Primary source · Koine Greek
The Protrepticus (Exhortation to the Greeks)
Clement of Alexandria · c. AD 195
What this text is
Clement's summons to the pagan world: the New Song that is the Logos, sung against the old myths — ending in the boldest sentence of early Christian humanism.
Profile of Clement of Alexandria →
Interlinear passages
Word-for-word glosses of the original; the complete public-domain translation is linked below.
Chapter 1.8.4 — the exchange of natures
ὉTheλόγοςWordὁ—τοῦofΘεοῦGodἄνθρωποςmanγενόμενος,having becomeἵναso thatδὴindeedκαὶalsoσὺyouπαρὰfromἀνθρώπουa manμάθῃς,may learnπῇhowποτεeverἄραthenἄνθρωποςmanγένηταιmay becomeθεός.god
Public-domain translations
William Wilson (ANF, 1885)
The Word of God became man, that thou mayest learn from man how man may become God… Come, I will show thee the Word, and the mysteries of the Word, and I will explain them to thee in images known to thee.
Manuscript witnesses
Paris, Arethas codex (Parisinus gr. 451)
AD 914The Protrepticus and Paedagogus descend from the archbishop's apologetic corpus.
Patrologia Graeca, vol. 8 (Migne)
1857Standard pre-critical text of the corpus.
Provenance
Alexandria, c. AD 195 — the Exhortation to the Greeks
Editions & scholarship
Critical editions and standard translations behind the text above.
- Clément d'Alexandrie: Le Protreptique (SC 2 bis)Claude Mondésert, 1949Critical edition with French translation.
- Clement of Alexandria: Exhortation to the Greeks (Loeb 92)G. W. Butterworth, 1919Greek text with facing English (public domain).