Miscellanies 2.21.129
Summary: The survey continues with the Stoics (Zeno, Cleanthes, Diogenes, Antipater, Archedemus, Panaetius, Posidonius), Ariston, Herillus, the Academics, and Peripatetics such as Lycon and Critolaus.
Greek text · Stählin 2:183–184
Πάλιν δʼ αὖ Ζήνων μὲν ὁ Στωϊκὸς τέλος ἡγεῖται τὸ κατʼ ἀρετὴν ζῆν, Κλεάνθης δὲ τὸ ὁμολογουμένως τῇ φύσει ζῆν, Διογένης δὲ τὸ τέλος κεῖσθαι ἡγεῖτο ἐν τῷ εὐλογιστεῖν, ὃ ἐν τῇ τῶν κατὰ φύσιν ἐκλογῇ κεῖσθαι διελάμβανεν. ὅ τε Ἀντίπατρος ὁ τούτου γνώριμος τὸ τέλος κεῖσθαι ἐν τῷ διηνεκῶς καὶ ἀπαραβάτως ἐκλέγεσθαι μὲν τὰ κατὰ φύσιν, ἀπεκλέγεσθαι δὲ τὰ παρὰ φύσιν ὑπολαμβάνει. Ἀρχέδημός τε αὖ οὕτως ἐξηγεῖτο εἶναι τὸ τέλος, ζῆν ἐκλεγόμενον τὰ κατὰ φύσιν μέγιστα καὶ κυριώτατα, οὐχ οἷόν τε ὄντα ὑπερβαίνειν. πρὸς τούτοις ἔτι Παναίτιος τὸ ζῆν κατὰ τὰς δεδομένας ἡμῖν ἐκ φύσεως ἀφορμὰς τέλος ἀπεφήνατο· ἐπὶ πᾶσί τε ὁ Ποσειδώνιος τὸ ζῆν θεωροῦντα τὴν τῶν ὅλων ἀλήθειαν καὶ τάξιν καὶ συγκατασκευάζοντα αὑτὸν κατὰ τὸ δυνατόν, κατὰ μηδὲν ἀγόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀλόγου μέρους τῆς ψυχῆς. τινὲς δὲ τῶν νεωτέρων Στωϊκῶν οὕτως ἀπέδοσαν, τέλος εἶναι τὸ ζῆν ἀκολούθως τῇ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου κατασκευῇ. τί δή σοι Ἀρίστωνα ἂν καταλέγοιμι; τέλος οὗτος εἶναι τὴν ἀδιαφορίαν ἔφη, τὸ δὲ ἀδιάφορον ἁπλῶς ἀδιάφορον ἀπολείπει· ἢ τὰ Ἡρίλλου εἰς μέσον παράγοιμι; τὸ κατʼ ἐπιστήμην ζῆν τέλος εἶναι τίθησιν Ἥριλλος. τοὺς γὰρ ἐκ τῆς Ἀκαδημίας νεωτέρους ἀξιοῦσί τινες τέλος ἀποδιδόναι τὴν ἀσφαλῆ πρὸς τὰς φαντασίας ἐποχήν. ναὶ μὴν Λύκων ὁ Περιπατητικὸς τὴν ἀληθινὴν χαρὰν τῆς ψυχῆς τέλος ἔλεγεν εἶναι, ὡς † Λεύκιμος τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς καλοῖς. Κριτόλαος δέ, ὁ καὶ αὐτὸς Περιπατητικός, τελειότητα ἔλεγεν κατὰ φύσιν εὐροοῦντος βίου, τὴν ἐκ τῶν τριῶν γενῶν συμπληρουμένην τριγενικὴν τελειότητα μηνύων.
English · Claude translation
Again, Zeno the Stoic considers the goal to be living according to virtue; Cleanthes, living in agreement with nature; Diogenes thought the goal lay in reasoning well, which he held lay in the selection of things according to nature. Antipater, his pupil, supposes the goal lies in continually and unswervingly selecting what is according to nature and rejecting what is against nature. Archedemus in turn explained the goal thus: to live selecting the greatest and most important things according to nature, which cannot be surpassed. In addition, Panaetius declared the goal to be living according to the starting points given us by nature; and last of all Posidonius, living in contemplation of the truth and order of the universe and forming himself accordingly as far as possible, being led in nothing by the irrational part of the soul. Some of the younger Stoics put it thus: the goal is to live consistently with the constitution of man. Why should I list Ariston for you? He said the goal was indifference, leaving the indifferent simply indifferent. Or should I bring forward the views of Herillus? Herillus sets living according to knowledge as the goal. Some think the younger Academics give as the goal a safe suspension of judgment toward impressions. Indeed, Lycon the Peripatetic said the goal was the true joy of the soul, as … Leucimus said, joy in noble things. And Critolaus, also a Peripatetic, spoke of the perfection of a life flowing well according to nature, meaning the threefold perfection completed from the three kinds.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- A name is corrupt (dagger).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (wrong breathing on αὖ; wrong breathing on εἶναι): Πάλιν δʼ αὗ Ζήνων → Πάλιν δʼ αὖ Ζήνων; Ἀρχέδημός τε αὗ οὕτως → Ἀρχέδημός τε αὖ οὕτως; τέλος εἷναι τὸ ζῆν ἀκολούθως → τέλος εἶναι τὸ ζῆν ἀκολούθως.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.21.129 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/21/129/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.21.129 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/21/129/).
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