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

INTRODUCTION.

...of the lost writings of Porphyry, I refer the reader to the Bibliotheca Græca of Fabricius, and to my before-mentioned History of the Restoration of the Platonic Theology; in which latter...

...βαλειν η λογον· και το ηττασθαι τ’ αληθη λεγοντα, η νικαν απατωντα:

i.e., “It should be more eligible to you carelessly to throw away riches than reason; and to be vanquished when speaking the truth, than to vanquish by deception.” And the latter part of this sentence is to be found in Sextus: for on page 649 he says, “Melius est vinci vera dicentem, quam vincere, mentientem” (It is better to be defeated while speaking the truth than to win while lying).

Almost immediately after, Porphyry adds: “Αδυνατον τον αυτον φιλοθεον τε ειναι και φιληδονον και φιλοσωματον· ο γαρ φιληδονος και φιλοσωματος παντως και φιλοχρηματος· ο δε φιλοχρηματος, εξ αναγκης αδικος· ο δε αδικος, και εις θεον και εις πατερας ανοσιος, και εις τους αλλους παρανομος· ωστε καν εκατομβας θυη, και μυριοις αναθημασι νεως αγαλλη, ασεβης εστι και αθεος και τη προαιρεσει ιεροσυλος· διο και παντα φιλοσωματον ως αθεον και μιαρον εκτρεπεσθαι χρη.” This sentence is the last of the Sentences of Demophilus (Opusc. Mythol. p. 625); but in Porphyry it is in one part defective, and in another is fuller than in Demophilus. For in the first colon, φιλοχρηματον is wanting; in the second colon, after “ο γαρ φιληδονος και φιλοσωματος,” the words “ο δε φιλοσωματος” are wanting. And in Demophilus, instead of “ο δε αδικος και εις θεον και εις πατερας ανοσιος, και εις τους αλλους παρανομος,” there is nothing more than “ο δε αδικος, εις μεν θεον ανοσιος, εις δε ανθρωπους παρανομος.” In Demophilus also, after “ωστε καν εκατομβας θυη” (even though he sacrifice hecatombs), the words “και μυριοις αναθημασι τους νεως αγαλλη” (and adorn the temples with myriad gifts) are wanting. And in Porphyry, after “νεως αγαλλη,” the words “πολυ μαλλον ανοσιωτερος εστι, και” (he is much more unholy, and) are wanting. This sentence therefore, thus amended, will be in English: “It is impossible for the same person to be a lover of God, a lover of pleasure, a lover of body, and a lover of riches. For a lover of pleasure is also a lover of body; but a lover of body is entirely a lover of riches; and a...