On Providence (ten orations) 6.1–6.8
Greek text: PG 83.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 6
6.1PG 83
Πολλάκις μὲν ἤδη μετὰ τοῦ Προφήτου τοῖς παρανομοῦσιν εἶπον « Μὴ παρανομεῖτε, καὶ τοῖς ἁμὰρ τάνουσι" Μὴ ὑψοῦτε χέρας, μὴ ἐπαίρετε εἰς ὕψος τὸ χέρας ὑμῶν, καὶ μὴ λαλεῖτε κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀδικίαν,» ἀκυδέρνητον καταλιπεῖν αὑτὸν φάσκοντες ἣν πεποίηκε κτίσιν. ᾿Αλλὰ τοὺς λίαν ἀγνώμονας, οὔτε οὐρᾶνοὶ πείθουσι διηγούμενοι, κατὰ τὸν Προφήτην. τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὔτε ἥλιος ἐκπορευόμενος ἐκ καστοῦ αὑτοῦ ὡς νυμφίος, καὶ τῶν τερμάτων ἐφιχνούμενος καὶ λαμπρότητι καὶ θερμότητι᾽ οὔτε σελήνη ἀλλοιουμένη, καὶ τὰ μέτρα τοῦ χρόνου τεχταινομένη" οὔτε ἀστέρες ἀνίσχοντες καὶ δυόμενοι, καὶ τοὺς μὲν τῆς θαλάττης ξεναγοῦντες ὁδίτας, τοὺς δὲ γηπόνους διεγείροντες εἰς ἀμητὸν καὶ σπερμάτων χαταθδολήν" οὐκ ὡρῶν διαδοκαὶ, οὐ τροπῶν μεοὐ γῆς καὶ θαλάττης ὁμόνοια, οὐ ποταμῶν ῥεύματα, οὗ πηγῶν νάματα, οὐ καρπῶν ἀφθονία, οὐ ζώων ποικιλία καὶ χρεία, οὐ σώματος δημιουργία λογικῷ πρέπουσα, οὐ ψυχῆς ἀθανασία καὶ σοφία τὸ σῶμα χυθερνῶσα, οὐ τέχναι παντοδαπαὶ καὶ μυρίαι, οὐ τὰ ἀναγκαΐα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ πέρα τῆς χρεΐας πορίζουσαι, οὔτ᾽ ἄλλα ὅσα ὁ μεγαλόδωρος τῇ φύσει τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁσημῖραι προσφέρει. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ τούτῶν ἁπάντων ἀπολαύοντες, λυττῶσι καὶ μεμήνασι, καὶ τὴν πολλὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ἀμέλειαν ὀνομάζουσι, καὶ τὸν πλοῦτον ἡμῖν καὶ τὴν πενίαν εἰς μέσον προθδάλ- Ὦ λονται, καὶ τῆς ἀνωμαλίας τοῦ βίου κατηγοροῦσι. Φέρε τοίνυν, τὸν σοφῶς ἰθύνοντα τῆς οἰχονμένης τὸ σκάφος ἐπίκουρον τοῦ λόγου λαθόντες, τοῖς τε προθδλήματσιν ἀπαντήσωμεν, καὶ τὰς ἀντιθέσεις διαλύσωμεν, καὶ τὴν ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν πλεχομένην κατηγορίαν, Τί δήποτε, φασὶ, πλουτοῦσι μὲν τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἱ πογηρότατοι, καὶ μυρίοις πάντοθεν ἀγαθοῖς περιῤῥέονται, καὶ ἐξ οὐρίων τὸν ᾿βίον ὁδεύουσι, καὶ Α λαμδάνουσιν ἀδικίας ἐφόδιον τοῦ πλούτου τὰ ῥεύματα; Ὕλη γὰρ ἡ εὐπορία γίνεται τῇ τῆς εξίας φλογὶ, καὶ συνεργὸν τὸν πλοῦτον ἡ πονηρία θάνουσα, μέγιστον ἀνάπτει πυρσὸν, καὶ ἣ δύναμις τῇ βουλήσει προσγινομένη, ἀφόρητον ποιεῖ τὸ κακόν" οἱ δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς φροντισταὶ, πενίᾳ συζῶσι, καὶ ἐν δυσχληρίαις ταλαιπωροῦσι, καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀναγκαίων πομένουσιν ἀλγεινά. Οὐκοῦν πρῶτον αὐτοὺς ἐρωτήσωμεν, τίνα ὄρον εὐδαιμονίας εἶναί φασι. Καὶ εἰ μὲν τὸν πλοῦτον φαῖεν, παραυτίκα τὸ ψεῦδος αὐτῶν διελέγξομεν. Πῶς γὰρ εὐδαιμονίας δημιουργὸς ὁ τῆς ἀδικίας, ὡς ἔφασαν, συνεργός; Εἰ γὰρ διὰ τούτου οἱ πονηρίᾳ συζῶντες τὰς ὀφρὺς ἀνασπῶσι, καὶ τὰς γνάθους φυσῶσι, καὶ ἐφ᾽ ἵππων καὶ ὀχημάτων φερόμενοι, σοδοῦσι τὴν ἀγορὰν, τοσοῦτον τοὺς ἄλλους. ἀδικοῦσι, πλεονεχτοῦσι, τὰ ἀλλότρια σφετερίζονται, τῶν οὐ προσηκόντων ἐφίενται, τὰ τοῦ πέλας ἀφαιροῦνται, τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις ἀγαθοῖς ἐντρυφῶσι, τὰς τῶν πενήτων ἐμπορεύονται συμφορὰς, καὶ ταῦτα δρῶσι, τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ πλούτου χρώμενοι συνεργῷ, πῶς ὁ πλοῦτος ὅρος εὐδαιμονίας, καὶ εὐκληρίας ὑπόθεσις; εἰ δὲ τὴν ἀρετὴν φαῖεν τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὸ κάλλιστον, καὶ τὸν ταύτης θερμὸν ἐραστὴν, καὶ σπουδαῖον ἐργάτην, ἐν τῇ ἀχροτάτῃ τῶν ἀγαθῶν εἶναι λέγουσι κορυφῇ, τί δήτοτε πρὸς τὸν πλοῦτον ἀποδλέπουσι, καὶ τοὺς πλουτοῦντας ζηλωτοὺς ἀποκαλοῦσιν; Ἐναντία γὰρ ἐκ διαμέτρου χρημάτων εὐπορία, καὶ ἀρετῆς κατορθωμάτων περιουσία. Ἐξετάσωμεν δὲ, κοινὴν - ποιούμενοι ζήτησιν, ἐπίκουρον λαθόντες τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ φῶς, ὁποῖα τῆς ἀρετῆς τὰ εἴδη, καὶ πῶς ἄν τινι ῥᾳδίως ἡ τούτων κτῆσις προσγένοιτο. Οὐκοῦν ἀρετὴν μὲν ὁριζόμεθα, φρόνησιν, σωφροσύνην, ἀνδρίαν, δικαιοτύνην, καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τούτῶν γεννώμενα, ἣ ἐν τούτοις περιεχόμενα τῆς φιλοσοφίας μόρια. Ἐξετάσωμεν τοιγαροῦν, τί δηλοῖ τῶν ᾿ εἰρημένων ἔκαστον, καὶ ὁποίαν ἔχει διάνοιαν, ἣ ἐρ- Οὐκοῦν φρόνησις μὲν ἔστι τοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν λογικοῦ ἧ ἐγρήγορσις, ὥσπερ ἀμέλει παραφροσύνη καὶ ἀφροσύνη πάλιν, ἧ τούτου μέθη ἐκ τῶν παθῶν τιχτομένη, καὶ οἷόν τις νεφέλη γενομένη, καὶ πυχνουμένη, καὶ ᾿ ἐπιπροσθοῦσα, καὶ συνορᾷν αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐῶσα τὸ δέον.
Pollakis men ēdē meta tou Prophētou tois paranomousin eipon « Mē paranomeite, kai tois hamar tanousi" Mē hypsoute cheras, mē epairete eis hypsos to cheras hymōn, kai mē laleite kata tou Theou adikian,» akydernēton katalipein hauton phaskontes hēn pepoiēke ktisin. ᾿Alla tous lian agnōmonas, oute ouranoi peithousi diēgoumenoi, kata ton Prophētēn. tēn doxan tou Theou, oute hēlios ekporeuomenos ek kastou hautou hōs nymphios, kai tōn termatōn ephichnoumenos kai lamprotēti kai thermotēti᾽ oute selēnē alloioumenē, kai ta metra tou chronou techtainomenē" oute asteres anischontes kai dyomenoi, kai tous men tēs thalattēs xenagountes hoditas, tous de gēponous diegeirontes eis amēton kai spermatōn chatathdolēn" ouk hōrōn diadokai, ou tropōn meou gēs kai thalattēs homonoia, ou potamōn rheumata, hou pēgōn namata, ou karpōn aphthonia, ou zōōn poikilia kai chreia, ou sōmatos dēmiourgia logikǭ prepousa, ou psychēs athanasia kai sophia to sōma chythernōsa, ou technai pantodapai kai myriai, ou ta anankaïa monon, alla kai ta pera tēs chreïas porizousai, out᾽ alla hosa ho megalodōros tę̄ physei tōn anthrōpōn hosēmirai prospherei. ᾿Alla kai toutōn hapantōn apolauontes, lyttōsi kai memēnasi, kai tēn pollēn epimeleian ameleian onomazousi, kai ton plouton hēmin kai tēn penian eis meson prothdal- Ō lontai, kai tēs anōmalias tou biou katēgorousi. Phere toinyn, ton sophōs ithynonta tēs oichonmenēs to skaphos epikouron tou logou lathontes, tois te prothdlēmatsin apantēsōmen, kai tas antitheseis dialysōmen, kai tēn hyp᾽ autōn plechomenēn katēgorian, Ti dēpote, phasi, ploutousi men tōn anthrōpōn hoi pogērotatoi, kai myriois pantothen agathois perirrheontai, kai ex ouriōn ton ᾿bion hodeuousi, kai A lamdanousin adikias ephodion tou ploutou ta rheumata? Hylē gar hē euporia ginetai tę̄ tēs exias phlogi, kai synergon ton plouton hē ponēria thanousa, megiston anaptei pyrson, kai hē dynamis tę̄ boulēsei prosginomenē, aphorēton poiei to kakon" hoi de tēs aretēs phrontistai, penią syzōsi, kai en dyschlēriais talaipōrousi, kai autōn tōn anankaiōn pomenousin algeina. Oukoun prōton autous erōtēsōmen, tina oron eudaimonias einai phasi. Kai ei men ton plouton phaien, parautika to pseudos autōn dielenxomen. Pōs gar eudaimonias dēmiourgos ho tēs adikias, hōs ephasan, synergos? Ei gar dia toutou hoi ponērią syzōntes tas ophrys anaspōsi, kai tas gnathous physōsi, kai eph᾽ hippōn kai ochēmatōn pheromenoi, sodousi tēn agoran, tosouton tous allous. adikousi, pleonechtousi, ta allotria spheterizontai, tōn ou prosēkontōn ephientai, ta tou pelas aphairountai, tois allotriois agathois entryphōsi, tas tōn penētōn emporeuontai symphoras, kai tauta drōsi, tę̄ dynamei tou ploutou chrōmenoi synergǭ, pōs ho ploutos horos eudaimonias, kai euklērias hypothesis? ei de tēn aretēn phaien tōn agathōn to kalliston, kai ton tautēs thermon erastēn, kai spoudaion ergatēn, en tę̄ achrotatę̄ tōn agathōn einai legousi koryphę̄, ti dētote pros ton plouton apodlepousi, kai tous ploutountas zēlōtous apokalousin? Enantia gar ek diametrou chrēmatōn euporia, kai aretēs katorthōmatōn periousia. Exetasōmen de, koinēn - poioumenoi zētēsin, epikouron lathontes tēs alētheias to phōs, hopoia tēs aretēs ta eidē, kai pōs an tini rhądiōs hē toutōn ktēsis prosgenoito. Oukoun aretēn men horizometha, phronēsin, sōphrosynēn, andrian, dikaiotynēn, kai ta apo toutōn gennōmena, hē en toutois periechomena tēs philosophias moria. Exetasōmen toigaroun, ti dēloi tōn ᾿ eirēmenōn ekaston, kai hopoian echei dianoian, hē er- Oukoun phronēsis men esti tou en hēmin logikou hē egrēgorsis, hōsper amelei paraphrosynē kai aphrosynē palin, hē toutou methē ek tōn pathōn tichtomenē, kai hoion tis nephelē genomenē, kai pychnoumenē, kai ᾿ epiprosthousa, kai synorąn auton ouk eōsa to deon.
Often already I have said with the prophet to the lawbreakers, "Do not break the law," and to the sinners, "Do not lift up your horn; do not lift up your horn on high, and do not speak injustice against God," to those who say that he has left the creation he made without a pilot. But the very unthankful are persuaded neither by the heavens telling, as the prophet says, the glory of God, nor by the sun coming out of its chamber like a bridegroom and reaching the ends with its brightness and heat, nor by the moon changing and fashioning the measures of time, nor by the stars rising and setting, guiding travellers at sea and rousing farmers to harvest and sowing; not by the successions of seasons, not by the changes of the solstices, not by the concord of land and sea, not by the streams of rivers, not by the waters of springs, not by the abundance of fruits, not by the variety and usefulness of animals, not by the fashioning of the body suited to a rational being, not by the immortality of the soul and the wisdom that steers the body, not by the countless arts of every kind that provide not only necessities but things beyond need, nor by all the other things the generous giver brings to human nature every day. But though they enjoy all these, they rage and rave, call his great care neglect, set before us wealth and poverty, and accuse the unevenness of life. Come, then, taking as helper of our argument the one who wisely steers the ship of the world, let us meet their problems, dissolve their objections, and … the accusation they weave. "Why," they say, "are the wickedest of men rich, flowing over on every side with countless good things, travelling through life with favorable winds, and taking the streams of wealth as provisions for injustice? For abundance becomes fuel for the flame of greed, and wickedness, taking wealth as its helper, lights a very great blaze, and power added to will makes the evil unbearable. But those who care for virtue live with poverty, suffer in misfortunes, and endure the pains of lacking even necessities." Let us first ask them, then, what they say the definition of happiness is. If they say wealth, we will refute their falsehood at once. For how is that which, as they said, is the helper of injustice the maker of happiness? For if through it those who live with wickedness raise their eyebrows, puff out their cheeks, ride through the marketplace on horses and in carriages, wrong others so greatly, grasp for more, appropriate what belongs to others, desire what does not belong to them, take away their neighbor's goods, revel in others' good things, and trade on the misfortunes of the poor, and do these things using the power of wealth as their helper, how is wealth the definition of happiness and the basis of good fortune? But if they say that virtue is the finest of goods, and that its warm lover and zealous worker is at the very summit of goods, why do they look to wealth and call the rich enviable? For abundance of money and a wealth of virtuous deeds are diametrically opposed. Let us examine, then, making the search together and taking the light of truth as our helper, what the kinds of virtue are and how one might easily acquire them. We define virtue, then, as prudence, temperance, courage, justice, and the parts of philosophy born from them or contained in them. Let us examine, then, what each of these means and what sense or work it has. Prudence is the wakefulness of the rational part in us, just as folly and senselessness, on the other hand, are its drunkenness, born of the passions, which becomes like a cloud, thickens, blocks the view, and does not let it see what is needful.
Ps 75:4 (74:5 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 75:5 (74:6 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 19:1 (18:2 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 19:5 (18:6 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 19:6 (18:7 LXX) (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Opening his sixth discourse, Theodoret takes up the objection that the wicked are rich and the virtuous poor, asks what happiness is, and argues that wealth, the helper of injustice, cannot be it, beginning a review of the four virtues with prudence.
- Quotations and allusions: Ps 75:4-5 (LXX 74:5-6); Ps 19:1, 4-6 (LXX 18:2, 5-7).
- "The flame of greed": the OCR has lost the start of the word (printed τῆς εξίας); "greed" (πλεονεξίας) is the likely reading. Words are also lost in "and … the accusation they weave" (probably "refute"); marked ….
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris; debris from Migne's Latin column inside the word περιῤῥέονται): κατηγορίαν, ουν, 865 Τί → κατηγορίαν, Τί; πες ἕ λίαν. Π68. 'π 6611. δἰ ᾿ ρι → περι.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 6.1 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
6.2PG 83
Τοῦ λογικοῦ τοιγαροῦν ἡ ὑγεία φρόνησις ὀνομάζεται. Καὶ σωφροσύνην δὲ πάλιν προσαγορεύομεν, τὴν τῶν παθῶν ἐλευθερίαν. Σῶον γὰρ πάλιν καὶ ἄρτιον τοῦ λογικοῦ τὸ φρόνημα κεκτημένου, χαλᾷ μὲν τὰ πάθη, καὶ ὑποῤῥεῖ, καὶ σχεδάννυται, καὶ τὸ φλεγμαῖνον αὐτῶν διαλύεται, φέρεται δὲ εὐτάκτως ἐπὶ τῶν ἵππων ὁ ἡνίοχος νοῦς. Τὴν τῶν παθῶν τοίνυν εὐταξίαν, καὶ τοῦ ἡνιόχον τὴν ὑγείαν, σωφροσύνην ὀνομάζομεν. ᾿Ανδρίαν δὲ καλοῦμεν, τὴν δικαίαν τοῦ θυμοειδοῦς κίνησιν ὥσπερ αὖ πάλιν θρασύτητα, τὴν ἄδικόν τε καὶ ἄτακτον. Δικαιοσύνην δὲ, τὴν ὀρθὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἡγεμονίαν, καὶ τῶν ὑπηκόων παθῶν τὴν συμμετρίαν. Τοῦ γὰρ ἐπιθυμητικοῦ καὶ θυμοειδοῦς ἢ πρὸς τὸ λογικὸν εὐαρμοστία, καὶ ἡ πρὸς ἄλληλα εὐκρασία, τὴν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἡμῖν πραγματεύείξαι κτῇσιν. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τίνα τε τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς βόρια -. μεμαθήκαμεν, καὶ ποίαν ἕκαστον ἔννοιαν ἔχει καὶ δύναμιν, φέρε πάλιν ζητήσωμεν, πῶς ταῦτα τὸν βουλόμενον δυνατὸν κατορθῶσαι, πλούτῳ χρώμενον συνεργῷ, ἣ τὴν πενίαν ἐπέχουρον εἰς τὴν χτῆῇσιν Ἀλλλ' ὁ μὲν πλοῦτος, πολλοὺς ἔχων θορύδους, καὶ φροντίδας παντοδαπὰς, καὶ τριχυμιῶν εἴδη μυρία, ἐπίδουλός ἔστιν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐπίκουρος ἀρετῆς. Πῶς γὰρ ἄντις χατορθώσειε σωφροσύνην διηνεκῶς γαστρῖζόμενος, καὶ δυμποσίοις προστετηκὼς, καὶ συσσίτια κἀτασκευάζων, καὶ στιδάσι καὶ τραπέζαις ἐνασχολούδημιουργοὺς, καὶ οἴνους ἀνθοσμίας, καὶ φιάλας, καὶ κύλικας, καὶ ἐκπωμάτων εἴδη παντοδαπὰ, καὶ ὄψων ποικιλίαν ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ περιφέρων, καὶ χανδὸν τὸν ἄκρατον πίνων, καὶ πέρα τοῦ μέτρου τὴν γαστέρα φορτίζων, καὶ τοῦ μὲν λογικοῦ τὸν σπινθῆρα χατασθδεννὺς, αὔξων δὲ τῇ ὕλῃ τῶν παθῶν τὴν πυρὰν, καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀκόλαστον ἡδονὴν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐξάπτων, τὸν δὲ θυμὸν κατὰ τῶν διακονούντων εἰς Σ ἀκμὴν παραθήγων, καὶ δοῦλον τῶν παθῶν τὸν ἦγεμόνα ποιῶν, καὶ τῆς γαστρὸς ὑπηῤέτην τὸν Δεσπότην ἐργαζόμενος, καὶ εἰς ἀνδραποδώδεις χατασύρων ἔπιθυμίας τὸν τοῦ ζώου τὴν ἡγεμονίαν παρὰ τοῦ πεποιηκότος δεξάμενον, καὶ αἰχμάλωτον παραδιδοὺς τοῖς ὑπηχύοις τὸν ἄρχοντα, καὶ χατασύρεσθαι τὸν ἡνίοχον παρὰ τῶν ἵππων παρασκευάζων, καὶ τὸν κυδερνήτην τῶν οἰάκων οὐκ ἔτι ἔχεσθαι, καὶ ἅπαν τὸ σκάφος ἰθύνειν, ἀλλὰ ταῖς τῶν παθῶν τρικυμίαις ἐνδιδόναι βαπτιζούσαις τὸ σκάφος, καὶ αὐτὸ ὑποδρύχιον ἐργαζομέναις; Οὐκοῦν ὁ τοιοῦτος οὐ μόνον φρονήσεως ἄμοιρος, ἀλλὰ καὶ παντοδαπαῖς ἀκολασίαις προσκείμενος, οὐ μύνον ἀνδρείας γεγυμνωμένος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων καθῶν δισμένος. Περὶ γὰρ δικαιοσύνης τί δεξ καὶ λέγειν, καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀντιλεγόντων συνομολογούντων, ὡς ὅ κῆς πλείονος ἐφιέμενος κτήσεως, ἀδέχου καὶ δικαίας διαφορὰν οὐκ ἐθέλει γνωρίζειν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς τοιούτοις, ἄτακτα, ἀόριστα, ἀδιάκριτα πάντα; Ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐ ῥάδιον πλούτῳ συνεργῷ κεχρημένους χαταρθῶσαι ΄ τὴν ἀρετὴν, καὶ τοῖς λίαν ἐριστικοῖς ῥᾷδιον ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων καταμαθεῖν " ὅτι δὲ ἡ πενία φιλοσοφίας ἐστὶ συνεργὸς, καὶ οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἄλλως τις τὴν τελεωτάτην Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ νῶν ἀναγκαίων ἡ σπάνις ὑποχαταχλίνεσθαι τῷ λογικῷ τὰ πάθη καταναγκάζει, καὶ φλεγμαένειν οὐκ ἐᾷ, καὶ κατὰ τοῦ ἡνιόχου σκιρτᾷν, ὃ τοῖς τρυφῶσι καὶ γαστριζομένοις μένη, καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν θορύδων ἐλευθέρα τυγεἰς ἑαυτὴν νενευχυζα, τό τε οἰκεῖον ἀξίωμα καθορᾷ, καὶ τῶν ὑπηκόων παθῶν τὴν δουλείαν γνωρίζει" καὶ τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐχομένη, νομοθετεῖ τοῖς ὑπἡκόοις τὴν εὐταξίαν, καὶ κολάζει δι᾽ ἀλλήχων ϑὼν τὴν ἀταξίαν. Καὶ νῦν μὲν ἑπανίστησι τὴν ἐπι- “θυμίαν φλεγμαίνοντε τὖἦ θυμῷ, καὶ τὸ τούτου αύντονον πῇ, ταύτης μαλαχότητι διαλύει" νῦν δὲ μετατίθησι κατὰ ταύτης τὴν τῆς τιμωρίας οἰκονομίαν, καὶ τῇ μάστιγι τοῦ θυμοῦ συστέλλει ταύτης τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσω φηράν. Συνεργαῦσε ὅδ πάλιν τῷ λογικῷ πρὸς τὴν τῶν παθῶν εὐταξίαν οἱ πόνοι" ἧ γὰρ τῆς ἐνδείας
Tou logikou toigaroun hē hygeia phronēsis onomazetai. Kai sōphrosynēn de palin prosagoreuomen, tēn tōn pathōn eleutherian. Sōon gar palin kai artion tou logikou to phronēma kektēmenou, chalą men ta pathē, kai hyporrhei, kai schedannytai, kai to phlegmainon autōn dialyetai, pheretai de eutaktōs epi tōn hippōn ho hēniochos nous. Tēn tōn pathōn toinyn eutaxian, kai tou hēniochon tēn hygeian, sōphrosynēn onomazomen. ᾿Andrian de kaloumen, tēn dikaian tou thymoeidous kinēsin hōsper au palin thrasytēta, tēn adikon te kai atakton. Dikaiosynēn de, tēn orthēn tēs psychēs hēgemonian, kai tōn hypēkoōn pathōn tēn symmetrian. Tou gar epithymētikou kai thymoeidous ē pros to logikon euarmostia, kai hē pros allēla eukrasia, tēn tēs dikaiosynēs hēmin pragmateueixai ktę̄sin. Epeidē toinyn tina te ta tēs aretēs boria -. memathēkamen, kai poian hekaston ennoian echei kai dynamin, phere palin zētēsōmen, pōs tauta ton boulomenon dynaton katorthōsai, ploutǭ chrōmenon synergǭ, hē tēn penian epechouron eis tēn chtēę̄sin Alll' ho men ploutos, pollous echōn thorydous, kai phrontidas pantodapas, kai trichymiōn eidē myria, epidoulos estin, all᾽ ouk epikouros aretēs. Pōs gar antis chatorthōseie sōphrosynēn diēnekōs gastrizomenos, kai dymposiois prostetēkōs, kai syssitia kataskeuazōn, kai stidasi kai trapezais enascholoudēmiourgous, kai oinous anthosmias, kai phialas, kai kylikas, kai ekpōmatōn eidē pantodapa, kai opsōn poikilian en tę̄ dianoią peripherōn, kai chandon ton akraton pinōn, kai pera tou metrou tēn gastera phortizōn, kai tou men logikou ton spinthēra chatasthdennys, auxōn de tę̄ hylę̄ tōn pathōn tēn pyran, kai tēn men akolaston hēdonēn epi pleiston exaptōn, ton de thymon kata tōn diakonountōn eis S akmēn parathēgōn, kai doulon tōn pathōn ton ēgemona poiōn, kai tēs gastros hypēretēn ton Despotēn ergazomenos, kai eis andrapodōdeis chatasyrōn epithymias ton tou zōou tēn hēgemonian para tou pepoiēkotos dexamenon, kai aichmalōton paradidous tois hypēchyois ton archonta, kai chatasyresthai ton hēniochon para tōn hippōn paraskeuazōn, kai ton kydernētēn tōn oiakōn ouk eti echesthai, kai hapan to skaphos ithynein, alla tais tōn pathōn trikymiais endidonai baptizousais to skaphos, kai auto hypodrychion ergazomenais? Oukoun ho toioutos ou monon phronēseōs amoiros, alla kai pantodapais akolasiais proskeimenos, ou mynon andreias gegymnōmenos, alla kai hypo tōn polemiōn kathōn dismenos. Peri gar dikaiosynēs ti dex kai legein, kai autōn tōn antilegontōn synomologountōn, hōs ho kēs pleionos ephiemenos ktēseōs, adechou kai dikaias diaphoran ouk ethelei gnōrizein, alla tois toioutois, atakta, aorista, adiakrita panta? Hoti men oun ou rhadion ploutǭ synergǭ kechrēmenous chatarthōsai ΄ tēn aretēn, kai tois lian eristikois rhądion ek tōn eirēmenōn katamathein " hoti de hē penia philosophias esti synergos, kai oud᾽ an allōs tis tēn teleōtatēn Prōton men gar nōn anankaiōn hē spanis hypochatachlinesthai tǭ logikǭ ta pathē katanankazei, kai phlegmaenein ouk eą, kai kata tou hēniochou skirtąn, ho tois tryphōsi kai gastrizomenois menē, kai tōn exōthen thorydōn eleuthera tygeis heautēn neneuchyza, to te oikeion axiōma kathorą, kai tōn hypēkoōn pathōn tēn douleian gnōrizei" kai tēs hēgemonias echomenē, nomothetei tois hypēkoois tēn eutaxian, kai kolazei di᾽ allēchōn ϑōn tēn ataxian. Kai nyn men hepanistēsi tēn epi- “thymian phlegmainonte tyē thymǭ, kai to toutou auntonon pę̄, tautēs malachotēti dialyei" nyn de metatithēsi kata tautēs tēn tēs timōrias oikonomian, kai tę̄ mastigi tou thymou systellei tautēs tēn epi to prosō phēran. Synergause hod palin tǭ logikǭ pros tēn tōn pathōn eutaxian hoi ponoi" hē gar tēs endeias
The health of the rational part, then, is called prudence. Temperance, again, we call freedom from the passions. For when the rational part keeps its mind sound and whole, the passions slacken, ebb, and scatter, their inflammation subsides, and the mind, the charioteer, is carried in good order by its horses. The good order of the passions, then, and the health of the charioteer, we call temperance. Courage we call the just movement of the spirited part, as rashness, on the other hand, is its unjust and disorderly movement. Justice we call the right rule of the soul and the due proportion of the passions that are its subjects. For the harmony of the desiring and spirited parts with the rational part, and their good blend with one another, procure for us the possession of justice. Since, then, we have learned what the parts of virtue are and what sense and power each has, come, let us ask again how one who wishes can achieve them, whether using wealth as a helper or taking poverty as an ally in acquiring them. But wealth, with its many disturbances, its cares of every kind, and its countless kinds of storms, is the plotter against virtue, not its ally. For how could anyone achieve temperance who continually gorges his belly, is devoted to drinking parties, prepares common feasts, busies himself with couches and tables, … makers …, carries about in his mind fragrant wines, bowls, cups, every kind of drinking vessel, and a variety of dishes, drinks unmixed wine with open mouth, loads his belly beyond measure, quenches the spark of reason and feeds the pyre of the passions with fuel, kindles unbridled pleasure to its height, whets his anger to the full against those who serve him, makes the ruler a slave of the passions and the master the servant of the belly, drags down into slavish desires the one who received the rule of the living creature from its maker, hands over the ruler as a captive to his subjects, lets the charioteer be dragged by his horses, and the pilot no longer hold the tillers and steer the whole ship, but give way to the storms of the passions, which swamp the ship and send it under water? Such a man, then, is not only without a share in prudence but devoted to every kind of licentiousness, not only stripped of courage but bound by the hostile passions. And what need is there to speak of justice, when even our opponents agree that one who desires greater possessions will not acknowledge the difference between unjust and just acquisition, but for such people all is disorderly, unbounded, and undistinguished? That it is not easy for those who use wealth as a helper to achieve virtue, even the very contentious can easily learn from what has been said; but that poverty is the helper of philosophy, and that one could not otherwise … the most perfect … For first, the lack of necessities compels the passions to bow beneath the rational part, does not let them become inflamed, and does not let them kick against the charioteer, which happens to those who live in luxury and gorge themselves; and the soul … , free of the disturbances outside, turned in upon itself, sees its own dignity and recognizes the servitude of its subject passions; and keeping hold of its rule, it lays down good order for its subjects and punishes their disorder by means of one another. Now it raises spirit against desire when desire is inflamed, and dissolves the tension of spirit by the softness of desire; now it turns the punishment against desire and checks its forward rush with the whip of spirit. Labors again work with the rational part toward the good order of the passions; for the necessity of want
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret defines prudence, temperance, courage, and justice as the health and order of the soul's parts, and argues that wealth and luxury destroy them while poverty helps reason rule the passions.
- The account of the virtues follows the Platonic division of the soul into rational, spirited, and desiring parts.
- Words are lost in the OCR in the list of the rich man's indulgences ("… makers …", probably "cooks and makers of pleasures"), after "one could not otherwise … the most perfect …" (a line or more), and in "the soul … , free of the disturbances"; marked … and not supplied.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (debris from Migne's Latin column inside the word σκιρτᾷν; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; some Greek words are lost with it): οἱ ἀπ} νου! ΡΥ πα, δ᾽ οσυτ ρου] Δη 185 οἱ 640 }5 ἀς δὰ 96 αἰν εἰ ἔποηι οἱ θοϑι υἀ 115 πιδίογίδηῃ ἀἰγν 1185 6556 ἀϊ σαν τυ! οὺν ἀἰν} 145 Δάτ γδη τιν, οἱ αἰγὶ [68 Ὠραῖο5 μοι πλη 1 οἱ ᾳῦο εἰσ πη, ἰσί [αν αὐἀτ 86 ηνοὶ οἱ "ἰὰ εοηδεϊαιϊόπαπι, οἱ σα οΓΗϑ Υ οἷβ τη θη 18. ἱποο τη - ἃ → ; ᾿π͵ 8108 εἱ δυῖ Υἱϑ, → ; πε, πᾶνοηὶ, νἱτίυ 5. ἰηϑ: δι γῖ 68 οἱ οαἐχἱμβοοπαϊ ἢ δίψα βίο ρ γα ἢ8 Ὑο] σὰ- (αὶ οἱ οἷὰἃ οἱ ἰπ- {μι Γὰ → Ἀ; σχιρ- Α πιο συ θανηδίνὶεὶ γε τᾷν → σκιρτᾷν.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 6.2 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
6.3PG 83
ἀνάγκη. πρὸς φιλοπονίαν ἐγείρει, καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀναγκαΐων ἡ σπάνις προσφέρει τοὺς πόνους, ἡ δὲ τῶν πόνων ταλαιπωρία, τὰ πάθη μαραίναυτξα, φλεγμαίνειν οὐκ ἐᾷ, δαπανῶσα τὰς ὕλας. Τί τοένυν τοῖς δικαίοις, τὴν πενέαν συνεζευγ μένην ὁρῶν, καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς ὄργανον διαθάλλεις, ὅμοιον ποιῶν, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις θρόνους μὲν ἐπαινοίη, καὶ βάθρα, καὶ κλίνας, καὶ θύρας, καὶ οἰκοδομη μάτων κάλλη, τὰ δὲ τοῦ οἰχκοδόμου καὶ τέκτονος ὄργανα αχώπτοι, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις, δε᾽ ὧν ἐχείνων ἕκαστον γίνετα:; Ὅτι δὲ ἐᾷον διὰ πενίας μᾶλλον, ἣ πχούτου, τὴν ἀρετὴν κατορθῶσαι, μαρτυροῦσι μὲν τῆς ἀσεύείας οἱ τρόῴμοι, μαρτυροῦσι δὲ καὶ οἱ παρ᾽ Ἔλχησι σοφίας δρασθέντες, καὶ τῷ τῆς φύσεω; νόμῳ μόνῳ διδασκάλῳ χρησάμενοι. Διὰ πενίας γὰρ ἅπαντες τὴν ἠθικὴν κατώρθωσαν ἀρετὴν, καὶ ταῦτα τῶν θείων οὐκ ἑπακούσαντες λογίων, τῶν ἄντικρυς βοώντων ".« ξὰν μή τις ἀποτάξηται πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὑτῷ, οὐ δύναταί μου εἶναι μαθητής. » ᾿Δλλλ᾽ ὅμως Ἄρχεσεν αὐτοῖς εἰς διδασκαλίαν ἧἡ φύσις. Μαὶ γὰρ ὁ θεῖος λόγος οὐ καινὰ προσφέρει παιδεύματα, ἀλλὰ τῶν τῆς φύσεως νόμων ἀναμιμνήσκει, καὶ ἃ διέφθειρεν ὁ χρόνος διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπῳν ῥᾳστώνην τῆς φύσεως γράμμαπα, ταῦτα ὁ τῆς φύσεως Ποιητὴς διὰ τῶν οἰκείων ἀναγράφει κηρύκων. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ Σωκράτης, καὶ Διογένης, καὶ ᾿Ανάξαρχος «καὶ οἱ τούτοις παραπλήσιοι, τῆς ᾿θιχῆς ἀρετῆς τὴν κτῆσιν φοοῦήσαντες, τοῦ πλούτου τὴν κτῆσιν ἀπώσαντο, καὶ Ὦ “πενίαν τῆς ἀγαθῆς κτήσεως ἔλαθον συνεργὸν, καὶ ταῦτα τυφλώττοντες περὶ τὴν τῶν δογμάτων ἀλήθειαν, καὶ βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν οὐ προσμένοντες, καὶ «πὸ ὃν ἀγαθὸν ἀχριθδῶς οὐκ εἰδότες, τί τῆς πενίας, ὦ φιλότης, κατηγορεῖς, δι’ ἣν εὔπορος τῆς ἀρετῆς ὁ δρόμος, καὶ ἡ τραχεῖα καὶ προσάντης ὁδὸς εὐπετὴς καὶ ῥᾳδία τοῖς ἀνύουσι γίνεται; ᾿ ᾿Καὶ ταῦτά φαμεν, οὐ τοῦ πλούτου κατηγοροῦντες, οὔτε κακῷ τὸ κακὸν ἰώμενοι " εἰ γὰρ πονηρὸς ὁ πλοῦτος, ἡ βλασφημία κατὰ τοῦ δεδωκότος χωρεζ᾽ ἀλλὰ πλοῦτον μὲν καὶ πενίαν, οἷον ὕλας τινὰς, ἣ ὄργανα, τοῖς ἀνθρώποις παρὰ τοῦ Πεποιηκότος προκεῖσθαΐ φάμεν, διὰ δὲ τούτων τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, οἷόν τινας δημιουργοὺς, ἣ τὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἄγαλμα διαπλάττειν, ἣ τὸν τῆς κακίας ἐκτυποῦν ἀνδριάντα. ᾿Αλλὰ διὰ μὲν πλούτου μόλις ἂν ὀλίγα τις ἀρετῆς εἰς κάλλος διαγλύψειε μόρια, διὰ δὲ πενίας καὶ πολλοῖς καὶ πάντα δημιουργεῖν ἐστι δυνατόν. Μὴ τοίνυν σχώπτωμεν τὴν πενίαν τῆς ἀρετῆς τὴν μητέρα, μὴτε μὴν τὸν πλοῦτον διαθάλλωμεν, ἀλλὰ τῶν οὐκ εἰς δέον τούτῳ κεχρημένων χατηγορήσωμεν. Ἑπεὶ καὶ ὁ σίδηρος ἐδήθη μὲν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, οἰκοδομίας, καὶ γηπονίας, καὶ ναντιλίας συνεργὸς, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τεχνῶν τῶν κατὰ τὸν βίον ἐπίκουρος. Οἱ δὲ κατ᾽ ἀλλήλων λυττῶντες, οὐκ ἐῶσι τοῦτον μόνον ταῖς ἀναγκαίαις χρείαις ὑπηρετεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἀλλήλων σφαγὴν δι᾽ αὐτοῦ μηχανῶνται. Οὐ μὴν διὰ τοῦτο τοῦ σιδήρου χατηγοροῦμεν, ἀλλὰ τῶν κακῶς ἡ τοῦ οἴνου χρῆσις ἐδόθη μὲν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις εἰς εὐφροσύνην, ἀλλὰ οὐ παραφροσύνην καρδίας" οἱ δὲ τὴν ἀμετρίαν τιμῶντες, καὶ οἰνοφλυγίᾳ τες, τὸν εὐφροσύνης γεννήτορα, παραφροσύνης ποιοῦσι πατέρα. ᾿Αλλ' ἡμεῖς τῇ δικαίᾳ ψήφῳ διχάζοντες, τοὺς μὲν κακῶς τῷ θείῳ δώρῳ χρωμένους, οἰνόφλυγας,, καὶ μεθύσους, καὶ πονηροὺς ἀποκαλοῦμεν, τὸν δὲ οἶνον ὡς θεόσδοτον δῶρον θαυμάζομεν. Οὕτω τοιγαροῦν τῷ πλούτῳ καὶ τοῖς χρωμένοις διχάζωμεν, καὶ τὸν μὲν, τῆς κατηγορίας ἐξέλωμεν, τοὺς δὲ, εἰ μὲν οἰκονόμοι τούτου δίκαιοι γένοιντο, ταῖς μεγάλαις στεφανώσωμεν εὐφημίαις " εἰ δὲ τὴν τάξιν ἀμείψαντες, δοῦλοι τοῦ πλούτου φανεῖεν, πᾶν τὸ κελευόμενον δρῶντες, καὶ πᾶσαν πονηρὰν διακονίαν μετιόντες, τὴν πονηρίας γραφὴν κατ᾽ αὐτῶν εἰσενέγκωμεν, ὅτι δεσπόται χειροτονηθέντες. τὴν ἡγεμονίαν διέφθειραν, καὶ τὴν δουλείαν τῆς δεσποτείας ἠλλάξαντο.
anankē. pros philoponian egeirei, kai tōn men anankaïōn hē spanis prospherei tous ponous, hē de tōn ponōn talaipōria, ta pathē marainautxa, phlegmainein ouk eą, dapanōsa tas hylas. Ti toenyn tois dikaiois, tēn penean synezeug menēn horōn, kai to tēs aretēs organon diathalleis, homoion poiōn, hōsper an ei tis thronous men epainoiē, kai bathra, kai klinas, kai thyras, kai oikodomē matōn kallē, ta de tou oichkodomou kai tektonos organa achōptoi, kai tois allois, de᾽ hōn echeinōn hekaston gineta:? Hoti de eąon dia penias mallon, hē pchoutou, tēn aretēn katorthōsai, martyrousi men tēs aseueias hoi troǭmoi, martyrousi de kai hoi par᾽ Elchēsi sophias drasthentes, kai tǭ tēs physeō? nomǭ monǭ didaskalǭ chrēsamenoi. Dia penias gar hapantes tēn ēthikēn katōrthōsan aretēn, kai tauta tōn theiōn ouk hepakousantes logiōn, tōn antikrys boōntōn ".« xan mē tis apotaxētai pasi tois hyparchousin hautǭ, ou dynatai mou einai mathētēs. » ᾿Dlll᾽ homōs Archesen autois eis didaskalian hēē physis. Mai gar ho theios logos ou kaina prospherei paideumata, alla tōn tēs physeōs nomōn anamimnēskei, kai ha diephtheiren ho chronos dia tēn tōn anthrōpǭn rhąstōnēn tēs physeōs grammapa, tauta ho tēs physeōs Poiētēs dia tōn oikeiōn anagraphei kērykōn. Ei toinyn kai Sōkratēs, kai Diogenēs, kai ᾿Anaxarchos «kai hoi toutois paraplēsioi, tēs ᾿thichēs aretēs tēn ktēsin phoouēsantes, tou ploutou tēn ktēsin apōsanto, kai Ō “penian tēs agathēs ktēseōs elathon synergon, kai tauta typhlōttontes peri tēn tōn dogmatōn alētheian, kai basileian ouranōn ou prosmenontes, kai «po hon agathon achrithdōs ouk eidotes, ti tēs penias, ō philotēs, katēgoreis, di’ hēn euporos tēs aretēs ho dromos, kai hē tracheia kai prosantēs hodos eupetēs kai rhądia tois anyousi ginetai? ᾿ ᾿Kai tauta phamen, ou tou ploutou katēgorountes, oute kakǭ to kakon iōmenoi " ei gar ponēros ho ploutos, hē blasphēmia kata tou dedōkotos chōrez᾽ alla plouton men kai penian, hoion hylas tinas, hē organa, tois anthrōpois para tou Pepoiēkotos prokeisthaï phamen, dia de toutōn tous anthrōpous, hoion tinas dēmiourgous, hē to tēs aretēs agalma diaplattein, hē ton tēs kakias ektypoun andrianta. ᾿Alla dia men ploutou molis an oliga tis aretēs eis kallos diaglypseie moria, dia de penias kai pollois kai panta dēmiourgein esti dynaton. Mē toinyn schōptōmen tēn penian tēs aretēs tēn mētera, mēte mēn ton plouton diathallōmen, alla tōn ouk eis deon toutǭ kechrēmenōn chatēgorēsōmen. Hepei kai ho sidēros edēthē men tois anthrōpois, oikodomias, kai gēponias, kai nantilias synergos, kai tōn allōn technōn tōn kata ton bion epikouros. Hoi de kat᾽ allēlōn lyttōntes, ouk eōsi touton monon tais anankaiais chreiais hypēretein, alla kai tēn allēlōn sphagēn di᾽ autou mēchanōntai. Ou mēn dia touto tou sidērou chatēgoroumen, alla tōn kakōs hē tou oinou chrēsis edothē men tois anthrōpois eis euphrosynēn, alla ou paraphrosynēn kardias" hoi de tēn ametrian timōntes, kai oinophlygią tes, ton euphrosynēs gennētora, paraphrosynēs poiousi patera. ᾿All' hēmeis tę̄ dikaią psēphǭ dichazontes, tous men kakōs tǭ theiǭ dōrǭ chrōmenous, oinophlygas,, kai methysous, kai ponērous apokaloumen, ton de oinon hōs theosdoton dōron thaumazomen. Houtō toigaroun tǭ ploutǭ kai tois chrōmenois dichazōmen, kai ton men, tēs katēgorias exelōmen, tous de, ei men oikonomoi toutou dikaioi genointo, tais megalais stephanōsōmen euphēmiais " ei de tēn taxin ameipsantes, douloi tou ploutou phaneien, pan to keleuomenon drōntes, kai pasan ponēran diakonian metiontes, tēn ponērias graphēn kat᾽ autōn eisenenkōmen, hoti despotai cheirotonēthentes. tēn hēgemonian diephtheiran, kai tēn douleian tēs despoteias ēllaxanto.
rouses to industry; the lack of necessities brings labors, and the hardship of labors, withering the passions, does not let them become inflamed, consuming their fuel. Why then, seeing poverty yoked to the righteous, do you slander the instrument of virtue, acting like someone who praised thrones, benches, beds, doors, and the beauties of buildings, but mocked the tools of the builder and carpenter and the other things by which each of them is made? That it is easier to achieve virtue through poverty than through wealth, the nurslings of piety bear witness, and so do those among the Greeks who loved wisdom and used the law of nature alone as their teacher. For all of them achieved moral virtue through poverty, and that without hearing the divine oracles, which cry out plainly: "Unless one renounces all that he has, he cannot be my disciple." Yet nature sufficed them for teaching. For the divine word does not bring new teachings, but reminds us of the laws of nature; and the letters of nature that time destroyed through the slackness of human beings, the Maker of nature writes again through his own heralds. If, then, Socrates, Diogenes, Anaxarchus, and those like them, caring for the acquisition of moral virtue, rejected the acquisition of wealth and took poverty as a helper of the good acquisition, and that while blind to the truth of doctrines, not awaiting the kingdom of heaven, and not knowing precisely the good that truly is, why, my friend, do you accuse poverty, through which the course of virtue is easy, and the rough and steep road becomes smooth and easy for those who travel it? And we say this not to accuse wealth, nor to cure evil with evil; for if wealth were evil, the blasphemy would pass to the giver; but we say that wealth and poverty are set before human beings by the Maker like materials or tools, and that through them human beings, like craftsmen, either fashion the statue of virtue or mould the image of vice. But through wealth one could hardly carve a few parts of virtue into beauty, while through poverty it is possible for many to fashion all of it. Let us not, then, mock poverty, the mother of virtue, nor slander wealth, but accuse those who do not use it as they should. For iron too was given to human beings as a helper in building, farming, and seafaring, and as an ally of the other arts of life. But those who rage against one another do not let it serve necessary uses alone, but contrive one another's slaughter by it. Yet we do not therefore accuse iron, but those who use it badly. So too the use of wine was given to human beings for gladness, but not for madness of heart; but those who honor excess and … drunkenness make the begetter of gladness the father of madness. But we, judging with a just vote, call those who misuse the divine gift drunkards, sots, and wicked, while we admire wine as a God-given gift. So let us judge between wealth and those who use it: let us acquit the one of the charge, and crown the others with great praise if they become just stewards of it; but if they change the order and appear as slaves of wealth, doing all it commands and performing every wicked service, let us bring the indictment of wickedness against them, because, appointed masters, they ruined their rule and exchanged mastery for slavery.
Luke 14:33 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 104:15 (103:15 LXX) (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Poverty helps virtue, as even pagan philosophers who renounced wealth show; but wealth, like iron or wine, is a gift that is good or bad according to its use, and only its slaves deserve blame.
- "Unless one renounces …": Luke 14:33. "Wine … for gladness": compare Ps 104:15.
- Socrates, Diogenes the Cynic, and Anaxarchus are named as examples of philosophers who embraced poverty.
- The OCR has lost words after "those who use it badly" (supplied by sense: "So too") and in "and … drunkenness"; long debris from Migne's Latin column is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek): οἱ τα αἰ ὶ τα ῆι Εἰ εἱ οϑ ἢ Οὔ 63 ἤθη [ἃ- Πἃμι → ; δ Το. κιν, δ. μενος οξεὶ "οὶ ἰδ δε Βὲ Βϑε ἶφι, “μι! τεάτ ὁ. [πη θη φυοὰ ἀϊν[ {188 ἀοουδοπηδ, → ; ἀϊδαΐ τηδ} {128 δϑ[ : πος όσα ποτηυτῦϑ δαἀιηϊγαμυν. δι ὧς ἀἰν} 1118 ἱρϑὶ ἐν} 1118 ἐχοἱ ποι “ἡ ιν → .
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 6.3 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
6.4PG 83
Αλλ᾽ ἴσως ἄν τις εἴποι τῶν μόνον τοῖς καλῶς λεγομένοις ἀντιλέγειν ἐπισταμένων " Τίνος χάριν οὐ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις τοῦ πλούτου τὴν κτῆσιν ὁ Ποιητὴς ἐδωρήσατο, ἀλλὰ τοῖς μὲν πλοῦτον συνέζευξε,, τοῖς δὲ πενίαν συνεχλήρωσε, καὶ πολλῆς ἀνωμαλίας πλήρη τὸν βίον πεποίηκεν; Ὃν ἡδέως ἂν ἐροίμην, τί δήποτε τοῖς «οὔ σώματος μέλεσιν, οὐ τὴν αὐτὴν ἅπασι δέδωκεν ὁ Δημιουργῆσας ἐνέργειαν, ἀλλ᾽ ὀφθαλμοῖς μὲν χρωμάτων καὶ σχημάτων διάκρισιν ἐνεχείρισεν, ἀκοαῖς δὲ φωνῶν καὶ ψόφων εἰδέναι διαφορὰν, τὰς δὲ ῥῖνας ἀτμῶν ἀντιλαμθάνεσθαι, καὶ τοῦ ἡδέος τὸ δυσῶδες διακρίνειν, τὴν δὲ γλῶτταν ταῖς τῶν γεύσεων ποιότησι δικάζειν, καὶ γλυκέος καὶ ὀξέος, δριμέος τε καὶ πικροῦ, καὶ πιμελώδου : τὸ διάφορον εἰδέναι, καὶ τοῖς μὲν ποσὶ τὴν βαδιστιχὴν δέδωκε δύναμιν, ταῖς δὲ ᾿χερσὶ τὴν παντοδαπὴν ἀπἐνειμεν ἐργασίαν, καὶ γαστέρα μὲν τροφῆς δοχεῖον, ἧπαρ δὲ τροφῆς καθαρτήριον, ἐγκέφαλον δὲ μνελῶν Α θησαυρὸν, πηγὴν δὲ θερμότητος τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ ταῖς μὲν ἀρτηρίαις ἐναπέχλεισε τὸ πνεῦμα,, τὰς δὲ φλέδας ἀγωγοὺς ἀπέφηνεν αἵματος, καὶ ἄλλῳ ἄλλην ἐνέργειαν ἐνέφυσε μορίῳ; Καὶ μὴν ἅπαντα τὰ εἰρημένα, καὶ ὅσα σεσίγηται, εἰς ἑνὸς σώματος συντελεῖ τελειότητα " ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως ἕχαστον καὶ ἰδιόν τι πεπίστευται, καὶ τῷ κοινῷ σνντελεῖ. γὰρ ποδηγεῖ μὲν τοὺς πόδας, καὶ τὸ λεῖον αὖτοῖς ὑποδείκνυσι, καὶ τῶν τραχυτέρων ἀποτρέπει χωρίων, φέρεται δὲ ὑπὸ ποδῶν. Καὶ ἀκοὴ δὲ χτύποὺς δεχομένη, διεγείρει τὴν ὄψιν εἰς θεωρίαν, διὰ δὲ τῆς ὄψεως μανθάνει τῶν κτύπων τοὺς ποιητάς. Καὶ ἵνα τῇ ἀποστολικῇ μαρτυρίᾳ τοὺς εἰρημένους βεδαιώσωμεν λόγους, «Οὐ δύναται ὀφθαλμὸς εἰπεῖν τῇ χειρί᾽ Χρείαν σὴν οὐκ ἔχω ἢ πάλιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῖς ποσί" Χρείαν ὑμῶν οὐκ ἔχω" ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ δοκοῦντα μέλη τοῦ σώματος ἀσθενέστερα ὑπάρχειν ἀναγκαῖά ἐστι, καὶ ἃ δοκοῦμεν ἀτιμότερα εἶναι, τούτοις περισσοτέραν τιμὴν περιτίθεμεν. » Καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδυσχέρανςε πώποτε, διάφορον βλέπων ἐν τοῖς μέλεσι τὴν ἐνέργειαν, εἰ μὴ κομιδῇ παραπαίοι " ἀλλὰ καὶ στέργει καὶ θαυμάζει τὸν Ποιητὴν, οὕτω σοφῶς ἔκαστα διαχρίναντα, καὶ ἑκάστῳ τὴν ἁρμότκαὶ τὴν ἰδίαν κοινὴν ποιησάμενον. Οὔτε γὰρ ὄψις μόνη τῶν ὁρατῶν ἀπολαύει, οὔτε ἀκοὴ τῶν ἀχουστῶν, οὔτε τὸ στόμα τῶν γεύσεων, οὔτε ἡ ῥὶν τῶν ὀσφρήσεων, οὔτε οἱ πόδες βαδίσεως, οὔτε ἐργασίας αἱ χεῖρες, οὔτε τροφῆς ἢ γαστὴρ, οὔτε θερμότητος ἡ καρδία, οὔτε αἰσθήσεως ὁ ἐγκέφαλος’ ἀλλ᾽ ἰδιάζουσαν μὲν ἕχαστον ἔχει τὴν ἐνέργειαν, τῷ δὲ κοινῷ συνεισφέρει τὴν ὠφέλειαν. Καὶ τὸ μὲν ἅπαν θερμαίνει τὸ σῶμα͵, τὸ δὲ ἅπαν τρέφει" τὸ δὲ ἄλλον τινὰ φόρον παντὶ προσφέρει τῷ ζώῳ " καὶ τὸ ποικίλον τῆς ἐνεργείας εἰς ἅπαντα μὲν τὰ τοῦ σώματος μεμέρισται μόρια, ἀπολαύει δὲ ἀλλήλων πάντα, καὶ γίνεται ἡ χρεία κοινῆ. Καὶ οὔτε ἀκοὴ ἀγανακτεῖ μὴ ὁρῶσα, οὔτε ὀφθαλμὸς δυσχεραίνει τῷ μὴ ἀκχούειν, ἀλλ᾽ ἕχαστον στέργει τοὺς ὄρους τῆς φύσεως, καὶ τὴν εἰσφορὰν ἀποδίδωσιν, ἣν ἐξ ἀρχῆς φέρειν ἐτάχθη. Σὺ δὲ λίαν ἀγανακτεῖς, ὅτι μὴ πάντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι τοῖς τοῦ πλούτου ῥεύμασι περικλύζονται,, καὶ οἰκίας οἰκοῦσι λομπρὰς, καὶ χιτώνων καὶ ἐφεστρίδων περιφανείᾳ χοσμοῦσι τὸ σῶμα, καὶ ἐφ᾽ ἵππων καὶ ἡμιόνων ὀχούμενοι, πολλοὺς ἔχουσι τοὺς ἦγον μένους, καὶ ἑπομένους, καὶ θεραπόντων ἑσμὸν ταῖς θεραπείαις διαχονοῦντα, καὶ κλίνας χρυσοπάστους, καὶ στρωμνὴν μαλακὴν καὶ διαῤῥέουσαν, καὶ ὀψοποιῶν μαγγανείας, καὶ ἡδονῶν ἐπινοίας, καὶ χλιδὴν πανταχόθεν προσφερομένην, καὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς ἐξάπτουσαν. Καὶ πῶς ἄν τις ἐκτήσατο σωφροσύνην τοσούτους αὐτῇ πολεμίους ἐγείρων, ἐξ ἁπάντων αὐτὴν τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος ἐξελαύνων μορίων; Πῶς δ᾽ ἂν φρονήσεως ἐν ἕξει γένοιτ᾽ ἂν ἄνθρωπος, τοσούτοις
All᾽ isōs an tis eipoi tōn monon tois kalōs legomenois antilegein epistamenōn " Tinos charin ou pasin anthrōpois tou ploutou tēn ktēsin ho Poiētēs edōrēsato, alla tois men plouton synezeuxe,, tois de penian synechlērōse, kai pollēs anōmalias plērē ton bion pepoiēken? Hon hēdeōs an eroimēn, ti dēpote tois «ou sōmatos melesin, ou tēn autēn hapasi dedōken ho Dēmiourgēsas energeian, all᾽ ophthalmois men chrōmatōn kai schēmatōn diakrisin enecheirisen, akoais de phōnōn kai psophōn eidenai diaphoran, tas de rhinas atmōn antilamthanesthai, kai tou hēdeos to dysōdes diakrinein, tēn de glōttan tais tōn geuseōn poiotēsi dikazein, kai glykeos kai oxeos, drimeos te kai pikrou, kai pimelōdou : to diaphoron eidenai, kai tois men posi tēn badistichēn dedōke dynamin, tais de ᾿chersi tēn pantodapēn apeneimen ergasian, kai gastera men trophēs docheion, hēpar de trophēs kathartērion, enkephalon de mnelōn A thēsauron, pēgēn de thermotētos tēn kardian, kai tais men artēriais enapechleise to pneuma,, tas de phledas agōgous apephēnen haimatos, kai allǭ allēn energeian enephyse moriǭ? Kai mēn hapanta ta eirēmena, kai hosa sesigētai, eis henos sōmatos syntelei teleiotēta " all᾽ homōs hechaston kai idion ti pepisteutai, kai tǭ koinǭ snntelei. gar podēgei men tous podas, kai to leion autois hypodeiknysi, kai tōn trachyterōn apotrepei chōriōn, pheretai de hypo podōn. Kai akoē de chtypous dechomenē, diegeirei tēn opsin eis theōrian, dia de tēs opseōs manthanei tōn ktypōn tous poiētas. Kai hina tę̄ apostolikę̄ martyrią tous eirēmenous bedaiōsōmen logous, «Ou dynatai ophthalmos eipein tę̄ cheiri᾽ Chreian sēn ouk echō ē palin hē kephalē tois posi" Chreian hymōn ouk echō" alla pollǭ mallon ta dokounta melē tou sōmatos asthenestera hyparchein anankaia esti, kai ha dokoumen atimotera einai, toutois perissoteran timēn peritithemen. » Kai oudeis edyscheranse pōpote, diaphoron blepōn en tois melesi tēn energeian, ei mē komidę̄ parapaioi " alla kai stergei kai thaumazei ton Poiētēn, houtō sophōs ekasta diachrinanta, kai hekastǭ tēn harmotkai tēn idian koinēn poiēsamenon. Oute gar opsis monē tōn horatōn apolauei, oute akoē tōn achoustōn, oute to stoma tōn geuseōn, oute hē rhin tōn osphrēseōn, oute hoi podes badiseōs, oute ergasias hai cheires, oute trophēs ē gastēr, oute thermotētos hē kardia, oute aisthēseōs ho enkephalos’ all᾽ idiazousan men hechaston echei tēn energeian, tǭ de koinǭ syneispherei tēn ōpheleian. Kai to men hapan thermainei to sōma͵, to de hapan trephei" to de allon tina phoron panti prospherei tǭ zōǭ " kai to poikilon tēs energeias eis hapanta men ta tou sōmatos memeristai moria, apolauei de allēlōn panta, kai ginetai hē chreia koinē. Kai oute akoē aganaktei mē horōsa, oute ophthalmos dyscherainei tǭ mē akchouein, all᾽ hechaston stergei tous orous tēs physeōs, kai tēn eisphoran apodidōsin, hēn ex archēs pherein etachthē. Sy de lian aganakteis, hoti mē pantes hoi anthrōpoi tois tou ploutou rheumasi periklyzontai,, kai oikias oikousi lompras, kai chitōnōn kai ephestridōn periphaneią chosmousi to sōma, kai eph᾽ hippōn kai hēmionōn ochoumenoi, pollous echousi tous ēgon menous, kai hepomenous, kai therapontōn hesmon tais therapeiais diachonounta, kai klinas chrysopastous, kai strōmnēn malakēn kai diarrheousan, kai opsopoiōn manganeias, kai hēdonōn epinoias, kai chlidēn pantachothen prospheromenēn, kai tas hēdonas exaptousan. Kai pōs an tis ektēsato sōphrosynēn tosoutous autę̄ polemious egeirōn, ex hapantōn autēn tōn tēs psychēs kai tou sōmatos exelaunōn moriōn? Pōs d᾽ an phronēseōs en hexei genoit᾽ an anthrōpos, tosoutois
But perhaps one of those who know only how to contradict what is well said might say: "Why did the Maker not give the possession of wealth to all human beings, but yoked wealth to some and allotted poverty to others, and made life full of great unevenness?" I would gladly ask him why the Creator did not give the same activity to all the members of the body, but entrusted to the eyes the discernment of colors and shapes, to the ears the knowledge of the difference of voices and sounds, to the nostrils the perception of odors and the distinguishing of foul from pleasant, to the tongue the judging of the qualities of tastes and the knowledge of the difference between sweet and sour, sharp, bitter, and fatty; gave the feet the power of walking and assigned to the hands work of every kind; made the belly the receptacle of food, the liver the purifier of food, the brain the treasury of marrow, and the heart the spring of heat; shut up breath in the arteries and made the veins channels of blood; and implanted a different activity in each part? And yet all that has been mentioned, and all that has been passed over in silence, contributes to the perfection of one body; but each has been entrusted with something of its own and contributes to the common good. For the eye guides the feet, shows them the smooth ground, and turns them from rougher places, but is carried by the feet. The hearing receives noises and rouses the sight to look, and through the sight learns who made the noises. And to confirm what has been said by the apostolic testimony: "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you'; but much rather the members of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary, and those we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor." And no one has ever been vexed at seeing different activities in the members, unless he is quite out of his mind; rather he loves and admires the Maker who so wisely distinguished each and gave each … and made its own activity common. For the sight does not alone enjoy what is seen, nor hearing what is heard, nor the mouth tastes, nor the nose smells, nor the feet walking, nor the hands work, nor the belly food, nor the heart heat, nor the brain sensation; but each has its particular activity and contributes its benefit to the common good. One warms the whole body, another nourishes the whole, another brings some other tribute to the whole creature; the variety of activity is divided among all the parts of the body, but all enjoy one another, and the use becomes common. Hearing is not indignant that it does not see, nor is the eye vexed that it does not hear, but each loves the bounds of its nature and pays the contribution it was appointed from the beginning to pay. But you are very indignant that not all human beings are flooded with the streams of wealth, live in splendid houses, adorn their bodies with the splendor of tunics and cloaks, ride on horses and mules, have many going before and following, a swarm of servants attending to their service, gold-spangled beds, soft and flowing bedding, the tricks of cooks, the inventions of pleasures, and luxury brought from every side and kindling the pleasures. And how could anyone acquire temperance who raises so many enemies against it and drives it out of all the parts of soul and body? How could a man come to the habit of prudence with so many
1 Cor 12:21 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 12:22 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 12:23 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: As the members of the body have different functions that serve the whole, so God distributed wealth and poverty unequally for the common good; and luxury, which the objector envies, is the enemy of virtue.
- Quotation: 1 Cor 12:21-23.
- Words are lost in the OCR in "gave each …" (probably "its fitting activity"); marked …. The part ends in mid-sentence; a leaked footnote at the end is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (debris; debris and a column letter; debris and a column letter inside the word ὀχούμενοι; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; leaked footnote): τοῖς υἱ- Ὦ δὲ → τοῖς δὲ; χυ 6} ἂυοἱ σοὺ → ; Υἱ. ἧπαρ → ἧπαρ; (ἰοῦ πη τι ἱ ΟΡαΒ 6; οἱ εἷ ς Νες δ Εἰ ἃ 56 ἰῃπὶ δἱ {Ὁἰ → ; ὀχού- Ὦ θυίυι, χιοὰ Δ μενοι → ὀχούμενοι; 49} (ον. χιι, μᾶλλον. → .
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 6.4 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
6.5PG 83
σωφροσύνην, χἀὶ δικαιοσύνην, χοαὶ ἀνδρείαν, καὶ φρόνησιν, ὧν οὐδὲ τὰς προσηγορίας ἀκούειν ἀνέχονται; Πῶς ἂν ὁ πλοῦτος ὑφ᾽ ἁπάντων ἐχτήθη, πάντων ὁμοτιμίᾳ τετιμημένων; Πῶς δ᾽ ἂν ἴσονομίας οὔσης, καὶ χρημάτων ὁμοίως ἅπαντες εὐποροῦντες, τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀπήλαυσαν; ἣ τίς ἂν διακονεῖν ἠνέσχετο, τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχων περιουσίαν; Τίς ἐσχάρᾳ προσεδρεύειν, καὶ ὄψα κατασκευάζειν, οὐκ καὶ μάττειν, καὶ πέπτειν, καὶ πυρὸς ἀνἐχεσθαι φλέγοντος; Τίς δ᾽ ἂν βοῦς ἀροτῆρας ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἤγαγε, καὶ γῆν ὀνεούργησε. καὶ σπέρματα κατέθαλε, καὶ βλαστήσαντα καὶ ἀχμάσαντα τεμὼν, τῇ Β ἅλῳ παρέδωκε, καὶ τῶν ἀχύρων ἀπέχρινε, μὴ τῆς πενίας ἐπὶ τοὺς πόνους ὠθούσης; Τίς ἂν λιθοτομίαις προσήδρευσε, καὶ τῶν λίθων τὰς ὕλας ταῖς οἰκοδομίαις προσήνεγκε, καὶ εὖ καὶ καλῶς συναρμόσας τὰς οἰκίας ἐτεκτήνατο, μὴ τῆς ἐνδείάς γυττούσης, καὶ πρὸς ἐργασίαν κινούσης; Τίς ἂν ἐμπορίαν, καὶ ναυτιχὴν φιλοπονίαν; τίς ὑφαντικὴν καὶ σχυτοτομιχήν; τίς χεραμευτιχὴν καὶ χαλκευτικήν; Εἰ γὰρ ἴση ἣν τῶν χρημάτων ἡ κτῆσις, οὐκ εἴα διακονεῖν ἑτέρῳ τὸν ἕτερον ἀλλὰ δυοῖν θάτερον ἀνάγκη. ἣ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἕκαστος πᾶσαν μετὰ σπουδῆς μετήει διὰ τὴν χρείαν τέχνην, ἣ ἅπαντες ἂν κατὰ ταυτὸ τῇ σπάνει τῶν ἀναγκαίων διεφθάρημεν θτι δὲ πάσας ἄνθρωπον ἕνα μετελθεῖν τἐέχνὰς τῶν ἀδυνάτων, οὗ δεῖ λόγων, μαρτυρούσης τῆς πείρας. Δύο γὰρ εἴ τις κατὰ ταυτὸ μαθεῖν ἐθελήσειεν, ἀμφοτέρας ἀπόλλυσι, θατέρας τῇ ἑτέρᾳ λυμαινομένης. Εἰς ἄμφω γὰρ ἡ διάνοια μεριζομένη, καὶ ἀμφοτέρων ἐπιλαδέσθαι μὴ δυναμένη, τινὰ μὲν "ἐξ ἀμφοῖν ἐχμάττεται μόρια, ἀχριδή δὲ καὶ τελείαν οὐδὲ μιᾶς τὴν γνῶσιν εἰσδέχεται. Ὑπελείπετο τοίνυν ἅπαντας πανολεθρίαν ὑπομεῖναι, διὰ τὴν ἴσην τῶν ᾿χρημάτων εὐπορίαν, καὶ συμδῆναι ταυτὸν τοῖς τῷ χόρῳ τῶν σιτίων τὴν ἧδονὴν ἀφανίζονσι. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῶν ὄψων τὰς ὀρέξεις ἀμδλύνουσι᾽ καὶ οὗτοι, διὰ τὸν τῶν χρημάτων ἔρωτα, καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐνδεεῖς γίνεσθαι ποθοῦσι, καὶ τὸν μετὰ χρημάτων ὄλεθρον τῆς μετὰ πενίας προτιμῶσι ζωῇς. ᾿λλλὰ τούτους μὲν ληρεῖν καταλίπωμεν, ἡμεῖς δὲ κἀνταῦθα τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ κηδεμονίαν ἐπιδείξωμεν, καὶ τὴν καλουμένην παρ᾽ αὐτῶν ἀνωμαλίαν, ζωῆς θυμήρους ἀφορμὴν, καὶ πολιτείας ἀρίστης ὑπόθεσιν ἀποφήνωμεν. Ὁ γὰρ τῶν ὅλων πρύτανις ἰσότητα Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ κοινὸν ἄπασι τὴν γῆν ἔδαφος αὶ ἔδωκε, κοινὴν ἑστίαν, καὶ τροφὸν, καὶ μητέρα, καὶ τάφον, μίαν διαπλάσεως ἀφορμὴν, τὸν χοῦν τὸν προπάτορα, κοινὸν ὄροφον τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐξέτεινεν. Ἥλιον, καὶ σελήνην, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους φωστῇρας, οἷόν τίνας λαμπαδηφόρους, κοινοὺς ἐδωρήσατο" ἀέρα ϑέσον ἐξέχεε, κοινόν τινα καὶ τοῦτον πλοῦτον πᾶσιν ὁμοίως προτεθειχώς. Οὔτε γὰρ σπῶσιν αὐτὸν κλέον τῶν πενήτων οἱ πλούσιοι, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἔσην μοῖβαν κάνταῦθα ἡ πενία λαμόάνει, μᾶλλον δὲ πλείονα " κλείους γὰρ ταύτης οἱ τρόφιμοι, καὶ τὰς αἰσθήσεις ἐῤῥωμενεστέρας ἔχοντες, καὶ τῶν περιττῶν φορτίων ἀπηλλαγμένας. Ποταμοὶ καὶ πηγαὶ, χηοινὰ πάλιν ἅπασιν ἀναδλύζουσι νάματα καὶ τὰ σώματα δὲ πάλιν ἴσα καὶ τούτοις κἀκείνοις ἐδημιούργησε " μᾶλλον δὲ κἀνταῦθα πλεονεκτοῦσιν οἱ πένητες" ἐῤῥωμενέστερα γὰρ τὰ τούτων. "Ἔνδεια γὰρ μήτηρ ὑγείας, κατὰ τὸν σοφώτατον τῶν ἰατρῶν" καὶ πόνοι, καὶ γυμνασίαι, συνεργοὶ ὑγείας, κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τοῦτον διδάσκαλον. Καὶ αἱ ψυκαὶ δὲ καὶ τούτων κἀκείνων, τὴν αὐτὴν φύσιν ἂν ἔχουσι" μία κυήσεως ἀφορμὴ καὶ “ηύτοις κἀκείνοι:, μιᾶς δημιουργίας ὁ γάμος ὑπόθεσις, ἴσοι τῆς χνήσεως οἱ μῆνες. Οὐ γὰρ αἰδεΐται τῶν χρημάτων τὴν περιουσίαν ὁ χρόνος, οὐδὲ ἀνέχεται, τὸν πλοῦτον αἰσχυνόμενος, πρὸ τῶν κειμένων ὅρων παραπέμψαι τὸ βοέφος, ἢ πλείονα χρόνον ἐγχαϑεῖρξαι τῇ μήτρᾳ " ἀλλ᾽ ὁμοίως καὶ τὸ τοῦ πλουτοῦντος καὶ τὸ τοῦ πενομένου προέρχεται. Ὧδῖνες ἢγοῦνται καὶ τούτου κἀκείνου, μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ τῇ πείρᾳ πιστεύεις, ῥάων ὁ τόκος τῆς πενομένης, καὶ μείους αἱ ὠδῖνες, Ἧ γὰρ περὶ τὸ πονεῖν συνήθεια δωρεῖται τὴν εὐκολίαν, Διὸ καὶ ταῖς τρυφώσαις ἰατρῶν παῖδες ἐν ταῖς πρὸ τῆς κυήσεως ἡμέραις ἀναγκαῖον ἐπιφέρουσι πόνον. Οὐκοῦν ὁμοίως μὲν χύουτιν, οὐκ ὁμοίως δὲ τίχτονσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἔνθα μὲν ἡ τοῦ πλούτου παραμυθία, πλείων ἡ δυσκολία, ἔνθα
sōphrosynēn, chai dikaiosynēn, choai andreian, kai phronēsin, hōn oude tas prosēgorias akouein anechontai? Pōs an ho ploutos hyph᾽ hapantōn echtēthē, pantōn homotimią tetimēmenōn? Pōs d᾽ an isonomias ousēs, kai chrēmatōn homoiōs hapantes euporountes, tōn anankaiōn apēlausan? hē tis an diakonein ēnescheto, tēn autēn echōn periousian? Tis escharą prosedreuein, kai opsa kataskeuazein, ouk kai mattein, kai peptein, kai pyros anechesthai phlegontos? Tis d᾽ an bous arotēras hypo zygon ēgage, kai gēn oneourgēse. kai spermata katethale, kai blastēsanta kai achmasanta temōn, tę̄ B halǭ paredōke, kai tōn achyrōn apechrine, mē tēs penias epi tous ponous ōthousēs? Tis an lithotomiais prosēdreuse, kai tōn lithōn tas hylas tais oikodomiais prosēnenke, kai eu kai kalōs synarmosas tas oikias etektēnato, mē tēs endeias gyttousēs, kai pros ergasian kinousēs? Tis an emporian, kai nautichēn philoponian? tis hyphantikēn kai schytotomichēn? tis cherameutichēn kai chalkeutikēn? Ei gar isē hēn tōn chrēmatōn hē ktēsis, ouk eia diakonein heterǭ ton heteron alla dyoin thateron anankē. hē tōn anthrōpōn hekastos pasan meta spoudēs metēei dia tēn chreian technēn, hē hapantes an kata tauto tę̄ spanei tōn anankaiōn diephtharēmen thti de pasas anthrōpon hena metelthein teechnas tōn adynatōn, hou dei logōn, martyrousēs tēs peiras. Dyo gar ei tis kata tauto mathein ethelēseien, amphoteras apollysi, thateras tę̄ heterą lymainomenēs. Eis amphō gar hē dianoia merizomenē, kai amphoterōn epiladesthai mē dynamenē, tina men "ex amphoin echmattetai moria, achridē de kai teleian oude mias tēn gnōsin eisdechetai. Hypeleipeto toinyn hapantas panolethrian hypomeinai, dia tēn isēn tōn ᾿chrēmatōn euporian, kai symdēnai tauton tois tǭ chorǭ tōn sitiōn tēn hēdonēn aphanizonsi. Kai gar ekeinoi tę̄ synecheią tōn opsōn tas orexeis amdlynousi᾽ kai houtoi, dia ton tōn chrēmatōn erōta, kai tōn anankaiōn endeeis ginesthai pothousi, kai ton meta chrēmatōn olethron tēs meta penias protimōsi zōę̄s. ᾿llla toutous men lērein katalipōmen, hēmeis de kantautha tēn tou Theou kēdemonian epideixōmen, kai tēn kaloumenēn par᾽ autōn anōmalian, zōēs thymērous aphormēn, kai politeias aristēs hypothesin apophēnōmen. Ho gar tōn holōn prytanis isotēta Prōton men gar koinon apasi tēn gēn edaphos ai edōke, koinēn hestian, kai trophon, kai mētera, kai taphon, mian diaplaseōs aphormēn, ton choun ton propatora, koinon orophon ton ouranon exeteinen. Hēlion, kai selēnēn, kai tous allous phōstę̄ras, hoion tinas lampadēphorous, koinous edōrēsato" aera ϑeson exechee, koinon tina kai touton plouton pasin homoiōs protetheichōs. Oute gar spōsin auton kleon tōn penētōn hoi plousioi, alla tēn esēn moiban kantautha hē penia lamoanei, mallon de pleiona " kleious gar tautēs hoi trophimoi, kai tas aisthēseis errhōmenesteras echontes, kai tōn perittōn phortiōn apēllagmenas. Potamoi kai pēgai, chēoina palin hapasin anadlyzousi namata kai ta sōmata de palin isa kai toutois kakeinois edēmiourgēse " mallon de kantautha pleonektousin hoi penētes" errhōmenestera gar ta toutōn. "Endeia gar mētēr hygeias, kata ton sophōtaton tōn iatrōn" kai ponoi, kai gymnasiai, synergoi hygeias, kata ton auton touton didaskalon. Kai hai psykai de kai toutōn kakeinōn, tēn autēn physin an echousi" mia kyēseōs aphormē kai “ēutois kakeinoi:, mias dēmiourgias ho gamos hypothesis, isoi tēs chnēseōs hoi mēnes. Ou gar aideïtai tōn chrēmatōn tēn periousian ho chronos, oude anechetai, ton plouton aischynomenos, pro tōn keimenōn horōn parapempsai to boephos, ē pleiona chronon enchaϑeirxai tę̄ mētrą " all᾽ homoiōs kai to tou ploutountos kai to tou penomenou proerchetai. Hōdines ēgountai kai toutou kakeinou, mallon de, ei tę̄ peirą pisteueis, rhaōn ho tokos tēs penomenēs, kai meious hai ōdines, Hē gar peri to ponein synētheia dōreitai tēn eukolian, Dio kai tais tryphōsais iatrōn paides en tais pro tēs kyēseōs hēmerais anankaion epipherousi ponon. Oukoun homoiōs men chyoutin, ouk homoiōs de tichtonsin, all᾽ entha men hē tou ploutou paramythia, pleiōn hē dyskolia, entha
… temperance, justice, courage, and prudence, whose very names they cannot bear to hear? How could wealth have been acquired by all, if all were honored with equal honor? How, if there were equal shares and all were equally rich in money, would they have enjoyed the necessities? Who would have consented to serve, having the same abundance? Who would sit by the hearth and prepare dishes, … knead, bake, and endure the burning fire? Who would have put plough-oxen under the yoke, tilled the earth, sown seed, and when it sprouted and ripened, cut it, handed it over to the threshing floor, and separated it from the chaff, if poverty did not push him to the labors? Who would have kept at the stone quarries, brought the material of stone to the building works, fitted it well and fittingly, and built houses, if want did not goad him and move him to work? Who would have taken up trade and the toil of seafaring? Who weaving and shoemaking? Who pottery and smithing? For if the possession of money were equal, it would not let one serve another; but one of two things would necessarily follow: either each human being would pursue every art zealously because of need, or all of us together would have perished from lack of necessities. That it is impossible for one man to pursue all the arts needs no argument, since experience bears witness. For if anyone wishes to learn two at the same time, he loses both, the one harming the other. For the mind, divided between both and unable to grasp both, takes the impress of some parts of each, but receives a precise and perfect knowledge of neither. It would remain, then, for all to suffer utter ruin because of the equal abundance of money, and the same would happen to them as to those who destroy the pleasure of food by satiety. For they dull their appetites by the constant succession of dishes; and these, for love of money, would long to be in want of necessities and would prefer ruin with money to life with poverty. But let us leave these men to their nonsense, and let us show God's care here too, and prove that what they call unevenness is a source of agreeable life and the basis of the best polity. For the ruler of all things … equality. First, he gave the earth to all as a common ground, a common hearth, nurse, mother, and tomb; one origin of their forming, the dust, their forefather; and he stretched out heaven as a common roof. He gave the sun, the moon, and the other lights as common torchbearers; he poured out the air between, setting this too before all alike as a common wealth. For the rich do not draw in more of it than the poor; poverty receives an equal share here too, or rather a greater one, for its nurslings breathe more, having stronger senses, freed from superfluous burdens. Rivers and springs again pour forth common streams for all; and he made their bodies equal for these and those; or rather here too the poor have the advantage, for theirs are stronger. For "want is the mother of health," according to the wisest of the physicians; and labors and exercise are helpers of health, according to the same teacher. And the souls of both have the same nature; there is one origin of conception for both; marriage is the basis of one making; the months of pregnancy are equal. For time does not respect abundance of money, nor, out of shame before wealth, consent to send forth the infant before the set bounds or shut it up longer in the womb; but the child of the rich and of the poor comes forth alike. Pains go before both; or rather, if you trust experience, the poor woman's delivery is easier and her pains fewer. For the habit of labor gives ease. That is why the physicians impose necessary exercise on women living in luxury in the days before the birth. So they conceive alike but do not give birth alike; but where there is the consolation of wealth, the difficulty is greater, and where
Gen 2:7 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: If all were equally rich no one would farm, build, or practise any art, and all would perish; God in fact gave rich and poor equally the earth, sky, air, water, body, soul, conception, and birth, the poor often with the advantage.
- "Want is the mother of health": a saying ascribed to Hippocrates ("the wisest of the physicians"); the exact source is uncertain.
- "One origin of their forming, the dust": Gen 2:7.
- The OCR has lost words at the beginning, in "… knead", and in "the ruler of all things … equality" (probably "distributed equality in all things"); marked … and not supplied.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; some Greek words are lost with it): πὶ πὶ οἱ ὶ τὰ ποδί, νηὶ οὐ Πη γοἴῃ ἢ παῖς τορϑιουϊατ Ὁ ἀ Π οἾ15 σι Γ 415 Θχῃϊθαϊ,, δῆ οἱ ἢ υηυπ Δ] 1 οι πη 65 Ῥοϑϑι → ; ἰσότητα ἰα' Υἱ. Πρῶτον → ἰσότητα Πρῶτον.
Extrabiblical texts: Hippocrates (Hippocrates, Hippocratic Corpus; allusion)
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 6.5 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-5
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
6.6PG 83
ὃΣ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἣ ἔνδεια, ἡ φύσις ἐπιχουρεῖ τῇ εὐκολίᾳ ψυχαγωγοῦσα " μᾶλλον δὲ, ὁ τῆς φύσεως Ποιητὴς οὕτω κεράσας τὰ ἄνισα, καὶ τῇ μὲν ἐξ εὖπραγίας γινομένῃ περὶ τὸν τόκον δυσκολίᾳ, τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἰατρῶν καὶ τῶν φαρμάκων παραμυθίαν προσφέρων, τῇ δὲ διὰ τὴν πενίαν τῆς ἐπικουρίας ταύτης σπανιξούσῃ, παρέχων τῆς φύσεως τὴν βοήθειαν. Βλέπε τοῦ δικαίου χριτοῦ τὰ ζυγὰ, καὶ χίνησον εἰς εὐφημίαν τὴν γλῶτταν " βλέπε δὲ καὶ τὰ τιχτόμενα, ὁμοίως γυμνὰ προϊόντα " οὐ γὰρ τὸ τοῦ πλουσίου βρέφος ἁλουργίδα περιδέδληται, τὸ δὲ τοῦ πέται, τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ κηρύσσοντος τὴν ἰσότητα. Ὁμοίως σπᾷ τὸν ἀέρα, ὁμοίως ἕλκει τὴν θηλήν " οὐκ ἑτέρῳ γάλακτι τὸ τοῦ πένητος; τρέφεται, ἕτερον δὲ τῷ τοῦ πλουσίου προσφέρεται, ἀλλ᾽ ἴσης καὶ τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀπολαύει τροφῇς. Θύ μόνον δὲ τὴν εἰς τὸν βίον εἴσοδον μίαν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχομὲν ἅπαντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἔξοδον ἴσην. Εἷς γὰρ ἡμᾶς ὑποδέχεται θάνατος" οὐ γὰρ φοθεῖται τὸν πλοῦτον ὁ θάνατος, οὐδὲ δειμαίνει τοὺς δορυφόρους, οὐ φρίττει τὴν ἁλουργίδα, καταφρονεῖ καὶ τείχους, καὶ πύργων, καὶ βασιλείων, καὶ ἐντὸς τῶν θαλάμων γίνεται, οὐκ ἐλεεῖ δαχρύοντα, οὐκ οἰκτείρει παρακαλοῦντα, οὐ διαφθείρεται δώροις, τῆς ἱατρικῆς οὐκ ἀνέχεται τέχνης, ἀργὰς δείκνυσι τὰς τῶν φαρμάκων δυνάμεις, οὐδὲ ἐπισχῆψαι πολλάκις συγχωρεῖ, καὶ δῆλον ποιῆσαι τὸν τοῦ κλήρου διάδοχον, ἀλλ᾽ ἀρπάζει, σύρει, χωρίξει τοῦ σώματος τὴν ψυχήν. Καὶ τὸ τέλος τοιγαροῦν κοινὸν ἔχουσιν οἱ πλούτῳ χομῶντες, καὶ οἱ πενίᾳ συζῶντες, καὶ τὰ μετὰ τὸ τέλος δὰ καὶ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἐκδημίαν. Ὁμοίως γὰρ σηπεδὼν ἕπεται, καὶ ἰχὼρ χαταῤῥεῖ, καὶ σκώληκες ἀποτίχτονται, καὶ τὸ βλοσυρὸν ὄμμα σθέννυταί τε καὶ διατήχεται, καὶ τὸ ἀκόρεστον στόμα, καὶ ἡ λυττῶσα γλῶσσα, σκωλήκων γίνεται παρανάλωμα, Καὶ ὁ γαυριῶν τράχηλος οὐ χάμπτεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διαλύεται " καὶ ἣ φυσωμένη γνάθος, οὐ συστέλλεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς ὀλίγην κόνιν συνίσταται" καὶ τὸ τῆς παρειᾶς ἄνθος μαραίνεται, καὶ φροῦδον παντάπασι γίνεται" καὶ οἱ γράφοντες τὴν πονηρίαν δάκτυλοι, κεῖνται τῆς ἁρμονίας παντελῶς ἐσχεδασμένοι. Οὐκοῦν ταῦτα μὲν ἅπαντα κοινὰ καὶ πλουσίοις καὶ πένησι πρόκειται. Ὑπολείπεται τοίνυν καὶ πενία καὶ πλοῦτος, ἃ σὺ μὲν νομίζεις ἴδια, δείξει δὲ ὁ λόγος, σὺν Θεῷ φάναι, κοινά. Ὁμοίως γὰρ τῆς τῶν πλουσίων περιουσίας οἱ πενίᾳ συζῶντες σιν. Ὁ γὰρ τούτων κἀκείνων Δημιουργὸς, τέχναις παντοδαπαῖς τὴν πενίαν ἐχόσμῃησε, δι᾽ ἃς παρὰ τὰς τῶν πενήτων θύρας φοιτῶσιν οἱ πλούσιοι, καὶ χρήματα διδόντες, τὰς ἀναγκαίας παρ᾽ αὐτῶν χομίζονκαι χρείας, καὶ πλειόνων διὰ τὸν πλοῦτον δεόμενοι, πάσης σπανίζουσι χρείας. Καὶ παρὰ μὲν τούτων, ἄρτους, παρὰ δὲ ἐχείνων, ὄψα ὠνοῦνται " ὑποδήματα ἕτεροι τοῖς ποσὶ προσαρμόττουσιν, ἄλλοι χιτῶνας, οἱ μὲν οἰκίας, οἱ δὲ κλίνας καὶ θρόνους, οἱ δὲ λαχάνων γένη, καὶ ὀπωρῶν εἴδη μυρία, οἱ δὲ πυροὺς καὶ χριθὰς, καὶ τὰ ἐκ γεωργίας ἀγαθὰ, ὧν δίχα διαδιῶναι τῶν ἀδυνάτων, κἂν ἔχῃ τις τὸν Κραίσαυ καὶ Μίδου χρυσόν. Τῷ δὲ πένητι, καὶ ἄρτος ἀπόχρη.
hoS tōn anankaiōn hē endeia, hē physis epichourei tę̄ eukolią psychagōgousa " mallon de, ho tēs physeōs Poiētēs houtō kerasas ta anisa, kai tę̄ men ex eupragias ginomenę̄ peri ton tokon dyskolią, tēn ek tōn iatrōn kai tōn pharmakōn paramythian prospherōn, tę̄ de dia tēn penian tēs epikourias tautēs spanixousę̄, parechōn tēs physeōs tēn boētheian. Blepe tou dikaiou chritou ta zyga, kai chinēson eis euphēmian tēn glōttan " blepe de kai ta tichtomena, homoiōs gymna proïonta " ou gar to tou plousiou brephos halourgida peridedlētai, to de tou petai, tou Dēmiourgou kēryssontos tēn isotēta. Homoiōs spą ton aera, homoiōs helkei tēn thēlēn " ouk heterǭ galakti to tou penētos? trephetai, heteron de tǭ tou plousiou prospheretai, all᾽ isēs kai touto kakeino kai tēs autēs apolauei trophę̄s. Thy monon de tēn eis ton bion eisodon mian kai tēn autēn echomen hapantes, alla kai tēn exodon isēn. Heis gar hēmas hypodechetai thanatos" ou gar photheitai ton plouton ho thanatos, oude deimainei tous doryphorous, ou phrittei tēn halourgida, kataphronei kai teichous, kai pyrgōn, kai basileiōn, kai entos tōn thalamōn ginetai, ouk eleei dachryonta, ouk oikteirei parakalounta, ou diaphtheiretai dōrois, tēs hiatrikēs ouk anechetai technēs, argas deiknysi tas tōn pharmakōn dynameis, oude epischēpsai pollakis synchōrei, kai dēlon poiēsai ton tou klērou diadochon, all᾽ arpazei, syrei, chōrixei tou sōmatos tēn psychēn. Kai to telos toigaroun koinon echousin hoi ploutǭ chomōntes, kai hoi penią syzōntes, kai ta meta to telos da kai tēn enteuthen ekdēmian. Homoiōs gar sēpedōn hepetai, kai ichōr chatarrhei, kai skōlēkes apotichtontai, kai to blosyron omma sthennytai te kai diatēchetai, kai to akoreston stoma, kai hē lyttōsa glōssa, skōlēkōn ginetai paranalōma, Kai ho gauriōn trachēlos ou champtetai monon, alla kai dialyetai " kai hē physōmenē gnathos, ou systelletai monon, alla kai eis oligēn konin synistatai" kai to tēs pareias anthos marainetai, kai phroudon pantapasi ginetai" kai hoi graphontes tēn ponērian daktyloi, keintai tēs harmonias pantelōs eschedasmenoi. Oukoun tauta men hapanta koina kai plousiois kai penēsi prokeitai. Hypoleipetai toinyn kai penia kai ploutos, ha sy men nomizeis idia, deixei de ho logos, syn Theǭ phanai, koina. Homoiōs gar tēs tōn plousiōn periousias hoi penią syzōntes sin. Ho gar toutōn kakeinōn Dēmiourgos, technais pantodapais tēn penian echosmę̄ēse, di᾽ has para tas tōn penētōn thyras phoitōsin hoi plousioi, kai chrēmata didontes, tas anankaias par᾽ autōn chomizonkai chreias, kai pleionōn dia ton plouton deomenoi, pasēs spanizousi chreias. Kai para men toutōn, artous, para de echeinōn, opsa ōnountai " hypodēmata heteroi tois posi prosarmottousin, alloi chitōnas, hoi men oikias, hoi de klinas kai thronous, hoi de lachanōn genē, kai opōrōn eidē myria, hoi de pyrous kai chrithas, kai ta ek geōrgias agatha, hōn dicha diadiōnai tōn adynatōn, kan echę̄ tis ton Kraisau kai Midou chryson. Tǭ de penēti, kai artos apochrē.
there is want of necessities, nature helps by providing ease; or rather the Maker of nature, who has so blended the unequal, offering to the difficulty in childbirth that comes from prosperity the consolation of physicians and medicines, and to the woman who lacks this help because of poverty the help of nature. See the scales of the just judge, and move your tongue to praise. See also the children born, coming forth naked alike; for the rich man's infant is not wrapped in purple and the poor man's … , since the Creator proclaims equality. Alike they draw in the air, alike they suck the breast; the poor man's child is not fed with one milk and another offered to the rich man's, but both enjoy equal and the same food. And not only do we all have one and the same entrance into life, but also an equal exit. For one death receives us; for death does not fear wealth, nor dread bodyguards, nor shudder at purple; it despises walls, towers, and palaces, and goes into the bedchambers; it does not pity the weeping, nor have compassion on the pleading, nor is it corrupted by gifts; it does not submit to the art of medicine, makes the powers of drugs idle, often does not even allow one to give instructions and make plain the heir of the estate, but snatches, drags, and separates the soul from the body. So those who flourish in wealth and those who live with poverty have the end in common, and what comes after the end and the departure from here. For decay follows alike, fluid runs down, worms are born, the grim eye is quenched and melts away, the insatiable mouth and the raging tongue become food for worms; the proud neck is not only bent but dissolved; the puffed-up cheek is not only drawn in but reduced to a little dust; the bloom of the cheek withers and vanishes altogether; and the fingers that wrote wickedness lie with their joints entirely scattered. All these things, then, lie in common before rich and poor. There remain poverty and wealth, which you think private, but the argument will show, God willing, to be common. For those who live with poverty … the abundance of the rich alike. For the Creator of both adorned poverty with arts of every kind, because of which the rich come to the doors of the poor, and giving money, receive from them what they need; and needing more because of their wealth, they lack every need. From some they buy bread, from others dishes; others fit shoes to their feet, others make tunics; some build houses, others beds and chairs; others grow kinds of vegetables and countless sorts of fruit; others wheat and barley and the goods of farming, without which it is impossible to live, even if one has the gold of Croesus and Midas. For the poor man, even bread suffices,
Notes and citation
Summary: The Creator balances rich and poor in childbirth, infancy, death, and decay, and makes wealth and poverty depend on each other, since the rich must buy from the poor the products of their arts.
- "Croesus and Midas": proverbially rich kings of Lydia and Phrygia.
- Words are lost in the OCR in "the poor man's …" (probably "is wrapped in rags", as a leaked footnote with the reading ῥάκια suggests) and in "For those who live with poverty … the abundance of the rich alike" (probably "enjoy"); marked … and not supplied. Leaked footnotes and debris from Migne's Latin column are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (debris from Migne's Latin column and a leaked footnote; footnote marker; leaked footnotes and debris from Migne's Latin column): τὸν δ ἔδ. ἔδ. Ἐώ᾿ι. ῬΑγ8. δέδωκεν ἔδαφος. δ εκ. πα 6 η) αυϑιὴ εἶδ δ παρ δ, οἱ μος οἱ τ ἴῃ Ἰὰρᾶιυἱ Ομ " ἰπ ἔμ 6} τ} ποθ γαϑρίγωῃ5. Ἀθγορ ἀἰ γα ἰΐ, δ. 1} τῃ0 0 πϑιη δ διιρεάο ἢ}, τὸ τοῦ πένητος ῥάχια.ο κδὰ ἰδῶ δίς 4υ8πὶ 16 ἁπυτὰ ἰἀδιηᾳας Δ] πἸθηϊπ) Α → τὸν ; οἱ οἱ ἴῃ 116 υἱϑὺβ8 ὀχϑιϊ σα Γ οἱ οομ Δ Ὀ 650. : ἴθ πὶ 41] τη} πὶ δ οἱ 1 4] ἰῃ ραυρογίλία υἱοί! - Εἰ ἃ} Αἰ οἱ ἰπ- Πᾶ-- ((ὰ οἱ δὲ χλ. 68. ἴῃ οὐἀϊί. → ; ἅπαντα (θ1) κοινὰ → ἅπαντα κοινὰ.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 6.6 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-6
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
6.7PG 83
χεγχριδίας, καὶ πιτυρίας, καὶ τὸ τυχὸν ὄψον ἀρκεῖ. Τίνα οὖν ὀρθῶς καὶ δικαίως δικάζων καλέσεις ἐνδεῇ Ὁ καὶ πένητα, καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων σπανίζοντα, τὸν τῶν ὀλίγων δεόμενον, ἣ τὸν παμπόλλων; τὸν ἐν ταῖν χεροῖν ἔχοντα τῆς ζωῆς τὰς ἀφορμὰς, ἣ τὸν χρυσῷ τῷ ἀπίστῳ πιστεύοντα, ὃς καὶ σφραγῖδας ὑπερδαίνει καὶ σήμαντρα, καὶ χλείθροις καὶ θύραις ἐῤῥῶσθαι φράσας, ταῖς τῶν τοιχωρύχων χερσὶν ἐναπέρχεται; Καὶ τὴν μὲν τέχνην τοῦ πένητος οὐδεὶς ἂν λάβοι λῃστὴς, τὸν δὲ πλοῦτον, οὐ λῃστὴς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ συκοφάντης ἀφαιρεῖται τοὺς κεκτημένους. Καὶ ὁ μὲν πένης ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς κάθηται, σχυτοτομῶν, ἣ χρυσὸν ἐλαύνων, ἣ ἄργυρον, ἣ ἐσθῆτα, ἣ ἄλλο τι τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀποδιδόμενος. Ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ πλούτῳ γαυριῶν, καὶ τὸ σῶμα ὑπὲρ τὴν κεφαλὴν αἴρων, καὶ Α τὰς χεῖρας περιφέρων, μετὰ τῶν πολλῶν δορυφόρων παρὰ τοῦτον φοιτᾷ " καὶ ὁ μὲν, ὡς εἰκὸς, κάθηται, ἣ τὰ δέρματα ῥάπτων, ἣ διαγλύφων τὸν ἄργυρον, ἣ ἄλλο τι δρῶν ἧς μετέρχεται τέχνης" ὁ δὲ ἔστηκε προσδιαλεγόμενος, καὶ τὴν χρείαν τῇ παρουσίᾳ σημαίνων. Τί τοίνυν ἀγανακτεῖς, καὶ τῆς πενίας κατἡγορεῖς, ὁρῶν τὸν πλοῦτον ταύτης μάλα. δεόμε-νον, καὶ τοὺς τοῦτον ἔχοντας ταύτης ἄνευ διαδιῶναι μὴ δυναμένους; Θαύμασον τὸν οὕτω ταῦτα σοφῶς πρυτανεύσαντα, καὶ τούτοις μὲν χρήματα, τούτοις δὲ τέχνας ὁρέγοντα, καὶ εἰς ὁμόνοιαν. καὶ φιλίαν διὰ τῆς χρείας συνάγοντα. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ χορἡγοῦσι χρήματα, οἱ δὲ παρέχουσι τὰ τῆς τέχνης βλαστήματα. ᾿Αντιφιλοτιμεῖται γὰρ ἡ πενία, καὶ νικᾷ τοῖς δώροις τὸν πλοῦτον. Ἃ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ὡς ἄχρηστα ἔχει, ταῦτα διὰ τῇς τέχνης αὕτη μεταποιοῦσα, ἀναγκαΐα δείκνυσι, καὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν ἐπιτήδεια χρείαν. Εἰ δέ τις ἀχριδῶς καταμάθοι, καὶ αὐτὰς τοῦ πλούτου τὰς ὕλας ἡ πενία συλλέγει" αὕτη γὰρ μεταλλεύει τὸν χρυσὸν καὶ τὸν ἄργυρον, χαλκόν τε καὶ σίδηρον, δι’ ὧν ὁ πλοῦτος συνίσταται. Ἐκ πάσης γὰρ τέχνης ἐρανιζόμενος γίνεται, αἱ δὲ τέχναι τῆς πενίας ἴδιαι. Και ταύτας δὲ πάλιν τὰς ἀμόρφους ὕλας ἣ πενία λαθοῦσα, εἰδοποιεῖ καὶ μορφοῖ, καὶ κατασκευάζει δαἐχπώματα, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα, ὅσα τῶν πλουσίων τὴν γνάθον φυσᾷ. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος διὰ τῆς πενίας συνίσταται, καὶ ἡ πενία τὸν πλοῦτον ἔχει τῶν τεχνῶν ἐπίκουρον, τί ἀνισότητα χατηγλρεῖς τῆς ἰσότητο:: Τί δὲ ἐναντία τὰ φίλα προσαγορεύεις; Τί ὃξ πολιτείαν διαθάλλεις, δι᾽ ἧς καὶ τοῖς πένησι καὶ τοῖς πλουσίοις ὁ βίος ἐστὶ θυμηρέστερος; Παρ᾽ ἀλλήλων γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι κἀκεῖνοι τὸ ἐνδέον λαμδάνοντε:, ἀναπληροῦσι τὴν χρείαν.
chenchridias, kai pityrias, kai to tychon opson arkei. Tina oun orthōs kai dikaiōs dikazōn kaleseis endeę̄ Ho kai penēta, kai tōn anankaiōn spanizonta, ton tōn oligōn deomenon, hē ton pampollōn? ton en tain cheroin echonta tēs zōēs tas aphormas, hē ton chrysǭ tǭ apistǭ pisteuonta, hos kai sphragidas hyperdainei kai sēmantra, kai chleithrois kai thyrais errhōsthai phrasas, tais tōn toichōrychōn chersin enaperchetai? Kai tēn men technēn tou penētos oudeis an laboi lę̄stēs, ton de plouton, ou lę̄stēs monon, alla kai sykophantēs aphaireitai tous kektēmenous. Kai ho men penēs epi tēs agoras kathētai, schytotomōn, hē chryson elaunōn, hē argyron, hē esthēta, hē allo ti tōn anankaiōn apodidomenos. Ho de epi tǭ ploutǭ gauriōn, kai to sōma hyper tēn kephalēn airōn, kai A tas cheiras peripherōn, meta tōn pollōn doryphorōn para touton phoitą " kai ho men, hōs eikos, kathētai, hē ta dermata rhaptōn, hē diaglyphōn ton argyron, hē allo ti drōn hēs meterchetai technēs" ho de estēke prosdialegomenos, kai tēn chreian tę̄ parousią sēmainōn. Ti toinyn aganakteis, kai tēs penias katēgoreis, horōn ton plouton tautēs mala. deome-non, kai tous touton echontas tautēs aneu diadiōnai mē dynamenous? Thaumason ton houtō tauta sophōs prytaneusanta, kai toutois men chrēmata, toutois de technas horegonta, kai eis homonoian. kai philian dia tēs chreias synagonta. Hoi men gar chorēgousi chrēmata, hoi de parechousi ta tēs technēs blastēmata. ᾿Antiphilotimeitai gar hē penia, kai niką tois dōrois ton plouton. Ha gar ekeinos hōs achrēsta echei, tauta dia tę̄s technēs hautē metapoiousa, anankaïa deiknysi, kai pros pasan epitēdeia chreian. Ei de tis achridōs katamathoi, kai autas tou ploutou tas hylas hē penia syllegei" hautē gar metalleuei ton chryson kai ton argyron, chalkon te kai sidēron, di’ hōn ho ploutos synistatai. Ek pasēs gar technēs eranizomenos ginetai, hai de technai tēs penias idiai. Kai tautas de palin tas amorphous hylas hē penia lathousa, eidopoiei kai morphoi, kai kataskeuazei daechpōmata, kai ta alla panta, hosa tōn plousiōn tēn gnathon physą. Ei toinyn kai ho ploutos dia tēs penias synistatai, kai hē penia ton plouton echei tōn technōn epikouron, ti anisotēta chatēglreis tēs isotēto:: Ti de enantia ta phila prosagoreueis? Ti hox politeian diathalleis, di᾽ hēs kai tois penēsi kai tois plousiois ho bios esti thymēresteros? Par᾽ allēlōn gar kai houtoi kakeinoi to endeon lamdanonte:, anaplērousi tēn chreian.
coarse bread and bran bread, and whatever relish comes to hand is enough. Whom, then, judging rightly and justly, will you call needy, poor, and lacking necessities: the one who needs little or the one who needs a great deal? The one who has the means of life in his two hands, or the one who trusts in faithless gold, which passes beyond seals and stamps, and bidding farewell to locks and doors, goes off into the hands of housebreakers? No robber could take the poor man's art, but wealth is taken from its owners not only by a robber but also by an informer. The poor man sits in the marketplace making shoes, or beating gold or silver, or selling clothing or some other necessity. The man who prides himself on his wealth, lifting his body above his head and swinging his arms, comes to him with his many bodyguards; and the one sits, naturally, either sewing leather or engraving silver or doing whatever else belongs to the art he practises, while the other stands talking with him and signals his need by his presence. Why, then, are you indignant and accuse poverty, when you see wealth in great need of it, and those who have wealth unable to live without it? Admire the one who has governed these things so wisely, holding out money to some and arts to others, and bringing them together into concord and friendship through need. For the one supply money, the others provide the offspring of their art. For poverty vies in generosity and outdoes wealth in gifts. For what wealth has as useless, poverty transforms by its art and shows to be necessary and suited to every use. And if one examines closely, poverty even gathers the very materials of wealth; for it mines the gold and silver, bronze and iron, of which wealth consists. For wealth is made up by contributions from every art, and the arts belong to poverty. And again poverty takes these shapeless materials, gives them form and shape, and makes … drinking cups and all the other things that puff up the cheeks of the rich. If, then, wealth exists through poverty, and poverty has wealth as the helper of its arts, why do you accuse equality of inequality? Why do you call friendly things opposed? Why do you slander a polity by which life is more agreeable for both poor and rich? For receiving from one another what each lacks, both fill up their need.
1 Tim 6:17 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The poor man, whose art cannot be stolen, needs little, while the rich depend on him; poverty even mines and shapes the materials of wealth, so that their mutual need is an equality that binds them in friendship.
- "Makes … drinking cups": a word is lost in the OCR before "drinking cups"; marked …. Leaked footnotes and debris at the end are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR misreading of τοῖς; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; footnote marker; leaked footnote inside the word γαυριῶν): λάδοι (δῦ) λῃστὴς → λάβοι λῃστὴς; γαυδὴ καὶ χλ. 68. ἰδἰά. ριῶν → γαυριῶν; νικᾷ «οἷς δώροις → νικᾷ τοῖς δώροις; ηυ]το Ου θὲ Οιἱι ἐ] τ δάφαΐ ἢ 18 οἱ πὰ- ΘΟποΙ αι. Νϑι ἢ ἀα γαῖ. → .
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 6.7 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-7
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
6.8PG 83
᾿Αλλ᾽ ἴσως ἂν εἴποις" Τί δήποτε τῶν εὐπόρων οἱ πλείους ἀδικίᾳ συζῶσι; διὰ τέ δὲ οὐκ ἅπαντες δικαιοσύνης ὑπάρχουσι τρόφιμοι; ᾿Αλλὰ πάλιν κἀν» ταῦθα τὸ αὐτεξούσιον ἀφαιρῇ, καὶ ἀποστερεῖς τὸ ζῶον τιμῆής, ἣν παρὰ τοῦ Πεποιηκότος ἐδέξατο. “Ἄλλως τε δὲ καὶ πολλὴν ἂν χώραν. ἀπολογίας ἔλαβον οἱ τῆς κακίας ἐργάται, εἰ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον μόνοις τοῖς δικαίοις τὸν πλοῦτον ἀπένειμεν ὁ κριτῆς. Εἶπον γὰρ ἄν, ἅπερ αὐτῶν ὁ διδάσκαλος τὰ ἔσωθεν καὶ τὰ ἔξωθεν τῆς οἰκίας αὐτῶν πάντα, σῖτον καὶ οἶνον ἐπλήθυνας αὐτοῖς " ἀλλ᾽ ἀπόστειλον τὴν χεῖρά σου, καὶ ἄψαι πάντων ὧν ἔχουσιν, ἣ μὴν εἰς πρόσιυπόν σε εὐλογήσουσι.» Ταῦτα ἂν εἶπον οἱ τῇ κακίᾳ συζῶντες, εἰ μόνοι οἱ τῆς ἀρετῆς τρόφιμοι τοῦ πλούτου τὸ δῶρον ἐδέξαντο. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ προύθηκε μὲν πενίαν καὶ πλοῦτον εἰς μέσον, οἷόν τινας ὕλας, ὁ Ἐοιητὴς, χρῶνται δὲ τού“ τοῖς τινὲς μὲν εἰς ἀρετῆς κτῆσιν, τινὲς δὲ εἰς κακίας ὑπόθεσιν, οὔτε πλουσίοις, οὔτε πένησι κακίᾳ συζῶσιν ὑπολεέπεται συγγνώμης πρόφασις. Ὀΐ τε γὰρ τὸν πλοῦτον εὖ καὶ καλῶς οἰκονομήσαντες, καὶ μήτε συμφαραῖς ἀλλοτρίαις τοῦτον αὐξέσαντες καὶ κοινωνοὺς τῆς εὐπορίας «τοὺς δεομένους λαθόντες, ἀποχρῶσιν εἰς κατηγορίαν τῶν ἀδίκως καὶ πλεονεχτιχῶς χρησαμένων τῷ πλούτῳ᾽ οἵ τε τὴν πενίαν φιλοσοφίᾳ χεράσαντες, καὶ χαρτεριχῶς αὐτῆς καὶ γενναίως τὰς προσδολᾶς ἐνεγχόντες, ἁληθεῖς κατήγοροι τῶν ἐν πενίᾳ τὴν καχονργίαν των γενήσονται. Βλέπε δὲ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην τοῦ Κυύδεργήτου οἰκονομίαν, ἕνα θερικότερον αὐτῷ προσενέγκῃς τὴν ὑμνῳδίαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλὴν εἶδε περὶ τοὺς φᾳλουτοῦντας τὴν θεραπείαν, ὑγείαν σννεχλήρωσε τῇ «τενίᾳ. Καὶ ὁ μὲν φέρεται φοράδην, ὁ δὲ βαδίζει ποδῶν ἀλλοτρίων μὴ δεόμενος. ἑζαὶ ὁ μὲν, ἐπιθυμεῖ «ἧς τοῦ κένητος ὑγείας, ὁ δὲ, ἐλεεῖ τοῦ πλούτου τὴν ἀῤῥωσείαν. Ἔστι δὲ ἐδεῖν καὶ ἐν ταῖς νόσοις, τὸν νόμενον, καὶ φέρειν οὐ δυνάμενον τὴν τοῦ νοσήματος προσδολήν, ἕζαὶ ἐν ὥρᾳ μὲν χειμῶνος, ἐν ἀλεει. φαλινδούμενος, ἐματίοις πολλοῖς καὶ θερμοῖς ἐνεικρυμῷ πολεμούσας, φάρμακα μυρία τῇ νόσῳ μαχόμενα, ἰατρῶν ὄντας, καὶ τῶν παθῶν τὰς ἀχίδας τῇ διαλέξει συλῶντας. ἘΠ᾿ δὲ θέρους εἴη καιρὸς, ἕτεροι τοῦτον οἶκοις πάλιν ὑποδέχονται, ἀναπεπταμένοι, καὶ τὰς τῶν ἀνέβὼν αὔρας ῥᾳδίως ὑποδεχόμενοι " εἰ δὲ καὶ αὗται λήξαιεν, σοφίζονται «αἷς ῥιπίσι τὸν ἄνεμον οἱ θεράποντες. Κλάδοι πανταχόθεν περίκεινται, κῆπον σχεδιάζοντες, καὶ ἄλσος τὴν οἰκίαν ἀποφαίνοντες. Υδατὸς μηχανῶνται χρουνοὺς ἐν τριωρόφοις, τὸν ὕπνον αὐτοῦ τοῖς βλεφάροις ἐπιθεῖναι βουλόμενοι, Καὶ τοσαὐτῆς πανταχόθεν θεραπείας προσφερομένης, οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐκεῖνος ἀλγύνεται, γυμνούμενος, περιστρεφόμενος, τῇ κινήσει τῶν χειρὼν τὴν κεκρυμἢ, μένην σημαίνων πυράν. Ὁ δὲ πένης, ἕνα μὲν οἰκίσκον ἔχει, καὶ τοῦτον πολλάκις ἐπὶ μισθῷ.
᾿All᾽ isōs an eipois" Ti dēpote tōn euporōn hoi pleious adikią syzōsi? dia te de ouk hapantes dikaiosynēs hyparchousi trophimoi? ᾿Alla palin kan» tautha to autexousion aphairę̄, kai apostereis to zōon timēēs, hēn para tou Pepoiēkotos edexato. “Allōs te de kai pollēn an chōran. apologias elabon hoi tēs kakias ergatai, ei kata ton paronta bion monois tois dikaiois ton plouton apeneimen ho kritēs. Eipon gar an, haper autōn ho didaskalos ta esōthen kai ta exōthen tēs oikias autōn panta, siton kai oinon eplēthynas autois " all᾽ aposteilon tēn cheira sou, kai apsai pantōn hōn echousin, hē mēn eis prosiypon se eulogēsousi.» Tauta an eipon hoi tę̄ kakią syzōntes, ei monoi hoi tēs aretēs trophimoi tou ploutou to dōron edexanto. Epeidē de prouthēke men penian kai plouton eis meson, hoion tinas hylas, ho Eoiētēs, chrōntai de tou“ tois tines men eis aretēs ktēsin, tines de eis kakias hypothesin, oute plousiois, oute penēsi kakią syzōsin hypoleepetai syngnōmēs prophasis. Oï te gar ton plouton eu kai kalōs oikonomēsantes, kai mēte sympharais allotriais touton auxesantes kai koinōnous tēs euporias «tous deomenous lathontes, apochrōsin eis katēgorian tōn adikōs kai pleonechtichōs chrēsamenōn tǭ ploutǭ᾽ hoi te tēn penian philosophią cherasantes, kai charterichōs autēs kai gennaiōs tas prosdolas enenchontes, halētheis katēgoroi tōn en penią tēn kachonrgian tōn genēsontai. Blepe de kai tēn allēn tou Kyydergētou oikonomian, hena therikoteron autǭ prosenenkę̄s tēn hymnǭdian. Epeidē gar pollēn eide peri tous phąloutountas tēn therapeian, hygeian snnechlērōse tę̄ «tenią. Kai ho men pheretai phoradēn, ho de badizei podōn allotriōn mē deomenos. hezai ho men, epithymei «hēs tou kenētos hygeias, ho de, eleei tou ploutou tēn arrhōseian. Esti de edein kai en tais nosois, ton nomenon, kai pherein ou dynamenon tēn tou nosēmatos prosdolēn, hezai en hōrą men cheimōnos, en aleei. phalindoumenos, ematiois pollois kai thermois eneikrymǭ polemousas, pharmaka myria tę̄ nosǭ machomena, iatrōn ontas, kai tōn pathōn tas achidas tę̄ dialexei sylōntas. EP᾿ de therous eiē kairos, heteroi touton oikois palin hypodechontai, anapeptamenoi, kai tas tōn anebōn auras rhądiōs hypodechomenoi " ei de kai hautai lēxaien, sophizontai «hais rhipisi ton anemon hoi therapontes. Kladoi pantachothen perikeintai, kēpon schediazontes, kai alsos tēn oikian apophainontes. Ydatos mēchanōntai chrounous en triōrophois, ton hypnon autou tois blepharois epitheinai boulomenoi, Kai tosautēs pantachothen therapeias prospheromenēs, ouden hētton ekeinos algynetai, gymnoumenos, peristrephomenos, tę̄ kinēsei tōn cheirōn tēn kekrymē, menēn sēmainōn pyran. Ho de penēs, hena men oikiskon echei, kai touton pollakis epi misthǭ.
But perhaps you might say: "Why do most of the wealthy live with injustice? Why are not all of them nurslings of righteousness?" But here again you take away free will and deprive the living creature of the honor it received from its Maker. Besides, the workers of wickedness would have had much room for defense if in the present life the judge had given wealth to the righteous alone. For they would have said what their teacher said: "… all things inside and outside their house; you have multiplied grain and wine for them; but stretch out your hand and touch all that they have; surely they will bless you to your face." This is what those who live with wickedness would have said, if only the nurslings of virtue had received the gift of wealth. But since the Maker set poverty and wealth before all like materials, and some use them for acquiring virtue, others as an occasion for vice, there remains no pretext for pardon either for the rich or for the poor who live with wickedness. For those who have managed their wealth well and rightly, not increasing it by others' misfortunes and taking the needy as partners in their abundance, are enough to accuse those who have used wealth unjustly and greedily; and those who have blended poverty with philosophy and borne its attacks with endurance and nobility will be true accusers of those who … wickedness in poverty. See also the other dispensation of the Pilot, so that you may offer him a warmer hymn. Since he saw the great attendance around the rich, he allotted health to poverty. The one is carried in a litter, the other walks, not needing others' feet. The one desires the poor man's health, the other pities the rich man's sickness. And one can see in sicknesses the … unable to bear the attack of the disease; in winter time … rolling about, … many warm garments … frost, countless medicines fighting the disease, … of physicians, stripping away the stings of the sufferings by their conversation. And if it is summer, other houses receive him again, open and easily admitting the breezes of the winds; and if these die down, the servants contrive a wind with fans. Branches are placed all around, improvising a garden and turning the house into a grove. They contrive fountains of water on the third floor, wishing to lay sleep on his eyelids. And though so much care is brought from every side, he is no less in pain, uncovering himself, tossing about, signalling by the movement of his hands the hidden fire. But the poor man has one little room, and that often rented.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Job 1:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 1:11 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: If only the righteous were rich, the wicked could plead like Satan against Job; since God sets wealth and poverty before all, neither rich nor poor who live wickedly have an excuse, and God gave health to the poor while the rich suffer amid all their comforts.
- "What their teacher said": the devil's words about Job, Job 1:10-11 (with plurals in place of Job). The opening of the quotation is lost in the OCR; marked ….
- Several lines are lost in the OCR in the account of the rich man's sickness ("one can see in sicknesses the …", the winter remedies); marked … and not supplied.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris inside the word ἔλαβον; debris from Migne's Latin column read as Greek; leaked footnote inside the word οἰκίσκον; stray marks): πὶ υϑυ ἰάοποα δα δεῖ. θη οἰἶδπι., ο εὔοάϊΠι. Εἰ αἰν! εἴς ἀϊν]- Π88 ὅ Οἷς μο! ἴ4π| οα] → ; ἔλα-. 80. οἱ → ἔλαβον οἱ; πὶ ἰῃἢ ε ()υἱὰ οἰ 6 πᾶ πυπι ἡ ἰυ8η|, εἴ ἀϊσογοηί ΠΟΙ Ϊ 65 ἐπ ρΡΟ ἤθδίηι!, δὶ ϑοὲ χἱ τί 8 ουϊ- Α → ; ΡανΡεΣΤθυ 60 ἀἰνι 009, φαΐ ἰἢ τ, Δ} {18 βαρ οίϊ οἱ ἐπ ραυρογίαία ἐπ δῖ θα γο. ϑίπι] Β αἰν!τοὶ Δἰθ πὴ πλίϑογδῖυγ. οι ἴῃ Αἴ χα σοὶ, νϑϑι 08 π00}1}8 οἱ οδ] ἀβ ἱηυοϊ νίαν, [0005 υπάϊᾳυς οἱ γΓουπηϑίλη 68 Παθοῖ, 401 ἔγ σου 5 ν᾽ δὴ γο] τοῦ 5 Ὑδη Ὁ τὴ ουδ᾽ 6 πὶ τοἀάαπί, ἘΟπί65 ἀπ 86 ἢ Βυηηνγβ δά → ; μόνοι {14} οἱ → μόνοι οἱ; οἱ- ᾿ ἐν ἀλ. οἵκ. [υ]ὰ. ἐλεεινῶς οἴκοι. ἢ χεὲ χίσχον → οἰκίσκον.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Prov. 6.8 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-de-providentia/6-8
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-de-providentia-6-8) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.