Περί θεών και κόσμου: Η επιτομή της αρχαίας ελληνικής φιλοσοφίας και θρησκείας

by Sallust, Αθανάσιος Τσακνάκης (Translator), Γάιος Σαλλούστιος Κρίσπος

Η ΕΠΙΤΟΜΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΡΧΑΙΑΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΘΡΗΣΚΕΙΑΣ

Υπάρχει Θεός; Αν υπάρχει, είναι ένας ή είναι πολλοί; Είτε ένας είτε πολλοί, πώς είναι; Τι είναι η «πρώτη αιτία»; Σε τι μας εξυπηρετεί η μυθολογία; Πώς νοείται η Πρόνοια, η Ειμαρμένη και η Τύχη; Από πού προέρχονται τα κακά; Γιατί ο Θεός επιτρέπει την ύπαρξή τους; Πόσο ενοχλεί τον Θεό η Αθεΐα; Πόσο τον κολακεύουν οι τιμές και οι θυσίες; Τι είναι η μετεμψύχωση; Υπάρχουν δαίμονες και άγγελοι; Αν υπάρχουν, γιατί υπάρχουν και πώς είναι;

Genres: Religion, Philosophy, France

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 362

About the author

Gaius Sallustius Crispus (86 BC-34 BC), better known as 'Sallust' was a Roman politician and historian who supported Populares party of Julius Caesar.

His historical works included romanticized views of events, which served as polemics against his moral opponents, including Cicero. It was a style which set him apart from the dry historians who proceeded him.

Sallust joined Caesar in the African wars, and after their victory, was placed as governor of Roman Africa. He eventually retired to private life, when he composed his histories and funded an extensive personal garden.

Reviews

[Yann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saloustios est un romain d’origine Celte, né en Gaule au début du quatrième siècle, probablement aux alentours de Bordeaux. Ayant reçu une éducation soignée, il suivit une carrière administrative de questeur puis préfet, en Occident comme en Orient et fut l’un des familiers de l’empereur Julien, lequel est connu pour avoir essayer de rétablir le paganisme après que Constantin ait fait du Christianisme le culte romain officiel. Dans cet ouvrage d’à peine vingt-cinq pages, Saloustios décrit de manière concise et précise quels est la vision du monde du paganisme, sur la nature de dieux, leur rôle, la providence, le problème du mal, la vertu, l’éducation, etc… Le tout est écrit dans un style ni trop sec, ni trop abondant. Les dogmes choisis le sont de manière à pouvoir accorder au maximum la théologie avec la plupart des écoles philosophiques, et sont basées sur des démonstrations fondées sur des principes choisis par inférence suite à l’observation du monde. On retrouve en grande part la théologie de Plutarque, en particulier celle qu’il avait développée dans « Les délais de la justice divine », « le destin », ou dans « Isis et Osiris ». On se retrouve donc avec une théologie enrichie des solutions aux problèmes soulevés par la philosophie, avec une providence, des dieux qui se répartissent le monde par domaines, une exégèse riche, une morale raffinée, une démonologie complexe, la fortune, et une économie des âmes basée sur la métempsychose jusqu’à une libération définitive.

Sans être original, ce petit ouvrage a le mérite de présenter de manière claire et concise les derniers raffinements de la pensée théologique païenne. S’il n’est jamais fait référence au christianisme, on voit pour autant que ce paganisme se rapproche en bien des points de la doctrine chrétienne, en particulier la providence et le jugement des âmes après la mort.

[Illiterate · Rating 2 out of 5]

The neoplatonist case for paganism against atheism and Christianity. (This Sallust is not the historian; he's an advisor to the Emperor Julian.)

[Ulvhud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vale la pena concedergli una lettura (anche più di una), memori del periodo storico in cui il testo è stato redatto e quindi delle sue finalità.
Mi stupisce che in ambito pagano questo libro venga consigliato come "base di partenza" quando, senza gli strumenti intellettuali necessari, rischia di apparire vuoto e del tutto superfluo. Serve un background filosofico e storico alla radice per poter comprendere le ragioni di Salustio e dei tentativi dell' "ultimo imperatore pagano". Questa versione penso sia riuscita a coniugare bene le fonti filosofiche e storiche permettendo di apprezzare il libro per quello che è: apprezziamo una introduzione di stampo filosofico volta a spiegare i concetti del (breve) trattato di Salustio e, alla fine, vi è riportata una spiegazione storica del periodo di tensione tra la realtà religiosa cristiana in ascesa e quella "pagana".
A livello culturale e storico, si tratta di una lettura fondamentale, anche per gli appassionati di religioni (sia questa cristiana o meno, fornisce uno spunto interessante).

[Tamás Tóth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julian Apostate was will, St. Constantine the Great and his also Emperor brothers also familycyders before Julian because Christianty "the family joy-blaster". He inivited Sallust to make a Catechism to "Pagans".

[The Hellene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Το Περί Θεών και Κόσμου του Σαλλούστιου εξηγεί με απλά λόγια την οντολογία - θεολογία της ελληνικής θρησκείας όπως παρουσιαζόταν τον 4ο αιώνα μ.α.χ.χ. Από τα πιο σημαντικά έργα της ελληνικής θεολογίας.

[ChildofHades · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly magnificent book the translator's work is fascinating and the book itself is what one would call food for thought

[John Cairns · Rating 4 out of 5]

After two chapters more of Prolegomena on style and transmission, I finally arrived at text and translation, thirty-seven pages long, half text in Greek and half translation, either way say eighteen pages. Is it worth it? You'd have to believe in the gods of course. Sallustius is facing unbelief that has arisen ie atheists, the Christians. Such neglect, he says, does not affect the gods. Why would it? They're not dependent on our belief in them, unlike the Christian god, which would make that god dependent on man. Where have they gone then, the gods? Well, he has this thing about souls, which, if into a rational creature, becomes that body's soul and if into an unreasoning creature accompanies it from outside as our guardian spirits accompany us. Now, I've been pagan from birth, if brought up by Christians, one of whom did believe in my man whom she met in my person, nearly shaking his/my hand and saying 'you must be Johnny's man'. That would've been amusing. I was four. She thought I'd never meet him as she did because I must be where he normally is, inside. She also worked out from something I said he'd said to me he must be a Greek god she hadn't thought any longer existed, so there's where the gods are, inside us, the active one our unconscious will or guardian spirit and the receptive one our soul, and they probably always were since we project out, don't we? because we look out and not in. At any rate you can see why I'm interested in what Sallustius has to say about the gods, the universe and everything and can judge whether or not you might be for yourselves.

[Michael David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a companion piece to 'Five stages of Greek Religion' by Gilbert Murray, and it's an enlightening treatise on Paganism.