Miscellanies 2.20.111
Summary: Humans, unlike animals, can judge impressions; the evil powers dangle pleasures like branches before cattle and enslave those who cannot tell true from false; each deception leaves its image through our assent.
Greek text · Stählin 2:173–174
ἕξεως μὲν οὖν οἱ λίθοι, φύσεως δὲ τὰ φυτά, ὁρμῆς δὲ καὶ φαντασίας τῶν τε αὖ δυεῖν τῶν προειρημένων καὶ τὰ ἄλογα μετέχει ζῷα. ἡ λογικὴ δὲ δύναμις, ἰδία οὖσα τῆς ἀνθρωπείας ψυχῆς, οὐχ ὡσαύτως τοῖς ἀλόγοις ζῴοις ὁρμᾶν ὀφείλει, ἀλλὰ καὶ διακρίνειν τὰς φαντασίας καὶ μὴ συναποφέρεσθαι αὐταῖς. Αἱ τοίνυν δυνάμεις, περὶ ὧν εἰρήκαμεν, κάλλη καὶ δόξας καὶ μοιχείας καὶ ἡδονὰς καὶ τοιαύτας τινὰς φαντασίας δελεαστικὰς προτείνουσι ταῖς εὐεπιφόροις ψυχαῖς, καθάπερ οἱ ἀπελαύνοντες τὰ θρέμματα θαλλοὺς προσείοντες, εἶτα, κατασοφισάμεναι τοὺς μὴ διακρίνειν δυνηθέντας τὴν ἀληθῆ ἀπὸ ψευδοῦς ἡδονὴν καὶ τὸ ἐπίκηρόν τε καὶ ἐφύβριστον ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου κάλλους, ἄγουσιν δουλωσάμεναι. ἑκάστη δὲ ἀπάτη, συνεχῶς ἐναπερειδομένη τῇ ψυχῇ, τὴν φαντασίαν ἐν αὐτῇ τυποῦται. καὶ δὴ τὴν εἰκόνα ἔλαθε περιφέρουσα τοῦ πάθους ἡ ψυχή, τῆς αἰτίας ἀπό τε τοῦ δελέατος καὶ τῆς ἡμῶν συγκαταθέσεως γινομένης.
English · Claude translation
Stones, then, share in cohesion, plants in nature, and irrational animals in impulse and impression, as well as in the two already mentioned. But the rational power, being proper to the human soul, ought not to be moved in the same way as the irrational animals, but should also discern impressions and not be carried away with them. The powers we have spoken of, then, hold out beauties, glories, adulteries, pleasures, and such enticing impressions to souls that are easily swayed, like those who drive cattle by shaking branches at them; then, having deceived those unable to distinguish true pleasure from false, and perishable and insolent beauty from holy beauty, they lead them away enslaved. And each deception, pressing continually on the soul, stamps its impression on it. And the soul, without knowing it, carries about the image of the passion, the cause coming both from the bait and from our assent.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The ranks of cohesion (ἕξις), nature, soul, and reason are Stoic.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.20.111 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/20/111/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.20.111 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/20/111/).
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