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

INTRODUCTION.

...lover of riches is necessarily unjust. But he who is unjust is impious towards God and his parents, and lawless towards others. So that, though he should sacrifice hecatombs and adorn temples with ten thousand gifts, he will be much more unholy, impious, atheistical, and sacrilegious in his deliberate choice. Hence it is necessary to avoid every lover of body, as one who is without God, and is defiled.”

3. The following passages in the epistle of Porphyry are from Sextus: Ὁ δὲ ἄξιος ἄνθρωπος θεοῦ, θεὸς ἂν εἴη, (p. 30,) i.e., “The man who is worthy of God will be himself a God.” And Sextus says, “Dignus Deo homo, deus est et in hominibus” (The man worthy of God is a God even among men) (p. 654). Porphyry says, Καὶ τιμήσεις μὲν ἄριστα τὸν θεὸν, ὅταν τῷ θεῷ τὴν σαυτῆς διάνοιαν ὁμοιώσεις, (p. 30,) i.e., “And you will honor God in the best manner when you assimilate your reasoning power to God.” Thus also Sextus: “Optime honorat Deum ille, qui mentem suam, quantum fieri potest, similem Deo facit” (He best honors God who makes his own mind, as much as possible, similar to God) (p. 655). Again, Porphyry says, Θεὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπον βεβαιοῖ πράσσοντα καλά· κακῶν δὲ πράξεων κακὸς δαίμων ἡγεμών, (p. 31): i.e., “God corroborates man when he performs beautiful deeds; but an evil dæmon a malevolent spirit or subordinate divine being is the leader of bad actions.” And Sextus says, “Deus bonos actus hominum confirmat. Malorum actuum, malus dæmon dux est” (God confirms the good acts of men. Of evil acts, an evil dæmon is the leader) (p. 653). Porphyry adds, Ψυχὴ δὲ σοφοῦ ἁρμόζεται πρὸς θεὸν, ἀεὶ θεὸν ὁρᾷ, σύνεστιν ἀεὶ θεῷ, (p. 31,) i.e., “The soul of the wise man is adapted to God; it always beholds God, and is always present with God.” Thus, too, Sextus: “Sapientis anima audit Deum, sapientis anima semper est cum Deo” (The wise man's soul listens to God; the wise man's soul is always with God) (p. 655). There is, however, some difference between the original and the Latin version, which is most probably owing to the fraud of Rufinus. And in...