Two men, Demetrius of Tarsus, from England, and Cleombrotus the
Lacedaemonian, from Egypt, meet at Delphi, 3. Their conversation
about what Cleombrotus had seen and heard in Egypt, 4. He had
visited the oracle of Jupiter Ammon, 4. A remarkable lamp there,
which was never extinguished, though its supply of oil was lessened
continually, 4-6. The conversation turns on oracles: why have most of
the oracles, even in Greece, become silent? 7. Formerly these oracles
gave responses, 8. What responses were given, 8. Are responses now
withheld, because of the great wickedness of the time? 10. The gods
are not inconstant or malevolent, 11. One cause may be found in the
diminished population of Greece, 12. When there were more men, there
were more responses, 12. God himself has not abolished divination,
13. God is not concerned in all human affairs, 14. There are beings,
called Daemons, intermediate between Gods and men, 14. These Daemons
were originally human beings, 14. They are not immortal, though very
long-lived, 15. A mathematical computation of the possible length of
a Daemon’s life, 15-17. A Daemon resembles an isosceles triangle, 17.
A Daemon compared to the moon, 17, 18. Daemons are employed by the
gods as their agents and ministers in human affairs, particularly in
matters of worship and religious ceremony, 18. Human sacrifices and
cruel rites are required by malignant Daemons, 19. Combat between
Apollo and the Dragon Python for the possession of the oracle at
Delphi, 20. Daemons are appointed to have the care of oracles; when
the Daemons depart, the oracles must of course fail, 21. That Daemons
may be mortal, proved by a story related by one of the company: “The
great god Pan is dead,” 23. Another story, about the death in Britain
of a Daemon, and the terrible storm that followed, 24. Opinions of
the Stoics concerning Daemons, 24. Epicureans reject the idea of
Daemons, and with it the Divine Providence, 25. Story of a stranger
encountered by Cleombrotus in his travels, and what he said about
Daemons and oracles, 26-28. The wars of the Titans were battles
of Daemons with Daemons, 27. Daemons, though not gods, like to be
called gods and honored as such, 28. How many worlds are there? one
hundred and eighty-three, ranged in the form of a triangle, 29. Homer
says there are five worlds, 30. Plato makes but one world, 28, 31.
Probably there are several worlds, 31. Reasons for this opinion, 32.
There is one supreme God, but many inferior gods, 31, 33. A plurality
of worlds further discussed, 34, 35. A plurality of worlds does not
involve the existence of a plurality of Jupiters, 36. An infinite
number of worlds is a chimera: but a certain definite number is
quite probable; and Jupiter may pass from one world to another, as
occasion requires, to regulate its affairs, 36-38. As there are five
regular forms of solid bodies, there are probably five worlds, 38,
39. Objections to this opinion, 40. The opinion defended, 41, 42.
One, or unity; two, or duality,—are the supreme principles of all
things, 42. One and two make three, an odd number; three and two make
five; we reckon by fives, or by twice five; all other numbers are
produced from these; we have five senses, and five fingers; the earth
has five zones; the heaven has five circles; for these and similar
reasons it is inferred that there are five worlds and no more, 42-47.
The silence of the oracles is due to the fact that the Daemons who
presided over them have departed, 47. But how did the Daemons exert
their power over the oracles? 47. If the Daemons, being human spirits
disembodied, may foresee and foretell future events, why may not
human spirits, embodied, possess a similar power? 48, 49. Our souls
certainly are endued by nature with this power, 50. This power exists
in certain states or dispositions of the body, assisted and enforced
by certain exhalations from the earth, 51, 52. Such an exhalation
issues from the earth at Delphi and other places, 53. But these
exhalations are subject to changes, caused by earthquakes, &c., 53,
54. From such causes the oracle may fail, 54. A story about an oracle
in Cilicia, 55. Objections to the views now expressed, 56, 57. If the
prophetic faculty be a natural endowment, why do we offer sacrifice
to the gods, in order to obtain a response? 57. Because all good
comes from the gods; although our natural wit and reason may help in
obtaining it, 58-60. Divination is from God; it is also from wit and
reason; it is promoted by enthusiastic exhalations from the earth,
59. When all these things concur, the oracle gives responses; when
any are wanting, the oracle is silent, 60-64.
OF ISIS AND OSIRIS, OR OF THE ANCIENT RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY OF
EGYPT.