77

Antagenes. This man said, when many praise me, then I consider myself to be worthy of nothing; but when few do, a worthy man.

DISCOURSE 44. Concerning beauty. (15Ε_332> Matt. 6. Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not

neither do they spin. For I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these.

1 Tim. 2. I desire women in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety, to adorn themselves; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.

Prov. 6. Let not the desire of beauty overcome you; neither be you taken with your eyes. Sirach 11. Praise not a man for his beauty. Sirach 26. The beauty of a face at a stable age. Of Basil. He who today is flourishing in body, having grown fat from luxury,

having a blooming complexion, vigorous from the prime of his age and robust and irresistible in his impulse, tomorrow this same man is pitiable, either withered by time, or broken down by sickness.

Of the Theologian. Gold and stones, and the adornments of art and hand, convict the ugly by comparison, but are no addition to the beautiful, being overcome by beauty.

Consider beauty to be the good order of the mind. Neither does a flame remain when the material is consumed, but it departs with what kindled it;

neither does a passionate thought subsist when its kindling-wood withers. (15Ε_334> Let not the desire of beauty overcome you, neither be carried away by your

eyelids, if possible, even to the point of overlooking. 928 Chrysost. What is the virtue of eyes? Is it to be moist and well-formed

and round and dark-blue, or to be sharp and discerning? And what is the virtue of a lamp? To shine brightly and illuminate the whole house, or to be well-molded and round? For not from the outward form, but from the manners and modesty is beauty characterized.

Plutarch. Having stooped to a mirror, observe: and if you appear beautiful, act in a way worthy of it; but if ugly, adorn the defect of your appearance with goodness.

Of Leucippe. For the eye is the agent of friendship; and the custom of fellowship is more venerable for grace.

For eyes, reflected in one another, impress as in a mirror the images of bodies.

Diogenes. The comely and uneducated, he said are like alabaster jars containing vinegar.

Of Eteocles. To someone boasting about his beauty, he said, "Are you not ashamed, thinking great things of your bloom, which you hold as a deposit for a short time?"

Of Aesop. Aesop said to one who used his beauty badly: With what sort of garment are you clothed, that you take it off so badly?

The same, being reproached that he had a harsh appearance, said: "Pay no attention to my form, but pay attention to my mind."

Seeing a youth adorning himself, he said, "If it is for men, you are unfortunate, but if for women, you are unjust."

The same, seeing a comely lad, and for this reason being loved, said, "O lad, strive to bring the lovers of your body over to your soul."

77

Ἀνταγένης. Οὗτος εἶπεν, ὅταν ἐπαινῶσί με πολλοί , τότε νομίζω μηδενός ἄξιος εἶναι· ὅτα δέ ὀλίγοι, σπουδαῖον ἄνθρωπον.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Μ∆´. Περί κάλλους. (15Ε_332> Ματθ. στ´. Καταμάθετε τά κρίνα τοῦ ἀγροῦ πῶς αὐξάνει· οὐ κοπιᾷ

οὐδέ νήθει. Λέγω γάρ ὑμῖν, ὅτι οὐδέ Σολομών ἐν πάσῃ τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ περιεβάλετο ὡς ἕν τούτων.

Α´ Τιμ. β´. Βούλομαι τάς γυναῖκας ἐν καταστολῇ κοσμίῳ, μετά αἰδοῦς καί σωφροσύνης, κοσμεῖν ἑαυτάς· μή ἐν πλέγμασιν ἤ χρυσῷ ἤ μαργαρίταις, ἤ ἱματισμῷ πολυτελεῖ.

Παροιμ. στ΄ . Μή σε νικήσῃ κάλλους ἐπιθυμία· μηδέ ἀγρευθῇς σοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς. Σιράχ ια´. Μή αἰνέσῃς ἄνδρα ἐν κάλλει αὐτοῦ. Σιράχ κς´. Κάλλος προσώπου ἐπί ἡλικίᾳ στασίμῃ. Βασιλείου. Ὁ σήμερον εὐθαλής τῷ σώματι κατασεσαρκωμένος ὑπό τρυφῆς,

ἐπανθοῦσαν ἔχων τήν εὔχροιαν, ὑπό τῆς κατά τήν ἡλικίαν ἀκμῆς σφριγῶν καί σύντονος καί ἀνυπόστατος τήν ὁρμήν, αὔριον ὁ αὐτός οὗτος ἐλεεινός, ἤ τῷ χρόνῳ μαρανθείς, ἤ νόσῳ διαλυθείς.

Θεολόγου. Χρυσός καί λίθοι, καί τά τέχνης καί χειρός ὡραΐσματα, τήν μέν αἰσχράν ἐλέγχει τῇ παραθέσει, τῇ καλῇ δ'οὐ προσθήκη, κάλλους ἡττώμενα.

Κάλλος νόμιζε τήν φρενῶν εὐκοσμίαν. Οὔτε φλόξ μένει τῆς ὕλης δαπανηθείσης, ἀλλά τῷ ἀνάπτοντι συναπέρχεται·

οὔτε λογισμός ἐμπαθής ὑφίσταται μαραινομένου τοῦ ὑπεκκαύματος. (15Ε_334> Μή σε νικησάτω κάλλους ἐπιθυμία, μηδέ συναρπασθῇς σοῖς

βλεφάροις, εἰ δυνατόν, μέχρι καί παροράματος. 928 Χρυσοστ. Τίς ἀρετή ὀφθαλμῶν; ἆρα τό ὑγρούς εἶναι καί εὐτρόφους

καί στρογγύλους καί κυανούς ἤ τό ὀξεῖς καί διορατικούς; Καί τίς ἀρετή λύχνου; τό λαμπρῶς φαίνειν καί πᾶσαν καταυγάζειν τήν οἰκείαν, ἤ τό καλῶς πεπλᾶσθαι καί στρογγύλον εἶναι; Οὐ γάρ ἀπό τῆς διαπλάσεως, ἀλλ᾿ ἀπό τῶν τρόπων καί τῆς κοσμιότητος τό κάλλος χαρακτηρίζεται.

Πλουτάρχ. Εἰς κάτοπτρον κύψας, θεώρει· καί εἰ μέν καλός φαίνει, ἄξιον τούτου πρᾶττε· εἰ δέ αἰσχρός, τό τῆς ὄψεως ἐλλιπές ὡράϊζε καλοκαγαθίᾳ.

Λαυκίππης. Ὀφθαλμός γάρ φιλίας πρόξενος· καί τό σύνηθες τῆς κοινωνίας εἰς χάριν αἰδεσιμώτερον.

Ὀφθαλμοί γάρ ἀλλήλοις ἀντανακλώμενοι, ἀπομάττουσιν ὡς ἐν κατόπτρῳ τῶν σωμάτων τά εἴδωλα.

∆ιογένης. Τούς εὐειδεῖς καί ἀπαιδεύτους, ὁμοίους ἔφη εἶναι ἀλαβάστροις ἔχουσιν ὄξος.

Ἐτεοκλέους. Σεμνυνομένου τινός ἐπί τῷ κάλλει, Οὐκ αἰσχήνῃ, ἔφησεν, ἐπί τῇ ὥρᾳ μέγα φρονῶν, ἥν παρακαταθήκην τοῦ μικροῦ χρόνου ἔχεις;

Αἰσώπου. Αἴσωπος πρός τόν κάλλει κακῶς κεχρημένον, εἶπεν· Ὁποίῳ ἱματίῳ ἤμφιεσμένος, κακῶς αὐτό ἀποδύῃ;

Ὁ αὐτός ὀνειδιζόμενος ὅτι χαλεπήν ἔχει τήν ὄψιν, ἔφη· Μή μου τό εἶδος, ἀλλ' εἰς τόν νοῦν πρόσεχε.

Θεασάμενος νεανίσκον καλλωπιζόμενον, Εἰ μέν πρός ἄνδρας ἔφη, ἀτυχεῖς, εἰ δέ πρός γυναῖκας, ἀδικεῖς.

Ὁ αὐτός θεασάμενος μειράκιον εὔμορφον, καί διά ταῦτα φιλούμενον, ἔφη, Ὦ μειράκιον, σπούδασον τούς τοῦ σώματος ἐραστάς ἐπί τήν ψυχήν μεταγαγεῖν.