Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

Banquet of the Ten Virgins

Methodius of Olympus

Chapter 17

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 XVII.—The Lust of the Flesh and Spirit: Vice and Virtue.

But why do I draw out my discourse to

‹ Chapter 16 Chapter 1 ›

such

length

,

spending

the

time

with

arguments

,

having

set

forth

the

things

which

are

most

necessary

for

persuasion

,

and

to

gain

approval

for

that

which

is

expedient

;

and

having

made

manifest

to

all

,

by

a

few

words

,

the

inconsistency

of

their

trick

,

so

that

it

is

now

possible

even

for

a

child

to

see

and

perceive

their

error

;

and

that

to

do

good

or

evil

is

in

our

own

power

,

and

not

decided

by

the

stars

.

For

there

are

two

motions

in

us

,

the

lust

of

the

flesh

and

that

of

the

soul

,

differing

from

each

other

,

whence

they

have

received

two

names

,

that

of

virtue

and

that

of

vice

.

And

we

ought

to

obey

the

most

noble

and

most

useful

leading

of

virtue

,

choosing

the

best

in

preference

to

the

base

.

But

enough

on

these

points

.

I

must

come

to

the

end

of

my

discourse

;

for

I

fear

,

and

am

ashamed

,

after

these

discourses

on

chastity

,

that

I

should

be

obliged

to

introduce

the

opinions

of

men

who

study

the

heavens

,

or

rather

who

study

nonsense

,

who

waste

their

life

with

mere

conceits

,

passing

it

in

nothing

but

fabulous

figments

.

And

now

may

these

offerings

of

ours

,

composed

from

the

words

which

are

spoken

by

God

,

be

acceptable

to

thee

,

O

Arete

,

my

mistress

.

Euboulios. How bravely and magnificently, O Gregorion, has Thekla debated!

Gregorion. What, then, would you have said, if you had listened to herself, speaking fluently, and with easy expression, with much grace and pleasure? So that she was admired by every one who attended, her language blossoming with words, as she set forth intelligently, and in fact picturesquely, the subjects on which she spoke, her countenance suffused with the blush of modesty; for she is altogether brilliant in body and soul.

Euboulios. Rightly do you say this, Gregorion, and none of these things is false; for I knew her wisdom also from other noble actions, and what sort of things she succeeded in speaking, giving proof of supreme love to Christ; and how glorious she often appeared in meeting the chief conflicts of the martyrs, procuring for herself a zeal equal to her courage, and a strength of body equal to the wisdom of her counsels.

Gregorion. Most truly do you also speak. But let us not waste time; for we shall often be able to discuss these and other subjects. But I must now first relate to you the discourses of the other virgins which followed, as I promised; and chiefly those of Tusiane and Domnina; for these still remain. When, then, Thekla ceased speaking these things, Theopatra said that Arete directed Tusiane to speak; and that she, smiling, passed before her and said.

Notes

1
Gal. v. 17.