To Autolycus 3.30
Summary: The Greeks ignore the true history because they learned writing late and forgot God; they honor poets who mock God and persecute those who worship him.
Greek text · Otto 8:274–276
Τῶν δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας ἱστοριῶν Ἕλληνες οὐ μέμνηνται, πρῶτον μὲν διὰ τὸ νεωστὶ αὐτοὺς τῶν γραμμάτων τῆς ἐμπειρίας μετόχους γεγενῆσθαι· καὶ αὐτοὶ ὁμολογοῦσιν φάσκοντες τὰ γράμματα εὑρῆσθαι, οἱ μὲν παρὰ Χαλδαίων, οἱ δὲ παρὰ Αἰγυπτίων, ἄλλοι δʼ αὖ ἀπὸ Φοινίκων· δεύτερον ὅτι ἔπταιον καὶ πταίουσιν, περὶ θεοῦ μὴ ποιούμενοι τὴν μνείαν ἀλλὰ περὶ ματαίων καὶ ἀνωφελῶν πραγμάτων. Οὕτως μὲν γὰρ καὶ Ὁμήρου καὶ Ἡσιόδου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ποιητῶν φιλοτίμως μέμνηνται, τῆς δὲ τοῦ ἀφθάρτου καὶ μόνου θεοῦ δόξης οὐ μόνον ἐπελάθοντο ἀλλὰ καὶ κατελάλησαν· ἔτι μὴν καὶ τοὺς σεβομένους αὐτὸν ἐδίωξαν καὶ τὸ καθʼ ἡμέραν διώκουσιν. Οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς εὐφώνως ὑβρίζουσι τὸν θεὸν ἆθλα καὶ τιμὰς τιθέασιν, τοὺς δὲ σπεύδοντας πρὸς ἀρετὴν καὶ ἀσκοῦντας βίον ὅσιον, οὓς μὲν ἐλιθοβόλησαν, οὓς δὲ ἐθανάτωσαν, καὶ ἕως τοῦ δεῦρο ὠμοῖς αἰκισμοῖς περιβάλλουσιν. Διὸ οἱ τοιοῦτοι ἀναγκαίως ἀπώλεσαν τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν οὐχ εὗρον. Εἰ οὖν βούλει, ἀκριβῶς ἔντυχε τούτοις, ὅπως σχῇς σύμβουλον καὶ ἀῤῥαβῶνα τῆς ἀληθείας.
English · Claude translation
The Greeks do not mention the true histories. First, because they have only recently come to share in the art of writing; they themselves admit it, saying that letters were invented, according to some, by the Chaldeans, according to others by the Egyptians, and according to others again by the Phoenicians. Second, because they went astray and still go astray, making no mention of God, but only of vain and useless things. So they eagerly commemorate Homer and Hesiod and the other poets, but the glory of the incorruptible and only God they have not only forgotten but even blasphemed; and they have persecuted those who worship him, and they persecute them every day. Indeed, they offer prizes and honors to those who insult God in fine verse, while those who strive after virtue and live a holy life they have stoned, some of them, and put others to death, and to this day they subject them to cruel tortures. That is why such people have necessarily lost the wisdom of God and have not found the truth. If you wish, then, read these things carefully, so that you may have a counselor and a pledge of the truth.
About this passage
Notes
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (accent: grave on τὴν before a following word): μὴ ποιούμενοι τήν μνείαν → μὴ ποιούμενοι τὴν μνείαν.
Cite this passage
Theophilus, Autol. 3.30 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/theophilus-autolycus/3/30/).
Plain text
Theophilus, Autol. 3.30 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/theophilus-autolycus/3/30/).
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