Folia Theologica 19. (2008)
Perendy László: Judging Philosophers - Theophilus of Antioch on Hellenic inconsistency
JUDGING PHILOSOPHERS 207 fore the end of the second century AD? Who was this supposed manual written by? Given the fact that the last philosopher he mentions died well before the appearance of Christianity, it could have been written by a Jewish scholar, and not necessarily by a Christian writer. Persistent Errors Committed by the Hellenes, and the Futility of their Efforts Their most common mistakes concerning God Kai xi pot xô Xoutôv to iiXrjBoç xœv toioùtcov ôvopaaiœv Kai y£veaÀ.oyiœv KaxaÀéyeiv; "Dote Kaxà návxa xpórcov èpnaiÇovxai oi ouyypacpeîç tkxvxeç Kai notr|Tai Kai cptXóoocpoi Xeyópevoi, ext pijv Kaï oi npooéxovxeç | aùxoîç. MùGouç yàp paAXov Kai pœpiaç ouvéxa^av népi xœv Kax’ aùxoùç 9eœv où yàp àrcéSei^av aùxoùç Geoùç, àXXà àvùpcémouç, oùç pév pe0ùaouç, èxépooç nôpvooç Kai (poveîç... "Excpoi 5’ au eÎ7iov npovoiav eîvai, Kai (äAAoi) xà xoùxcov ôôypaxa àvéXvoav. [...] nA,fiv Kai nA,r|0ùv (0ecûv) eiaf|yayov r\ Kai povapyiav eÎTiov, Kai íipóvoiav eîvai xoîç Xéyouoiv ánpovoriaíav xàvavxia eipijKaoiv. "Why should I continue to list the multitude of such names and genealogies? All the historians and poets and so-called philosophers are deceived in every respect, and so are those who pay attention to them. For they have composed myths and foolishness concerning their god by showing them to be not god but men, some of them drunkards, others fornicators and murderers. (...) Others, again, said that providence exists, while still others demolished their doctrines. [...] Nevertheless, they introduced a multitude of gods or else spoke of the divine monarchy; to those who said that providence exists they expressed the contrary belief in the non-existence of providence." (II 8) Ka0cbç èv xoîç éítávcü | éSr^oóaapev, èE, aôxSjv xœv iaxopiœv œv auvéypa\j/av àneSei^apev. Al 8è eîkoveç aùxœv xô Ka0’ ijpépav ecoç xoù Seùpo èKxuTioùvxai, cïScoka, ëpya xeipôv ccvOpœncùv. Kai xoùxoïç pèv A,axpeùei xô nXrjBoç xœv paxaiœv àv0pcimœv, xôv 6è 7iovr)xfiv Kai Srpioupyov xœv oÀœv Kai xpocpéa nàor|ç nvorjç à0e-
