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Banquet of the Ten Virgins

Methodius of Olympus

Chapter 10

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 X.—The Dragon, the Devil; The Stars Struck from Heaven by the Tail of the Dragon, Heretics; The Numbers of the Trinity, that Is, the Persons Numbered; Errors Concerning Them.

The dragon, which is great, and red

‹ Chapter 9 Chapter 11 ›

,

and

cunning

,

and

manifold

,

and

seven

-

headed

,

and

horned

,

and

draws

down

the

third

part

of

the

stars

,

and

stands

ready

to

devour

the

child

of

the

woman

who

is

travailing

,

is

the

devil

,

who

lies

in

wait

to

destroy

the

Christ

-

accepted

mind

of

the

baptized

,

and

the

image

and

clear

features

of

the

Word

which

had

been

brought

forth

in

them

.

But

he

misses

and

fails

of

his

prey

,

the

regenerate

being

caught

up

on

high

to

the

throne

of

God

—

that

is

,

the

mind

of

those

who

are

renovated

is

lifted

up

around

the

divine

seat

and

the

basis

of

truth

against

which

there

is

no

stumbling

,

being

taught

to

look

upon

and

regard

the

things

which

are

there

,

so

that

it

may

not

be

deceived

by

the

dragon

weighing

them

down

.

For

it

is

not

allowed

to

him

to

destroy

those

whose

thoughts

and

looks

are

upwards

.

And

the

stars

,

which

the

dragon

touched

with

the

end

of

his

tail

,

and

drew

them

down

to

earth

,

are

the

bodies

of

heresies

;

for

we

must

say

that

the

stars

,

which

are

dark

,

obscure

,

and

falling

,

are

the

assemblies

of

the

heterodox

;

since

they

,

too

,

wish

to

be

acquainted

with

the

heavenly

ones

,

and

to

have

believed

in

Christ

,

and

to

have

the

seat

of

their

soul

in

heaven

,

and

to

come

near

to

the

stars

as

children

of

light

.

But

they

are

dragged

down

,

being

shaken

out

by

the

folds

of

the

dragon

,

because

they

did

not

remain

within

the

triangular

forms

of

godliness

,

falling

away

from

it

with

respect

to

an

orthodox

service

.

Whence

also

they

are

called

the

third

part

of

the

stars

,

as

having

gone

astray

with

regard

to

one

of

the

three

Persons

of

the

Trinity

.

As

when

they

say

,

like

Sabellios

,

that

the

Almighty

Person

of

the

Father

Himself

suffered

;

or

as

when

they

say

,

like

Artemas

,

that

the

Person

of

the

Son

was

born

and

manifested

only

in

appearance

;

or

when

they

contend

,

like

the

Ebionites

,

that

the

prophets

spoke

of

the

Person

of

the

Spirit

,

of

their

own

motion

.

For

of

Marcion

and

Valentinus

,

and

those

about

Elkesaios

and

others

,

it

is

better

not

even

to

make

mention

.

Notes

1
Patripassianism: nearly the same as Sabellianism.—Tr.
2
Δοκήσει, hence Docetæ.—Tr.