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dragging their tunics with the stepping of their feet, and at the same time playing with their feet. And God will humble the ruling daughters of Zion, and the Lord will uncover their form in that day. And the Lord will take away the glory of their apparel and their ornament and the braided hair and the clusters and the crescents and the pendants and the ornament of their face and the arrangement of glorious ornament and the armlets and the bracelets and the braided work and the rings and the jewels for the right hand and the earrings and the garments with a purple border and the garments shot with purple and the shawls for the house and the transparent Laconian veils and the fine linen garments and the hyacinth-colored garments and the scarlet garments and the fine linen woven with gold and hyacinth and summer veils overlaid with gold. And there shall be dust instead of a sweet smell, and you shall be girded with a rope instead of a girdle; and instead of the ornament of your head, you shall have baldness for your works; and instead of the tunic shot with purple, you shall be girded with sackcloth. These things shall be to you instead of adornment. And your most beautiful son, whom you love, shall fall by the sword, and your mighty men shall fall by the sword and be humbled. And the cases for your ornaments shall mourn, and you shall be left alone, and shall be leveled to the ground. The prophet himself has done this strange thing, extending a long discourse to the women, which we see has not happened in this way anywhere in the Scriptures. What then is the reason for this strangeness?

3.8

It seems to me that the foolishness of the women at that time had become great, and that they contributed the greater part to the wickedness of the men. Therefore he also directs his words particularly to them, bringing the most grievous charges against them, and he carries his discourse to the ruling class, speaking again from the person of God. Thus says the Lord: Because the daughters of Zion were exalted and walked with a high neck. He charges them with the chief of evils, arrogance and pride. For this is grievous everywhere, but especially when it is born of the female nature. For a woman, when filled with pride, being lighter and more irrational, is easily overturned and submerged and suffers shipwreck from every evil spirit, as conceit and pride submerge her. But he seems to be directing his words to those in Jerusalem; which is why he called them daughters of Zion. And they walked with a high neck. Here he both satirizes them and shows the female mindset, which cannot be contained even in the mind, but breaks out and is displayed through the movements of the body. And he accuses them not only of arrogance, but also of wantonness, saying and making this clear from what follows. For he added: And with winks of the eyes, which is characteristic of courtesans, to roll their pupils and from this to display great foolishness and effeminacy; and there is no such sign of being wanton and effeminate as this. And with the stepping of their feet dragging their tunics at the same time. This is not a small crime, even if it seems to be small, but a proof of utter ruin and of being effeminate and broken and dissolved, this dragging of the tunics. Indeed, one of the pagan comedians portrayed his own adversary saying: 'letting his cloak down to his ankles.' And at the same time playing with their feet. And this again is proof of the same indecency. For through all things, through eyes, through clothes, through feet, through gait, both modesty and wantonness are made apparent. For the movements of the sense-organs are like heralds of the soul seated within. And just as painters, by mixing colors, delineate the images they wish, so too do the movements of the body's members bring forth the characteristics of the soul and place them before our eyes. Therefore another wise man said: A man’s attire, and a grin of his teeth, and the step of his foot, declare what is in him. And God will humble the ruling daughters of Zion, and the Lord will uncover their form in that day, and the Lord will take away the glory of their apparel. Having set down two crimes, arrogance and wantonness, to each

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πορείᾳ τῶν ποδῶν σύρουσαι ἅμα τοὺς χιτῶνας, καὶ τοῖς ποσὶν ἅμα παίζουσαι. Καὶ ταπεινώσει ὁ Θεὸς ἀρχούσας θυγατέρας Σιὼν καὶ Κύριος ἀνακαλύψει τὸ σχῆμα αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ. Καὶ ἀφελεῖ Κύριος τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἱματισμοῦ αὐτῶν καὶ τὸν κόσμον αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ἐμπλόκια καὶ τοὺς κορύμβους καὶ τοὺς μηνίσκους καὶ τὸ κάθεμα καὶ τὸν κόσμον τοῦ προσώπου αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν σύνθεσιν τοῦ κόσμου τῆς δόξης καὶ τοὺς χλιδῶνας καὶ τὰ ψέλλια καὶ τὸ ἐμπλόκιον καὶ τοὺς δακτυλίους καὶ τὰ περι δέξια καὶ τὰ ἐνώτια καὶ τὰ περιπόρφυρα καὶ τὰ μεσοπόρφυρα καὶ τὰ ἐπιβλήματα τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ τὰ διαφανῆ Λακωνικὰ καὶ τὰ βύσσινα καὶ τὰ ὑακίνθινα καὶ τὰ κόκκινα καὶ τὴν βύσσον σὺν χρυσῷ καὶ ὑακίνθῳ συγκαθυφασμένην καὶ θέριστρα κατάκλειστα τοῦ χρυσίου. Καὶ ἔσται ἀντὶ ὀσμῆς ἡδείας κονιορτὸς καὶ ἀντὶ ζώνης σχοινίῳ ζώσῃ καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ κόσμου τῆς κεφαλῆς σου φαλάκρωμα ἕξεις διὰ τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ χιτῶνος τοῦ μεσοπορφύρου περιζώσῃ σάκκον. Ταῦτά σοι ἀντὶ καλλωπισμοῦ. Καὶ ὁ υἱός σου ὁ κάλλιστος, ὃν ἀγαπᾷς, μαχαίρᾳ πεσεῖται καὶ οἱ ἰσχύοντες ὑμῶν μαχαίρᾳ πεσοῦνται καὶ ταπεινωθήσονται. Καὶ πενθήσουσιν αἱ θῆκαι τοῦ κόσμου ὑμῶν καὶ καταλειφθήσῃ μόνη καὶ εἰς τὴν γῆν ἐδαφισθήσῃ. Ξένον τοῦτο ὁ προφήτης αὐτὸς πεποίηκε, μακρὸν πρὸς τὰς γυναῖκας ἀποτείνας λόγον, ὅπερ οὐδαμοῦ τῶν Γραφῶν ὁρῶμεν γεγενημένον οὕτω. Τί οὖν τὸ αἴτιον τοῦ ξένου;

3.8 Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ πολλὴν τότε τὴν βλακείαν τῶν γυναικῶν γεγενῆσθαι καὶ τὸ πλέον εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀνδρῶν κακίαν εἰσφέρειν μέρος αὐτάς. ∆ιὸ δὴ καὶ ἰδιαζόντως πρὸς αὐτὰς ἀποτείνεται, τὰ χαλεπώτατα αὐταῖς ἐγκαλῶν ἐγκλήματα καὶ εἰς ἀρχὴν ἀνάγει τὸν λόγον, ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ πάλιν φθεγγόμενος. Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Ἀνθ' ὧν ὑψώθησαν αἱ θυγατέρες Σιὼν καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ὑψηλῷ τραχήλῳ. Τὸ κεφάλαιον τῶν κακῶν αὐταῖς ἐγκαλεῖ, ἀπόνοιαν καὶ ἀλαζονείαν. Τοῦτο γὰρ πανταχοῦ μὲν χαλεπόν, μάλιστα δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς γυναικείας τικτόμενον φύσεως. Φρονήματος γὰρ ἐμπλησθεῖσα γυνή, ἅτε κουφοτέρα καὶ ἀλογωτέρα οὖσα, εὐκόλως περιτρέπεται καὶ βαπτίζεται καὶ ναυάγιον ὑπομένει παντὸς πονηροῦ πνεύματος, τοῦ τύφου καὶ τῆς ἀλαζονείας αὐτὴν βαπτιζούσης. ∆οκεῖ δὲ πρὸς τὰς ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἀποτείνεσθαι· διὸ καὶ θυγατέρας Σιὼν ἐκάλεσε. Καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ὑψηλῷ τραχήλῳ. Ἐνταῦθα αὐτὰς καὶ κωμῳδεῖ καὶ τὸ γυναικεῖον δείκνυσι φρόνημα, οὐδὲ ἐν διανοίᾳ στέγεσθαι δυνάμενον, ἀλλ' ἐκρηγνύμενον καὶ διὰ τῶν τοῦ σώματος ἐπιδεικνύμενον κινήσεων. Οὐκ εἰς ἀπόνοιαν δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς ἀσέλγειαν αὐτὰς διαβάλλει, τοῦτο λέγων καὶ δηλῶν ἐκ τῶν ἑξῆς. Ἐπήγαγε γοῦν· Καὶ νεύμασιν ὀφθαλμῶν, ὃ τῶν ἑταιριζομένων ἐστὶ γυναικῶν, διαστρέφειν τὰς κόρας καὶ τὴν πολλὴν βλακείαν καὶ τὸν μαλακισμὸν ἐντεῦθεν ἐμφαίνειν· τοῦ δὲ θρύπτεσθαι καὶ μαλακίζεσθαι οὐδὲν οὕτω σημεῖόν ἐστιν, ὡς τοῦτο. Καὶ τῇ πορείᾳ τῶν ποδῶν σύρουσαι ἅμα τοὺς χιτῶνας. Οὐ μικρὸν τοῦτο ἔγκλημα, εἰ καὶ μικρὸν εἶναι δοκεῖ, ἀλλ' ἐξωλείας τῆς ἐσχάτης ἔλεγχος καὶ τοῦ μαλακίζεσθαι καὶ κατακλᾶσθαι καὶ διαλύεσθαι, τὸ τοὺς χιτῶνας σύρειν. Τοῦτο γοῦν τις καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν κωμῳδῶν τὸν ἀντίδικον τὸν αὐτοῦ τέθεικε λέγων· θοἰμάτιον καθεὶς ἄχρι τῶν σφυρῶν. Καὶ τοῖς ποσὶν ἅμα παίζουσαι. Καὶ τοῦτο τῆς αὐτῆς πάλιν ἀσχημοσύνης ἀπόδειξις. ∆ιὰ γὰρ πάντων, δι' ὀφθαλμῶν, δι' ἱματίων, διὰ ποδῶν, διὰ βαδίσεως, ἥ τε σωφροσύνη καὶ ἡ ἀσέλγεια φαίνεται. Τῆς γὰρ ἔνδον καθημένης ψυχῆς ὥσπερ κήρυκές τινές εἰσι τῶν αἰσθητηρίων αἱ κινήσεις. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ ζωγράφοι τὰ χρώματα κεραννύντες τὰς εἰκόνας ἃς βούλονται χαρακτηρίζουσιν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ τὰ κινήματα τῶν μελῶν τοῦ σώματος τοὺς χαρακτῆρας ἔξω τῆς ψυχῆς ἄγει καὶ πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τίθησι τῶν ἡμετέρων. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἕτερός τις σοφὸς ἔλεγε· Στολισμὸς ἀνδρὸς καὶ γέλως ὀδόντων καὶ βῆμα ποδὸς ἀναγγελεῖ τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ταπεινώσει ὁ Θεὸς ἀρχούσας θυγατέρας Σιὼν καὶ Κύριος ἀνακαλύψει τὸ σχῆμα αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ καὶ ἀφελεῖ Κύριος τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἱματισμοῦ αὐτῶν. ∆υὸ θεὶς ἐγκλήματα, ἀπόνοιαν καὶ ἀσέλγειαν, ἑκάστῳ