Clement of Alexandria’s Stromata on Germanic & Sarmatian Women

Titus Flavius Clemens, also known as Clement of Alexandria (Κλήμης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς; circa 150 – circa 215 AD) is the author of the Stromata (Miscellaneous Works). Here are some passages on Germanic and Sarmatian women (the transalation is from the “Ante-Nicene Fathers” with Rev. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, editors, available at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library).

Stromatum Liber I

Chapter XV

“There are also among the Germans those called sacred women, who, by inspecting the whirlpools of rivers and the eddies, and observing the noises of streams, presage and predict future events. These did not allow the men to fight against Caesar till the new moon shone.”

Sunt autem etiam apud Germanos sacrae, quae vocantur, mulieres, quae fluviorum vortices prospicientes, fluentorumque sonitus ac circumvolutiones, futura conjiciunt et praedicunt. Eae non permieserunt, ut ipsi cum Cesare pugnarent antequam nova luna illuxiset.

The above is an excerpt from Fontes Historiae Religionis Germanicae. Here are Migne’s notes on the same passage. The Caesar reference is to Caesar, Gallic War, Book I, chapter 50:

Stromatum Liber IV

Chapter VIII

And in Stromatum Liber IV we have a passage on Sarmatian women:

“For we do not train our women like Amazons to manliness in war; since we wish the men even to be peaceable. I hear that the Sarmatian women practice war no less than the men; and the women of the Sacae besides, who shoot backwards, feigning flight as well as the men.”

Non enim Amazones aliquas ad bellicam virtutem exercemus feminas, cum etiam viros velimus esse pacificos. Audio, mulieres quoque Sauromatidas non minus belligerare, quam viros; et alias Sacidas, quae a tergo Sagittant simulantes fugere, aeque ac viri.

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December 26, 2024

One thought on “Clement of Alexandria’s Stromata on Germanic & Sarmatian Women

  1. OK

    We are happy to see a new materials on the site!!
    Don’t forget to add a link to this in the collection on “Fontes.. Germanicae”

    Reply

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