Miscellanies 2.21.127
Summary: Clement begins a survey of philosophers' views of the goal of life: Epicurus and the Cyrenaics make it pleasure, others freedom from disturbance.
Greek text · Stählin 2:181–182
Ἐπίκουρος δέ, ἐν τῷ μὴ πεινῆν μηδὲ διψῆν μηδὲ ῥιγοῦν τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν τιθέμενος τὴν ἰσόθεον, ἐπεφώνησε φωνὴν ἀσεβῶς εἰπών, ἐν τούτοις κἂν Διὶ πατρὶ μάχεσθαι, ὥσπερ ὑῶν σκατοφάγων καὶ οὐχὶ τῶν λογικῶν καὶ φιλοσόφων τὴν μακαρίαν νίκην δογματίζων. τῶν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς ἀρχομένων τούς τε Κυρηναϊκοὺς εἶναι καὶ τὸν Ἐπίκουρον· τούτους γὰρ τέλος εἶναι λέγειν διαρρήδην τὸ ἡδέως ζῆν, τέλειον δὲ ἀγαθὸν μόνον τὴν ἡδονήν. ὁ δὲ Ἐπίκουρος καὶ τὴν τῆς ἀλγηδόνος ὑπεξαίρεσιν ἡδονὴν εἶναι λέγει· αἱρετὸν δὲ εἶναί φησιν ὃ πρῶτον ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ ἐφʼ ἑαυτὸ ἐπισπᾶται, πάντως δηλονότι ἐν κινήσει ὑπάρχον. Δεινόμαχος δὲ καὶ Καλλιφῶν τέλος εἶναι ἔφασαν πᾶν τὸ καθʼ αὑτὸν ποιεῖν ἕνεκα τοῦ ἐπιτυγχάνειν ἡδονῆς καὶ τυγχάνειν, ὅ τε Ἱερώνυμος ὁ Περιπατητικὸς τέλος μὲν εἶναι τὸ ἀοχλήτως ζῆν, τελικὸν δὲ ἀγαθὸν μόνον τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν. καὶ Διόδωρος ὁμοίως ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς αἱρέσεως γενόμενος τέλος ἀποφαίνεται τὸ ἀοχλήτως καὶ καλῶς ζῆν.
English · Claude translation
Epicurus, placing godlike happiness in not being hungry, thirsty, or cold, uttered an impious saying, that in these things one could fight even with Father Zeus, as if laying down the blessed victory of dung-eating pigs and not of rational beings and philosophers. For among those who start from pleasure are the Cyrenaics and Epicurus; for these say expressly that the goal is to live pleasantly, and that pleasure alone is the perfect good. Epicurus also says that the removal of pain is pleasure; and he says that what is choiceworthy is that which first draws to itself from itself, being clearly entirely in motion. Dinomachus and Calliphon said that the goal was to do everything in one's power for the sake of attaining and enjoying pleasure; and Hieronymus the Peripatetic said that the goal was to live without disturbance, and that happiness alone is the final good. And Diodorus, from the same school, likewise declares that the goal is to live without disturbance and nobly.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The survey of views on the goal (τέλος) continues through 2.22. The quotation is Epicurus (fragment 602 Usener).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (wrong breathing on εἶναι): ἡδονὴν εἷναι λέγει → ἡδονὴν εἶναι λέγει.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.21.127 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/21/127/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.21.127 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/21/127/).
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