Folia Theologica 19. (2008)

Perendy László: Judging Philosophers - Theophilus of Antioch on Hellenic inconsistency

214

PERENDY, László

(Most parts of the following passage have already been quoted before)

Ti yap Kori àA,r|0èç aipfjKaaiv;

~H xi docpéXriGav Eûpt7tiôr|v Kaî Xo(poKÀ,éa Kai xoùç Xotnoùç xpaycpôtoypacpouç ai xpaycpSiai, [...] rj IlnGayopav xà àSuxa Kai 'HpaKXÉaoç oxrjXai, rj Aioyévr|v fi kwikt) (piÀooocpia, f| 'EnÎKcmpov xô Soypaxi^eiv pf] eîvai npovoiav, rj ’EpTieSoKÀéa xô ôtôàoKEtv aGeoxrjxa, rj ZcûKpàxr|v xô ôjxvôetv xôv KÙva Kaî xôv Xrjva Kai xfjv nAáxavov Kaî xov KEpauvœGévxa ÀGKÀ,r|7tiôv Kai xà ôatpôvta a É7i£KaÀ,EÎxo; npôç xi ÔÈ Kaî ékoov ânéGvr|GK£v, xi- va Kaî Ô710Î0V pioxôv pExà Gàvaxov a7ioA,aßEiv ÈA-ni^œv; Ti 5è (bcpÉÁqoEV IIÀxxxcùva f| Kax’ aôxôv naiÔEta, fj xoùç A,oi7iaùç cpiXo- oôcpouç xà I Sôypaxa aôxcûv (ïva pf| xôv àpiGpôv a-ùxcôv Kaxa- ÀÉyco, noWwv ôvxcov); Taijxa Sé cpapEV ëîç xô éruSEÎ^ai xqv âvco(p£Â,rj Kai à0Eov Siàvoiav aôxcûv.

"What truth did they speak? Or what did their tragedies avail for Euripides and Sophocles and the other tragic poets [...]? Or the shrines and the pillars of Heracles for Pythagoras? or the Cynic philosophy for Diogenes? or the dogmatic denial of providence for Epicurus? or the teaching of atheism for Empedocles? or the oath by dog and goose and plane-tree for Socrates, not to mention his oath by the lightning-struck Asclepius and his invocation of the demons? For what purpose was he willing to die? What kind of reward did he hope to receive after death? And what did Plato's form of education avail him? What did their doctrines avail the other philosophers - not to list the whole number, since there are so many? We say these things to demonstrate their useless and godless notions." (Ill 2)

The final conclusion that can be drawn from Theophilus' argumentation is that Hellene philosophy, the most important pillar of pagan religion, is contradicting itself in the most important issues. The authorities accuse the Christians of atheism. But these accusations become ridiculous as soon as it becomes obvious that pagan philosophers themselves have viewpoints diametrically opposed to each other. The apparently rational bases of pagan paideia start trembling when there is no agreement in the most important issues of their doctrine of the divine sphere. Theophilus makes it obvious that the various doxai, i.e. opinions of the Hellene philosophers concerning the genesis and the structure of the cosmos are not coherent at all. There are several basic