The Instructor 2.4.42
Summary: Other peoples use instruments for war; Christians use one peaceful instrument, the Word, to honor God.
Greek text · Stählin 1:183
τὴν γλῶτταν λέγει, ἣ τοῖς κρουομένοις ἐπηχεῖ χείλεσιν. διὰ τοῦτο ἐπεφώνησεν τῇ ἀνθρωπότητι »πᾶσα πνοὴ αἰνεσάτω τὸν κύριον«, ὅτι πᾶσαν, ἣν ἐποίησεν, ἐπεσκέψατο πνοήν. εἰρηνικὸν γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς ὄργανον ὁ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν, τὰ δʼ ἄλλα ἢν πολυπραγμονῇ τις, ὄργανα εὑρήσει πολεμικά, ἢ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας ἐκφλέγοντα ἢ τοὺς ἔρωτας ἐκκαίοντα ἢ ἐξαγριαίνοντα τοὺς θυμούς. χρῶνται γοῦν παρὰ τοὺς πολέμους αὐτῶν Τυρρηνοὶ μὲν τῇ σάλπιγγι, σύριγγι δὲ Ἀρκάδες, Σικελοὶ δὲ πηκτίσιν καὶ Κρῆτες λύρᾳ καὶ Λακεδαιμόνιοι αὐλῷ καὶ κέρατι Θρᾷκες καὶ Αἰγύπτιοι τυμπάνῳ καὶ Ἄραβες κυμβάλῳ· ἑνὶ δὲ ἄρα ὀργάνῳ, τῷ λόγῳ μόνῳ τῷ εἰρηνικῷ, ἡμεῖς κεχρήμεθα, ᾧ γεραίρομεν τὸν θεόν, οὐκέτι τῷ ψαλτηρίῳ τῷ παλαιῷ καὶ τῇ σάλπιγγι καὶ τυμπάνῳ καὶ αὐλῷ, οἷς ἔθος ἦν τοὺς ἐν πολέμῳ ἀσκητὰς καὶ τοῦ θείου καταπεφρονηκότας φόβου ἀνὰ τὰς πανηγύρεις [χορδαῖς] συγχρῆσθαι, ὡς δὴ τὸ ἔκλυτον αὐτῶν τοῦ φρονήματος διὰ τῶν τοιούτων ἐπανίστασθαι ῥυθμῶν.
English · Claude translation
which echoes when the lips are struck. That is why he called out to humanity, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord,” because he has cared for every breath he made. For the human being is truly a peaceful instrument; while if one looks into the others, one will find them instruments of war, inflaming desires, kindling loves, or enraging anger. In their wars the Etruscans use the trumpet, the Arcadians the panpipe, the Sicilians the harp, the Cretans the lyre, the Spartans the flute, the Thracians the horn, the Egyptians the drum, and the Arabs the cymbal. But we use one instrument, the peaceful Word alone, with which we honor God; no longer the old psaltery and trumpet and drum and flute, which those trained for war and those who despise the fear of God were accustomed to use at their festivals, so that the slackness of their spirit might be roused by such rhythms.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotation is Ps 150:6. The bracketed word is marked by the editor as an intrusion.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 2.4.42 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/2/4/42/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 2.4.42 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/2/4/42/).
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