The Instructor 3.4.26
Summary: The rich keep crowds of slaves for every luxury: cooks, cupbearers, handsome boys, hairdressers, and eunuchs serving as procurers.
Greek text · Stählin 1:251–252
Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐλελήθειν παραπλεύσας τῷ πνεύματι τὴν ἀκολουθίαν, ἐφʼ ἣν αὖθις παλινδρομητέον καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν τὴν πολυκτημοσύνην ὀνειδιστέον. φεύγοντες γὰρ αὐτουργίαν καὶ αὐτοδιακονίαν ἐπὶ τοὺς θεράποντας καταφεύγουσιν, ὀψοποιῶν καὶ τραπεζοποιῶν καὶ τῶν ἐντέχνως εἰς μοίρας κατατεμνόντων τὰ κρέα τὸν πολὺν συνωνούμενοι ὄχλον. μεμέρισται δὲ αὐτοῖς ἡ θητεία πολυσχιδῶς· καὶ οἳ μὲν περὶ τὴν γαστριμαργίαν αὐτῶν πονοῦσι δαιτροί τε καὶ καρυκευταὶ καὶ οἱ τῶν πεμμάτων καὶ οἱ τῶν μελιπήκτων καὶ οἱ τῶν ῥοφημάτων συσκευασταί τε καὶ δημιουργοί, οἳ δὲ περὶ τὰς ἐσθῆτας ἀσχολοῦνται τὰς περιττάς, οἳ δὲ χρυσοφυλακοῦσιν ὡς γρῦπες, οἳ δὲ τὸν ἄργυρον φυλάττουσι καὶ σμήχουσιν τὰ ἐκπώματα καὶ τὰς περὶ τὰς ἑστιάσεις παρασκευὰς εὐτρεπίζουσιν, ἄλλοι καταψήχουσι τὰ ὑποζύγια, οἰνοχόων τε ὅμιλος ἀσκεῖται παρʼ αὐτοῖς καὶ μειρακίων ὡραίων ἀγέλαι καθάπερ θρεμμάτων, παρʼ ὧν ἀμέλγονται τὸ κάλλος. κομμωταὶ δὲ καὶ κομμώτριαι περὶ τὰς γυναῖκας ἀμφιπολεύουσιν αἳ μὲν τὰ κάτοπτρα, αἳ δὲ τοὺς κεκρυφάλους, ἄλλαι τοὺς κτένας * *, εὐνοῦχοι πολλοὶ καὶ οὗτοι μαστροποί, τῷ ἀξιοπίστῳ τοῦ μὴ δύνασθαι φιληδεῖν τοῖς εἰς ἡδονὰς ἐθέλουσιν ῥᾳθυμεῖν ἀνυπόπτως διακονούμενοι.
English · Claude translation
But I did not notice that I had been carried by the wind past the order of my subject; I must return to it and reproach the keeping of many slaves. Avoiding working and serving themselves, they take refuge in servants, buying a great crowd of cooks, table-setters, and those who skillfully carve meat into portions. Their service is divided in many ways: some labor for their gluttony, carvers and sauce-makers and makers of cakes, honey pastries, and broths; others are busy with superfluous clothing; others guard gold like griffins; others keep the silver, polish the cups, and prepare the equipment for feasts; others curry the beasts of burden; a throng of cupbearers is trained among them, and herds of handsome boys like cattle, from whom they milk their beauty. Male and female hairdressers attend the women, some with mirrors, some with hairnets, others with combs; many eunuchs too, and these are procurers, serving without suspicion those who wish to indulge in pleasures, trusted because they cannot enjoy them.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The asterisks mark a gap in the manuscript.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 3.4.26 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/3/4/26/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 3.4.26 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/3/4/26/).
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