Miscellanies 6.18.167
Summary: The philosophers persuaded only a few disciples, but Christ's word has spread through the whole world; Greek philosophy vanishes at a magistrate's ban, while Christian teaching, though persecuted by rulers everywhere, only flourishes.
Greek text · Stählin 2:517–518
ἀμέλει πόρρωθεν προμελετᾷ ὁ νόμος καὶ ἡ προφητεία, ἔπειτα δὲ ὁ πρόδρομος δείκνυσι τὸν παρόντα, μεθʼ ὃν οἱ κήρυκες τῆς ἐπιφανείας τὴν δύναμιν ἐκδιδάσκοντες μηνύουσιν. μόνοις καὶ οὐδὲ τούτοις ἅπασιν ἤρεσαν, ἀλλὰ Πλάτωνι μὲν Σωκράτης καὶ Ξενοκράτει Πλάτων, Ἀριστοτέλης δὲ Θεοφράστῳ καὶ Κλεάνθει Ζήνων, οἳ τοὺς ἰδίους μόνον αἱρετιστὰς ἔπεισαν· ὁ δέ γε τοῦ διδασκάλου τοῦ ἡμετέρου λόγος οὐκ ἔμεινεν ἐν Ἰουδαίᾳ μόνῃ, καθάπερ ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι ἡ φιλοσοφία, ἐχύθη δὲ ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην, πείθων Ἑλλήνων τε ὁμοῦ καὶ βαρβάρων κατὰ ἔθνος καὶ κώμην καὶ πόλιν πᾶσαν οἴκους ὅλους καὶ ἰδίᾳ ἕκαστον τῶν ἐπακηκοότων καὶ αὐτῶν γε τῶν φιλοσόφων οὐκ ὀλίγους ἤδη ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν μεθιστάς. καὶ τὴν μὲν φιλοσοφίαν τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν ἐὰν ὁ τυχὼν ἄρχων κωλύσῃ, οἴχεται παραχρῆμα, τὴν δὲ ἡμετέραν διδασκαλίαν ἔκτοτε σὺν καὶ τῇ πρώτῃ καταγγελίᾳ κωλύουσιν ὁμοῦ βασιλεῖς καὶ τύραννοι καὶ οἱ κατὰ μέρος ἄρχοντες καὶ ἡγεμόνες μετὰ τῶν μισθοφόρων ἁπάντων, πρὸς δὲ καὶ τῶν ἀπείρων ἀνθρώπων, καταστρατευόμενοί τε ἡμῶν καὶ ὅση δύναμις ἐκκόπτειν πειρώμενοι· ἣ δὲ καὶ μᾶλλον ἀνθεῖ· οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἀνθρωπίνη ἀποθνῄσκει διδασκαλία οὐδʼ ὡς ἀσθενὴς μαραίνεται δωρεά (οὐδεμία γὰρ ἀσθενὴς δωρεὰ θεοῦ), μένει δὲ ἀκώλυτος, διωχθήσεσθαι εἰς τέλος προφητευθεῖσα.
English · Claude translation
Indeed, the law and the prophets rehearsed beforehand from afar; then the forerunner points to him as present; after him the heralds make known the power of his appearing, teaching it fully. The philosophers pleased only their own, and not even all of these: Socrates pleased Plato, and Plato Xenocrates, Aristotle Theophrastus, and Zeno Cleanthes, who persuaded only their own followers. But the word of our Teacher did not remain in Judea alone, as philosophy did in Greece, but was poured out over the whole inhabited world, persuading Greeks and barbarians alike, nation by nation, in village and every city, whole households and each one who has heard it individually, and already bringing over to the truth not a few of the philosophers themselves. And if any chance magistrate forbids Greek philosophy, it vanishes at once; but our teaching, from its very first proclamation, kings and tyrants and local rulers and governors, with all their mercenaries and besides with countless men, forbid, waging war on us and trying as far as they can to cut it out; yet it flourishes all the more. For it does not die like a human teaching, nor wither like a weak gift (for no gift of God is weak); it remains unhindered, though it was prophesied that it would be persecuted to the end.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The Greek at “The philosophers pleased only their own” is compressed or defective (μόνοις …); “the philosophers” and “their own” are supplied. The allusions are John 1:29 (the forerunner), Matt 10:22 and 24:9–13 (persecution to the end), and Acts 5:38–39.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.18.167 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/18/167/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.18.167 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/18/167/).
Download citation:BibTeX ·RIS (Zotero, EndNote)
Whole work:BibTeX ·RIS ·Markdown text