Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215)

In his Stromateis (Miscellanies), Clement sets out texts from the Holy Scriptures and excerpts from Greek philosophy. It has therefore been called a ‘patchwork-quilt’ in which Clement brings together Hellenistic philosophy and the Christian faith.

In Strom. 4:16 the author writes on the martyrs, urging them, as well as other Christians, to endure in love and patience. It is just a little while until they obtain the promised victory. They are being tested like gold in the furnace. Faith in the resurrection makes the difference to believers who face trials like this. But the resurrection also makes a difference to how Christians relate to eating. Clement provides two contrasting examples. The first is about οἱ ϕιλήδονοι, the lovers of pleasure: they crawl on the belly (ἕρποντος ἐπί κοιλίᾳ) (Strom. 4:16/100.3). The terminology brings to mind the movements of a snake. Clement confirms this by saying that God gave the name ‘brood of vipers’ (Matt. 3:7) to these people who are serving their belly and genitals (οἱ γαστρί καί αἰδοίοις δουλɛύοντɛς). Clement adds that they cut off one another's heads for the sake of worldly pleasures (ἐπιθυμίαι). The reference is vague; it might be a negative description of pagan feasts from the perspective of the snake-analogy. Clement is not quoting any Biblical passage here, but Matt. 3:7 and Rom. 16:18 seem to be in his mind. His use of the belly-topos in this text has much in common with Philo's exegesis of Gen.3.