THE

SELECT WORKS OF PORPHYRY.

ABSTINENCE FROM ANIMAL FOOD.

BOOK THE FIRST.

^a Porphyry elsewhere calls this Firmus Castricius his friend and fellow disciple. See more concerning him in Porphyry’s Life of Plotinus.

I. Hearing from some of our acquaintances, Firmus^a, that you have rejected a meatless original: "fleshless" diet and have returned to eating animal food, I did not believe the report at first. I considered your self-control original: "temperance" and the respect you were taught to pay to those ancient and holy men from whom we received the teachings of philosophy.

But when others who followed confirmed this report, it seemed to me that it would be too blunt original: "rustic"; meaning unrefined or lacking in philosophical grace and far removed from the rational method of persuasion to simply reproach you. You have neither "fled from evil and found something better" (as the proverb says), nor have you, according to Empedocles Empedocles (c. 490–430 BC) was a Greek philosopher who taught that the soul is an exile from the divine realm and must abstain from meat to return there, regretted your former way of living and converted yourself to one that is more excellent. I have therefore thought it worthy of the friendship that exists between us—and also appropriate for those who have dedicated their lives to—