Select Works of Porphyry (On Abstinence, Cave of the Nymphs, Auxiliaries)

INTRODUCTION.

...hitherto supposed to be alone extant in the fraudulent Latin version of the Presbyter Rufinus.

original: "quam æstimem, quæ cum eruditionis copia, animalium quoque passionum contaminatione sordescat." — i.e., "Which I value little, as it is defiled by the abundance of its learning and the contamination of animal passions."

The first sentence of which I have discovered the source is from Sextus, and is the following, on page 23: Θεος μεν γαρ δειται ουδενος· σοφος δε μονου θεου: i.e., “For God is not in need of anything, but the wise man is in need of God alone.” This, in the version of Rufinus, is: “Deus quidem nullius eget, fidelis autem Dei solius.” (See Opuscula Mythologica, 8vo. 1688, p. 646.)

2. Πασης πραξεως και παντος εργου και λογου θεος εποπτης παρεστω και εφορος, (p. 24): i.e., “Of every action, and of every deed and word, God is present as the scrutator and inspector.” This is evidently derived from the following sentence of Demophilus, (Opusc. Mythol. p. 621): Εαν αει μνημονευης, οτι οπου αν η η ψυχη σου, και το σωμα εργον αποτελει, θεος εφεστηκεν εφορος, εν πασαις σου ταις ευχαις και πραξεσιν, αιδεσθηση μεν του θεωρου το αληστον, εξεις δε τον θεον συνοικον, i.e., “If you always remember that wherever your soul, or your body, performs any deed, God is present as an inspector in all your prayers and actions, you will reverence the nature of an inspector from whom nothing can be concealed, and will have God for a cohabitant.” What immediately follows in this paragraph is from Sextus: viz., και παντων ων πραττομεν αγαθων τον θεον αιτιον ηγωμεθα: i.e., “Of all the good that we do, we should consider God as the cause.” And Sextus says, p. 648, “Deus in bonis actibus hominibus dux est” (God is the guide for men in good actions). Porphyry adds: Των δε κακων αιτιοι ημεις εσμεν οι ελομενοι, θεος δε αναιτιος. And the latter part is evidently from Sextus, who says, p. 648, “Mali nullius autor est Deus” (God is the author of no evil). Porphyry further adds: Οθεν και ευκταιον τα αξια θεου· και αιτωμεθα ἃ μη λαβοιμεν αν παρ' ετερου· και ων ηγεμονες οι μετ' αρετης πονοι, ταυτα ευχομεθα γενεσθαι μετα τους πονους: i.e., “Hence we should ask of God things which are worthy of Him, and which we cannot...