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1.1 Erat there was Nicomēdīae at Nicomedia philosophus a philosopher quīdam a certain nōmine by name Aristocrātēs Aristocrates Graecus a Greek vir a man doctissimus most learned quī who omnēs all librōs the books philosophōrum of the philosophers lēgerat had read et and multōs many ipse himself scrīpserat had written
1.2 Scīvit he knew quid what Platō Plato dē about animā the soul sēnsisset had thought quid what Aristotelēs Aristotle dē about nātūrā nature docuisset had taught quid what Zēnōn Zeno dē about virtūte virtue praecepisset had prescribed quid what Epicūrus Epicurus dē about voluptāte pleasure disputāvisset had argued
1.3 Sed but cum when haec these things omnia all scīret he knew fēlīx happy nōn not erat he was
1.4 Nam for philosophī the philosophers dē about omnibus all things rēbus things disputant dispute et and dē about nūllā nothing rē thing cōnsentiunt do they agree
1.5 Hoc this Varrō Varro ille the famous doctissimus most learned Rōmānōrum of the Romans iam already computāverat had calculated quī who in in librīs the books suīs his trēcentās three hundred sententīās opinions dē about summō the highest bonō good numerāvit counted inter among philosophōs the philosophers
1.6 Trēcentae three hundred sententiae! opinions sī if ergō therefore ūna one vēritās truth est there is ducentī two hundred and nōnāgintā ninety- novem nine errōrēs errors sunt there are aut or fortasse perhaps omnēs all trēcentī three hundred
1.7 Aristocrātēs Aristocrates ergō therefore omnia everything scīvit knew praeter except id that quod which maximē most of all scīre to know oportēbat it was necessary —quis who sit is Deus God et and quid what ab from homine a human being requīrat he requires
1.8 Habēbat he had sapientiam wisdom —sed but sine without religiōne religion et and sapientia wisdom sine without religiōne religion lampas a lamp est is quae which lūcet shines in in cubiculō a room clausō sealed —lūcem light habet it has sed but viā the road nōn not ostendit does it show
2.1 Erat there was autem moreover in in eādem the same urbe city sacerdōs a priestess Diānae of Diana nōmine by name Mnēmosynē Mnemosyne fēmina a woman piissima most devout quae who cotīdiē daily tūs incense incendēbat would burn et and victimās victims immolābat would sacrifice et and precēs prayers ante before simulācrum the image deae of the goddess fundēbat would pour out
2.2 Nūllum no sacrum sacred rite omittēbat did she omit nūllum no rītum ritual neglegēbat did she neglect nūllam no caerimōniam ceremony praetermittēbat did she pass over
2.3 Sed but cum when eam her interrogārēs you asked quid what Diāna Diana esset was cūr why tūs incense eī to her placēret should please quid what post after mortem death futūrum would be esset going to be nihil nothing respondēre to answer poterat was she able nisi except “sīc thus patrēs our fathers nostrī our fēcērunt did sīc thus et also nōs we facimus” do
2.4 Ō O misera wretched dēfēnsiō! defence —sī if patrēs fathers errāvērunt were wrong filīōs sons quoque also errāre to be wrong oportet? is necessary
2.5 Habēbat she had religiōnem religion —sed but sine without sapientiā wisdom et and religiō religion sine without sapientiā wisdom via a road est is sine without oculīs eyes —ambulās you walk sed but quō where to nescīs you do not know
2.6 Seneca Seneca ipse himself dē concerning tālibus such people scrīpsit wrote in in librō the book Dē On Superstitiōne Superstition —colunt they worship quod what nōn not intellegunt they understand timent they fear quod what nōn not nōvērunt they know et and servīlī with servile metū fear id that faciunt they do quod which līberā with free voluntāte will fierī to be done dēbuerat ought
3.1 Accidit it happened autem then ut that pēstilentia a plague gravissima most serious Nicomēdiam Nicomedia invāderet invaded
3.2 Multī many moriēbantur were dying cotīdiē daily et and neque neither dīvitēs the rich neque nor pauperēs the poor neque nor magistrātūs magistrates neque nor servī slaves ā from morbō the disease tūtī safe erant were
3.3 Aristocrātēs Aristocrates philosophus the philosopher causam the cause morbī of the disease quaesīvit sought in in librīs the books suīs his —et and multās many causās causes invēnit he found aquam the water corruptam corrupted āerem the air malum bad cibum food vitiōsum spoiled
3.4 Sed but cum when explicāvisset he had explained causam the cause remedium a remedy dare to give nōn not potuit was he able nam for scīre to know cūr why morbus a disease veniat comes et and scīre to know quōmodo how mortālis a mortal sānētur may be healed nōn not eadem the same rēs thing est is
3.5 Nōn not est is it hoc this culpa the fault philosophī of the philosopher —nam for homō a man est he is nōn not deus— a god sed but vitium the defect philosophiae of philosophy ipsīus itself quae which causās causes ostendit shows sed but remedia remedies nōn not habet has
3.6 Mnēmosynē Mnemosyne autem meanwhile sacerdōs the priestess ad to templum the temple cucurrit ran et and victimās victims plūrimās very many Diānae to Diana immolāvit sacrificed et and supplīcātiōnēs processions of supplication per through urbem the city dūxit led et and preces prayers altissimā in the loudest vōce voice clāmāvit cried out
3.7 Sed but pēstilentia the plague nōn not cessāvit ceased —nam for simulācrum an image marmoreum of marble precēs prayers nōn cannot audit hear nec nor fumum the smoke tūris of incense sentit feel nec nor sanguinem the blood victimārum of victims videt see
3.8 Quōmodo how enim indeed audiat should it hear quod what aurēs ears nōn does not habet? have quōmodo how videat should it see quod what oculōs eyes nōn does not habet? have quōmodo how iuvet should it help quod what vītam life nōn does not habet? have
4.1 Erat there was autem moreover in in eādem the same urbe city anus an old woman quaedam a certain Chrīstiāna a Christian nōmine by name Eirēnē Eirene paupercula quite poor et and indocta unlearned ut as mundus the world iūdicat judges quae who neque neither Platōnem Plato lēgerat had read neque nor Aristotelem Aristotle neque nor quemquam anyone philosophōrum of the philosophers
4.2 Sed but habēbat she possessed id that quod which nec neither Aristocrātēs Aristocrates nec nor Mnēmosynē Mnemosyne habēbant had —sapientia wisdom et and religiō religion in in eā her ūnum one thing erant were
4.3 Scīvit she knew enim for ūnum one esse there was Deum a God quī who omnia all things fēcerit made —et and hoc this ad to sapientiam wisdom pertinēbat belonged
4.4 Et and Deum God illum that same colēbat she worshipped nōn not tūre with incense et and sanguine blood sed but fide with faith et and misericordiā mercy —et and hoc this ad to religiōnem religion pertinēbat belonged
4.5 Itaque and so cum when pēstilentia the plague saeviēbat was raging neque neither philosophus the philosopher dē about causīs causes disputābat was she disputing neque nor ante before simulācra images clāmābat was she crying out sed but aegrōs the sick vīsitābat she was visiting et and cūrābat and tending et and morientibus and to the dying aderat she was present et and mortuōs and the dead sepeliēbat was burying quōs whom etiam even propinquī relatives suī their own prō out of timōre fear dēseruerant had abandoned
4.6 Et and cum when eam her interrogārent they asked “nōnne are you not timēs afraid mortem?” of death respondēbat she would answer “timeō I fear Deum God quī who mē me fēcit made nōn not morbum the disease quī which corpus only the body tantum only laedere to harm potest” is able
4.7 Ō O respōnsum an answer quod which nūllus no philosophus philosopher dare to give potuit! was able nam for Aristocrātēs Aristocrates causam the cause morbī of the disease scīvit knew sed but mortem death timēbat feared anus the old woman autem however causam the cause morbī of the disease nesciēbat did not know sed but mortem death nōn did not timēbat fear
4.8 Quis who ergō therefore est is vērē truly sapiēns wise —quī the one who multa many things scit knows et and timet is afraid an or quī the one who ūnum one thing scit knows et and nōn is not timet? afraid
5.1 Accidit it happened ut that Aristocrātēs Aristocrates dum while per through urbem the city ambulat he is walking Eirēnēn Eirene vidēret saw aegrōs the sick cūrantem tending et and mortuōs the dead sepelientem burying
5.2 Accessit he approached et and dīxit said “ō O mulier woman cūr why tē yourself ipsam yourself perīculō to danger obiicis? do you expose nōnne do you not scīs know morbum the disease hunc this per through contagiōnem contagion trānsmittī?” is transmitted
5.3 Eirēnē Eirene respondēns answering dīxit said “sciō I know morbum the disease corpus the body occīdere can kill posse is able sed but animam the soul nōn not posse is able tū you autem however quī who multa many things scīs know dīc tell mihi me —cūr why aegrōs the sick nōn not cūrās do you tend sī if tam so sapiēns wise es?” you are
5.4 Aristocrātēs Aristocrates tacuit was silent nam for philosophia philosophy eius his eum him docuerat had taught quid what sit is virtūs virtue sed but virtūtem virtue ipsam itself nōn had not dederat given
5.5 Sapientia wisdom sine without religiōne religion docet teaches quid what faciendum is to be done sit should be sed but vīrēs the strength faciendī of doing it nōn does not praebet provide —sīcut just as medicus a physician quī who morbum the disease dīgnōscit diagnoses sed but medicāmentum the medicine nōn does not habet have
6.1 Mnēmosynē Mnemosyne quoque also cum when Eirēnēn Eirene vīdisset had seen inter among aegrōs the sick accessit she approached et and dīxit said “ō O mulier woman quis which deus god tibi to you hanc this fortitūdinem courage dat? gives ego I enim for Diānae to Diana centum a hundred victimās victims immolāvī have sacrificed et and tamen yet pēstilentia the plague nōn has not cessāvit” ceased
6.2 Eirēnē Eirene respondēns answering dīxit said “nōn not centum a hundred victimārum of victims sanguine with the blood sed but ūnīus of one cordis heart misericordiā with the mercy Deus God placātur is appeased
6.3 Nam for Deus God vērus the true nōn not tūre with incense gaudet rejoices quod which in in āerem the air ēvānēscit vanishes nōn not sanguine with blood quō by which ārā the altar polluātur may be polluted sed but iūstitiā with justice et and misericordiā mercy et and fide faith quae which in in animā the soul permanent endure
6.4 Sī if vīs you wish Deum God vērum the true colere to worship nōn not pecudēs cattle sed but tē yourself ipsam yourself offer offer —nōn not corpus the body tuum your ad for mortem death sed but animam your soul tuam your ad for vēritātem” truth
6.5 Mnēmosynē Mnemosyne haec these things audīvit heard et and lacrimāvit wept —nōn not quia because verba the words dūra harsh erant were sed but quia because vēra true erant they were et and vēritātem the truth quam which numquam never audīverat she had heard repente suddenly agnōvit she recognized sīcut just as quī one who in in tenebrīs darkness diū for a long time sedit has sat lūcem the light subitam sudden agnōscit recognizes etsī even though oculī the eyes dolent hurt
7.1 Quid what ergō therefore dēfuit was lacking Aristocrātī to Aristocrates philosophō? the philosopher religiō religion
7.2 Habēbat he had enim for lūmen light ratiōnis of reason —sed but nōn not habēbat did he have viam a road quā on which ambulāret to walk
7.3 Quid what dēfuit was lacking Mnēmosynae to Mnemosyne sacerdōtī? the priestess sapientia wisdom
7.4 Habēbat she had enim for viam a road —sed but quō where dūceret it was leading nōn not vidēbat she could see
7.5 Sōla only Eirēnē Eirene anus the old woman paupercula poor et and sapiēns wise erat was et and religiōsa religious —et and ideō for this reason nec neither mortem death timēbat did she fear nec nor dē about causīs causes morbī of the disease disputābat was she disputing sed but quod what sapientia wisdom eī to her ostenderat had shown faciendum should be done esse to be hoc this religiō religion eī to her vīrēs the strength dabat gave ut so that faceret she might do
7.6 Philosophia philosophy dīcit says “aegrī the sick cūrandī should be tended sunt” are —sed but philosophōs philosophers inter among aegrōs the sick nōn not inveniēs will you find
7.7 Religiō religion vēra true dīcit says “aegrī the sick cūrandī should be tended sunt” are —et and simul at the same time vīrēs the strength dat gives ut so that faciās you may do it
7.8 Hoc this interest is the difference inter between sapientiam wisdom sōlam alone et and sapientiam wisdom cum with religiōne religion coniūnctam joined —illa the former docet teaches haec the latter et both docet teaches et and facit does
7.9 Nec nor is sapientia wisdom ūlla any sine without religiōne religion probanda to be approved nec nor religiō religion ūlla any sine without sapientiā wisdom suscipienda to be undertaken
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1.1 Erat Nicomēdīae philosophus quīdam nōmine Aristocrātēs, Graecus, vir doctissimus, quī omnēs librōs philosophōrum lēgerat et multōs ipse scrīpserat.
1.2 Scīvit quid Platō dē animā sēnsisset, quid Aristotelēs dē nātūrā docuisset, quid Zēnōn dē virtūte praecepisset, quid Epicūrus dē voluptāte disputāvisset.
1.3 Sed cum haec omnia scīret, fēlīx nōn erat.
1.4 Nam philosophī dē omnibus rēbus disputant et dē nūllā rē cōnsentiunt.
1.5 Hoc Varrō ille doctissimus Rōmānōrum iam computāverat, quī in librīs suīs trēcentās sententīās dē summō bonō numerāvit inter philosophōs.
1.6 Trēcentae sententiae! Sī ergō ūna vēritās est, ducentī nōnāgintā novem errōrēs sunt — aut fortasse omnēs trēcentī.
1.7 Aristocrātēs ergō omnia scīvit praeter id quod maximē scīre oportēbat — quis sit Deus et quid ab homine requīrat.
1.8 Habēbat sapientiam — sed sine religiōne. Et sapientia sine religiōne lampas est quae lūcet in cubiculō clausō — lūcem habet sed viam nōn ostendit.
2.1 Erat autem in eādem urbe sacerdōs Diānae nōmine Mnēmosynē, fēmina piissima, quae cotīdiē tūs incendēbat et victimās immolābat et precēs ante simulācrum deae fundēbat.
2.2 Nūllum sacrum omittēbat, nūllum rītum neglegēbat, nūllam caerimōniam praetermittēbat.
2.3 Sed cum eam interrogārēs quid Diāna esset, cūr tūs eī placēret, quid post mortem futūrum esset, nihil respondēre poterat nisi: “Sīc patrēs nostrī fēcērunt; sīc et nōs facimus.”
2.4 Ō misera dēfēnsiō! — sī patrēs errāvērunt, filīōs quoque errāre oportet?
2.5 Habēbat religiōnem — sed sine sapientiā. Et religiō sine sapientiā via est sine oculīs — ambulās sed quō nescīs.
2.6 Seneca ipse dē tālibus scrīpsit in librō Dē Superstitiōne — colunt quod nōn intellegunt, timent quod nōn nōvērunt, et servīlī metū id faciunt quod līberā voluntāte fierī dēbuerat.
3.1 Accidit autem ut pēstilentia gravissima Nicomēdiam invāderet.
3.2 Multī moriēbantur cotīdiē, et neque dīvitēs neque pauperēs neque magistrātūs neque servī ā morbō tūtī erant.
3.3 Aristocrātēs philosophus causam morbī quaesīvit in librīs suīs — et multās causās invēnit: aquam corruptam, āerem malum, cibum vitiōsum.
3.4 Sed cum explicāvisset causam, remedium dare nōn potuit; nam scīre cūr morbus veniat et scīre quōmodo mortālis sānētur nōn eadem rēs est.
3.5 Nōn est hoc culpa philosophī — nam homō est, nōn deus — sed vitium philosophiae ipsīus, quae causās ostendit sed remedia nōn habet.
3.6 Mnēmosynē autem sacerdōs ad templum cucurrit et victimās plūrimās Diānae immolāvit et supplīcātiōnēs per urbem dūxit et precēs altissimā vōce clāmāvit.
3.7 Sed pēstilentia nōn cessāvit — nam simulācrum marmoreum precēs nōn audit, nec fūmum tūris sentit, nec sanguinem victimārum videt.
3.8 Quōmodo enim audiat quod aurēs nōn habet? Quōmodo videat quod oculōs nōn habet? Quōmodo iuvet quod vītam nōn habet?
4.1 Erat autem in eādem urbe anus quaedam Chrīstiāna nōmine Eirēnē, paupercula et indocta ut mundus iūdicat, quae neque Platōnem lēgerat neque Aristotelem neque quemquam philosophōrum.
4.2 Sed habēbat id quod nec Aristocrātēs nec Mnēmosynē habēbant — sapientia et religiō in eā ūnum erant.
4.3 Scīvit enim ūnum esse Deum quī omnia fēcerit — et hoc ad sapientiam pertinēbat.
4.4 Et Deum illum colēbat nōn tūre et sanguine sed fide et misericordiā — et hoc ad religiōnem pertinēbat.
4.5 Itaque cum pēstilentia saeviēbat, neque dē causīs disputābat, neque ante simulācra clāmābat, sed aegrōs vīsitābat et cūrābat et morientibus aderat et mortuōs sepeliēbat quōs etiam propinquī suī prō timōre dēseruerant.
4.6 Et cum eam interrogārent: “Nōnne timēs mortem?” respondēbat: “Timeō Deum quī mē fēcit, nōn morbum quī corpus tantum laedere potest.”
4.7 Ō respōnsum quod nūllus philosophus dare potuit! Nam Aristocrātēs causam morbī scīvit sed mortem timēbat; anus autem causam morbī nesciēbat sed mortem nōn timēbat.
4.8 Quis ergō est vērē sapiēns — quī multa scit et timet, an quī ūnum scit et nōn timet?
5.1 Accidit ut Aristocrātēs, dum per urbem ambulat, Eirēnēn vidēret aegrōs cūrantem et mortuōs sepelientem.
5.2 Accessit et dīxit: “Ō mulier, cūr tē ipsam perīculō obiicis? Nōnne scīs morbum hunc per contagiōnem trānsmittī?”
5.3 Eirēnē respondēns dīxit: “Sciō morbum corpus occīdere posse sed animam nōn posse. Tū autem quī multa scīs, dīc mihi — cūr aegrōs nōn cūrās, sī tam sapiēns es?”
5.4 Aristocrātēs tacuit; nam philosophia eius eum docuerat quid sit virtūs, sed virtūtem ipsam nōn dederat.
5.5 Sapientia sine religiōne docet quid faciendum sit, sed vīrēs faciendī nōn praebet — sīcut medicus quī morbum dīgnōscit sed medicāmentum nōn habet.
6.1 Mnēmosynē quoque cum Eirēnēn vīdisset inter aegrōs, accessit et dīxit: “Ō mulier, quis deus tibi hanc fortitūdinem dat? Ego enim Diānae centum victimās immolāvī et tamen pēstilentia nōn cessāvit.”
6.2 Eirēnē respondēns dīxit: “Nōn centum victimārum sanguine, sed ūnīus cordis misericordiā Deus placātur.
6.3 Nam Deus vērus nōn tūre gaudet quod in āerem ēvānēscit, nōn sanguine quō ārā polluātur, sed iūstitiā et misericordiā et fide quae in animā permanent.
6.4 Sī vīs Deum vērum colere, nōn pecudēs sed tē ipsam offer — nōn corpus tuum ad mortem, sed animam tuam ad vēritātem.”
6.5 Mnēmosynē haec audīvit et lacrimāvit — nōn quia verba dūra erant, sed quia vēra erant, et vēritātem quam numquam audīverat repente agnōvit, sīcut quī in tenebrīs diū sedit lūcem subitam agnōscit etsī oculī dolent.
7.1 Quid ergō dēfuit Aristocrātī philosophō? Religiō.
7.2 Habēbat enim lūmen ratiōnis — sed nōn habēbat viam quā ambulāret.
7.3 Quid dēfuit Mnēmosynae sacerdōtī? Sapientia.
7.4 Habēbat enim viam — sed quō dūceret nōn vidēbat.
7.5 Sōla Eirēnē anus paupercula et sapiēns erat et religiōsa — et ideō nec mortem timēbat nec dē causīs morbī disputābat, sed quod sapientia eī ostenderat faciendum esse, hoc religiō eī vīrēs dabat ut faceret.
7.6 Philosophia dīcit: “Aegrī cūrandī sunt” — sed philosophōs inter aegrōs nōn inveniēs.
7.7 Religiō vēra dīcit: “Aegrī cūrandī sunt” — et simul vīrēs dat ut faciās.
7.8 Hoc interest inter sapientiam sōlam et sapientiam cum religiōne coniūnctam — illa docet, haec et docet et facit.
7.9 Nec sapientia ūlla sine religiōne probanda, nec religiō ūlla sine sapientiā suscipienda.
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Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ā Lactantiō per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
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