Diogenes Laërtius · fl. 3rd century CE
Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.119 — Diogenes Laërtius on the Stoics
Translation by R. D. Hicks (1925)
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.119
Reported speech · Diogenes Laërtius on the Stoics
They are also, it is declared, godlike; for they have a something divine within them; whereas the bad man is godless. And yet of this word—godless or ungodly—there are two senses, one in which it is the opposite of the term “godly,” the other denoting the man who ignores the divine altogether: in this latter sense, as they note, the term does not apply to every bad man. The good, it is added, are also worshippers of God; for they have acquaintance with the rites of the gods, and piety is the knowledge of how to serve the gods. Further, they will sacrifice to the gods and they keep themselves pure; for they avoid all acts that are offences against the gods, and the gods think highly of them: for they are holy and just in what concerns the gods. The wise too are the only priests; for they have made sacrifices their study, as also the building of temples, purifications, and all the other matters appertaining to the gods.
Cite this passage
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.119 (on the Stoics), tr. R. D. Hicks (1925)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/lives-of-the-stoics/7.119
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book VII, tr. R. D. Hicks (Loeb, 1925). Text: Perseus Digital Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesThe good have something divine in them, and the wicked are godless. In this view the wise worship the gods properly, sacrifice, keep themselves pure and are the only true priests. This is a description of religious doctrine rather than practical guidance.
Older wording
- “piety”
- — proper reverence and duty toward the gods
- “purifications”
- — ritual cleansing ceremonies
Themes and situations
- Nature and the cosmos
- Virtue and character
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