ΒΙΒΛΙΟΝ ΟΓΔΟΟΝ
Eighth Book
Eighth Book
Chapter 1
In this opening chapter, Eusebius summarizes his transition from discussing the pre-Mosaic patriarchs (the ancient Hebrew "god-beloved" men) to examining the Mosaic constitution and the Jewish Law. He emphasizes that the Mosaic Law was given specifically to the Jewish nation rather than to all Gentiles. To explain how these Hebrew scriptures became available to the broader Greek-reading world, he highlights divine providence: God inspired King Ptolemy Philadelphus to commission the translation of the Hebrew scriptures into Greek (the Septuagint) prior to the advent of Christ, ensuring the prophecies and teachings would be accessible to all nations. Finally, he introduces Aristeas as an eyewitness and scholarly source for the account of this translation effort.
| 1.1 Τοὺς βίους τῶν παλαιῶν Ἑβραίων, τόν δὴ καὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν ἐπαληθευσάντων θεοφιλῶν ἀνδρῶν, πρόσθεν ἢ Μωσέα φανῆναι πάσης ἀρετῆς βραβείοις ἀναδησαμένων, τά τε θεοσεβῆ δόγματα καὶ παιδεύματα, καὶ προσέτι τὰς παναληθεῖς καὶ εὐσεβεῖς αὐτῶν θεολογίας, ὧν εἰς ἔρωτα καὶ πόθον ἐλθεῖν ὡμολογήκαμεν, διελθὼν ἐν τῷ πρὸ τούτου μέτειμι νῦν ἀκολούθῳ τῇ τάξει χρώμενος ἐπὶ τὴν κατὰ Μωσέα πολιτείαν, δεύτερον ἐπέχουσαν εὐσεβείας μετὰ τὸν πρῶτον ἐκεῖνον βαθμόν, τὸν δὴ καὶ μόνῳ τῷ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνει νενομοθετημένον. | 1.1 Having covered in the preceding book the lives of the ancient Hebrews—men truly worthy of God who fulfilled the very meaning of their name, who were crowned with the rewards of all virtue long before Moses appeared, and whose pious doctrines, teachings, and truly accurate and devout theology we confessed that we came to love and desire—I now proceed, following the natural order, to the Mosaic polity. This polity occupies a second rank of piety after that first stage, having been enacted by law for the nation of the Jews alone. |
| 1.2 ὡς γὰρ μόνοις Ἰουδαίοις, οὐκέτι δὲ καὶ τοῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἔθνεσιν, ἦν ἁρμόδια τὰ διὰ Μώσεως, οὐδὲ δυνατὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις, λέγω δὲ τοῖς πόρρω που τῆς Ἰουδαίας γῆς οἰκοῦσιν Ἕλλησί τε καὶ βαρβάροις, φυλάττεσθαι κατὰ τὸν οἰκεῖον καιρὸν ἀποδείξομεν. | 1.2 For we shall demonstrate at the proper time that the ordinances given through Moses were suitable only for the Jews, and not for the other nations throughout the inhabited world, nor were they even possible for all men to keep—I mean those Greeks and barbarians living far beyond the land of Judea. |
| 1.3 νυνὶ δὲ καὶ τούτου, λέγω δὲ τοῦ κατὰ Μωσέα βίου, τὸν τρόπον, οὐκ ἐμαῖς φωναῖς, αὐτῶν δὲ μόνων πάλιν τῶν παρὰ τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐπὶ τῇ πατρίῳ δεδοκιμασμένοις παιδεύσει παραθήσομαι· καὶ γάρ μοι προσήκειν ἡγοῦμαι ταύτῃ, ᾗπερ καὶ ἠρξάμην, διὰ τῶν οἰκείων ἑκάστῳ τὰς τῶν ἀποδείξεων μαρτυρίας παρέχειν. | 1.3 But now, regarding the character of this Mosaic way of life, I shall present it not in my own words, but once again through the testimony of those men who are approved among them for their ancestral learning. For I consider it appropriate for me, in accordance with the method by which I began, to provide the evidentiary testimonies for each group through their own native sources. |
| 1.4 ὥσπερ οὖν Φοίνικας καὶ Αἰγυπτίους καὶ Ἕλληνας τῶν παρὰ σφίσιν γνωρίμων κατὰ τὴν οἰκείαν χώραν μάρτυρας ἀνεκαλούμην, ταύτῃ μοι καὶ τούσδε ὁ παρὼν καιρὸς δοκεῖ ἐπιτηδείως εἰσποιεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς τὰ ὀθνεῖα νομίζεσθαι κατασχεδιάζειν. | 1.4 Just as I called upon the Phoenicians, Egyptians, and Greeks, using well-known writers from among them as witnesses within their respective lands, so in this case it seems fitting for the present occasion to bring these men forward as well, rather than having us appear to invent foreign matters on our own initiative. |
| 1.5 Πρὶν δ’ ἐπὶ τοῦτ’ ἐλθεῖν, ὅπως εἰς Hellenes τὰ παρ’ αὐτοῖς παρῆλθε λόγια, καὶ τίς ὁ τρόπος συνέστη τῆς τῶν πεπιστευμένων αὐτοῖς θείων γραφῶν ἑρμηνείας, δι’ ὅσων τε καὶ ὁποίων ἀνδρῶν καὶ δι’ ὁπόσης βασιλικῆς σπουδῆς τῆς εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα γλῶσσαν μεταβολῆς ἔτυχε, τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἡγοῦμαι εἰς φανερὸν θέσθαι τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν, οὐκ ἀσυμβούλου μοι γενησομένης καὶ τῆς τούτων ἐκθέσεως εἰς τὴν τῆς γενησομένης Προπαρασκευῆς ἀπόδειξιν. | 1.5 But before arriving at this subject, I consider it necessary to set clearly before my readers how their divine oracles passed over to the Greeks, and in what manner the translation of the sacred scriptures entrusted to them was organized—through how many and what kinds of men, and with what great royal diligence it attained its translation into the Greek tongue. For the exposition of these matters will be of no small assistance to me in demonstrating the Preparation that was to come. |
| 1.6 ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὅσον οὔπω τὰ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν βιωφελοῦς κηρύξεως ἔμελλεν ἐπὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς εἰς πάντας ἐκλάμπειν ἀνθρώπους, λόγος τε οὐχ ὁ τυχὼν ᾕρει τὰς περὶ αὐτοῦ προφητείας τόν τε βίον τῶν πάλαι θεοφιλῶν Ἑβραίων καὶ τὰ τῆς εὐσεβοῦς διδασκαλίας αὐτῶν μαθήματα, τῇ πατρίῳ αὐτῶν φωνῇ ἐξ αἰῶνος μακροῦ κεκαλυμμένα, ἤδη ποτὲ εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, οἷς τι τῆς θεογνωσίας ἔμελλε προξενεῖσθαι, παρελθεῖν· θεὸς αὐτὸς ὁ τῶνδε τῶν ἀγαθῶν αἴτιος, προλαβὼν τὸ μέλλον ὡς ἂν θεὸς τῇ προγνώσει, τὰς περὶ τοῦ πάντων ἀνθρώπων οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν ἀναφανησομένου σωτῆρος, διδασκάλου τε εὐσεβείας ἑνὸς τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων θεοῦ πᾶσι τοῖς ὑφ’ ἥλιον ἔθνεσι καταστησομένου, προρρήσεις ἀποκαλυφθῆναι τοῖς πᾶσιν εἰς φῶς τε ἐλθεῖν ἐπ’ ἀκριβὲς μεταβληθείσας δημοσίαις τε βιβλιοθήκαις ἀνατεθείσας διοικεῖται, βασιλεῖ Πτολεμαίῳ τοῦτο πρᾶξαι κατὰ νοῦν ἐμβαλών, εἰς προπαρασκευήν, ὡς ἔοικε, τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν ἁπάντων ὅσον οὔπω μελλούσης ἐξ αὐτῶν ἔσεσθαι μεταλήψεως. | 1.6 For when the life-giving proclamation of our Savior was about to shine forth unto all men under the Roman Empire, sound reason demanded that the prophecies concerning Him—as well as the life of the ancient God-beloved Hebrews and the teachings of their pious instruction, which had been hidden from long ages past in their native tongue—should now at last go forth to all the nations that were destined to share in the knowledge of God. God Himself, the author of these blessings, foreknowing the future in accordance with His divine omniscience, arranged for the predictions concerning the Savior (who was soon to appear for all humanity) and the teacher of piety toward the one God over all (who was to be established for all nations under the sun) to be revealed to all and brought into the light. He brought this about by having them accurately translated and deposited in public libraries, having put it into the mind of King Ptolemy to accomplish this—as a preparation, it seems, for the imminent sharing in them that was to take place among all the Gentiles. |
| 1.7 ὧν γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως ἐτύχομεν παρὰ Ἰουδαίων, ἀποκρυψάντων ἂν τὰ παρ' αὐτοῖς λόγια διὰ τὸν πρὸς ἡμᾶς φθόνον, τούτων ἐκ τῆς θεόθεν οἰκονομηθείσης ἑρμηνείας ἠξιώθημεν πρὸς τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐπί τε συνέσει καὶ τῇ πατρίῳ παιδείᾳ δεδοκιμασμένων ἀνδρῶν μεταβληθέντων. | 1.7 For those scriptures which we could not otherwise have obtained from the Jews—who would have hidden their oracles out of malice toward us—we were deemed worthy to receive through the divinely ordained translation, translated by men from among them who were thoroughly tested for their intelligence and ancestral learning. |
| 1.8 γράφει δὲ ταῦτα Ἀρισταῖος, ἀνὴρ λόγιος μὲν ἄλλως, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ παρατυχὼν τοῖς πραχθεῖσι κατὰ τὸν δεύτερον Πτολεμαῖον, τὸν ἐπικληθέντα Φιλάδελφον, καθ' ὃν τὰ τῆς ἑρμηνείας τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν γραφῶν, διὰ σπουδῆς τοῦ βασιλέως γενόμενα, τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν βιβλιοθήκων ἠξιώθη. ἐπακοῦσαι δὲ αὐτοῦ καιρός, τόνδε πρὸς λέξιν ἱστοροῦντος τὸν τρόπον· | 1.8 Aristeas writes of these matters—a man who was learned in other respects, and who was actually present at the events under the second Ptolemy, surnamed Philadelphus, in whose reign the translation of the Jewish scriptures was accomplished through the zeal of the king and deposited in the libraries at Alexandria. It is now time to listen to him as he relates the history word for word in the following manner: |
Chapter 2
In this chapter, Eusebius quotes directly from the Letter of Aristeas. Demetrius of Phalerum, director of the Royal Library at Alexandria, informs King Ptolemy II Philadelphus that the library holds over 200,000 volumes, aiming for 500,000. He alerts the king to the Jewish Law, noting that it deserves a place in the collection but requires translation because it is written in a distinct script and language (Hebrew, often confused with Aramaic/Syriac). The king orders Demetrius to write to the Jewish High Priest to obtain a translation. Aristeas then notes that official business under the Ptolemies was conducted with meticulous administrative record-keeping, introducing the formal memorandum (or ekthesis) submitted by Demetrius.
| 2.1 «Κατασταθεὶς ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως βιβλιοθήκης Δημήτριος ὁ Φαληρεὺς ἐχρηματίσθη πολλὰ διάφορα πρὸς τὸ συναγαγεῖν ἅπαντα τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην βιβλία, καὶ ποιούμενος ἀγορασμοὺς καὶ μεταγραφὰς ἐπὶ τέλος ἤγαγεν ὅσον ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως πρόθεσιν. | 2.1 "Having been put in charge of the king’s library, Demetrius of Phalerum received large sums of money for the purpose of collecting all the books in the world; and by making purchases and transcriptions, he brought the king’s purpose to completion so far as lay in his power. |
| 2.2 Παρόντων οὖν ἡμῶν ἐρωτηθεὶς πόσαι τινὲς μυριάδες τυγχάνουσι βιβλίων, εἶπεν· "Ὑπὲρ τὰς εἴκοσι, βασιλεῦ· σπουδάσω δ', ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ πρὸς τὸ πληρωθῆναι πεντήκοντα μυριάδας τὰ λοιπά. Προσήγγελται δέ μοι καὶ τὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων νόμιμα μεταγραφῆς ἄξια καὶ τῆς παρὰ σοὶ βιβλιοθήκης εἶναι." | 2.2 When we were present, he was asked how many tens of thousands of books were already in the collection, and he said: 'More than two hundred thousand, O King; and I shall make haste to complete the remainder in a short time, so that the total may reach five hundred thousand. It has also been reported to me that the laws of the Jews are worthy of transcription and of a place in your library.' |
| 2.3 "Τί τὸ κωλῦον οὖν," εἶπεν, "ἐστί σε τοῦτο ποιῆσαι; Πάντα γὰρ ἀποτέτακταί σοι τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν." Ὁ δὲ Δημήτριος εἶπεν· "Ἑρμηνείας προσδεῖται· χαρακτῆρσι γὰρ ἰδίοις κατὰ τὴν Ἰουδαίαν χρῶνται, καθάπερ Αἰγύπτιοι τῇ τῶν γραμμάτων θέσει, καθὸ καὶ φωνὴν ἰδίαν ἔχουσιν. Ὑπολαμβάνονται δὲ Συριακῇ χρῆσθαι· τὸ δ' οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλ' ἕτερος τρόπος." | 2.3 'What is there then to hinder you,' said the king, 'from doing this? For all things necessary for the task have been placed at your disposal.' But Demetrius replied: 'Translation is needed; for in Judea they use their own peculiar characters, just as the Egyptians do in the arrangement of their letters, in as much as they also have a language of their own. They are supposed to use Syriac [Aramaic], but this is not so; it is a different dialect altogether.' |
| 2.4 Μεταλαβὼν δὲ ἕκαστα ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπε γραφῆναι πρὸς τὸν ἀρχιερέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὅπως τὰ προειρημένα τελείωσιν λάβῃ.» Καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα ἐπιλέγει· | 2.4 When the king had learned each of these particulars, he commanded that a letter be written to the High Priest of the Jews, in order that the aforementioned plan might be brought to fruition." And after other matters he [Aristeas] adds: |
| 2.5 «Ὡς δὲ κατεπράχθη ταῦτα, τὸν Δημήτριον ἐκέλευσεν ἐκδοῦναι περὶ τῆς τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν βιβλίων ἀναγραφῆς· πάντα γὰρ διὰ προσταγμάτων καὶ μεγάλης ἀκριβείας τοῖς βασιλεῦσι τούτοις διῳκεῖτο, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπερριμμένως οὐδὲ εἰκῆ. Διόπερ καὶ τὸ τῆς ἐκδόσεως καὶ τὰ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν ἀντίγραφα κατακεχώρικα, καὶ τὸ τῶν ἀπεσταλμένων πλῆθος, καὶ τὴν ἑκάστου κατασκευήν, διὰ τὸ μεγαλομερείᾳ καὶ τέχνῃ διαφέρειν ἕκαστον αὐτῶν. Τῆς δὲ ἐκδόσεώς ἐστιν ἀντίγραφον τόδε·» | 2.5 "Now when these things were accomplished, he commanded Demetrius to submit a report concerning the transcription of the Jewish books; for all affairs were managed by these kings by means of official decrees and with great precision, and nothing was done carelessly or at random. Wherefore I have recorded the report itself and the copies of the letters, as well as the number of the gifts sent and the craftsmanship of each, because every one of them was preeminent in magnificence and skill. And the following is a copy of the report:" |
Chapter 3
In this chapter, Eusebius quotes Demetrius of Phalerum’s official memorandum to King Ptolemy II Philadelphus, followed by a narrative transition. Demetrius reports on the status of the Royal Library, specifically pointing out that the books of the Jewish Law are missing from the collection. He explains that they are written in Hebrew script and language, requiring careful, authoritative translation because of their divine and philosophical nature. Demetrius proposes writing to the High Priest in Jerusalem to request seventy-two elders (six from each of the twelve tribes) to produce an accurate translation. The text then describes King Ptolemy’s approval, his instructions to write to High Priest Eleazar, his funding for the release of Jewish captives, and his lavish patronage of precious metal vessels and sacrifices for the Jerusalem Temple.
| 3.1 «Βασιλεῖ μεγάλῳ παρὰ Δημητρίου. Προστάξαντός σου, βασιλεῦ, περὶ τῶν ἀπολειφθέντων εἰς τὴν συμπλήρωσιν τῆς βιβλιοθήκης βιβλίων, ὅπως ἐπισυναχθῇ καὶ τὰ διαπεπτωκότα τύχῃ τῆς προσηκούσης ἐπισκευῆς, πεποιημένος οὐ παρέργως τὴν ἐν τούτοις ἐπιμέλειαν προσαναφέρω σοι· | 3.1 "To the Great King from Demetrius. Since you gave orders, O King, concerning the books that are lacking to complete the library, that those missing should be collected and those damaged should receive proper repair, I have given no casual attention to these matters and submit this report to you: |
| 3.2 τὰ δὲ τοῦ νόμου τῶν Ἰουδίων βιβλία σὺν ἑτέροις ὀλίγοις τισὶν ἀπολείπει· τυγχάνει γὰρ Ἑβραϊκοῖς γράμμασι καὶ φωνῇ λεγόμενα· ἀμελέστερον δὲ καὶ οὐχ ὡς ὑπάρχει σεσήμανται, καθὼς ὑπὸ τῶν εἰδότων προσαναφέρεται· προνοίας γὰρ βασιλικῆς οὐ τετύχηκε. | 3.2 The books of the Law of the Jews, together with a few others, are missing. For it happens that they are written in Hebrew characters and in the Hebrew language; but they have been transcribed somewhat carelessly and not as accurately as they ought to be, according to the report of those who know, because they have not enjoyed royal patronage. |
| 3.3 δέον δὲ ἔτι καὶ ταῦθ’ ὑπάρχειν παρὰ σοὶ διηκριβωμένα, διὰ τὸ καὶ φιλοσοφωτέραν εἶναι καὶ ἀκέραιον τὴν νομοθεσίαν ταύτην, ὡς ἂν οὖσαν θείαν. διὸ πόρρω γεγόνασιν οἵ τε συγγραφεῖς καὶ ποιηταὶ καὶ τὸ τῶν ἱστορικῶν πλῆθος τῆς ἐπιμνήσεως τῶν προειρημένων βιβλίων, καὶ τῶν κατ’ αὐτὰ πεπολιτευμένων ἀνδρῶν, διὰ τὸ ἁγνήν τινα καὶ σεμνὴν εἶναι τὴν ἐν αὐτοῖς θεωρίαν, ὥς φησιν Ἑκαταῖος ὁ Ἀβδηρίτης. | 3.3 Yet it is necessary that these books also should be present in your collection in an accurate text, because this legislation is both deeply philosophical and uncorrupted, inasmuch as it is divine. On this account historians, poets, and the main body of prose writers have refrained from making mention of the aforementioned books and of the men who lived according to them, because the contemplation contained in them is holy and reverent, as Hecataeus of Abdera says. |
| 3.4 ἐὰν οὖν φαίνηται, βασιλεῦ, γραφήσεται πρὸς τὸν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἀρχιερέα ἀποστεῖλαι τοὺς μάλιστα καλῶς βεβιωκότας καὶ πρεσβυτέρους ἄνδρας, ἐμπείρους τῶν κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἑαυτῶν, ἀφ’ ἑκάστης φυλῆς ἕξ, ὅπως τὸ σύμφωνον ἐκ τῶν πλειόνων ἐξετάσαντες, καὶ λαβόντες τὸ κατὰ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν ἀκριβές, ἀξίως καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ τῆς σῆς προαιρέσεως, θῶμεν εὐσήμως. εὐτύχει διὰ παντός.» | 3.4 If it seems good, therefore, O King, a letter shall be written to the High Priest in Jerusalem to send elder men who have lived exemplary lives, experienced in their own Law—six from each tribe—so that when we have examined the agreement among the majority and obtained an accurate translation, we may place it [in the library] in a fitting manner, worthy both of the subject matter and of your purpose. May you prosper continuously." |
| 3.5 Τῆς δὲ ἐκδόσεως ταύτης γενομένης ἐκέλευσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς γραφῆναι πρὸς τὸν Ἐλεάζαρον περὶ τούτων, σημάναντας καὶ τὴν γενομένην ἀπολύτρωσιν τῶν αἰχμαλώτων. ἔδωκε δὲ καὶ εἰς κατασκευὴν κρατήρων τε καὶ φιαλῶν καὶ τραπέζης καὶ σπονδείων χρυσίου μὲν ὁλκῆς τάλαντα πεντήκοντα, καὶ ἀργυρίου τάλαντα ἑβδομήκοντα, καὶ λίθων ἱκανόν τι πλῆθος. | 3.5 When this memorandum had been submitted, the king commanded that a letter be written to Eleazar concerning these matters, indicating also the redemption that had taken place of the Jewish captives. He gave also for the crafting of large mixing bowls, vials, a table, and libation cups, fifty talents weight of gold, seventy talents of silver, and a generous quantity of precious stones. |
| 3.6 ἐκέλευσε δὲ τοὺς χρηματοφύλακας τοῖς τεχνίταις ὧν ἂν προαιρῶνται τὴν ἐκλογὴν διδόναι, καὶ νομίσματος εἰς θυσίας καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πρὸς τάλαντα ἑκατόν. δηλώσομεν δέ σοι περὶ τῆς κατασκευῆς, ὡς ἂν τὰ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν ἀντίγραφα διέλθωμεν. ἦν δὲ ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιστολὴ τὸν τύπον ἔχουσα τοῦτον· | 3.6 And he ordered the treasurers to allow the craftsmen their choice of whatever materials they preferred, along with money up to one hundred talents for sacrifices and other expenses. But we shall describe the details of their craftsmanship to you as soon as we have gone through the copies of the letters. And the king's letter was of the following form: |
Chapter 4
In this chapter, Eusebius provides King Ptolemy II Philadelphus's official letter to the High Priest Eleazar in Jerusalem. Ptolemy opens with greetings and recounts the historical presence of Jews in Egypt, acknowledging their past military service. He highlights his own recent act of piety and goodwill: ransoming and freeing over 100,000 Jewish captives out of gratitude to the Supreme God who maintains his kingdom in peace. To further honor the Jewish people worldwide, Ptolemy announces his plan to have the Hebrew Law translated into Greek for the Royal Library. He requests that Eleazar select seventy-two elders—six from each tribe, known for their virtuous lives and mastery of the Law—to carry out the translation. He mentions sending two high-ranking ambassadors, Andreas and Aristeas, bearing rich gifts and funds for Temple sacrifices, and concludes by inviting Eleazar to write back with any requests of his own. The chapter ends with an introductory formula for Eleazar’s reply.
| 4.1 «Βασιλεὺς Πτολεμαῖος ἀρχιερεῖ Ἐλεαζάρῳ χαίρειν καὶ ἐρρῶσθαι. Ἐπεὶ συμβαίνει πλείονας τῶν Ἰουδαίων εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν χώραν κατῳκίσθαι, γενηθέντας ἀναρπάστους ἐκ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ὑπὸ Περσῶν, καθ’ ὃν ἐπεκράτουν χρόνον, ἔτι δὲ καὶ συνεληλυθέναι τῷ πατρὶ ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον αἰχμαλώτους, ἀφ’ ὧν καὶ πλείονας εἰς τὸ στρατιωτικὸν σύνταγμα κατεχώρισεν ἐπὶ μείζοσι μισθοφορίαις, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τοὺς προόντας κρίνας πιστούς, φρούρια κτίσας, ἀπέδωκεν αὐτοῖς, ὅπως τὸ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἔθνος φόβον ἔχῃ διὰ τούτων· καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ παραλαβόντες τὴν βασιλείαν φιλανθρωπότερον ἀπαντῶμεν τοῖς πᾶσι, πολὺ δὲ μᾶλλον τοῖς σοῖς πολίταις, ὑπὲρ δέκα μυριάδας αἰχμαλώτων ἠλευθερώκαμεν, ἀποδόντες τοῖς κρατοῦσι τὴν κατ’ ἀξίαν ἀργυρικὴν τιμήν, διορθούμενοι καὶ εἴ τι κακῶς ἐπράχθη διὰ τὰς τῶν ὄχλων ὁρμάς, διειληφότες εὐσεβῶς τοῦτο πράσσειν, καὶ τῷ μεγίστῳ θεῷ χαριστικὸν ἀνατιθέντες, ὃς ἡμῖν τὴν βασιλείαν ἐν εἰρήνῃ καὶ δόξῃ τῇ κρατίστῃ παρ’ ὅλην τὴν οἰκουμένην διατετήρηκεν· εἴς τε τὸ στράτευμα τοὺς ἀκμαιοτάτους ταῖς ἡλικίαις τετάχαμεν· τοὺς δὲ δυναμένους καὶ περὶ ἡμᾶς εἶναι καὶ τῆς περὶ τὴν αὐλὴν πίστεως ἀξίους ἐπικρίνας κατέστησα. | 4.1 "King Ptolemy to Eleazar the High Priest, greetings and health. Since it so happens that many of the Jews have settled in our country, having been carried away captive from Jerusalem by the Persians during the period of their dominance, and since others also came into Egypt as captives with our father—many of whom he enrolled in the army corps at higher rates of pay, and likewise judging those already present to be faithful, built fortresses and committed them to their charge, so that the Egyptian nation might stand in awe of them—we also, having inherited the kingdom, treat all men with greater benevolence, and especially your fellow citizens. We have liberated more than one hundred thousand captives, paying to their captors the fair monetary value, correcting whatever was done amiss through the impulses of the populace, judging it a pious duty to act thus, and offering a thank-offering to the Supreme God, who has preserved our kingdom in peace and in the highest renown throughout the whole inhabited world. We have assigned those in the prime of life to the army, and those capable of attending upon our person and worthy of trust at court I have appointed to positions of state. |
| 4.2 βουλομένων δὲ ἡμῶν καὶ σοὶ χαρίζεσθαι καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην Ἰουδαίοις, καὶ τοῖς μετέπειτα, προῃρήμεθα τὸν νόμον ὑμῶν μεθερμηνευθῆναι γράμμασιν Ἑλληνικοῖς ἐκ τῶν παρ’ ὑμῖν Ἑβραϊκῶν λεγομένων γραμμάτων, ἵν’ ὑπάρχῃ καὶ ταῦτα παρ’ ἡμῖν ἐν βιβλιοθήκῃ σὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις βασιλικοῖς βιβλίοις. | 4.2 And since we desire to show favor not only to you but also to all the Jews throughout the world, and to generations hereafter, we have determined that your Law should be translated into Greek characters from the Hebrew script used among you, so that these books too may be present in our library alongside the other royal books. |
| 4.3 καλῶς οὖν ποιήσεις καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας σπουδῆς ἀξίως, ἐπιλέξας ἄνδρας καλῶς βεβιωκότας πρεσβυτέρους, ἐμπειρίαν ἔχοντας τοῦ νόμου, καὶ δυνατοὺς ἑρμηνεῦσαι, ἀφ’ ἑκάστης φυλῆς ἕξ, ὅπως ἐκ τῶν πλειόνων τὸ σύμφωνον εὑρεθῇ, διὰ τὸ περὶ μειζόνων εἶναι τὴν σκέψιν. οἰόμεθα γὰρ ἐπιτελεσθέντος τούτου μεγάλην ἀποίσεσθαι δόξαν. | 4.3 You will do well, therefore, and in a manner worthy of our zeal, if you select elder men who have lived exemplary lives, possessing experience in the Law and capable of translating it—six from each tribe—so that through the majority consensus the truth may be established, since the inquiry concerns matters of the greatest weight. For we believe that when this is accomplished, we shall gain great glory. |
| 4.4 ἀπεστάλκαμεν δὲ περὶ τούτων Ἀνδρέαν τῶν ἀρχισωματοφυλάκων καὶ Ἀρισταῖον, τιμωμένους παρ’ ἡμῖν, διαλεξομένους σοι καὶ κομίζοντας ἀπαρχὰς εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ἀναθημάτων καὶ εἰς θυσίας καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἀργυρίου τάλαντα ἑκατόν. γράφε δὲ καὶ σὺ πρὸς ἡμᾶς περὶ ὧν ἂν βούλῃ· κεχαρισμένος γὰρ ἔσῃ καὶ φιλίας ἄξιόν τι πράξεις, ὡς ἐπιτελεσθησομένων τὴν ταχίστην περὶ ὧν ἂν αἱρῇ. ἔρρωσο.» Πρὸς ταῦτα ἀντέγραψεν ἐνδεχομένως ὁ Ἐλεάζαρος οὕτως· | 4.4 We have sent concerning these matters Andreas, one of the commanders of the bodyguard, and Aristeas, who are held in honor among us, to confer with you and to bring first-fruits of offerings for the Temple, as well as one hundred talents of silver for sacrifices and other needs. Write to us yourself concerning whatever you wish, for you will confer a favor upon us and act in a manner worthy of friendship, knowing that whatever you choose will be fulfilled as quickly as possible. Farewell." To these things Eleazar replied fittingly as follows: |
Chapter 5
In this chapter, the High Priest Eleazar writes back to King Ptolemy II Philadelphus. He accepts the king's request with enthusiasm, expresses deep gratitude for the liberation of Jewish captives and the royal gifts sent to the Temple, and reports that sacrifices and prayers were offered for the royal family. Eleazar confirms that seventy-two elders (six from each tribe) have been selected and dispatched with the sacred scrolls to Alexandria.
The narrative then skips forward to the completion of the translation. When the Greek version of the Law is read aloud, the priests, elders, and leaders pronounce it accurate and unchangeable, placing a solemn curse on anyone who alters it. King Ptolemy marvels at the wisdom of the Law and asks Demetrius why secular historians and poets had failed to mention it; Demetrius explains its divine nature and cites the examples of Theopompus and Theodectes, both of whom suffered divine affliction when attempting to adapt holy Scripture into secular works until they desisted. Impressed, the king orders the books to be reverently preserved. Eusebius concludes this section of his work and transitions to excerpts from Philo of Alexandria's Hypothetica.
The narrative then skips forward to the completion of the translation. When the Greek version of the Law is read aloud, the priests, elders, and leaders pronounce it accurate and unchangeable, placing a solemn curse on anyone who alters it. King Ptolemy marvels at the wisdom of the Law and asks Demetrius why secular historians and poets had failed to mention it; Demetrius explains its divine nature and cites the examples of Theopompus and Theodectes, both of whom suffered divine affliction when attempting to adapt holy Scripture into secular works until they desisted. Impressed, the king orders the books to be reverently preserved. Eusebius concludes this section of his work and transitions to excerpts from Philo of Alexandria's Hypothetica.
| 5.1 «Ἐλεάζαρος ἀρχιερεὺς βασιλεῖ Πτολεμαίῳ, φίλῳ γνησίῳ, χαίρειν. Εἰ αὐτός τε ἔρρωσαι καὶ ἡ βασίλισσα Ἀρσινόη, ἡ ἀδελφή, καὶ τὰ τέκνα, καλῶς ἂν ἔχοι καὶ ὡς βουλόμεθα· καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ ὑγιαίνομεν. λαβόντες τὴν παρὰ σοῦ ἐπιστολήν, μεγάλως ἐχάρημεν διὰ τὴν προαίρεσίν σου καὶ τὴν καλὴν βουλήν· καὶ συναγαγόντες τὸ πᾶν πλῆθος παρανέγνωμεν αὐτὴν αὐτοῖς, ἵν’ εἰδῶσιν ἣν ἔχεις πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν εὐσέβειαν. | 5.1 "Eleazar the High Priest to King Ptolemy, his true friend, greetings. If you yourself are in good health, and Queen Arsinoe your sister, and your children, it would be well and as we desire; we ourselves are also in good health. Having received the letter sent from you, we rejoiced greatly on account of your purpose and your noble resolve. And gathering together the whole assembly, we read it aloud to them, so that they might know the piety which you possess toward our God. |
| 5.2 ἐπεδείξαμεν δὲ καὶ τὰς φιάλας, ἃς ἀπέστειλας, χρυσᾶς εἴκοσι καὶ ἀργυρᾶς τριάκοντα, κρατῆρας πέντε, καὶ τράπεζαν εἰς ἀνάθεσιν, καὶ εἰς προσαγωγὴν θυσιῶν, καὶ εἰς ἐπισκευὰς ὧν ἂν προσδέηται τὸ ἱερὸν, ἀργυρίου τάλαντα ἑκατόν, ἅπερ ἐκόμισεν Ἀνδρέας τῶν τετιμημένων παρὰ σοὶ καὶ Ἀρισταῖος, ἄνδρες καλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ καὶ παιδείᾳ διαφέροντες καὶ τῆς σῆς ἀγωγῆς καὶ δικαιοσύνης ἄξιοι κατὰ πάντα. | 5.2 We also displayed the vessels which you sent—twenty of gold and thirty of silver—five bowls, a table for dedication, and one hundred talents of silver for the offering of sacrifices and for repairs of whatever the Temple may require; these were brought by Andreas and Aristeas, men honored by you, noble and virtuous, distinguished in learning, and worthy in every respect of your upbringing and justice. |
| 5.3 οἳ καὶ μετέδωκαν ἡμῖν τὰ παρὰ σοῦ, πρὸς ἃ καὶ παρ’ ἡμῶν ἀκηκόασιν ἁρμόζοντα τοῖς σοῖς πράγμασι. πάντα γὰρ ὅσα σοι συμφέρει, καὶ εἰ παρὰ φύσιν ἐστίν, ὑπακουσόμεθα· τοῦτο γὰρ φιλίας καὶ ἀγαπήσεως ἐστι σημεῖον. μεγάλα γὰρ καὶ ἀνεπίληστα τοὺς πολίτας ἡμῶν κατὰ πολλοὺς τρόπους εὐεργέτηκας. | 5.3 They delivered to us the message from you, and in return heard from us words fitting to your affairs. For in all things that are to your advantage, even if they be beyond normal expectation, we shall comply; for this is a sign of friendship and love. For you have benefited our citizens in many ways, greatly and blamelessly. |
| 5.4 εὐθέως οὖν προσηγάγομεν ὑπὲρ σοῦ θυσίας καὶ τῆς ἀδελφῆς καὶ τῶν τέκνων καὶ τῶν φίλων, καὶ ηὔξατο πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος, ἵνα σοι γένηται καθὼς προαιρῇ διὰ παντός, καὶ διασώζῃ σοι τὴν βασιλείαν ἐν εἰρήνῃ μετὰ δόξης ὁ κυριεύων ἁπάντων θεός. | 5.4 Straightway, therefore, we offered sacrifices on your behalf, and for your sister, your children, and your friends; and the whole assembly prayed that it might be fulfilled for you according to all your desire continuously, and that God, who rules over all, may preserve your kingdom in peace with glory. |
| 5.5 καὶ ὅπως γένηται συμφερόντως καὶ μετὰ ἀσφαλείας ἡ τοῦ ἁγίου νόμου μεταγραφή, παρόντων πάντων, ἐπελεξάμην ἄνδρας καλοὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς πρεσβυτέρους, ἀφ’ ἑκάστης φυλῆς ἕξ, οὓς καὶ ἀπεστάλκαμεν ἔχοντας τὸν νόμον. καλῶς οὖν ποιήσεις, βασιλεῦ δίκαιε, προστάξας ὡς ἂν ἡ μεταγραφὴ γένηται τῶν βιβλίων, ἵνα πάλιν ἀποκατασταθῶσι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀσφαλῶς οἱ ἄνδρες. ἔρρωσο.» | 5.5 And in order that the translation of the holy Law may take place advantageously and with safety, in the presence of all I selected noble and virtuous elders, six from each tribe, whom we have dispatched carrying the Law. You will do well, therefore, righteous King, to order that as soon as the translation of the books is accomplished, these men may be restored to us safely again. Farewell." |
| 5.6 Τούτοις ἐξῆς, πολλὰ διὰ μέσου περὶ τῆς προτεθείσης εἰπὼν πραγματείας, μετὰ τὴν τῶν γραφῶν ἑρμηνείαν ἐπιφέρει αὐτοῖς ῥήμασιν· «Καθὼς δ’ ἀνεγνώσθη ταῦτα τὰ τεύχη, στάντες οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ τῶν ἑρμηνέων οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ πολιτεύματος οἵ τε ἡγούμενοι τοῦ πλήθους εἶπον· Ἐπεὶ καλῶς καὶ ὁσίως διηρμήνευται καὶ κατὰ πᾶν ἀκριβῶς, καλῶς ἔχον ἐστίν, ἵνα διαμένῃ ταῦθ’ οὕτως ἔχοντα, καὶ μὴ γένηται μηδεμία διασκευή. πάντων δὲ ἐπιφωνησάντων τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ἐκέλευσαν ἐπαρᾶσθαι, καθὼς ἔθος ἐστὶν αὐτοῖς, εἴ τις διασκευάσει προστιθεὶς ἢ μεταφέρων τι τὸ σύνολον τῶν γεγραμμένων ἢ ποιούμενος ἀφαίρεσιν, καλῶς τοῦτο πράσσοντες, ἵνα διὰ παντὸς ἀέναα μένοντα φυλάσσηται. | 5.6 Following these things, after speaking at length in the intervening passage about the proposed undertaking, [the author] adds in these very words after the translation of the Scriptures: "And as these scrolls were read, the priests and the elders of the translators, and those of the political community and the leaders of the people, stood up and said: 'Since the translation has been executed so well, piously, and with exactness in every detail, it is fitting that it remain as it is, and that no revision take place.' And when all had acclaimed what was spoken, they ordered that a curse be pronounced, according to their custom, if anyone should alter it by adding to or changing anything at all in what was written, or making an omission—doing this wisely, so that it might be preserved for all time, remaining everlasting. |
| 5.7 προσφωνηθέντων δὲ καὶ τούτων τῷ βασιλεῖ μεγάλως ἐχάρη· τὴν γὰρ πρόθεσιν ἣν εἶχεν ἀσφαλῶς ἔδοξε τετελειῶσθαι. παρανεγνώσθη δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ πάντα, καὶ λίαν ἐξεθαύμασε τὴν τοῦ νομοθέτου διάνοιαν, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Δημήτριον εἶπε· Πῶς τηλικούτων πραγμάτων συντετελεσμένων οὐδεὶς ἐπεβάλετο τῶν ἱστορικῶν οὐδὲ ποιητῶν ἐπιμνησθῆναι; ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἔφη· Διὰ τὸ σεμνὴν εἶναι τὴν νομοθεσίαν καὶ τὸ διὰ θεοῦ γεγονέναι· καὶ τῶν ἐπιβαλλομένων τινὲς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ πληγέντες τῆς ἐπιβολῆς ἀπέστησαν. | 5.7 When these matters were reported to the king, he rejoiced greatly; for the purpose which he held seemed to have been securely fulfilled. And all [the translation] was read aloud to him, and he marveled exceedingly at the mind of the lawgiver, and said to Demetrius: 'How is it that when such great things were accomplished, not one of the historians or poets attempted to make mention of them?' And he replied: 'Because the legislation is sacred and has come to be through God; and some of those who attempted it were struck by God and desisted from the attempt.' |
| 5.8 καὶ γὰρ ἔφησεν ἀκηκοέναι Θεοπόμπου, διότι μέλλων τινὰ τῶν προηρμηνευμένων ἐπισφαλέστερον ἐκ τοῦ νόμου προσιστορεῖν, ταραχὴν λάβοι τῆς διανοίας πλέον ἡμερῶν τριάκοντα· κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἄνεσιν ἐξιλάσκεσθαι τὸν θεὸν σαφὲς αὐτῷ γενέσθαι τίνος χάριν τὸ συμβαῖνόν ἐστι· δι’ ὀνείρου δὲ σημανθέντος ὅτι τὰ θεῖα βούλεται περιεργασάμενος εἰς κοινοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐκφέρειν, ἀποσχόμενον οὕτως ἀποκαταστῆναι. | 5.8 For he said he had heard that Theopompus, when he was about to record in his history certain matters from the Law rather incautiously after they had been translated, suffered a disturbance of mind for more than thirty days; and during a respite he prayed to appease God to make clear to him why this had happened to him. And when it was signified to him in a dream that it was because he wished to publish divine matters to common men out of curiosity, he desisted and was thus restored. |
| 5.9 καὶ παρὰ Θεοδέκτου δὲ τοῦ τῶν τραγῳδιῶν ποιητοῦ μετέλαβον ἐγὼ διότι παραφέρειν μέλλοντός τι τῶν ἀναγεγραμμένων ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ πρός τι δρᾶμα τὰς ὄψεις ἀπεγλαυκώθη, καὶ λαβὼν ὑπόνοιαν ὅτι διὰ ταῦτ’ αὐτῷ γέγονεν, ἐξιλασάμενος τὸν θεόν, ἐν πολλαῖς ἡμέραις ἀποκατέστη. | 5.9 And from Theodectes, the tragic poet, I also learned that when he was about to introduce into a drama something of what had been recorded in the book, his sight was clouded over with cataracts; and suspecting that this had happened to him for this reason, he appeased God and was restored after many days. |
| 5.10 μεταλαβὼν δὲ ὁ βασιλεύς, καθὼς προεῖπον, περὶ τούτων τὰ περὶ τοῦ Δημητρίου προσκυνήσας ἐκέλευσε μεγάλην ἐπιμέλειαν ποιεῖσθαι τῶν βιβλίων καὶ συντηρεῖσθαι ἁγνῶς.» | 5.10 And when the king, as I said before, heard these things from Demetrius concerning these matters, he did homage and ordered that great care be taken of the books and that they be preserved in purity." |
| 5.11 Ταῦθ’ ἡμῖν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ δηλωθέντος ἐπιτετμήσθω γραφῆς. φέρε δὴ καὶ τὸ πολίτευμα τῆς κατὰ Μωσέα νομοθεσίας ἐκ τῶν παρὰ τοῖς ἀνδράσι διαφανῶν θεασώμεθα. πρῶτα δὲ θήσω Φίλωνος τὰ περὶ τῆς ἀπ’ Αἰγύπτου πορείας τῶν Ἰουδίων, ἣν πεποίηνται Μώσεως ἡγουμένου, ἀπὸ τοῦ πρώτου συγγράμματος ὧν ἐπέγραψεν «Ὑποθετικῶν,» ἔνθα τὸν ὑπὲρ Ἰουδαίων, ὡς πρὸς κατηγόρους αὐτῶν, ποιούμενος λόγον ταῦτά φησιν· | 5.11 Let these extracts from the writing of the aforementioned author suffice for us. Come now, let us also view the constitution of the legislation according to Moses from the illustrious writings of these men. First, I shall set forth from Philo what pertains to the departure of the Jews from Egypt, which they made under the leadership of Moses, taken from the first book of those he entitled Hypothetica, where, in making his defense on behalf of the Jews against their accusers, he says the following: |
Chapter 6
In this chapter, Eusebius presents a fragment from Philo of Alexandria's Hypothetica (an apology written to defend the Jewish nation against hostile slurs). Philo recounts the origin of the Jewish nation, tracing their ancestry to Chaldea and describing their Exodus from Egypt under Moses. He addresses anti-Jewish slanders that accused Moses of being a sorcerer or trickster, countering that if Moses were a trickster, it would have been impossible for him to sustain a vast, united populace in a desolate wilderness without revolt. Philo then examines the conquest of Canaan, arguing that whether the Israelites won by superior military strength or gained the land through divine favor and respect from the inhabitants, their success proves they were uniquely blessed by God. He concludes by praising the immutability of the Mosaic laws, noting that over two thousand years, no Jew has altered even a single word, preferring death over betraying their ancestral customs.
| 6.1 «Τὸν μὲν παλαιὸν αὐτοῖς πρόγονον ἀπὸ Χαλδαίων εἶναι, τὸν δὲ λαὸν ἀναστῆναι τοῦτον ἐξ Αἰγύπτου μετῳκισμένον ἀπὸ Συρίας τὸ πάλαι, μυριάσι τε ἀμυθήτοις πλήθοντα, καὶ τῆς γῆς οὐκ οὔσης ἱκανῆς, πρὸς δ’ ἔτι καὶ νεότητι φρονημάτων ἐντεθραμμένον μεγάλως, καὶ ἅμα τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ φασμάτων καὶ ὀνειράτων ἔξοδον αὐτοῖς δηλοῦντος, καὶ οὐδενὸς ἧττον εἰς πόθον κατὰ δαίμονα ἐμπεσόντας τῆς πατρίου καὶ ἀρχαίας γῆς· ὅθεν δὴ καὶ τὸν πρόγονον ἐκεῖνον αὐτοῖς μετὰ τὸ ἐλθεῖν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, εἴτε τῷ θεῷ δὴ δόξαν εἴτε προνοίᾳ τινί, πάντων εὐδαιμονῆσαι μάλιστα, ὡς ἀπ’ ἐκείνου μέχρις εἰς τὸ παρὸν τό τε ἔθνος αὐτοῖς καὶ γεγενῆσθαι καὶ διαμένειν, κἀπὶ τοσοῦτον ὑπερβάλλειν εἰς πολυανδρίαν.» | 6.1 "[He says] that their ancient ancestor was from the Chaldeans, and that this people arose when they migrated out of Egypt, having moved from Syria in ancient times; and that they abounded in untold myriads, since the land was not sufficient for them. Furthermore, they were raised with high spirit, while God at the same time revealed their departure to them through visions and dreams; and no less were they seized by a divine longing for their ancient ancestral land. Hence that ancestor of theirs, after coming into Egypt—whether it pleased God or by some providence—became the most fortunate of all, so that from him down to the present day their nation came into being and has continued, surpassing all in populousness." |
| 6.2 Καὶ μετὰ βραχέα φησίν· «Ἀνήρ γε μὴν αὐτοῖς ἡγεῖτο τῆς τε ἐξόδου καὶ τῆς πορείας εἰς οὐδὲν τῶν πολλῶν, εἰ βούλει, διάφορος· οὕτω καὶ ἐλοιδόρουν γόητα καὶ κέρκωπα λόγων. καλῆς μέντοι γοητείας καὶ πανουργίας, ἐξ ἧς τόν γε λαὸν ἅπαντα ἐν ἀνυδρίᾳ καὶ λιμῷ καὶ τῶν ὁδῶν ἀγνοίᾳ καὶ ἀπορίᾳ τῶν συμπάντων οὐ μόνον εἰς τὸ παντελὲς διεσώσατο, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν εὐθηνίᾳ πάσῃ καὶ παραπομπῇ τῶν μεταξὺ κειμένων ἐθνῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀστασιάστους αὐτοὺς καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν μάλιστα εὐπειθεῖς διεφύλαξε. | 6.2 And a little further on he says: "The man who led them on their departure and journey was in no way different, if you will, from the common run of men; thus they reviled him as a sorcerer and a trickster with words. Yet magnificent was that sorcery and cleverness, by which he not only preserved the entire people to the end through waterless desert, famine, ignorance of the routes, and total lack of provisions—as if in complete abundance and with safe passage through the intervening nations—but also kept them free from civil strife among themselves and exceedingly obedient to himself! |
| 6.3 καὶ ταῦτα οὐκ ὀλίγον δήπου χρόνον, ἀλλ’ ὅσον οὐδ’ οἰκίαν ἐν ὁμοφροσύνῃ συμμεῖναι μετὰ πάσης εὐθηνίας εἰκός ἐστιν. καὶ οὐ δίψος, οὐ λιμός, οὐ φθορὰ σωμάτων, οὐχὶ φόβος περὶ τῶν μελλόντων, οὐκ ἄγνοια τῶν συμβησομένων, ἐπὶ τὸν γόητα ἐκεῖνον ἐπῆρε τοὺς ἐξαπατωμένους καὶ περιφθειρομένους λαούς. | 6.3 And this, mind you, was not for a brief period of time, but for longer than a single household could reasonably be expected to remain together in harmony with every prosperity. Neither thirst, nor hunger, nor physical pestilence, nor fear of the future, nor ignorance of what was to come, aroused those deceived and suffering people against that sorcerer. |
| 6.4 καίτοι τί βούλει, φῶμεν ἐκείνῳ τινὰ εἶναι τοσαύτην τέχνην, ἢ δεινότητα λόγων, ἢ σύνεσιν, ὡς τῶν τοσούτων καὶ τοιούτων ἀτόπων καὶ πρὸς ὄλεθρον ἅπαντας ἀγόντων ἐπικρατεῖν; ἢ γὰρ τὰς φύσεις τῶν ὑπ’ αὐτὸν ἀνθρώπων οὐκ ἀμαθῶς οὐδὲ δυσκόλως, ἀλλ’ εὐπειθῶς καὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος οὐκ ἀπρονοήτως ἔχειν· ἢ τούτους μὲν ὡς μάλιστα κακοὺς εἶναι, τὸν δὲ θεὸν τὰς δυσκολίας αὐτῶν πραύνειν, καὶ τοῦ παρόντος καὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος ὥσπερ ἐπιστατεῖν. ὅπερ γάρ σοι μάλιστα ἂν ἐκ τούτων ἀληθὲς εἶναι δόξῃ, πρὸς ἐπαίνου καὶ τιμῆς καὶ ζήλου περὶ αὐτῶν συμπάντων ἰσχύειν φαίνεται. | 6.4 And yet what shall we say? Shall we say that he possessed such great art, skill in words, or intelligence as to master such immense and terrible hardships that were leading them all to destruction? Either the natures of the men under him were not ignorant or intractable, but obedient and not lacking foresight for the future; or else these men were as bad as could be, but God smoothed their difficulties and presided over both their present and their future. For whichever of these options seems to you to be most true, it clearly redounds to the praise, honor, and admiration of them all. |
| 6.5 καὶ τὰ μὲν τῆς ἐξόδου δὴ ταῦτα. ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην ἦλθον, ὅπως μέν ποτε ἄρα ἱδρύθησαν καὶ τὴν χώραν ἔσχον ἐν ταῖς ἱεραῖς ἀναγραφαῖς δηλοῦται· οὐ μὴν ἔγωγε δικαιῶ μᾶλλον καθ’ ἱστορίαν ἢ κατά τινα λογισμὸν περὶ αὐτῶν τὰ εἰκότα διεξελθεῖν· | 6.5 So much then for the Exodus. But when they came into this land, how they were established and took possession of the country is set forth in the sacred records; yet I do not deem it proper to recount the facts so much according to narrative history as according to reason. |
| 6.6 πότερον γάρ ποτε βούλει τῷ πλήθει τῶν σωμάτων ἔτι περιόντας, καίπερ εἰς τέλος κεκακωμένους, ὅμως δ’ ἰσχύοντας, καὶ τὰ ὅπλα ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντας, εἶτα κατὰ κράτος ἑλεῖν τὴν χώραν, Σύρους τε ὁμοῦ καὶ Φοίνικας ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἐκείνων γῇ μαχομένους νικῶντας· ἢ τοὺς μὲν ἀπολέμους καὶ ἀνάνδρους εἶναι καὶ παντελῶς ὀλίγους ὑποθώμεθα, καὶ τῶν εἰς πόλεμον παρασκευῶν ἀπόρους, αἰδέσεως δὲ τυχεῖν παρὰ τούτοις καὶ τὴν γῆν λαβεῖν παρ’ ἑκόντων, ἔπειτα δ’ εὐθὺς οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν τόν τε νεὼν οἰκοδομῆσαι, καὶ τἄλλα εἰς εὐσέβειαν καὶ ἁγιστείαν καταστήσασθαι; | 6.6 For which alternative do you prefer? That remaining superior in the sheer number of their bodies, though harmed in the end, yet being strong and holding weapons in their hands, they then took the country by force, defeating both Syrians and Phoenicians fighting in their own land? Or shall we suppose that they were unwarlike, cowardly, and exceedingly few, lacking military equipment, but met with reverence among those inhabitants and received the land willingly from them, and then straightway, in short order, built the Temple and established everything else pertaining to piety and holy rites? |
| 6.7 δηλοῖ γάρ, ὡς ἔοικε, ταῦτα καὶ θεοφιλεστάτους αὐτοὺς ἀνωμολογῆσθαι καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς. ἐχθροὶ γὰρ ἦσαν ἐξ ἀνάγκης ὧν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐξαίφνης ἦλθον ὡς ἀφαιρησόμενοι. | 6.7 For these things show, as it seems, that they were acknowledged to be most beloved of God even by their enemies. For enemies they were of necessity, whose land they suddenly entered to dispossess them. |
| 6.8 παρὰ τούτοις δ’ οὖν αἰδέσεως καὶ τιμῆς τυγχάνοντες πῶς οὐχ ὑπερβάλλειν εὐτυχίᾳ τοὺς ἄλλους φαίνονται; τίνα δὲ τὰ δεύτερα ἐφεξῆς, ἢ τὰ τρίτα πρὸς τούτοις λέγωμεν; πότερον τὸ τῆς εὐνομίας καὶ εὐπειθείας αὐτῶν, ἢ τῆς ὁσιότητος καὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ εὐσεβείας; ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν ἄνδρα ἐκεῖνον, ὅστις ποτὲ ἦν ὁ τοὺς νόμους αὐτοῖς θεῖς, οὕτω σφόδρα ἐθαύμασαν ὡς ὅ τι δήποτε ἔδοξεν ἐκείνῳ, καὶ αὐτοῖς. | 6.8 Meeting then with reverence and honor among these people, how do they not appear to excel all others in good fortune? And what shall we state as the second or third points in order after these? Shall it be their lawfulness and obedience, or their holiness, justice, and piety? Indeed, that man, whoever he was, who laid down the laws for them, they so greatly admired that whatever seemed best to him seemed best to them as well. |
| 6.9 εἴτε οὖν λελογισμένος αὐτὸς εἴτε ἀκούων παρὰ δαίμονος ἔφρασε, τοῦτο ἅπαν εἰς τὸν θεὸν ἀνάγειν, καὶ πλειόνων ἐτῶν διεληλυθότων, τὸ μὲν ἀκριβὲς οὐκ ἔχω λέγειν ὁπόσα, πλέον δ’ οὖν ἢ δισχίλια ἔτη, μηδὲ ῥῆμά γε αὐτὸ μόνον τῶν ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ γεγραμμενων κινῆσαι, ἀλλὰ κἂν μυριάκις αὐτοὺς ἀποθανεῖν ὑπομεῖναι θᾶττον ἢ τοῖς ἐκείνου νόμοις καὶ ἔθεσιν ἐναντία πεισθῆναι.» | 6.9 Whether, therefore, he reasoned it out himself or declared it from listening to a divine voice, they attribute it all to God; and though more years have passed than I am able to state precisely—at any rate, more than two thousand years—they have not altered even a single word of what was written by him, but would rather endure dying ten thousand times than be persuaded to act contrary to his laws and customs." |
| 6.10 Ταῦτ’ εἰπὼν ἐπιτέμνεται τὴν ἐκ τῶν Μωσέως νόμων καταβεβλημένην τῷ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνει πολιτείαν, γράφων οὕτως· | 6.10 Having said these things, he summarizes the constitution established for the Jewish nation from the laws of Moses, writing as follows: |
Chapter 7
In this chapter, Eusebius continues his quotation of Philo’s Hypothetica (an apologetic defense of Jewish customs). Philo contrasts the clarity and severity of Jewish law with the complex procedural delays of non-Jewish legal systems. He reviews the absolute authority of Mosaic legislation, highlighting capital penalties for major moral and religious transgressions, the binding nature of sacred vows (qorban), and the humanitarian mandates that govern daily life—including kindness to animals, protection of parents and captives, and fair treatment of strangers.
Philo then describes the practice of weekly Sabbath instruction, where the Jewish community gathers in orderly silence to hear the sacred laws read and interpreted by priests or elders, ensuring full legal literacy across all levels of society. Finally, he explains the rationale behind the Sabbatical Year (Shemittah): resting the land restores soil fertility, and allowing spontaneous produce to be freely consumed by travelers and the needy demonstrates divine benevolence and philanthropy. Eusebius concludes by noting that Flavius Josephus provides a similar account in his defense of Jewish antiquity (Against Apion).
Philo then describes the practice of weekly Sabbath instruction, where the Jewish community gathers in orderly silence to hear the sacred laws read and interpreted by priests or elders, ensuring full legal literacy across all levels of society. Finally, he explains the rationale behind the Sabbatical Year (Shemittah): resting the land restores soil fertility, and allowing spontaneous produce to be freely consumed by travelers and the needy demonstrates divine benevolence and philanthropy. Eusebius concludes by noting that Flavius Josephus provides a similar account in his defense of Jewish antiquity (Against Apion).
| 7.1 «Ἀρά τι τούτων ἢ τούτοις προσόμοιον παρ’ ἐκείνοις ἐστί, πρᾶον εἶναι δοκοῦν καὶ τιθασόν, καὶ δικῶν ἐπαγωγὰς καὶ σκήψεις καὶ ἀναβολὰς καὶ τιμήσεις καὶ πάλιν ὑποτιμήσεις ἔχον; οὐδέν, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἁπλᾶ καὶ δῆλα· ἐὰν παιδεραστῇς, ἐὰν μοιχεύῃς, ἐὰν βιάσῃ παῖδα, (ἄρρενα μὲν μηδὲ λέγε), ἀλλὰ κἂν θήλειαν· ὁμοίως ἐὰν σαυτὸν καταπορνεύῃς, ἐὰν καὶ παρ’ ἡλικίαν αἰσχρόν τι πάθῃς, ἢ δοκῇς, ἢ μέλλῃς, θάνατος ἡ ζημία. | 7.1 "Is there anything among them [other nations] like this or similar to it, appearing gentle and tame, yet having actions at law, pretexts, delays, assessments, and counter-assessments? Nothing at all! Rather, all things are simple and clear: if you commit pederasty, if you commit adultery, if you violate a child (I need not even mention a male, but even a female); likewise if you prostitute yourself, if past your youth you suffer, or seem, or are about to suffer anything shameful, death is the penalty! |
| 7.2 ἐὰν εἰς δοῦλον σῶμα, ἐὰν εἰς ἐλεύθερον ὑβρίζῃς, ἐὰν δεσμοῖς συνέχῃς, ἐὰν ἀπάγων πωλῇς, ἐὰν βέβηλα, ἐὰν ἱερὰ παρακλέπτῃς, ἐὰν ἀσεβῇς, οὐκ ἔργῳ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐὰν ῥήματι τῷ τυχόντι, εἰς μὲν θεὸν αὐτόν, (ἵλεως ἡμῖν ὁ θεὸς καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς περὶ τούτων ἐννοίας γένοιτο, οὐδὲ ἄξιον λέγειν), ἀλλ’ εἰς πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ἢ εὐεργέτην σαυτοῦ, θάνατος ὁμοίως, καὶ οὗτος οὐ κοινὸς οὐδ’ ὁ τυχών, ἀλλὰ δεῖ καταλευσθῆναι τὸν εἰπόντα μόνον, ὡς οὐ χείρονα ἀσεβείας πράξαντα. | 7.2 If you commit outrage against a slave's body or against a free person; if you hold one in bonds; if you carry one off and sell him; if you steal profanities or sacred things; if you commit impiety, not only in deed, but even if by any chance word against God Himself—(may God be merciful to us even for the very thought of these things, nor is it proper to speak of it!)—or against a father or mother or your own benefactor, death likewise is the penalty; and this no common or ordinary death, but the speaker alone must be stoned to death, as having done an act no less than impiety! |
| 7.3 ἄλλα δ’ αὖ πάλιν, ὁποῖά τινα, γυναῖκας ἀνδράσι δουλεύειν, πρὸς ὕβρεως μὲν οὐδεμιᾶς, πρὸς εὐπείθειαν δ’ ἐν ἅπασι· γονεῖς ἄρχειν, ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ καὶ πολυωρίᾳ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ κτημάτων. ἵνα ἕκαστον κύριον εἶναι, μὴ θεόν γε ἐπιφημίσαντα αὐτοῖς, μηδ’ ὡς τῷ θεῷ ταῦτα ἀνίησιν· εἰ δὲ λόγῳ μόνον ὑποσχέσθαι προσπέσοι, ψαῦσαι καὶ θιγεῖν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλ’ εὐθὺς ἁπάντων ἀποκεκλεῖσθαι. | 7.3 But other laws again are of such a kind: that women should be subject to their husbands, not for any outrage, but for obedience in all things; that parents should rule, for the salvation and preservation of their own possessions; that each man should be master of his own property, provided he does not dedicate it to God nor devote these things as to God. But if it should happen that he merely promises by a word, he cannot touch or handle them, but is immediately excluded from all of them. |
| 7.4 μή μοι τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἁρπάζειν, μηδ’ ἀποσυλᾶν ἑτέρων ἀναθέντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν οἰκείων, ὥσπερ ἔφην, προσπεσόν τι καὶ λαθὸν αὐτὸν ῥῆμα ἐπ’ ἀναθέσει εἰπόντα, δὲ πάντων στέρεσθαι, μεταγινώσκοντι δὲ ἢ ἐπανορθουμένῳ τὰ λελεγμένα καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν προσαφαιρεῖσθαι. | 7.4 'Do not rob what belongs to the gods, nor plunder what others have dedicated'; nay, even if a man inadvertently lets slip a word concerning his own possessions in dedication, he is deprived of all; and if he repents or seeks to correct what was spoken, he forfeits his very life! |
| 7.5 καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὧν κυριεύει ὁ αὐτὸς λόγος· ἐὰν ἐπιφημίσῃ τροφὴν γυναικὸς ἀνὴρ ἱερὰν εἶναι, τροφῆς ἀνέχειν· ἐὰν πατὴρ υἱῷ, ἐὰν ἄρχων τῷ ὑπηκόῳ, ταὐτόν. καὶ ἔκλυσις δὲ ἐπιφημισθέντων ἡ μὲν τελειοτάτη καὶ μεγίστη, τοῦ ἱερέως ἀποφήσαντος· ὑπὸ γὰρ τοῦ θεοῦ κύριος οὗτος δέξασθαι· καὶ μετὰ ταύτην δὲ ἡ παρὰ τῶν μᾶλλον ἀεὶ κυρίων ὁσία ἵλεων τὸν θεὸν ἀποφαίνειν, ὡς μηδὲ ἐπάναγκες τὴν ἀνάθεσιν δέχεσθαι. | 7.5 And concerning other things the same principle holds sway: if a husband declares his wife's food to be sacred, he must abstain from that food; if a father to a son, if a ruler to a subject, the same applies. And as for the release from dedicated things, the most complete and greatest occurs when the priest declares it void—for he is appointed by God as authoritative to accept it; and next to this is the release by those who are in each case the superior authority, showing God to be merciful, so that it is not compulsory to accept the dedication. |
| 7.6 μυρία δὲ ἄλλα ἐπὶ τούτοις, ὅσα καὶ ἐπὶ ἀγράφων ἐθῶν καὶ νομίμων, κἀν τοῖς νομίμοις αὐτοῖς. ἅ τις παθεῖν ἐχθαίρει, μὴ ποιεῖν αὐτόν· ἃ μὴ κατέθηκεν, μηδ’ ἀναιρεῖσθαι, μηδ’ ἐκ πρασιᾶς, μηδ’ ἐκ ληνοῦ, μηδ’ ἐξ ἅλωνος· μὴ θημῶνος ὑφαιρεῖσθαι μέγα ἢ μικρὸν ἁπλῶς μηδέν· μὴ πυρὸς δεηθέντι φθονεῖν· μὴ νάματα ὑδάτων ἀποκλείειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πτωχοῖς καὶ πηροῖς τροφὴν ἐρανίζουσι πρὸς τὸν θεὸν εὐαγῶς ἀνέχειν. | 7.6 And there are ten thousand other things besides these, both among unwritten customs and legal ordinances, and within the laws themselves: What one hates to suffer, let him not do himself! What he did not lay down, let him not take up—neither from the garden plot, nor from the winepress, nor from the threshing floor! Let no one take away from a heap, great or small, absolutely nothing! Do not grudge fire to one in need! Do not shut off streams of water, but even to the poor and crippled who gather food, offer it holy before God! |
| 7.7 μὴ ταφῆς νεκρὸν ἐξείργειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ γῆς ὅσον γε εἰς τὴν ὁσίαν προσεπιβάλλειν· μὴ θήκας, μὴ μνήματα ὅλως κατοιχομένων κινεῖν· μὴ δεσμά, μὴ κακὸν μηδὲν πλέον τῷ ἐν ἀνάγκαις προσεπιφέρειν· μὴ γονὴν ἀνδρῶν ἐκτέμνοντας, μὴ γυναικῶν ἀτοκίοις καὶ ἄλλαις μηχαναῖς ἀμβλοῦν· μὴ ζῴοις ἔμπαλιν ἢ κατέδειξεν εἴτ’ οὖν ὁ θεός, εἴτε τις καὶ νομοθέτης, προσφέρεσθαι· μὴ σπέρμα ἀφανίζειν· μὴ γέννημα δουλοῦν· | 7.7 Do not prevent a dead body from burial, but even throw on as much earth as satisfies sacred duty! Do not move tombs or monuments of the departed at all! Do not add bonds or any further harm to one in distress! Do not castrate the offspring of men; do not abort the womb of women with drugs or other contrivance! Do not treat animals contrary to what either God or a lawgiver pointed out! Do not destroy seed! Do not enslave offspring! |
| 7.8 μὴ ζυγὸν ἄδικον ἀνθυποβάλλειν, μὴ χοίνικα ἄμετρον, μὴ νόμισμα ἄδικον· μὴ φίλων ἀπόρρητα ἐν ἔχθρᾳ φαίνειν· ποῖ δὴ πρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῖν τὰ Βουζύγια ἐκεῖνα; ἄλλα δὲ πρὸς τούτοις ὅρα. μὴ παίδων διοικίζειν γονέας, μηδ’ ἂν αἰχμαλώτους ἔχῃς· μὴ γυναῖκα ἀνδρός, κἂν νομίμως ἐωνημένος ᾖ, δεσπότης. | 7.8 Do not put forward an unjust balance, nor an unfair measure, nor counterfeit coin! Do not reveal secrets of friends in enmity! Where, by God, are those famous laws of Bouzyges among us? But look at other things besides these: Do not separate parents from children, not even if you hold them as captives! Do not separate a wife from her husband, even if you are her master by lawful purchase! |
| 7.9 ἦ πού σεμνότερα καὶ μείζω ταῦτα, ἄλλα δὲ μικρὰ καὶ τὰ τυχόντα. μὴ νεοττιάν φησι κατοικίδιον ἐρημοῦν, μὴ ζῴων ἱκεσίαν, οἷα ἔσθ’ ὅτε προσφευγόντων ἀναιρεῖν· μὴ εἴ τι τῶν τοιούτων ἧττόν ἐστιν. οὐδενὸς ἄξια ταῦτά γε εἴποις ἄν· ἀλλ’ ὅ γε ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς νόμος ἐστὶ μέγας, καὶ πάσης ἐπιμελείας αἴτιος, καὶ αἱ προρρήσεις μεγάλαι, καὶ ἀραὶ κατά τε ἐξωλείας, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐπόπτης τῶν τοιούτων, καὶ τιμωρὸς ἁπανταχοῦ. | 7.9 Surely these laws are grander and greater, while others are minor and ordinary. He says: Do not desolate a domestic nest; do not slay animals that seek refuge as suppliants, such as sometimes flee to you; nor anything else of this kind, even if lesser. You might say these are worth nothing; yet the law concerning them is great and the cause of all diligence, and the warnings are great, and the curses lead to utter destruction, and God is the overseer of such things and a punisher everywhere. |
| 7.10 Καὶ μετὰ βραχέα φησίν· «Ὅλην δὲ ἡμέραν τύχοι, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ μίαν, ἀλλὰ πολλάς, καὶ ταύτας οὐκ εὐθὺς ἐφεξῆς ἀλλήλαις, ἀλλ’ ἐκ διαλειμμάτων, (καὶ τούτων δὲ παρ’ ἑπτά, κρατοῦντος, ὡς καὶ εἰκὸς ἀεί, τοῦ παρὰ τὰς βεβήλους ἔθους), μηδὲν ἂν παραβῆναι τῶν προστεταγμένων, οὐ θαυμάζεις; | 7.10 And a little further on he says: 'Would you not marvel that during a whole day—or rather not just one day, but many, and these not consecutively, but at intervals (and these every seven days, the practice of profane nations prevailing as is always natural)—they should violate none of the things commanded? |
| 7.11 ἆρ’ οὐ πρὸς ἀσκήσεως μόνον αὐτοῖς τοῦτο ἐγκρατείας ἐστίν, ὡς ἐξ ἴσου καὶ δρᾶν τι πονοῦντας καὶ ἀνέχειν ἰσχύειν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων, εἰ δέοι; οὐ δῆτα. ἀλλ’ εἰ καὶ πρὸς ἔργου μεγάλου καὶ θαυμαστοῦ τινος ᾠήθη δεῖν ὁ νομοθέτης, αὐτοὺς μὴ τἄλλα μόνον ἱκανοὺς εἶναι δρᾶν καὶ μὴ δρᾶν ὡσαύτως, ἀλλ’ ἔτι καὶ τῶν πατρίων νόμων καὶ ἐθῶν ἐμπείρως ἔχειν. | 7.11 Was this then for them not merely an exercise in self-control, so that they might be equally strong both to work at labor and to abstain from works if necessary? Surely not! But if the lawgiver thought it necessary for some great and wonderful work, that they should be capable not only of doing and not doing other things likewise, but also of being well experienced in their ancestral laws and customs. |
| 7.12 τί οὖν ἐποίησε ταῖς ἑβδόμαις ταύταις ἡμέραις; αὐτοὺς εἰς ταὐτὸν ἠξίου συνάγεσθαι καὶ καθεζομένους μετ’ ἀλλήλων σὺν αἰδοῖ καὶ κόσμῳ τῶν νόμων ἀκροᾶσθαι τοῦ μηδένα ἀγνοῆσαι χάριν. | 7.12 What then did he do on these seventh days? He deemed it right that they should assemble together in the same place and, sitting with one another in reverence and order, hear the laws, so that no one might be ignorant of them. |
| 7.13 καὶ δῆτα συνέρχονται μὲν ἀεὶ καὶ συνεδρεύουσι μετ’ ἀλλήλων, οἱ μὲν πολλοὶ σιωπῇ, πλὴν εἴ τι προσεπιφημίσαι τοῖς ἀναγινωσκομένοις νομίζεται· τῶν ἱερέων δέ τις ὁ παρών, ἢ τῶν γερόντων εἷς ἀναγινώσκει τοὺς ἱεροὺς νόμους αὐτοῖς, καὶ καθ’ ἕκαστον ἐξηγεῖται μέχρι σχεδὸν δείλης ὀψίας· κἀκ τοῦδε ἀπολύονται τῶν τε νόμων τῶν ἱερῶν ἐμπείρως ἔχοντες καὶ πολὺ δὴ πρὸς εὐσέβειαν ἐπιδεδωκότες. | 7.13 And indeed they always come together and sit with one another, the majority in silence, except if it is customary to add any praise to what is read; and one of the priests present or one of the elders reads the sacred laws to them and explains them point by point until almost late afternoon. And from this they are dismissed, being experienced in the sacred laws and having advanced greatly in piety. |
| 7.14 ἀρά σοι οὐ δοκεῖ ταῦτα παντὸς σπουδάσματος μᾶλλον ἀναγκαῖα αὐτοῖς; τοιγαροῦν οὐκ ἐπὶ θεσμῳδοὺς ἔρχονται περὶ τῶν πρακτέων, καὶ μὴ διερωτῶντες οὐδὲ καθ’ ἑαυτοὺς ὑπ’ ἀγνοίας τῶν νόμων ῥᾳδιουργοῦσιν, ἀλλ’ ὅντινα αὐτῶν κινεῖς καὶ περὶ τῶν πατρίων διαπυνθάνῃ, προχείρως ἔχει καὶ ῥᾳδίως εἰπεῖν, καὶ ἀνὴρ γυναικί, καὶ παισὶ πατήρ, καὶ δούλοις δεσπότης ἱκανὸς εἶναι δοκεῖ τοὺς νόμους παραδιδόναι. | 7.14 Does it not seem to you that these things are more necessary for them than any other pursuit? Therefore they do not go to legal interpreters concerning what should be done, nor do they act recklessly out of ignorance of the laws when inquiring among themselves; but whichever of them you move and question about ancestral customs, he is ready and able to speak easily; and a husband seems capable of transmitting the laws to his wife, a father to his children, and a master to his slaves. |
| 7.15 καὶ μὴν περὶ τοῦ γε ἔτους τοῦ ἑβδόμου ῥᾴδιον ὡσαύτως λέγειν, οὐ μὴν ταὐτὸν ἴσως. οὐ γὰρ αὐτοὶ τῶν ἔργων ἀφεστᾶσιν, ὥσπερ ταῖς ἑβδόμαις ἐκείναις ἡμέραις· ἀλλὰ τὴν γῆν ἀργὴν ἀφιᾶσιν εἰς τὰ μέλλοντα αὖθις, εὐθενείας χάριν. πολὺ γὰρ διαφέρειν αὐτὴν ἀνάπαυλαν λαβοῦσαν, εἶτα δὲ εἰς νέωτα γεωργεῖσθαι, καὶ μὴ τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῆς ἐργασίας κατεξάνθαι. | 7.15 And indeed concerning the seventh year, it is likewise easy to speak, though perhaps not the same. For they do not themselves abstain from work as on those seventh days; but they leave the land fallow for future times, for the sake of abundance. For it makes a great difference for it to receive rest, and then to be cultivated the following year, rather than to be worn out by continuous cultivation. |
| 7.16 ταὐτὸν δὲ καὶ περὶ τὰ σώματα ἂν ἴδοις συμβαῖνον εἰς ῥώμην· οὐ γὰρ δὴ πρὸς ὑγείαν μόνον διαλείμματα καί τινας ἀναπαύλας ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων τοὺς ἰατροὺς προστάττοντας· τὸ γὰρ συνεχὲς καὶ ὁμοιοειδὲς ἀεί, μάλιστα δὲ ἐπ’ ἔργων, βλάπτειν ἔοικε. | 7.16 You might see the same thing happening to bodies with respect to strength; for physicians do not prescribe intervals and rests from labor merely for health; for continuous and uniform activity always, especially in physical work, seems to do harm. |
| 7.17 σημεῖον δέ· τὴν γὰρ γῆν αὐτὴν εἴ τις ἐπαγγέλλοιτο αὐτοῖς ἐξεργάσεσθαι πολὺ μᾶλλον ἢ πρόσθεν τὸ ἕβδομον ἔτος τουτὶ καὶ τῶν καρπῶν πάντων συμπαραχωρήσειν ὅλων, οὐκ ἂν οὐδαμῶς δέξαιντο. οὐ γὰρ αὐτοὶ τῶν πόνων ἀνέχειν οἴονται δεῖν μόνοι· (καίτοι κἂν εἰ τοῦτ’ ἐποίουν, οὐδὲν ἂν θαυμαστὸν ἦν·) ἀλλὰ τὴν χώραν αὐτοῖς ἄνεσίν τινα καὶ ῥᾳστώνην, εἰς ἀρχὴν ἑτέραν τῆς αὖθις ἐπιμελείας καὶ γεωργίας, λαβεῖν. | 7.17 And here is proof: if anyone should offer to them to cultivate the land itself much more than before during this seventh year and to surrender all the crops entirely, they would by no means accept it. For they do not think that they alone ought to abstain from labor—(and yet even if they did this, it would be nothing to marvel at)—but that the land itself should receive some relaxation and ease for a new beginning of subsequent care and agriculture. |
| 7.18 ἐπεὶ τί ἐκώλυε πρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρελθόντος ἔτους αὐτὴν προεκδοῦναι καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἐργαζομένων τὸν ἐκείνων φόρον τοῦ ἔτους ἐκλέγειν; ἀλλ’, ὥσπερ ἔφην, κατ’ οὐδένα τρόπον οὐδὲν τῶν τοιούτων, προνοίᾳ, μοι δοκεῖ, τῆς χώρας, ἐκδέχονται. | 7.18 For by God, what prevented them from leasing it out beforehand during the past year and collecting the year's tax from the workers? But as I said, in no way do they accept any such thing, out of foresight, it seems to me, for the land. |
| 7.19 τῆς δὲ φιλανθρωπίας αὐτῶν καὶ τοῦτο μέγα ὡς ἀληθῶς σημεῖον. ἐπεὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ τῶν ἔργων ἐκείνου τοῦ ἔτους ἀνέχουσι, τοὺς γινομένους καρποὺς οὐκ οἴονται δεῖν συλλέγειν οὐδ’ ἀποτίθεσθαι, μὴ ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων πόνων περιόντας αὐτοῖς· ἀλλ’, ἅτε τοῦ θεοῦ παρεσχηκότος αὐτοῖς, ἀνιείσης ἐπ’ αὐτομάτου τῆς γῆς, τοὺς βουλομένους ἢ δεομένους τῶν τε ὁδοιπόρων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀξιοῦσι μετὰ ἀδείας χρῆσθαι. | 7.19 And this is truly a great sign of their philanthropy. For since they themselves abstain from the labors of that year, they do not think they ought to gather or store up the crops that grow, since these do not remain to them from their own labors; but, inasmuch as God has provided them, the earth sending them forth spontaneously, they deem it right that anyone who wishes or needs, both wayfarers and others, may use them with security. |
| 7.20 καὶ περὶ μὲν τούτων ἅλις σοι. τὸ γὰρ ταῖς ἑβδόμαις ἤδη τὸν νόμον αὐτοῖς στῆσαι, ταῦτα οὐκ ἂν ἐμὲ ἀπαιτήσαις, ἴσως πολλῶν πολλάκις καὶ ἰατρῶν καὶ φυσιόλογων καὶ φιλοσόφων ἀκηκοὼς περὶ τούτου πρότερον, ἥντιν’ ἄρα δύναμιν ἔχει πρός τε τὴν τῶν συμπάντων καὶ δὴ πρὸς τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν φύσιν. οὗτος ὁ τῆς ἑβδόμης λόγος.» | 7.20 And enough for you concerning these things. For as to his establishing the law for them on the seventh days, you would not demand this of me, having perhaps often heard before from many physicians, natural philosophers, and philosophers about what power it has both toward the nature of all things and indeed toward human nature. This is the account of the seventh day.' |
| 7.21 Τοσαῦτα μὲν ὁ Φίλων. ὅμοια δ’ αὐτῷ καὶ Ἰώσηπος ἱστορεῖ ἐν δευτέρῳ συγγράμματι ὧν πεποίηται Περὶ τῆς τῶν Ἰουδίων ἀρχαιότητος, τοῦτον γράφων καὶ αὐτὸς τὸν τρόπον· | 7.21 So much then says Philo. And Josephus records things similar to him in the second book of his treatise On the Antiquity of the Jews [Against Apion], writing himself in this manner:" |
Chapter 8
This chapter quotes directly from Flavius Josephus' Contra Apionem (Book 2, chapter 8, verses 164–228), followed by a brief concluding transitional comment by Eusebius (8.56–8.57).
In this famous defense of Judaism, Josephus demonstrates the superiority and divine origin of the Mosaic constitution:
In this famous defense of Judaism, Josephus demonstrates the superiority and divine origin of the Mosaic constitution:
1) Theocratic Governance: Moses established a unique theocracy—attributing all power and virtue to God rather than dividing rule among monarchies, oligarchies, or democracies.
2) Hedge of Education & Law: Unlike the Spartans (who focused only on habit/practice) or the Athenians (who focused only on theory/precepts), Moses combined rigorous instruction (logos) with daily continuous habit (askesis). The Law is memorized from childhood and embedded in the soul.
3) Ethical & Social Order: The Law governs all aspects of life—worship, marriage, raising children, funeral practices, honoring parents, and showing charity and fairness toward strangers and enemies.
4) Unwavering Fidelity: While Greek philosophers and Spartan laws failed under shifting fortunes or remained restricted to small elites, Jews of all walks of life willingly suffer torture or death rather than violate a single command of God.
| 8.1 Τίς δ’ ἦν ὁ μάλιστα κατορθώσας τοὺς νόμους καὶ τῆς δικαιοτάτης περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ πίστεως ἐπιτυχὼν πάρεστιν ἐξ αὐτῶν κατανοεῖν τῶν νόμων ἀντιπαραβάλλοντας· ἤδη γὰρ περὶ τούτων λεκτέον. | 8.1 Who it was that most successfully instituted laws and attained to the most righteous faith concerning God, one may understand from the laws themselves by making a comparison; for we must now speak concerning these matters. |
| 8.2 Οὐκοῦν ἄπειροι μὲν αἱ κατὰ μέρος τῶν ἐθῶν καὶ τῶν νόμων παρὰ τοῖς ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις διαφοραί, κεφαλαιωδῶς δ’ ἄν τις ἐπίει. | 8.2 While the particular differences of customs and laws among all mankind are infinite, one might summarize them under main heads. |
| 8.3 Οἱ μὲν γὰρ μοναρχίαις, οἱ δὲ ταῖς ὀλίγων δυναστείαις, ἄλλοι δὲ τοῖς πλήθεσιν ἐπέτρεψαν τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῶν πολιτευμάτων, ὁ δ’ ἡμέτερος νομοθέτης εἰς μὲν τούτων οὐδ’ ὁτιοῦν ἀπεῖδεν, ὡς δ’ ἄν τις εἴποι βιασάμενος τὸν λόγον θεοκρατίαν ἀπέδειξε τὸ πολίτευμα, θεῷ τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τὸ κράτος ἀναθείς, καὶ πείσας εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἅπαντας ἀφορᾶν ὡς αἴτιον μὲν ἁπάντων ὄντα τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἃ κοινῇ τε πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ὑπάρχει καὶ ὅσων ἔτυχον αὐτοὶ δεηθέντες ἐν ἀμηχάνοις· λαθεῖν δὲ τὴν ἐκείνου γνώμην οὐκ ἐνὸν οὔτε τι τῶν πραττομένων οὐδὲν οὔθ’ ὧν ἄν τις παρ’ αὑτῷ διανοηθείη. | 8.3 For some entrusted the authority of their states to monarchies, others to oligarchies, and others to the masses. But our lawgiver turned his eyes to none of these; rather—if one may speak forcing the term—he declared the constitution to be a theocracy, attributing the rule and the power to God, and persuading all to look to Him as the cause of all good things—both those which belong in common to all men and whatever they themselves obtained when petitioning Him in desperate circumstances. He declared that it is impossible for any of man’s actions or even any inner thoughts to escape His notice. |
| 8.4 Ἀλλ’ αὐτὸν ἀπέφηνεν ἀγέννητον καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀίδιον χρόνον ἀναλλοίωτον, πάσης ἰδέας θνητῆς κάλλει διαφέροντα, καὶ δυνάμει μὲν ἡμῖν γνώριμον, ὁποῖος δὲ κατ’ οὐσίαν ἐστὶν ἄγνωστον. | 8.4 Furthermore, he revealed Him to be unbegotten and unchangeable for eternal time, surpassing all mortal form in beauty, known to us by His power, yet unknown as to what He is in His essence. |
| 8.5 Ταῦτα περὶ θεοῦ φρονεῖν οἱ σοφώτατοι παρ’ Ἕλλησιν ὅτι μὲν ἐδιδάχθησαν, ἐκείνου τὰς ἀρχὰς παρασχόντος, ἐῶ νῦν λέγειν· ὅτι δέ ἐστι καλὰ καὶ πρέποντα τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ φύσει καὶ μεγαλειότητι σφόδρα μεμαρτυρήκασι· καὶ γὰρ Πυθαγόρας καὶ Ἀναξαγόρας καὶ Πλάτων οἵ τε μετ’ ἐκεῖνον ἀπὸ τῆς Στοᾶς φιλόσοφοι καὶ μικροῦ δεῖν ἅπαντες οὕτω φαίνονται περὶ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ φύσεως πεφρονηκότες. | 8.5 Now as to the fact that the wisest among the Greeks were taught to think these things concerning God because He provided the starting points, I omit to speak for now; but that these views are noble and fitting to the nature and majesty of God, they have strongly testified. Indeed, Pythagoras, Anaxagoras, Plato, and the philosophers of the Stoa who followed him, and almost all others, appear to have thought thus concerning the nature of God. |
| 8.6 Ἀλλ’ οἱ μὲν πρὸς ὀλίγους φιλοσοφοῦντες εἰς πλήθη δόξαις κατειλημμένα τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ δόγματος ἐξενεγκεῖν οὐκ ἐτόλμησαν, ὁ δ’ ἡμέτερος νομοθέτης, ἅτε δὴ τὰ ἔργα παρέχων τοῖς νόμοις σύμφωνα, οὐ μόνον τοὺς καθ’ ἑαυτὸν ἔπεισεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἐξ ἐκείνων ἀεὶ γενησομένοις τὴν περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ πίστιν ἐνέφυσεν ἀμετακίνητον. | 8.6 But while these men philosophized for the few, they did not dare to deliver the truth of their doctrine to crowds held fast by popular opinions. Our lawgiver, however, by making his deeds harmonize with his laws, not only persuaded his contemporaries, but also implanted in their descendants for all time an unshakeable faith in God. |
| 8.7 Αἴτιον δ’ ότι καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς νομοθεσίας πρὸς τὸ χρήσιμον πάντων πολὺ διήνεγκεν. Οὐ γὰρ μέρος ἀρετῆς ἐποίησε τὴν εὐσέβειαν, ἀλλὰ ταύτης μέρη τὰ ἄλλα συνεῖδε καὶ κατέστησε· λέγω δὲ τὴν δικαιοσύνην, τὴν σωφροσύνην, τὴν καρτερίαν, τὴν τῶν πολιτῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐν ἅπασι συμφωνίαν. | 8.7 The reason is that in the method of his legislation he far excelled all others in utility. For he did not make piety merely a part of virtue, but he recognized and established all other virtues as parts of piety—I mean justice, self-control, endurance, and the harmony of the citizens with one another in all things. |
| 8.8 Ἅπασαι γὰρ αἱ πράξεις καὶ διατριβαὶ καὶ λόγοι πάντες ἐπὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν εὐσέβειαν ἔχουσι τὴν ἀναφοράν· οὐδὲν γὰρ τούτων ἀνεξέταστον οὐδ’ ἀόριστον παρέλιπεν. | 8.8 For all actions, pursuits, and speech among us have reference to our piety toward God; for he left none of these unexamined or undefined. |
| 8.9 Δύο μὲν γάρ εἰσιν ἁπάσης παιδείας τρόποι καὶ τῆς περὶ τὰ ἤθη κατασκευῆς, ὧν ὁ μὲν λόγῳ διδασκαλικὸς, ὁ δὲ διὰ τῆς ἀσκήσεως τῶν ἠθῶν· οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι νομοθέται ταῖς γνώμαις διέστησαν καὶ τὸν ἕτερον αὐτῶν ὃν ἔδοξεν ἑκάστοις ἑλόμενοι τὸν ἕτερον παρέλιπον· οἷον Λακεδαιμόνιοι μὲν καὶ Κρῆτες ἔθεσιν ἐπαίδευον, οὐ λόγοις, Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ καὶ σχεδὸν οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες Ἕλληνες ἃ μὲν χρὴ πράττειν ἢ μὴ προσέταττον διὰ τῶν νόμων, τοῦ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὰ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐθίζειν ὠλιγώρουν. | 8.9 For there are two modes of all education and moral discipline: one is instructional by word, the other through the practice of morals. Now other lawgivers were divided in their views, and each choosing the one method that pleased them, neglected the other. For example, the Lacedaemonians and Cretans educated by customs, not by words; whereas the Athenians and almost all other Greeks commanded through laws what ought or ought not to be done, but neglected to accustom the citizens to them through actual practice. |
| 8.10 Ὁ δ’ ἡμέτερος νομοθέτης ἄμφω ταῦτα συνήρμοσε κατὰ πολλὴν ἐπιμέλειαν· οὔτε γὰρ κωφὴν ἀπέλιπε τὴν τῶν ἠθῶν ἄσκησιν οὔτε τὸν ἐκ τοῦ νόμου λόγον ἄπρακτον εἴασεν, ἀλλ’ εὐθὺς ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης ἀρξάμενος τροφῆς καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸν οἶκον ἑκάστων διαίτης οὐδὲν οὐδὲ τῶν βραχυτάτων αὐτεξούσιον ἐπὶ ταῖς βουλήσεσι τῶν χρησομένων κατέλιπεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ σιτίων ὅσων ἀπέχεσθαι χρὴ καὶ τίνα προσφέρεσθαι, καὶ περὶ τῶν κοινωνησάντων τῆς διαίτης, ἔργων τε συντονίας καὶ τοὔμπαλιν ἀναπαύσεως ὅρον ἔθηκεν αὐτὸς καὶ κανόνα τὸν νόμον, ἵν’ ὥσπερ ὑπὸ πατρὶ τούτῳ καὶ δεσπότῃ ζῶντες μήτε βουλόμενοι μηδὲν μήθ’ ὑπ’ ἀγνοίας ἁμαρτάνωμεν. | 8.10 But our lawgiver harmonized both of these with great care. For he neither left the practice of morals mute, nor did he suffer the word of the law to remain ineffective; but starting right from the first nurture and the household life of each individual, he left not even the smallest detail to the arbitrary choice of those who would use it. Rather, concerning what foods one must abstain from and which to consume, concerning those who share in meals, and regarding the strain of work and conversely rest, he himself established the Law as a boundary and rule, so that living under it as under a father and master, we might commit no sin either willingly or out of ignorance. |
| 8.11 Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὴν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγνοίας ὑποτίμησιν κατέλιπεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κάλλιστον καὶ ἀναγκαιότατον ἀπέδειξε παίδευμα τὸν νόμον, οὐκ εἰσάπαξ ἀκροασαμένοις, οὐδὲ δὶς ἢ πολλάκις, ἀλλ’ ἑκάστης ἑβδομάδος τῶν ἄλλων ἔργων ἀφεμένους ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκρόασιν ἐκέλευσε τοῦ νόμου συλλέγεσθαι καὶ τοῦτον ἀκριβῶς ἐκμανθάνειν· ὃ δὴ πάντες ἐοίκασιν οἱ νομοθέται παραλιπεῖν. | 8.11 For he did not even leave room for the excuse of ignorance, but appointed the Law to be the noblest and most necessary instruction—not to be heard once only, nor twice or a few times, but he commanded that every week, setting aside other works, men should assemble for the hearing of the Law and learn it thoroughly; a practice which all other lawgivers seem to have neglected. |
| 8.12 Καὶ τοσοῦτον οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπέχουσι τοῦ κατὰ τοὺς οἰκείους ζῆν νόμους ὥστε σχεδὸν αὐτοὺς οὐδ’ ἴσασιν· ἀλλ’ ὅταν ἐξαμαρτάνωσι, τότε παρ’ ἄλλων μανθάνουσιν ὅτι τὸν νόμον παραβεβήκασιν. Οἵ τε τὰς μεγίστας καὶ κυριωτάτας παρ’ αὐτοῖς ἀρχὰς διοικοῦντες ὁμολογοῦσι τὴν ἄγνοιαν· ἐπιστάτας γὰρ παρακαθίστανται τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων οἰκονομίας τοὺς ἐμπειρίαν ἔχειν τῶν νόμων ὑπισχνουμένους. | 8.12 Indeed, most men are so far from living according to their own laws that they hardly even know them; but when they commit an offense, only then do they learn from others that they have transgressed the law. Even those who hold the greatest and most sovereign offices among them confess their ignorance, appointing experts as assessors in the administration of affairs who promise to have experience in the laws. |
| 8.13 Ἡμῶν δ’ ὁντινοῦν τις ἕλοιτο, τοὺς νόμους ῥᾷον ἄν τις εἴποι πάντας ἢ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἑαυτοῦ. Τοιγαροῦν ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης εὐθὺς αἰσθήσεως αὐτοὺς ἐκμανθάνοντες ἔχομεν ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὥσπερ ἐγκεχαραγμένους· καὶ σπάνιος μὲν ὁ παραβαίνων, ἀδύνατος δ’ ἡ τῆς κολάσεως παραίτησις. | 8.13 But if any of us were questioned, anyone could recite all the laws more easily than his own name. Therefore, learning them right from our first consciousness, we hold them engraved as it were in our souls; transgressors are rare, and escape from punishment is impossible. |
| 8.14 Τοῦτο πρῶτον ἁπάντων τὴν θαυμαστὴν ὁμόνοιαν ἡμῖν ἐμπεποίηκε. Τὸ γὰρ μίαν μὲν ἔχειν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν δόξαν περὶ θεοῦ, τῷ βίῳ δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἔθεσι μηδὲν ἀλλήλων διαφέρειν, καλλίστην ἐν ἤθεσιν ἀνθρώπων συμφωνίαν ἀποτελεῖ. | 8.14 This, first of all, has produced a wonderful harmony among us. For having one and the same belief concerning God, and differing not at all in life and customs, creates the finest concord in human morals. |
| 8.15 Παρ’ ἡμῖν γὰρ μόνοις οὔτε περὶ θεοῦ λόγους ἀκούσεται τοὺς ἀλλήλοις ὑπεναντίους, ὁποῖα πολλὰ παρ’ ἑτέροις· οὐχ ὑπὸ τῶν τυχόντων γὰρ μόνον τὸ κατὰ τὸ προσπεσὸν ἑκάστῳ λέγεται πάθος, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρά τισι τῶν φιλοσόφων ἀποτετόλμηται, τῶν μὲν τὴν ὅλην τοῦ θεοῦ φύσιν ἀναιρεῖν τοῖς λόγοις ἐπικεχειρηκότων, ἄλλων δὲ τὴν ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων αὐτὸν πρόνοιαν ἀφαιρουμένων· οὐδ’ ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασι τῶν βίων ὄψεται διαφορὰν, ἀλλὰ κοινὰ μὲν ἔργα πάντων παρ’ ἡμῖν, εἷς δ’ ὁ λόγος ὁ τῷ νόμῳ συμφωνῶν περὶ θεοῦ, πάντα λέγων ἐκεῖνον ἐφορᾶν. | 8.15 For among us alone will one hear no statements concerning God that contradict one another, such as abound among others. For not only is whatever strikes each person spoken by ordinary people according to their passions, but even among some philosophers such audacity has been attempted—some trying by their arguments to destroy the whole nature of God, while others remove His providence over mankind. Nor will one see any difference in the pursuits of life; rather, works are common to all among us, and there is one discourse concerning God that harmonizes with the Law, affirming that He oversees all things. |
| 8.16 Καὶ μὴν περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν βίον ἐπιτηδευμάτων, ὅτι δεῖ πάντα τὰ ἄλλα τέλος ἔχειν τὴν εὐσέβειαν, καὶ γυναικῶν ἀκούσειεν ἄν τις καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν. Ὅθεν δὴ καὶ τὸ προσφερόμενον ἡμῖν ὑπό τινων ἔγκλημα, τὸ δὴ μὴ καινῶν εὑρετὰς ἔργων ἢ λόγων ἄνδρας παρασχεῖν, ἐντεῦθεν συμβέβηκεν. | 8.16 Furthermore, regarding the pursuits of daily life—that all other things must have piety as their end—one may hear even from women and domestic servants. Hence the charge brought against us by some, namely that we have produced no men who are discoverers of new works or words, arises from this very cause. |
| 8.17 Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοι τὸ μηδενὶ τῶν πατρίων ἐμμένειν καλὸν εἶναι νομίζουσι, καὶ τοῖς μάλιστα τολμῶσι ταῦτα παραβαίνειν σοφίας δεινότητα μαρτυροῦσιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ τοὐναντίον μίαν εἶναι καὶ φρόνησιν καὶ ἀρετὴν ὑπειλήφαμεν, τὸ μηδὲν ὅλως ὑπεναντίον μήτε πρᾶξαι μήτε διανοηθῆναι τοῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς νομοθετηθεῖσιν. | 8.17 For others consider it noble not to abide by any ancestral customs, and they credit those who dare to transgress them most with cleverness of wisdom; but we, on the contrary, hold that wisdom and virtue consist solely in doing and thinking nothing at all contrary to what was originally legislated. |
| 8.18 Ὅπερ εἰκότως ἂν εἴη τεκμήριον τοῦ κάλλιστα τὸν νόμον τεθῆναι. Τὰ γὰρ μὴ τοῦτον ἔχοντα τὸν τρόπον αἱ πεῖραι δεόμεναι διορθώσεως ἐλέγχουσιν· ἡμῖν δὲ τοῖς πεισθεῖσιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς τεθῆναι τὸν νόμον κατὰ θεοῦ βούλησιν οὐδ’ εὐσεβὲς ἦν ἔτι τοῦτο μὴ φυλάττειν. | 8.18 Which might reasonably be a proof that the Law was instituted in the finest manner. For laws that are not of this character are exposed by trials that demand correction; but for us who were persuaded from the beginning that the Law was laid down according to the will of God, it was no longer even pious not to preserve it. |
| 8.19 Τί γὰρ αὐτοῦ τις ἂν μετακινήσειεν; ἢ τί κάλλιον ἐξεῦρεν; ἢ τί παρ’ ἑτέρων ὡς ἄμεινον μετήνεγκεν; ἆρά γε τὴν ὅλην κατάστασιν τοῦ πολιτεύματος; καὶ τίς ἂν καλλίων ἢ δικαιοτέρα γένοιτο τῆς τὸν θεὸν μὲν ἡγεμόνα τῶν ὅλων ἡγεῖσθαι πεποιημένης, τοῖς ἱερεῦσι δὲ κοινῇ μὲν τὰ μέγιστα διοικεῖν ἐπιτρεπούσης, τῷ δὲ πάντων ἀρχιερεῖ πάλιν πεπιστευκυίας τὴν τῶν ἄλλων ἱερέων ἡγεμονίαν; | 8.19 For what could anyone alter in it? Or what finer thing could one discover? Or what better thing could one borrow from others? The whole structure of the constitution? And what could be finer or more just than one which makes God the leader of all things, entrusts the chief administration in common to the priests, and has entrusted the leadership over the other priests in turn to the High Priest of all? |
| 8.20 Οὓς οὐ κατὰ πλοῦτον οὐδέ τισιν ἄλλαις προύχοντας πλεονεξίαις τὸ πρῶτον εὐθὺς ὁ νομοθέτης ἐπὶ τὴν τιμὴν ἔταξεν, ἀλλ’ ὅσοι τῶν μετ’ αὐτοῦ πειθοῖ τε καὶ σωφροσύνῃ τῶν ἄλλων διέφερον, τούτοις τὴν περὶ τὸν θεὸν θεραπείαν ἐνεχείρισεν. | 8.20 Whom the lawgiver did not appoint to this honor at the outset because of wealth or any other superior advantage, but assigned the service of God to those who excelled others in persuasion and self-control. |
| 8.21 Τοῦτο δ’ ἦν καὶ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτηδευμάτων ἀκριβὴς ἐπιμέλεια· καὶ γὰρ ἐπόπται πάντων καὶ δικασταὶ τῶν ἀμφισβητουμένων καὶ κολασταὶ τῶν κατεγνωσμένων οἱ ἱερεῖς ἐτάχθησαν. | 8.21 And this was an exact supervision both of the Law and of other pursuits; for the priests were appointed overseers of all things, judges of disputes, and punishers of those who were condemned. |
| 8.22 Τίς ἂν οὖν ἀρχὴ γένοιτο ταύτης ὁσιωτέρα; τίς δὲ τιμὴ θεῷ μᾶλλον ἁρμόζουσα; παντὸς μὲν τοῦ πλήθους κατεσκευασμένου πρὸς τὴν εὐσέβειαν, ἐξαίρετον δὲ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τῶν ἱερέων πεπιστευμένων, ὥσπερ δὲ τελετῆς τινος τῆς ὅλης πολιτείας οἰκονομουμένης. | 8.22 What governance then could be more holy than this? Or what honor more fitting for God? When the entire populace is prepared for piety, and exceptional supervision is entrusted to the priests, it is as though the whole constitution were administered like a sacred festival. |
| 8.23 Ἃ γὰρ ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν ἀριθμὸν ἐπιτηδεύοντες ἄλλοι φυλάττειν οὐ δύνανται, μυστήρια καὶ τελετὰς ἐπονομάζοντες, ταῦτα μετὰ πολλῆς ἡδονῆς καὶ γνώμης ἀμεταθέτου φυλάττομεν ἡμεῖς διὰ τοῦ παντὸς αἰῶνος. | 8.23 For what others are unable to keep for a space of a few days, calling them mysteries and rites, these things we observe with great delight and unalterable purpose through all time. |
| 8.24 Τίνες οὖν εἰσιν αἱ προρρήσεις καὶ προαγορεύσεις; ἁπλαῖ τε καὶ γνώριμοι. Πρώτη δ’ ἡγεῖται ἡ περὶ θεοῦ λέγουσα, θεὸς ἔχει τὰ σύμπαντα, παντελὴς καὶ μακάριος, αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ καὶ πᾶσιν αὐτάρκης, ἀρχὴ καὶ μέση καὶ τέλος πάντων οὗτος· ἔργοις μὲν καὶ χάρισιν ἐναργὴς καὶ παντὸς οὑτινοσοῦν φανερώτερος, μορφὴν δὲ καὶ μέγεθος ἡμῖν ἀφανέστατος. | 8.24 What then are the precepts and prohibitions? They are simple and well-known. First stands that concerning God, which says: God holds all things, complete and blessed, self-sufficient in Himself and for all; He is the beginning, middle, and end of all things. In His works and favors He is manifest and clearer than anything else, but in form and magnitude He is to us most invisible. |
| 8.25 Πᾶσα μὲν ὕλη πρὸς εἰκόνα τὴν τούτου, κἂν ᾖ πολυτελής, ἄτιμος· πᾶσα δὲ τέχνη πρὸς μιμήσεως ἐπίνοιαν ἄτεχνος· οὐδὲν ὅμοιον οὔτ’ εἴδομεν οὔτ’ ἐπινοοῦμεν οὔτ’ εἰκάζειν ἐστὶν ὅσιον. | 8.25 All matter is worthless for an image of Him, even if it be costly, and all art is artless for the conception of a representation; nothing like Him have we seen or conceived, nor is it pious to liken Him. |
| 8.26 Ἔργα βλέπομεν αὐτοῦ, φῶς, οὐρανόν, γῆν, ἥλιον καὶ σελήνην, ὕδατα, ζῴων γενέσεις, καρπῶν ἀναδόσεις. Ταῦτα ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν, οὐ χερσίν, οὐ πόνοις, οὔ τινων ἐργασαμένων ἐπιδεηθείς, ἀλλ’ αὐτοῦ καλὰ θελήσαντος καλῶς ἦν εὐθὺς γεγονότα. | 8.26 We behold His works—light, heaven, earth, sun and moon, waters, the generations of living creatures, the yield of crops. These things God made, not with hands, nor with toil, nor in need of any to assist Him; but when He willed them to be good, they were straightway brought into being in beauty. |
| 8.27 Τούτῳ δεῖ πάντας ἀκολουθεῖν καὶ θεραπεύειν αὐτὸν ἀσκοῦντας ἀρετήν· τρόπος γὰρ θεοῦ θεραπείας οὗτος ὁσιώτατος. | 8.27 Him must all follow and serve by practicing virtue; for this is the most holy manner of worshipping God. |
| 8.28 Εἷς ναὸς ἑνὸς θεοῦ, (φίλον γὰρ ἀεὶ παντὶ τὸ ὅμοιον,) κοινὸς ἁπάντων, κοινοῦ θεοῦ ἁπάντων. Τοῦτον θεραπεύουσι μὲν διὰ παντὸς οἱ ἱερεῖς· ἡγεῖται δὲ τούτων ὁ πρῶτος ἀεὶ κατὰ γένος. Οὗτος μετὰ τῶν συνιερέων θύσει τῷ θεῷ, φυλάξει τοὺς νόμους, δικάσει περὶ τῶν ἀμφισβητουμένων, κολάσει τοὺς ἐλεγχθέντας. Ὁ τούτῳ μὴ πειθόμενος ὑφέξει δίκην, ὡς εἰς τὸν θεὸν αὐτὸν ἀσεβῶν. | 8.28 There is one temple for one God (for what is like is always dear to its like), common to all, as God is common to all. This temple the priests continually serve, led by him who is always first by lineage. He, with his fellow-priests, shall sacrifice to God, guard the laws, judge in disputes, and punish those who are convicted. He who does not obey him shall suffer punishment, as acting impiously toward God Himself. |
| 8.29 Θύομεν τὰς θυσίας οὐκ εἰς πλήρωσιν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ μέθην, (ἀβούλητα γὰρ τῷ θεῷ τάδε, καὶ πρόφασις ἂν ὕβρεως γένοιτο καὶ πολυτελείας·) ἀλλὰ σώφρονας, εὐτάκτους, εὐσταλεῖς, ὅπως μάλιστα θύοντες σωφρονῶσι. Καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς θυσίαις χρὴ πρῶτον ὑπὲρ τῆς κοινῆς εὔχεσθαι σωτηρίας, εἶθ’ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν· (ἐπὶ γὰρ κοινωνίᾳ γεγόναμεν·) καὶ ταύτην ὁ προτιμῶν τοῦ καθ’ ἑαυτὸν ἰδίου μάλιστα εἴη θεῷ κεχαρισμένος. | 8.29 We offer sacrifices not to satisfy ourselves or for drunkenness (for these are contrary to God's will and become an occasion for insolence and extravagance), but soberly, orderly, and decently, so that above all those who sacrifice may be self-controlled. At the sacrifices, prayer must first be made for the common safety, and then for ourselves (for we were born for fellowship); and he who prefers this over his own private interest would be most pleasing to God. |
| 8.30 Παράκλησις δὲ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἔστω διὰ τῆς εὐχῆς καὶ δέησις, οὐχ ὅπως διδῷ τὰ ἀγαθά· (δέδωκε γὰρ αὐτὸς ἑκὼν καὶ πᾶσιν εἰς μέσον κατατέθεικεν·) ἀλλ’ ὅπως δέχεσθαι δυνώμεθα καὶ λαβόντες φυλάττωμεν. | 8.30 Let there be supplication and prayer to God, not that He may give good things (for He has given them willingly and placed them in common for all), but that we may be able to receive them, and having received them, preserve them. |
| 8.31 Ἁγνείας ἐπὶ ταῖς θυσίαις διῄρηκεν ὁ νόμος ἀπὸ κήδους, ἀπὸ λέχους, ἀπὸ κοινωνίας τῆς πρὸς γυναῖκα, καὶ πολλῶν ἄλλων, ἃ μακρὸν ἂν εἴη νῦν γράφειν. | 8.31 The Law has appointed purifications at sacrifices from mourning, from the marriage bed, from intercourse with a wife, and many other things which it would be long to write now. |
| 8.32 Τοιοῦτος μὲν ὁ περὶ θεοῦ καὶ τῆς ἐκείνου θεραπείας λόγος ἡμῖν ἐστίν· ὁ δ’ αὐτὸς ἅμα καὶ νόμος. Τίνες δὲ οἱ περὶ γάμων νόμοι; Μίξιν μόνην οἶδεν ὁ νόμος τὴν κατὰ φύσιν τὴν πρὸς γυναῖκα, καὶ ταύτην, εἰ μέλλοι τέκνων ἕνεκα γίνεσθαι· τὴν δὲ πρὸς ἄρρενα ἀρρένων ἐστύγηκε, καὶ θάνατος τὸ ἐπιτίμιον εἴ τις ἐπιχειρήσειε. | 8.32 Such is our doctrine concerning God and His worship; and it is at the same time our law. What then are the laws concerning marriage? The Law recognizes union only according to nature with a woman, and that only if it be for the sake of children. But union of males with males it detests, and death is the penalty if anyone should attempt it. |
| 8.33 Γαμεῖν δὲ κελεύει μὴ προικὶ προσέχοντας, μηδὲ βιαίοις ἁρπαγαῖς, μηδ’ αὖ δόλῳ καὶ δι’ ἀπάτης πείσαντας, ἀλλὰ μνηστεύειν εἴτε παρὰ τοῦ δοῦναι κυρίου, καὶ κατὰ συγγένειαν ἐπιτήδειον. Γυνὴ χείρων, φησίν, ἀνδρὸς εἰς ἅπαντα· τοιγαροῦν ὑπακουέτω, μὴ πρὸς ὕβριν, ἀλλ’ ἵνα ἄρχηται· θεὸς γὰρ ἀνδρὶ κράτος ἔδωκε. | 8.33 It commands us to marry without paying attention to dowries, nor by violent abductions, nor again by persuading through deceit and fraud, but to seek a bride either from the guardian who gives her, and one who is suitable by kinship. "A woman," it says, "is inferior to a man in all things; therefore let her obey, not to her insult, but that she may be ruled; for God gave authority to the man." |
| 8.34 Ταύτῃ συνεῖναι δεῖ τὸν γήμαντα μόνῃ· τὸ δὲ τὴν ἄλλου πειρᾶν ἀνόσιον. Εἰ δέ τις τοῦτο πράξειεν, οὐδεμία θανάτου παραίτησις· οὔτε εἰ βιάσαιτο παρθένον ἑτέρῳ συνωμολογημένην οὔτ’ εἰ πείσαι γεγαμημένην. | 8.34 With her alone must he who marries cohabit; to attempt another woman is unholy. If anyone should commit this, there is no excuse from death—neither if he should violate a virgin betrothed to another, nor if he should persuade a married woman. |
| 8.35 Τέκνα τρέφειν ἅπαντα προσέταξε, καὶ γυναιξὶν ἀπεῖπε μήτ’ ἀμβλοῦν τὸ σπαρὲν μήτε διαφθείρειν, ἀλλ’ εἰ φανείη, τεκνοκτόνος ἂν εἴη ψυχὴν ἀφανίζουσα καὶ τὸ γένος ἐλαττοῦσα. | 8.35 It commands the rearing of all children, and forbids women either to abort what is sown or to destroy it; if she should be seen doing so, she would be a child-murderer, destroying a soul and diminishing the race. |
| 8.36 Τοιγαροῦν οὐδ’ εἴ τις ἐπὶ λέχους φθορὰν παρέλθοι, καθαρὸς εἶναι τότε προσήκει. Καὶ μετὰ τὴν νόμιμον συνουσίαν ἀνδρὸς καὶ γυναικὸς ἀπολούεσθαι, ψυχῆς ἔχειν τοῦτο μερισμὸν πρὸς ἄλλην χώραν ὑπέλαβε. Καὶ γὰρ ἐμφυομένη σώμασι κακοπαθεῖ, καὶ τούτων αὖ πάλιν θανάτῳ διακριθεῖσα. Διόπερ ἁγνείας ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς τοιούτοις ἔταξεν. | 8.36 Therefore, if anyone should approach a bed after corruption, it is not fitting that he be clean at that time. And after the lawful intercourse of man and woman, they must wash; for it held that this causes a division of the soul toward another realm. For being implanted in bodies it suffers ill, and is again separated from them by death. Therefore he appointed purifications for all such things. |
| 8.37 Οὐ μὴν οὐδ’ ἐπὶ ταῖς τῶν παίδων γενέσεσιν ἐπέτρεψεν εὐωχίαν συντελεῖν καὶ προφάσεις ποιεῖσθαι μέθης, ἀλλὰ σώφρονα τὴν ἀρχὴν εὐθὺς τῆς τροφῆς ἔταξε, καὶ γράμματα παιδεύειν ἐκέλευσε τὰ περὶ τοὺς νόμους, καὶ τῶν προγόνων τὰς πράξεις ἐπίστασθαι, τὰς μὲν ἵνα μιμῶνται, τοῖς δ’ ἵνα συντρεφόμενοι μήτε παραβαίνωσι μήτε σκῆψιν ἀγνοίας ἔχωσι. | 8.37 Nor indeed did he permit feasting at the birth of children and making pretexts for drunkenness; but he instituted the beginning of nurture to be sober at once, commanding to instruct them in the letters of the laws, and to know the deeds of their ancestors—the former that they may imitate them, and the latter that being brought up with them they may neither transgress nor have the pretext of ignorance. |
| 8.38 Τῆς εἰς τοὺς τετελευτηκότας προενόησεν ὁσίας, οὐ πολυτελείαις ἐνταφίων, οὐδὲ κατασκευαῖς μνημείων ἐπιφανῶν, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν περὶ τὴν κηδείαν ἔταξε τοῖς οἰκειοτάτοις ἐπιτελεῖν, πᾶσι δὲ τοῖς παριοῦσι θαπτομένου τινὸς καὶ προσελθεῖν καὶ συναποδύρεσθαι νόμιμον ἐποίησε. Καθαίρειν δὲ κελεύει καὶ τὸν οἶκον καὶ τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ἀπὸ κήδους, ἵνα πλεῖστον ἀπέχῃ τοῦ δοκεῖν καθαρὸς εἶναί τις φόνον ἐργασάμενος. | 8.38 He provided for piety toward the dead, not by costly burial garments nor by the building of conspicuous monuments, but he commanded the nearest relatives to perform the funeral rites, and made it customary for all who pass by when someone is being buried to approach and join in the lamentation. He commands also to purify the house and its inhabitants from mourning, so that one may be as far removed as possible from seeming clean after committing murder. |
| 8.39 Γονέων τιμὴν μετὰ τὴν πρὸς θεὸν δευτέραν ἔταξε, καὶ τὸν οὐκ ἀμειβόμενον τὰς παρ’ αὐτῶν χάριτας, ἀλλ’ εἰς ὁτιοῦν ἐλλείποντα, λευσθησόμενον παραδίδωσι. | 8.39 He placed the honor of parents second only to that toward God; and he who does not requite the favors received from them, but fails in anything, he hands over to be stoned. |
| 8.40 Καὶ παντὸς τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου τιμὴν ἔχειν τοὺς νέους φησίν, ἐπεὶ πρεσβύτατος ὁ θεός. | 8.40 He says also that the young must hold every elder in honor, since God is the oldest of all. |
| 8.41 Κρύπτειν οὐδὲν ἐᾷ πρὸς φίλους, οὐ γὰρ εἶναι φιλίαν τὴν μὴ πάντα πιστεύουσαν· κἂν συμβῇ τις ἔχθρα, τούτων ἀπόρρητα λέγειν κεκώλυκε. | 8.41 He permits hiding nothing from friends, for that is not friendship which does not trust all things; and if any enmity should occur, he has forbidden the divulging of secrets. |
| 8.42 Δικάζων εἰ δῶρά τις λάβοι, θάνατος ἡ ζημία. Περιορῶν ἱκέτην, βοηθεῖν ἐνόν, ὑπεύθυνος. Ὃ μὴ κατέθηκέ τις, οὐκ ἀναιρήσεται. Τῶν ἀλλοτρίων οὐδενὸς ἄψεται. Δανείσας τόκον οὐ λήψεται. Ταῦτα καὶ πολλὰ τούτοις ὅμοια τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἡμῶν συνέχει κοινωνίαν. | 8.42 If anyone taking bribes acts as a judge, death is the penalty. He who overlooks a suppliant when it is in his power to help is accountable. What one did not lay down he shall not take up. He shall touch nothing belonging to others. If he lends, he shall not take interest. These and many similar things maintain our fellowship with one another. |
| 8.43 Πῶς δὲ καὶ περὶ τῆς πρὸς ἀλλοφύλους ἐπιεικείας ἐφρόνησεν ὁ νομοθέτης ἄξιον ἰδεῖν· φανεῖται γὰρ ἄριστα πάντων προνοησάμενος ὅπως μήτε τὰ οἰκεῖα διαφθείρωμεν μήτε φθονήσωμεν τοῖς μετέχειν τῶν ἡμετέρων προαιρουμένοις. | 8.43 How the lawgiver also felt regarding fairness toward foreigners is worthy of notice; for he will appear to have provided best of all that we should neither corrupt our own institutions nor envy those who choose to share in our ways. |
| 8.44 Ὅσοι μὲν γὰρ θέλουσιν ὑπὸ τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἡμῖν νόμους ζῆν ὑπελθόντες, δέχεται φιλοφρόνως, οὐ τῷ γένει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ προαιρέσει τοῦ βίου νομίζων εἶναι τὴν οἰκειότητα· τοὺς δὲ ἐκ παρέργου προσιόντας ἀναμίγνυσθαι τῇ συνηθείᾳ οὐκ ἠθέλησε. | 8.44 For as many as wish to live under the same laws with us, having come over, he receives kindly, holding that kinship consists not only in birth, but in the choice of life; but those who come incidentally he did not wish to mix with our customs. |
| 8.45 Τἄλλα δὲ προείρηκεν ὧν ἡ μετάδοσίς ἐστιν ἀναγκαία· πᾶσι παρέχειν τοῖς δεομένοις πῦρ, ὕδωρ, τροφήν, ὁδοὺς φράζειν, ἄταφον μὴ περιορᾶν. | 8.45 But he has commanded other things of which the sharing is necessary: to provide to all who are in need fire, water, food, to direct the way, and not to leave the dead unburied. |
| 8.46 Ἐπιεικεῖς δὲ καὶ τὰ πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους κριθέντας εἶναι· οὐ γὰρ ἐᾷ τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν πυρπολεῖν, οὐδὲ κόπτειν ἥμερα δένδρα συγκεχώρηκεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ σκυλεύειν ἀπείρηκε τοὺς ἐν τῇ μάχῃ πεσόντας, καὶ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων προυνόησεν, ὅπως αὐτῶν ὕβρις ἀπῇ, μάλιστα δὲ γυναικῶν. | 8.46 He also required us to be equitable toward those who have been judged enemies; for he does not permit burning their land, nor has he allowed the cutting down of cultivated trees. He has also forbidden the despoiling of those fallen in battle, and provided for captives that they be free from insult, especially women. |
| 8.47 Οὕτως δὲ πόρρωθεν ἡμερότητα καὶ φιλανθρωπίαν διδάσκειν ἡμᾶς ἐσπούδασεν ὥστε οὐδὲ τῶν ἀλόγων ζῴων ὠλιγώρησεν, ἀλλὰ μόνην ἀφῆκε τούτων χρῆσιν τὴν νενομισμένην, πᾶσαν δ’ ἑτέραν ἐκώλυσεν. Ἃ δ’ ὥσπερ ἱκετεύοντα προσφεύγει ταῖς οἰκίαις, ἀπεῖπεν ἀνελεῖν· οὐδὲ νεοττοῖς τοὺς γονέας αὐτῶν ἐπέτρεψε συνεξαίρειν· φείδεσθαι δὲ κἀν τῇ πολεμίᾳ τῶν ἐργαζομένων ζῴων καὶ μὴ φονεύειν. | 8.47 So far did he take pains to teach us gentleness and humanity from afar that he did not even neglect unreasoning animals, but permitted only the customary use of them and forbidden all other. Those which flee to our houses as if seeking refuge he forbade to kill; nor did he permit taking the parents along with their nestlings; and even in enemy territory to spare working animals and not kill them. |
| 8.48 Οὕτω πανταχόθεν τὰ πρὸς ἐπιείκειαν περιεσκέψατο, διδασκαλικοῖς μὲν τοῖς προειρημένοις χρησάμενος νόμοις, τοὺς δ’ αὖ κατὰ τῶν παραβαινόντων τιμωρητικοὺς τάξας, οὐκ ἄνευ προφάσει. Ζημία γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς πλείστοις τῶν παραβαινόντων ὁ θάνατος, ἂν μοιχεύσῃ τις, ἂν βιάσηται κόρην, ἂν ἄρρενι τολμήσῃ πεῖραν προσφέρειν, ἂν ὑπομείνῃ παθεῖν ὁ πειρασθείς. | 8.48 Thus on all sides he surrounded us with provisions for equity, using the aforementioned laws for instruction, and appointing punitive laws against transgressors, not without reason. For the penalty for most transgressions is death—if one commits adultery, if one forces a maiden, if one dares to attempt a male, or if he who is attempted submits to suffer it. |
| 8.49 Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ δούλοις ὁμοίως ὁ νόμος ἀπαραίτητος. Ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ μέτρων, ἤν τις κακουργήσειεν, ἢ σταθμῶν, ἢ περὶ πράσεως ἀδίκου καὶ δόλῳ γενομένης, κἂν ὑφέληταί τις ἀλλότριον, κἂν ὃ μὴ κατέθηκεν ἀνέληται, πάντων εἰσὶ κολάσεις, οὐχ οἷαι παρ’ ἑτέροις, ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον. Περὶ μὲν γὰρ γονέων ἀδικίας, ἢ τῆς εἰς τὸν θεὸν ἀσεβείας, κἂν μέλλῃ τις, εὐθὺς ἀπόλλυται. | 8.49 The law is likewise inexorable even over slaves. Furthermore, regarding measures or weights, if anyone acts fraudulently, or regarding an unjust sale made by deceit, or if anyone steals another's property or takes up what he did not lay down, for all there are punishments, not like those among others, but to a greater degree. For concerning wrongdoing against parents or impiety toward God, even if one is merely about to act, he perishes immediately. |
| 8.50 Τοῖς μέντοι γε κατὰ τοὺς νόμους πάντα πράττουσι γέρας ἐστὶν οὐκ ἀργύριον, οὐδὲ χρυσός, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ κοτίνου στέφανος, ἢ σελίνου, καὶ τοιαύτη τις ἀνακήρυξις, ἀλλ’ αὐτὸς ἕκαστος αὑτῷ τὸ συνειδὸς ἔχων μαρτυροῦν πεπίστευκε (τοῦ μὲν νομοθέτου προφητεύσαντος, τοῦ δὲ θεοῦ τὴν πίστιν ἰσχυρὰν παρεσχηκότος), ὅτι τοῖς τοὺς νόμους διαφυλάξασι, κἂν εἰ δέοι θνήσκειν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, προθύμως ἀποθανεῖν, ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς γενέσθαι τε πάλιν καὶ βίον ἀμείνω λαβεῖν ἐκ περιτροπῆς. | 8.50 To those, however, who act in all things according to the laws, the reward is not silver, nor gold, nor indeed a crown of wild olive or celery and such public proclamation; but each one, having his own conscience bearing witness within himself, has believed (the lawgiver having prophesied, and God having provided strong faith) that to those who have kept the laws—even if it be necessary to die for them, dying cheerfully—God has granted that they come into being again and receive a better life in the turn of ages. |
| 8.51 Ὤκνουν δ’ ἂν ἐγὼ νῦν ταῦτα γράφειν, εἰ μὴ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἅπασιν ἦν φανερὸν ὅτι πολλοὶ καὶ πολλάκις ἤδη τῶν ἡμετέρων περὶ τοῦ μηδὲ ῥῆμα φθέγξασθαι παρὰ τὸν νόμον πάντα παθεῖν γενναίως προείλοντο. Καίτοι γε εἰ μὴ συμβεβήκει γνώριμον ἡμῶν τὸ ἔθνος ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις ὑπάρχειν, κἀν φανερῷ κεῖσθαι τὴν ἐθελούσιον ἡμῶν τοῖς νόμοις ἀκολουθίαν, ἀλλά τις ἢ συγγράψαι λέγων αὐτὸς ἀνεγίνωσκε τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, ἤ που περιτυχεῖν ἔξω τῆς γινωσκομένης γῆς ἔφασκεν ἀνθρώποις τοιαύτην μὲν ἔχουσι δόξαν οὕτω σεμνὴν περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ, τοιούτοις δὲ νόμοις πολὺν αἰῶνα βεβαίως ἐμμεμενηκόσι, πάντας ἂν οἶμαι θαυμάσαι διὰ τὰς συνεχεῖς παρ’ αὐτοῖς μεταβολάς· ἀμέλει τῶν γράψαι τι παραπλήσιον εἰς πολιτείαν καὶ νόμους ἐπιχειρησάντων ὡς θαυμαστὰ συνθέντων κατηγοροῦσι, φάσκοντες αὐτοὺς λαβεῖν ἀδυνάτους ὑποθέσεις. | 8.51 Now I should hesitate to write these things if it were not clear to all through actual deeds that many of our people have often chosen to suffer all things nobility rather than utter even a single word contrary to the Law. And yet, if it had not happened that our nation was known to all men, and that our voluntary obedience to the laws lay open in full view, but someone either reading a composition himself read it to the Greeks, or claimed to have met men somewhere outside the known world who held such noble opinions concerning God and had steadfastly abided by such laws for a long age, I think all men would marvel because of the continuous changes among themselves. At any rate, they accuse those who attempted to write something similar regarding a constitution and laws as having composed marvelous things, asserting that they adopted impossible hypotheses. |
| 8.52 Καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους παραλείπω φιλοσόφους, ὅσοι τι τοιοῦτον ἐν τοῖς συγγράμμασιν ἐπραγματεύσαντο· Πλάτων δὲ θαυμαζόμενος παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, ὡς καὶ σεμνότητι βίου διενεγκὼν καὶ δυνάμει λόγων καὶ πειθοῖ πάντας ὑπεράρας τοὺς ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ γεγονότας, ὑπὸ τῶν φασκόντων δεινῶν εἶναι τὰ πολιτικὰ μικροῦ δεῖν χλευαζόμενος καὶ κωμῳδούμενος διατελεῖ. | 8.52 And I pass over the other philosophers, as many as treated such a subject in their writings; but Plato, though admired among the Greeks for excelling in dignity of life and surpassing all who have been in philosophy in power of words and persuasion, continues to be almost mocked and lampooned by those who claim to be clever in political matters. |
| 8.53 Καίτοι τἀκείνου σκώπτων συχνῶς τις ἂν εὕροι ῥᾷον καὶ τὰς τῶν πολλῶν ἔγγιον συνηθείας. Αὐτὸς δὲ Πλάτων ὡμολόγηκεν ὅτι τὴν ἀληθῆ περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ δόξαν εἰς τὴν τῶν ὄχλων ἄνοιαν οὐκ ἦν ἀσφαλὲς ἐξενεγκεῖν. | 8.53 And yet scoffing at his writings, one could easily find things closer to the habits of the masses. But Plato himself admitted that it was not safe to publish the true opinion concerning God to the folly of the crowds. |
| 8.54 Ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν Πλάτωνος λόγους τινὲς εἶναι κενοὺς νομίζουσι, κατὰ πολλὴν ἐξουσίαν κεκαλλιγραφημένους. Μάλιστα δὲ τῶν νομοθετῶν Λυκοῦργον τεθαυμάκασι, καὶ τὴν Σπάρτην ἅπαντες ὑμνοῦσιν, ὅτι τοῖς ἐκείνου νόμοις ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐνεκαρτέρησαν. Οὐκοῦν τοῦτο μὲν ὁμολογείσθω τεκμήριον ἀρετῆς εἶναι, τὸ πείθεσθαι τοῖς νόμοις. | 8.54 But some consider Plato's words to be empty, beautifully written with great freedom. Most of all, however, among lawgivers they admire Lycurgus, and all hymn Sparta because they endured in his laws for the longest time. Let this then be admitted to be a proof of virtue—obeying the laws. |
| 8.55 Οἱ δὲ Λακεδαιμονίους θαυμάζοντες τὸν ἐκείνων χρόνον ἧσσον τοῖς πλείοσιν ἢ δισχιλίοις ἔτεσι τῆς ἡμετέρας πολιτείας· καὶ προσέτι λογιζέσθωσαν ὅτι Λακεδαιμόνιοι μὲν, ὅσον ἐφ’ ἑαυτῶν χρόνον εἶχον τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, ἀκριβῶς ἔδοξαν τοὺς νόμους διαφυλάττειν, ἐπεὶ μέντοι περὶ αὐτοὺς ἐγένοντο μεταβολαὶ τῆς τύχης, μικροῦ δεῖν ἁπάντων ἐξελάθοντο τῶν νόμων· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐν τύχαις μυρίαις γεγονότες, διὰ τὰς τῶν βασιλευσάντων τῆς Ἀσίας μεταβολάς, οὐδ’ ἐν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις τῶν δεινῶν τοὺς νόμους προύδομεν. | 8.55 But let those who admire the Lacedaemonians consider that their time was less than the more than two thousand years of our constitution; and let them further consider that the Lacedaemonians, so long as they held their freedom on their own, seemed to keep their laws strictly; when, however, reverses of fortune befell them, they forgot almost all their laws. But we, having been in myriads of fortunes through the changes of those who ruled Asia, did not betray our laws even in the extremity of dangers. |
| 8.56 Ταῦτα μὲν καὶ Ἰώσηπος περὶ τῆς κατὰ Μωσέα Ἰουδαίων πολιτείας. Περὶ δὲ τῆς ἐν τοῖς ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ τεθεῖσι νόμοις ἐπεσκιασμένης καὶ ἀλληγορικῆς θεωρίας πολλὰ ἔχων εἰπεῖν ἐπαρκεῖν ἡγοῦμαι τὰς Ἐλεαζάρου καὶ Ἀριστοβούλου διηγήσεις, ἀνδρῶν τὸ μὲν Ἑβραίων ἀνέκαθεν, τὸν δὲ χρόνον κατὰ τοὺς Πτολεμαίων χρόνους διαπρεψάντων. | 8.56 Thus far Josephus concerning the Jewish constitution according to Moses. But concerning the veiled and allegorical contemplation in the laws laid down by him, although I have much to say, I consider the narratives of Eleazar and Aristobulus to be sufficient—men who were Hebrews by origin, and who excelled in the time of the Ptolemies. |
| 8.57 Ὧν ὁ Ἐλεάζαρος καὶ τῷ τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης ἀξιώματι τετιμημένος μικρῷ πρότερον ἡμῖν ἐδηλοῦτο, ὃς δὴ τοῖς παρὰ βασιλέως ὡς αὐτὸν ἥκουσι πρεσβείας ἕνεκα τῆς τῶν Ἑβραϊκῶν λόγων ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα μεταβολῆς τὸν τρόπον ὑποτυπούμενος τῆς ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς νόμοις ἀλληγορουμένης ἰδέας, τοιαύτην πεποίηται τοῦ λόγου τὴν διδασκαλίαν. | 8.57 Of whom Eleazar, honored also with the dignity of the high priesthood, was shown to us a little earlier; who, outlining the character of the allegorical form in the sacred laws to those who came to him from the king on an embassy for the translation of the Hebrew writings into Greek, has provided such instruction of his discourse. |
Chapter 9
In this chapter, the High Priest Eleazar explains to Greek visitors (including the author Aristeas) the underlying rationale and allegorical depth of the Mosaic Law. Addressing common Greek misconceptions that Jewish dietary laws and purity regulations are arbitrary or overly superstitious, Eleazar argues that Moses instituted these precepts as pedagogic symbols. Distinctions between clean and unclean animals, dietary boundary lines, physical purity, and physical tokens (such as fringes, phylacteries, and mezuzot) are designed to train the mind in righteousness, justice, constant remembrance of God, and total avoidance of violence and oppression. At the conclusion, Eusebius transitions from Eleazar's explanation to cite Aristobulus on the figurative interpretation of divine anthropomorphisms.
| 9.1 Ἄξιον δὲ ἐπιμνησθῆναι διὰ βραχέων τῶν ὑποδειχθέντων ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὰ δι’ ἡμῶν ἐπιζητηθέντα· νομίζειν γὰρ τοῖς πολλοῖς περιεργίαν ἔχειν τινὰ τῶν ἐν τῇ νομοθεσίᾳ, λέγω δὲ περί τε βρωτῶν καὶ ποτῶν καὶ τῶν νομιζομένων ἀκαθάρτων εἶναι κνωδάλων. | 9.1 It is worth making brief mention of the explanations given by him in response to our inquiries. For many hold the opinion that certain provisions in the Law exhibit a degree of superfluous detail—I mean specifically those regarding food, drink, and creatures considered unclean. |
| 9.2 πυνθανομένων γὰρ ἡμῶν διὰ τί, μιᾶς καταβολῆς οὔσης, τὰ μὲν ἀκάθαρτα νομίζεται πρὸς βρῶσιν, τὰ δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἁφήν· (δεισιδαιμόνως γὰρ τὰ πλεῖστα τὴν νομοθεσίαν ἔχειν, ἐν δὲ τούτοις πάλιν δεισιδαιμόνως·) πρὸς ταῦτα οὕτως ἐνήρξατο· | 9.2 When we inquired why, although there is a single creation, some things are considered unclean for eating and others even for touching (for most people consider the legislation to lean toward superstition, and in these matters especially so), he began his reply thus: |
| 9.3 «Θεωρεῖς,» ἔφη, «τὰς ἀναστροφὰς καὶ τὰς ὁμιλίας, οἷον ἐνεργάζονται πρᾶγμα, διότι κακοῖς ὁμιλήσαντες διαστροφὰς ἐπιλαμβάνουσιν ἄνθρωποι, καὶ ταλαίπωροι δι’ ὅλου τοῦ ζῆν εἰσίν· ἐὰν δὲ σοφοῖς καὶ φρονίμοις συζῶσιν, ἐξ ἀγνοίας ἐπανορθώσεως εἰς τὸν βίον ἔτυχον. | 9.3 “You see,” he said, “what kind of effect associations and companionships produce, because when men associate with the wicked, they acquire corruptions and are wretched throughout their whole lives; but if they live together with the wise and prudent, they obtain a correction of their life out of ignorance. |
| 9.4 διαστειλάμενος οὖν τὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας καὶ δικαιοσύνης πρῶτον ὁ νομοθέτης ἡμῶν καὶ διδάξας ἕκαστα περὶ τούτων, οὐκ ἀπαγορευτικῶς μόνον, ἀλλ’ ἐνδεικτικῶς, καὶ τὰς βλάβας προδήλους καὶ τὰς ὑπὸ θεοῦ γενομένας ἐπιπομπὰς τοῖς αἰτίοις. | 9.4 Having first set in order the principles of piety and justice, our lawgiver instructed us on each of these points, not merely by way of prohibition, but demonstratively, declaring both the evident harms and the visitations sent by God upon the guilty. |
| 9.5 προυπέδειξε γὰρ πρῶτον πάντων ὅτι μόνος ὁ θεός ἐστι καὶ διὰ πάντων ἡ δύναμις αὐτοῦ φανερὰ γίνεται, πεπληρωμένου παντὸς τόπου τῆς δυναστείας, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτὸν λανθάνει τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς γινομένων ὑπ’ ἀνθρώπων κρυφίως, ἀλλ’ ὅσα ποιεῖ τις αὐτῷ φανερὰ καθέστηκε καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα γίνεσθαι. | 9.5 For he showed first of all that God is unique, and that His power is made manifest through all things, every place being filled with His dominion; and nothing done secretly on earth by human beings escapes Him, but whatever anyone does—and even what is about to happen—stands manifest before Him. |
| 9.6 ταῦτ’ οὖν ἐξεργαζόμενος ἀκριβῶς καὶ πρόδηλα θεὶς ἔδειξεν ὅτι καὶ ἐὰν ἐννοηθῇ τις κακίαν ἐπιτελεῖν οὐκ ἂν λάθοι, μὴ ὅτι καὶ πράξας, δι’ ὅλης τῆς νομοθεσίας τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ δυνατὸν ἐνδεικνύμενος. | 9.6 Working these principles out precisely and placing them clearly before us, he demonstrated that even if someone intends to commit an evil act, he cannot escape notice, let alone if he actually commits it—thereby displaying the power of God throughout the entire legislation. |
| 9.7 ποιησάμενος οὖν τὴν καταρχὴν ταύτην, καὶ δείξας ὅτι πάντες οἱ λοιποὶ παρ’ ἡμᾶς ἄνθρωποι πολλοὺς θεοὺς εἶναι νομίζουσιν, αὐτοὶ δυναμικώτεροι πολλῷ καθεστῶτες ὧν σέβονται ματαίως—ἀγάλματα γὰρ ποιήσαντες ἐκ λίθων ἢ ξύλων εἰκόνας φασὶν εἶναι τῶν ἐξευρόντων τι πρὸς τὸ ζῆν αὐτοῖς χρήσιμον, οἷς προσκυνοῦσι, παρὰ πόδας ἔχοντες τὴν ἀναισθησίαν. | 9.7 Having made this starting point, and having shown that all other men besides us suppose that there are many gods—though they themselves are far more powerful than the objects they vainly worship (for after making statues of stone or wood, they claim these are images of those who discovered something useful for human life, worshipping them while possessing insensibility right at their feet). |
| 9.8 εἴτε γὰρ κατ’ ἐκεῖνό τις θείη, κατὰ τὴν ἐξεύρεσιν, παντελῶς ἀνόητον· τῶν γὰρ ἐν τῇ κτίσει λαβόντες τινὰ συνέθηκαν καὶ προσυπέδειξαν εὐχρηστοτάτην τὴν κατασκευὴν αὐτῶν, οὐ ποιήσαντες αὐτοί· διὸ κενὸν καὶ μάταιον τοὺς ὁμοίους ἀποθεοῦν. | 9.8 For whether anyone should attribute divinity to them on account of their discoveries, it is utterly foolish; for taking things from creation, they assembled them and demonstrated a most useful construction, but they did not create the materials themselves. Therefore, it is empty and vain to deify one's peers. |
| 9.9 καὶ γὰρ ἔτι καὶ νῦν εὑρετικώτεροι καὶ πολυμαθέστεροι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῶν πρὶν εἰσὶ πολλοί, καὶ οὐκ ἂν φθάνοιεν αὐτοὺς προσκυνοῦντες. | 9.9 Even now, there are many men far more inventive and learned than those of former times, yet people would not go so far as to worship them. |
| 9.10 καὶ νομίζουσιν οἱ ταῦτα διαπλάσαντες καὶ μυθοποιήσαντες τῶν Ἑλλήνων οἱ σοφώτατοι καθεστάναι. τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἄλλων πολυματαίων τί δεῖ λέγειν, Αἰγυπτίων τε καὶ τῶν παραπλησίων, οἵτινες ἐπὶ θηρία καὶ τῶν ἑρπετῶν τὰ πλεῖστα καὶ κνωδάλων τὴν ἀπέρεισιν πεποίηνται, καὶ ταῦτα προσκυνοῦσι, καὶ θύουσι τούτοις καὶ ζῶσι καὶ τελευτήσασιν; | 9.10 And those among the Greeks who fabricated these things and invented these myths consider themselves to be the wisest of men. For what need is there to speak of other foolish people—such as the Egyptians and those like them—who have placed their reliance upon beasts, most kinds of reptiles, and wild creatures, worshipping them and sacrificing to them both living and dead? |
| 9.11 συνθεωρήσας τοιγαροῦν ἕκαστα σοφὸς ὢν ὁ νομοθέτης, καὶ ὑπὸ θεοῦ κατεσκευασμένος εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν τῶν ἁπάντων, περιέφραξεν ἡμᾶς ἀδιακόποις χάραξι καὶ σιδηροῖς τείχεσιν, ὅπως μηδενὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν ἐπιμισγώμεθα κατὰ μηδέν, ἁγνοὶ καθεστῶτες κατὰ σῶμα καὶ κατὰ ψυχήν, ἀπολελυμένοι ματαίων δοξῶν, τὸν μόνον θεὸν καὶ δυνατὸν σεβόμενοι παρ’ ὅλην τὴν πᾶσαν κτίσιν. | 9.11 Therefore, having thoroughly considered each matter, the lawgiver, being wise and equipped by God for the knowledge of all things, fenced us round with unbroken palisades and iron walls, so that we should mix with none of the other nations in any respect, being pure in body and soul, set free from vain opinions, worshipping the only God and Sovereign above all creation. |
| 9.12 ὅθεν Αἰγυπτίων οἱ καθηγεμόνες ἱερεῖς ἐγκεκυφότες εἰς πολλὰ καὶ μετεσχηκότες πραγμάτων «ἀνθρώπους θεοῦ» προσονομάζουσιν ἡμᾶς· ὃ τοῖς λοιποῖς οὐ πρόσεστιν, εἰ μή τις σέβεται τὸν κατ’ ἀλήθειαν θεόν· ἀλλ’ εἰσὶν ἄνθρωποι βρωτῶν καὶ ποτῶν καὶ σκέπης· ἡ γὰρ πᾶσα διάθεσις αὐτῶν ἐπὶ ταῦτα καταφεύγει. | 9.12 Hence the leading Egyptian priests, who have peered deeply into many matters and participated in affairs, call us 'men of God'—a designation that does not belong to the rest of humanity, unless one worships the true God. Instead, they are men of food, drink, and shelter, for their entire disposition seeks refuge in these things. |
| 9.13 τοῖς δὲ παρ’ ἡμῖν ἐν οὐδενὶ ταῦτα λελόγισται, περὶ δὲ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δυναστείας δι’ ὅλου τοῦ ζῆν ἡ σκέψις αὐτοῖς ἐστί. ὅπως οὖν μηδενὶ συναλισγόμενοι μηδὲ ὁμιλοῦντες φαύλῳ διαστροφὰς λαμβάνοιμεν, πάντοθεν ἡμᾶς περιέφραξεν ἁγνείαις, καὶ διὰ βρωτῶν καὶ ποτῶν καὶ ἁφῆς καὶ ἀκοῆς καὶ ὁράσεως νομικῆς. | 9.13 But among our people, these things are counted as nothing; rather, their inquiry throughout their whole life is concerning the sovereignty of God. In order, then, that we might not be corrupted by mixing with anyone or associating with the vile, he hedged us in on every side with purifications—through legal provisions concerning food, drink, touch, hearing, and sight. |
| 9.14 τὸ γὰρ καθόλου πάντα πρὸς τὸν φυσικὸν λόγον ὅμοια καθέστηκεν, ὑπὸ μιᾶς δυνάμεως οἰκονομούμενα, καὶ καθ’ ἓν ἕκαστα ἔχει λόγον βαθύν, ἀφ’ ὧν ἀπεχόμεθα κατὰ τὴν χρῆσιν καὶ οἷς συγχρώμεθα. | 9.14 For in general, all things are alike according to natural reason, governed by a single power, and each detail possesses a profound logic regarding what we abstain from using and what we use alongside. |
| 9.15 χάριν δὲ ὑποδείγματος ἓν ἢ δεύτερον ἐπιδραμών σοι σημανῶ. μὴ γὰρ εἰς τὸν καταπεπτωκότα λόγον εἰσέλθῃς, ὅτι μυιῶν καὶ γαλῆς ἢ τῶν τοιούτων χάριν περιεργίας ποιούμενος ἐνομοθέτει ταῦτα Μωσῆς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἁγνὴν ἐπίσκεψιν καὶ τρόπων ἐξαρτισμόν, δικαιοσύνης ἕνεκεν σεμνῶς πάντα ἀνατέτακται. | 9.15 By way of example, I will mention one or two points as I run through them. For you must not fall into the degraded notion that Moses enacted these laws out of a superstitious concern for flies, the weasel, or such things; rather, everything has been solemnly arranged for holy contemplation and the training of character, for the sake of righteousness. |
| 9.16 τῶν γὰρ πετεινῶν οἷς χρώμεθα πάντα ἥμερα καθέστηκε, καὶ διαφέρει καθαριότητι, πυροῖς καὶ ὀσπρίοις χρώμενα πρὸς τροφήν, οἷον περιστεραί, τρυγόνες, ἄττακοι, πέρδικες, ἔτι δὲ χῆνες καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὅσα τοιαῦτα· περὶ ὧν δὲ ἀπηγόρευται πετεινῶν, εὑρήσεις ἄγριά τε καὶ σαρκοφάγα, καὶ καταδυναστεύοντα τῇ περὶ αὐτὰ δυνάμει τὰ λοιπά, καὶ τὴν τροφὴν ἔχοντα τὴν δαπάνησιν τῶν προειρημένων ἡμέρων μετὰ ἀδικίας. οὐ μόνον δὲ ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἄρνας καὶ ἐρίφους ἁρπάζουσι, καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους δὲ ἀδικοῦσι, νεκρούς τε καὶ ζῶντας. | 9.16 For among the birds we use, all are tame and excel in cleanliness, feeding on wheat and pulse—such as doves, turtledoves, locusts, partridges, and further, geese and all other such birds. But concerning the birds that are forbidden, you will find that they are wild and carnivorous, dominating the rest by their inherent power, and acquiring their food by unrighteously devouring the aforementioned tame birds. And not only these, but they also snatch lambs and kids, and do injury to human beings, both dead and living. |
| 9.17 παράσημον οὖν ἔθετο διὰ τούτων, ἀκάθαρτα προσονομάσας, ὅτι δέον ἐστὶ κατὰ ψυχήν, οἷς ἡ νομοθεσία διατέτακται, δικαιοσύνῃ συγχρῆσθαι καὶ μηδένα καταδυναστεύειν πεποιθότας ἰσχύϊ τῇ ἑαυτῶν, μηδ’ ἀφαιρεῖσθαι μηδέν, ἀλλ’ ἐκ δικαιοτάτου βίου διακυβερνᾶν, ὡς τὰ τῶν προειρημένων πετεινῶν ἥμερα ζῷα τὰ φυόμενα τῶν ὀσπρίων ἐπὶ γῆς δαπανᾷ καὶ οὐ καταδυναστεύει πρὸς τὴν ἐπαναίρεσιν οὔτε τῶν ὑποβεβηκότων οὔτε τῶν συγγενικῶν. | 9.17 By means of these creatures, therefore, he set down a symbolic sign—by calling them unclean—that it is necessary for those for whom the Law was ordained to practice righteousness in their souls and to oppress no one, relying on their own strength, nor to steal anything, but to govern their lives by the most righteous standards—just as the tame birds among the aforementioned animals feed upon the pulses growing on the earth and do not exert power to destroy either those beneath them or those of their own kin. |
| 9.18 διὰ τούτων οὖν παρέδωκεν ὁ νομοθέτης σημειοῦσθαι τοῖς συνετοῖς εἶναι δικαίους τε καὶ μηδὲν ἐπιτελεῖν βίᾳ, μηδὲ τῇ περὶ αὐτοὺς ἰσχύϊ πεποιθότας ἑτέρους καταδυναστεύειν. | 9.18 Through these things, then, the lawgiver handed down the principle that the wise should mark themselves out as righteous, performing nothing by force, nor relying on their own power to oppress others. |
| 9.19 ὅπου γὰρ οὐδ’ ἅψασθαι καθῆκε τῶν προειρημένων διὰ τὴν περὶ ἕκαστα διάθεσιν, πῶς οὐ φυλακτέον παντάπασι τοὺς τρόπους εἰς τοῦτο κατακλασθῆναι; | 9.19 For where it is not even fitting to touch the aforementioned creatures on account of their individual nature, how could one fail to guard against having one's character broken down into such behavior? |
| 9.20 πάντα οὖν τὰ συγχωρηθέντα ἐπὶ τούτων καὶ τῶν κτηνῶν τροπολογῶν ἐκτέθεικε. τὸ γὰρ διχηλεύειν καὶ διαστέλλειν ὁπλῆς ὄνυχας σημεῖόν ἐστι τοῦ διαστέλλειν ἕκαστα τῶν πράξεων ἐπὶ τὸ καλῶς ἔχον. | 9.20 He has therefore set forth all the permissions regarding these birds and the cattle by way of allegorical instruction. For the cloven hoof and the splitting of the hoof's claws is a symbol of distinguishing each of one's actions toward that which is good. |
| 9.21 ἡ γὰρ ἰσχὺς τῶν ὅλων σωμάτων μετὰ ἐνεργείας ἀπέρεισιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους ἔχει καὶ τὰ σκέλη. μετὰ διαστολῆς οὖν ἅπαντα ἐπιτελεῖν πρὸς δικαιοσύνην ἀναγκάζει τῷ σημειοῦσθαι διὰ τούτων, ἔτι δὲ καὶ διότι παρὰ πάντας ἀνθρώπους διεστάλμεθα. | 9.21 For the strength of the whole body, along with its active power, rests upon the shoulders and legs. He therefore compels us to perform all things with discrimination toward righteousness by symbolizing it through these features, and also because we have been set apart from all other men. |
| 9.22 οἱ γὰρ πλείονες τῶν λοιπῶν ἑαυτοὺς μολύνουσιν ἐπιμισγόμενοι, συντελοῦντες μεγάλην ἀδικίαν, καὶ χῶραι καὶ πόλεις ὅλαι ἐπὶ τούτοις σεμνύνονται. οὐ μόνον γὰρ πρὸς ἄρρενας προσάγουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τεκούσας, ἔτι δὲ καὶ θυγατέρας μολύνουσιν. ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀπὸ τούτων διεστάλμεθα. | 9.22 For most of the remaining human race defile themselves by intermingling, committing great unrighteousness, and whole lands and cities take pride in these things. For they not only approach males, but also defile mothers and even daughters. But we have been set apart from these things. |
| 9.23 περὶ ὃν δέ ἐστιν ὁ προειρημένος τῆς διαστολῆς τρόπος, περὶ τοῦτον καὶ τὸν τῆς μνήμης εἶναι κεχαρακτήρικε. πάντα γὰρ ὅσα διχηλεῖ καὶ μηρυκισμὸν ἀνάγει, σαφῶς τοῖς νοοῦσιν ἐκτίθεται τὸ τῆς μνήμης. ἡ γὰρ ἀναμηρύκισις οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἀλλ’ ἢ τῆς ζωῆς καὶ συστάσεως ὑπόμνησίς ἐστι. | 9.23 And concerning the manner of separation mentioned above, he has also stamped it as a mark of memory. For all creatures that divide the hoof and chew the cud clearly set forth the concept of memory to those who understand. For chewing the cud is nothing other than a recollection of life and sustenance. |
| 9.24 τὸ γὰρ ζῆν διὰ τῆς τροφῆς συνεστάναι νομίζει. διὸ παρακελεύεται διὰ τῆς γραφῆς λέγων οὕτως· «Μνείᾳ μνησθήσῃ Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἐν σοὶ τὰ μεγάλα καὶ θαυμαστά.» | 9.24 For he considers that living consists in being sustained through nourishment. Wherefore he exhorts us through the Scripture, saying thus: 'Thou shalt surely remember the Lord thy God, who did in thee great and wonderful things.' |
| 9.25 κατανοούμενα γὰρ ἔνδοξα φαίνεται, πρῶτα μὲν ἡ τοῦ σώματος σύμπηξις καὶ ἡ τῆς τροφῆς διοίκησις καὶ ἡ περὶ ἕκαστον μέρος διαστολή, πολλῷ δὲ μᾶλλον ἡ τῶν αἰσθήσεων διακόσμησις, διανοίας ἐνέργημα, καὶ κίνησις ἀόρατος, ἥ τε ὀξύτης τοῦ πρὸς ἕκαστόν τι πράσσειν, καὶ τεχνῶν εὕρεσις, ἀπέρατον περιέχει τρόπον. | 9.25 For when carefully contemplated, these things appear glorious: first, the structure of the body, the management of food, and the differentiation of each part; but much more so the organization of the senses, the operation of the mind, its invisible motion, the speed with which it acts toward each thing, and the discovery of arts—all containing an infinite scope. |
| 9.26 διὸ παρακελεύεται μνείαν ἔχειν, ὡς συντηρεῖται τὰ προειρημένα συνεχόμενα θείᾳ δυνάμει. πάντα γὰρ τόπον καὶ χρόνον ὥρικε, πρὸς τὸ διὰ παντὸς μνημονεύειν τοῦ κρατοῦντος Θεοῦ, συντηροῦντας καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ μεσότητας καὶ τελευτάς. | 9.26 Wherefore he exhorts us to keep remembrance, showing that the aforementioned things are preserved together by divine power. For he has marked out every place and time so that we might continually remember God who rules all, preserving the beginnings, middles, and ends of all things. |
| 9.27 καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν βρωτῶν καὶ ποτῶν ἀπαρξαμένους εὐθέως τότε συγχρῆσθαι κελεύει. καὶ μὴν καὶ ἐκ τῶν περιβολαίων παράσημον ἡμῖν μνείας δέδωκεν· ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πόλεων καὶ οἰκήσεων διὰ τὸ σκεπάζεσθαι, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πυλῶν καὶ θυρῶν προστέταχεν ἡμῖν τιθέναι τὰ λόγια, πρὸς τὸ μνείαν εἶναι Θεοῦ· καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν χειρῶν δὲ διαρρήδην τὸ σημεῖον κελεύει περιῆφθαι, σαφῶς ἀποδεικνὺς ὅτι πᾶσαν ἐνέργειαν μετὰ δικαιοσύνης ἐπιτελεῖν δεῖ, μνήμην ἔχοντας τῆς ἑαυτῶν κατασκευῆς, ἐπὶ πᾶσι δὲ τὸν περὶ Θεοῦ φόβον. | 9.27 For even over food and drink, he commands us to partake only after offering the firstfruits. And indeed, from our garments he has given us a sign of remembrance; likewise, both upon cities and dwellings he has commanded us to place the divine words for shelter, and upon the gates and doors, so that there may be a remembrance of God. Upon our hands, too, he explicitly commands the sign to be bound round, clearly showing that every action must be performed with righteousness, keeping a memory of our own creation, and above all, the fear of God. |
| 9.28 κελεύει δὲ καὶ κοιταζομένους καὶ διανισταμένους καὶ πορευομένους μελετᾶν τὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ κατασκευάς, οὐ λόγῳ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διαλήψει θεωροῦντας τὴν κίνησιν καὶ τὴν ὑπόληψιν ἑαυτῶν, ὅταν εἰς ὕπνον ἔρχωνται, καὶ τὴν ἔγερσιν, ὡς θεία τίς ἐστι καὶ ἀκατάληπτος ἡ τούτων μετάθεσις. | 9.28 He commands us also, when going to bed, when rising, and when walking, to meditate upon the creations of God—not in word only, but observing through deep reflection our own motion and consciousness when we go to sleep, and our waking, how divine and incomprehensible is the transition between them. |
| 9.29 Δέδεικται δέ σοι καὶ τὸ περισσὸν τῆς λογίας τῆς κατὰ τὴν διαστολὴν καὶ μνείαν, ὡς ἐξεθέμεθα τὴν διχηλίαν καὶ τὸν μηρυκισμόν. οὐ γὰρ εἰκῆ καὶ κατὰ τὸ ἐμπεσὸν εἰς ψυχὴν νενομοθέτηται, πρὸς δ’ ἀλήθειαν καὶ σημείωσιν ὀρθοῦ λόγου. | 9.29 There has now been demonstrated to you the exceeding wisdom of the word concerning separation and memory, as we set forth the cloven hoof and the chewing of the cud. For these laws were not established at random or according to whatever entered the soul, but for the sake of truth and the indication of right reason. |
| 9.30 διατάξας γὰρ ἐπὶ βρωτῶν καὶ ποτῶν καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὰς ἁφὰς ἕκαστα κελεύει μηδὲν εἰκῆ μήτε πράσσειν μήτε ἀκούειν μήτε τῇ τοῦ λόγου δυναστείᾳ συγχρώμενον ἐπὶ τὴν ἀδικίαν τρέπεσθαι. | 9.30 For having laid down instructions regarding foods, drinks, and matters of touch, he commands us to do nothing at random, nor to listen to anything without purpose, nor to turn toward unrighteousness by employing the power of speech. |
| 9.31 καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κνωδάλων δὲ ταὐτόν ἐστιν εὑρεῖν. κακοποιητικὸς γὰρ ὁ τρόπος ἐστὶ καὶ γαλῆς καὶ μυῶν καὶ τῶν τούτοις ὁμοίων, ὅσα διηγόρευται. πάντα γὰρ λυμαίνονται καὶ κακοποιοῦσι μύες, οὐ μόνον πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτῶν τροφήν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ παντελῶς ἄχρηστον γίνεσθαι ἀνθρώπῳ ὅ τι ἂν δή ποτ’ οὖν ἐπιβάλληται κακοποιεῖν. | 9.31 The same thing may also be found in the case of wild creatures. For the character of both the weasel and mice, and whatever other such animals are specified, is destructive. For mice ruin and damage everything, not merely for their own nourishment, but so that whatever they happen to ruin becomes completely useless to man. |
| 9.32 τό τε τῆς γαλῆς γένος ἰδιάζον ἐστί· χωρὶς γὰρ τοῦ προειρημένου ἔχει λυμαντικὸν κατάστημα. διὰ γὰρ τῶν ὤτων συλλαμβάνει, τεκνοποιεῖ δὲ τῷ στόματι. καὶ διὰ τοῦτ’ οὖν ὁ τοιοῦτος τρόπος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀκάθαρτός ἐστιν. ὅσα γὰρ δι’ ἀκοῆς λαβόντες, ταῦτα τῷ λόγῳ σωματοποιήσαντες κακοῖς ἑτέρους ἐνεκύλισαν, ἀκαθαρσίαν τε οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἀπετέλεσαν, μιανθέντες αὐτοὶ παντάπασι τῷ τῆς ἀσεβείας μολυσμῷ. | 9.32 The species of the weasel is also peculiar; for apart from the aforementioned trait, it possesses a destructive disposition: it conceives through its ears and gives birth through its mouth. And for this reason, such a disposition is unclean to human beings. For whatever people take in through hearing, they embody in speech and roll others into evils, working no ordinary uncleanness, being themselves utterly polluted with the defilement of impiety. |
| 9.33 καλῶς δὲ ποιῶν ὁ βασιλεὺς ὑμῶν τοὺς τοιούτους ἀναιρεῖ, καθὼς μεταλαμβάνομεν. ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπα· «Τοὺς ἐμφανιστὰς οἴομαί σε λέγειν· καὶ γὰρ αἰκίαις καὶ θανάτοις ἐπαλγέσιν αὐτοὺς παραβάλλει συνεχῶς.» «Τούτους γὰρ καὶ λέγω·» [ἔφη] «ἐπαγρύπνησις γὰρ εἰς ἀνθρώπων ἀπώλειαν ἀνόσιος. ὁ δὲ νόμος ἡμῶν κελεύει μήτε λόγῳ μήτε ἔργῳ κακοποιεῖν μηδένα. | 9.33 And your king does well to execute such people, as we learn. (And I said: 'I suppose you mean the informers; for he continually subjects them to tortures and painful deaths.') 'Yes, those are the very ones I mean,' he said; 'for watching vigilantly for the destruction of men is unholy. But our Law commands us to injure no one, either by word or by deed.' |
| 9.34 καὶ περὶ τούτων οὖν ὅσον ἐπὶ βραχὺ διεξελθεῖν, προσυποδείξαντά σοι διότι πάντα κεκανόνισται πρὸς δικαιοσύνην καὶ οὐδὲν εἰκῆ κατατέτακται διὰ τῆς γραφῆς οὐδὲ μυθωδῶς, ἀλλ’ ἵνα δι’ ὅλου τοῦ ζῆν καὶ ἐν ταῖς πράξεσιν ἀσκῶμεν δικαιοσύνην πρὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους, μεμνημένοι τοῦ δυναστεύοντος Θεοῦ. | 9.34 To run through these matters briefly, then: I have demonstrated to you that all things have been calibrated toward righteousness, and nothing in Scripture has been arranged at random or mythologically, but in order that throughout our whole lives and in our actions we may practice righteousness toward all men, remembering the God who reigns. |
| 9.35 περὶ βρωτῶν οὖν καὶ τῶν ἀκαθάρτων ἑρπετῶν καὶ κνωδάλων ὁ πᾶς λόγος ἀνατείνει πρὸς δικαιοσύνην καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων συναναστροφὴν δικαίαν. | 9.35 Concerning food, then, and clean or unclean reptiles and wild beasts, the entire discourse points toward righteousness and just social interaction among human beings. |
| 9.36 ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν καλῶς ἐδόκει περὶ ἑκάστων ἀπολελογῆσθαι· καὶ γὰρ περὶ τῶν προσφερομένων ἔλεγε μόσχων καὶ κριῶν καὶ χιμάρων ὅτι δεῖ ταῦτ’ ἐκ βουκολίων καὶ ποιμνίων λαμβάνοντας ἥμερα κατασκευάζειν καὶ μηδὲν ἄγριον, ὅπως οἱ προσφέροντες τὰς θυσίας μηδὲν ὑπερήφανον ἑαυτοῖς συνιστορῶσι, σημειώσει κεχρημένοι τοῦ διατάξαντος. | 9.36 To me, then, he seemed to have defended each point well. For concerning the calves, rams, and goats that are offered, he said that these must be taken from herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, being tame animals and nothing wild, so that those offering the sacrifices may harbor no proud thoughts in themselves, making use of the sign set down by the lawgiver. |
| 9.37 τῆς γὰρ ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς τοῦ παντὸς τρόπου τὴν προσφορὰν ποιεῖται ὁ τὴν θυσίαν προσάγων. καὶ περὶ τούτων οὖν νομίζω τὰ τῆς ὁμιλίας ἄξια λόγου καθεστάναι, διὰ τὴν σεμνότητα τοῦ νόμου, ἣν προῄρημαι διασαφῆσαί σοι, Φιλόκρατες, δι’ ἣν ἔχεις φιλομάθειαν.» | 9.37 For he who brings the sacrifice makes the offering of his own soul according to his entire character. Concerning these matters, therefore, I consider that the contents of the conversation are worthy of mention on account of the solemnity of the Law, which I have chosen to make clear to you, Philocrates, because of your love of learning.” |
| 9.38 Ταῦτα μὲν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς τοῖς ἥκουσιν ὡς αὐτὸν Ἕλλησι περὶ τῆς ἀλληγορουμένης ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς νόμοις ἰδέας διεστείλατο, ὡς ἂν μέλλουσι ταῖς ἐκδοθησομέναις περιτεύξεσθαι τῶν γραφῶν ἑρμηνείαις. ὁ δὲ Ἀριστόβουλος, καὶ τῆς κατ’ Ἀριστοτέλην φιλοσοφίας πρὸς τῇ πατρίῳ μετειληχώς (ὁποῖα περὶ τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἱεραῖς βίβλοις φερομένων ὡς περὶ Θεοῦ μελῶν διῆλθεν ἐπακοῦσαι καιρός· οὗτος δ’ αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνος, οὗ καὶ ἡ δευτέρα τῶν Μακκαβαίων ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς βίβλου μνημονεύει), ἐν τῷ πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον τὸν βασιλέα συγγράμματι τοῦτον καὶ αὐτὸς διασαφεῖ τὸν τρόπον. | 9.38 The High Priest set forth these distinctions to the Greeks who had come to him concerning the allegorical form of the sacred laws, inasmuch as they were about to read the translations of the Scriptures that were to be published. And Aristobulus—who had participated in the philosophy of Aristotle in addition to his native traditions (it is now time to hear what he discussed concerning the limbs attributed to God in the sacred books; he is the very same man mentioned at the beginning of the Second Book of Maccabees)—in his treatise addressed to King Ptolemy, himself also clarifies this method. |
Chapter 10
In this chapter, Aristobulus (writing to King Ptolemy) addresses the challenge of divine anthropomorphisms in the Hebrew Scriptures (hands, feet, descent, standing, face). He explains that these physical terms must be understood naturalistically and metaphorically rather than taken literally.
Eusebius then adds a transitional note observing that the Jewish nation was historically divided into two groups: the general populace (who followed the literal sense of the Law) and an advanced philosophical order (who engaged in contemplative, allegorical interpretation, as recorded by Josephus and Philo).
"Hand" signifies divine power or force, just as a king's "great hand" represents his reach and military power.
"Standing" refers to the fixed order and stability of creation established by God (e.g., heaven remains heaven, animals do not change species).
"Descent" on Mount Sinai represents the manifest projection of God's power—demonstrated by unconsuming fire and instrumentless trumpet blasts—rather than spatial relocation, since God is present everywhere.
Eusebius then adds a transitional note observing that the Jewish nation was historically divided into two groups: the general populace (who followed the literal sense of the Law) and an advanced philosophical order (who engaged in contemplative, allegorical interpretation, as recorded by Josephus and Philo).
| 10.1 «Πλὴν ἱκανῶς εἰρημένων πρὸς τὰ προκείμενα ζητήματα, ἐπεφώνησας καὶ σύ, βασιλεῦ, διότι σημαίνεται διὰ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ παρ’ ἡμῖν καὶ χεῖρες καὶ βραχίων καὶ πρόσωπον καὶ πόδες καὶ περίπατος ἐπὶ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως· ἅ τεύξεται λόγου καθήκοντος καὶ οὐκ ἀντιδοξήσει τοῖς προειρημένοις ὑφ’ ἡμῶν οὐδέν. | 10.1 “Now, although enough has been said regarding the proposed questions, you also observed, O King, that in our Law hands, arm, face, feet, and walking are used to signify divine power. These matters will receive their due explanation and will in no way contradict what has been previously stated by us. |
| 10.2 παρακαλέσαι δέ σε βούλομαι πρὸς τὸ φυσικῶς λαμβάνειν τὰς ἐκδοχὰς καὶ τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν ἔννοιαν περὶ Θεοῦ κρατεῖν, καὶ μὴ ἐκπίπτειν εἰς τὸ μυθῶδες καὶ ἀνθρώπινον κατάστημα. | 10.2 I wish to exhort you to take these interpretations naturalistically and to maintain the fitting conception concerning God, and not to fall into mythical and anthropomorphic ways of thinking. |
| 10.3 πολλαχῶς γὰρ ὃ βούλεται λέγειν ὁ νομοθέτης ἡμῶν Μωσῆς, ἐφ’ ἑτέρων πραγμάτων λόγους ποιούμενος, λέγω δὲ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν, φυσικὰς διαθέσεις ἀπαγγέλλει καὶ μεγάλων πραγμάτων κατασκευάς. | 10.3 For in many ways, what our lawgiver Moses intends to say—while making statements about other matters on the surface level—actually conveys natural dispositions and structures of great realities. |
| 10.4 οἷς μὲν οὖν πάρεστι τὸ καλῶς νοεῖν, θαυμάζουσι τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν σοφίαν καὶ τὸ θεῖον πνεῦμα, καθ’ ὃ καὶ προφήτης ἀνακεκήρυκται· ὧν εἰσιν οἱ προειρημένοι φιλόσοφοι καὶ πλείονες ἕτεροι καὶ ποιηταὶ παρ’ αὐτοῦ μεγάλας ἀφορμὰς εἰληφότες, καθὸ καὶ θαυμάζονται. | 10.4 Those, therefore, who possess the capacity to understand well marvel at the wisdom surrounding him and at the divine Spirit, in accordance with which he has been proclaimed a prophet. Among these are the aforementioned philosophers, as well as many others and poets who have taken great starting points from him, for which they too are admired. |
| 10.5 τοῖς δὲ μὴ μετέχουσι δυνάμεως καὶ συνέσεως, ἀλλὰ τῷ γραπτῷ μόνον προσκειμένοις, οὐ φαίνεται μεγαλεῖόν τι διασαφῶν. | 10.5 But to those who do not share in power and understanding, but adhere solely to the literal text, he does not appear to clarify anything grand. |
| 10.6 ἄρξομαι δὲ λαμβάνειν καθ’ ἕκαστον σημαινόμενον καθ’ ὅσον ἂν ὦ δυνατός. εἰ δὲ μὴ τεύξομαι τἀληθοῦς, μηδὲ πείσω, μὴ τῷ νομοθέτῃ προσάψῃς τὴν ἀλογίαν, ἀλλ’ ἐμοὶ τῷ μὴ δυναμένῳ διαιρεῖσθαι τὰ ἐκείνῳ νενοημένα. | 10.6 I shall begin, then, by taking up each term in sequence, so far as I am able. But if I fail to hit the truth or to convince you, do not attribute the unreason to the lawgiver, but to me, for being unable to unpack the things intended by him. |
| 10.7 χεῖρες μὲν οὖν νοοῦνται προδήλως καὶ ἐφ’ ἡμῶν κοινότερον. ὅταν γὰρ δυνάμεις ἐξαποστέλλῃς σὺ βασιλεὺς ὤν, βουλόμενός τι κατεργάσασθαι, λέγομεν· “Μεγάλην χεῖρα ἔχει ὁ βασιλεύς,” φερομένων τῶν ἀκουόντων ἐπὶ τὴν δύναμιν ἣν ἔχεις. | 10.7 Now 'hands' are clearly understood in a broader, common sense among us as well. For whenever you, being king, dispatch forces desiring to accomplish something, we say: 'The king has a great hand,' the listeners being directed to the power you possess. |
| 10.8 ἐπισημαίνεται δὲ τοῦτο καὶ διὰ τῆς νομοθεσίας ἡμῶν λέγων ὁ Μώσης οὕτως· “Ἐν χειρὶ κραταιᾷ ἐξήγαγεν ὁ Θεός σε ἐξ Αἰγύπτου.” καὶ πάλιν· “Ἀποστελῶ,” φησὶν ὁ Θεός, “τὴν χεῖρά μου, καὶ πατάξω τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους.” καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ τῶν κτηνῶν θανάτου φησὶ τῷ Φαραῷ ὁ Μώσης· “Ἰδοὺ χεὶρ Κυρίου ἔσται ἐν τοῖς κτήνεσί σου καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις, θάνατος μέγας.” ὥστε αἱ χεῖρες ἐπὶ δυνάμεως νοοῦνται Θεοῦ. καὶ γὰρ ἔστι νοῆσαι τὴν πᾶσαν ἰσχὺν τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τὰς ἐνεργείας ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν εἶναι. | 10.8 This is also indicated through our legislation when Moses speaks thus: 'With a mighty hand God brought you out of Egypt.' And again: 'I will send forth my hand,' says God, 'and I will strike the Egyptians.' And concerning the death of the livestock, Moses says to Pharaoh: 'Behold, the hand of the Lord shall be upon your livestock and upon all those in the fields, a great mortality.' So the 'hands' are understood as referring to the power of God. For one can perceive that all the strength and activities of human beings reside in their hands. |
| 10.9 διόπερ καλῶς ὁ νομοθέτης ἐπὶ τὸ μεγαλεῖον μετενήνοχε, λέγων τὰς συντελείας χεῖρας εἶναι Θεοῦ. στάσις δὲ θεία καλῶς ἂν λέγοιτο κατὰ τὸ μεγαλεῖον ἡ τοῦ κόσμου κατασκευή. | 10.9 Wherefore the lawgiver has properly transferred the term to divine grandeur, saying that accomplishments are the 'hands' of God. Likewise, divine 'standing' may properly be called, in terms of grandeur, the established order of the world. |
| 10.10 καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ πάντων ὁ Θεός, καὶ πάνθ’ ὑποτέτακται, καὶ στάσιν εἴληφεν, ὥστε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καταλαμβάνειν ἀκίνητα εἶναι ταῦτα. λέγω δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον, ὡς οὐδέποτε γέγονεν οὐρανὸς γῆ, γῆ δ’ οὐρανός, οὐδ’ ἥλιος σελήνη λάμπουσα, οὐδὲ σελήνη πάλιν ἥλιος, οὐδὲ ποταμοὶ θάλασσα, οὐδὲ θάλασσα ποταμοί. | 10.10 For God is over all things, and all things are subjected to Him and have received stability, so that men grasp that these things are unalterable. By this I mean that heaven has never become earth, nor earth heaven; nor the sun a shining moon, nor the moon in turn a sun; nor rivers the sea, nor the sea rivers. |
| 10.11 καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τῶν ζῴων ὁ αὐτός ἐστι λόγος. οὐ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ἔσται θηρίον, οὐδὲ θηρίον ἄνθρωπος. καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν δὲ ταὐτὸν ὑπάρχει φυτῶν τε καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων· ἀμετάβλητα μέν ἐστι, τὰς αὐτὰς δ’ ἐν αὐτοῖς τροπὰς λαμβάνει καὶ φθοράς. | 10.11 And again, the same logic applies to animals: for man will not become a beast, nor a beast a man. The same holds true for the remaining plants and other things: they are immutable, yet undergo the same cycles of change and decay within themselves. |
| 10.12 ἡ στάσις οὖν ἡ θεία κατὰ ταῦτα ἂν λέγοιτο, πάντων ὑποκειμένων τῷ Θεῷ. λέγεται δὲ κατάβασις ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος θεία γεγονέναι διὰ τῆς γραφῆς τοῦ νόμου, καθ’ ὃν ἐνομοθέτει καιρόν, ἵνα πάντες θεωρήσωσι τὴν ἐνέργειαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. κατάβασις γὰρ αὕτη σαφής ἐστι· καὶ περὶ τούτων οὖν οὕτως ἄν τις ἐξηγήσαιτο, βουλόμενος συντηρεῖν τὸν περὶ Θεοῦ λόγον. | 10.12 Divine 'standing,' therefore, would be spoken of according to these things, all being subject to God. And the divine 'descent' upon the mountain is said to have occurred through the Scripture of the Law—at the time when he was giving the law—in order that all might behold the activity of God. For this 'descent' is obvious, and concerning these things one might explain it in this way if he wishes to preserve the true concept of God. |
| 10.13 δηλοῦται γὰρ ὡς τὸ ὄρος ἐκαίετο πυρί, καθώς φησιν ἡ νομοθεσία, διὰ τὸ τὸν Θεὸν καταβεβηκέναι, σαλπίγγων τε φωνὰς καὶ τὸ πῦρ φλεγόμενον ἀνυποστάτως εἶναι. | 10.13 For it is shown that the mountain was burning with fire, as the Law says, because God had descended, and there were trumpet sounds and fire burning irresistibly. |
| 10.14 τοῦ γὰρ παντὸς πλήθους μυριάδων οὐκ ἔλαττον ἑκατόν, χωρὶς τῶν ἀφηλίκων, ἐκκλησιαζομένων κυκλόθεν τοῦ ὄρους, οὐκ ἔλασσον ἡμερῶν πέντε οὔσης τῆς περιόδου περὶ αὐτό, κατὰ πάντα τόπον τῆς ὁράσεως πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς κυκλόθεν, ὡς ἦσαν παρεμβεβληκότες, τὸ πῦρ φλεγόμενον ἐθεωρεῖτο· | 10.14 For while the entire multitude of no fewer than one million people—excluding minors—were assembled round about the mountain, the perimeter around it being no less than a five days' journey, the burning fire was seen by all of them from every place of vision round about, as they were encamped. |
| 10.15 ὥστε τὴν κατάβασιν μὴ τοπικὴν εἶναι· πανταχοῦ γὰρ ὁ Θεός ἐστιν. ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ πυρὸς δύναμιν παρὰ πάντα θαυμάσιον ὑπάρχουσαν, διὰ τὸ πάντα ἀναλίσκειν, οὐκ ἂν ἔδειξε φλεγομένην ἀνυποστάτως, μηδὲν ἐξαναλίσκουσαν, εἰ μὴ τὸ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δυναμικὸν αὐτῇ προσείη. | 10.15 So the descent was not spatial, for God is everywhere; but the power of fire, being wondrous beyond all else because it consumes everything, could not have shown itself burning irresistibly without consuming anything unless the dynamic power from God were present in it. |
| 10.16 τῶν γὰρ φυομένων ἐν τῷ ὄρει ἐκείνῳ ἀναλισκομένων σφοδρῶς, οὐδὲν ἐξανάλωσεν, ἀλλ’ ἔμεινε τῶν ἁπάντων ἡ χλόη πυρὸς ἄθικτος, σαλπίγγων τε φωναὶ σφοδρότερον συνηκούοντο σὺν τῇ τοῦ πυρὸς ἀστραπηδὸν ἐκφάνσει, μὴ προκειμένων ὀργάνων τοιούτων, μηδὲ τοῦ φωνήσαντος, ἀλλὰ θείᾳ κατασκευῇ γινομένων πάντων. | 10.16 For while the things growing on that mountain were being fiercely consumed, it consumed nothing of theirs; instead, the green grass of all remained untouched by fire, and the sounds of trumpets were heard more intensely alongside the flash of fire as bright as lightning—without such instruments being present or anyone blowing them, but all occurring by divine design. |
| 10.17 ὥστε σαφὲς εἶναι διὰ ταῦτα τὴν κατάβασιν τὴν θείαν γεγονέναι, διὰ τὸ τοὺς συνορῶντας ἐκφαντικῶς ἕκαστα καταλαμβάνειν, μήτε τὸ πῦρ κεκαυκὸς, ὡς προείρηται, μηδὲν μήτε τὰς τῶν σαλπίγγων φωνὰς δι’ ἀνθρωπίνης ἐνεργείας ἢ κατασκευῆς ὀργάνων γίνεσθαι, τὸν δὲ Θεὸν ἄνευ τινὸς δεικνύναι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ διὰ πάντων μεγαλειότητα.» | 10.17 So it is clear through these things that the divine 'descent' occurred because the beholders vividly perceived each detail: neither had the fire burned anything, as previously stated, nor did the sounds of the trumpets occur through human activity or the construction of instruments, but God displayed His majesty through all things without any need of them.” |
| 10.18 Ταῦτα ὁ Ἀριστόβουλος. Ἐπεὶ δὲ διεληλήθαμεν τά τε τῶν ἱερῶν νόμων παραγγέλματα τόν τε τρόπον τῆς ἀλληγορουμένης παρ’ αὐτοῖς ἰδέας, ἑξῆς ἂν εἴη καὶ τόδε ἐπισημήνασθαι, ὡς τὸ πᾶν Ἰουδαίων ἔθνος εἰς δύο τμήματα διῄρηται, καὶ τὴν μὲν πληθὺν ταῖς τῶν νόμων κατὰ τὴν ῥητὴν διάνοιαν παρηγγελμέναις ὑποθήκαις ὑπῆγε, τὸ δ’ ἕτερον τῶν ἐν ἕξει τάγμα ταύτης μὲν ἠφίει, θειοτέρᾳ δέ τινι καὶ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐπαναβεβηκυίᾳ φιλοσοφίᾳ προσέχειν ἠξίου, θεωρίᾳ τε τῶν ἐν τοῖς νόμοις κατὰ διάνοιαν σημαινομένων. | 10.18 So far Aristobulus. Now, since we have traversed both the commands of the sacred laws and the manner of allegorical interpretation practiced among them, it would be appropriate next to point out this as well: that the entire Jewish nation was divided into two classes. The main body it subjected to the precepts commanded by the laws according to the literal meaning; but the other class—those in a higher state—it permitted to set this aside, deeming it right to attend to a more divine philosophy that transcends the many, through the contemplation of the inner meanings indicated in the laws. |
| 10.19 ἦν δὲ τοῦτο φιλοσόφων Ἰουδαίων γένος, ὧν τὴν τοῦ βίου ἄσκησιν καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν κατεπλάγησαν μυρίοι, τῶν δ’ οἰκείων οἱ περιφανέστατοι καὶ μνήμης ἀλήστου τούτους ἠξίωσαν, Ἰώσηπός τε καὶ Φίλων καὶ ἕτεροι πλείους· ὧν τὰ πολλὰ παρεὶς, δείγματος αὐτὸ μόνον ἕνεκα, τῇ τοῦ Φίλωνος ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἀρκεσθήσομαι μαρτυρίᾳ, ἣν περὶ τῶν δηλουμένων κατὰ πολλὰ τῶν οἰκείων ὑπομνημάτων τέθειται. τούτων δ’ ἀπὸ τῆς Ὑπὲρ Ἰουδαίων ἀπολογίας λαβὼν σύ γε ἀνάγνωθι ταῦτα· | 10.19 This was a class of Jewish philosophers whose life discipline astounded countless outsiders, while the most illustrious of their own people deemed them worthy of everlasting memory—namely Josephus, Philo, and several others. Passing over most of their accounts, for the sake of an example alone, I shall content myself for the present with the testimony of Philo, which he has set down concerning these matters in many places in his own treatises. Take these excerpts from his Apology for the Jews and read them yourself: |
Chapter 11
In this chapter, Philo gives a detailed account of the Essenes, highlighting their exceptional communal life, moral discipline, and egalitarian social structure:
Membership & Calling: Admission is based on voluntary zeal for virtue and philanthropy, not biological lineage or youthful impulsiveness; members are mature, rational men.
Property & Community: They renounce private property (houses, land, slaves, wealth) and hold all possessions in common under a appointed steward (tamias).
Occupations: They engage in peaceful, constructive work—agriculture, beekeeping, animal husbandry, and crafts—and pool all wages to buy shared necessities.
Daily Life & Care: They eat at shared tables, wear simple uniform clothing, provide medical care for the sick out of common funds, and revere their elderly as honored fathers.
Celibacy & Rationale: They eschew marriage, arguing that marital obligations and spousal jealousy undermine communal unity and personal freedom.
Reputation: Their heroic lifestyle earns them the awe and honor of ordinary citizens and great monarchs alike.
| 11.1 Μυρίους δὲ τῶν γνωρίμων ὁ ἡμέτερος νομοθέτης ἤλειψεν ἐπὶ κοινωνίαν, οἳ καλοῦνται μὲν Ἐσσαῖοι, παρὰ τὴν ὁσιότητά μοι δοκῶ τῆς προσηγορίας ἀξιωθέντες. οἰκοῦσι δὲ πολλὰς μὲν πόλεις τῆς Ἰουδαίας, πολλὰς δὲ κώμας καὶ μεγάλους καὶ πολυανθρώπους ὁμίλους. | 11.1 “Our lawgiver trained myriads of his disciples for communal life, who are called Essenes—having been deemed worthy of this designation, in my opinion, on account of their holiness. They inhabit many cities of Judea, as well as many villages and large, populous communities. |
| 11.2 ἔστι δ’ αὐτοῖς ἡ προαίρεσις οὐ γένει (γένος γὰρ ἐφ’ ἑκουσίοις οὐ γράφεται), διὰ δὲ ζῆλον ἀρετῆς καὶ φιλανθρωπίας ἵμερον. | 11.2 Their choice of life is not based on lineage (for lineage is not listed among voluntary choices), but on a zeal for virtue and a desire for philanthropy. |
| 11.3 Ἐσσαίων γοῦν κομιδῇ νήπιος οὐδεὶς ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ πρωτογένειος, ἢ μειράκιον, ἐπεὶ τά γε τούτων ἀβέβαια ἤθη τῷ τῆς ἡλικίας ἀτελεῖ συννεωτερίζονται· τέλειοι δ’ ἄνδρες καὶ πρὸς γῆρας ἀποκλίναντες ἤδη, μηκέθ’ ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἐπιρροῆς ἐπικλυζόμενοι, μηδ’ ὑπὸ τῶν παθῶν ἀγόμενοι, τὴν ἀψευδῆ δὲ καὶ μόνην ὄντως ἐλευθερίαν καρπούμενοι. | 11.3 Among the Essenes, therefore, no one is a mere infant, nor a youth just growing his first beard, nor an adolescent—since the unformed habits of such ages are prone to novelty through the immaturity of youth. Instead, they are mature men, already inclining toward old age, who are no longer swept away by the bodily tide nor led by passions, but enjoy the true and only genuine freedom. |
| 11.4 μάρτυς δὲ τῆς ἐλευθερίας αὐτῶν ὁ βίος. ἴδιον οὐδεὶς οὐδὲν ὑπομένει κτήσασθαι τὸ παράπαν, οὐκ οἰκίαν, οὐκ ἀνδράποδον, οὐ χωρίον, οὐ βοσκήματα, οὐχ ὅσα ἄλλα παρασκευαὶ καὶ χορηγίαι πλούτου· πάντα δ’ εἰς μέσον ἀθρόα καταθέντες κοινὴν καρποῦνται τὴν ἁπάντων ὠφέλειαν. | 11.4 Their life is a witness to their freedom: no one tolerates owning anything of his own at all—not a house, not a slave, not an estate, not livestock, nor any of the other provisions and equipment of wealth. But placing everything together into the common store, they all enjoy the shared benefit of all. |
| 11.5 οἰκοῦσι δ’ ἐν ταὐτῷ, κατὰ θιάσους ἑταιρείας καὶ συσσίτια πεποιημένοι, καὶ πάνθ’ ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινωφελοῦς πραγματευόμενοι διατελοῦσιν. | 11.5 They live together, having established brotherhoods and communal meals in associations, and they spend their entire time working for the common good. |
| 11.6 ἀλλ’ ἑτέρων ἕτεραι πραγματεῖαι, αἷς ἐπαποδύντες ἀόκνως διαθλοῦσιν, οὐ κρυμόν, οὐ θάλπος, οὐχ ὅσα ἀέρος νεωτερίσματα προφασιζόμενοι· πρὶν δ’ ἥλιον ἀνασχεῖν ἐπὶ τὰ συνήθη τρεπόμενοι, δυομένου μόλις ἐπανίασι χαίροντες, οὐχ ἧττον τῶν ἐν τοῖς γυμνικοῖς ἐξεταζομένων ἀγῶσιν. | 11.6 Different members have different tasks, into which they throw themselves unhesitatingly and labor tirelessly, offering no excuses of cold, heat, or changes in the weather. Turning to their customary work before sunrise, they return with difficulty at sunset, rejoicing no less than those who compete in athletic games. |
| 11.7 ὑπολαμβάνουσι γὰρ ἅττ’ ἂν ἐπιτηδεύσωσιν εἶναι βιωφελέστερα καὶ ἡδίω ψυχῇ καὶ σώματι τὰ γυμνάσματα, καὶ πολυχρονιώτερα τῶν ἐν ἀθλήσεσι, μὴ συναφηβῶντα τῇ τοῦ σώματος ἀκμῇ. | 11.7 For whatever pursuits they practice, they consider these exercises to be more useful for life, more pleasant to both soul and body, and more enduring than athletic contests, since they do not decline along with the physical prime of youth. |
| 11.8 εἰσὶ γὰρ αὐτῶν οἱ μὲν γεηπόνοι, τῶν περὶ σπορὰν καὶ γεωργίαν ἐπιστήμονες, οἱ δ’ ἀγελάρχαι, παντοδαπῶν θρεμμάτων ἡγεμόνες, ἔνιοι δὲ σμήνη μελιττῶν ἐπιτροπεύουσιν. | 11.8 For some among them are tillers of the soil, skilled in sowing and agriculture; others are herdsmen, managers of all kinds of livestock; and some tend to swarms of bees. |
| 11.9 ἄλλοι δὲ δημιουργοὶ τῶν κατὰ τέχνας εἰσίν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδὲν ὧν αἱ ἀναγκαῖαι χρεῖαι βιάζονται παθεῖν, οὐδὲν ἀναβαλλόμενοι τῶν εἰς πορισμὸν ἀνυπαίτιον. | Others are craftsmen skilled in various trades, so that they suffer nothing of what necessary needs compel, postponing nothing that leads to blameless procurement. |
| 11.10 ἐκ δὴ τῶν οὕτως διαφερόντων ἕκαστοι τὸν μισθὸν λαβόντες ἑνὶ διδόασι τῷ χειροτονηθέντι ταμίᾳ· λαβὼν δ’ ἐκεῖνος αὐτίκα τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ὠνεῖται, καὶ παρέχει τροφὰς ἀφθόνους καὶ τἄλλα ὧν ὁ ἀνθρώπινος βίος χρειώδης. | 11.10 Each group, receiving their wages from these various occupations, hands them over to a single elected treasurer. He, taking the money, immediately purchases necessary supplies and provides abundant food and all other things needed for human life. |
| 11.11 οἱ δ’ ὁμοδίαιτοι καὶ ὁμοτράπεζοι καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν εἰσὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἀσμενίζοντες, ὀλιγοδεείας ἐρασταί, πολυτέλειαν ὡς ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος νόσον ἐκτρεπόμενοι. | 11.11 Sharing the same daily routine and table, they take pleasure in the same simple fare—lovers of frugality who avoid extravagance as a disease of soul and body. |
| 11.12 κοινὴ δ’ οὐ τράπεζα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐσθὴς αὐτοῖς ἐστί. πρόκεινται γὰρ χειμῶνι μὲν στιφραὶ χλαῖναι, θέρει δ’ ἐξωμίδες εὐτελεῖς, ὡς εὐμαρῶς ἐξεῖναι τῷ βουλομένῳ ἣν ἂν ἐθελήσῃ λαβεῖν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὰ ἑνὸς ἁπάντων καὶ τὰ πάντων ἔμπαλιν ἑνὸς ὑπείληπται. | 11.12 Not only is their table held in common, but their clothing as well. For thick cloaks are set out for winter, and inexpensive light tunics for summer, so that anyone who wishes may easily take whichever he wants—since the possessions of one are considered to belong to all, and conversely, those of all belong to one. |
| 11.13 καὶ μὴν εἴ τις αὐτῶν ἀσθενήσειεν, ἐκ τῶν κοινῶν νοσηλεύεται, θεραπευόμενος ταῖς ἁπάντων ἐπιμελείαις καὶ φροντίσιν. οἱ δὲ δὴ πρεσβῦται, κἂν εἰ τύχοιεν ἄτεκνοι, καθάπερ οὐ πολύπαιδες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα εὔπαιδες, ἐν εὐτυχεστάτῳ καὶ λιπαρωτάτῳ γήρᾳ τὸν βίον εἰώθασι καταλύειν, ὑπὸ τοσούτων προνομίας ἀξιούμενοι καὶ τιμῆς, ἑκουσίῳ γνώμῃ μᾶλλον ἢ φύσεως ἀνάγκῃ θεραπεύειν ἀξιούντων. | 11.13 Furthermore, if any of them falls sick, he is cared for out of the common funds, nursed through the attention and concern of all. And the elderly—even if they happen to be childless—are accustomed to end their lives in a most happy and comfortable old age, as though they were not merely fathers of many children, but fathers of noble children, being deemed worthy of such privilege and honor by those who choose to care for them out of voluntary affection rather than natural necessity. |
| 11.14 ἔτι τοίνυν ὅπερ ἢ μόνον ἢ μάλιστα τὴν κοινωνίαν ἔμελλε διαλύειν ὀξυδερκέστερον ἰδόντες, γάμον παρῃτήσαντο μετὰ καὶ τοῦ διαφερόντως ἀσκεῖν ἐγκράτειαν. Ἐσσαίων γὰρ οὐδεὶς ἄγεται γυναῖκα, διότι φίλαυτον ἡ γυνὴ καὶ ζηλότυπον οὐ μετρίως καὶ δεινὸν ἀνδρὸς ἤθη παλεῦσαι καὶ συνεχέσι γοητείαις ὑπάγεσθαι. | 11.14 Moreover, having foreseen with keen insight the very thing that was most likely to dissolve their community, they foreswore marriage, along with practicing self-control to an extraordinary degree. For no Essene takes a wife, because a woman is selfish and excessively jealous, as well as formidable at beguiling a man’s character and ensnaring him with continuous enchantments. |
| 11.15 μελετήσασα γὰρ θῶπας λόγους καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ὑπόκρισιν, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ σκηνῆς, ὄψεις καὶ ἀκοὰς ὅταν δελεάσῃ, διηπατημένων οἷα ὑπηκόων, τὸν ἡγεμόνα νοῦν φενακίζει. | 11.15 For having practiced flattering words and other hypocrisy—as if on a stage—when she charms his eyes and ears, she tricks the governing mind as if deceiving subjects. |
| 11.16 παῖδες δ’ εἰ γένοιντο, φρονήματος ὑποπλησθεῖσα καὶ παρρησίας, ὅσα κατ’ εἰρωνείαν πρότερον ὑπούλως ὑπῃνίττετο, ταῦτα ἀπ’ εὐτολμοτέρου θράσους ἐκλαλεῖ καὶ ἀναισχυντοῦσα βιάζεται πράττειν, ὧν ἕκαστον κοινωνίας ἐχθρόν. | 11.16 And if children should be born, filled with pride and bold speech, she openly blurted out with reckless audacity whatever she previously hinted at insidiously with irony, and shamelessly forces actions, every one of which is hostile to community. |
| 11.17 ὁ γὰρ ἢ γυναικὸς φίλτροις ἐνδεθεὶς ἢ τέκνων ἀνάγκῃ φύσεως προκηδόμενος οὐκέτι πρὸς ἄλλους ὁ αὐτός ἐστιν, ἀλλ’ ἕτερος γέγονε λεληθὼς ἀντ’ ἐλευθέρου δοῦλος. | 11.17 For he who is bound by the love-charms of a wife or constrained by natural necessity to care for children is no longer the same toward others; instead, without realizing it, he has become a slave instead of a free man. |
| 11.18 οὕτως γοῦν ὁ βίος ἐστὶν αὐτῶν περιμάχητος, ὥστ’ οὐκ ἰδιῶται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεγάλοι βασιλεῖς ἀγάμενοι τοὺς ἄνδρας τεθήπασι, καὶ τὸ σεμνὸν αὐτῶν ἀποδοχαῖς καὶ τιμαῖς ἔτι μᾶλλον σεμνοποιοῦσι. | 11.18 So desirable, then, is their way of life that not only private citizens, but even great kings, admiring the men, stand in awe of them and render their solemn dignity even more venerable through their approval and honors.” |
| 11.19 Ταῦτα μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰρημένου κείσθω συγγράμματος· ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ Περὶ τοῦ πάντα σπουδαῖον ἐλεύθερον εἶναι τὰ οὕτως ἔχοντα παραθήσομαι· | 11.19 Let these excerpts stand from the aforementioned work; next, from That Every Good Man Is Free, I shall cite the following passages: |
Chapter 12
In this chapter, Eusebius draws directly from Philo—this time from his treatise Every Good Man Is Free (Quod Omnis Probus Liber Sit, 75–91) which is followed by Eusebius's closing editorial remarks.
Philo describes the lifestyle, philosophy, and societal impact of the Essenes (numbering over 4,000):
Philo describes the lifestyle, philosophy, and societal impact of the Essenes (numbering over 4,000):
Name & Nature: Called Essenes (derived from "holiness"), they serve God not through animal sacrifices, but by cultivating holy dispositions.
Dwelling & Labor: They avoid cities to escape moral corruption, living in villages and engaging in agriculture, crafts, and peaceful trades. They reject wealth, land accumulation, and the manufacture of weapons, commerce, or shipping.
Equality & Liberty: They practice complete equality, repudiating slavery as a violation of natural law, which created all humans as true brothers.
Philosophy: They ignore abstract logic and physics (except regarding creation and God's existence) to focus entirely on ethics, using their ancestral laws to cultivate piety, holiness, justice, and philanthropy.
Sabbath Instruction: On the seventh day, they gather in synagogues ordered by age, where a leader reads and interprets the Scriptures allegorically through traditional symbols.
Communal Living: They share houses, food, clothing, and income under an elected steward. The sick receive full care from common funds, and the elderly are tended with filial affection.
Inviolability: Even the most ruthless tyrants and treacherous rulers were unable to find fault with the Essenes or harm their community; instead, all stood in awe of their virtue and liberty.
| 12.1 «Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἡ ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ Συρία καλοκαγαθίας οὐκ ἄγονος, ἣν πολυανθρωποτάτου ἔθνους τῶν Ἰουδαίων οὐκ ὀλίγη μοῖρα νέμεται. | 12.1 “Palestinian Syria is also not unbarren of noble virtue, inhabited as it is by a no small portion of the most populous nation of the Jews. |
| 12.2 λέγονται δέ τινες παρ’ αὐτοῖς ὄνομα Ἐσσαῖοι, πλῆθος ὑπὲρ τετρακισχιλίους, κατ’ ἐμὴν δόξαν οὐκ ἀκριβεῖ τύπῳ διαλέκτου Ἑλληνικῆς, παρώνυμοι ὁσιότητος, ἐπειδὴ κἀν τοῖς μάλιστα θεραπευταὶ Θεοῦ γεγόνασιν, οὐ ζῷα καταθύοντες, ἀλλ’ ἱεροπρεπεῖς τὰς ἑαυτῶν διανοίας κατασκευάζειν ἀξιοῦντες. | 12.2 Certain ones among them are called Essenes, numbering over four thousand, named—in my opinion, though not according to an exact form of the Greek language—from holiness, since they have become preeminently worshippers of God, not by sacrificing animals, but by deeming it right to prepare their own minds in a manner fit for sacred service. |
| 12.3 οὗτοι τὸ μὲν πρῶτον κωμηδὸν οἰκοῦσι τὰς πόλεις ἐκτρεπόμενοι, διὰ τὰς τῶν πολιτευομένων χειροήθεις ἀνομίας, εἰδότες ἐκ τῶν συνόντων, ὡς ἀπὸ ἀέρος φθοροποιοῦ νόσον, ἐγγινομένην προσβολὴν ψυχαῖς ἀνίατον. | 12.3 These people in the first place live in villages, avoiding the cities on account of the customary lawlessness of city dwellers, knowing that an incurable infection is produced in souls from those who live together, just as a disease comes from pestilential air. |
| 12.4 ὧν οἱ μὲν γεωπονοῦντες, οἱ δὲ τέχνας μετιόντες, ὅσαι συνεργάτιδες εἰρήνης, ἑαυτούς τε καὶ τοὺς πλησιάζοντας ὠφελοῦσιν, οὐκ ἄργυρον καὶ χρυσὸν θησαυροφυλακοῦντες, οὐδ’ ἀποτομὰς γῆς μεγάλας κτώμενοι δι’ ἐπιθυμίαν προσόδων, ἀλλ’ ὅσα πρὸς τὰς ἀναγκαίας τοῦ βίου χρείας ἐκπορίζοντες. | 12.4 Some of them cultivate the land, while others pursue crafts that are handmaidens of peace, benefiting both themselves and their neighbors—not hoarding silver and gold, nor acquiring vast tracts of land out of a desire for revenues, but procuring only as much as is needed for the necessary requirements of life. |
| 12.5 μόνοι γὰρ ἐξ ἁπάντων σχεδὸν ἀνθρώπων ἀχρήματοι καὶ ἀκτήμονες αὐτοὶ γεγονότες, ἐπιτηδεύσει τὸ πλέον ἢ ἐνδείᾳ εὐτυχίας (πλουσιώτατοι νομίζονται), τὴν ὀλιγοδέειαν καὶ εὐκολίαν, ὅπερ ἐστίν, κρίνοντες περιουσίαν. | 12.5 For being virtually the only men among all mankind who are without money and property—and this by deliberate choice rather than through lack of good fortune—they are considered most wealthy, judging contentment and frugality, as indeed they are, to be true abundance. |
| 12.6 βελῶν, ἢ ἀκόντων, ἢ ξιφιδίων, ἢ κράνους, ἢ θώρακος, ἢ ἀσπίδος, οὐδένα παρ’ αὐτοῖς ἂν εὕροις δημιουργόν, οὐδὲ συνόλως ὁπλοποιὸν ἢ μηχανοποιὸν, ἤ τι τῶν κατὰ πόλεμον ἐπιτηδεύοντα, ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ὅσα κατ’ εἰρήνην εὐόλισθα εἰς κακίαν· ἐμπορίας γὰρ ἢ καπηλείας ἢ ναυκληρίας οὐδ’ ὄναρ ἴσασι, τὰς εἰς πλεονεξίαν ἀφορμὰς ἀποδιοπομπούμενοι. | 12.6 You would not find among them any craftsman of arrows, spears, daggers, helmets, breastplates, or shields, nor any manufacturer of arms or engines of war, nor anyone who pursues anything connected with war—nor even such things as easily slip into vice during peacetime; for they know not even in dreams of wholesale trade, retail, or shipping, turning away from all incentives to greed. |
| 12.7 δοῦλός τε παρ’ αὐτοῖς οὐδὲ εἷς ἐστιν, ἀλλ’ ἐλεύθεροι πάντες, ἀνθυπουργοῦντες ἀλλήλοις· καταγινώσκουσί τε τῶν δεσποτῶν οὐ μόνον ὡς ἀδίκων ἰσότητα λυμαινομένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς ἀσεβῶν, θεσμὸν φύσεως ἀναιρούντων, ἣ πάντας ὁμοίως γεννήσασα καὶ θρέψασα μητρὸς τρόπον ἀδελφοὺς γνησίους, οὐ λεγομένους, ἀλλ’ ὄντας ὄντως ἀπειργάσατο. | 12.7 Not a single slave is found among them, but all are free, serving one another in turn. They condemn slaveholders not only as unjust in destroying equality, but also as impious in annulling the ordinance of Nature, which, having brought forth and nourished all alike like a mother, made them true brothers, not merely in name, but in reality. |
| 12.8 ὧν τὴν συγγένειαν ἡ ἐπίβουλος πλεονεξία παρευημερήσασα διέσεισεν, ἀντ’ οἰκειότητος ἀλλοτριότητα καὶ ἀντὶ φιλίας ἔχθραν ἐργασαμένη. | 12.8 But insidious greed, gaining the upper hand, has shattered this kinship, producing estrangement instead of intimacy and enmity instead of friendship. |
| 12.9 φιλοσοφίας τε τὸ μὲν λογικὸν, ὡς οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον εἰς κτῆσιν ἀρετῆς, λογοθήραις, τὸ δὲ φυσικὸν, ὡς μεῖζον ἢ κατ’ ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν, μετεωρολέσχαις ἀπολιπόντες, πλὴν ὅσον αὐτοῦ περὶ ὑπάρξεως Θεοῦ καὶ τῆς τοῦ παντὸς γενέσεως φιλοσοφεῖται, τὸ ἠθικὸν εὖ μάλα διαπονοῦσιν, ἀλείπταις χρώμενοι τοῖς πατρῴοις νόμοις, οὓς ἀμήχανον ἀνθρωπίνην ἐπινοῆσαι ψυχὴν ἄνευ κατακωχῆς ἐνθέου. | 12.9 Leaving the logical branch of philosophy to word-hunters as unnecessary for the acquisition of virtue, and the physical branch to high-altitude babblers as beyond human nature—except so far as it treats of the existence of God and the origin of the universe—they diligently labor at the ethical branch, using as their trainers their ancestral laws, which it would be impossible for a human soul to devise without divine inspiration. |
| 12.10 τούτους ἀναδιδάσκονται μὲν καὶ παρὰ τὸν ἄλλον χρόνον, ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἑβδόμαις διαφερόντως. ἱερὰ γὰρ ἡ ἑβδόμη νενόμισται, καθ’ ἣν τῶν ἄλλων ἀνέχοντες ἔργων, εἰς ἱεροὺς ἀφικνούμενοι τόπους, οἳ καλοῦνται συναγωγαί, καθ’ ἡλικίαν ἐν τάξεσιν ὑπὸ πρεσβυτέροις νέοι καθέζονται, μετὰ κόσμου τοῦ προσήκοντος ἔχοντες ἀκροατικῶς. εἷς μέν τις τὰς βίβλους ἀναγινώσκει λαβών, ἕτερος δὲ τῶν ἐμπειροτάτων ὅσα μὴ γνώριμα παρελθὼν ἀναδιδάσκει· τὰ γὰρ πλεῖστα διὰ συμβόλων ἀρχαιοτρόπῳ ζηλώσει παρ’ αὐτοῖς φιλοσοφεῖται. | 12.10 In these they are instructed at other times, but especially on the seventh days. For the seventh day is held sacred, on which, abstaining from all other works, they assemble in holy places called synagogues, seated in ranks according to age, the young below the elders, listening with appropriate decorum. Then one takes the books and reads aloud, while another of the most experienced comes forward and explains whatever is not understood; for most of their philosophy is pursued through symbols according to ancient emulation. |
| 12.11 παιδεύονται δὲ εὐσέβειαν, ὁσιότητα, δικαιοσύνην, οἰκονομίαν, πολιτείαν, καὶ ἐπιστήμην τῶν πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ἀγαθῶν καὶ κακῶν καὶ ἀδιαφόρων, αἱρέσεις ὧν χρὴ καὶ φυγὰς τῶν ἐναντίων, νόμοις καὶ κανόσι τριττοῖς χρώμενοι, τῷ τε φιλοθέῳ καὶ φιλαρέτῳ καὶ φιλανθρώπῳ. | 12.11 Thus they are taught piety, holiness, justice, stewardship, citizenship, and the knowledge of what is truly good, evil, and indifferent, as well as what choices to make and what to avoid, using three criteria and rules: love of God, love of virtue, and love of mankind. |
| 12.12 τοῦ μὲν οὖν φιλοθέου δείγματα μυρία παρέχει ἡ παρ’ ὅλον τὸν βίον συνεχὴς καὶ ἐπάλληλος ἁγνεία, τὸ ἀνώμοτον, τὸ ἀψευδές, τὸ πάντων μὲν ἀγαθῶν αἴτιον, κακοῦ δὲ μηδενὸς νομίζειν εἶναι τὸ Θεῖον· τοῦ δὲ φιλαρέτου τὸ ἀφιλοχρήματον, τὸ ἀφιλόδοξον, τὸ ἀφιλήδονον, τὸ ἐγκρατές, τὸ καρτερικόν, ἔτι δὲ ὀλιγοδέειαν, ἀφέλειαν, εὐκολίαν, τὸ ἄτυφον, τὸ νόμιμον, τὸ εὐσταθές, καὶ ὅσα τούτοις ὁμοιότροπα· τοῦ δὲ φιλανθρώπου δείγματα εὔνοια, ἰσότης, ἡ παντὸς λόγου κρείττων κοινωνία, περὶ ἧς οὐκ ἄκαιρον βραχέα εἰπεῖν. | 12.12 Of their love of God, they provide myriads of examples through their continuous and unbroken purity throughout their entire life, their refusal to swear oaths, their truthfulness, and their conviction that the Divine is the cause of all good things and of no evil. Of their love of virtue, they demonstrate it by their freedom from love of money, fame, and pleasure, their self-control, endurance, frugality, simplicity, contentment, absence of pride, obedience to law, steadfastness, and all similar qualities. Of their love of mankind, they show proofs in goodwill, equality, and a fellowship beyond all description, about which it is not out of place to speak briefly. |
| 12.13 πρῶτον τοίνυν οὐδενὸς οἰκία τίς ἐστιν ἰδία, ἣν οὐχὶ πάντων εἶναι κοινὴν συμβέβηκε. πρὸς γὰρ τῷ κατὰ θιάσους συνοικεῖν ἀναπέπταται καὶ τοῖς ἑτέρωθεν ἀφικνουμένοις τῶν ὁμοζήλων. | 12.13 First of all, no one's house is private to himself, but belongs in common to all. For besides living together in brotherhoods, it is thrown open to any members of the same order who arrive from elsewhere. |
| 12.14 εἶτ’ ἐστὶ ταμεῖον ἓν πάντων καὶ δαπάναι· καὶ κοιναὶ μὲν ἐσθῆτες, κοιναὶ δὲ τροφαὶ συσσίτια πεποιημένων. τὸ γὰρ ὁμωρόφιον ἢ ὁμοδίαιτον ἢ ὁμοτράπεζον οὐκ ἄν τις εὕροι παρ’ ἑτέροις μᾶλλον ἔργῳ βεβαιούμενον, καὶ μήποτ’ εἰκότως· | 12.14 Next, there is one storehouse for all and shared expenses; their garments are common, and their food is common through shared meals. For living under one roof, sharing one lifestyle, and eating at one table could not be found more firmly established in practice among any other people, and naturally so. |
| 12.15 ὅσα γὰρ ἂν μεθ’ ἡμέραν ἐργασάμενοι λάβωσιν ἐπὶ μισθῷ, ταῦτ’ οὐκ ἴδια φυλάττουσιν, ἀλλ’ εἰς μέσον προτιθέντες κοινὴν τοῖς ἐθέλουσι χρῆσθαι τὴν ἀπ’ αὐτῶν παρασκευάζουσιν ὠφέλειαν· οἵ τε νοσοῦντες οὐχ ὅτι πορίζειν ἀδυνατοῦσιν ἀμελοῦνται, πρὸς τὰς νοσηλείας ἐκ τῶν κοινῶν ἔχοντες ἐν ἑτοίμῳ, ὡς μετὰ πάσης ἀδείας ἐξ ἀφθονωτέρων ἀναλίσκειν. | 12.15 For whatever they earn by working during the day as wages, they do not keep as their own, but place it in the middle, offering the benefit derived from it in common to all who wish to use it. Nor are those who fall ill neglected because they are unable to earn, for they have ready resources for medical care from the common funds, so that they spend from abundant means with complete peace of mind. |
| 12.16 αἰδὼς δ’ ἐστὶ πρεσβυτέρων καὶ φροντίς, οἵα γονέων ὑπὸ γνησίων παίδων, χερσὶ καὶ διανοίαις μυρίαις ἐν ἀφθονίᾳ τῇ πάσῃ γηροτροφουμένων. τοιούτους ἡ δίχα περιεργίας Ἑλληνικῶν ὀνομάτων ἀθλητὰς ἀρετῆς ἀπεργίζεται φιλοσοφία, γυμνάσματα προτιθεῖσα τὰς ἐπαινετὰς πράξεις, ἐξ ὧν ἡ ἀδούλωτος ἐλευθερία βεβαιοῦται. | 12.16 There is respect and care for the elderly, such as true children show to parents, as they are maintained in their old age in all abundance by myriads of hands and minds. Such are the athletes of virtue produced by a philosophy free from the pedantry of Greek terms, setting forth as exercises praiseworthy deeds, by which unenslaved freedom is confirmed. |
| 12.17 σημεῖον δέ· πολλῶν κατὰ καιροὺς ἐπαναστάντων τῇ χώρᾳ δυναστῶν, καὶ φύσεσι καὶ προαιρέσεσι χρησαμένων διαφερούσαις· οἱ μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὸ ἀτίθασον ἀγριότητα θηρίων ἐκνικῆσαι σπουδάσαντες, οὐδὲν παραλιπόντες τῶν εἰς ὠμότητα, τοὺς ὑπηκόους ἀγεληδὸν ἱερεύοντες, ἢ καὶ ζῶντας ἔτι μαγείρων τρόπον κατὰ μέρη καὶ μέλη κακουργοῦντες, ἄχρι τοῦ τὰς αὐτὰς ὑπομεῖναι συμφορὰς ὑπὸ τῆς τὰ ἀνθρώπεια ἐφορώσης δίκης, οὐκ ἐπαύσαντο· | 12.17 A proof of this is that though many rulers have risen against their country at various times, possessing diverse natures and purposes—for some, striving to outdo the untamed ferocity of wild beasts, omitted nothing in the way of cruelty, slaughtering their subjects in herds, or even butchering them alive limb by limb like butchers, until they themselves suffered the same calamities under divine justice that oversees human affairs, never ceased; |
| 12.18 οἱ δὲ τὸ παρακεκινημένον καὶ λελυττηκὸς εἰς ἑτέρας εἶδος κακίας μεθαρμοσάμενοι, πικρίαν ἄλεκτον ἐπιτηδεύσαντες, ἡσυχῇ διαλαλοῦντες, ἠρεμαιοτέρας φωνῆς ὑποκρίσει βαρύμηνι ἦθος ἐπιδεικνύμενοι, κυνῶν ἰοβόλων τρόπον προσσαίνοντες, ἀνιάτων γενόμενοι κακῶν αἴτιοι, κατὰ πόλεις μνημεῖα τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀσεβείας καὶ μισανθρωπίας ἀπέλιπον τὰς τῶν πεπονθότων ἀλήστους συμφοράς. | 12.18 while others, altering their wild madness into another form of vice, practiced unutterable bitterness, speaking softly and displaying a deep-seated wrath under the guise of a gentler voice, fawning like venomous dogs, becoming the cause of incurable evils, left behind in every city unforgetable calamities of their victims as monuments of their own impiety and hatred of humanity— |
| 12.19 ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐδεὶς οὔτε τῶν σφόδρα ὠμοθύμων οὔτε τῶν πάνυ δολερῶν καὶ ὑπούλων ἴσχυσε τὸν λεχθέντα τῶν Ἐσσαίων ἢ Ὁσίων ὅμιλον αἰτιάσασθαι· πάντες δ’ ἀσθενέστεροι τῆς τῶν ἀνδρῶν καλοκαγαθίας γενόμενοι, καθάπερ αὐτονόμοις καὶ ἐλευθέροις οὖσιν ἐκ φύσεως προσηνέχθησαν, ᾄδοντες αὐτῶν τὰ συσσίτια καὶ τὴν παντὸς λόγου κρείττονα κοινωνίαν, ἣ βίου τελείου καὶ σφόδρα εὐδαίμονός ἐστι σαφέστατον δεῖγμα.» | 12.19 yet not one, either of the exceedingly cruel or of the treacherous and insidious, was able to lay any charge against the aforementioned company of Essenes or Holy Ones. But all, yielding to the noble virtue of these men, treated them as autonomous and free by nature, praising their shared meals and their fellowship beyond all description, which is the clearest proof of a perfect and supremely happy life.” |
| 12.20 Τὰ μὲν οὖν τῆς φιλοσόφου παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἀσκήσεως τε καὶ πολιτείας διὰ τῶνδε προκείσθω· τὰ δὲ τοῦ λοιποῦ βίου, ὃν δὴ τῷ πλήθει τοῦ παντὸς ἔθνους οἱ θεῖοι διηγόρευον νόμοι, τέθειται προλαβὼν ὁ λόγος. | 12.20 Let these accounts of the philosophical discipline and polity among the Jews be set forth thus far; as for the rest of their life, which the divine laws prescribed for the general body of the nation, our discourse has already treated it previously. |
| 12.21 τί δῆτα λείπεται ἐπὶ τούτοις ἢ καὶ τὰ τῆς τῶν νέων θεολογίας σύμφωνα ταῖς τῶν προπατόρων εὐσεβείαις παραστήσασθαι, ὡς ἂν καὶ τῆσδε τῆς ὑποθέσεως ἐντελὴς ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος ἀποδεδομένος εἴη; | 12.21 What then remains after this, if not to demonstrate that the theology of the later writers is in harmony with the piety of the forefathers, so that our treatment of this subject may be rendered complete? |
| 12.22 ἐπεὶ τοίνυν τὰ τῆς ἐνθέου γραφῆς λόγια πρόκειται διὰ τοῦ πρὸ τούτου συγγράμματος, φέρ’ οὖν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος τὰ τῆς διανοίας τῶν παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις σοφῶν ἐπαθρήσωμεν, ὡς ἂν μάθοιμεν ὁποῖοί τινες καὶ ἐν τῇ θεολογίᾳ κἀν τῇ περὶ λόγους ἀρετῇ παῖδες Ἑβραίων γεγόνασι. πάλιν οὖν τὸν Φίλωνα παριτέον ἀπὸ τοῦ πρώτου τῶν Εἰς τὸν Νόμον... | 12.22 Since, therefore, the oracles of the inspired Scripture have been set forth in the preceding book, come now, let us examine for the present the thoughts of the wise men among the Jews, so that we may learn what sort of men the children of the Hebrews have been both in theology and in literary excellence. So once again we must bring forward Philo, beginning with the first book of his On the Law... |
Chapter 13
This chapter contrasts pagan philosophers—who worshiped the world as uncreated and thereby stripped God of his creative power and providence—with Moses, who understood that God is the active, supreme Cause and the world is the passive, created material. Because God is the Creator and Father of the cosmos, He exercises divine providence over it. Eusebius notes that Philo thoroughly defended this doctrine of divine providence against atheistic objections.
| 13.1 Τινὲς γὰρ τὸν κόσμον μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν κοσμοποιὸν θαυμάσαντες τὸν μὲν ἀγέννητόν τε καὶ ἀίδιον ἀπεφήναντο, τοῦ θεοῦ πολλὴν ἀπραξίαν ἀνάγνως καταψευσάμενοι, δέον ἔμπαλιν τούτου τὰς δυνάμεις ὡς ποιητοῦ καὶ πατρὸς καταπλαγῆναι, τὸν δὲ μὴ πλέον ἀποσεμνῦναι τοῦ μετρίου. | 13.1 For some, admiring the world rather than the Maker of the world, declared it to be uncreated and eternal, impiously falsely accusing God of complete inactivity—whereas, on the contrary, they ought to have been struck with awe at His powers as Creator and Father, and not to have exalted the world beyond due measure. |
| 13.2 Μωϋσῆς δὲ καὶ φιλοσοφίας ἐπ’ αὐτὴν φθάσας ἀκρότητα καὶ χρησμοῖς τὰ πολλὰ καὶ συνεκτικώτατα τῶν τῆς φύσεως ἀναδιδαχθεὶς ἔγνω διότι ἀναγκαιότατόν ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς οὖσι τὸ μὲν εἶναι δραστήριον αἴτιον, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ὁ τῶν ὅλων νοῦς εἰλικρινέστατος καὶ ἀκραιφνέστατος, κρείττων ἢ ἐπιστήμη, καὶ κρείττων ἢ αὐτὸ τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ καλόν· τὸ δὲ παθητικὸν ἄψυχον καὶ ἀκίνητον ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ, κινηθὲν δὲ καὶ μετασχηματισθὲν καὶ ψυχωθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ νοῦ μετέβαλεν εἰς τὸ τελειότατον ἔργον τόνδε τὸν κόσμον· ὃν οἱ φάσκοντες ἀγέννητον λελήθασι τὸ ὠφελιμώτατον καὶ ἀναγκαιότατον τῶν εἰς εὐσέβειαν ὑποτεμνόμενοι, τὴν πρόνοιαν. | 13.2 Moses, however, having reached the very summit of philosophy, and having been instructed by divine oracles in the many and most vital principles of nature, recognized that it is most necessary that among existing things there be an active cause—which is the Mind of the universe, most pure and unmixed, superior to knowledge, and superior even to the Good itself and the Beautiful itself—and a passive element, which is in itself lifeless and motionless, but when moved, reshaped, and endowed with soul by Mind, was transformed into that most perfect work, this world. Those who claim that this world is uncreated unknowingly cut away that which is most beneficial and essential for piety, namely, divine providence. |
| 13.3 Τοῦ μὲν γὰρ γεγονότος ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τὸν πατέρα καὶ ποιητὴν αἱρεῖ λόγος. Καὶ γὰρ πατὴρ ἐκγόνων καὶ δημιουργὸς τῶν δημιουργηθέντων στοχάζεται τῆς διαμονῆς, καὶ ὅσα μὲν ἐπιζήμια μηχανῇ πάσῃ διωθεῖται, ὅσα δὲ ὠφέλιμα καὶ λυσιτελῆ πάντα τρόπον ἐκπορίζειν ἐπιποθεῖ· πρὸς δὲ τὸ μὴ γεγονὸς οἰκείωσις οὐδεμία τῷ μὴ πεποιηκότι. | 13.3 For reason demands that the Father and Creator take care of that which has come into being. For a father aims at the preservation of his offspring, and a craftsman at that of his creations; whatever is harmful he drives away by every possible device, and whatever is advantageous and useful he earnestly desires to supply in every way. But toward that which has not come into being, there is no affinity for one who has not made it. |
| 13.4 Περιμάχητον δὲ δόγμα καὶ ἀνωφελὲς ἀναρχίαν ὡς ἐν πόλει κατασκευάζειν τῷδε τῷ κόσμῳ, τὸν ἔφορον, ἢ βραβευτὴν, ἢ δικαστὴν οὐκ ἔχοντι, ὑφ’ οὗ πάντα οἰκονομεῖσθαι καὶ πρυτανεύεσθαι θέμις. | 13.4 It is a contested and useless doctrine to set up an anarchy in this world as in a city—having no overseer, arbiter, or judge by whom it is right that all things be administered and directed. |
| 13.5 Ἀλλ’ ὅ γε μέγας Μωϋσῆς ἀλλοτριώτατον τοῦ ὁρατοῦ νομίσας εἶναι τὸ ἀγέννητον (πᾶν γὰρ τὸ αἰσθητὸν ἐν γενέσει καὶ μεταβολαῖς οὐδέποτε κατὰ ταὐτὰ ὄν) τῷ μὲν ἀοράτῳ καὶ νοητῷ προσένειμεν, ὡς ἀδελφὸν καὶ συγγενῆ, ἀιδιότητα, τῷ δ’ αἰσθητῷ γένεσιν τὸ οἰκεῖον ὄνομα ἐπεφήμισεν. | 13.5 But the great Moses, deeming that to be uncreated is utterly foreign to that which is visible (for everything perceptible to sense is in generation and change, never remaining in the same state), assigned eternity as something kindred and related to the invisible and intelligible, whereas to the sensible world he applied its proper name, "generation" (or creation). |
| 13.6 Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὁρατός τε καὶ αἰσθητὸς ὅδε ὁ κόσμος, ἀναγκαίως ἂν εἴη καὶ γεννητός· ὅθεν οὐκ ἀπὸ σκοποῦ καὶ τὴν γένεσιν ἀνέγραψεν αὐτοῦ, μάλα σεμνῶς θεολογήσας. | 13.6 Since,therefore, this world is both visible and perceptible to sense, it must necessarily also be created. Hence, not off the mark, he recorded its creation, expressing divine truth in a most dignified manner. |
| 13.7 Ταῦ ταμὲν οὖν περὶ τοῦ γεννητὸν εἶναι τὸν κόσμον. Ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς ἀνὴρ καὶ περὶ τοῦ προνοίᾳ διοικεῖσθαι τὸ πᾶν ἐν τῷ Περὶ προνοίας νεανικώτατα διέξεισι, τὰς τῶν ἀθέων ἀντιθέσεις προτάξας καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰς ἑξῆς ἀποκρινάμενος. Καὶ τούτων δέ, εἰ καὶ μακρότερα δόξειεν, ἀλλ’ ὡς ἀναγκαῖα τὰ πλεῖστα συντεμὼν ἐκθήσομαι. Κατασκευάζει δὲ τὸν λόγον τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον: | 13.7 These things, then, concern the world's being created. But the same writer [Philo], in his treatise On Providence, also sets forth most vigorously how the universe is administered by providence, presenting first the objections of the godless and then responding to them in order. And of these arguments, even if they should seem somewhat lengthy, I shall nevertheless set forth most of them in concise form as being necessary. And he constructs his argument in the following manner: |
Chapter 14
In this chapter, Eusebius is quoting directly from the Jewish Alexandrian philosopher Philo of Alexandria—specifically from Philo's lost treatise De Providentia (On Providence), Book 2. Eusebius's introduction and conclusion (sections 14.2 and 14.73) frame the dialogue, in which Philo responds to the skeptical arguments against providence raised by his nephew, Alexander (Tiberius Julius Alexander).
The Problem (14.1): Alexander poses classic skeptical objections: If God exercises providence, why is the world filled with disorder? Why do the wicked enjoy wealth, health, and power, while the virtuous suffer in poverty and obscurity?
The Analogy of a King and Father (14.2–14.6): Philo replies that God is not a tyrant, but a loving King and Father. Just as human parents show extra care and patience toward astray children to give them a chance to reform, God extends patience and care to sinners while maintaining justice over the universe.
The False Nature of External Goods (14.7–14.21): Philo argues that external and bodily advantages (wealth, noble birth, physical strength, beauty, public acclaim) are not genuine goods. True happiness belongs only to the soul governed by virtue; a wicked person is a slave to passions regardless of outward prosperity.
Divine Governance and Natural Evils (14.22–14.58): Philo addresses natural phenomena (storms, seasons, earthquakes, plague) and societal distress (tyrants, war). Tyrants act as divine cleanup instruments (like executioners or remedies) to purge corruption, only to face ultimate retribution themselves. Natural phenomena occur according to general cosmic laws established for the total good of the universe, even if individuals suffer unintended collateral consequences (epakolouthēmata / side effects).
Venomous Creatures and Minor Phenomena (14.59–14.72): Poisonous animals, pests, and minor natural side effects exist either as natural offshoots, as medicinal resources, or as divine tools for punishing transgression. Philo concludes by praising the unique role of human reason and virtue.
Eusebius's Framing (14.73): Eusebius notes that he excerpted this text to show the wisdom and piety of Jewish thinkers (Philo) and their harmony with ancestral faith.
The Problem (14.1): Alexander poses classic skeptical objections: If God exercises providence, why is the world filled with disorder? Why do the wicked enjoy wealth, health, and power, while the virtuous suffer in poverty and obscurity?
The Analogy of a King and Father (14.2–14.6): Philo replies that God is not a tyrant, but a loving King and Father. Just as human parents show extra care and patience toward astray children to give them a chance to reform, God extends patience and care to sinners while maintaining justice over the universe.
The False Nature of External Goods (14.7–14.21): Philo argues that external and bodily advantages (wealth, noble birth, physical strength, beauty, public acclaim) are not genuine goods. True happiness belongs only to the soul governed by virtue; a wicked person is a slave to passions regardless of outward prosperity.
Divine Governance and Natural Evils (14.22–14.58): Philo addresses natural phenomena (storms, seasons, earthquakes, plague) and societal distress (tyrants, war). Tyrants act as divine cleanup instruments (like executioners or remedies) to purge corruption, only to face ultimate retribution themselves. Natural phenomena occur according to general cosmic laws established for the total good of the universe, even if individuals suffer unintended collateral consequences (epakolouthēmata / side effects).
Venomous Creatures and Minor Phenomena (14.59–14.72): Poisonous animals, pests, and minor natural side effects exist either as natural offshoots, as medicinal resources, or as divine tools for punishing transgression. Philo concludes by praising the unique role of human reason and virtue.
Eusebius's Framing (14.73): Eusebius notes that he excerpted this text to show the wisdom and piety of Jewish thinkers (Philo) and their harmony with ancestral faith.
| 14.1 "Πρόνοιαν εἶναι λέγεις ἐν τοσαύτῃ τῶν πραγμάτων ταραχῇ καὶ συγχύσει; τί γὰρ τῶν κατὰ τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον διατέτακται; τί μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἀταξίας γέμει καὶ φορᾶς; ἢ μόνος ἀγνοεῖς ὅτι τοῖς μὲν κακίστοις καὶ πονηροτάτοις ἄφθονα ἐπικωμάζει τὰ ἀγαθά, πλοῦτος, εὐδοξία, τιμαὶ παρὰ τοῖς πλήθεσιν· ἡγεμονία πάλιν, ὑγίεια, εὐαισθησία, κάλλος, ἰσχύς, ἀπόλαυσις ἡδονῶν ἀκώλυτος, διά τε παρασκευῶν περιουσίαν καὶ διὰ τὴν εἰρηνικωτάτην σώματος εὐμοιρίαν; οἱ δὲ φρονήσεως καὶ ἀρετῆς ἁπάσης ἐρασταί τε καὶ ἀσκηταὶ πάντες εἰσίν, ὀλίγου δέω φάναι, πένητες, ἀφανεῖς, ἄδοξοι, ταπεινοί;" | 14.1 "Do you say that there is a Providence in the midst of such great turmoil and confusion of human affairs? For what among the things of human life has been ordered? What is not full of disorder and wild turbulence? Or are you alone ignorant that upon the worst and most evil men good things rush in lavish revelry—wealth, high repute, honors among the masses, power again, health, keen senses, beauty, strength, unhindered enjoyment of pleasures, both through abundance of provisions and through the most tranquil good fortune of body? But those who are lovers and practitioners of all wisdom and virtue are all, I am within a little of saying, poor, obscure, dishonored, and humble?" |
| 14.2 Ταῦτα εἰς ἀνασκευὴν καὶ μυρία ἄλλα πλείω τούτων εἰπὼν ἑξῆς ἐπιλύεται τὰς ἀντιθέσεις διὰ τούτων· "Οὐ τύραννος ὁ θεός, ὠμότητα καὶ βίαν καὶ ὅσα δεσπότης ἀνημέρου ἀρχῆς ἔργα ἐπιτετηδευκώς, ἀλλὰ βασιλεύς, ἥμερον καὶ νόμιμον ἀνημμένος ἡγεμονίαν, μετὰ δικαιοσύνης τὸν σύμπαντα οὐρανόν τε καὶ κόσμον βραβεύει. | 14.2 Having spoken these words and ten thousand others more than these by way of refutation, he [Philo] next resolves the counter-arguments through the following: "God is not a tyrant who practices cruelty and violence and all the works characteristic of an ungentle master’s rule, but a King who has assumed a gentle and lawful sovereignty, governing the entire heaven and world with justice. |
| 14.3 Βασιλεῖ δὲ οὐκ ἔστι πρόσρησις οἰκειοτέρα πατρός. ὃ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς συγγενείαις πρὸς τέκνα γονεῖς, τοῦτο βασιλεὺς μὲν πρὸς πόλιν, πρὸς δὲ κόσμον ὁ θεός, δύο κάλλιστα φύσεως θεσμοῖς ἀκινήτοις ἀδιαλύτῳ ἑνώσει ἁρμοσάμενος, τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν μετὰ τοῦ κηδεμονικοῦ. | 14.3 And to a king there is no title more proper than Father. For what parents are to children in families, that a king is to a city, and God to the universe, having fitted together by unbreakable laws of nature in an indissoluble union two most beautiful things: authority with loving care. |
| 14.4 Καθάπερ οὖν τῶν ἀσώτων υἱέων οὐ περιορῶσιν οἱ τοκέες, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀτυχίας οἶκτον λαμβάνοντες περιέπουσι καὶ τημελοῦσι, νομίζοντες ἐχθρῶν ἀσπόνδων ἔργον εἶναι κακοπραγίαις ἐπεμβαίνειν, φίλων δὲ καὶ συγγενῶν ἐπελαφρίζειν τὰ πταίσματα· | 14.4 Just as parents do not disregard their profligate sons, but taking pity on their misfortune, tend and cherish them, regarding it as the work of implacable enemies to trample upon misdeeds, but of friends and kin to lighten missteps— |
| 14.5 πολλάκις δὲ καὶ τούτοις μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς σώφροσιν ἐπιδαψιλευόμενοι χαρίζονται, σαφῶς εἰδότες ὡς ἐκείνοις μὲν ἄφθονος εἰς εὐπορίαν ἀφορμὴ πάρεστιν ἡ σωφροσύνη, τοῖς δ’ ἐλπὶς μία οἱ γονεῖς, ἧς εἰ σφαλεῖεν, ἀπορήσουσι καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων· | 14.5 and often bestowing gifts even more lavishly upon these than upon the prudent, knowing clearly that while prudence provides the latter with abundant resources for prosperity, the former have only one hope, their parents, deprived of whom they will lack even the necessities of life— |
| 14.6 τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ὁ θεός, λογικῆς συνέσεως πατὴρ ὤν, ἁπάντων μὲν τῶν λογισμοῦ μεμοιραμένων κήδεται, προμηθεῖται δὲ καὶ τῶν ὑπαιτίως ζώντων, ἅμα μὲν καιρὸν εἰς ἐπανόρθωσιν αὐτοῖς διδούς, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὴν ἵλεων φύσιν αὐτοῦ μὴ ὑπερβαίνων, ἧς ὀπαδὸς ἀρετὴ καὶ φιλανθρωπία γέγονεν, ἐπαξία τὸν θεῖον περιπολεῖν οἶκον." | 14.6 in the very same manner God too, being Father of rational intelligence, cares for all who share in reason, and exercises foresight even for those who live blameably, giving them at once time for amendment, while at the same time not exceeding His own gracious nature, whose attendant virtue and love of humanity are worthy to guard the divine household." |
| 14.7 "Ἕνα μὲν δὴ λόγον τοῦτον, ὦ ψυχή, δέξαι τέως αὐτοῦ παρακαταθήκην, ἕτερον δὲ συνῳδὸν καὶ ἐναρμόνιον αὐτῷ τοιόνδε· μὴ τοσοῦτόν ποτε ψευσθείης τῆς ἀληθείας ὡς εὐδαίμονά τινα τῶν φαύλων εἶναι νομίσαι, κἂν πλουσιώτερος μὲν ᾖ Κροίσου, Λυγκέως δ’ ὀξυωπέστερος, ἀνδρειότερος δὲ τοῦ Κροτωνιάτου Μίλωνος, καλλίων δὲ Γανυμήδους, ὃν καὶ ἀνηρείψαντο θεοὶ Διὶ οἰνοχοεύειν, κάλλεος εἵνεκα οἷο. | 14.7 "Receive this one argument for now, O soul, as a deposit from him, and another agreeing and harmonious with it of the following kind: May you never be so deceived regarding the truth as to consider any of the wicked happy, even if he be richer than Croesus, sharper-sighted than Lynceus, braver than Milo of Croton, and fairer than Ganymede, whom the gods snatched up to pour wine for Zeus on account of his beauty. |
| 14.8 Τὸν γοῦν ἴδιον δαίμονα, λέγω δὲ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ νοῦν, μυρίων ὅσων δεσποτῶν δοῦλον ἀποφήνας, ἔρωτος, ἐπιθυμίας, ἡδονῆς, φόβου, λύπης, ἀφροσύνης, ἀκολασίας, δειλίας, ἀδικίας, οὐκ ἂν εἶναί ποτε δύναιτο εὐδαίμων, κἂν οἱ πολλοὶ σφαλλόμενοι κρίσεως ἀληθοῦς νομίζωσι, δεκασθέντες ὑπὸ κακοῦ διδύμου, τύφου καὶ κενῆς δόξης, δεινῶν παλεῦσαι καὶ παραγαγεῖν ἀνερματίστους ψυχάς, περὶ ἃ κηραίνει γένος τὸ πλεῖστον ἀνθρώπων. | 14.8 For one who has made his own guiding spirit—I mean his own mind—a slave to tens of thousands of masters: to love, desire, pleasure, fear, grief, folly, licentiousness, cowardice, unrighteousness, could never be happy, even if the majority, errant in true judgment, consider him so, bribed as they are by a double evil—vanity and empty reputation—dreadful at decoying and misleading unballasted souls, concerning which the majority of humankind frets. |
| 14.9 Εἰ μέντοι τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ὄμμα τείνας βουληθείης περιαθρῆσαι θεοῦ πρόνοιαν, ὡς ἔνεστιν ἀνθρωπίνῳ λογισμῷ, τρανοτέραν τὴν τοῦ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ἀγαθοῦ λαβὼν φαντασίαν, γελάσῃ τὰ παρ’ ἡμῖν, ἃ τέως ἐθαύμαζες. ἀεὶ γὰρ ἀπουσίᾳ τῶν κρειττόνων τιμᾶται τὰ χείρονα, τὴν ἐκείνων κληρονομοῦντα τάξιν· ἐπιφανέντων δὲ ὑποστέλλει, δευτερείοις ἄθλων ἀρκούμενα. | 14.9 If, however, straining the eye of the soul, you should wish to gaze upon God’s providence as far as human reason allows, receiving a clearer impression of the truly good, you will laugh at those things among us which hitherto you admired. For always in the absence of superior things the inferior are honored, inheriting their rank; but when the former appear, the latter yield, resting content with second prizes. |
| 14.10 Καταπλαγεὶς οὖν τὸ θεοειδὲς ἐκεῖνο ἀγαθόν τε καὶ καλόν, πάντως ἐννοήσεις ὅτι παρὰ θεῷ τῶν εἰρημένων πρότερον οὐδὲν καθ’ ἑαυτὸ τῆς τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ μοίρας ἠξίωται, διότι τὰ μὲν ἀργύρου μέταλλα καὶ χρυσοῦ γῆς ἐστιν ἡ φαυλοτάτη μοῖρα, τῆς πρὸς καρπῶν ἀνειμένης γένεσιν ὅλῳ καὶ τῷ παντὶ λειπομένη. | 14.10 Struck with awe, then, at that godlike Good and Fair, you will certainly perceive that with God none of the aforementioned things has been deemed worthy of a share in the Good on its own account; because silver and gold mines are the lowest portion of the earth, falling entirely short of that which is set apart for the generation of crops. |
| 14.11 Οὐ γάρ ἐσθ’ ὅμοιον τροφῆς, ἧς ἄνευ ζῆν ἀδύνατον, εὐπορία χρημάτων. μία τούτων ἐστὶ βάσανος ἐναργεστάτη λιμός, ᾧ τὸ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ἀναγκαῖον καὶ χρήσιμον δοκιμάζεται· θησαυροὺς γὰρ τοὺς πανταχοῦ πάντας ἀντικαταλλάξαιτό ἄν τις βραχείας ποτὲ τροφῆς ἄσμενος. | 14.11 For abundance of money is not like food, without which it is impossible to live. The single most vivid touchstone of these is famine, by which what is truly necessary and useful is tested; for one would gladly exchange all treasures everywhere for a brief taste of food. |
| 14.12 Ὅταν δὲ ἡ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀφθονία μυρίῳ φορᾶς ἀκατασχέτῳ πλήθει ῥυεῖσα κατὰ πόλεις ἀναχέηται, τοῖς τῆς φύσεως ἀγαθοῖς ἐντρυφῶντες ἐπ’ αὐτῶν μόνων οὐκ ἀξιοῦμεν ἵστασθαι, κόρον δ’ ὑβριστὴν ἡγεμόνα τοῦ βίου ποιησάμενοι, ἀργύρου τε καὶ χρυσοῦ κτήσεσιν ἐπαποδύντες, ἅπασι, παρ’ ὧν ἄν τι κερδανεῖν ἐλπίσωμεν, κονιόμεθα καθάπερ τυφλοί, μηκέτι τῇ διανοίᾳ βλέποντες ὑπὸ φιλαργυρίας ὅτι γῆς εἰσιν ὄγκοι, περὶ ὧν ἐστιν εἰρήνης συνεχὴς καὶ ἀδιάστατος πόλεμος. | 14.12 But when the abundance of necessities flows and pours through cities in a ten-thousand-fold, uncontrollable stream, making a pretext of nature’s blessings, we do not deem it proper to stop with them alone; but making insolent luxury the ruler of our life, stripping for the acquisition of silver and gold, we roll in the dust like blind men before all from whom we hope to gain profit, no longer seeing with the mind, through love of money, that these are mere lumps of earth—concerning which there is continuous and unceasing war instead of peace. |
| 14.13 Ἐσθῆτές γε μὴν προβάτων εἰσίν, ὡς οἱ ποιηταί πού φασιν, ἄνθος, κατὰ δὲ τὴν δημιουργὸν τέχνην ὑφαντῶν ἔπαινος. εἰ δέ τις ἐπὶ δόξῃ μέγα φρονεῖ, τὴν παρὰ τῶν φαύλων ἀποδοχὴν ἀσπαζόμενος, ἴστω μὲν καὶ αὐτὸς φαῦλος ὤν· τὸ γὰρ ὅμοιον χαίρει τῷ ὁμοίῳ· | 14.13 Fleeces, indeed, belong to sheep—as the poets somewhere say, the bloom of sheep—and by craftsman’s art the praise of weavers. And if anyone prides himself on glory, welcoming approval from the worthless, let him know that he himself is worthless too; for like delights in like. |
| 14.14 Εὐχέσθω δὲ καθαρσίων μεταλαχὼν ἰαθῆναι τὰ ὦτα, δι’ ὧν αἱ μεγάλαι ψυχῇ νόσοι κατασκήπτουσι. μαθέτωσαν δὲ καὶ ὅσοι ἐπ’ εὐτονίᾳ πεφύσηνται μὴ ὑψαυχενεῖν, ἀπιδόντες εἰς τὰς τῶν ἡμέρων καὶ ἀτιθάσων ζῴων ἀμυθήτους ἀγέλας, αἷς ἰσχὺς καὶ ῥώμη συγγεγένηνται. τῶν γὰρ ἀτοπωτάτων ἐστὶν ἐπὶ θηρίων ἀρεταῖς, καὶ ταῦτα σέβεσθαι, μέγα ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς ἄνθρωπον ὄντα σεμνύνεσθαι. | 14.14 But let him pray to obtain purification and heal his ears, through which great diseases descend upon the soul. And let all those who are puffed up with physical vigor learn not to carry high necks, looking to the unnumbered herds of tame and wild animals in which strength and power are innate. For it is among the most absurd things to revere the virtues of beasts, and on account of them to boast greatly while being human. |
| 14.15 Διὰ τί δ’ ἄν τις εὖ φρονῶν ἐπὶ σώματος εὐμορφίᾳ ἀγάλλοιτο, ἣν βραχὺς καιρὸς ἔσβεσε, πρὶν ἐπὶ μήκιστον ἀνθῆσαι, τὴν ἀπατηλὴν αὐτῆς ἀκμὴν ἀμαυρώσας, καὶ ταῦθ’ ὁρῶν ἐν ἀψύχοις περιμάχητα καλλιγράφων ἔργα καὶ πλαστῶν καὶ ἄλλων τεχνιτῶν, ἔν τε ζωγραφήμασι καὶ ἀνδριᾶσι καὶ ὑφασμάτων ποικιλίαις, ἐν Ἑλλάδι καὶ βαρβάρῳ κατὰ πόλιν ἑκάστην εὐδοκιμοῦντα; | 14.15 Why would anyone in his right mind exalt in physical beauty, which a brief moment quenches before it blooms to its fullest, darkening its deceptive prime—and that too while seeing in inanimate things coveted works of calligraphers, sculptors, and other artisans, in paintings, statues, and rich embroideries, held in high esteem throughout every city in Greece and barbarian lands? |
| 14.16 Τούτων οὖν, ὅπερ ἔφην, οὐδὲν παρὰ θεῷ τῆς τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ μοίρας ἠξίωται. καὶ τί θαυμάζομεν εἰ μὴ παρὰ θεῷ; οὐδὲ γὰρ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοῖς θεοφιλέσι, παρ’ οἷς τὰ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ἀγαθὰ καὶ καλὰ τετίμηται, φύσεως μὲν εὐμοίρου λαχοῦσι, μελέτῃ δὲ μετ’ ἀσκήσεως τὴν φύσιν ἐπικοσμήσασιν, ὧν ἡ ἄνοθος φιλοσοφία δημιουργός. | 14.16 None of these things, therefore, as I said, has been deemed worthy of a share of the Good by God. And why do we wonder if not with God? For neither is it so with men beloved of God, among whom the truly good and noble are honored—men who have obtained a favored nature and adorned that nature through practice and exercise, whereof unadulterated philosophy is the architect. |
| 14.17 Ὅσοι δὲ νόθου παιδείας ἐπεμελήθησαν, οὐδὲ τοὺς ἰατροὺς ἐμιμήσαντο τὸ δοῦλον ψυχῆς σῶμα θεραπεύοντας οἱ τὴν δέσποιναν ἐπιφάσκοντες ἰᾶσθαι. ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γάρ, ἐπειδάν τις εὐτυχὴς νοσήσῃ, κἂν ὁ μέγας ᾖ βασιλεύς, πάνθ’ ὑπερβάντες τὰ περίστῳα, τοὺς ἀνδρῶνας, τὰς γυναικωνίτιδας, γραφάς, ἄργυρον, χρυσόν, ἄσημον, ἐπίσημον, ἐκπωμάτων ἢ ὑφασμάτων πλῆθος, τὸν ἄλλον τῶν βασιλέων ἀοίδιμον κόσμον, ἔτι δὲ τὸν οἰκετικὸν ὄχλον, καὶ τὴν φίλων ἢ συγγενῶν, ὑπηκόων τῶν ἐν τέλει θεραπείαν ἄξαντες, τῶν σωματοφυλάκων, ἄχρι τῆς εὐνῆς ἀφικόμενοι, καὶ τῶν περὶ αὐτὸ τὸ σῶμα ἀλογήσαντες, οὔθ’ ὅτι κλῖναι λιθοκόλλητοι καὶ ὁλόχρυσοι θαυμάσαντες, οὔθ’ ὅτι ἀραχνοϋφεῖς ἢ λινορραφούμεναι στρωμναί, οὔθ’ ὅτι ἐσθημάτων ἰδέαι διάφοροι· προσέτι δὲ τὰς περὶ αὐτὸν χλαίνας ἀπαμφιάσαντες ἅπτονται χειρῶν καὶ τὰς φλέβας προσπιεζοῦντες ἀκριβοῦσι τοὺς παλμούς, εἰ σωτήριοι· πολλάκις δὲ καὶ τοὺς χιτωνίσκους ἀναστείλαντες εἰ περιπληθής ἐσθ’ ἡ γαστὴρ ἐξετάζουσιν, εἰ πεπυρωμένος ὁ θώραξ, εἰ ἄτακτα ἡ καρδία πηδᾷ· κἄπειτα τὴν οἰκείαν προσφέρουσι θεραπείαν. | 14.17 But as many as have taken care of a bastard education have not even imitated physicians who treat the body, the servant of the soul, while claiming to heal the mistress. For when some wealthy man falls ill, even if he be the Great King, physicians pass by all the porticoes, the men’s apartments, the women's quarters, paintings, silver, gold, uncoined and coined, the wealth of goblets or textiles, the rest of the famed grandeur of kings, and further ignoring the crowd of servants and the attendance of friends, relatives, or officials in authority, and the bodyguards, making their way to the bed, and disregarding the bodily surroundings, neither admiring stone-inlaid and solid-gold couches, nor spider-fine or linen-woven bedding, nor various styles of garments—stripping off the cloaks around him, they grasp his hands and pressing the arteries accurately test the pulses to see if they are sound; and often drawing back his tunics, examine whether the stomach is distended, whether the chest is fevered, whether the heart leaps irregularly; and then apply their own proper remedy. |
| 14.18 Ἔδει δὲ καὶ τοὺς φιλοσόφους ἰατρικὴν ὁμολογοῦντας ἐπιτηδεύειν τῆς φύσει βασιλίδος ψυχῆς, καταφρονεῖν μὲν ἁπάντων ὅσα αἱ κεναὶ δόξαι τυφλοπλαστοῦσιν, εἴσω δὲ προσιόντας ἅπτεσθαι διανοίας αὐτῆς, εἰ ὑπ’ ὀργῆς ἀνισοταχεῖς καὶ παρὰ φύσιν κεκινημένοι παλμοί· ἅπτεσθαι καὶ γλώττης, εἰ τραχεῖα καὶ κακήγορος, εἰ πεπορνευκυῖα καὶ ἀταμίευτος· ἅπτεσθαι καὶ γαστρός, εἰ ἀπλήστῳ σχήματι ἐπιθυμίας διῴδηκε· καὶ συνόλως παθῶν καὶ νοσημάτων καὶ ἀρρωστημάτων, εἰ κεκράσθαι δοκεῖ, διερευνᾶν ἕκαστον, ἵνα μὴ διαμαρτάνωσι τῶν προσφόρων εἰς τὸ σώζειν. | 14.18 Philosophers who profess to practice medicine upon the soul—queen by nature—ought likewise to despise all those things which empty opinions blind-fashion, and coming within, touch the mind itself: whether its pulses are irregular and moved contrary to nature by anger; touch the tongue, whether it is rough and slanderous, unbridled and unchaste; touch the stomach, whether it is swollen by insatiable forms of desire; and in short, search out every passion, disease, and infirmity to see if it is mixed, so as not to miss the proper means for preservation. |
| 14.19 Νυνὶ δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ἔξω περιαυγασθέντες λαμπρότητος, ἅτε νοητὸν φῶς ἰδεῖν ἀδυνατοῦντες, πλαζόμενοι διετέλεσαν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, πρὸς μὲν τὸν βασιλέα λογισμὸν φθάσαι μὴ δυνηθέντες, ἄχρι δὲ τῶν προπυλαίων μόλις ἀφικνούμενοι, καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ θύραις ἀρετῆς, πλοῦτόν τε καὶ δόξαν καὶ ὑγίειαν καὶ τὰ συγγενῆ τεθαυμακότες, προσεκύνουν. | 14.19 But as it is, dazzled by the brilliance of external things, being incapable of seeing intelligible light, they continue wandering forever; unable to reach the kingly Reason, barely arriving as far as the propylaea, and marveling at wealth, glory, health, and their kin standing at the doors of virtue, they bow down before them. |
| 14.20 Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὡς ὑπερβολὴ μανίας χρωμάτων κριταῖς χρῆσθαι τυφλοῖς ἢ κωφοῖς τῶν κατὰ μουσικὴν φθόγγων, οὕτω καὶ φαύλοις ἀνδράσι τῶν πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ἀγαθῶν. καὶ γὰρ οὗτοι τὸ κυριώτατον τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς διάνοιαν πεπήρωνται, ἧς βαθὺ σκότος ἀφροσύνη κατέχεεν. | 14.20 But as it is the height of madness to use blind judges for colors or deaf judges for musical sounds, so it is with worthless men regarding true goods. For these too have suffered maiming in the most sovereign part within them—the intellect, over which folly has poured deep darkness. |
| 14.21 Εἶτα νῦν θαυμάζομεν εἰ Σωκράτης καὶ ὁ δεῖνα ἢ ὁ δεῖνα τῶν σπουδαίων ἐν πενίᾳ διετέλεσαν, ἄνθρωποι μηδὲν πώποτε τῶν εἰς πορισμὸν ἐπιτηδεύσαντες, ἀλλὰ μηδ’ ὅσα ἢ παρὰ φίλων πολυχρημάτων ἢ παρὰ βασιλέων δωρεὰς μεγάλας προτεινόντων λαβεῖν ἀξιώσαντες, ἕνεκα τοῦ μόνον ἀγαθὸν καὶ καλὸν τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς κτῆσιν ἡγεῖσθαι, περὶ ἣν πονούμενοι τῶν ἄλλων ἀγαθῶν πάντων ἠλόγουν; | 14.21 Do we then wonder now if Socrates and so-and-so or so-and-so among noble men spent their lives in poverty—men who never practiced anything for gain, nor deigned to accept even large gifts offered by wealthy friends or kings, because they held the possession of virtue to be the only good and noble thing, in laboring for which they disregarded all other goods? |
| 14.22 Τίς δ’ οὐκ ἂν ἀλογήσαι νόθων ἕνεκα προνοίας τῶν γνησίων; εἰ δὲ σώματος θνητοῦ μεταλαχόντες καὶ κηρῶν γέμοντες ἀνθρωπίνων, καὶ μετὰ τοσούτου πλήθους ἀδίκων ζῶντες, ὧν οὐδ’ ἀριθμὸν εὑρεῖν εὔπορον, ἐπεβουλεύθησαν, τί τὴν φύσιν αἰτιώμεθα, δέον τὴν τῶν ἐπιθεμένων κακίζειν ὠμότητα; | 14.22 Who would not disregard bastard goods for the sake of genuine providence? And if, having shared in a mortal body full of human fates, and living among such a multitude of unjust men whose number it is not easy to find, they were plotted against, why do we blame nature, when we ought to censure the cruelty of their attackers? |
| 14.23 Καὶ γὰρ εἰ ἐν ἀέρι γεγένηντο λοιμικῷ, πάντως ὤφειλον νοσῆσαι· καταστάσεως δὲ λοιμικῆς μᾶλλον, ἢ οὐχ ἧττον, φθοροποιός ἐστιν ἡ κακία. ὡς δ’ ὁπόταν ὑετοῦ μὲν ὄντος, ἀνάγκη τὸν σοφόν, εἰ ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ διάγοι, καταβρέχεσθαι, βορέου δὲ ψυχροῦ καταπνέοντος ῥίγει πιέζεσθαι, θέρους δ’ ἀκμάζοντος ἀλεαίνεσθαι (ταῖς γὰρ ἐτησίοις τροπαῖς τὰ σώματα συμπάσχειν νόμος φύσεως), τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον τὸν ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις χωρίοις ἐνοικοῦντα, ἔνθα φόνοι τελοῦνται καὶ ἄλλων ἔθνεα κηρῶν, ἐναλλάττεσθαι τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν τοιούτων τιμὰς ἀναγκαῖον. | 14.23 For if they had been in pestilential air, they would certainly have fallen ill; and vice is more, or no less, destructive than a pestilential condition. Just as when rain falls, the wise man, if in the open air, must get wet, and when the cold north wind blows, must suffer with shivering, and in the height of summer be hot (for it is a law of nature that bodies suffer together with seasonal changes)—in the same way, one dwelling in such places where murders are committed and nations of other evils exist, must inevitably receive the consequences arising from such things. |
| 14.24 Ἐπεὶ Πολυκράτει γε, ἐφ’ οἷς δεινοῖς ἠδίκησε καὶ ἠσέβησε, χορηγὸς ἀπήντησε, χείρων μὲν ἡ τοῦ βίου βαρυδαιμονία· πρόσθες δ’ ὡς ὑπὸ μεγάλου βασιλέως ἐκολάζετο καὶ προσηλοῦτο, χρησμὸν ἐκπιπλᾶς· "οἶδα", ἔφη, "κἀμαυτὸν οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ ᾐωρῆσθαι δόξαντα ὑπὸ μὲν ἡλίου ἀλείφεσθαι, λούεσθαι δ’ ὑπὸ Διός." αἱ γὰρ διὰ συμβόλων αἰνιγματώδεις αὗται φάσεις, ἀδηλούμεναι τὸ πάλαι, τὴν διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἀριδηλοτάτην ἐλάμβανον πίστιν. | 14.24 Since Polycrates indeed, for the terrible and impious deeds he committed, met with a dispenser [of justice], a misery of life worse [than his deeds]; add to this that he was punished and impaled by the Great King, fulfilling an oracle: 'I know,' he said, 'that I too not long ago seemed suspended to be anointed by the sun and washed by Zeus.' For these enigmatic visions through symbols, obscure in former times, received their clearest confirmation through events. |
| 14.25 Οὐκ ἐπὶ τελευτῇ δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ παρὰ πάντα τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς βίον, ἐλελήθει πρὸ τοῦ σώματος τὴν ψυχὴν κρεμάμενος. ἀεὶ γὰρ φοβούμενος καὶ τρέμων τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐπιτιθεμένων ἐπτόητο, σαφῶς ἐξεπιστάμενος ὅτι εὔνους μὲν ἦν οὐδείς, ἐχθροὶ δὲ πάντες δυσπραξίᾳ ἀμείλικτοι. | 14.25 And not only at his end, but throughout his entire life from the beginning, he was unconsciously hanging in soul before his body. For always fearing and trembling before the multitude of his attackers, he was terrified, clearly knowing that no one was well-disposed, but all were implacable enemies in adversity. |
| 14.26 Τῆς δὲ ἀνηνύτου καὶ συνεχοῦς Διονυσίου εὐλαβείας μάρτυρες οἱ τὰ Σικελικὰ συγγράψαντες, οἵ φασιν ὅτι καὶ τὴν θυμηρεστάτην ὕποπτον εἶχε γυναῖκα· σημεῖον δέ· τὴν εἰς τὸ δωμάτιον εἴσοδον, δι’ ἧς φοιτήσειν ἔμελλεν ὡς αὐτόν, ἐκέλευσε στορεσθῆναι σανίσιν, ἵνα μὴ λάθῃ ποτὲ παρεισερπύσασα, ψόφῳ δὲ καὶ κτύπῳ τῆς ἐπιβάσεως προμηνύῃ τὴν ἄφιξιν· εἶτ’ οὐκ ἀνείμονα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς μέρεσι γυμνήν, ἃ μὴ θέμις ὑπ’ ἀνδρῶν ὁρᾶσθαι, παρέρχεσθαι· πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τὸ συνεχὲς τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐδάφους εἰς τάφρου γεωργικῆς εὖρος καὶ βάθος διακοπῆναι, κατὰ δέος μή τι πρὸς ἐπιβουλὴν ἀφανῶς ἐγκρύπτηται, ὅπερ ἢ ἅλμασιν ἢ μακραῖς διαβάσεσιν ἔμελλε διελέγχεσθαι. | 14.26 Writers of Sicilian history bear witness to the unceasing and continuous apprehension of Dionysius, saying that he held even his most beloved wife in suspicion; as a sign of which, he ordered the entrance to the bedchamber through which she was to visit him to be laid with wooden planks, so that she might never creep in unnoticed, but announce her arrival by the noise and thud of her step; and then that she enter not merely unclad, but naked in all parts that are not lawful for men to see; and in addition to this, that the ground along the pathway be cut through to the width and depth of a agricultural trench, out of fear lest something be hidden secretly for a plot, which would be exposed by jumps or wide strides. |
| 14.27 Πόσων ἄρα κακῶν ὁ ταῦτα παρατηρῶν καὶ τεχνάζων ἐπὶ γυναικός, ᾗ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ὤφειλε πιστεύειν, μεστὸς ἦν; ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐῴκει τοῖς δι’ ἀπορρῶγος ὄρους ἐπὶ τῷ τὰς ἐν οὐρανῷ φύσεις ἀριδηλοτέρας κατανοῆσαι κρημνοβατοῦσιν, οἳ μόλις φθάνοντες ἄχρι προνενευκότος αὐχένος οὔτ’ ἀναχωρεῖν ἔτι δύνανται, πρὸς τὸ λειπόμενον ὕψος ἀπειρηκότες, οὔτε καταβαίνειν θαρροῦσι, πρὸς τὴν ὄψιν τῶν χασμάτων ἰλιγγιῶντες. | 14.27 With how many evils, then, was he full who observed and contrived such things against a wife whom he ought to have trusted above all others? Indeed, he resembled those who scale precipices on a sheer mountain to observe the natures in heaven more clearly, who having barely reached a protruding ridge can neither retreat any further, having given up before the remaining height, nor dare to descend, dizzy at the sight of the chasms. |
| 14.28 Ἐρασθεὶς γάρ, ὡς θείου πράγματος καὶ περιμαχήτου, τυραννίδος οὔτε μένειν οὔτε ἀποδιδράσκειν ἀσφαλὲς εἶναι ὑπελάμβανε. μένοντι μὲν γὰρ ἀλλεπάλληλα ἐπέρρει κακὰ ἀμύθητα, βουλομένῳ δ’ ἀποδιδράσκειν ὁ περὶ τοῦ ζῆν ἐπεκρέματο κίνδυνος, ὡπλισμένων, εἰ καὶ μὴ τοῖς σώμασιν, ἀλλά τοι ταῖς διανοίαις κατ’ αὐτοῦ. | 14.28 For having fallen in love with tyranny as a divine and enviable thing, he considered it safe neither to remain nor to run away. For to him if he stayed, unnumbered evils flowed one upon another, and if he wished to run away, the danger regarding his life hung over him, since men were armed against him, if not in body, at least in their thoughts. |
| 14.29 Δηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τὸ ἔργον, ᾧ πρὸς τὸν μακαρίζοντα τὸν τῶν τυράννων βίον φασὶ χρήσασθαι Διονύσιον. καλέσας γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐπὶ λαμπροτάτου καὶ πολυτελεστάτου δείπνου παρασκευήν, ἐκ μηρίνθου πάνυ λεπτῆς προσέταξεν ἠκονημένον ὑπεραιωρηθῆναι πέλεκυν. ἐπεὶ δὲ κατακλιθεὶς εἶδεν αἰφνίδιον, οὔτ’ ἐξαναστῆναι θαρρῶν διὰ τὸν τύραννον, οὔτ’ ἀπολαῦσαί τινος τῶν παρεσκευασμένων διὰ δέος οἷός τε ὤν, ἀφθόνων καὶ πλουσίων ἀλογήσας ἡδονῶν, ἀνατείνας τὸν αὐχένα καὶ τὰς ὄψεις ἐκαραδόκει τὸν οἰκεῖον ὄλεθρον. | 14.29 This is shown also by the deed which they say Dionysius used against the man who called the life of tyrants blessed. Having invited him to a lavish and most costly banquet, he ordered a sharpened axe to be suspended by a very thin cord directly over his head. When the man lay down and suddenly saw it, neither daring to jump up on account of the tyrant, nor able to enjoy any of the delicacies prepared on account of fear, disregarding the abundant and rich pleasures, stretching his neck and eyes, he watched intently for his own destruction. |
| 14.30 Συνεὶς δ’ ὁ Διονύσιος, "ἆρ’ ἤδη κατανοεῖς", ἔφη, "τὸν ἀοίδιμον καὶ περιμάχητον ἡμῶν βίον; ἔστι γὰρ τοιοῦτος, εἰ μὴ βούλοιτό τις ἑαυτὸν φενακίζειν, ἐπειδὴ περιέχει παμπληθεῖς μὲν χορηγίας, ἀπόλαυσιν δ’ οὐδενὸς χρηστοῦ, φόβους δ’ ἐπαλλήλους καὶ κινδύνους ἀνηκέστους καὶ νόσον ἑρπηδώδη καὶ φθινάδος χαλεπωτέραν, ἀθεράπευτον ἀεὶ φέρουσαν ὄλεθρον." | 14.30 Dionysius, perceiving this, said: 'Do you now understand our renowned and enviable life? For it is such, unless one wishes to deceive himself, since it contains abundant provisions, but enjoyment of nothing good, continuous fears, incurable dangers, and a disease creeping like herpes and worse than consumption, always bringing irremediable destruction.' |
| 14.31 Οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνεξετάστων ὑπὸ τῆς λαμπρᾶς φανερότητος ἀπατώμενοι ταὐτὸν πεπόνθασι τοῖς ἀγκιστρευομένοις ὑπὸ τῶν εἰδεχθῶν ἑταιρίδων, αἳ τὴν δυσμορφίαν ἐσθῆτι καὶ χρυσῷ καὶ ταῖς τῆς ὄψεως ὑπογραφαῖς ἐπισκιάζουσαι, γνησίου κάλλους ἀπορίᾳ, νόθον ἐπ’ ἐνέδρᾳ τῶν θεωμένων δημιουργοῦσιν. | 14.31 But the majority of unreflective men, deceived by bright appearances, suffer the same fate as those hooked by hideous courtesans, who, shading their deformity with dress, gold, and cosmetics, in default of genuine beauty, craft a bastard lure for beholders. |
| 14.32 Τοιαύτης γέμουσι βαρυδαιμονίας οἱ λίαν εὐτυχεῖς, ἧς τὰς ὑπερβολὰς αὐτοὶ δικάσαντες παρ’ ἑαυτοῖς οὐ στέγουσιν, ἀλλ’ ὥσπερ οἱ τὰ ἀρρωστήματα ὑπ’ ἀνάγκης ἐκλαλοῦντες ἀφιᾶσι τὰς ἐκ πάθους ἀψευδεστάτας φωνάς, ἐπὶ συνουσίᾳ τιμωριῶν καὶ παρουσῶν καὶ προσδοκωμένων ζῶντες, καθάπερ τῶν θρεμμάτων τὰ πρὸς ἱερουργίαν πιαινόμενα. καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα τῆς πλείστης ἐπιμελείας ἐπὶ τῷ σφαγῆναι τυγχάνει διὰ πολύκρεων εὐωχίαν. | 14.32 With such misery are the exceedingly prosperous filled, the excesses of which judging within themselves they cannot contain, but like those who blab out their illnesses by necessity, utter the truest cries from suffering, living in the company of punishments both present and expected, just like fatlings fattened for sacrifice. For these too meet with the greatest care for the purpose of being slaughtered for a feast of abundant meat. |
| 14.33 Εἰσὶ δ’ οἳ καὶ περὶ χρημάτων ἀσεβῶν οὐκ ἀδήλους, ἀλλὰ φανερὰς ἔδοσαν δίκας, ὧν τὰ πλήθη καταλέγεσθαι περιττὸς πόνος, ἀπόχρη δ’ ἓν ἔργον παράδειγμα πάντων ἑστάναι. λέγεται τοίνυν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀναγεγραφότων τὸν ἱερὸν πόλεμον τὸν ἐν Φωκίδι, νόμου κειμένου τὸν ἱερόσυλον κατακρημνίζεσθαι ἢ καταποντοῦσθαι ἢ καταπίμπρασθαι, τρεῖς συλήσαντας τὸ ἐν Δελφοῖς ἱερόν, Φιλόμηλον καὶ Ὀνόμαρχον καὶ Φάϋλλον, διανείμασθαι τὰς τιμωρίας. τὸν μὲν γὰρ διὰ λόφου τραχέος καὶ λιθώδους ῥαγείσης πέτρας κατακρημνισθῆναί τε καὶ καταλευσθῆναι· τὸν δέ, ἀφηνιάσαντος τοῦ κομίζοντος ἵππου καὶ μέχρι θαλάσσης καταβάντος, ἐπιδραμόντος τοῦ πελάγους, εἰς ἀχανῆ βυθὸν αὐτῷ ζῴῳ καταδῦναι· Φάϋλλον δὲ φθινάδι νόσῳ (διττὸς γὰρ ὁ περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγος) συντακῆναι, ἢ ἐν τῷ ἐν Ἄβαις ἱερῷ συνεμπρησθέντα ἀπολέσθαι. | 14.33 And there are some who have given no obscure but manifest punishment for impious wealth, to recount whose numbers is superfluous labor; one deed is sufficient to stand as an example of all. It is said, then, by those who recorded the Sacred War in Phocis, that law being established that the temple-robber be cast down a cliff, drowned, or burned, three men who plundered the temple at Delphi—Philomelus, Onomarchus, and Phaÿllus—divided the punishments among themselves. For the one was cast down a cliff and stoned by a broken rock along a rough and stony hill; the second, his horse bolting and descending to the sea, the ocean rushing over him, sank into the fathomless depth horse and all; and Phaÿllus melted away with a wasting disease (for there is a double account of him) or perished burnt together in the temple at Abae. |
| 14.34 Ταῦτα γὰρ φιλονεικότατον λέγειν ἀποβῆναι κατὰ τύχην. εἰ μὲν γάρ τινες ἢ ἐν διαφέρουσι καιροῖς ἢ ἑτέραις ἐκολάσθησαν τιμωρίαις, εἰκὸς ἦν τὸ ἄστατον τῆς τύχης προφασίζεσθαι· πάντων δ’ ἀθρόως καὶ ὑφ’ ἕνα καιρὸν καὶ μὴ ἑτέραις τιμωρίαις, ἀλλὰ ταῖς περιεχομέναις ἐν τοῖς νόμοις κολασθέντων, εὔλογον φάσκειν ὅτι θεοῦ δικάσαντος ἑάλωσαν. | 14.34 For to say that these things turned out by chance belongs to the most contentious. If indeed some were punished at different times or with different penalties, it would be reasonable to make a pretext of the instability of chance; but when all were punished en masse and under a single occasion, and not with other penalties, but with those contained in the laws, it is reasonable to say that they were caught because God judged them. |
| 14.35 Εἰ δέ τινες τῶν ὑπολειφθέντων βιαίων, καὶ τοῖς πλήθεσιν ἐπαναστάντων, καὶ δουλωσαμένων οὐ μόνον δήμους ἑτέρους, ἀλλὰ καὶ πατρίδας τὰς ἑαυτῶν, ἀτιμώρητοι διετέλεσαν, θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ οὐχ ὁμοίως ἄνθρωπος δικάζει καὶ θεός, διότι τὰ μὲν φανερὰ ἡμεῖς ἐρευνῶμεν, ὁ δὲ ἄχρι μυχῶν ψυχῆς εἰσδυόμενος ἀψοφητί, καθάπερ ἐν ἡλίῳ λαμπρὰν διάνοιαν αὐγάζει, ἀπαμπίσχων μὲν τὰ περίαπτα, οἷς ἐγκατείληπται, γυμνὰ δὲ περιαθρῶν τὰ βουλήματα, καὶ διαγινώσκων εὐθὺς τά τε παράσημα καὶ δόκιμα. | 14.35 If, however, some of the violent who were left behind, rising up against the multitudes and enslaving not only other peoples but their own native lands, continued unpunished, it is no wonder. For first, man does not judge in the same way as God, because we examine manifest things, but He, penetrating noiselessly to the depths of the soul, illuminates the mind brightly as in sunlight, stripping off the wrappings in which it is encased, and beholding the intentions naked, immediately discerning both the counterfeit and the approved. |
| 14.36 Μηδέποτε οὖν τὸ οἰκεῖον δικαστήριον τοῦ θείου προκρίναντες ἀψευδέστερον αὐτὸ καὶ εὐβουλότερον εἶναι φῶμεν· οὐ γὰρ ὅσιον. ἐν ᾧ μὲν γὰρ πολλὰ τὰ σφάλλοντα, ἀπατηλαὶ αἰσθήσεις, πάθη ἐπίβουλα, κακιῶν ὁ βαρύτατος ἐπιτειχισμός, ἐν ᾧ δὲ οὐδὲν μὲν τῶν ἐπ’ ἐξαπάτῃ, δικαιότης δὲ καὶ ἀλήθεια, αἷς ἕκαστον βραβευόμενον ἐπαινετῶς ἐξορθοῦσθαι πέφυκεν. | 14.36 Never, therefore, preferring our own court of justice to the divine, let us say that it is more truthful and prudent; for it is not holy. For in the former there are many things that cause error—deceptive senses, treacherous passions, the heaviest rampart of vices; but in the latter there is nothing for deception, but justice and truth, by which everything governed is naturally brought straight with praise. |
| 14.37 Ἔπειτ’, ὦ γενναῖε, μὴ νομίσῃς ἀλυσιτελὲς ἐπίκαιρον εἶναι τυραννίδα. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ κόλασις ἀλυσιτελές, ἀλλὰ τιμωρίας διδόναι τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἢ ὠφελιμώτερον ἢ οὐκ ἀποδέον. οὗ χάριν ἐν ἅπασι μὲν τοῖς ὀρθῶς γραφεῖσι παρείληπται νόμοις· οἱ δὲ γράψαντες ὑπὸ πάντων ἐπαινοῦνται. ὅπερ γὰρ ἐν δήμῳ τύραννος, τοῦτ’ ἐν νόμῳ κόλασις. | 14.37 Next, noble sir, do not consider a timely tyranny to be unprofitable. For neither is punishment unprofitable, but paying penalty is either more useful to good men or not lacking in utility. On which account it has been included in all rightly written laws, and those who wrote them are praised by all. For what a tyrant is in a populace, that punishment is in law. |
| 14.38 Ἐπειδὰν οὖν ἔνδεια μὲν καὶ σπάνις δεινὴ καταλάβῃ τὰς πόλεις ἀρετῆς, ἀφθονία δ’ ἀφροσύνης ἐπιπολάσῃ, τηνικαῦτα ὁ θεός, ὥσπερ ῥεῦμα χειμάρρου τὴν φορὰν τῆς κακίας ἀποχετεῦσαι γλιχόμενος, ἵνα καθαρῇ τὸ γένος ἡμῶν, ἰσχὺν καὶ κράτος δίδωσι τοῖς τὰς φύσεις ἀρχικοῖς. | 14.38 Whenever, then, a severe lack and scarcity of virtue seizes cities, and abundance of folly floats on the surface, at that time God, desiring to channel off the rush of vice like a torrent stream so that He may cleanse our race, gives strength and power to those who are by nature ruler-like. |
| 14.39 Ὠμῆς γὰρ δίχα ψυχῆς οὐ καθαίρεται κακία. καὶ ὅνπερ τρόπον αἱ πόλεις ἐπ’ ἀνδροφόνοις καὶ προδόταις καὶ θεοσύλαις δημίους ἀνατρέφουσιν, οὐ τὴν γνώμην ἀποδεχόμεναι τῶν ἀνδρῶν, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῆς ὑπηρεσίας χρήσιμον ἐξετάζουσαι, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ὁ τῆς μεγαλοπόλεως τοῦδε τοῦ κόσμου κηδεμὼν οἷα δημοκοίνους ἐφίστησι τοὺς τυράννους ταῖς πόλεσιν, ἐν αἷς ἂν αἴσθηται βίαν, ἀδικίαν, ἀσέβειαν, τὰ ἄλλα κακὰ πλημμύροντα, ὅπως ἤδη ποτὲ στάντα λωφήσῃ. | 14.39 For without a cruel soul vice is not cleansed. And in the very manner that cities rear executioners for murderers, traitors, and temple-robbers, not approving the disposition of the men, but assessing the utility of their service, in the same manner the Guardian of the great city of this world sets tyrants over cities like public executioners, wherever He perceives violence, injustice, impiety, and other evils overflowing, so that at last they may cease and abate. |
| 14.40 Τηνικαῦτα καὶ τοὺς αἰτίους, ὡς ἐκ δυσκαθάρτου καὶ ἀνηλεοῦς ψυχῆς ὑπηρετήσαντας, ἐφ’ ἅπασιν, ὥσπερ τινὰς κορυφαίους, ἀξιοῖ μετέρχεσθαι. καθάπερ γὰρ ἡ τοῦ πυρὸς δύναμις, ὅταν παραβληθεῖσαν ὕλην ἀναλώσῃ, τελευταῖον αὑτὴν ἐπινέμεται, τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον καὶ οἱ ἐπὶ τοῖς πλήθεσι δυναστείας εἰληφότες, ὅταν δαπανήσαντες τὰς πόλεις κενὰς ἀνδρῶν ἐργάσωνται, τὰς ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων τίνοντες δίκας ἐπιδιαφθείρονται. | 14.40 At that time He deems it right to pursue the culprits as well, as having served from an uncleansed and pitiless soul, above all like ringleaders. For just as the power of fire, when it consumes the fuel placed near it, finally feeds upon itself, in this manner those who have received dominion over the masses, when having consumed cities they render them empty of men, pay penalties on behalf of all and perish in addition. |
| 14.41 Καὶ τί θαυμάζομεν εἰ διὰ τυράννων ὁ θεὸς κακίαν ἀναχυθεῖσαν ἐν πόλεσι καὶ χώραις καὶ ἔθνεσιν ἀποδιοπομπεῖται; πολλάκις γὰρ μὴ χρώμενος ὑπηρέταις ἄλλοις αὐτὸς δι’ ἑαυτοῦ τοῦτ’ ἐργάζεται, λιμὸν ἐπάγων ἢ λοιμὸν ἢ σεισμὸν καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα θεήλατα, οἷς ὅμιλοι μεγάλοι καὶ πολυάνθρωποι καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀπόλλυνται, καὶ πολλὴ μοῖρα τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐρημοῦται διὰ προμήθειαν ἀρετῆς." | 14.41 And why do we wonder if through tyrants God drives away vice poured out in cities, regions, and nations? For often, not using other servants, He accomplishes this through Himself, bringing on famine or pestilence or earthquake and all other god-sent afflictions, by which great and populous crowds perish daily, and a large portion of the inhabited world is desolated for the sake of providence for virtue." |
| 14.42 "Ἱκανῶς μὲν οὖν εἴς γε τὰ παρόντα περὶ τοῦ μή τινα τῶν φαύλων εὐδαιμονεῖν, ὡς οἶμαι, λέλεκται· δι’ οὗ μάλιστα παρίσταται τὸ εἶναι πρόνοιαν. εἰ δὲ μηδέπω πέπεισαι, τὸν ἔθ’ ὑποικουροῦντα ἐνδοιασμὸν εἰπὲ θαρρῶν· ἀμφότεροι γὰρ ᾗ τἀληθὲς ἔχει συνδιαπορήσαντες εἰσόμεθα." | 14.42 "Sufficiently, then, for the present, regarding the point that none of the wicked is happy, as I think, has been said—through which most of all it is established that Providence exists. But if you are not yet convinced, tell me boldly the doubt still lurking within; for both of us, searching together where the truth lies, shall know." |
| 14.43 Καὶ μεθ’ ἕτερα πάλιν φησίν· "Ἀνέμων καὶ ὑετῶν φορὰς οὐκ ἐπὶ λύμῃ τῶν πλεόντων, ὡς ἐνόμιζες, ἢ γεωργούντων, ἀλλ’ ἐπ’ ὠφελείᾳ τοῦ παντὸς ἡμῶν γένους ὁ θεὸς εἰργάζετο. ὕδασι μὲν γὰρ τὴν γῆν καθαίρει, τὸν δ’ ὑπὸ σελήνην ἅπαντα χῶρον πνεύμασιν· ἀμφοτέροις δὲ ζῷα καὶ φυτὰ τρέφει καὶ αὔξει καὶ τελειοῖ. | 14.43 And after other matters he says again: "God brought about the rushes of winds and rains not for the injury of sailors, as you thought, or farmers, but for the benefit of our whole race. For with waters He cleanses the earth, and the whole region under the moon with winds; and with both He feeds, increases, and perfects animals and plants. |
| 14.44 Εἰ δὲ τοὺς μὴ ἐν καιρῷ πλωτῆρας ἢ γεωπόνους ἔστιν ὅτε βλάπτει, θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν· βραχὺ γὰρ οὗτοι μέρος, ἡ δ’ ἐπιμέλεια τοῦ παντὸς ἀνθρώπων γένους. ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ ἐν τῷ γυμνασίῳ ἄλειμμα τίθεται μὲν ἐπ’ ὠφελείᾳ, πολλάκις δ’ ὁ γυμνασίαρχος ἕνεκα πολιτικῶν χρειῶν ὥρας τῆς ἐν ἔθει μετέθηκε τὴν τάξιν, δι’ ἧς ὑστέρησαν ἔνιοι τῶν ἀλειφομένων, οὕτω καὶ ὁ θεός, οἷα πόλεως τοῦ παντὸς ἐπιμελούμενος κόσμου, θέρη χειμαίνοντα καὶ χειμῶνας ἐαρίζοντας εἴωθε ποιεῖν ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ παντὸς ὠφελείᾳ, κἂν εἰ ναύκληροί τινες ἢ γῆς ἐργάται μέλλοιεν ταῖς τούτων ἀνωμαλίαις ζημιοῦσθαι. | 14.44 If at times He harms unseasonable mariners or farmers, it is no wonder; for these are a small part, but His care is for the whole human race. Just as the oil-supply in the gymnasium is set out for benefit, but often the gymnasiarch, on account of civic needs, changes the order of the usual hour, through which some of those who rub themselves with oil are late; so also God, caring for the whole world as a city, is accustomed to make summers wintry and winters spring-like for the benefit of the whole, even if some shipowners or agricultural workers are going to be harmed by these irregularities. |
| 14.45 Τὰς οὖν τῶν στοιχείων εἰς ἄλληλα μεταβολάς, ἐξ ὧν ὁ κόσμος ἐπάγη καὶ συνέστηκεν, εἰδὼς ἀναγκαιότατον ἔργον, ἀκωλύτους παρέχεται· πάχναι δὲ καὶ χιόνες καὶ ὅσα ὁμοιότροπα ἀέρος ἐπακολουθεῖ καταψύξει, καὶ πάλιν προσαράξει καὶ παρατρίψει νεφῶν ἀστραπαί τε καὶ βρονταί· ὧν οὐδὲν ἴσως κατὰ πρόνοιαν, ἀλλ’ ὑετοὶ καὶ πνεύματα ζωῆς καὶ τροφῆς καὶ αὐξήσεως τοῖς περὶ γῆν αἴτια, ὧν ταῦτα ἐπακολουθήματα. | 14.45 Knowing, therefore, that the mutual changes of the elements, out of which the world was compacted and established, are a most necessary work, He provides them unhindered; and frosts, snows, and all similar things follow upon the cooling of the air, and again flashes of lightning and thunder upon the collision and friction of clouds—none of which is perhaps according to primary providence, but rains and winds are causes of life, food, and growth to things on earth, whereof these are side-effects. |
| 14.46 Οἷα, γυμνασιάρχου φιλοτιμίαις πολλάκις ἀνειμένας ποιουμένου δαπάνας, ἀνθ’ ὕδατος ἐλαίῳ καταιονούμενοί τινες τῶν ἀπειροκάλων εἰς τοὔδαφος ῥανίδας ἀποστάζουσιν, ὁ δ’ ὀλισθηρότατος αὐτίκα γίνεται πηλός, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἄν τις εὖ φρονῶν εἴποι τὸν πηλὸν καὶ τὸν ὄλισθον προμηθείᾳ τοῦ γυμνασιάρχου γεγονέναι, παρηκολουθηκέναι δὲ ἄλλως τῇ ἀφθονίᾳ τῶν χορηγιῶν ταῦτα. | 14.46 Just as when a gymnasiarch out of generosity makes lavish expenditures, some of the unrefined, being showered with oil instead of water, drip drops onto the ground, and the mud immediately becomes most slippery; yet no one in his right mind would say that the mud and slip occurred by the foresight of the gymnasiarch, but that these simply followed upon the abundance of provisions. |
| 14.47 Ἶρις δὲ καὶ ἅλως καὶ ὅσα ὁμοιότροπα πάλιν ἐστὶν αὐγῶν ἐγκιρναμένων τοῖς νέφεσιν ἐπακολουθήματα, οὐκ ἔργα φύσεως προηγούμενα, φυσικοῖς δ’ ἐπισυμβαίνοντα ἔργοις· οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ παρέχει τινὰ καὶ ταῦτα χρείαν ἀναγκαίαν τοῖς φρονιμωτέροις· νηνεμίας γὰρ καὶ πνεύματα, εὐδίας τε καὶ χειμῶνας ἀπὸ τούτων τεκμαιρόμενοι προλέγουσι. | 14.47 The rainbow again, the halo, and all such things are side-effects of rays mingling with clouds, not primary works of nature, but supervening upon natural works; nevertheless, these too afford a certain necessary use to the more intelligent; for inferring fair weather and winds, clear skies and storms from them, they foretell the future. |
| 14.48 Τὰς κατὰ πόλιν στοὰς οὐχ ὁρᾷς; τούτων αἱ πλείους πρὸς μεσημβρίαν νενεύκασιν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ τοὺς ἐμπεριπατοῦντας χειμῶνι μὲν ἀλεαίνεσθαι, θέρους δὲ καταπνεῖσθαι. παρακολουθεῖ δέ τι καὶ ἕτερον, ὃ μὴ τῇ γνώμῃ τοῦ κατεσκευακότος ἐπιγίνεται. τί δὲ τοῦτ’ ἔστιν; αἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ποδῶν ἐκπίπτουσαι σκιαὶ τὰ μέτρα διασημαίνουσι ταῖς ὥραις. | 14.48 Do you not see the porticoes in the city? Most of these face south, in order that those walking in them may be warmed in winter and cooled by breezes in summer. But something else also follows, which does not arise from the intention of the builder. What is this? The shadows falling from the feet indicate the measures of the hours. |
| 14.49 Καὶ μὲν δὴ τὸ πῦρ φύσεως ἀναγκαιότατον ἔργον, ἐπακολούθημα δὲ τούτου καπνός· ἀλλ’ ὅμως παρέχεταί τινα ὠφέλειαν ἔστιν ὅτε καὶ αὐτός. ἐν γοῦν ταῖς μεθημεριναῖς πυρσείαις, ἡνίκα τὸ πῦρ ὑπὸ τῶν ἡλιακῶν καταλαμπόμενον αὐγῶν ἐξαμαυροῦται, καπνῷ μηνύεται πολεμίων ἔφοδος. | 14.49 And indeed fire is a most necessary work of nature, and smoke a side-effect of this; but nevertheless it too affords a certain benefit at times. In daytime beacon-fires, for instance, when the fire is dimmed by the sun’s rays, the approach of enemies is signaled by smoke. |
| 14.50 Οἷός γ’ οὖν ἐπὶ τῆς ἴριδος, τοιοῦτος καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐκλείψεων ὁ λόγος· θείαις γὰρ φύσεσιν ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης ἐπακολουθοῦσιν ἐκλείψεις· αἱ δὲ μηνύματά εἰσιν ἢ βασιλέων τελευτῆς ἢ πόλεων φθοράς· ὃ καὶ Πίνδαρος ᾐνίξατο γενομένης ἐκλείψεως διὰ τῶν πρόσθεν εἰρημένων. | 14.50 The argument concerning eclipses is just like that concerning the rainbow; for eclipses follow upon the divine natures of sun and moon; and they are warnings either of the death of kings or destruction of cities, which Pindar also hinted at when an eclipse occurred through the words previously mentioned. |
| 14.51 Ὁ δὲ δὴ τοῦ γάλακτος κύκλος τῆς μὲν αὐτῆς οὐσίας τοῖς ἄλλοις ἄστροις μετέσχηκε, δυσαιτιολόγητος δ’ εἴπερ ἐστίν, μὴ ἀποκνεῖτωσαν οἱ τὰ φύσεως ἐρευνᾶν εἰωθότες. ὠφελιμώτατον γὰρ ἡ εὕρεσις, ἥδιστον δὲ καὶ καθ’ αὑτὸ τοῖς φιλομαθέσιν ἡ ζήτησις. | 14.51 The Milky Way shares the same essence as the other stars; and if it is difficult to explain its cause, let not those accustomed to search into nature shrink back. For discovery is most beneficial, and search itself is most pleasant in its own right to lovers of learning. |
| 14.52 Ὥσπερ οὖν ἥλιος καὶ σελήνη προνοίᾳ γεγόνασιν, οὕτω καὶ τὰ ἐν οὐρανῷ πάντα, κἂν ἡμεῖς τὰς ἑκάστων φύσεις τε καὶ δυνάμεις ἰχνηλατεῖν ἀδυνατοῦντες ἡσυχάζωμεν. | 14.52 Just as, then, sun and moon have come to be by providence, so also all things in heaven, even if we, unable to trace out the natures and powers of each, keep silent. |
| 14.53 Σεισμοί τε καὶ λοιμοὶ καὶ κεραυνῶν βολαί, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, λέγεται μὲν εἶναι θεήλατα, πρὸς δ’ ἀλήθειαν οὐκ ἔστι (θεὸς γὰρ οὐδενὸς αἴτιος κακοῦ τὸ παράπαν), ἀλλ’ αἱ τῶν στοιχείων μεταβολαὶ ταῦτα γεννῶσιν, οὐ προηγούμενα ἔργα φύσεως, ἀλλ’ ἑπόμενα τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις καὶ τοῖς προηγουμένοις ἐπακολουθοῦντα. | 14.53 Earthquakes, pestilences, lightning strikes, and all such things are said to be sent by God, but in truth are not (for God is the cause of no evil at all); but the changes of the elements produce these, not as primary works of nature, but following upon necessary things and attending primary works. |
| 14.54 Εἰ δέ τινες τῶν χαριεστέρων συναπολαύουσι τῆς ἀπὸ τούτων βλάβης, οὐκ αἰτιατέον τὴν διοίκησιν. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ οὐκ εἰ τινες ἀγαθοὶ παρ’ ἡμῖν νομίζονται, καὶ πρὸς ἀλήθειάν εἰσιν, ἐπειδὴ τὰ θεοῦ κριτήρια τῶν κατὰ τὸν ἀνθρώπινον νοῦν πάντων ἀκριβέστερα· δεύτερον δὲ τὸ προμηθὲς ἐπὶ τὰ τῶν ἐν κόσμῳ συνεκτικώτατα ἐφορᾶν ἀγαπᾷ, καθάπερ ἐν ταῖς βασιλείαις καὶ στραταρχίαις ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις καὶ τὰ στρατόπεδα, οὐκ εἴ τινα τῶν ἠμελημένων καὶ ἀφανῶν ἕνα τὸν προστυχόντα. | 14.54 If some of the more refined suffer injury from these, the governance is not to be blamed. First, because it is not the case that if some are thought good among us, they are so in truth, since God's criteria are more accurate than all human intellect; second, because providence is content to look upon the most cohesive parts in the world, just as in kingdoms and military commands upon cities and camps, not if some neglected and obscure single person happens along. |
| 14.55 Λέγουσι δέ τινες, καθάπερ ἐν ταῖς τυραννοκτονίαις καὶ τοὺς συγγενεῖς ἀναιρεῖσθαι νόμιμόν ἐστιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μεγέθει τῆς τιμωρίας ἐπισχεθῆναι τὰ ἀδικήματα, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον κἀν ταῖς λοιμώδεσι νόσοις παραπόλλυσθαί τινας τῶν μὴ ὑπαιτίων, ἵνα πόρρωθεν οἱ ἄλλοι σωφρονίζωνται, δίχα τοῦ ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι τοὺς ἐμφερομένους ἀέρι νοσώδει νοσεῖν, ὥσπερ καὶ τοὺς ἐν νηὶ χειμαζομένους κινδυνεύειν ἐξίσου. | 14.55 And some say that just as in cases of tyrannicide it is lawful to destroy the relatives so that by the magnitude of punishment misdeeds may be checked, in the same manner in pestilential diseases some of the guiltless perish so that others from afar may be brought to their senses—apart from the fact that it is necessary for those carried in diseased air to fall ill, just as those storm-tossed in a ship face danger equally. |
| 14.56 Τὰ δ’ ἄλκιμα τῶν θηρίων γέγονεν (οὐ γὰρ ὑποσιωπητέον, εἰ καὶ τῷ δεινὸς εἰπεῖν εἶναι προλαβὼν τὴν ἀπολογίαν διέσυρες) ἀσκήσεως ἕνεκα τῆς πρὸς τοὺς πολεμικοὺς ἀγῶνας. τὰ γὰρ γυμνάσια καὶ αἱ συνεχεῖς θῆραι συγκροτοῦσι καὶ νευροῦσιν εὖ μάλα τὰ σώματα, καὶ πρὸ τῶν σωμάτων τὰς ψυχὰς ἐθίζουσιν ἐχθρῶν ἐξαπιναίας ἐφόδους τῷ καρτερῷ τῆς ῥώμης ἀλογεῖν. | 14.56 The strong wild beasts were made (for one must not keep silent, even if using your skill in speech you ridiculed the defense beforehand) for the sake of exercise toward warlike contests. For gymnasia and continuous hunts unite and tone bodies very well, and before bodies accustom souls to disregard sudden attacks of enemies by the steadfastness of strength. |
| 14.57 Τοῖς δὲ τὰς φύσεις εἰρηνικοῖς ἔξεστιν οὐ μόνον τειχῶν ἐντός, ἀλλὰ καὶ κλισιάδων θαλαμευομένοις, ἀποζῆν ἀνεπιβουλεύτως, ἔχουσιν εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν ἀφθονωτάτας ἡμέρων ἀγέλας· ἐπειδὴ σῦς καὶ λέοντες καὶ ὅσα ὁμοιότροπα, ἑκουσίᾳ φύσει χρώμενα, μακρὰν ἄστεος ἀπελήλαται τὸ μηδὲν παθεῖν ἀγαπῶντα τῆς ἀνθρώπων ἐπιβουλῆς. | 14.57 But to those who are peaceful by nature it is possible not only within walls, but also dwelling in inner rooms, to live without being plotted against, having most abundant herds of tame animals for enjoyment; since boars, lions, and all such, following their voluntary nature, have been driven far from the city, being content to suffer nothing from human plots. |
| 14.58 Εἰ δέ τινες ὑπὸ ῥᾳθυμίας ἄοπλοι καὶ ἀπαράσκευοι ταῖς καταδύσεσι τῶν θηρίων ἀδεῶς ἐνδιαιτῶνται, τῶν συμβαινόντων ἑαυτούς, ἀλλὰ μὴ τὴν φύσιν αἰτιάσθωσαν, διότι φυλάξασθαι παρὸν ὠλιγώρησαν. ἤδη γοῦν καὶ ἐν ἱπποδρομίαις εἶδόν τινας εἴξαντας ἀλογιστίᾳ, οἵ, δέον ἐγκαθέζεσθαι καὶ σὺν κόσμῳ θεωρεῖν, ἐν μέσῳ στάντες, ὑπὸ τῆς ῥύμης τῶν τεθρίππων ἀνωσθέντες, ποσὶ καὶ τροχοῖς κατηλοήθησαν, ἀνοίας τἀπίχειρα εὑράμενοι." | 14.58 If some through slothfulness, unarmed and unprepared, dwell fearlessly in the dens of wild beasts, let them blame themselves for what happens, but not nature, because when it was possible to guard themselves, they neglected to do so. Indeed, in horse races I have seen some yield to thoughtlessness who, when they ought to sit down and watch in orderly fashion, stood in the middle, and being knocked down by the rush of four-horse chariots, were ground under feet and wheels, finding the wages of folly." |
| 14.59 "Περὶ μὲν οὖν τούτων ἀπόχρη τὰ λεχθέντα. τῶν δ’ ἑρπετῶν τὰ ἰοβόλα γέγονεν οὐ κατὰ πρόνοιαν, ἀλλὰ κατ’ ἐπακολούθησιν, ὡς καὶ πρότερον εἶπον. ζωογονεῖται γάρ, ὅταν ἡ ἐνυπάρχουσα ἰκμὰς μεταβάλῃ πρὸς τὸ θερμότερον. ἔνια δὲ καὶ σῆψις ἐψύχωσεν, ὡς ἕλμινθας μὲν ἡ περὶ τροφήν, φθεῖρας δ’ ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν ἱδρώτων. ὅσα δ’ ἐξ οἰκείας ὕλης κατὰ φύσιν σπερματικὴν καὶ προηγουμένην ἔχει γένεσιν, εἰκότως ἐπιγέγραπται πρόνοιαν. | 14.59 "Concerning these things, then, what has been said is sufficient. Venomous reptiles came to be not by primary providence, but by side-effect, as I said before. For life is generated when the inherent moisture transforms toward the warmer state. Some things decay enlivens, as food around worms, and sweat around lice. But as many things as have generation from their own proper matter according to a seminal and primary nature are reasonably ascribed to providence. |
| 14.60 Ἤκουσα δὲ καὶ περὶ ἐκείνων διττοὺς λόγους ὡς ἐπ’ ὠφελείᾳ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου γεγονότων, οὓς οὐκ ἂν ἐπικρυψαίμην. ἦν δ’ ὁ μὲν ἕτερος τοιόσδε· πρὸς πολλὰ τῶν ἰατρικῶν ἔφασάν τινες τὰ ἰοβόλα συνεργεῖν καὶ τοὺς μεθοδεύοντας τὴν τέχνην, εἰς ἃ δεῖ καταχρωμένους αὐτοῖς ἐπιστημόνως, ἀλεξιφαρμάκων εὐπορεῖν, ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν μάλιστα ἐπισφαλῶς ἐχόντων ἀπροσδοκήτῳ σωτηρίᾳ· καὶ μέχρι νῦν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τοὺς μὴ ῥᾳθύμως καὶ ἀμελῶς ἰατρεύειν ἐπιχειροῦντας ἐν ταῖς συνθέσεσι τῶν φαρμάκων καταχρωμένους ἑκάστοις οὐ παρέργως. | 14.60 And I heard two arguments concerning those creatures as having come to be for the benefit of man, which I would not conceal. The one was as follows: some said that venomous creatures assist in many medical matters, and those who practice the art, using them scientifically for what is necessary, obtain antidotes for the unexpected salvation of those in the most precarious state; and up to now one may see those who attempt to practice medicine not carelessly or negligently making no casual use of each in the compounding of medicines. |
| 14.61 Ὁ δ’ ἕτερος λόγος οὐκ ἰατρικός, ἀλλὰ φιλόσοφος ἦν, ὡς ἔοικε. τῷ γὰρ θεῷ ταῦτ’ ἔφασκεν ηὐτρεπίσθαι κατὰ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων κολαστήρια, ὡς στρατηγοῖς καὶ ἡγεμόσιν ὕστριχας ἢ σίδηρον· οὗ χάριν ἠρεμοῦντα τὸν ἄλλον χρόνον ἀνερεθίζεσθαι πρὸς ἀλκὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς κατακριθεῖσιν, ὧν ἡ φύσις ἐν τῷ ἀδωροδοκήτῳ δικαστηρίῳ ἑαυτῆς κατέγνω θάνατον. | 14.61 The second argument was not medical, but philosophical, as it seems. For it claimed that these have been prepared by God as instruments of punishment against sinners, as whips or iron weapons for generals and leaders; on which account, remaining quiet at other times, they are provoked to vigor against the condemned, whose nature in her own unbribable court has condemned them to death. |
| 14.62 Τὸ δ’ ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις πεφωλευκέναι μᾶλλον ἐστὶ μὲν ψεῦδος· ἔξω γὰρ ἄστεος ἐν ἀγρῷ καὶ ἐρημίαις θεωρεῖται, φεύγοντα ὡς δεσπότην τὸν ἄνθρωπον. οὐ μὴν ἀλλ’, εἰ καὶ ἀληθές ἐστιν, ἔχει τινὰ λόγον. ἐν γὰρ μυχοῖς σεσώρευται φορυτὸς καὶ σκυβάλων πλῆθος, οἷς εἰσδύεσθαι φιλεῖ δίχα τοῦ καὶ τὴν κνῖσαν ὁλκὸν ἔχειν δύναμιν. | 14.62 As for their dwelling in houses, it is rather a falsehood; for outside the city in the field and in wildernesses they are seen, fleeing man as a master. Nevertheless, even if it is true, it has some reason. For in corners rubbish and a multitude of refuse are piled up, into which they love to creep, apart from the fact that steam has an attractive power. |
| 14.63 Εἰ δὲ καὶ χελιδόνες ἡμῖν συνδιαιτῶνται θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν· τῆς γὰρ τούτων θήρας ἀπεχόμεθα. σωτηρίας δὲ πόθος ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς οὐ λογικαῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀλόγοις ἐνίδρυται, τῶν δὲ πρὸς ἀπόλαυσιν οὐδὲν ὁμοδίαιτον διὰ τὰς ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐπιβουλάς, πλὴν παρ’ οἷς ἡ τῶν τοιούτων χρῆσις ἀπηγόρευται νόμῳ. | 14.63 And if swallows share our living quarters, it is no wonder; for we abstain from hunting them. Desire for safety is implanted in souls, not only rational, but also irrational; but none of those used for enjoyment shares our dwelling on account of our plots against them, except among those by whom the use of such is forbidden by law. |
| 14.64 Τῆς Συρίας ἐπὶ θαλάττῃ πόλις ἐστὶν Ἀσκάλων ὄνομα· γενόμενος ἐν ταύτῃ, καθ’ ὃν χρόνον εἰς τὸ πατρῷον ἱερὸν ἐστελλόμην, εὐξόμενός τε καὶ θύσων, ἀμήχανόν τι πελειάδων πλῆθος ἐπὶ τῶν τριόδων καὶ κατ’ οἰκίαν ἑκάστην ἐθεασάμην. πυνθανομένῳ δέ μοι τὴν αἰτίαν ἔφασαν οὐ θεμιτὸν εἶναι συλλαμβάνειν· ἀπειρῆσθαι γὰρ ἐκ παλαιοῦ τοῖς οἰκήτορσι τὴν χρῆσιν. οὕτως ἡμέρωται τὸ ζῷον ὑπ’ ἀδείας ὥστ’ οὐ μόνον ὑπωρόφιον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁμοτράπεζον ἀεὶ γίνεσθαι καὶ ταῖς ἐκεχειρίαις ἐντρυφᾶν. | 14.64 There is a city of Syria upon the sea named Ascalon; being in this city at the time when I was dispatched to the ancestral temple to pray and sacrifice, I saw an unimaginable quantity of doves at the crossroads and in every house. When I asked the cause, they said it was not lawful to catch them; for the use of them had been forbidden to the inhabitants from of old. Thus the animal has been tamed by security, so that it becomes not only shelter-sharing, but also constantly table-sharing, and revels in immunity. |
| 14.65 Ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ δὲ καὶ θαυμασιώτερον ἰδεῖν ἐστιν. τὸ γὰρ ἀνθρωποβόρον καὶ θηρίων ἀργαλεώτατον ὁ κροκόδειλος, γεννώμενος καὶ τρεφόμενος ἐν τῷ ἱερωτάτῳ Νείλῳ, τῆς ὠφελείας, καίτοι βύθιος ὤν, ἐπαισθάνεται. παρ’ οἷς μὲν γὰρ τιμᾶται πληθύνει μάλιστα, παρὰ δὲ τοῖς λυμαινομένοις οὐδ’ ὄναρ φαίνεται· ὡς τῶν πλεόντων ὅπου μὲν καὶ τοὺς πάνυ θρασεῖς μηδ’ ἄκρον ἐπιτολμᾶν καθιέναι δάκτυλον, ἀγεληδὸν ἐπιφοιτώντων, ὅπου δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄγαν δειλοὺς ἐξαλλομένους νήχεσθαι μετὰ παιδιᾶς. | 14.65 In Egypt it is possible to see something even more wondrous. For the maneater and fiercest of beasts, the crocodile, born and bred in the most sacred Nile, perceives benefit, deep-swimming though it is. For among those by whom it is honored it multiplies most, but among those who harm it, it does not appear even in a dream; so that of those sailing, in one place even the very bold do not dare to submerge even the tip of a finger, as they visit in herds, while in another place even the overly fearful jump out and swim with sport. |
| 14.66 Χώρα δ’ ἡ Κυκλώπων, ἐπειδὴ τὸ γένος αὐτῶν ἐστι πλάσμα μύθου, δίχα σπορᾶς καὶ γεωπόνων ἀνδρῶν ἥμερος καρπὸς οὐ φύεται, καθάπερ οὐδ’ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος τι γεννᾶται. τῆς Ἑλλάδος δ’ οὐ κατηγορητέον ὡς λυπρᾶς καὶ ἀγόνου· πολὺ γὰρ κἀν ταύτῃ τὸ βαθύγειον. εἰ δ’ ἡ βάρβαρος διαφέρει ταῖς εὐκαρπίαις, πλεονεκτεῖ μὲν τροφαῖς, ἐλαττοῦται δὲ τοῖς τρεφομένοις, ὧν χάριν αἱ τροφαί· μόνη γὰρ ἡ Ἑλλὰς ἀψευδῶς ἀνθρωπογονεῖ, φυτὸν οὐράνιον καὶ βλάστημα θεῖον ἠκριβωμένον, λογισμὸν ἀποτίκτουσα οἰκειούμενον ἐπιστήμῃ. τὸ δ’ αἴτιον· λεπτότητι ἀέρος ἡ διάνοια πέφυκεν ἀκονᾶσθαι. | 14.66 As for the country of the Cyclopes, since their race is a fiction of myth, without sowing and agricultural men cultivated fruit does not grow, just as nothing is generated from non-being. Greece is not to be accused as poor and barren; for in it too there is much deep soil. But if barbarian land excels in fruitfulness, it has the advantage in food, but falls short in those who are nourished, for whose sake the food exists; for Greece alone truly generates man, an accurate heavenly plant and divine shoot, bringing forth reason that makes knowledge its own. The cause is this: by lightness of air the intellect is naturally sharpened. |
| 14.67 Διὸ καὶ Ἡράκλειτος οὐκ ἀπὸ σκοποῦ φησιν· "αὔη ψυχὴ σοφωτάτη καὶ ἀρίστη." τεκμηριώσαιτο δ’ ἄν τις καὶ ἐκ τοῦ τοὺς μὲν νήφοντας καὶ ὀλιγοδεεῖς συνετωτέρους εἶναι, τοὺς δὲ ποτῶν ἀεὶ καὶ σιτίων ἐμπιπλαμένους ἥκιστα φρονίμους, ἅτε βαπτιζομένου τοῖς ἐπιοῦσι τοῦ λογισμοῦ. | 14.67 Wherefore Heraclitus also says not off the mark: 'A dry light is the wisest and best soul.' And one might adduce evidence also from the fact that those who are sober and need little are more intelligent, while those always filled with drink and food are least wise, as the intellect is submerged by what comes in. |
| 14.68 Διὸ κατὰ τὰ βάρβαρα ἔθνη μέν, διὰ τὰς εὐτροφίας, καὶ στελέχη περιμήκιστα, καὶ ζῴων ἀλόγων σφόδρα τὰ γονιμώτατα, νοῦν δ’ ἥκιστα γεννᾷ· διότι τοῦ ὑψωθῆναι ἐξ ἀέρος αὐτοῦ, αἱ γῆς καὶ ὕδατος ἐπάλληλοι καὶ συνεχεῖς ἀναθυμιάσεις κατεκράτησαν. | 14.68 Wherefore throughout the barbarian nations, on account of rich nourishment, there are very tall trunks and most fertile irrational animals, but they generate intellect least of all; because continuous and successive exhalations of earth and water prevailed over its rising out of the air itself. |
| 14.69 Ἰχθύων δὲ καὶ ὀρνίθων καὶ χερσαίων γένη ζῴων οὐκ ἔστιν ἐγκλήματα φύσεως ἐφ’ ἡδονὴν παρακαλούσης, ἀλλὰ δεινὸς ψόγος τῆς ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἀκρασίας. ἀναγκαῖον μὲν γὰρ ἦν εἰς τὴν τοῦ ὅλου συμπλήρωσιν, ἵνα γένηται κόσμος ἐν ἑκάστῳ μέρει, φῦναι ζῴων ἰδέας ἁπάντων· οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν τούτων ἀπόλαυσιν ὁρμῆσαι τὸ σοφίας συγγενέστατον χρῆμα τὸν ἄνθρωπον, μεταβαλόντα εἰς ἀγριότητα θηρίων. | 14.69 Kinds of fish, birds, and land animals are not indictments of nature inviting toward pleasure, but a severe reproach of our own incontinence. For it was necessary for the completion of the whole, in order that there might be a world in every part, that forms of all animals should grow; but it was not necessary for man, the thing most akin to wisdom, to rush upon the enjoyment of these, transforming himself into the ferocity of wild beasts. |
| 14.70 Διὸ καὶ μέχρι νῦν οἷς λόγος ἐγκρατείας ἁπαξαπάντων ἀπέχονται, λαχανώδει χλόῃ καὶ καρποῖς δένδρων προσοψήμασιν ἡδίστῃ ἀπολαύσει χρώμενοι. τοῖς δὲ τὴν τῶν εἰρημένων θοίνην ἡγουμένοις εἶναι κατὰ φύσιν ἐπέστησαν διδάσκαλοι, σωφρονισταί, νομοθέται κατὰ πόλεις, οἷς ἐμέλησε τὴν ἀμετρίαν τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν στεῖλαι, μὴ ἐπιτρέψασι τὴν χρῆσιν ἀδεᾶ πᾶσι πάντων. | 14.70 Wherefore even to this day those who have regard for self-control abstain from all of them, using leafy greenery and fruits of trees as relishes with sweetest enjoyment. But for those who consider the feast of the aforementioned to be according to nature, teachers, disciplinarians, and lawmakers were set over them in cities, who cared to restrain the immoderation of desires, not permitting uninhibited use of all things to all men. |
| 14.71 Εἰ δὲ καὶ ῥόδα καὶ κρόκος καὶ ἡ ἄλλη τῶν ἀνθέων ποικιλία, πρὸς ὑγίειαν, οὐ πρὸς ἡδονὴν γέγονεν. ἄπλετοι γὰρ τούτων αἱ δυνάμεις, καὶ καθ’ αὑτὰς διὰ τῶν ὀσμῶν ὠφελοῦσιν, εὐωδίας πάντας ἀναπιμπλᾶσαι, καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον ἐν ταῖς ἰατρικαῖς συνθέσεσι τῶν φαρμάκων. ἔνια γὰρ ἀναμιχθέντα τὰς ἑαυτῶν δυνάμεις ἀριδηλοτέρας παρέχεται, καθάπερ εἰς ζῴου γένεσιν ἡ ἄρρενος καὶ θήλεος μίξις, ἰδίᾳ ἑκατέρου μὴ πεφυκότος ποιεῖν ἅπερ ἄμφω συνελθόντα. | 14.71 And if roses, saffron, and the rest of the variety of flowers exist, they came to be for health, not for pleasure. For their powers are immense, and on their own account through their scents they benefit, filling all with fragrance, and much more in medical compositions of drugs. For some when mixed render their own powers more manifest, just as for the generation of an animal the mixture of male and female, each individually not being nature-fitted to produce what both together perform. |
| 14.72 Ταῦτ’ ἀναγκαίως λέλεκται πρὸς τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν ὑπὸ σοῦ διαπορηθέντων, ἱκανὴν πίστιν ἐργάσασθαι δυνάμενα τοῖς μὴ φιλονείκως ἔχουσι περὶ τοῦ τὸν θεὸν τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἐπιμελεῖσθαι πραγμάτων." | 14.72 These things have been said out of necessity in reply to the rest of the questions raised by you, capable of working sufficient conviction in those who are not contentious concerning God's care for human affairs." |
| 14.73 Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐκ τοῦ δηλωθέντος ἐπετεμόμην ἀνδρός, ὁμοῦ μὲν δεικνὺς οἷοι καὶ κατὰ τοὺς νέους γεγόνασιν Ἑβραίων παῖδες, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ τὰ τῆς εὐσεβοῦς αὐτῶν περὶ θεοῦ διαλήψεως, τά τε τῆς πρὸς τοὺς προπάτορας ὁμοφωνίας ἐμφανῆ καθιστάς. ἤδη δ’ ἐντεῦθεν μεταβῆναι καιρὸς καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς τῶν ἔξωθεν περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν μαρτυρίας. | 14.73 These things, then, I [Eusebius] have excerpted from the indicated man, demonstrating at once what kind of men even in recent times the children of the Hebrews have been, and at the same time making manifest the matters of their pious conception regarding God, and their agreement with their ancestors. And now it is time to pass from here to the testimonies from external writers concerning the same matters. |