In this passage Clement of Alexandria discusses with whom Christians
should associate. In the last paragraph he describes women who
associate with "effeminates" in a way that can only
recall the "fag-hags" of pre-Stonewall New York!
CHAP. IV. -- WITH WHOM WE ARE TO ASSOCIATE.
But really I have unwittingly deviated in spirit from the order,
to whic
h I must now revert, and must find fault with having large
numbers of domestics. For, avoiding working with their own hands
and serving themselves, men have recourse to servants, purchasing
a great crowd of fine cooks, and of people to lay out the table,
and of others to divide the meat skilfully into pieces. And the
staff of servants is separated into many divisions; some labour
for their gluttony, Carvers and seasoners, and the compounders
and makers of sweetmeats, and honey-cakes, and custards others
are occupied with their too numerous clothes; others guard the
gold, like griffins; others keep the silver, and wipe the cups,
and make ready what is needed to furnish the festive table; others
rub down the horses; and a crowd of cup-bearers exert themselves
in their service, and herds of beautiful boys, like cattle, from
whom they milk away their beauty. And male and female assistants
at the toilet are employed about the ladies--some for the mirrors,
some for the head-dresses, others for the combs. Many are eunuchs;
and these panders serve without suspicion those that wish to be
free to enjoy their pleasures, because of the belief that they
are unable to indulge in lust. But a true eunuch is not one who
is unable, but one who is unwilling, to indulge in pleasure. The
Word, testifying by the prophet Samuel to the Jews, who had transgressed
when the people asked for a king, promised not a loving lord,
but threatened to give them a self-willed and voluptuous tyrant,
"who shall," He says, "take your daughters to be
perfumers, and cooks, and bakers,"[1] ruling by the law of
war, not desiring a peaceful administration. And there are many
Celts, who bear aloft on their shoulders women's litters. But
workers in wool, and spinners, and weavers, and female work and
housekeeping, are nowhere.
But those who impose on the women, spend the day with them, telling
them silly amatory stories, and wearing out body and soul with
their false acts and words. "Thou shalt not be with many,"
it is said, "for evil, nor give thyself to a multitude;"[2]
for wisdom shows itself among few, but disorder in a multitude.
But it is not for grounds of propriety, on account of not wishing
to be seen, that they purchase bearers, for it were commendable
if out of such feelings they put themselves under a covering;
but it is out of luxuriousness that they are carried on their
domestics' shoulders, and desire to make a show.
So, opening the curtain, and looking keenly round on all that
direct their eyes towards them, they show their manners; and often
bending forth from within, disgrace this superficial propriety
by their dangerous restlessness. "Look not round," it
is said, "in the streets of the city, and wander not in its
lonely places."[3] For that is, in truth, a lonely place,
though there be a crowd of the licentious in it, where no wise
man is present.
And these women are carried about over the temples, sacrificing
and practising divination day by day, spending their time with
fortune-tellers, and begging priests, and disreputable old women;
and they keep up old wives' whisperings over their cups, learning
charms and incantations from soothsayers, to the ruin of the nuptial
bonds. And some men they keep; by others they are kept; and others
are promised them by the diviners. They know not that they are
cheating themselves, and giving up themselves as a vessel of pleasure
to those that wish to indulge in wantonness; and exchanging their
purity for the foulest outrage, they think what is the most shameful
ruin a great stroke of business. And there are many ministers
to this meretricious licentiousness, insinuating themselves, one
from one quarter, another from another. For the licentious rush
readily into uncleanness, like swine rushing to that part of the
hold of the ship which is depressed. Whence the Scripture most
strenuously exhorts, "Introduce not every one into thy house,
for the snares of the crafty are many."[4] And in another
place, "Let just men be thy guests, and in the fear of the
Lord let thy boast remain."[5] Away with fornication. "For
know this well," says the apostle, "that no fornicator,
or unclean person, or covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."[6]
But these women delight in intercourse with the effeminate. And
crowds of abominable creatures (<greek>kinaides</greek>)
flow in, of unbridled tongue, filthy in body, filthy in language;
men enough for lewd offices, ministers of adultery, giggling and
whispering, and shamelessly making through their noses sounds
of lewdness and fornication to provoke lust, endeavouring to please
by lewd words and attitudes, inciting to laughter, the precursor
of fornication. And sometimes, when inflamed by any provocation,
either these fornicators, or those that follow the rabble of abominable
creatures to destruction, make a sound in their nose like a frog,
as if they had got anger dwelling in their nostrils. But those
who are more refined than these keep Indian birds and Median pea-fowls,
and recline with peak-headed[7] creatures; playing with satyrs,
delighting in monsters. They laugh when they hear Thersites; and
these women, purchasing Thersiteses highly valued, pride themselves
not in their husbands, but in those wretches which are a burden
on the earth, and overlook the chaste widow, who is of far higher
value than a Melitaean pup, and look askance at a just old man,
who is lovelier in my estimation than a monster purchased for
money. And though maintaining parrots and curlews, they do not
receive the orphan child;(1) but they expose children that are
born at home, and take up the young of birds, and prefer irrational
to rational creatures; although they ought to undertake the maintenance
of old people with a character for sobriety, who are fairer in
my mind than apes, and capable of uttering something better than
nightingales; and to set before them that saying, "He that
pitieth the poor lendeth to the LORD;"(2) and this, "Inasmuch
as ye have done it unto the least of these My brethren, ye have
done it to Me."(3) But these, on the other hand, prefer ignorance
to wisdom, turning their wealth into stone, that is, into pearls
and Indian emeralds. And they squander and throw away their wealth
on fading dyes, and bought slaves; like crammed fowls scraping
the dung of life. "Poverty," it is said, "humbles
a man."(4) By poverty is meant that niggardliness by which
the rich are poor, having nothing to give away.
Source.
From: Clement of Alexandria, Paidogogus, trans in Ante-Nicene
Fathers, Vol 2, pp278-279
This text is part of the Internet
History Sourcebooks Project. The Sourcebooks are collections of public domain and
copy-permitted texts related to all aspects of history.
Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright.
Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational
purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No
permission is granted for commercial use.
© Paul Halsall, 2023
