John Chrysostom, On Virginity

Let them send forth both their parents together after a long old age. And what is the end? What profit will they have from this great pleasure when they depart to that place? For to leave behind many children and to enjoy a beautiful wife with luxury and all the other things I just went through, and to drive on to a long old age, how can that benefit us before that judgment seat in eternal and true matters? In no way. Are not these things, therefore, a shadow and a dream? For when, in those ages that will receive us there and have no end, we can gain nothing from these things nor enjoy any comfort, we must place the one who has partaken on an equal footing with those who have not. For not even if someone in a thousand years saw a pleasant dream for only one night, will we say that this person has anything more than the one who has not enjoyed this vision. And yet I have not said as much as I wished. For things here do not fall as short of things there as dreams do of the truth, but even more so. Nor is the present age to the age to come as one night is in a thousand years, but even in this the interval is again much greater. But the virgin's affairs are not such, but she departs from here having a great commerce; or rather, let us examine the argument from the beginning.

That virginity is easy. She is not compelled to be meddlesome toward her bridegroom, nor does she fear that she might suffer some deceit. For He is God, not a man; a Master, not a fellow-servant. And such is the distance between the bridegrooms; but consider also on what terms they are betrothed. For not slaves, nor acres of land, nor so and so many talents of gold, but the heavens and the good things in the heavens are the bridal gifts of this bride. In addition to these things, the married woman dreads death both for other reasons and because it separates her from her husband. But the virgin both longs for her end and is burdened by life, hastening to see her bridegroom face to face and to enjoy that glory.

That virginity requires none of the things not in our power. Neither can living with poverty harm her, as in the case of marriage, but it rather makes her, who voluntarily endures this, more desirable to the Bridegroom, neither being of humble birth, nor the beauty of her body not shining forth, nor anything else of that kind. And why do I say these things? For even if she happens not to be free, not even this mars her betrothal, but it is enough to show a beautiful soul and to win the first prize. There, it is not possible to fear jealousy, it is not possible to be pained at being envied by another woman for being joined to a more illustrious man. For there is no one like Him, nor equal, nor even a little bit near; but in marriage, even if one has a husband from among the exceedingly rich and powerful, yet she might find another who has one far greater. And the superiority of those who are greater does not diminish in a random way the pleasure of being superior to those who are lesser, but the great luxury of gold and garments and of the table and of other license is sufficient to entice and attract a soul; and how many women enjoy these things? For the greatest part of mankind lives with poverty and hardships and toils. But if there are any who partake of these things, they are very few and easily counted, and even these live contrary to what is pleasing to God; for it is permitted to no one to live in luxury in these things, as we also showed in the preceding arguments.

That wearing gold has a fear greater than its pleasure. Nevertheless, let us suppose again for the sake of argument that this luxury is also permitted, and that neither the prophet nor Paul has pronounced against the luxurious women. What is the benefit of much gold? None other, but envy and care and no ordinary fear. For not only when they put them away into the chest, nor only when night has come on are they disturbed by cares, but also when they wear them, and when it is day, they endure the same anxiety, or rather, an even worse one. And

τοὺς δὲ γονεῖς ἀμφοτέρους ὁμοῦ προπεμπέτωσαν μετὰ γῆρας μακρόν. Καὶ τί τὸ πέρας; Ποῖον τὸ κέρδος ἐκ ταύτης τῆς πολλῆς ἡδονῆς ἔχοντες ἀπελεύσονται ἐκεῖ; Τὸ γὰρ πολλοὺς παῖδας καταλιπεῖν καὶ καλῆς ἀπολαῦσαι γυναικὸς μετὰ τρυφῆς καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ὧν ἄρτι διῆλθον καὶ εἰς γῆρας ἐλάσαι μακρόν, τί πρὸς τὸ δικαστήριον ἡμᾶς ὠφελῆσαι δυνήδεται ἐκεῖνο ἐν τοῖς αἰωνίοις πράγμασι καὶ ἀληθινοῖς; Οὐδέν. Οὔκουν σκιὰ ταῦτα καὶ ὄναρ; Ὅταν γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἐκεῖ ληψομένοις ἡμᾶς αἰῶσι καὶ πέρας οὐκ ἔχουσι μηδὲν ἀπὸ τούτων δυνηθῶμεν κερδᾶναι μήτε παραμυθίας ἀπολαῦσαί τινος, ἐν ἴσῳ τοῖς οὐ μετασχοῦσι τὸν μετασχόντα θετέον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἴ τις ἐν χιλίοις ἔτεσι μίαν νύκτα μόνην εἶδεν ὄναρ χρηστόν, πλέον ἔχειν τι τοῦτον φήσομεν τοῦ μὴ ταύτης ἀπολελαυκότος τῆς ὄψεως. Καίτοι γε οὐδὲ ὅσον ἐβουλόμην εἶπον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὅσον τὰ ὀνείρατα ἀπολείπεται τῆς ἀληθείας, τοσοῦτον τὰ ἐνταῦθα ἀφέστηκε τῶν ἐκεῖ ἀλλ' ἔτι μᾶλλον. Οὐδὲ ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἐν ἔτεσι χιλίοις μία νὺξ τοσοῦτον ὁ παρὼν αἰὼν πρὸς τὸν μέλλοντα, ἀλλὰ κἀν τούτῳ πολλῷ πλέον πάλιν τὸ μέσον. Ἀλλ' οὐ τὰ τῆς παρθένου τοιαῦτα, ἀλλὰ πολλὴν ἄπεισιν ἐντεῦθεν ἔχουσα τὴν ἐμπορίαν· μᾶλλον δὲ τὸν λόγον ἄνωθεν ἐξετάσωμεν.

59 Ὅτι εὔκολον ἡ παρθενία. Οὐκ ἀναγκάζεται πολυπραγμονεῖν τὸν νυμφίον οὐδὲ μή τινα ἀπάτην ὑπομείνῃ δέδοικεν. Θεὸς γάρ ἐστιν οὐκ ἄνθρωπος, δεσπότης οὐχ ὁμόδουλος. Καὶ τῶν μὲν νυμφίων τὸ μέσον τοσοῦτον· σκόπει δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τίσιν ἁρμόζονται. Οὐ γὰρ ἀνδράποδα οὐδὲ γῆς πλέθρα οὐδὲ τόσα καὶ τόσα χρυσίου τάλαντα, ἀλλ' οὐρανοὶ καὶ τὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀγαθὰ τὰ ἕδνα ταύτης τῆς νύμφης ἐστί. Πρὸς τούτοις ἡ μὲν γεγαμηκυῖα φρίττει τὸν θάνατον τῶν τε ἄλλων ἕνεκεν καὶ ὅτι τοῦ συνοικοῦντος αὐτὴν διαζεύγνυσιν. Ἡ δὲ παρθένος καὶ ποθεῖ τὴν τελευτὴν καὶ βαρύνεται τῇ ζωῇ, σπεύδουσα τὸν νυμφίον ἰδεῖν πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον καὶ τῆς δόξης ἀπολαῦσαι ἐκείνης.

60 Ὅτι ἡ παρθενία οὐδενὸς δεῖται τῶν οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν. Οὔτε δὲ τὸ πενίᾳ συζῆν καθάπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ γάμου παραβλάψαι δύναιτ' ἂν αὐτὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ποθεινοτέραν τῷ νυμφίῳ τὴν ἑκοῦσαν τοῦτο ὑπομένουσαν ποιεῖ οὔτε τὸ ἐκ ταπεινῶν γεγονέναι οὔτε τὸ μὴ διαλάμπειν τὴν τοῦ σώματος ὥραν οὔτε ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων οὐδέν. Καὶ τί λέγω ταῦτα; Κἂν γὰρ μηδὲ ἐλευθέρα οὖσα τύχῃ, οὐδὲ τοῦτο αὐτῆς λυμαίνεται τὴν μνηστείαν, ἀλλὰ ἀρκεῖ ψυχὴν ἐπιδείξασθαι καλὴν καὶ τῶν πρωτείων τυχεῖν. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ φοβηθῆναι ζηλοτυπίαν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀλγῆσαι διαφθονουμένην ἑτέρᾳ γυναικὶ ὡς λαμπροτέρῳ συνεζευγμένῃ ἀνδρί. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ὅμοιος αὐτῷ οὐδὲ ἴσος οὐδεὶς ἀλλ' οὐδὲ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐγγύς· ἐν δὲ τῷ γάμῳ κἂν τῶν σφόδρα πλουτούντων καὶ μεγάλα δυναμένων ἔχῃ τις ἄνδρα, ἀλλ' ὅμως δύναιτ' ἂν ἑτέραν εὑρεῖν πολλῷ μείζονα ἔχουσαν. Οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχε δὲ ἐλαττοῖ τὴν ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἡττόνων ὑπεροχῆς ἡδονὴν ἡ τῶν μειζόνων ὑπερβολή, ἀλλ' ἡ πολλὴ τρυφὴ τῶν χρυσίων καὶ τῶν ἱματίων καὶ τῆς τραπέζης καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἀδείας ἱκανὴ δελείσαι ψυχὴν καὶ ἐφελκύσασθαι· καὶ πόσαι τούτων ἀπολαύουσι γυναῖκες; Τὸ γὰρ πλεῖστον τῶν ἀνθρώπων μέρος πενίαις συζῇ καὶ ταλαιπωρίαις καὶ πόνοις. Εἰ δέ τινες εἶεν αἱ τούτων μετέχουσαι, σφόδρα μὲν ὀλίγαι καὶ εὐαρίθμητοι καὶ αὗται δὲ παρὰ τὸ τῷ θεῷ δοκοῦν· οὐδενὶ γὰρ ἐφίεται ἐν τούτοις τρυφᾶν ὡς καὶ ἀπεδείξαμεν ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν λόγοις.

61 Ὅτι τὸ χρυσοφορεῖν μείζονα τῆς ἡδονῆς ἔχει τὸν φόβον. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ θῶμεν πάλιν τῷ λόγῳ καὶ ταύτην συγχωρεῖσθαι τὴν τρυφὴν καὶ μήτε τὸν προφήτην μήτε Παῦλον ἀποφήνασθαι πρὸς τὰς χλιδώσας τῶν γυναικῶν. Τί τὸ ὄφελος τῶν πολλῶν χρυσίων; Ἕτερον μὲν οὐδέν, βασκανία δὲ καὶ φροντὶς καὶ φόβος οὐχ ὁ τυχών. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ὅταν εἰς τὸ κιβώτιον αὐτὰ ἀποθῶνται οὐδὲ νυκτὸς καταλαβούσης μόνον ταράττονται ταῖς φροντίσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅταν αὐτὰ περικέωνται, καὶ ὅταν ἡμέρα ᾖ τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπομένουσι μέριμναν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ χαλεπωτέραν. Καὶ