Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

On the Apparel of Women

Tertullian

Book 2 · Chapter 6

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter VI.—Of Dyeing the Hair.

I see some (women) turn (the colour of)

‹ Book 2 · Chapter 5 Book 2 · Chapter 7 ›

their

hair

with

saffron

.

They

are

ashamed

even

of

their

own

nation

,

(

ashamed

)

that

their

procreation

did

not

assign

them

to

Germany

and

to

Gaul

:

thus

,

as

it

is

,

they

transfer

their

hair

(

thither

)

!

Ill

,

ay

,

most

ill

,

do

they

augur

for

themselves

with

their

flame

-

coloured

head

,

and

think

that

graceful

which

(

in

fact

)

they

are

polluting

!

Nay

,

moreover

,

the

force

of

the

cosmetics

burns

ruin

into

the

hair

;

and

the

constant

application

of

even

any

undrugged

moisture

,

lays

up

a

store

of

harm

for

the

head

;

while

the

sun’s

warmth

,

too

,

so

desirable

for

imparting

to

the

hair

at

once

growth

and

dryness

,

is

hurtful

.

What

“

grace

”

is

compatible

with

“

injury

?

”

What

“

beauty

”

with

“

impurities

?

”

Shall

a

Christian

woman

heap

saffron

on

her

head

,

as

upon

an

altar

?

For

,

whatever

is

wont

to

be

burned

to

the

honour

of

the

unclean

spirit

,

that

—

unless

it

is

applied

for

honest

,

and

necessary

,

and

salutary

uses

,

for

which

God’s

creature

was

provided

—

may

seem

to

be

a

sacrifice

.

But

,

however

,

God

saith

,

“

Which

of

you

can

make

a

white

hair

black

,

or

out

of

a

black

a

white

?

”

And

so

they

refute

the

Lord

!

“

Behold

!

”

say

they

,

“

instead

of

white

or

black

,

we

make

it

yellow

,

—

more

winning

in

grace

.

”

And

yet

such

as

repent

of

having

lived

to

old

age

do

attempt

to

change

it

even

from

white

to

black

!

O

temerity

!

The

age

which

is

the

object

of

our

wishes

and

prayers

blushes

(

for

itself

)

!

a

theft

is

effected

!

youth

,

wherein

we

have

sinned

,

is

sighed

after

!

the

opportunity

of

sobriety

is

spoiled

!

Far

from

Wisdom’s

daughters

be

folly

so

great

!

The

more

old

age

tries

to

conceal

itself

,

the

more

will

it

be

detected

.

Here

is

a

veritable

eternity

,

in

the

(

perennial

)

youth

of

your

head

!

Here

we

have

an

“

incorruptibility

”

to

“

put

on

,

”

with

a

view

to

the

new

house

of

the

Lord

which

the

divine

monarchy

promises

!

Well

do

you

speed

toward

the

Lord

;

well

do

you

hasten

to

be

quit

of

this

most

iniquitous

world

,

to

whom

it

is

unsightly

to

approach

(

your

own

)

end

!

Notes

1
Jam capillos: so Oehler and Rig. But the others read patriam capillo: “they change their country by the instrumentality of their hair.”
2
Comp. ad Ux., b. i. c. vi.
3
Aram.
4
See Matt. v. 36.
5
Gratia faciliorem.
6
Comp. Ps. xxv. 7 (in LXX. xxiv. 7).
7
Comp. 1 Cor. xv. 53.
8
Comp. 2 Cor. v. 1.
9
Sæculo.