Canon 100 No pictures that corrupt the mind

Κανόνες τῆς ἐν Τρούλλῳ Ἁγίας καὶ Οἰκουμενικῆς Πενθέκτης Συνόδου

The Council in Trullo · Constantinople, 691 to 692 · convened by the emperor Justinian II · The Quinisext Council (Trullo, 692) on the map

"Let your eyes look straight", and, "Keep your heart with all watchfulness", Wisdom commands; for the senses of the body readily introduce what is their own into the soul. We therefore command that from now on pictures which bewitch the sight, whether on panels or set up in any other way, and which corrupt the mind and stir it to the kindlings of shameful pleasures, be not portrayed at all, in any manner whatever. And if anyone attempts to do this, let him be excommunicated.

Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὀρθὰ βλεπέτωσαν· καί, Πάσῃ φυλακῇ τήρει σὴν καρδίαν, ἡ Σοφία διακελεύεται· ῥᾳδίως γὰρ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν ψυχὴν αἱ τοῦ σώματος αἰσθήσεις εἰσκρίνουσι. Τὰς οὖν τὴν ὅρασιν καταγοητευούσας γραφάς, εἴτε ἐν πίναξιν, εἴτε ἄλλως πως ἀνατεθειμένας, καὶ τὸν νοῦν διαφθειρούσας, καὶ κινούσας πρὸς τὰ τῶν αἰσχρῶν ἡδονῶν ὑπεκκαύματα, οὐδαμῶς ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν οἱῳδήποτε τρόπῳ προστάσσομεν ἐγχαράττεσθαι· εἰ δέ τις τοῦτο πράττειν ἐπιχειρήσοι, ἀφοριζέσθω.

The Council in Trullo, the canons

English: this site's translation of the Greek beside it. Greek: the text of the Pedalion, as transcribed at users.uoa.gr/~nektar and corrected here. About these texts.