Chap. I.—Of the Former Religion of Men, and How Error Was Spread Over Every Age, and of the Seven Wise Men of Greece.

When I reflect, O Emperor Constantine, and often revolve in my mind the original condition of men, it is accustomed to appear alike wonderful and unworthy that, by the folly of one age embracing various superstitions, and believing in the existence of many gods, they suddenly arrived at such ignorance of themselves, that the truth being taken away from their eyes, the religion of the true God was not observed, nor the condition of human nature, since men did not seek the chief good in heaven, but on earth. And on this account assuredly the happiness of the ancient ages was changed. For, having left God, the parent and founder of all things, men began to worship the senseless works475    πρωτόγονον.      Figmenta. [Rom. i. 21–23.]   of their own hands. And what were the effects of this corruption, or what evils it introduced, the subject itself sufficiently declares. For, turning away from the chief good, which is blessed and everlasting on this account, because it cannot be seen,476    φάνητα, the appearer.      Thus St. Paul, 1 Cor. ii. 9: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.”   or touched, or comprehended, and from the virtues which are in agreement with that good, and which are equally immortal, gliding down to these corrupt and frail gods, and devoting themselves to those things by which the body only is adorned, and nourished, and delighted, they sought eternal death for themselves, together with their gods and goods relating to the body, because all bodies are subject to death. Superstitions of this kind, therefore, were followed by injustice and impiety, as must necessarily be the case. For men ceased to raise their countenances to the heaven; but, their minds being depressed downwards, clung to goods of the earth, as they did to earth-born superstitions. There followed the disagreement of mankind, and fraud, and all wickedness; because, despising eternal and incorruptible goods, which alone ought to be desired by man, they rather chose temporal and short-lived things, and greater trust was placed by men in evil, inasmuch as they preferred vice to virtue, because it had presented itself as nearer at hand.477    Æn., vi. 724.      In its rewards.    

Thus human life, which in former ages had been occupied with the clearest light, was overspread with gloom and darkness; and in conformity with this depravity, when wisdom was taken away, then at length men began to claim for themselves the name of wise. For at the time when all were wise, no one was called by that name. And would that this name, once common to all the class, though reduced to a few, still retained its power! For those few might perhaps be able, either by talent, or by authority, or by continual exhortations, to free the people from vices and errors. But so entirely had wisdom died out, that it is evident, from the very arrogance of the name, that no one of those who were so called was really wise. And yet, before the discovery of this philosophy, as it is termed, there are said to have been seven,478    Georg., iv. 221. [These passages seem borrowed from the Octavius of Minucius, cap. 19, vol. iv. p. 183.]      The seven wise men were, Thales, Pittacus, Bias, Solon, Cleobulus, Chilo, and Periander. To these some add Anacharsis the Scythian. [Vol. v. p. 11, supra. For Thales, vol. ii. p. 140.]   who, because they ventured to inquire into and discuss natural subjects, deserved to be esteemed and called wise men.  

O wretched and calamitous age, in which through the whole world there were only seven who were called by the name of men, for no one can justly be called a man unless he is wise! But if all the others besides themselves were foolish, even they themselves were not wise, because no one can be truly wise in the judgment of the foolish. So far were they removed from wisdom, that not even afterwards, when learning increased, and many and great intellects were always intent upon this very subject, could the truth be perceived and ascertained. For, after the renown of those seven wise men, it is incredible with how great a desire of inquiring into the truth all Greece was inflamed. And first of all, they thought479    [Fabricatorem mundi, rerum opificem.]      This was the opinion of Pythagoras. See Book iii. 2.   the very name of wisdom arrogant, and did not call themselves wise men, but desirous of wisdom. By which deed they both condemned those who had rashly arrogated to themselves the name of wise men, of error and folly, and themselves also of ignorance, which indeed they did not deny. For wherever the nature of the subject had, as it were, laid its hands upon their minds, so that they were unable to give any account, they were accustomed to testify that, they knew nothing, and discerned nothing. Wherefore they are found to be much wiser, who in some degree saw themselves, than those who had believed that they were wise.  

CAPUT PRIMUM. De priore hominum religione, et quomodo error transfusus 0448Csit in omnem aetatem, ac de septem Graeciae sapientibus.

Cogitanti mihi, Constantine imperator, et cum 0449A animo meo saepe reputanti 0449A priorem illum generis humani statum, et mirum pariter, et indignum videri solet, quod unius saeculi stultitia religiones varias suscipientis, deosque multos esse credentis, in tantam subito ignorationem sui ventum est, ut ablata ex oculis veritate, neque religio Dei veri neque humanitatis ratio teneretur, hominibus non in coelo summum bonum quaerentibus, sed in terra. Quam ob causam profecto saeculorum veterum mutata felicitas est. Coeperunt enim, relicto parente et constitutore omnium Deo, insensibilia digitorum suorum figmenta venerari. Quae pravitas quid effecerit, aut quid malorum attulerit, res ipsa declarat. Aversi namque a summo bono, quod ideo beatum ac sempiternum est, quia videri, tangi, comprehendi non potest, et a virtutibus ei bono congruentibus, quae sunt aeque immortales, ad 0449B hos corruptos et fragiles deos lapsi, et studentes iis rebus, quibus solum corpus ornatur, alitur, delectatur, mortem sibi perpetuam cum diis et cum bonis corporalibus quaesierunt; quia morti corpus omne subjectum est. Insecuta est igitur hujusmodi religiones injustitia et impietas, sicuti fuerat necesse. Desierunt enim vultus suos in coelum tollere: sed deorsum mentes hominum depressae, terrenis ut religionibus, sic etiam bonis inhaerebant. Secutum est dissidium generis humani, et fraus, et nefas omne; quia spretis aeternis atque incorruptis bonis, quae sola debent ab homine concupisci, temporalia et brevia maluerunt, majorque hominibus ad malum fides fuit, qui pravum recto, quia praesentius fuerat 0449C praetulerunt.

Sic humanam vitam prioribus saeculis in clarissima 0450A luce versatam caligo ac tenebrae comprehenderunt; et quod huic pravitati congruens erat, postquam sublata sapientia est, tum demum sibi homines sapientum nomen vendicare coeperunt. Tum autem nemo sapiens vocabatur, cum omnes erant. Utinamque nomen illud aliquando publicum, quamvis ad paucos redactum, tamen vim suam retineret. Possent enim fortasse pauci illi vel ingenio, vel auctoritate, vel assiduis hortamentis liberare populum vitiis et erroribus. Sed adeo in totum sapientia occiderat, ut ex ipsa nominis arrogantia nullum eorum, qui vocarentur, appareat fuisse sapientem. Et tamen prius, quam haec philosophia, quae dicitur esse, inveniretur, septem fuisse traduntur, qui primi omnium, quia de rebus naturalibus quaerere ac disputare sunt ausi, 0450B sapientes haberi appellarique meruerunt.

O miserum calamitosumque saeculum, quo per orbem totum septem soli fuerunt, qui hominum vocabulo cierentur; nemo enim potest jure dici homo, nisi qui sapiens est. Sed si caeteri omnes, praeter ipsos, stulti fuerunt, ne illi quidem sapientes, quia nemo sapiens esse vere judicio stultorum potest. Adeo ab his abfuit sapientia, ut ne postea quidem increscente doctrina, et multis magnisque ingeniis in id ipsum semper intentis, potuerit perspici veritas et comprehendi. Nam post illorum septem sapientum gloriam, incredibile est, quanto studio inquirendae veritatis Graecia omnis exarserit. Ac primum, nomen ipsum sapientiae arrogans putaverunt, seque non sapientes, sed studiosos sapientiae vocaverunt. Quo 0450C facto, et illos, qui temere sapientum sibi nomen asciverant, erroris stultitiaeque damnaverunt, et se 0451A quoque ipsos ignorantiae, quam quidem non diffitebantur. Nam ubicumque rerum natura ingeniis eorum quasi manus opposuerat, 0451A ne rationem possent aliquam reddere, testificari solebant, nihil scire se, nihil cernere. Unde multo sapientiores inveniuntur, qui se aliqua ex parte viderunt, quam illi qui se sapere crediderant.