Miscellanies 1.24.159
Summary: The worst kingship serves the desires; true rule is by reason and virtue; the true king rules willing subjects by law, as Christ does, to whom God has subjected all things.
Greek text · Stählin 2:100
τετάρτη δὲ ἡ πασῶν κακίστη ἡ κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τάττεται βασιλεία, ὡς ἡ Σαρδαναπάλλου καὶ τῶν τὸ τέλος ποιουμένων ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις ὡς πλεῖστα χαρίζεσθαι. τοῦ δὴ βασιλικοῦ τοῦ τε κατʼ ἀρετὴν νικῶντος καὶ τοῦ κατὰ βίαν ὄργανον τὸ τακτικόν, ἄλλο δὲ κατʼ ἄλλην φύσιν τε καὶ ὕλην. ἐν μέν γε ὅπλοις καὶ τοῖς μαχίμοις ζῴοις διʼ ἐμψύχων τε καὶ ἀψύχων ψυχὴ τὸ τάττον ἐστὶ καὶ νοῦς, ἐν δὲ τοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς πάθεσιν, ὧν ἐπικρατοῦμεν τῇ ἀρετῇ, λογισμός ἐστι τὸ τακτικόν, ἐπισφραγιζόμενος ἐγκράτειαν καὶ σωφροσύνην μεθʼ ὁσιότητος καὶ γνῶσιν ἀγαθὴν μετʼ ἀληθείας, τὸ τέλος εἰς εὐσέβειαν ἀναφέρων θεοῦ. οὕτω γὰρ τῇ ἀρετῇ χρωμένοις φρόνησις ἡ τάττουσά ἐστι, τὰ μὲν θεῖα ἡ σοφία, τὰ ἀνθρώπεια δὲ ἡ πολιτική, σύμπαντα δὲ ἡ βασιλική. βασιλεὺς τοίνυν ἐστὶν ὁ ἄρχων κατὰ νόμους ὁ τὴν τοῦ ἄρχειν ἑκόντων ἐπιστήμην ἔχων, οἷός ἐστιν ὁ κύριος τοὺς εἰς αὐτὸν καὶ διʼ αὐτοῦ πιστεύοντας προσιέμενος. πάντα γὰρ παρέδωκεν ὁ θεὸς καὶ πάντα ὑπέταξεν Χριστῷ τῷ βασιλεῖ ἡμῶν, ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσηται ὅτι κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ πατρός.
English · Claude translation
The fourth and worst of all is the kingship ranked according to the desires, like that of Sardanapalus and of those who make it their end to gratify their desires as much as possible. For the kingly art, both that which conquers by virtue and that which conquers by force, the tactical art is an instrument, different according to different nature and material. In arms and fighting animals, the arranging power working through living and lifeless things is soul and mind; but in the passions of the soul, which we master by virtue, the arranging power is reason, setting its seal on self-control and temperance with holiness, and on good knowledge with truth, referring the end to the piety of God. For in those who use virtue, prudence is what arranges: wisdom arranges divine things, statesmanship human things, and kingship all things. The king, then, is the one who rules according to laws, who has the knowledge of ruling over the willing, such as the Lord is, who receives those who believe in him and through him. For God has handed over all things and subjected all things to Christ our King, “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotation is Phil 2:10–11; the allusion 1 Cor 15:27 (Eph 1:22).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray period and wrong accent in the digital text): ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις. ὡς πλείστα χαρίζεσθαι → ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις ὡς πλεῖστα χαρίζεσθαι.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.24.159 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/24/159/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.24.159 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/24/159/).
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