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Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson.
Clement of Alexandria in Print
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This Part: 134 Pages
Page 55
These, then, who are disgusting even to the heathen poets for their fashions, how shall they not be rejected by the truth? [1581] Accordingly another comic poet, Alexis, reproves them. For I shall adduce his words, which with extravagance of statement shame the obstinacy of their impudence. For he was not very far beyond the mark. And I cannot for shame come to the assistance of women held up to such ridicule in comedy.
Then she ruins her husband. / "For first, in comparison with gain and the spoiling of neighbours, / All else is in their eyes superfluous." / "Is one of them little? She stitches cork into her shoe-sole. / Is one tall? She wears a thin sole, / And goes out keeping her head down on her shoulder: / This takes away from her height. Has one no flanks? / She has something sewed on to her, so that the spectators / May exclaim on her fine shape behind. Has she a prominent stomach? / By making additions, to render it straight, such as the nurses we see in the comic poets, / She draws back, as it were, by these poles, the protuberance of the stomach in front. / Has one yellow eyebrows? She stains them with soot. / Do they happen to be black? She smears them with ceruse. / Is one very white-skinned? She rouges. / Has one any part of the body beautiful? She shows it bare. / Has she beautiful teeth? She must needs laugh, / That those present may see what a pretty mouth she has; / But if not in the humour for laughing, she passes the day within, / With a slender sprig of myrtle between her lips, / Like what cooks have always at hand when they have goats' heads to sell, / So that she must keep them apart the whilst, whether she will or not."
[1581] [John xvii. 17. "Thy word is truth," is here in mind; and, soon after, he speaks of the Scriptures and the Word (Logos) in the same way.]
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