Aristophanes, in his Thesmophoriazusae, points out the articles of female adornment. I will quote the very words of the comic poet, which sharply expose the grievousness of your lack of virtue; 2.12.124.2 {A. -} Mitres, headbands, soda, pumice-stone, a breast-band, a back-band, a veil, rouge, necklaces, under-paintings, a luxurious calasiris, hellebore, a hairnet, a girdle, a shawl, a dainty thing, a purple border, a xystis, a chiton, a gulf, a circular robe, a little chiton. And I have not mentioned the most important of these. {B. -} What then? {A. -} Ear-pendants, jewelled ornaments, girdles, a mallow-coloured dress, cluster-earrings, bracelets, pins, anklets, necklaces, fetters, seals, chains, finger-rings, poultices, bubbles, fillets, dildos, carnelians, collars, spiral-earrings. 2.12.124.3 I for my part have grown weary and am vexed recounting the multitude of ornaments, and it occurs to me to wonder at them, how they are not worn out carrying such a burden. 2.12.125.1 O the empty officiousness, O the vain love of glory! They pour out their wealth like harlots to their shame, and with tastelessness they debase the gifts of God, emulating the art of the wicked one. 2.12.125.2 And clearly the Lord in the Gospel called the rich man who was storing treasure in his barns and saying to himself: You have many goods laid up for many years; eat, drink, be merry, a fool; for on this night they will requi2.12.125.3 re your soul; then the things you have prepared, whose will they be? The painter Apelles, when he saw one of his pupils had painted a Helen covered in gold, said: "O young man, because you were not able to paint her beautiful, you have made her rich." Such Helens, then, are the women of today, not genuinely beautiful, but richly fabricated. 2.12.126.1 To these the Spirit prophesies through Zephaniah: And their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath. But for those who are instructed by Christ, it is not fitting to be adorned with gold, but with the Word, through whom alone is revea2.12.126.2 led the gold. Blessed indeed would the ancient Hebrews have been, if, after taking the women's adornment, they had only thrown it away or melted it down; but now, having fashioned it into a golden calf and committed idolatry with it, they themselves gained nothing from either their art or their undertaking, but they taught our women in a most typical way to abstain from ornaments. 2.12.126.3 For that which has prostituted desire for gold becomes an idol tormented by fire, by which alone luxury is preserved like an idol, not a reality. Hence the Word, reproaching the Hebrews through the prophet, says: They made silver and gold things for Baal, 2.12.126.4 clearly ornaments; and threatening most distinctly he says: And I will punish her for the days of the Baals, in which she sacrificed to them, and she put on her earrings and her necklaces, and he added the reason for the adornment, saying: And she went after her lovers, but she forgot me, says the Lord. 2.12.127.1 Therefore, having put away such trifles to that wicked sophist himself, let them not partake of this harlot's embellishment nor commit idola2.12.127.2 try through a specious veil. For indeed, most admirably the blessed Peter says: Women, likewise, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but as befits women professing godliness, through good works adorni2.12.127.3 ng themselves. And for good reason he commands their embellishment to be absent; for if they are beautiful, nature suffices; let not art contend with nature, that is, let not deceit strive with truth; but if they are ugly by nature, they expose by what they attach that which they do not possess. 2.12.128.1 It is fitting, therefore, for those who worship Christ to embrace simplicity. For in reality, simplicity provides for holiness, by equalizing avarice and supplying what is needed from superfluous things through whatever comes to hand. For that which is simple, as the name itself shows, does not project nor is it in any way puffed up or conceited, but is even
γυναικεῖον καταλεγόμενος κόσμον Ἀριστοφάνης ἐν Θεσμοφοριαζούσαις ὑποδείκνυσιν. Παραθήσομαι δὲ αὐτὰς τοῦ κωμικοῦ τὰς λέξεις διελεγχούσας ἀκριβῶς τὸ φορτικὸν ὑμῶν τῆς ἀπειραγαθίας· 2.12.124.2 {Α. -} Μίτρας, ἀναδήματα, νίτρον, κίσηριν, στρόφιον, ὀπισθοσφενδόνην, κάλυμμα, φῦκος, περιδέραια, ὑπογράμματα, τρυφοκαλάσιριν, ἐλλέβορον, κεκρύφαλον, ζῶμα, ἀμπέχονον, τρύφημα, παρυφές, ξυστίδα, κιθῶνα, βάραθρον, ἔγκυκλον, χιτώνιον. Τὰ μέγιστα δ' οὐκ εἴρηκα τούτων. {Β. -} Εἶτα τί; {Α. -} ∆ιόπας, διάλιθον, πλάστρα, μολόχιον, βότρυς, χλίδωνα, περόνας, ἀμφιδέας, ὅρμους, πέδας, σφραγῖδας, ἁλύσεις, δακτυλίους, καταπλάσματα, πομφόλυγας, ἀποδέσμους, ὀλίσβους, σάρδια, ὑποδερίδας, ἑλικτῆρας. 2.12.124.3 Ἐγὼ μὲν ἔκαμον καὶ ἄχθομαι λέγων τὸ πλῆθος τῶν κοσμίων, τὰς δὲ καὶ θαυμάζειν ἔπεισί μοι, ὡς ἄρα οὐκ ἀποκναίονται τοσοῦτον ἄχθος βαστάζουσαι. 2.12.125.1 Ὢ τῆς κενῆς πολυπραγμοσύνης, ὢ τῆς ματαίας δοξομανίας· ἐκχέουσιν ἑταιρικῶς τὸν πλοῦτον εἰς ὄνειδος, καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ δωρήματα ἀπειροκαλίᾳ παραχαράττουσι ζηλοῦσαι τοῦ πονηροῦ τὴν τέχνην. 2.12.125.2 Σαφῶς δὲ ὁ κύριος ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τὸν πλούσιον τὸν θησαυρίζοντα εἰς τὰς ἀποθήκας καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν λέγοντα· Ἔχεις ἀγαθὰ πολλὰ ἀποκείμενα εἰς ἔτη πολλά· φάγε, πίε, εὐφραίνου, ἄφρονα κέκληκεν, ταύτῃ γὰρ τῇ νυκτὶ τὴν ψυχήν σου παραλαμ2.12.125.3 βάνουσιν· ἃ οὖν ἡτοίμασας, τίνος γένηται; Ἀπελλῆς ὁ ζωγράφος θεασάμενός τινα τῶν μαθητῶν Ἑλένην ὀνόματι πολύχρυσον γράψαντα· ὦ μειράκιον, εἶπεν, μὴ δυνάμενος γράψαι καλὴν πλουσίαν πεποίηκας. Τοιαῦται τοίνυν Ἑλέναι αἱ νῦν εἰσι γυναῖκες, οὐ καλαὶ γνησίως, πεπλασμέναι δὲ πλουσίως. 2.12.126.1 Ταύταις προφητεύει διὰ τοῦ Σοφονίου τὸ πνεῦμα· Καὶ τὸ ἀργύριον αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ χρυσίον αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ δύνηται ἐξελέσθαι αὐτοὺς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς κυρίου. Ταῖς δὲ ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ παιδαγωγουμέναις οὐ χρυσίῳ κοσμεῖσθαι προσήκει, ἀλλὰ τῷ λόγῳ, δι' οὗ μόνου κατα 2.12.126.2 φαίνεται τὸ χρυσίον. Μακάριοι μεντἂν ἦσαν οἱ παλαιοὶ τῶν Ἑβραίων, εἰ περιελόμενοι τὸν κόσμον τῶν γυναικῶν ἔρριψαν ἢ ἐχώνευσαν μόνον, νυνὶ δὲ εἰς βοῦν χρυσοχοήσαντες καὶ τούτῳ εἰδωλολατρήσαντες αὐτοὶ μὲν οὐκ ὤναντο οὔτε τῆς τέχνης οὔτε τῆς ἐπιβολῆς, ἐδίδαξαν δὲ ἡμῶν τὰς γυναῖκας τυπικώτατα κοσμίων ἀποσχέσθαι. 2.12.126.3 Τὸ γοῦν ἐκπορνεῦσαν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας εἰς χρυσίον εἴδωλον γίνεται βασανιζόμενον πυρί, ᾧ μόνῳ τηρεῖται τρυφὴ καθάπερ εἴδωλον, οὐκ ἀλήθεια. Ἐντεῦθεν ὀνειδίζων ὁ λόγος διὰ τοῦ προφήτου τοὺς Ἑβραίους· Ἀργυρᾶ καὶ χρυσᾶ, φησίν, ἐποίησαν τῇ Βάαλ, 2.12.126.4 κόσμια δηλονότι· καὶ ἐναργέστατα ἐπαπειλῶν καὶ ἐκδικήσω λέγει ἐπ' αὐτὴν τὰς ἡμέρας τῶν Βααλείμ, ἐν αἷς ἐπέθυσεν αὐτῇ, καὶ περιετίθετο τὰ ἐνώτια ἑαυτῆς καὶ τὰ καθόρμια αὐτῆς, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ κοσμήματος ἐπήγαγεν εἰπών· Καὶ ἐπορεύετο ὀπίσω τῶν ἐραστῶν αὐτῆς, ἐμοῦ δὲ ἐπελάθετο, λέγει κύριος. 2.12.127.1 Ἀποθέμεναι τοίνυν τοὺς λήρους αὐτῷ πονηρῷ σοφιστῇ τοῦ ἑταιρικοῦ τούτου μὴ μετεχόντων καλλωπισμοῦ μηδὲ εἰδωλολα2.12.127.2 τρούντων διὰ παραπετάσματος εὐπρεποῦς. Πάνυ γοῦν θαυμασίως ὁ Πέτρος ὁ μακάριος Γυναῖκας, φησίν, ὡσαύτως μὴ ἐν πλέγμασιν ἢ χρυσῷ ἢ μαργαρίταις ἢ ἱματισμῷ πολυτελεῖ, ἀλλ' ὃ πρέπει γυναιξὶν ἐπαγγελλομέναις θεοσέβειαν, δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν σφᾶς αὐτὰς κοσμου2.12.127.3 σῶν. Καὶ γὰρ εἰκότως ἀπεῖναι αὐτῶν τὸν καλλωπισμὸν κελεύει· εἰ μὲν γὰρ καλαὶ εἶεν, ἀπόχρη ἡ φύσις· μὴ φιλονικείτω ἡ τέχνη πρὸς τὴν φύσιν, τουτέστιν ἀπάτη ἀληθείᾳ μὴ ἐριζέτω· εἰ δὲ αἰσχραὶ φύσει, ἐλέγχουσιν ἐξ ὧν προσάπτουσιν ὃ μὴ ἔχουσιν. 2.12.128.1 Προσήκει τοίνυν λιτότητα ἀσπάζεσθαι τὰς Χριστῷ λατρευούσας. Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ ἡ λιτότης ἁγιωσύνης προμηθεῖται ἐξισοῦσα τὰς πλεονεξίας καὶ διὰ τῶν τυχόντων τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν περιττῶν κομιζομένη χρείαν. Τὸ γὰρ λιτόν, ᾗ καὶ τοὔνομα ἐμφαίνει, οὐκ ἐξέχει οὐδὲ κατά τι ὀγκοῦται ἢ τυφοῦται, ὁμαλὸν δὲ