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A Plea for the Christians

Athenagoras of Athens

Chapter 34

About this work

A polished petition to Roman emperors rebutting charges of atheism, incest, and cannibalism while explaining Christian monotheism, moral discipline, and belief in Father, Son, and Spirit.

Author: Athenagoras of Athens
Date: c. AD 176–177
Origin: Athens (traditional)
Genre: Apology

Chapter XXXIV.—The Vast Difference in Morals Between the Christians and Their Accusers.

But though such is our character (Oh

‹ Chapter 33 Chapter 35 ›

!

why

should

I

speak

of

things

unfit

to

be

uttered

?

)

,

the

things

said

of

us

are

an

example

of

the

proverb

,

“

The

harlot

reproves

the

chaste

.

”

For

those

who

have

set

up

a

market

for

fornication

and

established

infamous

resorts

for

the

young

for

every

kind

of

vile

pleasure

,

—

who

do

not

abstain

even

from

males

,

males

with

males

committing

shocking

abominations

,

outraging

all

the

noblest

and

comeliest

bodies

in

all

sorts

of

ways

,

so

dishonouring

the

fair

workmanship

of

God

(

for

beauty

on

earth

is

not

self

-

made

,

but

sent

hither

by

the

hand

and

will

of

God

)

,

—

these

men

,

I

say

,

revile

us

for

the

very

things

which

they

are

conscious

of

themselves

,

and

ascribe

to

their

own

gods

,

boasting

of

them

as

noble

deeds

,

and

worthy

of

the

gods

.

These

adulterers

and

pæderasts

defame

the

eunuchs

and

the

once

-

married

(

while

they

themselves

live

like

fishes

;

for

these

gulp

down

whatever

falls

in

their

way

,

and

the

stronger

chases

the

weaker

:

and

,

in

fact

,

this

is

to

feed

upon

human

flesh

,

to

do

violence

in

contravention

of

the

very

laws

which

you

and

your

ancestors

,

with

due

care

for

all

that

is

fair

and

right

,

have

enacted

)

,

so

that

not

even

the

governors

of

the

provinces

sent

by

you

suffice

for

the

hearing

of

the

complaints

against

those

,

to

whom

it

even

is

not

lawful

,

when

they

are

struck

,

not

to

offer

themselves

for

more

blows

,

nor

when

defamed

not

to

bless

:

for

it

is

not

enough

to

be

just

(

and

justice

is

to

return

like

for

like

)

,

but

it

is

incumbent

on

us

to

be

good

and

patient

of

evil

.

Notes

132
[An allusion to the fable of the Sargus; and see Burton’s Anat. Mel., p. 445.]