Clement of
Alexandria
Stromata
1.14.59
[...]
The Greeks say, that after Orpheus and Linus, and the most ancient of the poets
that appeared among them, the seven, called wise, were the first that were
admired for their wisdom. Of whom four were of Asia--Thales of Miletus, and
Bias of Priene, Pittacus of Mitylene, and Cleobulus of Lindos; and two of
Europe, Solon the Athenian, and Chilon the Lacedaemonian; and the seventh, some
say, was Periander of Corinth; others, Anacharsis the Scythian; others,
Epimenides the Cretan, whom Paul knew as a Greek prophet, whom he mentions in
the Epistle to Titus, where he speaks thus: "One of themselves, a prophet
of their own, said, The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
And this witness is true." You see how even to the prophets of the Greeks
he attributes something of the truth, and is not ashamed, when discoursing for
the edification of some and the shaming of others, to make use of Greek poems.
Accordingly to the Corinthians (for this is not the only instance), while
discoursing on the resurrection of the dead, he makes use of a tragic Iambic
line, when he said, "What advantageth it me if the dead are not raised?
Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die. Be not deceived; evil
communications corrupt good manners." [...]
