Sentences of Sextus

Abstract

Abstract The so‐called Sextii Sententiae seem to be, in their present form, a Christian collection, probably dating to the second century ce , of mostly moral sentences ascribed to the Pythagorean Sextus. It shows how Stoic, Cynic, Platonic, and Pythagorean asceticism was absorbed by a Christian author – not only sexual restraint, but also voluntary poverty. I will explore the most important aspects of this collection, concerning asceticism and the relation between the worship of God and the renunciation of committing injustice against other people, as well as the link between these sentences and Origen of Alexandria.