Letter 1643: The other philosophers defined philosophy as the art of arts and the science of sciences.
To Orbeiios the Grammarian. How philosophy should be defined. The other philosophers defined philosophy as the art of arts and the science of sciences. Pythagoras called it the zeal for wisdom. Plato called it the acquisition of sciences. Chrysippus called it the practice of correct reasoning. Since even those who seem to be at the summit define it similarly, we define true philosophy as that which overlooks nothing pertaining to piety and virtue. To Eutonios the Deacon. Concerning envy. If the envy that has touched nearly all who are well-reputed has come upon you too — from those who count others' virtues as their own misfortunes, or rather who are more distressed by others' goods than by their own evils — do not be disturbed. Rather, considering this very thing to be the greatest proof of virtue, add to your own nobility of character.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
δϑὶ Γδοία δὰ Ὀγοροίαγα [. ϑοἷαὶ δηΐ ΟΠ ΘΓ δίᾳυς σοησίάσγα ἰδοὺ οογυπὶ 4υἱ ροδίοα ἀδέίυμ! οἵϊο δίᾳιι ἱξηανὶϑ. ὈΠΥ͂ΤΙ!. --- ΟΡΒΕΙΙΟῸ ΑἸ ΑΜΜΑΤΙΟΟ. Ῥιιοεορὶα μι ἀοβηπίοπάα. (Ρίμίατοῖι. ὃὲὲ ρίαοὶ ἐς ρμδϊίοδ. ἰθ. ν.) Οὲ μὲν ἄλλοι φιλόσοφοι τέχνην τεχνῶν, χαὶ ἐπι- στήμην ἐπιστημῶν ὡρίσαντο εἶναι τὴν φιλοσοφίαν. Πυθαγόρας δὲ, ζῆλον σοφίας. Πλάτων δὲ, χτῆσιν ἐπιστημῶν, Χρύσιππος δὲ, ἐπιτήδευσιν λόγου ὀρθότητος. Καὶ αὐτῶν οὖν τῶν δοχούντων -ἄχρων εἶναι () ὁμοίως ὁριζομένων, ἡμεῖς ἀληθῇ φιλοσοφίαν ὁριζόμεθα., τὴν μηδὲν τῶν ἡχόντων εἰς εὐσέδειαν χαὶ ἀρετὴν παρορῶσαν. ΦΝΘ'. --- ΕΥ̓ΤΟΝΙΩ ΔΙΆΑΚΟΝΩ. ΑΙ ΡΠ Π]ΟΒΟρΡΙ ἅγιαι ἀγίϊυπι, δεϊδημ[λΠ11 βεϊδηιί γι ΡΠ] ΟΒορ πὶ ἀσἤηϊογυηϊ. ΡγΓΠΙΆΦΟΓΩΒ ιΐάθδηι βαρ βεἶς διυάϊιυπι ἀϊχὶϊ, ἰμἀθαι6 ρ ]- ρα ποιπίηϑγὶ. Ρίαιο δαί θη ΓῺ ΡΟ55658101 .), ΟἸιγγϑίρρυ5, ἱπάυϑιτίαπ) δθὺ δι Ποῖ γεοίϑ Γᾶ - ιἰοηἷ8 νοοῖ, ὐπὶ ἰνΐ πόα Θούθιι ἐοἢηΐδηϊ κ0- , Γδοῖα " νϑγδιῃ ἀθἤ δ η . ΡΝ Οϑορ νι, αυ Δ παρ ψαὶ δοτυτ, : δὰ νἱγιυίθιη ἀπουηι. ὈΠῚΧ. -- ΕΤΟΝΙΟ ΡΙΑΘΟΟΝΟ. Πηυϊάϊα εφἀεπάμηι. Ππυϊάϊπι ϑομπῖς αἰϊοηὶς ἀοοεαὶ!; δἰ υἱτι ὁδὶ ατσιπιόηίιπι ἰαυϊάϊα ἰαϑογατο. Εἰ χαὶ ἦλθεν ἐπὶ σὲ ὁ δὴ χαὶ πάντων σχεδὸν τῶν εὐδοχίμλμων ἁψάμενος φθόνος, παρὰ τῶν οἰχείας τι- θεμένων συμφορὰς τὰς ἑτέρων ἀρετὰς, μᾶλλον: δὲ πλέον ἀχθομένων τοῖς ἑτέρων ἀγαθοῖς, ἣ τοῖς ἑαυ- τῶν χαχοῖς, μὴ ταράττου " ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸ τοῦτο μάλιστα ἡγησάμενος ἀρετῆς εἶναι τεχμήριον, τῇ σαυτοῦ χα- λοχἀγαθίᾳ προστίθει. Οὕτω γὰρ σὺ μὲν ἁοίδιμος εἴης, ἐχεῖνοι δὲ δίχας εἰσπραχθήσονται, ὧν μείζους οὐχ ἂν δυνηθεῖεν δοῦναι. ΦΙΞ". --- ΠΕΤΡΩ. Εποὶ τὸ φυοψια ἰην] δ, φὰς ὕόοποβ8 ρου Π408 Ρογβδοηυίίαγ, σοι ἰδία, φυοῦ Υἱ (λυ πὶ 811ΟσὰΠ Υἱ για: ἀποὶι ἱποοιμιοιία, ναὶ μοιΐυ8 δἰϊοτυιη ιναίυν ὕνοηΐβ8, 48π ργΟργὶΪ8. π , ἴτ ΠΟ] ἴ0Ὁ- ματὶ : βιὰ ροιίι5 Π πι νἱγία σογίυ πὶ δίσιυιη οχὶ βιϊπηδη8, ἰυὯπὶ δοοοηί δι ρῥτγοὐϊιδίοιη. . θη η ἤδι υἱ οοἰουγογίϑ, ἢ οοιίτα μαπηδὴὸ ἀθμ., ἢὲς 4Ζυσληι ἸΠΔ]0Γ6 δοίρθ ΓΒ.
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