This passage has
recently (1891) acquired a special interest from the controversy
concerning Mr. Calderon’s picture, representing St. Elisabeth of
Hungary as kneeling naked before the altar. The word
“naked” (γυμνός, nudus) is not in
itself decisive, but here in St. Cyril’s account of Baptism
absolute nakedness seems to be implied; for though women sometimes wore
an under-tunic (χιτώνιον), men
had nothing beneath the tunic proper (χιτών), which is here said to be
put off. According to Theophylact, on Matt. v. 40, the chiton was
properly τὸ παρ᾽
ἡμῖν
λεγόμενον
ὑποκάμισοε. See Dictionary of Biblical Antiquities,
“Baptism,” § 48.