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| The Virtues in the Pyschomachia from http://www.oberlin.edu/images/Art310/10637.JPG |
In the 4th century poem Psychomachia, the Catholic poet Prudentius wrote an allegory showing the virtues battling with the vices. In this interesting and ancient dialogue, the poet used verse for teaching. For my Latin scholars who read this blog, here is the Latin original. The entire English translation is found at this site.
The antidote to Sloth, according to Prudentius, is the virtue called Diligence, which may be seen as connected to Justice, Prudence and Temperance. Diligence is zeal for the Faith and industry-hard work, in other words. What I really like about the poem is the relentless attacks, which show the reader that one cannot take a break in the spiritual life. Sloth here is Indulgence, not mere laziness, because one indulges one's self in not doing...and in not praying.
Here is a bit from the poem and more later:
From the far edges of the world, where the sun sets, comes their enemy, Indulgence. Reputation means nothing to her, for it is already lost. Her curls are perfumed, her restless eyes are not still her voice is languid and bored. She fives for pleasure, she wants all feelings to be calm and gentle, she finds delight in her unlawful games and she tries to destroy her mind by making it more feeble. As she arrives on the scene she is lazily belching because of a long feast she has just left. She comes with dawn because she has heard the trumpets calling her to fight. She leaves the cups of warm wine and her dizzy feet slip as she walks through puddles of wine and perfume; her bare feet crush the flowers on the pavement: drunkenly she goes off to war. in her chariot her beauty- inspires the army of her compatriots. It is a strange battle: she does not shoot arrows from her bow, no lances are hurled at the enemy's lines, she holds no sword. Rather she throws baskets of violets and roses and scatters blossoms over her fierce enemy. The virtues are won by her charms. Her sweetened breath dilutes their manly courage, her strong odours strike their lips and he" so that their iron-clad strength is crushed.
Their courage fails; surely they have been defeated. They put down their spears and their feeble hands are still while they gaze at the chariot in which she came. They stare at the gold-encrusted tinkling harness and they are awed by the axle of solid gold. The costly spokes, made of purest silver, support the wheel's bright rim which is made of precious amber. As this happens, the entire army suddenly finds itself pervaded with an intense desire to surrender. More than anything else they hope to abandon their standards and become the slaves of luxurious Indulgence. They welcome the yoke of a dissolute mistress and the tavern's law. Sobriety, a virtue with a strong will, weeps at the sight of such a reverse. She weeps because an invincible army has been defeated without a battle, but she is a good general.
She plants her flags where each one can see and restores their courage with a speech: 'What blind madness troubles your confused minds? What is the fate you are seeking? To whom have you pledged allegiance? Are these fetters? You are men of iron, how can flowers restrain you? These yellow bouquets with white lilies, these circlets of red flowers, is it by these that your strong hands, trained in the iron arts of warfare, will be bound? Must you now have your, hair wrapped in a gold turban with a band to soak the perfume? Are these the heads that once were anointed with oil in the King's sign, a sign that guaranteed his eternal favour? Is it your purpose to walk sedately and sweep your paths with expensive hems? Where is the tunic woven by Faith and given as a protection to the young hearts which she had already renewed?
You will be busy: you will attend great banquets that last through the night; huge foaming tankards. will spill wine and costly dishes will drip on the board; your couches will be soaked with drink and, their silk emblems will still be wet with yesterday's dew. Remember the thirst in the desert; remember the water that gushed from the side of the rock when the prophet's staff struck the stone and made a spring where there was none. Were your fathers' tents not filled with heavenly food? Was this food not like that which Christ gives us. today? After such a feast, can you let Drunkenness and Wantonness take you to the den of Indulgence? You are an army that has survived every threat. Neither the fury of Wrath nor Idolatry could halt you, but a drunken dancer has -you now.
'Do not go, I beg you. Remember who you are: remember Christ, who is our all powerful King; consider your people and your reputation; do not forget our Lord and our God. You are sons of Judah, your line reaches back to God's mother who gave flesh to the Son of God. Be awakened by the memory of David who never sought relief from the burden of war. Consider, too, Samuel who forbade his men to touch the booty they had seized in battle and who executed uncircumcised kings as soon as they were taken. He was afraid that if the captive survived he might again bring to them the ravages of war. He thought it wrong even to make them prisoners. You, on the other hand, desire to be conquered. Repent of your wish to pursue this pleasant sin; I beg of you, by the fear of God's justice, repent. If you beg his kind forgiveness your betrayal will not destroy you. Jonathan repented when he broke his long fast with a piece of honeycomb: intrigued by a wish to be king, he was careless, but he repented of that deed and we rejoice because his cruel fate did not occur. Come with me; do battle under the flag of Sobriety and all of the virtues will join me in forcing that vice, Indulgence, to pay the great penalty which she earned by tempting you to abandon Christ!
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| The Vices in Battle from the same source as above, 1170 Strasbourg MS |