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for is he not an adulterer? And if it were possible now to speak by name, I would have shown how many men they have torn from their wives, how many those harlots have taken captive, some raising up from the very marriage bed, others not even allowing to have intercourse in marriage from the beginning. What then? tell me; shall we overturn all the laws? And yet it is possible to overturn lawlessness by dissolving these theaters. For those who corrupt the cities come from these; from here, at least, come seditions and disturbances. For those fed by the dancers, and selling their own voice for their belly, whose business it is to shout and do every shameful thing, these are the very ones who stir up the people, who create disturbances in the cities. For youth, having taken hold of idleness, and being nurtured in so many evils, becomes wilder than any beast. 7. For the sorcerers, tell me, from where? Is it not from here, that they might excite the idle people, and make the dancers enjoy much tumult, and set the prostituted women as a fortress against the chaste, that they resort to sorceries, so as not even to shrink from disturbing the bones of the dead? Is it not from here, when they are compelled to spend countless sums on that wicked chorus of the devil? And licentiousness, from where, and the countless evils? Do you see that you overturn life, by dragging it to these things, while I organize it by destroying them? Let us then tear down the orchestra, he says. Would that it were possible to tear it down; or rather, if you are willing, for our part it has been torn down and razed. But I command none of these things. Make what stands invalid, which is a greater praise than to tear it down. If no one else, at least emulate the barbarians; for they are clean of all such spectacle. 57.428 What defense, then, will be left for us, when we, the citizens of heaven, and fellow-choristers with the Cherubim, and partakers with the angels, become worse than the barbarians in this respect, and this when it is possible to find countless other pleasures better than these? For if you wish to be entertained, go into gardens, to a flowing river and lakes; observe gardens, listen to the chirping of cicadas, visit the shrines of the martyrs, where there is health of body and benefit of soul, and no harm, nor repentance after the pleasure, as there is here. You have a wife, you have children; what is equal to this pleasure? You have a house, you have friends, these are the delightful things, providing much profit along with modesty. For what is sweeter than children, tell me? Or what than a wife, to one who wishes to be temperate? At least, the barbarians are said to have once spoken a saying full of philosophy. For having heard about these lawless theaters, and of the unseasonable pleasure, "The Romans," he says, "as if they had no children and wives, so they devised such pleasures;" showing that nothing is sweeter than children and a wife, if you wish to live virtuously. What then, he says, if I show that no one is harmed by spending time there? First of all, this itself is a harm, to spend time rashly and in vain, and to become a stumbling block to others. For even if you are not harmed, you make another more eager for this. And how will you yourself not be harmed, providing occasions for the things that happen? For both the sorcerer, and the prostituted boy, and the prostituted woman, and all those diabolical choruses, bring the cause of what happens upon your head. For just as if there were no spectators, there would be none who pursue these things; so since there are, they themselves also share the fire of what happens. So that even if you were harmed in no way regarding self-control, which is impossible, yet you will give a harsh account for the destruction of others, both of the spectators, and of those who gather them. And you would have gained greater self-control, if you had not gone there. For if you are self-controlled even now, you would have become more self-controlled by fleeing such sights. Let us not then contend about superfluous things, nor devise unprofitable excuses. For there is one defense, to flee the Babylonian furnace, to get far away from the Egyptian harlot, even if one must escape her hands naked. For thus we shall also enjoy much pleasure, our conscience not accusing us, and

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γὰρ οὐ μοιχός; Καὶ εἴγε ἦν ὀνομαστὶ νῦν εἰπεῖν, ἔδειξα ἂν ὅσους ἄνδρας ἀπέσχισαν γυναικῶν, ὅσους ἔλαβον αἰχμαλώτους αἱ πόρναι ἐκεῖναι, τοὺς μὲν ἀπ' αὐτῆς ἀναστήσασαι τῆς εὐνῆς, τοὺς δὲ οὐδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀφεῖσαι ὁμιλῆσαι γάμῳ. Τί οὖν; εἰπέ μοι· τοὺς νόμους ἀνατρέψομεν ἅπαντας; Καὶ μὴν παρανομίαν ἔστιν ἀνατρέψαι, ταῦτα λύοντας τὰ θέατρα. Οἱ γὰρ ταῖς πόλεσι λυμαινόμενοι ἐκ τούτων εἰσίν· ἐντεῦθεν γοῦν στάσεις καὶ ταραχαί. Οἱ γὰρ ὑπὸ τῶν ὀρχουμένων τρεφόμενοι, καὶ γαστρὶ τὴν ἑαυτῶν πωλοῦντες φωνὴν, οἷς ἔργον βοῆσαι καὶ πρᾶξαι πᾶν ἄτοπον, οὗτοι μάλιστά εἰσιν οἱ τοὺς δήμους ἀναῤῥιπίζοντες, οἱ τὰς ταραχὰς ἐμποιοῦντες ταῖς πόλεσι. Νεότης γὰρ ἀργίας ἐπιλαβομένη, καὶ τοσούτοις ἐντρεφομένη κακοῖς, θηρίου παντὸς ἀγριωτέρα γίνεται. ζʹ. Οἱ γὰρ γόητες, εἰπέ μοι, πόθεν; οὐκ ἐντεῦθεν, ἵνα δῆμον ἀναπτερώσωσιν εἰκῆ σχολάζοντα, καὶ τοὺς ὀρχουμένους πολλῶν ἀπολαῦσαι ποιήσωσι θορύβων, καὶ τὰς πορνευομένας γυναῖκας ταῖς σωφρονούσαις ἐπιτειχίσωσιν, εἰς τοῦτο ἔρχονται μαγγανείας, ὡς μηδὲ τὰ ὀστᾶ τῶν κατοιχομένων κινεῖν ὀκνεῖν. Οὐκ ἐντεῦθεν, ὅταν μυρία ἀναγκάζωνται εἰς τὸν πονηρὸν ἐκεῖνον τοῦ διαβόλου χορὸν ἀναλίσκειν; Ἡ δὲ ἀσέλγεια πόθεν, καὶ τὰ μυρία κακά; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι σὺ μὲν τὸν βίον ἀνατρέπεις, ἐπὶ ταῦτα ἕλκων, ἐγὼ δὲ συγκροτῶ καταλύων. Καθέλωμεν οὖν τὴν ὀρχήστραν, φησίν. Εἴθε καθελεῖν δυνατὸν ἦν· μᾶλλον δὲ ἂν ἐθέλητε, τὸ ἡμέτερον μέρος καθῄρηται καὶ κατέσκαπται. Πλὴν ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων κελεύω. Τὰ ἑστῶτα ποιήσατε ἄκυρα, ὅπερ μεῖζόν ἐστιν ἐγκώμιον τοῦ καθελεῖν. Εἰ καὶ μηδένα ἕτερον, τοὺς γοῦν βαρβάρους ζηλώσατε· καὶ γὰρ πάσης τοιαύτης ἐκεῖνοι 57.428 καθαρεύουσι θεωρίας. Τίς οὖν ἡμῖν ἔσται ἀπολογία λοιπὸν, ὅταν ἡμεῖς οἱ τῶν οὐρανῶν πολῖται, καὶ τῶν Χερουβὶμ συγχορευταὶ, καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων κοινωνοὶ, καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων χείρους ταύτῃ γινώμεθα, καὶ ταῦτα ἐξὸν μυρίας ἑτέρας τούτων βελτίους τέρψεις εὑρεῖν; Εἰ γὰρ βούλει ψυχαγωγεῖσθαι, βάδιζε εἰς παραδείσους, ἐπὶ παραῤῥέοντα ποταμὸν καὶ λίμνας· καταμάνθανε κήπους, ἄκουε τεττίγων ᾀδόντων, ἐπιχωρίαζε σηκοῖς μαρτύρων, ὅπου σώματος ὑγεία καὶ ψυχῆς ὠφέλεια, καὶ βλάβος οὐδὲν, οὐδὲ μετάνοια μετὰ τὴν ἡδονὴν, καθάπερ ἐνταῦθα. Ἔχεις γυναῖκα, ἔχεις παιδία· τί ταύτης τῆς ἡδονῆς ἴσον; Ἔχεις οἰκίαν, ἔχεις φίλους, ταῦτα τὰ τερπνὰ, πολὺ μετὰ τῆς σωφροσύνης καὶ τὸ κέρδος παρέχοντα. Τί γὰρ παίδων γλυκύτερον, εἰπέ μοι; τί δὲ γυναικὸς, τῷ σωφρονεῖν βουλομένῳ; Λέγονται γοῦν οἱ βάρβαροί ποτε εἰπεῖν ῥῆμα φιλοσοφίας γέμον. Περὶ γὰρ τῶν θεάτρων τούτων ἀκούσαντες τῶν παρανόμων, καὶ τῆς ἀκαίρου τέρψεως, Ῥωμαῖοι γὰρ, φησὶν, ὡς οὐκ ἔχοντες παῖδας καὶ γυναῖκας, οὕτω τοιαύτας ἐπενόησαν τὰς ἡδονάς· δεικνύντες ὅτι οὐδὲν παίδων γλυκύτερον καὶ γυναικὸς, ἐὰν σεμνῶς ἐθέλῃς βιοῦν. Τί οὖν, ἐὰν δείξω, φησὶ, μηδὲν βλαβέντας ἐκ τῆς ἐκεῖ διατριβῆς; Μάλιστα μὲν καὶ τοῦτο βλάβος, τὸ εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην τὸν καιρὸν δαπανᾷν, καὶ ἑτέροις γίνεσθαι σκάνδαλον. Κἂν γὰρ σὺ μὴ βλαβῇς, ἕτερον ποιεῖς εἰς τοῦτο σπουδαιότερον. Πῶς δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς οὐ βλαβήσῃ, παρέχων ἀφορμὰς τοῖς γινομένοις; Καὶ γὰρ ὁ γόης, καὶ ὁ πορνευόμενος παῖς, καὶ ἡ πορνευομένη γυνὴ, καὶ πάντες ἐκεῖνοι οἱ διαβολικοὶ χοροὶ, ἐπὶ τὴν σὴν κεφαλὴν τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν γινομένων φέρουσιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰ μὴ ἦσαν οἱ θεωροῦντες, οὐκ ἂν ἦσαν οἱ ταῦτα μετιόντες· οὕτως ἐπειδή εἰσι, καὶ αὐτοὶ μερίζονται τῶν γινομένων τὸ πῦρ. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ εἰς σωφροσύνην μηδὲν παρεβλάβης, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀμήχανον, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀπωλείας τῆς ἑτέρων χαλεπὰς δώσεις εὐθύνας, καὶ τῶν θεωρούντων, καὶ τῶν αὐτοὺς συναγόντων. Καὶ εἰς σωφροσύνην δὲ μείζονα ἂν ἐκέρδανας, εἰ μὴ ἐκεῖσε ἐβάδιζες. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ νῦν εἶ σώφρων, σωφρονέστερος ἂν ἐγένου τὰς τοιαύτας φεύγων θέας. Μὴ τοίνυν περιττὰ φιλονεικῶμεν, μηδὲ ἀνονήτους ἀπολογίας ἐπινοῶμεν. Μία γὰρ ἀπολογία, τὸ φεύγειν τὴν κάμινον τὴν Βαβυλωνίαν, τὸ πόῤῥω γενέσθαι τῆς Αἰγυπτίας πόρνης, κἂν γυμνὸν δέῃ τὰς ἐκείνης χεῖρας διαφυγεῖν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἡδονῆς πολλῆς ἀπολαυσόμεθα, τοῦ συνειδότος ἡμῶν οὐ κατηγοροῦντος ἡμῶν, καὶ