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Banquet of the Ten Virgins

Methodius of Olympus

Chapter 6

About this work

A literary symposium in which ten women offer speeches on virginity, creation, Scripture, virtue, and Christian perfection, consciously adapting the form of a classical philosophical banquet.

Author: Methodius of Olympus
Date: Late 3rd century
Origin: Eastern Mediterranean
Genre: Dialogue

Chapter VI.—Sikera, a Manufactured and Spurious Wine, Yet Intoxicating; Things Which are Akin to Sins are to Be Avoided by a Virgin; The Altar of Incense (a Symbol Of) Virgins.

Moreover, it is not only forbidden to virgins

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in

any

way

to

touch

those

things

which

are

made

from

that

vine

,

but

even

such

things

as

resemble

them

and

are

akin

to

them

.

For

Sikera

,

which

is

manufactured

,

is

called

a

spurious

kind

of

wine

,

whether

made

of

palms

or

of

other

fruit

-

trees

.

For

in

the

same

way

that

draughts

of

wine

overthrow

man’s

reason

,

so

do

these

exceedingly

;

and

to

speak

the

plain

truth

,

the

wise

are

accustomed

to

call

by

the

name

of

Sikera

all

that

produces

drunkenness

and

distraction

of

mind

,

besides

wine

.

In

order

,

therefore

,

that

the

virgin

may

not

,

when

guarding

against

those

sins

which

are

in

their

own

nature

evil

,

be

defiled

by

those

which

are

like

them

and

akin

to

them

,

conquering

the

one

and

being

conquered

by

the

other

,

that

is

,

decorating

herself

with

textures

of

different

cloths

,

or

with

stones

and

gold

,

and

other

decorations

of

the

body

,

things

which

intoxicate

the

soul

;

on

this

account

it

is

ordered

that

she

do

not

give

herself

up

to

womanish

weaknesses

and

laughter

,

exciting

herself

to

wiles

and

foolish

talking

,

which

whirl

the

mind

around

and

confuse

it

;

as

it

is

indicated

in

another

place

,

“

Ye

shall

not

eat

the

hyæna

and

animals

like

it

;

nor

the

weasel

and

creatures

of

that

kind

.

”

For

this

is

the

straight

and

direct

way

to

heaven

,

not

merely

not

to

avoid

any

stumbling

-

block

which

would

trip

up

and

destroy

men

who

are

agitated

by

a

desire

for

luxuries

and

pleasures

,

but

also

from

such

things

as

resemble

them

.

Moreover, it has been handed down that the unbloody altar of God signifies the assembly of the chaste; thus virginity appears to be something great and glorious. Therefore it ought to be preserved undefiled and altogether pure, having no participation in the impurities of the flesh; but it should be set up before the presence of the testimony, gilded with wisdom, for the Holy of holies, sending forth a sweet savour of love to the Lord; for He says, “Thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim-wood shalt thou make it. And thou shalt make the staves of shittim-wood, and overlay them with gold. And thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy-seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it; a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt-sacrifices nor meat-offering; neither shall ye pour drink-offering thereon.”

Notes

1
Lev. xi. 29; not an exact quotation.
2
Exod. xxx. 1–9.