Porphyrius, De abstinentia

συγκεχυμένης δὲ τῆς περὶ αὐτῶν ἐννοίας καὶ εἰς πολλὴν διαβολὴν χωρούσης, ἀναγκαῖον διαστεῖλαι λόγῳ τὴν φύσιν αὐτῶν. ἴσως γὰρ ἀναγκαῖον φασὶν ὅθεν ἡ πλάνη γέγονεν τοἵς ἀνθρώποις περὶ αὐτῶν ἀναφαίνειν. διαιρετέον οὖν τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον. ὅσαι μὲν ψυχαὶ τῆς ὅλης ἐκπε- φυκυῖαι μεγάλα μέρη διοικοῦσι τῶν ὑπὸ σελήνην τόπων, ἐπερειδόμεναι μὲν πνεύματι, κρατοῦσαι δὲ αὐτοῦ κατὰ λόγον, ταύτας δαίμονάς τε ἀγαθοὺς νο- μιστέον καὶ ἐπʼ ὠφελείᾳ τῶν ἐρχομένων πάντα πραγ- ματεύεσθαι, εἴτε τινῶν ἀφηγοῖντο ζῴων, εἴτε καρ- πῶν ἀποτεταγμένων, εἴτε καὶ τῶν ἕνεκα τούτων, οἷον ὄμβρων, πνευμάτων μετρίων, εὐδίας, τῶν. τε ἄλλων ἃ τούτοις συνεργεῖ, εὐκρασίας τε ὡρῶν τοῦ ἔτους, ἡμῖν οὖ τεχνῶν τε καὶ τῶν κατὰ μουσικὴν παιδείας τε συναπάσης ἰατρικῆς τε καὶ γυμναστικῆς τινος τούτοις ὁμοίας. τούτους γὰρ ἀδύνατόν ἐστι καὶ τὰς ὡφελείας ἐκπορίζειν καὶ πάλιν οὖ βλάβης ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς αἰτίους γίγνεσθαι. ἐν δὲ τούτοις ἀριθ- μητέον καὶ τοὺς πορθμεύοντας, ὡς φησὶ Πλάτων, καὶ διαγγέλλοντας τὰ παρʼ ἀνθρώπων θεοῖς καὶ τὰ παρὰ θεῶν ἀνθρώποις, τὰς μὲν παρʼ ἡμῶν εὐχὰς ὡς πρὸς δικαστὰς ἀναφέροντας τοὺς θεούς, τὰς δὲ ἐκείνων παραινέσεις καὶ νουθεσίας μετὰ μαντειῶν ἐκφέροντας ἡμῖν. ὅσαι δὲ ψυχαὶ τοῦ συνεχοῦς πνεύ- ματος οὐ κρατοῦσιν, ἀλλʼ ὡς τὸ πολὺ καὶ κρατοῦν- ται, διʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἄγονταί τε καὶ φέρονται λίαν, ὅταν αἱ τοῦ πνεύματος ὀργαί τε καὶ ἐπιθυμίαι τὴν ὁρμὴν λάβωσιν. αὗται δʼ αἱ ψυχαὶ δαίμονες μὲν καὶ αὐταί, κακοεργοὶ δʼ ἂν εἰκότως λέγοιντο.

But since the notion of them is confused and has come into great discredit, it is necessary to distinguish their nature by reasoning. For perhaps, they say, it is necessary to show where the error about them arose among human beings. The distinction, then, must be made in this way. All souls that have sprung from the universal [soul] and administer large parts of the regions beneath the Moon, resting upon a pneuma [the breath-like body of a soul] but controlling it by reason — these must be considered good daimones [spirits ranked between gods and humans], and be held to do everything for the benefit of those they govern, whether they preside over certain animals, or over the crops assigned [to them], or over the things that exist for the sake of these, such as rains, moderate winds, fair weather, and the other things that work together with these, and the good tempering of the seasons of the year; or again, for us, over the arts and the things of music, and all education, and medicine and gymnastics and anything like these. For it is impossible for these both to provide benefits and in turn to become causes of harm in the same matters. Among these must be counted also those who, as Plato says, ferry and carry messages from humans to gods and from gods to humans, bearing up our prayers to the gods as to judges, and bringing out to us their exhortations and admonitions together with oracles. But all souls that do not control the pneuma joined to them, but are for the most part even controlled by it, are for that very reason driven and carried about to excess whenever the angers and desires of the pneuma take their impulse. These souls too are daimones, but they may fittingly be called evil-working.

καὶ εἰσὶν οἱ σύμπαντες οὗτοί τε καὶ οἱ τῆς ἐναντίας δυνά- μεως ἀόρατοί τε καὶ τελέως ἀναίσθητοι αἰσθήσεσιν ἀνθρωπίναις. οὐ γὰρ στερεὸν σῶμα περιβέβληνται οὐδὲ μορφὴν πάντες μίαν, ἀλλʼ ἐν σχήμασι πλείο- σιν ἐκτυπούμεναι αἰ χαρακτηρίζουσαι τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῶν μορφαὶ τοτὲ μὲν ἐπιφαίνονται, τοτὲ δὲ ἀφανεῖς εἰσίν ἐνίοτε δὲ καὶ μεταβάλλουσι τὰς μορφὰς οἵ γε χείρους. τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα μέν ἐστι σωματικόν, πα- θητικόν ἐστι καὶ φθαρτόν· τῷ δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ψυχῶν οὕτως δεδέσθαι, ὥστε τὸεἶδος αὐτῶν διαμένειν πλείω χρόνον, οὐ μήν ἐστιν αἰώνιον. καὶ γὰρ ἀπορρεἴν αὐτοῦ τι συνεχῶς εἰκός ἐστι καὶ τρέπεσθαι. ἐν συμ- μετρίᾳ μὲν οὖν τὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὡς καὶ τὰ σώμιατα τῶν φαινομένων, τῶν δὲ κακοποιῶν ἀσύμμετρα, οἳ πλέον τῷ παθητικῷ νέμοντες τὸν περόγειον τόπον, οὐδὲν ὅ τι τῶν κακῶν οὐκ ἐπιχειροῦσι δρᾶν. βίαιον γὰρ ὅλως καὶ ὕπουλον ἔχοντες ἦθος ἐστερημένον τε τῆς φυλακῆς τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος δαιμονίου, σφοδρὰς καὶ αἰφνιδίους οἷον ἐνέδρας ὡς τὸ πολὺ ποιοῦνται τὰς ἐμπτώσεις, πῇ μὲν λανθάνειν πειρώ- μενοι, πῇ δὲ βιαζόμενοι. ὅθεν ὀξέα μὲν τὰ ἀπʼ ἐκείνων πάθη· αἱ δʼ ἀκέσεις καὶ κατορθώσεις αἰ ἀπὸ τῶν κρειττόνων δαιμόνων βραδύτεραι δοκοῦσιν. πᾶν γὰρ τὸ ἀγαθὸν εὐήνιόν τε ὂν καὶ ὁμαλὸν τάξει πρόεισιν καὶ τὸ δέον οὐχ ὑπερβαίνει. οὕτως δέ σοι δοξάζοντι οὐδέποτʼ ἂν εἰς τὸ ἀτοπώτατον ἐμ- πίπτειν ἐνέσται, τὸ περὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὰ κακὰ ὑπο- λαμβάνειν καὶ περὶ τῶν κακῶν τὰ ἀγαθά· οὐ γὰρ ταύτῃ μόνον ὁ λόγος ἄτοπός ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς περὶ τῶν θεῶν φαυλοτάτας ὑπολήψεις λαμιβάνοντες οἱ πολλοί, διαδιδόασιν καὶ εἰς τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀνθρώ- πους.

And all of them, both these and those of the opposite power, are invisible and wholly imperceptible to human senses. For they are not clothed in a solid body, nor do they all have one shape; rather, the forms that give their pneuma its character, being impressed in many shapes, at one time appear and at another are invisible; and sometimes the worse ones even change their forms. The pneuma, being bodily, is subject to affection and perishable; and though it is bound by the souls in such a way that their form endures for a longer time, it is nevertheless not eternal. For it is likely that something continually flows off from it and that it changes. The [pneuma] of the good ones, then, is in due proportion, as are also the bodies of the visible [gods], while those of the evil-doing ones are out of proportion; and these, occupying the region about the earth more through their passible part, leave no evil that they do not attempt to do. For having a character that is altogether violent and treacherous, and deprived of the protection that comes from the higher daimonic [power], they mostly make their assaults vehement and sudden, like ambushes, sometimes trying to escape notice, sometimes using force. Hence the sufferings that come from them are acute, while the healings and correctives that come from the higher daimones seem slower. For everything good, being tractable and even, proceeds in order and does not overstep what is due. If you hold this opinion, you will never be able to fall into the greatest absurdity, that of supposing evil of the good and good of the evil. For not only in this respect is the account absurd, but the many also, taking up the meanest notions about the gods, spread them to the rest of mankind as well.

ἓν γὰρ δὴ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς μεγίστης βλάβης τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν κακοεργῶν δαιμόνων θετέον, ὅτι αὐτοὶ αἄτιοι γιγνόμενοι τῶν περὶ τὴν γῆν παθημάτων, οἷον λοιμῶν, ἀφοριῶν, σεισμῶν, αὐχμιῶν καὶ τῶν ὁμοίων, ἀναπείθουσιν ἡμᾶς, ὡς ἄρα τούτων αἴτιοί εἰσιν οἵ- περ καὶ τῶν ἐναντιωτάτων [τουτέστιν τῶν εὐφο- ριῶν], ἑαυτοὺς ἐξαιροῦντες τῆς αἰτίας καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο πραγματευόμενοι πρῶτον, τὸ λανθάνειν ἀδικοῦντες. τρέπουσίν τε μετὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ λιτανείας ἡμὰς καὶ θυσίας τῶν ἀγαθοεργῶν θεῶν ὡς ὠργισμένων. ταῦτα δὲ καὶ τὰ ὅμοια ποιοῦσιν, μεταστῆσαι ἡμᾶς ἐθέλον- τες ἀπὸ τῆς ὀρθῆς ἐννοίας τῶν θεῶν καὶ ἐφʼ ἑαυ- τοὺς ἐπιστρέψαι. πᾶσι γὰρ τοῖς οὕτως ἀνομολόγως καὶ ἀκαταλλήλως γινομένοις αὐτοὶ χαίρουσι, καὶ ὥσπερ ὑποδύντες τὰ τῶν ἄλλων θεῶν πρόσωπα, τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀβουλίας ἀπολαύουσι, προσεταιριζόμενοι τὰ πλήθη διὰ τοῦ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐκκαίειν ἔρωσιν καὶ πόθοις πλούτων καὶ δυναστειῶν καὶ ἡδονῶν, κενοδοξίαις τε οὖ, ἐξ ὧν στάσεις καὶ πόλεμοι φύονται καὶ τὰ συγγενὴ τούτων. τὸ δὲ πάντων δεινότατον, ἐπαναβαίνουσιν ἐκ τῶνδε καὶ τὰ ὅμοια ἀναπείθουσι καὶ περὶ τῶν μεγίστων θεῶν, μέχρι τοῦ καὶ τὸν ἄριστον θεὸν τούτοις τοῖς ἐγκλή- μασιν ὑπάγειν, ᾧ δὴ καὶ τεταράχθαι φασὶν πάντʼ ἄνω κάτω. πεπόνθασι δὲ τοῦτο οὐκ ἰδιῶται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ διατριβόντων οὐκ ὀλί- γοι. ἡ δʼ αἰτία διʼ ἀλλήλων γέγονεν. καὶ γὰρ τῶν φιλοσοφούντων οἱ μὴ ἀποστάντες τῆς κοινῆς φορᾶς εἰς τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς πλήθεσι συνέβησαν, καὶ πάλιν οὐ τὰ πλήθη σύμφωνα ταῖς ἑαυτῶν δόξαις παρὰ τῶν δοκούντων σοφῶν ἀκούοντα, ἐπερρώσθη φρονεῖν ἔτι μᾶλλον περὶ τῶν θεῶν τ᾿ὰ τοιαῦτα.

For this too must be counted as one [part] of the greatest harm that comes from the evil-working daimones: that although they themselves are the causes of the calamities about the earth, such as plagues, crop failures, earthquakes, droughts and the like, they persuade us that the causes of these are those who are also [the causes] of the very opposite [that is, of good harvests], removing themselves from blame and making this very thing their first concern: to do wrong unnoticed. And after this they turn us to supplications and sacrifices to the beneficent gods, as though these were angry. They do these things and the like because they wish to move us away from the right notion of the gods and turn us toward themselves. For they themselves delight in all things that happen in this inconsistent and incongruous way, and, as if putting on the masks of the other gods, they profit from our folly, winning the masses over to themselves by inflaming human desires with loves and longings for wealth and power and pleasures, and again with vainglory, from which arise factions and wars and things akin to these. And most terrible of all, they go further from here and persuade [people] of similar things about the greatest gods as well, to the point of bringing even the best god under these charges, by whom, they say, all things have been turned upside down. This has happened not only to laymen but also to not a few of those who spend their time in philosophy. The cause has been mutual. For those of the philosophers who did not stand apart from the common drift came to the same [views] as the masses; and again the masses, hearing from those reputed wise things in harmony with their own opinions, were strengthened in thinking such things about the gods still more.

τὸ μὲν γὰρ ποιητικὸν καὶ προσεξέκαυσεν τὰς ὑπολήψεις τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῷ χρῆσθαι φράσει πρὸς ἔκπληξιν καὶ γοητείαν πεποιημένῃ κήλησίν τε ἐμποιῆσαι καὶ πί- στιν περὶ τῶν ἀδυνατωτάτων δυναμένῃ· δέον ἐμπέ- δως πεπεῖσθαι ὅτι οὔτε τὸ ἀγαθὸν βλάπτει ποτὲ οὔτε τὸ κακὸν ὠφελεῖ· οὐ γὰρ θερμότητος, ὡς φη- σὶν Πλάτων, τὸ ψύχειν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐναντίου· οὕτως οὐδὲ τοῦ δικαίου τὸ βλάπτειν. δικαιότατον δὲ δή― που φύσει πάντων τὸ θεῖον, ἐπεὶ οὐδʼ ἂν ἦν θεῖον. οὐκοῦν ἀποτετμῆσθαι δεῖ ταύτην τὴν δύναμιν καὶ μοῖραν τῶν δαιμόνων τῶν ἀγαθοεργῶν. ἡ γὰρ βλά- πτειν πεφυκυῖά τε καὶ βουλομένη ἐναντία τῇ ἀγα- θοεργῷ· τὰ δʼ ἐναντία περὶ τὸ αὐτὸ οὐκ ἄν ποτε γένοιτο. τούτων δὲ κατὰ πολλὰ μέρη λυμαινομέ- νων τὸ θνητόν, ἐνίοτε δὲ καὶ κατὰ μεγάλα, καθʼ ἕνα μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅτε οὐχὶ οἱ ἀγαθοὶ οὐκ ἀνιᾶσι τὰ καθʼ ἑαυτούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσημαίνουσιν εἰς δύ- ναμιν τοὺς ἐπηρτημένους ἀπὸ τῶν κακοεργῶν κιν- δύνους, καὶ διʼ ὀνειράτων ἐμφαίνοντες καὶ διὰ ἐν- θέου ψυχῆς ἄλλων τε πολλῶν. καὶ εἰ ἱκανός τις εἴη τὰ σημαινόμενα διαιρεῖσθαι, πᾶς ἂν γιγνώσκοι καὶ προφυλάττοιτο. πᾶσι γὰρ σημαίνουσιν, οὐ πᾶς δὲ ξυνίησι τὰ σημαινόμενα, οὐδὲ πᾶς τὰ γεγραμ- μένα δύναται ἀναγινώσκειν, ἀλλʼ ὁ μαθὼν γράμματα. διὰ μέντοι τῶν ἐναντίων καὶ ἡ πᾶσα γοητεία ἐκτε- λεῖται. τούτους γὰρ μάλιστα καὶ τὸν προεστῶτα αὐ- τῶν ἐκτιμῶσιν οἱ τὰ κακὰ διὰ τῶν γοητειῶν δια- πραττόμενοι.

For poetry, too, inflamed people's notions further, by using a diction made to astonish and bewitch, and able to induce enchantment and belief about the most impossible things; whereas one ought to be firmly convinced that the good never harms and the evil never benefits. For it is not [the work] of heat, as Plato says, to cool, but of its opposite; so neither is it [the work] of the just to harm. And surely the divine is by nature the most just of all things, since otherwise it would not be divine. Therefore this power and portion must be cut off from the beneficent daimones. For the [power] that is by nature disposed and willing to harm is the opposite of the beneficent; and opposites can never come about in the same thing. While these [evil ones] ravage mortal nature in many parts, and sometimes in great ones too — for there is never a time when they are not doing so to someone — the good do not slacken in what is theirs to do, but also forewarn, as far as they can, of the dangers hanging over [us] from the evil-working ones, revealing them both through dreams and through a soul inspired by a god and through many other means. And if someone were able to distinguish what is signified, everyone would know and take precautions. For they give signs to all, but not everyone understands what is signified, just as not everyone can read what is written, but only one who has learned his letters. It is through the opposite [daimones], however, that all sorcery is accomplished. For those who accomplish evil deeds through sorcery honour these above all, and the one who presides over them.

πλήρεις γὰρ πάσης φαντασίας οὗτοι καὶ ἀπατῆσαι ἱκανοὶ διὰ τῆς τερατουργίας. διὰ τού των φίλτρα καὶ ἐρωτικὰ κατασκευάζουσιν οἱ κακο- δαίμονες. πᾶσα γὰρ ἀκολασία καὶ πλούτων ἐλπὶς καὶ δόξης διὰ τούτων΄, καὶ μάλιστα ἡ ἀπάτη. τὸ γὰρ ψεῦδος τούτοις οἰκεῖον· βούλονται γὰρ εἶναι θεοὶ καὶ ἡ προεστῶσα αὐτῶν δύναμις δοκεῖν θεὸς εἶναι ὁ μέγιστος. οὗτοι οἱ χαίροντες “λοιβῇ τε κνίσῃ τε”, διʼ ὧν αὐτῶν τὸ πνευματικὸν καὶ σωματικὸν πιαίνεται. ζῇ γὰρ τοῦτο ἀτμοῖς καὶ ἀναθυμιάσεσι ποικίλως διὰ τῶν ποικίλων, καὶ δυναμοῦται ταῖς ἐκ τῶν αἱμάτων καὶ σαρκῶν κνίσαις.

For these are full of every kind of illusion and capable of deceiving through the working of marvels. Through them the wretches prepare love philtres and love charms. For all licentiousness and hope of wealth and of fame come through these, and above all deceit. For falsehood is proper to them; for they wish to be gods, and the power that presides over them wishes to be thought the greatest god. These are the ones who delight ‘in libation and the savour of burnt fat’, by which their pneumatic and bodily [part] is fattened. For this lives on vapours and exhalations, in varied ways through varied [offerings], and is strengthened by the savours of blood and flesh.

διʼ ὃ συνετὸς ἀνὴρ καὶ σώφρων εὐλαβηθήσεται τοιαύταις χρῆσθαι θυ- σίαις, διʼ ὧν ἐπισπάσεται πρὸς ἑαυτὸν τοὺς τοιού- τους· σπουδάσει δὲ καθαίρειν τὴν ψυχὴν παντοίως καθαρᾷ γὰρ ψυχῇ οὐκ ἐπιτίθενται διὰ τὸ αὐτοῖς ἀνόμιοιον. εἰ δὲ ταῖς πόλεσιν ἀναγκαῖον καὶ τούτους ἀπομειλίττεσθαι, οὐδὲν πρὸς ἡμᾶς. ταύταις γὰρ καὶ πλοῦτος καὶ τὰ ἐκτὸς καὶ τὰ σωματικὰ ἀγαθὰ εἶναι νενόμισται καὶ τὰ ἐναντία κακά, ὀλιγοστὸν δʼ ἐν αὐταῖς τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπιμελούμενον. ἡμεῖς δὲ κατὰ δύναμιν οὐ δεησόμεθα ὧν οὗτοι παρέχουσιν, ἀλλʼ ἔκ τε ψυχῆς ἔκ τε τῶν ἐκτὸς πᾶσαν σπουδὴν ποιούμεθα, θεῷ μὲν καὶ τοῖς ἀμφʼ αὐτὸν ὁμοιοῦ- σθαι (ὃ γίνεται διʼ ἀπαθ είας καὶ τῆς περὶ τῶν ὄν- τως ὄντων διηρθρωμένης διαλήψεως καὶ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὰ ταῦτα ζωῆς), πονηροῖς δὲ ἀνθρώποις καὶ δαί- μοσιν καὶ ὅλως παντὶ τῷ χαίροντι τῷ θνητῷ τε καὶ ὑλικῷ ἀνομοιοῦσθαι ὥστε κατὰ τὰ εἰρημένα τῷ Θεοφράστῳ θύσομεν καὶ ἡμεῖς. οἷς καὶ οἱ θεολόγοι συνεφώνησαν, εἰδότες ὡς καθʼ ὅσον τῆς τῶν παθῶν ἐξαιρέσεως ἀμελοῦμεν τῆς ψυχῆς, κατὰ τοσοῦτον τῇ πονηρᾷ δυνάμει συναπτόμεθα, καὶ δεήσει καὶ ταύ- την ἀπομειλίττεσθαι. ὡς γὰρ φασὶν οἱ θεολόγοι, τοῖς δεδεμένοις ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκτὸς καὶ μηδέπω κρατοῦ- σιν τῶν παθῶν ἀναγκαῖον ἀποτρέπεσθαι καὶ ταύτην τὴν δύναμιν· εἰ δὲ μή γε, πόνων οὐ λήξουσι.

Therefore a man of understanding and self-control will beware of using such sacrifices, by which he will draw such beings to himself; and he will strive to purify his soul in every way, for they do not attack a pure soul, because it is unlike them. And if it is necessary for cities to propitiate even these, that is nothing to us. For by them wealth and external and bodily things are considered goods, and their opposites evils, while very little in them is concerned with the soul. But we, as far as we can, shall not need what these provide, but both with the soul and in external things we make every effort to become like god and those around him (which comes about through freedom from passion, a clearly articulated understanding of the things that truly are, and a life directed toward these very things), and to become unlike wicked men and daimones, and in general everything that delights in what is mortal and material; so that we too shall sacrifice in accordance with what was said by Theophrastus. With this the theologians too agreed, knowing that in so far as we neglect to remove the passions from the soul, to that extent we are joined to the evil power, and it will be necessary to propitiate it as well. For, as the theologians say, those who are bound by external things and do not yet master their passions must avert this power too; otherwise they will have no end of toils.

διʼ ὅ καὶ ἄχρι τῶν γοήτων ἀναγκαία ἔδοξεν ἡ τοιαύτη προφυλακή, οὐ δύναται μέντοι διὰ παντός· ἀσελγείας γὰρ ἕνεκα ἐνοχλοῦσι δαίμονας πονηρούς· ὥστε οὐ γοήτων ἦν ἡ ἁγνεία, ἀλλὰ θείων καὶ θεοσόφων ἀνδρῶν, φυ- λακὴν δὲ φέρουσα πανταχοῦ τοῖς χρωμένοις τὴν πρὸς τὸ θεῖον οἰκείωσιν. ὡς εἴθε διὰ παντὸς αὐτῇ καὶ γόητες ἐχρῶντο, καὶ οὐκ ἄν γοητεύειν προυθυμή- θησαν, ἀποκεκλεισμένοι ὑπὸ ταύτης ἀπολαύειν ὧν ἕνεκα ἀσεβοῦσιν. ὅθεν παθῶν ὄντες πλήρεις καὶ πρὸς ὀλίγον ἀπεχόμενοι τῶν ἀκαθάρτων βρώσεων, μεστοὶ ὄντες ἀκαθαρσίας, δίκας τίνουσι τῆς εἰς τὰ ὅλα παρανομίας, τὰ μὲν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ὧν ἐρεθίζουσι, τὰ δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς πάντʼ ἐφορώσης τὰ θνητὰ καὶ ἔργα καὶ διανοήματα δίκης. ἀνδρὸς ἄρα θείου ἡ ἔσω καὶ ἡ ἐκτὸς ἁγνεία, ἀποσίτου μὲν παθῶν ψυ- χῆς σπουδάζοντος εἶναι, ἀποσίτου δὲ καὶ βρώσεων αἳ τὰ πάθη κινοὑσιν, σιτουμένου δὲ θεοσοφίαν καὶ ὁμοιουμένου ταῖς περὶ τοῦ θείου ὀρθαῖς διανοίαις καὶ ἰερωμένου τῇ νοερᾷ θυσίᾳ καὶ μετὰ λευκῆς ἐσθῆ- τος καὶ καθαρᾶς τῷ ὄντι τῆς ψυχικῆς ἀπαθείας καὶ τῆς κουφότητος τοῦ σώματος προσιόντος τῷ θεῷ, οὐκ ἐξ ἀλλοτρίων καὶ ὀθνείων χυμῶν καὶ πα- θῶν ψυχικῶν βεβαρημένου.

Therefore such precaution has seemed necessary even to sorcerers, though it does not avail at all times; for they trouble evil daimones [spirits ranked between gods and humans] for the sake of licentiousness. So purity was not a thing for sorcerers but for divine men, wise in the things of god, and it brings to those who practise it a safeguard everywhere: their affinity with the divine. Would that sorcerers too practised it always! Then they would not have been eager to practise sorcery, being shut off by it from enjoying the things for whose sake they commit impiety. Hence, being full of passions and abstaining only for a short while from impure foods, filled as they are with impurity, they pay the penalty for their lawlessness against the universe, partly at the hands of those very [beings] they provoke, partly also at the hands of Justice, who watches over all mortal deeds and thoughts. Purity, then, both inward and outward, belongs to a divine man, one who strives to fast from the passions of the soul and to fast also from foods that stir the passions, who feeds on divine wisdom and is made like [god] through right thoughts about the divine, who is consecrated by intellectual sacrifice and approaches god in a white robe, truly pure, of freedom from passion in the soul and lightness of body, not weighed down by alien and foreign humours and passions of the soul.