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Tatian, Address to the Greeks
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Address of Tatian to the Greeks.
Chapter I.—The Greeks Claim, Without Reason, the Invention of the Arts.
Chapter II.—The Vices and Errors of the Philosophers.
Chapter III.—Ridicule of the Philosophers.
Chapter IV.—The Christians Worship God Alone.
Chapter V.—The Doctrine of the Christians as to the Creation of the World.
Chapter VI.—Christians’ Belief in the Resurrection.
Chapter VII.—Concerning the Fall of Man.
Chapter VIII.—The Demons Sin Among Mankind.
Chapter IX.—They Give Rise to Superstitions.
Chapter X.—Ridicule of the Heathen Divinities.
Chapter XI.—The Sin of Men Due Not to Fate, But to Free-Will.
Chapter XII.—The Two Kinds of Spirits.
Chapter XIII.—Theory of the Soul’s Immortality.
Chapter XIV.—The Demons Shall Be Punished More Severely Than Men.
Chapter XV.—Necessity of a Union with the Holy Spirit.
Chapter XVI.—Vain Display of Power by the Demons.
Chapter XVII.—They Falsely Promise Health to Their Votaries.
Chapter XVIII.—They Deceive, Instead of Healing.
Chapter XIX.—Depravity Lies at the Bottom of Demon-Worship.
Chapter XX.—Thanks are Ever Due to God.
Chapter XXI.—Doctrines of the Christians and Greeks Respecting God Compared.
Chapter XXII.—Ridicule of the Solemnities of the Greeks.
Chapter XXIII.—Of the Pugilists and Gladiators.
Chapter XXIV.—Of the Other Public Amusements.
Chapter XXV.—Boastings and Quarrels of the Philosophers.
Chapter XXVI.—Ridicule of the Studies of the Greeks.
Chapter XXVII.—The Christians are Hated Unjustly.
Chapter XXVIII.—Condemnation of the Greek Legislation.
Chapter XXIX.—Account of Tatian’s Conversion.
Chapter XXX.—How He Resolved to Resist the Devil.
Chapter XXXI.—The Philosophy of the Christians More Ancient Than that of the Greeks.
Chapter XXXII.—The Doctrine of the Christians, is Opposed to Dissensions, and Fitted for All.
Chapter XXXIII.—Vindication of Christian Women.
Chapter XXXIV.—Ridicule of the Statues Erected by the Greeks.
Chapter XXXV.—Tatian Speaks as an Eye-Witness.
Chapter XXXVI.—Testimony of the Chaldeans to the Antiquity of Moses.
Chapter XXXVII.—Testimony of the Phœnicians.
Chapter XXXVIII.—The Egyptians Place Moses in the Reign of Inachus.
Chapter XXXIX.—Catalogue of the Argive Kings.
Chapter XL.—Moses More Ancient and Credible Than the Heathen Heroes.
Therefore, being initiated and instructed in these things, I wish to put away my former errors as the follies of childhood. For we know that the nature of wickedness is like that of the smallest seeds; since it has waxed strong from a small beginning, but will again be destroyed if we obey the words of God and do not scatter ourselves. For He has become master of all we have by means of a certain “hidden treasure,”79 Comp. Matt. xiii. 44. [Cogent reasoning with Greeks.] which while we are digging for we are indeed covered with dust, but we secure it as our fixed possession. He who receives the whole of this treasure has obtained command of the most precious wealth. Let these things, then, be said to our friends. But to you Greeks what can I say, except to request you not to rail at those who are better than yourselves, nor if they are called Barbarians to make that an occasion of banter? For, if you are willing, you will be able to find out the cause of men’s not being able to understand one another’s language; for to those who wish to examine our principles I will give a simple and copious account of them.
30.1 Τούτων οὖν τὴν κατάληψιν πεποιημένος βούλομαι καθάπερ τὰ νήπια τῶν βρεφῶν *** _ἀ_π_ο_δ_ύ_σ_α_σ_θ_α_ι. τὴν γὰρ τῆς πονηρίας σύστασιν ἐοικυῖαν τῇ τῶν βραχυτάτων σπερμάτων ἴσμεν ἅτε διὰ μικρᾶς ἀφορμῆς τούτου κρατυνθέντος, πάλιν δ' αὖ λυθησομένου, ἡμῶν πειθομένων λόγῳ θεοῦ καὶ μὴ σκορπιζόντων ἑαυτούς. διά τινος γὰρ _ἀ_π_ο_κ_ρ_ύ_φ_ο_υ_ _θ_η_σ_α_υ_ρ_ο_ῦ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐπεκράτησεν, ὃν ὀρύττοντες κονιορτοῦ μὲν ἡμεῖς ἐνεπλήσθημεν, τούτῳ δὲ τοῦ συνεστάναι τὴν ἀφορμὴν παρέσχομεν. τὸ γὰρ αὑτοῦ πᾶς ὁ ἀποδεχόμενος κτῆμα τοῦ πολυτιμοτέρου πλούτου τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἐχειρώσατο. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν πρὸς τοὺς ἡμῶν οἰκείους εἰρήσθω· πρὸς δὲ ὑμᾶς τοὺς Ἕλληνας τί ἂν ἕτερον ἢ τὸ μὴ τοῖς κρείττοσιν λοιδορεῖσθαι μηδ', εἰ βάρβαροι 30.2 λέγοιντο, ταύτην λαμβάνειν τῆς χλεύης τὴν ἀφορμήν; τοῦ γὰρ πάντας ἀλλήλων ἐπακούειν τῆς διαλέκτου μὴ δύνασθαι τὴν αἰτίαν εὑρεῖν, ἢν ἐθέλητε, δυνήσεσθε· τοῖς ἐξετάζειν γὰρ βουλομένοις τὰ ἡμέτερα ῥᾳδίαν καὶ ἄφθονον ποιήσομαι τὴν διήγησιν.