizure by Pluto (Aidoneus), and the rent in the earth, and the swine of Eubouleus that were swallowed up with the two goddesses; for which reason, in the Thesmophoria, speaking the Megaric tongue, they thrust out swine? This mythological story the women celebrate variously in different cities in the festivals called Thesmophoria and Scirophoria; dramatizing in many forms the rape of Pherephatta or Persephatta (Proserpine). The mysteries of Dionysus are wholly inhuman; for while still a child, and the Curetes danced around [his cradle] clashing their weapons, and the Titans having come upon them by stealth, and having beguiled him with childish toys, these very Titans tore him limb from limb when but a child, as the bard of this mystery, the Thracian Orpheus, says:- "Cone, and spinning-top, and limb-moving rattles, And fair golden apples from the clear-toned Hesperides. And the useless symbols of this mystic rite it will not be useless to exhibit for condemnation. These are dice, ball, hoop, apples, top, looking-glass, tuft of wool.
Do you want me to tell you about Pherephatta’s flower-gathering, the basket, her abduction by Aidoneus, the opening of the earth, and the pigs of Eubouleus that were swallowed up along with the two goddesses? This is the reason why, at the Thesmophoria, they throw pigs into the sacred pits. The women celebrate this myth in different ways from city to city, in the Thesmophoria, the Skirophoria and the Arrhetophoria. In many forms they act out the tragedy of Pherephatta’s abduction. The mysteries of Dionysus are utterly inhuman. He was still a child, and the Kouretes were dancing around him with armed movements. The Titans crept in by treachery and deceived him with childish toys. Then these Titans tore him apart while he was still an infant, as Orpheus the Thracian, the poet of the Initiation, says: “Cone and bull-roarer, and jointed dolls, and beautiful golden apples from the clear-voiced Hesperides.” It will also help to condemn this rite if I set out its worthless tokens for you: knucklebone, ball, spinning top, apples, bull-roarer, mirror, tuft of wool.
Translator’s note. “Bull-roarer” translates rhombos, a toy or ritual object that was whirled or spun. It may also mean a kind of spinning top, and the older translation gave “top.” That translation gave “hoop” for strobilos, which can mean a spinning top or a pine cone. The exact toys are uncertain.
Ἀθηνᾶ μὲν οὖν τὴν καρδίαν τοῦ Διονύσου ὑφελομένη Παλλὰς ἐκ τοῦ πάλλειν τὴν καρδίαν προσηγορεύθη· οἱ δὲ Τιτᾶνες, οἱ καὶ διασπάσαντες αὐτόν, λέβητά τινα τρίποδι ἐπιθέντες καὶ τοῦ Διονύσου ἐμβαλόντες τὰ μέλη, καθήψουν πρότερον· ἔπειτα ὀβελίσκοις περιπείραντες »ὑπείρεχον Ἡφαίστοιο.« Ζεὺς δὲ ὕστερον ἐπιφανείς (εἰ θεὸς ἦν, τάχα που τῆς κνίσης τῶν ὀπτωμένων κρεῶν μεταλαβών, ἧς δὴ τὸ »γέρας λαχεῖν« ὁμολογοῦσιν ὑμῶν οἱ θεοί) κεραυνῷ τοὺς Τιτᾶνας αἰκίζεται καὶ τὰ μέλη τοῦ Διονύσου Ἀπόλλωνι τῷ παιδὶ παρακατατίθεται καταθάψαι. ὃ δέ, οὐ γὰρ ἠπείθησε Διί, εἰς τὸν Παρνασσὸν φέρων κατατίθεται διεσπασμένον τὸν νεκρόν. Εἰ θέλεις δ᾿ ἐποπτεῦσαι καὶ Κορυβάντων ὄργια, τὸν τρίτον ἀδελφὸν ἀποκτείναντες οὗτοι τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ νεκροῦ φοινικίδι ἐπεκαλυψάτην καὶ καταστέψαντε ἐθαψάτην, φέροντες ἐπὶ χαλκῆς ἀσπίδος ὑπὸ τὰς ὑπωρείας τοῦ Ὀλύμπου.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ὑπείρεχον, Ἡφαίστοιο.«, »γέρας, λαχεῖν«). Check it against the printed edition.
Athene (Minerva), to resume our account, having abstracted the heart of Dionysus, was called Pallas, from the vibrating of the heart; and the Titans who had torn him limb from limb, setting a caldron on a tripod, and throwing into it the members of Dionysus, first boiled them down, and then fixing them on spits, "held them over the fire. But Zeus having appeared, since he was a god, having speedily perceived the savour of the pieces of flesh that were being cooked,-that savour which your gods agree to have assigned to them as their perquisite, assails the Titans with his thunderbolt, and consigns the members of Dionysus to his son Apollo to be interred. And he-for he did not disobey Zeus-bore the dismembered corpse to Parnassus, and there deposited it. If you wish to inspect the orgies of the Corybantes, then know that, having killed their third brother, they covered the head of the dead body with a purple cloth, crowned it, and carrying it on the point of a spear, buried it under the roots of Olympus.
Athena took the heart of Dionysus, and was named Pallas from the throbbing (pallein) of the heart. The Titans, who had torn him apart, put a cauldron on a tripod and threw in the limbs of Dionysus. First they boiled them, then they skewered them on spits and “held them over Hephaestus.” Later Zeus appeared. If he was a god, perhaps he got a share of the savor of the roasting meat, which your gods admit is the “portion they have received.” He struck the Titans with a thunderbolt and handed the limbs of Dionysus to his son Apollo to bury. Apollo did not disobey Zeus. He carried the torn corpse to Parnassus and laid it there. If you want to look on the rites of the Corybantes too, here they are. Two of them killed their third brother and covered the head of the corpse with a purple cloth. They crowned it, carried it on a bronze shield, and buried it at the foot of Olympus.
Translator’s note. “Held them over Hephaestus” quotes Homer (Iliad 2.426), where sacrificial meat is held over the fire. Hephaestus, the fire-god, stands for the fire itself. The “portion they have received” also echoes Homer, where Zeus says that the savor of sacrifice is the honor the gods receive (Iliad 4.49; 24.70).
καὶ ταῦτ᾿ ἔστι τὰ μυστήρια, συνελόντι φάναι, φόνοι καὶ τάφοι· οἱ δὲ ἱερεῖς οἱ τῶνδε, οὓς Ἀνακτοτελεστὰς οἷς μέλον καλεῖν καλοῦσι, προσεπιτερατεύονται τῇ συμφορᾷ, ὁλόριζον ἀπαγορεύοντες σέλινον ἐπὶ τραπέζης τιθέναι· οἴονται γὰρ δὴ ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἀπορρυέντος τοῦ Κορυβαντικοῦ τὸ σέλινον ἐκπεφυκέναι· ὥσπερ ἀμέλει καὶ αἱ θεσμοφοριάζουσαι τῆς ῥοιᾶς τοὺς κόκκους παραφυλάττουσιν ἐσθίειν τοὺς ἀποπεπτωκότας χαμαί, ἐκ τῶν τοῦ Διονύσου αἵματος σταγόνων βεβλαστηκέναι νομίζουσαι τὰς ῥοιάς. Καβείρους δὲ τοὺς Κορύβαντας καλοῦντες καὶ τελετὴν Καβειρικὴν καταγγέλλουσιν· αὐτὼ γὰρ δὴ τούτω τὼ ἀδελφοκτόνω τὴν κίστην ἀνελομένω, ἐν ᾗ τὸ τοῦ Διονύσου αἰδοῖον ἀπέκειτο, εἰς Τυρρηνίαν κατήγαγον, εὐκλεοῦς ἔμποροι φορτίου· κἀνταῦθα διετριβέτην, φυγάδε ὄντε, τὴν πολυτίμητον εὐσεβείας διδασκαλίαν, αἰδοῖα καὶ κίστην, θρῃσκεύειν παραθεμένω Τυρρηνοῖς.
These mysteries are, in short, murders and funerals. And the priests of these rites, who are called kings of the sacred rites by those whose business it is to name them, give additional strangeness to the tragic occurrence, by forbidding parsley with the roots from being placed on the table, for they think that parsley grew from the Corybantic blood that flowed forth; just as the women, in celebrating the Thesmophoria, abstain from eating the seeds of the pomegranate which have fallen on the ground, from the idea that pomegranates sprang from the drops of the blood of Dionysus. Those Corybantes also they call Cabiric; and the ceremony itself they announce as the Cabiric mystery. For those two identical fratricides, having abstracted the box in which the phallus of Bacchus was deposited, took it to Etruria-dealers in honourable wares truly. They lived there as exiles, employing themselves in communicating the precious teaching of their superstition, and presenting phallic symbols and the box for the Tyrrhenians to worship.
In short, these mysteries are murders and burials. Their priests are called “Lords of the Rite” (Anaktotelestai) by those who care to call them that. They add to the marvel of the tragedy by forbidding anyone to put celery on the table with its root. For they believe the celery grew from the blood that flowed from the Corybant. In the same way the women celebrating the Thesmophoria take care not to eat pomegranate seeds that have fallen on the ground. They suppose that pomegranates sprang from the drops of Dionysus’s blood. They also call the Corybantes “Cabeiri,” and proclaim a Cabeiric rite. For these same two brother-killers took the chest in which the genitals of Dionysus lay, and carried it to Tyrrhenia, merchants of a glorious cargo! They lived there as exiles. They offered the Tyrrhenians this much-prized teaching of piety, genitals and a chest, for them to worship.
Translator’s note. The Greek word selinon can mean celery or parsley, and the older translation has “parsley.” Tyrrhenia is the Greek name for Etruria in central Italy.
δι᾿ ἣν αἰτίαν οὐκ ἀπεικότως τὸν Διόνυσόν τινες Ἄττιν προσαγορεύεσθαι θέλουσιν, αἰδοίων ἐστερημένον. Καὶ τί θαυμαστὸν εἰ Τυρρηνοὶ οἱ βάρβαροι αἰσχροῖς οὕτως τελίσκονται παθήμασιν, ὅπου γε Ἀθηναίοις καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ Ἑλλάδι, αἰδοῦμαι καὶ λέγειν, αἰσχύνης ἔμπλεως ἡ περὶ τὴν Δηὼ μυθολογία; ἀλωμένη γὰρ ἡ Δηὼ κατὰ ζήτησιν τῆς θυγατρὸς τῆς Κόρης περὶ τὴν Ἐλευσῖνα (τῆς Ἀττικῆς δέ ἐστι τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον) ἀποκάμνει καὶ φρέατι ἐπικαθίζει λυπουμένη. τοῦτο τοῖς μυουμένοις ἀπαγορεύεται εἰσέτι νῦν, ἵνα μὴ δοκοῖεν οἱ τετελεσμένοι μιμεῖσθαι τὴν ὀδυρομένην. ᾤκουν δὲ τηνικάδε τὴν Ἐλευσῖνα οἱ γηγενεῖς· ὀνόματα αὐτοῖς Βαυβὼ καὶ Δυσαύλης καὶ Τριπτόλεμος, ἔτι δὲ Εὔμολπός τε καὶ Εὐβουλεύς· βουκόλος ὁ Τριπτόλεμος ἦν, ποιμὴν δὲ ὁ Εὔμολπος, συβώτης δὲ ὁ Εὐβουλεύς· ἀφ᾿ ὧν τὸ Εὐμολπιδῶν καὶ τὸ Κηρύκων τὸ ἱεροφαντικὸν δὴ τοῦτο Ἀθήνησι γένος ἤνθησεν.
And some will have it, not improbably, that for this reason Dionysus was called Attis, because he was mutilated. And what is surprising at the Tyrrhenians, who were barbarians, being thus initiated into these foul indignities, when among the Athenians, and in the whole of Greece-I blush to say it-the shameful legend about Demeter holds its ground? For Demeter, wandering in quest of her daughter Core, broke down with fatigue near Eleusis, a place in Attica, and sat down on a well overwhelmed with grief. This is even now prohibited to those who are initiated, lest they should appear to mimic the weeping goddess. The indigenous inhabitants then occupied Eleusis: their names were Baubo, and Dusaules, and Triptolemus; and besides, Eumolpus and Eubouleus. Triptolemus was a herdsman, Eumolpus a shepherd, and Eubouleus a swineherd; from whom came the race of the Eumolpidae and that of the Heralds-a race of Hierophants-who flourished at Athens.
For this reason some say, not unreasonably, that Dionysus is called Attis, because he was deprived of his private parts. And why be surprised that the barbarian Etruscans are initiated into such shameful sufferings, when among the Athenians and the rest of Greece the story of Deo is full of shame? I am ashamed even to tell it. Deo wandered about Eleusis looking for her daughter Kore (Eleusis is a place in Attica). She grew weary and sat down by a well, grieving. Even now this is forbidden to the initiates, so that those who have been initiated may not seem to imitate the mourning goddess. At that time the earth-born people lived at Eleusis. Their names were Baubo, Dysaules and Triptolemus, and also Eumolpus and Eubouleus. Triptolemus was a cowherd, Eumolpus a shepherd, and Eubouleus a swineherd. From them sprang the Eumolpidae and the Kerykes (“Heralds”), the priestly clans that flourished at Athens.
Translator’s note. The Eumolpidae and the Kerykes were the two Athenian families that supplied the chief priests of the Eleusinian mysteries.
καὶ δὴ (οὐ γὰρ ἀνήσω μὴ οὐχὶ εἰπεῖν) ξενίσασα ἡ Βαυβὼ τὴν Δηὼ ὀρέγει κυκεῶνα αὐτῇ· τῆς δὲ ἀναινομένης λαβεῖν καὶ πιεῖν οὐκ ἐθελούσης (πενθήρης γὰρ ἦν) περιαλγὴς ἡ Βαυβὼ γενομένη, ὡς ὑπεροραθεῖσα δῆθεν, ἀναστέλλεται τὰ αἰδοῖα καὶ ἐπιδεικνύει τῇ θεῷ· ἣ δὲ τέρπεται τῇ ὄψει ἡ Δηὼ καὶ μόλις ποτὲ δέχεται τὸ ποτόν, ἡσθεῖσα τῷ θεάματι. ταῦτ᾿ ἔστι τὰ κρύφια τῶν Ἀθηναίων μυστήρια. ταῦτά τοι καὶ Ὀρφεὺς ἀναγράφει. παραθήσομαι δέ σοι αὐτὰ τοῦ Ὀρφέως τὰ ἔπη, ἵν᾿ ἔχῃς μάρτυρα τῆς ἀναισχυντίας τὸν μυσταγωγόν· ὣς εἰποῦσα πέπλους ἀνεσύρετο, δεῖξε δὲ πάντα σώματος οὐδὲ πρέποντα τύπον· παῖς δ᾿ ἦεν Ἴακχος, χειρί τέ μιν ῥίπτασκε γελῶν Βαυβοῦς ὑπὸ κόλποις· ἡ δ᾿ ἐπεὶ οὖν μείδησε θεά, μείδησ᾿ ἐνὶ θυμῷ, δέξατο δ᾿ αἰόλον ἄγγος, ἐν ᾧ κυκεὼν ἐνέκειτο.
Well, then (for I shall not refrain from the recital), Baubo having received Demeter hospitably, reaches to her a refreshing draught; and on her refusing it, not having any inclination to drink (for she was very sad), and Baubo having become annoyed, thinking herself slighted, uncovered her shame, and exhibited her nudity to the goddess. Demeter is delighted at the sight, and takes, though with difficulty, the draught- pleased, I repeat, at the spectacle. These are the secret mysteries of the Athenians; these Orpheus records. I shall produce the very words of Orpheus, that you may have the great authority on the mysteries himself, as evidence for this piece of turpitude:- "Having thus spoken, she drew aside her garments, And showed all that shape of the body which it is improper to name, And with her own hand Baubo stripped herself under the breasts. Blandly then the goddess laughed and laughed in her mind, And received the glancing cup in which was the draught.
Next (for I will not hold back from telling it), Baubo took Deo in as a guest and offered her a drink of barley-mixture. Deo refused to take it and would not drink, for she was in mourning. Baubo was deeply hurt, as if she had been scorned. So she pulled up her clothes and showed her private parts to the goddess. Deo was pleased at the sight, and at last, delighted with the spectacle, accepted the drink. These are the secret mysteries of the Athenians. Orpheus also records them. I will set out Orpheus’ own verses for you, so that you may have the guide of the mysteries himself as a witness to their shamelessness: “When she had spoken, she drew up her robes and showed all of her body, a shape not fit to be seen. The child Iacchus was there, and laughing he kept tossing it with his hand under Baubo’s breast. Then the goddess smiled, and smiled in her heart, and took the shimmering cup in which the barley-drink was placed.”
Translator’s note. The Greek of these lines is obscure and may be corrupt, so the meaning of “tossing it with his hand” is uncertain.
κἄστι τὸ σύνθημα Ἐλευσινίων μυστηρίων· »ἐνήστευσα, ἔπιον τὸν κυκεῶνα, ἔλαβον ἐκ κίστης, ἐργασάμενος ἀπεθέμην εἰς κάλαθον καὶ ἐκ καλάθου εἰς κίστην.« καλά γε τὰ θεάματα καὶ θεᾷ πρέποντα. ἄξια μὲν οὖν νυκτὸς τὰ τελέσματα καὶ πυρὸς καὶ τοῦ »μεγαλήτορος«, μᾶλλον δὲ ματαιόφρονος Ἐρεχθειδῶν δήμου, πρὸς δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων, οὕστινας »μένει τελευτήσαντας ἅσσα οὐδὲ ἔλπονται.« τίσι δὴ μαντεύεται Ἡράκλειτος ὁ Ἐφέσιος; »νυκτιπόλοις, μάγοις, βάκχοις, λήναις, μύσταις,« τούτοις ἀπειλεῖ τὰ μετὰ θάνατον, τούτοις μαντεύεται τὸ πῦρ· »τὰ γὰρ νομιζόμενα κατὰ ἀνθρώπους μυστήρια ἀνιερωστὶ μυοῦνται.« νόμος οὖν καὶ ὑπόληψις κενὴ τὰ μυστήρια καὶ τοῦ δράκοντος ἀπάτη τίς ἐστιν θρῃσκευομένη, τὰς ἀμυήτους ὄντως μυήσεις καὶ τὰς ἀνοργιάστους τελετὰς εὐσεβείᾳ νόθῳ προστρεπομένων. οἷαι δὲ καὶ αἱ κίσται αἱ μυστικαί· δεῖ γὰρ ἀπογυμνῶσαι τὰ ἅγια αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ἄρρητα ἐξειπεῖν.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἐνήστευσα,, κίστην.«, »μεγαλήτορος«,, »μένει, ἔλπονται.«, »νυκτιπόλοις,). Check it against the printed edition.
And the following is the token of the Eleusinian mysteries: I have fasted, I have drunk the cup; I have received from the box; having done, I put it into the basket, and out of the basket into the chest. Fine sights truly, and becoming a goddess; mysteries worthy of the night, and flame, and the magnanimous or rather silly people of the Erechthidae, and the other Greeks besides, "whom a fate they hope not for awaits after death. And in truth against these Heraclitus the Ephesian prophesies, as "the night-walkers, the magi, the bacchanals, the Lenaean revellers, the initiated. These he threatens with what will follow death, and predicts for them fire. For what are regarded among men as mysteries, they celebrate sacrilegiously. Law, then, and opinion, are nugatory. And the mysteries of the dragon are an imposture, which celebrates religiously mysteries that are no mysteries at all, and observes with a spurious piety profane rites. What are these mystic chests?-for I must expose their sacred things, and divulge things not fit for speech.
This is the password of the Eleusinian mysteries: “I fasted, I drank the barley-drink, I took from the chest, and having done the work, I put it in the basket, and from the basket into the chest.” Fine sights indeed, and fitting for a goddess! These rites are worthy of night and fire, and of the “great-hearted” (or rather empty-minded) people of the sons of Erechtheus, and of the other Greeks too, for whom, “when they have died, there awaits what they do not even hope for.” For whom does Heraclitus of Ephesus prophesy? “Night-wanderers, magi, bacchants, maenads, initiates.” He threatens these with what follows death; for these he foretells fire. “For the mysteries customary among men are entered into in an unholy way.” So the mysteries are only custom and empty opinion. They are a deceit of the serpent that people treat as worship, for with counterfeit piety they turn to initiations that are really no initiations, and to rites that are no true rites. And what are the mystic chests like? For I must strip bare their holy things and speak out what may not be spoken.
Translator’s note. The Greek says that the mysteries themselves are a deceit of the serpent; Clement probably means the devil, the ancient serpent, with a glance at the snake used in these rites (see the next section).
οὐ σησαμαῖ ταῦτα καὶ πυραμίδες καὶ τολύπαι καὶ πόπανα πολυόμφαλα χόνδροι τε ἁλῶν καὶ δράκων, ὄργιον Διονύσου Βασσάρου; οὐχὶ δὲ ῥοιαὶ πρὸς τοῖσδε καὶ κράδαι νάρθηκές τε καὶ κιττοί, πρὸς δὲ καὶ φθοῖς καὶ μήκωνες; ταῦτ᾿ ἔστιν αὐτῶν τὰ ἅγια. καὶ προσέτι Γῆς Θέμιδος τὰ ἀπόρρητα σύμβολα ὀρίγανον, λύχνος, ξίφος, κτεὶς γυναικεῖος, ὅς ἐστιν, εὐφήμως καὶ μυστικῶς εἰπεῖν, μόριον γυναικεῖον. ὢ τῆς ἐμφανοῦς ἀναισχυντίας. πάλαι μὲν ἀνθρώποις σωφρονοῦσιν ἐπικάλυμμα ἡδονῆς νὺξ ἦν σιωπωμένη· νυνὶ δὲ τοῖς μυουμένοις πεῖρα τῆς ἀκρασίας νύξ ἐστι λαλουμένη, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἐλέγχει τὰ πάθη δᾳδουχούμενον. ἀπόσβεσον, ὦ ἱεροφάντα, τὸ πῦρ· αἰδέσθητι, δᾳδοῦχε, τὰς λαμπάδας· ἐλέγχει σου τὸν Ἴακχον τὸ φῶς· ἐπίτρεψον ἀποκρύψαι τῇ νυκτὶ τὰ μυστήρια· σκότει τετιμήσθω τὰ ὄργια· τὸ πῦρ οὐχ ὑποκρίνεται.
Are they not sesame cakes, and pyramidal cakes, and globular and flat cakes, embossed all over, and lumps of salt, and a serpent the symbol of Dionysus Bassareus? And besides these, are they not pomegranates, and branches, and rods, and ivy leaves? and besides, round cakes and poppy seeds? And further, there are the unmentionable symbols of Themis, marjoram, a lamp, a sword, a woman's comb, which is a euphemism and mystic expression for the muliebria. O unblushing shamelessness! Once on a time night was silent, a veil for the pleasure of temperate men; but now for the initiated, the holy night is the tell-tale of the rites of licentiousness; and the glare of torches reveals vicious indulgences. Quench the flame, O Hierophant; reverence, O Torch-bearer, the torches. That light exposes Iacchus; let thy mysteries be honoured, and command the orgies to be hidden in night and darkness.
Are they not sesame cakes, pyramid-shaped cakes, balls of wool, many-knobbed cakes, lumps of salt, and a serpent, the sacred emblem of Dionysus Bassareus? Besides these, are there not pomegranates, fig branches, fennel-wands and ivy, and also round cakes and poppies? These are their holy things. In addition there are the secret symbols of Earth-Themis: marjoram, a lamp, a sword, and a woman’s comb, which is (to put it politely and in mystic language) a woman’s private part. What open shamelessness! Once, for self-controlled people, night was kept silent and was a cover for pleasure. Now, for the initiates, night is talked about and becomes a test of their lack of self-control, and the fire of the torches exposes their passions. Put out the fire, hierophant! Show respect for the torches, torch-bearer! The light exposes your Iacchus. Allow night to hide the mysteries. Let the rites be honored with darkness. Fire does not pretend.
Translator’s note. “Balls of wool” may instead mean round cakes. The Greek word can mean either.
ἐλέγχειν καὶ κολάζειν κελεύεται. Ταῦτα τῶν ἀθέων τὰ μυστήρια· ἀθέους δὲ εἰκότως ἀποκαλῶ τούτους, οἳ τὸν ὄντως ὄντα θεὸν ἠγνοήκασιν, παιδίον δὲ ὑπὸ Τιτάνων διασπώμενον καὶ γύναιον πενθοῦν καὶ μόρια ἄρρητα ὡς ἀληθῶς ὑπ᾿ αἰσχύνης ἀναισχύντως σέβουσιν, διττῇ ἐνεσχημένοι τῇ ἀθεότητι, προτέρᾳ μέν, καθ᾿ ἣν ἀγνοοῦσι τὸν θεόν, τὸν ὄντως ὄντα μὴ γνωρίζοντες θεόν, ἑτέρᾳ δὲ καὶ δευτέρᾳ δὴ ταύτῃ τῇ πλάνῃ τοὺς οὐκ ὄντας ὡς ὄντας νομίζοντες καὶ θεοὺς τούτους ὀνομάζοντες τοὺς οὐκ ὄντως ὄντας, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ὄντας, μόνου δὲ τοῦ ὀνόματος τετυχηκότας. διὰ τοῦτό τοι καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος διελέγχει ἡμᾶς »καὶ ἦτε ξένοι« λέγων »τῶν διαθηκῶν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ἐλπίδα μὴ ἔχοντες καὶ ἄθεοι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ.« Πολλὰ κἀγαθὰ γένοιτο τῷ τῶν Σκυθῶν βασιλεῖ, ὅστις ποτὲ ἦν [Ἀνάχαρσις].
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»καὶ, ξένοι«, »τῶν, κόσμῳ.«). Check it against the printed edition.
The fire dissembles not; it exposes and punishes what it is bidden. Such are the mysteries of the Atheists. And with reason I call those Atheists who know not the true God, and pay shameless worship to a boy torn in pieces by the Titans, and a woman in distress, and to parts of the body that in truth cannot be mentioned for shame, held fast as they are in the double impiety, first in that they know not God, not acknowledging as God Him who truly is; the other and second is the error of regarding those who exist not, as existing and calling those gods that have no real existence, or rather no existence at all, who have nothing but a name. Wherefore the apostle reproves us, saying, "And ye were strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.
Fire is commanded to expose and to punish. These are the mysteries of the godless. I call them godless with good reason, because they have not known the God who truly exists. Instead they shamelessly worship a child being torn apart by the Titans, a grieving woman, and private parts that truly cannot be named for shame. They are caught in a double godlessness. The first is that they do not know God and do not recognize the God who truly is. The second is this further error: they think that those who do not exist do exist, and they call gods those who do not truly exist, or rather do not exist at all and have only the name. For this reason the apostle also exposes us when he says, “You were strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” Many good things be to the king of the Scythians, whoever he was.
Translator’s note. Editors usually bracket the name Anacharsis as a later addition; in Herodotus (4.76) Anacharsis was the man killed by a Scythian king, not the king himself.
Scripture: Ephesians 2:12
οὗτος τὸν πολίτην τὸν ἑαυτοῦ, τὴν παρὰ Κυζικηνοῖς μητρὸς τῶν θεῶν τελετὴν ἀπομιμούμενον παρὰ Σκύθαις τύμπανόν τε ἐπικτυποῦντα καὶ κύμβαλον ἐπηχοῦντα καὶ τοῦ τραχήλου τινὰ μηναγύρτην ἐξηρτημένον, κατετόξευσεν, ὡς ἄνανδρον αὐτόν τε παρ᾿ Ἕλλησι γεγενημένον καὶ τῆς θηλείας τοῖς ἄλλοις Σκυθῶν διδάσκαλον νόσου. ὧν δὴ χάριν (οὐ γὰρ οὐδαμῶς ἀποκρυπτέον) θαυμάζειν ἔπεισί μοι ὅτῳ τρόπῳ Εὐήμερον τὸν Ἀκραγαντῖνον καὶ Νικάνορα τὸν Κύπριον καὶ Διαγόραν καὶ Ἵππωνα τὼ Μηλίω τόν τε Κυρηναῖον ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐκεῖνον ([ὁ] Θεόδωρος ὄνομα αὐτῷ) καί τινας ἄλλους συχνούς, σωφρόνως βεβιωκότας καὶ καθεωρακότας ὀξύτερόν που τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν ἀμφὶ τοὺς θεοὺς τούτους πλάνην, ἀθέους ἐπικεκλήκασιν, εἰ καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν αὐτὴν μὴ νενοηκότας, ἀλλὰ τὴν πλάνην γε ὑπωπτευκότας, ὅπερ οὐ σμικρὸν εἰς ἀλήθειαν φρονήσεως ζώπυρον ἀναφύεται σπέρμα· ὧν ὃ μέν τις παρεγγυᾷ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις, »εἰ θεοὺς νομίζετε, μὴ θρηνεῖτε αὐτοὺς μηδὲ κόπτεσθε· εἰ δὲ πενθεῖτε αὐτούς, μηκέτι τούτους ἡγεῖσθε εἶναι θεούς,« ὃ δ᾿ Ἡρακλέα ἐκ ξύλου λαβὼν κατεσκευασμένον (ἔτυχε δὲ ἕψων τι οἴκοι, οἷα εἰκός) »εἶα δή, ὦ Ἡράκλεις«, εἶπεν· »νῦν σοι ἤδη καιρός, ὥσπερ Εὐρυσθεῖ, ἀτὰρ δὴ καὶ ἡμῖν ὑπουργῆσαι τὸν τρισκαιδέκατον τοῦτον ἆθλον καὶ Διαγόρᾳ τοὔψον παρασκευάσαι«, »κἆτ᾿ αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἐνέθηκεν ὡς ξύλον.« Ἀκρότητες ἄρα ἀμαθίας ἀθεότης καὶ δεισιδαιμονία, ὧν ἐκτὸς μένειν σπουδαστέον.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»εἰ, θεούς,«, »εἶα, Ἡράκλεις«,, »νῦν, παρασκευάσαι«,). Check it against the printed edition.
All honour to that king of the Scythians, whoever Anacharsis was, who shot with an arrow one of his subjects who imitated among the Scythians the mystery of the Mother of the gods, as practised by the inhabitants of Cyzicus, beating a drum and sounding a cymbal strung from his neck like a priest of Cybele, condemning him as having become effeminate among the Greeks, and a teacher of the disease of effeminacy to the rest of the Cythians. Wherefore (for I must by no means conceal it) I cannot help wondering how Euhemerus of Agrigentum, and Nicanor of Cyprus, and Diagoras, and Hippo of Melos, and besides these, that Cyrenian of the name of Theodorus, and numbers of others, who lived a sober life, and had a clearer insight than the rest of the world into the prevailing error respecting those gods, were called Atheists; for if they did not arrive at the knowledge of the truth, they certainly suspected the error of the common opinion; which suspicion is no insignificant seed, and becomes the germ of true wisdom. One of these charges the Egyptians thus: "If you believe them to be gods, do not mourn or bewail them; and if you mourn and bewail them, do not any more regard them as gods. And another, taking an image of Hercules made of wood (for he happened most likely to be cooking something at home), said, "Come now, Hercules; now is the time to undergo for us this thirteenth labour, as you did the twelve for Eurystheus, and make this ready for Diagoras," and so cast it into the fire as a log of wood. For the extremes of ignorance are atheism and superstition, from which we must endeavour to keep.
This king shot his own countryman with an arrow. The man was imitating among the Scythians the rite of the Mother of the gods as it is practiced at Cyzicus. He beat a drum, clashed a cymbal, and had an image of a begging priest of the goddess hanging from his neck. The king shot him because he had become unmanly among the Greeks and was teaching the other Scythians the female disease. For this reason (for I must not hide it) I wonder how Euhemerus of Acragas, Nicanor of Cyprus, the two Melians Diagoras and Hippo, the Cyrenian Theodorus, and many others came to be called atheists. These men lived sober lives and saw the error about these gods more sharply than other people. They may not have grasped the truth itself, but they at least suspected the error. That suspicion springs up as no small seed, a spark of understanding that leads toward the truth. One of them urges the Egyptians: “If you think they are gods, do not mourn for them or beat your breasts. But if you grieve for them, stop considering them gods.” Another took a wooden Heracles (he happened to be cooking something at home, as one might expect) and said, “Come now, Heracles. Now is your time to serve us as you served Eurystheus, and perform this thirteenth labor by preparing Diagoras’ dinner.” Then he put it on the fire like a piece of wood. So atheism and superstition are the extremes of ignorance, and we must work hard to stay clear of both.
Translator’s note. Other ancient sources usually call Euhemerus a man of Messene rather than of Acragas.
οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὸν ἱεροφάντην τῆς ἀληθείας Μωσέα προστάττοντα θλαδίαν καὶ ἀποκεκομμένον μὴ ἐκκλησιάζειν, καὶ προσέτι τὸν ἐκ πόρνης; αἰνίττεται δὲ διὰ μὲν τῶν προτέρων τὸν ἄθεον τρόπον τὸν τῆς θείας καὶ γονίμου δυνάμεως ἐστερημένον, διὰ δὲ τοῦ λοιποῦ τοῦ τρίτου τὸν πολλοὺς ἐπιγραφόμενον ψευδωνύμους θεοὺς ἀντὶ τοῦ μόνου ὄντος θεοῦ, ὥσπερ ὁ ἐκ τῆς πόρνης τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐπιγράφεται πατέρας ἀγνοίᾳ τοῦ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν πατρός. ἦν δέ τις ἔμφυτος ἀρχαία πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἀνθρώποις κοινωνία, ἀγνοίᾳ μὲν ἐσκοτισμένη, ἄφνω δέ που διεκθρῴσκουσα τοῦ σκότους καὶ ἀναλάμπουσα, οἷον δὴ ἐκεῖνο λέλεκταί τινι τὸ ὁρᾷς τὸν ὑψοῦ τόνδ᾿ ἄπειρον αἰθέρα καὶ γῆν πέριξ ἔχονθ᾿ ὑγραῖς ἐν ἀγκάλαις; καὶ τὸ ὦ γῆς ὄχημα κἀπὶ γῆς ἔχων ἕδραν, ὅστις ποτ᾿ εἶ σύ, δυστόπαστος εἰσιδεῖν, καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τοιαῦτα ποιητῶν ᾄδουσι παῖδες.
And do you not see Moses, the hierophant of the truth, enjoining that no eunuch, or emasculated man, or son of a harlot, should enter the congregation? By the two first he alludes to the impious custom by which men were deprived both of divine energy and of their virility; and by the third, to him who, in place of the only real God, assumes many gods falsely so called,-as the son of a harlot, in ignorance of his true father, may claim many putative fathers. There was an innate original communion between men and heaven, obscured through ignorance, but which now at length has leapt forth instantaneously from the darkness, and shines resplendent; as has been expressed by one in the following lines:- "See'st thou this lofty, this boundless ether, Holding the earth in the embrace of its humid arms. And in these:- "O Thou, who makest the earth Thy chariot, and in the earth hast Thy seat, Whoever Thou be, baffling our efforts to behold Thee. And whatever else the sons of the poets sing.
Do you not see Moses, the hierophant of the truth, commanding that a man with crushed or cut-off genitals must not enter the assembly, nor the son of a prostitute either? Through the first two he hints at the godless way of life, which lacks divine and fruitful power. Through the third he points to the person who claims many falsely named gods in place of the one God who truly exists. In the same way the son of a prostitute claims many fathers, because he does not know his real father. There was once an inborn, ancient fellowship between human beings and heaven. Ignorance darkened it, yet now and then it suddenly leaps out of the darkness and shines. This is what someone has said: “Do you see this boundless sky on high, which holds the earth all around in its moist arms?” And again: “O you who uphold the earth and have your seat upon the earth, whoever you are, so hard to guess at and to see,” and all the other things the sons of the poets sing.
Translator’s note. Both quotations are from Euripides. The first is from a lost play (fragment 941), and the second is from “The Trojan Women” (lines 884–885).
Scripture: Deuteronomy 23:1-2
ἔννοιαι δὲ ἡμαρτημέναι καὶ παρηγμέναι τῆς εὐθείας, ὀλέθριαι ὡς ἀληθῶς, τὸ οὐράνιον φυτόν, τὸν ἄνθρωπον, οὐρανίου ἐξέτρεψαν διαίτης καὶ ἐξετάνυσαν ἐπὶ γῆς, γηΐνοις προσανέχειν ἀναπείσασαι πλάσμασιν. οἳ μὲν γὰρ εὐθέως ἀμφὶ τὴν οὐρανοῦ θέαν ἀπατώμενοι καὶ ὄψει μόνῃ πεπιστευκότες τῶν ἀστέρων τὰς κινήσεις ἐπιθεώμενοι ἐθαύμασάν τε καὶ ἐξεθείασαν, θεοὺς ἐκ τοῦ θεῖν ὀνομάσαντες τοὺς ἀστέρας, καὶ προσεκύνησαν ἥλιον, ὡς Ἰνδοί, καὶ σελήνην, ὡς Φρύγες· οἳ δὲ τῶν ἐκ γῆς φυομένων τοὺς ἡμέρους δρεπόμενοι καρποὺς Δηὼ τὸν σῖτον, ὡς Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ Διόνυσον τὴν ἄμπελον, ὡς Θηβαῖοι, προσηγόρευσαν. ἄλλοι τὰς ἀμοιβὰς τῆς κακίας ἐπισκοπήσαντες θεοποιοῦσι τὰς ἀντιδόσεις προσκυνοῦντες καὶ τὰς συμφοράς. ἐντεῦθεν τὰς Ἐρινύας καὶ τὰς Εὐμενίδας Παλαμναίους τε καὶ Προστροπαίους, ἔτι δὲ Ἀλάστορας ἀναπεπλάκασιν οἱ ἀμφὶ τὴν σκηνὴν ποιηταί.
But sentiments erroneous, and deviating from what is right, and certainly pernicious, have turned man, a creature of heavenly origin, away from the heavenly life, and stretched him on the earth, by inducing him to cleave to earthly objects. For some, beguiled by the contemplation of the heavens, and trusting to their sight alone, while they looked on the motions of the stars, straightway were seized with admiration, and deified them, calling the stars gods from their motion (qeo/j fromqei=n); and worshipped the sun,-as, for example, the Indians; and the moon, as the Phrygians. Others, plucking the benignant fruits of earth-born plants, called grain Demeter, as the Athenians, and the vine Dionysus, as the Thebans. Others, considering the penalties of wickedness, deified them, worshipping various forms of retribution and calamity. Hence the Erinnyes, and the Eumenides, and the piacular deities, and the judges and avengers of crime, are the creations of the tragic poets.
But mistaken ideas, led away from the straight path and truly deadly, turned man, the heavenly plant, away from a heavenly way of life and stretched him out on the earth. They persuaded him to devote himself to images molded from earth. Some people were deceived at once by the sight of the heavens. They trusted their eyes alone and watched the movements of the stars. They admired them and made gods of them, calling the stars *theoi* (“gods”) from *thein*, “to run.” They worshiped the sun, as the Indians do, and the moon, as the Phrygians do. Others gathered the cultivated fruits that grow from the earth. They called grain Deo, as the Athenians do, and the vine Dionysus, as the Thebans do. Others looked at the payments that wickedness brings and made gods of those repayments, worshiping retributions and disasters. From this come the Erinyes and the Eumenides, the Palamnaioi and Prostropaioi, and also the Alastors, which the poets of the stage have invented.
Translator’s note. The Erinyes (“Furies”) were the avenging spirits of Greek myth, and “Eumenides” (“the Kindly Ones”) was a softening name for the same beings. Palamnaioi, Prostropaioi and Alastors are names for spirits that avenge bloodshed and other crimes.
φιλοσόφων δὲ ἤδη τινὲς καὶ αὐτοὶ μετὰ τοὺς ποιητικοὺς τῶν ἐν ὑμῖν παθῶν ἀνειδωλοποιοῦσι τύπους τὸν Φόβον καὶ τὸν Ἔρωτα καὶ τὴν Χαρὰν καὶ τὴν Ἐλπίδα, ὥσπερ ἀμέλει καὶ Ἐπιμενίδης ὁ παλαιὸς Ὕβρεως καὶ Ἀναιδείας Ἀθήνησιν ἀναστήσας βωμούς· οἳ δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν ὁρμώμενοι τῶν πραγμάτων ἐκθεοῦνται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις καὶ σωματικῶς ἀναπλάττονται, Δίκη τις καὶ Κλωθὼ καὶ Λάχεσις καὶ Ἄτροπος καὶ Εἱμαρμένη, Αὐξώ τε καὶ Θαλλώ, αἱ Ἀττικαί. ἕκτος ἐστὶν εἰσηγητικὸς τρόπος ἀπάτης θεῶν περιποιητικός, καθ᾿ ὃν ἀριθμοῦσι θεοὺς τοὺς δώδεκα· ὧν καὶ θεογονίαν Ἡσίοδος ᾄδει τὴν αὑτοῦ, καὶ ὅσα θεολογεῖ Ὅμηρος. τελευταῖος δὲ ὑπολείπεται (ἑπτὰ γὰρ οἱ ἅπαντες οὗτοι τρόποι) ὁ ἀπὸ τῆς θείας εὐεργεσίας τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καταγινομένης ὁρμώμενος.
And some even of the philosophers, after the poets, make idols of forms of the affections in your breasts,-such as fear, and love, and joy, and hope; as, to be sure, Epimenides of old, who raised ar Athens the altars of Insult and Impudence. Other objects deified by men take their rise from events, and are fashioned in bodily shape, such as a Dike, a Clotho, and Lachesis, and Atropos, and Heimarmene, and Auxo, and Thallo, which are Attic goddesses. There is a sixth mode of introducing error and of manufacturing gods, according to which they number the twelve gods, whose birth is the theme of which Hesiod sings in his Theogony, and of whom Homer speaks in all that he says of the gods. The last mode remains (for there are seven in all)-that which takes its rise from the divine beneficence towards men.
Some philosophers also, following the poets, make idols out of the shapes of the passions within you: Fear, Love, Joy and Hope. So, for example, the ancient Epimenides set up altars at Athens to Insolence and Shamelessness. Other gods arise from events and things themselves, and people make gods of them and give them bodily form: a certain Justice, Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos, Fate, and the Attic goddesses Auxo and Thallo. There is a sixth way of deception, which produces gods: the one by which they count up the twelve gods. Hesiod sings the genealogy of these gods in his own way, and Homer says much about them in his talk of the gods. The last way remains, for there are seven ways in all. It starts from the divine kindness shown to human beings.
Translator’s note. Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos are the three Fates of Greek myth. Auxo and Thallo, whose names mean roughly “Growth” and “Blooming,” were goddesses honored at Athens.
τὸν γὰρ· εὐεργετοῦντα μὴ συνιέντες θεὸν ἀνέπλασάν τινας σωτῆρας Διοσκούρους καὶ Ἡρακλέα ἀλεξίκακον καὶ Ἀσκληπιὸν ἰατρόν. αὗται μὲν αἱ ὀλισθηραί τε καὶ ἐπιβλαβεῖς παρεκβάσεις τῆς ἀληθείας, καθέλκουσαι οὐρανόθεν τὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ εἰς βάραθρον περιτρέπουσαι. ἐθέλω δὲ ὑμῖν ἐν χρῷ τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτοὺς· ἐπιδεῖξαι ὁποῖοί τινες καὶ εἴ τινες, ἵν᾿ ἤδη ποτὲ τῆς πλάνης λήξητε, αὖθις δὲ παλινδρομήσητε εἰς οὐρανόν. »ἦμεν γάρ που καὶ ἡμεῖς τέκνα ὀργῆς, ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποί· ὁ δὲ θεὸς πλούσιος ὢν ἐν ἐλέει, διὰ τὴν πολλὴν ἀγάπην αὐτοῦ, ἣν ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς, ὄντας ἤδη νεκροὺς τοῖς παραπτώμασιν συνεζωοποίησεν τῷ Χριστῷ.« ζῶν γὰρ ὁ λόγος καὶ ὁ συνταφεὶς Χριστῷ συνυψοῦται θεῷ. οἱ δὲ ἔτι ἄπιστοι »τέκνα ὀργῆς« ὀνομάζονται, τρεφόμενα ὀργῇ· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ὀργῆς θρέμματα ἔτι, οἱ τῆς πλάνης ἀπεσπασμένοι, ᾄσσοντες δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἦμεν, Χριστῷ.«, »τέκνα, ὀργῆς«). Check it against the printed edition.
For, not understanding that it is God that does us good, they have invented saviours in the persons of the Dioscuri, and Hercules the averter of evil, and Asclepius the healer. These are the slippery and hurtful deviations from the truth which draw man down from heaven, and cast him into the abyss. I wish to show thoroughly what like these gods of yours are, that now at length you may abandon your delusion, and speed your flight back to heaven. "For we also were once children of wrath, even as others; but God, being rich in mercy, for the great love wherewith He loved us, when we were now dead in trespasses, quickened us together with Christ. For the Word is living, and having been buried with Christ, is exalted with God. But those who are still unbelieving are called children of wrath, reared for wrath. We who have been rescued from error, and restored to the truth, are no longer the nurslings of wrath.
They did not understand that it is God who does us good. So they invented saviors: the Dioscuri, Heracles the averter of evil, and Asclepius the healer. These are slippery and harmful departures from the truth. They drag man down from heaven and tip him into a pit. I want to show you these gods up close, to show what sort they are and whether they are anything at all. Then you may finally give up your error and run back again to heaven. “For we too were once children of wrath, like the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, made us alive together with Christ, when we were already dead in our trespasses.” For the Word is living, and the one who was buried with Christ is exalted together with God. Those who are still unbelieving are called “children of wrath,” nourished on wrath. But we are no longer wrath’s nurslings, since we have been torn away from error and are rushing toward the truth.
Translator’s note. The Greek here more naturally means that the Word is living and that the person buried with Christ is exalted with God, not that the Word himself was buried with Christ.
Scripture: Ephesians 2:3-5; Colossians 2:12
ταύτῃ τοι ἡμεῖς οἱ τῆς ἀνομίας υἱοί ποτε διὰ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν τοῦ λόγου νῦν υἱοὶ γεγόναμεν τοῦ θεοῦ· ὑμῖν δὲ καὶ ὁ ὑμέτερος ὑποδύεται ποιητὴς ὁ Ἀκραγαντῖνος Ἐμπεδοκλῆς· τοιγάρτοι χαλεπῇσιν ἀλύοντες κακότησιν οὔ ποτε δειλαίων ἀχέων λωφήσετε θυμόν. τὰ μὲν δὴ πλεῖστα μεμύθευται καὶ πέπλασται περὶ θεῶν ὑμῖν· τὰ δὲ [καὶ] ὅσα γεγενῆσθαι ὑπείληπται, ταῦτα δὲ περὶ ἀνθρώπων αἰσχρῶν καὶ ἀσελγῶς βεβιωκότων ἀναγέγραπται· τύφῳ καὶ μανίῃ δὲ βαδίζετε καὶ τρίβον ὀρθὴν εὐθεῖαν προλιπόντες ἀπήλθετε τὴν δι᾿ ἀκανθῶν καὶ σκολόπων. τί πλανᾶσθε, βροτοί; παύσασθε, μάταιοι, καλλίπετε σκοτίην νυκτός, φωτὸς δὲ λάβεσθε. ταῦτα ἡμῖν ἡ προφητικὴ παρεγγυᾷ καὶ ποιητικὴ Σίβυλλα· παρεγγυᾷ δὲ καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια, γυμνοῦσα τῶν καταπληκτικῶν τουτωνὶ καὶ ἐκπληκτικῶν προσωπείων τὸν ὄχλον τῶν θεῶν, συνωνυμίαις τισὶ τὰς δοξοποιίας διελέγχουσα.
Thus, therefore, we who were once the children of lawlessness, have through the philanthropy of the Word now become the sons of God. But to you a poet of your own, Empedocles of Agrigentum, comes and says:- "Wherefore, distracted with grievous evils, You will never ease your soul of its miserable woes. The most of what is told of your gods is fabled and invented; and those things which are supposed to have taken place, are recorded of vile men who lived licentious lives:- "You walk in pride and madness, And leaving the right and straight path, you have gone away Through thorns and briars. Why do ye wander? Cease, foolish men, from mortals; Leave the darkness of night, and lay hold on the light. These counsels the Sibyl, who is at once prophetic and poetic, enjoins on us; and truth enjoins them on us too, stripping the crowd of deities of those terrifying and threatening masks of theirs, disproving the rash opinions formed of them by showing the similarity of names.
In this way we, who were once sons of lawlessness, have now become sons of God, through the Word’s love for humankind. Your own poet, Empedocles of Acragas, steps in and speaks to you: “Therefore, distraught amid grievous evils, you will never ease your heart of its wretched sorrows.” Most of what is told about your gods is myth and invention. The rest, what is supposed to have really happened, is written about shameful men who lived licentious lives. “You walk in pride and madness. You have left the straight, right path and gone off by the one through thorns and stakes. Why do you wander, mortals? Stop, you fools. Leave the darkness of night and take hold of the light.” The Sibyl, prophetic and poetic, urges this on us. Truth urges it too. She strips the crowd of gods of these terrifying, stunning masks, and she exposes the opinions people have built up about them by pointing out how they share the same names.
Translator’s note. “Share the same names”: in what follows, Clement points out that there were several gods called Zeus, Athena and so on, to show that these figures are human inventions. The Greek word translated “opinions” means opinions that people have made up.
Αὐτίκα γοῦν εἰσὶν οἳ τρεῖς τοὺς Ζῆνας ἀναγράφουσιν, τὸν μὲν Αἰθέρος ἐν Ἀρκαδίᾳ, τὼ δὲ λοιπὼ τοῦ Κρόνου παῖδε, τούτοιν τὸν μὲν ἐν Κρήτῃ, θάτερον δὲ ἐν Ἀρκαδίᾳ πάλιν. εἰσὶ δὲ οἳ πέντε Ἀθηνᾶς ὑποτίθενται, τὴν μὲν Ἡφαίστου, τὴν Ἀθηναίαν· τὴν δὲ Νείλου, τὴν Αἰγυπτίαν· τρίτην τὴν τοῦ Κρόνου, τὴν πολέμου εὑρέτιν· τετάρτην τὴν Διός, ἣν Μεσσήνιοι Κορυφασίαν ἀπὸ τῆς μητρὸς ἐπικεκλήκασιν· ἐπὶ πᾶσι τὴν Πάλλαντος καὶ Τιτανίδος τῆς Ὠκεανοῦ, ἣ τὸν πατέρα δυσσεβῶς καταθύσασα τῷ πατρῴῳ κεκόσμηται δέρματι ὥσπερ κῳδίῳ. ναὶ μὴν Ἀπόλλωνα ὁ μὲν Ἀριστοτέλης πρῶτον Ἡφαίστου καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς (ἐνταῦθα δὴ οὐκέτι παρθένος ἡ Ἀθηνᾶ), δεύτερον ἐν Κρήτῃ τὸν Κύρβαντος, τρίτον τὸν Διὸς καὶ τέταρτον τὸν Ἀρκάδα τὸν Σιληνοῦ· Νόμιος οὗτος κέκληται παρὰ Ἀρκάσιν· ἐπὶ τούτοις τὸν Λίβυν καταλέγει τὸν Ἄμμωνος· ὁ δὲ Δίδυμος ὁ γραμματικὸς τούτοις ἕκτον ἐπιφέρει τὸν Μάγνητος.
For there are those who reckon three Jupiters: him of Aether in Arcadia, and the other two sons of Kronos; and of these, one in Crete, and the others again in Arcadia. And there are those that reckon five Athenes: the Athenian, the daughter of Hephaestus; the second, the Egyptian, the daughter of Nilus; the third the inventor of war, the daughter of Kronos; the fourth, the daughter of Zeus, whom the Messenians have named Coryphasia, from her mother; above all, the daughter of Pallas and Titanis, the daughter of Oceanus, who, having wickedly killed her father, adorned herself with her father's skin, as if it had been the fleece of a sheep. Further, Aristotle calls the first Apollo, the son of Hephaestus and Athene (consequently Athene is no more a virgin); the second, that in Crete, the son of Corybas; the third, the son Zeus; the fourth, the Arcadian, the son of Silenus (this one is called by the Arcadians Nomius); and in addition to these, he specifies the Libyan Apollo, the son of Ammon; and to these Didymus the grammarian adds a sixth, the son of Magnes.
For instance, some writers list three Zeuses. One is the son of Aether, in Arcadia. The other two are sons of Cronus, one in Crete and the other again in Arcadia. Some also suppose five Athenas. The first is the daughter of Hephaestus, the Athenian. The second is the daughter of Nilus, the Egyptian. The third is the daughter of Cronus, the inventor of war. The fourth is the daughter of Zeus, whom the Messenians call Koryphasia after her mother. Last is the daughter of Pallas and of Titanis, daughter of Oceanus. She impiously sacrificed her father and adorned herself with his skin, like a fleece. Then there is Apollo. Aristotle names as the first the son of Hephaestus and Athena (so here Athena is no longer a virgin). The second is the Cretan, the son of Cyrbas. The third is the son of Zeus. The fourth is the Arcadian, the son of Silenus, called Nomios among the Arcadians. After these he lists the Libyan, the son of Ammon. Didymus the grammarian adds a sixth, the son of Magnes.
πόσοι δὲ καὶ νῦν Ἀπόλλωνες, ἀναρίθμητοι θνητοὶ καὶ ἐπίκηροί τινες ἄνθρωποι, εἰσίν, οἱ παραπλησίως τοῖς προειρημένοις ἐκείνοις κεκλημένοι; τί δ᾿ εἴ σοι τοὺς πολλοὺς εἴποιμι Ἀσκληπιοὺς ἢ τοὺς Ἑρμᾶς τοὺς ἀριθμουμένους ἢ τοὺς Ἡφαίστους τοὺς μυθολογουμένους; μὴ καὶ περιττὸς εἶναι δόξω τὰς ἀκοὰς ὑμῶν τοῖς πολλοῖς τούτοις ἐπικλύζων ὀνόμασιν; ἀλλ᾿ αἵ γε πατρίδες αὐτοὺς καὶ αἱ τέχναι καὶ οἱ βίοι, πρὸς δέ γε καὶ οἱ τάφοι ἀνθρώπους γεγονότας διελέγχουσιν. Ἄρης γοῦν ὁ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ποιηταῖς, ὡς οἷόν τε, τετιμημένος, Ἆρες, Ἄρες, βροτολοιγέ, μιαιφόνε, τειχεσιπλῆτα, ὁ ἀλλοπρόσαλλος οὗτος καὶ ἀνάρσιος, ὡς μὲν Ἐπίχαρμός φησι, Σπαρτιάτης ἦν· Σοφοκλῆς δὲ Θρᾷκα οἶδεν αὐτόν· ἄλλοι δὲ Ἀρκάδα. τοῦτον δὲ Ὅμηρος δεδέσθαι φησὶν ἐπὶ μῆνας τρισκαίδεκα· τλῆ μὲν Ἄρης, ὅτε μιν Ὦτος κρατερός τ᾿ Ἐπιάλτης, παῖδες Ἀλωῆος, δῆσαν κρατερῷ ἐνὶ δεσμῷ· χαλκέῳ δ᾿ ἐν κεράμῳ δέδετο τρισκαίδεκα μῆνας.
And now how many Apollos are there? They are numberless, mortal men, all helpers of their fellow-men who similarly with those already mentioned have been so called. And what were I to mention the many Asclepiuses, or all the Mercuries that are reckoned up, or the Vulcans of fable? Shall I not appear extravagant, deluging your ears with these numerous names? At any rate, the native countries of your gods, and their arts and lives, and besides especially their sepulchres, demonstrate them to have been men. Mars, accordingly, who by the poets is held in the highest possible honour:- "Mars, Mars, bane of men, blood-stained stormer of walls," - this deity, always changing sides, and implacable, as Epicharmus says, was a Spartan; Sophocles knew him for a Thracian; others say he was an Arcadian. This god, Homer says, was bound thirteen months:- "Mars had his suffering; by Aloeus' sons, Otus and Ephialtes, strongly bound, He thirteen months in brazen fetters lay.
How many Apollos are there even now? They are countless: mortal, perishable men who have been given the same name, just like those already mentioned. What if I told you about the many Asclepiuses, or the Hermeses on the lists, or the Hephaestuses of the myths? Would I not seem excessive, flooding your ears with so many names? But their homelands, their crafts, their lives, and even their tombs prove that they were men. Take Ares, whom even the poets honor as highly as they can: “Ares, Ares, bane of mortals, blood-stained wall-batterer.” This fickle, hostile god was a Spartan, according to Epicharmus. Sophocles knows him as a Thracian, and others say he was an Arcadian. Homer says he was kept in chains for thirteen months: “Ares endured it, when Otus and mighty Ephialtes, the sons of Aloeus, bound him in a strong bond. He was bound in a bronze jar for thirteen months.”
Translator’s note. The two Homer quotations are from the Iliad (5.31 and 5.385–387). “Fickle” echoes another Homeric description of Ares as one who changes sides.
πολλὰ κἀγαθὰ Κᾶρες σχοῖεν, οἵ καταθύουσιν αὐτῷ τοὺς κύνας. Σκύθαι δὲ τοὺς ὄνους ἱερεύοντες μὴ παυέσθων, ὡς Ἀπολλόδωρός φησι καὶ Καλλίμαχος, Φοῖβος Ὑπερβορέοισιν ὄνων ἐπιτέλλεται ἱροῖς. ὁ αὐτὸς δὲ ἀλλαχοῦ τέρπουσιν λιπαραὶ Φοῖβον ὀνοσφαγίαι. Ἥφαιστος δέ, ὃν ἔρριψεν ἐξ Ὀλύμπου Ζεὺς »βηλοῦ ἀπὸ θεσπεσίοιο«, ἐν Λήμνῳ καταπεσὼν ἐχάλκευε, πηρωθεὶς τὼ πόδε, »ὑπὸ δὲ κνῆμαι ῥώοντο ἀραιαί.« ἔχεις καὶ ἰατρόν, οὐχὶ χαλκέα μόνον ἐν θεοῖς· ὁ δὲ ἰατρὸς φιλάργυρος ἦν, Ἀσκληπιὸς ὄνομα αὐτῷ. καί σοι τὸν σὸν παραθήσομαι ποιητήν, τὸν Βοιώτιον Πίνδαρον· ἔτραπε κἀκεῖνον ἀγάνορι μισθῷ χρυσὸς ἐν χερσὶ φανείς· χερσὶ δ᾿ ἄρα Κρονίων ῥίψας δι᾿ ἀμφοῖν ἀμπνοὰν στέρνων καθεῖλεν ὠκέως, αἴθων δὲ κεραυνὸς ἐνέσκηψε μόρον, καὶ Εὐριπίδης Ζεὺς γὰρ κατακτὰς παῖδα τὸν ἐμὸν αἴτιος Ἀσκληπιόν, στέρνοισιν ἐμβαλὼν φλόγα.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»βηλοῦ, θεσπεσίοιο«,, »ὑπὸ, ἀραιαί.«). Check it against the printed edition.
Good luck attend the Carians, who sacrifice dogs to him! And may the Scythians never leave off sacrificing asses, as Apollodorus and Callimachus relate:- "Phoebus rises propitious to the Hyperboreans, Then they offer sacrifices of asses to him. And the same in another place:- "Fat sacrifices of asses' flesh delight Phoebus. Hephaestus, whom Jupiter cast from Olympus, from its divine threshold, having fallen on Lemnos, practised the art of working in brass, maimed in his feet:- "His tottering knees were bowed beneath his weight. You have also a doctor, and not only a brass-worker among the gods. And the doctor was greedy of gold; Asclepius was his name. I shall produce as a witness your own poet, the Boeotian Pindar:- "Him even the gold glittering in his hands, Amounting to a splendid fee, persuaded To rescue a man, already death's capture, from his grasp; But Saturnian Jove, having shot his bolt through both, Quickly took the breath from their breasts, And his flaming thunderbolt sealed their doom. And Euripides:- "For Zeus was guilty of the murder of my son Asclepius, by casting the lightning flame at his breast.
May the Carians fare well, who sacrifice dogs to him! And let the Scythians never stop sacrificing donkeys, as Apollodorus and Callimachus say: “Phoebus comes to the Hyperboreans’ sacrifices of donkeys.” The same poet says elsewhere: “Rich donkey-slaughterings delight Phoebus.” Then there is Hephaestus, whom Zeus threw from Olympus, “from the divine threshold.” He fell on Lemnos and worked as a smith, crippled in both feet: “and his thin legs moved quickly beneath him.” So among the gods you have not only a smith but also a physician. And the physician loved money. His name was Asclepius. I will bring in your own poet as witness, Pindar of Boeotia: “Him too gold, shown in his hands, turned aside for a lordly fee. Then the son of Cronus hurled his bolt from his hands right through the two of them and quickly took the breath from their chests. The blazing thunderbolt brought down their doom.” Euripides says as well: “For Zeus is to blame for killing my son Asclepius, striking flame into his chest.”
Translator’s note. The line about Hephaestus’s legs is from Homer, Iliad 18.411. The Greek says his thin legs moved quickly beneath him.
οὗτος μὲν οὖν κεῖται κεραυνωθεὶς ἐν τοῖς Κυνοσουρίδος ὁρίοις. Φιλόχορος δὲ ἐν Τήνῳ Ποσειδῶνά φησι τιμᾶσθαι ἰατρόν, Κρόνῳ δὲ ἐπικεῖσθαι Σικελίαν καὶ ἐνταῦθα αὐτὸν τεθάφθαι. Πατροκλῆς τε ὁ Θούριος καὶ Σοφοκλῆς ὁ νεώτερος ἔν τισι τραγῳδίαις ἱστορεῖτον τοῖν Διοσκούροιν πέρι· ἀνθρώπω τινὲ τούτω τὼ Διοσκούρω ἐπικήρω ἐγενέσθην, εἴ τῳ ἱκανὸς πιστώσασθαι Ὅμηρος τὸ λελεγμένον τοὺς δ᾿ ἤδη κάτεχεν φυσίζοος αἶα ἐν Λακεδαίμονι αὖθι, φίλῃ ἐν πατρίδι γαίῃ. προσίτω δὲ καὶ ὁ τὰ Κυπριακὰ ποιήματα γράψας Κάστωρ μὲν θνητός, θανάτου δέ οἱ αἶσα πέπρωται· αὐτὰρ ὅ γ᾿ ἀθάνατος Πολυδεύκης, ὄζος Ἄρηος. τοῦτο μὲν ποιητικῶς ἐψεύσατο· Ὅμηρος δὲ ἀξιοπιστότερος αὐτοῦ εἰπὼν περὶ ἀμφοῖν τοῖν Διοσκούροιν, πρὸς δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἡρακλέα εἴδωλον ἐλέγξας· »φῶτα« γὰρ »Ἡρακλῆα, μεγάλων ἐπιίστορα ἔργων«.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»φῶτα«, »Ἡρακλῆα,, ἔργων«.). Check it against the printed edition.
He therefore lies struck with lightning in the regions of Cynosuris. Philochorus also says, that Poseidon was worshipped as a physician in Tenos; and that Kronos settled in Sicily, and there was buried. Patroclus the Thurian, and Sophocles the younger, in three tragedies, have told the story of the Dioscuri; and these Dioscuri were only two mortals, if Homer is worthy of of credit:- " ... but they beneath the teeming earth, In Lacedaemon lay, their native land. And, in addition, he who wrote the Cyprian poems says Castor was mortal, and death was decreed to him by fate; but Pollux was immortal, being the progeny of Mars. This he has poetically fabled. But Homer is more worthy of credit, who spoke as above of both the Dioscuri; and, besides, proved Herucles to be a mere phantom:- "The man Hercules, expert in mighty deeds.
So Asclepius lies there, struck by lightning, in the territory of Cynosuris. Philochorus says that Poseidon is honored as a physician in Tenos, and that Sicily lies on top of Cronus, who is buried there. Patrocles of Thurii and Sophocles the younger tell the story of the Dioscuri in some of their tragedies. These two Dioscuri were mortal men, subject to death, if Homer is reliable enough to confirm what was said: “But them the life-giving earth already held, there in Lacedaemon, in their own dear native land.” Let the writer of the Cyprian poems come forward too: “Castor is mortal, and the fate of death is appointed for him; but Polydeuces is immortal, a scion of Ares.” That was a poet’s lie. Homer is more trustworthy than he is. Homer spoke this way of both Dioscuri, and he also exposed Heracles as a mere shade of the dead, for he calls him “the man Heracles, who had a hand in great deeds.”
Translator’s note. The Homer lines on the Dioscuri are Iliad 3.243–244. The line on Heracles is from Odyssey 21.26. In Odyssey 11 Odysseus sees the “shade” (eidolon) of Heracles among the dead, which is probably what Clement has in mind.
Ἡρακλέα οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς Ὅμηρος θνητὸν οἶδεν ἄνθρωπον, Ἱερώνυμος δὲ ὁ φιλόσοφος καὶ τὴν σχέσιν αὐτοῦ ὑφηγεῖται τοῦ σώματος, μικρόν, φριξότριχα, ῥωστικόν· Δικαίαρχος δὲ σχιζίαν, νευρώδη, μέλανα, γρυπόν, ὑποχαροπόν, τετανότριχα. οὗτος οὖν ὁ Ἡρακλῆς δύο πρὸς τοῖς πεντήκοντα ἔτη βεβιωκὼς κατέστρεψε τὸν βίον διὰ τῆς ἐν Οἴτῃ πυρᾶς κεκηδευμένος. Τὰς δὲ Μούσας, ἃς Ἀλκμὰν Διὸς καὶ Μνημοσύνης γενεαλογεῖ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ποιηταὶ καὶ συγγραφεῖς ἐκθειάζουσιν καὶ σέβουσιν, ἤδη δὲ καὶ ὅλαι πόλεις μουσεῖα τεμενίζουσιν αὐταῖς, Μυσὰς οὔσας θεραπαινίδας ταύτας ἐώνηται Μεγακλὼ ἡ θυγάτηρ ἡ Μάκαρος. ὁ δὲ Μάκαρ Λεσβίων μὲν ἐβασίλευεν, διεφέρετο δὲ ἀεὶ πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα, ἠγανάκτει δὲ ἡ Μεγακλὼ ὑπὲρ τῆς μητρός· τί δ᾿ οὐκ ἔμελλε; καὶ Μυσὰς θεραπαινίδας ταύτας τοσαύτας τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὠνεῖται καὶ καλεῖ Μοίσας κατὰ τὴν διαλεκτον τὴν Αἰολέων.
Hercules, therefore, was known by Homer himself as only a mortal man. And Hieronymus the philosopher describes the make of his body, as tall, bristling-haired, robust; and Dicaearchus says that he was square-built, muscular, dark, hook-nosed, with greyish eyes and long hair. This Hercules, accordingly, after living fifty-two years, came to his end, and was burned in a funeral pyre in Oeta. As for the Muses, whom Alcander calls the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and the rest of the poets and authors deify and worship,-those Muses, in honour of whom whole states have already erected museums, being handmaids, were hired by Megaclo, the daughter of Macar. This Macar reigned over the Lesbians, and was always quarrelling with his wife; and Megaclo was vexed for her mother's sake. What would she not do on her account? Accordingly she hires those handmaids, being so many in number, and calls them Mysae, according to the dialect of the Aeolians.
So Homer himself knows Heracles as a mortal man. The philosopher Hieronymus even describes the build of his body: small, bristly-haired, strong. Dicaearchus describes him as lean, sinewy, dark, hook-nosed, with rather bright eyes and straight hair. This Heracles lived fifty-two years. He ended his life and was given his funeral on the pyre on Mount Oeta. Then there are the Muses. Alcman gives them as the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and the other poets and prose writers deify and worship them. Whole cities even set apart sacred precincts, “museums,” for them. Yet they were Mysian servant girls, bought by Megaclo, the daughter of Macar. Macar was king of the Lesbians and was always quarreling with his wife. Megaclo was angry on her mother’s behalf, and why would she not be? So she bought these Mysian servant girls, the same number as the Muses, and in the Aeolic dialect called them Moisai, “Muses.”
Translator’s note. The Greek says Megaclo bought (ἐώνηται) Mysian servant girls; “Moisai” is the Aeolic form of “Muses.”
ταύτας ἐδιδάξατο ᾄδειν καὶ κιθαρίζειν τὰς πράξεις τὰς παλαιὰς ἐμμελῶς. αἳ δὲ συνεχῶς κιθαρίζουσαι καὶ καλῶς κατεπᾴδουσαι τὸν Μάκαρα ἔθελγον καὶ κατέπαυον τῆς ὀργῆς. οὗ δὴ χάριν ἡ Μεγακλὼ χαριστήριον αὐτὰς ὑπὲρ τῆς μητρὸς ἀνέθηκε χαλκᾶς καὶ ἀνὰ πάντα ἐκέλευσε τιμᾶσθαι τὰ ἱερά. καὶ αἱ μὲν Μοῦσαι τοιαίδε· ἡ δὲ ἱστορία παρὰ Μυρσίλῳ τῷ Λεσβίῳ. Ἀκούετε δὴ οὖν τῶν παρ᾿ ὑμῖν θεῶν τοὺς ἔρωτας καὶ τὰς παραδόξους τῆς ἀκρασίας μυθολογίας καὶ τραύματα αὐτῶν καὶ δεσμὰ καὶ γέλωτας καὶ μάχας δουλείας τε ἔτι καὶ συμπόσια συμπλοκάς τ᾿ αὖ καὶ δάκρυα καὶ πάθη καὶ μαχλώσας ἡδονάς. κάλει μοι τὸν Ποσειδῶ καὶ τὸν χορὸν τῶν διεφθαρμένων ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, τὴν Ἀμφιτρίτην, τὴν Ἀμυμώνην, τὴν Ἀλόπην, τὴν Μελανίππην, τὴν Ἀλκυόνην, τὴν Ἱπποθόην, τὴν Χιόνην, τὰς ἄλλας τὰς μυρίας· ἐν αἷς δὴ καὶ τοσαύταις οὔσαις ἔτι τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος ὑμῶν ἐστενοχωρεῖτο τὰ πάθη.
These she taught to sing deeds of the olden time, and play melodiously on the lyre. And they, by assiduously playing the lyre, and singing sweetly to it, soothed Macar, and put a stop to his ill-temper. Wherefore Megaclo, as a token of gratitude to them, on her mother's account erected brazen pillars, and ordered them to be held in honour in all the temples. Such, then, are the Muses. This account is in Myrsilus of Lesbos. And now, then, hear the loves of your gods, and the incredible tales of their licentiousness, and their wounds, and their bonds, and their laughings, and their fights, their servitudes too, and their banquets; and furthermore, their embraces, and tears, and sufferings, and lewd delights. Call me Poseidon, and the troop of damsels deflowered by him, Amphitrite Amymone, Alope, Melanippe, Alcyone, Hippothoe, Chione, and myriads of others; with whom, though so many, the passions of your Poseidon were not satiated.
She taught them to sing and to play the lyre, setting the deeds of old to music. By playing constantly and singing sweetly, they charmed Macar and put a stop to his anger. For this reason Megaclo set up bronze figures of them as a thank-offering on her mother’s behalf, and ordered that they be honored in all the temples. That is the story of the Muses, and it comes from Myrsilus of Lesbos. Now listen to the loves of the gods you worship. Hear the strange tales of their lack of self-control, their wounds and chains, their laughter and fights, their slavery as well, their drinking parties, their embraces, tears and sufferings, and their lewd pleasures. Call Poseidon for me, and the chorus of women ruined by him: Amphitrite, Amymone, Alope, Melanippe, Alcyone, Hippothoe, Chione, and countless others. Even with so many, your Poseidon’s passions still felt cramped.
Translator’s note. The Greek says only that the figures were “bronze.” In the last sentence, ἐστενοχωρεῖτο means “felt cramped” or “lacked room,” not simply “was not satisfied.”
κάλει μοι καὶ τὸν Ἀπόλλω· Φοῖβός ἐστιν οὗτος καὶ μάντις ἁγνὸς καὶ σύμβουλος ἀγαθός· ἀλλ᾿ οὐ ταῦτα ἡ Στερόπη λέγει οὐδὲ ἡ Αἴθουσα οὐδὲ ἡ Ἀρσινόη οὐδὲ ἡ Ζευξίππη οὐδὲ ἡ Προθόη οὐδὲ ἡ Μάρπησσα οὐδὲ ἡ Ὑψιπύλη· Δάφνη γὰρ ἐξέφυγε μόνη καὶ τὸν μάντιν καὶ τὴν φθοράν. αὐτός τε ὁ Ζεὺς ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ἡκέτω, ὁ »πατὴρ« καθ᾿ ὑμᾶς »ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε«· τοσοῦτος περὶ τὰ ἀφροδίσια ἐξεχύθη, ὡς ἐπιθυμεῖν μὲν πασῶν, ἐκπληροῦν δὲ εἰς πάσας τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν. ἐνεπίμπλατο γοῦν γυναικῶν οὐχ ἧττον ἢ αἰγῶν ὁ Θμουιτῶν τράγος. καὶ σοῦ, ὦ Ὅμηρε, τεθαύμακα τὰ ποιήματα· ἦ, καὶ κυανέῃσιν ἐπ᾿ ὀφρύσι νεῦσε Κρονίων· ἀμβρόσιαι δ᾿ ἄρα χαῖται ἐπερρώσαντο ἄνακτος κρατὸς ἀπ᾿ ἀθανάτοιο· μέγαν δ᾿ ἐλέλιξεν Ὄλυμπον.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»πατὴρ«, »ἀνδρῶν, τε«·). Check it against the printed edition.
Call me Apollo; this is Phoebus, both a holy prophet and a good adviser. But Sterope will not say that, nor Aethousa, nor Arsinoe, nor Zeuxippe, nor Prothoe, nor Marpissa, nor Hypsipyle. For Daphne alone escaped the prophet and seduction. And, above all, let the father of gods and men, according to you, himself come, who was so given to sexual pleasure, as to lust after all, and indulge his lust on all, like the goats of the Thmuitae. And thy poems, O Homer, fill me with admiration! "He said, and nodded with his shadowy brows; Waved on the immortal head the ambrosial locks, And all Olympus trembled at his nod.
Call Apollo for me too. This is Phoebus, a pure prophet and a good counselor. But Sterope does not say so, nor Aethusa, nor Arsinoe, nor Zeuxippe, nor Prothoe, nor Marpessa, nor Hypsipyle. Only Daphne escaped both the prophet and the ruin he brought. And let Zeus himself come last of all, the “father of men and gods,” as you call him. He poured himself out so far into sexual pleasure that he desired every woman and carried out his desire on every one. At any rate, he was filled with women no less than the Thmuite goat was with she-goats. And I have marveled at your poems, Homer: “He spoke, and the son of Cronus nodded with his dark brows. The ambrosial locks of the lord waved from his immortal head, and he shook great Olympus.”
Translator’s note. The quotation is from Homer, Iliad 1.528–530.
σεμνὸν ἀναπλάττεις, Ὅμηρε, τὸν Δία καὶ νεῦμα περιάπτεις αὐτῷ τετιμημένον. ἀλλ᾿ ἐὰν ἐπιδείξῃς μόνον, ἄνθρωπε, τὸν κεστόν ἐξελέγχεται [καὶ] ὁ Ζεὺς καὶ ἡ κόμη καταισχύνεται. εἰς ὅσον δ᾿’ ἐλήλακεν ἀσελγείας ὁ Ζεὺς ἐκεῖνος ὁ μετ᾿ Ἀλκμήνης τοσαύτας ἡδυπαθήσας νύκτας· οὐδὲ γὰρ αἱ νύκτες αἱ ἐννέα τῷ ἀκολάστῳ μακραί (ἅπας δὲ ἔμπαλιν ὁ βίος ἀκρασίᾳ βραχὺς ἦν), ἵνα δὴ ἡμῖν τὸν ἀλεξίκακον σπείρῃ θεόν. Διὸς υἱὸς Ἡρακλῆς, Διὸς ὡς ἀληθῶς, ὁ ἐκ μακρᾶς γεννώμενος νυκτός, τοὺς μὲν ἄθλους τοὺς δώδεκα πολλῷ ταλαιπωρησάμενος χρόνῳ, τὰς δὲ πεντήκοντα Θεστίου θυγατέρας νυκτὶ διαφθείρας μιᾷ, μοιχὸς ὁμοῦ καὶ νυμφίος τοσούτων γενόμενος παρθένων. οὔκουν ἀπεικότως οἱ ποιηταὶ »σχέτλιον« τοῦτον »καὶ αἰσυλοεργὸν« ἀποκαλοῦσιν. μακρὸν δ᾿ ἂν εἴη μοιχείας αὐτοῦ παντοδαπὰς καὶ παίδων διηγεῖσθαι φθοράς.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»σχέτλιον«, »καὶ, αἰσυλοεργὸν«). Check it against the printed edition.
Thou makest Zeus venerable, O Homer; and the nod which thou dost ascribe to him is most reverend. But show him only a woman's girdle, and Zeus is exposed, and his locks are dishonoured. To what a pitch of licentiousness did that Zeus of yours proceed, who spent so many nights in voluptuousness with Alcmene? For not even these nine nights were long to this insatiable monster. But, on the contrary, a whole lifetime were short enough for his lust; that he might beget for us the evil-averting god. Hercules, the son of Zeus-a true son of Zeus-was the offspring of that long night, who with hard toil accomplished the twelve labours in a long time, but in one night deflowered the fifty daughters of Thestius, and thus was at once the debaucher and the bridegroom of so many virgins. It is not, then, without reason that the poets call him a cruel wretch and a nefarious scoundrel. It were tedious to recount his adulteries of all sorts, and debauching of boys.
You make Zeus a majestic figure, Homer, and you give him a nod worthy of honor. But if you only show the girdle, man, Zeus is exposed and his hair is disgraced. To what lengths of licentiousness did that Zeus go, who took his pleasure with Alcmene for so many nights! Nine nights were not long for that unrestrained god. On the contrary, a whole lifetime was too short for his lack of self-control. All this so that he might sow for us the god who wards off evil! Heracles, the son of Zeus, truly the son of Zeus, was born of that long night. He labored through the twelve labors over a long time, yet in a single night he ruined the fifty daughters of Thestius, becoming at once adulterer and bridegroom of so many virgins. It is no surprise, then, that the poets call him “cruel” and “a doer of wicked deeds.” It would take too long to tell of his adulteries of every kind and his ruining of boys.
Translator’s note. Most other ancient accounts name the father of the fifty daughters Thespius rather than Thestius.
οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ παίδων ἀπέσχοντο οἱ παρ᾿ ὑμῖν θεοί, ὃ μέν τις Ὕλα, ὃ δὲ Ὑακίνθου, ὃ δὲ Πέλοπος, ὃ δὲ Χρυσίππου, ὃ δὲ Γανυμήδους ἐρῶντες. τούτους ὑμῶν αἱ γυναῖκες προσκυνούντων τοὺς θεούς, τοιούτους δὲ εὐχέσθων εἶναι τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς ἑαυτῶν, οὕτω σώφρονας, ἵν᾿ ὦσιν ὅμοιοι τοῖς θεοῖς τὰ ἴσα ἐζηλωκότες· τούτους ἐθιζόντων οἱ παῖδες ὑμῶν σέβειν, ἵνα καὶ ἄνδρες γένωνται εἰκόνα πορνείας ἐναργῆ τοὺς θεοὺς παραλαμβάνοντες. ἀλλ᾿ οἱ μὲν ἄρρενες αὐτοῖς τῶν θεῶν ἴσως μόνοι ᾄττουσι περὶ τὰ ἀφροδίσια· θηλύτεραι δὲ θεαὶ μένον αἰδοῖ οἴκοι ἑκάστη, φησὶν Ὅμηρος, αἰδούμεναι [αἱ θεαὶ] διὰ σεμνότητα Ἀφροδίτην ἰδεῖν μεμοιχευμένην. αἳ δὲ ἀκολασταίνουσιν ἐμπαθέστερον ἐν τῇ μοιχείᾳ δεδεμέναι, Ἠὼς ἐπὶ Τιθωνῷ, Σελήνη δ᾿ ἐπὶ Ἐνδυμίωνι, Νηρηῒς ἐπὶ Αἰακῷ καὶ ἐπὶ Πηλεῖ Θέτις, ἐπὶ δὲ Ἰασίωνι Δημήτηρ καὶ ἐπὶ Ἀδώνιδι Φερέφαττα.
For your gods did not even abstain from boys, one having loved Hylas, another Hyacinthus, another Pelops, another Chrysippus, and another Ganymede. Let such gods as these be worshipped by your wives, and let them pray that their husbands be such as these-so temperate; that, emulating them in the same practices, they may be like the gods. Such gods let your boys be trained to worship, that they may grow up to be men with the accursed likeness of fornication on them received from the gods. But it is only the male deities, perhaps, that are impetuous in sexual indulgence. "The female deities stayed each in the house, for shame," says Homer; the goddesses blushing, for modesty's sake, to look on Aphrodité when she had been guilty of adultery. But these are more passionately licentious, bound in the chains of adultery; Eos having disgraced herself with Tithonus, Selene with Endymion, Nereis with Aeacus, Thetis with Peleus, Demeter with Jason, Persephatta with Adonis.
Your gods did not even keep away from boys. One loved Hylas, another Hyacinthus, another Pelops, another Chrysippus, another Ganymede. Let your wives worship such gods, then. Let them pray that their own husbands will be like these gods, so self-controlled! That way the men will be like the gods, having eagerly copied the same behavior. Let your sons be trained to revere these gods too, so that when they grow up they will have taken the gods as a vivid picture of fornication. But perhaps only the male gods rush about after sexual pleasure. Homer says, “the goddesses stayed each at home, for shame.” In his story the goddesses were too modest to look at Aphrodite caught in adultery. Yet some goddesses indulged themselves with even more passion, bound up in adultery: Eos with Tithonus, Selene with Endymion, a Nereid with Aeacus, Thetis with Peleus, Demeter with Iasion, and Pherephatta with Adonis.
Translator’s note. “Pherephatta” is a form of Persephone’s name.
Ἀφροδίτη δὲ ἐπ᾿ Ἄρει κατῃσχυμμένη μετῆλθεν ἐπὶ Κινύραν καὶ Ἀγχίσην ἔγημεν καὶ Φαέθοντα ἐλόχα καὶ ἤρα Ἀδώνιδος, ἐφιλονείκει δὲ τῇ βοώπιδι καὶ ἀποδυσάμεναι διὰ μῆλον αἱ θεαὶ γυμναὶ προσεῖχον τῷ ποιμένι, εἴ τις αὐτῷ δόξει καλή. Ἴθι δὴ καὶ τοὺς ἀγῶνας ἐν βραχεῖ περιοδεύσωμεν καὶ τὰς ἐπιτυμβίους ταυτασὶ πανηγύρεις καταλύσωμεν, Ἰσθμιά τε καὶ Νέμεα καὶ Πύθια καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις Ὀλύμπια. Πυθοῖ μὲν οὖν ὁ δράκων ὁ Πύθιος θρῃσκεύεται καὶ τοῦ ὄφεως ἡ πανήγυρις καταγγέλλεται Πύθια· Ἰσθμοῖ δὲ σκύβαλον προσέπτυσεν ἐλεεινὸν ἡ θάλαττα καὶ Μελικέρτην ὀδύρεται τὰ Ἴσθμια· Νεμέασι δὲ ἄλλο παιδίον Ἀρχέμορος κεκήδευται καὶ τοῦ παιδίου ὁ ἐπιτάφιος προσαγορεύεται Νέμεα· Πῖσα δὲ ὑμῖν τάφος ἐστίν, ὦ Πανέλληνες, ἡνιόχου Φρυγός, καὶ τοῦ Πέλοπος τὰς χοάς, τὰ Ὀλύμπια, ὁ Φειδίου σφετερίζεται Ζεύς.
And Aphrodité having disgraced herself with Arês, crossed over to Cinyra and married Anchises, and laid snares for Phaethon, and loved Adonis. She contended with the ox-eyed Juno; and the goddesses un-robed for the sake of the apple, and presented themselves naked before the shepherd, that he might decide which was the fairest. But come, let us briefly go the round of the games, and do away with those solemn assemblages at tombs, the Isthmian, Nemean, and Pythian, and finally the Olympian. At Pytho the Pythian dragon is worshipped, and the festival-assemblage of the serpent is called by the name Pythia. At the Isthmus the sea spit out a piece of miserable refuse; and the Isthmian games bewail Melicerta. At Nemea another-a little boy, Archemorus-was buried; and the funeral games of the child are called Nemea. Pisa is the grave of the Phrygian charioteer, O Hellenes of all tribes; and the Olympian games, which are nothing else than the funeral sacrifices of Pelops, the Zeus of Phidias claims for himself.
Aphrodite, put to shame over Ares, went off to Cinyras. She married Anchises, lay in wait for Phaethon, and loved Adonis. She also quarreled with the ox-eyed goddess. For the sake of an apple the goddesses stripped and stood naked before the shepherd, to see whether any of them would seem beautiful to him. Come now, let us go briefly around the games and put an end to these festivals held at tombs: the Isthmian, Nemean and Pythian, and the Olympian after them. At Pytho the Pythian dragon is worshipped, and the festival of the serpent is announced as the Pythia. At the Isthmus the sea spat out a piece of pitiful refuse, and the Isthmia mourn Melicertes. At Nemea another child, Archemorus, was buried, and the funeral rite for the child is called the Nemea. And Pisa, you Greeks of every land, is the grave of a Phrygian charioteer. The Olympia are the funeral offerings for Pelops, and Pheidias’ Zeus claims them for himself.
Translator’s note. “The ox-eyed goddess” is Hera; the “shepherd” is Paris, who judged the contest of the three goddesses.
μυστήρια ἦσαν ἄρα, ὡς ἔοικεν, οἱ ἀγῶνες ἐπὶ νεκροῖς διαθλούμενοι, ὥσπερ καὶ τὰ λόγια, καὶ δεδήμευνται ἄμφω. ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ Ἄγρᾳ μυστήρια καὶ τὰ ἐν Ἁλιμοῦντι τῆς Ἀττικῆς Ἀθήνησι περιώρισται· αἶσχος δὲ ἤδη κοσμικὸν οἵ τε ἀγῶνες καὶ οἱ φαλλοὶ οἱ Διονύσῳ ἐπιτελούμενοι, κακῶς ἐπινενεμημένοι τὸν βίον. Διόνυσος γὰρ κατελθεῖν εἰς Ἅιδου γλιχόμενος ἠγνόει τὴν ὁδόν, ὑπισχνεῖται δ᾿ αὐτῷ φράσειν τις, Πρόσυμνος τοὔνομα, οὐκ ἀμισθί· ὁ δὲ μισθὸς οὐ καλός, ἀλλὰ Διονύσῳ καλός· καὶ ἀφροδίσιος ἦν ἡ χάρις, ὁ μισθός, ὃν ᾐτεῖτο, Διόνυσος· βουλομένῳ δὲ τῷ θεῷ γέγονεν ἡ αἴτησις, καὶ δὴ ὑπισχνεῖται παρέξειν αὐτῷ, εἰ ἀναζεύξοι, ὅρκῳ πιστωσάμενος τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν. μαθὼν ἀπῆρεν· ἐπανῆλθεν αὖθις· οὐ καταλαμβάνει τὸν Πρόσυμνον (ἐτεθνήκει γάρ)· ἀφοσιούμενος τῷ ἐραστῇ ὁ Διόνυσος ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον ὁρμᾷ καὶ πασχητιᾷ.
The mysteries were then, as is probable, games held in honour of the dead; so also were the oracles, and both became public. But the mysteries at Sagra and in Alimus of Attica were confined to Athens. But those contests and phalloi consecrated to Dionysus were a world's shame, pervading life with their deadly influence. For Dionysus, eagerly desiring to descend to Hades, did not know the way; a man, by name Prosymnus, offers to tell him, not without reward. The reward was a disgraceful one, though not so in the opinion of Dionysus: it was an Aphrodisian favour that was asked of Dionysus as a reward. The god was not reluctant to grant the request made to him, and promises to fulfil it should he return, and confirms his promise with an oath. Having learned the way, he departed and again returned: he did not find Prosymnus, for he had died. In order to acquit himself of his promise to his lover, he rushes to his tomb, and burns with unnatural lust.
So it seems the contests held over dead men were mysteries, just as the oracles were, and both have been made public property. The mysteries at Agrae and at Halimus in Attica are confined to Athens. But the contests and the phalluses paraded for Dionysus are by now a disgrace to the whole world, and they have spread wickedly through all of life. The story goes like this. Dionysus was eager to go down to Hades but did not know the way. A man named Prosymnus promised to tell him, but not for free. The price was not honorable, though it seemed honorable to Dionysus. The favor was sexual, and the payment Prosymnus asked for was Dionysus himself. The god was glad to grant the request. He promised to give himself if he came back, and he confirmed his promise with an oath. Having learned the way, he left. Then he returned, but he did not find Prosymnus, for he had died. To discharge his obligation to his lover, Dionysus rushed to the tomb, burning with desire to play the passive part.
Translator’s note. The Greek verb (paschētiaō) means to desire the passive role in sex. The act itself is described in the next section.
κλάδον οὖν συκῆς, ὡς ἔτυχεν, ἐκτεμὼν ἀνδρείου μορίου σκευάζεται τρόπον ἐφέζεταί τε τῷ κλάδῳ, τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ἐκτελῶν τῷ νεκρῷ. ὑπόμνημα τοῦ πάθους τούτου μυστικὸν φαλλοὶ κατὰ πόλεις ἀνίστανται Διονύσῳ· »εἰ μὴ γὰρ Διονύσῳ πομπὴν ἐποιοῦντο καὶ ὕμνεον ᾄσματα αἰδοίοισιν ἀναιδέστατα, εἴργασται«, φησὶν Ἡράκλειτος, »ωὐτὸς δὲ Ἅιδης καὶ Διόνυσος, ὅτεῳ μαίνονται καὶ ληναΐζουσιν«, οὐ διὰ τὴν μέθην τοῦ σώματος, ὡς ἐγὼ οἶμαι, τοσοῦτον ὅσον διὰ τὴν ἐπονείδιστον τὴς ἀσελγείας ἱεροφαντίαν. Εἰκότως ἄρα οἱ τοιοίδε ὑμῶν θεοὶ δοῦλοι, δοῦλοι παθῶν γεγονότες, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸ τῶν Εἱλώτων καλουμένων τῶν παρὰ Λακεδαιμονίοις δούλειον ὑπεισῆλθεν ζυγὸν Ἀπόλλων Ἀδμήτῳ ἐν Φεραῖς, Ἡρακλῆς ἐν Σάρδεσιν Ὀμφάλῃ, Λαομέδοντι δ᾿ ἐθήτευε Ποσειδῶν καὶ Ἀπόλλων, καθάπερ ἀχρεῖος οἰκέτης, μηδὲ ἐλευθερίας δήπουθεν δυνηθεὶς τυχεῖν παρὰ τοῦ προτέρου δεσπότου· τότε καὶ τὰ Ἰλίου τείχη ἀνῳκοδομησάτην τῷ Φρυγί.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»εἰ, εἴργασται«,, »ωὐτὸς, ληναΐζουσιν«,). Check it against the printed edition.
Cutting a fig-branch that came to his hand, he shaped the phallus, and so performed his promise to the dead man. As a mystic memorial of this incident, phalloi are raised aloft in honour of Dionysus through the various cities. "For did they not make a procession in honour of Dionysus, and sing most shameless songs in honour of the pudenda, all would go wrong," says Heraclitus. This is that Pluto and Dionysus in whose honour they give themselves up to frenzy, and play the bacchanal,-not so much, in my opinion, for the sake of intoxication, as for the sake of the shameless ceremonial practised. With reason, therefore, such as have become slaves of their passions are your gods! Furthermore, like the Helots among the Lacedemonians, Apollo came under the yoke of slavery to Admetus in Pherae, Hercules to Omphale in Sardis. Poseidon was a drudge to Laomedon; and so was Apollo, who, like a good-for-nothing servant, was unable to obtain his freedom from his former master; and at that time the walls of Troy were built by them for the Phrygian.
He cut a branch from a fig tree that happened to be at hand and shaped it like a male organ. Then he sat down on the branch, and so fulfilled his promise to the dead man. As a mystic reminder of this experience, phalluses are set up for Dionysus in city after city. Heraclitus says: “If it were not for Dionysus that they held the procession and sang the hymn to the shameful parts, their deeds would be most shameless. But Hades and Dionysus are the same, the one for whom they rave and celebrate the Lenaia.” They do this, I think, not so much because of bodily drunkenness as because of the disgraceful sacred rite of licentiousness. It is no surprise, then, that gods like yours are slaves, since they have become slaves to their passions. Even before the so-called Helots among the Spartans, Apollo came under the yoke of slavery to Admetus in Pherae, and Heracles to Omphale in Sardis. Poseidon and Apollo worked as hired laborers for Laomedon. Apollo was like a worthless house slave, unable even to win his freedom from his former master. At that time the two of them also built the walls of Troy for the Phrygian.
Translator’s note. “Before the Helots” follows the Greek (pro tōn Heilōtōn). The Helots were the state-owned serfs of Sparta.
Ὅμηρος δὲ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν οὐκ αἰσχύνεται παραφαίνειν λέγων τῷ Ὀδυσσεῖ »χρύσεον λύχνον ἔχουσαν« ἐν χεροῖν· τὴν δὲ Ἀφροδίτην ἀνέγνωμεν, οἷον ἀκόλαστόν τι θεραπαινίδιον, παραθεῖναι φέρουσαν τῇ Ἑλένῃ τὸν δίφρον τοῦ μοιχοῦ κατὰ πρόσωπον, ὅπως αὐτὸν εἰς συνουσίαν ὑπαγάγηται. Πανύασσις γὰρ πρὸς τούτοις καὶ ἄλλους παμπόλλους ἀνθρώποις λατρεῦσαι θεοὺς ἱστορεῖ ὧδέ πως γράφων· τλῆ μὲν Δημήτηρ, τλῆ δὲ κλυτὸς Ἀμφιγυήεις, τλῆ δὲ Ποσειδάων, τλῆ δ᾿ ἀργυρότοξος Ἀπόλλων ἀνδρὶ παρὰ θνητῷ θητευέμεν εἰς ἐνιαυτόν· τλῆ δὲ καὶ ὀβριμόθυμος Ἄρης ὑπὸ πατρὸς ἀνάγκης, καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις. Τούτοις οὖν εἰκότως ἕπεται τοὺς ἐρωτικοὺς ὑμῶν καὶ παθητικοὺς τούτους θεοὺς ἀνθρωποπαθεῖς ἐκ παντὸς εἰσάγειν τρόπου. »καὶ γάρ θην κείνοις θνητὸς χρώς.« τεκμηριοῖ δὲ Ὅμηρος, μάλα ἀκριβῶς Ἀφροδίτην ἐπὶ τῷ τραύματι παρεισάγων ὀξὺ καὶ μέγα ἰάχουσαν αὐτόν τε τὸν πολεμικώτατον Ἄρη ὑπὸ τοῦ Διομήδους κατὰ τοῦ κενεῶνος οὐτασμένον διηγούμενος.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»χρύσεον, ἔχουσαν«, »καὶ, χρώς.«). Check it against the printed edition.
And Homer is not ashamed to speak of Athene as appearing to Ulysses with a golden lamp in her hand. And we read of Aphrodité, like a wanton serving-wench, taking and setting a seat for Helen opposite the adulterer, in order to entice him. Panyasis, too, tells us of gods in plenty besides those who acted as servants, writing thus:- "Demeter underwent servitude, and so did the famous lame god; Poseidon underwent it, and Apollo too, of the silver bow, With a mortal man for a year. And fierce Mars Underwent it at the compulsion of his father. And so on. Agreeably to this, it remains for me to bring before you those amatory and sensuous deities of yours, as in every respect having human feelings. "For theirs was a mortal body. This Homer most distinctly shows, by introducing Aphrodité uttering loud and shrill cries on account of her wound; and describing the most warlike Arês himself as wounded in the stomach by Diomede.
Homer is not ashamed to show Athena lighting the way for Odysseus, “holding a golden lamp” in her hands. And we have read that Aphrodite, like some loose little serving-girl, brought a chair and set it for Helen face to face with her adulterer, so that she might draw him into intercourse. Besides these, Panyasis records very many other gods who served men. He writes something like this: “Demeter endured, the famous Lame One endured, Poseidon endured, and silver-bowed Apollo endured it, to work as a hired servant beside a mortal man for a year. Fierce-hearted Ares endured it too, under his father’s compulsion,” and so on. It follows naturally, then, that I should present these lustful and passionate gods of yours as having human feelings in every way. “For surely their skin is mortal.” Homer proves it. He shows Aphrodite, very precisely, crying out sharply and loudly at her wound. And he tells how Ares himself, the most warlike of all, was stabbed in the flank by Diomedes.
Translator’s note. The Homer passages are Odyssey 19.33–34 (Athena with the lamp), Iliad 3.424–425 (Aphrodite sets the chair for Helen), Iliad 5.335–343 (Aphrodite wounded), and Iliad 5.855–857 (Ares wounded by Diomedes).
Πολέμων δὲ καὶ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν ὑπὸ Ὀρνύτου τρωθῆναι λέγει· ναὶ μὴν καὶ τὸν Ἀιδωνέα ὑπὸ Ἡρακλέους τοξευθῆναι Ὅμηρος λέγει καὶ τὸν Ἥλιον [Αὐγέαν] Πανύασσις ἱστορεῖ. ἤδη δὲ καὶ τὴν Ἥραν τὴν ζυγίαν ἱστορεῖ ὑπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἡρακλέους ὁ αὐτὸς οὗτος Πανύασσις »ἐν Πύλῳ ἠμαθόεντι«. Σωσίβιος δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἡρακλέα πρὸς τῶν Ἱπποκοωντιδῶν κατὰ τῆς χειρὸς οὐτασθῆναι λέγει. εἰ δὲ τραύματα, καὶ αἵματα· οἱ γὰρ ἰχῶρες οἱ ποιητικοὶ εἰδεχθέστεροι καὶ τῶν αἱμάτων, σῆψις γὰρ αἵματος ἰχὼρ νοεῖται. ἀνάγκη τοίνυν θεραπείας καὶ τροφὰς παρεισάγειν αὐτοῖς, ὧν εἰσιν ἐνδεεῖς. διὸ τράπεζαι καὶ μέθαι καὶ γέλωτες καὶ συνουσίαι, οὐκ ἂν ἀφροδισίοις χρωμένων ἀνθρωπίνοις οὐδὲ παιδοποιουμένων οὐδὲ μὴν ὑπνωσσόντων, εἰ ἀθάνατοι καὶ ἀνενδεεῖς καὶ ἀγήρῳ ὑπῆρχον.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἐν, ἠμαθόεντι«.). Check it against the printed edition.
Polemo, too, says that Athene was wounded by Ornytus; nay, Homer says that Pluto even was struck with an arrow by Hercules; and Panyasis relates that the beams of Sol were struck by the arrows of Hercules; and the same Panyasis relates, that by the same Hercules Hera the goddess of marriage was wounded in sandy Pylos. Sosibius, too, relates that Hercules was wounded in the hand by the sons of Hippocoon. And if there are wounds, there is blood. For the ichor of the poets is more repulsive than blood; for the putrefaction of blood is called ichor. Wherefore cures and means of sustenance of which they stand in need must be furnished. Accordingly mention is made of tables, and potations, and laughter, and intercourse; for men would not devote themselves to love, or beget children, or sleep, if they were immortal, and had no wants, and never grew old.
Polemon says that Athena was wounded by Ornytus. Homer says that Aidoneus (Hades) was shot with an arrow by Heracles, and Panyasis tells the same of the Sun. This same Panyasis also reports that Hera, the goddess of marriage, was wounded by this same Heracles “in sandy Pylos.” Sosibius says that Heracles himself was wounded in the hand by the sons of Hippocoon. But if there are wounds, there is blood. And the poets’ “ichor” is even more revolting than blood, since ichor is understood to be blood gone rotten. So they must also be given medical care and food, since they need these things. Hence the tables, the drinking, the laughter and the sex. If the gods were immortal, lacking nothing and never aging, they would not have human sexual relations, or father children, or even sleep.
Translator’s note. The older English makes “men” the subject of the last sentence. In the Greek, the subject is the gods: it is they who would not have sex, beget children or sleep if they were truly immortal and lacked nothing.
μετέλαβεν δὲ καὶ τραπέζης ἀνθρωπίνης παρὰ τοῖς Αἰθίοψιν, ἀπανθρώπου δὲ καὶ ἀθέσμου αὐτὸς ὁ Ζεὺς παρὰ Λυκάονι τῷ Ἀρκάδι ἑστιώμενος· ἀνθρωπείων γοῦν ἐνεφορεῖτο σαρκῶν οὐχ ἑκών. ἠγνόει γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ὡς ἄρα Λυκάων ὁ Ἀρκὰς ὁ ἑστιάτωρ αὐτοῦ τὸν παῖδα κατασφάξας τὸν αὑτοῦ (Νύκτιμος ὄνομα αὐτῷ) παραθείη ὄψον τῷ Διί. καλός γε ὁ Ζεὺς ὁ μαντικός, ὁ ξένιος, ὁ ἱκέσιος, ὁ μειλίχιος, ὁ πανομφαῖος, ὁ προστροπαῖος· μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ ἄδικος, ὁ ἄθεσμος, ὁ ἄνομος, ὁ ἀνόσιος, ὁ ἀπάνθρωπος, ὁ βίαιος, ὁ φθορεύς, ὁ μοιχός, ὁ ἐρωτικός. ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν ἦν, ὅτε τοιοῦτος ἦν, ὅτε ἄνθρωπος ἦν, νῦν δὲ ἤδη μοι δοκοῦσι καὶ οἱ μῦθοι ὑμῖν γεγηρακέναι. δράκων ὁ Ζεὺς οὐκέτι, οὐ κύκνος ἐστίν, οὐκ ἀετός, οὐκ ἄνθρωπος ἐρωτικός· οὐχ ἵπταται θεός, οὐ παιδεραστεῖ, οὐ φιλεῖ, οὐ βιάζεται, καίτοι πολλαὶ καὶ καλαὶ καὶ νῦν ἔτι γυναῖκες καὶ Λήδας εὐπρεπέστεραι καὶ Σεμέλης ἀκμαιότεραι, μειράκια δὲ ὡραιότερα καὶ πολιτικώτερα τοῦ Φρυγίου βουκόλου.
Jupiter himself, when the guest of Lycaon the Arcadian, partook of a human table among the Ethiopians-a table rather inhuman and forbidden. For he satiated himself with human flesh unwittingly; for the god did not know that Lycaon the Arcadian, his entertainer, had slain his son (his name was Nyctimus), and served him up cooked before Zeus. This is Jupiter the good, the prophetic, the patron of hospitality, the protector of suppliants, the benign, the author of omens, the avenger of wrongs; rather the unjust, the violater of right and of law, the impious, the inhuman, the violent, the seducer, the adulterer, the amatory. But perhaps when he was such he was a man; but now these fables seem to have grown old on our hands. Zeus is no longer a serpent, a swan, nor an eagle, nor a licentious man; the god no longer flies, nor loves boys, nor kisses, nor offers violence, although there are still many beautiful women, more comely than Leda, more blooming than Semele, and boys of better looks and manners than the Phrygian herdsman.
Zeus himself also shared a meal at a human table among the Ethiopians. But at the house of Lycaon the Arcadian he was served an inhuman and forbidden meal. There he gorged himself on human flesh, though not willingly. The god did not know that his host Lycaon the Arcadian had slaughtered his own son (his name was Nyctimus) and set him before Zeus as a dish. A fine Zeus indeed: the prophetic, the god of guests, the god of suppliants, the gracious, the giver of every omen, the god to whom the guilty turn! Or rather he is the unjust, the lawless, the wicked, the impious, the inhuman, the violent, the corrupter, the adulterer, the lover. But that was when he was like this, when he was a man. Now, it seems to me, even your myths have grown old. Zeus is no longer a serpent, no longer a swan or an eagle or a man in love. The god does not fly, does not chase boys, does not kiss, does not use force. Yet there are still many beautiful women today, more comely than Leda and more in their prime than Semele. And there are youths more handsome and better mannered than the Phrygian herdsman.
Translator’s note. The “Phrygian herdsman” is Ganymede, the Trojan youth whom Zeus carried off.
ποῦ νῦν ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἀετός;. ποῦ δὲ ὁ κύκνος; ποῦ δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ Ζεύς; γεγήρακε μετὰ τοῦ πτεροῦ· οὐ γὰρ δήπου μετανοεῖ τοῖς ἐρωτικοῖς οὐδὲ παιδεύεται σωφρονεῖν. γυμνοῦται δὲ ὑμῖν ὁ μῦθος· ἀπέθανεν ἡ Λήδα, ἀπέθανεν ὁ κύκνος, ἀπέθανεν ὁ ἀετός. ζήτει σου τὸν Δία· μὴ τὸν οὐρανόν, ἀλλὰ τὴν γῆν πολυπραγμόνει. ὁ Κρής σοι διηγήσεται, παρ᾿ ᾧ καὶ τέθαπται· Καλλίμαχος ἐν ὕμνοις καὶ γὰρ τάφον, ὦ ἄνα, σεῖο Κρῆτες ἐτεκτήναντο. τέθνηκε γὰρ ὁ Ζεὺς (μὴ δυσφόρει) ὡς Λήδα, ὡς κύκνος, ὡς ἀετός, ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἐρωτικός, ὡς δράκων. Ἤδη δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ φαίνονται οἱ δεισιδαίμονες ἄκοντες μέν, ὅμως δ᾿ οὖν συνιέντες τὴν πλάνην τὴν περὶ τοὺς θεούς· οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ δρυός εἰσι παλαιφάτου οὐδ᾿ ἀπὸ πέτρης, ἀλλ᾿ ἀνδρῶν γένος εἰσί, μικρὸν δὲ ὕστερον καὶ δρύες ὄντες εὑρεθήσονται καὶ πέτραι.
Where is now that eagle? where now that swan? where now is Zeus himself? He has grown old with his feathers; for as yet he does not repent of his amatory exploits, nor is he taught continence. The fable is exposed before you: Leda is dead, the swan is dead. Seek your Jupiter. Ransack not heaven, but earth. The Cretan, in whose country he was buried, will show him to you,-I mean Callimachus, in his hymns:- "For thy tomb, O king, The Cretans fashioned! For Zeus is dead, be not distressed, as Leda is dead, and the swan, and the eagle, and the libertine, and the serpent. And now even the superstitious seem, although reluctantly, yet truly, to have come to understand their error respecting the Gods. "For not from an ancient oak, nor from a rock, But from men, is thy descent. But shortly after this, they will be found to be but oaks and stones.
Where now is that eagle? Where is the swan? Where is Zeus himself? He has grown old, feathers and all. It cannot be that he has repented of his love affairs or been taught self-control. The myth is stripped bare before you. Leda is dead, the swan is dead, the eagle is dead. Look for your Zeus, but do not search heaven; investigate the earth. The Cretan, in whose land he lies buried, will tell you. Callimachus says in his Hymns: “For a tomb, O lord, the Cretans built for you.” For Zeus is dead (do not be upset), just like Leda, the swan, the eagle, the man in love, and the serpent. Even the superstitious themselves now show that, unwillingly but still plainly, they see the error about the gods. For the gods “are not from an ancient oak or from a rock, but are a race of men.” And a little later they will be found to be oaks and rocks after all.
Translator’s note. The oak-and-rock phrase adapts Homer’s Odyssey 19.163, where Penelope tells the disguised Odysseus that he is not sprung “from an oak of old story or from a rock.” In the last sentence Clement turns the phrase around: the gods’ statues are in fact made of wood and stone.
Ἀγαμέμνονα γοῦν τινα Δία ἐν Σπάρτῃ τιμᾶσθαι Στάφυλος ἱστορεῖ· Φανοκλῆς δὲ ἐν Ἔρωσιν ἢ Καλοῖς Ἀγαμέμνονα τὸν Ἑλλήνων βασιλέα Ἀργύννου νεὼν Ἀφροδίτης ἵστασθαι ἐπ᾿ Ἀργύννῳ τῷ ἐρωμένῳ. Ἄρτεμιν δὲ Ἀρκάδες Ἀπαγχομένην καλουμένην προστρέπονται, ὥς φησι Καλλίμαχος ἐν Αἰτίοις. καὶ Κονδυλῖτις ἐν Μηθύμνῃ ἑτέρα τετίμηται Ἄρτεμις. ἔστι δὲ καὶ Ποδάγρας ἄλλης Ἀρτέμιδος ἐν τῇ Λακωνικῇ ἱερόν, ὥς φησι Σωσίβιος. Πολέμων δὲ Κεχηνότος Ἀπόλλωνος οἶδεν ἄγαλμα, καὶ Ὀψοφάγου πάλιν Ἀπόλλωνος ἄλλο ἐν Ἤλιδι τιμώμενον. ἐνταῦθα Ἀπομυίῳ Διὶ θύουσιν Ἠλεῖοι· Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ Ἀπομυίῳ Ἡρακλεῖ καὶ Πυρετῷ δὲ καὶ Φόβῳ θύουσιν, οὓς καὶ αὐτοὺς μετὰ τῶν ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἡρακλέα ἐγγράφουσιν. ἐῶ δὲ Ἀργείους καὶ Λάκωνας· Ἀφροδίτην Τυμβωρύχον θρῃσκεύουσιν Ἀργεῖοι [καὶ Λάκωνες], καὶ Χελύτιδα δὲ Ἄρτεμιν Σπαρτιᾶται σέβουσιν· ἐπεὶ τὸ βήττειν χελύττειν καλοῦσιν.
One Agamemnon is said by Staphylus to be worshipped as a Jupiter in Sparta; and Phanocles, in his book of the Brave and Fair, relates that Agamemnon king of the Hellenes erected the temple of Argennian Aphrodité, in honour of Argennus his friend. An Artemis, named the Strangled, is worshipped by the Arcadians, as Callimachus says in his Book of Causes; and at Methymna another Artemis had divine honours paid her, viz., Artemis Condylitis. There is also the temple of another Artemis-Artemis Podagra (or, the gout)-in Laconica, as Sosibius says. Polemo tells of an image of a yawning Apollo; and again of another image, reverenced in Elis, of the guzzling Apollo. Then the Eleans sacrifice to Zeus, the averter of flies; and the Romans sacrifice to Hercules, the averter of flies; and to Fever, and to Terror, whom also they reckon among the attendants of Hercules. (I pass over the Argives, who worshipped Aphrodité, opener of graves. The Argives and Spartans reverence Artemis Chelytis, or the cougher, fromkelu/ttein, which in their speech signifies to cough.
Staphylus reports that a certain Zeus Agamemnon is honored in Sparta. Phanocles, in his work “Loves, or the Beautiful Boys,” says that Agamemnon, king of the Greeks, set up a temple of Aphrodite of Argynnus in honor of Argynnus, his beloved. The Arcadians worship an Artemis called the Hanged Woman, as Callimachus says in his Origins. At Methymna another Artemis is honored, called Condylitis. There is also a shrine of yet another Artemis, Artemis Podagra (Gout), in Laconia, as Sosibius says. Polemon knows of a statue of Apollo the Gaper, and of another Apollo, the Glutton, honored in Elis. There the Eleans sacrifice to Zeus the Fly-Averter. The Romans sacrifice to Heracles the Fly-Averter, and also to Fever and Fear, whom they list among Heracles’ companions. I say nothing of the Argives and Spartans. The Argives worship Aphrodite the Grave-Robber, and the Spartans revere Artemis Chelytis (the Cougher), since they use the word “chelyttein” for coughing.
Translator’s note. Older translation: it gives Phanocles’ title as “Brave and Fair.” The Greek title is “Erotes or Kaloi,” meaning “Loves, or Beautiful Boys.”
οἴει ποθὲν παρέγγραπτα ταῦτά σοι κομίζεσθαι τὰ ὑφ᾿ ἡμῶν παρατιθέμενα; οὐδὲ τοὺς σοὺς γνωρίζειν ἔοικας συγγραφεῖς, οὓς ἐγὼ μάρτυρας ἐπὶ τὴν σὴν ἀπιστίαν καλῶ, ἀθέου χλεύης, ὦ δείλαιοι, τὸν πάντα ὑμῶν ἀβίωτον ὄντως βίον ἐμπεπληκότας. οὐχὶ μέντοι Ζεὺς φαλακρὸς ἐν Ἄργει, τιμωρὸς δὲ ἄλλος ἐν Κύπρῳ τετίμησθον; οὐχὶ δὲ Ἀφροδίτῃ περιβασοῖ μὲν Ἀργεῖοι, ἑταίρᾳ δὲ Ἀθηναῖοι καὶ καλλιπύγῳ θύουσιν Συρακούσσιοι, ἣν Νίκανδρος ὁ ποιητὴς »καλλίγλουτόν« που κέκληκεν; Διόνυσον δὲ ἤδη σιωπῶ τὸν χοιροψάλαν· Σικυώνιοι τοῦτον προσκυνοῦσιν ἐπὶ τῶν γυναικείων τάξαντες τὸν Διόνυσον μορίων, ἔφορον αἴσχους τὸν ὕβρεως σεβάζοντες ἀρχηγόν. τοιοίδε μὲν αὐτοῖς οἱ θεοί, τοιοίδε καὶ αὐτοί, παίζοντες ἐν θεοῖς, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐμπαίζοντες καὶ ἐνυβρίζοντες σφίσιν αὐτοῖς. καὶ πόσῳ βελτίους Αἰγύπτιοι κωμηδὸν καὶ κατὰ πόλεις τὰ ἄλογα τῶν ζῴων ἐκτετιμηκότες ἤπερ Ἕλληνες τοιούτους προσκυνοῦντες θεούς;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»καλλίγλουτόν«). Check it against the printed edition.
Do you imagine from what source these details have been quoted? Only such as are furnished by yourselves are here adduced; and you do not seem to recognise your own writers, whom I call as witnesses against your unbelief. Poor wretches that ye are, who have filled with unholy jesting the whole compass of your life-a life in reality devoid of life! Is not Zeus the Baldhead worshipped in Argos; and another Zeus, the avenger, in Cyprus? Do not the Argives sacrifice to Aphrodité Peribaso (the protectress), and the Athenians to Aphrodité Hetsera (the courtesan), and the Syracusans to Aphrodité Kallipygos, whom Nicander has somewhere called Kalliglutos (with beautiful rump). I pass over in silence just now Dionysus Choiropsales. The Sicyonians reverence this deity, whom they have constituted the god of the muliebria-the patron of filthiness-and religiously honour as the author of licentiousness. Such, then, are their gods; such are they also who make mockery of the gods, or rather mock and insult themselves. How much better are the Egyptians, who in their towns and villages pay divine honours to the irrational creatures, than the Greeks, who worship such gods as these?
Do you suppose that the things we set before you are quoted from some spurious source? You do not seem to know even your own writers, whom I call as witnesses against your unbelief. You poor wretches, it is these writers who have filled your whole life, a life truly not worth living, with godless mockery! Is not a bald Zeus honored in Argos, and another Zeus, an avenger, in Cyprus? Do not the Argives sacrifice to Aphrodite Peribasō, the Athenians to Aphrodite the Courtesan, and the Syracusans to Aphrodite of the Beautiful Buttocks, whom the poet Nicander somewhere calls “kalliglouton”? I will say nothing now of Dionysus Choiropsalas. The people of Sicyon worship him. They put Dionysus in charge of women’s private parts, and so revere the founder of outrage as overseer of shame. Such are their gods, and such are they themselves, who make sport of their gods, or rather mock and insult themselves. How much better the Egyptians are, who honor irrational animals village by village and city by city, than the Greeks who worship such gods as these!
Translator’s note. “Peribasō” is a cult title of uncertain meaning, perhaps from a verb meaning “to straddle” or “walk around,” and often taken in a crude sense. “Choiropsalas” is an obscene title (choiros was slang for the female parts), so it is left untranslated.
τὰ μὲν γὰρ εἰ καὶ θηρία, ἀλλ᾿ οὐ μοιχικά, ἀλλ᾿ οὐ μάχλα, παρὰ φύσιν δὲ θηρεύει ἡδονὴν οὐδὲ ἕν. οἳ δὲ ὁποῖοι, τί καὶ χρὴ λέγειν ἔτι, ἀποχρώντως αὐτῶν διεληλεγμένων; ἀλλ᾿ οὖν γε Αἰγύπτιοι, ὧν νῦν δὴ ἐμνήσθην, κατὰ τὰς θρῃσκείας τὰς σφῶν ἐσκέδανται· σέβουσι δὲ αὐτῶν Συηνῖται φάγρον τὸν ἰχθύν, μαιώτην δὲ (ἄλλος οὗτος ἰχθύς) οἱ τὴν Ἐλεφαντίνην οἰκοῦντες, Ὀξυρυγχῖται τὸν φερώνυμον τῆς χώρας αὐτῶν ὁμοίως ἰχθύν, ἔτι γε μὴν Ἡρακλεοπολῖται ἰχνεύμονα, Σαϊται δὲ καὶ Θηβαῖοι πρόβατον, Λυκοπολῖται δὲ λύκον, Κυνοπολῖται δὲ κύνα, τὸν Ἆπιν Μεμφῖται, Μενδήσιοι τὸν τράγον. ὑμεῖς δὲ οἱ πάντ᾿ ἀμείνους Αἰγυπτίων (ὀκνῶ δὲ εἰπεῖν χείρους), οἳ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ὁσημέραι γελῶντες οὐ παύεσθε, ποῖοί τινες καὶ περὶ τὰ ἄλογα ζῷα;
For if they are beasts, they are not adulterous or libidinous, and seek pleasure in nothing that is contrary to nature. And of what sort these deities are, what need is there further to say, as they have been already sufficiently exposed? Furthermore, the Egyptians whom I have now mentioned are divided in their objects of worship. The Syenites worship the braize-fish; and the maiotes-this is another fish-is worshipped by those who inhabit Elephantine: the Oxyrinchites likewise worship a fish which takes its name from their country. Again, the Heraclitopolites worship the ichneumon, the inhab, itants of Sais and of Thebes a sheep, the Leucopolites a wolf, the Cynopolites a dog, the Memphites Apis, the Mendesians a goat. And you, who are altogether better than the Egyptians (I shrink from saying worse)., who never cease laughing every day of your lives at the Egyptians, what are some of you, too, with regard to brute beasts?
For even if the Egyptians’ animals are beasts, they are not adulterous or lustful, and not one of them hunts for pleasure against nature. As for what your gods are like, why say more, when they have been exposed enough already? Now the Egyptians I just mentioned are divided among themselves in their forms of worship. The people of Syene worship the phagros fish. Those who live at Elephantine worship the maiotes, which is another fish. The people of Oxyrhynchus likewise worship the fish that gives their country its name. The people of Heracleopolis worship the ichneumon. The people of Sais and Thebes worship the sheep. The people of Lycopolis worship the wolf, and those of Cynopolis the dog. The people of Memphis worship Apis, and those of Mendes the goat. But you, who are better than the Egyptians in every way (I hesitate to say worse), and who never stop laughing at the Egyptians day after day, what are you like when it comes to irrational animals?
Translator’s note. The fish phagros cannot be identified with certainty. The name is used elsewhere for a kind of sea bream.
Θεσσαλοὶ μὲν ὑμῶν τοὺς πελαργοὺς τετιμήκασι διὰ τὴν συνήθειαν, Θηβαῖοι δὲ τὰς γαλᾶς διὰ τὴν Ἡρακλέους γένεσιν. τί δὲ πάλιν Θετταλοί; μύρμηκας ἱστοροῦνται σέβειν, ἐπεὶ τὸν Δία μεμαθήκασιν ὁμοιωθέντα μύρμηκι τῇ Κλήτορος θυγατρὶ Εὐρυμεδούσῃ μιγῆναι καὶ Μυρμιδόνα γεννῆσαι· Πολέμων δὲ τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὴν Τρωάδα κατοικοῦντας ἱστορεῖ τοὺς ἐπιχωρίους μῦς σέβειν, οὓς σμίνθους καλοῦσιν, ὅτι τὰς νευρὰς τῶν πολεμίων διέτρωγον τῶν τόξων· καὶ Σμίνθιον Ἀπόλλωνα ἀπὸ τῶν μυῶν ἐκείνων ἐπεφήμισαν. Ἡρακλείδης δὲ ἐν Κτίσεσιν ἱερῶν περὶ τὴν Ἀκαρνανίαν φησίν, ἔνθα τὸ Ἄκτιόν ἐστιν ἀκρωτήριον καὶ τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος τοῦ Ἀκτίου τὸ ἱερόν, ταῖς μυίαις προθύεσθαι βοῦν. οὐδὲ μὴν Σαμίων ἐκλήσομαι (πρόβατον, ὥς φησιν Εὐφορίων, σέβουσι Σάμιοι) οὐδέ γε τῶν τὴν Φοινίκην Σύρων κατοικούντων, ὧν οἳ μὲν τὰς περιστεράς, οἳ δὲ τοὺς ἰχθῦς οὕτω σέβουσι περιττῶς ὡς Ἠλεῖοι τὸν Δία.
For of your number the Thessalians pay divine homage to storks, in accordance with ancient custom; and the Thebans to weasels, for their assistance at the birth of Hercules. And again, are not the Thessalians reported to worship ants, since they have learned that Zeus in the likeness of an ant had intercourse with Eurymedusa, the daughter of Cletor, and begot Myrmidon? Polemo, too, relates that the people who inhabit the Troad worship the mice of the country, which they call Sminthoi, because they gnawed the strings of their enemies' bows; and from those mice Apollo has received his epithet of Sminthian. Heraclides, in his work, Regarding the Building of Temples in Acarnania, says that, at the place where the promontory of Actium is, and the temple of Apollo of Actium, they offer to the flies the sacrifice of an ox. Nor shall I forget the Samians: the Samians, as Euphorion says, reverence the sheep. Nor shall I forget the Syrians, who inhabit Phoenicia, of whom some revere doves, and others fishes, with as excessive veneration as the Eleans do Zeus.
Among you, the Thessalians honor storks because of their familiarity with them, and the Thebans honor weasels because of the birth of Heracles. And what of the Thessalians again? They are said to worship ants, because they have learned that Zeus took the form of an ant, slept with Eurymedusa the daughter of Cletor, and fathered Myrmidon. Polemon reports that the people living around the Troad worship the native mice, which they call “sminthoi,” because the mice gnawed through their enemies’ bowstrings. They also named Apollo “Sminthian” after those mice. Heraclides, in his Foundings of Temples, says that in Acarnania, where the promontory of Actium and the temple of Apollo of Actium are, an ox is first sacrificed to the flies. I will not forget the Samians either, for the Samians worship the sheep, as Euphorion says. Nor will I forget the Syrians living in Phoenicia. Some of them worship doves and others fish, as extravagantly as the Eleans worship Zeus.
Translator’s note. The Greek word for the reason the Thessalians honor storks (synētheia) can mean either “custom” or “familiarity.”
Εἶεν δή· ἐπειδὴ οὐ θεοί, οὓς θρῃσκεύετε, αὖθις ἐπισκέψασθαί μοι δοκεῖ εἰ ὄντως εἶεν δαίμονες, δευτέρᾳ ταύτῃ, ὡς ὑμεῖς φατέ, ἐγκαταλεγόμενοι τάξει. εἰ γὰρ οὖν δαίμονες, λίχνοι τε καὶ μιαροί. ἔστι μὲν ἐφευρεῖν καὶ ἀναφανδὸν οὕτω κατὰ πόλεις δαίμονας ἐπιχωρίους τιμὴν ἐπιδρεπομένους, παρὰ Κυθνίοις Μενέδημον, παρὰ Τηνίοις Καλλισταγόραν, παρὰ Δηλίοις Ἄνιον, παρὰ Λάκωσιν Ἀστράβακον. τιμᾶται δέ τις καὶ Φαληροῖ κατὰ πρύμναν ἥρως· καὶ ἡ Πυθία συνέταξε θύειν Πλαταιεῦσιν Ἀνδροκράτει καὶ Δημοκράτει καὶ Κυκλαίῳ καὶ Λεύκωνι τῶν Μηδικῶν ἀκμαζόντων ἀγώνων. ἔστι καὶ ἄλλους παμπόλλους συνιδεῖν δαίμονας τῷ γε καὶ σμικρὸν διαθρεῖν δυναμένῳ· τρὶς γὰρ μύριοί εἰσιν ἐπὶ χθονὶ πουλυβοτείρῃ δαίμονες ἀθάνατοι, φύλακες μερόπων ἀνθρώπων. τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ φύλακες, ὦ Βοιώτιε, μὴ φθονέσῃς λέγειν.
Well, then, since those you worship are not gods, it seems to me requisite to ascertain if those are really demons who are ranked, as you say, in this second order [next the gods]. For if the lickerish and impure are demons, indigenous demons who have obtained sacred honours may be discovered in crowds throughout your cities: Menedemus among the Cythnians; among the Tenians, Callistagoras; among the Delians, Anius; among the Laconians, Astrabacus; at Phalerus, a hero affixed to the prow of ships is worshipped; and the Pythian priestess enjoined the Plataeans to sacrifice to Androcrates and Democrates, and Cyclaeus and Leuco while the Median war was at its height. Other demons in plenty may be brought to light by any one who can look about him a little. "For thrice ten thousand are there in the all-nourishing earth Of demons immortal, the guardians of articulate-speaking men. Who these guardians are, do not grudge, O Boeotian, to tell.
Very well. Since the ones you worship are not gods, I think we should look again at whether they are really daimons, ranked, as you say, in this second order. For if they are daimons, they are greedy and unclean. In fact you can openly find local daimons, city by city, who receive honors. The Cythnians have Menedemus, the Tenians Callistagoras, the Delians Anius, and the Spartans Astrabacus. At Phalerum a hero is honored “at the stern.” The Pythian priestess also ordered the Plataeans to sacrifice to Androcrates, Democrates, Cyclaeus and Leucon when the Persian wars were at their height. Anyone who can look around even a little can see a great many other daimons. For “thrice ten thousand are there on the all-nourishing earth, immortal daimons, guardians of mortal men.” Who are these guardians, Boeotian? Do not begrudge us the answer.
Translator’s note. The verse is from Hesiod, Works and Days 252–253. Clement’s wording differs slightly from the standard text of Hesiod. The Boeotian addressed here is Hesiod, whom Clement calls “Ascraean” in the next section.
ἢ δῆλον ὡς οὗτοι καὶ οἱ τούτων ἐπιτιμότεροι, οἱ μεγάλοι δαίμονες, ὁ Ἀπόλλων, ἡ Ἄρτεμις, ἡ Λητώ, ἡ Δημήτηρ, ἡ Κόρη, ὁ Πλούτων, ὁ Ἡρακλῆς, αὐτὸς ὁ Ζεύς. ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἀποδρᾶναι ἡμᾶς φυλάττουσιν, Ἀσκραῖε, μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν δὲ ἴσως, οἱ ἁμαρτιῶν δῆτα οὐ πεπειραμένοι. ἐνταῦθα δὴ τὸ παροιμιῶδες ἐπιφθέγξασθαι ἁρμόττει »πατὴρ ἀνουθέτητα παῖδα νουθετεῖ.« εἰ δ᾿ ἄρα καὶ εἰσὶ φύλακες οὗτοι, οὐκ εὐνοίᾳ τῇ πρὸς ἡμᾶς περιπαθεῖς, τῆς δὲ ὑμεδαπῆς ἀπωλείας ἐχόμενοι, κολάκων δίκην ἐγχρίμπτονται τῷ βίῳ, δελεαζόμενοι καπνῷ. αὐτοί που ἐξομολογοῦνται οἱ δαίμονες τὴν γαστριμαργίαν τὴν αὑτῶν, λοιβῆς τε κνίσης τε· τὸ γὰρ λάχομεν γέρας ἡμεῖς, λέγοντες. τίνα δ᾿ ἂν φωνὴν ἄλλην, εἰ φωνὴν λάβοιεν Αἰγυπτίων θεοί, οἷα αἴλουροι καὶ γαλαῖ, προήσονται ἢ τὴν Ὁμηρικήν τε καὶ ποιητικήν, τῆς κνίσης τε καὶ ὀψαρτυτικῆς φίλην; τοιοίδε μέντοι παρ᾿ ὑμῖν οἵ τε δαίμονες καὶ οἱ θεοὶ καὶ εἴ τινες ἡμίθεοι ὥσπερ ἡμίονοι κέκληνται· οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ ὀνομάτων ὑμῖν πενία πρὸς τὰς τῆς ἀσεβείας συνθέσεις.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»πατὴρ, νουθετεῖ.«). Check it against the printed edition.
Is it not clear that they are those we have mentioned, and those of more renown, the great demons, Apollo, Artemis, Leto, Demeter, Core, Pluto, Hercules, and Zeus himself? But it is from running away that they guard us, O Ascraean, or perhaps it is from sinning, as forsooth they have never tried their hand at sin themselves! In that case verily the proverb may fitly be uttered:- "The father who took no admonition admonishes his son. If these are our guardians, it is not because they have any ardour of kindly feeling towards us, but intent on your ruin, after the manner of flatterers, they prey on your substance, enticed by, the smoke. These demons themselves indeed confess their own gluttony, saying:- "For with drink-offerings due, and fat of lambs, My altar still hath at their hands been fed; Such honour hath to us been ever paid. What other speech would they utter, if indeed the gods of the Egyptians, such as cats and weasels, should receive the faculty of speech, than that Homeric and poetic one which proclaims their liking for savoury odours and cookery? Such are your demons and gods, and demigods, if there are any so called, as there are demi-asses (mules); for you have no want of terms to make up compound names of impiety.
Clearly these guardians are the ones just named, and those held in higher honor than they, the great daimons: Apollo, Artemis, Leto, Demeter, Kore, Pluto, Heracles, and Zeus himself. But surely they do not guard us against running away, Ascraean. Perhaps they guard us against sinning, though they have no experience of sins themselves! Here the proverb fits: “A father who has never been corrected corrects his child.” But if these really are guardians, they are not moved by any goodwill toward us. They are intent on your ruin, and like flatterers they cling to your life, lured by smoke. The daimons themselves somewhere confess their gluttony when they say: “of libation and the savor of fat, for this is the honor we have received as our portion.” And if the gods of the Egyptians, such as cats and weasels, were given a voice, what other voice would they use than the Homeric, poetic one, which loves the savor of fat and the art of cooking? Such are the daimons and gods among you, and the so-called demigods too, named the way mules are called “half-asses.” You have no shortage of names for compounding your impieties.
Translator’s note. The daimons’ words quote a line of Homer (Iliad 4.49, repeated at 24.70), where Zeus speaks of the libation and savor of fat that are the gods’ portion.
Chapter 3
Φέρε δὴ οὖν καὶ τοῦτο προσθῶμεν, ὡς ἀπάνθρωποι καὶ μισάνθρωποι δαίμονες εἶεν ὑμῶν οἱ θεοὶ καὶ οὐχὶ μόνον ἐπιχαίροντες τῇ φρενοβλαβείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, πρὸς δὲ καὶ ἀνθρωποκτονίας ἀπολαύοντες· νυνὶ μὲν τὰς ἐν σταδίοις ἐνόπλους φιλονεικίας, νυνὶ δὲ τὰς ἐν πολέμοις ἀναρίθμους φιλοτιμίας ἀφορμὰς σφίσιν ἡδονῆς ποριζόμενοι, ὅπως ὅτι μάλιστα ἔχοιεν ἀνθρωπείων ἀνέδην ἐμφορεῖσθαι φόνων· ἤδη δὲ κατὰ πόλεις καὶ ἔθνη, οἱονεὶ λοιμοὶ ἐπισκήψαντες, σπονδὰς ἀπῄτησαν ἀνημέρους. Ἀριστομένης γοῦν ὁ Μεσσήνιος τῷ Ἰθωμήτῃ Διὶ τριακοσίους ἀπέσφαξεν, τοσαύτας ὁμοῦ καὶ τοιαύτας καλλιερεῖν οἰόμενος ἑκατόμβας· ἐν οἷς καὶ Θεόπομπος ἦν ὁ Λακεδαιμονίων βασιλεύς, ἱερεῖον εὐγενές. Ταῦροι δὲ τὸ ἔθνος, οἱ περὶ τὴν Ταυρικὴν Χερρόνησον κατοικοῦντες, οὓς ἂν τῶν ξένων παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς ἕλωσι, τούτων δὴ τῶν κατὰ θάλατταν ἐπταικότων, αὐτίκα μάλα τῇ Ταυρικῇ καταθύουσιν Ἀρτέμιδι· ταύτας σου τὰς θυσίας Εὐριπίδης ἐπὶ σκηνῆς τραγῳδεῖ.
The Cruelty of the Sacrifices to the Gods.Well, now, let us say in addition, what inhuman demons, and hostile to the human race, your gods were, not only delighting in the insanity of men, but gloating over human slaughter,-now in the armed contests for superiority in the stadia, and now in the numberless contests for renown in the wars providing for themselves the means of pleasure, that they might be able abundantly to satiate themselves with the murder of human beings. And now, like plagues invading cities and nations, they demanded cruel oblations. Thus Aristomenes the Messenian slew three hundred human beings in honour of Ithometan Zeus thinking that hecatombs of such a number and quality would give good omens; among whom was Theopompos, king of the Lacedemonians, a noble victim. The Taurians, the people who inhabit the Tauric Chersonese, sacrifice to the Tauric Artemis forthwith whatever strangers they lay hands on on their coasts who have been east adrift on the sea. These sacrifices Euripides represents in tragedies on the stage.
Let us add this as well: your gods are inhuman daimons who hate humanity. They are not only glad at people’s madness, but they also enjoy the killing of human beings. Sometimes they take their occasions of pleasure from armed contests in the stadiums, sometimes from the countless ambitions of wars. In this way they may glut themselves as much as possible on human bloodshed without restraint. And in cities and nations they have descended like plagues and demanded savage offerings. So Aristomenes the Messenian cut the throats of three hundred men for Ithomaean Zeus. He thought it a favorable sacrifice to offer so many hecatombs at once, and of such quality. Among them was Theopompus, king of the Spartans, a noble victim. The Taurians, who live on the Tauric Chersonese, immediately sacrifice to the Tauric Artemis any strangers they catch among them who have come to grief at sea. These sacrifices of yours Euripides sets out in tragedy on the stage.
Translator’s note. A “hecatomb” was properly a sacrifice of a hundred oxen, so three hundred men made three hecatombs. Euripides’ play is Iphigenia among the Taurians.
Μόνιμος δ᾿ ἱστορεῖ ἐν τῇ τῶν θαυμασίων συναγωγῇ ἐν Πέλλῃ τῆς Θετταλίας Ἀχαιὸν ἄνθρωπον Πηλεῖ καὶ Χείρωνι καταθύεσθαι· Λυκτίους γὰρ (Κρητῶν δὲ ἔθνος εἰσὶν οὗτοι) Ἀντικλείδης ἐν Νόστοις ἀποφαίνεται ἀνθρώπους ἀποσφάττειν τῷ Διί, καὶ Λεσβίους Διονύσῳ τὴν ὁμοίαν προσάγειν θυσίαν Δωσίδας λέγει· Φωκαεῖς δέ (οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτοὺς παραπέμψομαι) — τούτους Πυθοκλῆς ἐν τρίτῳ Περὶ ὁμονοίας τῇ Ταυροπόλῳ Ἀρτέμιδι ἄνθρωπον ὁλοκαυτεῖν ἱστορεῖ. Ἐρεχθεὺς δὲ ὁ Ἀττικὸς καὶ Μάριος ὁ Ῥωμαῖος τὰς αὑτῶν ἐθυσάτην θυγατέρας· ὧν ὃ μὲν τῇ Φερεφάττῃ, ὡς Δημάρατος ἐν πρώτῃ Τραγῳδουμένων, ὃ δὲ τοῖς Ἀποτροπαίοις, ὁ Μάριος, ὡς Δωρόθεος ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ Ἰταλικῶν ἱστορεῖ. φιλάνθρωποί γε ἐκ τούτων καταφαίνονται οἱ δαίμονες· πῶς δὲ οὐχ ὅσιοι ἀναλόγως οἱ δεισιδαίμονες;
Monimus relates, in his treatise on marvels, that at Pella, in Thessaly, a man of Achaia was slain in sacrifice to Peleus and Chiron. That the Lyctii, who are a Cretan race, slew men in sacrifice to Zeus, Anticlides shows in his Homeward Journeys; and that the Lesbians offered the like sacrifice to Dionysus, is said by Dosidas. The Phocaeans also (for I will not pass over such as they are), Pythocles informs us in his third book, On Concord, offer a man as a burnt-sacrifice to the Taurian Artemis. Erechtheus of Attica and Marius the Roman sacrificed their daughters,-the former to Pherephatta, as Demaratus mentions in his first book on Tragic Subjects; the latter to the evil-averting deities, as Dorotheus relates in his first book of Italian Affairs. Philanthropic, assuredly, the demons appear, from these examples; and how shall those who revere the demons not be correspondingly pious?
Monimus records in his *Collection of Marvels* that at Pella in Thessaly an Achaean man is sacrificed to Peleus and Chiron. Anticleides, in his *Homeward Journeys*, shows that the Lyctians, a Cretan people, slaughter men to Zeus. Dosidas says that the Lesbians offer the same sacrifice to Dionysus. The Phocaeans I will not pass over either. Pythocles, in the third book of his *On Concord*, records that they burn a man whole to Artemis Tauropolos. Erechtheus of Attica and Marius the Roman both sacrificed their own daughters. Erechtheus offered his to Persephone, as Demaratus reports in the first book of his *Subjects of Tragedy*. Marius offered his to the Averting Powers, as Dorotheus reports in the fourth book of his *Italian History*. These examples show how kind the daimons are to humanity! And how could those who fear the daimons fail to be holy in proportion?
Translator’s note. Clement is making a pun. The Greek word for these worshippers, deisidaimones, normally means “superstitious,” but literally it means “those who fear the daimons.”
οἳ μὲν σωτῆρες εὐφημούμενοι, οἳ δὲ σωτηρίαν αἰτούμενοι παρὰ τῶν ἐπιβούλων σωτηρίας. καλλιερεῖν γοῦν τοπάζοντες αὐτοῖς σφᾶς αὐτοὺς λελήθασιν ἀποσφάττοντες ἀνθρώπους. οὐ γὰρ οὖν παρὰ τὸν τόπον ἱερεῖον γίνεται ὁ φόνος, οὐδ᾿ εἰ Ἀρτέμιδί τις καὶ Διὶ ἐν. ἱερῷ δῆθεν χωρίῳ μᾶλλον ἢ ὀργῇ καὶ φιλαργυρίᾳ, ἄλλοις ὁμοίοις δαίμοσιν, ἐπὶ βωμοῖς ἢ ἐν ὁδοῖς ἀποσφάττοι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, [ἱερὸν] ἱερεῖον ἐπιφημίσας, ἀλλὰ φόνος ἐστὶ καὶ ἀνδροκτασία ἡ τοιαύτη θυσία. τί δὴ οὐν, ὦ σοφώτατοι τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων ἄνθρωποι, τὰ μὲν θηρία περιφεύγομεν τὰ ἀνήμερα, κἄν που περιτύχωμεν ἄρκῳ ἢ λέοντι, ἐκτρεπόμεθα, ὡς δ᾿ ὅτε τίς τε δράκοντα ἰδὼν παλίνορσος ἀπέστη οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃς, ὑπό τε τρόμος ἔλλαβε γυῖα, ἄψ τ᾿ ἀνεχώρησεν· δαίμονας δὲ ὀλεθρίους καὶ ἀλιτηρίους ἐπιβούλους τε καὶ μισανθρώπους καὶ λυμεῶνας ὄντας προαισθόμενοι καὶ συνιέντες οὐκ ἐκ τρέπεσθε οὐδὲ ἀποστρέφεσθε;
The former are called by the fair name of saviours; and the latter ask for safety from those who plot against their safety, imagining that they sacrifice with good omens to them, and forget that they themselves are slaying men. For a murder does not become a sacrifice by being committed in a particular spot. You are not to call it a sacred sacrifice, if one slays a man either at the altar or on the highway to Artemis or Zeus, any more than if he slew him for anger or covetousness,-other demons very like the former; but a sacrifice of this kind is murder and human butchery. Then why is it, O men, wisest of all creatures, that you avoid wild beasts, and get out of the way of the savage animals, if you fall in with a bear or lion? " ... As when some traveller spies, Coiled in his path upon the mountain side, A deadly snake, back he recoils in haste,- His limbs all trembling, and his cheek all pale," But though you perceive and understand demons to be deadly and wicked, plotters, haters of the human race, and destroyers, why do you not turn out of their way, or turn them out of yours?
The daimons are hailed as “saviors,” and their worshippers ask for safety from the very ones who plot against their safety. Supposing they are offering favorable sacrifices to these powers, they do not notice that they are slaughtering their own kind, human beings. A killing does not become a sacrifice because of where it happens. Someone may slaughter a man to Artemis and Zeus at an altar in a supposedly holy place, instead of to anger and greed on the road, though anger and greed are daimons of the same kind. He may call his victim “sacred.” But such a sacrifice is still murder and manslaughter. So why is it, you human beings, wisest of all living creatures, that we run from wild beasts? If we happen on a bear or a lion, we turn aside. “As when a man sees a snake in a mountain glen and springs back from it, and trembling seizes his limbs, and he draws back.” Yet daimons are destructive and accursed, plotters, haters of mankind, and ruinous. You sense this beforehand and understand it. Why do you not turn aside and turn away from them?
Translator’s note. The verse is from Homer (Iliad 3.33–35). In Homer the next words are “and pallor seized his cheeks,” which Clement does not quote.
τί δ᾿ ἂν καὶ ἀληθεύσαιεν οἱ κακοί, ἢ τίνα ἂν ὠφελήσαιεν; αὐτίκα γοῦν ἔχω σοι βελτίονα τῶν ὑμεδαπῶν τούτων θεῶν, τῶν δαιμόνων, ἐπιδεῖξαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος τοῦ μαντικοῦ τὸν Κῦρον καὶ τὸν Σόλωνα. φιλόδωρος ὑμῶν ὁ Φοῖβος, ἀλλ᾿ οὐ φιλάνθρωπος. προὔδωκε τὸν Κροῖσον τὸν φίλον καὶ τοῦ μισθοῦ ἐκλαθόμενος (οὕτω φιλόδοξος ἦν) ἀνήγαγε τὸν Κροῖσον διὰ τοῦ Ἅλυος ἐπὶ τὴν πυράν. οὕτω φιλοῦντες οἱ δαίμονες ὁδηγοῦσιν εἰς τὸ πῦρ. ἀλλ᾿, ὦ φιλανθρωπότερε καὶ ἀληθέστερε τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος ἄνθρωπε, τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς πυρᾶς οἴκτειρον δεδεμένον, καὶ σὺ μέν, ὦ Σόλων, μάντευσαι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, σὺ δέ, ὦ Κῦρε, κέλευσον ἀποσβεσθῆναι τὴν πυράν. σωφρόνησον ὕστατον γοῦν, ὦ Κροῖσε, τῷ πάθει μεταμαθών· ἀχάριστός ἐστιν ὃν προσκυνεῖς, λαμβάνει τὸν μισθὸν καὶ μετὰ τὸ χρυσίον ψεύδεται πάλιν.
What truth can the wicked tell, or what good can they do any one? I can then readily demonstrate that man is better than these gods of yours, who are but demons; and can show, for instance, that Cyrus and Solon were superior to oracular Apollo. Your Phoebus was a lover of gifts, but not a lover of men. He betrayed his friend Croesus, and forgetting the reward he had got (so careful was he of his fame), led him across the Halys to the stake. The demons love men in such a way as to bring them to the fire [unquenchable]. But O man, who lovest the human race better, and art truer than Apollo, pity him that is bound on the pyre. Do thou, O Solon, declare truth; and thou, O Cyrus, command the fire to be extinguished. Be wise, then, at last, O Croesus, taught by suffering. He whom you worship is an ingrate; he accepts your reward, and after taking the gold plays false.
What truth could the wicked ever tell, or whom could they ever help? Right now I can show you that a human being is better than these gods of yours, the demons: Cyrus and Solon were better than Apollo the prophet. Your Phoebus loves gifts, but he does not love people. He betrayed his friend Croesus. Forgetting the payment he had received (so fond of glory was he), he led Croesus across the Halys to the pyre. This is how the demons love: they lead people into the fire. But you, O man, more loving toward people and more truthful than Apollo, pity the one who lies bound on the pyre. You, Solon, prophesy the truth. You, Cyrus, order the pyre put out. And you, Croesus, be sensible at last, now that you have learned better through suffering. The one you worship is ungrateful. He takes his payment, and after taking the gold he lies again.
Translator’s note. Clement draws on Herodotus (Histories 1.46–91). Croesus of Lydia sent rich gifts to Delphi and was told that if he made war on Persia he would destroy a great empire. The empire he destroyed was his own, for Cyrus defeated him. On the pyre he called out the name of Solon, who had once warned him. Cyrus ordered the fire put out, but in Herodotus the flames were quenched only by a rainstorm after Croesus prayed to Apollo.
τέλος ἄρα οὐχ ὁ δαίμων, ἀλλὰ ὁ ἄνθρωπός σοι λέγει. οὐ λοξὰ μαντεύεται Σόλων· τοῦτον εὑρήσεις ἀληθῆ μόνον, ὦ βάρβαρε, τὸν χρησμόν· τοῦτον ἐπὶ τῆς πυρᾶς δοκιμάσεις. Ὅθεν ἔπεισί μοι θαυμάζειν τίσι ποτὲ φαντασίαις ἀπαχθέντες οἱ πρῶτοι πεπλανημένοι δεισιδαιμονίαν ἀνθρώποις κατήγγειλαν, δαίμονας ἀλιτηρίους νομοθετοῦντες σέβειν, εἴτε Φορωνεὺς ἐκεῖνος ἦν εἴτε Μέροψ εἴτε ἄλλος τις, οἳ νεὼς καὶ βωμοὺς ἀνέστησαν αὐτοῖς, πρὸς δὲ καὶ θυσίας παραστῆσαι πρῶτοι μεμύθευνται. καὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ κατὰ χρόνους ὕστερον ἀνέπλαττον θεούς, οἷς προσκυνοῖεν. ἀμέλει τὸν Ἔρωτα τοῦτον τὸν ἐν τοῖς πρεσβυτάτοις τῶν θεῶν εἶναι λεγόμενον ἐτίμα πρότερον οὐδὲ εἷς πρὶν ἢ Χάρμον μειράκιόν τι ἑλεῖν καὶ βωμὸν ἱδρύσασθαι ἐν Ἀκαδημίᾳ χαριστήριον ἐπιτελοῦς γενομένης ἐπιθυμίας· καὶ τῆς νόσου τὴν ἀσέλγειαν Ἔρωτα κεκλήκασι, θεοποιοῦντες ἀκόλαστον ἐπιθυμίαν.
"Look again to the end, O Solon. It is not the demon, but the man that tells you this. It is not ambiguous oracles that Solon utters. You shall easily take him up. Nothing but true, O Barbarian, shall you find by proof this oracle to be, when you are placed on the pyre. Whence I cannot help wondering, by what plausible reasons those who first went astray were impelled to preach superstition to men, when they exhorted them to worship wicked demons, whether it was Phoroneus or Merops, or whoever else that raised temples and altars to them; and besides, as is fabled, were the first to offer sacrifices to them. But, unquestionably, in succeeding ages men invented for themselves gods to worship. It is beyond doubt that this Eros, who is said to be among the oldest of the gods, was worshipped by no one till Charmus took a little boy and raised an altar to him in Academia,-a thing more seemly than the lust he had gratified; and the lewdness of vice men called by the name of Eros, deifying thus unbridled lust.
So it is not the demon but the man who tells you to look to the end. Solon does not give crooked prophecies. This is the only oracle you will find true, barbarian, and you will test it on the pyre. This makes me wonder what fancies carried away those who first went astray, so that they proclaimed superstition to mankind and laid down laws to worship accursed demons. Whether it was Phoroneus, or Merops, or someone else, they set up temples and altars for these demons, and the myths say they were also the first to offer sacrifices. Later, as time went on, people kept molding new gods for themselves to worship. Take Eros, who is said to be among the oldest of the gods. No one honored him at all until Charmus seduced a certain youth and set up an altar in the Academy, as a thank-offering because his desire had been satisfied. So people have given the name Eros to the lewdness of that sickness, making a god out of unrestrained desire.
Translator’s note. “The end” recalls Solon’s famous advice to Croesus to call no one happy until he has seen the end of his life (Herodotus 1.32). “Crooked” (loxa) is a pun on Apollo’s title Loxias, which the Greeks connected with his ambiguous oracles.
Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ οὐδὲ τὸν Πᾶνα ᾔδεσαν ὅστις ἦν, πρὶν ἢ Φιλιππίδην εἰπεῖν αὐτοῖς. εἰκότως ἄρα ἀρχήν ποθεν ἡ δεισιδαιμονία λαβοῦσα κακίας ἀνοήτου γέγονε πηγή· εἶτα δὲ μὴ ἀνακοπεῖσα, ἀλλ᾿ εἰς ἐπίδοσιν ἐλθοῦσα καὶ πολλὴ δὴ ῥυεῖσα, δημιουργὸς πολλῶν καθίσταται δαιμόνων, ἑκατόμβας θύουσα καὶ πανηγύρεις ἐπιτελοῦσα καὶ ἀγάλματα ἀνιστᾶσα καὶ νεὼς ἀνοικοδομοῦσα, τοὺς δή — οὐ γὰρ οὐδὲ τούτους σιωπήσομαι, πρὸς δὲ καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐξελέγξω — νεὼς μὲν εὐφήμως ὀνομαζομένους, τάφους δὲ γενομένους [τουτέστι τοὺς τάφους νεὼς ἐπικεκλημένους]. ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀλλὰ κἂν νῦν δεισιδαιμονίας ἐκλάθεσθε, τοὺς τάφους τιμᾶν αἰσχυνόμενοι. ἐν τῷ νεῲ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἐν Λαρίσῃ ἐν τῇ ἀκροπόλει τάφος ἐστὶν Ἀκρισίου, Ἀθήνησιν δὲ ἐν ἀκροπόλει Κέκροπος, ὥς φησιν Ἀντίοχος ἐν τῷ ἐνάτῳ τῶν Ἱστοριῶν.
The Athenians, again, knew not who Pan was till Philippides told them. Superstition, then, as was to be expected, having taken its rise thus, became the fountain of insensate wickedness; and not being subsequently checked, but having gone on augmenting and rushing along in full flood, it became the originator of many demons, and was displayed in sacrificing hecatombs, appointing solemn assemblies, setting up images, and building temples, which were in reality tombs: for I will not pass these over in silence, but make a thorough exposure of them, though called by the august name of temples; that is, the tombs which got the name of temples. But do ye now at length quite give up your superstition, feeling ashamed to regard sepulchres with religious veneration. In the temple of Athene in Larissa, on the Acropolis, is the grave of Acrisius; and at Athens, on the Acropolis, is that of Cecrops, as Antiochus says in the ninth book of his Histories.
The Athenians did not even know who Pan was until Philippides told them. It is no surprise, then, that superstition, once it began somewhere, became a fountain of senseless evil. It was not checked. It grew and flowed out in a great flood, and became the maker of many demons. It offered sacrifices of a hundred oxen, held festivals, set up statues and built temples. These are the ones (for I will not be silent about them either, but will expose them too) that are politely called temples but are really tombs. In other words, the tombs have been given the name of temples. But you, now at least, forget your superstition, and be ashamed to honor tombs. In the temple of Athena at Larissa, on the acropolis, is the tomb of Acrisius. At Athens, on the acropolis, is the tomb of Cecrops, as Antiochus says in the ninth book of his *Histories*.
Translator’s note. The clause “that is, the tombs have been given the name of temples” is bracketed by editors as a probable later explanatory addition to the Greek.
τί δὲ Ἐριχθόνιος; οὐχὶ ἐν τῷ νεῲ τῆς Πολιάδος κεκήδευται; Ἰμμάραδος δὲ ὁ Εὐμόλπου καὶ Δαείρας οὐχὶ ἐν τῷ περιβόλῳ τοῦ Ἐλευσινίου τοῦ ὑπὸ τῇ ἀκροπόλει; αἱ δὲ Κελεοῦ θυγατέρες οὐχὶ ἐν Ἐλευσῖνι τετάφαται; τί σοι καταλέγω τὰς ἐξ Ὑπερβορέων γυναῖκας; Ὑπερόχη καὶ Λαοδίκη κέκλησθον, ἐν τῷ Ἀρτεμισίῳ ἐν Δήλῳ κεκήδευσθον, τὸ δὲ ἐν τῷ Ἀπόλλωνος τοῦ Δηλίου ἐστὶν ἱερῷ. Λεάνδριος δὲ Κλέοχον ἐν Μιλήτῳ τεθάφθαι ἐν τῷ Διδυμαίῳ φησίν. ἐνταῦθα τῆς Λευκοφρύνης τὸ μνημεῖον οὐκ ἄξιον παρελθεῖν ἑπομένους Ζήνωνι τῷ Μυνδίῳ, ἣ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος ἐν Μαγνησίᾳ κεκήδευται, οὐδὲ μὴν τὸν ἐν Τελμησσῷ βωμὸν τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος· μνῆμα εἶναι καὶ τοῦτον Τελμησσοῦ τοῦ μάντεως ἱστοροῦσιν. Πτολεμαῖος δὲ ὁ τοῦ Ἀγησάρχου ἐν τῷ α΄ τῶν περὶ τὸν Φιλοπάτορα ἐν Πάφῳ λέγει ἐν τῷ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἱερῷ Κινύραν τε καὶ τοὺς Κινύρου ἀπογόνους κεκηδεῦσθαι.
What of Erichthonius? was he not buried in the temple of Polias? And Immarus, the son of Eumolpus and Daira, were they not buried in the precincts of the Elusinium, which is under the Acropolis; and the daughters of Celeus, were they not interred in Eleusis? Why should I enumerate to you the wives of the Hyperboreans? They were called Hyperoche and Laodice; they were buried in the Artemisium in Delos, which is in the temple of the Delian Apollo. Leandrius says that Clearchus was buried in Miletus, in the Didymaeum. Following the Myndian Zeno, it were unsuitable in this connection to pass over the sepulchre of Leucophryne, who was buried in the temple of Artemis in Magnesia; or the altar of Apollo in Telmessus, which is reported to be the tomb of Telmisseus the seer. Further, Ptolemy the son of Agesarchus, in his first book about Philopator, says that Cinyras and the descendants of Cinyras were interred in the temple of Aphrodité in Paphos.
What of Erichthonius? Is he not buried in the temple of Athena Polias? And Immarados, the son of Eumolpus and Daeira, is he not buried within the enclosure of the Eleusinion below the Acropolis? Are the daughters of Celeus not buried at Eleusis? Why should I list for you the women who came from the Hyperboreans? They were called Hyperoche and Laodice, and they are buried in the Artemision on Delos, which lies within the sanctuary of the Delian Apollo. Leandrius says that Cleochus is buried at Miletus, in the Didymaion. At this point, following Zeno of Myndus, we should not pass over the tomb of Leucophryne, who is buried in the temple of Artemis in Magnesia. Nor should we pass over the altar of Apollo at Telmessus, which they report to be the tomb of Telmessus the seer. Ptolemy, the son of Agesarchus, says in the first book of his work on Philopator that Cinyras and the descendants of Cinyras are buried in the temple of Aphrodite at Paphos.
Translator’s note. Herodotus (4.33–35) tells of Hyperboreans who came to Delos from the far north; he names Hyperoche and Laodice as maidens who brought offerings and died there, and places their tomb in the Artemision (4.34).
ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐπιόντι μοι τοὺς προσκυνουμένους ὑμῖν τάφους ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐδ᾿ ὁ πᾶς ἂν ἀρκέσαι χρόνος· ὑμᾶς δὲ εἰ μὴ ὑπεισέρχεταί τις αἰσχύνη τῶν τολμωμένων, νεκροὶ ἄρα τέλεον ὄντες νεκροῖς [ὄντως] πεπιστευκότες περιέρχεσθε· ἆ δειλοί, τί κακὸν τόδε πάσχετε; νυκτὶ μὲν ὑμῶν εἰλύαται κεφαλαί.
But all time would not be sufficient for me, were I to go over the tombs which are held sacred by you, And if no shame for these audacious impieties steals over you, it comes to this, that you are completely dead, putting, as really you do, your trust in the dead. "Poor wretches, what misery is this you suffer? Your heads are enveloped in the darkness of night."
But if I went through the tombs that you worship, all of time would not be enough for me. And if no shame at what you dare to do creeps over you, then you are completely dead and walk about trusting in the dead. “Ah, wretches, what is this evil you are suffering? Night wraps your heads in darkness.”
Translator’s note. The last line is from Homer’s Odyssey (20.351), where the seer Theoclymenus warns the suitors of their coming death.
Chapter 4
Εἰ δ᾿ ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις φέρων ὑμῖν τὰ ἀγάλματα αὐτὰ ἐπισκοπεῖν παραθείην, ἐπιόντες ὡς ἀληθῶς λῆρον εὑρήσετε τὴν συνήθειαν, »ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων« ἀναίσθητα προστρεπόμενοι. πάλαι μὲν οὖν οἱ Σκύθαι τὸν ἀκινάκην, οἱ Ἄραβες τὸν λίθον, οἱ Πέρσαι τὸν ποταμὸν προσεκύνουν, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων οἱ ἔτι παλαιότεροι ξύλα ἱδρύοντο περιφανῆ καὶ κίονας ἵστων ἐκ λίθων· ἃ δὴ καὶ ξόανα προσηγορεύετο διὰ τὸ ἀπεξέσθαι τῆς ὕλης. ἀμέλει ἐν Ἰκάρῳ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος τὸ ἄγαλμα ξύλον ἦν οὐκ εἰργασμένον, καὶ τῆς Κιθαιρωνίας Ἥρας ἐν Θεσπείᾳ πρέμνον ἐκκεκομμένον· καὶ τὸ τῆς Σαμίας Ἥρας, ὥς φησιν Ἀέθλιος, πρότερον μὲν ἦν σανίς, ὕστερον δὲ ἐπὶ Προκλέους ἄρχοντος ἀνδριαντοειδὲς ἐγένετο. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀνθρώποις ἀπεικονίζεσθαι τὰ ξόανα ἤρξατο, βρέτη τὴν ἐκ βροτῶν ἐπωνυμίαν ἐκαρπώσατο.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἔργα, ἀνθρώπων«). Check it against the printed edition.
The Absurdity and Shamefulness of the Images by Which the Gods are Worshipped.If, in addition, I take and set before you for inspection these very images, you will, as you go over them, find how truly silly is the custom in which you have been reared, of worshipping the senseless works of men's hands. Anciently, then, the Scythians worshipped their sabres, the Arabs stones, the Persians rivers. And some, belonging to other races still more ancient, set up blocks of wood in conspicuous situations, and erected pillars of stone, which were called Xoana, from the carving of the material of which they were made. The image of Artemis in Icarus was doubtless unwrought wood, and that of the Cithaeronian Here was a felled tree-trunk; and that of the Samian Here, as Aethlius says, was at first a plank, and was afterwards during the government of Proclus carved into human shape. And when the Xoana began to be made in the likeness of men, they got the name of Brete, a term derived from Brotos (man).
Suppose I now bring the images themselves and set them before you to look over. As you examine them, you will find that your custom is truly nonsense, since you turn in devotion to senseless “works of men’s hands.” In ancient times the Scythians worshipped the short sword, the Arabs a stone, and the Persians a river. Other peoples, still more ancient, set up conspicuous wooden posts and stood up pillars of stone. These were called xoana, because they had been scraped out of their material. For example, the image of Artemis on Icarus was an unworked piece of wood, and that of Cithaeronian Hera at Thespiae was a cut-down tree trunk. The image of Samian Hera, according to Aethlius, was at first a plank. Later, when Procles was ruler, it was given human shape. When the xoana began to be made in the likeness of men, they took the name brete from brotoi, “mortals.”
Translator’s note. Clement explains two Greek words for cult images by wordplay: xoana from xeō, “to scrape or carve,” and brete from brotoi, “mortals.”
Scripture: Psalm 135:15
ἐν Ῥώμῃ δὲ τὸ παλαιὸν δόρυ φησὶ γεγονέναι τοῦ Ἄρεως τὸ ξόανον Οὐάρρων ὁ συγγραφεύς, οὐδέπω τῶν τεχνιτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν εὐπρόσωπον ταύτην κακοτεχνίαν ὡρμηκότων. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἤνθησεν ἡ τέχνη, ηὔξησεν ἡ πλάνη. ὡς μὲν οὖν τοὺς λίθους καὶ τὰ ξύλα καὶ συνελόντι φάναι τὴν ὕλην ἀγάλματα ἀνδρείκελα ἐποιήσαντο, οἷς ἐπιμορφάζετε εὐσέβειαν συκοφαντοῦντες τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἤδη μὲν αὐτόθεν δῆλον· οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποδείξεως ποσῆς ἐπιδεομένου τοῦ τόπου οὐ παραιτητέον. τὸν μὲν οὖν Ὀλυμπίασι Δία καὶ τὴν Ἀθήνησι Πολιάδα ἐκ χρυσοῦ καὶ ἐλέφαντος κατασκευάσαι Φειδίαν παντί που σαφές· τὸ δὲ ἐν Σάμῳ τῆς Ἥρας ξόανον Σμίλιδι τῷ Εὐκλείδου πεποιῆσθαι Ὀλύμπιχος ἐν Σαμιακοῖς ἱστορεῖ. μὴ οὖν ἀμφιβάλλετε, εἰ τῶν Σεμνῶν Ἀθήνησι καλουμένων θεῶν τὰς μὲν δύο Σκόπας ἐποίησεν ἐκ τοῦ καλουμένου λυχνέως λίθου, Κάλως δὲ τὴν μέσην αὐταῖν· ἱστοροῦντα ἔχω σοι Πολέμωνα δεικνύναι ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ τῶν πρὸς Τίμαιον· μηδ᾿ εἰ τὰ ἐν Πατάροις τῆς Λυκίας ἀγάλματα Διὸς καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος Φειδίας πάλιν ἐκεῖνος [τὰ ἀγάλματα] καθάπερ τοὺς λέοντας τοὺς σὺν αὐτοῖς ἀνακειμένους εἴργασται· εἰ δέ, ὥς φασί τινες, Βρυάξιος ἡ τέχνη, οὐ διαφέρομαι· ἔχεις καὶ τοῦτον ἀγαλματουργόν· ὁπότερον αὐτοῖν βούλει ἐπίγραφε.
In Rome, the historian Varro says that in ancient times the Xoaron of Mars-the idol by which he was worshipped-was a spear, artists not having yet applied themselves to this specious pernicious art; but when art flourished, error increased. That of stones and stocks-and, to speak briefly, of dead matte-you have made images of human form, by which you have produced a counterfeit of piety, and slandered the truth, is now as clear as can be; but such proof as the point may demand must not be declined. That the statue of Zeus at Olympia, and that of Polias at Athens, were executed of gold and ivory by Phidias, is known by everybody; and that the image of Here in Samos was formed by the chisel of Euclides, Olympichus relates in his Samiaca. Do not, then, entertain any doubt, that of the gods called at Athens venerable, Scopas made two of the stone called Lychnis, and Calos the one which they are reported to have had placed between them, as Polemon shows in the fourth of his books addressed to Timaeus. Nor need you doubt respecting the images of Zeus and Apollo at Patara, in Lycia, which Phidias executed, as well as the lions that recline with them; and if, as some say, they were the work of Bryxis, I do not dispute,-you have in him another maker of images. Whichever of these you like, write down.
At Rome, the writer Varro says, the ancient wooden image of Mars was just a spear. Craftsmen had not yet taken up this fine-looking but wicked craft. But once the craft flourished, the error grew. It is plain at once that men made human-shaped images out of stones and wood, in a word out of matter. You dress these up with a show of piety and slander the truth. Still, since the subject calls for some proof, I must not shrink from giving it. Everyone knows that Phidias made the Zeus at Olympia and the Athena Polias at Athens out of gold and ivory. Olympichus reports in his Samian History that the wooden image of Hera on Samos was made by Smilis, the son of Euclides. So do not doubt that, of the goddesses at Athens called the Venerable Ones, Scopas made two out of the stone called lychneus, and Calos made the one in the middle. I can show you Polemon as my witness, in the fourth book of his work against Timaeus. Do not doubt either that this same Phidias made the statues of Zeus and Apollo at Patara in Lycia, as well as the lions set up with them. If, as some say, the work is by Bryaxis, I will not quarrel. In him you have another maker of images. Put whichever of the two names you like on it.
Translator’s note. The “Venerable Ones” (Semnai) were the goddesses worshiped at Athens and usually identified with the Furies (Erinyes or Eumenides).
καὶ μὴν Τελεσίου τοῦ Ἀθηναίου, ὥς φησι Φιλόχορος, ἔργον εἰσὶν ἀγάλματα ἐννεαπήχη Ποσειδῶνος καὶ Ἀμφιτρίτης ἐν Τήνῳ προσκυνούμενα. Δημήτριος γὰρ ἐν δευτέρῳ τῶν Ἀργολικῶν τοῦ ἐν Τίρυνθι τῆς Ἥρας ξοάνου καὶ τὴν ὕλην ὄγχνην καὶ τὸν ποιητὴν Ἄργον ἀναγράφει. πολλοὶ δ᾿ ἂν τάχα που θαυμάσειαν, εἰ μάθοιεν τὸ Παλλάδιον τὸ διοπετὲς καλούμενον, ὃ Διομήδης καὶ Ὀδυσσεὺς ἱστοροῦνται μὲν ὑφελέσθαι ἀπὸ Ἰλίου, παρακαταθέσθαι δὲ Δημοφῶντι, ἐκ τῶν Πέλοπος ὀστῶν κατεσκευάσθαι, καθάπερ τὸν Ὀλύμπιον ἐξ ἄλλων ὀστῶν Ἰνδικοῦ θηρίου. καὶ δὴ τὸν ἱστοροῦντα Διονύσιον ἐν τῷ πέμπτῳ μέρει τοῦ Κύκλου παρίστημι. Ἀπελλᾶς δὲ ἐν τοῖς Δελφικοῖς δύο φησὶ γεγονέναι τὰ Παλλάδια, ἄμφω δ᾿ ὑπ᾿ ἀνθρώπων δεδημιουργῆσθαι. ἀλλ᾿ ὅπως μηδεὶς ὑπολάβῃ καὶ ταῦτά με ἀγνοίᾳ παρεικέναι, παραθήσομαι τοῦ Μορύχου Διονύσου.
Furthermore, the statues nine cubits in height of Poseidon and Amphitrite, worshipped in Tenos are the work of Telesius the Athenian, as we are told by Philochorus. Demetrius, in the second book of his Argolics, writes of the image of Here in Tiryns, both that the material was pear-tree and the artist was Argus. Many, perhaps, may be surprised to learn that the Palladium which is called the Diopetes-that is, fallen from heaven-which Diomede and Ulysses are related to have carried off from Troy and deposited at Demophoon, was made of the bones of Pelops, as the Olympian Jove of other bones-those of the Indian wild beast. I adduce as my authority Dionysius, who relates this in the fifth part of his Cycle. And Apellas, in the Delphics, says that there were two Palladia, and that both were fashioned by men.
Again, as Philochorus says, the statues of Poseidon and Amphitrite on Tenos, nine cubits tall and worshiped there, are the work of Telesias the Athenian. Demetrius, in the second book of his Argolic History, records both the material of the wooden image of Hera at Tiryns, which was pear wood, and its maker, Argus. Many people may well be amazed to learn that the Palladium called “fallen from heaven” was made from the bones of Pelops. Diomedes and Odysseus are said to have stolen it from Troy and entrusted it to Demophon. In the same way, the Olympian Zeus was made from other bones, those of an Indian beast. I bring forward Dionysius as my witness for this, in the fifth part of his Cycle. Apellas, in his Delphic History, says there were two Palladia and that both were made by men. And so that no one supposes I passed over these things out of ignorance, I will add the case of Dionysus Morychus.
Translator’s note. The “Indian beast” is presumably the elephant, whose ivory Phidias used for the statue. Clement does not name it.
τὸ ἄγαλμα Ἀθήνησι γεγονέναι μὲν ἐκ τοῦ φελλάτα καλουμένου λίθου, ἔργον δὲ εἶναι Σίκωνος τοῦ Εὐπαλάμου, ὥς φησι Πολέμων ἔν τινι ἐπιστολῇ. ἐγενέσθην δὲ καὶ ἄλλω τινὲ δύω Κρητικὼ οἶμαι ἀνδριαντοποιὼ (Σκύλλις καὶ Δίποινος ὠνομαζέσθην)· τούτων δὲ τὰ ἐν Ἄργει τοῖς Διοσκούροιν ἀγάλματα κατεσκευασάτην καὶ τὸν ἐν Τίρυνθι Ἡρακλέους ἀνδριάντα καὶ τὸ τῆς Μουνυχίας Ἀρτέμιδος ξόανον ἐν Σικυῶνι. Καὶ τί περὶ ταῦτα διατρίβω, ἐξὸν αὐτὸν τὸν μεγαλοδαίμονα ὑμῖν ἐπιδεῖξαι ὅστις ἦν, ὃν δὴ κατ᾿ ἐξοχὴν πρὸς πάντων σεβασμοῦ κατηξιωμένον ἀκούομεν, τοῦτον ὃν ἀχειροποίητον εἰπεῖν τετολμήκασιν, τὸν Αἰγύπτιον Σάραπιν; οἳ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἱστοροῦσιν χαριστήριον ὑπὸ Σινωπέων Πτολεμαίῳ τῷ Φιλαδέλφῳ τῷ Αἰγυπτίων πεμφθῆναι βασιλεῖ, ὃς λιμῷ τρυχομένους αὐτοὺς ἀπ᾿ Αἰγύπτου μεταπεμψαμένους σῖτον [ὁ Πτολεμαῖος] ἀνεκτήσατο, εἶναι δὲ τὸ ξόανον τοῦτο ἄγαλμα Πλούτωνος· ὃ δὲ δεξάμενος τὸν ἀνδριάντα καθίδρυσεν ἐπὶ τῆς ἄκρας, ἣν νῦν Ῥακῶτιν καλοῦσιν, ἔνθα καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τετίμηται τοῦ Σαράπιδος, γειτνιᾷ δὲ τοῖς τόποις τὸ χωρίον.
But that one may suppose that I have passed over them through ignorance, I shall add that the image of Dionysus Morychus at Athens was made of the stones called Phellata, and was the work of Simon the son of Eupalamus, as Polemo says in a letter. There were also two other sculptors of Crete, as I think: they were called Scyles and Dipoenus; and these executed the statues of the Dioscuri in Argos, and the image of Hercules in Tiryns, and the effigy of the Munychian Artemis in Sicyon. Why should I linger over these, when I can point out to you the great deity himself, and show you who he was,-whom indeed, conspicuously above all, we hear to have been considered worthy of veneration? Him they have dared to speak of as made without hands-I mean the Egyptian Serapis. For some relate that he was sent as a present by the people of Sinope to Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of the Egyptians, who won their favour by sending them corn from Egypt when they were perishing with famine; and that this idol was an image of Pluto; and Ptolemy, having received the statue, placed it on the promontory which is now called Racotis; where the temple of Serapis was held in honour, and the sacred enclosure borders on the Spot; and that Blistichis the courtesan having died in Canopus, Ptolemy had her conveyed there, and buried beneath the forementioned shrine.
His image at Athens was made from the stone called phellates, and it is the work of Sikon, son of Eupalamos, as Polemon says in one of his letters. There were also two other sculptors, Cretans I think, named Skyllis and Dipoinos. They made the statues of the Dioscuri in Argos, the statue of Herakles in Tiryns, and the wooden image of Artemis Munychia in Sicyon. But why do I linger over these? I can show you who the “great god” himself really was. We hear that all people honor him above all others, and they have dared to call him “not made by hands.” I mean the Egyptian Serapis. Some report that the people of Sinope sent him as a thank-offering to Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of the Egyptians. They had been wasting away with famine and had sent to Egypt for grain, and Ptolemy had relieved them. They say this wooden image was a statue of Pluto. Ptolemy received the statue and set it up on the height now called Rhakotis. There the temple of Serapis is honored, and the site borders on those places.
Βλιστίχην δὲ τὴν παλλακίδα τελευτήσασαν ἐν Κανώβῳ μεταγαγὼν ὁ Πτολεμαῖος ἔθαψεν ὑπὸ τὸν προδεδηλωμένον σηκόν. ἄλλοι δέ φασι Ποντικὸν εἶναι βρέτας τὸν Σάραπιν, μετῆχθαι δὲ εἰς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν μετὰ τιμῆς πανηγυρικῆς. Ἰσίδωρος μόνος παρὰ Σελευκέων τῶν πρὸς Ἀντιοχείᾳ τὸ ἄγαλμα μεταχθῆναι λέγει, ἐν σιτοδείᾳ καὶ αὐτῶν γενομένων καὶ ὑπὸ Πτολεμαίου διατραφέντων. ἀλλ᾿ ὅ γε Ἀθηνόδωρος ὁ τοῦ Σάνδωνος ἀρχαΐζειν τὸν Σάραπιν βουληθεὶς οὐκ οἶδ᾿ ὅτῳ περιέπεσεν, ἐλέγξας αὐτὸν ἄγαλμα εἶναι γενητόν· Σέσωστρίν φησι τὸν Αἰγύπτιον βασιλέα, τὰ πλεῖστα τῶν παρ᾿ Ἕλλησι παραστησάμενον, ἐθνῶν ἐπανελθόντα εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐπαγαγέσθαι τεχνίτας ἱκανούς· τὸν οὖν Ὄσιριν τὸν προπάτορα τὸν αὑτοῦ δαιδαλθῆναι ἐκέλευσεν αὐτοῖς πολυτελῶς, κατασκευάζει δὲ αὐτὸν Βρύαξις ὁ δημιουργός, οὐχ ὁ Ἀθηναῖος, ἄλλος δέ τις ὁμώνυμος ἐκείνῳ τῷ Βρυάξιδι· ὃς ὕλῃ κατακέχρηται εἰς δημιουργίαν μικτῇ καὶ ποικίλῃ.
Others say that the Serapis was a Pontic idol, and was transported with solemn pomp to Alexandria. Isidore alone says that it was brought from the Seleucians, near Antioch, who also had been visited with a dearth of corn, and had been fed by Ptolemy. But Athenodorns the son of Sandon, while wishing to make out the Serapis to be ancient, has somehow slipped into the mistake of proving it to be an image fashioned by human hands. He says that Sesostris the Egyptian king, having subjugated the most of the Hellenic races, on his return to Egypt brought a number of craftsmen with him. Accordingly he ordered a statue of Osiris, his ancestor, to be executed in sumptuous style; and the work was done by the artist Bryaxis, not the Athenian, but another of the same name, who employed in its execution a mixture of various materials.
When Ptolemy’s concubine Blistiche died in Canopus, he brought her body over and buried her under the shrine just mentioned. Others say that Serapis is a wooden image from Pontus, brought to Alexandria with festival honors. Isidore alone says the image was brought from the Seleucians near Antioch, who had also been in a famine and were fed by Ptolemy. Athenodoros, son of Sandon, wanted to make Serapis ancient, but somehow he tripped himself up and proved that the image was man-made. He says that Sesostris, king of Egypt, had conquered most of the nations of the Greeks. When he came back to Egypt, he brought skilled craftsmen with him. He ordered them to fashion, at great expense, an image of Osiris, his forefather. The maker was Bryaxis, not the Athenian but another man with the same name. He used a mixture of various materials for the work.
ῥίνημα γὰρ χρυσοῦ ἦν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀργύρου χαλκοῦ τε καὶ σιδήρου καὶ μολίβδου, πρὸς δὲ καὶ κασσιτέρου, λίθων δὲ Αἰγυπτίων ἐνέδει οὐδὲ εἷς, σαπφείρου καὶ αἱματίτου θραύσματα σμαράγδου τε, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοπαζίου. λεάνας οὖν τὰ πάντα καὶ ἀναμίξας ἔχρωσε κυάνῳ, οὗ δὴ χάριν μελάντερον τὸ χρῶμα τοῦ ἀγάλματος, καὶ τῷ ἐκ τῆς Ὀσίριδος καὶ τοῦ Ἄπιος κηδείας ὑπολελειμμένῳ φαρμάκῳ φυράσας τὰ πάντα διέπλασεν τὸν Σάραπιν· οὗ καὶ τοὔνομα αἰνίττεται τὴν κοινωνίαν τῆς κηδείας καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ταφῆς δημιουργίαν, σύνθετον ἀπό τε Ὀσίριδος καὶ Ἄπιος γενόμενον Ὀσίραπις. Καινὸν δὲ ἄλλον ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, ὀλίγου δεῖν καὶ παρ᾿ Ἕλλησι, σεβασμίως τεθείακεν θεὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ Ῥωμαίων τὸν ἐρώμενον ὡραιότατον σφόδρα γενόμενον· Ἀντίνοον [ὃν] ἀνιέρωσεν οὕτως ὡς Γανυμήδην ὁ Ζεύς· οὐ γὰρ κωλύεται ῥᾳδίως ἐπιθυμία φόβον οὐκ ἔχουσα· καὶ νύκτας ἱερὰς τὰς Ἀντινόου προσκυνοῦσιν ἄνθρωποι νῦν, ἃς αἰσχρὰς ἠπίστατο ὁ συναγρυπνήσας ἐραστής.
For he had filings of gold, and silver, and lead, and in addition, tin; and of Egyptian stones not one was wanting, and there were fragments of sapphire, and hematite, and emerald, and topaz. Having ground down and mixed together all these ingredients, he gave to the composition a blue colour, whence the darkish hue of the image; and having mixed the whole with the colouring matter that was left over from the funeral of Osiris and Apis, moulded the Serapis, the name of which points to its connection with sepulture and its construction from funeral materials, compounded as it is of Osiris and Apis, which together make Osirapis. Another new deity was added to the number with great religious pomp in Egypt, and was near being so in Greece by the king of the Romans, who deified Antinous, whom he loved as Zeus loved Ganymede, and whose beauty was of a very rare order: for lust is not easily restrained, destitute as it is of fear; and men now observe the sacred nights of Antinous, the shameful character of which the lover who spent them with him knew well.
He had filings of gold, silver, bronze, iron and lead, and also tin. Of Egyptian stones none was missing: there were fragments of sapphire, hematite, emerald and topaz. He ground all these down and mixed them together. He then colored the mixture dark blue, which is why the image is rather dark in color. He kneaded everything together with the embalming preparation left over from the funeral of Osiris and Apis, and so molded Serapis. Even his name hints at this shared funeral and at a creation that came out of burial, since it is put together from Osiris and Apis: Osirapis. The emperor of the Romans also solemnly made another new god, in Egypt and very nearly among the Greeks too. This was his beloved, a youth of great beauty, Antinous. He consecrated him as Zeus did Ganymede. For desire that has no fear is not easily held back. People now worship the “sacred nights” of Antinous, though the lover who kept vigil with him knew those nights were shameful.
Translator’s note. The older translation leaves out both “bronze” and “iron” from the list of metals.
τί μοι θεὸν καταλέγεις τὸν πορνείᾳ τετιμημένον; τί δὲ καὶ ὡς υἱὸν θρηνεῖσθαι προσέταξας; τί δὲ καὶ τὸ κάλλος αὐτοῦ διηγῇ; αἰσχρόν ἐστι τὸ κάλλος ὕβρει μεμαραμμένον. μὴ τυραννήσῃς, ἄνθρωπε, τοῦ κάλλους μηδὲ ἐνυβρίσῃς ἀνθοῦντι τῷ νέῳ· τήρησον αὐτὸ καθαρόν, ἵνα ᾖ καλόν. βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάλλους γενοῦ, μὴ τύραννος· ἐλεύθερον μεινάτω· τότε σου γνωρίσω τὸ κάλλος, ὅτε καθαρὰν τετήρηκας τὴν εἰκόνα· τότε προσκυνήσω τὸ κάλλος, ὅτε ἀληθινὸν ἀρχέτυπόν ἐστι τῶν καλῶν. ἤδη δὲ τάφος ἐστὶ τοῦ ἐρωμένου, νεώς ἐστιν Ἀντινόου καὶ πόλις· καθάπερ δέ, οἶμαι, οἱ ναοί, οὕτω δὲ καὶ οἱ τάφοι θαυμάζονται, πυραμίδες καὶ μαυσώλεια καὶ λαβύρινθοι, ἄλλοι ναοὶ τῶν νεκρῶν, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι τάφοι τῶν θεῶν. διδάσκαλον δὲ ὑμῖν παραθήσομαι τὴν προφῆτιν Σίβυλλαν οὐ ψευδοῦς Φοίβου χρησμηγόρον, ὅν τε μάταιοι ἄνθρωποι θεὸν εἶπον, ἐπεψεύσαντο δὲ μάντιν, ἀλλὰ θεοῦ μεγάλοιο, τὸν οὐ χέρες ἔπλασαν ἀνδρῶν εἰδώλοις ἀλάλοισι λιθοξέστοισιν ὅμοιον.
Why reckon him among the gods, who is honoured on account of uncleanness? And why do you command him to be lamented as a son? And why should you enlarge on his beauty? Beauty blighted by vice is loathsome. Do not play the tyrant, O man, over beauty, nor offer foul insult to youth in its bloom. Keep beauty pure, that it may be truly fair. Be king over beauty, not its tyrant. Remain free, and then I shall acknowledge thy beauty, because thou hast kept its image pure: then will I worship that true beauty which is the archetype of all who are beautiful. Now the grave of the debauched boy is the temple and town of Antinous. For just as temples are held in reverence, so also are sepulchres, and pyramids, and mausoleums, and labyrinths, which are temples of the dead, as the others are sepulchres of the gods. As teacher on this point, I shall produce to you the Sibyl prophetess:- "Not the oracular lie of Phoebus, Whom silly men called God, and falsely termed Prophet; But the oracles of the great God, who was not made by men's hands, Like dumb idols of Sculptured stone.
Why do you list for me a god who was honored for sexual immorality? Why did you command that he be mourned like a son? Why do you describe his beauty? Beauty withered by outrage is shameful. Do not play the tyrant over beauty, man, and do not abuse a young man in his bloom. Keep it pure, so that it may be beautiful. Be a king over beauty, not a tyrant. Let it stay free. Then I will acknowledge your beauty, when you have kept the image pure. Then I will worship beauty, when it is the true original of all that is beautiful. But as it is, there is already a tomb for the beloved boy, and a temple and a city of Antinous. Tombs, I think, are admired just as temples are: pyramids, mausoleums and labyrinths, which are other temples for the dead, just as those temples are tombs of the gods. As your teacher I will bring forward the prophetess Sibyl. She is the spokeswoman not of the false Phoebus, whom foolish men called a god and falsely made a prophet. She speaks for the great God, whom the hands of men did not shape, like dumb idols of hewn stone.
Translator’s note. The older translation reads “Remain free” as if spoken to the man. The Greek says that beauty is to remain free.
αὕτη μέντοι ἐρείπια τοὺς νεὼς προσαγορεύει, τὸν μὲν τῆς Ἐφεσίας Ἀρτέμιδος »χάσμασι καὶ σεισμοῖς« καταποθήσεσθαι προμηνύουσα οὕτως, ὕπτια δ᾿ οἰμῴξει Ἔφεσος κλαίουσα παρ᾿ ὄχθαις καὶ νηὸν ζητοῦσα τὸν οὐκέτι ναιετάοντα· τὸν δὲ Ἴσιδος καὶ Σαράπιδος ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ κατενεχθήσεσθαί φησι καὶ ἐμπρησθήσεσθαι· Ἶσι, θεὰ τριτάλαινα, μένεις ἐπὶ χεύματα Νείλου μούνη, μαινὰς ἄναυδος ἐπὶ ψαμάθοις Ἀχέροντος, εἶτα ὑποβᾶσα· καὶ σύ, Σάραπι λίθους ἀργοὺς ἐπικείμενε πολλούς, κεῖσαι πτῶμα μέγιστον ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τριταλαίνῃ. σὺ δὲ ἀλλ᾿ εἰ μὴ προφήτιδος ἐπακούεις, τοῦ γε σοῦ ἄκουσον φιλοσόφου, τοῦ Ἐφεσίου Ἡρακλείτου, τὴν ἀναισθησίαν ὀνειδίζοντος τοῖς ἀγάλμασι· »καὶ τοῖς ἀγάλμασι τουτέοισιν εὔχονται, ὁκοῖον εἴ τις τοῖς δόμοις λεσχηνεύοιτο.« ἦ γὰρ οὐχὶ τερατώδεις οἱ λίθους προστρεπόμενοι, εἶτα μέντοι καὶ πρὸ τῶν πυλῶν ἱστάντες αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐνεργεῖς, Ἑρμῆν προσκυνοῦντες ὡς θεὸν καὶ τὸν Ἀγυιέα θυρωρὸν ἱστάντες;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»χάσμασι, σεισμοῖς«, »καὶ, λεσχηνεύοιτο.«). Check it against the printed edition.
She also predicts the ruin of the temple, foretelling that that of the Ephesian Artemis would be engulphed by earthquakes and rents in the ground, as follows:- "Prostrate on the ground Ephesus shall wail, weeping by the shore, And seeking a temple that has no longer an inhabitant. She says also that the temple of Isis and Serapis would be demolished and burned:- "Isis, thrice-wretched goddess, thou shalt linger by the streams of the Nile; Solitary, frenzied, silent, on the sands of Acheron. Then she proceeds:- "And thou, Serapis, covered with a heap of white stones, Shalt lie a huge ruin in thrice-wretched Egypt. But if you attend not to the prophetess, hear at least your own philosopher, the Ephesian Heraclitus, upbraiding images with their senselessness: "And to these images they pray, with the same result as if one were to talk to the Walls of his house. For are they not to be wondered at who worship stones, and place them before the doors, as if capable of activity? They worship Hermes as a god, and place Aguieus as a doorkeeper.
The Sibyl also calls the temples ruins. She foretells that the temple of Ephesian Artemis will be swallowed up in “chasms and earthquakes,” in these words: “Ephesus will lie flat and wail, weeping by the banks, looking for a temple where no one lives any more.” She says too that the temple of Isis and Serapis in Egypt will be thrown down and burned: “Isis, thrice-wretched goddess, you remain alone by the waters of the Nile, a raving woman without a voice, on the sands of Acheron.” Then she goes on: “And you, Serapis, lying on many rough stones, you lie a huge ruin in thrice-wretched Egypt.” But if you will not listen to the prophetess, at least listen to your own philosopher, Heraclitus of Ephesus, who reproaches the statues for their lack of feeling: “They pray to these statues, as though someone were chatting with houses.” Are they not monstrous, those who turn to stones for help and then set them in front of their gates as if they were active? They worship Hermes as a god, and they set up Aguieus as a doorkeeper.
Translator’s note. Aguieus is Apollo as guardian of the streets. He was represented by a pillar set up at the door.
εἰ γὰρ ὡς ἀναισθήτους ὑβρίζουσιν, τί προσκυνοῦσιν ὡς θεούς; εἰ δὲ αἰσθήσεως αὐτοὺς μετέχειν οἴονται, τί τούτους ἱστᾶσι θυρωρούς; Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ τὰ μέγιστα κατορθώματα τῇ Τύχῃ ἀνατιθέντες καὶ ταύτην μεγίστην οἰόμενοι θεόν, φέροντες εἰς τὸν κοπρῶνα ἀνέθηκαν αὐτήν, ἄξιον νεὼν τὸν ἀφεδρῶνα νείμαντες τῇ θεῷ. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἀναισθήτῳ λίθῳ καὶ ξύλῳ καὶ χρυσίῳ πλουσίῳ οὐδ᾿ ὁτιοῦν μέλει, οὐ κνίσης, οὐχ αἵματος, οὐ καπνοῦ, ᾧ δὴ τιμώμενοι καὶ τυφόμενοι ἐκμελαίνονται· ἀλλ᾿ οὐδὲ τιμῆς, οὐχ ὕβρεως· τὰ δὲ καὶ παντός ἐστιν ἀτιμότερα ζῴου, τὰ ἀγάλματα. καὶ ὅπως γε τεθείασται τὰ ἀναίσθητα, ἀπορεῖν ἔπεισί μοι καὶ κατελεεῖν τοὺς πλανωμένους τῆς ἀνοίας ὡς δειλαίους· εἰ γὰρ καί τινα τῶν ζῴων οὐχὶ πάσας ἔχει τὰς αἰσθήσεις, ὥσπερ εὐλαὶ καὶ κάμπαι καὶ ὅσα διὰ τῆς πρώτης γενέσεως εὐθὺς ἀνάπηρα φαίνεται, καθάπερ οἱ σπάλακες καὶ ἡ μυγαλῆ, ἥν φησιν ὁ Νίκανδρος »τυφλήν τε σμερδνήν τε«· ἀλλά γε ἀμείνους εἰσὶ τῶν ξοάνων τούτων καὶ τῶν ἀγαλμάτων τέλεον ὄντων κωφῶν· ἔχουσιν γὰρ αἴσθησιν μίαν γέ τινα, φέρε εἰπεῖν ἀκουστικὴν ἢ ἁπτικὴν ἢ τὴν ἀναλογοῦσαν τῇ ὀσφρήσει ἢ τῇ γεύσει· τὰ δὲ οὐδὲ μιᾶς αἰσθήσεως μετέχει, τὰ ἀγάλματα.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»τυφλήν, τε«·). Check it against the printed edition.
For if people upbraid them with being devoid of sensation, why worship them as gods? And if they are thought to be endowed with sensation, why place them before the door? The Romans, who ascribed their greatest successes to Fortune, and regarded her as a very great deity, took her statue to the privy, and erected it there, assigning to the goddess as a fitting temple-the necessary. But senseless wood and stone, and rich gold, care not a whir for either savoury odour, or blood, or smoke, by which, being at once honoured and fumigated, they are blackened; no more do they for honour or insult. And these images are more worthless than any animal. I am at a loss to conceive how objects devoid of sense were deified, and feel compelled to pity as miserable wretches those that wander in the mazes of this folly: for if some living creatures have not all the senses, as worms and caterpillars, and such as even from the first appear imperfect, as moles and the shrew-mouse, which Nicander says is blind and uncouth; yet are they superior to those utterly senseless idols and images. For they have some one sense,-say, for example, hearing, or touching, or something analogous to smell or taste; while images do not possess even one sense.
If they abuse the statues as senseless, why do they worship them as gods? And if they think the statues share in sensation, why set them up as doorkeepers? The Romans credited their greatest successes to Fortune and thought her the greatest of gods. Yet they carried her off and set her up in the latrine, giving the goddess the toilet as a fitting temple. But senseless stone and wood and rich gold care nothing at all for the smell of burnt fat, for blood or for smoke. That smoke blackens them even as they are “honored” and fumigated. They care nothing for honor, and nothing for insult. Statues are worth less than any living creature. How senseless things came to be treated as gods baffles me, and I pity those who wander in such folly as wretched people. Some animals do not have all the senses: worms and caterpillars, for example, and creatures that seem crippled from birth, like moles and the shrew, which Nicander calls “blind and dreadful.” Yet even these are better than those wooden images and statues, which are completely deaf. For these creatures have at least one sense, say hearing or touch, or something corresponding to smell or taste. But statues share in not a single sense.
πολλὰ δέ ἐστι τῶν ζῴων, ὅσα οὔτε ὅρασιν ἔχει οὔτε ἀκοὴν οὐδὲ μὴν φωνήν, οἷον καὶ τὸ τῶν ὀστρέων γένος, ἀλλὰ ζῇ γε καὶ αὔξεται, πρὸς δὲ καὶ τῇ σελήνῃ συμπάσχει τὰ δὲ ἀγάλματα ἀργά, ἄπρακτα, ἀναίσθητα, προσδεῖται καὶ προσκαθηλοῦται καὶ προσπήγνυται, χωνεύεται, ῥινᾶται, πρίεται, περιξέεται, γλύφεται. κωφὴν μὲν δὴ γαῖαν ἀεικίζουσιν οἱ ἀγαλματοποιοί, τῆς οἰκείας ἐξιστάντες φύσεως, ὑπὸ τῆς τέχνης προσκυνεῖν ἀναπείθοντες· προσκυνοῦσιν δὲ οἱ θεοποιοὶ οὐ θεοὺς καὶ δαίμονας κατά γε αἴσθησιν τὴν ἐμήν, γῆν δὲ καὶ τέχνην, τὰ ἀγάλματα ὅπερ ἐστίν. ἔστιν γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς τὸ ἄγαλμα ὕλη νεκρὰ τεχνίτου χειρὶ μεμορφωμένη· ἡμῖν δὲ οὐχ ὕλης αἰσθητῆς αἰσθητόν, νοητὸν δὲ τὸ ἄγαλμά ἐστιν. νοητόν, οὐκ αἰσθητόν ἐστι [τὸ ἄγαλμα] ὁ θεός, ὁ μόνος ὄντως θεός.
There are many creatures that have neither sight, nor hearing, nor speech, such as the genus of oysters, which yet live and grow, and are affected by the changes of the moon. But images, being motionless, inert, and senseless, are bound, nailed, glued,-are melted, filed, sawed, polished, carved. The senseless earth is dishonoured by the makers of images, who change it by their art from its proper nature, and induce men to worship it; and the makers of gods worship not gods and demons, but in my view earth and art, which go to make up images. For, in sooth, the image is only dead matter shaped by the craftsman's hand. But we have no sensible image of sensible matter, but an image that is perceived by the mind alone,-God, who alone is truly God.
Many animals have no sight, no hearing and not even a voice, such as oysters. Yet they live and grow, and even respond to the moon. Statues, by contrast, are idle, inactive and senseless. They are tied up, nailed on, fastened together, melted down, filed, sawn, scraped and carved. The image-makers abuse the dumb earth. They drive it out of its own nature and, by their craft, persuade people to worship it. In my judgment, those who make gods are worshipping not gods or demons but earth and craftsmanship, which is all that statues are. For a statue truly is dead matter shaped by the hand of a craftsman. But for us the image is not something sensed, made of sensible matter. It is something grasped by the mind. God is grasped by the mind and not by the senses; he is the only one who is truly God.
Translator’s note. Some editors bracket “the image” in the last sentence as a later addition. If the words are kept, the sense is that God himself is the Christian’s image, one grasped by the mind and not by the senses.
Καὶ δὴ ἔμπαλιν ἐν αὐταῖς που ταῖς περιστάσεσιν οἱ δεισιδαίμονες, οἱ τῶν λίθων προσκυνηταί, ἔργῳ μαθόντες ἀναίσθητον ὕλην μὴ σέβειν, αὐτῆς ἡττώμενοι τῆς χρείας ἀπόλλυνται ὑπὸ δεισιδαιμονίας· καταφρονοῦντες δ᾿ ὅμως τῶν ἀγαλμάτων, φαίνεσθαι δὲ μὴ βουλόμενοι αὐτῶν ὅλως περιφρονοῦντες, ἐλέγχονται ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν τῶν θεῶν, οἷς δὴ. τὰ ἀγάλματα ἐπιπεφήμισται. Διονύσιος μὲν γὰρ ὁ τύραννος ὁ νεώτερος θοιμάτιον τὸ χρύσεον περιελόμενος τοῦ Διὸς ἐν Σικελίᾳ προσέταξεν αὐτῷ ἐρεοῦν περιτεθῆναι, χαριέντως φήσας τοῦτο ἄμεινον εἶναι τοῦ χρυσέου, καὶ θέρους κουφότερον ὂν καὶ κρύους ἀλεεινότερον. Ἀντίοχος δὲ ὁ Κυζικηνὸς ἀπορούμενος χρημάτων τοῦ Διὸς τὸ ἄγαλμα τὸ χρυσοῦν, πεντεκαίδεκα πηχῶν τὸ μέγεθος ὄν, προσέταξε χωνεῦσαι καὶ τῆς ἄλλης τῆς ἀτιμοτέρας ὕλης ἄγαλμα παραπλήσιον ἐκείνῳ πετάλοις κεχρυσωμένον ἀναθεῖναι πάλιν.
And again, when involved in calamities, the superstitious worshippers of stones, though they have learned by the event that senseless matter is not to be worshipped, yet, yielding to the pressure of misfortune, become the victims of their superstition; and though despising the images, yet not wishing to appear wholly to neglect them, are found fault with by those gods by whose names the images are called. For Dionysius the tyrant, the younger, having stripped off the golden mantle from the statue of Jupiter in Sicily, ordered him to be clothed in a woollen one, remarking facetiously that the latter was better than the golden one, being lighter in summer and warmer in winter. And Antiochus of Cyzicus, being in difficulties for money, ordered the golden statue of Zeus, fifteen cubits in height, to be melted; and one like it, of less valuable material, plated with gold, to be erected in place of it.
On the other hand, in the midst of actual troubles the superstitious, the worshippers of stones, have learned by experience not to revere senseless matter. Yet they are overcome by need itself and are ruined by their superstition. They despise the statues, but do not want to be seen despising them altogether, and so they are shown up by the very gods whose names the statues bear. Dionysius the Younger, the tyrant, took the golden cloak off the statue of Zeus in Sicily and ordered a woolen one put on him. He joked that this was better than the golden one, since it was lighter in summer and warmer in winter. Antiochus of Cyzicus, short of money, ordered the golden statue of Zeus, fifteen cubits tall, to be melted down. He had a similar statue made of cheaper material, covered with gold leaf, and set up in its place.
Translator’s note. “Antiochus of Cyzicus” is Antiochus IX, a Seleucid king of Syria (late 2nd century BC). He was nicknamed Cyzicenus because he was brought up at Cyzicus.
αἱ δὲ χελιδόνες καὶ τῶν ὀρνέων τὰ πλεῖστα κατεξερῶσιν αὐτῶν τῶν ἀγαλμάτων εἰσπετόμενα, οὐδὲν φροντίσαντα οὔτε Ὀλυμπίου Διὸς οὔτε Ἐπιδαυρίου Ἀσκληπιοῦ οὐδὲ μὴν Ἀθηνᾶς Πολιάδος ἢ Σαράπιδος Αἰγυπτίου· παρ᾿ ὧν οὐδὲ αὐτῶν τὴν ἀναισθησίαν τῶν ἀγαλμάτων ἐκμανθάνετε. ἀλλ᾿ εἰσὶ μὲν καὶ κακοῦργοί τινες ἢ πολέμιοι ἐπιθέμενοι, οἳ δι᾿ αἰσχροκέρδειαν ἐδῄωσαν τὰ ἱερὰ καὶ τὰ ἀναθήματα ἐσύλησαν ἢ καὶ αὐτὰ ἐχώνευσαν τὰ ἀγάλματα. καὶ εἰ Καμβύσης τις ἢ Δαρεῖος ἢ ἄλλος μαινόμενος τοιαῦτα ἄττα ἐπεχείρησεν καὶ εἰ τὸν Αἰγύπτιόν τις ἀπέκτεινεν Ἆπιν, γελῶ μὲν ὅτι τὸν θεὸν ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτῶν, ἀγανακτῶ δὲ εἰ κέρδους χάριν ἐπλημμέλει. ἑκὼν οὖν ἐκλήσομαι τῆσδε τῆς κακουργίας, πλεονεξίας ἔργα, οὐχὶ δὲ ἀδρανείας τῶν εἰδώλων ἔλεγχον νομίζων. ἀλλ᾿ οὔτι γε τὸ πῦρ καὶ οἱ σεισμοὶ κερδαλέοι, οὐδὲ μὴν φοβοῦνται ἢ δυσωποῦνται οὐ τοὺς δαίμονας, οὐ τὰ ἀγάλματα, οὐ μᾶλλον ἢ τὰς ψηφῖδας τὰς παρὰ τοῖς αἰγιαλοῖς σεσωρευμένας τὰ κύματα.
And the swallows and most birds fly to these statues, and void their excrement on them, paying no respect either to Olympian Zeus, or Epidaurian Asclepius, or even to Athene Polias, or the Egyptian Serapis; but not even from them have you learned the senselessness of images. But it has happened that miscreants or enemies have assailed and set fire to temples, and plundered them of their votive gifts, and melted even the images themselves, from base greed of gain. And if a Cambyses or a Darius, or any other madman, has made such attempts, and if one has killed the Egyptian Apis, I laugh at him killing their god, while pained at the outrage being perpetrated for the sake of gain. I will therefore willingly forget such villany, looking on acts like these more as deeds of covetousness, than as a proof of the impotence of idols. But fire and earthquakes are shrewd enough not to feel shy or frightened at either demons or idols, any more than at pebbles heaped by the waves on the shore.
Swallows and most other birds fly in and foul the statues themselves. They care nothing for Olympian Zeus, or Asclepius of Epidaurus, or Athena Polias, or Egyptian Serapis. Yet even from them you do not learn that the statues feel nothing. Some criminals or enemies have attacked these places. Out of shameful greed they have plundered temples, robbed the offerings, and even melted down the statues. And if a Cambyses or a Darius or some other madman attempted such things, and if someone killed the Egyptian Apis, I laugh that he killed their god, but I am angry if he did wrong for the sake of profit. So I will gladly overlook this crime. I count it the work of greed, not proof that the idols are powerless. But fire and earthquakes are not out for profit. Nor do they fear or respect demons or statues, any more than the waves respect the pebbles piled up on the beaches.
Translator’s note. Herodotus (Histories 3.27–29) tells how the Persian king Cambyses stabbed the Apis bull, which the Egyptians worshipped as a god.
οἶδα ἐγὼ πῦρ ἐλεγκτικὸν καὶ δεισιδαιμονίας ἰατικόν· εἰ βούλει παύσασθαι τῆς ἀνοίας, φωταγωγήσει σε τὸ πῦρ. τοῦτο τὸ πῦρ καὶ τὸν ἐν Ἄργει νεὼν σὺν καὶ τῇ ἱερείᾳ κατέφλεξεν Χρυσίδι, καὶ τὸν ἐν Ἐφέσῳ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος δεύτερον μετὰ Ἀμαζόνας καὶ τὸ ἐν Ῥώμῃ Καπιτώλιον ἐπινενέμηται πολλάκις· οὐκ ἀπέσχετο δὲ οὐδὲ τοῦ ἐν Ἀλεξανδρέων πόλει Σαράπιδος ἱεροῦ. Ἀθήνησι γὰρ τοῦ Διονύσου τοῦ Ἐλευθερέως κατήρειψε τὸν νεών, καὶ τὸν ἐν Δελφοῖς τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος πρότερον ἥρπασεν θύελλα, ἔπειτα ἠφάνισε πῦρ σωφρονοῦν. τοῦτό σοι προοίμιον ἐπιδείκνυται ὧν ὑπισχνεῖται τὸ πῦρ. Οἱ δὲ τῶν ἀγαλμάτων δημιουργοὶ οὐ δυσωποῦσιν ὑμῶν τοὺς ἔμφρονας τῆς ὕλης καταφρονεῖν; ὁ μὲν Ἀθηναῖος Φειδίας ἐπὶ τῷ δακτύλῳ τοῦ Διὸς τοῦ Ὀλυμπίου ἐπιγράψας »Παντάρκης καλός«· οὐ γὰρ καλὸς αὐτῷ ὁ Ζεύς, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ ἐρώμενος ἦν· ὁ Πραξιτέλης δέ, ὡς Ποσείδιππος ἐν τῷ περὶ Κνίδου διασαφεῖ, τὸ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης ἄγαλμα τῆς Κνιδίας κατασκευάζων τῷ Κρατίνης τῆς ἐρωμένης εἴδει παραπλήσιον πεποίηκεν αὐτήν, ἵν᾿ ἔχοιεν οἱ δείλαιοι τὴν Πραξιτέλους ἐρωμένην προσκυνεῖν.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»Παντάρκης, καλός«·). Check it against the printed edition.
I know fire to be capable of exposing and curing superstition. If thou art willing to abandon this folly, the element of fire shall light thy way. This same fire burned the temple in Argos, with Chrysis the priestess; and that of Artemis in Ephesus the second time after the Amazons. And the Capitol in Rome was often wrapped in flames; nor did the fire spare the temple of Serapis, in the city of the Alexandrians. At Athens it demolished the temple of the Eleutherian Dionysus; and as to the temple of Apollo at Delphi, first a storm assailed it, and then the discerning fire utterly destroyed it. This is told as the preface of what the fire promises. And the makers of images, do they not shame those of you who are wise into despising matter? The Athenian Phidias inscribed on the finger of the Olympian Jove, Pantarkes is beautiful. It was not Zeus that was beautiful in his eyes, but the man he loved. And Praxiteles, as Posidippus relates in his book about Cnidus, when he fashioned the statue of Aphrodité of Cnidus, made it like the form of Cratine, of whom he was enamoured, that the miserable people might have the paramour of Praxiteles to worship.
I know a fire that exposes and cures superstition. If you want to stop your folly, this fire will light your way. This fire burned down the temple at Argos together with its priestess Chrysis. It burned the temple of Artemis at Ephesus, a second time after the Amazons. It has swept over the Capitol in Rome many times. It did not spare even the temple of Serapis in the city of the Alexandrians. At Athens it brought down the temple of Dionysus Eleuthereus. At Delphi a storm first snatched away the temple of Apollo, and then a sensible fire wiped it out. This is a foretaste for you of what the fire promises. Do the makers of the statues not shame the sensible among you into despising the material? The Athenian Phidias wrote on the finger of Olympian Zeus, “Pantarkes is beautiful.” For to him it was not Zeus who was beautiful, but the boy he loved. Praxiteles, as Posidippus explains in his book on Cnidus, made the statue of the Cnidian Aphrodite to look like his mistress Cratine, so that the poor wretches could worship Praxiteles’ mistress.
Translator’s note. Other ancient writers, such as Athenaeus, say Phryne (mentioned in the next section) was the model for the Cnidian Aphrodite. Clement follows Posidippus in naming Cratine.
Φρύνη δὲ ὁπηνίκα ἤνθει ἡ ἑταίρα ἡ Θεσπιακή, οἱ ζωγράφοι πάντες τὰς τῆς Ἀφροδίτης εἰκόνας πρὸς τὸ κάλλος ἀπεμιμοῦντο Φρύνης, ὥσπερ αὖ καὶ οἱ λιθοξόοι τοὺς Ἑρμᾶς Ἀθήνησι πρὸς Ἀλκιβιάδην ἀπείκαζον. ὑπολείπεται τῆς σῆς κρίσεως τὸ ἔργον ἐπάξαι, εἰ βούλει καὶ τὰς ἑταίρας προσκυνεῖν. Ἐντεῦθεν, οἶμαι, κινηθέντες οἱ βασιλεῖς οἱ παλαιοί, καταφρονοῦντες τῶν μύθων τούτων, ἀνέδην διὰ τὸ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀκίνδυνον σφᾶς αὐτοὺς θεοὺς ἀνηγόρευον, ταύτῃ κἀκείνους διὰ τὴν δόξαν ἀπηθανατίσθαι διδάσκοντες· Κῆυξ μὲν ὁ Αἰόλου Ζεὺς ὑπὸ τῆς Ἀλκυόνης τῆς γυναικός, Ἀλκυόνη δὲ αὖθις τοῦ ἀνδρὸς Ἥρα προσαγορευομένη. Πτολεμαῖος δὲ ὁ τέταρτος Διόνυσος ἐκαλεῖτο· καὶ Μιθριδάτης ὁ Ποντικὸς Διόνυσος καὶ αὐτός· ἐβούλετο δὲ καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος Ἄμμωνος υἱὸς εἶναι δοκεῖν καὶ κερασφόρος ἀναπλάττεσθαι πρὸς τῶν ἀγαλματοποιῶν, τὸ καλὸν ἀνθρώπου πρόσωπον ὑβρίσαι σπεύδων κέρατι.
And when Phryne the courtesan, the Thespian, was in her bloom, all the painters made their pictures of Aphrodité copies of the beauty of Phryne; as, again, the sculptors at Athens made their Mercuries like Alcibiades. It remains for you to judge whether you ought to worship courtesans. Moved, as I believe, by such facts, and despising such fables, the ancient kings unblushingly proclaimed themselves gods, as this involved no danger from men, and thus taught that on account of their glory they were made immortal. Ceux, the son of Eolus, was styled Zeus by his wife Alcyone; Alcyone, again, being by her husband styled Hera. Ptolemy the Fourth was called Dionysus; and Mithridates of Pontus was also called Dionysus; and Alexander wished to be considered the son of Ammon, and to have his statue made horned by the sculptors-eager to disgrace the beauty of the human form by the addition of a horn.
When Phryne, the courtesan from Thespiae, was in her prime, all the painters modeled their pictures of Aphrodite on Phryne’s beauty. In the same way the sculptors at Athens modeled their Hermes statues on Alcibiades. It is left to your own judgment to decide whether you want to worship courtesans too. I think it was this that moved the ancient kings. They despised these myths. Since men posed no danger to them, they shamelessly proclaimed themselves gods. In this way they taught that those other gods too had been made immortal because of their fame. Ceyx, son of Aeolus, was called Zeus by his wife Alcyone, and Alcyone in turn was called Hera by her husband. Ptolemy the Fourth was called Dionysus, and Mithridates of Pontus was also a Dionysus. Alexander wanted to be thought the son of Ammon and to be portrayed with horns by the sculptors. He was eager to disfigure the beautiful face of a man with a horn.
Translator’s note. In the myth as told by Apollodorus (Library 1.7.4), Zeus punished Ceyx and Alcyone for calling themselves Zeus and Hera by turning them into birds. There, Alcyone is the daughter of Aeolus and Ceyx is the son of the Morning Star, whereas Clement calls Ceyx the son of Aeolus.
καὶ οὔτι γε βασιλεῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἰδιῶται θείαις προσηγορίαις σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐσέμνυνον, ὡς Μενεκράτης ὁ ἰατρός, Ζεὺς οὗτος ἐπικεκλημένος. τί με δεῖ καταλέγειν Ἀλέξαρχον (γραμματικὸς οὗτος τὴν ἐπιστήμην γεγονώς, ὡς ἱστορεῖ Ἄριστος ὁ Σαλαμίνοις, αὑτὸν κατεσχημάτιζεν εἰς Ἥλιον); τί δεῖ καὶ Νικαγόρου μεμνῆσθαι (Ζελείτης τὸ γένος ἦν κατὰ τοὺς Ἀλεξάνδρου γεγονὼς χρόνους· Ἑρμῆς προσηγορεύετο ὁ Νικαγόρας καὶ τῇ στολῇ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ ἐκέχρητο, ὡς αὐτὸς μαρτυρεῖ); ὅπου γε καὶ ὅλα ἔθνη καὶ πόλεις αὔτανδροι, κολακείαν ὑποδυόμεναι, ἐξευτελίζουσιν τοὺς μύθους τοὺς περὶ τῶν θεῶν, ἰσοθέους ἄνθρωποι κατασχηματίζοντες ἑαυτούς, ὑπὸ δόξης πεφυσημένοι, ἐπιψηφιζόμενοι τιμὰς ἑαυτοῖς ὑπερόγκους· νῦν μὲν τὸν Μακεδόνα τὸν ἐκ Πέλλης τὸν Ἀμύντου Φίλιππον ἐν Κυνοσάργει νομοθετοῦντες προσκυνεῖν, τὸν »τὴν κλεῖν κατεαγότα καὶ τὸ σκέλος πεπηρωμένον«, ὃς ἐξεκόπη τὸν ὀφθαλμόν· αὖθις δὲ τὸν Δημήτριον θεὸν καὶ αὐτὸν ἀναγορεύοντες· καὶ ἔνθα μὲν ἀπέβη τοῦ ἵππου Ἀθήναζε εἰσιών, Καταιβάτου ἱερόν ἐστι Δημητρίου, βωμοὶ δὲ πανταχοῦ· καὶ γάμος ὑπὸ Ἀθηναίων αὐτῷ ὁ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ηὐτρεπίζετο· ὁ δὲ τὴν μὲν θεὸν ὑπερηφάνει, τὸ ἄγαλμα γῆμαι μὴ δυνάμενος· Λάμιαν δὲ τὴν ἑταίραν ἔχων εἰς ἀκρόπολιν ἀνῄει καὶ τῷ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἐνεφυρᾶτο παστῷ, τῇ παλαιᾷ παρθένῳ τὰ τῆς νέας ἐπιδεικνὺς ἑταίρας σχήματα.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»τὴν, πεπηρωμένον«,). Check it against the printed edition.
And not kings only, but private persons dignified themselves with the names of deities, as Menecrates the physician, who took the name of Zeus. What need is there for me to instance Alexarchus? He, having been by profession a grammarian, assumed the character of the sun-god, as Aristus of Salamis relates. And why mention Nicagorus? He was a native of Zela [in Pontus], and lived in the days of Alexander. Nicagorus was styled Hermes, and used the dress of Hermes, as he himself testifies. And whilst whole nations, and cities with all their inhabitants, sinking into self-flattery, treat the myths about the gods with contempt, at the same time men themselves, assuming the air of equality with the gods, and being puffed up with vainglory, vote themselves extravagant honours. There is the case of the Macedonian Philip of Pella, the son of Amyntor, to whom they decreed divine worship in Cynosargus, although his collar-bone was broken,and he had a lame leg, and had one of his eyes knocked out. And again that of Demetrius, who was raised to the rank of the gods; and where he alighted from his horse on his entrance into Athens is the temple of Demetrius the Alighter; and altars were raised to him everywhere, and nuptials with Athene assigned to him by the Athenians. But he disdained the goddess, as he could not marry the statue; and taking the courtesan Lamia, he ascended the Acropolis, and lay with her on the couch of Athene, showing to the old virgin the postures of the young courtesan.
And it was not only kings. Private persons also puffed themselves up with divine titles. Menecrates the physician, for example, was called Zeus. Why should I list Alexarchus? He was a grammarian by profession, and, as Aristus of Salamis reports, he dressed himself up as the Sun. Why mention Nicagoras? He was from Zeleia and lived in the time of Alexander. He was called Hermes and wore the costume of Hermes, as he himself testifies. Indeed, whole nations and cities, with all their people, have given in to flattery and cheapened the myths about the gods. People dress themselves up as equals of the gods. They are puffed up with vanity and vote themselves excessive honors. At one time they decreed worship at Cynosarges for Philip, son of Amyntas, the Macedonian from Pella, “the man with the broken collarbone and the crippled leg,” who had an eye knocked out. At another time they proclaimed Demetrius a god as well. The place where he got off his horse as he entered Athens is a shrine of Demetrius the Descender, and there are altars to him everywhere. The Athenians even prepared a marriage for him with Athena. But he looked down on the goddess, since he could not marry a statue. He took his courtesan Lamia up to the Acropolis and lay with her in Athena’s bridal chamber. To the old virgin he displayed the postures of the young courtesan.
Translator’s note. The Greek calls Nicagoras a man of Zeleia, a town in the Troad near the Hellespont, not Zela in Pontus.
οὐ νέμεσις τοίνυν οὐδὲ Ἵππωνι ἀπαθανατίζοντι τὸν θάνατον τὸν ἑαυτοῦ· ὁ Ἵππων οὗτος ἐπιγραφῆναι ἐκέλευσεν τῷ μνήματι τῷ ἑαυτοῦ τόδε τὸ ἐλεγεῖον· Ἵππωνος τόδε σῆμα, τὸν ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν ἶσον ἐποίησεν Μοῖρα καταφθίμενον. εὖ γε, Ἵππων, ἐπιδεικνύεις ἡμῖν τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην πλάνην. εἰ γὰρ καὶ λαλοῦντί σοι μὴ πεπιστεύκασι, νεκροῦ γενέσθωσαν μαθηταί. χρησμὸς οὗτός ἐστιν Ἵππωνος· νοήσωμεν αὐτόν. οἱ προσκυνούμενοι παρ᾿ ὑμῖν, ἄνθρωποι γενόμενοί ποτε, εἶτα μέντοι τεθνᾶσιν· τετίμηκεν δὲ αὐτοὺς ὁ μῦθος καὶ ὁ χρόνος. φιλεῖ γάρ πως τὰ μὲν παρόντα συνηθείᾳ καταφρονεῖσθαι, τὰ δὲ παρῳχηκότα τοῦ παραυτίκα ἐλέγχου κεχωρισμένα χρόνων ἀδηλίᾳ τετιμῆσθαι τῷ πλάσματι, καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀπιστεῖσθαι, τὰ δὲ καὶ θαυμάζεσθαι. αὐτίκα γοῦν οἱ παλαιοὶ νεκροὶ τῷ πολλῷ τῆς πλάνης χρόνῳ σεμνυνόμενοι τοῖς ἔπειτα νομίζονται θεοί.
There is no cause for indignation, then, at Hippo, who immortalized his own death. For this Hippo ordered the following elegy to be inscribed on his tomb:- "This is the sepulchre of Hippo, whom Destiny Made, through death, equal to the immortal gods. Well done, Hippo! thou showest to us the delusion of men. If they did not believe thee speaking, now that thou art dead, let them become thy disciples. This is the oracle of Hippo; let us consider it. The objects of your worship were once men, and in process of time died; and fable and time have raised them to honour. For somehow, what is present is wont to be despised through familiarity; but what is past, being separated through the obscurity of time from the temporary censure that attached to it, is invested with honour by fiction, so that the present is viewed with distrust, the past with admiration. Exactly in this way is it, then, that the dead men of antiquity, being reverenced through the long prevalence of delusion respecting them, are regarded as gods by posterity.
So there is no reason to be angry with Hippo either, for making his own death immortal. This Hippo ordered the following elegy to be inscribed on his tomb: “This is the tomb of Hippo, whom Fate, when he died, made equal to the immortal gods.” Well done, Hippo! You show us the delusion of mankind. If people did not believe you while you were alive and speaking, let them become the disciples of a dead man. This is Hippo’s oracle; let us understand it. The gods you worship were once men, and then they died. Myth and time have given them honor. For it is the way of things that what is present is despised through familiarity. But what is past is cut off from immediate refutation by the obscurity of time, and it is honored through invention. So the one is disbelieved, while the other is even admired. In just this way the dead of long ago, exalted by the long duration of the delusion, are regarded as gods by those who come after.
πίστις ὑμῖν τῶνδε αὐτὰ ὑμῶν τὰ μυστήρια, αἱ πανηγύρεις, δεσμὰ καὶ τραύματα καὶ δακρύοντες θεοί· ὤ μοι ἐγώ, ὅτε μοι Σαρπηδόνα φίλτατον ἀνδρῶν μοῖρ᾿ ὑπὸ Πατρόκλοιο Μενοιτιάδαο δαμῆναι. κεκράτηται τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Διὸς καὶ ὁ Ζεὺς ὑμῖν διὰ Σαρπηδόνα οἰμῴζει νενικημένος. εἴδωλα γοῦν εἰκότως αὐτοὺς καὶ δαίμονας ὑμεῖς αὐτοὶ κεκλήκατε, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν αὐτὴν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους θεοὺς κακίᾳ τιμήσας Ὅμηρος δαίμονας προσηγόρευσεν· ἡ δ᾿ Οὐλυμπόνδε βεβήκει δώματ᾿ ἐς αἰγιόχοιο Διὸς μετὰ δαίμονας ἄλλους. πῶς οὖν ἔτι θεοὶ τὰ εἴδωλα καὶ οἱ δαίμονες, βδελυρὰ ὄντως καὶ ἀκάθαρτα πνεύματα, πρὸς πάντων ὁμολογούμενα γήινα καὶ δεισαλέα, κάτω βρίθοντα, »περὶ τοὺς τάφους καὶ τὰ μνημεῖα καλινδούμενα«, περὶ ἃ δὴ καὶ ὑποφαίνονται ἀμυδρῶς »σκιοειδῆ φαντάσματα«;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»περὶ, καλινδούμενα«,, »σκιοειδῆ, φαντάσματα«;). Check it against the printed edition.
As grounds of your belief in these, there are your mysteries, your solemn assemblies, bonds and wounds, and weeping deities. "Woe, woe! that fate decrees my best-belov'd, Sarpedon, by Patroclus' hand to fall. The will of Zeus was overruled; and Zeus being worsted, laments for Sarpedon. With reason, therefore, have you yourselves called them shades and demons, since Homer, paying Athene and the other divinities sinister honour, has styled them demons:- "She her heavenward course pursued To join the immortals in the abode of Jove. How, then, can shades and demons be still reckoned gods, being in reality unclean and impure spirits, acknowledged by all to be of an earthly and watery nature, sinking downwards by their own weight, and flitting about graves and tombs, about which they appear dimly, being but shadowy phantasms?
Your proof of all this is your own mysteries and festivals, with their chains and wounds and weeping gods: “Alas for me, that Sarpedon, dearest of men to me, is fated to be subdued by Patroclus, son of Menoetius.” The will of Zeus is overpowered, and your Zeus, defeated, wails over Sarpedon. So you yourselves have rightly called them idols and demons, since Homer too paid Athena herself and the other gods a backhanded honor and called them demons: “She went to Olympus, to the house of aegis-bearing Zeus, among the other demons.” How then can these idols and demons still be gods? They are truly foul and unclean spirits. Everyone agrees that they are earthy and filthy, weighed down toward the earth, “rolling about tombs and monuments,” around which they appear faintly as “shadowy phantoms.”
Translator’s note. Clement says literally that Homer “honored them with badness.” The exact sense is uncertain; the older translation has “sinister honour.” The word rendered “filthy” (δεισαλέα) seems to be related to a word for slime or mire, which probably explains the older translation’s “watery.” The older translation also renders εἴδωλα (“idols”) as “shades.”
ταῦθ᾿ ὑμῶν οἱ θεοὶ τὰ εἴδωλα, αἱ σκιαὶ καὶ πρὸς τούτοις αἱ »χωλαὶ« ἐκεῖναι καὶ »ῥυσαί, παραβλῶπες ὀφθαλμώ«, αἱ Λιταὶ αἱ Θερσίτου μᾶλλον ἢ Διὸς θυγατέρες, ὥστε μοι δοκεῖν χαριέντως φάναι τὸν Βίωνα, πῶς ἂν ἐνδίκως οἱ ἄνθρωποι παρὰ τοῦ Διὸς αἰτήσονται τὴν εὐτεκνίαν, ἣν οὐδ᾿ αὑτῷ παρασχεῖν ἴσχυσεν; οἴμοι τῆς ἀθεότητος· τὴν ἀκήρατον οὐσίαν, τὸ ὅσον ἐφ᾿ ὑμῖν, κατορύττετε καὶ τὸ ἄχραντον ἐκεῖνο καὶ τὸ ἅγιον τοῖς τάφοις ἐπικεχώκατε, τῆς ἀληθῶς ὄντως οὐσίας συλήσαντες τὸ θεῖον. τί δὴ οὖν τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῖς οὐ θεοῖς προσενείματε γέρα; τί δὲ καταλιπόντες τὸν οὐρανὸν τὴν γῆν τετιμήκατε; τί δ᾿ ἄλλο χρυσὸς ἢ ἄργυρος ἢ ἀδάμας ἢ σίδηρος ἢ χαλκὸς ἢ ἐλέφας ἢ λίθοι τίμιοι;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»χωλαὶ«, »ῥυσαί,, ὀφθαλμώ«,). Check it against the printed edition.
Such things are your gods-shades and shadows; and to these add those maimed, wrinkled, squinting divinities the Litae, daughters of Thersites rather than of Zeus. So that Bion-wittily, as I think-says, How in reason could men pray Zeus for a beautiful progeny,-a thing he could not obtain for himself? The incorruptible being, as far as in you lies, you sink in the earth; and that pure and holy essence you have buried in the grave, robbing the divine of its true nature. Why, I pray you, have you assigned the prerogatives of God to what are no gods? Why, let me ask, have you forsaken heaven to pay divine honour to earth? What else is gold, or silver, or steel, or iron, or brass, or ivory, or precious stones?
These are your gods: idols and shadows. Besides them there are those “lame, wrinkled, squint-eyed” Prayers, who are more like daughters of Thersites than of Zeus. So I think Bion put it wittily: how could people rightly ask Zeus for fine children, when he could not provide them even for himself? Alas for such godlessness! As far as it depends on you, you bury the incorruptible Being in the ground. You have heaped the earth of tombs over that pure and holy being, stripping the one who truly exists of his divinity. Why have you given the honors that belong to God to those who are not gods? Why have you left heaven and honored the earth? For what else are gold, silver, adamant, iron, bronze, ivory and precious stones?
Translator’s note. Adamant (ἀδάμας) was a word for an extremely hard metal or stone; the older translation renders it “steel.”
οὐχὶ γῆ τε καὶ ἐκ γῆς; οὐχὶ δὲ μιᾶς μητρὸς ἔκγονα, τῆς γῆς, τὰ πάντα ταῦτα ὅσα ὁρᾷς; τί δὴ οὖν, ὦ μάταιοι καὶ κενόφρονες (πάλιν γὰρ δὴ ἐπαναλήψομαι), τὸν ὑπερουράνιον βλασφημήσαντες τόπον εἰς τοὔδαφος κατεσύρατε τὴν εὐσέβειαν, χθονίους ὑμῖν ἀναπλάττοντες θεοὺς καὶ τὰ γενητὰ ταῦτα πρὸ τοῦ ἀγενήτου μετιόντες θεοῦ βαθυτέρῳ περιπεπτώκατε ζόφῳ; καλὸς ὁ Πάριος λίθος, ἀλλ᾿ οὐδέπω Ποσειδῶν· καλὸς ὁ ἐλέφας, ἀλλ᾿ οὐδέπω Ὀλύμπιος· ἐνδεὴς ἀεί ποτε ἡ ὕλη τῆς τέχνης, ὁ θεὸς δὲ ἀνενδεής. προῆλθεν ἡ τέχνη, περιβέβληται τὸ σχῆμα ἡ ὕλη, καὶ τὸ πλούσιον τῆς οὐσίας πρὸς μὲν τὸ κέρδος ἀγώγιμον, μόνῳ δὲ τῷ σχήματι γίνεται σεβάσμιον. χρυσός ἐστι τὸ ἄγαλμά σου, ξύλον ἐστίν, λίθος ἐστίν, γῆ ἐστιν, ἐὰν ἄνωθεν νοήσῃς, μορφὴν παρὰ τοῦ τεχνίτου προσλαβοῦσα.
Are they not earth, and of the earth? Are not all these things which you look on the progeny of one mother-the earth? Why, then, foolish and silly men (for I will repeat it), have you, defaming the supercelestial region, dragged religion to the ground, by fashioning to yourselves gods of earth, and by going after those created objects, instead of the uncreated Deity, have sunk into deepest darkness? The Parian stone is beautiful, but it is not yet Poseidon. The ivory is beautiful, but it is not yet the Olympian Zeus. Matter always needs art to fashion it, but the deity needs nothing. Art has come forward to do its work, and the matter is clothed with its shape; and while the preciousness of the material makes it capable of being turned to profitable account, it is only on account of its form that it comes to be deemed worthy of veneration. Thy image, if considered as to its origin, is gold, it is wood, it is stone, it is earth, which has received shape from the artist's hand.
Are they not earth, and from the earth? Are not all these things you see the offspring of one mother, the earth? Why then, you vain and empty-headed people (I will say it again), have you blasphemed the place above the heavens and dragged religion down to the ground? You fashion earthly gods for yourselves, and you chase after these created things instead of the uncreated God, and so you have fallen into a deeper darkness. Parian marble is beautiful, but it is not yet Poseidon. Ivory is beautiful, but it is not yet the Olympian. Matter always needs craftsmanship, but God needs nothing. Craftsmanship has stepped forward, and the matter has been clothed with a shape. The costly material is valuable for profit, but it becomes an object of reverence only because of its shape. Your statue is gold, or wood, or stone, or earth, if you think it through from the beginning. It has received its form from the craftsman.
Translator’s note. “The place above the heavens” echoes Plato, Phaedrus 247c. “The Olympian” means Zeus of Olympia, whose famous statue by Phidias was made of gold and ivory.
γῆν δὲ ἐγὼ πατεῖν, οὐ προσκυνεῖν μεμελέτηκα· οὐ γάρ μοι θέμις ἐμπιστεῦσαί ποτε τοῖς ἀψύχοις τὰς τῆς ψυχῆς ἐλπίδας. Ἰτέον οὖν ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα ἐγγυτάτω τῶν ἀγαλμάτων, ὡς οἰκεία ἡ πλάνη κἀκ τῆς προσόψεως ἐλέγχηται· ἐναπομέμακται γὰρ πάνυ δὴ σαφῶς τὰ εἴδη τῶν ἀγαλμάτων τὴν διάθεσιν τῶν δαιμόνων. εἰ γοῦν τις τὰς γραφὰς καὶ τὰ ἀγάλματα περινοστῶν θεῷτο, γνωριεῖ ὑμῶν παραυτίκα τοὺς θεοὺς ἐκ τῶν ἐπονειδίστων σχημάτων, τὸν Διόνυσον ἀπὸ τῆς στολῆς, τὸν Ἥφαιστον ἀπὸ τῆς τέχνης, τὴν Δηὼ ἀπὸ τῆς συμφορᾶς, ἀπὸ τοῦ κρηδέμνου τὴν Ἰνώ, ἀπὸ τῆς τριαίνης τὸν Ποσειδῶ, ἀπὸ τοῦ κύκνου τὸν Δία· τὸν δὲ Ἡρακλέα δείκνυσιν ἡ πυρά, κἂν γυμνὴν ἴδῃ τις ἀνάγραπτον γυναῖκα, τὴν »χρυσῆν« Ἀφροδίτην νοεῖ.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»χρυσῆν«). Check it against the printed edition.
But I have been in the habit of walking on the earth, not of worshipping it. For I hold it wrong to entrust my spirit's hopes to things destitute of the breath of life. We must therefore approach as close as possible to the images. How peculiarly inherent deceit is in them, is manifest from their very look. For the forms of the images are plainly stamped with the characteristic nature of demons. If one go round and inspect the pictures and images, he will at a glance recognise your gods from their shameful forms: Dionysus from his robe; Hephaestus from his art; Demeter from her calamity; Ino from her head-dress; Poseidon from his trident; Zeus from the swan; the pyre indicates Heracles; and if one sees a statue of a naked woman without an inscription, he understands it to be the golden Aphrodité.Thus that Cyprian Pygmalion became enamoured of an image of ivory: the image was Aphrodité, and it was nude.
But I have trained myself to walk on the earth, not to worship it. It is not right for me ever to entrust the hopes of my soul to lifeless things. So we must go as close as we can to the statues, so that even their appearance may prove that error is at home in them. The very shapes of the statues bear a clear imprint of the character of the demons. If someone goes around looking at the paintings and statues, he will recognize your gods at once from their shameful shapes. He knows Dionysus by his robe, Hephaestus by his craft, Deo by her misfortune, Ino by her veil, Poseidon by his trident, and Zeus by the swan. The pyre shows him Heracles, and if he sees a naked woman portrayed, he understands her to be “golden” Aphrodite.
Translator’s note. “Golden” is a standard epithet of Aphrodite in Homer.
οὕτως ὁ Κύπριος ὁ Πυγμαλίων ἐκεῖνος ἐλεφαντίνου ἠράσθη ἀγάλματος· τὸ ἄγαλμα Ἀφροδίτης ἦν καὶ γυμνὴ ἦν· νικᾶται ὁ Κύπριος τῷ σχήματι καὶ συνέρχεται τῷ ἀγάλματι, καὶ τοῦτο Φιλοστέφανος ἱστορεῖ· Ἀφροδίτη δὲ ἄλλη ἐν Κνίδῳ λίθος ἦν καὶ καλὴ ἦν, ἕτερος ἠράσθη ταύτης καὶ μίγνυται τῇ λίθῳ· Ποσείδιππος ἱστορεῖ, ὁ μὲν πρότερος ἐν τῷ περὶ Κύπρου, ὁ δὲ ἕτερος ἐν τῷ περὶ Κνίδου. τοσοῦτον ἴσχυσεν ἀπατῆσαι τέχνη προαγωγὸς ἀνθρώποις ἐρωτικοῖς εἰς βάραθρον γενομένη. δραστήριος μὲν ἡ δημιουργική, ἀλλ᾿ οὐχ οἵα τε ἀπατῆσαι λογικὸν οὐδὲ μὴν τοὺς κατὰ λόγον βεβιωκότας· ζωγραφίας μὲν γὰρ δι᾿ ὁμοιότητα σκιαγραφήταις περιστεραῖς προσέπτησαν πελειάδες καὶ ἵπποις καλῶς γεγραμμέναις προσεχρεμέτισαν ἵπποι. ἐρασθῆναι κόρην εἰκόνος λέγουσιν καὶ νέον καλὸν Κνιδίου ἀγάλματος, ἀλλ᾿ ἦσαν τῶν θεατῶν αἱ ὄψεις ἠπατημέναι ὑπὸ τῆς τέχνης.
The Cyprian is made a conquest of by the mere shape, and embraces the image. This is related by Philostephanus. A different Aphrodité in Cnidus was of stone, and beautiful. Another person became enamoured of it, and shamefully embraced the stone. Posidippus relates this. The former of these authors, in his book on Cyprus, and the latter in his book on Cnidus. So powerful is art to delude, by seducing amorous men into the pit. Art is powerful, but it cannot deceive reason, nor those who live agreeably to reason. The doves on the picture were represented so to the life by the painter's art, that the pigeons flew to them; and horses have neighed to well-executed pictures of mares. They say that a girl became enamoured of an image, and a comely youth of the statue at Cnidus.
So that famous Cypriot, Pygmalion, fell in love with an ivory statue. The statue was of Aphrodite, and she was naked. The Cypriot was overcome by her shape and had intercourse with the statue. Philostephanus tells this story. There was another Aphrodite, at Cnidus, made of stone and beautiful. Another man fell in love with her and had intercourse with the stone. Posidippus tells this one. The first wrote in his work On Cyprus, the second in his work On Cnidus. That is how strongly art could deceive, acting as a procurer that led men in love into the pit. The craftsman’s skill is powerful, but it cannot deceive a reasoning being, or those who have lived by reason. In paintings, it is true, pigeons have flown up to painted doves because of the likeness, and horses have neighed at well-painted mares. They say a girl fell in love with a portrait, and a handsome young man with the statue at Cnidus. But it was the eyes of the onlookers that art had deceived.
Translator’s note. The Aphrodite of Cnidus was a famous nude statue by the sculptor Praxiteles.
οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν θεᾷ τις συνεπλάκη, οὐδ᾿ ἂν νεκρᾷ τις συνετάφη, οὐδ᾿ ἂν ἠράσθη δαίμονος καὶ λίθου ἄνθρωπος σωφρονῶν. ὑμᾶς δὲ ἄλλῃ γοητείᾳ ἀπατᾷ ἡ τέχνη, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐπὶ τὸ ἐρᾶν προσάγουσα, ἀλλ᾿ ἐπὶ τὸ τιμᾶν καὶ προσκυνεῖν τά τε ἀγάλματα καὶ τὰς γραφάς. ὁμοία γε ἡ γραφή· ἐπαινείσθω μὲν ἡ τέχνη. μὴ ἀπατάτω δὲ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὡς ἀλήθεια. ἕστηκεν ὁ ἵππος ἡσυχῇ, ἡ πελειὰς ἀτρεμής, ἀργὸν τὸ πτερόν, ἡ δὲ βοῦς ἡ Δαιδάλου ἡ ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου πεποιημένη ταῦρον εἷλεν ἄγριον καὶ κατηνάγκασεν τὸ θηρίον ἡ τέχνη πλανήσασα ἐρώσης ἐπιβῆναι γυναικός. τοσοῦτον οἶστρον αἱ τέχναι κακοτεχνοῦσαι τοῖς ἀνοήτοις ἐνεποίησαν. ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν πιθήκους οἱ τούτων τροφεῖς καὶ μελεδωνοὶ τεθαυμάκασιν, ὅτι τῶν κηρίνων ἢ πηλίνων ὁμοιωμάτων καὶ κοροκοσμίων ἀπατᾷ τούτους οὐδέν· ὑμεῖς δὲ ἄρα καὶ πιθήκων χείρους γενήσεσθε λιθίνοις καὶ ξυλίνοις καὶ χρυσέοις καὶ ἐλεφαντίνοις ἀγαλματίοις καὶ γραφαῖς προσανέχοντες.
But it was the eyes of the spectators that were deceived by art; for no one in his senses ever would have embraced a goddess, or entombed himself with a lifeless paramour, or become enamoured of a demon and a stone. But it is with a different kind of spell that art deludes you, if it leads you not to the indulgence of amorous affections: it leads you to pay religious honour and worship to images and pictures. The picture is like. Well and good! Let art receive its meed of praise, but let it not deceive man by passing itself off for truth. The horse stands quiet; the dove flutters not, its wing is motionless. But the cow of Daedalus, made of wood, allured the savage bull; and art having deceived him, compelled him to meet a woman full of licentious passion. Such frenzy have mischief-working arts created in the minds of the insensate. On the other hand, apes are admired by those who feed and care for them, because nothing in the shape of images and girls' ornaments of wax or clay deceives them. You then will show yourselves inferior to apes by cleaving to stone, and wood, and gold, and ivory images, and to pictures.
For no one in his right mind would have embraced a goddess, or been buried with a corpse, or fallen in love with a demon and a stone. But art deceives you with a different kind of sorcery. It may not lead you to love the statues and paintings, but it leads you to honor and worship them. The painting is a good likeness; let the art be praised, but let it not deceive a person into taking it for the truth. The horse stands quietly; the dove is motionless, its wing idle. Yet Daedalus’ cow, made of wood, caught a wild bull, and art, by deceiving the beast, forced it to mount a woman in the grip of desire. Such madness do these wicked arts put into foolish people. The keepers and caretakers of apes, however, marvel at them, because none of the likenesses made of wax or clay, none of the dolls, deceives them. You, then, will turn out worse than apes, if you devote yourselves to little statues of stone, wood, gold and ivory, and to paintings.
Translator’s note. The woman is Pasiphae in the Greek myth. Daedalus built a wooden cow so that she could mate with a bull.
τοιούτων ὑμῖν [οἱ] δημιουργοὶ ἀθυρμάτων ὀλεθρίων οἱ λιθοξόοι καὶ οἱ ἀνδριαντοποιοὶ γραφεῖς τε αὐ καὶ τέκτονες καὶ ποιηταί, πολύν τινα καὶ τοιοῦτον ὄχλον παρεισάγοντες. κατ᾿ ἀγροὺς μὲν Σατύρους καὶ Πᾶνας, ἀνὰ δὲ τὰς ὕλας Νύμφας τὰς ὀρειάδας καὶ τὰς ἁμαδρυάδας, ναὶ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τὰ ὕδατα καὶ περὶ τοὺς ποταμοὺς καὶ τὰς πηγὰς τὰς Ναΐδας καὶ περὶ τὴν θάλατταν τὰς Νηρεΐδας. μάγοι δὲ ἤδη ἀσεβείας τῆς σφῶν αὐτῶν ὑπηρέτας δαίμονας αὐχοῦσιν, οἰκέτας αὐτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς καταγράψαντες, τοὺς κατηναγκασμένους δούλους ταῖς ἐπαοιδαῖς πεποιηκότες. γάμοι τε οὖν ἔτι καὶ παιδοποιίαι καὶ λοχεῖαι θεῶν μνημονευόμεναι καὶ μοιχεῖαι ᾀδόμεναι καὶ εὐωχίαι κωμῳδούμεναι καὶ γέλωτες παρὰ πότον εἰσαγόμενοι προτρέπουσι δή με ἀνακραγεῖν, κἂν σιωπῆσαι θέλω.
Your makers of such mischievous toys-the sculptors and makers of images, the painters and workers in metal, and the poets-have introduced a motley crowd of divinities: in the fields, Satyrs and Pans; in the woods, Nymphs, and Oreads, and Hamadryads; and besides, in the waters, the rivers, and fountains, the Naiads; and in the sea the Nereids. And now the Magi boast that the demons are the ministers of their impiety, reckoning them among the number of their domestics, and by their charms compelling them to be their slaves. Besides, the nuptials of the deities, their begetting and bringing forth of children that are recounted, their adulteries celebrated in song, their carousals represented in comedy, and bursts of laughter over their cups, which your authors introduce, urge me to cry out, though I would fain be silent.
These are the deadly toys that your craftsmen make for you: the stonecutters, the sculptors, the painters, the carpenters, and the poets. Together they bring in a whole crowd of such beings. In the fields they put Satyrs and Pans. In the woods they put mountain Nymphs and Hamadryads. By the waters, rivers and springs they put Naiads, and around the sea, Nereids. Now magicians, too, boast that demons serve their impiety. They have enrolled them as their household servants and, by their incantations, have made them slaves under compulsion. Then there are the marriages of the gods, their fathering of children and their childbirths, which are recalled; their adulteries, which are sung; their feasts, which are made fun of in comedies; and the laughter they are shown enjoying over the wine. All this drives me to cry out, even if I would rather keep silent.
Translator’s note. The Greek word rendered “carpenters” (tektones) usually means woodworkers or builders.
οἴμοι τῆς ἀθεότητος· σκηνὴν πεποιήκατε τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὸ θεῖον ὑμῖν δρᾶμα γεγένηται καὶ τὸ ἅγιον προσωπείοις δαιμονίων κεκωμῳδήκατε, τὴν ἀληθῆ θεοσέβειαν δεισιδαιμονίᾳ σατυρίσαντες. Αὐτὰρ ὃ φορμίζων ἀνεβάλλετο καλὸν ἀείδειν, ᾆσον ἡμῖν, Ὅμηρε, τὴν φωνὴν τὴν καλήν, ἀμφ᾿ Ἄρεως φιλότητος ἐυστεφάνου τ᾿ Ἀφροδίτης· ὡς τὰ πρῶτα μίγησαν ἐν Ἡφαίστοιο δόμοισι λάθρῃ· πολλὰ δ᾿ ἔδωκε, λέχος δ᾿ ᾔσχυνε καὶ εὐνὴν Ἡφαίστοιο ἄνακτος. κατάπαυσον, Ὅμηρε, τὴν ᾠδήν· οὐκ ἔστι καλή, μοιχείαν διδάσκει· πορνεύειν δὲ ἡμεῖς καὶ τὰ ὦτα παρῃτήμεθα· ἡμεῖς γάρ, ἡμεῖς ἐσμὲν οἱ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ θεοῦ περιφέροντες ἐν τῷ ζῶντι καὶ κινουμένῳ τούτῳ ἀγάλματι, τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, σύνοικον εἰκόνα, σύμβουλον, συνόμιλον, συνέστιον, συμπαθῆ, ὑπερπαθῆ· ἀνάθημα γεγόναμεν τῷ θεῷ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ· »ἡμεῖς τὸ γένος τὸ ἐκλεκτόν, τὸ βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, ἔθνος ἅγιον, λαὸς περιούσιος, οἱ ποτὲ οὐ λαός, νῦν δὲ λαὸς τοῦ θεοῦ·« οἱ κατὰ τὸν Ἰωάννην οὐκ ὄντες »ἐκ τῶν κάτω«, παρὰ δὲ τοῦ ἄνωθεν ἐλθόντος τὸ πᾶν μεμαθηκότες, οἱ τὴν οἰκονομίαν τοῦ θεοῦ κατανενοηκότες, οἱ »ἐν καινότητι ζωῆς περιπατεῖν« μεμελετηκότες.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἡμεῖς, θεοῦ·«, »ἐκ, κάτω«,, »ἐν, περιπατεῖν«). Check it against the printed edition.
Oh the godlessness! You have turned heaven into a stage; the Divine has become a drama; and what is sacred you have acted in comedies under the masks of demons, travestying true religion by your demon-worship [superstition]. "But he, striking the lyre, began to sing beautifully. Sing to us, Homer, that beautiful song "About the amours of Arês and Venus with the beautiful crown: How first they slept together in the palace of Hephaestus Secretly; and he gave many gifts, and dishonoured the bed and chamber of king Hephaestus. Stop, O Homer, the song! It is not beautiful; it teaches adultery, and we are prohibited from polluting our ears with hearing about adultery for we are they who bear about with us, in this living and moving image of our human nature, the likeness of God,-a likeness which dwells with us, takes counsel with us, associates with us, is a guest with us, feels with us, feels for us. We have become a consecrated offering to God for Christ's sake: we are the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the peculiar people, who once were not a people, but are now the people of God; who, according to John, are not of those who are beneath, but have learned all from Him who came from above; who have come to understand the dispensation of God; who have learned to walk in newness of life.
Alas for the godlessness! You have turned heaven into a stage. The divine has become a play for you. You have made a comedy of what is holy by dressing it in the masks of demons. By your superstition you have turned true reverence for God into a satyr-play. “But he, striking the lyre, began to sing beautifully.” Sing for us, Homer, in that beautiful voice, “about the love of Ares and fair-crowned Aphrodite, how they first lay together secretly in the house of Hephaestus. He gave many gifts, and dishonored the bed and couch of lord Hephaestus.” Stop the song, Homer. It is not beautiful. It teaches adultery. We have renounced fornication, even with our ears. For we, we are the ones who carry the image of God in this living, moving statue, the human being. This image lives in the house with us, advises us, talks with us, eats at our table, shares our feelings, and feels for us. We have become an offering to God for Christ. “We are the chosen race, the royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, who once were not a people but now are the people of God.” As John puts it, we are not “from below” but have learned everything from the one who came from above. We have understood God’s plan of salvation, and we have trained ourselves to “walk in newness of life.”
Translator’s note. The Greek word for “plan” is oikonomia, often rendered “dispensation” or “economy.”
Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9-10; John 8:23; Romans 6:4
Ἀλλ᾿ οὐ ταῦτα φρονοῦσιν οἱ πολλοί· ἀπορρίψαντες δὲ τὴν αἰδῶ καὶ τὸν φόβον οἴκοι τοὺς τῶν δαιμόνων ἐγγράφονται πασχητιασμούς. πινακίοις γοῦν τισὶ καταγράφοις μετεωρότερον ἀνακειμένοις προσεσχηκότες ἀσελγείᾳ τοὺς θαλάμους κεκοσμήκασι, τὴν ἀκολασίαν εὐσέβειαν νομίζοντες· κἀπὶ τοῦ σκίμποδος κατακείμενοι παρ᾿ αὐτὰς ἔτι τὰς περιπλοκὰς ἀφορῶσιν εἰς τὴν Ἀφροδίτην ἐκείνην τὴν γυμνήν, τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ συμπλοκῇ δεδεμένην, καὶ τῇ Λήδᾳ περιποτώμενον τὸν ὄρνιν τὸν ἐρωτικόν, τῆς θηλύτητος ἀποδεχόμενοι τὴν γραφήν, ἀποτυποῦσι ταῖς σφενδόναις, σφραγῖδι χρώμενοι καταλλήλῳ τῇ Διὸς ἀκολασίᾳ. ταῦτα ὑμῶν τῆς ἡδυπαθείας τὰ ἀρχέτυπα, αὗται τῆς ὕβρεως αἱ θεολογίαι, αὗται τῶν συμπορνευόντων ὑμῖν θεῶν αἱ διδασκαλίαι· »ὃ γὰρ βούλεται, τοῦθ᾿ ἕκαστος καὶ οἴεται« κατὰ τὸν Ἀθηναῖον ῥήτορα. οἷαι δὲ αὖ καὶ ἄλλαι ὑμῶν εἰκόνες, πανίσκοι τινὲς καὶ γυμναὶ κόραι καὶ σάτυροι μεθύοντες καὶ μορίων ἐντάσεις, ταῖς γραφαῖς ἀπογυμνούμεναι, ἀπὸ τῆς ἀκρασίας ἐλεγχόμεναι.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ὃ, οἴεται«). Check it against the printed edition.
But these are not the sentiments of the many; but, casting off shame and fear, they depict in their houses the unnatural passions of the demons. Accordingly, wedded to impurity, they adorn their bed-chambers with painted tablets hung up in them, regarding licentiousness as religion; and lying in bed, in the midst of their embraces, they look on that Aphrodité locked in the embrace of her paramour. And in the hoops of their rings they cut a representation of the amorous bird that fluttered round Leda,-having a strong predilection for representations of effeminacy,-and use a seal stamped with an impression of the licentiousness of Zeus. Such are examples of your voluptuousness, such are the theologies of vice, such are the instructions of your gods, who commit fornication along with you; for what one wishes, that he thinks, according to the Athenian orator. And of what kind, on the other hand, are your other images? Diminutive Pans, and naked girls, and drunken Satyrs, and phallic tokens, painted naked in pictures disgraceful for filthiness.
But most people do not think this way. They throw off shame and fear, and they have the unnatural lusts of the demons painted in their own homes. They devote themselves to painted tablets hung up high, and they decorate their bedrooms with indecency, thinking lewdness to be piety. Lying on the couch, in the very midst of their embraces, they look at that naked Aphrodite, bound fast in her embrace. And the amorous bird fluttering around Leda they engrave on the bezels of their rings. They welcome this picture of effeminacy, using a seal that suits the lust of Zeus. These are the models of your self-indulgence. These are the theologies of outrage. These are the teachings of the gods who commit fornication along with you. As the Athenian orator says, “What each man wants, that he also believes.” And what other images you have! Little Pans, naked girls, drunken satyrs, and erect male parts, all stripped bare in paintings and condemned by their lack of self-control.
Translator’s note. The Athenian orator is Demosthenes (Third Olynthiac 19).
ἤδη δὲ ἀναφανδὸν τῆς ἀκολασίας ὅλης τὰ σχήματα ἀνάγραπτα πανδημεὶ θεώμενοι οὐκ αἰσχύνεσθε, φυλάττετε δὲ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἀνακείμενα, ὥσπερ ἀμέλει τῶν θεῶν ὑμῶν τὰς εἰκόνας, στήλας ἀναισχυντίας καθιερώσαντες οἴκοι, ἐπ᾿ ἴσης ἐγγραφόμενοι τὰ Φιλαινίδος σχήματα ὡς τὰ Ἡρακλέους ἀθλήματα. τούτων οὐ μόνον τῆς χρήσεως, πρὸς δὲ καὶ τῆς ὄψεως καὶ τῆς ἀκοῆς αὐτῆς ἀμνηστίαν καταγγέλλομεν. ἡταίρηκεν ὑμῖν τὰ ὦτα, πεπορνεύκασιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ καὶ τὸ καινότατον πρὸ τῆς συμπλοκῆς αἱ ὄψεις ὑμῖν μεμοιχεύκασιν. ὦ βιασάμενοι τὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ τὸ ἔνθεον τοῦ πλάσματος ἐλέγχει ἀπαράξαντες, πάντα ἀπιστεῖτε, ἵνα ἐκπαθαίνησθε· καὶ πιστεύετε μὲν τοῖς εἰδώλοις ζηλοῦντες αὐτῶν τὴν ἀκρασίαν, ἀπιστεῖτε δὲ τῷ θεῷ σωφροσύνην μὴ φέροντες· καὶ τὰ μὲν κρείττω μεμισήκατε, τὰ δὲ ἥττω τετιμήκατε, ἀρετῆς μὲν θεαταί, κακίας δὲ ἀγωνισταὶ γεγενημένοι.
And more than this: you are not ashamed in the eyes of all to look at representations of all forms of licentiousness which are portrayed in public places, but set them up and guard them with scrupulous care, consecrating these pillars of shamelessness at home, as if, forsooth, they were the images of your gods, depicting on them equally the postures of Philaenis and the labours of Heracles. Not only the use of these, but the sight of them, and the very hearing of them, we denounce as deserving the doom of oblivion. Your ears are debauched, your eyes commit fornication, your looks commit adultery before you embrace. O ye that have done violence to man, and have devoted to shame what is divine in this handiwork of God, you disbelieve everything that you may indulge your passions, and that ye may believe in idols, because you have a craving after their licentiousness, but disbelieve God, because you cannot bear a life of self-restraint. You have hated what was better, and valued what was worse, having been spectators indeed of virtue, but actors of vice.
Now you look openly, with the whole crowd, at pictures of every posture of lewdness, and you are not ashamed. Worse still, you keep them on display as if they really were images of your gods. You have consecrated pillars of shamelessness in your homes, and you have the postures of Philaenis painted just as readily as the labors of Heracles. We declare that not only the use of these things but even the sight and the hearing of them should be forgotten. Your ears have turned prostitute, your eyes have committed fornication, and strangest of all, your looks have committed adultery before any embrace. O you who have done violence to man, and have struck off in disgrace the divine element in God’s creature! You disbelieve everything so that you can be driven wild by passion. You believe in the idols, because you are eager to copy their lack of self-control. You disbelieve God, because you cannot bear self-control. You have hated the better things and honored the worse. You have become spectators of virtue but contestants in vice.
Translator’s note. Philaenis was a woman to whom a manual of sexual positions was attributed.
Scripture: Matthew 5:28
»Ὄλβιοι« μόνοι τοίνυν, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐκεῖνοι πάντες κατὰ τὴν Σίβυλλαν οἳ ναοὺς μὲν πάντας ἀπαρνήσονται ἰδόντες καὶ βωμούς, εἰκαῖα λίθων ἱδρύματα κωφῶν, καὶ λίθινα ξόανα καὶ ἀγάλματα χειροποίητα, αἵματι ἐμψύχῳ μεμιασμένα καὶ θυσίαισι τετραπόδων, διπόδων, πτηνῶν θηρῶν τε φόνοισιν. καὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ ἀπηγόρευται ἡμῖν ἀναφανδὸν ἀπατηλὸν ἐργάζεσθαι τέχνην. »οὐ γὰρ ποιήσεις,« φησὶν ὁ προφήτης, »παντὸς ὁμοίωμα, ὅσα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄνω καὶ ὅσα ἐν τῇ γῇ κάτω.« ἦ πού γ᾿ ἂν ἔτι τὴν Πραξιτέλους Δήμητρα καὶ Κόρην καὶ τὸν Ἴακχον τὸν μυστικὸν θεοὺς ὑπολάβοιμεν ἢ τὰς Λυσίππου τέχνας ἢ τὰς χεῖρας, τὰς Ἀπελλικάς, αἳ δὴ τῆς θεοδοξίας τὸ σχῆμα τῇ ὕλῃ περιτεθείκασιν; ἀλλ᾿ ὑμεῖς μὲν ὅπως ποτὲ ὁ ἀνδριὰς ὅτι μάλιστα ὡραιότατος τεκταίνηται, προσκαρτερεῖτε, ὅπως δὲ αὐτοὶ μὴ ὅμοιοι δι᾿ ἀναισθησίαν τοῖς ἀνδριᾶσιν ἀποτελεσθῆτε, οὐ φροντίζετε· πάνυ γοῦν ἐμφανῶς καὶ συντόμως ὁ προφητικὸς ἐλέγχει τὴν συνήθειαν λόγος ὅτι »πάντες οἱ θεοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν δαιμονίων εἰσὶν εἴδωλα· ὁ δὲ θεὸς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἐποίησεν« καὶ τὰ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»Ὄλβιοι«, »οὐ, ποιήσεις,«, »παντὸς, κάτω.«, »πάντες). Check it against the printed edition.
Happy, therefore, so to say, alone are all those with one accord,- "Who shall refuse to look on any temples And altars, worthless seats of dumb stones, And idols of stone, and images made by hands, Stained with the life's-blood, and with sacrifices Of quadrupeds, and bipeds, and fowls, and butcheries of wild beasts. For we are expressly prohibited from exercising a deceptive art: "For thou shalt not make," says the prophet, "the likeness of anything which is in heaven above or in the earth beneath. For can we possibly any longer suppose the Demeter, and the Core, and the mystic Iacchus of Praxiteles, to be gods, and not rather regard the art of Leucippus, or the hands of Apelles, which clothed the material with the form of the divine glory, as having a better title to the honour? But while you bestow the greatest pains that the image may be fashioned with the most exquisite beauty possible, you exercise no care to guard against your becoming like images for stupidity. Accordingly, with the utmost clearness and brevity, the prophetic word condemns this practice: "For all the gods of the nations are the images of demons; but God made the heavens, and what is in heaven.
So happy, one might say, are those alone, all of them with one mind, who, as the Sibyl says, “will renounce all temples when they see them, and altars, useless foundations of dumb stones, and stone carvings and hand-made statues, defiled with the blood of living things, with sacrifices of four-footed and two-footed creatures and birds, and with the slaughter of wild beasts.” For we are plainly forbidden to practice a deceptive art. “You shall not make,” says the prophet, “a likeness of anything that is in heaven above or on the earth beneath.” Could we possibly still take the Demeter, the Kore and the mystic Iacchus of Praxiteles to be gods? Or the works of Lysippus, or the hands of Apelles, which have put the shape of divine glory on mere material? You work hard to have the statue made as beautiful as possible, but you take no care that you yourselves do not become like the statues through your lack of feeling. The prophetic word exposes this habit very plainly and briefly: “All the gods of the nations are idols of demons, but God made the heavens,” and what is in heaven.
Translator’s note. The quotation is Psalm 96:5 (95:5 in the Greek Old Testament), which in the Greek reads “all the gods of the nations are demons, but the Lord made the heavens” (the Hebrew has “idols”). Clement’s wording differs (“idols of demons,” “God”), and “and what is in heaven” appears to be his own addition.
Scripture: Exodus 20:4
πλανώμενοι γοῦν τινες ἐντεῦθεν οὐκ οἶδ᾿ ὅπως θείαν μὲν τέχνην, πλὴν ἀλλ᾿ οὐ θεὸν προσκυνοῦσιν ἥλιόν τε καὶ σελήνην καὶ τὸν ἄλλον τῶν ἀστέρων χορόν, παραλόγως τούτους θεοὺς ὑπολαμβάνοντες, τὰ ὄργανα τοῦ χρόνου. »τῷ γὰρ λόγῳ αὐτοῦ ἐστερεώθησαν καὶ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις αὐτῶν.« ἀλλ᾿ ἡ μὲν ἀνθρωπεία τέχνη οἰκίας τε καὶ ναῦς καὶ πόλεις καὶ γραφὰς δημιουργεῖ, θεὸς δὲ πῶς ἂν εἴποιμι ὅσα ποιεῖ; ὅλον ἴδε τὸν κόσμον, ἐκείνου ἔργον ἐστίν· καὶ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἥλιος καὶ ἄγγελοι καὶ ἄνθρωποι »ἔργα τῶν δακτύλων αὐτοῦ.« ὅση γε ἡ δύναμις τοῦ θεοῦ. μόνον αὐτοῦ τὸ βούλημα κοσμοποιία· μόνος γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ μόνος ὄντως ἐστὶ θεός· ψιλῷ τῷ βούλεσθαι δημιουργεῖ καὶ τῷ μόνον ἐθελῆσαι αὐτὸν ἕπεται τὸ γεγενῆσθαι.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»τῷ, αὐτῶν.«, »ἔργα, αὐτοῦ.«). Check it against the printed edition.
Some, however, who have fallen into error, I know not how, worship God's work instead of God Himself,-the sun and the moon, and the rest of the starry choir,-absurdly imagining these, which are but instruments for measuring time, to be gods; "for by His word they were established, and all their host by the breath of His mouth. Human art, moreover, produces houses, and ships, and cities, and pictures. But how shall I tell what God makes? Behold the whole universe; it is His work: and the heaven, and the sun, and angels, and men, are the works of His fingers. How great is the power of God! His bare volition was the creation of the universe. For God alone made it, because He alone is truly God. By the bare exercise of volition He creates; His mere willing was fob lowed by the springing into being of what He willed.
Some people are led astray here, I do not know how. They worship a divine piece of craftsmanship, but not God. They worship the sun, the moon and the rest of the chorus of stars, absurdly taking them for gods, though they are only instruments for measuring time. “For by his word they were made firm, and by the breath of his mouth all their power.” Human skill makes houses, ships, cities and paintings. But how could I tell all that God makes? Look at the whole world: it is his work. Heaven, sun, angels and men are “works of his fingers.” How great is God’s power! His will alone is the making of the world. For God alone made it, since he alone is truly God. He creates by simply willing it, and as soon as he wishes it, it comes to be.
Translator’s note. The quotation adapts Psalm 33:6 (32:6 in the Greek Old Testament), where the subject is “the heavens” and “the word of the Lord.” “Works of his fingers” comes from Psalm 8:3.
Scripture: Psalm 8:3
ἐνταῦθα φιλοσόφων παρατρέπεται χορὸς πρὸς μὲν τὴν οὐρανοῦ θέαν παγκάλως γεγονέναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὁμολογούντων, τὰ δὲ ἐν οὐρανῷ φαινόμενα καὶ ὄψει καταλαμβανόμενα προσκυνούντων. εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ ἀνθρώπινα τὰ ἔργα τὰ ἐν οὐρανῷ, ἀλλὰ γοῦν ἀνθρώποις δεδημιούργηται. καὶ μὴ τὸν ἥλιόν τις ὑμῶν προσκυνείτω, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἡλίου ποιητὴν ἐπιποθείτω, μηδὲ τὸν κόσμον ἐκθειαζέτω, ἀλλὰ τὸν κόσμου δημιουργὸν ἐπιζητησάτω. μόνη ἄρα, ὡς ἔοικεν, καταφυγὴ τῷ μέλλοντι ἐπὶ τὰς σωτηρίους ἀφικνεῖσθαι θύρας ὑπολείπεται σοφία θεϊκή· ἐντεῦθεν ὥσπερ ἐξ ἱεροῦ τινος ἀσύλου οὐδενὶ οὐκέτι ἀγώγιμος τῶν δαιμόνων ὁ ἄνθρωπος γίνεται σπεύδων εἰς σωτηρίαν.
Consequently the choir of philosophers are in error, who indeed most nobly confess that man was made for the contemplation of the heavens, but who worship the objects that appear in the heavens and are apprehended by sight. For if the heavenly bodies are not the works of men, they were certainly created for man. Let none of you worship the sun, but set his desires on the Maker of the sun; nor deify the universe, but seek after the Creator of the universe. The only refuge, then, which remains for him who would reach the portals of salvation is divine wisdom. From this, as from a sacred asylum, the man who presses after salvation, can be dragged by no demon.
Here the chorus of philosophers goes astray. They agree that man was made wonderfully well for looking at the heavens, yet they worship the things that appear in the heavens and are grasped by sight. For even if the works in heaven are not human works, they were at least made for human beings. Let none of you worship the sun, but long for the maker of the sun. Do not make the world divine, but seek the Creator of the world. So it seems that the only refuge left for anyone who means to reach the doors of salvation is divine wisdom. From there, as from some sacred sanctuary that cannot be violated, the man who hurries toward salvation can no longer be dragged away by any demon.
Translator’s note. The adverb rendered “wonderfully well” (pankalōs) most naturally goes with “was made,” but the word order also allows it to go with “agree” (“quite rightly agree”).
Chapter 5
Ἐπιδράμωμεν δέ, εἰ βούλει, καὶ τῶν φιλοσόφων τὰς δόξας, ὅσας αὐχοῦσι περὶ τῶν θεῶν, εἴ πως καὶ φιλοσοφίαν αὐτὴν κενοδοξίας ἕνεκεν ἀνειδωλοποιοῦσαν τὴν ὕλην ἐφεύρωμεν, ἢ καὶ δαιμόνια ἄττα ἐκθειάζουσαν κατὰ παραδρομὴν παραστῆσαι δυνηθῶμεν ὀνειρώττουσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. στοιχεῖα μὲν οὖν ἀρχὰς ἀπέλιπον ἐξυμνήσαντες Θαλῆς ὁ Μιλήσιος τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ Ἀναξιμένης ὁ καὶ αὐτὸς Μιλήσιος τὸν ἀέρα, ᾧ Διογένης ὕστερον ὁ Ἀπολλωνιάτης κατηκολούθησεν. Παρμενίδης δὲ ὁ Ἐλεάτης θεοὺς εἰσηγήσατο πῦρ καὶ γῆν, θάτερον δὲ αὐτοῖν μόνον, τὸ πῦρ, θεὸν ὑπειλήφατον Ἵππασός τε ὁ Μεταποντῖνος καὶ ὁ Ἐφέσιος Ἡράκλειτος· Ἐμπεδοκλῆς γὰρ ὁ Ἀκραγαντῖνος εἰς πλῆθος ἐμπεσὼν πρὸς τοῖς τέτταρσι στοιχείοις τούτοις νεῖκος καὶ φιλίαν καταριθμεῖται. Ἄθεοι μὲν δὴ καὶ οὗτοι, σοφίᾳ τινὶ ἀσόφῳ τὴν ὕλην προσκυνήσαντες καὶ λίθους μὲν ἢ ξύλα οὐ τιμήσαντες, γῆν δὲ τὴν τούτων μητέρα ἐκθειάσαντες καὶ Ποσειδῶνα μὲν οὐκ ἀναπλάττοντες, ὕδωρ δὲ αὐτὸ προστρεπόμενοι.
The Opinions of the Philosophers Respecting God.Let us then run over, if you choose, the opinions of the philosophers, to which they give boastful utterance, respecting the gods; that we may discover philosophy itself, through its conceit making an idol of matter; although we are able to show, as we proceed, that even while deifying certain demons, it has a dream of the truth. The elements were designated as the first principles of all things by some of them: by Thales of Miletus, who celebrated water, and Anaximenes, also of Miletus, who celebrated air as the first principle of all things, and was followed afterwards by Diogenes of Apollonia. Parmenides of Elia introduced fire and earth as gods; one of which, namely fire, Hippasus of Metapontum and Heraclitus of Ephesus supposed a divinity. Empedocles of Agrigentum fell in with a multitude, and, in addition to those four elements, enumerates disagreement and agreement. Atheists surely these are to be reckoned, who through an unwise wisdom worshipped matter, who did not indeed pay religious honour to stocks and stones, but deified earth, the mother of these,-who did not make an image of Poseidon, but revered water itself.
Let us also run through, if you like, the opinions the philosophers boast about concerning the gods. Perhaps we will find that philosophy itself, out of vanity, turns matter into idols. Or perhaps we can show, in passing, that while it deifies certain demons, it only dreams of the truth. Some of them praised the elements and left them as first principles. Thales of Miletus praised water. Anaximenes, also of Miletus, praised air, and Diogenes of Apollonia later followed him. Parmenides of Elea introduced fire and earth as gods. Of these two, Hippasus of Metapontum and Heraclitus of Ephesus took only fire to be a god. Empedocles of Acragas fell into plurality: besides these four elements he counts Strife and Love. These men too are godless. By a kind of unwise wisdom they worshipped matter. They did not honor stones or wood, but they deified earth, the mother of these. They did not fashion a Poseidon, but they turned in devotion to water itself.
τί γάρ ἐστί ποτε ὁ Ποσειδῶν ἢ ὑγρά τις οὐσία ἐκ τῆς πόσεως ὀνοματοποιουμένη; ὥσπερ ἀμέλει ὁ πολέμιος Ἄρης ἁπὸ τῆς ἄρσεως καὶ ἀναιρέσεως κεκλημένος, ᾖ καὶ δοκοῦσί μοι πολλοὶ μάλιστα τὸ ξίφος μόνον πήξαντες ἐπιθύειν ὡς Ἄρει· ἔστι δὲ Σκυθῶν τὸ τοιοῦτον, καθάπερ Εὔδοξος ἐν δευτέρᾳ Γῆς περιόδου λέγει, Σκυθῶν δὲ οἱ Σαυρομάται, ὥς φησιν Ἱκέσιος ἐν τῷ περὶ μυστηρίων, ἀκινάκην σέβουσιν. τοῦτό τοι καὶ οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἡράκλειτον τὸ πῦρ ὡς ἀρχέγονον σέβοντες πεπόνθασιν· τὸ γὰρ πῦρ τοῦτο ἕτεροι Ἥφαιστον ὠνόμασαν. Περσῶν δὲ οἱ μάγοι τὸ πῦρ τετιμήκασι καὶ τῶν τὴν Ἀσίαν κατοικούντων πολλοί, πρὸς δὲ καὶ Μακεδόνες, ὥς φησι Διογένης ἐν α΄ Περσικῶν. τί μοι Σαυρομάτας καταλέγειν, οὕς Νυμφόδωρος ἐν Νομίμοις βαρβαρικοῖς τὸ πῦρ σέβειν ἱστορεῖ, ἢ τοὺς Πέρσας καὶ τοὺς Μήδους καὶ τοὺς μάγους;
For what else, according to the original signification, is Poseidon, but a moist substance? the name being derived from posis (drink); as, beyond doubt, the warlike Arês is so called, from arsis (rising up) and anœresis (destroying). For this reason mainly, I think, many fix a sword into the ground, and sacrifice to it as to Arês. The Scythians have a practice of this nature, as Eudoxus tells us in the second book of his Travels. The Sauromatae, too, a tribe of the Scythians, worship a sabre, as Ikesius says in his work on Mysteries. This was also the case with Heraclitus and his followers, who worshipped fire as the first cause; for this fire others named Hephaestus. The Persian Magi, too, and many of the inhabitants of Asia, worshipped fire; and besides them, the Macedonians, as Diogenes relates in the first book of his Persica. Why specify the Sauromatae, who are said by Nymphodorus, in his Barbaric Customs, to pay sacred honours to fire? or the Persians, or the Medes, or the Magi?
For what is Poseidon but a watery substance, a name made from “posis,” drinking? So too the warlike Ares is named from “arsis” and “anairesis,” that is, lifting up and killing. That is why, I think, many simply fix a sword in the ground and sacrifice to it as to Ares. This is a Scythian custom, as Eudoxus says in the second book of his *Circuit of the Earth*. Among the Scythians, the Sauromatians worship a short sword, as Hicesius says in his work *On Mysteries*. The followers of Heraclitus do the same thing when they revere fire as the original source of things, for others have named this same fire Hephaestus. The Persian Magi honor fire, and so do many who live in Asia, and also the Macedonians, as Diogenes says in the first book of his *Persian History*. Why should I list the Sauromatians, whom Nymphodorus in his *Barbarian Customs* reports to worship fire? Or the Persians, the Medes and the Magi?
Translator’s note. Clement’s derivations of “Poseidon” from “posis” (drink) and “Ares” from “arsis”/”anairesis” are ancient word-plays, not reliable etymologies.
θύειν ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ τούτους ὁ Δίνων λέγει, θεῶν ἀγάλματα μόνα τὸ πῦρ καὶ ὕδωρ νομίζοντας. οὐκ ἀπεκρυψάμην οὐδὲ τὴν τούτων ἄγνοιαν. εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα ἀποφεύγειν οἴονται τῆς πλάνης, ἀλλ᾿ εἰς ἑτέραν κατολισθαίνουσιν ἀπάτην· ἀγάλματα μὲν θεῶν οὐ ξύλα καὶ λίθους ὑπειλήφασιν ὥσπερ Ἕλληνες οὐδὲ μὴν ἴβιδας καὶ ἰχνεύμονας καθάπερ Αἰγύπτιοι, ἀλλὰ πῦρ τε καὶ ὕδωρ ὡς φιλόσοφοι. μετὰ πολλὰς μέντοι ὕστερον περιόδους ἐτῶν ἀνθρωποειδῆ ἀγάλματα σέβειν αὐτοὺς Βήρωσσος ἐν τρίτῃ Χαλδαϊκῶν παρίστησι, τοῦτο Ἀρταξέρξου τοῦ Δαρείου τοῦ Ὤχου εἰσηγησαμένου, ὃς πρῶτος τῆς Ἀφροδίτης Ἀναΐτιδος τὸ ἄγαλμα ἀναστήσας ἐν Βαβυλῶνι καὶ Σούσοις καὶ Ἐκβατάνοις Πέρσαις καὶ Βάκτροις καὶ Δαμασκῷ καὶ Σάρδεσιν ὑπέδειξε σέβειν. ὁμολογούντων τοίνυν οἱ φιλόσοφοι τοὺς διδασκάλους τοὺς σφῶν Πέρσας ἢ Σαυρομάτας ἢ μάγους, παρ᾿ ὧν τὴν ἀθεότητα τῶν σεβασμίων αὐτοῖς μεμαθήκασιν ἀρχῶν, ἄρχοντα τὸν πάντων ποιητὴν καὶ τῶν ἀρχῶν αὐτῶν δημιουργὸν ἀγνοοῦντες, τὸν ἄναρχον θεόν, τὰ δὲ »πτωχὰ« ταῦτα καὶ »ἀσθενῆ,« ᾗ φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος, τὰ εἰς τὴν ἀνθρώπων ὑπηρεσίαν πεποιημένα »στοιχεῖα« προστρεπόμενοι.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»πτωχὰ«, »ἀσθενῆ,«, »στοιχεῖα«). Check it against the printed edition.
These, Dino tells us, sacrifice beneath the open sky, regarding fire and water as the only images of the gods. Nor have I failed to reveal their ignorance; for, however much they think to keep clear of error in one form, they slide into it in another. They have not supposed stocks and stones to be images of the gods, like the Greeks; nor ibises and ichneumons, like the Egyptians; but fire and water, as philosophers. Berosus, in the third book of his Chaldaics, shows that it was after many successive periods of years that men worshipped images of human shape, this practice being introduced by Artaxerxes, the son of Darius, and father of Ochus, who first set up the image of Aphrodité Anaitis at Babylon and Susa; and Ecbatana set the example of worshipping it to the Persians; the Bactrians, to Damascus and Sardis. Let the philosophers, then, own as their teachers the Persians, or the Sauromatae, or the Magi, from whom they have learned the impious doctrine of regarding as divine certain first principles, being ignorant of the great First Cause, the Maker of all things, and Creator of those very first principles, the unbeginning God, but reverencing "these weak and beggarly elements," as the apostle says, which were made for the service of man.
Dinon says these peoples sacrifice in the open air, and that they regard fire and water as the only images of the gods. I have not hidden their ignorance either. However much they think they have escaped error, they slip into another deception. They have not taken wood and stones to be images of gods, as the Greeks do. They have not taken ibises and ichneumons, as the Egyptians do. They have taken fire and water, as the philosophers do. Yet Berosus, in the third book of his *Chaldean History*, shows that many cycles of years later they came to worship images in human form. Artaxerxes, son of Darius Ochus, introduced this. He was the first to set up the statue of Aphrodite Anaitis in Babylon, Susa and Ecbatana, and he showed the Persians, the Bactrians, Damascus and Sardis how to worship it. So let the philosophers admit that their teachers are Persians, Sauromatians or Magi. From these they learned the godlessness of revering first principles. They are ignorant of the Ruler, the Maker of all things and Creator of those very principles, the God who has no beginning. Instead they turn in devotion to those “poor” and “weak” “elements,” as the apostle calls them, which were made to serve human beings.
Translator’s note. The Greek reads literally “Artaxerxes of Darius of Ochus.” This most likely means Artaxerxes II, son of Darius II, whose personal name was Ochus.
Scripture: Galatians 4:9
Τῶν δὲ ἄλλων φιλοσόφων ὅσοι τὰ στοιχεῖα ὑπερβάντες ἐπολυπραγμόνησάν τι ὑψηλότερον καὶ περιττότερον, οἳ μὲν αὐτῶν τὸ ἄπειρον καθύμνησαν, ὡς Ἀναξίμανδρος (Μιλήσιος ἦν) καὶ Ἀναξαγόρας ὁ Κλαζομένοις καὶ ὁ Ἀθηναῖος Ἀρχέλαος. τούτω μέν γε ἄμφω τὸν νοῦν ἐπεστησάτην τῇ ἀπειρίᾳ, ὁ δὲ Μιλήσιος Λεύκιππος καὶ ὁ Χῖος Μητρόδωρος διττάς, ὡς ἔοικεν, καὶ αὐτὼ ἀρχὰς ἀπελιπέτην, τὸ πλῆρες καὶ τὸ κενόν· προσέθηκε δὲ λαβὼν τούτοιν τοῖν δυεῖν τὰ εἴδωλα ὁ Ἀβδηρίτης Δημόκριτος. ὁ γάρ τοι Κροτωνιάτης Ἀλκμαίων θεοὺς ᾤετο τοὺς ἀστέρας εἶναι ἐμψύχους ὄντας. οὐ σιωπήσομαι τὴν τούτων ἀναισχυντίαν· Ξενοκράτης (Καλχηδόνιος οὗτος) ἑπτὰ μὲν θεοὺς τοὺς πλανήτας, ὄγδοον δὲ τὸν ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἀπλανῶν συνεστῶτα κόσμον αἰνίττεται. οὐδὲ μὴν τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς Στοᾶς παρελεύσομαι διὰ πάσης ὕλης, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀτιμοτάτης, τὸ θεῖον διήκειν λέγοντας, οἳ καταισχύνουσιν ἀτεχνῶς τὴν φιλοσοφίαν.
And of the rest of the philosophers who, passing over the elements, have eagerly sought after something higher and nobler, some have discanted on the Infinite, of whom were Anaximander of Miletus, Anaxagoras of Clazomenae, and the Athenian Archclaus, both of whom set Mind nou=j above Infinity; while the Milesian Leucippus and the Chian Metrodorus apparently inculcated two first principles-fulness and vacuity. Democritus of Abdera, while accepting these two, added to them images ei !dwla; while Alcmaeon of Crotona supposed the stars to be gods, and endowed with life (I will not keep silence as to their effrontery). Xenocrates of Chalcedon indicates that the planets are seven gods, and that the universe. composed of all these, is an eighth. Nor will I pass over those of the Porch, who say that the Divinity pervades all matter, even the vilest, and thus clumsily disgrace philosophy.
Other philosophers went beyond the elements and busied themselves with something higher and more out of the ordinary. Some of them praised the Unlimited. These were Anaximander (he was from Miletus), Anaxagoras of Clazomenae, and Archelaus of Athens. These last two set Mind over the Unlimited. Leucippus of Miletus and Metrodorus of Chios, it seems, left two first principles, the full and the empty. Democritus of Abdera took these two and added to them the “images.” Alcmaeon of Croton thought the stars were gods, and living ones. I will not keep silent about their shamelessness. Xenocrates (he was from Chalcedon) hints that there are seven gods, the planets, and an eighth, the heavens made up of all the fixed stars. Nor will I pass over the Stoics. They say that the divine pervades all matter, even the most dishonorable, and they simply bring shame on philosophy.
Translator’s note. “Fixed stars” translates “aplaneis,” the “non-wandering” stars, as opposed to the planets (“wanderers”). Xenocrates’ eighth god is the heaven made up of these fixed stars.
οὐδὲν δὲ οἶμαι χαλεπὸν ἐνταῦθα γενόμενος καὶ τῶν ἐκ τοῦ Περιπάτου μνησθῆναι· καὶ ὅ γε τῆς αἱρέσεως πατήρ, τῶν ὅλων οὐ νοήσας τὸν πατέρα, τὸν καλούμενον »ὕπατον« ψυχὴν εἶναι τοῦ παντὸς οἴεται· τουτέστι τοῦ κόσμου τὴν ψυχὴν θεὸν ὑπολαμβάνων αὐτὸς αὑτῷ περιπείρεται. ὁ γάρ τοι μέχρι τῆς σελήνης αὐτῆς διορίζων τὴν πρόνοιαν, ἔπειτα τὸν κόσμον θεὸν ἡγούμενος περιτρέπεται, τὸν ἄμοιρον τοῦ θεοῦ θεὸν δογματίζων. ὁ δὲ Ἐρέσιος ἐκεῖνος Θεόφραστος ὁ Ἀριστοτέλους γνώριμος πῇ μὲν οὐρανόν, πῇ δὲ πνεῦμα τὸν θεὸν ὑπονοεῖ. Ἐπικούρου μὲν γὰρ μόνου καὶ ἑκὼν ἐκλήσομαι, ὃς οὐδὲν μέλειν οἴεται τῷ θεῷ, διὰ πάντων ἀσεβῶν. τί γὰρ Ἡρακλείδης ὁ Ποντικός; ἔσθ᾿ ὅπῃ οὐκ ἐπὶ τὰ Δημοκρίτου καὶ αὐτὸς κατασύρεται εἴδωλα;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ὕπατον«). Check it against the printed edition.
Nor do I think will it be taken ill, having reached this point, to advert to the Peripatetics. The father of this sect, not knowing the Father of all things, thinks that He who is called the Highest is the soul of the universe; that is, he supposes the soul of the world to be God, and so is pierced by his own sword. For by first limiting the sphere of Providence to the orbit of the moon, and then by supposing the universe to be God, he confutes himself, in as much as he teaches that that which is without God is God. And that Eresian Theophrastus, the pupil of Aristotle, conjectures at one time heaven, and at another spirit, to be God. Epicurus alone I shall gladly forget, who carries impiety to its full length, and thinks that God takes no charge of the world. What, moreover, of Heraclides of Pontus? He is dragged everywhere to the images-the ei !dwla-of Democritus.
I think it is no trouble, now that we are here, to mention the Peripatetics too. The father of that school did not understand the Father of all things. He thinks the one called “the Highest” is the soul of the universe. That is, he takes the soul of the world to be God, and so he runs himself through with his own sword. He limits providence to the region reaching only as far as the moon, and then he regards the world as God. So he contradicts himself, teaching that something with no share in God is God. Then there is Theophrastus of Eresus, Aristotle’s pupil, who guesses at one moment that God is heaven and at another that he is spirit. Epicurus alone I will gladly leave out. He thinks God cares about nothing, and he is impious in everything. And what of Heraclides of Pontus? Is there any point at which he too is not dragged down to the images of Democritus?
Translator’s note. Ancient summaries of Aristotle’s teaching credited him with the view that providence reaches only as far as the moon. It is not stated in this form in his surviving works.
Chapter 6
Καὶ πολύς μοι ἐπιρρεῖ τοιοῦτος ὄχλος, οἱονεὶ μορμώ τινα, δαιμονίων παρεισάγων ξένων ἄτοπον σκιαγραφίαν, μυθολογῶν ὕθλῳ γραϊκῷ· πολλοῦ γε δεῖ ἀνδράσιν ἐπιτρέπειν ἀκροᾶσθαι τοιούτων λόγων, οἳ μηδὲ τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς ἑαυτῶν, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ λεγόμενον, κλαυθμυριζομένους ἐθίζομεν παρηγορεῖσθαι μυθίζοντες, ὀρρωδοῦντες συνανατρέφειν αὐτοῖς ἀθεότητα τὴν πρὸς τῶν δοκησισόφων δὴ τούτων καταγγελλομένην, μηδέν τι νηπίων μᾶλλον τἀληθὲς εἰδότων. τί γάρ, ὢ πρὸς τῆς ἀληθείας, τοὺς σοὶ πεπιστευκότας δεικνύεις ῥύσει καὶ φορᾷ δίναις τε ἀτάκτοις ὑποβεβλημένους; τί δέ μοι εἰδώλων ἀναπίμπλης τὸν βίον, ἀνέμους τε ἢ ἀέρα ἢ πῦρ ἢ γῆν ἢ λίθους ἢ ξύλα ἢ σίδηρον, κόσμον τόνδε, θεοὺς ἀναπλάττουσα, θεοὺς δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀστέρας τοὺς πλανήτας, τοῖς ὄντως πεπλανημένοις τῶν ἀνθρώπων διὰ τῆς πολυθρυλήτου ταύτης ἀστρολογίας, οὐκ ἀστρονομίας, μετεωρολογοῦσα καὶ ἀδολεσχοῦσα;
By Divine Inspiration Philosophers Sometimes Hit on the Truth.A great crowd of this description rushes on my mind, introducing, as it were, a terrifying apparition of strange demons, speaking of fabulous and monstrous shapes, in old wives' talk. Far from enjoining men to listen to such tales are we, who avoid the practice of soothing our crying children, as the saying is, by telling them fabulous stories, being afraid of fostering in their minds the impiety professed by those who, though wise in their own conceit, have no more knowledge of the truth than infants. For why (in the name of truth!) do you make those who believe you subject to ruin and corruption, dire and irretrievable? Why, I beseech you, fill up life with idolatrous images, by feigning the winds, or the air, or fire, or earth, or stones, or stocks, or steel, or this universe, to be gods; and, prating loftily of the heavenly bodies in this much vaunted science of astrology, not astronomy, to those men who have truly wandered, talk of the wandering stars as gods?
A great crowd of such men presses in on me. They are like a bogeyman, bringing in an absurd sketch of strange demons and telling myths in old wives’ drivel. We are far from letting grown men listen to such talk. We do not even soothe our own crying children with tales, as the saying goes. We are afraid of raising them alongside the godlessness that these would-be sages proclaim, men who know the truth no better than babies. In the name of truth, why do you show those who trust you to be given over to flux and drift and disorderly whirlpools? Why do you fill my life with idols, fashioning winds, air, fire, earth, stones, wood, iron, and this world itself into gods? You even make gods of the wandering stars. Through this much-talked-of astrology (which is not astronomy) you talk about the heavens and babble to people who have truly wandered astray.
Translator’s note. The “wandering stars” are the planets. The Greek word for “wander” is the root of “planet”, and Clement plays on it: those who worship the wanderers have themselves wandered astray.
τὸν κύριον τῶν πνευμάτων ποθῶ, τὸν κύριον τοῦ πυρός, τὸν κόσμου δημιουργόν, τὸν ἡλίου ἡλίου φωταγωγόν· θεὸν ἐπιζητῶ, οὐ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ. τίνα δὴ λάβω παρὰ σοῦ συνεργὸν τῆς ζητήσεως; οὐ γὰρ παντάπασιν ἀπεγνώκαμέν σε. εἰ βούλει, τὸν Πλάτωνα. πῇ δὴ οὖν ἐξιχνευτέον τὸν θεόν, ὦ Πλάτων; »τὸν γὰρ πατέρα καὶ ποιητὴν τοῦδε τοῦ παντὸς εὑρεῖν τε ἔργον καὶ εὑρόντα εἰς ἅπαντας ἐξειπεῖν ἀδύνατον.« διὰ τί δῆτα, ὢ πρὸς αὐτοῦ; »ῥητὸν γὰρ οὐδαμῶς ἐστίν.« εὖ γε, ὦ Πλάτων, ἐπαφᾶσαι τῆς ἀληθείας· ἀλλὰ μὴ ἀποκάμῃς· ξύν μοι λαβοῦ τῆς ζητήσεως τἀγαθοῦ πέρι· πᾶσιν γὰρ ἁπαξαπλῶς ἀνθρώποις, μάλιστα δὲ τοῖς περὶ λόγους ἐνδιατρίβουσιν ἐνέστακταί τις ἀπόρροια θεϊκή. οὗ δὴ χάριν καὶ ἄκοντες μὲν ὁμολογοῦσιν ἕνα γε εἶναι θεόν, ἀνώλεθρον καὶ ἀγένητον τοῦτον, ἄνω που περὶ τὰ νῶτα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ καὶ οἰκείᾳ περιωπῇ ὄντως ὄντα ἀεί.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»τὸν, ἀδύνατον.«, »ῥητὸν, ἐστίν.«). Check it against the printed edition.
It is the Lord of the spirits, the Lord of the fire, the Maker of the universe, Him who lighted up the sun, that I long for. I seek after God, not the works of God. Whom shall I take as a helper in my inquiry? We do not, if you have no objection, wholly disown Plato. How, then, is God to be searched out, O Plato? "For both to find the Father and Maker of this universe is a work of difficulty; and having found Him, to declare Him fully, is impossible. Why so? by Himself, I beseech you! For He can by no means be expressed. Well done, Plato! Thou hast touched on the truth. But do not flag. Undertake with me the inquiry respecting the Good. For into all men whatever, especially those who are occupied with intellectual pursuits, a certain divine effluence has been instilled; wherefore, though reluctantly, they confess that God is one, indestructible, unbegotten, and that somewhere above in the tracts of heaven, in His own peculiar appropriate eminence, whence He surveys all things, He has an existence true and eternal.
It is the Lord of the winds I long for, the Lord of fire, the Maker of the world, the one who gives light to the sun. I am seeking God, not the works of God. Whom then shall I take from you as a fellow worker in the search? We have not given up on you altogether. If you like, let it be Plato. How then must God be tracked down, Plato? “To find the Father and Maker of this universe is hard work, and having found him, it is impossible to declare him to everyone.” Why so, in God’s own name? “Because he cannot be spoken of at all.” Well done, Plato; you have touched on the truth. But do not grow weary. Join me in the search for the Good. For a kind of divine outflow has been dropped into all people without exception, and especially into those who devote themselves to learning. That is why, even against their will, they confess that God is one, indestructible and unbegotten. They confess that he exists truly and always, somewhere high up on the back of heaven, in his own proper place of vantage.
Translator’s note. “The back of heaven” echoes Plato’s Phaedrus (247b-c), where the souls stand on the back of heaven and gaze at true being.
θεὸν δὲ ποῖον, εἰπέ μοι, νοητέον; τὸν πάνθ᾿ ὁρῶντα καὐτὸν οὐχ ὁρώμενον, Εὐριπίδης λέγει. πεπλανῆσθαι γοῦν ὁ Μένανδρός μοι δοκεῖ, ἔνθα φησίν ἥλιε, σὲ γὰρ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν πρῶτον θεῶν, δι᾿ ὃν θεωρεῖν ἔστι τοὺς ἄλλους θεούς· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἥλιος ἐπιδείξει ποτ᾿ ἂν τὸν θεὸν τὸν ἀληθῆ, ὁ δὲ λόγος ὁ ὑγιής, ὅς ἐστιν ἥλιος ψυχῆς, δι᾿ οὗ μόνου ἔνδον ἀνατείλαντος ἐν τῷ βάθει τοῦ νοῦ αὐτῆς καταυγάζεται τὸ ὄμμα· ὅθεν οὐκ ἀπεικότως ὁ Δημόκριτος »τῶν λογίων ἀνθρώπων ὀλίγους« φησίν »ἀνατείναντας τὰς χεῖρας ἐνταῦθα ὃν νῦν ἠέρα καλέομεν οἱ Ἕλληνες, [πάντα] Δία μυθεῖσθαι· καὶ γὰρ πάντα οὗτος οἶδεν καὶ διδοῖ πάντα καὶ ἀφαιρεῖται, καὶ βασιλεὺς οὗτος τῶν πάντων«. ταύτῃ πῃ καὶ Πλάτων διανοούμενος τὸν θεὸν αἰνίττεται »περὶ τὸν πάντων βασιλέα πάντ᾿ ἐστί, κἀκεῖνο αἴτιον ἁπάντων τῶν καλῶν.« τίς οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν πάντων;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»τῶν, ὀλίγους«, »ἀνατείναντας, πάντων«., »περὶ, καλῶν.«). Check it against the printed edition.
"Tell me what I am to conceive God to be, Who sees all things, and is Himself unseen," Euripides says. Accordingly, Menander seems to me to have fallen into error when he said:- "O sun! for thou, first of gods, ought to be worshipped, By whom it is that we are able to see the other gods. For the sun never could show me the true God; but that healthful Word, that is the Sun of the soul, by whom alone, when He arises in the depths of the soul, the eye of the soul itself is irradiated. Whence accordingly, Democritus, not without reason, says, "that a few of the men of intellect, raising their hands upwards to what we Greeks now call the air (a0h5 r), called the whole expanse Zeus, or God: He, too, knows all things, gives and takes away, and He is King of all. Of the same sentiments is Plato, who somewhere alludes to God thus: "Around the King of all are all things, and He is the cause of all good things. Who, then, is the King of all?
What kind of God, tell me, are we to think of? “One who sees all things and is himself not seen,” says Euripides. Menander, I think, was mistaken when he said: “O Sun, you must be worshipped first of the gods, for through you we are able to see the other gods.” The sun could never show us the true God. It is the sound Word who does that, who is the sun of the soul. Only when he rises within, in the depth of the mind, is the eye of the soul lit up. So Democritus has good reason to say that “a few learned men stretched out their hands toward what we Greeks now call the air and called it Zeus. For he knows all things, he gives and takes away all things, and he is king of all.” Plato is thinking along the same lines when he hints at God: “All things are around the king of all, and he is the cause of all that is good.” Who then is the king of all?
Translator’s note. The Plato quotation is from his Second Letter (312e).
θεὸς τῆς τῶν ὄντων ἀληθείας τὸ μέτρον. ὥσπερ οὖν τῷ μέτρῳ καταληπτὰ τὰ μετρούμενα, οὑτωσὶ δὲ καὶ τῷ νοῆσαι τὸν θεὸν μετρεῖται καὶ καταλαμβάνεται ἡ ἀλήθεια. ὁ δὲ ἱερὸς ὄντως Μωυσῆς »οὐκ ἔσται«, φησίν, »ἐν τῷ μαρσίππῳ σου στάθμιον καὶ στάθμιον μέγα ἢ μικρόν, οὐδὲ ἔσται ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ σου μέτρον μέγα ἢ μικρόν, ἀλλ᾿ ἢ στάθμιον ἀληθινὸν καὶ δίκαιον ἔσται σοι,« στάθμιον καὶ μέτρον καὶ ἀριθμὸν τῶν ὅλων ὑπολαμβάνων τὸν θεόν· τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἄδικα καὶ ἄνισα εἴδωλα οἴκοι ἐν τῷ μαρσίππῳ καὶ ἐν τῇ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν ῥυπώσῃ ψυχῇ κατακέκρυπται· τὸ δὲ μόνον δίκαιον μέτρον, ὁ μόνος ὄντως θεός, ἴσος ἀεὶ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχων, μετρεῖ τε πάντα καὶ σταθμᾶται, οἱονεὶ τρυτάνῃ τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ τὴν τῶν ὅλων ἀρρεπῶς περιλαμβάνων καὶ ἀνέχων φύσιν.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»οὐκ, ἔσται«,, »ἐν, σοι,«). Check it against the printed edition.
God, who is the measure of the truth of all existence. As, then, the things that are to be measured are contained in the measure, so also the knowledge of God measures and comprehends truth. And the truly, holy Moses says: "There shall not be in thy bag a balance and a balance, great or small, but a true and just balance shall be to thee," deeming the balance and measure and number of the whole to be God. For the unjust and unrighteous idols are hid at home in the bag, and, so to speak, in the polluted soul. But the only just measure is the only true God, always just, continuing the selfsame; who measures all things, and weighs them by righteousness as in a balance, grasping and sustaining universal nature in equilibrium.
He is God, the measure of the truth of all that exists. Things that are measured are grasped by the measure. In the same way, truth is measured and grasped by understanding God. The truly holy Moses says: “There shall not be in your bag a weight and a weight, one great and one small. Nor shall there be in your house a measure great or small. You shall have only a true and just weight.” He understands God to be the weight, the measure and the number of the whole. For unjust and unequal idols are hidden at home in the bag, and, so to speak, in the filthy soul. But the only just measure, the only one who is truly God, is always equal, always the same and unchanging. He measures and weighs all things. As with a balance, he embraces and holds up the nature of the whole by his justice, without tipping either way.
Translator’s note. Deuteronomy 25:13-15, quoted closely from the Greek Old Testament, with some shortening.
Scripture: Deuteronomy 25:13-15
»ὁ μὲν δὴ θεός, ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ παλαιὸς λόγος, ἀρχήν τε καὶ τελευτὴν καὶ μέσα τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων ἔχων, εὐθεῖαν περαίνει κατὰ φύσιν περιπορευόμενος· τῷ δ᾿ ἀεὶ ξυνέπεται δίκη τῶν ἀπολειπομένων τοῦ θείου νόμου τιμωρός.« πόθεν, ὦ Πλάτων, ἀλήθειαν αἰνίττῃ; πόθεν ἡ τῶν λόγων ἄφθονος χορηγία τὴν θεοσέβειαν μαντεύεται; σοφώτερα, φησίν, τούτων βαρβάρων τὰ γένη. οἶδά σου τοὺς διδασκάλους, κἂν ἀποκρύπτειν ἐθέλῃς· γεωμετρίαν παρ᾿ Αἰγυπτίων μανθάνεις, ἀστρονομίαν παρὰ Βαβυλωνίων, ἐπῳδὰς τὰς ὑγιεῖς παρὰ Θρᾳκῶν λαμβάνεις, πολλά σε καὶ Ἀσσύριοι πεπαιδεύκασι, νόμους δὲ τοὺς ὅσοι ἀληθεῖς καὶ δόξαν τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ παρ᾿ αὐτῶν ὠφέλησαι τῶν Ἑβραίων, οἵτινες οὐκ ἀπάτῃσι κεναῖς, οὐδὲ ἔργα ἀνθρώπων χρύσεα καὶ χάλκεια καὶ ἀργύρου ἠδ᾿ ἐλέφαντος καὶ ξυλίνων λιθίνων τε βροτῶν εἴδωλα θανόντων τιμῶσιν, ὅσα πέρ τε βροτοὶ κενεόφρονι βουλῇ· ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἀείρουσι πρὸς οὐρανὸν ὠλένας ἁγνάς, ὄρθριοι ἐξ εὐνῆς, ἀεὶ χρόα ἁγνίζοντες ὕδασι, καὶ τιμῶσι μόνον τὸν ἀεὶ μεδέοντα ἀθάνατον.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ὁ, τιμωρός.«). Check it against the printed edition.
"God, therefore, as the old saying has it, occupying the beginning, the middle, and the end of all that is in being, keeps the straight course, while He makes the circuit of nature; and justice always follows Him, avenging those who violate the divine law. Whence, O Plato, is that hint of the truth which thou givest? Whence this rich copiousness of diction, which proclaims piety with oracular utterance? The tribes of the barbarians, he says, are wiser than these; I know thy teachers, even if thou wouldst conceal them. You have learned geometry from the Egyptians, astronomy from the Babylonians; the charms of healing you have got from the Thracians; the Assyrians also have taught you many things; but for the laws that are consistent with truth, and your sentiments respecting God, you are indebted to the Hebrews, "Who do not worship through vain deceits The works of men, of gold, and brass, and silver, and ivory, And images of dead men, of wood and stone, Which other men, led by their foolish inclinations, worship; But raise to heaven pure arms: When they rise from bed, purifying themselves with water, And worship alone the Eternal, who reigns for ever more.
“God, as the old saying goes, holds the beginning, the end and the middle of all things. He goes straight on his course, moving around them according to nature. Justice always follows him, avenging those who fall away from the divine law.” Where, Plato, do you get your hints of the truth? Where does your rich supply of words get its prophetic sense of true worship? “The barbarian peoples,” he says, “are wiser than these.” I know your teachers, even if you want to hide them. You learn geometry from the Egyptians and astronomy from the Babylonians. You take your healing charms from the Thracians, and the Assyrians have taught you many things. But for the laws that are true and for your thoughts about God, you are indebted to the Hebrews themselves, who “do not honor with empty deceits the works of men, in gold and bronze, in silver and ivory, or the images of dead mortals, in wood and stone, such as mortals honor in their empty-minded counsel. Instead they lift pure arms to heaven, rising early from their beds, always cleansing their skin with water, and they honor only the Immortal One who rules forever.”
Translator’s note. The closing verses come from the Sibylline Oracles (Book 3), Greek verses written in the style of a pagan prophetess. Clement does not name the source here.
Καί μοι μὴ μόνον, ὦ φιλοσοφία, ἕνα τοῦτον Πλάτωνα, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ ἄλλους παραστῆσαι σπούδασον, τὸν ἕνα ὄντως μόνον θεὸν ἀναφθεγγομένους θεὸν κατ᾿ ἐπίπνοιαν αὐτοῦ, εἴ που τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπιδράξαιντο. Ἀντισθένης μὲν γὰρ οὐ Κυνικὸν δὴ τοῦτο ἐνενόησεν, Σωκράτους δὲ ἅτε γνώριμος »θεὸν οὐδενὶ ἐοικέναι« φησίν· »διόπερ αὐτὸν οὐδεὶς ἐκμαθεῖν ἐξ εἰκόνος δύναται«. Ξενοφῶν δὲ ὁ Ἀθηναῖος διαρρήδην ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς περὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐγεγράφει τι μαρτυρῶν ὡς Σωκράτης, εἰ μὴ τὸ Σωκράτους ἐδεδίει φάρμακον· οὐδὲν δὲ ἧττον αἰνίττεται. »ὁ« γοῦν »τὰ πάντα«, φησί, »σείων καὶ ἀτρεμίζων ὡς μὲν μέγας τις καὶ δυνατός, φανερός· ὁποῖος δὲ τὴν μορφήν, ἀφανής· οὐδὲ μὴν ὁ παμφαὴς δοκῶν εἶναι ἥλιος οὐδ᾿ αὐτὸς ἔοικεν ὁρᾶν αὑτὸν ἐπιτρέπειν, ἀλλ᾿ ἤν τις ἀναιδῶς αὐτὸν θεάσηται, τὴν ὄψιν ἀφαιρεῖται.« πόθεν ἄρα ὁ τοῦ Γρύλλου σοφίζεται ἢ δηλαδὴ παρὰ τῆς προφήτιδος τῆς Ἑβραίων θεσπιζούσης ὧδέ πως;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»θεὸν, ἐοικέναι«, »διόπερ, δύναται«., »ὁ«, »τὰ). Check it against the printed edition.
And let it not be this one man alone-Plato; but, O philosophy, hasten to produce many others also, who declare the only true God to be God, through His inspiration, if in any measure they have grasped the truth. For Antisthenes did not think out this doctrine of the Cynics; but it is in virtue of his being a disciple of Socrates that he says, "that God is not like to any; wherefore no one can know Him from an image. And Xenophon the Athenian would have in his own person committed freely to writing somewhat of the truth, and given the same testimony as Socrates, had he not been afraid of the cup of poison, which Socrates had to drink. But he hints nothing less; he says: "How great and powerful He is who moves all things, and is Himself at rest, is manifest; but what He is in form is not revealed. The sun himself, intended to be the source of light to all around, does not deem it fitting to allow himself to be looked at; but if any one audaciously gazes on him, he is deprived of sight. Whence, then, does the son of Gryllus learn his wisdom?
And, philosophy, hurry to bring before me not just this one man, Plato, but many others too. Bring those who, by God’s inspiration, proclaim the one God who truly is the only God, if they have laid hold of the truth anywhere. Antisthenes did not think this up as a Cynic. It was as a follower of Socrates that he said, “God is like no one; therefore no one can learn to know him from an image.” Xenophon the Athenian would also have written openly about the truth, bearing witness as Socrates did, if he had not feared the poison that Socrates drank. Even so, he hints at it. He says: “The one who shakes all things and stills them is clearly great and powerful, but what he is like in form is unseen. Even the sun, which appears so bright, does not seem to allow itself to be seen. If anyone stares at it shamelessly, it takes away his sight.” Where, then, does the son of Gryllus get his wisdom, if not plainly from the Hebrew prophetess, who prophesies something like this?
Translator’s note. “The son of Gryllus” is Xenophon. The saying about the sun closely matches Xenophon’s Memorabilia (4.3.14). The “Hebrew prophetess” is the Sibyl, whose verses follow. Clement treats her as a prophetess of the Hebrews.
τίς γὰρ σὰρξ δύναται τὸν ἐπουράνιον καὶ ἀληθῆ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδεῖν θεὸν ἄμβροτον, ὃς πόλον οἰκεῖ; ἀλλ᾿ οὐδ᾿ ἀκτίνων κατεναντίον ἠελίοιο ἄνθρωποι στῆναι δυνατοί, θνητοὶ γεγαῶτες. Κλεάνθης δὲ ὁ Πηδασεύς, ὁ ἀπὸ τῆς Στοᾶς φιλόσοφος, οὐ θεογονίαν ποιητικήν, θεολογίαν δὲ ἀληθινὴν ἐνδείκνυται. οὐκ ἀπεκρύψατο τοῦ θεοῦ πέρι ὅτι περ εἶχεν φρονῶν· τἀγαθὸν ἐρωτᾷς μ᾿ οἷόν ἐστ᾿; ἄκουε δή· τεταγμένον, δίκαιον, ὅσιον, εὐσεβές, κρατοῦν ἑαυτοῦ, χρήσιμον, καλόν, δέον, αὐστηρόν, αὐθέκαστον, ἀεὶ συμφέρον, ἄφοβον, ἄλυπον, λυσιτελές, ἀνώδυνον, ὠφέλιμον, εὐάρεστον, ἀσφαλές, φίλον, ἔντιμον, ὁμολογούμενον * * * * * εὐκλεές, ἄτυφον, ἐπιμελές, πρᾶον, σφοδρόν, χρονιζόμενον, ἄμεμπτον, ἀεὶ διαμένον. ἀνελεύθερος πᾶς ὅστις εἰς δόξαν βλέπει, ὡς δὴ παρ᾿ ἐκείνης τευξόμενος καλοῦ τινος. ἐνταῦθα δὴ σαφῶς, οἶμαι, διδάσκει ὁποῖός ἐστιν ὁ θεός, καὶ ὡς ἡ δόξα ἡ κοινὴ καὶ ἡ συνήθεια τοὺς ἑπομένους αὐταῖν, ἀλλὰ μὴ τὸν θεὸν ἐπιζητοῦντας, ἐξανδραποδιζέσθην.
Is it not manifestly from the prophetess of the Hebrews who prophesies in the following style?- "What flesh can see with the eye the celestial, The true, the immortal God, who inhabits the vault of heaven? Nay, men born mortal cannot even stand Before the rays of the sun. Cleanthes Pisadeus, the Stoic philosopher, who exhibits not a poetic theology, but a true theology, has not concealed what sentiments he entertained respecting God:- "If you ask me what is the nature of the good, listen: That which is regular, just, holy, pious. Self-governing, useful, fair, fitting, Grave, independent, always beneficial; That feels no fear or grief; profitable, painless, Helpful, pleasant, safe, friendly; Held in esteem, agreeing with itself, honourable; Humble, careful, meek, zealous, Perennial, blameless, ever-during: Mean is every one who looks to opinion With the view of obtaining some advantage from it. Here, as I think, he clearly teaches of what nature God is; and that the common opinion and religious customs enslave those that follow them, but seek not after God.
“What flesh can see with its eyes the heavenly and true God, the immortal, who dwells in the vault of heaven? Men cannot even stand in front of the rays of the sun, since they are born mortal.” Cleanthes of Pedasa, the philosopher of the Stoa, shows not a poet’s account of the gods’ origins but a true account of God. He did not hide what he thought about God: “You ask me what the good is like? Listen: ordered, just, holy, pious, self-controlled, useful, noble, fitting, austere, frank, always beneficial, fearless, free from grief, profitable, painless, helpful, pleasing, safe, dear, honored, consistent * * * * * glorious, free from conceit, careful, gentle, vigorous, enduring, blameless, lasting always. Slavish is everyone who looks to reputation, as if he would get something good from it.” Here, I think, he clearly teaches what God is like. He also teaches that popular opinion and custom make slaves of those who follow them instead of seeking God.
Translator’s note. The same Greek word, doxa, means “reputation” in Cleanthes’ line and “opinion” in Clement’s comment, so Clement’s comment picks up the word from the quotation.
οὐκ ἀποκρυπτέον οὐδὲ τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸν Πυθαγόραν, οἵ φασιν »ὁ μὲν θεὸς εἷς, οὗτος δὲ οὐχ, ὥς τινες ὑπονοοῦσιν, ἐκτὸς τᾶς διακοσμήσιος, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν αὐτᾷ, ὅλος ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κύκλῳ, ἐπίσκοπος πάσας γενέσιος, κρᾶσις τῶν ὅλων αἰώνων καὶ ἐργάτας τῶν αὐτοῦ δυνάμιων καὶ ἔργων ἁπάντων ἐν οὐρανῷ φωστὴρ καὶ πάντων πατήρ, νοῦς καὶ ψύχωσις τῶ ὅλω κύκλω, πάντων κίνασις.« ἀπόχρη καὶ τάδε εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν θεοῦ ἐπιπνοίᾳ θεοῦ πρὸς αὐτῶν μὲν ἀναγεγραμμένα, πρὸς δὲ ἡμῶν ἐξειλεγμένα τῷ γε καὶ σμικρὸν διαθρεῖν ἀλήθειαν δυναμένῳ.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ὁ, κίνασις.«). Check it against the printed edition.
We must not either keep the Pythagoreans in the background, who say: "God is one; and He is not, as some suppose, outside of this frame of things, but within it; but, in all the entireness of His being, is in the whole circle of existence, surveying all nature, and blending in harmonious union the whole,-the author of all His own forces and works, the giver of light in heaven, and Father of all,-the mind and vital power of the whole world,-the mover of all things. For the knowledge of God, these utterances, written by those we have mentioned through the inspiration of God, and selected by us, may suffice even for the man that has but small power to examine into truth.
We must not leave out the followers of Pythagoras either. They say: “God is one. He is not, as some suppose, outside the ordered world, but in it, whole in the whole circle. He oversees all coming-to-be. He is the blending of all the ages, and the worker of his own powers and of all his works. He is the light-giver in heaven and the Father of all, the mind and the animating soul of the whole circle, and the mover of all things.” These words too are enough for knowing God, for anyone who can examine the truth even a little. They were written by these men through God’s inspiration, and we have selected them.
Chapter 7
Ἴτω δὲ ἡμῖν (οὐ γὰρ αὐταρκεῖ μόνον ἡ φιλοσοφία) ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ ποιητικὴ ἡ περὶ τὸ ψεῦδος τὰ πάντα ἠσχολημένη, μόλις ποτὲ ἤδη ἀλήθειαν μαρτυρήσουσα, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐξομολογουμένη τῷ θεῷ τὴν μυθώδη παρέκβασιν· παρίτω δὴ ὅστις καὶ βούλεται ποιητὴς πρῶτος. Ἄρατος μὲν οὖν διὰ πάντων τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ διήκειν νοεῖ, ὄφρ᾿ ἔμπεδα πάντα φύωνται, τῷ μιν ἀεὶ πρῶτόν τε καὶ ὕστατον ἱλάσκονται· χαῖρε, πάτερ, μέγα θαῦμα, μέγ᾿ ἀνθρώποισιν ὄνειαρ. ταύτῃ τοι καὶ ὁ Ἀσκραῖος αἰνίττεται Ἡσίοδος τὸν θεόν· αὐτὸς γὰρ πάντων βασιλεὺς καὶ κοίρανός ἐστιν, ἀθανάτων τέο δ᾿ οὔτις ἐρήρισται κράτος ἄλλος. ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς σκηνῆς παραγυμνοῦσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν· ὃ μὲν καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰθέρα καὶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβλέψας »τόνδε ἡγοῦ θεόν,« φησίν, Εὐριπίδης· ὁ δὲ τοῦ Σοφίλλου Σοφοκλῆς, εἷς ταῖς ἀληθείαισιν, εἷς ἐστὶν θεός, ὃς οὐρανόν τ᾿ ἔτευξε καὶ γαῖαν μακρὴν πόντου τε χαροπὸν οἶδμα καὶ ἀνέμων βίας· θνητοὶ δὲ πολλοὶ καρδίᾳ πλανώμενοι ἱδρυσάμεσθα πημάτων παραψυχὴν θεῶν ἀγάλματ᾿ ἐκ λίθων, ἢ χαλκέων ἢ χρυσοτεύκτων ἢ ἐλεφαντίνων τύπους· θυσίας τε τούτοις καὶ κενὰς πανηγύρεις νέμοντες, οὕτως εὐσεβεῖν νομίζομεν.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»τόνδε, θεόν,«). Check it against the printed edition.
The Poets Also Bear Testimony to the Truth.Let poetry also approach to us (for philosophy alone will not suffice): poetry which is wholly occupied with falsehood-which scarcely will make confession of the truth, but will rather own to God its deviations into fable. Let whoever of those poets chooses advance first. Aratus considers that the power of God pervades all things:- "That all may be secure, Him ever they propitiate first and last, Hail, Father I great marvel, great gain to man. Thus also the Ascraean Hesiod dimly speaks of God:- "For He is the King of all, and monarch Of the immortals; and there is none that may vie with Him in power. Also on the stage they reveal the truth:- "Look on the ether and heaven, and regard that as God," says Euripides. And Sophocles, the son of Sophilus, says:- "One, in truth, one is God, Who made both heaven and the far-stretching earth, And ocean's blue wave, and the mighty winds; But many of us mortals, deceived in heart, Have set up for ourselves, as a consolation in our afflictions, Images of the gods of stone, or wood, or brass, Or gold, or ivory; And, appointing to those sacrifices and vain festal assemblages, Are accustomed thus to practise religion.
Let poetry also come forward for us, since philosophy alone is not enough. Poetry is wholly taken up with falsehood. Yet now at last, with difficulty, it will bear witness to the truth, or rather, it will confess to God how it strayed into myth. Let whichever poet likes come forward first. Aratus thinks that God’s power runs through all things: “so that all things may grow firmly established; therefore they appease him always, first and last. Hail, Father, great wonder, great benefit to men.” In the same way Hesiod of Ascra hints at God: “For he himself is king and lord of all, and no other among the immortals has contended with him in strength.” On the stage too they uncover the truth. One of them looks up to the upper air and the heaven and says, “Take this to be God.” This is Euripides. Then Sophocles, son of Sophillus, says: “In truth there is one God, only one, who made heaven and the wide earth, the bright swell of the sea and the force of the winds. But many of us mortals, wandering in heart, have set up images of the gods, made of stone, or of bronze, or of gold, or of ivory, as a comfort in our troubles. We give them sacrifices and empty festivals, and so we think we are worshipping rightly.”
Translator’s note. Most scholars think these “Sophocles” lines are not genuine, and that a later writer, probably a Jewish one, composed them.
οὑτοσὶ μὲν ἤδη καὶ παρακεκινδυνευμένως ἐπὶ τῆς σκηνῆς τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῖς θεαταῖς παρεισήγαγεν. ὁ δὲ Θρᾴκιος ἱεροφάντης καὶ ποιητὴς ἅμα, ὁ τοῦ Οἰάγρου Ὀρφεύς, μετὰ τὴν τῶν ὀργίων ἱεροφαντίαν καὶ τῶν εἰδώλων τὴν θεολογίαν, παλινῳδίαν ἀληθείας εἰσάγει, τὸν ἱερὸν ὄντως ὀψέ ποτε, ὅμως δ᾿ οὖν ᾄδων λόγον· φθέγξομαι οἷς θέμις ἐστί· θύρας δ᾿ ἐπίθεσθε βέβηλοι πάντες ὁμῶς· σὺ δ᾿ ἄκουε, φαεσφόρου ἔκγονε Μήνης, Μουσαῖε, ἐξερέω γὰρ ἀληθέα, μηδέ σε τὰ πρὶν ἐν στήθεσσι φανέντα φίλης αἰῶνος ἀμέρσῃ. εἰς δὲ λόγον θεῖον βλέψας τούτῳ προσέδρευε, ἰθύνων κραδίης νοερὸν κύτος· εὖ δ᾿ ἐπίβαινε ἀτραπιτοῦ, μοῦνον δ᾿ ἐσόρα κόσμοιο ἄνακτα ἀθάνατον. εἶτα ὑποβὰς διαρρήδην ἐπιφέρει· εἷς ἔστ᾿ , αὐτογενής, ἑνὸς ἔκγονα πάντα τέτυκται· ἐν δ᾿ αὐτοῖς αὐτὸς περινίσσεται, οὐδέ τις αὐτὸν εἰσοράᾳ θνητῶν, αὐτὸς δέ γε πάντας ὁρᾶται.
In this venturous manner has he on the stage brought truth before the spectators. But the Thracian Orpheus, the son of Oeagrus, hierophant and poet at once, after his exposition of the orgies, and his theology of idols, introduces a palinode of truth with true solemnity, though tardily singing the strain:- "I shall utter to whom it is lawful; but let the doors be closed, Nevertheless, against all the profane. But do thou hear, O Musaeus, offspring of the light-bringing moon, For I will declare what is true. And let not these things Which once appeared in your breast rob you of dear life; But looking to the divine word, apply yourself to it, Keeping right the seat of intellect and feeling; and walk well In the straight path, and to the immortal King of the universe alone Direct your gaze. Then proceeding, he clearly adds:- "He is one, self-proceeding; and from Him alone all things proceed, And in them He Himself exerts his activity: no mortal Beholds Him, but He beholds all.
This poet, then, even at some risk, brought the truth before the audience on the stage. But the Thracian Orpheus, son of Oeagrus, was both priest of the mysteries and poet. After teaching the secret rites and the theology of idols, he brings in a retraction of his own, a “palinode” of the truth. Late though it was, he still sang a truly sacred word: “I will speak to those for whom it is right. Shut the doors, all you uninitiated alike. But you, Musaeus, offspring of the light-bringing Moon, listen, for I will tell what is true. Do not let what appeared to you before in your heart rob you of the life you love. Look to the divine Word and keep close to it, keeping your heart, the vessel of understanding, on a straight course. Walk well on the path, and look only to the immortal Lord of the world.” Then he goes on and says plainly: “He is one, self-begotten, and all things are made as the offspring of the One. Among them he himself moves, and no mortal sees him, but he himself sees all.”
Translator’s note. These verses come from a poem known as the “Testament of Orpheus.” Most scholars think a Jewish author wrote it, not the legendary Orpheus.
οὕτως μὲν δὴ Ὀρφεύς· χρόνῳ γέ ποτε συνῆκεν πεπλανημένος. ἀλλὰ σὺ μὴ μέλλων, βροτὲ ποικιλόμητι, βράδυνε, ἀλλὰ παλίμπλαγκτος στρέψας θεὸν ἱλάσκοιο. εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα ἐναύσματά τινα τοῦ λόγου τοῦ θείου λαβόντες Ἕλληνες ὀλίγα ἄττα τῆς ἀληθείας ἐφθέγξαντο, προσμαρτυροῦσι μὲν τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῆς οὐκ ἀποκεκρυμμένην, σφᾶς δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐλέγχουσιν ἀσθενεῖς, οὐκ ἐφικόμενοι τοῦ τέλους. ἤδη γὰρ οἶμαι παντί τῳ δῆλον γεγονέναι ὡς τῶν χωρὶς τοῦ λόγου τῆς ἀληθείας ἐνεργούντων τι ἢ καὶ φθεγγομένων ὁμοίων ὄντων τοῖς χωρὶς βάσεως βαδίζειν βιαζομένοις. δυσωπούντων δέ σε εἰς σωτηρίαν καὶ οἱ περὶ τοὺς θεοὺς ὑμῶν ἔλεγχοι, οὓς διὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐκβιαζόμενοι κωμῳδοῦσι ποιηταί. Μένανδρος γοῦν ὁ κωμικὸς ἐν Ἡνιόχῳ [ἐν Ὑποβολιμαίῳ] τῷ δράματι οὐδείς μ᾿ ἀρέσκει (φησὶ) περιπατῶν ἔξω θεὸς μετὰ γραός, οὐδ᾿ εἰς οἰκίας παρεισιὼν ἐπὶ τοῦ σανιδίου μητραγύρτης· τοιοῦτοι γὰρ οἱ μητραγύρται.
Thus far Orpheus at last understood that he had been in error:- "But linger no longer, O man, endued with varied wisdom; But turn and retrace your steps, and propitiate God. For if, at the most, the Greeks, having received certain scintillations of the divine word, have given forth some utterances of truth, they bear indeed witness that the force of truth is not hidden, and at the same time expose their own weakness in not having arrived at the end. For I think it has now become evident to all, that those who do or speak aught without the word of truth are like people compelled to walk without feet. Let the strictures on your gods, which the poets, impelled by the force of truth, introduce in their comedies, shame you into salvation. Menander, for instance, the comic poet in his drama of the Charioteer, says:- "No God pleases me that goes about With an old woman, and enters houses Carrying a trencher. For such are the begging priests of Cybele.
So spoke Orpheus. In time, after wandering, he came to understand. But you, mortal of many devices, do not delay. Turn back from your wandering and seek God’s favor. For even if the Greeks did catch some sparks of the divine Word and spoke a few things of the truth, this only shows two things. It bears witness that the power of the truth is not hidden. It also proves their own weakness, because they did not reach the goal. For I think it is now clear to everyone that those who act or speak apart from the Word of truth are like people trying to walk without feet. Let the exposures of your gods also shame you into salvation. The poets, forced by the truth, put these exposures into their comedies. The comic poet Menander, for example, says in his play The Charioteer (some editors read The Changeling): “No god pleases me who walks about outdoors with an old woman, nor one who slips into houses on a little board, a begging priest of the Mother.” For that is what the begging priests of the Mother are like.
Translator’s note. Menander is mocking the wandering begging priests of Cybele, the “Mother of the gods”; the exact sense of “on a little board” is uncertain.
ὅθεν εἰκότως ὁ Ἀντισθένης ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς μεταιτοῦσιν· »οὐ τρέφω τὴν μητέρα τῶν θεῶν, ἣν οἱ θεοὶ τρέφουσιν«. πάλιν δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς κωμῳδιοποιὸς ἐν Ἱερείᾳ τῷ δράματι χαλεπαίνων πρὸς τὴν συνήθειαν διελέγχειν πειρᾶται τὸν ἄθεον τῆς πλάνης τῦφον, ἐπιφθεγγόμενος ἐμφρόνως εἰ γὰρ ἕλκει τὸν θεὸν τοῖς κυμβάλοις ἄνθρωπος εἰς ὃ βούλεται, ὁ τοῦτο ποιῶν ἐστι μείζων τοῦ θεοῦ· ἀλλ᾿ ἔστι τόλμης καὶ βίας ταῦτ᾿ ὄργανα εὑρημένα ἀνθρώποισιν. καὶ οὐχὶ μόνος ὁ Μένανδρος, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ὅμηρος καὶ Εὐριπίδης καὶ ἄλλοι συχνοὶ ποιηταὶ διελέγχουσιν ὑμῶν τοὺς θεοὺς καὶ λοιδορεῖσθαι οὐ δεδίασιν οὐδὲ καθ᾿ ὁπόσον αὐτοῖς. αὐτίκα τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν »κυνάμυιαν« καὶ τὸν Ἥφαιστον »ἀμφιγύην« καλοῦσιν, τῇ δὲ Ἀφροδίτῃ ἡ Ἑλένη φησὶ μηκέτι σοῖσι πόδεσσιν ὑποστρέψειας Ὄλυμπον.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»οὐ, τρέφουσιν«., »κυνάμυιαν«, »ἀμφιγύην«). Check it against the printed edition.
Hence Antisthenes replies appropriately to their request for alms:- "I do not maintain the mother of the gods, For the gods maintain her. Again, the same writer of comedy, expressing his dissatisfaction with the common usages, tries to expose the impious arrogance of the prevailing error in the drama of the Priestess, sagely declaring:- "If a man drags the Deity Whither he will by the sound of cymbals, He that does this is greater than the Deity; But these are the instruments of audacity and means of living Invented by men. And not only Menander, but Homer also, and Euripides, and other poets in great numbers, expose your gods, and are wont to rate them, and that soundly too. For instance, they call Aphrodité dog-fly, and Hephaestus a cripple. Helen says to Aphrodité:- "Thy godship abdicate! Renounce Olympus!
So Antisthenes rightly said to them when they begged: “I do not feed the Mother of the gods; the gods feed her.” Again, the same comic writer, in his play The Priestess, is angry at the common practice. He tries to expose the godless pride of this error and wisely says: “If a man drags the god wherever he wants with cymbals, then the man who does this is greater than the god. But these are tools of audacity and force, invented by men.” Menander is not the only one. Homer and Euripides and many other poets also expose your gods, and they are not afraid to abuse them as freely as they like. For example, they call Athena “dog-fly” and Hephaestus “lame in both legs.” And Helen says to Aphrodite: “May your feet never carry you back to Olympus.”
Translator’s note. The phrase “as freely as they like” renders a short and obscure Greek expression.
ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Διονύσου· ἀναφανδὸν Ὅμηρος γράφει ὅς ποτε μαινομένοιο Διωνύσοιο τιθήνας σεῦε κατ᾿ ἠγάθεον Νυσήιον· αἳ δ᾿ ἅμα πᾶσαι θύσθλα χαμαὶ κατέχευαν ὑπ᾿ ἀνδροφόνοιο Λυκούργου. ἄξιος ὡς ἀληθῶς Σωκρατικῆς διατριβῆς ὁ Εὐριπίδης εἰς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀπιδὼν καὶ τοὺς θεατὰς ὑπεριδών, ποτὲ μὲν τὸν Ἀπόλλωνα, ὃς μεσομφάλους ἕδρας ναίει βροτοῖσι στόμα νέμων σαφέστατα, διελέγχων, κείνῳ πιθόμενος τὴν τεκοῦσαν ἔκτανον, ἐκεῖνον ἡγεῖσθ᾿ ἀνόσιον καὶ κτείνετε· ἐκεῖνος ἥμαρτ᾿, οὐκ ἐγώ, ἀμαθέστερος ὢν τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ τῆς δίκης, τοτὲ δ᾿ ἐμμανῆ εἰσάγων Ἡρακλέα καὶ μεθύοντα ἀλλαχόθι καὶ ἄπληστον· πῶς γὰρ οὐχί; ὃς ἑστιώμενος τοῖς κρέασι χλωρὰ σῦκα ἐπήσθιεν ἄμουσα ὑλακτῶν ὥστε βαρβάρῳ μαθεῖν. ἤδη δὲ ἐν Ἴωνι τῷ δράματι γυμνῇ τῇ κεφαλῇ ἐκκυκλεῖ τῷ θεάτρῳ τοὺς θεούς· πῶς οὖν δίκαιον τοὺς νόμους ὑμᾶς βροτοῖς γράψαντας αὐτοὺς ἀδικίας ὀφλισκάνειν; εἰ δ᾿, οὐ γὰρ ἔσται, τῷ λόγῳ δὲ χρήσομαι, δίκας βιαίων δώσετ᾿ ἀνθρώποις γάμων, σὺ καὶ Ποσειδῶν Ζεύς θ᾿, ὃς οὐρανοῦ κρατεῖ, ναοὺς τίνοντες ἀδικίας κενώσετε.
And of Dionysus, Homer writes without reserve:- "He, mid their frantic orgies, in the groves Of lovely Nyssa, put to shameful rout The youthful Bacchus' nurses; they in fear, Dropped each her thyrsus, scattered by the hand Of fierce Lycurgus, with an ox-goad armed. Worthy truly of the Socratic school is Euripides, who fixes his eye on truth, and despises the spectators of his plays. On one occasion, Apollo, "Who inhabits the sanctuary that is in the middle of the earth, Dispensing most certain oracles to mortals," is thus exposed:- "It was in obedience to him that I killed her who brought me forth; Him do you regard as stained with guilt-put him to death; It was he that sinned, not I, uninstructed as I was In right and justice. He introduces Heracles, at one time mad, at another drunk and gluttonous. How should he not so represent the god who, when entertained as a guest, ate green figs to flesh, uttering discordant howls, that even his barbarian host remarked it? In his drama of Ion, too, he barefacedly brings the gods on the stage:- "How, then, is it right for you, who have given laws to mortals, To be yourselves guilty of wrong? And if-what will never take place, yet I will state the supposition- You will give satisfaction to men for your adulteries, You, Poseidon, and you, Zeus, the ruler of heaven,- You will, in order to make recompense for your misdeeds, Have to empty your temples."
Of Dionysus, Homer writes openly: “He [Lycurgus] once chased the nurses of raving Dionysus over holy Nysa. All of them together threw their sacred implements on the ground, under the attack of man-slaying Lycurgus.” Euripides is truly worthy of the Socratic school. He keeps his eye on the truth and takes no notice of his audience. At one point he exposes Apollo, “who dwells on his seat at the earth’s center, giving mortals his most certain oracles.” Orestes says: “I obeyed him and killed my mother. Think of him as the unholy one and put him to death. He sinned, not I.” For Apollo is the one more ignorant of what is good and just. At another point Euripides brings on Heracles raving mad, and elsewhere drunk and greedy. And why not? This was the Heracles who, when feasted on meat, ate green figs on top of it, howling so tunelessly that even a barbarian would notice. Then in his play Ion he brazenly wheels the gods out onto the stage: “How is it just that you, who wrote the laws for mortals, are yourselves guilty of wrongdoing? Suppose (though it never will happen, I will make the argument) you pay men the penalty for the women you took by force, you, Poseidon, and Zeus, who rules the sky. Then in paying for your wrongs you will empty your temples.”
Translator’s note. “Brazenly” renders a Greek idiom that literally means “with bare head,” that is, openly and without shame. The Greek speaks literally of “violent marriages,” unions forced on women.
Chapter 8
Ὥρα τοίνυν τῶν ἄλλων ἡμῖν τῇ τάξει προδιηνυσμένων ἐπὶ τὰς προφητικὰς ἰέναι γραφάς· καὶ γὰρ οἱ χρησμοὶ τὰς εἰς τὴν θεοσέβειαν ἡμῖν ἀφορμὰς ἐναργέστατα προτείνοντες θεμελιοῦσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν· γραφαὶ δὲ αἱ θεῖαι , εἰ καὶ πολιτεῖαι σώφρονες σύντομοι σωτηρίας ὁδοί, γυμναὶ κομμωτικῆς καὶ τῆς ἐκτὸς καλλιφωνίας καὶ στωμυλίας καὶ κολακείας ὑπάρχουσαι ἀνιστῶσιν ἀγχόμενον ὑπὸ κακίας τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ὑπεριδοῦσαι τὸν ὄλισθον τὸν βιωτικόν, μιᾷ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ φωνῇ πολλὰ θεραπεύουσαι, ἀποτρέπουσαι μὲν ἡμᾶς τῆς ἐπιζημίου ἀπάτης, προτρέπουσαι δὲ ἐμφανῶς εἰς προὖπτον σωτηρίαν. αὐτίκα γοῦν ἡ προφῆτις ἡμῖν ᾀσάτω πρώτη Σίβυλλα τὸ ᾳσμα τὸ σωτήριον· οὗτος ἰδοὺ πάντεσσι σαφὴς ἀπλάνητος ὑπάρχει· ἔλθετε, μὴ σκοτίην δὲ διώκετε καὶ ζόφον αἰεί. ἠελίου γλυκυδερκές, ἰδού, φάος ἔξοχα λάμπει.
The True Doctrine is to Be Sought in the Prophets.It is now time, as we have despatched in order the other points, to go to the prophetic Scriptures; for the oracles present us with the appliances necessary for the attainment of piety, and so establish the truth. The divine Scriptures and institutions of wisdom form the short road to salvation. Devoid of embellishment, of outward beauty of diction, of wordiness and seductiveness, they raise up humanity strangled by wickedness, teaching men to despise the casualties of life; and with one and the same voice remedying many evils, they at once dissuade us from pernicious deceit, and clearly exhort us to the attainment of the salvation set before us. Let the Sibyl prophetess, then, be the first to sing to us the song of salvation:- "So He is all sure and unerring: Come, follow no longer darkness and gloom; See, the sun's sweet-glancing light shines gloriously.
Now that we have finished the other matters in order, it is time to turn to the writings of the prophets. Their oracles set out most clearly the starting points for true devotion to God, and so they lay the foundation of the truth. The divine Scriptures, together with a disciplined way of life, are short roads to salvation. They have no cosmetics, no outward fine speech, no glibness, no flattery. They raise up a person who is being strangled by evil, and they look down on the slippery footing of this life. With one and the same voice they heal many ills. They turn us away from ruinous deceit, and they plainly urge us toward a salvation that lies open before us. So let the prophetess, the Sibyl, be the first to sing us the song of salvation: “Look, he is plain to all and free from error. Come, do not keep chasing darkness and gloom. See, the sweet-shining light of the sun gleams brilliantly.”
Translator’s note. Clement quotes from the Sibylline Oracles. These Greek verses were written in the name of the ancient pagan prophetess, the Sibyl, but much of the collection was produced by Jews and Christians. Clement treats them as genuine prophecy. They are not part of Scripture.
γνῶτε δὲ κατθέμενοι σοφίην ἐν στήθεσιν ὑμῶν. εἷς θεός ἐστι, βροχάς, ἀνέμους, σεισμούς τ᾿ ἐπιπέμπων, ἀστεροπάς, λιμούς, λοιμοὺς καὶ κήδεα λυγρὰ καὶ νιφετούς, κρύσταλλα, τί δὴ καθ᾿ ἓν ἐξαγορεύω; οὐρανοῦ ἡγεῖται, γαίης κρατεῖ, αὐτὸς ὑπάρχει· ἐνθέως σφόδρα τὴν μὲν ἀπάτην ἀπεικάζουσα τῷ σκότει, τὴν δὲ γνῶσιν ἡλίῳ καὶ φωτὶ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἄμφω δὲ παραθεμένη τῇ συγκρίσει, τὴν ἐκλογὴν διδάσκει· τὸ γὰρ ψεῦδος οὐ ψιλῇ τῇ παραθέσει τἀληθοῦς διασκεδάννυται, τῇ δὲ χρήσει τῆς ἀληθείας ἐκβιαζόμενον φυγαδεύεται. Ἱερεμίας δὲ ὁ προφήτης ὁ πάνσοφος, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐν Ἱερεμίᾳ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ἐπιδείκνυσι τὸν θεόν. »θεὸς ἐγγίζων ἐγώ εἰμι«, φησί, »καὶ οὐχὶ θεὸς πόρρωθεν. εἰ ποιήσει τι ἄνθρωπος ἐν κρυφαίοις, καὶ ἐγὼ οὐκ ὄψομαι αὐτόν;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»θεὸς, εἰμι«,, »καὶ). Check it against the printed edition.
Know, and lay up wisdom in your hearts: There is one God, who sends rains, and winds, and earthquakes, Thunderbolts, famines, plagues, and dismal sorrows, And snows and ice. But why detail particulars? He reigns over heaven, He rules earth, He truly is; " -where, in remarkable accordance with inspiration she compares delusion to darkness, and the knowledge of God to the sun and light, and subjecting both to comparison, shows the choice we ought to make. For falsehood is not dissipated by the bare presentation of the truth, but by the practical improvement of the truth it is ejected and put to flight. Jeremiah the prophet, gifted with consummate wisdom, or rather the Holy Spirit in Jeremiah, exhibits God. "Am I a God at hand," he says, "and not a God afar off? Shall a man do ought in secret, and I not see him?
“But know it, and store up wisdom in your hearts. There is one God, who sends rains, winds, earthquakes, lightnings, famines, plagues, grievous sorrows, snows and ice. But why do I list them one by one? He rules heaven, he governs the earth, he himself truly exists.” In this she speaks with real inspiration. She likens deceit to darkness and the knowledge of God to the sun and its light. By setting the two side by side she teaches us to choose. For falsehood is not scattered by merely placing the truth next to it. It is driven out and put to flight when the truth is put to use. The prophet Jeremiah is full of wisdom, or rather the Holy Spirit in Jeremiah shows us God. He says: “I am a God who is near, and not a God far off. If a man does something in secret, will I not see him?
Translator’s note. Clement quotes Jeremiah 23:23–24 as a statement, following the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint); the Hebrew text, followed by most English Bibles, has a question: “Am I a God at hand, and not a God afar off?”
Scripture: Jeremiah 23:23-24
οὐχὶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐγὼ πληρῶ; λέγει κύριος.« πάλιν δὲ αὖ διὰ Ἡσαΐου »τίς μετρήσει«, φησί, »τὸν οὐρανὸν σπιθαμῇ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν δρακί;« ὅρα τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ καταπλάγηθι. τοῦτον προσκυνήσωμεν, ἐφ᾿ οὗ φησιν ὁ προφήτης »ἀπὸ προσώπου σου ὄρη τακήσονται, ὡς ἀπὸ προσώπου πυρὸς τήκεται κηρός.« οὗτος, φησίν, ἐστὶν ὁ θεός, »οὗ θρόνος μέν ἐστιν ὁ οὐρανός, ὑποπόδιον δὲ ἡ γῆ«, »ὃς ἐὰν ἀνοίξῃ τὸν οὐρανόν, τρόμος σε λήψεται.« βούλει καὶ περὶ τῶν εἰδώλων ἀκοῦσαι τί φησὶν ὁ προφήτης οὗτος; »παραδειγματισθήσονται ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ ἡλίου καὶ ἔσται τὰ θνησιμαῖα αὐτῶν βρώματα τοῖς πετεινοῖς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τοῖς θηρίοις τῆς γῆς, καὶ σαπήσεται ὑπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου καὶ τῆς σελήνης, ἃ αὐτοὶ ἠγάπησαν καὶ οἷς αὐτοὶ ἐδούλευσαν, καὶ ἐμπρησθήσεται ἡ πόλις αὐτῶν.« φθαρήσεσθαι δὲ καὶ τὰ στοιχεῖα καὶ τὸν κόσμον σὺν καὶ αὐτοῖς λέγει· »ἡ γῆ«, φησί, »παλαιωθήσεται καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς παρελεύσεται«, »τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα κυρίου μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.« τί δὲ ὅταν πάλιν ἑαυτὸν δεικνύναι ὁ θεὸς βουληθῇ διὰ Μωυσέως;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (κύριος.«, »τίς, μετρήσει«,, »τὸν, δρακί;«, »ἀπὸ). Check it against the printed edition.
Do I not fill heaven and earth? Saith the Lord. And again by Isaiah, "Who shall measure heaven with a span, and the whole earth with his hand? " Behold God's greatness, and be filled with amazement. Let us worship Him of whom the prophet says, "Before Thy face the hills shall melt, as wax melteth before the fire! This, says he, is the God "whose throne is heaven, and His footstool the earth; and if He open heaven, quaking will seize thee. Will you hear, too, what this prophet says of idols? "And they shall be made a spectacle of in the face of the sun, and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven and the wild beasts of the earth; and they shall putrefy before the sun and the moon, which they have loved and served; and their city shall be burned down. He says, too, that the elements and the world shall be destroyed. "The earth," he says, "shall grow old, and the heaven shall pass away; but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. What, then, when again God wishes to show Himself by Moses: "Behold ye, behold ye, that I Am, and there is no other God beside Me.
Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? says the Lord.” Again, through Isaiah, he says: “Who will measure the heaven with a span and the whole earth with a handful?” See God’s greatness and be amazed. Let us worship him of whom the prophet says: “Before your face mountains will melt, as wax melts before the face of fire.” This, he says, is the God “whose throne is heaven and whose footstool is the earth,” and “if he opens the heaven, trembling will seize you.” Do you want to hear what this prophet says about idols too? “They will be made an example before the sun. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of heaven and the wild animals of the earth. They will rot under the sun and the moon, which they loved and served, and their city will be burned.” He says that the elements and the world will be destroyed along with them: “The earth will grow old and the heaven will pass away, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And what of the time when God again wants to show himself through Moses?
Translator’s note. The quotations are from Jeremiah 23:24, Isaiah 40:12, Isaiah 64:1–2 (Greek Old Testament; the source of both the melting mountains and the opened heaven), and Isaiah 66:1. The passage on idols loosely combines Jeremiah 7:33 and 8:2. The last quotations are from Isaiah 51:6 and 40:8.
Scripture: Isaiah 40:12; Isaiah 64:1-2; Isaiah 66:1; Isaiah 40:8
»ἴδετε ἴδετε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι καὶ οὐκ ἔστι θεὸς ἕτερος πλὴν ἐμοῦ. ἐγὼ ἀποκτενῶ καὶ ζῆν ποιήσω· πατάξω κἀγὼ ἰάσομαι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὃς ἐξελεῖται ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν μου.« ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέρου ἐπακοῦσαι θέλεις χρησμῳδοῦ; ἔχεις τὸν χορὸν πάντα τὸν προφητικόν, τοὺς συνθιασώτας τοῦ Μωυσέως. τί φησὶν αὐτοῖς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διὰ Ὠσηέ; οὐκ ὀκνήσω λέγειν »ἰδού, ἐγὼ στερεῶν βροντὴν καὶ κτίζων πνεῦμα«, οὗ αἱ χεῖρες τὴν στρατιὰν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐθεμελίωσαν. ἔτι δὲ καὶ διὰ Ἡσαΐου (καὶ ταύτην ἀπομνημονεύσω σοι τὴν φωνήν) »ἐγώ εἰμι, ἐγώ εἰμι«, φησίν, »ὁ κύριος ὁ λαλῶν δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἀναγγέλλων ἀλήθειαν· συνάχθητε καὶ ἥκετε· βουλεύσασθε ἅμα, οἱ σῳζόμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν. οὐκ ἔγνωσαν οἱ αἴροντες τὸ ξύλον γλύμμα αὐτῶν, καὶ προσευχόμενοι θεοῖς οἳ οὐ σώσουσιν αὐτούς.« εἶθ᾿ ὑποβάς »ἐγώ,« φησίν, »ὁ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι πλὴν ἐμοῦ δίκαιος, καὶ σωτὴρ οὐκ ἔστι πάρεξ ἐμοῦ· ἐπιστράφητε πρός με καὶ σωθήσεσθε οἱ ἀπ᾿ ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἴδετε, μου.«, »ἰδού,, πνεῦμα«,, »ἐγώ, εἰμι«,). Check it against the printed edition.
I will kill, and I will make to live; I will strike, and I will heal; and there is none who shall deliver out of My hands. But do you wish to hear another seer? You have the whole prophetic choir, the associates of Moses. What the Holy Spirit says by Hosea, I will not shrink from quoting: "Lo, I am He that appointeth the thunder, and createth spirit; and His hands have established the host of heaven. And once more by Isaiah. And this utterance I will repeat: "I am," he says, "I am the Lord; I who speak righteousness, announce truth. Gather yourselves together, and come. Take counsel together, ye that are saved from the nations. They have not known, they who set up the block of wood, their carved work, and pray to gods who will not save them. Then proceeding: "I am God, and there is not beside Me a just God, and a Saviour: there is none except Me. Turn to Me, and ye will be saved, ye that are from the end of the earth.
“Look, look! I am, and there is no other god besides me. I will kill and I will make alive; I will strike and I will heal, and there is no one who can rescue from my hands.” But do you want to hear another prophet speaking God’s oracles? You have the whole prophetic chorus, the companions of Moses. What does the Holy Spirit say to them through Hosea? I will not hesitate to say it: “Look, I am the one who makes the thunder strong and creates the wind (spirit).” His hands laid the foundations of the host of heaven. Again, through Isaiah (I will recall this saying for you as well): “I am, I am the Lord, who speaks righteousness and announces truth. Gather together and come. Take counsel together, you who have escaped from the nations. They did not know, those who carry their wooden carved image and pray to gods who will not save them.” Then, going on, he says: “I am God, and there is no righteous one except me, and there is no savior besides me. Turn to me and you will be saved, you from the ends of the earth.
Translator’s note. The first quotation is Deuteronomy 32:39. The “thunder” quotation matches Amos 4:13 in the Greek Old Testament, though Clement names Hosea. The Isaiah quotations are from Isaiah 45:19–22.
Scripture: Deuteronomy 32:39; Amos 4:13; Isaiah 45:19-20; Isaiah 45:21-22
ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεὸς καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλος· κατ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ ὀμνύω.« τοῖς δὲ εἰδωλολάτραις δυσχεραίνει λέγων »τίνι ὡμοιώσατε κύριον; ἢ τίνι ὁμοιώματι ὡμοιώσατε αὐτόν; μὴ εἰκόνα ἐποίησεν τέκτων, ἢ χρυσοχόος χωνεύσας χρυσίον περιεχρύσωσεν αὐτόν;« καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις. μὴ οὖν ἔτι ὑμεῖς εἰδωλολάτραι; ἀλλὰ κἂν νῦν φυλάξασθε τὰς ἀπειλάς· ὀλολύξει γὰρ τὰ γλυπτὰ καὶ τὰ χειροποίητα, μᾶλλον δὲ οἱ ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς πεποιθότες, ἀναίσθητος γὰρ ἡ ὕλη. ἔτι φησίν· »ὁ κύριος σείσει πόλεις κατοικουμένας καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην ὅλην καταλήψεται τῇ χειρὶ ὡς νοσσιάν.« τί σοι σοφίας ἀναγγέλλω μυστήρια καὶ ῥήσεις ἐκ παιδὸς Ἑβραίου σεσοφισμένου; »κύριος ἔκτισέν με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ,« καὶ »κύριος δίδωσι σοφίαν καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ γνῶσις καὶ σύνεσις.« »ἕως πότε, ὀκνηρέ, κατάκεισαι;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (ὀμνύω.«, »τίνι, αὐτόν;«, »ὁ, νοσσιάν.«, »κύριος). Check it against the printed edition.
I am God, and there is no other; by Myself I swear. But against the worshippers of idols he is exasperated, saying, "To whom will ye liken the Lord, or to what likeness will ye compare Him? Has not the artificer made the image, or the goldsmith melted the gold and plated it with gold? " -and so on. Be not therefore idolaters, but even now beware of the threatenings; "for the graven images and the works of men's hands shall wail, or rather they that trust in them," for matter is devoid of sensation. Once more he says, "The Lord will shake the cities that are inhabited, and grasp the world in His hand like a nest. Why repeat to you the mysteries of wisdom, and sayings from the writings of the son of the Hebrews, the master of wisdom? "The Lord created me the beginning of His ways, in order to His works. And, "The Lord giveth wisdom, and from His face proceed knowledge and understanding. "How long wilt thou lie in bed, O sluggard; and when wilt thou be aroused from sleep?
I am God, and there is no other. I swear by myself.” He is angry with idol worshippers and says: “To whom have you likened the Lord? Or what likeness have you compared him to? Did a craftsman make an image, or did a goldsmith melt gold and plate him with gold?” And so on. Surely you are not still idol worshippers? At least now beware of the threats. The carved and handmade things will wail, or rather those who trust in them will, for matter has no feeling. He says further: “The Lord will shake inhabited cities and will seize the whole inhabited world in his hand like a nest.” Why should I tell you the mysteries of wisdom and the sayings of a Hebrew child who was made wise? “The Lord created me as the beginning of his ways, for his works.” And: “The Lord gives wisdom, and from his face come knowledge and understanding.” “How long, lazy one, will you lie there?
Translator’s note. The quotations are from Isaiah 45:22–23, Isaiah 40:18–19, Isaiah 10:10 and 10:13–14, Proverbs 8:22, Proverbs 2:6 and Proverbs 6:9. The “Hebrew child” is apparently Solomon, since the sayings come from Proverbs, but Clement does not name him here.
Scripture: Isaiah 45:22-23; Isaiah 40:18-19; Proverbs 8:22; Proverbs 2:6
πότε δὲ ἐξ ὕπνου ἐγερθήσῃ; ἐὰν δὲ ἄοκνος ᾖς, ἥξει σοι ὥσπερ πηγὴ ὁ ἄμητός σου,« ὁ λόγος ὁ πατρικός, ὁ ἀγαθὸς λύχνος, ὁ κύριος ἐπάγων τὸ φῶς, τὴν πίστιν πᾶσι καὶ σωτηρίαν. »κύριος« γὰρ »ὁ ποιήσας τὴν γῆν ἐν τῇ ἰσχύι αὐτοῦ,« ὥς φησιν Ἱερεμίας, »ἀνώρθωσεν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ αὐτοῦ.« ἀποπεσόντας γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τὰ εἴδωλα ἡ σοφία, ἥ ἐστιν ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ, ἀνορθοῖ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. καὶ αὕτη πρώτη τοῦ παραπτώματος ἀνάστασις· ὅθεν ἀποτρέπων εἰδωλολατρείας ἁπάσης ὁ θεσπέσιος παγκάλως ἀνακέκραγε Μωυσῆς· »ἄκουε Ἰσραήλ· κύριος ὁ θεός σου, κύριος εἷς ἐστι,« καὶ »κύριον τὸν θεόν σου προσκυνήσεις καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις·« νῦν δὴ οὖν σύνετε, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, κατὰ τὸν μακάριον ψαλμῳδὸν ἐκεῖνον τὸν Δαβίδ· »δράξασθε παιδείας, μή ποτε ὀργισθῇ κύριος, καὶ ἀπολεῖσθε ἐξ ὁδοῦ δικαίας, ὅταν ἐκκαυθῇ ἐν τάχει ὁ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (σου,«, »κύριος«, »ὁ, αὐτοῦ,«, »ἀνώρθωσεν, αὐτοῦ.«). Check it against the printed edition.
" "but if thou show thyself no sluggard, as a fountain thy harvest shall come," the "Word of the Father, the benign light, the Lord that bringeth light, faith to all, and salvation. For "the Lord who created the earth by His power," as Jeremiah says, "has raised up the world by His wisdom; " for wisdom, which is His word, raises us up to the truth, who have fallen prostrate before idols, and is itself the first resurrection from our fall. Whence Moses, the man of God, dissuading from all idolatry, beautifully exclaims, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one Lord; and thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shall thou serve. "Now therefore be wise, O men," according to that blessed psalmist David; "lay hold on instruction, lest the Lord be angry, and ye perish from the way of righteousness, when His wrath has quickly kindled.
When will you rise from sleep? But if you are not lazy, your harvest will come to you like a spring.” This harvest is the Father’s Word, the good lamp, the Lord who brings light, faith and salvation to all. For as Jeremiah says, “The Lord who made the earth by his strength set the world upright by his wisdom.” We had fallen down to idols, and wisdom, which is his Word, sets us upright again toward the truth. This is the first resurrection from our fall. So the divinely inspired Moses, turning us away from all idolatry, cried out most beautifully: “Hear, Israel: the Lord your God, the Lord, is one,” and “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him alone.” So now, understand, you people, as that blessed psalmist David says: “Take hold of instruction, or the Lord may become angry, and you will perish from the righteous way, when his anger is quickly kindled.
Translator’s note. The quotations are from Proverbs 6:11 (Greek Old Testament), Jeremiah 10:12, Deuteronomy 6:4 and 6:13, and Psalm 2:10–12. Clement’s wording of Deuteronomy 6:13 (“worship... him alone”) matches Jesus’ quotation in Matthew 4:10, whereas most manuscripts of the Greek Old Testament read “fear.”
Scripture: Jeremiah 10:12; Deuteronomy 6:4; Deuteronomy 6:13
μακάριοι πάντες οἱ πεποιθότες ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ.« ἤδη δὲ ὑπεροικτείρων ἡμᾶς ὁ κύριος τὸ σωτήριον ἐνδίδωσι μέλος, οἷον ἐμβατήριον ῥυθμόν· »υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἕως πότε βαρυκάρδιοι; ἵνα τί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος;« τίς οὖν ἡ ματαιότης καὶ τί τὸ ψεῦδος; ὁ ἅγιος ἀπόστολος τοῦ κυρίου τοὺς Ἕλληνας αἰτιώμενος ἐξηγήσεταί σοι· »ὅτι γνόντες τὸν θεὸν οὐχ ὡς θεὸν ἐδόξασαν ἢ ηὐχαρίστησαν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐματαιώθησαν ἐν τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἤλλαξαν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ὁμοιώματι εἰκόνος φθαρτοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ ἐλάτρευσαν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα.« καὶ μὴν ὅ γε θεὸς οὗτος, ὃς »ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησε τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν·« σὺ δὲ τὸν μὲν θεὸν οὐ νοεῖς, τὸν δὲ οὐρανὸν προσκυνεῖς, καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἀσεβεῖς;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (αὐτῷ.«, »υἱοὶ, ψεῦδος;«, »ὅτι, κτίσαντα.«, »ἐν). Check it against the printed edition.
Blessed are all they who put their trust in Him. But already the Lord, in His surpassing pity, has inspired the song of salvation, sounding like a battle march, "Sons of men, how long will ye be slow of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek after a lie? " What, then, is the vanity, and what the lie? The holy apostle of the Lord, reprehending the Greeks, will show thee: "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and changed the glory of God into the likeness of corruptible man, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator. And verily this is the God who "in the beginning made the heaven and the earth. But you do not know God, and worship the heaven, and how shall you escape the guilt of impiety?
Blessed are all who trust in him.” Already the Lord, in his great pity for us, is giving the song of salvation, like a marching rhythm: “Sons of men, how long will you be heavy of heart? Why do you love emptiness and seek after falsehood?” What, then, is the emptiness, and what is the falsehood? The holy apostle of the Lord, accusing the Greeks, will explain it to you: “Because they knew God but did not glorify him as God or give thanks. Instead they became empty in their reasonings, and they exchanged the glory of God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and they worshipped the creation instead of the Creator.” Yet this is the God who “in the beginning made heaven and earth.” You do not understand God, but you worship the heaven. How are you not guilty of impiety?
Translator’s note. The quotations are from Psalm 2:12, Psalm 4:2 (Psalm 4:3 in the Greek numbering), Romans 1:21–25 and Genesis 1:1. Clement shortens the Romans passage, joining parts of verses 21, 23 and 25.
Scripture: Romans 1:21-23; Romans 1:25; Genesis 1:1
ἄκουε πάλιν προφήτου λέγοντος »ἐκλείψει μὲν ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς σκοτισθήσεται, λάμψει δὲ ὁ παντοκράτωρ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν σαλευθήσονται καὶ οἱ οὐρανοὶ εἱλιγήσονται ὡς δέρρις ἐκτεινόμενοι καὶ συστελλόμενοι« (αὗται γὰρ αἱ προφητικαὶ φωναί) »καὶ ἡ γῆ φεύξεται ἀπὸ προσώπου κυρίου.«
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἐκλείψει, συστελλόμενοι«, »καὶ, κυρίου.«). Check it against the printed edition.
Hear again the prophet speaking: "The sun, shall suffer eclipse, and the heaven be darkened; but the Almighty shall shine for ever: while the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, and the heavens stretched out and drawn together shall be rolled as a parchment-skin (for these are the prophetic expressions), and the earth shall flee away from before the face of the Lord."
Listen again to a prophet who says: “The sun will fail and the heaven will be darkened, but the Almighty will shine forever. The powers of the heavens will be shaken, and the heavens, stretched out and drawn together, will be rolled up like a hide.” (These are the words of the prophets.) “And the earth will flee from the face of the Lord.”
Translator’s note. Clement’s remark “these are the words of the prophets” shows that this is a string of prophetic phrases, not one passage. Compare Isaiah 13:10 and 34:4, Matthew 24:29, and Revelation 6:14 and 20:11.
Scripture: Isaiah 13:10; Isaiah 34:4
Chapter 9
Καὶ μυρίας ἂν ἔχοιμί σοι γραφὰς παραφέρειν, ὧν οὐδὲ »κεραία παρελεύσεται μία,« μὴ οὐχὶ ἐπιτελὴς γενομένη· τὸ γὰρ στόμα κυρίου, τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, ἐλάλησεν ταῦτα. »μὴ τοίνυν μηκέτι,« φησίν, »υἱέ μου, ὀλιγώρει παιδείας κυρίου, μηδ᾿ ἐκλύου ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐλεγχόμενος.« ὢ τῆς ὑπερβαλλούσης φιλανθρωπίας· οὐδ᾿ ὡς μαθηταῖς ὁ διδάσκαλος οὐδ᾿ ὡς οἰκέταις ὁ κύριος οὐδ᾿ ὡς θεὸς ἀνθρώποις, »πατὴρ δὲ ὣς ἤπιος« νουθετεῖ υἱούς. εἶτα Μωυσῆς μὲν ὁμολογεῖ »ἔμφοβος εἶναι καὶ ἔντρομος,« ἀκούων περὶ τοῦ λόγου, σὺ δὲ τοῦ λόγου ἀκροώμενος τοῦ θείου οὐ δέδιας; οὐκ ἀγωνιᾷς; οὐχὶ ἅμα τε εὐλαβῇ καὶ σπεύδεις ἐκμαθεῖν, τουτέστι σπεύδεις εἰς σωτηρίαν, φοβούμενος τὴν ὀργήν, ἀγαπήσας τὴν χάριν, ζηλώσας τὴν ἐλπίδα, ἵνα ἐκκλίνῃς τὴν κρίσιν;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»κεραία, μία,«, »μὴ, μηκέτι,«, »υἱέ, ἐλεγχόμενος.«). Check it against the printed edition.
"That Those Grievously Sin Who Despise or Neglect God's Gracious Calling."I could adduce ten thousand Scriptures of which not "one tittle shall pass away," without being fulfilled; for the mouth of the Lord the Holy Spirit hath spoken these things. "Do not any longer," he says, "my son, despise the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him. O surpassing love for man! Not as a teacher speaking to his pupils, not as a master to his domestics, nor as God to men, but as a father, does the Lord gently admonish his children. Thus Moses confesses that "he was filled with quaking and terror" while he listened to God speaking concerning the Word. And art not thou afraid as thou hearest the voice of the Divine Word? Art not thou distressed? Do you not fear, and hasten to learn of Him,-that is, to salvation,-dreading wrath, loving grace, eagerly striving after the hope set before us, that you may shun the judgment threatened?
I could bring you countless passages of Scripture, of which not one “stroke of a letter” will pass away without being fulfilled. For the mouth of the Lord, the Holy Spirit, spoke these things. “So then, my son,” he says, “no longer make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you.” What overflowing kindness! He does not warn us as a teacher warns pupils, or a master warns servants, or God warns men. He warns us as “a gentle father” warns his sons. Moses admits that he was “afraid and trembling” when he heard about the Word. Do you hear the divine Word and feel no fear? Do you feel no anguish? Are you not both reverent and eager to learn, that is, eager for salvation? Do you not fear the wrath, love the grace, and long for the hope, so that you may escape the judgment?
Translator’s note. Moses’ words “afraid and trembling” closely follow Hebrews 12:21, about Mount Sinai. Clement applies them to Moses hearing about the Word (περὶ τοῦ λόγου).
Scripture: Matthew 5:18; Proverbs 3:11; Hebrews 12:5; Hebrews 12:21
ἥκετε ἥκετε, ὦ νεολαία ἡ ἐμή· »ἢν γὰρ μὴ αὖθις ὡς τὰ παιδία γένησθε καὶ ἀναγεννηθῆτε,« ὥς φησιν ἡ γραφή, τὸν ὄντως ὄντα πατέρα οὐ μὴ ἀπολάβητε, »οὐδ᾿ οὐ μὴ εἰσελεύσεσθέ ποτε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.« πῶς γὰρ εἰσελθεῖν ἐπιτέτραπται τῷ ξένῳ; ἀλλ᾿ ὅταν, οἶμαι, ἐγγραφῇ καὶ πολιτευθῇ καὶ τὸν πατέρα ἀπολάβῃ, τότε »ἐν τοῖς τοῦ πατρὸς« γενήσεται, τότε κληρονομῆσαι καταξιωθήσεται, τότε τῆς βασιλείας τῆς πατρῴας κοινωνήσει τῷ γνησίῳ, τῷ »ἠγαπημένῳ«· αὕτη γὰρ ἡ πρωτότοκος ἐκκλησία ἡ ἐκ πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν συγκειμένη παιδίων· ταῦτ᾿ ἔστι τὰ »πρωτότοκα τὰ ἐναπογεγραμμένα ἐν οὐρανοῖς« καὶ τοσαύταις »μυριάσιν ἀγγέλων« συμπανηγυρίζοντα· πρωτότοκοι δὲ παῖδες ἡμεῖς οἱ τρόφιμοι τοῦ θεοῦ, οἱ τοῦ »πρωτοτόκου« γνήσιοι φίλοι, οἱ πρῶτοι τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων τὸν θεὸν νενοηκότες, οἱ πρῶτοι τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἀπεσπασμένοι, οἱ πρῶτοι τοῦ διαβόλου κεχωρισμένοι.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἢν, ἀναγεννηθῆτε,«, »οὐδ᾿, οὐρανῶν.«, »ἐν, πατρὸς«). Check it against the printed edition.
Come, come, O my young people! For if you become not again as little children, and be born again, as saith the Scripture, you shall not receive the truly existent Father, nor shall you ever enter into the kingdom of heaven. For in what way is a stranger permitted to enter? Well, as I take it, then, when he is enrolled and made a citizen, and receives one to stand to him in the relation of father, then will he be occupied with the Father's concerns, then shall he be deemed worthy to be made His heir, then will he share the kingdom of the Father with His own dear Son. For this is the first-born Church, composed of many good children; these are "the first-born enrolled in heaven, who hold high festival with so many myriads of angels. We, too, are first-born sons, who are reared by God, who are the genuine friends of the First-born, who first of all other men attained to the knowledge of God, who first were wrenched away from our sins, first severed from the devil.
Come, come, my young people! “Unless you become like little children again and are born again,” as the Scripture says, you will not receive the Father who truly is, “and you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” How could a foreigner be allowed to enter? But when he is enrolled, made a citizen, and receives the Father, then, I think, he will be “among the things of the Father.” Then he will be counted worthy to inherit. Then he will share the Father’s kingdom with the true Son, the “Beloved.” For this is the firstborn church, made up of many good children. These are the “firstborn enrolled in heaven,” who keep festival together with so many “myriads of angels.” We are the firstborn children, the ones God nurtures, the true friends of the “Firstborn.” We were the first of all people to understand God, the first to be torn away from our sins, and the first to be separated from the devil.
Translator’s note. “Among the things of the Father” is the same Greek phrase as in Luke 2:49, usually rendered “in my Father’s house” or “about my Father’s business”. The Greek wording of the “firstborn enrolled in heaven” and the “myriads of angels” echoes Hebrews 12:22-23.
Scripture: Matthew 18:3; John 3:3; Luke 2:49; Hebrews 12:22-23
νυνὶ δὲ τοσούτῳ τινές εἰσιν ἀθεώτεροι, ὅσῳ φιλανθρωπότερος ὁ θεός· ὃ μὲν γὰρ ἐκ δούλων υἱοὺς ἡμᾶς γενέσθαι βούλεται, οἳ δὲ καὶ υἱοὶ γενέσθαι ὑπερηφανήκασιν. ὢ τῆς ἀπονοίας τῆς πολλῆς· τὸν κύριον ἐπαισχύνεσθε. ἐλευθερίαν ἐπαγγέλλεται, ὑμεῖς δὲ εἰς δουλείαν ἀποδιδράσκετε. σωτηρίαν χαρίζεται, ὑμεῖς δὲ εἰς θάνατον ὑποφέρεσθε. ζωὴν δωρεῖται αἰώνιον, ὑμεῖς δὲ τὴν κόλασιν ἀναμένετε· καὶ »τὸ πῦρ« δὲ προσκοπεῖτε, »ὃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ κύριος τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ.« διὰ τοῦτο ὁ μακάριος ἀπόστολος »μαρτύρομαι ἐν κυρίῳ,« φησίν, »μηκέτι ὑμᾶς περιπατεῖν, καθὼς καὶ τὰ ἔθνη περιπατεῖ ἐν ματαιότητι τοῦ νοὸς αὐτῶν, ἐσκοτισμένοι τῇ διανοίᾳ ὄντες καὶ ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ θεοῦ, διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν τὴν οὖσαν ἐν αὐτοῖς, διὰ τὴν πώρωσιν τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν· οἵτινες ἑαυτοὺς παρέδωκαν ἀπηλγηκότες τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ εἰς ἐργασίαν ἀκαθαρσίας πάσης καὶ πλεονεξίας.« τοιούτου μάρτυρος ἐλέγχοντος τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἄνοιαν καὶ θεὸν ἐπιβοωμένου, τί δὴ ἕτερον ὑπολείπεται τοῖς ἀπίστοις ἢ κρίσις καὶ καταδίκη;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»τὸ, πῦρ«, »ὃ, αὐτοῦ.«, »μαρτύρομαι, κυρίῳ,«). Check it against the printed edition.
And now the more benevolent God is, the more impious men are; for He desires us from slaves to become sons, while they scorn to become sons. O the prodigious folly of being ashamed of the Lord! He offers freedom, you flee into bondage; He bestows salvation, you sink down into destruction; He confers everlasting life, you wait for punishment, and prefer the fire which the Lord "has prepared for the devil and his angels. Wherefore the blessed apostle says: "I testify in the Lord, that ye walk no longer as the Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind; having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart: who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness and concupiscence. After the accusation of such a witness, and his invocation of God, what else remains for the unbelieving than judgment and condemnation?
But now, the kinder God is, the more godless some people become. He wants us to become sons instead of slaves, and they have been too proud even to become sons. What great folly! You are ashamed of the Lord. He promises freedom, and you run off to slavery. He gives salvation as a gift, and you let yourselves be carried down to death. He offers eternal life, and you wait for punishment. You look toward “the fire that the Lord prepared for the devil and his angels.” That is why the blessed apostle says, “I testify in the Lord that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the emptiness of their minds. Their understanding is darkened, and they are cut off from the life of God because of the ignorance in them and the hardness of their hearts. Having lost all feeling, they have given themselves over to indecency, to practice every kind of uncleanness and greed.” Such a witness exposes human folly and calls on God. What is left for the unbelieving but judgment and condemnation?
Translator’s note. The Greek verb (προσκοπεῖτε) means to look ahead to or watch for the fire, that is, they are heading toward it.
Scripture: Matthew 25:41; Ephesians 4:17-19
οὐ κάμνει δὲ ὁ κύριος παραινῶν, ἐκφοβῶν, προτρέπων, διεγείρων, νουθετῶν· ἀφυπνίζει γέ τοι καὶ τοῦ σκότους αὐτοῦ τοὺς πεπλανημένους διανίστησιν· »ἔγειρε,« φησίν, »ὁ καθεύδων καὶ ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, καὶ ἐπιφαύσει σοι ὁ Χριστὸς κύριος,« ὁ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἥλιος, ὁ »πρὸ ἑωσφόρου« γεννώμενος, ὁ ζωὴν χαρισάμενος ἀκτῖσιν ἰδίαις. μὴ οὖν περιφρονείτω τις τοῦ λόγου, μὴ λάθῃ καταφρονῶν ἑαυτοῦ. λέγει γάρ που ἡ γραφή· »σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε, μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ πειρασμοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οὗ ἐπείρασαν οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν ἐν δοκιμασίᾳ.« ἡ δὲ δοκιμασία τίς ἐστιν εἰ θέλεις μαθεῖν, τὸ ἅγιόν σοι πνεῦμα ἐξηγήσεται· »καὶ εἶδον τὰ ἔργα μου,« φησί, »τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη· δι᾿ ὃ προσώχθισα τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ καὶ εἶπον· ἀεὶ πλανῶνται τῇ καρδίᾳ· αὐτοὶ δὲ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὰς ὁδούς μου, ὡς ὤμοσα ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ μου· εἰ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσίν μου.« ὁρᾶτε τὴν ἀπειλήν· ὁρᾶτε τὴν προτροπήν· ὁρᾶτε τὴν τιμήν· τί δὴ οὖν ἔτι τὴν χάριν εἰς ὀργὴν μεταλλάσσομεν καὶ οὐχὶ ἀναπεπταμέναις ταῖς ἀκοαῖς καταδεχόμενοι τὸν λόγον ἐν ἁγναῖς ξενοδοχοῦμεν ταῖς ψυχαῖς τὸν θεόν;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἔγειρε,«, »ὁ, κύριος,«, »πρὸ, ἑωσφόρου«, »σήμερον). Check it against the printed edition.
And the Lord, with ceaseless assiduity, exhorts, terrifies, urges, rouses, admonishes; He awakes from the sleep of darkness, and raises up those who have wandered in error. "Awake," He says, "thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light," -Christ, the Sun of the Resurrection, He "who was born before the morning star," and with His beams bestows life. Let no one then despise the Word, lest he unwittingly despise himself. For the Scripture somewhere says, "To-day, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, when your fathers proved Me by trial. And what was the trim? If you wish to learn, the Holy Spirit will show you: "And saw my works," He says, "forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in heart, and have not known My ways. So I sware in my wrath, they shall not enter into My rest. Look to the threatening! Look to the exhortation! Look to the punishment! Why, then, should we any longer change grace into wrath, and not receive the word with open ears, and entertain God as a guest in pure spirits?
The Lord never tires of advising, frightening, urging, rousing and warning. He wakes people from sleep, and he raises out of the darkness those who have gone astray. “Wake up, sleeper,” he says, “and rise from the dead, and Christ the Lord will shine on you.” He is the sun of the resurrection, “begotten before the morning star,” who gave life by his own rays. So let no one look down on the Word, or he may unknowingly be despising himself. For the Scripture says somewhere, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers tested me by putting me on trial.” If you want to learn what that trial was, the Holy Spirit will explain it to you: “And they saw my works for forty years. So I was angry with that generation and said, ‘They are always going astray in their hearts. They did not know my ways.’ So I swore in my anger, ‘They shall never enter into my rest.’” See the threat. See the encouragement. See the honor. Why, then, do we still turn grace into wrath? Why do we not take in the Word with open ears and welcome God as a guest in pure souls?
Translator’s note. “They shall never enter” renders a Hebrew-style oath formula, literally “if they shall enter.”
Scripture: Ephesians 5:14; Hebrews 3:7-11
μεγάλη γὰρ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας αὐτοῦ ἡ χάρις, ἐὰν σήμερον τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσωμεν· τὸ δὲ σήμερον καθ᾿ ἑκάστην [αὐτοῦ] αὔξεται τὴν ἡμέραν, ἔστ᾿ ἂν ἡ σήμερον ὀνομάζηται. μέχρι δὲ συντελείας καὶ ἡ σήμερον καὶ ἡ μάθησις διαμένει· καὶ τότε ἡ ὄντως σήμερον ἡ ἀνελλιπὴς τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμέρα τοῖς αἰῶσι συνεκτείνεται. ἀεὶ οὖν τῆς φωνῆς ὑπακούωμεν τοῦ θείου λόγου· ἡ σήμερον γὰρ ἀιδίου αἰῶνός ἐστιν εἰκών, σύμβολον δὲ τοῦ φωτὸς ἡ ἡμέρα, φῶς δὲ ὁ λόγος ἀνθρώποις, δι᾿ οὗ καταυγαζόμεθα τὸν θεόν. εἰκότως ἄρα πιστεύσασι μὲν καὶ ὑπακούουσιν ἡ χάρις ὑπερπλεονάσει, ἀπειθήσασι δὲ καὶ πλανωμένοις κατὰ καρδίαν ὁδούς τε τὰς κυριακὰς μὴ ἐγνωκόσιν, ἃς εὐθείας ποιεῖν καὶ εὐτρεπίζειν παρήγγειλεν Ἰωάννης, τούτοις δὲ προσώχθισεν ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἀπειλεῖ· καὶ δὴ καὶ τὸ τέλος τῆς ἀπειλῆς αἰνιγματωδῶς ἀπειλήφασιν οἱ παλαιοὶ τῶν Ἑβραίων πλανῆται· οὐ γὰρ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν λέγονται διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν, πρὶν ἢ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς κατακολουθήσαντας τῷ Μωυσέως διαδόχῳ ὀψέ ποτε ἔργῳ μαθεῖν οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως σωθῆναι μὴ οὐχὶ ὡς Ἰησοῦς πεπιστευκότας.
For great is the grace of His promise, "if to-day we hear His voice. And that to-day is lengthened out day by day, while it is called to-day. And to the end the to-day and the instruction continue; and then the true to-day, the never-ending day of God, extends over eternity. Let us then ever obey the voice of the divine word. For the to-day signifies eternity. And day is the symbol of light; and the light of men is the Word, by whom we behold God. Rightly, then, to those that have believed and obey, grace will superabound; while with those that have been unbelieving, and err in heart, and have not known the Lord's ways, which John commanded to make straight and to prepare, God is incensed, and those He threatens. And, indeed, the old Hebrew wanderers in the desert received typically the end of the threatening; for they are said not to have entered into the rest, because of unbelief, till, having followed the successor of Moses, they learned by experience, though late, that they could not be saved otherwise than by believing on Jesus.
For great is the grace of his promise, if today we hear his voice. This “today” grows with each day, as long as it is still called “today.” Until the end of the age, both the “today” and the learning continue. Then the true “today,” God’s unending day, stretches out together with the ages. So let us always obey the voice of the divine Word. For “today” is an image of eternal time, and day is a symbol of light. The Word is light for human beings, and through him we are lit up to see God. It is fitting, then, that grace should overflow to those who believe and obey. But God is angry with those who disobey, who go astray in heart, and who have not known the Lord’s paths, which John commanded people to make straight and ready, and he threatens them. The ancient wanderers of the Hebrews received the outcome of that threat in a figure. They are said not to have entered the rest because of their unbelief, until at last, by following Moses’ successor, they learned by actual experience that they could be saved in no other way than by believing as Joshua (in Greek, “Jesus”) believed.
Translator’s note. Moses’ successor is Joshua, whose Greek name, Iēsous, is the same as “Jesus.” Hebrews 4:8 also calls Joshua by that name, and Clement likely intends a play on the name.
Scripture: Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 3:19; Matthew 3:3
φιλάνθρωπος δὲ ὢν ὁ κύριος πάντας ἀνθρώπους »εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν τῆς ἀληθείας« παρακαλεῖ, ὁ τὸν παράκλητον ἀποστέλλων. τίς οὖν ἡ ἐπίγνωσις; θεοσέβεια· »θεοσέβεια δὲ πρὸς πάντα ὠφέλιμος« κατὰ τὸν Παῦλον, »ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχουσα ζωῆς τῆς νῦν καὶ τῆς μελλούσης.« πόσου ὡμολογήσατε, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, εἰ ἐπιπράσκετο σωτηρία ἀίδιος, ὠνήσασθαι ἄν; οὐδὲ εἰ τὸν Πακτωλόν τις ὅλον, τοῦ χρυσίου τὸ ῥεῦμα τὸ μυθικόν, ἀπομετρήσαι, ἀντάξιον σωτηρίας μισθὸν ἀριθμήσει. μὴ οὖν ἀποκάμητε· ἔξεστιν ὑμῖν, ἢν ἐθέλητε, ἐξωνήσασθαι τὴν πολυτίμητον σωτηρίαν οἰκείῳ θησαυρῷ, ἀγάπῃ καὶ πίστει ζωῆς, ὅς ἐστιν ἀξιόλογος μισθός. ταύτην ἡδέως τὴν τιμὴν ὁ θεὸς λαμβάνει. »ἠλπίκαμεν γὰρ ἐπὶ θεῷ ζῶντι, ὅς ἐστι σωτὴρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, μάλιστα πιστῶν.« οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι περιπεφυκότες τῷ κόσμῳ, οἷα φυκία τινὰ ἐνάλοις πέτραις, ἀθανασίας ὀλιγωροῦσιν, καθάπερ ὁ Ἰθακήσιος γέρων οὐ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τῆς ἐν οὐρανῷ πατρίδος, πρὸς δὲ καὶ τοῦ ὄντως ὄντος ἱμειρόμενοι φωτός, ἀλλὰ τοῦ καπνοῦ.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»εἰς, ἀληθείας«, »θεοσέβεια, ὠφέλιμος«, »ἐπαγγελίαν, μελλούσης.«). Check it against the printed edition.
But the Lord, in His love to man, invites all men to the knowledge of the truth, and for this end sends the Paraclete. What, then, is this knowledge? Godliness; and "godliness," according to Paul, "is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. If eternal salvation were to be sold, for how much, O men, would you propose to purchase it? Were one to estimate the value of the whole of Pactolus, the fabulous river of gold, he would not have reckoned up a price equivalent to salvation. Do not, however, faint. You may, if you choose, purchase salvation, though of inestimable value, with your own resources, love and living faith, which will be reckoned a suitable price. This recompense God cheerfully accepts; "for we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those who believe. But the rest, round whom the world's growths have fastened, as the rocks on the sea-shore are covered over with sea-weed, make light of immortality, like the old man of Ithaca, eagerly longing to see, not the truth, not the fatherland in heaven, not the true light, but smoke.
The Lord, in his love for humanity, calls all people “to the knowledge of the truth.” He is the one who sends the Paraclete. What, then, is this knowledge? Godliness. For according to Paul, “godliness is profitable for everything, holding a promise for the present life and for the life to come.” How much would you have agreed to pay, my friends, if eternal salvation were for sale? Even if someone measured out the whole of the Pactolus, that legendary stream of gold, he would not count out a price equal to salvation. So do not lose heart. You may, if you wish, buy this priceless salvation with a treasure of your own: love and the faith that belongs to life. That is a worthy price. God gladly accepts this payment. “For we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.” But the rest cling to the world like seaweed to rocks in the sea, and they think little of immortality. Like the old man of Ithaca, they long not for the truth, nor for the homeland in heaven, nor for the light that truly is, but for smoke.
Translator’s note. The Pactolus was a river in Lydia famous in legend for its gold. The “old man of Ithaca” is Odysseus, who in the Odyssey (book 1) longs to see even the smoke rising from his homeland. He also turned down the nymph Calypso’s offer to make him immortal so that he could go home.
Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:4; 1 Timothy 4:8; 1 Timothy 4:10
θεοσέβεια δέ, ἐξομοιοῦσα τῷ θεῷ κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, κατάλληλον ἐπιγράφεται διδάσκαλον θεὸν τὸν καὶ μόνον ἀπεικάσαι κατ᾿ ἀξίαν δυνάμενον ἄνθρωπον θεῷ. ταύτην ὁ ἀπόστολος τὴν διδασκαλίαν θείαν ὄντως ἐπιστάμενος »σὺ δέ, ὦ Τιμόθεε,« φησίν, »ἀπὸ βρέφους ἱερὰ γράμματα οἶδας, τὰ δυνάμενά σε σοφίσαι εἰς σωτηρίαν διὰ πίστεως ἐν Χριστῷ.« ἱερὰ γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς τὰ ἱεροποιοῦντα καὶ θεοποιοῦντα γράμματα, ἐξ ὧν γραμμάτων καὶ συλλαβῶν τῶν ἱερῶν τὰς συγκειμένας γραφάς, τὰ συντάγματα, ὁ αὐτὸς ἀκολούθως ἀπόστολος »θεοπνεύστους« καλεῖ, »ὠφελίμους οὔσας πρὸς διδασκαλίαν, πρὸς ἔλεγχον, πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν, πρὸς παιδείαν τὴν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, ἵνα ἄρτιος ᾖ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος πρὸς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἐξηρτημένος.« οὐκ ἄν τις οὕτως ἐκπλαγείη τῶν ἄλλων ἁγίων τὰς προτροπὰς ὡς αὐτὸν τὸν κύριον τὸν φιλάνθρωπον· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀλλ᾿ ἢ τοῦτο ἔργον μόνον ἐστὶν αὐτῷ σῴζεσθαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»σὺ, Τιμόθεε,«, »ἀπὸ, Χριστῷ.«, »θεοπνεύστους«, »ὠφελίμους). Check it against the printed edition.
But godliness, that makes man as far as can be like God, designates God as our suitable teacher, who alone can worthily assimilate man to God. This teaching the apostle knows as truly divine. "Thou, O Timothy," he says, "from a child hast known the holy letters, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith that is in Christ Jesus. For truly holy are those letters that sanctify and deify; and the writings or volumes that consist of those holy letters and syllables, the same apostle consequently calls "inspired of God, being profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to every good work. No one will be so impressed by the exhortations of any of the saints, as he is by the words of the Lord Himself, the lover of man. For this, and nothing but this, is His only work-the salvation of man.
Godliness makes a person like God as far as that is possible. It names as its fitting teacher God, who alone is able to make a human being truly like himself. The apostle knew this teaching to be truly divine, and he says: “But you, Timothy, have known the sacred writings from infancy, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ.” Truly sacred are those writings that make people holy and make them divine. The same apostle then calls the Scriptures that are put together from these sacred letters and syllables “God-breathed,” “useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” No one could be so struck by the exhortations of any other saints as by the Lord himself, the lover of humanity. For this is his one and only work: that human beings be saved.
Translator’s note. The quotations are from 2 Timothy 3:15–17. The Greek word for “writings” (grammata) also means “letters” of the alphabet, which is why Clement goes on to speak of “letters and syllables.”
Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:15; 2 Timothy 3:16-17
βοᾷ γοῦν ἐπείγων εἰς σωτηρίαν αὐτὸς »ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν·« ἐπιστρέφει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους πλησιάζοντας τῷ φόβῳ. ταύτῃ καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος τοῦ κυρίου παρακαλῶν τοὺς Μακεδόνας ἑρμηνεὺς γίνεται τῆς θείας φωνῆς, »ὁ κύριος ἤγγικεν« λέγων, »εὐλαβεῖσθε μὴ καταληφθῶμεν κενοί.« ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐς τοσοῦτον ἀδεεῖς, μᾶλλον δὲ ἄπιστοι, μήτε αὐτῷ πειθόμενοι τῷ κυρίῳ μήτε τῷ Παύλῳ, καὶ ταῦτα ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ δεδεμένῳ. »γεύσασθε καὶ ἴδετε ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ θεός.« ἡ πίστις εἰσάξει, ἡ πεῖρα διδάξει, ἡ γραφὴ παιδαγωγήσει »δεῦτε, ὦ τέκνα,« λέγουσα, »ἀκούσατέ μου, φόβον κυρίου διδάξω ὑμᾶς.« εἶτα ὡς ἤδη πεπιστευκόσι συντόμως ἐπιλέγει »τίς ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὁ θέλων ζωήν, ἀγαπῶν ἡμέρας ἰδεῖν ἀγαθάς;« ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν, φήσομεν, οἱ τἀγαθοῦ προσκυνηταί, οἱ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ζηλωταί.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἤγγικεν, οὐρανῶν·«, »ὁ, ἤγγικεν«, »εὐλαβεῖσθε, κενοί.«). Check it against the printed edition.
Therefore He Himself, urging them on to salvation, cries, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Those men that draw near through fear, He converts. Thus also the apostle of the Lord, beseeching the Macedonians, becomes the interpreter of the divine voice, when he says, "The Lord is at hand; take care that ye be not apprehended empty. But are ye so devoid of fear, or rather of faith, as not to believe the Lord Himself, or Paul, who in Christ's stead thus entreats: "Taste and see that Christ is God? " Faith will lead you in; experience will teach you; Scripture will train you, for it says, "Come hither, O children; listen to me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Then, as to those who already believe, it briefly adds, "What man ishe that desireth life, that loveth to see good days? " It is we, we shall say-we who are the devotees of good, we who eagerly desire good things.
So he himself cries out, urging people on to salvation: “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” He turns people around by fear as they draw near. In the same way the Lord’s apostle, appealing to the Macedonians, becomes the interpreter of the divine voice, saying, “The Lord is near; take care that we are not found empty.” But you are so fearless, or rather so unbelieving, that you obey neither the Lord himself nor Paul, even though Paul was in chains for Christ. “Taste and see that God is good.” Faith will lead you in, experience will teach you, and Scripture will train you, saying, “Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.” Then, as though to people who already believe, it briefly adds, “Who is the person who wants life and loves to see good days?” We are, we shall answer, we who worship the Good and are zealous for good things.
Translator’s note. The psalm quotations are from Psalm 34:8, 11–12 (33:9, 12–13 in the Greek Old Testament). The Greek Psalm has “the Lord is good,” and Clement has “God.”
Scripture: Matthew 4:17; Philippians 4:5
ἀκούσατε οὖν »οἱ μακράν,« ἀκούσατε »οἱ ἐγγύς·« οὐκ ἀπεκρύβη τινὰς ὁ λόγος· φῶς ἐστι κοινόν, ἐπιλάμπει πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις· οὐδεὶς Κιμμέριος ἐν λόγῳ· σπεύσωμεν εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἐπὶ τὴν παλιγγενεσίαν· εἰς μίαν ἀγάπην συναχθῆναι οἱ πολλοὶ κατὰ τὴν τῆς μοναδικῆς οὐσίας ἕνωσιν σπεύσωμεν· ἀγαθοεργούμενοι ἀναλόγως ἑνότητα διώκωμεν, τὴν ἀγαθὴν ἐκζητοῦντες μονάδα. ἡ δὲ ἐκ πολλῶν ἕνωσις ἐκ πολυφωνίας καὶ διασπορᾶς ἁρμονίαν λαβοῦσα θεϊκὴν μία γίνεται συμφωνία, ἑνὶ χορευτῇ καὶ διδασκάλῳ τῷ λόγῳ ἑπομένη, ἐπ᾿ αὐτὴν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀναπαυομένη, »Ἀββᾶ« λέγουσα »ὁ πατήρ«· ταύτην ὁ θεὸς τὴν φωνὴν τὴν ἀληθινὴν ἀσπάζεται παρὰ τῶν αὐτοῦ παίδων πρώτην καρπούμενος.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»οἱ, μακράν,«, ἐγγύς·«, »Ἀββᾶ«, »ὁ, πατήρ«·). Check it against the printed edition.
Hear, then, ye who are far off, hear ye who are near: the word has not been hidden from any; light is common, it shines "on all men. No one is a Cimmerian in respect to the word. Let us haste to salvation, to regeneration; let us who are many haste that we may be brought together into one love, according to the union of the essential unity; and let us, by being made good, conformably follow after union, seeking after the good Monad. The union of many in one, issuing in the production of divine harmony out of a medley of sounds and division, becomes one symphony following one choir-leader and teacher, the Word, reaching and resting in the same truth, and crying Abba, Father. This, the true utterance of His children, God accepts with gracious welcome-the first-fruits He receives from them.
So hear, “you who are far away,” and hear, “you who are near.” The Word has been hidden from no one. He is a common light and shines on all people. No one is a Cimmerian as far as the Word is concerned. Let us hurry to salvation, to the new birth. Let us, the many, hurry to be gathered into one love, in keeping with the union of the single, undivided being. As we are made good, let us likewise pursue unity, seeking the good Unity. The union of the many, receiving a divine harmony out of a medley of voices and scattered parts, becomes one symphony. It follows one choir-leader and teacher, the Word, and rests on the truth itself, saying “Abba, Father.” God welcomes this true voice from his children and gathers it as the first fruit.
Translator’s note. The Cimmerians were a legendary people in Homer’s Odyssey (book 11) who lived in mist and darkness, never seeing the sun.
Scripture: Isaiah 57:19; Ephesians 2:17; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6
Chapter 10
Ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ πατέρων, φατέ, παραδεδομένον ἡμῖν ἔθος ἀνατρέπειν οὐκ εὔλογον. καὶ τί δὴ οὐχὶ τῇ πρώτῃ τροφῇ, τῷ γάλακτι, χρώμεθα, ᾧ δήπουθεν συνείθισαν ἡμᾶς ἐκ γενετῆς αἱ τίτθαι; τί δὲ αὐξάνομεν ἢ μειοῦμεν τὴν πατρῴαν οὐσίαν, καὶ οὐχὶ τὴν ἴσην, ὡς παρειλήφαμεν, διαφυλάττομεν; τί δὲ οὐκέτι τοῖς κόλποις τοῖς πατρῴοις ἐναποβλύζομεν, ἢ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα, ἃ νηπιάζοντες ὑπὸ μητράσιν τε ἐκτρεφόμενοι γέλωτα ὤφλομεν, ἐπιτελοῦμεν ἔτι, ἀλλὰ σφᾶς αὐτούς, καὶ εἰ μὴ παιδαγωγῶν ἐτύχομεν ἀγαθῶν, ἐπανωρθώσαμεν; εἶτα ἐπὶ τῶν πλόων αἱ παρεκβάσεις καίτοι ἐπιζήμιοι καὶ ἐπισφαλεῖς οὖσαι, ὅμως γλυκεῖαί πως προσπίπτουσιν, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ βίου οὐχὶ τὸ ἔθος καταλιπόντες τὸ πονηρὸν καὶ ἐμπαθὲς καὶ ἄθεον, κἂν οἱ πατέρες χαλεπαίνωσιν, ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐκκλινοῦμεν καὶ τὸν ὄντως ὄντα πατέρα ἐπιζητήσομεν, οἷον δηλητήριον φάρμακον τὴν συνήθειαν ἀπωσάμενοι;
Answer to the Objection of the Heathen, that It Was Not Right to Abandon the Customs of Their Fathers.But you say it is not creditable to subvert the customs handed down to us from our fathers. And why, then, do we not still use our first nourishment, milk, to which our nurses accustomed us from the time of our birth? Why do we increase or diminish our patrimony, and not keep it exactly the same as we got it? Why do we not still vomit on our parents' breasts, or still do the things for which, when infants, and nursed by our mothers, we were laughed at, but have corrected ourselves, even if we did not fall in with good instructors? Then, if excesses in the indulgence of the passions, though pernicious and dangerous, yet are accompanied with pleasure, why do we not in the conduct of life abandon that usage which is evil, and provocative of passion, and godless, even should our fathers feel hurt, and betake ourselves to the truth, and seek Him who is truly our Father, rejecting custom as a deleterious drug?
“But,” you say, “it is not reasonable to overturn a custom handed down to us from our fathers.” Then why do we not still live on our first food, milk, which our nurses accustomed us to from birth? Why do we increase or reduce our inheritance, and not keep it exactly the same as we received it? Why do we no longer spit up on our fathers’ laps? Why do we no longer keep doing the other things that made us laughingstocks as babies raised by our mothers? We have corrected ourselves, even if we never had good tutors. Again, on a sea voyage, detours are costly and dangerous, yet somehow they seem sweet. But in the conduct of life, shall we not leave behind the custom that is evil, passion-driven and godless, even if our fathers are angry? Shall we not turn to the truth and seek the One who is truly Father, throwing off habit like a poisonous drug?
τοῦτ᾿ αὐτὸ γάρ τοι τὸ κάλλιστον τῶν ἐγχειρουμένων ἐστίν, ὑποδεῖξαι ὑμῖν ὡς ἀπὸ μανίας καὶ τοῦ τρισαθλίου τούτου ἔθους ἐμισήθη ἡ θεοσέβεια· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐμισήθη ποτὲ ἢ ἀπηγορεύθη ἀγαθὸν τοσοῦτον, οὗ μεῖζον οὐδὲν ἐκ θεοῦ δεδώρηταί πω τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γενέσει, εἰ μὴ συναρπαζόμενοι τῷ ἔθει, εἶτα μέντοι ἀποβύσαντες τὰ ὦτα ἡμῖν, οἷον ἵπποι σκληραύχενες ἀφηνιάζοντες, τοὺς χαλινοὺς ἐνδακόντες, ἀπεφεύγετε τοὺς λόγους, ἀποσείσασθαι μὲν τοὺς ἡνιόχους ὑμῶν τοῦ βίου ἡμᾶς ἐπιποθοῦντες, ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς κρημνοὺς τῆς ἀπωλείας ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνοίας φερόμενοι ἐναγῆ τὸν ἅγιον ὑπελαμβάνετε τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον. ἕπεται τοιγαροῦν ὑμῖν κατὰ τὸν Σοφοκλέα τὰ ἐπίχειρα τῆς ἐκλογῆς, νοῦς φροῦδος, ὦτα ἀχρεῖα, φροντίδες κεναί, καὶ οὐκ ἴστε ὡς παντὸς μᾶλλον τοῦτο ἀληθές, ὅτι ἄρα οἱ μὲν ἀγαθοὶ καὶ θεοσεβεῖς ἀγαθῆς τῆς ἀμοιβῆς τεύξονται τἀγαθὸν τετιμηκότες, οἱ δὲ ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων πονηροὶ τῆς καταλλήλου τιμωρίας, καὶ τῷ γε ἄρχοντι τῆς κακίας ἐπήρτηται κόλασις.
For of all that I have undertaken to do, the task I now attempt is the noblest, viz., to demonstrate to you how inimical this insane and most wretched custom is to godliness. For a boon so great, the greatest ever given by God to the human race, would never have been hated and rejected, had not you been carried away by custom, and then shut your ears against us; and just as unmanageable horses throw off the reins, and take the bit between their teeth, you rush away from the arguments addressed to you, in your eager desire to shake yourselves clear of us, who seek to guide the chariot of your life, and, impelled by your folly, dash towards the precipices of destruction, and regard the holy word of God as an accursed thing. The reward of your choice, therefore, as described by Sophocles, follows:-"The mind a blank, useless ears, vain thoughts."And you know not that, of all truths, this is the truest, that the good and godly shall obtain the good reward, in as much as they held goodness in high esteem; while, on the other hand, the wicked shall receive meet punishment.
This is in fact the finest part of my undertaking: to show you that godliness was hated because of madness and this thrice-wretched custom. Such a good thing, greater than anything God has ever given to the human race, would never have been hated or rejected if you had not been swept away by custom. You then stopped your ears against us. Like stiff-necked horses that refuse the rein, you took the bit in your teeth and ran away from our words. You longed to throw us off, though we were the drivers of your life, and in your folly you were carried toward the cliffs of destruction. You took the holy word of God to be something defiled. So, as Sophocles says, the wages of your choice follow you: “a mind gone, ears useless, empty cares.” And you do not know that this above all is true: the good and godly, who honored what is good, will receive a good reward, while the wicked, on the other hand, will receive fitting punishment. Punishment hangs over the ruler of wickedness himself.
Translator’s note. The Sophocles line does not appear in his surviving plays. It probably comes from a lost work.
ἀπειλεῖ γοῦν αὐτῷ ὁ προφήτης Ζαχαρίας »ἐπιτιμήσαι ἐν σοὶ ὁ ἐκλεξάμενος τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ· οὐκ ἰδοὺ τοῦτο δαλὸς ἐξεσπασμένος ἐκ πυρός;« τίς οὖν ἔτι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὄρεξις ἔγκειται θανάτου ἑκουσίου; τί δὲ τῷ δαλῷ τῷ θανατηφόρῳ τούτῳ προσπεφεύγασιν, μεθ᾿ οὗ καταφλεχθήσονται, ἐξὸν βιῶναι καλῶς κατὰ τὸν θεόν, οὐ κατὰ τὸ ἔθος; θεὸς μὲν γὰρ ζωὴν χαρίζεται, ἔθος δὲ πονηρὸν μετὰ τὴν ἐνθένδε ἀπαλλαγὴν μετάνοιαν κενὴν ἅμα τιμωρίᾳ προστρίβεται, »παθὼν δέ τε νήπιος ἔγνω«, ὡς ἀπολλύει δεισιδαιμονία καὶ σῴζει θεοσέβεια. ἰδέτω τις ὑμῶν τοὺς παρὰ τοῖς εἰδώλοις λατρεύοντας, κόμῃ ῥυπῶντας, ἐσθῆτι πιναρᾷ καὶ κατερρωγυίᾳ καθυβρισμένους, λουτρῶν μὲν παντάπασιν ἀπειράτους, ταῖς δὲ τῶν ὀνύχων ἀκμαῖς ἐκτεθηριωμένους, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ τῶν αἰδοίων ἀφῃρημένους, ἔργῳ δεικνύντας τῶν εἰδώλων τὰ τεμένη τάφους τινὰς ἢ δεσμωτήρια· οὗτοί μοι δοκοῦσι πενθεῖν, οὐ θρῃσκεύειν τοὺς θεούς, ἐλέου μᾶλλον ἢ θεοσεβείας ἄξια πεπονθότες.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἐπιτιμήσαι, πυρός;«, »παθὼν, ἔγνω«,). Check it against the printed edition.
For the author of evil, torment has been prepared; and so the prophet Zecharias threatens him: "He that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee; lo, is not this a brand plucked from the fire? " What an infatuated desire, then, for voluntary death is this, rooted in men's minds! Why do they flee to this fatal brand, with which they shall be burned, when it is within their power to live nobly according to God, and not according to custom? For God bestows life freely; but evil custom, after our departure from this world, brings on the sinner unavailing remorse with punishment. By sad experience, even a child knows how superstition destroys and piety saves. Let any of you look at those who minister before the idols, their hair matted, their persons disgraced with filthy and tattered clothes; who never come near a bath, and let their nails grow to an extraordinary length, like wild beasts; many of them castrated, who show the idol's temples to be in reality graves or prisons. These appear to me to bewail the gods, not to worship them, and their sufferings to be worthy of pity rather than piety.
So the prophet Zechariah threatens him: “May he who chose Jerusalem rebuke you. Is this not a brand plucked out of the fire?” Why, then, are people still gripped by a desire for a death they choose for themselves? Why have they run for refuge to this deadly brand, with which they will be burned up, when they could live well according to God and not according to custom? God gives life freely. But evil custom, after we leave this world, brings empty repentance together with punishment. “The fool learns by suffering” that superstition destroys and godliness saves. Let any of you look at those who serve at the idols. Their hair is filthy, and they are disgraced by dirty, ragged clothes. They have never so much as tried a bath, and their long fingernails make them like wild beasts. Many of them have even been castrated. They show in practice that the idols’ sacred precincts are tombs or prisons. To me these people seem to be mourning the gods, not worshiping them. What they have suffered deserves pity rather than reverence.
Translator’s note. “The fool learns by suffering” is from Hesiod (Works and Days 218); Homer has a similar saying (“the fool learns when it is done,” Iliad 17.32, 20.198).
Scripture: Zechariah 3:2
καὶ ταῦτα ὁρῶντες ἔτι τυφλώττετε καὶ οὐχὶ πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην τῶν πάντων καὶ κύριον τῶν ὅλων ἀναβλέψετε; οὐχὶ δὲ καταφεύξεσθε, ἐκ τῶν ἐνταῦθα δεσμωτηρίων ἐκφεύγοντες, ἐπὶ τὸν ἔλεον τὸν ἐξ οὐρανῶν; ὁ γὰρ θεὸς ἐκ πολλῆς τῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἀντέχεται τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ὥσπερ ἐκ καλιᾶς ἐκπίπτοντος νεοττοῦ ἡ μήτηρ ὄρνις ἐφίπταται· εἰ δέ που καὶ θηρίον ἑρπηστικὸν περιχάνοι τῷ νεοττῷ, μήτηρ δ᾿ ἀμφιποτᾶται ὀδυρομένη φίλα τέκνα· ὁ δὲ θεὸς πατὴρ καὶ ζητεῖ τὸ πλάσμα καὶ ἰᾶται τὸ παράπτωμα καὶ διώκει τὸ θηρίον καὶ τὸν νεοττὸν αὖθις ἀναλαμβάνει ἐπὶ τὴν καλιὰν ἀναπτῆναι παρορμῶν. εἶτα κύνες μὲν ἤδη πεπλανημένοι ὀδμαῖς ῥινηλατοῦντες ἐξίχνευσαν τὸν δεσπότην καὶ ἵπποι τὸν ἀναβάτην ἀποσεισάμενοι ἑνί που συρίγματι ὑπήκουσαν τῷ δεσπότῃ· »ἔγνω δέ«, φησί, »βοῦς τὸν κτησάμενον καὶ ὄνος τὴν φάτνην τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ, Ἰσραὴλ δέ με οὐκ ἔγνω.« τί οὖν ὁ κύριος;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἔγνω, δέ«,, »βοῦς, ἔγνω.«). Check it against the printed edition.
And seeing these things, do you still continue blind, and will you not look up to the Ruler of all, the Lord of the universe? And will you not escape from those dungeons, and flee to the mercy that comes down from heaven? For God, of His great love to man, comes to the help of man, as the mother-bird flies to one of her young that has fallen out of the nest; and if a serpent open its mouth to swallow the little bird, "the mother flutters round, uttering cries of grief over her dear progeny; " and God the Father seeks His creature, and heals his transgression, and pursues the serpent, and recovers the young one, and incites it to fly up to the nest. Thus dogs that have strayed, track out their master by the scent; and horses that have thrown their riders, come to their master's call if he but whistle. "The ox," it is said, "knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel hath not known Me. What, then, of the Lord?
Do you see all this and still stay blind? Will you not look up to the Master of all, the Lord of the universe? Will you not escape from the prisons here and take refuge in the mercy that comes from heaven? Out of his great love for humanity, God holds fast to man, as a mother bird flies to a nestling that has fallen from the nest. If a creeping beast gapes at the chick, “the mother flutters around, wailing for her dear children.” But God the Father seeks his creature, heals his fall, drives off the beast, and takes the chick up again, urging it to fly back to the nest. Dogs that have wandered off track down their master by scent. Horses that have thrown their rider obey their master at a single whistle. “The ox knows its owner,” it says, “and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know me.” What, then, does the Lord do?
Translator’s note. The “it says” quotation is from Isaiah 1:3.
Scripture: Isaiah 1:3
οὐ μνησικακεῖ, ἔτι ἐλεεῖ, ἔτι τὴν μετάνοιαν ἀπαιτεῖ. ἐρέσθαι δὲ ὑμᾶς βούλομαι, εἰ οὐκ ἄτοπον ὑμῖν δοκεῖ πλάσμα ὑμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους [ἐπι]γεγονότας τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν εἰληφότας καὶ ὄντας ὅλως τοῦ θεοῦ ἑτέρῳ δουλεύειν δεσπότῃ, πρὸς δὲ καὶ θεραπεύειν ἀντὶ μὲν τοῦ βασιλέως τὸν τύραννον, ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ τὸν πονηρόν. τίς γάρ, ὢ πρὸς τῆς ἀληθείας, σωφρονῶν γε τἀγαθὸν καταλείπων κακίᾳ σύνεστιν; τίς δὲ ὅστις τὸν θεὸν ἀποφεύγων δαιμονίοις συμβιοῖ; τίς δὲ υἱὸς εἶναι δυνάμενος τοῦ θεοῦ δουλεύειν ἥδεται; ἢ τίς οὐρανοῦ πολίτης εἶναι δυνάμενος ἔρεβος διώκει, ἐξὸν παράδεισον γεωργεῖν καὶ οὐρανὸν περιπολεῖν καὶ τῆς ζωτικῆς καὶ ἀκηράτου μεταλαμβάνειν πηγῆς, κατ᾿ ἴχνος ἐκείνης τῆς φωτεινῆς ἀεροβατοῦντα νεφέλης, ὥσπερ ὁ Ἡλίας, θεωροῦντα τὸν ὑετὸν τὸν σωτήριον;
He remembers not our ill desert; He still pities, He still urges us to repentance. And I would ask you, if it does not appear to you monstrous, that you men who are God's handiwork, who have received your souls from Him, and belong wholly to God, should be subject to another master, and, what is more, serve the tyrant instead of the rightful King-the evil one instead of the good? For, in the name of truth, what man in his senses turns his back on good, and attaches himself to evil? What, then, is he who flees from God to consort with demons? Who, that may become a son of God, prefers to be in bondage? Or who is he that pursues his way to Erebus, when it is in his power to be a citizen of heaven, and to cultivate Paradise, and walk about in heaven and partake of the tree of life and immortality, and, cleaving his way through the sky in the track of the luminous cloud, behold, like Elias, the rain of salvation?
He does not hold grudges. He still shows pity, and he still calls for repentance. I want to ask you something. Does it not seem absurd to you that you, who are human beings, God’s own creation, who received your soul from him and belong wholly to God, should serve another master? Worse, you serve a tyrant in place of the king, and the evil one in place of the good. For tell me, by the truth, what sane person leaves the good behind and lives with wickedness? Who runs away from God to live with demons? Who, when he can be a son of God, enjoys being a slave? Or who, when he can be a citizen of heaven, chases after Erebus? He could instead tend Paradise, walk about in heaven, and share in the living, unpolluted spring. Like Elijah, he could travel through the air in the track of that shining cloud and watch the rain that brings salvation.
Translator’s note. Clement draws on the Elijah stories: the cloud and rain after the drought (1 Kings 18:44–45) and Elijah’s being taken up to heaven (2 Kings 2:11). “Shining cloud” is also the phrase used for the cloud at the Transfiguration, where Elijah appears (Matthew 17:5).
οἱ δὲ σκωλήκων δίκην περὶ τέλματα καὶ βορβόρους, τὰ ἡδονῆς ῥεύματα, καλινδούμενοι ἀνονήτους καὶ ἀνοήτους ἐκβόσκονται τρυφάς, ὑώδεις τινὲς ἄνθρωποι. ὕες γάρ, φησίν, »ἥδονται βορβόρῳ« μᾶλλον ἢ καθαρῷ ὕδατι καὶ »ἐπὶ φορυτῷ μαργαίνουσιν« κατὰ Δημόκριτον. μὴ δῆτα οὖν, μὴ δῆτα ἐξανδραποδισθῶμεν μηδὲ ὑώδεις γενώμεθα, ἀλλ᾿ »ὡς τέκνα φωτὸς« γνήσια, ἀναθρήσωμεν καὶ ἀναβλέψωμεν εἰς τὸ φῶς, μὴ νόθους ἡμᾶς ἐξελέγξῃ ὁ κύριος ὥσπερ ὁ ἥλιος τοὺς ἀετούς. μετανοήσωμεν οὖν καὶ μεταστῶμεν ἐξ ἀμαθίας εἰς ἐπιστήμην, ἐξ ἀφροσύνης εἰς φρόνησιν, ἐξ ἀκρασίας εἰς ἐγκράτειαν, ἐξ ἀδικίας εἰς δικαιοσύνην, ἐξ ἀθεότητος εἰς θεόν. καλὸς ὁ κίνδυνος αὐτομολεῖν πρὸς θεόν. πολλῶν δὲ καὶ ἄλλων ἔστιν ἀπολαῦσαι ἀγαθῶν τοὺς δικαιοσύνης ἐραστάς, οἳ τὴν ἀίδιον διώκομεν σωτηρίαν, ἀτὰρ δὴ καὶ ὧν αὐτὸς αἰνίττεται ὁ θεὸς διὰ Ἡσαΐου λαλῶν »ἔστι κληρονομία τοῖς θεραπεύουσι κύριον«· καλή γε καὶ ἐράσμιος ἡ κληρονομία, οὐ χρυσίον, οὐκ ἄργυρος, οὐκ ἐσθής, ἔνθα που σὴς καὶ [τὰ τῆς γῆς] λῃστής που καταδύεται περὶ τὸν χαμαίζηλον πλοῦτον ὀφθαλμιῶν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐκεῖνος ὁ θησαυρὸς τῆς σωτηρίας, πρὸς ὅν γε ἐπείγεσθαι χρὴ φιλολόγους γενομένους, συναπαίρει δὲ ἡμῖν ἐνθένδε τὰ ἔργα τὰ ἀστεῖα καὶ συνίπταται τῷ τῆς ἀληθείας πτερῷ.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἥδονται, βορβόρῳ«, »ἐπὶ, μαργαίνουσιν«, »ὡς, φωτὸς«). Check it against the printed edition.
Some there are, who, like worms wallowing in marshes and mud in the streams of pleasure, feed on foolish and useless delights-swinish men. For swine, it is said, like mud better than pure water; and, according to Democritus, "doat upon dirt. Let us not then be enslaved or become swinish; but, as true children of the light, let us raise our eyes and look on the light, lest the Lord discover us to be spurious, as the sun does the eagles. Let us therefore repent, and pass from ignorance to knowledge, from foolishness to wisdom, from licentiousness to self-restraint, from unrighteousness to righteousness, from godlessness to God. It is an enterprise of noble daring to take our way to God; and the enjoyment of many other good things is within the reach of the lovers of righteousness, who pursue eternal life, specially those things to which God Himself alludes, speaking by Isaiah: "There is an inheritance for those who serve the Lord. Noble and desirable is this inheritance: not gold, not silver, not raiment, which the moth assails, and things of earth which are assailed by the robber, whose eye is dazzled by worldly wealth; but it is that treasure of salvation to which we must hasten, by becoming lovers of the Word. Thence praise-worthy works descend to us, and fly with us on the wing of truth.
But others, like worms, roll about in swamps and mud, the streams of pleasure, and feed on useless and senseless luxuries. They are swinish people. For pigs, it is said, “enjoy mud” more than clean water, and, as Democritus says, “they go mad with desire over filth.” No, let us never, never be made slaves, and let us not become swinish. As true “children of light,” let us look up and gaze at the light, so that the Lord does not expose us as illegitimate, as the sun does with eagles. So let us repent and move from ignorance to knowledge, from folly to wisdom, from lack of self-control to self-control, from injustice to justice, and from godlessness to God. The risk of deserting to God’s side is a good one. Those of us who love righteousness and pursue eternal salvation can enjoy many other good things as well. Above all, there are the things God himself hints at when he speaks through Isaiah: “There is an inheritance for those who serve the Lord.” It is a fine and lovable inheritance. It is not gold, silver or clothing, where the moth creeps in, and where the thief, eyeing earthbound wealth, breaks in. It is that treasure of salvation, and we must hurry toward it, becoming lovers of the Word. Our good works depart with us from here and fly with us on the wing of truth.
Translator’s note. “Lovers of the Word” translates a Greek word that can also mean “lovers of learning” or “lovers of discourse.”
Scripture: Ephesians 5:8; Isaiah 54:17; Matthew 6:19-20
ταύτην ἡμῖν τὴν κληρονομίαν ἐγχειρίζει ἡ ἀίδιος διαθήκη τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν ἀίδιον δωρεὰν χορηγοῦσα· ὁ δὲ φιλόστοργος οὗτος ἡμῶν πατήρ, ὁ ὄντως πατήρ, οὐ παύεται προτρέπων, νουθετῶν, παιδεύων, φιλῶν· οὐδὲ γὰρ σῴζων παύεται, συμβουλεύει δὲ τὰ ἄριστα· »δίκαιοι γένεσθε, λέγει κύριος· οἱ διψῶντες πορεύεσθε ἐφ᾿ ὕδωρ, καὶ ὅσοι μὴ ἔχετε ἀργύριον, βαδίσατε καὶ ἀγοράσατε καὶ πίετε ἄνευ ἀργυρίου.« ἐπὶ τὸ λουτρόν, ἐπὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν, ἐπὶ τὸν φωτισμὸν παρακαλεῖ μονονουχὶ βοῶν καὶ λέγων· γῆν σοι δίδωμι καὶ θάλατταν, παιδίον, οὐρανόν τε καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς πάντα ζῷά σοι χαρίζομαι· μόνον, ὦ παιδίον, δίψησον τοῦ πατρός, ἀμισθεί σοι δειχθήσεται ὁ θεός· οὐ καπηλεύεται ἡ ἀλήθεια, δίδωσί σοι καὶ τὰ πτηνὰ καὶ τὰ νηκτὰ καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ταῦτά σου ταῖς εὐχαρίστοις τρυφαῖς δεδημιούργηκεν ὁ πατήρ.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»δίκαιοι, ἀργυρίου.«). Check it against the printed edition.
This is the inheritance with Which the eternal covenant of God invests us, conveying the everlasting gift of grace; and thus our loving Father-the true Father-ceases not to exhort, admonish, train, love us. For He ceases not to save, and advises the best course: "Become righteous," says the Lord. Ye that thirst, come to the water; and ye that have no money, come, and buy and drink without money. He invites to the layer, to salvation, to illumination, all but crying out and saying, The land I give thee, and the sea, my child, and heaven too; and all the living creatures in them I freely bestow upon thee. Only, O child, thirst for thy Father; God shall be revealed to thee without price; the truth is not made merchandise of. He gives thee all creatures that fly and swim, and those on the land. These the Father has created for thy thankful enjoyment.
The eternal covenant of God hands this inheritance over to us, supplying an everlasting gift. This loving Father of ours, the one who is truly a Father, never stops urging, warning, training and loving us. For he never stops saving us, and he gives the best advice: “Become righteous, says the Lord. You who are thirsty, go to the water. And all of you who have no money, go, buy and drink without money.” He calls us to the washing, to salvation, to enlightenment. He all but cries out and says: “I give you land and sea, child, and heaven too, and I freely give you all the living creatures in them.” Only thirst for your Father, child. God will be shown to you without payment. The truth is not peddled in the marketplace. He gives you the birds, the fish, and the animals of the land. The Father made all these for you to enjoy with thanksgiving.
Translator’s note. The words “You who are thirsty... without money” are Isaiah 55:1. The opening words, “Become righteous, says the Lord,” do not match any single known Bible verse.
Scripture: Isaiah 55:1
ἀργυρίῳ μὲν ὠνήσεται ὁ νόθος, ὃς ἀπωλείας ἐστὶ παιδίον, ὃς »μαμωνᾷ δουλεύειν« προῄρηται, σοὶ δὲ τὰ σὰ ἐπιτρέπει, τῷ γνησίῳ λέγω, τῷ φιλοῦντι τὸν πατέρα, δι᾿ ὃν ἔτι ἐργάζεται, ᾧ μόνῳ καὶ ὑπισχνεῖται λέγων· »καὶ ἡ γῆ οὐ πραθήσεται εἰς βεβαίωσιν·« οὐ γὰρ κυροῦται τῇ φθορᾷ· »ἐμὴ γάρ ἐστιν πᾶσα ἡ γῆ,« ἔστι δὲ καὶ σή, ἐὰν ἀπολάβῃς τὸν θεόν. ὅθεν ἡ γραφὴ εἰκότως εὐαγγελίζεται τοῖς πεπιστευκόσιν· »οἱ δὲ ἅγιοι κυρίου κληρονομήσουσι τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ.« ποίαν, ὦ μακάριε, δόξαν, εἰπέ μοι· »ἣν ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν οὐδὲ οὖς ἤκουσεν, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη· καὶ χαρήσονται ἐπὶ τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ κυρίου αὐτῶν εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀμήν.« ἔχετε, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, τὴν θείαν τῆς χάριτος ἐπαγγελίαν, ἀκηκόατε καὶ τὴν ἄλλην τῆς κολάσεως ἀπειλήν, δι᾿ ὧν ὁ κύριος σῴζει, φόβῳ καὶ χάριτι παιδαγωγῶν τὸν ἄνθρωπον· τί μέλλομεν;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»μαμωνᾷ, δουλεύειν«, »καὶ, βεβαίωσιν·«, »ἐμὴ, γῆ,«). Check it against the printed edition.
What the bastard, who is a son of perdition, foredoomed to be the slave of mammon, has to buy for money, He assigns to thee as thine own, even to His own son who loves the Father; for whose sake He still works, and to whom alone He promises, saying, "The land shall not be sold in perpetuity," for it is not destined to corruption. "For the whole land is mine; "and it is thine too, if thou receive God. Wherefore the Scripture, as might have been expected, proclaims good news to those who have believed. "The saints of the Lord shall inherit the glory of God and His power. What glory, tell me, O blessed One, which "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man; " and "they shall be glad in the kingdom of their Lord for ever and ever! Amen. You have, O men, the divine promise of grace; you have heard, on the other hand, the threatening of punishment: by these the Lord saves, teaching men by fear and grace. Why do we delay?
The illegitimate one, a child of destruction who has chosen to “serve mammon,” will have to buy things with money. But God entrusts to you what is yours. I mean to you, the true child, who loves the Father, and for whose sake he is still at work. To this child alone he makes the promise: “And the land will not be sold into permanent ownership.” For it is not signed over to decay. “For all the land is mine,” and it is also yours, if you receive God. So the Scripture rightly brings good news to those who have believed: “The holy ones of the Lord will inherit the glory of God and his power.” What glory, blessed one? Tell me. The glory “which no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered the human heart. And they will rejoice in the kingdom of their Lord forever. Amen.” You people have the divine promise of grace. You have also heard the other side, the threat of punishment. By both of these the Lord saves, training people with fear and with grace. Why are we waiting?
Translator’s note. The saying about the saints inheriting God’s glory has no exact match in our Bibles. “What no eye has seen...” is close to 1 Corinthians 2:9, which echoes Isaiah 64:4.
Scripture: Matthew 6:24; Leviticus 25:23; 1 Corinthians 2:9
τί οὐκ ἐκκλίνομεν τὴν κόλασιν; τί οὐ καταδεχόμεθα τὴν δωρεάν; τί δὲ οὐχ αἱρούμεθα τὰ βελτίονα, θεὸν ἀντὶ τοῦ πονηροῦ, καὶ σοφίαν εἰδωλολατρείας προκρίνομεν καὶ ζωὴν ἀντικαταλλασσόμεθα θανάτου; »ἰδοὺ τέθεικα πρὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν,« φησί, »τὸν θάνατον καὶ τὴν ζωήν.« πειράζει σε ὁ κύριος ἐκλέξασθαι τὴν ζωήν, συμβουλεύει σοι ὡς πατὴρ πείθεσθαι τῷ θεῷ. »ἐὰν γὰρ ἀκούσητέ μου«, φησί, »καὶ θελήσητε, τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς γῆς φάγεσθε,« ὑπακοῆς ἡ χάρις· »ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ὑπακούσητέ μου μηδὲ θελήσητε, μάχαιρα ὑμᾶς καὶ πῦρ κατέδεται,« παρακοῆς ἡ κρίσις. »τὸ γὰρ στόμα κυρίου ἐλάλησεν ταῦτα·« νόμος ἀληθείας λόγος κυρίου· βούλεσθε ὑμῖν ἀγαθὸς γένωμαι σύμβουλος; ἀλλ᾿ ὑμεῖς μὲν ἀκούσατε· ἐγὼ δέ, εἰ δυνατόν, ἐνδείξομαι. ἐχρῆν μὲν ὑμᾶς, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, αὐτοῦ πέρι ἐννοουμένους τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἔμφυτον ἐπάγεσθαι πίστιν, μάρτυρα ἀξιόχρεων αὐτόθεν οἴκοθεν, περιφανῶς αἱρουμένην τὸ βέλτιστον, μηδὲ ζητεῖν εἰ μεταδιωκτέον, τὸ δ᾿ ἀγαθὸν ἐκπονεῖν.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἰδοὺ, ὑμῶν,«, »τὸν, ζωήν.«, »ἐὰν, μου«,). Check it against the printed edition.
Why do we not shun the punishment? Why do we not receive the free gift? Why, in fine. do we not choose the better part, God instead of the evil one, and prefer wisdom to idolatry, and take life in exchange for death? "Behold," He says, "I have set before your face death and life. The Lord tries you, that "you may choose life. He counsels yon as a father to obey God. "For if ye hear Me," He says, "and be willing, ye shall eat the good things of the land: " this is the grace attached to obedience. "But if ye obey Me not, and are unwilling, the sword and fire shall devour you: " this is the penalty of disobedience. For the mouth of the Lord-the law of truth, the word of the Lord-hath spoken these things. Are you willing that I should be your good counsellor? Well, do you hear. I, if possible, will explain. You ought, O men, when reflecting on the Good, to have brought forward a witness inborn and competent, viz, faith, which of itself, and from its own resources, chooses at once what is best, instead of occupying yourselves in painfully inquiring whether what is best ought to be followed.
Why do we not turn away from the punishment? Why do we not accept the gift? Why do we not choose the better things: God instead of the evil one, wisdom over idol-worship, life in exchange for death? “See,” he says, “I have set death and life before your face.” The Lord is trying to get you to choose life. Like a father, he advises you to obey God. “For if you listen to me,” he says, “and are willing, you will eat the good things of the land.” That is the grace given for obedience. “But if you do not obey me and are not willing, the sword and fire will devour you.” That is the judgment on disobedience. “For the mouth of the Lord has spoken these things.” The word of the Lord is a law of truth. Do you want me to be a good counselor to you? Then listen, and I will show you what I can. People, when you thought about the Good itself, you ought to have brought in an inborn faith. That would have been a trustworthy witness from your own household, plainly choosing what is best. Then you would not ask whether the Good should be pursued, but would work hard at it.
Translator’s note. “Death and life” comes from Deuteronomy 30:15 and 30:19, where Moses urges Israel to “choose life.” The two “if” sayings and “the mouth of the Lord has spoken” are from Isaiah 1:19–20. The words “grace” and “judgment” are Clement’s own comments on them.
Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:15; Deuteronomy 30:19; Isaiah 1:19-20
καὶ γὰρ εἴ τῳ μεθυστέον, φέρε εἰπεῖν, ἀμφιβάλλειν χρή· ὑμεῖς δὲ πρὶν ἢ ἐπισκέψασθαι μεθύετε· καὶ εἰ ὑβριστέον, οὐ πολυπραγμονεῖτε, ἀλλ᾿ ᾗ τάχος ὑβρίζετε. μόνον δ᾿ ἄρα εἰ θεοσεβητέον, ζητεῖτε, καὶ εἰ τῷ σοφῷ τούτῳ [δὴ] τῷ θεῷ καὶ τῷ Χριστῷ κατακολουθητέον, τοῦτο δὴ βουλῆς καὶ σκέψεως ἀξιοῦτε, οὐδ᾿ ὃ πρέπει θεῷ, ὅ τι ποτέ ἐστι, νενοηκότες. πιστεύσατε ἡμῖν κἂν ὡς μέθῃ, ἵνα σωφρονήσητε· πιστεύσατε κἂν ὡς ὕβρει, ἵνα ζήσητε. εἰ δὲ καὶ πείθεσθαι βούλεσθε τὴν ἐναργῆ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐποπτεύσαντες πίστιν, φέρε ὑμῖν ἐκ περιουσίας τὴν περὶ τοῦ λόγου παραθήσομαι πειθώ. ὑμεῖς δέ, οὐ γὰρ τὰ πάτρια ὑμᾶς ἔτι τῆς ἀληθείας ἀπασχολεῖ ἔθη προκατηχημένους, ἀκούοιτ᾿ ἂν ἤδη τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο ὅπως ἔχει· καὶ δὴ μή τις ὑμᾶς τοῦδε τοῦ ὀνόματος αἰσχύνη προκαταλαμβανέτω, »ἥτ᾿ ἄνδρας μέγα σίνεται,« παρατρέπουσα σωτηρίας.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἥτ᾿, σίνεται,«). Check it against the printed edition.
For, allow me to tell you, you ought to doubt whether you should get drunk, but you get drunk before reflecting on the matter; and whether you ought to do an injury, but you do injury with the utmost readiness. The only thing you make the subject of question is, whether God should be worshipped, and whether this wise God and Christ should be followed: and this you think requires deliberation and doubt, and know not what is worthy of God. Have faith in us, as you have in drunkenness, that you may be wise; have faith in us, as you have in injury, that you may live. But if, acknowledging the conspicuous trustworthiness of the virtues, you wish to trust them, come and I will set before you in abundance, materials of persuasion respecting the Word. But do you-for your ancestral customs, by which your minds are preoccupied, divert you from the truth,-do you now hear what is the real state of the case as follows. And let not any shame of this name preoccupy you, which does great harm to men, and seduces them from salvation.
Take drunkenness, for example. If anyone is going to get drunk, he ought to hesitate over it. But you get drunk before you even think about it. And if you are going to behave outrageously, you make no inquiry at all; you do it as fast as you can. Only when it comes to worshiping God do you start asking questions. Should we follow this wise God and Christ? That is the one thing you think deserves deliberation and study, though you have not even grasped what is fitting for God, whatever that is. Believe us at least as you believe drunkenness, so that you may become sober. Believe us at least as you believe outrage, so that you may live. But if you want to be persuaded after looking at the clear assurance that the virtues give, then I will set before you, from my abundance, the case for the Word. As for you, your ancestral customs no longer keep you busy and distract you from the truth, now that you have already been instructed. So you can now hear how the rest of the matter stands. Do not let any shame at this name take hold of you first. That shame “greatly harms men” and turns them aside from salvation.
Translator’s note. “Greatly harms men” is from a line of Homer (Iliad 24.45), also found in Hesiod (Works and Days 318). The original line is about shame, which “greatly harms men, and helps them too.” Clement quotes only the harmful half.
ἀποδυσάμενοι δ᾿ οὖν περιφανῶς ἐν τῷ τῆς ἀληθείας σταδίῳ γνησίως ἀγωνιζώμεθα, βραβεύοντος μὲν τοῦ λόγου τοῦ ἁγίου, ἀγωνοθετοῦντος δὲ τοῦ δεσπότου τῶν ὅλων. οὐ γὰρ σμικρὸν ἡμῖν τὸ ἆθλον ἀθανασία πρόκειται. μὴ οὖν ἔτι φροντίζετε μηδὲ [εἰ] ὀλίγον, τί ὑμᾶς ἀγορεύουσι σύρφακές τινες ἀγοραῖοι, δεισιδαιμονίας ἄθεοι χορευταί, ἀνοίᾳ καὶ παρανοίᾳ ἐς αὐτὸ ὠθούμενοι τὸ βάραθρον, εἰδώλων ποιηταὶ καὶ λίθων προσκυνηταί· οἵδε γὰρ ἀνθρώπους ἀποθεοῦν τετολμήκασι, τρισκαιδέκατον Ἀλέξανδρον τὸν Μακεδόνα ἀναγράφοντες θεόν, »ὃν Βαβυλὼν ἤλεγξε νεκρόν.« ἄγαμαι τοίνυν τὸν Χῖον σοφιστήν, Θεόκριτος ὄνομα αὐτῷ· μετὰ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρου τελευτὴν ἐπισκώπτων ὁ Θεόκριτος τὰς δόξας τὰς κενὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἃς εἶχον περὶ θεῶν, πρὸς τοὺς πολίτας »ἄνδρες,« εἶπεν, »θαρρεῖτε ἄχρις ἂν ὁρᾶτε τοὺς θεοὺς πρότερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀποθνῄσκοντας.« θεοὺς δὲ δὴ τοὺς ὁρατοὺς καὶ τὸν σύγκλυδα τῶν γενητῶν τούτων ὄχλον ὁ προσκυνῶν καὶ προσεταιριζόμενος, αὐτῶν ἐκείνων τῶν δαιμόνων ἀθλιώτερος μακρῷ.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ὃν, νεκρόν.«, »ἄνδρες,«, »θαρρεῖτε, ἀποθνῄσκοντας.«). Check it against the printed edition.
Let us then openly strip for the contest, and nobly strive in the arena of truth, the holy Word being the judge, and the Lord of the universe prescribing the contest. For 'tis no insignificant prize, the guerdon of immortality which is set before us. Pay no more regard, then, if you are rated by some of the low rabble who lead the dance of impiety, and are driven on to the same pit by their folly and insanity, makers of idols and worshippers of stones. For these have dared to deify men,-Alexander of Macedon, for example, whom they canonized as the thirteenth god, whose pretensions Babylon confuted, which showed him dead. I admire, therefore, the divine sophist. Theocritus was his name. After Alexander's death, Theocritus, holding up the vain opinions entertained by men respecting the gods, to ridicule before his fellow-citizens, said: "Men, keep up your hearts as long as you see the gods dying sooner than men. And, truly, he who worships gods that are visible, and the promiscuous rabble of creatures begotten and born, and attaches himself to them, is a far more wretched object than the very demons.
So let us strip openly and compete in the stadium of truth like true athletes. The holy Word will be the umpire, and the Master of all things will preside over the contest. The prize set before us is not a small one: immortality. So do not worry any more, not even a little, about what some marketplace rabble say about you. They are godless dancers in the chorus of superstition, driven by folly and madness into the very pit. They make idols and bow down to stones. These people have dared to turn men into gods. They have even listed Alexander the Macedonian as a thirteenth god, though “Babylon exposed him as a corpse.” So I admire the sophist from Chios, whose name was Theocritus. After Alexander’s death, Theocritus mocked the empty ideas people held about gods. He said to his fellow citizens, “Men, take courage, as long as you see the gods dying before men.” But whoever worships the visible gods, and this mixed crowd of created things, and attaches himself to them, is far more wretched than those demons themselves.
Translator’s note. “Thirteenth god” means one more than the twelve Olympian gods. The Greek calls Theocritus “the sophist from Chios,” that is, from the island of Chios.
θεὸς γὰρ οὐδαμῇ οὐδαμῶς ἄδικος ὥσπερ οἱ δαίμονες, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς οἷόν τε δικαιότατος, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῷ ὁμοιότερον οὐδὲν ἢ ὃς ἂν ἡμῶν γένηται ὅτι δικαιότατος. βᾶτ᾿ εἰς ὁδὸν δὴ πᾶς ὁ χειρῶναξ λεώς, οἳ τὴν Διὸς γοργῶπιν Ἐργάνην θεὸν στατοῖσι λίκνοις προστρέπεσθε, ἠλίθιοι τῶν λίθων δημιουργοί τε καὶ προσκυνηταί. ὁ Φειδίας ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ Πολύκλειτος ἡκόντων Πραξιτέλης τε αὖ καὶ Ἀπελλῆς καὶ ὅσοι τὰς βαναύσους μετέρχονται τέχνας, γήινοι γῆς ὄντες ἐργάται. τότε γὰρ φησί τις προφητεία δυστυχήσειν τὰ τῇδε πράγματα, ὅταν ἀνδριᾶσι πιστεύσωσιν. ἡκόντων οὖν αὖθις, οὐ γὰρ ἀνήσω καλῶν, οἱ μικροτέχναι. οὐδείς που τούτων ἔμπνουν εἰκόνα δεδημιούργηκεν, οὐδὲ μὴν ἐκ γῆς μαλθακὴν ἐμάλαξε σάρκα. τίς ἔτηξε μυελὸν ἢ τίς ἔπηξεν ὀστέα;
For God is by no manner of means unrighteous, as the demons are, but in the very highest degree righteous; and nothing more resembles God than one of us when he becomes righteous in the highest possible degree:- "Go into the way, the whole tribe of you handicrafts-men, Who worship Jove's fierce-eyed daughter, the working goddess, With fans duly placed, fools that ye are" -fashioners of stones, and worshippers of them. Let your Phidias, and Polycletus, and your Praxiteles and Apelles too, come, and all that are engaged in mechanical arts, who, being themselves of the earth, are workers of the earth. "For then," says a certain prophecy, "the affairs here turn out unfortunately, when men put their trust in images. Let the meaner artists, too-for I will not stop calling-come. None of these ever made a breathing image, or out of earth moulded soft flesh.
For God is not unjust in any way, as the demons are. He is as perfectly just as can be. Nothing is more like him than the one of us who becomes perfectly just. “Be on your way, all you working folk, who turn in prayer to Ergane, the fierce-eyed goddess, daughter of Zeus, with winnowing-baskets set up beside you.” You fools, you are makers and worshipers of stones! Let your Phidias come, and Polycleitus, and Praxiteles and Apelles, and everyone who practices the manual crafts. They are earthly men, workers in earth. For a certain prophecy says that affairs here will go badly when people put their trust in statues. So let the petty craftsmen come again, for I will not stop calling. Not one of them has ever made a breathing image, or kneaded soft flesh out of earth. Who melted the marrow? Who set the bones?
Translator’s note. Phidias, Polycleitus and Praxiteles were famous sculptors, and Apelles a famous painter.
τίς νεῦρα διέτεινεν ἢ τίς φλέβας ἐφύσησεν; τίς αἷμα ἐνέχεεν ἐν αὐταῖς ἢ τίς δέρμα περιέτεινεν; ποῦ δ᾿ ἄν τις αὐτῶν ὀφθαλμοὺς ποιήσαι βλέποντας; τίς ἐνεφύσησε ψυχήν; τίς δικαιοσύνην ἐδωρήσατο; τίς ἀθανασίαν ὑπέσχηται; μόνος ὁ τῶν ὅλων δημιουργός, ὁ »ἀριστοτέχνας πατήρ,« τοιοῦτον ἄγαλμα ἔμψυχον ἡμᾶς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἔπλασεν· ὁ δὲ Ὀλύμπιος ὑμῶν, εἰκόνος εἰκών, πολύ τι τῆς ἀληθείας ἀπᾴδων, ἔργον ἐστὶ κωφὸν χειρῶν Ἀττικῶν. »εἰκὼν« μὲν γὰρ »τοῦ θεοῦ« ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ (καὶ υἱὸς τοῦ νοῦ γνήσιος ὁ θεῖος λόγος, φωτὸς ἀρχέτυπον φῶς), εἰκὼν δὲ τοῦ λόγου ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ ἀληθινός, ὁ νοῦς ὁ ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ, ὁ »κατ᾿ εἰκόνα« τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ »καθ᾿ ὁμοίωσιν« διὰ τοῦτο γεγενῆσθαι λεγόμενος, τῇ κατὰ καρδίαν φρονήσει τῷ θείῳ παρεικαζόμενος λόγῳ καὶ ταύτῃ λογικός.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἀριστοτέχνας, πατήρ,«, »εἰκὼν«, »τοῦ, θεοῦ«, »κατ᾿). Check it against the printed edition.
Who liquefied the marrow? or who solidified the bones? Who stretched the nerves? who distended the veins? Who poured the blood into them? Or who spread the skin? Who ever could have made eyes capable of seeing? Who breathed spirit into the lifeless form? Who bestowed righteousness? Who promised immortality? The Maker of the universe alone; the Great Artist and Father has formed us, such a living image as man is. But your Olympian Jove, the image of an image, greatly out of harmony with truth, is the senseless work of Attic hands. For the image of God is His Word, the genuine Son of Mind, the Divine Word, the archetypal light of light; and the image of the Word is the true man, the mind which is in man, who is therefore said to have been made "in the image and likeness of God," assimilated to the Divine Word in the affections of the soul, and therefore rational; but effigies sculptured in human form, the earthly image of that part of man which is visible and earth-born, are but a perishable impress of humanity, manifestly wide of the truth.
Who stretched the sinews? Who made the veins swell? Who poured blood into them? Who stretched the skin around the body? Which of them could ever make eyes that see? Who breathed a soul into it? Who gave righteousness? Who promised immortality? Only the Maker of the universe, “the Father, the best of craftsmen,” formed us human beings as such a living statue. But your Olympian, an image of an image, far out of tune with the truth, is the dumb work of Attic hands. For the “image of God” is his Word. The divine Word is the true Son of the Mind, light that is the original pattern of light. The image of the Word is the true human being, the mind in man. For this reason he is said to have been made “in the image” and “after the likeness” of God. By the understanding in his heart he is made like the divine Word, and in this way he is rational.
Translator’s note. “Image of God” echoes Colossians 1:15 (compare 2 Corinthians 4:4). “Image” and “likeness” echo Genesis 1:26. “Breathed a soul into” recalls Genesis 2:7.
Scripture: Genesis 2:7; Genesis 1:26; Colossians 1:15; 2 Corinthians 4:4
ἀνθρώπου δὲ τοῦ ὁρωμένου τοῦ γηγενοῦς γήινος εἰκὼν τὰ ἀγάλματα τὰ ἀνδρείκελα καὶ πόρρω τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπίκαιρον ἐκμαγεῖον καταφαίνεται. οὐδὲν οὖν ἀλλ᾿ ἢ μανίας ἔμπλεως ὁ βίος ἔδοξέ μοι γεγονέναι, τοσαύτῃ σπουδῇ περὶ τὴν ὕλην καταγινόμενος. ἐπιτέτριπται δὲ ὑπὸ κενῆς δόξης ἡ συνήθεια δουλείας μὲν γεύσασα ὑμᾶς καὶ ἀλόγου περιεργασίας· νομίμων δὲ ἀνόμων καὶ ἀπατηλῶν ὑποκρίσεων ἄγνοια αἰτία, ἣ δὴ † κατασκευασθεῖσα τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος κηρῶν ὀλεθρίων καὶ εἰδώλων ἐπιστυγῶν πολλὰς τῶν δαιμόνων ἐπινοήσασα μορφάς, κηλῖδα τοῖς ἑπομένοις αὐτῇ ἐναπεμάξατο θανάτου μακροῦ. λάβετε οὖν ὕδωρ λογικόν, λούσασθε οἱ μεμολυσμένοι, περιρράνατε αὑτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς συνηθείας ταῖς ἀληθιναῖς σταγόσιν· καθαροὺς εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀναβῆναι δεῖ. ἄνθρωπος εἶ, τὸ κοινότατον, ἐπιζήτησον τὸν δημιουργήσαντά σε· υἱὸς εἶ, τὸ ἰδιαίτατον, ἀναγνώρισον τὸν πατέρα.
That life, then, which is occupied with so much earnestness about matter, seems to me to be nothing else than full of insanity. And custom, which has made you taste bondage and unreasonable care, is fostered by vain opinion; and ignorance, which has proved to the human race the cause of unlawful rites and delusive shows, and also of deadly plagues and hateful images, has, by devising many shapes of demons, stamped on all that follow it the mark of long-continued death. Receive, then, the water of the word; wash, ye polluted ones; purify yourselves from custom, by sprinkling yourselves with the drops of truth. The pure must ascend to heaven. Thou art a man, if we look to that which is most common to thee and others-seek Him who created thee; thou art a son, if we look to that which is thy peculiar prerogative-acknowledge thy Father.
But the man-shaped statues are only an earthly image of the visible, earth-born man. They are a short-lived imprint, plainly far from the truth. To me, then, human life seems to have become nothing but madness, when it spends such zeal on raw material. Custom has given you a taste of slavery and of senseless, overbusy concern, and it has been corrupted by empty opinion. Ignorance is the cause of lawless customs and deceitful pretenses. It has devised many forms of demons, deadly fates and hateful idols for the human race, and it has stamped the stain of long death on those who follow it. So take the water of the Word. Wash, you who are defiled. Sprinkle yourselves clean of custom with the true drops. The pure must go up into the heavens. You are a human being, which is the most common thing about you, so look for the one who made you. You are a son, which is the most personal thing about you, so acknowledge your Father.
Translator’s note. “Wash, you who are defiled” may echo Isaiah 1:16, “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean.”
Scripture: Isaiah 1:16
σὺ δὲ ἔτι ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις παραμένεις, προστετηκὼς ἡδοναῖς; τίνι λαλήσει κύριος »ὑμῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν«; ὑμῶν ἐστιν, ἐὰν θελήσητε, τῶν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν τὴν προαίρεσιν ἐσχηκότων· ὑμῶν, ἐὰν ἐθελήσητε πιστεῦσαι μόνον καὶ τῇ συντομίᾳ τοῦ κηρύγματος ἕπεσθαι, ἧς ὑπακούσαντες οἱ Νινευῖται τῆς προσδοκηθείσης ἁλώσεως μετανοίᾳ γνησίῳ τὴν καλὴν ἀντικατηλλάξαντο σωτηρίαν. πῶς οὖν ἀνέλθω, φησίν, εἰς οὐρανούς; »ὁδός« ἐστιν ὁ κύριος, »στενὴ« μέν, ἀλλ᾿ »ἐξ οὐρανῶν,« στενὴ μέν, ἀλλ᾿ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀναπέμπουσα· στενὴ ἐπὶ γῆς ὑπερορωμένη, πλατεῖα ἐν οὐρανοῖς προσκυνουμένη. εἶθ᾿ ὁ μὲν ἄπυστος τοῦ λόγου συγγνώμην τῆς πλάνης ἔχει τὴν ἄγνοιαν, ὁ δὲ εἰς ὦτα βαλλόμενος [καὶ] τῇ ψυχῇ παρὰ τῆς γνώμης φέρει τὴν ἀπείθειαν, καὶ ὅσῳ γε φρονιμώτερος εἶναι δόξει, πρὸς κακοῦ ἡ σύνεσις αὐτῷ, ὅτι τῇ φρονήσει κέχρηται κατηγόρῳ τὸ βέλτιστον οὐχ ἑλόμενος· πέφυκε γὰρ ὡς ἄνθρωπος οἰκείως ἔχειν πρὸς θεόν.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ὑμῶν, οὐρανῶν«;, »ὁδός«, »στενὴ«, »ἐξ, οὐρανῶν,«). Check it against the printed edition.
But do you still continue in your sins, engrossed with pleasures? To whom shall the Lord say, "Yours is the kingdom of heaven? "Yours, whose choice is set on God, if you will; yours, if you will only believe, and comply with the brief terms of the announcement; which the Ninevites having obeyed, instead of the destruction they looked for, obtained a signal deliverance. How, then, may I ascend to heaven, is it said? The Lord is the way; a strait way, but leading from heaven, strait in truth, but leading back to heaven, strait, despised on earth; broad, adored in heaven. Then, he that is uninstructed in the word, has ignorance as the excuse of his error; but as for him into whose ears instruction has been poured, and who deliberately maintains his incredulity in his soul, the wiser he appears to be, the more harm will his understanding do him; for he has his own sense as his accuser for not having chosen the best part. For man has been otherwise constituted by nature, so as to have fellowship with God.
Yet do you still stay in your sins, clinging to pleasures? To whom will the Lord say, “Yours is the kingdom of the heavens”? It is yours if you are willing, you who have set your choice toward God. It is yours if you are willing simply to believe and to follow the short, plain message. The Ninevites obeyed that message. By genuine repentance they exchanged the capture they expected for a good salvation. “How then,” someone asks, “shall I go up to the heavens?” The Lord is “the way.” It is “narrow,” but it comes “from the heavens.” It is narrow, but it sends us up to the heavens. It is narrow on earth, where it is despised, and wide in the heavens, where it is worshiped. Now the person who has never heard the word has his ignorance to excuse his error. But the person who has heard it with his own ears carries disobedience in his soul by his own decision. The wiser he seems to be, the more his understanding works against him. By not choosing the best, he has made his own good sense his accuser. For by nature, as a human being, he is made for close kinship with God.
Translator’s note. The Greek (oikeiōs echein pros theon) says that a human being is by nature closely akin to God.
Scripture: John 14:6; Matthew 7:14
ὥσπερ οὖν τὸν ἵππον ἀροῦν οὐ βιαζόμεθα οὐδὲ τὸν ταῦρον κυνηγετεῖν, πρὸς ὃ πέφυκε δὲ ἕκαστον τῶν ζῴων περιέλκομεν, οὕτως ἀμέλει καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐπὶ τὴν οὐρανοῦ γενόμενον θέαν, φυτὸν οὐράνιον ὡς ἀληθῶς, ἐπὶ τὴν γνῶσιν παρακαλοῦμεν τοῦ θεοῦ, τὸ οἰκεῖον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξαίρετον καὶ ἰδιωματικὸν παρὰ τὰ ἄλλα ζῷα κατειλημμένοι, αὔταρκες ἐφόδιον αἰώνων, θεοσέβειαν, παρασκευάζεσθαι συμβουλεύοντες. γεώργει, φαμέν, εἰ γεωργὸς εἶ, ἀλλὰ γνῶθι τὸν θεὸν γεωργῶν, καὶ πλεῖθι ὁ τῆς ναυτιλίας ἐρῶν, ἀλλὰ τὸν οὐράνιον κυβερνήτην παρακαλῶν· στρατευόμενόν σε κατείληφεν ἡ γνῶσις· τοῦ δίκαια σημαίνοντος ἄκουε στρατηγοῦ. καθάπερ οὖν κάρῳ καὶ μέθῃ βεβαρημένοι ἀνανήψατε καὶ διαβλέψαντες ὀλίγον ἐννοήθητε, τί θέλουσιν ὑμῖν οἱ προσκυνούμενοι λίθοι καὶ ἃ περὶ τὴν ὕλην κενοσπούδως δαπανᾶτε· εἰς ἄγνοιαν [καὶ] τὰ χρήματα καὶ τὸν βίον ὡς τὸ ζῆν ὑμῶν εἰς θάνατον καταναλίσκετε, τοῦτο μόνον τῆς ματαίας ὑμῶν ἐλπίδος εὑρόμενοι τὸ πέρας, οὐδὲ αὑτοὺς οἷοί τε ὄντες οἰκτεῖραι, ἀλλ᾿ οὐδὲ τοῖς κατελεῶσιν ὑμᾶς τῆς πλάνης ἐπιτήδειοι πείθεσθαι γίνεσθε, συνηθείᾳ κακῇ δεδουλωμένοι, ἧς ἀπηρτημένοι αὐθαίρετοι μέχρι τῆς ἐσχάτης ἀναπνοῆς εἰς ἀπώλειαν ὑποφέρεσθε· »ὅτι τὸ φῶς ἐλήλυθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον καὶ ἠγάπησαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι μᾶλλον τὸ σκότος ἢ τὸ φῶς,« ἐξὸν ἀπομάξασθαι τὰ ἐμποδὼν τῇ σωτηρίᾳ καὶ τὸν τῦφον καὶ τὸν πλοῦτον καὶ τὸν φόβον, ἐπιφθεγγομένους τὸ ποιητικὸν δὴ τοῦτο πῇ δὴ χρήματα πολλὰ φέρω τάδε;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ὅτι, φῶς,«). Check it against the printed edition.
As, then, we do not compel the horse to plough, or the bull to hunt, but set each animal to that for which it is by nature fitted; so, placing our finger on what is man's peculiar and distinguishing characteristic above other creatures, we invite him-born, as he is, for the contemplation of heaven, and being, as he is, a truly heavenly plant-to the knowledge of God, counselling him to furnish himself with what is his sufficient provision for eternity, namely piety. Practise husbandry, we say, if you are a husbandman; but while you till your fields, know God. Sail the sea, you who are devoted to navigation, yet call the whilst on the heavenly Pilot. Has knowledge taken hold of you while engaged in military service? Listen to the commander, who orders what is right. As those, then, who have been overpowered with sleep and drunkenness, do ye awake; and using your eyes a little, consider what mean those stones which you worship, and the expenditure you frivolously lavish on matter. Your means and substance you squander on ignorance, even as you throw away your lives to death, having found no other end of your vain hope than this. Not only unable to pity yourselves, you are incapable even of yielding to the persuasions of those who commiserate you; enslaved as you are to evil custom, and, clinging to it voluntarily till your last breath, you are hurried to destruction: "because light is come into the world, and men have loved the darkness rather than the light," while they could sweep away those hindrances to salvation, pride, and wealth, and fear, repeating this poetic utterance:- "Whither do I bear these abundant riches? and whither Do I myself wander?
We do not force a horse to plough or a bull to hunt. We lead each animal toward what it is naturally suited for. In the same way we call human beings to the knowledge of God. They were made to gaze at heaven, and they are truly a heavenly plant. We have grasped what belongs to them and sets them apart from the other living creatures. So we advise them to equip themselves with godliness, a provision sufficient for the ages. We say: if you are a farmer, farm, but know God as you farm. You who love the sea, sail, but call on the heavenly pilot. Has knowledge found you as a soldier? Listen to the commander who gives just orders. So, like people weighed down with stupor and drunkenness, sober up. Open your eyes a little and think what the stones you worship mean to you, and what you spend with empty zeal on mere matter. You waste your money and your livelihood on ignorance, just as you waste your life on death. That is the only end your vain hope finds. You cannot even pity yourselves, and you are not ready to listen to those who pity you for your error. You are enslaved to a bad custom. You cling to it by your own choice until your last breath, and so you are carried off to ruin. “For the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light.” Yet you could wipe away what stands in the way of your salvation: conceit, wealth and fear. You could say aloud that line of the poet: “Where am I carrying all this wealth?
Translator’s note. The poet’s lines are from Homer’s Odyssey (13.203-204). Odysseus speaks them when he wakes up in Ithaca and does not recognize where he is.
Scripture: John 3:19
πῇ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς πλάζομαι; οὐ βούλεσθε οὖν τὰς φαντασίας ταύτας τὰς κενὰς ἀπορρίψαντες τῇ συνηθείᾳ αὐτῇ ἀποτάξασθαι, κενοδοξίᾳ ἐπιλέγοντες· ψευδεῖς ὄνειροι χαίρετ᾿, οὐδὲν ἦτ᾿ ἄρα; τί γὰρ ἡγεῖσθε, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, τὸν Τύχωνα Ἑρμῆν καὶ τὸν Ἀνδοκίδου καὶ τὸν Ἀμύητον; ἦ παντί τῳ δῆλον ὅτι λίθους, ὥσπερ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Ἑρμῆν. ὡς δὲ οὐκ ἔστι θεὸς ἡ ἅλως καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἔστι θεὸς ἡ ἶρις, ἀλλὰ πάθη ἀέρος καὶ νεφῶν, καὶ ὃν τρόπον οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμέρα θεός, οὐδὲ μὴν οὐδὲ ἐνιαυτὸς οὐδὲ χρόνος ὁ ἐκ τούτων συμπληρούμενος, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἥλιος οὐδὲ σελήνη, οἷς ἕκαστον τῶν προειρημένων διορίζεται. τίς ἂν οὖν τὴν εὔθυναν καὶ τὴν κόλασιν καὶ τὴν δίκην καὶ τὴν νέμεσιν εὖ φρονῶν ὑπολάβοι θεούς;
" If you wish, then, to cast aside these vain phantasies, and bid adieu to evil custom, say to vain opinion:- "Lying dreams, farewell; you were then nothing. For what, think you, O men, is the Hermes of Typho, and that of Andocides, and that of Amyetus? Is it not evident to all that they are stones, as is the veritable Hermes himself? As the Halo is not a god, and as the Iris is not a god, but are states of the atmosphere and of the clouds; and as, likewise, a day is not a god, nor a year, nor time, which is made up of these, so neither is sun nor moon, by which each of those mentioned above is determined. Who, then, in his right senses, can imagine Correction, and Punishment, and Justice, and Retribution to be gods?
And where am I myself wandering?” Will you not throw away these empty fantasies and say goodbye to custom itself? Say to vain glory: “Farewell, false dreams; you were nothing after all.” What do you think, my friends, of Hermes Tychon, the Hermes of Andocides, and Hermes Amyetus? Surely it is clear to everyone that they are stones, just like Hermes himself. The halo is not a god, and the rainbow is not a god. They are conditions of the air and the clouds. In the same way, day is not a god, nor is the year, nor is the time that is made up of them. Neither are the sun and the moon, which mark off each of these. So who in his right mind would take Reckoning, Punishment, Justice and Retribution to be gods?
Translator’s note. The Greek word for rainbow, iris, is also the name of the rainbow goddess Iris.
οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδ᾿ ἐρινῦς οὐδὲ μοῖραι οὐδὲ εἱμαρμένη, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ πολιτεία μηδὲ δόξα μηδὲ πλοῦτος θεοί, ὃν καὶ ζωγράφοι τυφλὸν ἐπιδεικνύουσιν· εἰ δὲ αἰδῶ καὶ ἔρωτα καὶ ἀφροδίτην ἐκθειάζετε, ἀκολουθούντων αὐτοῖς αἰσχύνη καὶ ὁρμὴ καὶ κάλλος καὶ συνουσία. οὔκουν ἔτ᾿ ἂν εἰκότως ὕπνος καὶ θάνατος θεὼ διδυμάονε παρ᾿ ὑμῖν νομίζοιντο, πάθη ταῦτα περὶ τὰ ζῷα συμβαίνοντα φυσικῶς· οὐδὲ μὴν κῆρα οὐδε εἱμαρμένην οὐδὲ μοίρας θεὰς ἐνδίκως ἐρεῖτε. εἰ δὲ ἔρις καὶ μάχη οὐ θεοί, οὐδὲ Ἄρης οὐδὲ Ἐνυώ. ἔτι τε εἰ αἱ ἀστραπαὶ καὶ οἱ κεραυνοὶ καὶ οἱ ὄμβροι οὐ θεοί, πῶς τὸ πῦρ καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ θεοί; πῶς δὲ καὶ οἱ διᾴσσοντες καὶ οἱ κομῆται διὰ πάθος ἀέρος γεγενημένοι;
For neither the Furies, nor the Fates, nor Destiny are gods, since neither Government, nor Glory, nor Wealth are gods, which last [as Plutus] painters represent as blind. But if you deify Modesty, and Love, and Venus, let these be followed by Infamy, and Passion, and Beauty, and Intercourse. Therefore Sleep and Death cannot reasonably any more be regarded as twin deities, being merely changes which take place naturally in living creatures; no more will you with propriety call Fortune, or Destiny, or the Fates goddesses. And if Strife and Battle be not gods, no more are Arês and Enyo. Still further, if the lightnings, and thunderbolts, and rains are not gods, how can fire and water be gods? how can shooting stars and comets, which are produced by atmospheric changes?
Neither are the Furies, the Fates or Destiny gods, since the State, Glory and Wealth are not gods either. Painters even show Wealth as blind. If you make gods of Shame, Love and Aphrodite, then let Disgrace, Desire, Beauty and Sexual Union follow them as gods too. So it no longer makes sense for you to regard Sleep and Death as twin gods. These are conditions that happen naturally to living creatures. Nor could you rightly call Doom, Destiny or the Fates goddesses. If Strife and Battle are not gods, then neither are Ares and Enyo. Again, if lightning, thunderbolts and rainstorms are not gods, how can fire and water be gods? And how can shooting stars and comets be gods, when they come about through a disturbance of the air?
Translator’s note. Wealth (Plutus) was pictured as blind because he hands out riches without regard to merit.
ὁ δὲ τὴν τύχην θεὸν λέγων καὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν λεγέτω θεόν. εἰ δὴ οὖν τούτων οὐδὲ ἓν θεὸς εἶναι νομίζεται οὐδὲ μὴν ἐκείνων τῶν χειροκμήτων καὶ ἀναισθήτων πλασμάτων, πρόνοια δέ τις περὶ ἡμᾶς καταφαίνεται δυνάμεως θεϊκῆς, λείπεται οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ τοῦτο ὁμολογεῖν, ὅτι ἄρα ὄντως μόνος ἔστι τε καὶ ὑφέστηκεν ὁ μόνος ὄντως ὑπάρχων θεός. ἀλλὰ γὰρ μανδραγόραν ἤ τι ἄλλο φάρμακον πεπωκόσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐοίκατε οἱ ἀνόητοι, θεὸς δὲ ὑμῖν ἀνανῆψαι δοίη ποτὲ τοῦδε τοῦ ὕπνου καὶ συνιέναι θεὸν μηδὲ χρυσὸν ἢ λίθον ἢ δένδρον ἢ πρᾶξιν ἢ πάθος ἢ νόσον ἢ φόβον ἰνδάλλεσθαι ὡς θεόν. »τρὶς γὰρ μύριοί εἰσιν« ὡς ἀληθῶς »ἐπὶ χθονὶ πουλυβοτείρῃ δαίμονες« οὐκ »ἀθάνατοι« οὐδὲ μὴν θνητοί (οὐδὲ γὰρ αἰσθήσεως, ἵνα καὶ θανάτου, μετειλήφασιν), λίθινοι δὲ καὶ ξύλινοι δεσπόται ἀνθρώπων, ὑβρίζοντες καὶ παρασπονδοῦντες τὸν βίον διὰ τῆς συνηθείας.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»τρὶς, εἰσιν«, »ἐπὶ, δαίμονες«, »ἀθάνατοι«). Check it against the printed edition.
He who calls Fortune a god, let him also so call Action. If, then, none of these, nor of the images formed by human hands, and destitute of feeling, is held to be a God, while a providence exercised about us is evidently the result of a divine power, it remains only to acknowledge this, that He alone who is truly God, only truly is and subsists. But those who are insensible to this are like men who have drunk mandrake or some other drug. May God grant that you may at length awake from this slumber, and know God; and that neither Gold, nor Stone, nor Tree, nor Action, nor Suffering, nor Disease, nor Fear, may appear in your eyes as a god. For there are, in sooth, "on the fruitful earth thrice ten thousand" demons, not immortal, nor indeed mortal; for they are not endowed with sensation, so as to render them capable of death, but only things of wood and stone, that hold despotic sway over men insulting and violating life through the force of custom.
Whoever calls Fortune a god may as well call Action a god. Suppose none of these is held to be a god, and neither are those senseless figures made by human hands. Yet a providence of divine power is plainly at work around us. Then nothing is left but to admit that he alone truly is and exists who alone is truly God. But you foolish people are like men who have drunk mandrake or some other drug. May God at last grant you to wake from this sleep and to understand God. May you no longer picture gold, or stone, or a tree, or an action, or a suffering, or a disease, or a fear as a god. For truly there are “thirty thousand” demons “on the many-nourishing earth.” They are “not immortal,” and not mortal either. They have no share in sensation, and so they have no share in death. They are masters of human beings, made of stone and wood, who abuse human life and break faith with it through custom.
Translator’s note. Clement adapts Hesiod (Works and Days 252-253), who says there are thirty thousand immortal watchers of Zeus over mortal men on the many-nourishing earth. Clement calls them “demons” and denies they are immortal, to make his point that they are only lifeless images of stone and wood.
»ἡ γῆ δὲ τοῦ κυρίου,« φησί, »καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς·« εἶτα τί τολμᾷς ἐν τοῖς τοῦ κυρίου τρυφῶν ἀγνοεῖν τὸν δεσπότην; κατάλειπε τὴν γῆν τὴν ἐμήν, ἐρεῖ σοι ὁ κύριος, μὴ θίγῃς τοῦ ὕδατος ὃ ἐγὼ ἀναδίδωμι, τῶν καρπῶν ὧν ἐγὼ γεωργῶ, μὴ μεταλάμβανε· ἀπόδος, ἄνθρωπε, τὰ τροφεῖα τῷ θεῷ· ἐπίγνωθί σου τὸν δεσπότην· ἴδιον εἶ πλάσμα τοῦ θεοῦ· τὸ δὲ οἰκεῖον αὐτοῦ πῶς ἂν ἐνδίκως ἀλλότριον γένοιτο; τὸ γὰρ ἀπηλλοτριωμένον στερόμενον τῆς οἰκειότητος στέρεται τῆς ἀληθείας. ἦ γὰρ οὐχ ᾗ Νιόβη τρόπον τινά, μᾶλλον δὲ ἵνα μυστικώτερον πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀποφθέγξωμαι, γυναικὸς τῆς Ἑβραίας δίκην (Λὼτ ἐκάλουν αὐτὴν οἱ παλαιοὶ) εἰς ἀναισθησίαν μετατρέπεσθε; λελιθωμένην ταύτην παρειλήφαμεν τὴν γυναῖκα διὰ τὸ Σοδόμων ἐρᾶν· Σοδομῖται δὲ οἱ ἄθεοι καὶ οἱ πρὸς τὴν ἀσέβειαν ἐπιστρεφόμενοι σκληροκάρδιοί τε καὶ ἠλίθιοι.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἡ, κυρίου,«, »καὶ, αὐτῆς·«). Check it against the printed edition.
"The earth is the Lord's," it is said, "and the fulness thereof. Then why darest thou, while luxuriating in the bounties of the Lord, to ignore the Sovereign Ruler? "Leave my earth," the Lord will say to thee. "Touch not the water which I bestow. Partake not of the fruits of the earth produced by my husbandry" Give to God recompense for your sustenance; acknowledge thy Master. Thou art God's creature. What belongs to Him, how can it with justice be alienated? For that which is alienated, being deprived of the properties that belonged to it, is also deprived of truth. For, after the fashion of Niobe, or, to express myself more mystically, like the Hebrew woman called by the ancients Lot's wife, are ye not turned into a state of insensibility? This woman we have heard, was turned into stone for her love of Sodore. And those who are godless, addicted to impiety, hard-hearted and foolish are Sodomites.
“The earth is the Lord’s,” it says, “and its fullness.” Then how do you dare to live in luxury on the Lord’s property and not know your Master? The Lord will say to you, “Leave my land. Do not touch the water that I send up. Do not share in the fruits that I cultivate.” Pay God back for the cost of your upbringing, O man. Recognize your Master. You are God’s own creature. How could what is his own rightly come to belong to someone else? For what has been estranged, and so has lost its belonging, has also lost the truth. Are you not, in a way, like Niobe? Or rather, to speak to you more mystically, are you not like the Hebrew woman (the ancients named her after Lot), turning into something without feeling? We have received the account that this woman was turned to stone because she loved Sodom. And the Sodomites are the godless, those who turn to impiety, the hard-hearted and the foolish.
Translator’s note. In Greek myth, Niobe was turned to stone while grieving for her children.
Scripture: Psalm 24:1; 1 Corinthians 10:26; Genesis 19:26
ταύτας οἴου θεόθεν ἐπιλέγεσθαί σοι τὰς φωνάς· μὴ γὰρ οἴου λίθους μὲν εἶναι ἱερὰ καὶ ξύλα καὶ ὄρνεα καὶ ὄφεις, ἀνθρώπους δὲ μή· πολὺ δὲ τοὐναντίον· ἱεροὺς μὲν ὄντως τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὑπολάμβανε, τὰ δὲ θηρία καὶ τοὺς λίθους ὅπερ εἰσίν. οἱ γάρ τοι δείλαιοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἄθλιοι διὰ μὲν κόρακος καὶ κολοιοῦ νομίζουσι τὸν θεὸν ἐμβοᾶν, διὰ δὲ ἀνθρώπου σιωπᾶν, καὶ τὸν μὲν κόρακα τετιμήκασιν ὡς ἄγγελον θεοῦ, τὸν δὲ ἄνθρωπον τοῦ θεοῦ διώκουσιν, οὐ κρῴζοντα, οὐ κλώζοντα, φθεγγόμενον δέ· οἴμοι, λογικῶς καὶ φιλανθρώπως κατηχοῦντα ἀποσφάττειν ἀπανθρώπως ἐπιχειροῦσιν, ἐπὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην καλοῦντα, οὔτε τὴν χάριν τὴν ἄνωθεν ἀπεκδεχόμενοι οὔτε τὴν κόλασιν ἐκτρεπόμενοι. οὐ γὰρ πιστεύουσι τῷ θεῷ οὐδὲ ἐκμανθάνουσι τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ.
Believe that these utterances are addressed to you from God. For think not that stones, and stocks, and birds, and serpents are sacred things, and men are not; but, on the contrary, regard men as truly sacred, and take beasts and stones for what they are. For there are miserable wretches of human kind, who consider that God utters His voice by the raven and the jackdaw, but says nothing by man; and honour the raven as a messenger of God. But the man of God, who croaks not, nor chatters, but speaks rationally and instructs lovingly, alas, they persecute; and while he is inviting them to cultivate righteousness, they try inhumanly to slay him, neither welcoming the grace which, comes from above, nor fearing the penalty.
Think of these words as spoken to you from God. Do not suppose that stones, wood, birds and snakes are sacred, but human beings are not. The truth is just the opposite. Regard human beings as truly sacred, and take the animals and stones for what they are. For wretched, miserable people think that God cries out through a raven or a jackdaw but is silent through a man. They honor the raven as a messenger of God, but they persecute the man of God. He does not croak or chatter. He speaks. Alas, he teaches them with reason and with love for humanity, and they try inhumanly to cut his throat. He calls them to righteousness, yet they neither wait for the grace from above nor turn away from the punishment. For they do not believe God, and they do not learn his power.
οὗ δὲ ἄρρητος ἡ φιλανθρωπία, τούτου ἀχώρητος ἡ μισοπονηρία. τρέφει δὲ ὁ μὲν θυμὸς τὴν κόλασιν ἐπὶ ἁμαρτίᾳ, εὖ ποιεῖ δὲ ἐπὶ μετανοίᾳ ἡ φιλανθρωπία. οἰκτρότατον δὲ τὸ στέρεσθαι τῆς παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπικουρίας. ὀμμάτων μὲν οὖν ἡ πήρωσις καὶ τῆς ἀκοῆς ἡ κώφωσις ἀλγεινοτέρα παρὰ τὰς λοιπὰς τοῦ πονηροῦ πλεονεξίας· ἣ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν ἀφῄρηται τῆς οὐρανίου προσόψεως, ἣ δὲ τῆς θείας μαθήσεως ἐστέρηται. ὑμεῖς δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀνάπηροι καὶ τυφλοὶ μὲν τὸν νοῦν, κωφοὶ δὲ τὴν σύνεσιν ὄντες οὐκ ἀλγεῖτε, οὐκ ἀγανακτεῖτε, οὐ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἰδεῖν καὶ τὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ποιητὴν ἐπεθυμήσατε, οὐδὲ τὸν τῶν πάντων δημιουργὸν καὶ πατέρα ἀκοῦσαι καὶ μαθεῖν ἐξεζητήσατε, τὴν προαίρεσιν τῇ σωτηρίᾳ συνάψαντες· ἐμποδὼν γὰρ ἵσταται οὐδὲν τῷ σπεύδοντι πρὸς γνῶσιν θεοῦ, οὐκ ἀπαιδευσία, οὐ πενία, οὐκ ἀδοξία, οὐκ ἀκτημοσύνη· οὐδέ τις τὴν ὄντως ἀληθῆ σοφίαν »χαλκῷ δῃώσας« μεταλλάξαι εὔχεται οὐδὲ σιδήρῳ· εὖ γάρ τοι παντὸς μᾶλλον τοῦτο εἴρηται· ὁ χρηστός ἐστι πανταχοῦ σωτήριος· ὁ γὰρ τοῦ δικαίου ζηλωτής, ὡς ἂν τοῦ ἀνενδεοῦς ἐραστής, ὀλιγοδεής, οὐκ ἐν ἄλλῳ τινὶ ἢ ἐν αὐτῷ [καὶ] τῷ θεῷ τὸ μακάριον θησαυρίσας, ἔνθα οὐ σής, οὐ λῃστής, οὐ πειρατής, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀίδιος δοτήρ.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»χαλκῷ, δῃώσας«). Check it against the printed edition.
For they believe not God, nor understand His power, whose love to man is ineffable; and His hatred of evil is inconceivable. His anger augments punishment against sin; His love bestows blessings on repentance. It is the height of wretchedness to be deprived of the help which comes from God. Hence this blindness of eyes and dulness of hearing are more grievous than other inflictions of the evil one; for the one deprives them of heavenly vision, the other robs them of divine instruction. But ye, thus maimed as respects the truth, blind in mind, deaf in understanding, are not grieved, are not pained, have had no desire to see heaven and the Maker of heaven, nor, by fixing your choice on salvation, have sought to hear the Creator of the universe, and to learn of Him; for no hindrance stands in the way of him who is bent on the knowledge of God. Neither childlessness, nor poverty, nor obscurity, nor want, can hinder him who eagerly strives after the knowledge of God; nor does any one who has conquered by brass or iron the true wisdom for himself choose to exchange it, for it is vastly preferred to everything else. Christ is able to save in every place. For he that is fired with ardour and admiration for righteousness, being the lover of One who needs nothing, needs himself but little, having treasured up his bliss in nothing but himself and God, where is neither moth, robber, nor pirate, but the eternal Giver of good.
But the one whose love for humanity is beyond words also has a hatred of evil beyond all measure. Anger feeds punishment for sin, but love for humanity does good to those who repent. The most pitiable thing of all is to be deprived of help from God. Blindness of the eyes and deafness of the ears are more painful than the other ways the evil one gets the better of us. The one robs a person of the sight of heaven, and the other deprives him of divine teaching. But you are crippled toward the truth, blind in mind and deaf in understanding, and yet you feel no pain and no distress. You have not longed to see heaven and the Maker of heaven. You have not sought to hear and learn from the Creator and Father of all, joining your choice to your salvation. For nothing stands in the way of the person who hurries toward the knowledge of God: not lack of education, not poverty, not obscurity, not lack of possessions. And no one prays to gain the truly real wisdom by “slaying with bronze,” or with iron. This saying is well spoken, better than any other: the good person brings salvation everywhere. For the one who is zealous for what is right, as a lover of the One who lacks nothing, needs little himself. He has stored up his blessedness in nothing other than God himself, where there is no moth, no thief, no pirate, but the eternal Giver of good things.
Translator’s note. “No moth, no thief” echoes Matthew 6:19–20.
Scripture: Matthew 6:20
ἄρα οὖν εἰκότως ὡμοίωσθε τοῖς ὄφεσιν ἐκείνοις, οἷς τὰ ὦτα πρὸς τοὺς κατεπᾴδοντας ἀποκέκλεισται. »θυμὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς«, φησὶν ἡ γραφή, »κατὰ τὴν ὁμοίωσιν τοῦ ὄφεως, ὡσεὶ ἀσπίδος κωφῆς καὶ βυούσης τὰ ὦτα αὐτῆς, ἥτις οὐκ εἰσακούσεται φωνῆς ἐπᾳδόντων.« ἀλλ ὑμεῖς γε κατεπᾴσθητε τὴν ἀγριότητα καὶ παραδέξασθε τὸν ἥμερον καὶ ἡμέτερον λόγον καὶ τὸν ἰὸν ἀποπτύσατε τὸν δηλητήριον, ὅπως ὅτι μάλιστα ὑμῖν τὴν φθοράν, ὡς ἐκείνοις τὸ γῆρας, ἀποδύσασθαι δοθῇ. ἀκούσατέ μου καὶ μὴ τὰ ὦτα ἀποβύσητε μηδὲ τὰς ἀκοὰς ἀποφράξητε, ἀλλ᾿ εἰς νοῦν βάλεσθε τὰ λεγόμενα. καλόν ἐστι τὸ φάρμακον τῆς ἀθανασίας· στήσατέ ποτε τοὺς ὁλκοὺς τοὺς ἑρπηστικούς. »οἱ γὰρ ἐχθροὶ κυρίου χοῦν λείξουσι«, φησίν [ἡ γραφὴ λέγει]· ἀνανεύσατε τῆς γῆς εἰς αἰθέρα, ἀναβλέψατε εἰς οὐρανόν, θαυμάσατε, παύσασθε καραδοκοῦντες τῶν δικαίων τὴν πτέρναν καὶ »τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς ἀληθείας« ἐμποδίζοντες· φρόνιμοι γένεσθε καὶ ἀβλαβεῖς· τάχα που ὁ κύριος ἁπλότητος ὑμῖν δωρήσεται πτερόν (πτερῶσαι προῄρηται τοὺς γηγενεῖς), ἵνα δὴ τοὺς χηραμοὺς καταλείποντες οἰκήσητε τοὺς οὐρανούς.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»θυμὸς, αὐτοῖς«,, »κατὰ, ἐπᾳδόντων.«, »οἱ, λείξουσι«,). Check it against the printed edition.
With justice, then, have you been compared to those serpents who shut their ears against the charmers. For "their mind," says the Scripture, "is like the serpent, like the deaf adder, which stoppeth her ear, and will not hear the voice of the charmers. But allow yourselves to feel the influence of the charming strains of sanctity, and receive that mild word of ours, and reject the deadly poison, that it may be granted to you to divest yourselves as much as possible of destruction, as they have been divested of old age. Hear me, and do not stop your ears; do not block up the avenues of hearing, but lay to heart what is said. Excellent is the medicine of immortality! Stop at length your grovelling reptile motions. "For the enemies of the Lord," says Scripture, "shall lick the dust. Raise your eyes from earth to the skies, look up to heaven, admire the sight, cease watching with outstretched head the heel of the righteous, and hindering the way of truth. Be wise and harmless. Perchance the Lord will endow you with the wing of simplicity (for He has resolved to give wings to those that are earth-born), that you may leave your holes and dwell in heaven.
So it is fitting that you have been likened to those serpents whose ears are shut against the charmers. For the Scripture says, “Their anger is like that of a serpent, like a deaf asp that stops up its ears and will not hear the voice of charmers.” But as for you, let your savagery be charmed away. Accept our gentle Word, and spit out the poisonous venom, so that you may be given the chance, as far as possible, to strip off corruption, as those serpents strip off old age. Listen to me. Do not stop up your ears or block your hearing, but take what is said to heart. The medicine of immortality is good. Stop at last your crawling, snakelike trails. “For the enemies of the Lord,” it says, “will lick the dust.” Lift your heads from the earth to the sky, look up to heaven, and marvel. Stop lying in wait for the heel of the righteous and blocking “the way of truth.” Be wise and harmless. Perhaps the Lord will give you the wing of simplicity (he has chosen to give wings to those born of the earth), so that you may leave your holes and live in the heavens.
Translator’s note. “Will lick the dust” adapts Psalm 72:9 (71:9 in the Greek Bible). “The heel of the righteous” recalls the serpent and the heel in Genesis 3:15. “Wise and harmless” echoes Matthew 10:16.
Scripture: Matthew 10:16; Genesis 3:15
μόνον ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας μετανοήσωμεν, ὡς ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ δυνηθῆναι χωρῆσαι τὸν θεόν. »ἐλπίσατε ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν«, φησί, »πᾶσα συναγωγὴ λαοῦ, ἐκχέετε ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ πάσας τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν« πρὸς τοὺς κενοὺς τῆς πονηρίας λέγει· ἐλεεῖ καὶ δικαιοσύνης πληροῖ· πίστευσον, ἄν¦θρωπε, ἀνθρώπῳ καὶ θεῷ· πίστευσον, ἄνθρωπε τῷ παθόντι καὶ προσκυνουμένῳ, θεῷ ζῶντι πιστεύσατε οἱ δοῦλοι τῷ νεκρῷ· πάντες ἄνθρωποι πιστεύσατε μόνῳ τῷ πάντων ἀνθρώπων θεῷ· πιστεύσατε καὶ μισθὸν λάβετε σωτηρίαν· »ἐκζητήσατε τὸν θεόν, καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν.« ὁ ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεὸν τὴν ἰδίαν πολυπραγμονεῖ σωτηρίαν· εὗρες τὸν θεόν, ἔχεις τὴν ζωήν. ζητήσωμεν οὖν, ἵνα καὶ ζήσωμεν. ὁ μισθὸς τῆς εὑρέσεως ζωὴ παρὰ θεῷ. »ἀγαλλιάσθωσαν καὶ εὐφρανθήτωσαν ἐπὶ σοὶ πάντες οἱ ζητοῦντές σε καὶ λεγέτωσαν διὰ παντός, μεγαλυνθήτω ὁ θεός.« καλὸς ὕμνος τοῦ θεοῦ ἀθάνατος ἄνθρωπος, δικαιοσύνῃ οἰκοδομούμενος, ἐν ᾧ τὰ λόγια τῆς ἀληθείας ἐγκεχάρακται.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἐλπίσατε, αὐτόν«,, »πᾶσα, ὑμῶν«, ἄν¦θρωπε,, »ἐκζητήσατε). Check it against the printed edition.
Only let us with our whole heart repent, that we may be able with our whole heart to contain God. "Trust in Him, all ye assembled people; pour out all your hearts before Him. He says to those that have newly abandoned wickedness, "He pities them, and fills them with righteousness. Believe Him who is man and God; believe, O man. Believe, O man, the living God, who suffered and is adored. Believe, ye slaves, Him who died; believe, all ye of human kind, Him who alone is God of all men. Believe, and receive salvation as your reward. Seek God, and your soul shall live. He who seeks God is busying himself about his own salvation. Hast thou found God?-then thou hast life. Let us then seek, in order that we may live. The reward of seeking is life with God. "Let all who seek Thee be glad and rejoice in Thee; and let them say continually, God be magnified. A noble hymn of God is an immortal man, established in righteousness, in whom the oracles of truth are engraved.
Only let us repent with our whole heart, so that we may be able to hold God with our whole heart. “Hope in him, all you assembly of the people,” it says. “Pour out all your hearts before him.” This is said to those who are empty of wickedness. He has mercy on them and fills them with righteousness. Believe, O man, in the one who is man and God. Believe, O man, in the living God, who suffered and is worshipped. Believe, you slaves, in the one who died. All people, believe in him who alone is God of all people. Believe, and receive salvation as your reward. “Seek God, and your soul will live.” The one who seeks God is busy about his own salvation. Have you found God? Then you have life. So let us seek, so that we may live. The reward of finding is life with God. “Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you, and let them say always, ‘Let God be magnified.’” A beautiful hymn to God is an immortal man, built up in righteousness, in whom the words of truth are engraved.
Translator’s note. The quotations follow the Greek Old Testament: Psalm 62:8 (61:9 in the Greek Bible), Psalm 69:32 (68:33), and Psalm 70:4 (69:5); in the last, Clement leaves out the psalm’s words “who love your salvation.”
Scripture: Psalm 62:8
ποῦ γὰρ ἀλλαχόθι ἢ ἐν σώφρονι ψυχῇ δικαιοσύνην ἐγγραπτέον; ποῦ ἀγάπην; αἰδῶ δὲ ποῦ; πραότητα δὲ ποῦ; ταύτας, οἶμαι, τὰς θείας γραφὰς ἐναποσφραγισαμένους χρὴ τῇ ψυχῇ καλὸν ἀφετήριον σοφίαν ἡγεῖσθαι τοῖς ἐφ᾿ ὁτιοῦν τοῦ βίου τραπεῖσι μέρος, ὅρμον τε τὴν αὐτὴν ἀκύμονα σωτηρίας σοφίαν νομίζειν· δι᾿ ἣν ἀγαθοὶ μὲν πατέρες τέκνων οἱ τῷ πατρὶ προσδεδραμηκότες, ἀγαθοὶ δὲ γονεῦσιν υἱοὶ οἱ τὸν υἱὸν νενοηκότες, ἀγαθοὶ δὲ ἄνδρες γυναικῶν οἱ μεμνημένοι τοῦ νυμφίου, ἀγαθοὶ δὲ οἰκετῶν δεσπόται οἱ τῆς ἐσχάτης δουλείας λελυτρωμένοι. ὢ μακαριώτερα τῆς ἐν ἀνθρώποις πλάνης τὰ θηρία· ἐπινέμεται τὴν ἄγνοιαν, ὡς ὑμεῖς, οὐχ ὑποκρίνεται δὲ τὴν ἀλήθειαν· οὐκ ἔστι παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς κολάκων γένη, οὐ δεισιδαιμονοῦσιν ἰχθύες, οὐκ εἰδωλολατρεῖ τὰ ὄρνεα, ἕνα μόνον ἐκπλήττεται τὸν οὐρανόν, ἐπεὶ θεὸν νοῆσαι μὴ δύναται ἀπηξιωμένα τοῦ λόγου.
For where but in a soul that is wise can you write truth? where love? where reverence? where meekness? Those who have had these divine characters impressed on them, ought, I think, to regard wisdom as a fair port whence to embark, to whatever lot in life they turn; and likewise to deem it the calm haven of salvation: wisdom, by which those who have betaken themselves to the Father, have proved good fathers to their children; and good parents to their sons, those who have known the Son; and good husbands to their wives, those who remember the Bridegroom; and good masters to their servants, those who have been redeemed from utter slavery. Oh, happier far the beasts than men involved in error! who live in ignorance as you, but do not counterfeit the truth. There are no tribes of flatterers among them. Fishes have no superstition: the birds worship not a single image; only they look with admiration on heaven, since, deprived as they are of reason, they are unable to know God.
For where else should righteousness be written than in a self-controlled soul? Where else love? Where else reverence? Where else gentleness? I think that those who have stamped these divine writings on their soul should regard wisdom as a good starting point for anyone, whatever part of life they turn to. They should also count the same wisdom as the calm harbor of salvation. Through this wisdom, those who have run to the Father are good fathers to their children. Those who have come to know the Son are good sons to their parents. Those who remember the Bridegroom are good husbands to their wives. Those who have been ransomed from the worst slavery are good masters to their servants. Oh, the beasts are more blessed than people in their error! They feed on ignorance, as you do, but they do not put on a show of truth. Among them there are no tribes of flatterers. Fish are not superstitious, and birds do not worship idols. They are struck with awe by the one heaven alone, since, denied reason, they cannot conceive of God.
εἶτ᾿ οὐκ αἰσχύνεσθε καὶ τῶν ἀλόγων σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀλογωτέρους πεποιηκότες, οἳ διὰ τοσούτων ἡλικιῶν ἐν ἀθεότητι κατατέτριφθε; παῖδες γεγόνατε, εἶτα μειράκια, εἶτα ἔφηβοι, εἶτα ἄνδρες, χρηστοὶ δὲ οὐδέποτε. κἂν τὸ γῆρας αἰδέσθητε, ἐπὶ δυσμαῖς τοῦ βίου γενόμενοι σωφρονήσατε, κἂν ἐπὶ τέλει τοῦ βίου τὸν θεὸν ἐπίγνωτε, ὡς δὴ τὸ τέλος ὑμῖν τοῦ βίου ἀρχὴν ἀναλάβοι σωτηρίας. ἐ γηράσατε πρὸς δεισιδαιμονίαν, νέοι ἀφίκεσθε πρὸς θεοσέβειαν· παῖδας ἀκάκους ἐγκρινεῖ θεός. ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἀθηναῖος τοῖς Σόλωνος ἑπέσθω νόμοις καὶ ὁ Ἀργεῖος τοῖς Φορωνέως καὶ ὁ Σπαρτιάτης τοῖς Λυκούργου, εἰ δὲ σεαυτὸν ἀναγράφεις τοῦ θεοῦ, οὐρανὸς μέν σοι ἡ πατρίς, ὁ δὲ θεὸς νομοθέτης. τίνες δὲ καὶ οἱ νόμοι; »οὐ φονεύσεις, οὐ μοιχεύσεις, οὐ παιδοφθορήσεις, οὐ κλέψεις, οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις, ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου.« εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ τούτων τὰ παραπληρώματα, λόγιοι νόμοι καὶ ἅγιοι λόγοι ἐν αὐταῖς ἐγγραφόμενοι ταῖς καρδίαις· »ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν,« καὶ »τῷ τύπτοντί σε εἰς τὴν σιαγόνα πάρεχε καὶ τὴν ἄλλην,« καὶ »οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις, ἐπιθυμίᾳ γὰρ μόνῃ μεμοίχευκας.« πόσῳ γοῦν ἄμεινον τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τοῦ τυγχάνειν τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν ἀρχὴν μηδὲ ἐπιθυμεῖν ἐθέλειν ὧν μὴ δεῖ;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»οὐ, σου.«, »ἀγαπήσεις, σεαυτόν,«, »τῷ, ἄλλην,«). Check it against the printed edition.
So are you not ashamed for living through so many periods of life in impiety, making yourselves more irrational than irrational creatures? You were boys, then striplings, then youths, then men, but never as yet were you good. If you have respect for old age, be wise, now that you have reached life's sunset; and albeit at the close of life, acquire the knowledge of God, that the end of life may to you prove the beginning of salvation. You have become old in superstition; as young, enter on the practice of piety. God regards you as innocent children. Let, then, the Athenian follow the laws of Solon, and the Argive those of Phoroneus, and the Spartan those of Lycurgus: but if thou enrol thyself as one of God's people, heaven is thy country, God thy lawgiver. And what are the laws? "Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not seduce boys; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not bear false witness; thou shalt love the Lord thy God. And the complements of these are those laws. of reason and words of sanctity which are inscribed on men's hearts: "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; to him who strikes thee on the cheek, present also the other; " "thou shalt not lust, for by lust alone thou hast committed adultery. How much better, therefore, is it for men from the beginning not to wish to desire things forbidden, than to obtain their desires!
Are you not ashamed? You have made yourselves even more irrational than the irrational animals, you who have worn away so many stages of life in godlessness. You were children, then boys, then young men, then grown men, but never good. At least respect old age. Now that you have reached the sunset of life, come to your senses. Even at the end of life, come to know God, so that the end of your life may become the beginning of salvation. You have grown old in superstition; come to the worship of God as young people. God will accept guileless children. Let the Athenian follow the laws of Solon, the Argive those of Phoroneus, and the Spartan those of Lycurgus. But if you enroll yourself as belonging to God, heaven is your homeland and God your lawgiver. And what are the laws? “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not corrupt boys, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness; you shall love the Lord your God.” There are also the supplements to these: rational laws and holy words written on the hearts themselves. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” “To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also.” “You shall not desire, for by desire alone you have committed adultery.” How much better it is for people not even to want to desire what they should not, in the first place, than to get what they desire!
Translator’s note. The “supplements” come from Leviticus 19:18 (compare Matthew 22:39), Luke 6:29, and a free combination of “You shall not covet” (Exodus 20:17) with Matthew 5:28.
Scripture: Exodus 20:13-16; Matthew 22:37-39; Luke 6:29; Matthew 5:28
ἀλλ᾿ ὑμεῖς μὲν τὸ αὐστηρὸν τῆς σωτηρίας ὑπομένειν οὐ καρτερεῖτε, καθάπερ δὲ τῶν σιτίων τοῖς γλυκέσιν ἡδόμεθα διὰ τὴν λειότητα τῆς ἡδονῆς προτιμῶντες, ἰᾶται δὲ ἡμᾶς καὶ ὑγιάζει τὰ πικρὰ τραχύνοντα τὴν αἴσθησιν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς τὸν στόμαχον ῥώννυσιν ἡ τῶν φαρμάκων αὐστηρία, οὕτως ἥδει μὲν καὶ γαργαλίζει ἡ συνήθεια, ἀλλ᾿ ἣ μὲν εἰς τὸ βάραθρον ὠθεῖ, ἡ συνήθεια, ἣ δὲ εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνάγει, ἡ ἀλήθεια, »τραχεῖα« μὲν τὸ πρῶτον, »ἀλλ᾿ ἀγαθὴ κουροτρόφος·« καὶ σεμνὴ μὲν ἡ γυναικωνῖτις αὕτη, σώφρων δὲ ἡ γερουσία· οὐδέ ἐστι δυσπρόσιτος οὐδὲ ἀδύνατος λαβεῖν, ἀλλ᾿ ἔστιν ἐγγυτάτω ἔνοικος ἡμῶν, ᾗ φησιν αἰνιττόμενος ὁ πάνσοφος Μωυσῆς, τρισὶ τοῖς καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς ἐνδιαιτωμένη μέρεσι, »χερσὶ καὶ στόματι καὶ καρδίᾳ.« σύμβολον τοῦτο γνήσιον τρισὶ τοῖς πᾶσι συμπληρουμένης τῆς ἀληθείας, βουλῇ καὶ πράξει καὶ λόγῳ· μηδὲ γὰρ τόδε δείμαινε, μή σε τὰ πολλὰ καὶ ἐπιτερπῆ φανταζόμενα ἀφέληται σοφίας· αὐτὸς ἑκὼν ὑπερβήσῃ τὸν λῆρον τῆς συνηθείας, καθάπερ καὶ οἱ παῖδες τὰ ἀθύρματα ἄνδρες γενόμενοι ἀπέρριψαν.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»τραχεῖα«, »ἀλλ᾿, κουροτρόφος·«, »χερσὶ, καρδίᾳ.«). Check it against the printed edition.
But ye are not able to endure the austerity of salvation; but as we delight in sweet' things, and prize them higher for the agreeableness of the pleasure they yield, while, on the other hand, those bitter things which are distasteful to the palate are curative and healing, and the harshness of medicines strengthens people of weak stomach, thus custom pleases and, tickles; but custom pushes into the abyss, while truth conducts to heaven. Harsh it is at first, but a good nurse of youth; and it is at once the decorous place where the household maids and matrons dwell together, and the sage council-chamber. Nor is it difficult to approach, or impossible to attain, but is very near us in our very homes; as Moses, endowed with all wisdom, says, while referring to it, it has its abode in three departments of our constitution-in the hands, the mouth, and the heart: a meet emblem this of truth, which is embraced by these three things in all-will, action, speech. And be not afraid lest the multitude of pleasing objects which rise before you withdraw you from wisdom. You yourself will spontaneously surmount the frivolousness of custom, as boys when they have become men throw aside their toys.
But you cannot bear the severity of salvation. We enjoy sweet foods and prefer them for the smooth pleasure they give, yet bitter things that roughen the taste heal us and make us well, and the harshness of medicines strengthens those with weak stomachs. In the same way, custom is pleasant and tickles the senses, but custom pushes us into the pit, while truth leads up to heaven. Truth is “rugged” at first, “but a good nurse of the young.” She is a dignified women’s quarters and a sober council of elders. She is neither hard to approach nor impossible to grasp. She lives very near us, within us, as the all-wise Moses hints, dwelling in three parts of us: “in hands, mouth, and heart.” This is a true symbol that truth is completed by three things altogether: purpose, action, and speech. Do not fear that the many delightful things that appear before you will rob you of wisdom. You will willingly step over the nonsense of custom yourself, just as children, once grown, throw away their toys.
Translator’s note. The words about hands, mouth and heart echo Deuteronomy 30:14. “Hands” appears in the Greek Old Testament there but not in the Hebrew.
Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:14; 1 Corinthians 13:11
τάχει μὲν δὴ. ἀνυπερβλήτῳ εὐνοίᾳ τε εὐπροσίτῳ ἡ δύναμις ἡ θεϊκὴ ἐπιλάμψασα τὴν γῆν σωτηρίου σπέρματος ἐνέπλησε τὸ πᾶν. οὐ γὰρ ἂν οὕτως ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ τοσοῦτον ἔργον ἄνευ θείας κομιδῆς ἐξήνυσεν ὁ κύριος, ὄψει καταφρονούμενος, ἔργῳ προσκυνούμενος, ὁ καθάρσιος καὶ σωτήριος καὶ μειλίχιος, ὁ θεῖος λόγος, ὁ φανερώτατος ὄντως θεός, ὁ τῷ δεσπότῃ τῶν ὅλων ἐξισωθείς, ὅτι ἦν υἱὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ »ὁ λόγος ἦν ἐν τῷ θεῷ«, οὔθ᾿ ὅτε τὸ πρῶτον προεκηρύχθη, ἀπιστηθείς, οὔθ᾿ ὅτε τὸ ἀνθρώπου προσωπεῖον ἀναλαβὼν καὶ σαρκὶ ἀναπλασάμενος τὸ σωτήριον δρᾶμα τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ὑπεκρίνετο, ἀγνοηθείς· γνήσιος γὰρ ἦν ἀγωνιστὴς καὶ τοῦ πλάσματος συναγωνιστής, τάχιστα δὲ εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους διαδοθεὶς θᾶττον ἡλίου ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀνατείλας τῆς πατρικῆς βουλήσεως, ῥᾷστα ἡμῖν ἐπέλαμψε τὸν θεόν, ὅθεν τε ἦν αὐτὸς καὶ ὃς ἦν, δι᾿ ὧν ἐδίδαξεν καὶ ἐνεδείξατο, παραστησάμενος, ὁ σπονδοφόρος καὶ διαλλακτὴς καὶ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν λόγος, πηγὴ ζωοποιός, εἰρηνική, ἐπὶ πᾶν τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς χεόμενος, δι᾿ ὃν ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν τὰ πάντα ἤδη πέλαγος γέγονεν ἀγαθῶν.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ὁ, θεῷ«,). Check it against the printed edition.
For with a celerity unsurpassable, and a benevolence to which we have ready access, the divine power, casting its radiance on the earth, hath filled the universe with the seed of salvation. For it was not without divine care that so great a work was accomplished in so brief a space by the Lord, who, though despised as to appearance, was in reality adored, the expiator of sin, the Saviour, the clement, the Divine Word, He that is truly most manifest Deity, He that is made equal to the Lord of the universe; because He was His Son, and the Word was in God, not disbelieved in by all when He was first preached, nor altogether unknown when, assuming the character of man, and fashioning Himself in flesh, He enacted the drama of human salvation: for He was a true champion and a fellow-champion with the creature. And being communicated most speedily to men, having dawned from His Father's counsel quicker than the sun, with the most perfect ease He made God shine on us. Whence He was and what He was, He showed by what He taught and exhibited, manifesting Himself as the Herald of the Covenant, the Reconciler, our Saviour, the Word, the Fount of life, the Giver of peace, diffused over the whole face of the earth; by whom, so to speak, the universe has already become an ocean of blessings.
With unsurpassable speed and easily approached goodwill, the divine power shone on the earth and filled the whole world with the seed of salvation. For the Lord could not have accomplished so great a work in so short a time without divine care. He was despised in appearance but worshiped in fact: the purifier, the savior, the gentle one, the divine Word, truly the most plainly visible God, made equal to the Master of all, because he was his Son and “the Word was in God.” He was not disbelieved when he was first announced beforehand. Nor was he unrecognized when he took up the mask of a man, formed himself in flesh, and acted out the saving drama of humanity. For he was a true contender, fighting side by side with his own creature. He spread to all people very quickly, rising faster than the sun from the Father’s own will, and most easily made God shine upon us. By what he taught and showed, he made clear where he himself came from and who he was. He is the bearer of the peace treaty, the reconciler, our Savior, the Word, a life-giving, peaceful spring, poured out over the whole face of the earth. Through him, one might say, everything has already become a sea of good things.
Translator’s note. “Mask” and “drama” are theater words in the Greek. Clement pictures the incarnation as an actor taking on a role, but he does not mean the role was unreal: the Word truly “formed himself in flesh.”
Scripture: John 1:1
Chapter 11
Μικρὸν δέ, εἰ βούλει, ἄνωθεν ἄθρει τὴν θείαν εὐεργεσίαν. ὁ πρῶτος [ὁτὲ] ἐν παραδείσῳ ἔπαιζε λελυμένος, ἐπεὶ παιδίον ἦν τοῦ θεοῦ· ὅτε δὲ ὑποπίπτων ἡδονῇ (ὄφις ἀλληγορεῖται ἡδονὴ ἐπὶ γαστέρα ἕρπουσα, κακία γηΐνη, εἰς ὕλας στρεφομένη) παρήγετο ἐπιθυμίαις, ὁ παῖς ἀνδριζόμενος ἀπειθείᾳ καὶ παρακούσας τοῦ πατρὸς ᾐσχύνετο τὸν θεόν. οἷον ἴσχυσεν ἡδονή· ὁ δι᾿ ἁπλότητα λελυμένος ἄνθρωπος ἁμαρτίαις εὑρέθη δεδεμένος. τῶν δεσμῶν λῦσαι τοῦτον ὁ κύριος αὖθις ἠθέλησεν, καὶ σαρκὶ ἐνδεθείς (μυστήριον θεῖον τοῦτο) τὸν ὄφιν ἐχειρώσατο καὶ τὸν τύραννον ἐδουλώσατο, τὸν θάνατον, καί, τὸ παροδοξότατον, ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν ἡδονῇ πεπλανημένον, τὸν τῇ φθορᾷ δεδεμένον, χερσὶν ἡπλωμέναις ἔδειξε λελυμένον. ὢ θαύματος μυστικοῦ· κέκλιται μὲν ὁ κύριος, ἀνέστη δὲ ἄνθρωπος καὶ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου πεσὼν μεῖζον ὑπακοῆς ἆθλον, οὐρανούς, ἀπολαμβάνει.
How Great are the Benefits Conferred on Man Through the Advent ofContemplate a little, if agreeable to you, the divine beneficence. The first man, when in Paradise, sported free, because he was the child of God; but when he succumbed to pleasure (for the serpent allegorically signifies pleasure crawling on its belly, earthly wickedness nourished for fuel to the flames), was as a child seduced by lusts, and grew old in disobedience; and by disobeying his Father, dishonoured God. Such was the influence of pleasure. Man, that had been free by reason of simplicity, was found fettered to sins. The Lord then wished to release him from his bonds, and clothing Himself with flesh-O divine mystery!-vanquished the serpent, and enslaved the tyrant death; and, most marvellous of all, man that had been deceived by pleasure, and bound fast by corruption, had his hands unloosed, and was set free. O mystic wonder! The Lord was laid low, and man rose up; and he that fell from Paradise receives as the reward of obedience something greater [than Paradise]-namely, heaven itself.
If you wish, look back briefly to the beginning and see God’s kindness. The first man played freely in Paradise, because he was a child of God. But he gave way to pleasure. (The serpent is an allegory for pleasure, crawling on its belly, an earthly vice turned toward material things.) He was led astray by desires. The child grew into a man through disobedience, and having disobeyed his Father, he was ashamed before God. See what pleasure could do. The man who had been free because of his simplicity was found bound by sins. Then the Lord wished to free him from his bonds once more. He was bound in flesh (a divine mystery!), subdued the serpent, and enslaved the tyrant, death. Most astonishing of all, by outstretched hands he showed that man, who had been led astray by pleasure and held fast by corruption, was set free. O mystical wonder! The Lord lay down, and man rose up. He who fell out of Paradise receives a greater prize for obedience: the heavens.
Translator’s note. The Greek does not say whose hands are outstretched, but they are commonly taken as the Lord’s hands stretched out on the cross.
Scripture: Genesis 3:14
διό μοι δοκεῖ, ἐπεὶ αὐτὸς ἧκεν ὡς ἡμᾶς οὐρανόθεν ὁ λόγος, ἡμᾶς ἐπ᾿ ἀνθρωπίνην ἰέναι μὴ χρῆναι διδασκαλίαν ἔτι, Ἀθήνας καὶ τὴν ἄλλην Ἑλλάδα, πρὸς δὲ καὶ Ἰωνίαν πολυπραγμονοῦντας. εἰ γὰρ ἡμῖν [ὁ] διδάσκαλος ὁ πληρώσας τὰ πάντα δυνάμεσιν ἁγίαις, δημιουργίᾳ σωτηρίᾳ εὐεργεσίᾳ, νομοθεσίᾳ προφητείᾳ διδασκαλίᾳ, πάντα νῦν ὁ διδάσκαλος κατηχεῖ καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἤδη Ἀθῆναι καὶ Ἑλλὰς γέγονεν τῷ λόγῳ. οὐ γὰρ δὴ μύθῳ μὲν ἐπιστεύετε ποιητικῷ τὸν Μίνω τὸν Κρῆτα τοῦ Διὸς ὀαριστὴν ἀναγράφοντι, ἡμᾶς δὲ ἀπιστήσετε μαθητὰς θεοῦ γεγονότας, τὴν ὄντως ἀληθῆ σοφίαν ἐπανῃρημένους, ἣν φιλοσοφίας ἄκροι μόνον ᾐνίξαντο, οἱ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθηταὶ καὶ κατειλήφασι καὶ ἀνεκήρυξαν. καὶ δὴ καὶ πᾶς, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, * * ὁ Χριστὸς οὐ μερίζεται· οὔτε βάρβαρός ἐστιν οὔτε Ἰουδαῖος οὔτε Ἕλλην, οὐκ ἄρρεν, οὐ θῆλυ· καινὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπος θεοῦ πνεύματι ἁγίῳ μεταπεπλασμένος.
Wherefore, since the Word Himself has come to us from heaven, we need not, I reckon, go any more in search of human learning to Athens and the rest of Greece, and to Ionia. For if we have as our teacher Him that filled the universe with His holy energies in creation, salvation, beneficence, legislation, prophecy, teaching, we have the Teacher from whom all instruction comes; and the whole world, with Athens and Greece, has already become the domain of the Word. For you, who believed the poetical fable which designated Minos the Cretan as the bosom friend of Zeus, will not refuse to believe that we who have become the disciples of God have received the only true wisdom; and that which the chiefs of philosophy only guessed at, the disciples of Christ have both apprehended and proclaimed. And the one whole Christ is not divided: "There is neither barbarian, nor Jew, nor Greek, neither male nor female, but a new man," transformed by God's Holy Spirit.
For this reason, now that the Word himself has come to us from heaven, it seems to me we no longer need to go after human teaching, busying ourselves with Athens and the rest of Greece, and Ionia too. If our teacher is the one who filled all things with holy powers, in creation, salvation, kindness, lawgiving, prophecy and teaching, then that teacher now instructs us in everything. Through the Word the whole world has already become Athens and Greece. You believed a poet’s myth that records Minos the Cretan as a close companion of Zeus. Will you then refuse to believe us, who have become disciples of God and have taken up the wisdom that is really true? The leaders of philosophy only hinted at that wisdom, but the disciples of Christ have grasped it and proclaimed it. And so, one might say, everyone … [words missing] … Christ is not divided. There is neither barbarian nor Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, but a new human being, remade by the Holy Spirit of God.
Translator’s note. “Christ is not divided” echoes 1 Corinthians 1:13. The rest of the sentence echoes Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:10-11 (“the new self”).
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:13; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11
εἶθ᾿ αἱ μὲν ἄλλαι συμβουλαί τε καὶ ὑποθῆκαι λυπραὶ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐπὶ μέρους εἰσίν, εἰ γαμητέον, εἰ πολιτευτέον, εἰ παιδοποιητέον· καθολικὴ δὲ ἄρα προτροπὴ μόνη καὶ πρὸς ὅλον δηλαδὴ τὸν βίον, ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ, ἐν πάσῃ περιστάσει πρὸς τὸ κυριώτατον τέλος, τὴν ζωήν, συντείνουσα ἡ θεοσέβεια· καθ᾿ ὃ καὶ μόνον ἐπάναγκές ἐστι ζῆν, ἵνα ζήσωμεν ἀεί· φιλοσοφία δέ, ᾗ φασιν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι, πολυχρόνιός ἐστι συμβουλή, σοφίας ἀίδιον μνηστευομένη ἔρωτα· »ἐντολὴ δὲ κυρίου τηλαυγής, φωτίζουσα ὀφθαλμούς,« ἀπόλαβε τὸν Χριστόν, ἀπόλαβε τὸ βλέπειν, ἀπόλαβέ σου τὸ φῶς, ὄφρ᾿ εὖ γινώσκοις ἠμὲν θεὸν ἠδὲ καὶ ἄνδρα. »γλυκὺς« ὁ λόγος ὁ φωτίσας ἡμᾶς »ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ λίθον τίμιον· ποθεινός ἐστιν ὑπὲρ μέλι καὶ κηρίον.« πῶς γὰρ οὐ ποθεινὸς ὁ τὸν ἐν σκότει κατορωρυγμένον νοῦν ἐναργῆ ποιησάμενος καὶ τὰ »φωσφόρα« τῆς ψυχῆς ἀποξύνας »ὄμματα«;
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἐντολὴ, ὀφθαλμούς,«, »γλυκὺς«, »ὑπὲρ, κηρίον.«, »φωσφόρα«). Check it against the printed edition.
Further, the other counsels and precepts are unimportant, and respect particular things,-as, for example, if one may marry, take part in public affairs, beget children; but the only command that is universal, and over the whole course of existence, at all times and in all circumstances, tends to the highest end, viz., life, is piety, -all that is necessary, in order that we may live for ever, being that we live in accordance with it. Philosophy, however, as the ancients say, is "a long-lived exhortation, wooing the eternal love of wisdom; "while the commandment of the Lord is far-shining, "enlightening the eyes. Receive Christ, receive sight, receive thy light, "In order that you may know well both God and man. "Sweet is the Word that gives us light, precious above gold and gems; it is to be desired above honey and the honey-comb. For how can it be other than desirable, since it has filled with light the mind which had been buried in darkness, and given keenness to the "light-bringing eyes" of the soul?
Furthermore, all the other counsels and instructions are poor things and concern particular matters: whether to marry, whether to take part in public life, whether to have children. But there is one exhortation that is universal. It covers the whole of life, in every season and every circumstance, and it directs us toward the highest goal, which is life. That exhortation is godliness. It is the only rule we must live by if we are to live forever. Philosophy, as the elders say, is a counsel of long duration, courting an everlasting love of wisdom. But “the commandment of the Lord is far-shining, enlightening the eyes.” Receive Christ, receive sight, receive your light, “that you may know well both God and man.” The Word who has enlightened us is “sweet, above gold and precious stone”; he is desirable “above honey and the honeycomb.” How could he not be desirable, when he has brought into clear light a mind buried in darkness and sharpened the “light-bringing eyes” of the soul?
Translator’s note. “That you may know well both God and man” adapts Homer, Iliad 5.128. There Athena removes the mist from Diomedes’ eyes so that he can tell gods from men.
καὶ γὰρ ὥσπερ »ἡλίου μὴ ὄντος ἕνεκα τῶν ἄλλων ἄστρων νὺξ ἂν ἦν τὰ πάντα«, οὕτως εἰ μὴ τὸν λόγον ἔγνωμεν καὶ τούτῳ κατηυγάσθημεν, οὐδὲν ἂν τῶν σιτευομένων ὀρνίθων ἐλειπόμεθα, ἐν σκότει πιαινόμενοι καὶ θανάτῳ τρεφόμενοι. χωρήσωμεν τὸ φῶς, ἵνα χωρήσωμεν τὸν θεόν· χωρήσωμεν τὸ φῶς καὶ μαθητεύσωμεν τῷ κυρίῳ. τοῦτό τοι καὶ ἐπήγγελται τῷ πατρὶ »διηγήσομαι τὸ ὄνομά σου τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου· ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας ὑμνήσω σε«. ὕμνησον καὶ διήγησαί μοι τὸν πατέρα σου τὸν θεόν· σώσει σου τὰ διηγήματα, παιδεύσει με ἡ ᾠδή. ὡς μέχρι νῦν ἐπλανώμην ζητῶν τὸν θεόν, ἐπεὶ δέ με φωταγωγεῖς, κύριε, κύριε, καὶ τὸν θεὸν εὑρίσκω διὰ σοῦ καὶ τὸν πατέρα ἀπολαμβάνω παρὰ σοῦ, γίνομαί σου συγκληρονόμος, ἐπεὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν οὐκ ἐπῃσχύνθης.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἡλίου, πάντα«,, »διηγήσομαι, σε«.). Check it against the printed edition.
For just as, had the sun not been in existence, night would have brooded over the universe notwithstanding the other luminaries of heaven; so, had we nor known the Word, and been illuminated by Him; we should have been nowise different from fowls that are being fed, fattened in darkness, and nourished for death. Let us then admit the light, that we may admit God; let us admit the light, and become disciples to the Lord. This, too, He has been promised to the Father: "I will declare Thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the Church will I praise Thee. Praise and declare to me Thy Father God; Thy utterances save; Thy hymn teaches that hitherto I have wandered in error, seeking God. But since Thou leadest me to the light, O Lord, and I find God through Thee, and receive the Father from Thee, I become "Thy fellow-heir," since Thou "weft not ashamed of me as Thy brother.
For just as “if there were no sun, it would be night everywhere, despite the other stars,” so, if we had not known the Word and been lit up by him, we would be no better than fattened birds, grown plump in darkness and fed for death. Let us take in the light, so that we may take in God. Let us take in the light and become disciples of the Lord. This is what he promised the Father: “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will sing hymns to you.” Sing, then, and tell me about your Father, God. Your accounts will save me, and your song will teach me. Until now I was wandering, seeking God. But since you lead me into the light, Lord, Lord, I find God through you and receive the Father from you. I become your fellow heir, since you were not ashamed of me, your brother.
Translator’s note. The Psalm quotation ends after “I will sing hymns to you”; what follows (“Sing, then…”) is Clement’s own prayer, not Scripture.
Scripture: Psalm 22:22; Hebrews 2:11-12; Romans 8:17
Ἀφέλωμεν οὖν, ἀφέλωμεν τὴν λήθην τῆς ἀληθείας· τὴν ἄγνοιαν καὶ τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐμποδὼν ὡς ἀχλὺν ὄψεως καταγαγόντες τὸν ὄντως ὄντα θεὸν ἐποπτεύσωμεν, ταύτην αὐτῷ πρῶτον ἀνυμνήσαντες τὴν φωνήν »χαῖρε φῶς·« φῶς ἡμῖν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ τοῖς ἐν σκότει κατορωρυγμένοις καὶ ἐν σκιᾷ θανάτου κατακεκλεισμένοις ἐξέλαμψεν ἡλίου καθαρώτερον, ζωῆς τῆς ἐνταῦθα γλυκύτερον. τὸ φῶς ἐκεῖνο ζωή ἐστιν ἀίδιος, καὶ ὅσα μετείληφεν αὐτοῦ, ζῇ, ἡ νὺξ δὲ εὐλαβεῖται τὸ φῶς καὶ δύνουσα διὰ τὸν φόβον παραχωρεῖ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ κυρίου· τὰ πάντα φῶς ἀκοίμητον γέγονεν καὶ ἡ δύσις εἰς ἀνατολὴν περιέστηκεν. τοῦτο ἡ κτίσις ἡ καινὴ βεβούληται· ὁ γὰρ τὰ πάντα καθιππεύων »δικαιοσύνης ἥλιος« ἐπ᾿ ἴσης περιπολεῖ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα, τὸν πατέρα μιμούμενος, ὃς »ἐπὶ πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἀνατέλλει τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ«, καὶ καταψεκάζει τὴν δρόσον τῆς ἀληθείας.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»χαῖρε, φῶς·«, »δικαιοσύνης, ἥλιος«, »ἐπὶ, αὐτοῦ«,). Check it against the printed edition.
Let us put away, then, let us put away oblivion of the truth, viz., ignorance; and removing the darkness which obstructs, as dimness of sight, let us contemplate the only true God, first raising our voice in this hymn of praise: Hail, O light! For in us, buried in darkness, shut up in the shadow of death, light has shone forth from heaven, purer than the sun, sweeter than life here below. That light is eternal life; and whatever partakes of it lives. But night fears the light, and hiding itself in terror, gives place to the day of the Lord. Sleepless light is now over all, and the west has given credence to the east. For this was the end of the new creation. For "the Sun of Righteousness," who drives His chariot over all, pervades equally all humanity, like "His Father, who makes His sun to rise on all men," and distils on them the dew of the truth.
So let us remove, let us remove, our forgetfulness of the truth. Let us strip away ignorance and the darkness that stands in the way like a mist over the eyes, and let us look upon the God who truly is. First let us sing to him this greeting: “Hail, light!” Light has shone on us from heaven, on us who were buried in darkness and shut up in the shadow of death. It is purer than the sun and sweeter than the life we have here. That light is eternal life, and whatever shares in it lives. Night is afraid of the light, and in fear it sets and yields to the Lord’s day. Everything has become sleepless light, and the west has been turned into the east. This is what the new creation means. For the “sun of righteousness,” who drives his chariot over all things, travels equally around all humanity. He imitates the Father, who “makes his sun rise on all people,” and he sprinkles on them the dew of truth.
Translator’s note. The older translation reads “the west has given credence to the east.” The Greek printed here says the west (sunset) has been turned around into the east (sunrise), and this version follows the Greek.
Scripture: Luke 1:79; Malachi 4:2; Matthew 5:45
οὗτος τὴν δύσιν εἰς ἀνατολὴν μετήγαγεν καὶ τὸν θάνατον εἰς ζωὴν ἀνεσταύρωσεν, ἐξαρπάσας δὲ τῆς ἀπωλείας τὸν ἄνθρωπον προσεκρέμασεν αἰθέρι, μεταφυτεύων τὴν φθορὰν εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ γῆν μεταβάλλων εἰς οὐρανούς, ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ γεωργός, »δεξιὰ σημαίνων, λαοὺς δ᾿ ἐπὶ ἔργον« ἀγαθὸν »ἐγείρων, μιμνῄσκων βιότοιο« ἀληθινοῦ, καὶ τὸν μέγαν ὄντως καὶ θεῖον καὶ ἀναφαίρετον τοῦ πατρὸς κλῆρον χαριζόμενος ἡμῖν, οὐρανίῳ διδασκαλίᾳ θεοποιῶν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, »διδοὺς νόμους εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν γράφων αὐτούς.« τίνας ὑπογράφει νόμους; »ὅτι πάντες εἴσονται τὸν θεὸν ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου, καὶ ἵλεως«, φησὶν ὁ θεός, »ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ.« δεξώμεθα τοὺς νόμους τῆς ζωῆς, πεισθῶμεν προτρεπομένῳ θεῷ, μάθωμεν αὐτόν, ἵνα ἵλεως ᾖ, ἀποδῶμεν καὶ μὴ δεομένῳ μισθὸν εὐχάριστον, εὐπείθειαν, οἷόν τι ἐνοίκιον [τὴν εὐσέβειαν] τῷ θεῷ τῆς ἐνταῦθα ἐνοικήσεως.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»δεξιὰ, ἔργον«, »ἐγείρων,, βιότοιο«, »διδοὺς, αὐτούς.«). Check it against the printed edition.
He hath changed sunset into sunrise, and through the cross brought death to life; and having wrenched man from destruction, He hath raised him to the skies, transplanting mortality into immortality, and translating earth to heaven-He, the husbandman of God, "Pointing out the favourable signs and rousing the nations To good works, putting them in mind of the true sustenance; " having bestowed on us the truly great, divine, and inalienable inheritance of the Father, deifying man by heavenly teaching, putting His laws into our minds, and writing them on our hearts. What laws does He inscribe? "That all shall know God, from small to great; "and, "I will be merciful to them," says God, "and will not remember their sins. Let us receive the laws of life, let us comply with God's expostulations; let us become acquainted with Him, that He may be gracious. And though God needs nothing let us render to Him the grateful recompense of a thankful heart and of piety, as a kind of house-rent for our dwelling here below.
He turned the west into the east, and through the cross he turned death into life. He snatched man out of destruction and lifted him up to hang in the upper air. He transplanted corruption into incorruption and changed earth into heaven. He is God’s farmer, “giving favorable signs, rousing the people to work,” to good work, “reminding them of their livelihood,” the true one. He has given us the Father’s inheritance, which is truly great and divine and cannot be taken away. By heavenly teaching he makes man divine, “putting laws into their mind and writing them on their heart.” What laws does he write? “That all will know God, from small to great; and I will be merciful to them,” says God, “and I will by no means remember their sins.” Let us receive the laws of life and obey God when he exhorts us. Let us learn to know him, so that he may be merciful. Even though he needs nothing, let us pay him a wage of thanks, which is willing obedience, like a kind of rent paid to God for our dwelling here.
Translator’s note. After “rent,” the edition used has the word “piety” in brackets, marking it as a possible later addition. It is left out here.
Scripture: Hebrews 8:10-12; Jeremiah 31:33-34
χρύσεα χαλκείων, ἑκατόμβοι᾿ ἐννεαβοίων, ὀλίγης πίστεως γῆν σοι δίδωσι τὴν τοσαύτην γεωργεῖν, ὕδωρ πίνειν καὶ ἄλλο πλεῖν, ἀέρα ἀναπνεῖν, πῦρ ὑπουργεῖν, κόσμον οἰκεῖν· ἐντεῦθεν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀποικίαν στείλασθαί σοι συγκεχώρηκεν· τὰ μεγάλα ταῦτα καὶ τοσαῦτά σοι δημιουργήματα καὶ χαρίσματα ὀλίγης πίστεως μεμίσθωκεν. εἶθ᾿ οἱ μὲν τοῖς γόησι πεπιστευκότες τὰ περίαπτα καὶ τὰς ἐπαοιδὰς ὡς σωτηρίους δῆθεν ἀποδέχονται, ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐ βούλεσθε τὸν οὐράνιον αὐτὸν περιάψασθαι, τὸν σωτῆρα λόγον, καὶ τῇ ἐπῳδῇ τοῦ θεοῦ πιστεύσαντες ἀπαλλαγῆναι μὲν παθῶν, ἃ δὴ ψυχῆς νόσοι, ἀποσπασθῆναι δὲ ἁμαρτίας; θάνατος γὰρ ἀίδιος ἁμαρτία. ἦ τέλεον νωδοὶ καὶ τυφλοὶ καθάπερ οἱ σπάλακες οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ ἐσθίοντες ἐν σκότῳ διαιτᾶσθε, περικαταρρέοντες τῇ φθορᾷ. ἀλλ᾿ ἔστιν, ἔστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια ἡ κεκραγυῖα »ἐκ σκότους φῶς λάμψει«.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἐκ, λάμψει«.). Check it against the printed edition.
"Gold for brass, A hundred oxen's worth for that of nine; " that is, for your little faith He gives you the earth of so great extent to till, water to drink and also to sail on, air to breathe, fire to do your work, a world to dwell in; and He has permitted you to conduct a colony from here to heaven: with these important works of His hand, and benefits in such numbers, He has rewarded your little faith. Then, those who have put faith in necromancers, receive from them amulets and charms, to ward off evil forsooth; and will you not allow the heavenly Word, the Saviour, to be bound on to you as an amulet, and, by trusting in God's own charm, be delivered from passions which are the diseases of the mind, and rescued from sin?-for sin is eternal death. Surely utterly dull and blind, and, like moles, doing nothing but eat, you spend your lives in darkness, surrounded with corruption. But it is truth which cries, "The light shall shine forth from the darkness.
“Gold for bronze, the price of a hundred oxen for the price of nine.” So it is with you: for a little faith God gives you all this earth to farm, water to drink and to sail on, air to breathe, fire to serve you, and a world to live in. He has even allowed you to send a colony from here to the heavens. All these great works of his hands, and all these gifts, he has paid out to you for a little faith. People who trust sorcerers accept their amulets and charms, supposing these will save them. Will you not be willing to have the heavenly Word, the Saviour, fastened on you like an amulet? Will you not trust God’s own charm and be set free from the passions, which are diseases of the soul, and be torn away from sin? For sin is eternal death. Truly you are completely toothless and blind, like moles. You live in the dark, doing nothing but eating, and you are wasting away in corruption. But there is, there is a truth that cries out: “Out of darkness light will shine.”
Translator’s note. The closing words quote 2 Corinthians 4:6, “Light will shine out of darkness.”
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:6
λαμψάτω οὖν ἐν τῷ ἀποκεκρυμμένῳ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ, τὸ φῶς, καὶ τῆς γνώσεως αἱ ἀκτῖνες ἀνατειλάτωσαν τὸν ἐγκεκρυμμένον ἔνδον ἐκφαίνουσαι καὶ ἀποστίλβουσαι ἄνθρωπον, τὸν μαθητὴν τοῦ φωτός, τὸν Χριστοῦ γνώριμόν τε καὶ συγκληρονόμον, μάλιστα ἐπειδὰν τὸ τιμιώτατον καὶ σεβασμιώτατον εὐσεβεῖ τε καὶ ἀγαθῷ παιδὶ ἀγαθοῦ πατρὸς ὄνομα εἰς γνῶσιν ἀφίκηται, προστάττοντος ἤπια καὶ τῷ παιδὶ ἐγκελευομένου τὰ σωτήρια. ὁ δὲ πειθόμενος αὐτῷ κατὰ πάντα δὴ πλεονεκτεῖ· ἕπεται τῷ θεῷ, πείθεται τῷ πατρί, ἔγνω πλανώμενος αὐτόν, ἠγάπησε τὸν θεόν, ἠγάπησε τὸν πλησίον, ἐπλήρωσε τὴν ἐντολήν, τὸ ἆθλον ἐπιζητεῖ, τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ἀπαιτεῖ. Πρόκειται δὲ ἀεὶ τῷ θεῷ τὴν ἀνθρώπων ἀγέλην σῴζειν. ταύτῃ καὶ τὸν ἀγαθὸν ποιμένα ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἀπέστειλεν θεός· ἁπλώσας δὲ ὁ λόγος τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἔδειξε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὸ ὕψος τῆς σωτηρίας, ὅπως ἢ μετανοήσαντες σωθῶσιν ἢ μὴ ὑπακούσαντες κριθῶσιν.
Let the light then shine in the hidden part of man, that is, the heart; and let the beams of knowledge arise to reveal and irradiate the hidden inner man, the disciple of the Light, the familiar friend and fellow-heir of Christ; especially now that we have come to know the most precious and venerable name of the good Father, who to a pious and good child gives gentle counsels, and commands what is salutary for His child. He who obeys Him has the advantage in all things, follows God, obeys the Father, knows Him through wandering, loves God, loves his neighbour, fulfils the commandment, seeks the prize, claims the promise. But it has been God's fixed and constant purpose to save the flock of men: for this end the good God sent the good Shepherd. And the Word, having unfolded the truth, showed to men the height of salvation, that either repenting they might be saved, or refusing to obey, they might be judged.
So let the light shine in the hidden part of a person, in the heart. Let the rays of knowledge rise and bring out the person hidden within, making him shine: the disciple of the light, the friend and fellow heir of Christ. This is especially so when a devout and good child comes to know the most honored and venerable name, the name of a good Father. This Father gives gentle commands and urges his child toward what will save him. The one who obeys him gains in every way. He follows God, he obeys the Father. He came to know him while he was still wandering. He has loved God, he has loved his neighbor, he has fulfilled the commandment. He looks for the prize, he claims the promise. It is always God’s purpose to save the flock of humanity. For this reason the good God sent the good Shepherd. And the Word, laying the truth open, showed people the height of salvation, so that they would either repent and be saved, or refuse to obey and be judged.
Translator’s note. “The good Shepherd” recalls John 10:11. Loving God and neighbor recalls Matthew 22:37–39.
Scripture: 1 Peter 3:4; Matthew 22:37-39; John 10:11
τοῦτο τῆς δικαιοσύνης τὸ κήρυγμα, ὑπακούουσιν εὐαγγέλιον, παρακούσασιν κριτήριον. ἀλλὰ σάλπιγξ μὲν »ἡ μεγαλόκλονος« ἠχήσασα στρατιώτας συνήγαγεν καὶ πόλεμον κατήγγειλεν, Χριστὸς δὲ εἰρηνικὸν ἐπὶ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς ἐπιπνεύσας μέλος οὐ συνάξει ἄρα τοὺς εἰρηνικοὺς στρατιώτας τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ; συνήγαγε μὲν οὖν, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, τὸ στρατιωτικὸν τὸ ἀναίμακτον αἵματι καὶ λόγῳ, καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν αὐτοῖς ἐνεχείρισεν. σάλπιγξ ἐστὶ Χριστοῦ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον αὐτοῦ· ὃ μὲν ἐσάλπισεν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἠκούσαμεν. ἐξοπλισώμεθα εἰρηνικῶς, »ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν θώρακα τῆς δικαιοσύνης« καὶ τὴν ἀσπίδα τῆς πίστεως ἀναλαβόντες καὶ τὴν κόρυν τοῦ σωτηρίου περιθέμενοι καὶ »τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστι ῥῆμα θεοῦ«, ἀκονήσωμεν. οὕτως ἡμᾶς ὁ ἀπόστολος εἰρηνικῶς ἐκτάττει· ταῦτα ἡμῶν τὰ ὅπλα τὰ ἄτρωτα· τούτοις ἐξοπλισάμενοι παραταξώμεθα τῷ πονηρῷ· τὰ πεπυρακτωμένα τοῦ πονηροῦ ἀποσβέσωμεν βέλη ταῖς ὑδατίναις ἀκμαῖς ταῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου βεβαμμέναις, εὐχαρίστοις ἀμειβόμενοι τὰς εὐποιίας εὐλογίαις καὶ τὸν θεὸν τῷ θείῳ γεραίροντες λόγῳ.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἡ, μεγαλόκλονος«, »ἐνδυσάμενοι, δικαιοσύνης«, »τὴν, θεοῦ«,). Check it against the printed edition.
This is the proclamation of righteousness: to those that obey, glad tidings; to those that disobey, judgment. The loud trumpet, when sounded, collects the soldiers, and proclaims war. And shall not Christ, breathing a strain of peace to the ends of the earth, gather together His own soldiers, the soldiers of peace? Well, by His blood, and by the word, He has gathered the bloodless host of peace, and assigned to them the kingdom of heaven. The trumpet of Christ is His Gospel. He hath blown it, and we have heard. "Let us array ourselves in the armour of peace, putting on the breastplate of righteousness, and taking the shield of faith, and binding our brows with the helmet, of salvation; and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," let us sharpen. So the apostle in the spirit of peace commands. These are our invulnerable weapons: armed with these, let us face the evil one; "the fiery darts of the evil one" let us quench with the sword-points dipped in water, that, have been baptized by the Word, returning grateful thanks for the benefits we have received, and honouring God through the Divine Word.
This is the proclamation of righteousness: good news for those who obey, a judgment for those who refuse to listen. Now when the “loud-crashing” trumpet sounds, it gathers soldiers and announces war. Christ has breathed a song of peace to the ends of the earth. Will he not, then, gather his own soldiers of peace? He has indeed gathered them, my friend. By his blood and by his word he has gathered a bloodless army, and he has entrusted the kingdom of heaven to them. Christ’s trumpet is his gospel. He has sounded it, and we have heard it. Let us arm ourselves in peace, “putting on the breastplate of righteousness,” taking up the shield of faith, putting on the helmet of salvation, and sharpening “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” This is how the apostle draws us up for battle, in peace. These are our weapons, and nothing can pierce them. Armed with them, let us take our stand against the evil one. Let us put out the evil one’s flaming arrows with blade-points of water, dipped by the Word. Let us repay his kindness with grateful praise, and honor God with the divine Word.
Translator’s note. The Greek verb for “dipped” is used for tempering metal by plunging it into water. It is related to the word for “baptize,” so Clement may be alluding to baptism.
Scripture: Ephesians 6:14-17
»ἔτι γὰρ λαλοῦντός σου ἐρεῖ,« φησίν, »ἰδοὺ πάρειμι.« Ὢ τῆς ἁγίας καὶ μακαρίας ταύτης δυνάμεως, δι᾿ ἧς ἀνθρώποις συμπολιτεύεται θεός. λῷον οὖν καὶ ἄμεινον τῆς ἀρίστης τῶν ὄντων οὐσίας μιμητὴν ὁμοῦ καὶ θεραπευτὴν γενέσθαι· οὐ γὰρ μιμεῖσθαί τις δυνήσεται τὸν θεὸν ἢ δι᾿ ὧν ὁσίως θεραπεύει οὐδ᾿ αὖ θεραπεύειν καὶ σέβειν ἢ μιμούμενος. ὅ γέ τοι οὐράνιος καὶ θεῖος ὄντως ἔρως ταύτῃ προσγίνεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ὅταν ἐν αὐτῇ που τῇ ψυχῇ τὸ ὄντως καλὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ θείου λόγου ἀναζωπυρούμενον ἐκλάμπειν δυνηθῇ· καὶ τὸ μέγιστον, ἅμα τῷ βουληθῆναι γνησίως τὸ σωθῆναι συντρέχει, ὁμοζυγούντων, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, προαιρέσεως καὶ ζωῆς. τοιγάρτοι μόνη αὕτη ἡ τῆς ἀληθείας προτροπὴ τοῖς πιστοτάτοις ἀπείκασται τῶν φίλων μέχρι τῆς ἐσχάτης ἀναπνοῆς παραμένουσα καὶ παραπομπὸς ἀγαθὴ ὅλῳ καὶ τελείῳ τῷ τῆς ψυχῆς πνεύματι τοῖς εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀπαίρουσι γενομένη.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἔτι, ἐρεῖ,«, »ἰδοὺ, πάρειμι.«). Check it against the printed edition.
"For while thou art yet speaking," it is said, "He will say, Behold, I am beside thee. O this holy and blessed power, by which God has fellowship with men! Better far, then, is it to become at once the imitator and the servant of the best of all beings; for only by holy service will any one be able to imitate God, and to serve and worship Him only by imitating Him. The heavenly and truly divine love comes to men thus, when in the soul itself the spark of true goodness, kindled in the soul by the Divine Word, is able to burst forth into flame; and, what is of the highest importance, salvation runs parallel with sincere willingness-choice and life being, so to speak, yoked together. Wherefore this exhortation of the truth alone, like the most faithful of our friends, abides with us till our last breath, and is to the whole and perfect spirit of the soul the kind attendant on our ascent to heaven.
“While you are still speaking,” he says, “he will say, ‘Look, I am here.’” What a holy and blessed power this is, by which God lives as a fellow citizen with human beings! It is better and finer, then, to become both an imitator and a servant of the best being there is. For no one can imitate God except through the holy service he gives him, and no one can serve and honor him except by imitating him. The heavenly and truly divine love comes to people in this way: when true beauty, fanned into flame by the divine Word, is able to shine out somewhere within the soul itself. And most important of all, salvation runs together with sincerely wanting it, since choice and life are, so to speak, yoked together. For this reason, this appeal of the truth alone is likened to the most faithful of friends. It stays with us to our last breath. For those who depart for heaven, it becomes a good escort for the whole and perfect spirit of the soul.
Translator’s note. The quotation matches the Greek (Septuagint) text of Isaiah 58:9 (“while you are still speaking, he will say, ‘Here I am’”).
Scripture: Isaiah 58:9
τί δή σε προτρέπω; σωθῆναί σε ἐπείγομαι. τοῦτο Χριστὸς βούλεται· ἑνὶ λόγῳ ζωήν σοι χαρίζεται. καὶ τίς ἐστιν οὗτος; μάθε συντόμως· λόγος ἀληθείας, λόγος ἀφθαρσίας, ὁ ἀναγεννῶν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, εἰς ἀλήθειαν αὐτὸν ἀναφέρων, τὸ κέντρον τῆς σωτηρίας, ὁ ἐξελαύνων τὴν φθοράν, ὁ ἐκδιώκων τὸν θάνατον, ὁ ἐν ἀνθρώποις οἰκοδομήσας νεών, ἵνα ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἱδρύσῃ τὸν θεόν. ἅγνισον τὸν νεών, καὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς καὶ τὰς ῥᾳθυμίας ὥσπερ ἄνθος ἐφήμερον καταλίμπανε ἀνέμῳ καὶ πυρί, σωφροσύνης δὲ τοὺς καρποὺς γεώργησον ἐμφρόνως, καὶ σεαυτὸν ἀκροθίνιον ἀνάστησον τῷ θεῷ, ὅπως οὐκ ἔργον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ χάρις ᾖς τοῦ θεοῦ· πρέπει δὲ ἄμφω τῷ Χριστοῦ γνωρίμῳ, καὶ βασιλείας ἄξιον φανῆναι καὶ βασιλείας κατηξιῶσθαι.
What, then, is the exhortation I give you? I urge you to be saved. This Christ desires. In one word. He freely bestows life on you. And who is He? Briefly learn. The Word of truth, the Word of incorruption, that regenerates man by bringing him back to the truth-the goad that urges to salvation t He who expels destruction and pursues death-He who builds up the temple of God in men, that He may cause God to take up His abode in men. Cleanse the temple; and pleasures and amusements abandon to the winds and the fire, as a fading flower; but wisely cultivate the fruits of self-command, and present thyself to God as an offering of first-fruits, that there may be not the work alone, but also the grace of God; and both are requisite, that the friend of Christ may be rendered worthy of the kingdom, and be counted worthy of the kingdom.
What, then, am I urging you to do? I am pressing you to be saved. This is what Christ wants. In a word, he gives you life as a gift. And who is this? Learn it in brief: the Word of truth, the Word of incorruption, who gives people new birth and brings them back to the truth. He is the goad that drives us to salvation. He drives out corruption and chases away death. He has built a temple in human beings, so that he might enshrine God in them. Make the temple clean. Leave pleasures and carelessness to the wind and the fire, like a flower that lasts a day. But farm the fruits of self-control with good sense, and dedicate yourself to God as a first-fruits offering. Then you will be not only God’s work but also his gift. Both suit Christ’s disciple: to be shown worthy of the kingdom, and to have been counted worthy of the kingdom.
Translator’s note. “His work... his gift” translates *ergon... charis tou theou*, literally “work... grace (or favor) of God.”
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:5
Chapter 12
Φύγωμεν οὖν τὴν συνήθειαν, φύγωμεν οἷον ἄκραν χαλεπὴν ἢ Χαρύβδεως ἀπειλὴν ἢ Σειρῆνας μυθικάς· ἄγχει τὸν ἄνθρωπον, τῆς ἀληθείας ἀποτρέπει, ἀπάγει τῆς ζωῆς, παγίς ἐστιν, βάραθρόν ἐστιν, βόθρος ἐστί, λίχνον ἐστὶν κακὸν ἡ συνήθεια· κείνου μὲν καπνοῦ καὶ κύματος ἐκτὸς ἔεργε νῆα. φεύγωμεν, ὦ συνναῦται, φεύγωμεν τὸ κῦμα τοῦτο, πῦρ ἐρεύγεται, νῆσός ἐστι πονηρὰ ὀστοῖς καὶ νεκροῖς σεσωρευμένη, ᾄδει δὲ ἐν αὐτῇ πορνίδιον ὡραῖον, ἡδονή, πανδήμῳ τερπόμενον μουσικῇ· δεῦρ᾿ ἄγ᾿ ἰών, πολύαιν᾿ Ὀδυσεῦ, μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν, νῆα κατάστησον, ἵνα θειοτέρην ὄπ᾿ ἀκούσῃς. ἐπαινεῖ σε, ὦ ναῦτα, καὶ πολυύμνητον λέγει, καὶ τὸ κῦδος τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἡ πόρνη σφετερίζεται· ἔασον αὐτὴν ἐπινέμεσθαι τοὺς νεκρούς, πνεῦμά σοι οὐράνιον βοηθεῖ· πάριθι τὴν ἡδονήν, βουκολεῖ· μηδὲ γυνή σε νόον πυγοστόλος ἐξαπατάτω, αἱμύλα κωτίλλουσα, τεὴν διφῶσα καλιήν.
Exhortation to Abandon Their Old Errors and Listen to the Instructions of Christ.Let us then avoid custom as we would a dangerous headland, or the threatening Charybdis, or the mythic sirens. It chokes man, turns him away from truth, leads him away from life: custom is a snare, a gulf, a pit, a mischievous winnowing fan. "Urge the ship beyond that smoke and billow. Let us shun, fellow-mariners, let us shun this billow; it vomits forth fire: it is a wicked island, heaped with bones and corpses, and in it sings a fair courtesan, Pleasure, delighting with music for the common ear. "Hie thee hither, far-famed Ulysses, great glory of the Achaeans; Moor the ship, that thou mayest hears diviner voice. She praises thee, O mariner, and calls the eillustrious; and the courtesan tries to win to herself the glory of the Greeks. Leave her to prey on the dead; a heavenly spirit comes to thy help: pass by Pleasure, she beguiles. "Let not a woman with flowing train cheat you of your senses, With her flattering prattle seeking your hurt.
So let us flee from custom. Let us flee it as we would a dangerous headland, or the menace of Charybdis, or the Sirens of the myths. Custom chokes a person, turns him away from the truth, and leads him away from life. It is a snare, a chasm, a pit, a greedy evil. “Keep your ship clear of that smoke and that surge.” Let us flee, fellow sailors, let us flee this wave! It belches out fire. It is a wicked island, piled high with bones and corpses. On it sings a pretty little harlot, Pleasure, who delights in music for the common crowd. “Come here, much-praised Odysseus, great glory of the Achaeans; bring your ship to rest, that you may hear a diviner voice.” She praises you, sailor, and calls you famous in song, and the harlot claims for herself the glory of the Greeks. Let her feed on the dead. A heavenly Spirit helps you. Pass Pleasure by; she is a deceiver. “Do not let a woman with swaying hips cheat your mind, coaxing you with wheedling talk while she pries into your barn.”
Translator’s note. “A greedy evil” follows the Greek *lichnon*, “greedy.” The older English’s “winnowing fan” seems to read a similar-looking word, *liknon*.
παράπλει τὴν ᾠδήν, θάνατον ἐργάζεται· ἐὰν ἐθέλῃς μόνον, νενίκηκας τὴν ἀπώλειαν καὶ τῷ ξύλῳ προσδεδεμένος ἁπάσης ἔσῃ τῆς φθορᾶς λελυμένος, κυβερνήσει σε ὁ λόγος ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ τοῖς λιμέσι καθορμίσει τῶν οὐρανῶν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· τότε μου κατοπτεύσεις τὸν θεὸν καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἐκείνοις τελεσθήσῃ μυστηρίοις καὶ τῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀπολαύσεις ἀποκεκρυμμένων, τῶν ἐμοὶ τετηρημένων, »ἃ οὔτε οὖς ἤκουσεν οὔτε ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνέβη« τινός. καὶ μὴν ὁρᾶν μοι δύο μὲν ἡλίους δοκῶ, δισσὰς δὲ Θήβας βαχκεύων ἔλεγέν τις εἰδώλοις, ἀγνοίᾳ μεθύων ἀκράτῳ· ἐγὼ δ᾿ ἂν αὐτὸν οἰκτείραιμι παροινοῦντα καὶ τὸν οὕτω παρανοοῦντα ἐπὶ σωτηρίαν παρακαλέσαιμι σωφρονοῦσαν, ὅτι καὶ κύριος μετάνοιαν ἁμαρτωλοῦ καὶ οὐχὶ θάνατον ἀσπάζεται. ἧκε, ὦ παραπλήξ, μὴ θύρσῳ σκηριπτόμενος, μὴ κιττῷ ἀναδούμενος, ῥῖψον τὴν μίτραν, ῥῖψον τὴν νεβρίδα, σωφρόνησον· δείξω σοι τὸν λόγον καὶ τοῦ λόγου τὰ μυστήρια, κατὰ τὴν σὴν διηγούμενος εἰκόνα.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»ἃ, ἀνέβη«). Check it against the printed edition.
Sail past the song; it works death. Exert your will only, and you have overcome ruin; bound to the wood of the cross, thou shalt be freed from destruction: the word of God will be thy pilot, and the Holy Spirit will bring thee to anchor in the haven of heaven. Then shalt thou see my God, and be initiated into the sacred mysteries, and come to the fruition of those things which are laid up in heaven reserved for me, which "ear hath not heard, nor have they entered into the heart of any. "And in sooth methinks I see two suns, And a double Thebes," said one frenzy-stricken in the worship of idols, intoxicated with mere ignorance. I would pity him in his frantic intoxication, and thus frantic I would invite him to the sobriety of salvation; for the Lord welcomes a sinner's repentance, and not his death. Come, O madman, not leaning on the thyrsus, not crowned with ivy; throw away the mitre, throw away the fawn-skin; come to thy senses. I will show thee the Word, and the mysteries of the Word, expounding them after thine own fashion.
Sail past the song; it brings death. Only be willing, and you have conquered destruction. Bound to the wood, you will be set free from all corruption. The Word of God will steer you, and the Holy Spirit will bring you to anchor in the harbors of heaven. Then you will look upon my God. You will be initiated into those holy mysteries, and you will enjoy the hidden things in heaven that are kept for me, “which no ear has heard, and which have not entered the heart” of anyone. “Indeed, I seem to see two suns, and two Thebes,” said one who was in a Bacchic frenzy over idols, drunk with undiluted ignorance. I would pity him in his drunken raving. Even in such madness I would urge him toward a sober salvation, because the Lord welcomes the repentance of a sinner and not his death. Come, you who are out of your mind. Do not lean on the thyrsus or wrap yourself in ivy. Throw away the headband, throw away the fawn-skin, and come to your senses. I will show you the Word and the mysteries of the Word, explaining them in images you will recognize.
Translator’s note. The “two suns” line is spoken by Pentheus in Euripides’ Bacchae. The “ear has not heard” wording echoes 1 Corinthians 2:9. The “sinner’s repentance” echoes Ezekiel 18:23 and 33:11.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:9; Ezekiel 33:11
ὄρος ἐστὶ τοῦτο θεῷ πεφιλημένον, οὐ τραγῳδίαις ὡς Κιθαιρὼν ὑποκείμενον, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀληθείας ἀνακείμενον δράμασιν, ὄρος νηφάλιον, ἁγναῖς ὕλαις σύσκιον· βακχεύουσι δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ οὐχ αἱ Σεμέλης »τῆς κεραυνίας« ἀδελφαί, αἱ μαινάδες, αἱ δύσαγνον κρεανομίαν μυούμεναι, ἀλλ᾿ αἱ τοῦ θεοῦ θυγατέρες, αἱ ἀμνάδες αἱ καλαί, τὰ σεμνὰ τοῦ λόγου θεσπίζουσαι ὄργια, χορὸν ἀγείρουσαι σώφρονα. ὁ χορὸς οἱ δίκαιοι, τὸ ᾆσμα ὕμνος ἐστὶ τοῦ πάντων βασιλέως· ψάλλουσιν αἱ κόραι, δοξάζουσιν ἄγγελοι, προφῆται λαλοῦσιν, ἦχος στέλλεται μουσικῆς, δρόμῳ τὸν θίασον διώκουσιν, σπεύδουσιν οἱ κεκλημένοι πατέρα ποθοῦντες ἀπολαβεῖν. ἧκέ μοι, ὦ πρέσβυ, καὶ σύ, τὰς Θήβας λιπὼν καὶ τὴν μαντικὴν καὶ τὴν βακχείαν ἀπορρίψας πρὸς ἀλήθειαν χειραγωγοῦ· ἰδού σοι τὸ ξύλον ἐπερείδεσθαι δίδωμι· σπεῦσον, Τειρεσία, πίστευσον· ὄψει· Χριστὸς ἐπιλάμπει φαιδρότερον ἡλίου, δι᾿ ὃν ὀφθαλμοὶ τυφλῶν ἀναβλέπουσιν· νύξ σε φεύξεται, πῦρ φοβηθήσεται, θάνατος οἰχήσεται· ὄψει τοὺς οὐρανούς, ὦ γέρον, ὁ Θήβας μὴ βλέπων.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»τῆς, κεραυνίας«). Check it against the printed edition.
This is the mountain beloved of God, not the subject of tragedies like Cithaeron, but consecrated to dramas of the truth,-a mount of sobriety, shaded with forests of purity; and there revel on it not the Maenades, the sisters of Semele, who was struck by the thunderbolt, practising in their initiator rites unholy division of flesh, but the daughters of God, the fair lambs, who celebrate the holy rites of the Word, raising a sober choral dance. The righteous are the chorus; the music is a hymn of the King of the universe. The maidens strike the lyre, the angels praise, the prophets speak; the sound of music issues forth, they run and pursue the jubilant band; those that are called make haste, eagerly desiring to receive the Father. Come thou also, O aged man, leaving Thebes, and casting away from thee both divination and Bacchic frenzy, allow thyself to be led to the truth. I give thee the staff [of the cross] on which to lean. Haste, Tiresias; believe, and thou wilt see. Christ, by whom the eyes of the blind recover sight, will shed on thee a light brighter than the sun; night will flee from thee, fire will fear, death will be gone; thou, old man, who saw not Thebes, shalt see the heavens.
This is a mountain beloved by God. It is not the subject of tragedies, as Cithaeron is, but is given over to the dramas of truth. It is a sober mountain, shaded by pure woods. On it revel not the sisters of Semele “the lightning-struck,” the Maenads, who are initiated into an unholy sharing out of flesh, but the daughters of God, the fair lambs. They proclaim the solemn rites of the Word and gather a sober chorus. The chorus is the righteous, and the song is a hymn to the King of all. The maidens sing, the angels give glory, the prophets speak. The sound of music goes out. They run to follow the festal band, and those who have been called hurry on, longing to receive the Father. Come to me, old man, you also. Leave Thebes, give up prophecy and Bacchic revelry, and be led by the hand to the truth. Look, I give you the wood to lean on. Hurry, Tiresias, believe, and you will see. Christ shines more brightly than the sun, and through him the eyes of the blind receive their sight. Night will flee from you, fire will fear you, and death will be gone. You will see the heavens, old man, you who cannot see Thebes.
Translator’s note. The older translation’s “[of the cross]” is a bracketed addition; the Greek says only “the wood,” as in the previous section.
Ὢ τῶν ἁγίων ὡς ἀληθῶς μυστηρίων, ὢ φωτὸς ἀκηράτου. δᾳδουχοῦμαι τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἐποπτεῦσαι, ἅγιος γίνομαι μυούμενος, ἱεροφαντεῖ δὲ ὁ κύριος καὶ τὸν μύστην σφραγίζεται φωταγωγῶν, καὶ παρατίθεται τῷ πατρὶ τὸν πεπιστευκότα αἰῶσι τηρούμενον. ταῦτα τῶν ἐμῶν μυστηρίων τὰ βακχεύματα· εἰ βούλει, καὶ σὺ μυοῦ, καὶ χορεύσεις μετ᾿ ἀγγέλων ἀμφὶ τὸν ἀγένητον καὶ ἀνώλεθρον καὶ μόνον ὄντως θεόν, συνυμνοῦντος ἡμῖν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου. ἀίδιος οὗτος Ἰησοῦς, εἷς [ὁ] μέγας ἀρχιερεὺς θεοῦ τε ἑνὸς τοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ πατρός, ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων εὔχεται καὶ ἀνθρώποις ἐγκελεύεται »κέκλυτε, μυρία φῦλα«, μᾶλλον δὲ ὅσοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων λογικοί, καὶ βάρβαροι καὶ Ἕλληνες· τὸ πᾶν ἀνθρώπων γένος καλῶ, ὧν ἐγὼ δημιουργὸς θελήματι πατρός. ἥκετε ὡς ἐμέ, ὑφ᾿ ἕνα ταχθησόμενοι θεὸν καὶ τὸν ἕνα λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ μὴ μόνον τῶν ἀλόγων ζῴων πλεονεκτεῖτε τῷ λόγῳ, ἐκ δὲ τῶν θνητῶν ἁπάντων ὑμῖν ἀθανασίαν μόνοις καρπώσασθαι δίωμι.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»κέκλυτε,, φῦλα«,). Check it against the printed edition.
O truly sacred mysteries! O stainless light! My way is lighted with torches, and I survey the heavens and God; I become holy whilst I am initiated. The Lord is the hierophant, and seals while illuminating him who is initiated, and presents to the Father him who believes, to be kept safe for ever. Such are the reveries of my mysteries. If it is thy wish, be thou also initiated; and thou shall join the choir along with angels around the unbegotten and indestructible and the only true God, the Word of God, raising the hymn with us. This Jesus, who is eternal, the one great High Priest of the one God, and of His Father, prays for and exhorts men. "Hear, ye myriad tribes, rather whoever among men are endowed with reason, both barbarians and Greeks. I call on the whole race of men, whose Creator I am, by the will of the Father. Come to Me, that you may be put in your due rank under the one God and the one Word of God; and do not only have the advantage of the irrational creatures in the possession of reason; for to you of all mortals I grant the enjoyment of immortality.
O truly holy mysteries! O pure light! I am led by torchlight to look upon the heavens and God. I become holy by being initiated. The Lord is the one who reveals the sacred things. He seals the initiate as he leads him into the light, and he presents the believer to the Father, to be kept for the ages. These are the revels of my mysteries. If you wish, be initiated yourself, and you will dance with angels around the unbegotten, indestructible, and only true God, while the Word of God sings the hymn with us. This Jesus is eternal, the one great High Priest of the one God, who is also his Father. He prays for human beings and calls out to them: “‘Listen, countless tribes,’ or rather, all of you among humankind who have reason, barbarians and Greeks alike. I call the whole human race, whose Maker I am by the Father’s will. Come to me, to be placed under the one God and the one Word of God. You do not only surpass the irrational animals by reason. Out of all mortal creatures, I grant to you alone the harvest of immortality.”
Translator’s note. “Listen, countless tribes” is a line from Homer’s Iliad (17.220), where Hector addresses his allies. Clement puts it in the mouth of Christ and then corrects it to “all who have reason.”
Scripture: Hebrews 4:14
ἐθέλω γάρ, ἐθέλω καὶ ταύτης ὑμῖν μεταδοῦναι τῆς χάριτος, ὁλόκληρον χορηγῶν τὴν εὐεργεσίαν, ἀφθαρσίαν· καὶ λόγον χαρίζομαι ὑμῖν, τὴν γνῶσιν τοῦ θεοῦ, τέλειον ἐμαυτὸν χαρίζομαι. τοῦτό εἰμι ἐγώ, τοῦτο βούλεται ὁ θεός, τοῦτο συμφωνία ἐστί, τοῦτο ἁρμονία πατρός, τοῦτο υἱός, τοῦτο Χριστός, τοῦτο ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ, βραχίων κυρίου, δύναμις τῶν ὅλων, τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός. ὦ πάλαι μὲν εἰκόνες, οὐ πᾶσαι δὲ ἐμφερεῖς, διορθώσασθαι ὑμᾶς πρὸς τὸ ἀρχέτυπον βούλομαι, ἵνα μοι καὶ ὅμοιοι γένησθε. χρίσω ὑμᾶς τῷ πίστεως ἀλείμματι, δι᾿ οὗ τὴν φθορὰν ἀποβάλλετε, καὶ γυμνὸν δικαιοσύνης ἐπιδείξω τὸ σχῆμα, δι᾿ οὗ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἀναβαίνετε. »δεῦτε πρός με πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς· ἄρατε τὸν ζυγόν μου ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς καὶ μάθετε ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν· ὁ γὰρ ζυγός μου χρηστὸς καὶ τὸ φορτίον μου ἐλαφρόν ἐστιν.« σπεύσωμεν, δράμωμεν, ὦ θεοφιλῆ καὶ θεοείκελα τοῦ λόγου [ἄνθρωποι] ἀγάλματα· σπεύσωμεν, δράμωμεν, ἄρωμεν τὸν ζυγὸν αὐτοῦ, ἐπιβάλωμεν ἀφθαρσίᾳ, καλὸν ἡνίοχον ἀνθρώπων τὸν Χριστὸν ἀγαπήσωμεν· τὸν πῶλον ὑποζύγιον ἤγαγε σὺν τῶ παλαιῷ· καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν συνωρίδα καταζεύξας, εἰς ἀθανασίαν κατιθύνει τὸ ἅρμα, σπεύδων πρὸς τὸν θεὸν πληρῶσαι ἐναργῶς ὃ ᾐνίξατο, πρότερον μὲν εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, νῦν δὲ εἰσελαύνων οὐρανούς, κάλλιστον θέαμα τῷ πατρὶ υἱὸς ἀίδιος νικηφόρος.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»δεῦτε, ἐστιν.«). Check it against the printed edition.
For I want, I want to impart to you this grace, bestowing on you the perfect boon of immortality; and I confer on you both the Word and the knowledge of God, My complete self. This am I, this God wills, this is symphony, this the harmony of the Father, this is the Son, this is Christ, this the Word of God, the arm of the Lord, the power of the universe, the will of the Father; of which things there were images of old, but not all adequate. I desire to restore you according to the original model, that ye may become also like Me. I anoint you with the ungent of faith, by which you throw off corruption, and show you the naked form of righteousness by which you ascend to God. Come to Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden light. Let us haste, let us run, my fellow-men-us, who are God-loving and God-like images of the Word. Let us haste, let us run, let us take His yoke, let us receive, to conduct us to immortality, the good charioteer of men. Let us love Christ. He led the colt with its parent; and having yoked the team of humanity to God, directs His chariot to immortality, hastening clearly to fulfil, by driving now into heaven, what He shadowed forth before by riding into Jerusalem. A spectacle most beautiful to the Father is the eternal Son crowned with victory.
“For I want, I truly want, to share this grace with you as well, and to give you the whole benefit, which is incorruption. I give you the Word, the knowledge of God. I give you myself, complete. This is what I am. This is what God wants. This is concord, this is the harmony of the Father. This is the Son, this is Christ, this is the Word of God, the arm of the Lord, the power of the universe, the will of the Father. You were images long ago, but not all of you were true likenesses. I want to set you right according to the original, so that you may become like me. I will anoint you with the ointment of faith, by which you throw off corruption. I will show you the form of righteousness, bare of any covering, by which you climb up to God. ‘Come to me, all you who labor and are weighed down, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is kind and my burden is light.’” Let us hurry, let us run, you who are loved by God, you godlike statues of the Word. Let us hurry, let us run, let us take up his yoke. Let us strive for incorruption, and let us love Christ, the noble charioteer of humanity. He brought the colt, the beast of burden, together with the old one. Having yoked the pair of humankind, he steers the chariot toward immortality. He hurries toward God to fulfil in plain fact what he once hinted at. Before, he drove into Jerusalem; now he drives into the heavens. The eternal Son, victorious, is a most beautiful sight for the Father.
Translator’s note. The colt and “the old one” refer to the animals in Christ’s entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:2-7, quoting Zechariah 9:9). The Greek says only “the old one”; “with its parent” in the older translation is not in the Greek. Clement does not spell out his meaning here. He seems to see the two animals as a picture of the new and old peoples of humanity, both brought under Christ’s yoke.
Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30; Matthew 21:2-7
φιλότιμοι τοίνυν πρὸς τὰ καλὰ καὶ θεοφιλεῖς ἄνθρωποι γενώμεθα, καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὰ μέγιστα, θεὸν καὶ ζωήν, κτησώμεθα. ἀρωγὸς δὲ ὁ λόγος· θαρρῶμεν αὐτῷ καὶ μή ποτε ἡμᾶς τοσοῦτος ἀργύρου καὶ χρυσοῦ, μὴ δόξης ἐπέλθῃ πόθος, ὅσος αὐτοῦ τοῦ τῆς ἀληθείας λόγου. οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ τῷ θεῷ αὐτῷ ἀρεστόν, εἰ ἡμεῖς τὰ μὲν πλείστου ἄξια περὶ ἐλαχίστου ποιούμεθα, ἀγνοίας δὲ καὶ ἀμαθίας καὶ ῥᾳθυμίας καὶ εἰδωλολατρείας ὕβρεις περιφανεῖς καὶ τὴν ἐσχάτην δυσσέβειαν περὶ πλείονος αἱρούμεθα. οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ τρόπου φιλοσόφων παῖδες πάντα ὅσα πράττουσιν οἱ ἀνόητοι. ἀνοσιουργεῖν καὶ ἀσεβεῖν νομίζουσιν καὶ αὐτήν γε [ἔτι] τὴν ἄγνοιαν μανίας εἶδος ὑπογράφοντες οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ μεμηνέναι τοὺς πολλοὺς ὁμολογοῦσιν. οὐ δὴ οὖν ἀμφιβάλλειν αἱρεῖ ὁ λόγος, ὁπότερον αὐτοῖν ἄμεινον, σωφρονεῖν ἢ μεμηνέναι· ἐχομένους δὲ ἀπρὶξ τῆς ἀληθείας παντὶ σθένει ἕπεσθαι χρὴ τῷ θεῷ σωφρονοῦντας καὶ πάντα αὐτοῦ νομίζειν, ὥσπερ ἔστι, πρὸς δὲ καὶ ἡμᾶς τὸ κάλλιστον τῶν κτημάτων μεμαθηκότας ὄντας αὐτοῦ, σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐπιτρέπειν τῷ θεῷ, ἀγαπῶντας κύριον τὸν θεὸν καὶ τοῦτο παρ᾿ ὅλον τὸν βίον ἔργον ἡγουμένους.
Let us aspire, then, after what is good; let us become God-loving men, and obtain the greatest of all things which are incapable of being harmed-God and life. Our helper is the Word; let us put confidence in Him; and never let us be visited with such a craving for silver and gold, and glory, as for the Word of truth Himself. For it will not, it will not be pleasing to God Himself if we value least those things which are worth most, and hold in the highest estimation the manifest enormities and the utter impiety of folly, and ignorance, and thoughtlessness, and idolatry. For not improperly the sons of the philosophers consider that the foolish are guilty of profanity and impiety in whatever they do; and describing ignorance itself as a species of madness, allege that the multitude are nothing but madmen. There is therefore no room to doubt, the Word will say, whether it is better to be sane or insane; but holding on to truth with our teeth, we must with all our might follow God, and in the exercise of wisdom regard all things to be, as they are, His; and besides, having learned that we are the most excellent of His possessions, let us commit ourselves to God, loving the Lord God, and regarding this as our business all our life long.
So let us be people who eagerly pursue what is good and who are loved by God, and let us gain the greatest of all goods, God and life. The Word is our helper. Let us trust him, and let no desire for silver and gold, or for glory, ever come over us as strongly as our desire for the Word of truth himself. For it does not please even God himself if we count what is most valuable as worth least, and instead value more highly the glaring outrages of ignorance, stupidity, laziness, and idolatry, and the extreme of ungodliness. It is not without reason that the children of the philosophers regard everything the foolish do as unholy and impious. They describe ignorance itself as a form of madness, and so they declare that the many are simply mad. Reason, then, leaves no room for doubt about which of the two is better, to be sane or to be mad. Instead we must hold on to the truth with all our grip and follow God with all our strength. With a sound mind we must regard everything as his, as it truly is. Beyond that, since we have learned that we are the finest of his possessions, we must entrust ourselves to God, loving the Lord God and treating this as our work through the whole of life.
Translator’s note. The idea that human beings are God’s possessions echoes Plato’s Phaedo (62b). “Loving the Lord God” recalls Deuteronomy 6:5 and Matthew 22:37.
Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:5
εἰ δὲ »κοινὰ τὰ φίλων«, θεοφιλὴς δὲ ὁ ἄνθρωπος (καὶ γὰρ οὖν φίλος τῷ θεῷ, μεσιτεύοντος τοῦ λόγου), γίνεται δὴ οὖν τὰ πάντα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ὅτι τὰ πάντα τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ κοινὰ ἀμφοῖν τοῖν φίλοιν τὰ πάντα, τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπου. ὥρα οὖν ἡμῖν μόνον τὸν θεοσεβῆ [Χριστιανὸν] εἰπεῖν πλούσιόν τε καὶ σώφρονα καὶ εὐγενῆ καὶ ταύτῃ εἰκόνα τοῦ θεοῦ μεθ᾿ ὁμοιώσεως, καὶ λέγειν καὶ πιστεύειν »δίκαιον καὶ ὅσιον μετὰ φρονήσεως« γενόμενον ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ εἰς τοσοῦτον ὅμοιον ἤδη καὶ θεῷ. οὐκ ἀποκρύπτεται γοῦν ὁ προφήτης τὴν χάριν λέγων, »ἐγὼ εἶπον ὅτι θεοί ἐστε καὶ υἱοὶ ὑψίστου πάντες.« ἡμᾶς γάρ, ἡμᾶς εἰσπεποίηται καὶ ἡμῶν ἐθέλει μόνων κεκλῆσθαι πατήρ, οὐ τῶν ἀπειθούντων.
⚑ Possible scanning error in the digital Greek (»κοινὰ, φίλων«,, »δίκαιον, φρονήσεως«, »ἐγὼ, πάντες.«). Check it against the printed edition.
And if what belongs to friends be reckoned common property, and man be the friend of God-for through the mediation of the Word has he been made the friend of God-then accordingly all things become man's, because all things are God's, and the common property of both the friends, God and man. It is time, then, for us to say that the pious Christian alone is rich and wise, and of noble birth, and thus call and believe him to be God's image, and also His likeness, having become righteous and holy and wise by Jesus Christ, and so far already like God. Accordingly this grace is indicated by the prophet, when he says, "I said that ye are gods, and all sons of the Highest. For us, yea us, He has adopted, and wishes to be called the Father of us alone, not of the unbelieving.
Now if “friends have all things in common,” and man is loved by God (for he is indeed a friend of God, with the Word as mediator), then everything becomes man’s, because everything is God’s. All things are shared by both friends, God and man. So it is time for us to say that only the devout Christian is rich, sound-minded and well-born, and in this way is God’s image, together with his likeness. We should say and believe that he has become “righteous and holy with understanding” through Christ Jesus, and so is already that far like God. The prophet does not hide this grace when he says, “I said, You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High.” For he has adopted us, yes us, and wishes to be called the Father of us alone, not of those who disobey.
Translator’s note. Clement calls the devout person sōphrōn, “sound-minded” or “self-controlled,” rather than simply “wise,” and calls the others apeithountes, “those who disobey,” a word sometimes also rendered “unbelieving.”
Scripture: Psalm 82:6; Genesis 1:26
καὶ γὰρ οὖν ὧδέ πως ἔχει τὰ ἡμέτερα τῶν Χριστοῦ ὀπαδῶν· οἷαι μὲν αἱ βουλαί, τοῖοι καὶ οἱ λόγοι, ὁποῖοι δὲ οἱ λόγοι, τοιαίδε καὶ αἱ πράξεις, καὶ ὁποῖα τὰ ἔργα, τοιοῦτος ὁ βίος· χρηστὸς ὁ σύμπας ἀνθρώπων βίος τῶν Χριστὸν ἐγνωκότων. Ἅλις οἶμαι τῶν λόγων, εἰ καὶ μακροτέρω προῆλθον ὑπὸ φιλανθρωπίας ὅ τι περ εἶχον ἐκ θεοῦ ἐκχέων, ὡς ἂν ἐπὶ τὸ μέγιστον τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τὴν σωτηρίαν, παρακαλῶν· περὶ γάρ τοι τῆς παῦλαν οὐδαμῇ οὐδαμῶς ἐχούσης ζωῆς οὐκ ἐθέλουσιν οὐδ᾿ οἱ λόγοι παύσασθαί ποτε ἱεροφαντοῦντες. ὑμῖν δὲ ἔτι τοῦτο περιλείπεται πέρας τὸ λυσιτελοῦν ἑλέσθαι, ἢ κρίσιν ἢ χάριν· ὡς ἔγωγε οὐδ᾿ ἀμφιβάλλειν ἀξιῶ, πότερον ἄμεινον αὐτοῖν· οὐδὲ μὴν συγκρίνεσθαι θέμις ζωὴν ἀπωλείᾳ.
Such is then our position who are the attendants of Christ. "As are men's wishes, so are their words; As are their words, so are their deeds; And as their works, such is their life. Good is the whole life of those who have known Christ. Enough, methinks, of words, though, impelled by love to man, I might have gone on to pour out what I had from God, that I might exhort to what is the greatest of blessings-salvation. For discourses concerning the life which has no end, are not readily brought to the end of their disclosures. To you still remains this conclusion, to choose which will profit you most-judgment or grace. For I do not think there is even room for doubt which of these is the better; nor is it allowable to compare life with destruction.
This is how it stands with us who follow Christ: as our purposes are, so are our words; as our words are, so are our actions; and as our deeds are, so is our life. The whole life of those who have known Christ is good. I think I have said enough, even though, out of love for humanity, I have gone on rather long. I have poured out whatever I had from God, to urge you toward the greatest of goods, salvation. For when the subject is a life that has no end at all, the words themselves never want to stop revealing its sacred mysteries. What remains for you is this final step: to choose what is to your advantage, judgment or grace. I do not think there should even be any hesitation over which of the two is better. Nor is it even right to compare life with destruction.
Translator’s note. “Revealing its sacred mysteries” translates a verb taken from the hierophant, the chief priest of the Eleusinian mysteries, who displayed the sacred objects to those being initiated. Clement has mocked these mysteries earlier in the work, and here he applies their language to the gospel. The Greek also plays on “end” and “stop”: a life without end, words that never want to stop.
Sources. Greek text: Otto Stählin’s edition (Leipzig, Hinrichs, 1905), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (CC BY-SA 4.0). English (older translation): Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2 (1885), public domain, from the Writings-Database collection (HistoricalChristianFaith); we matched its sentences to the Greek rows, and the translator’s chapter titles are kept. English (older translation): Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2 (1885), public domain, from the Writings-Database collection (HistoricalChristianFaith); we matched its sentences to the Greek rows, and the translator’s chapter titles are kept. Modern English: prepared for SermonIndex with AI, based on that older English translation and checked clause by clause against the Greek, then checked again in a second AI pass, and released under CC BY-SA 4.0. Where the older translation departs from the Greek, our wording follows the Greek and a translator’s note says so. Translator’s notes also explain hard words and mark places where the author departs from Scripture.
⚑ Greek flags mark places where the digital Greek looks like a typing or scanning error. Please report any error.