Philo Judaeus, De Opificio Mundi, ed. Leopold Cohn, 165

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[165] 59 Τὰς δὲ γοητείας καὶ ἀπάτας αὑτῆς ἡδονὴ τῷ μὲν ἀνδρὶ οὐ τολμᾷ προσφέρειν, τῇ δὲ γυναικὶ καὶ p. 40 M. διὰ ταύτης ἐκείνῳ, πάνυ προσφυῶς καὶ εὐθυβόλως· ἐν ἡμῖν γὰρ ἀνδρὸς μὲν ἔχει λόγον ὁ νοῦς,
γυναικὸς δ’ αἴσθησις· ἡδονὴ δὲ προτέραις ἐντυγχάνει καὶ ἐνομιλεῖ ταῖς αἰσθήσεσι, δι’ ὧν καὶ τὸν ἡγεμόνα νοῦν φενακίζει· ἐπειδὰν γὰρ ἑκάστη τῶν αἰσθήσεων τοῖς φίλτροις αὐτῆς ὑπαχθῇ, χαίρουσαι τοῖς προτεινομένοις, ἐπὶ χρωμάτων μὲν καὶ σχημάτων ποικιλίαις ὄψις, ἐπὶ δὲ φωνῶν ἐμμελείαις ἀκοή, ἐν δὲ χυλῶν ἡδύτησι γεῦσις, κἀν ταῖς τῶν ἀναθυμιωμένων ¹² ἀτμῶν εὐωδίαις ὄσφρησις, δεξάμεναι τὰ δῶρα θεραπαινίδων τρόπον προσφέρουσιν οἷα δεσπότῃ τῷ λογισμῷ, παράκλητον ἐπαγόμεναι πειθὼ περὶ τοῦ μηδὲν ἀπώσασθαι τὸ παράπαν· ὁ δ’ αὐτίκα δελεασθεὶς ὑπήκοος ἀνθ’ ἡγεμόνος καὶ δοῦλος ἀντὶ δεσπότου καὶ ἀντὶ πολίτου φυγὰς καὶ θνητὸς ἀντ’ ἀθανάτου γίνεται.

De Opificio Mundi. Philo Judaeus. ed. Leopold Cohn. Germany. 2014.

Funding provided by European Social Fund Saxony.

Current edition First1KGreek

De Opificio Mundi (Greek) (Philo Judaeus. Opera que supersunt, Volume 1. Cohn, Leonard, editor. Berlin: Reimer, 1896.)

Translations (1)

On the Creation of the World First1KGreek (The works of Philo Judaeus, the contemporary of Josephus, volume 1. Yonge, C. D., translator. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1854.) — 165 focus

But its juggleries and deceits pleasure does not venture to bring directly to the man, but first offers them to the woman, and by her means to the man; acting in a very natural and sagacious manner. For in human beings the mind occupies the rank of the man, and the sensations that of the woman. And pleasure joins itself to and associates itself with the sensations first of all, and then by their means cajoles also the mind, which is the dominant part. For, after each of the senses have been subjected to the charms of pleasure, and has learnt to delight in what is offered to it, the sight being fascinated by varieties of colours and shapes, the hearing by harmonious sounds, the taste by the sweetness of flowers, and the smell by the delicious fragrance of the odours which are brought before it, these all having received these offerings, like handmaids, bring them to the mind as their master, leading with them persuasion as an advocate, to warn it against rejecting any of them whatever. And the mind being immediately caught by the bait, becomes a subject instead of a ruler, and a slave instead of a master, and an exile instead of a citizen, and a mortal instead of an immortal.

Notes on the current edition

De opificio mundi

1.
1 οὗ] οὐ M, οὓς Mang. (coni. Turn.) ἀνέγραψεν M
2 καὶ τοὐναντίον Η: καὶ ἃ τοὐναντίον ABP, ἢ τοὐναντίον F, καὶ ἡ τοὐναντίον G, καὶ μὴ M ἐπαινεῖν M τὸν ὄφιν μάχην M
3 δ’ om. M
5 ἡ (corr. ex ὁ) γὰρ ὄφεως μάχη M ἄλλ’ ἢ MFG: ἀλλ’ ἡ Η, ἄλλο ἣ ABP
7 ὀλιγοδέειαν G, ὀλιγόδειαν AB
8 ante φιλαυστήρῳ add. ἃ δὴ M, ὃ δὴ G1H, ὃ δὴ τῶ F, ὑποτίθεται, ὃ δὴ ABP: corr. Turn,
9 περιεργίαν M: πολυεργίαν ceteri ἃ οm. M αἰτία M 9.
10 τῆ ψυχὴ τε καὶ τῶ σώματι ABP
12 αὑτῆς corr. ex αὑτῆς Η: αὐτῆς ceteri ἡδονὴ M: ἡ ἡδονὴ ceteri
15 δὲ ἡ αἴσθησις ABP
16 ἑκάστην M
17 χαίρουσαι Markland: χαίρουσα codd.
18 ἐπὶ] ἐν M σχημάτων ποικιλίαις] ποικιλίαις χρωμάτων AP, ποικιλίαις σωμάτων Β ὄψις in textu om., in marg. add. ABP ὄψις—ἐμμελείαις (19) om. F ἐπὶ] ἐν M
19 ἐν χυλῶν δὲ ABP χιλῶν ΒΗ ἡδύτησι om. M ἡ γεῦσις M κἀν scripsi: καὶ M, κἀκ ceteri ταῖς τῶν ἀνατεθυμιωμένων (sic) ἀτμῶν εὐωδίαις M: τῆς τῶν ἀναθυμιωμένων ἀτμῶν εὐωδίας ABP, τῆς τῶν ἀναθυμιωμένων εὐωδίας FG, τῆς τῶν ἀναδιδομένων ἀτμῶν εὐωδίας Η

2.
12 sqq. Ambros. de Paradiso 2,11 . . . namque ante nos fuit qui per voluptatem et sensum praevaricationem ab homine memoraverit esse commissam, in specie serpentis figuram accipiens delectationis, in figura mulieris sensum animi mentisque constituens, quem αἴσθησιν vocant Graeci; deceptam autem per sensum praevaricatricem secundum historiam mentem asseruit, quam Graeci νοῦν vocant. recte igitur in Graeco νοῦς viri figuram accepit, αἴσθησις mulieris.

Philo Judaeus De Opificio Mundi 165

ed. Leopold Cohn

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