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they are drunk. 5.155 And over these are certain masters of the feast and chief cupbearers and masters of the dining hall, and order in disorder and arrangement in an unseemly affair. The overseers are drunk, the servants are drunk; everything is full of those laughing and drunk; a pitiful sight for Christian eyes. Then, just as with secular authorities the solemnity of the bodyguards increases their power, so also for drunkenness, as for a queen, they have set up a kind of attendance, concealing what is disgraceful by the excess of their zeal. In addition to these things, garlands and flowers are scattered about the symposium, and myrrhs and incenses, and countless other external delights are contrived, preparing greater occupation for those who are perishing, procuring for them eternal punishment equal in measure to their present merriment. Then far on, as the drinking progresses, flutes and lyres and timbrels, in truth lamenting those who are perishing, but according to the practice of the drunkards; so that for them all the pleasures of the soul are aroused by the melody, as if the wine were not enough, by its own heat to stir up a swarm of desires in the wretched soul of the drinker. But so that all their senses, bewitched by pleasure, may be held captive, their ears are filled with the sound of flutes, their sense of smell is filled by the incenses, the mouth serves for the passage of wine, the eyes see what is happening, or rather see it amiss, having been deprived of the accuracy of sense by drunkenness. For which reasons it is said: Woe to those who rise early in the morning and pursue strong drink, who stay late and spend the day in these things, so as to give themselves no time to look upon the works of the Lord, and to consider the works of his hands. For when might they be taught about God? In the morning? But immediately upon rising from sleep, they pursue strong drink. But at midday? But it is then indeed that their drinking has its increase and progression. But in the evening? But they are still drinking. And the day has left them, but the drunkenness does not leave; but they especially cling to the night, as being peculiarly their own. 5.156 Woe, therefore, to those who rise early in the morning and pursue strong drink, who stay late. Then the Prophet states the reason for their being able to persist in drinking: For the wine will burn them up, stating the reason for which their desire for drinking is insatiable. Because whenever (he says) much unmixed wine is poured in, introducing more heat to the body, it parches the natural moisture of the drinker. Then (I think) the wine itself becomes kindling for itself, the one that went before preparing ample room for the one coming in. And just as ravines, when liquid is flowing in, seem to be full, but when it has passed, are left dry and stony and without moisture, so also the bodies of the drunkards, having become like ravines from the immoderation of wine, also drag away with it their natural moisture. Those who stay late. For this reason they stay (he says) late; for the wine will burn them up. And the fire from the wine, generated in the flesh, becomes the kindling for the fiery darts of the enemy. For the wine overwhelms the reason and the mind, but as for the desires and pleasures, like oil, it kindles a flame; so that the saying, The wine will burn them up, we understand not only with reference to the desire for drinking, but also to the rest of the body's burning. Then, magnifying the absurdity, the discourse proceeds: For with the lyre (he says) and psaltery and timbrels and flutes they drink their wine. For certain young lyre-players, who, having badly fallen, are drunk with their eyes, and flute-girls and psaltery-players, using their charms badly, and dances and the chorus of evils, with bodies enfeebled for dissoluteness and with souls broken by the popular music, provoke those in a drunken state to every shameful and lawless pleasure. And from this what happens? Not to look upon the works of the Lord and not to consider the works of his hands. But 'to look upon' through the eyes

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μεθύουσιν. 5.155 Συμποσίαρχοι δέ τινες ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ ἀρχιοι νοχόοι καὶ ἀρχιτρίκλινοι, καὶ τάξις ἐν ἀταξίᾳ καὶ διά θεσις ἐν ἀκόσμῳ πράγματι. Μεθύουσιν οἱ ἐπιστάται, με θύουσιν οἱ ὑπηρέται· πάντα γελώντων καὶ μεθυόντων γέ μει· ἐλεεινὸν θέαμα Χριστιανῶν ὀφθαλμοῖς. Εἶτα μέντοι, ὥσπερ ταῖς ἀρχαῖς ταῖς ἔξωθεν ἡ σεμνότης τῶν δορυφό ρων τὴν δυναστείαν παραύξει, οὕτω καὶ τῇ μέθῃ οἷον βασι λίδι θεραπείαν τινὰ περιστήσαντες, τὸ ἐπονείδιστον διὰ τὸ ὑπερβάλλον τῆς σπουδῆς περιστέλλουσι. Στέφανοι ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ ἄνθη κατασκεδαννύμενα τῷ συμποσίῳ, καὶ μύρα καὶ θυμιάματα, καὶ μυρίαι τινὲς ἔξωθεν θυμηδίαι προσμηχανώμεναι, πλείονα τὴν ἀσχολίαν τοῖς ἀπολλυμέ νοις παρασκευάζουσιν, ἰσόῤῥοπον αὐτοῖς τῇ παρούσῃ φαιδρό τητι τὴν αἰώνιον κόλασιν προξενοῦντα. Εἶτα πόῤῥω, προϊόντος τοῦ πότου, αὐλοὶ καὶ κιθάραι καὶ τύμπανα, κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀποθρηνοῦντα τοὺς ἀπολλυ μένους, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἐπιτήδευσιν τῶν μεθυόντων· ὥστε αὐτοῖς πάσας τῆς ψυχῆς τὰς ἡδονὰς τῇ μελῳδίᾳ διεγερθῆναι, ὡς, οὐκ ἀρκοῦντος τοῦ οἴνου, τῇ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ θερμότητι σμῆνος ἐπι θυμιῶν τῇ ἀθλίᾳ ψυχῇ τοῦ πίνοντος ἐπεγεῖραι. Ἀλλ' ἵνα πᾶσαι αὐτοῖς αἱ αἰσθήσεις ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς καταγοητευ θεῖσαι κατέχωνται, αἱ μὲν ἀκοαὶ καταυλοῦνται, αἱ δὲ ὀσφρήσεις ὑπὸ τῶν ἀναθυμιωμένων πληροῦνται, τὸ στόμα τῇ παρόδῳ τοῦ οἴνου ὑπηρετεῖ, ὀφθαλμοὶ βλέπουσι τὰ γι νόμενα, μᾶλλον δὲ παραβλέπουσι, τὴν ἀκρίβειαν τῆς αἰ σθήσεως ὑπὸ τῆς μέθης ἀφῃρημένοι. ∆ι' ἃ εἴρηται τὸ Οὐαὶ οἱ ἐγειρόμενοι τὸ πρωῒ καὶ τὸ σίκερα διώκοντες, οἱ μένοντες τὸ ὀψὲ καὶ διημερεύοντες ἐν τούτοις, ὡς μηδένα καιρὸν ἑαυτοῖς παρέχειν τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου ἐμβλέπειν, καὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ κατανοεῖν. Πότε γὰρ διδαχθῶσι περὶ Θεοῦ; Τὸ πρωΐ; Ἀλλ' εὐθὺς ἐξαναστάντες ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕπνου, τὸ σίκερα διώκουσιν. Ἀλλὰ μεσούσης ἡμέρας; Ἀλλὰ τότε δὴ μάλιστα αὐτοῖς αὔξησιν καὶ ἐπίδοσιν ὁ πότος ἔχει. Ἀλλ' ἑσπέρας; Ἀλλ' ἔτι πίνουσι. Καὶ ἡ μὲν ἡμέρα αὐτοὺς ἐπιλέλοιπεν, ἡ δὲ μέθη οὐκ ἐπιλείπει· ἀλλὰ μάλιστα δὴ τῆς νυκτὸς, ὡς ἰδίως αὐτοῖς διαφερούσης, ἀντέχονται. 5.156 Οὐαὶ οὖν οἱ ἐγειρόμενοι τὸ πρωῒ καὶ τὸ σίκερα διώκοντες, οἱ μένοντες τὸ ὀψέ. Εἶτα τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ δύνασθαι αὐτοὺς διαρκεῖν ἐν τῷ πότῳ ὁ Προφήτης φησίν· Ὁ γὰρ οἶνος αὐτοὺς συγκαύσει, τὴν αἰτίαν λέγων καθ' ἣν ἀπλήρωτος αὐτοῖς ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ πίνειν ἐπιθυμία. Ὅτι ἐπειδὰν πολὺς (φησὶν) ὁ ἄκρατος εἰσχεθῇ, πλείονα τὴν θερμασίαν ἐπεισαγαγὼν τῷ σώματι, τὴν φυσικὴν ἰκμάδα τοῦ πίνοντος καταφρύσσει. Εἶτα (οἶμαι) αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ ὁ οἶνος ὑπέκ καυμα γινόμενος, ὁ προλαβὼν τὴν εὐρυχωρίαν παρασκευάζει τῷ εἰσιόντι. Ὥσπερ δὲ αἱ χαράδραι, ἐπιῤῥέοντος μὲν τοῦ ὑγροῦ, πλήρεις εἶναι δοκοῦσι, παρελθόντος δὲ, ξηραὶ καὶ λιθώδεις καὶ ἄνικμοι καταλείπονται, οὕτω καὶ τὰ τῶν μεθυόντων σώματα ἀποχαραδρωθέντα τῇ ἀμετρίᾳ τοῦ οἴ νου, καὶ τὴν ἐκ φύσεως ἰκμάδα προσκατασύρει. Οἱ μένοντες τὸ ὀψέ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μένουσι (φησὶ) τὸ ὀψέ· ὁ γὰρ οἶνος αὐτοὺς συγκαύσει. Τὸ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ οἴνου πῦρ, ἐγγινόμενον τῇ σαρκὶ, ἔξαμμα γίνεται τῶν πεπυρωμένων βελῶν τοῦ ἐχ θροῦ. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ λογισμὸν καὶ τὸν νοῦν ὁ οἶνος καταβαπτί ζει, τὰς δὲ ἐπιθυμίας καὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς, ὥσπερ ἔλαιον, φλόγα ἐξάπτει· ὥστε τὸ εἰρημένον, ὅτι Ὁ οἶνος αὐτοὺς συγκαύσει, οὐκ ἐπὶ τὴν εἰς τὸ πίνειν ἐπιθυμίαν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν λοιπὴν τοῦ σώματος πύρωσιν ἐκδεχόμεθα. Εἶτα πα ραύξων τὴν ἀτοπίαν ὁ λόγος πρόεισι· Μετὰ γὰρ κιθάρας (φησὶ) καὶ ψαλτηρίου καὶ τυμπάνων καὶ αὐλῶν τὸν οἶνον πίνουσι. Κιθαρισταὶ γάρ τινες νέοι, οἳ κακῶς παραπεσόντες μεθύουσιν ὀφθαλμοῖς, καὶ αὐλητρίδες καὶ ψάλτριαι, κακῶς τὴν ὥραν διατιθέμεναι, καὶ χοροὶ καὶ συνῳδία κακῶν πρὸς τὸ ἔκλυτον διατεθρυμμένοι τὰ σώματα καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ παν δήμῳ μουσικῇ τὰς ψυχὰς κατακλῶντες, πρὸς πᾶσαν αἰσχρὰν καὶ παράνομον ἡδονὴν τοὺς ἐν τῇ μέθῃ διερεθί ζουσιν. Ἐκ δὲ τούτου τί συμβαίνει; Τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου μὴ ἐμ βλέπειν καὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ μὴ κατανοεῖν. Ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν Ἐμβλέπειν τὴν δι' ὀφθαλμῶν