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Cleanthes
SVF I: Cleanthes Page scan-177
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Ancient Greek
MORALIA. 121 ϑεολογίωαν δὲ ἀληϑινὴν ἐνδείκνυται, οὐκ ἀπεκρύψατο τοῦ ϑεοῦ πέρι ὅτι πὲρ εἶχεν φρονῶν" τἀγαϑὸν ἐρωτᾷς μ᾽ οἷον ἔστ᾽; ἄκουε δή᾽ τεταγμένον, δίκαιον, ὕσιον, εὐσεβές, κρατοῦν ἑαυτοῦ, χρήσιμον, καλόν, δέον, 5 αὐστηρόν, αὐϑέκαστον, αἰεὶ συμφέρον, ἄφοβον, ἄλυπον, λυσιτελές, ἀνώδυνον, ὠφέλιμον, εὐάρεστον, ἀσφαλές, φίλον, ἔντιμον, (εὐχάριστονν, ὁμολογούμενον, εὐχλεές, ἄτυφον, ἐπιμελές, πρᾶον, σφοδρύν, 10 χρονιξόμενον, ἄμεμπτον, αἰεὶ διαμένον. Idem Strom. V 14, 110 p. 715 P. Κλεάνϑους τε τοῦ Στωϊχοῦ ἔν τινι ποιήματι περὶ τοῦ ϑεοῦ ταῦτα γεγραφύτος &xove' (secuntur idem versus, sed omilluntur in codice verba ἀσφαλές, φίλον, ἔντιμον, ut. Óuo- λογούμενον sequatur illud εὐάρεστον). Hunc loéum exscribit Euseb. i; praep. evang. XIII 13 p. 679, versus 6, 7 eadem forma praebet, qua loeus Protreptici, unde colligitur ipsum Clementem Strom. V eandem versuum formam exhibuisse quam in Protreptico, verba ἀσφαλὲς --- £v- τίμον omisisse librarium. 5858 Clemens Alex. Strom. II 22,131 p. 499 P. διὸ καὶ Κλεάν- so uc ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ περὶ ἡδονῆς vóv Σωκράτην φησὶ παρ᾽ ἕκαστα διδάσκειν, ὡς ὁ αὐτὸς δίκαιός τε καὶ εὐδαίμων ἀνήρ, καὶ τῷ πρώτῳ διελόντι τὸ δίκαιον ἀπὸ τοῦ συμφέροντος καταρᾶσϑαι, ὡς ἀσεβές τι πρᾶγμα δεδρακότι" ἀσεβεῖς γὰρ τῷ ὄντι οἱ τὸ συμφέρον ἀπὸ τοῦ δι- καίου τοῦ κατὰ νόμον χωρίζοντες. 36 Cf. Cicero de off. III 11. itaque accepimus Socratem exsecrari so- litum eos, qui primum haec natura cohaerentia. opinione distrazissent. cui quidem ita sunt Stoici assensi, ut οἱ quidquid honestum esset, id wlile esse censerent, nec utile quicquam, quod non honestum. - id. de leg. I 33. recte Socrates exsecrari ewm solebat, qui primus utilitatem a so iure seiunzisset: id enim querebatur caput esse exitiorum omnium. De Indifferentibus. (Vol. III p. 28.) 569 Clemens Alex. Strom. V 3, 17 p. 655 P. καὶ ἡ Κλεάνϑους δὲ τοῦ Στωικοῦ φιλοσόφου ποιητικὴ ὧδέ πως τὰ ὅμοια γράφει 35 μὴ πρὸς δόξαν ὅρα, ἐθέλων σοφὸς αἷψα γενέσϑαι, μηδὲ φοβοῦ πολλῶν ἄκριτον καὶ ἀναιδέα βάξιν" 1 errat Clemens, cum &d deum refert, quae de honesto dicuntur. 9 &ó- χάριστον supplevi. 31 a iure C. F. W. Mueller, naturae libri. 81 βάξιν Meineke, δοξαν cod., quod neque potuit mutata significatione repeti (vs. 1) ne- Stoicorum veterum fragm. I. 12
English AI-generated translation, non-official
Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-14
MORALS, 127. ... did not conceal what he thought about God:
You ask me what the good is like? Then listen:
orderly, just, holy, reverent,
self-controlled, useful, noble, fitting,
austere, forthright, always beneficial,
fearless, painless, profitable,
free from distress, helpful, pleasing,
secure, friendly, honored, grateful,
consistent, renowned, free from conceit,
careful, gentle, vigorous,
enduring, blameless, everlasting.
The same author, Stromata V 14.110, p. 715 P. Listen to what Cleanthes the Stoic wrote about God in one of his poems. The same verses follow, but the manuscript omits the words “secure, friendly, honored,” so that “consistent” follows “pleasing.” Eusebius, Preparation for the Gospel XIII 13, p. 679, copies this passage and gives verses 6 and 7 in the same form as the passage in the Exhortation. From this it is inferred that Clement himself, in Stromata V, presented the same form of the verses as in the Exhortation, and that a copyist omitted the words “secure ... honored.”
558 Clement of Alexandria, Stromata II 22.131, p. 499 P. Therefore Cleanthes, in the second book of On Pleasure, says that Socrates teaches repeatedly that the same man is both just and happy, and that he cursed the first person to separate justice from advantage, as one who had committed an impious act. For those who separate advantage from justice according to law are truly impious.
Compare Cicero, On Duties III 11. Accordingly, we have learned that Socrates used to curse those who were the first to separate in opinion things joined by nature. The Stoics agreed with him to such an extent that they judged whatever was honorable to be useful, and nothing useful unless it was honorable. The same author, On the Laws I 33: Socrates rightly used to curse the man who first separated utility from right, for he complained that this was the source of every ruin.
On Indifferent Things. Vol. III, p. 28.
559 Clement of Alexandria, Stromata V 3.17, p. 655 P. The poetry of Cleanthes the Stoic philosopher writes something similar in these words:
Do not look toward reputation in your wish to become wise at once,
nor fear the undiscerning and shameless talk of the multitude.
1 Clement is mistaken when he refers to God what is said about the honorable. 9 I supplied “grateful.” 31 C. F. W. Mueller reads “from right”; the manuscripts have “from nature.” 34 Meineke reads “talk”; the manuscript has “reputation,” which could not have been repeated with a changed meaning from verse 1. Stoicorum Veterum Fragmenta I. 12.
French AI-generated translation, non-official
Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-14
MORALE, 127. [...] mais une véritable théologie, ne dissimula pas ce qu’il pensait de Dieu :
Tu me demandes quelle sorte de chose est le bien ? Écoute donc :
ordonné, juste, saint, pieux,
maître de soi, utile, beau, convenable,
austère, franc, toujours avantageux,
sans peur, sans chagrin, profitable,
indolore, bénéfique, agréable,
sûr, amical, honorable, reconnaissant,
cohérent, glorieux, sans vanité,
attentif, doux, puissant,
durable, irréprochable, subsistant toujours.
Le même, Stromates, V, 14, 110, p. 715 P. Cléanthe le Stoïcien ayant écrit dans un poème, au sujet de Dieu, ce qui suit, écoute. Suivent les mêmes vers, mais les mots ἀσφαλές, φίλον, ἔντιμον sont omis dans le manuscrit, de sorte que ὁμολογούμενον suit εὐάρεστον. Eusèbe, Préparation évangélique, XIII, 13, p. 679, copie ce passage ; il donne aux vers 6 et 7 la même forme que le passage du Protreptique. On en conclut que Clément lui-même présentait dans les Stromates, V, la même forme des vers que dans le Protreptique, et que le copiste a omis les mots ἀσφαλές [...] ἔντιμον.
558 Clément d’Alexandrie, Stromates, II, 22, 131, p. 499 P. C’est pourquoi Cléanthe, dans le deuxième livre de son traité Sur le plaisir, dit que Socrate enseigne à chaque occasion qu’un même homme est juste et heureux, et qu’il maudit le premier qui sépara le juste de l’utile, comme ayant commis un acte impie. Sont en effet réellement impies ceux qui séparent l’utile du juste conforme à la loi.
Cf. Cicéron, Des devoirs, III, 11. Ainsi avons-nous appris que Socrate avait coutume de maudire ceux qui avaient été les premiers à séparer par l’opinion ces choses unies par la nature. Les Stoïciens lui ont donné leur assentiment au point de juger que tout ce qui est honnête est utile et que rien n’est utile qui ne soit honnête. Le même, Des lois, I, 33. Socrate avait raison de maudire celui qui, le premier, avait séparé l’utilité du droit : il se plaignait que ce fût là la source de tous les désastres.
Sur les indifférents. (Vol. III, p. 28.)
559 Clément d’Alexandrie, Stromates, V, 3, 17, p. 655 P. La poésie de Cléanthe, le philosophe stoïcien, écrit à peu près ceci dans le même sens :
Ne considère pas la réputation en voulant devenir sage sur-le-champ,
et ne crains pas le propos irréfléchi et impudent de la multitude.
1 Clément se trompe lorsqu’il rapporte à Dieu ce qui est dit de l’honnête. 9 J’ai suppléé εὐχάριστον. 31 C. F. W. Mueller propose « a iure » ; les manuscrits portent « naturae ». 31 Meineke propose βάξιν ; le manuscrit porte δοξαν, mot qui ne pouvait être répété avec un sens différent après le vers 1, et qui ne... Fragmente des anciens Stoïciens, I, 12.
Concepts in this passage
Beneficence
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Cosmic tension
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Endurance without exhaustion
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Fear
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Intelligible forms
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Friendship
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Moral rightness and utility
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Justice
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Law
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Nature
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Philosophical eros
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Pleasure
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Reason
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Time
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Virtue
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Willing assent
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Wisdom
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