Opening the library…

Search the Bible

Address to the Greeks

Tatian

Chapter 23

About this work

Tatian attacks Greek claims to cultural and philosophical superiority, defends Christian teaching about God, creation, resurrection, and ethics, and argues for the antiquity of biblical wisdom.

Author: Tatian
Date: c. AD 165–175
Origin: Rome or the eastern Mediterranean
Genre: Apology

Of the Pugilists and Gladiators.

I have seen men weighed down by bodily exercise,

‹ Chapter 22 Chapter 24 ›

and

carrying

about

the

burden

of

their

flesh

,

before

whom

rewards

and

chaplets

are

set

,

while

the

adjudicators

cheer

them

on

,

not

to

deeds

of

virtue

,

but

to

rivalry

in

violence

and

discord

;

and

he

who

excels

in

giving

blows

is

crowned

.

These

are

the

lesser

evils

;

as

for

the

greater

,

who

would

not

shrink

from

telling

them

?

Some

,

giving

themselves

up

to

idleness

for

the

sake

of

profligacy

,

sell

themselves

to

be

killed

;

and

the

indigent

barters

himself

away

,

while

the

rich

man

buys

others

to

kill

him

.

And

for

these

the

witnesses

take

their

seats

,

and

the

boxers

meet

in

single

combat

,

for

no

reason

whatever

,

nor

does

any

one

come

down

into

the

arena

to

succour

.

Do

such

exhibitions

as

these

redound

to

your

credit

?

He

who

is

chief

among

you

collects

a

legion

of

blood

-

stained

murderers

,

engaging

to

maintain

them

;

and

these

ruffians

are

sent

forth

by

him

,

and

you

assemble

at

the

spectacle

to

be

judges

,

partly

of

the

wickedness

of

the

adjudicator

,

and

partly

of

that

of

the

men

who

engage

in

the

combat

.

And

he

who

misses

the

murderous

exhibition

is

grieved

,

because

he

was

not

doomed

to

be

a

spectator

of

wicked

and

impious

and

abominable

deeds

.

You

slaughter

animals

for

the

purpose

of

eating

their

flesh

,

and

you

purchase

men

to

supply

a

cannibal

banquet

for

the

soul

,

nourishing

it

by

the

most

impious

bloodshedding

.

The

robber

commits

murder

for

the

sake

of

plunder

,

but

the

rich

man

purchases

gladiators

for

the

sake

of

their

being

killed

.

Notes

66
[Here Christianity began to avenge itself on the brutal spectacles of the Coliseum, which stands a gigantic monument of the religious system of which they were a part. See Athenagoras, Embassy, cap. xxxv.]