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Christian Books
: The Seven Books Of Arnobius Against The Heathen
The Seven Books Of Arnobius Against The Heathen
-
Arnobius
Title Page
Introductory Notice to Arnobius.
1 Since I have found some who deem themselves very wise in their opinionsà
2 Let us therefore examine carefully the real significance of that opinionà
3 Since this is so, and since no strange influence has suddenly manifested itself to breakà
4 When was the human race destroyed by a flood? was it not before us? Whenà
5 Did we bring it about, that ten thousand years ago a vast number of menà
6 Although you allege that those wars which you speak of were excited through hatred ofà
7 But if, say my opponents, no damage is done to human affairs by youà
8 And yet, that I may not seem to have no opinion on subjects of thisà
9 It rains not from heaven, my opponent says, and we are in distress from someà
10 And if anything happens which does not foster ourselves or our affairs with joyous successà
11 Would you venture to say that, in this universeà
12 It is rather presumptuous, when you are not your own masterà
13 Because of the Christians, my opponents say, the gods inflict upon us all calamitiesà
14 And yet do we not see that, in these years and seasons that have intervenedà
15 Sometimes, however, there were seasons of scarcity; yet they were relieved by times of plenty.à
16 Yet one cannot discover by any rational process of reasoningà
17 And yet, O ye great worshippers and priests of the deitiesà
18 But if this that you say is true, -- if it has been tested andà
19 Moreover, in this way you represent them as not only unstable and excitableà
20 Do they on this account wreak their wrath on you tooà
21 To you let them give good health, to us badà
22 And since facts themselves testify that this result never occursà
23 But the TRUE gods, and those who are worthy to have and to wear theà
24 These are your ideas, these are your sentiments, impiously conceivedà
25 And lest any one should suppose that we, through distrust in our replyà
26 Is this, I pray, that daring and heinous iniquity on account of which the mightyà
27 This is not the place to examine all our traducersà
28 What say ye, O interpreters of sacred and of divine law? Are they attached toà
29 And would that it were allowed me to deliver this argument with the whole worldà
30 Does it not occur to you to reflect and to examine in whose domain youà
31 O greatest, O Supreme Creator of things invisible! O Thou who art Thyself unseenà
32 Our discussion deals with those who, acknowledging that there is a divine race of beingsà
33 Is there any human being who has not entered on the first day of hisà
34 But in vain, says one, do you assail us with a groundless and calumnious chargeà
35 But suppose they be one, as you wish, and not different in any power ofà
36 But, says my opponent, the deities are not inimical to youà
37 We worship one who was born a man.à
38 But in the meantime let us grant, in submission to your ideasà
39 But lately, O blindness, I worshipped images produced from the furnaceà
40 But He died nailed to the cross.à
41 And yet, O ye who laugh because we worship one who died an ignominious deathà
42 You worship, says my opponent, one who was born a mere human being.à
43 My opponent will perhaps meet me with many other slanderous and childish charges which areà
44 And yet it is agreed on that Christ performed all those miracles which He wroughtà
45 What do you say again, oh you -- ? Is He then a manà
46 Was He one of us, I say, who by one act of intervention at onceà
47 These facts set forth in sanctuary we have put forwardà
48 But, says some one, you in vain claim so much for Christà
49 And since you compare Christ and the other deities as to the blessings of healthà
50 Moreover, by His own power He not only performed those miraculous deeds which have beenà
51 What say ye, O minds incredulous, stubborn, hardened? Did that great Jupiter Capitolinus of yoursà
52 Come, then, let some Magian Zoroaster arrive from a remote part of the globeà
53 Cease in your ignorance to receive such great deeds with abusive languageà
54 But you do not believe these things; yet those who witnessed their occurrenceà
55 But if this record of events is false, as you sayà
56 But our writers, we shall be told, have put forth these statements with FALSE effronteryà
57 You do not believe our writings, and we do not believe yours.à
58 But they were written by unlearned and ignorant menà
59 Your narratives, my opponent says, are overrun with barbarisms and solecismsà
60 But, say my opponents, if Christ was God, why did He appear in human shapeà
61 What, then, says my opponent, could not the Supreme Ruler have brought about those thingsà
62 But, you will say, He was cut off by death as men are.à
63 What are these hidden and unseen mysteries, you will sayà
64 What, then, constrains you, what excites you to revileà
65 Oh ungrateful and impious age, prepared for its own destruction by its extraordinary obstinacy! Ifà
1 Here, if any means could be found, I should wish to converse thus with allà
2 But indeed, some one will say, He deserved our hatred because He has driven religionà
3 But He did not permit men to make supplication to the lesser gods.à
4 But all these things will be more clearly and distinctly noticed when we have proceededà
5 What say you, O ignorant ones, for whom we might well weep and be sad?à
6 But perhaps those seem to you weak-minded and sillyà
7 In the first place, you yourselves, too, see clearly thatà
8 And since you have been wont to laugh at our faithà
9 What, have you seen with your eyes, and handled with your handsà
10 Finally, do not even the leaders and founders of the schools already mentionedà
11 But, supposing that these things do not at all hinder or prevent your being boundà
12 You bring forward arguments against us, and speculative quibblingsà
13 Meantime, however, O you who wonder and are astonished at the doctrines of the learnedà
14 Do you dare to laugh at us when we speak of hellà
15 Wherefore there is no reason that that should mislead usà
16 But, they say, while we are moving swiftly down towards our mortal bodiesà
17 But we have reason, one will say, and excel the whole race of dumb animalsà
18 They have not learned, I will be told, to make clothingà
19 But if men either knew themselves thoroughly, or had the slightest knowledge of Godà
20 And, that we may show you more clearly and distinctly what is the worth ofà
21 Now, as we have prepared a place for our ideaà
22 To what, then, you ask, do these things tend? We have brought them forward inà
23 If you give a grape to him when hungryà
24 Why, O Plato, do you in the Meno put to a young slave certain questionsà
25 What say you, O men, who assign to yourselves too much of an excellence notà
26 But when I hear the soul spoken of as something extraordinaryà
27 So then, if souls lose all their knowledge on being fettered with the bodyà
28 And yet, that we may not be as ignorant when we leave you as beforeà
29 Now, since it is so, cease, I pray youà
30 But will he not be terrified by the punishments in Hadesà
31 A certain neutral character, then, and undecided and doubtful nature of the soulà
32 Since these things are so, and we have been taught by the greatest teacher thatà
33 Seeing that the fear of death, that is, the ruin of our soulsà
34 Since this is the case, what, pray, is so unfair as that we should beà
35 But, say my opponents, if souls are mortal and of neutral characterà
36 But the gods are said to be immortal.à
37 But if souls were, as is said, the Lord's childrenà
38 For, to begin with what is important, what advantage is it to the world thatà
39 But perhaps, some one will urge, the Ruler of the world sent hither souls sprungà
40 Was it for this He sent souls hither, that while the other creatures are fedà
41 Was it for this He sent souls, that they which shortly before had been gentleà
42 Was it for this He sent souls, that some should infest the highways and roadsà
43 What say you, O offspring and descendants of the Supreme Deity? Did these soulsà
44 But, you say, they came of their own accordà
45 But let this monstrous and impious fancy be put far from usà
46 But, to say the same things again and againà
47 But, you say, if God is not the parent and father of soulsà
48 Here, too, in like manner, when we deny that souls are the offspring of Godà
49 But, you will say, there are good men also in the worldà
50 You say that there are good men in the human raceà
51 But you laugh at our reply, because, while we deny that souls are of royalà
52 And yet, lest you should suppose that none but yourselves can make use of conjecturesà
53 Since this, then, is the case, we do nothing out of place or foolish inà
54 Can, then, anything be made, some one will sayà
55 But when, overcome, we agree that there are these thingsà
56 As for all the other things which are usually dwelt upon in inquiries and discussionsà
57 While, then, this is the case, and it cannot but be that only one ofà
58 What, then, are we alone ignorant? do we alone not know who is the creatorà
59 If that which it has pleased us to know is within reachà
60 Seeing, then, that the origin, the cause, the reason of so many and so importantà
61 What business of yours is it, He says, to examineà
62 And be not deceived or deluded with vain hopes by that which is said byà
63 But if, my opponents say, Christ was sent by God for this endà
64 But, my opponents ask, if Christ came as the Saviour of menà
65 Nay, my opponent says, if God is powerful, mercifulà
66 So, then, even if you are pure, and have been cleansed from every stain ofà
67 Therefore, when you urge against us that we turn away from the religion of pastà
68 On the Alban hill, it was not allowed in ancient times to sacrifice any butà
69 But our name is new, we are told, and the religion which we follow aroseà
70 But why do I speak of these trivial things? The immortal gods themselvesà
71 But our rites are new; yours are ancient, and of excessive antiquityà
72 But your religion precedes ours by many years, and is thereforeà
73 But are we alone in this position? What! have you not introduced into the numberà
74 And why, my opponent says, did God, the Ruler and Lord of the universeà
75 You may object and rejoin, Why was the Saviour sent forth so late? In unboundedà
76 Inasmuch then, you say, as you serve the Almighty Godà
77 Therefore that bitterness of persecution of which you speak is our deliverance and not persecutionà
78 Wherefore, O men, refrain from obstructing what you hope for by vain questionsà
1 All these charges, then, which might truly be better termed abuseà
2 Let us now return to the order from which we were a little ago compelledà
3 And as in the kingdoms of earth we are in no wise constrained expressly toà
4 But we do not purpose delaying further on this part of the subjectà
5 But let it be assumed that there are these godsà
6 And yet let no one think that we are perversely determined not to submit toà
7 But why should I say that men seek from him subtleties of expression and splendourà
8 And yet, that no thoughtless person may raise a FALSE accusation against usà
9 What, then, shall we say? That gods beget and are begotten? and that therefore theyà
10 What say you, ye holy and pure guardians of religion? Have the godsà
11 And you dare to charge us with offending the godsà
12 Thus far of sex.à
13 But it is not enough that you limit the gods by formsà
14 Are, then, the divine bodies free from these deformities? and since they do not eatà
15 Does any man at all possessed of judgment, believe that hairs and down grow onà
16 But you will, perhaps, say that the gods have indeed other formsà
17 But, they say, if you are not satisfied with our opinionà
18 What, then, some one will say, does the Deity not hear? does He not speak?à
19 If you are willing to hear our conclusions, then learn that we are so farà
20 This, then, this matter of forms and sexes, is the first affront which youà
21 And, I ask, what reason is there, what unavoidable necessityà
22 You err, my opponent says, and are deceived; for the gods are not themselves artificersà
23 But you will, perhaps, say that the gods are not artificersà
24 No one, says my opponent, makes supplication to the tutelar deitiesà
25 Unxia, my opponent says, presides over the anointing of door-postsà
26 We shall not here mention Laverna, goddess of thievesà
27 Now we may apply this very argument to Venus in exactly the same way.à
28 Can any man, who has accepted the first principles even of reasonà
29 We might, however, even yet be able to receive from you these thoughtsà
30 But what shall we say of Jove himself, whom the wise have repeatedly asserted toà
31 Aristotle, a man of most powerful intellect, and distinguished for learningà
32 Mercury, also, has been named as though he were a kind of go-betweenà
33 We here leave Vulcan unnoticed, to avoid prolixity; whom you all declare to be fireà
34 Some of your learned men -- men, too, who do not chatter merely because theirà
35 Men worthy to be remembered in the study of philosophyà
36 If we sought to subvert the belief in your gods in so many waysà
37 We are told by Mnaseas that the Muses are the daughters of Tellus and Coelusà
38 How, then, can you give to religion its whole powerà
39 There are some, besides, who assert that those who from being men became godsà
40 Nigidius taught that the dii Penates were Neptune and Apolloà
41 We can, if it is thought proper, speak briefly of the Lares alsoà
42 It is a vast and endless task to examine each kind separatelyà
43 For if this deity requires a black, that a white skinà
44 Wherefore, if you are assured that in the lofty palaces of heaven there dwellsà
1 We would ask you, and you above all, O Romansà
2 For we -- but, perhaps, you would rob and deprive us of common-sense -- feelà
3 With regard, indeed, to your bringing forward to us other bands of unknown godsà
4 Pellonia is a goddess mighty to drive back enemies.à
5 The sinister deities preside over the regions on the left hand onlyà
6 Lateranus, as you say, is the god and genius of hearthsà
7 Does Venus Militaris, also, preside over the evil-doing of campsà
8 Say, I pray you, -- that Peta, Puta, Patella may graciously favour youà
9 What then? you say; do you declare that these gods exist nowhere in the worldà
10 But if you urge that bones, different kinds of honeyà
11 What say you, O fathers of new religions, and powers? Do you cry outà
12 But let them be true, as you maintain, yet will you have us also believeà
13 Or, if you refuse to believe this on account of its noveltyà
14 Your theologians, then, and authors on unknown antiquity, say that in the universe there areà
15 And lest it should seem tedious and prolix to wish to consider each person singlyà
16 For suppose that it had occurred to us, moved either by suitable influence or violentà
17 We may say the very same things of the Mercuriesà
18 But some one on the opposite side says, How do we know whether the theologiansà
19 But perhaps these things will turn out to be falseà
20 But you, on the contrary, forgetting how great their dignity and grandeur areà
21 But perhaps this foul pollution may be less apparent in the rest.à
22 And, not content to have ascribed these carnal unions to the venerable Saturnà
23 Men, though prone to lust, and inclined, through weakness of characterà
24 If you will open your minds' eyes, and see the real truth without gratifying anyà
25 Did we say that Venus was a courtezan, deified by a Cyprian king named Cinyras?à
26 But what shall I say of the desires with which it is written in yourà
27 But among you, is it only the males who lustà
28 For where there are weddings, marriages, births, nurses, artsà
29 And here, indeed, we can show that all those whom you represent to us asà
30 But in the discussion which we at present maintainà
31 We wish, then, to question you, and invite you to answer a short questionà
32 But all these things, they say, are the fictions of poetsà
33 Your gods, it is recorded, dine on celestial couchesà
34 But why do I complain that you have disregarded the insults offered to the otherà
35 But is it only poets whom you have thought proper to allow to invent unseemlyà
36 But this crime is not enough: the persons of the most sacred gods are mixedà
37 But this is the state of the case, that as you are exceedingly strong inà
1 Admitting that all these things which do the immortal gods dishonourà
2 What the mind should take up first, what lastà
3 But let us admit that, as is said, Jupiter has himself appointed against himself waysà
4 But you will perhaps say that the king was a diviner.à
5 In Timotheus, who was no mean mythologist, and also in others equally well informedà
6 Now, when it had been often considered in the councils of the godsà
7 Then Midas, king of Pessinus, wishing to withdraw the youth from so disgraceful an intimacyà
8 If some one, despising the deities, and furious with a savagely sacrilegious spirità
9 But why do we speak of your having bemired the Great Mother of the godsà
10 But you will perhaps say the human race shuns and execrates such unionsà
11 There was doubt in the councils of the gods how that unyielding and fierce violenceà
12 Would any one say this about the gods who had even a very low opinionà
13 Through her bosom, we are told, Nana conceived a son by an apple.à
14 What say you, O races and nations, given up to such beliefs? When these thingsà
15 We might long ago have urged you to ponder thisà
16 And yet how can you assert the falsehood of this storyà
17 Or if the things which we say are not soà
18 The greatness of the subject, and our duty to those on their defence alsoà
19 We shall pass by the wild Bacchanalia also, which are named in Greek Omophagiaà
20 It was our purpose to leave unnoticed those mysteries also into which Phrygia is initiatedà
21 Jupiter is troubled enough, being overwhelmed with fear, and cannot find means to soothe theà
22 I do not think it necessary here also with many words to go through eachà
23 I should wish, therefore, to see Jupiter, the father of the godsà
24 But, my opponent says, these are not the rites of our state.à
25 In her wanderings on that quest, she reaches the confines of Eleusis as well asà
26 If any one perchance thinks that we are speaking wicked calumniesà
27 Are then your deities carried off by force, and do they seize by violenceà
28 I confess that I have long been hesitating, looking on every sideà
29 Now, to prevent any one from thinking that we have devised what is so impiousà
30 I confess that, in reflecting on such monstrous stories in my own mindà
31 But you who assert that you are the defenders and propagators of their immortalityà
32 But you err, says my opponent, and are mistakenà
33 These are all quirks, as is evident, and quibbles with which they are wont toà
34 But, agreeing with you that in all these stories stags are spoken of instead ofà
35 Finally, if you think it right, returning to our inquiryà
36 But you will perhaps say that these allegories are not found in the whole bodyà
37 Let us examine, then, what is said in this way.à
38 Either, then, they must all have been written and put forward allegoricallyà
39 Whence, then, do we prove that all these narratives are records of events? From theà
40 And yet, even if we grant you that this is the caseà
41 It was once usual, in speaking allegorically, to conceal under perfectly decent ideasà
42 But you will perhaps say, for this only is left which you may think canà
43 But what the meaning of this is, is already clear to all.à
44 But if you come to the conclusion that these fables have been written allegoricallyà
45 Judge fairly, and you are deserving of censure in thisà
1 Having shown briefly how impious and infamous are the opinions which you have formed aboutà
2 For -- that you may learn what are our sentiments and opinions about that raceà
3 But, we are told, we rear no temples to themà
4 But, says my opponent, it is not for this reason that we assign temples toà
5 Now, if this be not the case, all hope of help is taken awayà
6 What can you say as to this, that it is attested by the writings ofà
7 But why do I speak of these trifles? What man is there who is ignorantà
8 We have therefore -- as I suppose -- shown sufficientlyà
9 We worship the gods, you say, by means of images.à
10 And whence, finally, do you know whether all these images which you form and putà
11 You laugh because in ancient times the Persians worshipped riversà
12 From such causes as these this also has followedà
13 But why do I laugh at the sickles and tridents which have been given toà
14 We would here, as if all nations on the earth were presentà
15 Lo, if some one were to place before you copper in the lumpà
16 And so unmindful and forgetful of what the substance and origin of the images areà
17 But you err, says my opponent, and are mistakenà
18 What then? Do the gods remain always in such substancesà
19 The gods dwell in images -- each wholly in oneà
20 And yet, O you -- if it is plain and clear to you that theà
21 They say that Antiochus of Cyzicum took from its shrine a statue of Jupiter madeà
22 But you will perhaps say that the gods do not trouble themselves about these lossesà
23 But perhaps, as you say, the goddesses took the greatest pleasure in these lewd andà
24 Here also the advocates of images are wont to say this alsoà
25 For what grandeur -- if you look at the truth without any prejudice -- isà
26 O dreadful forms of terror and frightful bugbears on account of which the human raceà
1 Since it has been sufficiently shown, as far as there has been opportunityà
2 Who are the TRUE gods? you say.à
3 So, then, if these things are so, we desire to learn thisà
4 If perchance it is not this, are victims not slain in sacrifice to the godsà
5 We have next to examine the argument which we hear continually coming from the lipsà
6 But let us allow, as you wish, that the gods are accustomed to such disturbanceà
7 But neither do I demand that this should be saidà
8 But this, as I said, I do not mentionà
9 So, if some ox, or any animal you pleaseà
10 But perhaps some one will say, We give to the gods sacrifices and other giftsà
11 Lastly, if the gods drive away sorrow and griefà
12 Or the gods of heaven should be said to be ungrateful ifà
13 We have shown sufficiently, as I suppose, that victimsà
14 But all this conceding and ascribing of honour about which we are speaking are metà
15 What then! some one will say, do you think that no honour should be givenà
16 What say you, O you -- ! is that foul smellà
17 Lo, if dogs -- for a case must be imaginedà
18 And as we are now speaking of the animals sacrificedà
19 But you err, says my opponent, and fall into mistakesà
20 But let us agree, as you wish, that there are both infernal regions and Manesà
21 But this, too, it is fitting that we should here learn from youà
22 If, then, these things are vain, and are not supported by any reasonà
23 For as to that which we hear said by youà
24 Be it so; let it be conceded that these most unfortunate cattle are not sacrificedà
25 For if whatever is done by men, and especially in religionà
26 We have now to say a few words about incense and wineà
27 Finally, that we may always abide by the rule and definition by which it hasà
28 Will any one say that incense is given to the celestialsà
29 Wine is used along with incense; and of thisà
30 But, says my opponent, you are insulting us without reasonà
31 It is worth while to bring forward the words themselves alsoà
32 But let there be, as you wish, honour in wine and in incenseà
33 But the games which you celebrate, called Floralia and Megalensiaà
34 Whence, therefore, have these vicious opinions flowed, or from what causes have they sprung? Fromà
35 Come now: as the discussion has been prolonged and led to these pointsà
36 You say that some of them cause dissensionsà
37 Since these things are so, and since there is so great difference between our opinionsà
38 If the immortal gods cannot be angry, says my opponentà
39 We have come, then, in speaking, to the very point of the caseà
40 But neither shall we deny that we know this as wellà
41 All these things which have been mentioned, have indeed a miraculous appearanceà
42 And what pollution or abomination could have flowed from thisà
43 If Jupiter sought to have his games celebratedà
44 In like manner we might go through the other narrativesà
45 And as we read that he used food alsoà
46 But, says my opponent, if he was not a godà
47 But if that snake was not a present deityà
48 But some one will perhaps say that the care of such a god hasà
49 But the Great Mother, also, says my opponentà
50 What shall we say then? Was Hannibal, that famous Carthaginianà
51 But suppose that the deity was present in that very stoneà
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