Discourses - Book III   

can listen to the truth? I wish you were. But however since in a
manner I have been condemned to wear a white beard and a cloak, and
you come to me as to a philosopher, I will not treat you in a cruel
way nor yet as if I despaired of you, but I will say: Young man,
whom do you wish to make beautiful? In the first place, know who you
are and then adorn yourself appropriately. You are a human being;
and this is a mortal animal which has the power of using appearances
rationally. But what is meant by "rationally?" Conformably to nature
and completely. What, then, do you possess which is peculiar? Is it
the animal part? No. Is it the condition of mortality? No. Is it the
power of using appearances? No. You possess the rational faculty as
a peculiar thing: adorn and beautify this; but leave your hair to
him who made it as he chose. Come, what other appellations have you?
Are you man or woman? "Man." Adorn yourself then as man, not as woman.
Woman is naturally smooth and delicate; and if she has much hair (on
her body), she is a monster and is exhibited at Rome among monsters.
And in a man it is monstrous not to have hair; and if he has no
hair, he is a monster; but if he cuts off his hairs and plucks them
out, what shall we do with him? where shall we exhibit him? and
under what name shall we show him? "I will exhibit to you a man who
chooses to be a woman rather than a man." What a terrible sight! There
is no man who will not wonder at such a notice. Indeed I think that
the men who pluck out their hairs do what they do without knowing what
they do. Man what fault have you to find with your nature? That it
made you a man? What then? was it fit that nature should make all
human creatures women? and what advantage in that case would you
have had in being adorned? for whom would you have adorned yourself,
if all human creatures were women? But you are not pleased with the
matter: set to work then upon the whole business. Take away- what is
its name?- that which is the cause of the hairs: make yourself a woman
in all respects, that we may not be mistaken: do not make one half
man, and the other half woman. Whom do you wish to please? The women?,
Please them as a man. "Well; but they like smooth men." Will you not
hang yourself? and if women took delight in catamites, would you
become one? Is this your business? were you born for this purpose,
that dissolute women should delight in you? Shall we make such a one
as you a citizen of Corinth and perchance a prefect of the city, or
chief of the youth, or general or superintendent of the games? Well,
and when you have taken a wife, do you intend to have your hairs
plucked out? To please whom and for what purpose? And when you have
begotten children, will you introduce them also into the state with
the habit of plucking their hairs? A beautiful citizen, and senator
and rhetorician. We ought to pray that such young men be born among us
and brought up.
Do not so, I entreat you by the Gods, young man: but when you have
once heard these words, go away and say to yourself, "Epictetus has
not said this to me; for how could he? but some propitious good
through him: for it would never have come into his thoughts to say
this, since he is not accustomed to talk thus with any person. Come
then let us obey God, that we may not be subject to his anger." You