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We eat, that we may live; for living is not for the sake of eating, but eating was made from the beginning for the sake of living. Life has been measured for need, brothers, not for pleasure. Therefore, having put aside what is superfluous to nature, let us embrace only what is necessary. For what could be holier than that table, where drunkenness and gluttony and all debauchery have been driven away, and a certain wondrous contest has been introduced concerning the keeping of the laws of God; and a husband watches his wife, and that she may never fall into the pits of perjury; and a wife guards her husband, and the greatest penalty is laid upon the transgressor; and is not the master unashamed to be reproved even by his slaves, or to correct his servants in these matters? One would not err in calling such a house a church. For where there is such moderation, as to be concerned for the divine laws in a time of luxury, and for all those present to strive and contend with one another for this, it is evident that every evil power of demons has been driven away, and Christ is present at the good contention of his servants. But great is the pleasure in wickedness, he says, and great is the toil and sweat yoked with virtue. And what 63.599 credit was it to you, or from whom would you have received a reward, if the matter were not laborious? For I can show many who by nature hate to have relations with women; shall we then call these men temperate or crown them? By no means; for temperance is self-control, and the overcoming of warring pleasures. For often waves of passions, more savage than those of the sea, seize our mind, and produce great confusion in it; but the lazy and negligent man, at the beginning of the storm, is immediately disturbed, troubled, shaken, he overlooks his soul becoming submerged by the passions, and suffering shipwreck; but the steadfast and vigorous man, like a pilot at the rudders, thus setting his reason above the passions, does not cease from doing everything until he steers the vessel toward the calm harbor of philosophy. Let us not then soften our strength nor cut our sinews with the conversations of women. For indeed, an unspeakable and great wickedness flows from this into our souls. For what if we do not perceive it, being drunk with affection? For this very thing is the most terrible of all, that we do not even know how we are being enervated, and are becoming softer than any wax. For just as someone taking a proud and grim lion, then shearing its mane, and removing its teeth, and cutting its claws, makes shameful and ridiculous, and easy for children to defeat, the one that was fearsome and unbearable and shaking all things by its roar alone; so indeed these women also make all whom they take easily subdued by the devil, softer, more hot-headed, more shameless, more foolish, more quick-tempered, more rash, more unseasonable, more ignoble, more harsh, more servile, more illiberal, more impudent, more talkative, and in short, bringing all the corrupt female passions, they impress them upon their soul. It is impossible, therefore, for one living with women with so much sympathy and being nourished by their conversations, not to be a kind of vagabond and vulgar and rabble-like; for even if he should say something, he will say everything from looms and wool, his tongue having been dyed by the quality of women's words; and if he does anything, he works this with great servility, having removed himself far from the freedom befitting Christians, and having become useful for none of the great achievements. If, therefore, you wish to show us clearly that you do not rejoice in speaking shameful things, do not endure hearing them either. But now when will you be able to bear the sweats for the sake of moderation, being gradually undermined by laughter and these shameful words? For it is a desirable thing for a soul, being pure from all these things, to be able to become venerable and moderate. And let no one say to me, 63.600 that I cannot be saved unless I renounce my wife, unless I renounce my children, unless I renounce my affairs—for is marriage a hindrance? an assistant

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ἐσθίομεν, ἵνα ζῶμεν· οὐ γὰρ τὸ ζῇν διὰ τὸ φαγεῖν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ζῇν τὸ φαγεῖν γέγονεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς. Πρὸς χρείαν, ἀδελφοὶ, οὐ πρὸς ἡδονὴν ἡ ζωὴ συμμεμέτρηται. Τὸ οὖν περιττὸν τῆς φύσεως ἀποθέμενοι, τὸ ἀναγκαῖον μόνον ἀσπασώμεθα. Τί γὰρ τῆς τραπέζης ἐκείνης ἁγιώτερον γένοιτ' ἂν, ἔνθα μέθη μὲν καὶ ἀδηφαγία καὶ πᾶσα ἀσωτία ἀπελήλαται, θαυμαστὴ δέ τις ἀντεισενήνεκται περὶ τῆς φυλακῆς τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμων ἅμιλλα· καὶ παρατηρεῖ μὲν ἀνὴρ τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ ὅπως εἰς τὰ τῆς ἐπιορκίας μηδέποτε ἐμπέσῃ βάραθρα· φυλάττει δὲ γυνὴ τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ καταδίκη τῷ παραβάντι κεῖται μεγίστη· οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται δὲ οὐδὲ ὑπὸ τῶν δούλων ὁ δεσπότης ἐλέγχεσθαι, οὐδὲ τοὺς οἰκέτας αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τούτοις διορθοῦν; Οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι τὴν τοιαύτην οἰκίαν ἐκκλησίαν προσειπών. Ὅπου γὰρ σωφροσύνη τοσαύτη, ὡς ἐν καιρῷ τρυφῆς μεριμνᾷν ὑπὲρ τῶν θείων νόμων, καὶ τοὺς παρόντας ἅπαντας ὑπὲρ τούτου πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγωνίζεσθαι καὶ φιλονεικεῖν, εὔδηλον ὅτι δαιμόνων μὲν ἅπασα πονηρὰ δύναμις ἀπελήλαται, ὁ Χριστὸς δὲ πάρεστιν ἐπὶ τῇ καλῇ τῶν δούλων φιλονεικίᾳ. Ἀλλὰ πολλὴ μὲν ἡ ἡδονὴ τῇ κακίᾳ, φησὶ, πολὺς δὲ τῇ ἀρετῇ συνέζευκται ὁ πόνος καὶ ὁ ἱδρώς. Καὶ ποία 63.599 σοι χάρις ἦν, τίνος δ' ἂν ἔλαβες μισθὸν, εἰ μὴ ἐπίπονον τὸ πρᾶγμα ἦν; Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὺς ἔχω δεῖξαι φύσει τὸ μίγνυσθαι γυναιξὶ μισοῦντας· τούτους οὖν σώφρονας καλέσομεν ἢ στεφανώσομεν; Οὐδαμῶς· σωφροσύνη γάρ ἐστιν ἐγκράτεια, καὶ τὸ μαχομένων περιγενέσθαι τῶν ἡδονῶν. Πολλάκις γὰρ ἡμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν κύματα καταλαμβάνει παθῶν, τῶν θαλαττίων ἀγριώτερα, καὶ πολλὴν αὐτῇ ἐμποιοῦντα τὴν σύγχυσιν· ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ῥᾴθυμος καὶ κατημελημένος, ἀρχομένου τοῦ χειμῶνος, εὐθέως θορυβεῖται, ταράττεται, κλονεῖται, περιορᾷ γινομένην ὑποβρύχιον τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὸ τῶν παθῶν, καὶ ναυάγιον ὑπομένουσαν· ὁ δὲ καρτερὸς καὶ νεανικὸς, καθάπερ κυβερνήτην ἐπὶ τῶν οἰάκων, οὕτω τὸν λογισμὸν ἐπάνω τῶν παθῶν καθίσας, οὐ πρότερον ἀφίσταται πάντα ποιῶν, ἕως ἂν κατευθύνῃ τὸ σκάφος πρὸς τὸν εὔδιον τῆς φιλοσοφίας λιμένα. Μὴ δὴ καταμαλάττωμεν ἡμῶν τὴν ἰσχὺν μηδὲ ἐκκόπτωμεν τὰ νεῦρα ταῖς τῶν γυναικῶν ὁμιλίαις. Καὶ γὰρ ἄφατος καὶ πολλὴ ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν ἐντεῦθεν εἰσρεῖ κακία. Τί γὰρ, εἰ καὶ μὴ αἰσθανόμεθα τῇ φιλίᾳ μεθύοντες; Τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτὸ πάντων ἐστὶ δεινότατον, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἴσμεν ὅπως ἐκνευριζόμεθα, καὶ κηροῦ παντὸς γινόμεθα μαλακώτεροι. Καθάπερ γάρ τις λέοντα γαῦρον καὶ βλοσυρὸν λαβὼν, εἶτα ἀποκείρας μὲν τὴν κόμην, ἀνελὼν δὲ τοὺς ὀδόντας, καὶ περιελὼν τοὺς ὄνυχας, αἰσχρὸν ποιεῖ καὶ καταγέλαστον, καὶ παιδίοις εὐκαταγώνιστον, τὸν φοβερὸν καὶ ἀφόρητον καὶ ἀπὸ μόνου τοῦ βρυχήματος πάντα σείοντα· οὕτω δὴ καὶ αὗται πάντας ὅσους ἂν λάβωσι, εὐχειρώτους τῷ διαβόλῳ ποιοῦσι, μαλακωτέρους, θερμοτέρους, ἀναισχύντους, ἀνοήτους, ἀκροχόλους, θρασεῖς, ἀκαίρους, ἀγεννεῖς, ἀπηνεῖς, δουλοπρεπεῖς, ἀνελευθέρους, ἰταμοὺς, φλυάρους, καὶ ἁπλῶς πάντα τὰ γυναικεῖα πάθη τὰ διεφθαρμένα φέρουσαι εἰς τὴν τούτων ἐναπομάττονται ψυχήν. Ἀμήχανον οὖν τὸν γυναιξὶ συνοικοῦντα μετὰ συμπαθείας τοσαύτης καὶ ταῖς ἐκείνων ἐντρεφόμενον ὁμιλίαις, μὴ ἀγύρτην τινὰ εἶναι καὶ ἀγοραῖον καὶ συρφετώδη· κἂν γὰρ φθέγγηταί τι, πάντα ἀπὸ τῶν ἱστῶν καὶ τῶν ἐρίων φθέγξεται, τῆς γλώσσης αὐτοῦ τῇ ποιότητι τῶν γυναικείων ἀναχρωσθείσης ῥημάτων· κἂν ποιῇ τι, μετὰ πολλῆς τοῦτο ἐργάζεται δουλοπρεπείας, πόῤῥω τῆς Χριστιανοῖς πρεπούσης ἐλευθερίας ἑαυτὸν ἀποικίσας, καὶ πρὸς οὐδὲν τῶν μεγάλων κατορθωμάτων γενόμενος χρήσιμος. Εἰ τοίνυν βούλει δεῖξαι σαφῶς ἡμῖν, ὅτι οὐ χαίρεις αἰσχρὰ φθεγγόμενος, μηδὲ ἀκούειν ἀνέχου. Νῦν δὲ πότε δυνήσῃ τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς σωφροσύνης ἱδρῶτας ἐνεγκεῖν, κατὰ μικρὸν ὑποῤῥέων ὑπὸ τοῦ γέλωτος καὶ τῶν αἰσχρῶν τούτων ῥημάτων; Καὶ γὰρ ἀγαπητὸν, ἁπάντων τούτων καθαρεύουσαν ψυχὴν, δυνηθῆναι γενέσθαι σεμνὴν καὶ σώφρονα. Καὶ μή μοι λεγέτω τις, 63.600 ὅτι Οὐ δύναμαι σωθῆναι, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποτάξωμαι γυναικὶ, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποτάξωμαι παιδίοις, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποτάξωμαι πράγμασι μὴ γὰρ κώλυμα ὁ γάμος; βοηθός