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But if not this, then the servant; for this too is of the greatest philosophy. Therefore, soften anger in such a way that it begets for us gentle reasonings; for when one is not impassioned by anything, when one bears a loss, when one does not need attention, when one is not indignant that another is honored, from where then will he become angry? It is time now to go on to desire. There self-control is twofold and the harm is twofold, I think, so that one neither commits fornication himself nor leads maidens to fornication. The sons of physicians say that this desire attacks fiercely after the fifteenth year. How then shall we bind this beast? What shall we do? What bridle shall we put on it? I know of no other than that of Gehenna. First, then, let us lead him away from shameful sights and sounds, and let a freeborn boy never go up into the theater. But if he seeks the pleasure there, let us point out any peers of his we might find who control themselves, so that he may be restrained by emulation; for nothing succeeds so well as emulation, nothing so well; and let us do this in all things, especially if he is disposed to emulation; this has greater power than fear and promises and all things. Then let us devise for him other harmless pleasures. Let us lead him to holy men, let us provide relaxation. Let us honor him with many gifts, so that his soul may bear to endure the dishonor from that place. And instead of those spectacles, introduce pleasant stories, meadows and splendid buildings. And after these things, let us cast those down with speech, saying to him, 'O child, those spectacles are for the unfree, to see women naked, speaking shameful things. Promise to hear nothing unseemly nor to say it, and go away; but it is not possible there to hear nothing shameful. The things that happen are unworthy of your eyes.' At the same time let us kiss him as we speak and embrace him with our hands and hold him tight, so as to show our affection. With all these things let us soften him. What then? As I have already said, let no maiden ever approach or serve him, but a handmaid already advanced in years, an old woman. And let the word of the kingdom be introduced, and of those who of old shone for self-control, both those outside and those among us; and let us constantly fill his hearing with these things. And if we have self-controlled servants, let the examples be from them also; for it is very strange that the servant should be so self-controlled, while the free man becomes more base than him. There is also another remedy; what is this? let him learn to fast, if not always, at least two days of the week, both Wednesday and Friday. And let him go forth to church. And let the father, taking him in the evening when the theater is dismissed, point out those coming down from there and laugh at the old men, because they have become more foolish than the young, and at the younger men, because they have been set on fire. And let him ask the boy: 'What have all these gained? Nothing but shame and reproach and condemnation.' It is not a small thing at all for self-control to abstain from all those things, both the sights and the sounds. There is also another; let him be taught to pray with much earnestness and compunction. And do not say to me that a child would never accept these things; especially the child, being sharp-sighted and alert, would accept these things. For we see many such examples among the ancients, such as Daniel, such as Joseph. For do not tell me of the seventeen years of Joseph, but in addition to this, consider whence he won his father and more than his elders. And was not Jacob younger? And Jeremiah? And was not Daniel twelve years old? And was not Solomon himself also twelve, when he prayed that wonderful <prayer>? And did not Samuel, being young, instruct his own teacher?

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εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο, καὶ τὸν οἰκέτην· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς μεγίστης φιλοσοφίας. Τὸν μὲν οὖν θυμὸν οὕτω μάλαττε ὥστε ἡμῖν ἐπιεικεῖς τίκτειν τοὺς λογισμούς· ὅταν γὰρ μηδενὶ προσπάσχῃ, ὅταν ζημίαν φέρῃ, ὅταν μὴ δέηται θεραπείας, ὅταν τιμωμένου ἑτέρου μὴ ἀγανακτῇ, πόθεν ὀργιεῖται λοιπόν; Ὥρα δὴ λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἰέναι. Ἐκεῖ καὶ διπλῆ ἡ σωφροσύνη καὶ διπλῆ ἡ βλάβη, οἶμαι, ὥστε μήτε αὐτὸν καταπορνεύεσθαι μήτε πορνεύειν εἰς κόρας. Λέγουσι δὲ ἰατρῶν παῖδες ταύτην τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν μετὰ πεντεκαιδέκατον ἔτος σφόδρα ἐπιτίθεσθαι. Πῶς οὖν τὸ θηρίον τοῦτο καταδήσομεν; τί ἐργασόμεθα; ποῖον ἐμβαλοῦμεν αὐτῷ χαλινόν; Οὐκ οἶδα ἕτερον εἰ μὴ τὸν τῆς γεέννης. Πρῶτον μὲν οὖν αὐτὸν θεαμάτων αἰσχρῶν καὶ ἀκουσμάτων ἀπάγωμεν, καὶ μηδέποτε εἰς θέατρον ἀναβαινέτω παῖς ἐλεύθερος. Ἐὰν δὲ ἐπιζητῇ τὴν ἐκεῖ τέρψιν, εἴ τινας εὕροιμεν ὁμήλικας τούτου κατέχοντας ἐπιδεικνύωμεν, ὥστε τῷ ζήλῳ κατέχεσθαι· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως κατορθοῖ ὡς ζηλοτυπία, οὐδὲν οὕτως· καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν τοῦτο πράττωμεν, μάλιστα ἂν ζηλότυπος ᾖ· τοῦτο καὶ φόβου καὶ ὑποσχέσεων καὶ πάντων μᾶλλον μείζονα ἔχει τὴν ἰσχύν. Ἔπειτα ἑτέρας ἐπινοῶμεν αὐτῷ τέρψεις ἀβλαβεῖς. Πρὸς ἄνδρας ἁγίους ἀπάγωμεν, ἄνεσιν παρέχωμεν. Τιμῶμεν αὐτὸν πολλοῖς τοῖς δώροις, ὥστε ἀνέχεσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν φέρειν τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἀτιμίαν. Καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν θεαμάτων ἐκείνων τερπνὰ διηγήματα εἴσαγε, λειμῶνας καὶ λαμπρὰ οἰκοδομήματα. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα καταβάλλωμεν ἐκεῖνα τῷ λόγῳ λέγοντες πρὸς αὐτὸν ὅτι «Ὦ τέκνον, ἀνελευθέρων τὰ θεάματα ἐκεῖνα, γυναῖκας ἰδεῖν γυμνουμένας, αἰσχρὰ φθεγγομένας. Ὑπόσχου μηδὲν ἀκούσειν ἄσχημον μηδὲ ἐρεῖν, καὶ ἄπιθι· ἀλλ' οὐ δυνατὸν ἐκεῖ μηδὲν ἀκοῦσαι αἰσχρόν. Ἀνάξια τῶν σῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τὰ γινόμενα.» Ἅμα καὶ καταφιλῶμεν αὐτὸν λέγοντες καὶ περιβάλλωμεν ταῖς χερσὶν καὶ ἐπισφίγγωμεν, ὥστε τὸν πόθον δεικνύναι. Τούτοις ἅπασιν αὐτὸν μαλάττωμεν. Τί οὖν; ὅπερ καὶ ἤδη ἔφην, μηδέποτε κόρη προσίτω μηδὲ διακονείτω, ἀλλ' ἤδη προβεβηκυῖα παιδίσκη, γυνὴ γηραλέα. Καὶ ἐπεισαγέσθω τῆς βασιλείας ὁ λόγος καὶ τῶν πάλαι ἐπὶ σωφροσύνῃ λαμψάντων καὶ τῶν ἔξω καὶ τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν· καὶ συνεχῶς τούτοις ἐπαντλῶμεν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀκοήν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ οἰκέτας ἔχοιμεν σωφρονοῦντας, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων ἔστω τὰ παραδείγματα· ὅτι σφόδρα ἄτοπον τὸν μὲν οἰκέτην οὕτως εἶναι σώφρονα, τὸν δὲ ἐλεύθερον ἐκείνου φαυλότερον γενέσθαι. Ἔστιν δὴ καὶ ἕτερον φάρμακον· ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; καὶ νηστεύειν μανθανέτω, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἀεί, ἀλλὰ δύο γοῦν τῆς ἑβδομάδος ἡμέρας, τήν τε Τετράδα καὶ τὴν Παρασκευήν. Καὶ εἰς ἐκκλησίαν προερχέσθω. Καὶ λαμβάνων αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ κατὰ τὴν ἑσπέραν, ὅταν τὸ θέατρον διαλύηται, ἐπιδεικνύτω τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν κατιόντας καὶ καταγελάτω τῶν γερόντων, ὅτι δὴ νέων γεγόνασιν ἀσυνετώτεροι, καὶ τῶν νεωτέρων, ὅτι ἐξεκαύθησαν. Καὶ ἐρωτάτω τὸν παῖδα· «Τί δὴ οὗτοι κεκερδάκασιν ἅπαντες; Οὐδὲν ἀλλ' ἢ αἰσχύνην καὶ ὄνειδος καὶ κατάγνωσιν.» Οὐ μικρὸν δὲ ὅλως πρὸς σωφροσύνην ἐστὶ τὸ πάντων ἐκείνων ἀπέχεσθαι καὶ τῶν θεαμάτων καὶ τῶν ἀκουσμάτων. Ἔστι δὴ καὶ ἄλλο· διδασκέσθω μετὰ πολλῆς εὔχεσθαι τῆς σπουδῆς καὶ τῆς κατανύξεως. Καὶ μή μοι εἴπῃς ὅτι παιδίον οὐκ ἄν ποτε ταῦτα καταδέξοιτο· μάλιστα τὸ παιδίον ὀξυδερκὲς ὂν καὶ διεγηγερμένον ταῦτα ἂν καταδέξοιτο. Καὶ γὰρ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα παραδείγματα ἐν τοῖς παλαιοῖς ὁρῶμεν, οἷον ὁ ∆ανιήλ, οἷον ὁ Ἰωσήφ. Μὴ γάρ μοι τὰ δεκαεπτὰ ἔτη εἴπῃς τοῦ Ἰωσήφ, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τούτου ἐννόησον, πόθεν τὸν πατέρα εἷλεν καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων μᾶλλον αὐτῶν. Ὁ δὲ Ἰακὼβ οὐχὶ νεώτερος ἦν; ὁ δὲ Ἱερεμίας; ὁ δὲ ∆ανιὴλ οὐχὶ δώδεκα ἐτῶν ἦν; ὁ δὲ Σολομὼν οὐχὶ δώδεκα καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν, ἡνίκα τὴν θαυμαστὴν ἐκείνην <εὐχὴν> ηὔξατο; ὁ δὲ Σαμουὴλ οὐχὶ τὸν διδάσκαλον τὸν ἑαυτοῦ νέος ὢν ἐπαίδευεν;