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15.16.1 16. OF PORPHYRY, AGAINST THE DOCTRINE OF THE STOICS CONCERNING GOD

«They do not hesitate, having called God an intelligent fire, to leave him eternal and to say that he destroys all things and consumes them, as being such a fire as the one known to us, and to contradict Aristotle, who refuses to say that the aether is made from 15.16.2 such a fire. But when asked how such a fire persists, they do not say it is a different kind of fire, but having said it is of such a kind, and having demanded that they be believed, to this irrational faith they add that it is also eternal, although they posit that even the aetherial fire is in part extinguished and rekindled. But why should one go on and lengthen the account of their blindness towards their own doctrines, and their carelessness and contempt towards those of the ancients?» 15.17.1 17. THAT BEING CANNOT BE BODY ACCORDING TO THE STOICS; FROM THE

FIRST [BOOK] ON THE GOOD OF NUMENIUS «But what really is being? Is it these four elements, earth and fire and the other two natures in between? Are these, then, really beings, either all together or any one of them individually? And how, since they are both generated and subject to return, if indeed it is possible to see them coming into being from one another and interchanging and 15.17.2 being neither elements nor compounds? Thus, in this way, being could not be these bodies. But if not these, can matter be being? But this is more impossible than anything, through its weakness in remaining; for matter is a flowing and swift-flowing river, in depth and breadth and length indefinite and endless.» 15.17.3 And after a little he adds: «So that the argument spoke well in saying that if matter is infinite, it is indefinite; if indefinite, irrational; and if irrational, unknowable. And being unknowable, it must necessarily be disordered, since things that are ordered would surely be very easy to know; but what is disordered does not stand still, and what does not stand still cannot be being. 15.17.4 And this was what we agreed among ourselves before, that it is not lawful for all these things to be attributed to being. Let this be the opinion of all, but if not, at least of me. Therefore I say that neither matter itself nor bodies are being. 15.17.5 What then? Do we have anything else besides these in the nature of the universe? Yes. to say this is not at all complex, if we should first try 15.17.6 to discuss this among ourselves: since bodies are by nature dead and lifeless and carried about and not even remaining in the same place, was there not need for something to hold them together? Most certainly. And if it should not obtain this, could it remain? Least of all. 15.17.7 What then is it that will hold them together? if indeed this too were a body, it seems to me it would need Zeus the Savior 15.17.8 as it is being dissolved and scattered. If, however, it must be free from the affection of bodies, so that for those bodies, thrown into confusion as they are, it might be able to ward off destruction and hold them together, it seems to me to be nothing other than only the incorporeal; for this alone of all natures stands still and is fixed and is in no way bodily. At any rate, it neither comes to be, nor grows, nor is moved by any other motion, and for these reasons it rightly appeared just to give precedence to the incorporeal.»

15.18.1 18. HOW THE STOICS BELIEVE CONCERNING THE CONFLAGRATION OF THE UNIVERSE

276

15.16.1 ιʹ. ΠΟΡΦΥΡΙΟΥ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΗΝ ΤΩΝ ΣΤΩΙΚΩΝ ΠΕΡΙ ΘΕΟΥ ∆ΟΞΑΝ

«Τὸν δὲ θεὸν οὐκ ὀκνοῦσι πῦρ νοερὸν εἰπόντες ἀΐδιον καταλείπειν καὶ φθείρειν μὲν πάντα λέγειν καὶ ἐπινέμεσθαι, ὡς τοιοῦτον ὂν πῦρ οἷον τὸ ἡμῖν συνεγνωσμένον, ἀντιλέγειν τε τῷ Ἀριστοτέλει παραιτουμένῳ τὸν αἰθέρα ἐκ 15.16.2 πυρὸς λέγειν τοιούτου. ἀπαιτούμενοι δὲ πῶς τὸ τοιοῦτον ἐπιδιαμένει πῦρ, ἀλλοῖον μὲν πῦρ οὐ λέγουσιν εἶναι, τὸ τοιοῦτον δ' εἰπόντες καὶ πιστεύειν αὐτοῖς ἀξιώσαντες εἰποῦσι τῇ ἀλόγῳ πίστει ταύτῃ ἐπισυνάπτουσιν, ὅτι καὶ ἀΐδιόν ἐστι, καίπερ ἐκ μέρους καὶ τὸ αἰθέριον σβέννυσθαι καὶ ἀνάπτεσθαι τιθέντες. ἀλλὰ τὴν τούτων πρὸς μὲν τὰ αὑτῶν ἀβλεψίαν, πρὸς δὲ τὰ τῶν παλαιῶν ῥᾳθυμίαν τε καὶ καταφρόνησιν τί ἄν τις ἐπιὼν ἐπὶ πλέον μηκύνοι;» 15.17.1 ιζʹ. ΟΤΙ ΟΥΚ ΑΝ ΕΙΗ ΣΩΜΑ ΤΟ ΟΝ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΥΣ ΣΤΩΙΚΟΥΣ· ΑΠΟ ΤΟΥ

ΠΡΩΤΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΑΓΑΘΟΥ ΝΟΥΜΗΝΙΟΥ «Ἀλλὰ τί δή ἐστι τὸ ὄν; ἆρα ταυτὶ τὰ στοιχεῖα τὰ τέτταρα, ἡ γῆ καὶ τὸ πῦρ καὶ αἱ ἄλλαι δύο μεταξὺ φύσεις; ἆρα οὖν δὴ τὰ ὄντα ταῦτά ἐστιν, ἤτοι ξυλλήβδην ἢ καθ' ἕν γέ τι αὐτῶν; Καὶ πῶς, ἅ γέ ἐστι καὶ γενητὰ καὶ παλινάγρετα, εἴ γε ἔστιν ὁρᾶν αὐτὰ ἐξ ἀλλήλων γινόμενα καὶ ἐπαλλασσόμενα καὶ 15.17.2 μήτε στοιχεῖα ὑπάρχοντα μήτε συλλαβάς; Σῶμα μὲν ταυτὶ οὕτως οὐκ ἂν εἴη τὸ ὄν. ἀλλ' ἄρα ταυτὶ μὲν οὔ, ἡ δ' ὕλη δύναται εἶναι ὄν; Ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴν παντὸς μᾶλλον ἀδύνατον, ἀρρωστίᾳ τοῦ μένειν· ποταμὸς γὰρ ἡ ὕλη ῥοώδης καὶ ὀξύρροπος, βάθος καὶ πλάτος καὶ μῆκος ἀόριστος καὶ ἀνήνυτος.» 15.17.3 Καὶ μετὰ βραχέα ἐπιλέγει· «Ὥστε καλῶς ὁ λόγος εἴρηκε φάς, εἰ ἔστιν ἄπειρος ἡ ὕλη, ἀόριστον εἶναι αὐτήν· εἰ δὲ ἀόριστος, ἄλογος· εἰ δὲ ἄλογος, ἄγνωστος. ἄγνωστον δέ γε οὖσαν αὐτὴν ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι ἄτακτον, ὡς τεταγμένα γνωσθῆναι πάνυ δήπουθεν ἂν εἴη ῥᾴδια· τὸ δὲ ἄτακτον οὐχ ἕστηκεν, ὅ τι δὲ μὴ ἕστηκεν, οὐκ ἂν εἴη ὄν. 15.17.4 τοῦτο δὲ ἦν ὅπερ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ὡμολογησάμεθα ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν, ταυτὶ πάντα συνενεχθῆναι τῷ ὄντι ἀθέμιστον εἶναι. ∆οξάτω μάλιστα μὲν πᾶσιν, εἰ δὲ μή, ἀλλ' ἐμοί. Οὐκοῦν φημι τὴν ὕλην οὔτε αὐτὴν οὔτε τὰ σώματα εἶναι ὄν. 15.17.5 Τί οὖν δή; ἦ ἔχομεν παρὰ ταῦτα ἄλλο τι ἐν τῇ φύσει τῇ τῶν ὅλων; Ναί. τοῦτο οὐδὲν εἰπεῖν ποικίλον, εἰ τόδε πρῶτον μὲν ἐν ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ἅμα πειρα15.17.6 θείημεν διαλεγόμενοι· ἐπειδὴ τὰ σώματά ἐστι φύσει τεθνηκότα καὶ νεκρὰ καὶ πεφορημένα καὶ οὐδ' ἐν ταὐτῷ μένοντα, ἆρ' οὐχὶ τοῦ καθέξοντος αὐτοῖς ἔδει; Παντὸς μᾶλλον. Εἰ μὴ τύχοι δὲ τούτου, ἆρα μείνειεν ἄν; Παντὸς ἧττον. 15.17.7 Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ κατασχῆσον; εἰ μὲν δὴ καὶ τοῦτο εἴη σῶμα, ∆ιὸς Σω15.17.8 τῆρος δοκεῖ ἂν ἐμοὶ δεηθῆναι αὐτὸ παραλυόμενον καὶ σκιδνάμενον. εἰ μέντοι χρὴ αὐτὸ ἀπηλλάχθαι τῆς τῶν σωμάτων πάθης, ἵνα κἀκείνοις κεκυκημένοις τὴν φθορὰν ἀμύνειν δύνηται καὶ κατέχῃ, ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐ δοκεῖ ἄλλο τι εἶναι ἢ μόνον γε τὸ ἀσώματον· αὕτη γὰρ δὴ φύσεων πασῶν μόνη ἕστηκε καὶ ἔστιν ἀραρυῖα καὶ οὐδὲν σωματική. οὔτε γοῦν γίνεται οὔτε αὔξεται οὔτε κίνησιν κινεῖται ἄλλην οὐδεμίαν, καὶ διὰ ταῦτα καλῶς δίκαιον ἐφάνη πρεσβεῦσαι τὸ ἀσώματον.»

15.18.1 ιηʹ. ΟΠΩΣ ΟΙ ΣΤΩΙΚΟΙ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΝΤΟΣ ΕΚΠΥΡΩΣΕΩΣ ∆ΟΞΑΖΟΥΣΙΝ