Now for an excerpt from the tale of Krates of Mallos, philosopher and linguist who founded the Library of Pergamum and introduced grammar to Romans. Krates was in Roma on a diplomatic mission around 168 BC when he fell into the Cloaca Maxima, an open sewer ditch, and broke his leg. While he was recuperating, he gave lectures on grammar at a stoa on the Campus Martius. Here is a fragment where he talks about philosophy. Krates eats grapes and goat cheese on brass plate while ignoring dull pain throbbing his leg. "Philosophy teaches our minds clear skill to perceive complex nature of our world, serious study that requires commitment to pursue knowledge as our way of life. Spend no idle time contemplating concepts of philosophy to pass tedious hours, because philosophy provides technique to conduct progress of life with success by learning how we use words to describe in static letters on stream of fluid thoughts complex world through anomaly of speech. Kleanthes speaking in bright-painted Stoa defined philosophy as exercise to practice constant action while alert that spawns expert skill for creating good, so when we know secrets driving our bodies and generating world of things around us and appreciate value of rich existence, we will transform from crippling fear and rage to courage and calm strength when agent soul acts in harmony with nature of things. Platon asked for clear mark that indicates what constitutes real in existing things, and answered that nature of real persists in capacity to act or receive action, and we accept strength of this criterion. Man perceives things with qualities that act and reflect sunlight to impress our eyes which beams illusions deep inside our minds, fragments of our thoughts that sound words encase in syntax of letters to form sentences. Who sparks first act at beginning of time to design ideal forms in patterned shapes, and molds substance of material in bodies of objects which grow into being from seeds to assume pattern for enduring time till death dissolves matter back into stuff that constitutes eternal soul of all things? We postulate Theos personified as Zeus, prime mover at bright beginning of time, generates existence, and splices whole soul which morphs into bodies of living humans and creatures, fragments of one complete core separated during life, then merging flush at death to regain connection with Theos."
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 23:30:03 +0000