Miscellanies 6.12.100
Summary: The knower limits his desires, values living well above life, and puts no family bond before love for God; after childbearing his wife becomes like a sister, since souls are neither male nor female and do not marry in the resurrection.
Greek text · Stählin 2:482
διόπερ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας ὁ γνωστικὸς περιγράφει κατά τε τὴν κτῆσιν κατά τε τὴν χρῆσιν, οὐχ ὑπερβαίνων τὸν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ὅρον. τὸ ζῆν ἄρα τὸ ἐνταῦθα ἀναγκαῖον ἡγούμενος εἰς ἐπιστήμης συναύξησιν καὶ τὴν περιποίησιν τῆς γνώσεως, οὐ τὸ ζῆν, ἀλλὰ τὸ εὖ ζῆν περὶ πλείστου ποιήσεται, μήτʼ οὖν παῖδας μήτʼ αὖ γάμον ἢ τοὺς γονεῖς τῆς πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἀγάπης καὶ τῆς ἐν βίῳ δικαιοσύνης προτιμῶν. ἀδελφὴ δὲ τούτῳ ἡ γυνὴ μετὰ τὴν παιδοποιίαν, ὡς καὶ ὁμοπατρία, κρίνεται, τότε μόνον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀναμιμνῃσκομένη, ὁπηνίκα ἂν τοῖς τέκνοις προσβλέπῃ, ὡς ἂν ἀδελφὴ τῷ ὄντι ἐσομένη καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀπόθεσιν τῆς σαρκὸς τῆς διαχωριζούσης καὶ διοριζούσης τὴν γνῶσιν τῶν πνευματικῶν τῇ ἰδιότητι τῶν σχημάτων. αὐταὶ γὰρ καθʼ αὑτὰς ἐπʼ ἴσης εἰσὶ ψυχαὶ αἱ ψυχαὶ οὐθέτεραι, οὔτε ἄρρενες οὔτε θήλειαι, ἐπὰν μήτε γαμῶσι μήτε γαμίσκωνται· καὶ μή τι οὕτως μετατίθεται εἰς τὸν ἄνδρα ἡ γυνή, ἀθήλυντος ἐπʼ ἴσης καὶ ἀνδρικὴ καὶ τελεία γενομένη.
English · Claude translation
That is why the one who knows limits his desires both in acquisition and in use, not going beyond the boundary of necessities. Considering, then, life here necessary for the growth of understanding and the gaining of knowledge, he will value most highly not living but living well, preferring neither children nor marriage nor parents to love for God and righteousness in life. To such a man his wife, after the bearing of children, is regarded as a sister, as though of the same father; she is reminded of her husband only when she looks at the children, as one who will truly be a sister after the laying aside of the flesh, which separates and distinguishes the knowledge of spiritual beings by the peculiarity of their shapes. For souls in themselves are equally souls, neither masculine nor feminine, when they neither marry nor are given in marriage. And perhaps in this way the woman is changed into the man, becoming equally free of womanishness, manly, and perfect.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The allusions are to Matt 22:30 (Luke 20:35) and Matt 10:37; compare Gal 3:28. Clement commends continence within marriage after children have been born; he does not speak here of separation. The idea of the woman “changed into the man” (made perfect) is a figure of spiritual perfection.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.12.100 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/12/100/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.12.100 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/12/100/).
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