Clement of Alexandria: STROMATA (MISCELLANIES), Part IV, Complete

Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson.

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Page 66

Sophocles in Ajax Flagellifer utters this iambic:--

"For foes' gifts are no gifts, nor any boon." [3212]

Solon having written:--

"For surfeit insolence begets,

When store of wealth attends."

Theognis writes in the same way:--

"For surfeit insolence begets,

When store of wealth attends the bad."

Whence also Thucydides, in the Histories, says: "Many men, to whom in a great degree, and in a short time, unlooked-for prosperity comes, are wont to turn to insolence." And Philistus [3213] likewise imitates the same sentiment, expressing himself thus: "And the many things which turn out prosperously to men, in accordance with reason, have an incredibly dangerous [3214] tendency to misfortune. For those who meet with unlooked success beyond their expectations, are for the most part wont to turn to insolence." Again, Euripides having written:--

"For children sprung of parents who have led

A hard and toilsome life, superior are;"

[3212] Said by Ajax of the sword received from Hector, with which he killed himself.

[3213] The imitator of Thucydides, said to be weaker but clearer than his model. He is not specially clear here.

[3214] The text has, asphalestera para doxan kai kakopragian: for which Lowth reads, episphalestera pros kakopragian, as translated above.

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