JULIAN AND THE ANTIOCHIANS

         “The letter “chi”, they said, did not do any injustice to the city

           nor did the letter ‘kappa”…but we finding interpreters…

           we learned that these letters are the first letters of names,

           the first denotes Christ and the second Konstantios.” 

                                                    Julian’s, Misopogon

Was it ever possible for them to renounce

their beautiful lifestyle; the variety

of their daily amusements; their amazing theater

where a fast union took place between

Art and the carnal tendencies of the flesh!

They were immoral, up to a point—perhaps mostly.—

But they had the satisfaction that their lives

were the most talked about lives of Antioch,

the lustful, in absolute good taste.

To renounce all this, to pay attention to what?

To his airy talk about false gods,

his boring self-centered talk;

his childish fear of the theater;

his graceless prudery; his ridiculous beard.

Ah, most certainly they preferred the “Chi”

most certainly they preferred the “Kappa”; a hundred times over.

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