eul_wid: lmc-aa

Crito of Argos Fragments on Wisdom in Greek

Fragments on Wisdom is a lost philosophical treatise attributed to Crito of Argos, a minor disciple of Socrates mentioned by Diogenes Laertius among the philosopher's less eminent followers. The work is known solely by its title in Diogenes Laertius's Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, which provides no description or excerpts, and there is no known manuscript tradition. The title indicates the treatise addressed the concept of wisdom, a central topic in Greek philosophy, but as no substantive fragments survive, its specific arguments and structure remain entirely unknown. Its attribution to a Socratic follower places it within the broader context of early Socratic literature, though its complete loss and absence from other ancient sources suggest its philosophical influence was negligible.

109 (3t) Περὶ φρονήσεως Stob. 2.8.24 p. 157 Wa. (Mullach 2 p. 26) Κρίτωνος Πυθαγορείου ἐκ τοῦ Περὶ φρονήσεως. Ὁ γὰρ θεὸς οὕτως ἐτεχνάσατο τὸν ἄνθρωπον, δηλόμενος αὐτὸν μήτ’ ἀδυνάτως ἔχειν ποττὰν τῶν καλῶν ὁρμάν, μήτε μὰν πάλιν ἀπροαιρέτως. ἀρχὰν γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐνεφύτευσε τοιαύταν, ἅ τις καὶ τὸ δυνατὸν ἅμα περιέχει καὶ τὸ προαιρετόν, ἵνα τᾶς μὲν δυνάμιος καὶ κατοχᾶς τῶν ἀγαθῶν αὐτὸς αἴτιος ᾖ, τᾶς δ’ ἐπὶ ταῦτα παρορμάσιος καὶ κατ’ ὀρθὸν λόγον ὀπαδήσιος ὁ θεός. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀναθρῴσκοντα αὐτὸν ἐποίησεν ἐς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ αὐτῶ νοατικὸν καὶ ὄψιν αὐτῷ ἐνέφυσε τοιαύταν, τὸν προσαγορευόμενον νόον, ᾧ τὸν θεὸν ὀψεῖται. οὔτε γὰρ ἄνευ θεῶ τὸ ἄριστον καὶ τὸ κάλλιστον ἦν εὑρεῖν οὔτ’ ἄνευ νόω ἰδεῖν τὸν θεὸν αὐτόν, ἐπειδὴ πᾶν τὸ θνατὸν φύσιν ἔχει μετὰ ἀφροσύνας συγγενέος ῥιζοῦσθαι· καὶ ταύταν οὐχ ὁ θεός ἐστιν ὁ δωρούμενος, ἀλλ’ ἁ τᾶς γενέσιος οὐσία καὶ τᾶς αὐτῶν ψυχᾶς ἁ προαίρεσις.