Chapter XXVII.—Guilt of exposing children.

But as for us, we have been taught that to expose newly-born children is the part of wicked men; and this we have been taught lest we should do any one an injury, and lest we should sin against God, first, because we see that almost all so exposed (not only the girls, but also the males) are brought up to prostitution. And as the ancients are said to have reared herds of oxen, or goats, or sheep, or grazing horses, so now we see you rear children only for this shameful use; and for this pollution a multitude of females and hermaphrodites, and those who commit unmentionable iniquities, are found in every nation. And you receive the hire of these, and duty and taxes from them, whom you ought to exterminate from your realm. And any one who uses such persons, besides the godless and infamous and impure intercourse, may possibly be having intercourse with his own child, or relative, or brother. And there are some who prostitute even their own children and wives, and some are openly mutilated for the purpose of sodomy; and they refer these mysteries to the mother of the gods, and along with each of those whom you esteem gods there is painted a serpent,54    Thirlby remarks that the serpent was the symbol specially of eternity, of power, and of wisdom, and that there was scarcely any divine attribute to which the heathen did not find some likeness in this animal. See also Hardwick’s Christ and other Masters, vol. ii. 146 (2d ed.). a great symbol and mystery. Indeed, the things55    [Note how he retaliates upon the calumny (cap. xxvi.) of the “upsetting of the lamp.”] which you do openly and with applause, as if the divine light were overturned and extinguished, these you lay to our charge; which, in truth, does no harm to us who shrink from doing any such things, but only to those who do them and bear false witness against us.

[27] Ἡμεῖς δέ, ἵνα μηδένα διώκωμεν μηδὲ ἀσεβῶμεν, ἐκτιθέναι καὶ τὰ γεννώμενα πονηρῶν εἶναι δεδιδάγμεθα: πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι τοὺς πάντας σχεδὸν ὁρῶμεν ἐπὶ πορνείᾳ προάγοντας, οὐ μόνον τὰς κόρας ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἄρσενας, καὶ ὃν τρόπον λέγονται οἱ παλαιοὶ ἀγέλας βοῶν ἢ αἰγῶν ἢ προβάτων τρέφειν ἢ ἵππων φορβάδων, οὕτω νῦν παῖδας εἰς τὸ αἰσχρῶς χρῆσθαι μόνον: καὶ ὁμοίως θηλειῶν καὶ ἀνδρογύνων καὶ ἀρρητοποιῶν πλῆθος κατὰ πᾶν ἔθνος ἐπὶ τούτου τοῦ ἄγους ἕστηκε. καὶ τούτων μισθοὺς καὶ εἰσφορὰς καὶ τέλη λαμβάνετε δέον ἐκκόψαι ἀπὸ τῆς ὑμετέρας οἰκουμένης. καὶ τῶν τούτοις χρωμένων τις πρὸς τῇ ἀθέῳ καὶ ἀσεβεῖ καὶ ἀκρατεῖ μίξει, εἰ τύχοι, τέκνῳ ἢ συγγενεῖ ἢ ἀδελφῷ μίγνυται. οἱ δὲ καὶ τὰ ἑαυτῶν τέκνα καὶ τὰς ὁμοζύγους προαγωγεύονται, καὶ φανερῶς εἰς κιναιδίαν ἀποκόπτονταί τινες καὶ εἰς μητέρα θεῶν τὰ μυστήρια ἀναφέρουσι, καὶ παρὰ παντὶ τῶν νομιζομένων παρ' ὑμῖν θεῷ ὄφις σύμβολον μέγα καὶ μυστήριον ἀναγράφεται. καὶ τὰ φανερῶς ὑμῖν πραττόμενα καὶ τιμώμενα ὡς ἀνατετραμμένου καὶ οὐ παρόντος φωτὸς θείου ἡμῖν προσγράφετε: ὅπερ ἀπηλλαγμένοις ἡμῖν τοῦ πράττειν τι τούτων οὐ βλάβην φέρει, ἀλλὰ τοῖς πράττουσι καὶ ψευδομαρτυροῦσι μᾶλλον.