Miscellanies 1.20.98
Summary: As one coin has many names, virtue and truth appear in many forms; Greek truth differs from Christian truth in greatness, proof, and divine power, since Christians are taught by the Son of God.
Greek text · Stählin 2:62–63
τοῦτόν φαμεν τὸν τρόπον μιᾶς καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς δραχμῆς τῷ μὲν ναυκλήρῳ δοθείσης λέγεσθαι ναῦλον, τῷ δὲ τελώνῃ τέλος καὶ ἐνοίκιον μὲν τῷ σταθμούχῳ, μισθὸν δὲ τῷ διδασκάλῳ καὶ τῷ πιπράσκοντι ἀρραβῶνα. ἑκάστη δὲ εἴτε ἀρετὴ εἴτε καὶ ἀλήθεια συνωνύμως καλουμένη μόνου τοῦ καθʼ ἑαυτὴν ἀποτελέσματός ἐστιν αἰτία. κατὰ σύγχρησιν δὲ τούτων γίνεται τὸ εὐδαιμόνως ζῆν (μὴ γὰρ δὴ εὐδαιμονῶμεν πρὸς τὰ ὀνόματα), ὅταν τὸν ὀρθὸν βίον εὐδαιμονίαν λέγωμεν καὶ εὐδαίμονα τὸν κεκοσμημένον τὴν ψυχὴν ἐναρέτως. εἰ δὲ καὶ πόρρωθεν συλλαμβάνεται φιλοσοφία πρὸς τὴν ἀληθείας εὕρεσιν, κατὰ διαφόρους ἐπιβολὰς διατείνουσα ἐπὶ τὴν προσεχῶς ἁπτομένην τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν καθʼ ἡμᾶς εἴδησιν, ἀλλὰ συλλαμβάνεταί γε τῷ λογικῶς ἐπιχειρεῖν ἐσπουδακότι ἀνθάπτεσθαι γνώσεως. χωρίζεται δὲ ἡ Ἑλληνικὴ ἀλήθεια τῆς καθʼ ἡμᾶς, εἰ καὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μετείληφεν ὀνόματος, καὶ μεγέθει γνώσεως καὶ ἀποδείξει κυριωτέρᾳ καὶ θείᾳ δυνάμει καὶ τοῖς ὁμοίοις· θεοδίδακτοι γὰρ ἡμεῖς, ἱερὰ ὄντως, γράμματα παρὰ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ παιδευόμενοι· ἔνθεν οὐδʼ ὡσαύτως κινοῦσι τὰς ψυχάς, ἀλλὰ διαφόρῳ διδασκαλίᾳ.
English · Claude translation
In the same way we say that one and the same drachma, given to the shipmaster, is called fare; to the tax collector, tax; to the landlord, rent; to the teacher, fee; and to the seller, deposit. And each virtue, or truth, called by the same name, is the cause only of its own result; and from their joint use comes living happily (for we are not made happy by names), when we call the right life happiness and the one whose soul is adorned with virtue happy. And if philosophy helps from afar toward the finding of truth, reaching by various approaches toward our knowledge, which touches the truth directly, yet it does help the one who is eager to lay hold of knowledge rationally. But Greek truth is distinct from ours, even if it has received the same name, both by the greatness of knowledge, by more authoritative demonstration, by divine power, and the like; for we are taught by God, learning truly sacred letters from the Son of God. Hence they do not move souls in the same way, but by different teaching.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- “Taught by God” is 1 Thess 4:9; “sacred letters” is 2 Tim 3:15.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (iota subscript missing; stray period and iota subscript missing): ἐνοίκιον μὲν τῶ σταθμούχῳ → ἐνοίκιον μὲν τῷ σταθμούχῳ; καὶ τῶ πιπράσκοντι → καὶ τῷ πιπράσκοντι; συλλαμβάνεταί γε τῶ λογικῶς → συλλαμβάνεταί γε τῷ λογικῶς; ὀνόματος. καὶ μεγέθει γνώσεως καὶ ἀποδείξει κυριωτέρᾳ καὶ θεία δυνάμει → ὀνόματος, καὶ μεγέθει γνώσεως καὶ ἀποδείξει κυριωτέρᾳ καὶ θείᾳ δυνάμει.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.20.98 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/20/98/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.20.98 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/20/98/).
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