Clement of Alexandria — Stromata 16

And barbarians were inventors not only of philosophy , but almost of every art. The Egyptians were the first to introduce astrology among men . Similarly also the Chaldeans. The Egyptians first showed how to burn lamps, and divided the year into twelve months, prohibited intercourse with women in the temples, and enacted that no one should enter the temples from a woman without bathing. Again, they were the inventors of geometry. There are some who say that the Carians invented prognostication by the stars. The Phrygians were the first who attended to the flight of birds. And the Tuscans, neighbours of Italy , were adepts at the art of the Haruspex. The Isaurians and the Arabians invented augury, as the Telmesians divination by dreams. The Etruscans invented the trumpet, and the Phrygians the flute. For Olympus and Marsyas were Phrygians. And Cadmus, the inventor of letters among the Greeks, as Euphorus says, was a Phœnician; whence also Herodotus writes that they were called Phœnician letters. And they say that the Phœnicians and the Syrians first invented letters; and that Apis, an aboriginal inhabitant of Egypt , invented the healing art before Io came into Egypt . But afterwards they say that Asclepius improved the art. Atlas the Libyan was the first who built a ship and navigated the sea. Kelmis and Damnaneus, Idæan Dactyli, first discovered iron in Cyprus . Another Idæan discovered the tempering of brass; according to Hesiod, a Scythian. The Thracians first invented…

17. On the Saying of the Saviour, All that Came Before Me Were Thieves and Robbers. But, say they, it is written, All who were before the Lord's advent are thieves and robbers . All, then, who are in the Word (for it is these that were previous to the incarnation of the Word) are understood generally. But the prophets , being sent and inspired by the Lord, were not thieves, but servants. The Scripture accordingly says, Wisdom sent her servants, inviting with loud proclamation to a goblet of wine. Proverbs 9:3 But philosophy , it is said, was not sent by the Lord, but came stolen, or given by a thief. It was then some power or angel that had learned something of the truth , but abode not in it, that inspired and taught these things, not without the Lord's knowledge , who knew before the constitution of each essence the issues of futurity, but without His prohibition. For the theft which reached men then, had some advantage; not that he who perpetrated the theft had utility in his eye, but Providence directed the issue of the audacious deed to utility. I know that many are perpetually assailing us with the allegation, that not to prevent a thing happening, is to be the cause of it happening. For they say, that the man who does not take precaution against a theft, or does not prevent it, is the cause of it: as he is the cause of the conflagration who has not quenched it at the beginning; and the master of the vessel who does not reef the sail, is the cause of the shipwreck.…

18. He Illustrates the Apostle's Saying, I Will Destroy the Wisdom of the Wise. And of such it is said, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise: I will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent . The apostle accordingly adds, Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? setting in contradistinction to the scribes , the disputers of this world, the philosophers of the Gentiles . Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 1 Corinthians 1:19-20 which is equivalent to, showed it to be foolish, and not true , as they thought. And if you ask the cause of their seeming wisdom, he will say, because of the blindness of their heart; since in the wisdom of God , that is, as proclaimed by the prophets , the world knew not, in the wisdom which spoke by the prophets , Him, that is, God — it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching — what seemed to the Greeks foolishness — to save them that believe . For the Jews require signs, in order to faith ; and the Greeks seek after wisdom, plainly those reasonings styled irresistible, and those others, namely, syllogisms. But we preach Jesus Christ crucified; to the Jews a stumbling-block, because, though knowing prophecy , they did not believe the event: to the Greeks, foolishness; for those who in their own estimation are wise, consider it fabulous that the Son of God should speak by man and that God should have a Son, and especially that that Son should have suffered. Whence their preconceived…