John Chrysostom, On Empty Glory and Child-rearing

Shall we go to another gate, that of the sense of smell? This also brings in great harm, if it is not blocked, such as perfumes, incenses. Nothing so dissolves the soul's vigor, nothing so relaxes it, as to delight in sweet smells. “What then,” he says, “must one rejoice in filth?” I do not say this, but neither in this nor in that. Let no one apply ointment; for immediately the brain receives it and relaxes completely. From this, pleasures are also fanned into flame and the danger of the matter is great. Therefore, block up this gate; for its function is to breathe the air, not to receive sweet smells. Perhaps some laugh at us as caring about a small thing, if we discourse about such a manner of life; but it is not a small thing, but it is the foundation and the training and the order of the whole world, if these things were done. There is also another gate, more beautiful than these, but difficult to guard, that of the eyes; and for this reason it is set above, open and possessing beauty. It has many small gates, not only seeing, but also being seen, if it is well-formed. Strong laws are needed here; and first of one, let the child never be sent to the theater, so that he may not receive complete ruin both through hearing and through his eyes. And in the marketplaces, let the tutor especially watch out for this when passing through the narrow streets, and advise this, so that he may never receive that ruin. So then, in order not to be seen, there are many things to contrive, to remove much of the adornment by cutting the hair that lies on top for the sake of solemnity. And if the child is annoyed at being unadorned, let him first learn this, that this is the greatest adornment. And in order not to see, those narratives are sufficient for a safeguard, those concerning the sons of God who fell for the daughters of men, those concerning the Sodomites, Gehenna and all the other things. Here especially the tutor and <the> attendant ought to have great care. But show him other beauties, and you will lead his eyes away from there, such as the heaven, the sun, the stars, the flowers of the earth, the meadows, the beauties of books; let his sight be delighted with these things. And there are many other things that bring no harm. For this gate is difficult to guard, since it has fire lying within and a natural, as one might say, compulsion. Let him learn the divine incantations. If he is not stirred up from within, he does not wish to see from without either. Let him not bathe with women; for the evil is of habit; nor let him be sent into crowds of women. Let him hear all the things concerning Joseph continuously; let him learn henceforth the things about the kingdom of heaven, how great a reward is laid up for the temperate. Promise also to bring him a beautiful bride and to make him an heir of the inheritance. Threaten everything, if you see the contrary, and say to him; “We will not obtain, child, a virtuous wife, unless you show great watchfulness and progress in virtue; and as you persevere, I will quickly lead you to marriage.” Especially if he is taught not to speak shameful things, he has reverence established in him beforehand. Converse with him about the beauty of the soul. Instill in him a disposition concerning women. Say how slavish it is to be despised by a slave-girl and that a young man especially needs great diligence. For he who speaks will be obvious, but he who sees will not be obvious—for this sense is swift—and he is able, sitting among many, to capture whomever he wishes with the glances of his eyes. Let him have nothing in common with a woman; except his mother, let him see no woman; let him not share gold; let nothing shameful enter in; let him despise luxury and other such things. There is also another gate, not such as these, but extending through the whole body, which we call touch, which seems to be closed, but as if it were open, thus it sends everything within.

ἑτέραν ἴωμεν πύλην, τὴν τῆς ὀσφρήσεως; Καὶ αὕτη πολλὴν εἰσφέρει τὴν βλάβην, ἂν μὴ ἀποφράσσηται, οἷον ἀρώματα, θυμιάματα. Οὐδὲν οὕτως ἐκλύει τόνον ψυχῆς, οὐδὲν οὕτως χαλᾷ, ὡς τὸ εὐωδίαις ἥδεσθαι. «Τί οὖν, φησίν, βορβόρῳ χαίρειν δεῖ;» Οὐ τοῦτο λέγω, ἀλλὰ μήτε τούτῳ μήτε ἐκείνῳ. Μηδεὶς προσφερέσθω μύρον· εὐθέως γὰρ ὁ ἐγκέφαλος δεχόμενος τὸ πᾶν ἐχάλασεν. Ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἡδοναὶ ἀναρριπίζονται καὶ πολλὴ τοῦ πράγματος ἡ ἐπιβουλή. Καὶ ταύτην οὖν ἀπόφραττε τὴν πύλην· ἡ γὰρ ἐνέργεια αὐτῆς ἀναπνεῖν τὸν ἀέρα, οὐκ εὐωδίαν δέχεσθαι. Τάχα τινὲς καταγελῶσιν ὡς περὶ μικροῦ φροντιζόντων ἡμῶν, εἰ περὶ τοιαύτης διαλεγόμεθα πολιτείας· οὐκ ἔστι δὲ μικρά, ἀλλὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης πάσης ἐστὶν ἡ ὑπόστασις καὶ ἡ παίδευσις καὶ ὁ ῥυθμός, εἰ ταῦτα ἐγίνετο. Ἔστιν καὶ ἑτέρα πύλη τούτων μὲν ὡραιοτέρα, δυσφύλακτος δέ, ἡ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἄνω κεῖται ἀνεῳγμένη καὶ κάλλος ἔχουσα. Πολλὰς ἔχει τὰς πυλίδας οὐχ ὁρῶσα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁρωμένη, ἂν ᾖ καλῶς ἐκτετορνευμένη. Σφοδρῶν ἐνταῦθα χρὴ τῶν νόμων· καὶ πρώτου μὲν ἑνός, μηδέποτε εἰς θέατρον πεμπέσθω τὸ παιδίον, ἵνα μὴ λύμην ὁλόκληρον καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀκοῆς καὶ διὰ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν δέχηται. Καὶ ἐν ἀγοραῖς ὁ παιδαγωγὸς μάλιστα τοῦτο ἐπιτηρείτω παριὼν διὰ τῶν στενωπῶν, καὶ παραινείτω τοῦτο, ὥστε μηδέ ποτε δέξασθαι τὴν λύμην ἐκείνην. Ὥστε μὲν οὖν μὴ δέξασθαι ὁρώμενον, πολλά ἐστιν ἐπινοῆσαι, τὸ πολὺ τοῦ καλλωπισμοῦ περιελεῖν τὰς ἄνωθεν ἐπικειμένας τρίχας περικείροντα εἰς σεμνότητα. Ἂν δὲ δυσχεραίνῃ τὸ παιδίον ὡς ἀποκοσμούμενον, πρῶτον τοῦτο μαθέτω ὅτι μέγιστος κόσμος τοῦτό ἐστιν. Ὥστε δὲ μὴ ὁρᾶν, ἱκανὰ πρὸς φυλακὴν τὰ διηγήματα ἐκεῖνα, τὰ κατὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοὺς ὀλισθήσαντας εἰς τὰς θυγατέρας τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τὰ κατὰ τοὺς Σοδομίτας, ἡ γέεννα καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἅπαντα. Ἐνταῦθα μάλιστα ὁ παιδαγωγὸς καὶ <ὁ> ἀκόλουθος πολλὴν ἔχειν ὀφείλουσι τὴν φροντίδα. Ἀλλὰ δεῖξον αὐτῷ κάλλη ἕτερα, καὶ ἀπάξεις ἐκεῖθεν τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, οἷον τὸν οὐρανόν, τὸν ἥλιον, τοὺς ἀστέρας, τῆς γῆς τὰ ἄνθη, τοὺς λειμῶνας, βιβλίων κάλλη· τούτοις τερπέσθω τὰς ὄψεις. Καὶ πολλά ἐστιν ἕτερα βλάβην μὴ φέροντα. ∆υσφύλακτος γὰρ αὕτη ἡ πύλη, ἐπειδὴ τὸ πῦρ ἔνδον ἔχει κείμενον καὶ φυσικήν, ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι, ἀνάγκην. Μαθέτω τὰς θείας ἐπῳδάς. Ἂν μὴ ἔνδοθεν διεγείρηται, οὐ θέλει οὐδὲ ἔξωθεν ἰδεῖν. Μὴ λουέσθω μετὰ γυναικῶν· κακὸν γὰρ τὸ τῆς συνηθείας· μηδὲ εἰς ὄχλους πεμπέσθω γυναικῶν. Ἀκουέτω τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ πάντα συνεχῶς· μανθανέτω λοιπὸν τὰ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὅσος τοῖς σωφρονοῦσι ἀπόκειται μισθός. Ἐπαγγέλλου καὶ νύμφην ὡραίαν ἄξειν αὐτῷ καὶ τοῦ κλήρου ποιήσειν διάδοχον. Πάντα ἀπείλησον, ἂν ἴδῃς τἀναντία, καὶ λέγε πρὸς αὐτόν· «Οὐκ ἐπιτευξόμεθα, παιδίον, γυναικὸς ἐναρέτου, ἐὰν μὴ πολλὴν ἐπιδείξῃ τὴν φυλακὴν καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς τὴν ἐπίδοσιν· καὶ ὡς ἂν καρτερήσῃς, ταχέως σε ἐπὶ γάμον ἄξω.» Μάλιστα ἐὰν παιδεύηται αἰσχρὰ μὴ φθέγγεσθαι, ἄνωθεν ἔχει τὴν εὐλάβειαν προκαταβεβλημένην. ∆ιαλέγου αὐτῷ περὶ κάλλους ψυχῆς. Φρόνημα αὐτῷ ἔντικτε κατὰ γυναικῶν. Λέγε ὡς δουλοπρεπὲς ὑπὸ τῆς δούλης καταφρονεῖσθαι καὶ ὅτι πολλῆς μάλιστα δεῖται τῆς σπουδῆς ὁ νέος. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ φθεγγόμενος ἔσται δῆλος, ὁ δὲ ὁρῶν οὐκ ἔσται δῆλος-ταχεῖα γὰρ αὕτη ἡ αἴσθησις-καὶ δύναται μεταξὺ πολλῶν καθήμενος ταῖς τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν βολαῖς ἑλεῖν ἣν ἂν ἐθέλῃ. Μηδὲν ἐχέτω κοινὸν πρὸς γυναῖκα· πλὴν τῆς μητρὸς μηδεμίαν ὁράτω γυναῖκα· χρυσίου μὴ μεταδίδου· μηδὲν ἐπεισιέτω αἰσχρόν· τρυφῆς καταφρονείτω καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων. Ἔστιν καὶ ἄλλη πύλη, οὐ τοιαύτη μέν, οἷαί περ αὗται, ἀλλὰ δι' ὅλου τοῦ σώματος διήκουσα, ἣν ἁφὴν προσαγορεύομεν, δοκοῦσα μὲν κεκλεῖσθαι, ὥσπερ δὲ ἀνεῳγμένη, οὕτω πάντα ἔνδον παραπέμπουσα.