7

let us cleanse our mind by charming it with the pious teachings, from there we will now be able, having prepared ourselves beforehand, both to make ourselves worthy for the reception of the greatness of the gift and for the guarding of the good things that are given. 1.34 Henceforth, let my concern not be about external adornments nor about the costliness of garments, but let all my effort be transferred to the beauty of the soul, so that its beauty may become brighter. Let me not have silk garments and the threads of worms nor golden necklaces. For the teacher of the world, knowing especially the folly of the female nature and the instability of the mind, did not hesitate to give instructions about these things as well. What am I saying, that he did not decline to teach about these things? Exhorting about braided hair he cries out and says: “Not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing” as good as teaching: Do you wish to be adorned, woman, and to be praised by those who see you? I will call forth for you your fellow human beings, but also the Lord of all, to praise and acclamation. 1.35 But since he cast out that adornment, the one from braided hair, from gold and pearls and costly garments, let us see, then, what kind of adornment he places on her. For this adornment from gold and garments, even if it delights the one wearing it for a short time, is consumed by time; why do I say is consumed? Even before it is consumed by time it arouses the eyes of the envious and urges on evildoers to theft. But the adornment which he himself places is incorruptible, indestructible, everlasting, both remaining with us here and journeying with us there and preparing for us great confidence. 1.36 But it is necessary to hear the apostolic words themselves; what then does he say? “But, which is proper for women professing godliness, through good works.” Do things worthy of your profession, he says, adorn yourself through good works. Let the practice of good things imitate the profession; you profess to worship God, do the things that please him, the good works. And what is “through good works”? The whole collection of virtue, he says, disdain for present things, desire for future things, contempt for money, generosity toward the poor, gentleness, meekness, wisdom, for the soul to be in a state of peace and calm, not to be terrified by the glory of the present life but to have one’s gaze fixed above and to care for the things there continually and to long for the glory there. 1.37 But since my discourse is now especially to women, I wish to advise them on some other things as well so that along with the others they may abstain from the harmful habit of not powdering the face nor adding to creation as if it were deficient and extending insolence to the Creator. For what are you doing, O woman? For surely not from powders and cosmetics are you able to make an addition to natural beauty or to change natural ugliness? You will neither make an addition to that through these things and you will corrupt the beauty of the soul. For this fussiness becomes a proof of inner folly. And besides, through this you heap up much fire for yourself, exciting the glances of the young and attracting the eyes of the licentious and making them full-fledged adulterers and you draw their downfall upon your own head. 1.38 Therefore, what is fitting and beneficial is to abstain from this completely; but if they, who have been preoccupied by this evil habit, should not wish to, let them at least not do this when they arrive at the house of prayer. For what reason, tell me, when you come to church do you arrange yourself in this way? Surely he does not seek this beauty, he whom you come to worship and to make confessions for your sins? He seeks inner beauty, the practice of good works, almsgiving, self-control, compunction, precise faith. But you, leaving these things behind, attempt to trip up many of the negligent even in the church. And of how many things these

7

ἐκκαθάρωμεν ἡ μῶν τὴν διάνοιαν κατεπᾴδοντες τὰ εὐσεβῆ διδάγματα, δυνησόμεθα ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη ἑαυτοὺς προευτρεπίσαντες καὶ πρὸς τὴν ὑποδοχὴν τοῦ μεγέθους τῆς δωρεᾶς ἀξίους καταστῆσαι καὶ πρὸς τὴν φυλακὴν τῶν διδομένων ἀγαθῶν. 1.34 Μή μοι λοιπὸν περὶ τῶν ἔξω καλλωπισμῶν ἡ φροντὶς γινέσθω μηδὲ περὶ τὴν τῶν ἱματίων πολυτέλειαν ἀλλὰ πᾶσα ἡ σπουδὴ μεταγέσθω ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς εὐμορφίαν ὥστε τὸ ταύτης κάλλος φαιδρότερον γίνεσθαι. Μή μοι τὰ σηρικὰ ἱμάτια καὶ τὰ τῶν σκωλήκων νήματα μηδὲ τὰ χρυσὰ περιδέρραια. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλος εἰδὼς μάλιστα τῆς γυναικείας φύσεως τὴν βλακείαν καὶ τῆς γνώμης τὸ εὐόλισθον οὐκ ὤκνησε καὶ περὶ τούτων διατάξασθαι. Τί λέγω ὅτι περὶ τούτων οὐ παρῃτήσατο διδάξαι; Περὶ ἐμπλεγμάτων παραινῶν βοᾷ καὶ λέγει· «Μὴ ἐμπλέγμασιν ἢ χρυσῷ ἢ μαργαρίταις ἢ ἱματισμῷ πολυτελεῖ» μονονουχὶ διδάσκων κοσμεῖσθαι βούλει, γύναι, καὶ παρὰ τῶν ὁρώντων ἐπαινεῖσθαι; Ἐγώ σοι τοὺς ὁμογενεῖς ἀνθρώπους ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν τῶν ὅλων δεσπότην εἰς ἔπαινον καὶ εὐφημίαν ἐκκαλέσομαι. 1.35 Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐκεῖνον τὸν κόσμον ἐξέβαλε τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐμπλεγμάτων, τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν χρυσίων καὶ μαργαριτῶν καὶ τῶν ἱματίων τῶν πολυτελῶν, ἴδωμεν λοιπὸν ποῖον αὐτῇ περιτίθησι κόσμον. Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ κόσμος ὁ ἐκ τῶν χρυσίων καὶ τῶν ἱματίων, κἂν πρὸς ὀλίγον τέρψῃ τὴν περικειμένην, τῷ χρόνῳ δαπανᾶται· τί λέγω δαπανᾶται; Καὶ πρὸ τῆς δαπάνης τοῦ χρόνου τοὺς τῶν βασκάνων ὀφθαλμοὺς διεγείρει καὶ τοὺς κακούργους πρὸς τὴν ὑφαίρεσιν προτρέπεται. Ὁ δὲ κόσμος ὃν περιτίθησιν αὐτὸς ἀνάλωτος, ἀδαπάνητος, διηνεκής, καὶ ἐνταῦθα συμπαραμένων κἀκεῖ συναποδημῶν καὶ πολλὴν ἡμῖν τὴν παρρησίαν κατασκευάζων. 1.36 Ἀλλ' αὐτῶν ἀναγκαῖον ἀκοῦσαι τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ῥημάτων· τί οὖν φησιν; «Ἀλλ' ὃ πρέπει γυναιξὶν ἐπαγγελλομέναις θεοσεβεῖν, δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν.» Ἄξια, φησί, τῷ ἐπαγγέλματι διαπράττου, διὰ τῶν ἔργων σαυτὴν κόσμει τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Μιμείσθω ἡ τῶν ἀγαθῶν πρᾶξις τὸ ἐπάγγελμα· ἐπαγγέλλῃ σέβειν τὸν Θεόν, τὰ ἐκείνῳ ἀρέσκοντα ἐργάζου, τὰ ἔργα τὰ ἀγαθά. Τί δέ ἐστι δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν; Πᾶσα ἡ συναγωγὴ τῆς ἀρετῆς φησιν, ἡ τῶν παρόντων ὑπεροψία, ἡ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιθυμία, ἡ καταφρόνησις τῶν χρημάτων, ἡ περὶ τοὺς πένητας δαψίλεια, ἡ ἐπιείκεια, ἡ πραότης, ἡ φιλοσοφία, τὸ ἐν εἰρήνῃ καὶ γαλήνῃ τὴν ψυχὴν διακεῖσθαι, τὸ μὴ ἐπτοῆσθαι πρὸς τὴν δόξαν τοῦ παρόντος βίου ἀλλὰ ἄνω τεταμένον ἔχειν τὸ ὄμμα καὶ τὰ ἐκεῖ μεριμνᾶν διηνεκῶς καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖ ἐφίεσθαι δόξης. 1.37 Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὰς γυναῖκάς μοι νῦν ὁ λόγος μάλιστα, βούλομαι καὶ ἕτερά τινα ταύταις παρεγγυῆσαι ὥστε μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τῆς ἐπιβλαβοῦς συνηθείας ἀπέχεσθαι τοῦ μὴ κονιᾶν τὸ πρόσωπον μηδὲ ὡς ἐλλιπῶς ἐχούσης τῆς δημιουργίας προστιθέναι καὶ τὴν ὕβριν εἰς τὸν δημιουργὸν ἐκτείνειν. Τί γὰρ ποιεῖς, ὦ γύναι; Μὴ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπιτριμμάτων καὶ τῶν ὑπογραφῶν προσθήκην ἐργάσασθαι ἔχεις τῷ φυσικῷ κάλλει ἢ τὴν φυσικὴν ἀμορφίαν μεταβαλεῖν; Οὔτε ἐκείνῳ προσθήκην ἐργάσῃ διὰ τούτων καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ κάλλος διαφθερεῖς. Ἡ γὰρ περιεργία αὕτη τεκμήριον γίνεται τῆς ἔνδοθεν βλακείας. Ἄλλως τε καὶ πολὺν ἐπισορεύεις διὰ τούτου σαυτῇ τὸ πῦρ, τὰς τῶν νέων ὄψεις ἀναπτεροῦσα καὶ τοὺς τῶν ἀκολάστων ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπισπωμένη καὶ μοιχοὺς ἀπηρτισμένους ἐργαζομένη καὶ τὸν ἐκείνων ὄλισθον εἰς τὴν σὴν ἕλκεις κεφαλήν. 1.38 Τὸ μὲν οὖν πρέπον καὶ ἐπωφελὲς πάντη τούτου ἀπέχεσθαι· εἰ δὲ μὴ βούλοιντο αἱ τῇ κακῇ ταύτῃ συνηθείᾳ προκατειλημμέναι, κἂν γοῦν ἐπὶ τὸν εὐκτήριον οἶκον ἀφικνούμεναι μὴ ποιείτωσαν τοῦτο. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι, εἰς ἐκκλησίαν παραγενομένη οὕτω σαυτὴν διατίθης; Μὴ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπιζητεῖ τὸ κάλλος ὃν ἔρχῃ προσκυνήσουσα καὶ τὰς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐξομολογήσεις ποιησομένη; Τὸ ἔνδοθεν κάλλος ἐπιζητεῖ, τὴν διὰ τῶν ἔργων τῶν ἀγαθῶν πρᾶξιν, τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην, τὴν σωφροσύνην, τὴν κατάνυξιν, τὴν πίστιν τὴν ἀκριβῆ. Σὺ δὲ ταῦτα καταλιποῦσα πολλοὺς τῶν ῥᾳθύμων καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ὑποσκελίζειν ἐπιχειρεῖς. Καὶ πόσων ταῦτα