despised chastity, and a public which had lost the sense of
respect, he declared the grandeur of the Christian marriage,
and the noble duties incumbent on both husband and wife.
He frankly spoke of chastity and the sanctity of marriage
without risking as much as a passing smile of disdain – for so
effective were his teachings that he lifted his listeners to the
heights he proclaimed, and taught with indefatigable patience
and a radiant smile. Yet for all his radiance, he never
compromised. He knew and recommended the practice of
heroic virtues, and his teachings had the authority of
unshakeable Faith. Thus he succeeded in turning the rich
Alexandrians to Christians; and what was more, in
transforming them into martyrs... for the happy years during
which he tirelessly laboured came to a most tragic end:
Emperor Septimus Severus declared persecutions on the
Christians in the year 194 A.D.^11 Clement used writing as a
means of education, yet unfortunately very little of his
original writings remain, although they permeated the
thoughts of all his contemporaries, and left a deep impression
on successive ages. It is interesting to note that he was the
first person to start the use of the word "Ikthoos", (meaning
fish in Greek) as a symbol for Christianity. Each of the five
letters forming the word was an initial of Christ's name and
mission in Greek: i = Iessus; k = Kristos; th = theos (or
God); oo = ooios (or son); and s = soter (or saviour).l2
- Clement was a remarkable representative of a
remarkable age; an age in which men could still believe in a
loving Father in spite of all the persecutions of Emperors, the
raillery of philosophers, and the rancour of the pagan
crowds.
It was an age in which the teachers of the Church
could effect a reconciliation between Christianity and the
wisdom of antiquity, and demonstrate how all the older