The Instructor 2.10.111
Summary: Women's clothing may be soft but not ornate; it is shameful to spend wealth on covering the body, which Adam covered with leaves; wool is only sheep's hair.
Greek text · Stählin 1:223–224
κροσσοί, οἱ ἐκλεκτοί, οἱ χρυσοῖ. εἰ δὲ καὶ ὑφεῖναι χρὴ τοῦ τόνου διὰ τὰς γυναῖκας, λείαν τὴν ἐσθῆτα καὶ προσηνῆ πρὸς τὴν ἁφὴν ἐξυφαντέον, οὐχὶ δὲ καθάπερ τὰς γραφὰς πρὸς τὸ τερπνὸν τῆς ὄψεως ἐξανθιστέον· ἐξίτηλος μὲν γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ τῷ χρόνῳ γίνεται, αἱ δὲ ῥύψεις καὶ αἱ στύψεις τοῖς φαρμακώδεσι τῆς βαφῆς χυμοῖς ἐκτήκουσαι τὰ ἔρια τῶν ἀμπεχονῶν τὰς ὑφάνσεις ἀσθενεῖς ἀποτελοῦσι, τὸ δὲ οὐδʼ εἰς οἰκονομίαν εὔθετον. ἀπειροκαλία δὲ ἡ μεγίστη τοσοῦτον ἐπτοῆσθαι περὶ τοὺς πέπλους καὶ τὰς ξυστίδας καὶ τὰς ἐφαπτίδας χλαίνας τε καὶ χιτῶνας, »τά τʼ αἰδῶ ἀμφικαλύπτει«, Ὅμηρός φησιν. αἰσχύνομαι γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς ὁρῶν τοσοῦτον ἐκχεόμενον πλοῦτον εἰς τὴν αἰδοίων σκέπην. ὁ γάρ τοι ἀρχαῖος ἄνθρωπος ὁ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ κλάδοις καὶ φύλλοις τὴν σκέπην τῆς αἰσχύνης παρεμέτρει, νυνὶ δὲ ἐπεὶ τὰ πρόβατα ἡμῖν δεδημιούργηται, μὴ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς προβάτοις ἀφραίνωμεν, παιδαγωγούμενοι δὲ τῷ λόγῳ τὸ πολυτελὲς τῆς ἐσθῆτος διελέγχωμεν ἐπιλέγοντες, τρίχες ἐστὲ προβάτων, κἂν Μίλητος αὐχῇ, κἂν Ἰταλία δοξάζηται, κἂν ὑπὸ διφθέραις φυλάττωνται αἱ τρίχες, περὶ ἃς μεμήνασιν οἱ πολλοί, ἀλλὰ ἡμῖν γε οὐ σπουδαστέον.
English · Claude translation
fringes are the elect, the golden ones. If we must relax our tension because of women, let their clothing be woven smooth and soft to the touch, but not embroidered with flowers like paintings for the delight of the eye. For painting fades with time, and washings and the astringent, drug-like juices of dyes melt away the wool of garments and make the weave weak, which is not good for economy either. It is the greatest tastelessness to be so excited about robes, rugs, mantles, cloaks, and tunics, “which cover the private parts,” as Homer says. I am truly ashamed to see so much wealth poured out on covering the private parts. For the first man in paradise measured the covering of his shame with branches and leaves; now that sheep have been created for us, let us not be as foolish as sheep, but, instructed by the Word, let us expose the costliness of clothing, saying: “You are sheep's hair, even if Miletus boasts, even if Italy is glorified, even if the hair is guarded under hides.” The many are mad about it, but we must not be eager.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The Homeric phrase is Iliad 2.262. The allusion is Gen 3:7. The finest wool (from Miletus and Italy) was protected with hides while on the sheep.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 2.10.111 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/2/10/111/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 2.10.111 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/2/10/111/).
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