Miscellanies 4.20.127 · Sophia Scriptura

Summary: A wife troubled by her husband will first try reason and persuasion; if he will not listen, she will live sinlessly, even to death, with God as her helper and guide, aiming at his friendship.

Greek text · Stählin 2:304

δῆλον οὖν οἶμαι ὡς ἕκαστον τῶν προσπιπτόντων λυπηρῶν πρὸς τἀνδρὸς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουρίαν λόγῳ θεραπεύειν μετὰ πειθοῦς προαιρήσεται· εἰ δὲ μὴ ὑπακούοι, τότε ἤδη πειράσεται καθʼ ὅσον οἷόν τέ ἐστιν ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει ἀναμάρτητον διεξάγειν βίον, ἐάν τε ἀποθνῄσκειν δέῃ μετὰ τοῦ λόγου ἐάν τε ζῆν, συλλήπτορα καὶ κοινωνὸν τῆς τοιαύτης πράξεως τὸν θεὸν εἶναι νομίζουσα, τὸν τῷ ὄντι παραστάτην καὶ σωτῆρα εἴς τε τὸ παρὸν εἴς τε τὸ μέλλον, στρατηγόν τε καὶ ἡγεμόνα πάσης πράξεως ἐκεῖνον πεποιημένη, σωφροσύνην μὲν καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἔργον ἡγουμένη, τὸ θεοφιλὲς δὲ ποιουμένη τέλος.

English · Claude translation

It is clear, then, I think, that she will choose to treat with reason and persuasion each of the troubles that befall her from her husband in the management of the home; and if he does not listen, then she will try, as far as is possible for human nature, to lead a sinless life, whether she must die with the Word or live, believing God to be the helper and partner in such conduct, the true champion and Savior for the present and for the future, making him the general and leader of every action, considering self-restraint and justice her work, and making God's friendship her goal.

About this passage

Source

Stählin 2:304 · Otto Stählin, ed., Clemens Alexandrinus, vol. 2, Stromata Buch I–VI, GCS 15 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1906); vol. 3, Stromata Buch VII und VIII, GCS 17 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1909) · Greek text: Otto Stählin, Clemens Alexandrinus 2–3 (GCS 15, 17, 1906–1909), digitized by the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0

Text

As printed in Stählin, GCS 15, 17. Manuscript variants and the editor's apparatus are not reproduced; no textual problem is noted in this passage.

Translation

Claude translation (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 · Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Stählin (1906–1909); made independently of existing English translations.

Compare

Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2 (1885) (an older public-domain English translation, whole volume at CCEL; checked against ours only after ours was made) · Book 3 is left partly untranslated (in Latin) there.

Topics

Marriage, Martyrdom

Cite this passage

Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.20.127 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/20/127/).

Plain text

Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.20.127 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/20/127/).