Hicks: However, not every bodily constitution nor every nationality would permit a man to become wise.

Yonge: That the wise man, however, cannot exist in every state of body, nor in every nation.

Original text: Οὐδὲ μὴν ἐκ πάσης σώματος ἕξεως σοφὸν γενέσθαι· ἂν οὐδ᾽ ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει.

The key phrases here are:

• ἐκ πάσης σώματος: (neither) from every body

• σώματος "a body, one's life in the physical world"

• ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει: (nor) in every έθνος (tribe, nation; later referring to "barbarian" nation (non-Hellenic); class of people)

Is this saying that a sage can't be found in every nation or is it saying not in certain classes? The meaning of έθνος is broad.

• ἕξεως "of a state, habit, condition (of a body)"

What does this mean? How does this connect with the evangelical nature of the philosophy? We know women were a part of the Garden and wrote treatises, so the female "state of body" can't exclude women. And Epicurean communities were in "barbarian" lands. How to interpret this? Is this where DeWitt is getting that Epicurus said non-Greeks couldn't achieve wisdom? I can certainly see that if someone is incapable of studying and applying the philosophy due to mental illness, brain injury, or other condition. I can also see some "nations" not being conducive to allowing or encouraging study and application because of repression, culture, exposure to the philosophy, etc. I would be reluctant to say (for modern applications) anything akin to "women can't be sages" or "Russians can't be sages."

There was a good discussion of this characteristic on a thread at Epicureanfriends.com in an early draft of this translation.