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of things. And the form is a part of fornication. Let him not make idols in the soul of the things that are hated.

Chrysostom. It is a mockery, to keep the organs of childbearing virginal, but the tongue

not to keep. Or to keep the tongue, but not to keep the sight or the hearing or the hands; or to have and keep these virginal, but not to keep the heart, but to be a companion to pride and anger.

Let us not soften our strength, nor cut our sinews with these conversations. For from this an unspeakable and great wickedness flows into our souls. For what if we do not perceive it, being drunk with friendship? For this itself is the most terrible thing of all, that we do not even know how we are being enervated, and we become softer than any wax. For just as someone who has taken a proud and grim lion, then sheared its mane, and pulled out its teeth, and cut off its claws, makes it shameful and ridiculous, and easily overcome by children—the one that was fearsome and unbearable, and that shook all things by its roar alone; so indeed do these women make all whom they take easily subdued by the devil; softer, more passionate, shameless, senseless, irascible, rash, inopportune, ignoble, harsh, servile, unfree, impudent, garrulous; and simply bringing all the corrupt feminine passions, they imprint them on their soul. For it is impossible for one living with a woman with such sympathy, and being engaged in their conversations, not to be a kind of beggar, and vulgar and trashy. For even if (740) he should say something, he will say everything from the looms and the wools, his tongue having been tinged with the quality of feminine words; and if he should do something, he works this with much servility, having removed himself far from the freedom befitting Christians, and having become useful for none of the great achievements.

Gregory of Nyssa. The Lord blesses, not those who live outside of passion (for it is not

possible in a material life to achieve a completely immaterial and passionless life), but those who are slow and sluggish toward the impulses of nature.

Indeed, pleasure, being set forth as a kind of bait for all wickedness, easily draws the more gluttonous souls to the hook of destruction.

Clement. The corruption of virgins is said to be, not only fornication, but also the untimely

giving in marriage; when, so to speak, she is given to a man prematurely, either of her own accord, or by her parents. From the Fathers. Fornication is aroused by four things, from eating and

drinking to satiety; and satiety of sleep, and being idle and playing and speaking idly; and the adornment of garments.

Nilus. Remove from your wife the eunuch Smaragdus; for even if he should seem

to have been castrated of the lower twins, yet above in his face he somehow has the twin eyes, looking with passion, and already drawing wicked testimonies.

Cyril. Like smoke, or as some vapors of the innate pleasures, the desires rise up

in us. But the temperate and youthful man rebukes the movements, and

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πραγμάτων. Καί ὁ τύπος, μέρος πορνείας ἐστί. Μή εἰδωλοποιείτω τῇ ψυχῇ τά μισούμενα.

Χρυσοστ. Χλεύη, τά μέν τῆς παιδοποιίας ὄργανα τηρεῖν παρθένα, τήν δέ γλῶσσαν

μή τηρεῖν. ἤ γλῶσσαν μέν τηρεῖν, τήν δέ ὅρασιν ἤ τήν ἀκοήν ἤ τάς χεῖρας μή τηρεῖν· ἤ ταῦτα μέν ἔχειν καί τηρεῖν παρθένα, τήν δέ καρδίαν μή τηρεῖν, ἀλλ᾿ ἑταιρίζεσθαι τύφῳ καί θυμῷ.

Μή καταμαλάττωμεν ἡμῶν τήν ἰσχύν, μηδέ ἐκκόπτωμεν τά νεῦρα ταῖς ὁμιλίαις ταύταις. Καί γάρ ἄφατος καί πολλή ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν ἐντεῦθεν εἰσρεῖ κακία. Τί γάρ, εἰ καί μή αἰσθανώμεθα, τῇ φιλίᾳ μεθύοντες; Τοῦτο γάρ αὐτό πάντων ἐστί δεινότατον, ὅτι οὐδέ ἴσμεν ὅπως ἐκνευριζόμεθα, καί κηροῦ παντός γινόμεθα μαλακώτεροι. Καθάπερ γάρ τις λέοντα γαῦρον καί βλοσυρόν λαβών, εἶτα ἀποκείρας μέν τήν κόμην, ἀνελών δέ τούς ὀδόντας, καί περιελών τούς ὄνυχας, αἰσχρόν ποιεῖ καί καταγέλαστον, καί παιδίοις εὐκαταγώνιστον, τόν φοβερόν καί ἀφόρητον, καί ἀπό μόνου τοῦ βρυχήματος τά πάντα σείοντα· οὕτω δή καί αὗται, πάντας ὅσους ἐάν λάβωσιν, εὐχειρώτους τῷ διαβόλῳ ποιοῦσι· μαλακωτέρους, θερμοτέρους, ἀναισχύντους, ἀνοήτους, ἀροχόλους, θρασεῖς, ἀκαίρους, ἀγενεῖς, ἀπηνεῖς, δουλοπρεπεῖς, ἀνελευθέρους, ἰταμούς, φλύαρους· καί ἁπλῶς πάντα τά γυναικεῖα πάθη τά διεφθαρμένα φέρουσαι, εἰς τήν τύτων ἐναπομάττονται ψυχήν. Ἀμήχανον γάρ τόν γυναικί συνοικοῦντα μετά συμπαθείας τοσαύτης, καί ταῖς ἐκείνων ἐνστρεφόμενον ὁμιλίαις, μή ἀγύρτην τινά εἶναι, καί ἀγοραῖον καί συρφετώδη. Κἄν (740) γάρ φθέγγηταί τι, πάντα ἀπό τῶν ἱστῶν καί τῶν ἐρίων φθέγξεται, τῆς γλώττης αὐτοῦ τῇ ποιότητι τῶν γυναικείων ἀναχρωσθείσης ῥημάτων· κἄν ποιῇ τι, μετα πολλῆς τοῦτο ἐργάζεται δουλοπρεπείας, πόῤῥω τῆς τοῖς Χριστανοῖς πρεπούσης ἐλευθερίας ἑαυτόν ἀποικίσας, καί οὐδέ πρός οὐδέν τῶν μεγάλων κατορθωμάτων γενόμενος χρήσιμος.

Γρηγορ. Νύσσης. Μακαρίζει ὁ Κύριος, οὐ τούς ἔξω πάθους βιοτεύοντας (οὐ γάρ

δυνατόν ἐν ὑλώδει ζωῇ τόν ἄϋλον καθόλου καί ἀπαθῆ καατορθωθῆναι βίον) , ἀλλά πρός τάς τῆς φύσεως ὁρμάς βραδέως καί δυσκινήτως ἔχοντας.

Πάσης ὄντως κακίας οἷόν τι δέλεαρ ἡ ἡδονή προβληθεῖσα, εὐκόλως τάς λιχνοτέρας ψυχάς ἐπί τό ἄγκστρον τῆς ἀπωλείας ἐφέλκεται.

Κλήμεντος. Παρθένων φθορά λέγεται, οὐ μόνον πορνεία, ἀλλά καί ἡ πρό καιροῦ

ἔκδοσις· ὅταν, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἄωρος ἐκδοθῇ τῷ ἀνδρί, ἤτοι ἀφ᾿ ἑαυτῆς , ἤ παρά τῶν γονέων. Ἐκ τῶν Πατέρων. ∆ιά τεσσάρων πραγμάτων ἐγείρεται ἡ πορνεία, ἐκ τοῦ φαγεῖν καί

πιεῖν εἰς πλησμονήν· καί ὁ κόρος τοῦ ὕπνου, καί τό ἀργεῖν καιί παίζειν καί ἀργολογεῖν· καί ὁ καλλωπισμός τῶν ἱματίων.

Νείλου. Ἀπόστησον ἀπό τῆς συμβίου σου τόν εὐνοῦχον Σμάραγδον· κἄν γάρ δοκοίη

τῶν κάτω διδύμων ἐκτετμῆσθαι, ἀλλ᾿ ἄνω ἔχει ἐν τῷ προσώπῳ πως τούς διδύμους ὀφθαλμούς, ἐμπαθῶς ἐμβλέποντας, καί ἐπισυρομένους ἤδη πονηράς μαρτυρίας.

Κυρίλλου. Καπνοῦ δίκην, ἤ καί ὥπερ τινές ἀτμοί τῶν ἐμφύτων ἡδονῶν ἀνίσχουσιν

ἐν ἡμῖν αἱ ὀρέξεις. Ἀλλ᾿ ὁ μέν σώφρων καί νεανικός, ἐπιτιμᾷ τοῖς κινήμασι, καί