Miscellanies 1.19.94
Summary: However the Greeks came by some truths, whether by chance, nature, or reflection, all comes from the one God; they saw God dimly as in a mirror, as we do now, but face to face comes after death.
Greek text · Stählin 2:60–61
Εἴτʼ οὖν κατὰ περίπτωσίν φασιν ἀποφθέγξασθαί τινα τῆς ἀληθοῦς φιλοσοφίας τοὺς Ἕλληνας, θείας οἰκονομίας ἡ περίπτωσις (οὐ γὰρ ταὐτόματον ἐκθειάσει τις διὰ τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς φιλοτιμίαν), εἴτε κατὰ συντυχίαν, οὐκ ἀπρονόητος ἡ συντυχία· εἴτʼ αὖ φυσικὴν ἔννοιαν ἐσχηκέναι τοὺς Ἕλληνας λέγοι, τὸν τῆς φύσεως δημιουργὸν ἕνα γινώσκομεν, καθὸ καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην φυσικὴν εἰρήκαμεν, εἴτε μὴν κοινὸν ἐσχηκέναι νοῦν, τίς ὁ τούτου πατὴρ καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὴν τοῦ νοῦ διανομὴν δικαιοσύνης σκοπήσωμεν. ἂν γὰρ προαναφώνησίν τις εἴπῃ καὶ συνεκφώνησιν αἰτιάσηται, προφητείας εἴδη λέγει. ναὶ μὴν κατʼ ἔμφασιν ἀληθείας ἄλλοι θέλουσιν εἰρῆσθαί τινα τοῖς φιλοσόφοις. ὁ μὲν οὖν θεσπέσιος ἀπόστολος ἐφʼ ἡμῶν γράφει· βλέπομεν γὰρ νῦν ὡς διʼ ἐσόπτρου, κατʼ ἀνάκλασιν ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ ἑαυτοὺς γινώσκοντες κἀκ τοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν θείου τὸ ποιητικὸν αἴτιον ὡς οἷόν τε συνθεωροῦντες· εἶδες γάρ, φησί, τὸν ἀδελφόν σου, εἶδες τὸν θεόν σου. τὸν σωτῆρα οἶμαι θεὸν εἰρῆσθαι ἡμῖν τὰ νῦν· μετὰ δὲ τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς ἀπόθεσιν πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον, τότε ἤδη ὁριστικῶς καὶ καταληπτικῶς, ὅταν καθαρὰ ἡ καρδία γένηται. καὶ κατʼ ἔμφασιν δὲ καὶ διάφασιν οἱ ἀκριβῶς παρʼ Ἕλλησι φιλοσοφήσαντες διορῶσι τὸν θεόν· τοιαῦται γὰρ αἱ κατʼ ἀδυναμίαν φαντασίαι ἀληθεῖς, ὡς φαντασία καθορᾶται ἐν τοῖς ὕδασιν καὶ ὁρῶμεν τὰ διὰ τῶν διαφανῶν καὶ διαυγῶν σωμάτων.
English · Claude translation
Whether, then, they say that the Greeks uttered some things of the true philosophy by chance, the chance is of the divine plan (for no one, out of rivalry with us, will deify accident); or by coincidence, the coincidence is not without providence; or if someone should say that the Greeks had a natural conception, we know that the Creator of nature is one, just as we have called righteousness natural; or if they had a common mind, let us consider who is its father and the father of the righteousness that corresponds to the distribution of mind. For if someone speaks of foretelling and attributes it to joint utterance, he is speaking of forms of prophecy. Others would have it that some things were said by the philosophers by a reflection of the truth. The divine apostle writes of us: “For now we see as through a mirror,” knowing ourselves by reflection in him and contemplating, as far as possible, the efficient cause from the divine in us. “For you have seen your brother,” it says, “you have seen your God.” I think the Savior is here called God for us; but after putting off the flesh, “face to face,” then definitely and comprehensively, when the heart has become pure. And by reflection and transparency those who philosophized accurately among the Greeks see God; for such are the true impressions because of our weakness, as an image is seen in water and we see things through transparent and clear bodies.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are 1 Cor 13:12 and an agraphon, “You have seen your brother, you have seen your God” (also in Strom. 2.70.5).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray period in the digital text): ἐσχηκέναι τοὺς Ἕλληνας λέγοι. τὸν τῆς φύσεως → ἐσχηκέναι τοὺς Ἕλληνας λέγοι, τὸν τῆς φύσεως.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.19.94 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/19/94/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.19.94 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/19/94/).
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