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Oratio ad Graecos

28

Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῆς παρ' ὑμῖν κατέγνων νομοθεσίας. μίαν μὲν γὰρ ἐχρῆν εἶναι καὶ κοινὴν ἁπάντων τὴν πολιτείαν· νυνὶ δὲ ὅσα γένη πόλεων, τοσαῦται καὶ τῶν νόμων θέσεις ὡς εἶναι τὰ παρ' ἐνίοις αἰσχρὰ παρά τισι σπουδαῖα. νομίζουσιν γοῦν Ἕλληνες φευκτὸν εἶναι τὸ συγγενέσθαι μητρί, κάλλιστον δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν ἐπιτήδευμα παρὰ τοῖς Περσῶν μάγοις· καὶ παιδεραστία μὲν ὑπὸ βαρβάρων διώκεται, προνομίας δὲ ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων ἠξίωται, παίδων ἀγέλας ὥσπερ ἵππων φορβάδων συναγείρειν αὐτῶν πειρωμένων.

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Address of Tatian to the Greeks

Chapter XXVIII.--Condemnation of the Greek Legislation.

On this account I reject your legislation also; for there ought to be one common polity for all; but now there are as many different codes as there are states, so that things held disgraceful in some are honourable in others. The Greeks consider intercourse with a mother as unlawful, but this practice is esteemed most becoming by the Persian Magi; paederasty is condemned by the Barbarians, but by the Romans, who endeavour to collect herds of boys like grazing horses, it is honoured with certain privileges.