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The Shows, or De Spectaculis

Tertullian

Chapter 7

About this work

Author: Tertullian

The two kinds of public games, then, have one

‹ Chapter 6 Chapter 8 ›

origin

;

and

they

have

common

names

,

as

owning

the

same

parentage

.

So

,

too

,

as

they

are

equally

tainted

with

the

sin

of

idolatry

,

their

foundress

,

they

must

needs

be

like

each

other

in

their

pomp

.

But

the

more

ambitious

preliminary

display

of

the

circus

games

to

which

the

name

procession

specially

belongs

,

is

in

itself

the

proof

to

whom

the

whole

thing

appertains

,

in

the

many

images

the

long

line

of

statues

,

the

chariots

of

all

sorts

,

the

thrones

,

the

crowns

,

the

dresses

.

What

high

religious

rites

besides

,

what

sacrifices

precede

,

come

between

,

and

follow

.

How

many

guilds

,

how

many

priesthoods

,

how

many

offices

are

set

astir

,

is

known

to

the

inhabitants

of

the

great

city

in

which

the

demon

convention

has

its

headquarters

.

If

these

things

are

done

in

humbler

style

in

the

provinces

,

in

accordance

with

their

inferior

means

,

still

all

circus

games

must

be

counted

as

belonging

to

that

from

which

they

are

derived

;

the

fountain

from

which

they

spring

defiles

them

.

The

tiny

streamlet

from

its

very

spring

-

head

,

the

little

twig

from

its

very

budding

,

contains

in

it

the

essential

nature

of

its

origin

.

It

may

be

grand

or

mean

,

no

matter

,

any

circus

procession

whatever

is

offensive

to

God

.

Though

there

be

few

images

to

grace

it

,

there

is

idolatry

in

one

;

though

there

be

no

more

than

a

single

sacred

car

,

it

is

a

chariot

of

Jupiter

:

anything

of

idolatry

whatever

,

whether

meanly

arrayed

or

modestly

rich

and

gorgeous

,

taints

it

in

its

origin

.