Miscellanies 8.9.31
Summary: Whether several things that together produce one effect are many causes or one: men hauling a ship, the many virtues producing happiness, and the many things that cause illness or fragrance.
Greek text · Stählin 2
Ἔτι ζητεῖται εἰ πολλὰ κατὰ σύνοδον ἑνὸς αἴτια γίνεται αἴτια πολλά. οἱ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι οἱ συνελθόντες αἴτιοί εἰσι τοῦ καθέλκεσθαι τὴν ναῦν· ἀλλʼ οὐχ ἕκαστος κατʼ ἰδίαν αἴτιος, ἀλλὰ σὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις, εἰ μή τι καὶ τὸ συναίτιον αἴτιον. ἄλλοι δέ φασιν, εἰ πολλὰ αἴτια, κατʼ ἰδίαν ἕκαστον ἑνὸς αἴτιον γίνεται. τοῦ γοῦν εὐδαιμονεῖν ἑνὸς ὄντος αἴτιαι τυγχάνουσιν αἱ ἀρεταὶ πολλαὶ οὖσαι, καὶ τοῦ θερμαίνεσθαι καὶ τοῦ ἀλγεῖν ὁμοίως πολλὰ τὰ αἴτια. μή τι οὖν αἱ πολλαὶ ἀρεταὶ μία ἐστὶ κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ τὰ θερμαίνοντα καὶ τὰ ἀλγύνοντα. καὶ τὸ πλῆθος δὲ τῶν ἀρετῶν κατὰ γένος ἓν τυγχάνον ἑνὸς αἴτιον γίνεται τοῦ εὐδαιμονεῖν. τῷ ὄντι δὲ προκαταρκτικὰ μὲν αἴτια ἑνὸς γίνεται πλείονα κατὰ γένος καὶ κατʼ εἶδος, καὶ κατὰ γένος μὲν τοῦ νοσεῖν ὁπωσοῦν, οἷον ψῦξις, ἔγκαυσις, κόπος, ἀπεψία, μέθη, κατʼ εἶδος δὲ τοῦ πυρετοῦ. τὰ δὲ συνεκτικὰ αἴτια κατὰ γένος μόνον, οὐκέτι δὲ καὶ κατʼ εἶδος. τοῦ γὰρ εὐωδιάζεσθαι κατὰ γένος ἑνὸς ὄντος πολλὰ τὰ αἴτια [κατʼ εἶδος], οἷον λιβανωτός. ῥόδον, κρόκος, στύραξ, σμύρνα, μύρον· τὸ γὰρ ῥόδον οὐκ ἂν οὕτως εὐῶδες εἴη ὡς ἡ σμύρνα.
English · Claude translation
It is further asked whether many things that are causes of one thing by their coming together become many causes. For the men who come together are causes of the ship's being hauled down to the sea; but each is not a cause individually, only with the others, unless the joint cause too is a cause. Others say that if there are many causes, each individually becomes the cause of one thing. Of being happy, at any rate, which is one, the virtues are causes, though they are many; and likewise there are many causes of being warmed and of feeling pain. Perhaps, then, the many virtues are one in power, and so too the things that warm and the things that pain. And the multitude of the virtues, being one in genus, becomes the cause of one thing, being happy. In reality, initiating causes of one thing become several both in genus and in species: in genus, of being ill in any way at all, such as chill, heat-stroke, fatigue, indigestion, drunkenness; in species, of fever. But sustaining causes are several in genus only, no longer in species. For of being fragrant, which is one in genus, there are many causes, such as frankincense, rose, saffron, storax, myrrh, perfume; for the rose would not be fragrant in the same way as myrrh.
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Notes
Translation notes
- “Joint cause” renders συναίτιον. The digital text marks the end of a supplied phrase after “individually” with an unpaired angle bracket.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray bracket and period from the editor's supplement): αἴτιος.> ἀλλὰ → αἴτιος, ἀλλὰ.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 8.9.31 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/8/9/31/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 8.9.31 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/8/9/31/).
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