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Banquet of the Ten Virgins

Methodius of Olympus

Chapter 7

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 VII.—The Rational Soul from God Himself; Chastity Not the Only Good, Although the Best and Most Honoured.

And perhaps there will be room for some to

‹ Chapter 6 Chapter 1 ›

argue

plausibly

among

those

who

are

wanting

in

discrimination

and

judgment

,

that

this

fleshly

garment

of

the

soul

,

being

planted

by

men

,

is

shaped

spontaneously

apart

from

the

sentence

of

God

.

If

,

however

,

he

should

teach

that

the

immortal

being

of

the

soul

also

is

sown

along

with

the

mortal

body

,

he

will

not

be

believed

;

for

the

Almighty

alone

breathes

into

man

the

undying

and

undecaying

part

,

as

also

it

is

He

alone

who

is

Creator

of

the

invisible

and

indestructible

.

For

,

He

says

,

He

“

breathed

into

his

nostrils

the

breath

of

life

;

and

man

became

a

living

soul

.

”

And

those

artificers

who

,

to

the

destruction

of

men

,

make

images

in

human

form

,

not

perceiving

and

knowing

their

own

Maker

,

are

blamed

by

the

Word

,

which

says

,

in

the

Book

of

Wisdom

,

a

book

full

of

all

virtue

,

“

his

heart

is

ashes

,

his

hope

is

more

vile

than

earth

,

and

his

life

of

less

value

than

clay

;

forasmuch

as

he

knew

not

his

Maker

,

and

Him

that

inspired

into

him

an

active

soul

,

and

breathed

in

a

living

spirit

;

”

that

is

,

God

,

the

Maker

of

all

men

;

therefore

,

also

,

according

to

the

apostle

,

He

“

will

have

all

men

to

be

saved

,

and

to

come

unto

the

knowledge

of

the

truth

.

”

And

now

,

although

this

subject

be

scarcely

completed

,

yet

there

are

others

which

remain

to

be

discussed

.

For

when

one

thoroughly

examines

and

understands

those

things

which

happen

to

man

according

to

his

nature

,

he

will

know

not

to

despise

the

procreation

of

children

,

although

he

applauds

chastity

,

and

prefers

it

in

honour

.

For

although

honey

be

sweeter

and

more

pleasant

than

other

things

,

we

are

not

for

that

reason

to

consider

other

things

bitter

which

are

mixed

up

in

the

natural

sweetness

of

fruits

.

And

,

in

support

of

these

statements

,

I

will

bring

forward

a

trustworthy

witness

,

namely

,

Paul

,

who

says

,

“

So

then

he

that

giveth

her

in

marriage

doeth

well

;

but

he

that

giveth

her

not

in

marriage

doeth

better

.

”

Now

the

word

,

in

setting

forth

that

which

is

better

and

sweeter

,

did

not

intend

to

take

away

the

inferior

,

but

arranges

so

as

to

assign

to

each

its

own

proper

use

and

advantage

.

For

there

are

some

to

whom

it

is

not

given

to

attain

virginity

;

and

there

are

others

whom

He

no

longer

wills

to

be

excited

by

procreations

to

lust

,

and

to

be

defiled

,

but

henceforth

to

meditate

and

to

keep

the

mind

upon

the

transformation

of

the

body

to

the

likeness

of

angels

,

when

they

“

neither

marry

nor

are

given

in

marriage

,

”

according

to

the

infallible

words

of

the

Lord

;

since

it

is

not

given

to

all

to

attain

that

undefiled

state

of

being

a

eunuch

for

the

sake

of

the

kingdom

of

heaven

,

but

manifestly

to

those

only

who

are

able

to

preserve

the

ever

-

blooming

and

unfading

flower

of

virginity

.

For

it

is

the

custom

of

the

prophetic

Word

to

compare

the

Church

to

a

flower

covered

and

variegated

meadow

,

adorned

and

crowned

not

only

with

the

flowers

of

virginity

,

but

also

with

those

of

child

-

bearing

and

of

continence

;

for

it

is

written

,

“

Upon

thy

right

hand

did

stand

the

queen

in

a

vesture

of

gold

,

wrought

about

with

divers

colours

.

”

These words, O Arete, I bring according to my ability to this discussion in behalf of the truth.

And when Theophila had thus spoken, Theopatra said that applause arose from all the virgins approving of her discourse; and that when they became silent, after a long pause, Thaleia arose, for to her had been assigned the third place in the contest, that which came after Theophila. And she then, as I think, followed, and spoke.

Notes

1
Gen. ii. 7.
2
[This language shows that it is not cited as Holy Scripture. It confirms St. Jerome’s testimony, Prolog. in Libros Salomonis.]
3
Wisd. xv. 10, 11.
4
1 Tim. ii. 4.
5
His virgin. [St. Paul was married, and then a widower, in the opinion of many of the ancients. See Euseb., H. E., iii. 30.]
6
1 Cor. vii. 38.
7
Matt. xxii. 30.
8
Matt. xix. 12.
9
The bridegroom’s.
10
Ps. xlv. 10 (xliv. 10, LXX.).