But if the soul of birds is to be esteemed divine because future events
are predicted by them, why should we not rather maintain, that when
omens[824] are accepted by men, the souls of those are divine through
which the omens are heard? Accordingly, among such would be ranked the
female slave mentioned in Homer, who ground the corn, when she said
regarding the suitors:
“For the very last time, now, will they sup here.”[825]
This slave, then, was divine, while the great Ulysses, the friend of
Homer’s Pallas Athene, was _not_ divine, but understanding the words
spoken by this “divine” grinder of corn as an omen, rejoiced, as the
poet says:
“The divine Ulysses rejoiced at the omen.”[826]
Observe, now, as the birds are possessed of a divine soul, and are
capable of perceiving God, or, as Celsus says, the gods, it is clear
that when we men also sneeze, we do so in consequence of a kind of
divinity that is within us, and which imparts a prophetic power to our
soul. For this belief is testified by many witnesses, and therefore the
poet also says:
“And while he prayed, he sneezed.”[827]
And Penelope, too, said:
“Perceiv’st thou not that at every word my son did sneeze?”[828]
Footnote 824:
κληδόνες.
Footnote 825:
Cf. Homer, _Odyss._ iv. v. 685; cf. also xx. vv. 116, 119.
Footnote 826:
Cf. Homer, _Odyss._ xx. 120.
Footnote 827:
Cf. Homer, _Odyss._ xvii. 541.
Footnote 828:
Cf. Homer, _Odyss._ xvii. 545.