blessings, and moreover that choicest and greatest blessing of all, the
good will of the gods. For just as those who are in agreement with their
masters about their friendships and ambitions and loves are more kindly
treated than their fellow slaves, so we must suppose that God, who
naturally loves human beings, has more kindness for those men who love
their fellows. Now philanthropy has many divisions and is of many kinds.
For instance it is shown when men are punished in moderation with a view
to the betterment of those punished, as schoolmasters punish children; and
again in ministering to men’s needs, even as the gods minister to our own.
You see all the blessings of the earth that they have granted to us, food
of all sorts, and in an abundance that they have not granted to all other
creatures put together. And since we were born naked they covered us with
the hair of animals, and with things that grow in the ground and on trees.
Nor were they content to do this simply or off‐hand, as Moses tells us men
took coats of skins,(497) but you see how numerous are the gifts of Athene
the Craftswoman. What other animals use wine, or olive oil? Except indeed
in cases where we let them share in these things, even though we do not
share them with our fellowmen. What creature of the sea uses corn, what
land animal uses things that grow in the sea? And I have not yet mentioned
gold and bronze and iron, though in all these the the gods have made us
very rich; yet not to the end that we may bring reproach on them by
disregarding the poor who go about in our midst, especially when they
happen to be of good character—men for instance who have inherited no
paternal estate, and are poor because in the greatness of their souls they
have no desire for money. Now the crowd when they see such men blame the
gods. However it is not the gods who are to blame for their poverty, but
rather the insatiate greed of us men of property becomes the cause of this
false conception of the gods among men, and besides of unjust blame of the
gods. Of what use, I ask, is it for us to pray that God will rain gold on
the poor as he did on the people of Rhodes?(498) For even though this
should come to pass, we should forthwith set our slaves underneath to
catch it, and put out vessels everywhere, and drive off all comers so that
we alone might seize upon the gifts of the gods meant for all in common.
And anyone would naturally think it strange if we should ask for this,
which is not in the nature of things, and is in every way unprofitable,
while we do not do what is in our power. Who, I ask, ever became poor by
giving to his neighbours? Indeed I myself, who have often given lavishly
to those in need, have recovered my gifts again many times over at the
hands of the gods, though I am a poor man of business; nor have I ever
repented of that lavish giving. And of the present time I will say
nothing, for it would be altogether irrational of me to compare the
expenditure of private persons with that of an Emperor; but when I was
myself still a private person I know that this happened to me many times.
My grandmother’s estate for instance was kept for me untouched, though
others had taken possession of it by violence, because from the little
that I had I spent money on those in need and gave them a share.)
Κοινωνητέον οὖν τῶν χρημάτων ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ τοῖς μὲν ἐπιεικέσιν
ἐλευθεριώτερον, τοῖς δὲ ἀπόροις καὶ πένησιν ὅσον ἐπαρκέσαι τῇ χρείᾳ. φαίνη
δ᾽ ἄν, εἰ καὶ παράδοξον εἰπεῖν, ὅτι καὶ τοῖς πονηροῖς(499) ἐσθῆτος καὶ
τροφῆς ὅσιον ἂν εἴη μεταδιδόναι· [291] τῷ γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνῳ καὶ οὐ τῷ τρόπῳ
δίδομεν. διόπερ οἶμαι καὶ τοὺς ὲν δεσμωτηρίῳ καθειργμένους ἀξιωτέον τῆς
τοιαύτης ἐπιμελείας. οὐδὲν γὰρ κωλύσει τὴν δίκην ἡ τοιαύτη φιλανθρωπία.
χαλεπὸν γὰρ ἂν εἴη, πολλῶν ἀποκεκλεισμένων ἐπὶ κρίσει, καὶ τῶν μὲν
ὀφλησόντων, τῶν δὲ ἀθῴων ἀποφανθησομένων, μὴ διὰ τοὺς ἀναιτίους οἶκτόν
τινα νέμειν καὶ τοῖς πονηροὶς, ἀλλὰ τῶν πονηρῶν [B] ἕνεκα καὶ περὶ τοὺς
οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότας ἀνηλεῶς καὶ ἀπανθρώπως διακεῖσθαι. ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἐννοοῦντί
μοι παντάπασιν ἄδικον καταφαίνεται· Ξένιον ὀνομάζομεν Δία, καὶ γιγνόμεθα
τῶν Σκυθῶν κακοξενώτεροι. πῶς οὖν ὁ βουλόμενος τῷ Ξενίῳ θῦσαι Διὶ φοιτᾷ
πρὸς τὸν νεών; μετὰ ποταποῦ συνειδότος, ἐπιλαθόμενος τοῦ
(We ought then to share our money with all men, but more generously with
the good, and with the helpless and poor so as to suffice for their need.
And I will assert, even though it be paradoxical to say so, that it would
be a pious act to share our clothes and food even with the wicked. For it
is to the humanity in a man that we give, and not to his moral character.
Hence I think that even those who are shut up in prison have a right to
the same sort of care; since this kind of philanthropy will not hinder
justice. For when many have been shut up in prison to await trial, of whom
some will be found guilty, while others will prove to be innocent, it
would be harsh indeed if out of regard for the guiltless we should not
bestow some pity on the guilty also, or again, if on account of the guilty
we should behave ruthlessly and inhumanly to those also who have done no
wrong. This too, when I consider it, seems to me altogether wrong; I mean
that we call Zeus by the title “God of Strangers,” while we show ourselves
more inhospitable to strangers than are the very Scythians. How, I ask,
can one who wishes to sacrifice to Zeus, the God of Strangers, even
approach his temple? With what conscience can he do so, when he has
forgotten the saying)
πρὸς γὰρ Διός εἰσιν ἅπαντες
Πτωχοί τε ξεῖνοί τε· δόσις δ᾽ ὀλίγη τε φίλη τε;
(“From Zeus come all beggars and strangers; and a gift is precious
though small”?(500))
[C] Πῶς δὲ ὁ τὸν Ἑταίρειον θεραπεύων Δία, ὁρῶν τοὺς πέλας ἐνδεεῖς
χρημάτων, εἶτα μηδ᾽ ὅσον δραχμῆς μεταδιδούς, οἴεται τὸν Δία καλῶς
θεραπεύειν; ὅταν εἰς ταῦτα ἀπίδω, παντελῶς ἀχανὴς γίνομαι, τὰς μὲν
ἐπωνυμίας τῶν θεῶν ἅμα τῷ κόσμῳ τῷ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὥσπερ εἰκόνας γραπτὰς ὁρῶν,
ἔργῳ δὲ ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐπιτηδευόμενον. ὁμόγνιοι λέγονται [D] παρ᾽
ἡμῖν θεοὶ καὶ Ζεὺς ὁμόγνιος, ἔχομεν δὲ ὥσπερ πρὸς ἀλλοτρίους τοὺς
συγγενεῖς· ἄνθρωπος γὰρ ἀνθρώπῳ καὶ ἑκὼν καὶ ἄκων πᾶς ἐστι συγγενής, εἴτε,
καθάπερ λέγεται παρά τινων, ἐξ ἑνός τε καὶ μιᾶς γενόναμεν πάντες, εἴθ᾽
ὁπωσοῦν ἄλλως, ἀθρόως ὑποστησάντων ἡμᾶς τῶν θεῶν ἅμα τῷ κόσμῳ τῷ ἐξ ἀρχῆς,
οὐχ ἕνα καὶ μίαν, ἀλλὰ πολλοὺς ἅμα καὶ πολλάς. [292] οἱ γὰρ ἕνα καὶ μίαν
δυνηθέντες οἷοί τε ἦσαν ἅμα καὶ πολλοὺς καὶ πολλὰς ὑποστῆσαι.(501) καὶ γὰρ
ὃν τρόπον τόν τε ἕνα καὶ τὴν μίαν, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον τοὺς πολλούς τε καὶ
τὰς πολλάς. εἴς τε τὸ διάφορον ἀποβλέψαντα τῶν ἐθῶν(502) καὶ τῶν νόμων, οὐ
μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅπερ ἐστὶ μεῖζων καὶ τιμιώτερον καὶ κυριώτερον, εἰς τὴν τῶν
θεῶν φήμην, ἣ παραδέδοται διὰ τῶν ἀρχαίων ἡμῖν θεουργῶν, [B] ὡς ὅτε Ζεὺς
ἐκόσμει τὰ πάντα, σταγόνων αἵματος ἱεροῦ πεσουσῶν, ἐξ ὧν που τὸ τῶν
ἀνθρώπων βλαστήσειε γένος. καὶ οὕτως οὖν συγγενεῖς γινόμεθα πάντες, εἰ μὲν
ἐξ ἑνὸς καὶ μιᾶς, ἐκ δυοῖν ἀνθρώποιν ὄντες οἱ πολλοὶ καὶ πολλαὶ, εἰ δέ,
καθάπερ οἱ θεοί φασι καὶ χρὴ πιστεύειν ἐπιμαρτυρούντων τῶν ἔργων, ἐκ τῶν
θεῶν πάντες γεγονότες. ὅτι δὲ πολλοὺς ἅμα ἀνθρώπους [C] γενέσθαι μαρτυρεῖ
τὰ ἔργα, ῥηθήσεται μὲν ἀλλαχοῦ δι᾽ ἀκριβείας, ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἀρκέσει τοσοῦτον
εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἐξ ἑνὸς μὲν καὶ μιᾶς οὖσιν οὔτε τοὺς νόμους εἰκὸς ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον
παραλλάξαι οὔτε ἄλλως τὴν γῆν ὑφ᾽ ἑνὸς ἐμπλησθῆναι πᾶσαν, οὐδὲ εἰ
τέκνα(503) ἅμα πολλὰ καθάπερ αἱ σύες ἔτικτον αὐτοῖς αἱ γυναῖκες. πανταχοῦ
δὲ ἀθρόως φυτευσάντων τῶν(504) θεῶν, ὅνπερ τρόπον ὁ εἷς, οὕτω δὲ καὶ οἱ
πλείους προῆλθον ἄνθρωποι τοῖς γενεάρχαις θεοῖς ἀποκληρωθέντες, οἳ καὶ
προήγαγον αὐτούς, [D] ἀπὸ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ τὰς ψυχὰς παραλαμβάνοντες ἐξ
αἰῶνος.
(Again, the man who worships Zeus the God of Comrades, and who, though he
sees his neighbours in need of money, does not give them even so much as a
drachma, how, I say, can he think that he is worshipping Zeus aright? When
I observe this I am wholly amazed, since I see that these titles of the
gods are from the beginning of the world their express images, yet in our
practice we pay no attention to anything of the sort. The gods are called
by us “gods of kindred,” and Zeus the “God of Kindred,” but we treat our
kinsmen as though they were strangers. I say “kinsmen” because every man,
whether he will or no, is akin to every other man, whether it be true, as
some say, that we are all descended from one man and one woman, or whether
it came about in some other way, and the gods created us all together, at
the first when the world began, not one man and one woman only, but many
men and many women at once. For they who had the power to create one man
and one woman, were able to create many men and women at once; since the
manner of creating one man and one woman is the same as that of creating
many men and many women. And(505) one must have regard to the differences
in our habits and laws, or still more to that which is higher and more
precious and more authoritative, I mean the sacred tradition of the gods
which has been handed down to us by the theurgists of earlier days, namely
that when Zeus was setting all things in order there fell from him drops
of sacred blood, and from them, as they say, arose the race of men. It
follows therefore that we are all kinsmen, whether, many men and women as
we are, we come from two human beings, or whether, as the gods tell us,
and as we ought to believe, since facts bear witness thereto, we are all
descended from the gods. And that facts bear witness that many men came
into the world at once, I shall maintain elsewhere, and precisely, but for
the moment it will be enough to say this much, that if we were descended
from one man and one woman, it is not likely that our laws would show such
great divergence; nor in any case is it likely that the whole earth was
filled with people by one man; nay, not even if the women used to bear
many children at a time to their husbands, like swine. But when the gods
all together had given birth to men, just as one man came forth, so in
like manner came forth many men who had been allotted to the gods who rule
over births; and they brought them forth, receiving their souls from the
Demiurge from eternity.(506))
Κἀκεῖνο δ᾽ ἄξιον ἐννοεῖν, ὅσοι παρὰ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἀνάλωνται λόγοι περὶ τοῦ
φύσει κοινωνικὸν εἶναι ζῷον τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἡμεῖς οὖν οἱ ταῦτα εἰπόντες καὶ
διατάξαντες ἀκοινωνήτως πρὸς τοὺς πλησίον ἕξομεν; ἐκ δὴ τῶν τοιούτων ἠθῶν
τε καὶ ἐπιτηδευμάτων ἕκαστος ἡμῶν ὁρμώμενος εὐλαβείας τῆς εἰς τοὺς θεούς,
[293] χρηστότητος τῆς εἰς ἀνθρώπους, ἁγνείας τῆς περὶ τὸ σῶμα, τὰ τῆς
εὐσεβείας ἔργα πληρούτω, πειρώμενος δὲ ἀεί τι περὶ τῶν θεῶν εὐσεβὲς
διανοεῖσθαι καὶ μετά τινος ἀποβλέπων εἰς τὰ ἱερὰ τῶν θεῶν καὶ τὰ ἀγάλματα
τιμῆς καὶ ὁσιότητος, σεβόμενος ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ παρόντας ἑώρα τοὺς θεούς.
ἀγάλματα γὰρ καὶ βωμοὺς καὶ πυρὸς ἀσβέστου φυλακὴν καὶ πάντα ἁπλῶς τὰ
τοιαῦτα σύμβολα οἱ πατέρες ἔθεντο τῆς παρουσίας τῶν θεῶν, [B] οὐχ ἵνα
ἐκεῖνα θεοὺς νομίσωμεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα δι᾽ αὐτῶν τοὺς θεοὺς θεραπεύσωμεν. ἐπειδὴ
γὰρ ἡμᾶς ὄντας ἐν σώματι σωματικῶς(507) ἔδει ποιεῖσθαι τοῖς θεοῖς καὶ τὰς
λατρείας, ἀσώματοι δέ εἰσιν αὐτοί· πρῶτα μὲν ἔδειξαν ἡμῖν ἀγάλματα τὸ
δεύτερον ἀπὸ τοῦ πρώτου τῶν θεῶν γένος περὶ πάντα τὸν οὐρανὸν κύκλῳ
περιφερόμενον. [C] δυναμένης δὲ οὐδὲ τούτοις ἀποδίδοσθαι τῆς θεραπείας
σωματικῶς· ἀπροσδεᾶ γάρ ἐστι φύσει· ἕτερον(508) ἐπὶ γῆς ἐξηυρέθη γένος
ἀγαλμάτων, εἰς ὃ τὰς θεραπείας ἐκτελοῦντες ἑαυτοῖς εὐμενεῖς τοὺς θεοὺς
καταστήσομεν. ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ τῶν βασιλέων θεραπεύοντες εἰκόνας, οὐδὲν
δεομένων, ὅμως ἐφέλκονται τὴν εὔνοιαν εἰς ἑαυτούς, οὕτων καὶ οἱ θεῶν
θεραπεύοντες τὰ ἀγάλματα, [D] δεομένων οὐδὲν τῶν θεῶν, ὅμως πείθουσιν
αὐτοὺς ἐπαμύνειν σφίσι καὶ κήδεσθαι· δεῖγμα γάρ ἐστιν ὡς ἀληθῶς ὁσιότητος
ἡ περὶ τὰ δυνατὰ προθυμία, καὶ ὁ ταύτην πληρῶν εὔδηλον ὅτι μειζόνως
ἐκείνην ἀποδίδωσιν, ὁ δὲ τῶν δυνατῶν ὀλιγωρῶν, εἶτα προσποιούμενος τῶν
ἀδυνάτων ὀρέγεσθαι δῆλός ἐστιν [294] οὐκ ἐκεῖνα μεταδιώκων, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα
παρορῶν· οὐδὲ γάρ, εἰ μηδενὸς ὁ θεὸς δεῖται, διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲν αὐτῷ
προσοιστέον· οὐδὲ γὰρ τῆς διὰ λόγων εὐφημίας δεῖται. τί οὖν; εὔλογον αὐτὸν
ἀποστερῆσαι καὶ ταύτης; [B] οὐδαμῶς. οὐκ ἄρα οὐδὲ τῆς διὰ τῶν ἔργων εἰς
αὐτὸν γιγνομένης τιμῆς, ἧς ἐνομοθέτησαν οὐκ ἐνιαυτοὶ τρεῖς οὐδὲ
τρισχίλιοι, πᾶς δὲ ὁ προλαβὼν αἰὼν ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς τῆς γῆς ἔθνεσιν.
(It is proper also to bear in mind how many discourses have been devoted
by men in the past to show that man is by nature a social animal. And
shall we, after, asserting this and enjoining it, bear ourselves
unsociably to our neighbours? Then let everyone make the basis of his
conduct moral virtues, and actions like these, namely reverence towards
the gods, benevolence towards men, personal chastity; and thus let him
abound in pious acts, I mean by endeavouring always to have pious thoughts
about the gods, and by regarding the temples and images of the gods with
due honour and veneration, and by worshipping the gods as though he saw
them actually present. For our fathers established images and altars, and
the maintenance of undying fire, and, generally speaking, everything of
the sort, as symbols of the presence of the gods, not that we may regard
such things as gods, but that we may worship the gods through them. For
since being in the body it was in bodily wise that we must needs perform
our service to the gods also, though they are themselves without bodies;
they therefore revealed to us in the earliest images the class of gods
next in rank to the first, even those that revolve in a circle about the
whole heavens. But since not even to these can due worship be offered in
bodily wise—for they are by nature not in need of anything(509)—another
class of images was invented on the earth, and by performing our worship
to them we shall make the gods propitious to ourselves. For just as those
who make offerings to the statues of the emperors, who are in need of
nothing, nevertheless induce goodwill towards themselves thereby, so too
those who make offerings to the images of the gods, though the gods need
nothing, do nevertheless thereby persuade them to help and to care for
them. For zeal to do all that is in one’s power is, in truth, a proof of
piety, and it is evident that he who abounds in such zeal thereby displays
a higher degree of piety; whereas he who neglects what is possible, and
then pretends to aim at what is impossible, evidently does not strive
after the impossible, since he overlooks the possible. For even though God
stands in need of nothing, it does not follow that on that account nothing
ought to be offered to him. He does not need the reverence that is paid in
words. What then? Is it rational to deprive him of this also? By no means.
It follows then that one ought not to deprive him either of the honour
that is paid to him through deeds, an honour which not three years or
three thousand years have ordained, but all past time among all the
nations of the earth.)
[C] Ἀφορῶντες οὖν εἰς τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἀγάλματα μή τοι νομίζωμεν αὐτὰ λίθους
εἶναι μηδὲ ξύλα, μηδὲ μέντοι τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτοὺς εἶναι ταῦτα. καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲ
τὰς βασιλικὰς εἰκόνας ξύλα καὶ λίθον καὶ χαλκὸν λέγομεν, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ
αὐτοὺς τοὺς βασιλέας, ἀλλὰ εἰκόνας βασιλέων. ὅστις οὖν ἐστι φιλοβασιλεὺς
ἡδέως ὁρᾷ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως εἰκόνα, καὶ ὅστις ἐστὶ [D] φιλόπαις ἡδέως ὁρᾷ
τὴν τοῦ παιδός, καὶ ὅστις φιλοπάτωρ τὴν τοῦ πατρός. οὐκοῦν καὶ ὅστις
φιλόθεος ἡδέως εἰς τὰ τῶν θεῶν ἀγάλματα καὶ τὰς εἰκόνας ἀποβλέπει,
σεβόμενος ἅμα καὶ φρίττων ἐξ ἀφανοῦς ὁρῶντας εἰς αὐτὸν τοὺς θεούς. εἴ τις
οὖν οἴεται δεῖν αὐτὰ μηδὲ φθείρεσθαι διὰ τὸ θεῶν ἅπαξ εἰκόνας κληθῆναι,
παντελῶς ἄφρων εἶναί μοι φαίνεται. χρῆν γὰρ δήπουθεν αὐτὰ μηδὲ [295] ὑπὸ
ἀνθρώπων γενέσθαι. τὸ δὲ ὑπ᾽ ἀνδρὸς σοφοῦ καὶ ἀγαθοῦ γενόμενον ὑπὸ
ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ καὶ ἀμαθοῦς φθαρῆναι δύναται. τὰ δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν θεῶν ζῶντα
ἀγάλματα κατασκευασθέντα τῆς ἀφανοῦς αὐτῶν οὐσίας, οἱ περὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν
κύκλῳ φερόμενοι θεοί, μένει τὸν ἀεὶ χρόνον ἀίδια. μηδεὶς οὖν ἀπιστείτω
θεοῖς ὁρῶν καὶ ἀκούων, ὡς ἐνύβρισάν τινες εἰς τὰ ἀγάλματα καὶ τοὺς ναούς.
ἆρ᾽ οὐκ ἀνθρώπους χρηστοὺς ἀπέκτειναν πολλοί, [B] καθάπερ Σωκράτη καὶ
Δίωνα καὶ τὸν μέγαν Ἐμπεδότιμον; ὧν εὖ οἶδ᾽ ὅτι μᾶλλον ἐμέλησε τοῖς θεοῖς.
ἀλλ᾽ ὁρᾶτε, ὅτι καὶ τούτων φθαρτὸν εἰδότες τὸ σῶμα συνεχώρησαν εἶξαι τῇ
φύσει καὶ ὑποχωρῆσαι, δίκην δὲ ἀπῄτησαν ὕστερον παρὰ τῶν κτεινάντων. ὃ δὴ
συνέβη φανερῶς ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν ἱεροσύλων.
(Therefore, when we look at the images of the gods, let us not indeed
think they are stones or wood, but neither let us think they are the gods
themselves; and indeed we do not say that the statues of the emperors are
mere wood and stone and bronze, but still less do we say they are the
emperors themselves. He therefore who loves the emperor delights to see
the emperor’s statue, and he who loves his son delights to see his son’s
statue, and he who loves his father delights to see his father’s statue.
It follows that he who loves the gods delights to gaze on the images of
the gods, and their likenesses, and he feels reverence and shudders with
awe of the gods who look at him from the unseen world. Therefore if any
man thinks that because they have once been called likenesses of the gods,
they are incapable of being destroyed, he is, it seems to me, altogether
foolish; for surely in that case they were incapable of being made by
men’s hands. But what has been made by a wise and good man can be
destroyed by a bad and ignorant man. But those beings which were fashioned
by the gods as the living images of their invisible nature, I mean the
gods who revolve in a circle in the heavens, abide imperishable for all
time. Therefore let no man disbelieve in gods because he sees and hears
that certain persons have profaned their images and temples. Have they not
in many cases put good men to death, like Socrates and Dio and the great
Empedotimus?(510) And yet I am very sure that the gods cared more for
these men than for the temples. But observe that since they knew that the
bodies even of these men were destructible, they allowed them to yield to
nature and to submit, but later on they exacted punishment from their
slayers; and this has happened in the sight of all, in our own day also,
in the case of all who have profaned the temples.)
Μηδεὶς οὖν ἀπατάτω λόγοις μηδὲ ταραττέτω περὶ τῆς προνοίας ἡμᾶς. [C] οἱ
γὰρ ἡμῖν ὀνειδίζοντες τὰ τοιαῦτα, τῶν Ἰουδαίων οἱ προφῆται, τί περὶ τοῦ
νεὼ φήσουσι τοῦ παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς τρίτον ἀνατραπέντος, ἐγειρομένου δὲ οὐδὲ νῦν;
ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπον οὐκ ὀνειδίζων ἐκείνοις, ὅς γε τοσούτοις ὕστερον χρόνοις
ἀναστήσασθαι διενοήθην αὐτὸν εἰς τιμὴν τοῦ κληθέντος ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ θεοῦ· νυνὶ
δὲ ἐχρησάμην αὐτῷ δεῖξαι βουλόμενος, [D] ὅτι τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων οὐδὲν ἄφθαρτον
εἶναι δύναται καὶ οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα γράφοντες ἐλήρουν προφῆται, γρᾳδίοις
ψυχροῖς ὁμιλοῦντεσ. οὐδὲν δὲ οἶμαι κωλύει τὸν μὲν θεὸν εἶναι μέγαν, οὐ μὴν
σπουδαίων προφητῶν οὐδὲ ἐξηγητῶν τυχεῖν. αἴτιον δέ, ὅτι τὴν ἑαυτῶν ψυχὴν
οὐ παρέσχον ἀποκαθῆραι τοῖς ἐγκυκλίοις μαθήμασιν οὐδὲ ἀνοῖξαι μεμυκότα
λίαν τὰ ὄμματα οὐδὲ ἀνακαθῆραι [296] τὴν ἐπικειμένην αὐτοῖς ἀχλύν, ἀλλ᾽
οἷον φῶς μέγα δι᾽ ὁμίχλης οἱ ἄνθρωποι βλέποντες οὐ καθαρῶς οὐδὲ
εἰλικρινῶς, αὐτὸ δὲ ἐκεῖνο νενομικότες οὐχὶ φῶς καθαρόν, ἀλλὰ πῦρ καὶ τῶν
περὶ αὐτὸ πάντων ὄντες ἀθέατοι βοῶσι μέγα· Φρίττετε, φοβεῖσθε, πῦρ, φλόξ,
θάνατος, μάχαιρα, ῥομφαία, πολλοῖς ὀνόμασι μίαν ἐξηγούμενοι τὴν βλαπτικὴν
τοῦ πυρὸς δύναμιν. ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ μὲν τούτων ἰδίᾳ βέλτιον παραστῆσαι, [B] πόσῳ
φαυλότεροι τῶν παρ᾽ ἡμῖν οὗτοι γεγόνασι ποιητῶν οἱ τῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγων
διδάσκαλοι.
(Therefore let no man deceive us with his sayings or trouble our faith in
a divine providence. For as for those who make such profanation a reproach
against us, I mean the prophets of the Jews, what have they to say about
their own temple, which was overthrown three times and even now is not
being raised up again? This I mention not as a reproach against them, for
I myself, after so great a lapse of time, intended to restore it, in
honour of the god whose name has been associated with it. But in the
present case I have used this instance because I wish to prove that
nothing made by man can be indestructible and that those prophets who
wrote such statements were uttering nonsense, due to their gossiping with
silly old women. In my opinion there is no reason why their god should not
be a mighty god, even though he does not happen to have wise prophets or
interpreters. But the real reason why they are not wise is that they have
not submitted their souls to be cleansed by the regular course of study,
nor have they allowed those studies to open their tightly closed eyes, and
to clear away the mist that hangs over them. But since these men see as it
were a great light through a fog, not plainly or clearly, and since they
think that what they see is not a pure light but a fire, and they fail to
discern all that surrounds it, they cry with a loud voice: “Tremble, be
afraid, fire, flame, death, a dagger, a broad‐sword!” thus describing
under many names the harmful might of fire. But on this subject it will be
better to demonstrate separately how much inferior to our own poets are
these teachers of tales about the gods.)
Προσήκει δὲ οῦ τὰ τῶν θεῶν μόνον ἀγάλματα προσκυνεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ναοὺς
καὶ τὰ τεμένη καὶ τοὺς βωμούς· εὔλογον δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἱερέας τιμᾶν ὡς
λειτουργοὺς θεῶν καὶ ὑπηρέτας καὶ διακονοῦντας ἡμῖν τὰ πρὸς τοὺς θεούς,
συνεπισχύοντας τῇ ἐκ θεῶν [C] εἰς ἡμᾶς τῶν ἀγαθῶν δόσει· προθύουσι γὰρ
πάντων καὶ ὑπερεύχονται. δίκαιον οὖν ἀποδιδόναι πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἔλαττον,
εἰ μὴ καὶ πλέον, ἢ τοῖς πολιτικοῖς ἄρχουσι τὰς τιμάς. εἰ δέ τις οἴεται
τοῦτο ἐπ᾽ ἴσης χρῆναι νέμειν αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς πολιτικοῖς ἄρχουσιν, ἐπεὶ
κἀκεῖνοι τρόπον τινὰ τοῖς θεοῖς ἱερατεύουσι, φύλακες ὄντες τῶν νόμων, ἀλλὰ
τά γε τῆς εὐνοίας παρὰ πολὺ χρὴ νέμειν τούτοις. [D] οἱ μὲν γὰρ Ἀχαιοὶ
καίπερ πολέμιον ὄντα τὸν ἱερέα προσέταττον αἰδεῖσθαι τῷ βασιλεῖ· ἡμεῖς δὲ
οὐδὲ τοὺς φίλους αἰδούμεθα τοὺς εὐχομένους ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καὶ θύοντας.
(It is our duty to adore not only the images of the gods, but also their
temples and sacred precincts and altars. And it is reasonable to honour
the priests also as officials and servants of the gods; and because they
minister to us what concerns the gods, and they lend strength to the gods’
gift of good things to us; for they sacrifice and pray on behalf of all
men. It is therefore right that we should pay them all not less, if not
indeed more, than the honours that we pay to the magistrates of the state.
And if any one thinks that we ought to assign equal honours to them and to
the magistrates of the state, since the latter also are in some sort
dedicated to the service of the gods, as being guardians of the laws,
nevertheless we ought at any rate to give the priests a far greater share
of our good will. The Achaeans, for instance, enjoined on their king(511)
to reverence the priest, though he was one of the enemy, whereas we do not
even reverence the priests who are our friends, and who pray and sacrifice
on our behalf.)
Ἀλλ᾽ ἐπείπερ ὁ λόγος εἰς τὴν πάλαι ποθουμένην ἀρχὴν ἐλήλυθεν, ἄξιον εἶναί
μοι δοκεῖ διελθεῖν ἐφεξῆς, ὁποῖός τις ὢν ὁ ἱερεὺς αὐτός τε δικαίως
τιμηθήσεται καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς τιμᾶσθαι ποιήσει.(512) τὸ γὰρ ἡμέτερον οὐ χρὴ
σκοπεῖν οὐδὲ ἐξετάζειν, [297] ἀλλὰ ἕως ἂν ἱερεύς τις ὀνομάζηται, τιμᾶν
αὐτὸν χρὴ καὶ θεραπεύειν, εἰ δὲ εἴη πονηρός, ἀφαιρεθέντα τὴν ἱερωσύνην ὡς
ἀνάξιον ἀποφανθέντα περιορᾶν· ἕως δὲ προθύει καὶ κατάρχεται καὶ παρίσταται
τοῖς θεοῖς, ὡς τὸ τιμιώτατον τῶν θεῶν κτῆμα προσβλεπτέος ἐστὶν ἡμῖν μετὰ
αἰδοῦς καὶ εὐλαβείας. ἄτοπον γάρ, εἰ τοὺς μὲν λίθους, ἐξ ὧν οἱ βωμοὶ
πεποίηνται, διὰ τὸ καθιερῶσθαι τοῖς θεοῖς ἀγαπῶμεν,(513) ὅτι μορφὴν ἔχουσι
καὶ σχῆμα πρέπον, εἰς [B] ἥν εἰσι κατεσκευασμένοι λειτουργίαν, ἄνδρα δὲ
καθωσιωμένον τοῖς θεοῖς οὐκ οἰησόμεθα χρῆναι τιμᾶν. ἴσως ὑπολήψεταί τις·
ἀλλὰ ἀδικοῦντα καὶ ἐξαμαρτάνοντα πολλὰ τῶν πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς ὁσίων; ἐγὼ δή
φημι χρῆναι τὸν μὲν τοιοῦτον ἐξελέγχειν, ἵνα μὴ πονηρὸς ὢν ἐνοχλῇ τοὺς
θεούς, ἕως δ᾽ ἂν ἐξελέγξῃ(514) τις, μὴ ἀτιμάζειν. οὐδὲ γὰρ [C] εὔλογον
ἐπιλαβομένους ταύτης τῆς ἀφορμῆς οὐ τούτων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων
τιμᾶσθαι τὴν τιμὴν προσαφαιρεῖσθαι. ἔστω τοίνυν ὥσπερ ἄρχων, οὕτω δὲ καὶ
ἱερεὺς πᾶς αἰδέσιμος, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἀπόφασίς ἐστι θεοῦ τοῦ Διδυμαίου τοιαύτη·
(But since my discourse has come back again to the beginning as I have so
long wished, I think it is worth while for me to describe next in order
what sort of man a priest ought to be, in order that he may justly be
honoured himself and may cause the gods to be honoured. For as for us, we
ought not to investigate or enquire as to his conduct, but so long as a
man is called a priest we ought to honour and cherish him, but if he prove
to be wicked we ought to allow his priestly office to be taken away from
him, since he has shown himself unworthy of it. But so long as he
sacrifices for us and makes offerings and stands in the presence of the
gods, we must regard him with respect and reverence as the most highly
honoured chattel(515) of the gods. For it would be absurd for us to pay
respect to the very stones of which the altars are made, on account of
their being dedicated to the gods, because they have a certain shape and
form suited to the ritual for which they have been fashioned, and then not
to think that we ought to honour a man who has been dedicated to the gods.
Perhaps someone will object—“But suppose he does wrong and often fails to
offer to the gods their sacred rites?” Then indeed I answer that we ought
to convict a man of that sort, so that he may not by wickedness offend the
gods; but that we ought not to dishonour him until he has been convicted.
Nor indeed is it reasonable that when we have set our hands to this
business, we should take away their honour not only from these offenders
but also from those who are worthy to be honoured. Then let every priest,
like every magistrate, be treated with respect, since there is also an
oracle to that effect from the Didymaean god:(516))
Ὅσσοι ἐς ἀρητῆρας ἀτασθαλίῃσι νόοιο
Ἀθανάτων ῥέζουσ᾽ ἀποφώλια, καὶ γεράεσσιν
[D] Ἀντία βουλεύουσιν ἀδεισιθέοισι λογισμοῖς,
Οὐκέθ᾽ ὅλην βιότοιο διεκπερόωσιν ἀταρπόν,
Ὅσσοι περ μακάρεσσιν ἐλωβήσαντο θεοῖσιν,
Ὧν κεῖνοι θεόσεπτον ἕλον θεραπηίδα τιμήν,