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The Shows, or De Spectaculis

Tertullian

Chapter 16

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Since, then, all passionate excitement is forbidden us,

‹ Chapter 15 Chapter 17 ›

we

are

debarred

from

every

kind

of

spectacle

,

and

especially

from

the

circus

,

where

such

excitement

presides

as

in

its

proper

element

.

See

the

people

coming

to

it

already

under

strong

emotion

,

already

tumultuous

,

already

passion

-

blind

,

already

agitated

about

their

bets

.

The

prætor

is

too

slow

for

them

:

their

eyes

are

ever

rolling

as

though

along

with

the

lots

in

his

urn

;

then

they

hang

all

eager

on

the

signal

;

there

is

the

united

shout

of

a

common

madness

.

Observe

how

“

out

of

themselves

”

they

are

by

their

foolish

speeches

.

“

He

has

thrown

it

!

”

they

exclaim

;

and

they

announce

each

one

to

his

neighbour

what

all

have

seen

.

I

have

clearest

evidence

of

their

blindness

;

they

do

not

see

what

is

really

thrown

.

They

think

it

a

“

signal

cloth

,

”

but

it

is

the

likeness

of

the

devil

cast

headlong

from

on

high

.

And

the

result

accordingly

is

,

that

they

fly

into

rages

,

and

passions

,

and

discords

,

and

all

that

they

who

are

consecrated

to

peace

ought

never

to

indulge

in

.

Then

there

are

curses

and

reproaches

,

with

no

cause

of

hatred

;

there

are

cries

of

applause

,

with

nothing

to

merit

them

.

What

are

the

partakers

in

all

this

—

not

their

own

masters

—

to

obtain

of

it

for

themselves

?

unless

,

it

may

be

,

that

which

makes

them

not

their

own

:

they

are

saddened

by

another’s

sorrow

,

they

are

gladdened

by

another’s

joy

.

Whatever

they

desire

on

the

one

hand

,

or

detest

on

the

other

,

is

entirely

foreign

to

themselves

.

So

love

with

them

is

a

useless

thing

,

and

hatred

is

unjust

.

Or

is

a

causeless

love

perhaps

more

legitimate

than

a

causeless

hatred

?

God

certainly

forbids

us

to

hate

even

with

a

reason

for

our

hating

;

for

He

commands

us

to

love

our

enemies

.

God

forbids

us

to

curse

,

though

there

be

some

ground

for

doing

so

,

in

commanding

that

those

who

curse

us

we

are

to

bless

.

But

what

is

more

merciless

than

the

circus

,

where

people

do

not

spare

even

their

rulers

and

fellow

-

citizens

?

If

any

of

its

madnesses

are

becoming

elsewhere

in

the

saints

of

God

,

they

will

be

seemly

in

the

circus

too

;

but

if

they

are

nowhere

right

,

so

neither

are

they

there

.