Miscellanies 2.18.87
Summary: Love shows itself in gentleness, patience, and freedom from envy and resentment; the law commands returning a stray animal, teaching us to treat what we find as a deposit and to bear no grudge.
Greek text · Stählin 2:159–160
Ἔχει μὲν οὖν καὶ ἄλλας † ἐκδόσεις τὰ προειρημένα φυσικωτέρας περί τε ἀναπαύσεως καὶ τῆς ἀπολήψεως τῆς κληρονομίας, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐν τῷ παρόντι λεκτέαι. ἀγάπη δὲ πολλαχῶς νοεῖται διὰ πραότητος, διὰ χρηστότητος, διʼ ὑπομονῆς, διʼ ἀφθονίας καὶ ἀζηλίας, διʼ ἀμισίας, διʼ ἀμνησικακίας· ἀμέριστός ἐστιν ἐν πᾶσιν, ἀδιάκριτος, κοινωνική. πάλιν ἐὰν ἴδῃς φησὶ τῶν οἰκείων ἢ φίλων ἢ καθόλου ὧν γνωρίζεις ἀνθρώπων ἐν ἐρημίᾳ πλανώμενον ὑποζύγιον, ἀπαγαγὼν ἀπόδος. κἂν οὖν τύχῃ μακρὰν ἀφεστὼς ὁ δεσπότης, μετὰ τῶν σαυτοῦ διαφυλάξας ἄχρις ἂν κομίσηται ἀπόδος. διὰ φυσικὴν κοινωνίαν διδάσκει τὸ εὕρημα παρακαταθήκην λογίζεσθαι μηδὲ μνησικακεῖν τῷ ἐχθρῷ.
English · Claude translation
The things just mentioned also have other, more natural … interpretations, about rest and the recovery of the inheritance; but they are not to be spoken of now. Love is understood in many ways: through gentleness, kindness, patience, freedom from envy and jealousy, freedom from hatred, freedom from resentment. It is undivided in all things, impartial, sharing. Again, it says, if you see a beast of burden wandering in the wilderness belonging to one of your family or friends, or in general to people you know, lead it back and return it. And if its owner happens to be far away, keep it with your own until he recovers it, and return it. Because of natural fellowship it teaches us to consider what we find as a deposit, and not to bear a grudge against an enemy.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The text is corrupt at “interpretations” (dagger). The allusions are 1 Cor 13:4–5 and Deut 22:1–2 (Exod 23:4).
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.18.87 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/18/87/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.18.87 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/18/87/).
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