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Animal Rights History Timeline » [BCE-CE] Antiquity » Porphyry

Porphyry

On Abstinence from Animal Food, Book the Fourth

[3rd c.] Porphyry, On Abstinence from Animal Food, Book the Fourth, in The Select Works of Porphyry, trans. by Thomas Taylor (London, 1823; Online at Animal Rights History, 2003)

In the preceding books…we have nearly answered all the arguments which in reality defend the feeding on flesh, for the sake of incontinence and intemperance, and which adduce impudent apologies for so doing by ascribing a greater indigence to our nature than is fit. Two particular inquiries, however, still remain; in one of which the promise of advantage especially deceives those who are corrupted by pleasure. And, moreover, we shall confute the assertion of our opponents, that no wise man, nor any nation, has rejected animal food, as it leads those that hear it to great injustice, through the ignorance of true history. (131)

It now remains that we should adduce a few examples of certain individuals, as testimonies in favour of abstinence from animal food. (170)