Philo, Volume VII (On the Decalogue. On the Special Laws, Books 1-3) [7] 0674993535, 9780674993532

Table of contents :
Philo, vol. VII, On the Decalogue. On the Special Laws, Books 1-3 (Loeb Classical Library 320)
......Page 1
Contents......Page 6
Preface to Volume VII......Page 8
General Introduction......Page 10
List of Philo's Works......Page 20
The Decalogue (De Decalogo)......Page 22
Introduction......Page 24
Text and Translation......Page 27
The Special Laws (De specialibus legibus)......Page 118
Introduction......Page 119
Text and Translation......Page 121
Introduction......Page 325
Text and Translation......Page 327
Introduction......Page 493
Text and Translation......Page 495
De Decalogo......Page 630
De specialibus legibus, I......Page 636
De specialibus legibus, II......Page 645
De specialibus legibus, III......Page 652

Citation preview

T H E

L O E B

CLASSICAL LIBRARY

FOUNDED

BY JAMES

LOEB

E D I T E D BY

G . P. G O O L D PREVIOUS E D I T O R S Τ. E. PAGE

E.

W.

L. A.

H. D. ROUSE

CAPPS

Ε. H. W A R M I N G T O N

PHILO VII

L C L 320

POST

PHILO V O L U M E VII WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY F.

H.

C O L S O N

HARVARD UNIVERSITY CAMBRIDGE,

PRESS

MASSACHUSETTS

LONDON,

ENGLAND

Reprinted

First published 1937 1950, ig$8, 1968, 1984, 1998

L O E B C L A S S I C A L LIBRARY® is a registered trademark of the President and Fellows of Harvard College

ISBN 0-674-99353-5

Printed in Great Britain by St Edmundsbury Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on acid-free Bound by Hunter ir Foulis Ltd, Edinburgh,

Press Ltd, paper. Scotland.

CONTENTS

GENERAL

INTRODUCTION

ix

L I S T OF PHILO'S W O R K S

xix

ON THE DECALOGUE (DE DECALOGO) Introduction

.

T e x t a n d Translation ON

THE SPECIAL

LIBUS

.

.

.

LAWS (DE

.

.

.

S 6

SPECIA-

LEGIBUS)

BOOK I

Introduction

98

T e x t a n d Translation BOOK

100

II

Introduction

304

T e x t and Translation

306

BOOK

III

Introduction T e x t a n d Translation

472 ·

474

CONTENTS

APPENDICES

I . T o De Decalogo I I . T o De Specialibus Legibus, i. I I I . T o De Specialibus Legibus, ii. I V . T o De Specialibus Legibus, iii.

PREFACE TO VOLUME VII T H I S s e v e n t h v o l u m e is in a sense a c o n t i n u a t i o n o f t h e sixth, in t h a t b o t h b e l o n g t o t h e s e c o n d m a i n division o f P h i l o ' s w o r k , t h e Exposition of the Laws. B u t t h e c o n t e n t s differ s o essentially f r o m t h e b i o ­ g r a p h i c a l treatises,

c o n t a i n e d in

t h e last

volume,

that it s e e m e d advisable t o a d d a G e n e r a l I n t r o d u c ­ t i o n , w h i c h will a p p l y n o t o n l y t o t h e s e v e n t h , b u t also t o a l a r g e p a r t o f t h e m a t t e r w h i c h has t o b e relegated to the eighth. T h e o n l y o t h e r t h i n g I n e e d say h e r e is t h a t wish

to

acknowledge m y

debt

to

the

I

German

translators, particularly t o t h e g r e a t P h i l o n i c scholar, I. H e i n e m a n n , w h o s e version o f t h r e e o u t o f t h e s e four treatises a n d

still m o r e t h e

notes

t o t h e m h a v e g i v e n m e valuable h e l p .

appended I have not

always felt a b l e t o a c c e p t his c o n c l u s i o n s a n d differ f r o m h i m o c c a s i o n a l l y as t o t h e m e a n i n g o f particular s e n t e n c e s a n d phrases.

But I have generally, if not

a l w a y s , r e c o r d e d t h e s e c a s e s , so t h a t scholars will b e able t o j u d g e b e t w e e n us.

His m o r e r e c e n t w o r k

Philons griechische und judische β

a

Bildung

Referred to in the notes as

Bildung.

has

also

PREFACE p r o v e d v e r y useful. Goodenough's

I will also n o t e Prof. E . R .

Jewish Jurisprudence in Egypt,

if I s e e m t o m e n t i o n

it t o e x p r e s s

and

disagreement

m o r e o f t e n t h a n a g r e e m e n t , this d o e s n o t

detract

from w h a t I o w e t o his fresh a n d illuminating w a y o f t r e a t i n g t h e m a n y p r o b l e m s w h i c h t h e s e treat­ ises s u g g e s t . F. H . C . C A M B R I D G E , January

1937.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION T H E last v o l u m e carried us t h r o u g h t h e i n t r o d u c t o r y p a r t o f t h e E x p o s i t i o n o f t h e L a w s , n a m e l y t h a t in w h i c h P h i l o set b e f o r e his r e a d e r s t h e p i c t u r e o f M o s e s a n d his p r e d e c e s s o r s as living e m b o d i m e n t s o f t h e laws. I n this v o l u m e w e pass o n t o t h e laws t h e m ­ selves. I n e v i t a b l y h e b e g i n s w i t h t h e T e n C o m ­ mandments, which being given directly b y G o d him­ self are t o b e r e g a r d e d as t h e g e n e r a l h e a d s u n d e r w h i c h t h e specific e n a c t m e n t s g i v e n t h r o u g h M o s e s are t o b e g r o u p e d . W h i l e h e practically a c c e p t s o u r division o f t h e T e n i n t o d u t y t o w a r d s G o d a n d d u t y towards our neighbour, he does not divide t h e m into four a n d six, b u t , l e d p e r h a p s b y his l o v e o f numerical s y m m e t r y , i n t o t w o sets o f five, t h e p l a c e o f t h e Fifth in t h e first g r o u p b e i n g justified b y t h e c l o s e a n a l o g y of parenthood to the creative work o f G o d . T h e first o f t h e four treatises in this v o l u m e , t h e De Decalogo, apart f r o m s o m e p r e l i m i n a r y c o n s i d e r a t i o n s a b o u t t h e t h e o p h a n y o n Sinai a n d a short s k e t c h at t h e e n d o f t h e s y s t e m t o b e f o l l o w e d in t h e s u b s e q u e n t treatises, deals w i t h t h e T e n in t h e i r literal m e a n i n g . H e n o w passes o n t o t h e S p e c i a l L a w s . I n all four books the treatment o f each c o m m a n d m e n t begins with a dissertation o n t h e c o m m a n d m e n t itself in its literal s e n s e , similar t o , t h o u g h fuller t h a n , t h a t in t h e De Decalogo, a n d t h e n p r o c e e d s t o a discussion o f t h e

ix

GENERAL

INTRODUCTION

particular e n a c t m e n t s w h i c h h e thinks m a y b e s e t u n d e r it. T h u s in B o o k I , w h i c h t a k e s t h e First a n d S e c o n d C o m m a n d m e n t s , this p r e l i m i n a r y dissertation is f o l l o w e d b y an a c c o u n t o f t h e r e g u l a t i o n s a b o u t t h e priests, t h e sacrifices o f various kinds a n d as a p p o i n t e d for t h e various feasts a n d t h e m o r a l c o n d i t i o n r e q u i r e d o f t h e sacrificers. A s all t h e s e are c o n c e r n e d w i t h t h e right m e t h o d o f worshipping G o d he considers that t h e y are b o u n d u p in t h e c o m m a n d m e n t " T h o u shalt have none other G o d but m e . " T h e s e c o n d B o o k c o v e r s all laws w h i c h c a n b e assigned t o the n e x t three C o m m a n d m e n t s . Under t h e T h i r d c o m e all r e g u l a t i o n s a b o u t o a t h s a n d v o w s ; under the Fourth a very wide assortment o f subjects. Philo has t o s o m e e x t e n t a l r e a d y d e a l t w i t h t h e o t h e r holydays besides the Sabbath, w h e n he enumerated t h e sacrifices offered at e a c h , b u t h e n o w returns t o t h e m , n o t so m u c h as w e m i g h t e x p e c t b e c a u s e t h e S a b b a t h is o n l y t h e c h i e f h o l y d a y , b u t b e c a u s e s e v e n is a s a c r e d n u m b e r a n d t h e feasts are e i t h e r for s e v e n d a y s o r for o n e w h i c h is m y s t i c a l l y identified w i t h seven. O n the same principle the sabbatical year a n d t h e y e a r o f J u b i l e , t h o u g h social r a t h e r t h a n religious o r d i n a n c e s , are h e r e i n c l u d e d . U n d e r t h e Fifth, w h i c h is briefly t r e a t e d , w e h a v e a p a r t from t h e d u t i e s o f p a r e n t s a n d c h i l d r e n t o e a c h o t h e r little m o r e t h a n t h e d u t y o f p a y i n g r e s p e c t t o a g e in general. B o o k I I I carries o n w i t h t h e S i x t h a n d S e v e n t h C o m m a n d m e n t s . I t discusses m a n y enactments w h i c h d e a l w i t h s e x u a l irregularities a n d c r i m e s o f violence. In B o o k I V regulations dealing with various f o r m s o f d i s h o n e s t y c o m e u n d e r t h e E i g h t h C o m m a n d m e n t , a n d m i n o r r e g u l a t i o n s as t o witnesses χ

GENERAL INTRODUCTION and just j u d g e m e n t under the Ninth. In dealing with the Tenth, Philo, taking ονκ Ιττιθυμήσ^ t o a p p l y t o desire in g e n e r a l , reads i n t o it t h e d u t y o f c o n t r o l l i n g t h e a p p e t i t e s a n d thus finds an o p p o r ­ t u n i t y f o r discussing t h e P e n t a t e u c h a l f o o d l a w s . A t this p o i n t (iv. 132) h e r e c o g n i z e s t h a t t h e r e are various p r e c e p t s a n d e n a c t m e n t s which cannot p r o p e r l y b e a s s i g n e d t o a n y o f t h e T e n b u t are i m p l i e d b y t h « m all, a n d in c o n s e q u e n c e w e h a v e h e r e w h a t s e e m s p r a c t i c a l l y a n e w s c h e m e . T h e laws in t h e s u c c e e d i n g p a r t o f t h e E x p o s i t i o n are classified a c c o r d ­ i n g t o t h e virtues, j u s t i c e , c o u r a g e , h u m a n i t y , e t c . , w h i c h t h e y m a y s e v e r a l l y b e said t o p r o m o t e . The last p a r t o f B o o k I V discusses j u s t i c e in this s e n s e a n d is f o l l o w e d b y a t r e a t i s e o r r a t h e r a s e t o f m i n o r treatises b e a r i n g t h e title De Virtutibus a n d this a g a i n is s u p p l e m e n t e d b y a n o t h e r (De Praemiis), w e l l d e ­ s c r i b e d as an e p i l o g u e , o n r e w a r d s a n d p e n a l t i e s t h e r e laid d o w n , w i t h a n o t h e r p e r h a p s e n t i r e l y s e p a r a t e o n blessings a n d cursings. A s all t h e s e b e l o n g t o t h e n e x t volume I n e e d not say m o r e about t h e m here. It seems to m e that o n the w h o l e Philo reports with fairness a n d a c c u r a c y t h e laws w h i c h h e discusses. T h e y are o n l y a s e l e c t i o n a n d i t is n o t , I t h i n k , p o s s i b l e t o find a n y p r i n c i p l e o n w h i c h t h e s e l e c t i o n is b a s e d . T h e r e is, o f c o u r s e , a g r e a t a m o u n t o f i n t e r p r e t a t i o n a n d justification a n d in this it will b e f o u n d t h a t h e is influenced b y G r e e k a n d R o m a n L a w in t h e s a m e w a y t h a t h e is i n f l u e n c e d b y G r e e k P h i l o s o p h y in t h e Commentary. In the same w a y but not to the same e x t e n t ; for t h o u g h h e was w e l l r e a d in D e m o s t h e n e s a

β

In fact if it were not for long established tradition the natural arrangement would be to end B o o k I V here and join the rest of the b o o k with the De Virtutibus.

xi

GENERAL INTRODUCTION a n d v e r y p r o b a b l y h a d a fair k n o w l e d g e o f A t t i c L a w in g e n e r a l , h e was n o t a j u r i s t in t h e s a m e s e n s e t h a t h e was a p h i l o s o p h e r . I n his s t a t e m e n t s o f t h e laws t h e m s e l v e s t h e r e are several c a s e s w h e r e e i t h e r t h e w h o l e l a w o r s o m e d e t a i l in it has n o d i r e c t scriptural w a r r a n t , b u t m a n y , i f n o t m o s t , o f t h e s e are r e a s o n ­ a b l e d e d u c t i o n s f r o m w h a t is t o b e f o u n d in S c r i p t u r e a n d i n d e e d h e says this h i m s e l f o f s o m e o f t h e s e deductions. S o m e t i m e s a scriptural l a w is a p p l i e d t o c o n t e m p o r a r y circumstances, sometimes a non-scrip­ tural d e t a i l is d e r i v e d f r o m c o n t e m p o r a r y p r a c t i c e o r his o w n o b s e r v a t i o n / s o m e t i m e s p e r h a p s h e has m i s ­ i n t e r p r e t e d his t e x t , a n d s o m e t i m e s his m e m o r y has g o n e a s t r a y / b u t t h e s e last are q u i t e e x c e p t i o n a l . * I n t h e first s e c t i o n o f t h e De Decalogo P h i l o p r o m i s e s t h a t i f a n y a l l e g o r i c a l m e a n i n g should a

6

0

1

6

a

e.g. i. 2 3 5 , ii. 128, 2 5 2 , iii. 6 4 , 147 f. i.e. with the phrase " Moses forbade from a f a r " (πόρρώθ€ν). See note on iii. 6 3 . ii. 8 2 , iii. 7 2 . e.g. much of what he says of the temple, i. 71 if., 166, ii. 175. · iii. 8 6 , 140, 150. ' i. 7 2 , iii. 8 2 , 2 0 5 . Here m a y be mentioned Prof. Goodenough's thesis elab­ orated in his Jewish Jurisprudence in Egypt. H e believes that " the laws as expounded b y Philo are the law of the Jewish courts in Alexandria " and " that what Philo is doing through­ out is to rephrase the prescriptions of the Terah, reinterpret them, or even alter them or deny them in a literal sense altogether, so that in the end Jewish law resembles now a law of R o m e , now one of Greece, or again one of the few laws we still have from Alexandria " (pp. 13, 14). H e sustains this view with a wealth of references to, and citations from, a number of modern as well as ancient authorities, with which I a m not really competent to cope. A n d , when I say that he does not seem to m e to prove his point, I do not wish to speak dogmatically. M y main criticisms m a y b e put as follows: First, it does not seem to m e that we k n o w enough either of the limits of jurisdiction allowed to the Jews in Alexandria, or how they administered what they had, to determine b

6

d

9

xii

GENERAL appear to underlie the fail t o s t a t e it.

INTRODUCTION laws h e discusses h e will

not

T h e p r o m i s e is o n l y p a r t i a l l y fulfilled.

A s a m a t t e r o f f a c t a l l e g o r y is a l m o s t e n t i r e l y a b s e n t a

f r o m t h e De Dec. in t h e

itself and only appears occasionally

civil o r s o c i a l laws o f t h e

b

Spec. Leg.

though

m a n y o f t h e s e h a v e b e e n a l l e g o r i z e d at l e n g t h in Commentary.

0

H e r e again I cannot see

any

p r i n c i p l e o n w h i c h s o m e p a r t i c u l a r laws are for s u c h t r e a t m e n t . dealing with the in

Book II

universal.

the

clear chosen

O n the other hand, when he

sacrifices in B o o k I a n d

the

a l l e g o r y o r r a t h e r s y m b o l i s m is Naturally enough.

is

feasts almost

F o r b o t h sacrifices a n d

feasts h a v e l i t t l e m e a n i n g f o r h i m e x c e p t t h e spiritual. whether, when Philo departs from the substance of the Terah, he is adjusting it to what was administered or to what he himself thought reasonable. Secondly, that Prof. G o o d enough much exaggerates, if not the " rephrasing and reinterpretation," at any rate the " alterations and denials." S o that after reading and re-reading the book and with full acknowledgement of the useful and illuminating remarks in which it abounds, I adhere to m y view that, with the reserva­ tions mentioned above, Philo gives a fair and accurate account of the laws which he discusses. See, however, § 4 9 . Sp. Leg. i. 8 ff., 327 ff., ii. 2 9 if., iii. 178 if. T w o notable examples are Deut. xxi. 18-21, the stoning of the disobedient son, the allegorical sermon on which occupies a large part of De Ebr. and ib. 15-17, the right of the firstborn son of the discarded wife, which is the text for the long allegory in De Sac. 1 9 f f . , a n d again mDe Sob. 21. These two are treated literally without any hint of allegory in Sp. Leg. ii. 2 3 2 f. and 135 f. respectively. Still more remarkable is Philo's treatment of Deut. xx. 5-7 (exemption of the newly-married etc. from military service). In De Agr. 149 an allegory is suggested on the grounds that the sense of the exemption taken literally is at least doubtful (157). In De Virt. 27 if. it is extolled as a wise measure. A similar inconsistency in dealing with " till the death of the high priest " ( N u m . xxxv. 2 8 ) is pointed out in the note to Sp. Leg. iii. 131 ( A p p . p. 6 3 8 ) . α

&

c

y

xiii

GENERAL INTRODUCTION W h a t is t h e p u r p o s e o f t h e E x p o s i t i o n ? I t h i n k it is b e s t e x p r e s s e d in t h e w o r d s o f De Vita Mosis ii. 4 4 , w h e r e h e says t h a t i f t h e J e w i s h p e o p l e p r o s p e r e d b e t t e r e a c h nation w o u l d a b a n d o n its ancestral c u s ­ t o m s a n d t u r n t o h o n o u r i n g t h e i r laws a l o n e a n d t h a t t h e s e w o u l d d a r k e n t h e l i g h t o f t h e o t h e r s as t h e risen sun d a r k e n s t h e stars. T h a t is t o s a y , b y this e x p o s i ­ t i o n h e wishes t o s h o w t h e w o r l d at l a r g e h o w admir­ a b l e is t h e P e n t a t e u c h a l c o d e , a n d i f this is s o , t h e natural a n s w e r t o t h e q u e s t i o n for w h o m was t h e E x p o s i t i o n w r i t t e n will b e , p r i m a r i l y at a n y r a t e , for Gentiles. In the introduction to the preceding v o l u m e I n o t e d characteristics in t h e treatises o n A b r a h a m and Joseph which pointed that w a y , and n o t h i n g in this v o l u m e s e e m s t o m e t o i m p l y t h e c o n t r a r y , w h i l e in his insistence o n t h e d u t y o f h o n o u r i n g a n d w e l c o m i n g p r o s e l y t e s a n d o n t h e uni­ versal p r i e s t h o o d o f t h e J e w i s h r a c e w e m a y s e e p o s i t i v e signs o f a desire t o i n t e r e s t a n d c o n c i l i a t e Gentile readers. I t is t r u e t h a t t h e e p i l o g u e , t h e De Praemiis, s e e m s t o b e a d d r e s s e d m a i n l y t o t h e J e w s , b u t i f w e e x p a n d " p r i m a r i l y for G e n t i l e s " b y t h e a d d i t i o n " a n d also for J e w s t h o u g h n o t o f t h e t y p e w h i c h d e l i g h t e d in t h e t o r t u o u s m e d i t a t i o n s o f t h e C o m m e n t a r y , " it will p r o b a b l y satisfy t h e facts. It is q u i t e in a c c o r d a n c e w i t h P h i l o ' s p e r p e t u a l l y shifting m e n t a l i t y t h a t h e s h o u l d h a v e at o n e m o m e n t t h e first, at a n o t h e r t h e s e c o n d class o f r e a d e r s in v i e w . T h e i m p r e s s i o n w h i c h t h e E x p o s i t i o n l e a v e s is b y no means uniform. W e m a y naturally b e revolted b y the ferocity with which he supports the severer 0

β

I agree with Goodenough (Harvard Theological Review, A p r . 1933, pp. 110 if.) against Massebieau that such phrases as " Our Nation " (De Dec. 1) have no bearing on the question,

xiv

GENERAL

INTRODUCTION

sentences o f the Pentateuch and sometimes goes b e y o n d it. O n the other hand w e m a y well admire t h e fine liberal spirit s h o w n in t h e e m p h a s i s w h i c h h e lays o n t h e h u m a n e r s i d e o f t h e c o d e a n d in his c o n ­ s t a n t p l e a for k i n d n e s s t o t h e p o o r , t h e h e l p l e s s a n d the stranger. A n d t h e spirituality w i t h w h i c h h e i n t e r p r e t s t h e b a l d n e s s o f t h e L e v i t i c a l ritual, fanciful t h o u g h it b e , d o e s s o m e t h i n g t o i l l u m i n a t e w h a t is t h e least r e a d a b l e a n d t h e least r e a d p a r t o f t h e O l d Testament. N O T E ON T H E T E X T

W h i l e t h e MS. a u t h o r i t y f o r De Dec. a n d Sp. Leg. iii. is fairly plentiful, s o m e t h i n g has t o b e said a b o u t t h e o t h e r t w o treatises in this v o l u m e . The some­ w h a t m e a g r e e v i d e n c e for t h e t e x t o f Sp. Leg. i. has r e c e i v e d in r e c e n t y e a r s an i m p o r t a n t a d d i t i o n b y t h e d i s c o v e r y o f a p a l i m p s e s t w h i c h C o h n calls R . The P h i l o t e x t o f this is said t o d a t e p r o b a b l y f r o m t h e 9 t h c e n t u r y . A t a later t i m e t h e r e w e r e w r i t t e n across it s o m e c o m m e n t a r i e s o n A r i s t o t l e , w h i c h sometimes m a k e the original hand hard to read ; so a

a

R as we have it contains also De Vita Mosis ii. from § 71-end and the whole of De Dec. But as it only came to Cohn's knowledge between the publication in 1902 of his vol. iv (which includes these two treatises), and the publica­ tion of vol. ν in 1906, while it is regularly cited in the A p p . Crit. to Sp. Leg. i. and ii., it is not so with the A p p . of the two earlier treatises. In his account of the manuscript in Sitzungsberichte der kon. preuss. A k. der Wissenschaften, 1905, pp. 3 6 ff. he cites some of its readings \nDe Dec. with approval, most of which I have mentioned in m y textual notes, but considers it to be of much less value in that treatise, and still more in De Vit. Mos., than in Sp. Leg. S o m e words, however, suggest that he did not give it the same careful scrutiny in the books which he had already edited as in those which he had still to publish. XV

GENERAL

INTRODUCTION

t h a t " R , u t v i d e t u r " o c c a s i o n a l l y a p p e a r s in C o h n ' s A p p . Crit. H e r e g a r d s it as o f s p e c i a l v a l u e , t h o u g h u n f o r t u n a t e l y it c o m e s t o an e n d at ii. 9 5 ·

α

T h e s t a t e o f t h e t e x t in B o o k I I is a m o r e c o m p l i ­ c a t e d m a t t e r , a n d t h o u g h s o m e o f t h e information h e r e g i v e n will b e f o u n d in t h e n o t e s , it m a y b e well t o s u p p l y it m o r e fully h e r e . T h e Editio Princeps o f Philo contained merely the p a r t d e a l i n g w i t h t h e T h i r d C o m m a n d m e n t (§§ 1 - 3 8 ) . T h e F o u r t h C o m m a n d m e n t d o w n t o § 2 1 4 was a d d e d b y H o e s c h e l in 1 6 1 4 . B u t H o e s c h e l h a d MSS. o f P h i l o t o h a n d o n l y for t h e first p a r t o f this, n a m e l y d o w n t o the end o f § 123. F r o m this p o i n t h e r e l i e d o n MSS. o f N i c e t a s Serranus, A r c h b i s h o p o f H e r a c l e a , w h i c h in t h e a b s e n c e o f a n y c o d e x o f P h i l o h i m s e l f h e believed to b e the genuine text. These, however, did not include the sections o n the law o f inheritance b

(§§ 1 2 4 - 1 3 9 ) , n o r t h e c o n c l u s i o n o f t h e F o u r t h C o m ­

m a n d m e n t ( t h e B a s k e t R i t e ) (§§ 2 1 5 - 2 2 3 ) , w h i l e t h e Fifth C o m m a n d m e n t s e c t i o n a n d t h e c o n c l u d i n g r e ­ marks were absent altogether. I n t h e parts w h i c h t h e y c o v e r t h e e x c e r p t s s u p p l y a considerably a b r i d g e d version, with a certain 0

d

β

It should also be noted that §§ 177-193 of Sp. Leg. i. were absent from the MSS. to which M a n g e y had access. T h e result is that in the marginal references in this edition to M a n g e y ' s paging p. 2 4 0 is not followed b y p. 241 till after nine pages of m y text instead of after the normal two. I have no information as to his date. I must apologize for having called him Nicetes in V o l . iii. p . 511 and elsewhere. Nicetas's excerpts are part of a commentary on St. L u k e , this particular set being quoted on ch. xxi. 1 " N o w the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh which is called the Passover." T h e extent of the abridging m a y be easily seen from the marginal references to M a n g e y ' s pages. A rough calcula­ tion will shew that something like half the full text has been omitted in §§ 140-214. b

c

d

xvi

GENERAL

INTRODUCTION

a m o u n t o f variation. H o e s c h e r s t e x t w a s a d o p t e d b y M a n g e y a n d c o n t i n u e d t o b e a c c e p t e d till 1 8 1 8 , when another manuscript (called M ) c a m e t o light, c o n t a i n i n g t h e full t e x t o f t h e w h o l e b o o k . The t o t a l result is t h a t f o r m o r e t h a n h a l f o f t h e b o o k w e h a v e e i t h e r Μ a l o n e o r at t h e b e s t Μ w i t h N i c e t a s ' s abridgement. A few words must b e added on the tiresome subject o f t h e traditional divisions, e s p e c i a l l y in B o o k I . H e r e t h e MS. H e a d i n g s at different p o i n t s t r a n s l a t e d as De Circumcisione, De Monarchia, e t c . , are sensible e n o u g h , i f r e g a r d e d as i n d i c a t i n g t h e m a i n divisions o f t h e b o o k . B u t i f t a k e n as i n t r o d u c i n g s e p a r a t e treatises, as t h e y are in M a n g e y *s e d i t i o n a n d Y o n g e ' s translation, t h e y are m i s l e a d i n g in t h a t t h e y d i s g u i s e t h e fact t h a t t h e w h o l e b o o k is a s y s t e m a t i c dis­ sertation o n t h e laws w h i c h fall u n d e r t h e t w o first c o m m a n d m e n t s . U n f o r t u n a t e l y t h e y are t o o o f t e n u s e d for r e f e r e n c e in fairly r e c e n t w o r k s t o b e c o m ­ pletely ignored. In B o o k I I the separation o f the Third, Fourth and Fifth C o m m a n d m e n t s is j ustifiable. B u t t h e divisions o f t h e F o u r t h , as t h e y a p p e a r in t h e MSS., are q u i t e u n n e c e s s a r y . T h e y are d i s r e g a r d e d in C o h n ' s h e a d a

b

c

α

According to Cohn a complete edition of the b o o k from the MSS. was first published b y Tischendorf in 1868. Y o n g e , however,translated "the B a s k e t " and "Honouring parents" in 18$5 from what he calls " Schwichest's edition." Μ is called a corrupt manuscript b y Cohn. But j u d g i n g from the emendations recorded its text is far purer than that of De Post, and De Som. ii., where also we have to rely on a single codex. W i t h the exception of the first 11 sections on circumcision which Philo does not claim to c o m e under a particular com­ mandment. 6

c

xvii

GENERAL

INTRODUCTION a

ings o f t h e p a g e s a n d partially in his n u m e r a t i o n o f chapters. In B o o k I I I t h e h e a d i n g s a n d divisions n e e d n o t t r o u b l e us, t h o u g h I h a v e i n d i c a t e d t h e m in t h e t e x t u a l n o t e s . T h e y are r e a l l y q u i t e useless, b e i n g i n t r o d u c e d at h a p h a z a r d a n d r a r e l y a p p l y i n g t o m o r e t h a n a f e w sections o f t h e m a t t e r t h e y m i g h t b e e x p e c t e d to cover. Fortunately M a n g e y ignores them in t h e h e a d i n g o f his p a g e s a n d C o h n also, as well as in his n u m e r a t i o n o f c h a p t e r s , t h o u g h b o t h insert t h e m in t h e b o d y o f t h e t e x t . I t surely c a n n o t b e supposed that they, or indeed any o f these headings, are d u e t o P h i l o himself. β

COHN'S

See below

N U M E R A T I O N O F C H A F E R S — T h e Special Laws I .

The point at which each fresh numeration begins is in­ dicated in the notes, but to facilitate reference a summary is here appended. COHN De Circurocisione . De Monarchia De Templo and De Sacerdotibus (In Mangey called De Mon­ archia 11.) De Sacerdotum honoribus . DeVictirais . . . . De Sacrificantibus. . .

Ι.-ΙΓ. I.-IX.

THIS TRANSLATION I.-II. 111.-XI.

I.-XV.

XII. -XXVI.

I. -VI. I.-XV. Ι.-XVI.

XXVII.-XXXII. XXXIII.-XLVU. XLVIIL-LXHI.

N U M E R A T I O N O P C H A P T E R S - -The Special Laws I I . COHN THIS TRANSLATION The Third Commandment I.-IX. I.-IX. (No special heading) De Septenario . X.-XXXIII. i.-xxiv. The Basket Rite XXXIV.-XXXVII. L-IV. (No special heading) De parentibus colendis 1.-XI XXXVIII.-XLVIU.

xviii

LIST OF PHILO'S WORKS SHOWING THEIR DIVISION INTO IN THIS EDITION

VOLUMES

VOLUME

I. O n the Creation ( D e Opificio M u n d i ) Allegorical Interpretation ( L e g u m Allegoria) I I . O n the Cherubim ( D e Cherubim) O n the Sacrifices of A b e l and Cain ( D e Sacrificiis Abelis et Caini) The Worse attacks the Better ( Q u o d Deterius Potiori insidiari solet) O n the Posterity and Exile of Cain ( D e Posteritate Caini) I I I . O n the Unchangeableness of G o d ( Q u o d Deus immutabilis sit) O n Husbandry ( D e Agricultura) O n Noah's W o r k as a Planter ( D e Plantatione) O n Drunkenness ( D e Ebrietate) O n Sobriety ( D e Sobrietate) I V . O n the Confusion of Tongues ( D e Confusione L i n guarum) O n the Migration of A b r a h a m ( D e Migration© Abrahami) W h o is the Heir (Quis Rerum Divinarum Heres) O n the Preliminary Studies ( D e Congressu quaerendae Eruditionis gratia) V . O n Flight and Finding ( D e F u g a et Inventione) O n the Change of N a m e s ( D e Mutatione N o m i n u m ) O n Dreams ( D e Somniis) V I . O n Abraham (De Abrahamo) O n Joseph ( D e Iosepho) Moses ( D e Vita Mosis)

xix

LIST OF PHILO'S

WORKS

VOLUME

V I I . O n the Decalogue ( D e Decalogo) O n the Special Laws Books I - I I I Legibus)

(De

Specialibus

V I I I . O n the Special Laws Book I V ( D e Specialibus Legibus] O n the Virtues ( D e Virtutibus) O n Rewards and Punishments (De Praemiis et Poenis) I X , Every Good M a n is Free (Quod Omnis Probus Liber sit) O n the Contemplative Life ( D e Vita Contemplativa) O n the Eternity of the W o r l d ( D e Aeternitate Mundi) Flaccus (In Flaccum) Hypothetica (Apologia pro Iudaeis) O n Providence ( D e Providentia) 1

1

X . O n the Embassy to Gaius ( D e Legatione ad Gaium) G E N E R A L I N D E X TO V O L U M E S I - X 8UPFLEMENT

I . Questions and Answers on G e n e s i s et Solutiones in Genesin) I I . Questions and Answers on Exodus Solutiones in Exodum)

2

2

(Quaestiones et

G E N E R A L I N D E X T O SUPPLEMENTS I - I I 1

Only two fragments extant. * Extant only in an Armenian version.

XX

(Quaestiones

THE

DECALOGUE

(DE D E C A L O G O )

I N T R O D U C T I O N T O DE

DECALOGO

T h e first p a r t o f this t r e a t i s e deals w i t h s o m e q u e s ­ tions raised b y t h e l a w - g i v i n g o n Sinai. First, w h y w a s it g i v e n in t h e d e s e r t ? F o u r reasons are s u g g e s t e d : (a) b e c a u s e o f t h e v a n i t y a n d i d o l a t r y r a m p a n t in cities ( 2 - 9 ) , (b) b e c a u s e s o l i t u d e p r o m o t e s r e p e n t a n c e ( 1 0 - 1 3 ) , (c) b e c a u s e it w a s w e l l t h a t laws n e e d e d for civic life s h o u l d b e g i n b e f o r e t h e era o f t h a t life b e g a n ( 1 4 ) , (d) t h a t t h e d i v i n e o r i g i n o f t h e laws s h o u l d b e a t t e s t e d b y t h e m i r a c u l o u s s u p p l y o f f o o d in t h e barren wilderness ( 1 5 - 1 7 ) . Secondly, observing that the C o m m a n d m e n t s given b y G o d Himself were ten, w e ask w h y t h a t n u m b e r , a n d t h e a n s w e r is g i v e n b y a disquisition o n its p e r f e c t i o n as a n u m b e r ( 1 8 - 3 1 ) . Thirdly, what was the nature o f the voice which announced the c o m m a n d m e n t s ?—not G o d ' s , for H e is n o t a m a n , b u t an i n v i s i b l e l a n d o f s p e e c h c r e a t e d for t h e o c c a s i o n ( 3 2 - 3 5 ) . Fourthly, w h y was the singular n u m b e r " t h o u " u s e d ? (a) B e c a u s e j;it e m p h a s i z e s t h e v a l u e o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l soul (36-38), (b) t h e p e r s o n a l a p p e a l b e t t e r s e c u r e s o b e d i e n c e ( 3 9 ) , (c) it is a l e s s o n t o t h e g r e a t n o t t o d e s p i s e t h e humblest (40-44). This part concludes with s o m e w o r d s o n t h e g r a n d e u r o f t h e s c e n e , particularly t h e fire f r o m w h i c h t h e v o i c e i s s u e d ( 4 5 - 4 9 ) . C o m i n g t o t h e C o m m a n d m e n t s t h e m s e l v e s , after n o t i n g t h a t t h e y d i v i d e i n t o t w o sets o f five ( 5 0 - 5 1 ) , 3

THE DECALOGUE w e pass t o t h e First. P o l y t h e i s m is d e n o u n c e d , particularly as t a k i n g t h e f o r m o f w o r s h i p g i v e n t o the elements or heavenly bodies ( 5 2 - 6 5 ) . W o r s e than this is t h e w o r s h i p o f lifeless i m a g e s f o r b i d d e n b y t h e S e c o n d C o m m a n d m e n t . Its a b s u r d i t y is e x p o s e d ( 6 6 - 7 6 ) a n d w i t h it t h e w o r s e a b s u r d i t y o f E g y p t i a n animal-worship ( 7 7 - 8 1 ) . T h e Third C o m m a n d m e n t is t a k e n as f o r b i d d i n g p r i n c i p a l l y p e r j u r y (82-91), b u t also reckless s w e a r i n g (92-95). T h e F o u r t h t e a c h e s us t o set a p a r t a t i m e f o r p h i l o s o p h y as o p p o s e d t o practical life ( 9 6 - 1 0 1 ) , a n d reasons are g i v e n f o r t h e sanctity o f s e v e n a n d t h e s e v e n t h d a y in p a r t i c u l a r (102-105). T h e Fifth stands o n t h e b o r d e r - l i n e , b e c a u s e p a r e n t h o o d assimilates m a n t o G o d a n d t o d i s h o n o u r p a r e n t s is t o d i s h o n o u r G o d ( 1 0 6 - 1 1 1 ) . C h i l d r e n o w e all t o their p a r e n t s , a n d in t h e d u t y o f repaying kindness they m a y take a lesson from the l o w e r animals ( 1 1 2 - 1 2 0 ) . T h e s e c o n d s e t o f five o p e n s w i t h t h e p r o h i b i t i o n of Adultery (121). A d u l t e r y is d e n o u n c e d as (a) v o l u p t u o u s ( 1 2 2 ) , ( 6 ) i n v o l v i n g t h e sin o f a n o t h e r ( 1 2 3 - 1 2 4 ) , (c) d e s t r u c t i v e o f f a m i l y ties ( 1 2 5 - 1 2 7 ) , (d) c r u e l t o t h e c h i l d r e n ( 1 2 8 - 1 3 1 ) . The second of t h e s e t forbids m u r d e r as b o t h u n n a t u r a l and s a c r i l e g i o u s , since m a n is t h e m o s t s a c r e d o f G o d ' s possessions ( 1 3 2 - 1 3 4 ) . S t e a l i n g is f o r b i d d e n b y t h e third, b e c a u s e t h e f t o n t h e smallest scale m a y develop into wholesale r o b b e r y and usurpation (135-137). T h e f o u r t h f o r b i d s false w i t n e s s , as o p p o s e d in itself t o t r u t h a n d j u s t i c e , a n d also in law-courts causing j u d g e s to give w r o n g verdicts a n d thus b r e a k t h e i r o w n o a t h s ( 1 3 8 - 1 4 1 ) . The last C o m m a n d m e n t a g a i n s t " d e s i r e " g i v e s P h i l o an o p p o r t u n i t y o f d i s c o u r s i n g in S t o i c a l t e r m s o n t h e 4

THE

DECALOGUE

four p a s s i o n s , p l e a s u r e , grief, fear, d e s i r e , o f w h i c h t h e last is t h e d e a d l i e s t ( 1 4 2 - 1 5 3 ) . S e c t i o n s 1 5 4 - 1 7 5 are really a r o u g h s y n o p s i s o f Books II., III., and I V . 1-131, shewing the nature o f t h e p a r t i c u l a r laws w h i c h will b e p l a c e d u n d e r e a c h c o m m a n d m e n t . A n d the concluding sections 1 7 6 - 1 7 8 justify the absence o f any penalties attached to the c o m m a n d m e n t s o n t h e g r o u n d s t h a t G o d w h o is t h e c a u s e o f g o o d l e a v e s t h e p u n i s h m e n t for transgression t o his s u b o r d i n a t e s .

5

Π Ε Ρ Ι ΤΩΝ Δ Ε Κ Α Λ Ο Γ Ω Ν ΟΙ Κ Ε Φ Α Λ Α Ι Α ΝΟΜΩΝ Ε Ι Σ Ι Ν *•

j | I . Ύούς βίους τών κατά Μωυσεα σοφών ανδρών, ους άρχηγετας του ημέτερου έθνους και νόμους άγραφους αι ιεραϊ βίβλοι δηλοΰσιν, iv ταΐς προτεραις συντάξεσι μεμηνυκώς κατά τά ακόλουθα εξής των άναγραφεντων νόμων τάς ίδεας άκριβώσω μηδ*, €ΐ τις ύποφαίνοιτο τρόπος αλληγορίας, τούτον πάρεις ένεκα της προς διάνοιαν φιλομαθούς επι­ στήμης, fj προ των εμφανών εθος τά αφανή ζητεΐν. 2 ΤΙρός δέ τους άποροϋντας, τι δη ποτε ουκ εν πόλεσιν ά λ λ ' εν ερήμω βαθεία τους νόμους ετίθει, λεκτεον πρώτον μεν, δτι αί πολλαι τών πόλεων [181] αμύθητων κακών εισι | μεσταί, καΐ τών προς το θείον ανόσιουργημάτων και τών προς αλλήλους 3 αδικημάτων, ουδέν γάρ εστίν ο μη κεκιβδήλευται, τά γνήσια τών νόθων παρευημερούντων και τάληθη τών εικότων, α φύσει μεν κατεφευσται, πιθανάς 4 δ' υποβάλλει φαντασίας προς άπάτην. εν πόλεσιν οΰν και 6 πάντων επιβουλότατος φύεται τΰφος, ον τίνες τεθήπασι και προσκυνοΰσι τάς κενάς δόξας σεμνοποιοΰντες διά χρυσών στεφάνων και άλουρα

b

e

6

See General Introduction to V o l . V I . pp. ix. f. See General Introduction to this volume, p. xiii. Lit. " O n account of studious knowledge tending to under-

THE

DECALOGUE

I. H a v i n g r e l a t e d i n t h e p r e c e d i n g t r e a t i s e s t h e 1 lives o f t h o s e w h o m M o s e s j u d g e d t o b e m e n o f w i s d o m , w h o are s e t b e f o r e us in t h e S a c r e d B o o k s as f o u n d e r s o f o u r n a t i o n a n d in t h e m s e l v e s u n w r i t t e n l a w s , I shall n o w p r o c e e d in d u e c o u r s e t o g i v e full d e s c r i p t i o n s o f t h e w r i t t e n l a w s . A n d i f s o m e alle­ gorical interpretation should appear to underlie t h e m , I shall n o t fail t o s t a t e i t . For knowledge l o v e s t o l e a r n a n d a d v a n c e t o full u n d e r s t a n d i n g a n d its w a y is t o s e e k t h e h i d d e n m e a n i n g r a t h e r t h a n the obvious. T o t h e q u e s t i o n w h y h e p r o m u l g a t e d his l a w s in 2 t h e d e p t h s o f t h e d e s e r t i n s t e a d o f in c i t i e s w e m a y a n s w e r i n t h e first p l a c e t h a t m o s t cities are full o f c o u n t l e s s e v i l s , b o t h acts o f i m p i e t y t o w a r d s G o d and wrongdoing b e t w e e n man and man. For every- 3 t h i n g is d e b a s e d , t h e g e n u i n e o v e r p o w e r e d b y t h e s p u r i o u s , t h e t r u e . b y t h e s p e c i o u s , w h i c h is intrinsi­ c a l l y false b u t c r e a t e s i m p r e s s i o n s w h o s e p l a u s i b i l i t y s e r v e s b u t t o d e l u d e . S o t o o in cities t h e r e arises 4 t h a t m o s t insidious o f f o e s , P r i d e , a d m i r e d a n d w o r s h i p p e d b y s o m e w h o a d d d i g n i t y t o vain ideas b y means o f gold crowns and purple robes and a a

&

c

d

e

standing.'* I cannot think that the text is right. For further discussion and attempts to emend it see A p p . p. 6 0 9 . O r " vanity." O r " opinions." d

e

7

PHILO

γίδων και πλήθους θεραπόντων και οχημάτων, εφ* ών οι λεγόμενοι μακάριοι και εύδαίμονες μετέωροι φέρονται, τοτέ μέν όρεΐς ή ίππους καταζευγνύντες τοτέ δέ και ανθρώπους, οι τά φορεία κατά τών αυχένων άχθοφοροΰσι τήν φυχήν προ τοϋ σώματος δι* ύπερβολήν ύβρεως πιεζόμενοι. 5 I I . τϋφος και πολλών άλλων κακών δημιουργός εστίν, αλαζονείας, ύπεροφίας, άνισότητος αί δ ' είσιν άρχαι ξενικών και εμφυλίων πολέμων ουδέν μέρος, ου κοινόν, ουκ ΐδιον, ου κατά γήν, ου κατά 6 θάλατταν, ήσυχάζειν έώσαι. τί δέ δει τών προς αλλήλους αμαρτημάτων μεμνήσθαι; τύφω γάρ και τά θεια έξωλιγώρηται, καίτοι νομιζόμενα της άνωτάτω τυγχάνειν τιμής* τιμή δέ τις αν γένοιτο, μή προσούσης αληθείας, ή και όνομα και έργον έχει τίμιον, επει και τό φεΰδος 7 εμπαλιν άτιμον φύσει; ή δ ' ολιγωρία τών θείων εμφανής τοις όξυδερκέστερον όρώσι' μυρίας γάρ Οσας διά γραφικής και πλαστικής μορφώσαντες ιδέας ιερά και νεώς αύταΐς προσπεριεβάλοντο και βωμούς κατασκευάσαντες άγάλμασι και ξοάνοις και τοιουτοτρόποις άφιδρύμασι τιμάς ίσολυμπίους 8 και ίσοθέους απένειμαν, άπασιν άφύχοις. ους εύθυβόλως αί ίεραι γραφαι τοις εκ πόρνης γεγονόσιν άπεικάζουσιν ώς γάρ ούτοι πάντας, όσους εραστάς εσχεν ή μήτηρ, επιγράφονται πατέρας ενός άγνοια τοϋ φύσει, ούτω και οι κατά πόλεις ούκ είδότες τον όντα όντως αληθή θεόν μυρία 9 πλήθη φευδωνύμων εκτεθειώκασιν. εΐτ άλλων παρ* άλλοις τιμωμένων, ή περι τοϋ άριστου κρα1,

8

THE

DECALOGUE,

4-9

g r e a t establishment o f servants and cars, o n which t h e s e s o - c a l l e d blissful a n d h a p p y p e o p l e r i d e aloft, drawn sometimes b y mules and horses, sometimes b y m e n , w h o bear the heavy burden on their s h o u l d e r s , y e t suffer in s o u l r a t h e r t h a n in b o d y under the weight o f extravagant arrogance. II. P r i d e is also t h e c r e a t o r o f m a n y o t h e r e v i l s , b o a s t f u l n e s s , h a u g h t i n e s s , i n e q u a l i t y , a n d t h e s e are t h e s o u r c e s o f w a r s , b o t h civil a n d f o r e i g n , suffering n o p l a c e t o r e m a i n in p e a c e w h e t h e r p u b l i c o r p r i v a t e , whether o n sea or o n land. Y e t why d w e l l o n offences b e t w e e n m a n a n d m a n ? P r i d e also brings divine things into utter c o n t e m p t , even though t h e y are s u p p o s e d t o r e c e i v e the highest honours. But what honour can there b e if truth b e not there as w e l l , t r u t h h o n o u r a b l e b o t h in n a m e a n d f u n c t i o n , j u s t as f a l s e h o o d is n a t u r a l l y d i s h o n o u r a b l e ? T h i s c o n t e m p t f o r t h i n g s d i v i n e is m a n i f e s t t o t h o s e o f keener vision. F o r m e n have e m p l o y e d sculpture and painting t o fashion i n n u m e r a b l e forms which t h e y h a v e e n c l o s e d in shrines a n d t e m p l e s a n d after b u i l d ­ i n g altars h a v e a s s i g n e d c e l e s t i a l a n d d i v i n e h o n o u r s t o i d o l s o f s t o n e a n d w o o d a n d s u c h l i k e i m a g e s , all o f t h e m lifeless t h i n g s . S u c h p e r s o n s are h a p p i l y c o m p a r e d in the sacred Scriptures t o the children o f a h a r l o t ; f o r as t h e y in t h e i r i g n o r a n c e o f t h e i r o n e n a t u r a l f a t h e r a s c r i b e t h e i r p a t e r n i t y t o all t h e i r m o t h e r ' s l o v e r s , s o t o o t h r o u g h o u t t h e cities t h o s e w h o d o n o t k n o w the true, the really existent G o d h a v e d e i f i e d h o s t s o f o t h e r s w h o are falsely s o c a l l e d . T h e n as s o m e h o n o u r o n e , s o m e a n o t h e r g o d , d i v e r -

5

6

7

8

a

a

1

See note on Spec. Leg. i. 3 3 2 . S o R : other MSS.

άνοσιότητος.

9

9

PHILO

τήσασα διχόνοια και τάς προς τά άλλα πάντα διαφοράς εγέννησεν. εις ά πρώτον άπιδών εξω πόλεων εβουλήθη νομοθετείν. 10 Ένενόει δε κάκεΐνο δεύτερον, οτι του μέλλοντος Ιερούς νόμους παραδέχεσθαι την φυχήν άναγκαΐόν εστίν άπορρύφασθαι και εκκαθήρασθαι τάς | δ υ σ [182] εκπλύτους κηλίδας, ας μιγάδων και συγκλύδων όχλος ανθρώπων κατά πόλεις προσετρίφατο. τοϋτο 11 δε άμήχανον ετέρως ή διοικισθεντι συμβήναι, και ουκ ευθύς ά λ λ α μακρώ χρόνω ύστερον, εως αν οι τών αρχαίων παρανομημάτων ενσφραγισθεντες τύποι κατά μικρόν άμαυρούμενοι και απορρέοντες 12 άφανισθώσι. τούτον τον τρόπον και οι την Ιατρικήν άγαθοι σωζουσι τούς κάμνοντας ου γάρ πρότερον σιτία και ποτά παρέχειν άζιοΰσι, πριν ή τά τών νόσων α ί τ ι α ύπεξελεσθαι· μενόντων γάρ ανωφελείς αί τροφαί, ά λ λ α και επιζήμιοι, ΰλαι γινόμεναι του 13 πάθους. I I I . είκότως οΰν εκ τών κατά πόλεις βλαβερωτάτων συνηθειών είς ερήμην άπαγαγών, Ινα κένωση τάς φυχάς αδικημάτων, ήρξατο προσφερειν ταΐς διανοίαις τροφάς' α ύ τ α ι δ ε τίνες αν εΐεν οτι μη νόμοι και λόγοι θείοι; 14 Τρίτη δε εστίν α ί τ ι α ήδε' καθάπερ οί στελλόμενοι μακρόν πλουν, ούχ όταν επιβάντες της νεώς άπό λιμενος εζαναχθώσιν, άρχονται κατασκευάζειν ιστία και πηδάλια και οΐακας, ά λ λ ' έ τ ι μένοντες επι γης έκαστα τών συντεινόντων προς πλουν εύτρεπίζονται, τον αυτόν τρόπον ήξίωσεν ου λαβόντας κληρουχίας και τάς πόλεις οίκήσαντας τότε ζητεΐν νόμους, οΐς πολιτεύσονται, ά λ λ ' ετοιμασαμένους τούς της πολιτείας κανόνας και 1

9

1

10

MSS.

πόλεως.

THE DECALOGUE, 9-14 sity o f o p i n i o n as t o w h i c h w a s b e s t w a x e d s t r o n g and e n g e n d e r e d d i s p u t e s i n e v e r y o t h e r m a t t e r also. This was the primary consideration which m a d e him prefer t o legislate a w a y from cities. H e h a d also a s e c o n d o b j e c t in m i n d . H e w h o is a b o u t t o r e c e i v e t h e h o l y l a w s m u s t first c l e a n s e his soul a n d p u r g e a w a y t h e d e e p - s e t stains w h i c h it has c o n ­ tracted through contact with the motley promiscuous h o r d e o f m e n i n c i t i e s . A n d t o this h e c a n n o t a t t a i n e x c e p t b y d w e l l i n g a p a r t , n o r t h a t at o n c e , b u t o n l y l o n g a f t e r w a r d s , a n d n o t till t h e m a r k s w h i c h his o l d transgressions have imprinted o n h i m have gradually g r o w n faint, m e l t e d a w a y a n d d i s a p p e a r e d . I n this w a y t o o g o o d physicians preserve their sick folk : t h e y think it unadvisable t o g i v e t h e m f o o d or drink until t h e y h a v e r e m o v e d the causes o f their maladies. W h i l e t h e s e still r e m a i n , n o u r i s h m e n t is useless, in­ d e e d h a r m f u l , a n d acts as fuel t o t h e d i s t e m p e r . I I I . N a t u r a l l y t h e r e f o r e h e first l e d t h e m a w a y f r o m t h e h i g h l y m i s c h i e v o u s associations o f cities i n t o t h e d e s e r t , t o c l e a r t h e sins o u t o f t h e i r s o u l s , a n d t h e n b e g a n to set the nourishment before their minds— a n d w h a t s h o u l d this n o u r i s h m e n t b e b u t l a w s a n d words o f G o d ? H e h a d a t h i r d r e a s o n as f o l l o w s : j u s t as m e n when setting out on a long voyage do not begin to p r o v i d e sails a n d r u d d e r s a n d tillers w h e n t h e y h a v e e m b a r k e d a n d left t h e h a r b o u r , b u t e q u i p t h e m s e l v e s w i t h e n o u g h o f t h e g e a r n e e d e d for t h e v o y a g e w h i l e t h e y are still s t a y i n g o n s h o r e , s o M o s e s d i d n o t t h i n k it g o o d t h a t t h e y s h o u l d j u s t t a k e t h e i r p o r t i o n s a n d s e t t l e i n c i t i e s a n d t h e n g o in q u e s t o f l a w s t o r e g u l a t e t h e i r c i v i c l i f e , b u t r a t h e r s h o u l d first p r o v i d e t h e m ­ s e l v e s w i t h t h e rules for t h a t life a n d g a i n p r a c t i c e 11

10

11

12

13

14

PHILO

15

16

ένασκηθέντας οΐς εμελλον οι δήμοι κυβερνάσθαι σωτηρίως τηνικαϋτα είσοικίζεσθαι, χρησομένους ευθύς ταΐς τών δικαίων παρασκευαΐς iv ομόνοια και κοινωνία και διανομή τών επιβαλλόντων έκάστοις. I V . Φασι δέ τίνες και τετάρτην αίτίαν ουκ άπωδόν ά λ λ ' έγγυτάτω της αληθείας · επειδή γάρ έδει πίστιν έγγενέσθαι ταΐς διανοίαις περι του μή ευρήματα άνθρωπου τούς νόμους ά λ λ α θεοΰ χρησμούς σαφέστατους εΐναι, πορρωτάτω τών πόλεων απήγαγε το έθνος εις ερήμην βαθεΐαν και άγονον ού μόνον ήμερων καρπών ά λ λ α και ποτίμου ύδατος, Ιν , εάν εν σπάνει γενόμενοι τών αναγκαίων και δίφει και λιμώ διαφθαρήναι προσδοκήσαντες εζαπιναίως άφθονίαν τών επιτηδείων άπαυτοματισθέντων άνευρίσκωσιν, ουρανού μεν ύοντος τροφάς το καλούμενον μάννα, προσόφημα δε τροφών άπ αέρος όρτυγομήτρας φοράν, ύδατος δε πικρού γλυκαινομένου προς το πότιμον, πέτρας δε άκροτόμου πηγάς άνομβρούσης, μηκέτι θαυμάζωσιν, et λόγια θεοΰ συμβέβηκεν \ εΐναι τούς νόμους, έναργεστάτην βάσανον είληφότες εκ τών χορηγιών, άς έζ άπορων εσχον ούκ έλπίσαντες. ό γάρ προς το ζην άφθονίαν δούς και τάς προς το εύ ζην άφορμάς εδωρεΐτο· προς μεν ούν το ζην σιτίων έδει και ποτών, άπερ άνεύρισκον ούχ ετοιμασάμενοι, η

[183] \Ί '

1

So MSS. and Cohn. But I should prefer with M a n g e y to omit ά π \ I do not know of any case in which ουρανός includes the lower air, as the text implies, while on the other hand the index gives thirteen examples where heaven, air, water, earth are named as the four parts of the universe. See Spec. Leg. iii. I l l , and cf. ibid. 152. W i t h άπ omitted each of the four makes its contribution, earth being given b y πέτρας. 12

THE DECALOGUE,

14-17

in all t h a t w o u l d s u r e l y e n a b l e t h e c o m m u n i t i e s t o s t e e r t h e i r c o u r s e in s a f e t y , a n d t h e n s e t t l e d o w n t o f o l l o w f r o m t h e first t h e p r i n c i p l e s o f j u s t i c e l y i n g r e a d y f o r t h e i r u s e , in h a r m o n y a n d f e l l o w s h i p o f spirit a n d r e n d e r i n g t o e v e r y m a n his d u e . I V . S o m e t o o g i v e a f o u r t h r e a s o n w h i c h is n o t o u t 15 of keeping with the truth but agrees very closely w i t h it. A s i t w a s n e c e s s a r y t o e s t a b l i s h a b e l i e f in their minds that the laws w e r e n o t the inventions o f a m a n b u t quite clearly the oracles o f G o d , he led the nation a g r e a t distance a w a y from cities into the d e p t h s o f a d e s e r t , b a r r e n n o t o n l y o f c u l t i v a t e d fruits b u t also o f w a t e r fit f o r d r i n k i n g , in o r d e r t h a t , 16 i f after l a c k i n g t h e n e c e s s a r i e s o f life a n d e x p e c t i n g t o p e r i s h f r o m h u n g e r a n d thirst t h e y s u d d e n l y found abundance o f sustenance self-produced—when heaven rained the food called manna and the shower o f quails f r o m t h e air t o a d d relish t o t h e i r f o o d — w h e n t h e b i t t e r w a t e r g r e w s w e e t a n d fit f o r d r i n k i n g a n d springs g u s h e d o u t o f the s t e e p r o c k — t h e y should no l o n g e r w o n d e r w h e t h e r the laws w e r e actually the p r o n o u n c e m e n t s o f G o d , since t h e y had b e e n given a

t h e c l e a r e s t e v i d e n c e o f t h e t r u t h in t h e s u p p l i e s w h i c h t h e y h a d s o u n e x p e c t e d l y r e c e i v e d in t h e i r d e s t i t u t i o n . F o r H e w h o g a v e a b u n d a n c e o f t h e m e a n s 17 o f life also b e s t o w e d t h e w h e r e w i t h a l o f a g o o d life ; for m e r e life t h e y n e e d e d f o o d a n d d r i n k w h i c h t h e y f o u n d w i t h o u t m a k i n g p r o v i s i o n ; for t h e g o o d life ° O r " h a r d , " "flinty." Here, as in Mos. i. 210-211, Philo does not stress the connexion of the word (taken from Deut. viii. 15), with άκρος as he does elsewhere. See note on Mos. i. 2 1 0 . T h e events alluded to are found in E x . xv. and xvi. 13

PHILO

18

προς δε τό εΰ ζην νόμων και διαταγμάτων, οΐς βελτιοΰσθαι τάς φυχάς εμελλον. V . Α ι δ ' είσιν iv στοχασμοΐς είκόσιν αίτίαι λεγόμεναι 7Τ€ρΙ του διαπορηθέντος* τάς γάρ αληθείς οιοεν ο υεος μονός, ειπών ο απ€ρ ηρμοττε περι τούτων έξης αυτούς άκριβώσω τούς νόμους, εκείνο κατά τό άναγκαΐον προμηνύσας, ότι τών νόμων ους μεν αυτός ό θεός ού προσχρησάμενος άλλω δι εαυτού μόνου θεσπίζειν ήξίωσεν, ους δε δ ι α προ­ φήτου Μωυσέως, δν άριστίνδην εκ πάντων ώς επιτηδειότατον ίεροφάντην επελέξατο. τούς μεν ούν αυτοπροσώπως θεσπισθέντας δι* αύτοΰ μόνου συμβέβηκε και νόμους είναι και νόμων τών iv μέρει κεφάλαια, τούς δε διά του προφήτου πάντας επ* εκείνους άναφέρεσθαι. V I . λέξω δ , ώς αν οίος τε ώ, περι έκατέρων και πρότερόν γε τών κεφαλαιωδεστέρων ών ευθέως άξιον θαυμάσαι τον αριθμόν δεκάδι τη παντελεία περατουμένων, ή πάσας μεν αριθμών διαφοράς άρτιων και περιττών και άρτιοπερίττων, άρτιων μεν δυοιν, περιττών δε τριών, άρτιοπερίτ­ των δε εξ, πάσας δε λόγων τών εν άριθμοΐς πολυπλασίων και επιμερών και ύποεπιμερών περιέχει, πάσας δ ' αναλογίας, τήν τε άριθμητικήν, ή τω 9

19

20

9

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1

MSS. πέντζ and so Cohn b y an oversight afterwards cor­ rected in a note to Treitel's translation. This must be a mistake of the scribe. Philo could not possibly have made it; cf. Spec. Leg. ii. 58, and the more elaborate explanation of the even-odds in De Op. 13.

14

THE D E C A L O G U E , 17-21 they n e e d e d laws and ordinances which w o u l d bring i m p r o v e m e n t t o their souls. V . T h e s e are t h e r e a s o n s s u g g e s t e d t o a n s w e r t h e question under discussion : t h e y are b u t p r o b a b l e surmises ; t h e t r u e r e a s o n s are k n o w t o G o d a l o n e . H a v i n g s a i d w h a t w a s fitting o n this s u b j e c t , I will p r o c e e d t o describe the laws themselves in order, w i t h this n e c e s s a r y s t a t e m e n t b y w a y o f i n t r o d u c ­ t i o n , t h a t s o m e o f t h e m G o d j u d g e d fit t o d e l i v e r in His o w n p e r s o n a l o n e w i t h o u t e m p l o y i n g a n y o t h e r , and s o m e through His prophet M o s e s w h o m H e c h o s e as o f all m e n t h e b e s t s u i t e d t o b e t h e r e v e a l e r of verities. N o w w e find t h a t t h o s e w h i c h H e g a v e in His o w n person and b y His o w n m o u t h alone include b o t h laws and heads summarizing the par­ ticular l a w s , b u t t h o s e i n w h i c h H e s p o k e t h r o u g h t h e p r o p h e t all b e l o n g t o t h e f o r m e r class. V I . I will deal with b o t h t o the best o f m y ability, taking those w h i c h are r a t h e r o f t h e n a t u r e o f s u m m a r i e s first. H e r e o u r a d m i r a t i o n is a t o n c e a r o u s e d b y t h e i r n u m b e r , w h i c h is n e i t h e r m o r e n o r less t h a n is t h e s u p r e m e l y p e r f e c t / T e n . T e n c o n t a i n s all different k i n d s o f n u m b e r s , e v e n as 2 , o d d as 3 , a n d e v e n - o d d as 6 , a n d all r a t i o s , w h e t h e r o f a n u m b e r t o its m u l t i p l e s o r fractional, w h e n a n u m b e r is e i t h e r i n c r e a s e d o r d i m i n i s h e d b y s o m e p a r t o f itself. S o t o o it c o n t a i n s all t h e a n a l o g i e s o r p r o g r e s s i o n s , t h e a r i t h m e t i c a l w h e r e e a c h t e r m in t h e series is g r e a t e r

18

19

20

1

6

0

α

For the Pythagorean origin of the term παντελ^α as applied to ten see note on De Abr. 2 4 4 . This does not seem to mean more than that all the pro­ perties and mysteries of numbers must necessarily fall within the decimal system, for " round ten as a turning-point the unlimited series of numbers wheel and retrace their steps," De Op. 4 7 . i.e. improper or proper fractions. 5

c

15

21

PHILO

ίσαρίθμω υπερέχει και ύπερεχεται, οίον επί τοϋ εν και δυο και τρία, και την γεωμετρικήν, καθ ην οΐος 6 λόγος προς τον πρώτον τοϋ δευτέρου, τοιού­ τος και ό προς τον δεύτερον του τρίτου, ώς έχει επι τοϋ εν και δύο και τέσσαρα, εν τε διπλασίοις και τριπλασίοις και συνόλως πολυπλασίοις και πάλιν εν ήμιολίοις καΐ επιτρίτοις και τοις παραπλησίοις, ετι μέντοι και την άρμονικήν, καθ ην ο μέσος τών άκρων τ ω ϊσω μορίω υπερέχει τε και ύπερεχεται, ώς έχει επι τοϋ τρίτου και τετάρτου 22 και έκτου. περιέχει δε ή δεκάς και τάς τών τριγώνων και τετραγώνων και τών άλλων πολυγώνων εμφαινομένας ιδιότητας και τάς τών συμφωνιών, την τε διά τεσσάρων εν επιτρίτω [184] λόγω, τω τέσσαρα | προς τρία, και την διά πέντε εν ήμιολίω, τω τρία προς δύο, και την διά πασών εν διπλασίω, τω δύο προς εν, και την δις διά πασών 23 εν τετραπλάσια), τω οκτώ προς δύο. παρό μοι δοκοΰσι και οι πρώτοι τά ονόματα τοις πράγμασι θέμενοι—σοφοί γάρ ήσαν—είκότως αυτήν προσαγορεΰσαι δεκάδα, ώσανει δεχάδα ούσαν, παρά τό δέχεσθαι και κεχωρηκέναι τά γένη πάντα τών αριθμών και λόγων τών κατ αριθμόν και ανα­ λογιών αρμονιών τε αύ και συμφωνιών. 24 V I I . την μέντοι δεκάδα προς τοις είρημένοις και διά ταύτα είκότως αν τις θαυμάσειε περιέχουσαν τήν τε άδιάστατον φύσιν και την διαστηματικήν ή μεν ούν άδιάστατος τάττεται κατά σημειον μόνον, ή δε διαστηματική κατά τρεις ιδέας γραμμής 25 και επιφανείας και στερεού' τό μεν γάρ δυσι σημείοις περατούμενόν έστι γραμμή, τό δ ' επι δύο διαστατόν επιφάνεια, ρυείσης επι πλάτος 9

9

9

16

THE DECALOGUE, 21-25 t h a n t h e o n e b e l o w a n d less t h a n t h e o n e a b o v e b y t h e s a m e a m o u n t , " as for e x a m p l e 1 2 3 ; t h e g e o ­ m e t r i c a l w h e r e t h e r a t i o o f t h e s e c o n d t o t h e first t e r m is t h e s a m e as t h a t o f t h e t h i r d t o t h e s e c o n d , as w i t h 1 2 4 , a n d this is s e e n w h e t h e r t h e r a t i o is d o u b l e o r t r e b l e o r a n y m u l t i p l e , o r a g a i n fractional as 3 t o 2 , 4 t o 3 , a n d t h e l i k e ; o n c e m o r e t h e har­ m o n i c in w h i c h t h e m i d d l e t e r m e x c e e d s a n d is e x ­ c e e d e d b y the e x t r e m e s o n either side b y the same f r a c t i o n , as is t h e c a s e w i t h 3 , 4 , 6 . T e n 22 also c o n t a i n s t h e p r o p e r t i e s o b s e r v e d in t r i a n g l e s , q u a d r i l a t e r a l s a n d o t h e r p o l y g o n s , a n d also t h o s e o f t h e c o n c o r d s , t h e f o u r t h , fifth, o c t a v e a n d d o u b l e o c t a v e i n t e r v a l s , w h e r e t h e ratios are r e s p e c t i v e l y 1-J, i.e. 4 : 3 , l j , i.e. 3 : 2 , d o u b l e d , i.e. 2 : 1 , f o u r f o l d , i.e. 8 : 2 . C o n s e q u e n t l y it s e e m s t o m e t h a t t h o s e 23 w h o first g a v e n a m e s t o t h i n g s d i d r e a s o n a b l y , w i s e m e n t h a t t h e y w e r e , in g i v i n g it t h e n a m e o f d e c a d , as b e i n g t h e d e c h a d , o r r e c e i v e r , b e c a u s e it r e c e i v e s a n d has m a d e r o o m f o r e v e r y k i n d o f n u m b e r a n d n u m e r i c a l r a t i o a n d p r o g r e s s i o n s a n d also c o n c o r d s and harmonies. V I I . B u t i n d e e d a p a r t 24 f r o m w h a t has b e e n said, t h e d e c a d m a y r e a s o n ­ a b l y b e a d m i r e d b e c a u s e it e m b r a c e s N a t u r e as s e e n b o t h w i t h a n d w i t h o u t e x t e n s i o n in s p a c e . Nature e x i s t s w i t h o u t e x t e n s i o n n o w h e r e e x c e p t in t h e p o i n t ; w i t h e x t e n s i o n i n t h r e e f o r m s , l i n e , s u r f a c e , solid. F o r s p a c e as l i m i t e d b y t w o p o i n t s is a l i n e , b u t , 2 5 w h e r e t h e r e are t w o d i m e n s i o n s , w e h a v e a s u r f a c e , &

° Lit. " which exceeds and is exceeded b y the same number." See A p p . p. 6 0 9 . See the more detailed explanation in De Op. 109, where the example given is that 6, 8, 12 are in harmonic progression because 8 exceeds 6 b y J of 6, and is exceeded b y 12 b y J of 12. Here as often the ordinal is used for the cardinal. b

VOL. VII

c

17

PHILO

γραμμής, τό δ ' επι τρία στερεόν, μήκους καΐ πλάτους βάθος προσλαβόντων, εφ* ων ίσταται η φύσις* πλείους γάρ τριών δ ι α σ τ ά σ ε ι ς ουκ εγέννησεν. 26 αρχέτυποι δ έ τούτων αριθμοί του μεν άδιαστάτου σημείου τό εν, της δέ γραμμής τά δύο, και επι­ φανείας μέν τρία, στέρεου δέ τέσσαρα, ων ή σύνθεσις ενός και δυοΐν καΐ τριών καΐ τεσσάρων αποτελεί δεκάδα παραφαίνουσαν τοις όρατικοΐς 27 και έτερα κάλλη * σχεδόν γάρ ή απειρία τών αριθμών ταύτη μετρείται, διότι οι συστήσαντες αυτήν όροι τέσσαρες είσιν, εν και δύο και τρία και τέτταρα, οι δ ' ί σ ο ι ό ρ ο ι εκατοντάδα γεννώσιν εκ δεκάδων—δέκα γάρ και είκοσι και τριάκοντα και τεσσαράκοντα γίνονται εκατόν—, ομοίως δέ και χιλιάδα εζ εκατοντάδων και μυριάδα εκ χιλιάδων, μονάς δέ και δεκάς και έκατοντάς και χιλιάς 28 τέσσαρες Οροι οι δεκάδα γεννώντες* ήτις δίχα τών πρόσθεν ειρημένων και ετέρας αριθμών εμφαίνει διαφοράς, τον τε πρώτον κόσμον, ος μονάδι μόνη μετρείται, ου παράδειγμα ό τρεις, ό πέντε, ό επτά, και τον τετράγωνον, τον τέσσαρα, τον ίσάκις Ισον, και μέν δη τον κύβον, τον οκτώ, ος εστίν ίσάκις , ΐσος ίσάκις, και τον τέλειον, τον έζ, ίσούμενον τοις 2g εαυτού μέρεσι, τ ρ ι σ ι και δυσι και ένί. V I I I . | τι δ ε δει καταλέγεσθαι τάς δεκάδος άρετάς απείρους τό πλήθος, πάρεργον ποιούμενους έργον μέγιστον, δ καθ αυτό συμβέβηκεν αύταρκεστάτην εΐναι ύπόθεσιν τοις περι τά μαθήματα διατρίβουσι; 9

α

This seems to be the meaning, though both Spot and γεννάω are used in a different sense from what they have in the earlier part of the sentence, where the 6poL generate b y addition to each 18

THE

DECALOGUE,

25-29

as t h e l i n e has e x p a n d e d i n t o b r e a d t h ; w h e r e t h e r e are t h r e e , w e h a v e a s o l i d , as l e n g t h a n d b r e a d t h have acquired depth, and here Nature comes to a h a l t , f o r s h e has n o t p r o d u c e d m o r e t h a n t h r e e d i m e n ­ sions. A l l t h e s e h a v e n u m b e r s f o r t h e i r a r c h e t y p e s , 26 1 for t h e n o n - e x t e n d e d p o i n t , 2 for t h e l i n e , 3 for the surface, 4 for the solid, and these o n e , t w o , three, four a d d e d t o g e t h e r m a k e the ten which gives a g l i m p s e o f o t h e r b e a u t i e s also t o t h o s e w h o h a v e e y e s t o s e e . F o r w e m a y s a y t h a t t h e infinite series 27 o f n u m b e r s is m e a s u r e d b y t e n , b e c a u s e its c o n s t i t u e n t t e r m s are t h e f o u r , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , a n d t h e s a m e t e r m s p r o d u c e the hundred o u t o f the tens, since 1 0 , 2 0 , 3 0 , 4 0 m a k e a h u n d r e d , a n d similarly t h e t h o u s a n d is p r o d u c e d o u t o f t h e h u n d r e d s a n d t h e t e n t h o u s a n d or m y r i a d out o f the thousands, and these, the unit, t h e t e n , t h e h u n d r e d a n d t h e t h o u s a n d are t h e f o u r starting-points from e a c h o f w h i c h springs a t e n . A n d a g a i n , this s a m e t e n , a p a r t f r o m w h a t has a l r e a d y 28 b e e n s a i d , r e v e a l s o t h e r differences in n u m b e r s ; the o r d e r o f p r i m e numbers divisible b y the unit a l o n e h a v i n g f o r its p a t t e r n t h r e e , five, s e v e n : t h e s q u a r e , t h a t is f o u r , t h e c u b e , e i g h t , t h e p r o d u c t s respectively o f t w o and three equal numbers, and t h e p e r f e c t n u m b e r six e q u a l t o t h e s u m o f its f a c t o r s 3 , 2 a n d 1. V I I I . B u t w h y e n u m e r a t e t h e 29 v i r t u e s o f T e n , w h i c h are infinite in n u m b e r , a n d t h u s treat perfunctorily a task o f supreme greatness which b y i t s e l f is f o u n d t o b e a n all-sufficing s u b j e c t f o r a

b

other. Presumably the μνριάς is not named as a new startingpoint, because Greek has no special term for ten myriads or beyond. O r perhaps " both the product and s u m , " cf. De Op. 13. But the essence of " perfection " lies in the sum, as exempli­ fied b y 2 8 , cf. Mos. ii. 8 4 and note. 6

19

PHILO

τάς μέν ονν άλλας ύπερθετεον, μιας δ' ουκ άτοπον Ίσως επιμνησθήναι δείγματος ένεκα. 30 τάς γάρ iv τή φύσει λεγομενας κατηγορίας δεκά μόνας είναι φασιν οι ενδιατρίβοντες τοις της φιλοσοφίας δόγμασιν ούσίαν, ποιόν, ποσόν, προς τι, ποιεΐν, πάσχειν, εχειν, κεΐσθαι, τά ών ούκ 31 άνευ (πάντα), χρόνον και τόπον, ουδέν γάρ εστι τούτων άμετοχον οίον εγώ μετέχω μέν ουσίας δανεισάμενος άφ* εκάστου τών στοιχείων, εξ ών άπετελεσθη δδε ό κόσμος, γης και ύδατος και άερος και πυρός, τά προς την εμην σύστασιν αύταρκέστατα' μετέχω δέ και ποιότητος, καθ* ην άνθρωπος είμι, και ποσότητος, ή πηλίκος' γίνομαι δέ και προς τι, όταν μου προς δεξιοΐς τις ή προς εύωνύμοις ή' ά λ λ α και ποιώ, τριβών τι ή κείρων, και πάσχω, κειρόμένος ή τριβόμενος ύφ* έτερων κάν τω εχειν εξετάζομαι, ή περιβεβλημένος ή ώπλισμενος, κάν τω κεΐσθαι, σχεδην τι καθεζόμενος ή κατακεκλιμενος' είμι δέ πάντως κάν τόπω καΐ χρόνω, τών προειρημενων ούδενός δυνάμενου χωρίς άμφοΐν ύφίστασθαι. 32 I X . Τ α υ τ ι μέν ούν άποχρώντως λελεχθω, συνυφαίνειν δ ' άναγκαΐον τά ακόλουθα, τούς δεκα λόγους ή χρησμούς, νόμους ή θεσμούς προς άλήθειαν Οντας, άθροισθεντος τοϋ έθνους ανδρών όμοϋ και γυναικών εις εκκλησίαν, ό πατήρ τών όλων εθεσπισεν. αρά γε φωνής τρόπον προεμενος 1

2

1

MSS. καίων. Clearly it must correspond with the passive following. But Aristotle in Categ. has καίω and καίομαι as his examples. S o M a n g e y with most MSS. : Cohn σχεδόν with M . T h o u g h the addition of τι m a y perhaps rather point to σχεδόν I do not see what it can mean here. σχ48ψ regarded as the 2

20

THE

DECALOGUE,

29-32

students o f mathematics ? But while w e m u s t l e a v e u n n o t i c e d t h e r e s t , t h e r e is o n e w h i c h m a y w i t h o u t i m p r o p r i e t y b e m e n t i o n e d as a s a m p l e . T h o s e w h o s t u d y t h e d o c t r i n e s o f p h i l o s o p h y s a y 30 t h a t t h e c a t e g o r i e s in n a t u r e , as t h e y are c a l l e d , are ten only, substance, quality, quantity, relation, activity, passivity, state, position and the indisp e n s a b l e s for all e x i s t e n c e , t i m e a n d p l a c e . T h e r e 31 is n o t h i n g w h i c h d o e s n o t p a r t i c i p a t e in t h e s e c a t e ­ gories. I h a v e s u b s t a n c e , for I h a v e b o r r o w e d w h a t is all-sufficient t o m a k e m e w h a t I a m f r o m e a c h o f t h e e l e m e n t s o u t o f w h i c h this w o r l d w a s f r a m e d , e a r t h , w a t e r , air a n d fire. I h a v e q u a l i t y in s o far as I a m a m a n , a n d q u a n t i t y as b e i n g o f a c e r t a i n s i z e . I b e c o m e r e l a t i v e w h e n a n y o n e is o n m y r i g h t h a n d or m y left, I a m active w h e n I rub or shave anything, or passive w h e n I a m r u b b e d or shaved. I a m in a p a r t i c u l a r s t a t e w h e n I w e a r c l o t h i n g o r a r m s a n d in a p a r t i c u l a r p o s i t i o n w h e n I sit q u i e t l y o r a m l y i n g d o w n , a n d I a m n e c e s s a r i l y b o t h in p l a c e a n d t i m e since n o n e o f the a b o v e conditions can exist without these two. I X . T h e s e p o i n t s h a v e b e e n sufficiently d i s c u s s e d 32 and m a y n o w b e left. W e must p r o c e e d to carry o n the discussion t o e m b r a c e w h a t follows n e x t . The t e n w o r d s o r o r a c l e s , in r e a l i t y l a w s o r s t a t u t e s , were delivered b y the Father o f A l l when the nation, m e n and w o m e n alike, w e r e assembled together. D i d H e d o s o b y H i s o w n u t t e r a n c e in t h e f o r m o f a a

b

a

O n the categories see A p p . p p . 6 0 9 - 6 1 0 . O r " shear." κείρω seems to have been a favourite word for exemplifying the force of the three voices. See note on De Cher. 7 9 . b

adverb of σχέσις, often used b y Philo in contrast with κίνησις (see particularly De Sobr. 3 4 ) , seems quite appropriate here.

21

PHILO 9

9

αυτός; άπαγε, μηδ εις νουν ποτ ελθοι τον ήμέτερον ου γάρ ώς άνθρωπος ο θεός, στόματος 33 καϊ γλώττης καΐ αρτηριών δεόμενος. ά λ λ α γέ μοι δοκεΐ κατ εκείνον τον χρόνον ιεροπρεπεστατόν τι θαυματουργήσαι κελεύσας ήχον άόρατον εν αέρι δημιουργηθήναι, πάντων οργάνων θαυμασιώτερον, άρμονίαις τελείαις ήρμοσμένον, ουκ άφυχον ά λ λ ' ούδ εκ σώματος και φυχής τρόπον ζώου συνεστηκότα, ά λ λ α φυχήν λογικήν άνάπλεων σαφήνειας και τρανότητος, ή τον αέρα σχηματίσασα και επιτείνασα και προς πυρ φλογοειδές μεταβαλοΰσα καθάπερ πνεύμα διά σάλπιγγος φωνήν τοσαύτην εναρθρον έζήχησεν, ώς τοις εγγιστα τούς πορρω2^ τάτω κατ \ ϊσον άκροάσθαι δοκεΐν. ανθρώπων μέν γάρ αι φωναι προς μήκιστον άποτεινόμεναι πεφύκασιν έζασθενεΐν, ώς άριδήλους τοις μακράν, άφεστηκόσι μη γίνεσθαι τάς άντιλήφεις ταΐς επεκτάσεσιν εκ τοϋ κατ ολίγον άμαυρουμένας, 35 επειδή και τά Οργανα φθαρτά' την δέ κεκαινουργημένην φωνήν επιπνέουσα θεοϋ δύναμις ήγειρε και εζωπύρει και άναχέουσα πάντη τό τέλος της αρχής άπέφαινε τηλαυγέστερον, άκοήν έτέραν πολύ βελτίω της δι ώτων ταΐς εκάστων φυχαΐς εντιθεΐσα · ή μέν γάρ βραδύτερα πως ούσα αΐσθησις άτρεμίζει, μέχρις αν υπ αέρος πληχθεΐσα ΰιακινηθή, φθάνει δ' ή της ενθέου διανοίας όζυτάτω τάχει προϋπαντώσα τοις λεγομένοις. 36 Χ · Φωνής μέν δη της θείας πέρι τοσαϋτα. δεόντως δ ' αν τις άπορήσαι, τοϋ χάριν, πλείστων 9

9

1

2

9

9

9

9

1

MSS. συνεστηκώς or -ος or -ότα. Cohn prints άνάπλεω, which appears in one M S . , but I cannot discover any authority for this form of the acc. 2

22

THE DECALOGUE,

32-36

voice ? Surely not : m a y no such thought ever enter o u r m i n d s , for G o d is n o t as a m a n n e e d i n g m o u t h a n d t o n g u e a n d w i n d p i p e . I s h o u l d s u p p o s e t h a t 33 G o d w r o u g h t o n this o c c a s i o n a m i r a c l e o f a t r u l y h o l y k i n d b y b i d d i n g an invisible s o u n d t o b e c r e a t e d in t h e air m o r e m a r v e l l o u s t h a n all i n s t r u m e n t s a n d fitted w i t h p e r f e c t h a r m o n i e s , n o t soulless, n o r y e t c o m p o s e d o f b o d y and soul like a living creature, b u t a r a t i o n a l s o u l full o f c l e a r n e s s a n d d i s t i n c t n e s s , w h i c h g i v i n g s h a p e a n d t e n s i o n t o t h e air a n d c h a n g i n g it t o flaming fire, s o u n d e d f o r t h l i k e t h e b r e a t h t h r o u g h a t r u m p e t an a r t i c u l a t e v o i c e so l o u d t h a t it a p p e a r e d t o b e e q u a l l y a u d i b l e t o t h e f a r t h e s t as w e l l as t h e n e a r e s t . F o r it is t h e n a t u r e o f m e n ' s v o i c e s i f 34 c a r r i e d t o a g r e a t d i s t a n c e t o g r o w faint so t h a t p e r ­ sons afar off h a v e b u t an i n d i s t i n c t i m p r e s s i o n w h i c h gradually fades away with each lengthening o f the extension, since the organism which produces t h e m also is s u b j e c t t o d e c a y . B u t t h e n e w m i r a c u l o u s v o i c e 35 w a s s e t i n a c t i o n a n d k e p t in flame b y t h e p o w e r o f G o d w h i c h b r e a t h e d u p o n it a n d s p r e a d it a b r o a d o n e v e r y s i d e a n d m a d e it m o r e i l l u m i n a t i n g in its e n d i n g t h a n in its b e g i n n i n g b y c r e a t i n g in t h e souls o f e a c h a n d all a n o t h e r k i n d o f h e a r i n g far s u p e r i o r t o t h e h e a r i n g o f t h e ears. F o r t h a t is b u t a s l u g g i s h s e n s e , i n a c t i v e u n t i l a r o u s e d b y t h e i m p a c t o f t h e air, b u t the hearing o f the mind possessed b y G o d makes the first a d v a n c e a n d g o e s o u t t o m e e t t h e s p o k e n w o r d s with the keenest rapidity. X . S o m u c h for t h e d i v i n e v o i c e . B u t w e m a y 36 p r o p e r l y ask w h y , w h e n all t h e s e m a n y t h o u s a n d s w e r e a

a

O r perhaps " j u s t as musical instruments (and therefore the sounds which they m a k e ) are subject to decay." 23

PHILO

37

38

39

40

όσων μυριάδων εις iv ήθροισμένων χωρίον, έκαστον θεσπίζειν τών δέκα λογίων ήζίωσεν ώς ούχι προς πλείους άλλ' ώς προς ίνα, " ου μοιχεύσεις " λέγων, " ου φονεύσεις," " ου κλέφεις " και τά άλλα ταύτη. λεκτέον ούν εν μέν, οτι βούλεται κάλλιστον άναδιδά£αι μάθημα τούς έντυγχάνοντας ταΐς ιεραΐς γραφαΐς, ώς άρα καθ* αυτόν εις έκαστος, όταν ή νόμιμος και θεώ καταπειθής, ισότιμος έστιν όλω έθνβι πολυανθρωποτάτω, μάλλον δέ και πασιν έθνεσιν, €ΐ δέ δει περαιτέρω προελθόντα ειπείν, και παντι τω κόσμω. διόπερ έν έτέροις έπαινών ικαιον ανορα ψησιν €γω €ΐμι ο σεος σος · ό δ' αυτός ην και κόσμου θεός, ώς τούς υπη­ κόους την αυτήν τεταγμένους τάζιν καϊ ομοίως εύαρεστοϋντας τω ταζιάρχω της ΐσης αποδοχής και τιμής μεταλάμβανε ιν. Δεύτερον δε', οτι κοινή μέν ώς πλήθει τις εκκλησιάζων ούκ εξ ανάγκης διαλέγεται ένί, ότε δέ προστάττων ή άπαγορεύων ιδία ώς ένί έκάστω, τών έμφερομένων ευθύς αν δόζαι τά πρακτέα και κοινή πασιν άθρόοις ύφηγεΐσθαι· εύπειθέστερος δέ ό τάς παραινέσεις αυτοπροσώπως δεχόμενος, ό δέ συλλήβδην μεθ* έτερων κεκώφωται τον οχλον άφηνιασμοϋ παρακάλυμμα ποιούμενος. Τρίτον, ίνα μηδείς ποτε βασιλεύς ή τύραννος αφανούς ίδιώτου καταφρόνηση γεμισθεις αλαζονείας α

Gen. xvii. 1 L X X ; E . V . ** I am G o d A l m i g h t y . " I have punctuated and translated this sentence in the only way which seems to me possible, if the text is to stand, i.e. I have placed a c o m m a after 4κάστω instead of (as C o h n ) after άπαγορεύων, and understand εκκλησυάζει or διαλύεται after ore hk and take τών εμφερομενων as partitive after b

24

THE DECALOGUE,

36-40

c o l l e c t e d in o n e s p o t , H e t h o u g h t g o o d in p r o c l a i m i n g H i s t e n o r a c l e s t o a d d r e s s e a c h n o t as t o s e v e r a l p e r s o n s b u t as t o o n e , T h o u s h a l t n o t c o m m i t a d u l t e r y , T h o u s h a l t n o t kill, T h o u shalt n o t steal, a n d s o t o o w i t h t h e r e s t . O n e a n s w e r w h i c h m u s t 37 b e g i v e n is t h a t H e w i s h e s t o t e a c h t h e r e a d e r s o f t h e sacred scriptures a m o s t excellent lesson, n a m e l y t h a t e a c h s i n g l e p e r s o n , w h e n h e is l a w - a b i d i n g a n d o b e d i e n t t o G o d , is e q u a l in w o r t h t o a w h o l e n a t i o n , e v e n t h e m o s t p o p u l o u s , o r r a t h e r t o all n a t i o n s , a n d if w e m a y g o still f a r t h e r , e v e n t o t h e w h o l e w o r l d . A n d t h e r e f o r e e l s e w h e r e , w h e n H e praises a c e r t a i n 38 just m a n , H e says, I a m t h y G o d , t h o u g h H e was also t h e G o d o f t h e w o r l d . A n d t h u s w e s e e t h a t all t h e r a n k a n d file w h o are p o s t e d in t h e s a m e line a n d g i v e a l i k e satisfaction t o t h e i r c o m m a n d e r , h a v e an e q u a l share o f a p p r o b a t i o n a n d h o n o u r . a

A s e c o n d r e a s o n is t h a t a s p e a k e r w h o h a r a n g u e s 39 a m u l t i t u d e in g e n e r a l d o e s n o t n e c e s s a r i l y t a l k t o a n y o n e p e r s o n , w h e r e a s i f h e a d d r e s s e s his c o m ­ m a n d s o r p r o h i b i t i o n s as t h o u g h t o e a c h i n d i v i d u a l s e p a r a t e l y , t h e p r a c t i c a l i n s t r u c t i o n s g i v e n in t h e c o u r s e o f his s p e e c h are at o n c e h e l d t o a p p l y t o t h e w h o l e b o d y in c o m m o n a l s o . I f t h e e x h o r t a t i o n s are r e c e i v e d as a p e r s o n a l m e s s a g e , t h e h e a r e r is m o r e r e a d y t o o b e y , b u t i f c o l l e c t i v e l y w i t h o t h e r s , h e is d e a f t o t h e m , s i n c e h e t a k e s t h e m u l t i t u d e as a c o v e r for d i s o b e d i e n c e . 6

A t h i r d r e a s o n is t h a t H e wills t h a t n o k i n g o r 4 0 despot swollen with arrogance and c o n t e m p t should d e s p i s e an insignificant p r i v a t e p e r s o n b u t s h o u l d s t u d y πρακτέα = " a m o n g the contents of his speech." But it is ex­ ceedingly awkward and some corruption is probable. For further discussion see A p p . p. 6 1 0 .

25

PHILO

και

υπεροψίας, ά λ λ ' εις τ ά τών ιερών νόμων φοιτήσας | χαλάση τάς όφρϋς, άπομαθών οΐησιν είκότι μάλλον δ ' άληθεΐ λογισμώ. 41 ει γάρ ό άγένητος και άφθαρτος και άίδιος και ούδενός επιδεής και ποιητής τών όλων και ευ­ εργέτης και βασιλεύς βασιλέων και θεός θεών ουδέ τον ταπεινότατον ύπεριδεΐν ύπέμεινεν, ά λ λ α και τούτον εύωχήσαι λογίων και θεσμών ιερών ήζίωσεν, ώς μόνον έστιάν μέλλων και μόνω τό συμπόσιον εύτρεπίζεσθαι προς ψυχής άνάχυσιν ίεροφαντουμένης, ή θέμις τάς μεγάλας τελεΐσθαι τελετάς, έμοι τω θνητώ τι προσήκον ύψαυχενεΐν και πεφυσήσθαι φρυαττομένω προς τούς όμοιους, οι τύχαις μέν άνίσοις ΐση δέ και όμοια συγγένεια κέχρηνται μίαν έπιγραψάμενοι μητέρα τήν κοινην απάντων 42 ανθρώπων φύσιν; εύπρόσιτον ούν και εύέντευκτον εμαυτόν παρέξω, καν τό τής γής και τής θαλάττης κράτος άνάψωμαι, τοις άπορωτάτοις και άδοξοτάτοις καΐ οίκειοτάτης συμμαχίας ερήμοις, έκατέρου τών γονέων όρφανοΐς και γυναιξί χηρείαν ύπομενούσαις καΐ πρεσβύταις ή μή παιδοποιησαμένοις τό παράπαν ή άποβαλούσιν ώκυμόρους 43 ους έγέννησαν. άνθρωπος γάρ ών ογκον και σεμνότητα τετραγωδημένην ού δικαιώσω προσίεσθαι, μενώ δ ' εντός τής φύσεως τούς Ορους αυτής μή υπερβαίνων, ά λ λ ' εθίζων τήν εμαυτού διάνοιαν άνθρωποπαθεΐν, ού μόνον διά τάς άδηλους προς τ ά ν α ν τ ι α μεταβολάς και τών ευ πραττόντων και τών εν κακοπραγίαις, ά λ λ α καΐ διά τό άρμόττειν, καν άτρέπτως και βεβαίως παραμένη τό εύτυχεΐν, μή επιλανθάνεσθαί τινα εαυτού.

[187] δ ι δ α σ κ α λ ε ί α

26

THE DECALOGUE,

40-43

in t h e s c h o o l o f t h e d i v i n e laws a n d a b a t e his s u p e r ­ cilious airs, a n d t h r o u g h t h e r e a s o n a b l e n e s s o r r a t h e r t h e a s s u r e d t r u t h o f t h e i r a r g u m e n t s u n l e a r n his selfc o n c e i t . F o r i f t h e U n c r e a t e d , t h e I n c o r r u p t i b l e , t h e 41 E t e r n a l , W h o n e e d s n o t h i n g a n d is t h e m a k e r o f all, the Benefactor and K i n g o f kings and G o d o f gods could not b r o o k to despise even the humblest, but d e i g n e d to b a n q u e t him o n holy oracles and statutes, as t h o u g h h e s h o u l d b e t h e sole g u e s t , as t h o u g h for h i m a l o n e t h e feast w a s p r e p a r e d t o g i v e g o o d c h e e r t o a s o u l i n s t r u c t e d in t h e h o l y s e c r e t s a n d a c c e p t e d for admission t o the greatest mysteries, what right have I, the mortal, t o bear m y s e l f p r o u d n e c k e d , puffed-up and loud-voiced, towards m y fellows, w h o , t h o u g h their fortunes b e unequal, have equal rights o f k i n s h i p b e c a u s e t h e y c a n c l a i m t o b e c h i l d r e n o f t h e o n e c o m m o n m o t h e r o f m a n k i n d , n a t u r e ? S o 42 then, though I b e invested with the sovereignty o f e a r t h a n d s e a , I will m a k e m y s e l f affable a n d e a s y o f access t o the p o o r e s t , t o the m e a n e s t , t o the lonely w h o h a v e n o n e c l o s e at h a n d t o h e l p t h e m , t o o r p h a n s who have lost b o t h parents, to wives o n w h o m w i d o w ­ h o o d has f a l l e n , t o o l d m e n e i t h e r childless f r o m t h e first o r b e r e a v e d b y t h e e a r l y d e a t h o f t h o s e w h o m t h e y b e g o t . F o r as I a m a m a n , I shall n o t d e e m it 4 3 right t o adopt the lofty grandeur o f the p o m p o u s stage, b u t m a k e nature m y h o m e and not overstep h e r l i m i t s . I will i n u r e m y m i n d t o h a v e t h e f e e l i n g s of a human being, not only because the lot both o f the prosperous and the unfortunate m a y change to t h e r e v e r s e w e k n o w n o t w h e n , b u t also b e c a u s e it is r i g h t t h a t e v e n i f g o o d f o r t u n e r e m a i n s s e c u r e l y e s t a b l i s h e d , a m a n s h o u l d n o t f o r g e t w h a t h e is. 27

PHILO

δ ι ά ταΰτά μοι δοκει τούς χρησμούς ένικώς άποτεινάμενος ώς προς ένα θεσπίζειν έθελήσαι. 44 X I . Π ά ν τ α δ ' ώς εικός τ ά περι τον τόπον έθαυματουργεΐτο, κτύποις βροντών μειζόνων ή ώστε χωρειν άκοάς, αστραπών λάμφεσιν αύγοειδεστάταις, αοράτου σάλπιγγος ήχή προς μήκιστον άποτεινούση, καθόδω νεφέλης, ή κίονος τρόπον τήν μέν βάσιν επι γής ήρήρειστο, τό δ ' ά λ λ ο σώμα προς αίθέριον ύφος άνετεινε, πυρός ουρανίου φορά καπνώ βαθεΐ τά εν κύκλω συσκιάζοντος· έδει γάρ θεοΰ δυνάμεως άφικνουμένης μηδέν τών τοϋ κόσμου μερών ήσυχάζειν, ά λ λ α πάντα προς [188]

ύπηρεσίαν | συγκεκινήσθαι. παρειστήκει δέ ό ^ λεώς άγνεύσας ομιλιών τών προς γυναίκας και πασών ηδονών έξω τών προς τροφάς αναγκαίων άποσχόμενος, λουτροΐς τε και περιρραντηρίοις καθηράμενος εκ τριών ήμερων, ετι και τάς εσθήτας άποπλυνάμενος, εν τοις μάλιστα λευχείμων, ακρο­ βατών και άνωρθιακώς τά ώτα, Μωυσέως προδηλώσαντος εύτρεπίζεσθαι προς έκκλησίαν έγνω γάρ αυτήν έσομένην, ήνίκα μόνος ανακληθείς 4 6 έχρησμωδεΐτο. φωνή δ ' εκ μέσου του ρυέντος άπ ουρανού πυρός έξήχει καταπληκτικωτάτη, τής φλογός εις διάλεκτον άρθρουμένης τήν συνήθη τοις άκροωμένοις, ή τά λεγόμενα ούτως εναργώς έτρανοΰτο, ώς όράν αυτά μάλλον ή άκούειν δοκειν. 4 7 εγγυάται δέ μου τον λόγον ό νόμος, εν ω γέγραπταΐ' " πάς ο λ α ό ς έώρα τήν φωνήν "· βμ^αντικτώτατα· 4

9

α

6

28

For this and the next section see E x . xx. 14-19. S o L X X , E x . xix. 18, cf. De Mig. 4 7 , Mos. ii. 2 1 3 .

THE DECALOGUE,

43-47

S u c h w a s t h e r e a s o n , as it s e e m s t o m e , w h y h e w i l l e d t o w o r d t h e series o f his o r a c l e s in t h e singular f o r m , a n d d e l i v e r s t h e m as t h o u g h t o o n e a l o n e . X I . I t w a s n a t u r a l t h a t t h e p l a c e s h o u l d b e t h e 44 s c e n e o f all t h a t w a s w o n d e r f u l , c l a p s o f t h u n d e r l o u d e r t h a n t h e ears c o u l d h o l d , flashes o f l i g h t n i n g o f s u r p a s s i n g b r i g h t n e s s , t h e s o u n d o f an invisible trumpet reaching to the greatest distance, the de­ s c e n t o f a c l o u d w h i c h l i k e a pillar s t o o d w i t h its f o o t p l a n t e d o n t h e e a r t h , w h i l e t h e r e s t o f its b o d y e x t e n d e d t o t h e h e i g h t o f t h e u p p e r air, t h e rush o f h e a v e n - s e n t fire w h i c h s h r o u d e d all a r o u n d in d e n s e s m o k e . F o r w h e n t h e p o w e r o f G o d arrives, n e e d s must b e that no part o f the world should remain i n a c t i v e , b u t all m o v e t o g e t h e r t o d o H i m s e r v i c e . Near b y stood the people. T h e y had k e p t pure from 45 i n t e r c o u r s e w i t h w o m e n a n d a b s t a i n e d f r o m all p l e a s u r e s s a v e t h o s e w h i c h are n e c e s s a r y for t h e s u s t e n a n c e o f life. T h e y had cleansed themselves w i t h a b l u t i o n s a n d lustrations for t h r e e d a y s p a s t , a n d m o r e o v e r h a d w a s h e d t h e i r c l o t h e s . S o in t h e w h i t e s t o f r a i m e n t t h e y s t o o d o n t i p t o e w i t h ears p r i c k e d u p in o b e d i e n c e t o t h e w a r n i n g o f M o s e s t o p r e p a r e t h e m s e l v e s for a c o n g r e g a t i o n w h i c h h e k n e w would b e held from the oracular advice he r e c e i v e d w h e n h e w a s s u m m o n e d u p b y himself. T h e n f r o m 46 the m i d s t o f t h e fire t h a t s t r e a m e d f r o m h e a v e n t h e r e s o u n d e d f o r t h t o t h e i r u t t e r a m a z e m e n t a v o i c e , for the flame b e c a m e a r t i c u l a t e s p e e c h in t h e l a n g u a g e familiar t o t h e a u d i e n c e , a n d s o c l e a r l y a n d d i s t i n c t l y w e r e t h e w o r d s f o r m e d b y it t h a t t h e y s e e m e d t o s e e rather t h a n h e a r t h e m . W h a t I s a y is v o u c h e d for 47 b y t h e l a w in w h i c h it is w r i t t e n , " A l l t h e p e o p l e saw t h e v o i c e , " a p h r a s e f r a u g h t w i t h m u c h m e a n i n g , a

b

29

PHILO

τήν μέν γάρ ανθρώπων άκουστήν είναι συμβέβηκεν, όρατήν δέ ώς αληθώς τήν θεοΰ. διά τι; οτι όσα αν λέγη 6 θεός, ού ρήματα εστίν ά λ λ ' έργα, απ ερ 48 οφθαλμοί προ ώτων δικάζουσι. παγκάλως μέντοι καϊ θεοπρεπώς εϊρηται έκ τοΰ πυρός ή φωνή προέρχεσθαι- ήκρίβωται γάρ και βεβασάνισται τά 40 τοΰ θεοΰ λόγια καθάπερ χρυσός πυρί. μηνύει δέ και διά συμβόλου τι τοιούτον επειδή τοΰ πυρός τό μέν φωτίζειν τό δέ καίειν πέφυκεν, οι μέν τοις χρησμοΐς άζιοΰντες εΐναι καταπειθεΐς ώς εν άσκίω φωτι τον άει χρόνον βιώσονται τούς νόμους αυτούς αστέρας έχοντες εν φυχή φωσφοροΰντας, όσοι δ ' άφηνιασταί, καιόμενοι και κατακαιόμενοι διατελοΰσιν ύπό τών ένδον επιθυμιών, αΐ φλογός τρόπον πορθήσουσι τον σύμπαντα τών εχόντων βίον. 50 X I I . * Α μέν ούν άναγκαΐον ήν προδηλώσαι, ταυτ εστίν, επ αυτα οε ηοη τρεπτεον τα Λογία και πάντα τά εν τούτοις ερευνητέον διάφορα, δέκα τοίνυν όντα διένειμεν είς δύο πεντάδας, ας δυσι στήλαις ένεχάραζε, και ή μέν πρότερα πεντάς τά πρωτεία ελαχεν, ή δ ' ετέρα δευτερείων ήξιοΰτο' καλαι δ ' άμφότεραι και βιωφελεΐς, ευρείας οδούς και λεωφόρους ένι τέλει περατουμένας άναστέλλουσαι προς άπταιστον φυχής έφιεμένης άει 51 τοΰ βέλτιστου πορείαν. ή μέν ούν άμείνων πεντάς τοιάδε ήν περι μοναρχίας, ή μοναρχεΐται ό κόσμοςπερι ζοάνων και αγαλμάτων καϊ συνόλως άφιδρυμάτων χειροκμήτων περι τοΰ μή λαμβάνειν επι ματαίω θεοΰ πρόσρησιν περι τοΰ τήν ίεράν \ [189] έβδόμην αγειν ιεροπρεπως- περι γονέων τιμής και ιδία έκατέρου και αμφοτέρων κοινή- ώς εΐναι τής 30 "

THE DECALOGUE, 47-51 for it is t h e c a s e t h a t t h e v o i c e o f m e n is a u d i b l e , but the voice o f G o d truly visible. W h y so ? Because w h a t e v e r G o d s a y s is n o t w o r d s b u t d e e d s , w h i c h are j u d g e d b y t h e e y e s r a t h e r t h a n t h e ears. A d m i r a b l e 4 8 t o o , a n d w o r t h y o f t h e G o d h e a d , is t h e s a y i n g t h a t t h e v o i c e p r o c e e d e d f r o m t h e fire, for t h e o r a c l e s o f G o d h a v e b e e n r e f i n e d a n d a s s a y e d as g o l d is b y fire. A n d it c o n v e y s t o o , s y m b o l i c a l l y , s o m e s u c h m e a n i n g 4 9 as this : s i n c e it is t h e n a t u r e o f fire b o t h t o g i v e light and to burn, those w h o resolve to b e obedient t o t h e d i v i n e u t t e r a n c e s will l i v e f o r e v e r as in u n ­ c l o u d e d l i g h t w i t h t h e l a w s t h e m s e l v e s as stars i l l u m i n a t i n g t h e i r s o u l s , w h i l e all w h o are r e b e l l i o u s will c o n t i n u e t o b e b u r n t , a y e a n d b u r n t t o ashes, b y t h e i r i n w a r d lusts, w h i c h l i k e a flame will r a v a g e t h e w h o l e life o f t h o s e i n w h o m t h e y d w e l l . X I I . S u c h are t h e p o i n t s w h i c h r e q u i r e d a p r e - 5 0 liminary treatment. W e must n o w turn to the oracles t h e m s e l v e s a n d e x a m i n e all t h e different m a t t e r s w i t h w h i c h t h e y d e a l . W e find t h a t H e d i v i d e d t h e t e n i n t o t w o sets o f five w h i c h H e e n g r a v e d o n t w o t a b l e s , a n d t h e first five o b t a i n e d t h e first p l a c e , w h i l e t h e o t h e r w a s a w a r d e d t h e s e c o n d . B o t h are e x ­ c e l l e n t a n d p r o f i t a b l e for life ; b o t h o p e n o u t b r o a d highroads leading at the e n d to a single goal, roads a l o n g w h i c h a s o u l w h i c h e v e r desires t h e b e s t c a n t r a v e l w i t h o u t s t u m b l i n g . T h e s u p e r i o r s e t o f five 51 treats o f the following matters : the monarchical p r i n c i p l e b y w h i c h t h e w o r l d is g o v e r n e d : i d o l s o f s t o n e a n d w o o d a n d i m a g e s in g e n e r a l m a d e b y h u m a n h a n d s : t h e sin o f t a k i n g t h e n a m e o f G o d in v a i n : t h e r e v e r e n t o b s e r v a n c e o f t h e s a c r e d s e v e n t h d a y as befits its holiness : t h e d u t y o f h o n o u r ­ i n g p a r e n t s , e a c h s e p a r a t e l y a n d b o t h in c o m m o n . 31

PHILO

μιας γραφής τήν μέν αρχήν θεόν και πατέρα και ποιητήν του παντός, τό δέ τέλος γονείς, οι μιμού­ μενοι τήν εκείνου φύσιν γεννώσι τούς επι μέρους, ή δ ' έτερα πεντάς τάς πάσας απαγορεύσεις περιέχει* μοιχείας, φόνου, κλοπής, ψευδομαρτυριών, επι­ θυμιών. 52 'Έ,πισκεπτέον δ έ μετά πάσης ακριβείας τών λογίων έκαστον μηδέν πάρεργον αυτών ποιού­ μενους, άρχή δ ' άριστη πάντων μέν τών Οντων θεός, αρετών δ ' ευσέβεια* περι ών άναγκαιότατον πρώτον διεζελθεΐν. πλάνος τις ού μικρός τό πλείστον τών ανθρώπων γένος κατέσχηκε περι πράγματος, όπερ ή μόνον ή μάλιστα ην εικός άπλανέστατον ταΐς εκάστων διανοίαις ένιδρΰσθαι. 53 εκτεθειώκασι γάρ οι μέν τάς τεσσάρας αρχάς, γήν και ύδωρ και αέρα και πυρ, οι δ ' ήλιον και σελήνην και τούς άλλους πλανήτας και απλανείς αστέρας, οι δέ μόνον τον ούρανόν, οι δέ τον σύμπαντα κόσμον τον δ ' άνωτάτω και πρεσβύτατον, τον γεννητήν, τον άρχοντα τής μεγαλοπόλεως, τον στρατάρχην τής αήττητου στρατιάς, τον κυβερνήτην, ός οικονομεί σωτηρίως άει τά σύμπαντα, παρεκαλύφαντο ψευδωνύμους προσρήσεις έκείνοις έπι54 φημίσαντες ετέρας έτεροι, καλοϋσι γάρ οι μέν τήν γήν Κόρην, Δήμητραν, Π λ ο ύ τ ω ν α , τήν δέ θάλατταν Π ο σ ε ι δ ώ ν α , δαίμονας εναλίους υπάρχους αύτώ προσαναπλάττοντες και θεραπείας ομίλους μεγάλους αρρένων τε και θηλειών, " Η ρ α ν δ έ τ ό ν άε'ρα και τό πυρ "ΐίφαιστον και ήλιον * Απόλλωνα και σελήνην "Αρτεμιν και έωσφόρον *Κφροδίτην 32

THE DECALOGUE, 51-54 Thus o n e set o f enactments begins with G o d the F a t h e r a n d M a k e r o f all, a n d e n d s w i t h p a r e n t s w h o c o p y His nature b y b e g e t t i n g particular persons. T h e o t h e r s e t o f five c o n t a i n s all t h e p r o h i b i t i o n s , namely adultery, murder, theft, false w i t n e s s , c o v e t o u s n e s s o r lust. W e m u s t e x a m i n e w i t h all c a r e e a c h o f t h e p r o - 52 nouncements, giving perfunctory treatment to none. T h e t r a n s c e n d e n t s o u r c e o f all t h a t e x i s t s is G o d , as p i e t y is t h e s o u r c e o f t h e v i r t u e s , a n d it is v e r y n e c e s s a r y t h a t t h e s e t w o s h o u l d b e first d i s c u s s e d . A g r e a t d e l u s i o n has t a k e n h o l d o f t h e l a r g e r p a r t o f m a n k i n d in r e g a r d t o a f a c t w h i c h p r o p e r l y s h o u l d b e e s t a b l i s h e d b e y o n d all q u e s t i o n in e v e r y m i n d t o t h e e x c l u s i o n of, o r at least a b o v e , all others. F o r s o m e h a v e d e i f i e d t h e four e l e m e n t s , 53 e a r t h , w a t e r , air a n d fire, o t h e r s t h e sun, m o o n , p l a n e t s a n d fixed stars, o t h e r s a g a i n t h e h e a v e n b y itself, o t h e r s t h e w h o l e w o r l d . B u t t h e h i g h e s t a n d the m o s t august, the Begetter, the Ruler o f the great World-city, the Commander-in-Chief o f the invincible h o s t , t h e P i l o t w h o e v e r steers all t h i n g s in s a f e t y , H i m t h e y h a v e h i d d e n f r o m s i g h t b y t h e m i s l e a d i n g titles assigned to the objects o f worship m e n t i o n e d above. Different p e o p l e g i v e t h e m different n a m e s : s o m e 54 call t h e e a r t h Κ o r e o r D e m e t e r o r P l u t o , a n d t h e sea P o s e i d o n , a n d i n v e n t m a r i n e d e i t i e s s u b o r d i n a t e to h i m and great companies o f attendants, male and female. T h e y call air H e r a a n d fire H e p h a e s t u s , t h e sun A p o l l o , t h e m o o n A r t e m i s , t h e m o r n i n g - s t a r a

&

α

Greek " t h e other planets," the sun and moon being regarded as planets. See A p p . p. 6 1 0 . &

VOL. VII

D

33

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65 και στίλβοντα Έρμήν και τών άλλων αστέρων έκαστου τάς επωνυμίας μυθογράφοι παρέδοσαν, οΐ προς άπάτην ακοής ε υ τβτβχνασμένα πλάσματα συνυφήναντ€ς βδοζαν πβρι τήν τών ονομάτων θέσιν 56 κβκομφβΰσθαι* τον τ ε ούρανόν €ΐς ημισφαίρια τω λόγω διχή διανειμ,αντες, τ ό μέν υπέρ γής, τό δ ' υπό γής, Διοσκόρους έκάλβσαν τό πβρι τής έτβρημέρου ζωής αυτών προστβρατβυσάμενοι διήγημα. 57 του γάρ ουρανού συνβχώς και άπαύστως ά ε ι κύκλω πβριπολοΰντος, ανάγκη τών ημισφαιρίων έκάτ€ρον άντιμεθίστασθαι παρ* ήμέραν άνω τ ε και κάτω γινόμβνον Οσα τω δοκ€Ϊν άνω γάρ και κάτω προς άλήθβιαν ουδέν έν σφαίρα, προς δέ τήν ήμ€τέραν | [190] σχέσιν αυτό μόνον ε ί ω 0 ε λέγβσθαι τό μέν υπέρ 58 κ€φαλής άνω, κάτω δέ τουναντίον. τω δή φιλοσοφείν άνόθως έγνωκότι και άδολου καϊ καθαράς ε υ σ έ β ε ι α ς μβταποιουμένω κάλλιστον και όσιώτατον ύφηγεΐται παράγγελμα, μηδέν τών του κόσμου μερών αύτοκρατή θβόν ύπολαμβάνβιν είναι· και γάρ γέγονβ, γένεσις δέ φθοράς αρχή, καν πρόνοια του πεποιηκότος άθανατίζηται, και ην ποτε χρόνος, οτβ ούκ ήν* θβόν δέ πρότβρον ούκ όντα και άπό τίνος χρόνου γβνόμενον και μή διαιωνίζοντα 1

59 λέγειν ού θβμιτόν.

X I I I . ά λ λ α γάρ ένιοι

πβρι τ ά ς κρίσεις άπονοία τοσαύτη κέχρηνται, ώς ού μόνον τά βίρημένα θβούς νομίζβιν, ά λ λ α και έκαστον αυτών μέγιστον και πρώτον θβόν, τον 1

α

MSS. μυθογράφους or -οις.

O r " sparkler," ·· twinkler." For these non-mythological names of the planets see Quis Rerum 224*. 34

T H E D E C A L O G U E , 55-59 a

A p h r o d i t e a n d t h e g l i t t e r e r H e r m e s , a n d e a c h o f t h e 55 o t h e r stars h a v e n a m e s h a n d e d d o w n b y t h e m y t h m a k e r s , w h o h a v e p u t t o g e t h e r fables skilfully c o n ­ trived t o d e c e i v e the hearers and thus w o n a reputa­ t i o n f o r a c c o m p l i s h m e n t in n a m e - g i v i n g . S o t o o in 56 accordance with the theory b y which they divided the h e a v e n into t w o hemispheres, o n e a b o v e the e a r t h a n d o n e b e l o w it, t h e y c a l l e d t h e m t h e D i o s c u r i a n d i n v e n t e d a further m i r a c u l o u s s t o r y o f t h e i r living o n a l t e r n a t e d a y s . F o r i n d e e d as h e a v e n is 57 always revolving ceaselessly and continuously round a n d r o u n d , e a c h h e m i s p h e r e m u s t n e c e s s a r i l y al­ t e r n a t e l y c h a n g e its p o s i t i o n d a y b y d a y a n d b e c o m e u p p e r o r l o w e r as it a p p e a r s , t h o u g h in r e a l i t y t h e r e is n o u p p e r o r l o w e r in a s p h e r i c a l figure, a n d it is m e r e l y i n r e l a t i o n t o o u r o w n p o s i t i o n t h a t w e are a c c u s t o m e d t o s p e a k o f w h a t is a b o v e o u r h e a d s as u p p e r a n d t h e o p p o s i t e t o this as l o w e r . N o w t o o n e w h o is d e t e r m i n e d t o f o l l o w a g e n u i n e 58 p h i l o s o p h y a n d m a k e a p u r e a n d g u i l e l e s s p i e t y his o w n , M o s e s g i v e s this t r u l y a d m i r a b l e a n d r e l i g i o u s c o m m a n d that he should not suppose any o f the parts o f t h e u n i v e r s e t o b e t h e o m n i p o t e n t G o d . F o r t h e w o r l d has b e c o m e w h a t it is, a n d its b e c o m ­ i n g is t h e b e g i n n i n g o f its d e s t r u c t i o n , e v e n t h o u g h b y t h e p r o v i d e n c e o f G o d it b e m a d e i m m o r t a l , a n d t h e r e w a s a t i m e w h e n it w a s n o t . B u t t o s p e a k o f G o d as " n o t b e i n g " at s o m e f o r m e r t i m e , o r h a v i n g " b e c o m e " at s o m e particular t i m e and n o t existing for all e t e r n i t y is p r o f a n i t y . X I I I . B u t 59 t h e r e are s o m e w h o s e v i e w s are a f f e c t e d w i t h s u c h folly t h a t t h e y n o t o n l y r e g a r d t h e said o b j e c t s as g o d s b u t e a c h o f t h e m s e v e r a l l y as t h e g r e a t e s t a n d 6

b

Od. xi. 3 0 3 .

See A p p . p. 6 1 0 .

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