LAMPRIAS, Plutarch’s brother.
CLEOMBROTUS, of Lacedaemon, a scientific traveller, and a
theologian, who had been up the Red Sea, and, lately, to Ammon.
DIDYMUS, a Cynic philosopher.
PHILIPPUS, an historian.
DEMETRIUS, a ‘grammarian’ of Tarsus, now returning from Britain.
AMMONIUS, the philosopher.
HERACLEON, of Megara, a young man.
TIME: A little before the Pythian games of Callistratus’ year, perhaps
A. D. 83-4.
1 and 2. CLEOMBROTUS mentions the undying lamp flame at Ammon, said to
require less oil each year, a proof that the years are growing shorter.
3. DEMETRIUS thinks the cause inadequate and CLEOMBROTUS mentions other
instances of important phenomena due to insignificant causes.
4. AMMONIUS points out that all the heavenly bodies are involved in the
hypothesis, and suggests other causes, as changes in temperature or in
the quality of the oil.
5. LAMPRIAS invites Cleombrotus to tell the company about the oracle of
Ammon. DEMETRIUS suggests, as a subject nearer home, the failure of the
oracles in Boeotia (except those in the neighbourhood of Lebadeia).
6. We were passing out of the temple, and were near the Hall of the
Cnidians, where HERACLEON and our other friends were waiting for us, in
silence. On a request from DEMETRIUS they agree to join in our
discussion.
7. DIDYMUS the Cynic (‘Planetiades’) makes an angry protest: the wonder
being that Providence itself had not deserted this bad world long ago.
Heracleon and LAMPRIAS humour him, and he leaves the place quietly.
8. AMMONIUS addresses Lamprias: ‘I too deprecate the tone of Didymus.
Still we may recognize other causes, besides providential action, for
the cessation of the oracles, e.g. the depopulation of Greece and
specially of Boeotia.’
9. LAMPRIAS: ‘We may believe in Gods, yet hold that their works may be
interrupted by specific causes. It is not necessary that the God should
personally operate in his oracles.’
10. CLEOMBROTUS agreed, but observed that the hypothesis was much
relieved by assuming the existence of daemons, a middle order between
Gods and men, and not immortal,
11. But long-lived—say 9,720 years (as Hesiod)—‘What?’ interrupted
DEMETRIUS; ‘Hesiod was leading up to the Stoic “Conflagration”!’
12. CLEOMBROTUS refuses to split straws as to the duration of a daemon’s
life; the point is that there are such things as daemons.
13. The daemons have been compared (by Xenocrates) to an isosceles
triangle (Gods to an equilateral, men to a scalene). Or again to the
moon, which is half earth, half star.