Miscellanies 6.2.4
Summary: Before his main subject Clement adds a proof left over from book 5: the Greeks steal from one another, which shows how readily they took the truth from the Scriptures.
Greek text · Stählin 2:423–424
Πρὸ δὲ τῆς εἰς τὸ προκείμενον ἐγχειρήσεως ἐν προοιμίου εἴδει προσαποδοτέον τῷ πέρατι τοῦ πέμπτου Στρωματέως τὰ ἐνδέοντα. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ παρεστήσαμεν τὸ συμβολικὸν εἶδος ἀρχαῖον εἶναι, κεχρῆσθαι δὲ αὐτῷ οὐ μόνον τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς παρʼ ἡμῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων τῶν παλαιῶν τοὺς πλείονας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν κατὰ τὰ ἔθνη βαρβάρων οὐκ ὀλίγους, ἐχρῆν δὲ καὶ τὰ μυστήρια ἐπελθεῖν τῶν τελουμένων· ταῦτα μὲν ὑπερτίθεμαι διασαφήσων, ὁπηνίκα ἂν τὰ περὶ ἀρχῶν τοῖς Ἕλλησιν εἰρημένα ἐπιόντες διελέγχωμεν· τῆσδε γὰρ ἔχεσθαι τῆς θεωρίας ἐπιδείξομεν καὶ τὰ μυστήρια· παραστήσαντες δὲ τὴν ἔμφασιν τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς διανοίας ἐκ τῆς διὰ τῶν γραφῶν εἰς ἡμᾶς δεδομένης ἀληθείας περιαυγασθεῖσαν, καθʼ ὃ σημαινόμενον διήκειν εἰς αὐτοὺς τὴν κλοπὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐκδεχόμενοι, εἰ μὴ ἐπαχθὲς εἰπεῖν, ἀπεδείξαμεν, φέρε μάρτυρας τῆς κλοπῆς αὐτοὺς καθʼ ἑαυτῶν παραστήσωμεν τοὺς Ἕλληνας· οἱ γὰρ τὰ οἰκεῖα οὕτως ἄντικρυς παρʼ ἀλλήλων ὑφαιρούμενοι βεβαιοῦσι μὲν τὸ κλέπται εἶναι, σφετερίζεσθαι δʼ ὅμως καὶ ἄκοντες τὴν παρʼ ἡμῶν ἀλήθειαν εἰς τοὺς ὁμοφύλους λάθρᾳ διαδείκνυνται. οἱ γὰρ μηδὲ ἑαυτῶν, σχολῇ γε τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀφέξονται.
English · Claude translation
But before setting our hand to the matter proposed, we must by way of preface pay back what was still owing at the end of the fifth Miscellany. We showed that the symbolic form is ancient, and that not only our prophets used it but also most of the ancient Greeks and not a few of the other barbarians among the nations; and it was fitting also to go through the mysteries of those who are initiated. These I put off, to make them plain when we go through and refute what the Greeks have said about first principles; for we shall show that the mysteries too depend on this theory. We have shown that the expression of Greek thought was illuminated by the truth given to us through the Scriptures, understanding in what sense the theft of the truth reached them, if it is not offensive to say so. Come, then, let us bring forward the Greeks themselves as witnesses of the theft against themselves. For those who so openly purloin their own things from one another confirm that they are thieves, and, even against their will, are shown to be secretly appropriating for their own kin the truth that comes from us. For those who do not keep their hands off one another's will hardly keep them off ours.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- Clement's claim that the Greeks borrowed from the Hebrew Scriptures (the “theft of the Greeks”) is a standard apologetic argument; here he argues from the Greeks' borrowing from one another.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.2.4 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/2/4/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.2.4 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/2/4/).
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