|
HOME | GREEK LANGUAGE | LIBRARIES | BLOG | HELP | SEARCH | FREEWARE | BOOKSTORE |
|
|
Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson.
Clement of Alexandria in Print
|
This Part: 128 Pages
Page 30
Chapter XV.--On the Different Kinds of Voluntary Actions, and the Sins Thence Proceeding.
What is voluntary is either what is by desire, or what is by choice, or what is of intention. Closely allied to each other are these things--sin, mistake, crime. It is sin, for example, to live luxuriously and licentiously; a misfortune, to wound one's friend in ignorance, taking him for an enemy; and crime, to violate graves or commit sacrilege. Sinning arises from being unable to determine what ought to be done, or being unable to do it; as doubtless one falls into a ditch either through not knowing, or through inability to leap across through feebleness of body. But application to the training of ourselves, and subjection to the commandments, is in our own power; with which if we will have nothing to do, by abandoning ourselves wholly to lust, we shall sin, nay rather, wrong our own soul. For the noted Laius says in the tragedy:--
"None of these things of which you admonish me have escaped me;
But notwithstanding that I am in my senses, Nature compels me;"
i.e., his abandoning himself to passion. Medea, too, herself cries on the stage:--
"And I am aware what evils I am to perpetrate,
But passion is stronger than my resolutions." [2294]
Further, not even Ajax is silent; but, when about to kill himself, cries:--
"No pain gnaws the soul of a free man like dishonour.
Thus do I suffer; and the deep stain of calamity
Ever stirs me from the depths, agitated
By the bitter stings of rage." [2295]
Anger made these the subjects of tragedy, and lust made ten thousand others--Phaedra, Anthia, Eriphyle,--
"Who took the precious gold for her dear husband."
For another play represents Thrasonides of the comic drama as saying:--
"A worthless wench made me her slave."
[2294] Eurip., Medea, 1078.
[2295] These lines, which are not found in the Ajax of Sophocles, have been amended by various hands. Instead of sumphorousa, we have ventured to read sumphoras--kelis sumphoras being a Sophoclean phrase, and sumphorousa being unsuitable.
|
Clement of Alexandria Home Page
Elpenor's Greek Forum : Post a question / Start a discussion |
Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/fathers/clement-alexandria/miscellanies.asp?pg=30
