Miscellanies 4.2.6
Summary: The Miscellanies, rich in seed like every herb of the field, are named fittingly, like the mixed ancient offering Sophocles describes.
Greek text · Stählin 2:250
εἰκότως οὖν πολὺ τὸ γόνιμον ἐν ὀλίγῳ σπέρματι τῶν ἐμπεριεχομένων τῇδε τῇ πραγματείᾳ δογμάτων, ὥσπερ τὸ παμβότανον τοῦ ἀγροῦ, φησὶν ἡ γραφή. ᾗ καὶ τὴν ἐπιγραφὴν κυρίαν ἔχουσιν οἱ τῶν ὑπομνημάτων Στρωματεῖς ἀτεχνῶς κατὰ τὴν παλαιὰν ἐκείνην ἀπηνθισμένοι προσφοράν, περὶ ἧς ὁ Σοφοκλῆς γράφει· ἦν μὲν γὰρ οἰὸς μαλλός, ἦν δʼ ἀπʼ ἀμπέλων σπονδή τε καὶ ῥὰξ εὖ τεθησαυρισμένη, ἐνῆν δὲ παγκάρπεια συμμιγὴς ὀλαῖς λίπος τʼ ἐλαίου καὶ τὸ ποικιλώτατον ξανθῆς μελίσσης κηρόπλαστον ὄργανον.
English · Claude translation
Fittingly, then, the doctrines contained in this treatise have great fruitfulness in little seed, like “every herb of the field,” says Scripture. In this the Miscellanies of our notes have a fitting title, being culled, quite simply, like that ancient offering of which Sophocles writes: “There was sheep's wool, and from the vines libation and the grape well stored, and in it mixed fruits of every kind with barley grains, and the fat of the olive, and the most intricate wax-molded work of the tawny bee.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Job 5:25 (LXX) and Sophocles, The Prophets (fragment 398 Nauck).
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.2.6 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/2/6/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.2.6 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/2/6/).
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