John Chrysostom, On Repentance

It remains for you to beg. But on this point the proposal of the reward 59.763 is licentious; but what of the dancer's request? She did not improvise the gift, she did not ask for the reward offhand; but having been prompted by her mother, she goes to use the evil teacher as an advisor for the reward. And what reward did she ask for? Give me here and now on a platter the head of John the Baptist. Shall I not weep at the excess of the shame, the shamefulness of the achievement, the promise of the king, the request for the reward? do you not shudder then at the results of dancers? do you not loathe the reasonings of applause? do you not spit upon the writhings of the half-naked? Do you dare to have a dancer as a friend? Do you dare to count yourself a lover of a dancer? Do you not hate the thing which, when neglected, incurs laughter even from the spectators? It incurs laughter, but when accomplished to the extreme, it murders a prophet. Let us hate dancing, an invention of demons and a practice of the wretched. At this Herod was grieved; he was exceedingly grieved, as one might say, and he imitates Pilate, or rather, the manner of Pilate; for the narrative is earlier. That one washes his hands, and hands him over to the punishing sentence; this one also is grieved, and because of the oaths and those reclining with him he consented. Did not the Lord speak well today, "Do not swear at all"? You see the Master's exhortation; "Do not swear at all." For why do you swear, either to ensnare yourself by perjuring, or to murder a prophet by keeping your oath? He swore badly, he kept his oath worse; nevertheless, "Because of the oaths," it says, "and those reclining with him." You respected those reclining with you, and you did not fear the Judge? And he commanded, it says, "And immediately the head of John the Baptist was brought on a platter, and was given to the girl." See the end, even more bitter than the bitter banquet; the head of the prophet is cut off, it is given to the girl, and the girl receives it; she does not shudder at the sight, she was not terrified by the head, she did not turn away from the drops of blood; truly the cub of a savage lioness is more savage. On a platter is placed the head of a prophet, on which dishes of food are served; and the same vessel for food and for murder, and at that very hour with the gore still dripping, with the head still twitching, perhaps the head was even brought into the banquet; with the tongue still moving it was crying out, "It is not lawful for you to have her." And taking it she brought it to her mother. The dance-teacher received the impious achievement of her evil instruction. 4. We have, therefore, necessarily investigated this narrative, in order to wipe clean the eyes of those fond of spectacles, and persuade you to turn away from such sights. But let us not end the discourse with a gloomy narrative, nor let a dancer bring an ecclesiastical oration to a close, but let us contrast the licentious, tyrannical, and bitter banquet with a master's and philanthropic banquet, so that we may understand how great is the fruit of repentance. One of the Pharisees asked the Lord to come in and eat bread, The Master entered, and reclined. For although he knew the thoughts of those who called him, yet being long-suffering he bore it. For that the one who called him was a hypocrite, what follows shows; While the Lord was reclining and the banquet was still going on, "There was a woman," it says, "in the city who was a sinner." Having heard that Jesus was reclining there, she comes, it says, into the house; and having brought an alabaster flask of myrrh, she poured it on the feet of the Master, and kissed his footsteps, and wiped them with her hair. But so that you may know that the one who called him was a hypocrite, the Pharisee reasons to himself; "This man, if he were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him; for she is a sinner." For not only are the Pharisees hypocrites, but also envious. Christ is reclining with you, and this knowing your manner, and no one is envious; there came

λείπεταί σοι τὸ προσαιτεῖν. Ἀλλὰ ταύτῃ μὲν ἀκόλαστος 59.763 ἡ τοῦ μισθοῦ πρότασις· τί δὲ ἡ τῆς ὀρχηστρίδος αἴτησις; Οὐκ ἐσχεδίασε τὸ δῶρον, οὐκ ἐξ αὐτοσχεδίου τὸν μισθὸν ᾔτησεν· ἀλλὰ προβιβασθεῖσα ὑπὸ τῆς μητρὸς, ἀπέρχεται χρήσασθαι συμβούλῳ τοῦ μισθοῦ τῇ κακῇ διδασκάλῳ. Καὶ ποῖον ᾔτησε μισθόν; ∆ός μοι ὧδε ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐπὶ πίνακι τὴν κεφαλὴν Ἰωάννου τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ. Ἆρα μὴ δακρύσω τῆς αἰσχύνης τὴν ὑπερβολὴν, τοῦ κατορθώματος τὸ αἰσχρὸν, τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, τοῦ μισθοῦ τὴν αἴτησιν; οὐ φρίσσετε λοιπὸν τῶν ὀρχουμένων τὰ τέλη; οὐ βδελύσσετε τῶν κρότων τοὺς λογισμούς; οὐκ ἀποπτύετε τῶν ἡμιγύμνων τοὺς λυγισμούς; Τολμᾶς ὀρχηστὴν φίλον ἔχειν; τολμᾷς σεαυτὸν τάττειν ἐραστὴν ὀρχηστοῦ; Οὐ μισεῖς τὸ πρᾶγμα, ὅπερ ἀμελούμενον γέλωτα καὶ παρὰ τοῖς θεαταῖς ὀφλισκάνει; Ὀφλισκάνει μὲν γέλωτα, εἰς ἄκρον δὲ κατορθωθὲν, προφήτην φονεύει. Μισήσωμεν ὄρχησιν, εὕρημα δαιμόνων καὶ μελέτην κακοδαιμόνων. Ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ Ἡρώδης ἐλυπήθη· ἐλυπήθη δὲ ἄκρως, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, καὶ μιμεῖται τὸν Πιλᾶτον, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸν τρόπον τοῦ Πιλάτου· προγενέστερον γὰρ τὸ διήγημα. Νίπτεται τὰς χεῖρας ἐκεῖνος, καὶ τῇ ψήφῳ τῇ κολαστικῇ παραδίδωσι· λυπεῖται καὶ οὗτος, καὶ διὰ τοὺς ὅρκους καὶ τοὺς συνανακειμένους ἐπένευσεν. Οὐ καλῶς ἔλεγεν ὁ Κύριος σήμερον, Μὴ ὀμόσῃς ὅλως; Εἶδες ∆εσπότου παραίνεσιν· Μὴ ὀμόσῃς ὅλως. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ ὀμνύεις, ἢ ἵνα ἐπιορκῶν παγιδεύσῃς σαυτὸν, ἢ εὐορκῶν προφήτην φονεύσῃς; Κακῶς ὤμοσε, χεῖρον εὐώρκωσεν· ὅμως, ∆ιὰ τοὺς ὅρκους, φησὶ, καὶ τοὺς συνανακειμένους. Τοὺς συνανακειμένους ᾐδέσθης, καὶ τὸν Κριτὴν οὐκ ἐφοβήθης; Καὶ ἐκέλευσε, φησὶ, Καὶ παραχρῆμα ἠνέχθη ἡ κεφαλὴ Ἰωάννου τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ ἐπὶ πίνακος, καὶ ἐδόθη κορασίῳ. Ἴδε τοῦ πικροῦ συμποσίου πικρότερον καὶ τὸ τέλος· τέμνεται ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ προφήτου, δίδοται τῷ κορασίῳ, καὶ τὸ κοράσιον δέχεται· οὐ φρίττει τὸ θέαμα, οὐ κατεπλάγη τὴν κεφαλὴν, οὐκ ἀπεστράφη τὰς τῶν αἱμάτων ῥανίδας· ὄντως ὠμῆς λεαίνης σκύμνος ὠμότερος. Ἐπὶ πίνακος τίθεται κεφαλὴ προφήτου, ἐφ' οὗ τὰ ἐδέσματα παραφέρεται· καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ σκεῦος ἐδεσμάτων καὶ φόνου, καὶ αὐτῆς ὥρας ἔτι τοῦ λύθρου στάζοντος, ἔτι παλλούσης τῆς κεφαλῆς, τάχα καὶ εἰς τὸ συμπόσιον παρενεχθεῖσα ἡ κεφαλή· ἔτι τῆς γλώττης σαλευομένης ἐβόα· Οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι ἔχειν αὐτήν. Καὶ λαβοῦσα ἀπήνεγκε τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῆς. Ἀπέλαβεν ἡ ὀρχηστροδιδάσκαλος τῆς κακῆς διδασκαλίας τὸ ἀσεβὲς κατόρθωμα. δʹ. Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν ἀναγκαίως ἠρευνήσαμεν τὸ διήγημα, ἵνα τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῶν φιλοθεαμόνων ἐκσμήξωμεν, καὶ πείσωμεν ὑμᾶς ἀποστρέφεσθαι τὰ τοιαῦτα θεάματα. Ἀλλὰ μὴ καταλύσωμεν τὸν λόγον ἐν σκυθρωπῷ διηγήματι, μηδὲ λόγον ἐκκλησιαστικὸν ὀρχηστρὶς καταστελλέτω, ἀλλ' ἀντιθῶμεν ἀκολάστῳ συμποσίῳ καὶ τυραννικῷ καὶ πικρῷ συμπόσιον δεσποτικὸν καὶ φιλάνθρωπον, ἵνα νοήσωμεν πηλίκος ὁ τῆς μετανοίας καρπός. Ἠρώτησε τὸν Κύριον τῶν Φαρισαίων τις εἰσελθεῖν καὶ φαγεῖν ἄρτον, Εἰσῆλθεν ὁ ∆εσπότης, καὶ ἀνέκειτο. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ᾔδει τῶν καλούντων τὰς γνώμας, ἀλλὰ καὶ μακροθυμῶν ἔφερεν. Ὅτι γὰρ ὁ καλέσας ὑποκριτὴς ἦν, τὰ ἑξῆς δείκνυσιν· Ἀνακειμένου τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ ἔτι ὄντος τοῦ συμποσίου, Γυνή τις ἦν, φησὶν, ἐν τῇ πόλει ἁμαρτωλός. Ἀκούσασα ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐκεὶ κατάκειται, ἔρχεται, φησὶν, εἰς τὸν οἶκον· καὶ κομίσασα ἀλάβαστρον μύρου, κατέχεεν ἐπὶ τῶν ποδῶν τοῦ ∆εσπότου, καὶ κατεφίλει τὰ ἴχνη, καὶ ἐξέμασσε ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς. Ἵνα δὲ γνῶς, ὅτι ὑποκριτὴς ὁ καλέσας, διαλογίζεται ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὁ Φαρισαῖος· Οὗτος, εἰ ἦν προφήτης, ἐγίνωσκεν ἂν τίς καὶ ποταπὴ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ἁπτομένη αὐτοῦ· ὅτι ἁμαρτωλός ἐστιν. Οὐ γὰρ ὑποκριταὶ μόνον οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ φθονεροί. Παρὰ σοὶ Χριστὸς ἀνάκειται, καὶ ταῦτα εἰδώς σου τὸν τρόπον, καὶ οὐδεὶς βασκαίνει· ἦλθεν