Library of Animal Rights History » Animal Welfare-Animal Rights Activists-Advocates-Quotes Against Cruelty to Animals

Clement of Alexandria

Titus Flavius Clemens

[d. c215 ]

Clement of Alexandria [d. c215], "On Eating," in The Instructor [Paedagogus.] in Fathers of the Second Century: Hermas, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus, and Clement of Alexandria vol. 2 in Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to A.D. 325 edited by A. Roberts and J. Donaldson in 10 vols. [Print Basis: 1885-96 American reprint of the 1866-72 Edinburgh edition; Online at Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 2004).

The Instructor

On Eating

For they have not yet learned that God has provided for His creature (man I mean) food and drink, for sustenance, not for pleasure; since the body derives no advantage from extravagance in viands. For, quite the contrary, those who use the most frugal fare are the strongest and the healthiest, and the noblest; as domestics are healthier and stronger than their masters, and husbandmen than the proprietors; and not only more robust, but wiser, as philosophers are wiser than rich men.

"It is good, then, neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine," as both he and the Pythagoreans acknowledge. For this is rather characteristic of a beast; and the fumes arising from them being dense, darken the soul. If one partakes of them, he does not sin. Only let him partake temperately, not dependent on them, nor gaping after fine fare. For a voice will whisper to him, saying, "Destroy not the work of God for the sake of food." For of articles of food, those are the most suitable which are fit for immediate use without fire, since they are readiest; and second to these are those which are simplest, as we said before. But those who bend around inflammatory tables, nourishing their own diseases, are ruled by a most lickerish demon, whom I shall not blush to call the Belly-demon, and the worst and most abandoned of demons. He is therefore exactly like the one who is called the Ventriloquist-demon. It is far better to be happy than to have a demon dwelling with us. And happiness is found in the practice of virtue. Accordingly, the apostle Matthew partook of seeds, and nuts, and vegetables, without flesh. And John, who carded temperance to the extreme, "ate locusts and wild honey".

Clement of Alexandria [d. c215], "Prayers and Praise from a Pure Mind, Ceaselessly Offered, Far Better than Sacrifices," in The Stromata, or Miscellanies in Fathers of the Second Century: Hermas, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus, and Clement of Alexandria Vol. 2 in Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to A.D. 325 edited by A. Roberts and J. Donaldson in 10 vols. (Print Basis: 1885-96 American reprint of the 1866-72 Edinburgh edition; Online at Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 2004).

The Stromata, or Miscellanies

Prayers and Praise from a Pure Mind, Ceaselessly Offered, Far Better than Sacrifices

Now the very ancient altar in Delos they celebrated as holy; which alone, being undefiled by slaughter and death, they say Pythagoras approached. And will they not believe us when we say that the righteous soul is the truly sacred altar, and that incense arising from it is holy prayer? But I believe sacrifices were invented by men to be a pretext for eating flesh.

For the sacrifices of the Law express figuratively the piety which we practice as the turtle-dove and the pigeon offered for sins point out that the cleansing of the irrational part of the soul is acceptable to God. But if any one of the righteous does not burden his soul by the eating of flesh, he has the advantage of a rational reason, not as Pythagoras and his followers dream of the transmigration of the soul.

Now Xenocrates, treating by himself of "the food derived from animals," and Polemon in his work On Life according to Nature, seem clearly to say that animal food is unwholesome, in as much as it has already been elaborated and assimilated to the souls of the irrational creatures.

_________

1903 | J. Todd Ferrier, "Clement of Alexandria on the Physical and Moral Value of Pure, Natural Diet" in "The Records of History" in On Behalf of the Creatures, A Plea Historical, Scientific, Economic, Dynamic, Humane & Religious (London: Order of the Cross, 1926 [Originally published as letters to the press and Concerning Human Carnivorism, London, 1903; Online at Animal Rights History, 2006).