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Banquet of the Ten Virgins

Methodius of Olympus

Chapter 12

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 XII.—Virgins are Called to the Imitation of the Church in the Wilderness Overcoming the Dragon.

The Church, then, coming hither into this

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wilderness

,

a

place

unproductive

of

evils

,

is

nourished

,

flying

on

the

heavenward

wings

of

virginity

,

which

the

Word

called

the

“

wings

of

great

eagle

,

”

having

conquered

the

serpent

,

and

driven

away

from

her

full

moon

the

wintry

clouds

.

It

is

for

the

sake

of

these

things

,

meanwhile

,

that

all

these

discourses

are

held

,

teaching

us

,

O

fair

virgins

,

to

imitate

according

to

our

strength

our

mother

,

and

not

to

be

troubled

by

the

pains

and

changes

and

afflictions

of

life

,

that

you

may

enter

in

exulting

with

her

into

the

bride

-

chamber

,

showing

your

lamps

.

Do

not

,

therefore

,

lose

courage

on

account

of

the

schemes

and

slanders

of

the

beast

,

but

bravely

prepare

for

the

battle

,

armed

with

the

helmet

of

salvation

,

and

the

breastplate

,

and

the

greaves

.

For

you

will

bring

upon

him

an

immense

consternation

when

you

attack

him

with

great

advantage

and

courage

;

nor

will

he

at

all

resist

,

seeing

his

adversaries

set

in

array

by

One

more

powerful

;

but

the

many

-

headed

and

many

-

faced

beast

will

immediately

allow

you

to

carry

off

the

spoils

of

the

seven

contests

:

—

“Lion in front, but dragon all behind,

And in the midst a she-goat breathing forth

Profuse the violence of flaming fire.

Her slew Bellerophon in truth. And this

Slew Christ the King; for many she destroyed,

Nor could they bear the fetid foam which burst

From out the fountain of her horrid jaws;”

unless Christ had first weakened and overcome her, making her powerless and contemptible before us.

Notes

1
Ezek. xvii. 3.
2
Eph. vi. 17.
3
Hom., Il., vi. 181.