Note 12 — INTRODUCTION.

See the Latin translation of these Sentences by Ruffinus, in the Opuscula Mythologica of Gale. The Sentences which are to be found in this Epistle of Porphyry, were published by me, with some animadversions, in the Classical Journal, about two years ago; but on account of the great importance of these Sentences, and for the sake of those who may not have this Journal in their possession, I shall here repeat what I have there said on this subject.

After having premised that great praise is due to the editor for the publication of this Epistle, but that, as he has taken no notice of the sources whence most of the beautiful moral sentences with which this Epistle abounds, are derived, it becomes necessary to unfold them to the reader, particularly as by this means several of the Sentences of Sextus Pythagoricus may be obtained in the original Greek;—I then observe:

Previous, however, to this development, I shall present the reader with the emendation of the following defective sentence in p. 19: Το δε πεπαιδευσθαι ουκ εν πολυμαθειας αναληψει ... παλαξει δε των ψυχικων παθων εθεωρειτο. The editor, not being an adept in the philosophy of Pythagoras and Plato, conceived that παλαξει was a genuine word; for he remarks, “Nota vocabulum παλαξις,” whereas it is only a part of a word, i.e. it is a part of απαλλαξει. Hence, if after αναληψει, the words εν απαλλαξει are inserted, the sentence of Porphyry will be perfect both in its construction and meaning, and will be in English, “Erudition does not consist in the resumption of polymathy, but is to be surveyed in a liberation from the passions pertaining to the soul.” The editor, not perceiving the necessity of this emendation, has, by the following version, totally mistaken the meaning of the sentence: “Bonam autem institutionem nunquam æstimem, quæ cum eruditionis copia, animalium quoque passionum contaminatione sordescat.”

The first sentence of which I have discovered the source, is from Sextus, and is the following, in p. 23: θεος μεν γαρ δειται ουδενος· σοφος δε μονου θεου: i.e. “For God is not in want of any thing; but the wise man is alone in want of God.” This, in the version of Ruffinus, is: “Deus quidem nullius eget, fidelis autem Dei solius.” (Vid. Opusc. Mytholog. 8vo. 1688, p. 646.)

2. Πασης πραξεως και παντος εργου και λογου θεος εποπτης παρεστω και εφορος, (p. 24): i.e. “Of every action, and of every deed and word, God is present as the scrutator and inspector.” This is evidently derived from the following sentence of Demophilus, (Opusc. Mythol. p. 621): Εαν αει μνημονευης, οτι οπου αν ἦ η ψυχη σου, και το σωμα εργον αποτελει, θεος εφεστηκεν εφορος, εν πασαις σου ταις ευχαις και πραξεσιν, αιδεσθησῃ μεν του θεωρου το αληστον, εξεις δε τον θεον συνοικον, i.e. “If you always remember, that wherever your soul, or your body, performs any deed, God is present as an inspector, in all your prayers and actions, you will reverence the nature of an inspector, from whom nothing can be concealed, and will have God for a cohabitant.” What immediately follows in this paragraph is from Sextus, viz. και παντων ων πραττομεν αγαθων τον θεον αιτιον ηγωμεθα: i.e. “Of all the good that we do, we should consider God as the cause.” And Sextus says, p. 648. “Deus in bonis actibus hominibus dux est.” Porphyry adds: Των δε κακων αιτιοι ημεις εσμεν οι ελομενοι, θεος δε αναιτιος. And the latter part is evidently from Sextus, who says, p. 648, “Mali nullius autor est Deus.” Porphyry further adds: Οθεν και ευκταιον τα αξια θεου· και αιτωμεθα ἃ μη λαβοιμεν αν παρ’ ετερου· και ων ηγεμονες οι μετ’ αρετης πονοι, ταυτα ευχομεθα γενεσθαι μετα τους πονους: i.e. “Hence we should ask of God things which are worthy of him, and which we cannot receive from any other. The goods also, of which labours are the leaders, in conjunction with virtue, we should pray that we may obtain after the labours [are accomplished].” All this is from Sextus. For, in p. 648, he says: “Hæc posce à Deo, quæ dignum est præstare Deum. Ea pete à Deo, quæ accipere ab homine non potes. In quibus præcedere debet labor, hæc tibi opta evenire post laborem.” Only, in this last sentence, Ruffinus has omitted to add, after labor, the words cum virtute. What Porphyry says, almost immediately after this, is precisely the first of the Sentences of Demophilus, (Opusc. Mythol. p. 626), viz. Ἃ δε κτησαμενος ου καθεξεις, μη αιτου παρα θεου· δωρον γαρ θεου παν αναφαιρετον· ωστε ου δωσει ὃ μη καθεξεις: i.e. “Do not ask of God that which, when you have obtained, you cannot preserve. For every gift of God is incapable of being taken away; so that he will not give that which you cannot retain.” The sentence immediately following this is ascribed to Pythagoras, and is to be found in the Sentences of Stobæus, (edit. 1609, p. 65): viz. Ων δε του σωματος απαλλαγεισα ου δεηθησῃ, εκεινων καταφρονει· και ων αν απαλλαγεισα δεῃ, εις ταυτα συ ασκουμενη τον θεον παρεκαλει γενεσθαι συλληπτορα. In Stobæus, however, there is some difference, so as to render the sentence more complete. For immediately after καταφρονει, there is παντων; for δεηθησῃ there is δεησῃ; for δεῃ, δεησῃ; for τον θεον, τους θεους; for συ ασκουμενη, σοι ασκουμενῳ; and instead of γενεσθαι συλληπτορα, γενεσθαι σοι συλληπτορα. This, therefore, translated, will be: “Despise all those things which, when liberated from the body, you will not want; and exercising yourself in those things, of which, when liberated from the body, you will be in want, invoke the Gods to become your helpers.” In pp. 27 and 28, Porphyry says, αιρετωτερου σοι οντος [χρηματα] εικη βαλειν ἢ λογον· και το ηττασθαι τ’ αληθη λεγοντα, ἢ νικᾳν απατωντα: i.e. “It should be more eligible to you carelessly to throw away riches than reason; and to be vanquished when speaking the truth, than to vanquish by deception.” And the latter part of this sentence is to be found in Sextus: for in p. 649 he says, “Melius est vinci vera dicentem, quam vincere, mentientem.” Almost immediately after Porphyry adds, Αδυνατον τον αυτον φιλοθεον τε ειναι και φιληδονον και φιλοσωματον· ο γαρ φιληδονος και φιλοσωματος παντως και φιλοχρηματος· ο δὲ φιλοχρηματος, εξ αναγκης αδικος· ο δε αδικος, και εις θεον και εις πατερας ανοσιος, και εις τους αλλους παρανομος· ωστε κᾳν εκατομβας θυῃ, και μυριοις αναθημασι νεως αγαλλῃ, ασεβης εστι και αθεος και τῃ προαιρεσει ιεροσυλος· διο και παντα φιλοσωματον ως αθεον και μιαρον εκτρεπεσθαι χρη. This sentence is the last of the Sentences of Demophilus, (Opusc. Mythol. p. 625); but in Porphyry it is in one part defective, and in another is fuller than in Demophilus. For in the first colon, φιλοχρηματον is wanting: in the second colon, after ο γαρ φιληδονος και φιλοσωματος, the words ο δε φιλοσωματος are wanting. And in Demophilus, instead of ο δε αδικος και εις θεον και εις πατερας ανοσιος, και εις τους αλλους παρανομος, there is nothing more than ο δε αδικος, εις μεν θεον ανοσιος, εις δε ανθρωπους παρανομος. In Demophilus also, after ωστε κᾳν εκατομβας θυῃ the words και μυριοις αναθημασι τους νεως αγαλλῃ, are wanting. And in Porphyry, after νεως αγαλλῃ, the words πολυ μαλλον ανοσιωτερος εστι, και, are wanting. This sentence therefore, thus amended, will be in English, “It is impossible for the same person to be a lover of God, a lover of pleasure, a lover of body, and a lover of riches. For a lover of pleasure is also a lover of body; but a lover of body is entirely a lover of riches; and a lover of riches is necessarily unjust. But he who is unjust 1s impious towards God and his parents, and lawless towards others. So that, though he should sacrifice hecatombs, and adorn temples with ten thousand gifts, he will be much more unholy, impious, atheistical, and sacrilegious in his deliberate choice. Hence it is necessary to avoid every lover of body, as one who is without God, and is defiled.”

3. The following passages in the epistle of Porphyry, are from Sextus: Ο δε αξιος ανθρωπος θεου, θεος αν ειη, (p. 30) i.e. “The man who is worthy of God, will be himself a God.” And Sextus says, “Dignus Deo homo, deus est et in hominibus.” (p. 654.) Porphyry says, Και τιμησεις μεν αριστα τον θεον, οταν τῳ θεῳ την σαυτης διανοιαν ομοιωσεις, (p. 30,) i.e. “And you will honour God in the best manner, when you assimilate your reasoning power to God.” Thus also Sextus, “Optime honorat Deum ille, qui mentem suam, quantum fieri potest, similem Deo facit,” (p. 655.) Again, Porphyry says, Θεος δε ανθρωπον βεβαιοι πρασσοντα καλα· κακων δε πραξεων κακος δαιμων ηγεμων, (p. 31): i.e. “God corroborates man when he performs beautiful deeds; but an evil dæmon is the leader of bad actions.” And Sextus says, “Deus bonos actus hominum confirmat. Malorum actuum, malus dæmon dux est.” (p. 653). Porphyry adds, Ψυχη δε σοφου αρμοζεται προς θεον, αει θεον ορᾳ, συνεστιν αει θεῳ, (p. 31,) i.e. “The soul of the wise man is adapted to God; it always beholds God, and is always present with God.” Thus, too, Sextus, “Sapientis anima audit Deum, sapientis anima aptatur à Deo, sapientis anima semper est cum Deo,” (p. 655). There is, however, some difference between the original and the Latin version, which is most probably owing to the fraud of Ruffinus. And in the last place, Porphyry says, Αλλα κρηπις ευσεβειας σοι νομιζεσθω η φιλανθρωπια, (p. 58,) i.e. “Philanthropy should be considered by you as the foundation of piety.” And Sextus says, “Fundamentum et initium est cultûs Dei, amare Dei homines.” (p. 654). Ruffinus, however, in this version, fraudulently translates φιλανθρωπια, amare Dei homines, in order that this sentence, as well as the others, might appear to be written by Sixtus the bishop!

4. The learned reader will find the following passages in the Epistle of Porphyry, to be sentences of Demophilus, viz. Λογον γαρ θεου τοις υπο δοξης διεφθαρμενοις λεγειν, κ.τ.λ. usque ad ισον φερει, (p. 29). Ουχ η γλωττα του σοφου τιμιον παρα θεῳ, κ.τ.λ. usque ad μονος ειδως ευξασθαι, (p. 32). Ου χολωθεντες ουν οι θεοι βλαπτουσι, κ.τ.λ. usque ad θεῳ δε ουδεν αβουλητον, (p. 35). Ουτε δακρυα και ικετειαι θεον επιστρεφουσι, ουτε θυηπολια θεον τιμωσιν, ουτε αναθηματων πληθος κοσμουσι θεον, κ.τ.λ. usque ad ιεροσυλοις χορηγια, (p. 36). In which passage, however, there is a remarkable difference, as the learned reader will find, between the text of Porphyry and that of Demophilus. Εαν ουν αει μνημονευῃς, οτι οπου αν η ψυχη σου περιπατῃ, και το σωμα ενεργον (lege εργον,) αποτελῃ, κ.τ.λ. usque ad τον θεον συνοικον, (p. 37). Ο συνετος ανηρ και θεοφιλης, κ.τ.λ. usque ad σπουδαζεται πονησας, (p. 54). Γυμνος δε αποσταλεις [σοφος] κ.τ.λ. usque ad επηκοος ο θεος, (p. 54.) Χαλεπωτερον δουλευειν παθεσιν ἢ τυραννοις. And οσα γαρ παθη ψυχης, τοσουτοι και ωμοι δεσποται, (p. 57). And lastly, πολλῳ γαρ κρειττον τεθναναι ἢ δι’ ακρασιαν την ψυχην αμαυρωσαι, (p. 58). In all these passages, it will be found, by comparing them with Porphyry, that they occasionally differ from the text of Demophilus, yet not so as to alter the sense.

I only add, that many of the Sentences of Demophilus will be found among those of Sextus. Nor is this at all wonderful, as it was usual with the Pythagoreans, from their exalted notions of friendship, to consider the work of one of them as the production of all.