Ante-Nicene Christian library; translations of the writings of the Fathers down to A.D. 325

발행: 1867년

분량: 541페이지

출처: archive.org

분류: 미분류

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intelligeiace, that she was a mortal Woman, and almos desolato, had sh no found one person An this id not scape thenotico of the poetaimself forte represent Pompe When a

Osiri coverod With wood.' his Osiris is the fame whom thopeopte cat Serapis. For it is customary for the ames of thodead who aro deified toae changed that nomiae, as I belleve, may imagine them to b men. For Romulus alter his deathbecam Quirinus, an Leda ecam Nemesis, and Circo Marica an Ino, hen he had eapi into the ea, as called Leucothea; and the mothermatuta an her son Melicerta was calle Palaemon and ortumnus And the sacred rites of the Eleusinia Ceres are not unlike these Foros in thoso

which have been mentioned the bonostris is fought with thowailingis his mollier so in these Proserpine is carrie aWayto contraci an incestuo Marriage With her uncte andaecause

Ceres is sal to have ought for her in Sicil With torcheslighte fram the topis Elna, on this account her sacre ritesar celebrated with the throwingit torches. At Lampsacus tho victim to e offere to Priapus is an ass, and the cause of the sacrifice of this animal is thus se sortii in the Mali r-When ali tho deities had assembled a the festivalo the reat mother, and when, satiate Mith seasting th mere spending the night in spori, the say that Vesta haddaid herael on the ground sor rest, and ad salle acleep, and that Priapus pon this forme a desim against he honou as hostepi; ut stat he was amused by the unseasonable rvingo the ascon hicli Silenus used to ride, and that the designo the insidious plotter Was frustrated on his account th

say that the eople o Lampsacus ere accustomeda sacrifico an asscio Priapus, a though it mere in revenge; ut among the Romana the fame animal as crowne at the Vestalia

sestiva o Vestahmith omes, in honouris tho preservationo her hastity. What is baser, What more disgracesul stani Vesta is indebiod to an as for the preservationis heriuriis But the poet invented a sabie. But was that more true hichia relate by thos vilio roto thenomena, ,hen the speah

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concerning the Wo tars of Cancer, hiel tho Greeis callasses That the were asses hicli carried acros fallier Liber When he was unablorio cros a river, and that he reWarde onso them it the poWer os speahing illi huma voice and that a contes Mose etWeen him and Priapus and Priapus Ming orsted in the contest), mas enraged, and QeW the Victor. is ruinis much mors absurd. ut poeta ave the licence

the poeta invente these fictions, ut the mus have been invented for the purpos o conceatin some greater depravi . Letos inquire hat thiscis. ut in fac it is vident. Foras in buli is sacrificedri Luna tho oon),aecauso h also has horas a stio has and ac tersia propitiates With a horse Hyperion surrounde mit rus that a sto victim a notbo offered to the smist god; 4 in his cassis more uitablevictim could bo found than that hic resembled iam to homicis offered. At Lindus, hicli is a tow of Rhodes, thermare sacred rites in hono i Hercules the observane of hicli differs widelysrom allisther rites for the areio celebrates it mord of good omen a tho Greeta term it), ut mit revilings and cursing. And the conside it a violatio of the sacre rites, inat an timo during the celebrationi in solemnities a good Word shali avo escaped rom any one eis inadVertently. An this is tho reason assigne for his practice, i indeed there an e an reason in things ulteri sensetem. When Hercule had arrive at the placo, and was usserinthunger, he a a ploughma at Worh, and egan torus his to sellinoo his xen. ut the ploughma replied that thi Was impo sibis, b auso his hopsi cultivatin the and depende ait gether po those two bullocks Hercules, it his usual Violence, becauseae a not abierio receivo one of them, Lissed both. ut the unliapy man, hen e saW that his inen eresiain avenged the injur With revilings,- circumstance Which

εὐφημία. t ma supposed that morda oscit omen, is ultero during the offering es a sacrifice, movi rendo the god unpropitioua in priestineresore, at tho commenoemen es a sacrifice, calle um theseoplo to alain iram ill-omenin morda: --ειτε, favete linguia.

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Mox I. THE DIUINE INSTITUTES. 63 afforded gratification to the an os elegance and refinement. For hilo M prepares a se trior his companions and while ho devour the oxen o another man, he receives illi ridicule and oud au ter the bitte reproache wit whicli the therassatis him. ut hen it ad been detormine that divino honoum hould e aid in Hercules in admirationis his e cellence, an altar as recte in his honou by the citigens, hicli ho ameri hom the circumstanco the ok of oxen, an at this altar Wo ohed xen ere sacrificet liho those .hieli he had ista from tho ploughman. An he appoinred the fame man toae his priest, an directed him alWays toruso the fame revilings in offering sacrifice, becaussae sal that hohad neve se ted more leasantly No thes things are notsacred, ut sacrilegious, in hicli that is salario bo enjoined, which, i it is dono in other things, is punished Wit the greatest severi . What, moreover do the rites of the Creta Jupiter himsel stam except the anne in hic he was illidram

fm his faster, or brought up ' There is a goat belonging to the nymph Amalthea, hici gave sua to the insani and of this Ma Germanicus Caesar thus speas, in his poem translated frem Aratus Shecis supposed toto tho nurso of Jupiter uin truth tho infant Iupiter presso the fiathsul eat of tho Creta Mat, hich attesta the gratitude of her lorda a bright

constellation.

Musaeus relates that Iupiter When fighting against the Titans, used the hid of thisinoat asin ahield, rom hic circumstancetis is calle by the poeta hield-bearer. Thus, halaver Wasdono in eoncealin the by that also is done is a Mis presentation in the sacred rites. Moreover, the myster of his

Aratu macine auctor of tWo Grea statronomical poema, the Φαινομενα-σα Διοσημεῖα. Virgil, in his Georgies, has borro e largely from tholarier. Germanicus Caesar, the grandaon o Aumatus, a late in thetexi tea latin the Φαινόμενα. scutum habens.

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64 LACTANTIUS. Boo I.

matter a concealed, and imitations of the ancient deed ro- maim; the attendant goddesses shahe instruments of brass, and

hoars hides. Instea os et meis the striho cymbals, and drum instoad of shields the flute gives Phrygia strains, asit gave besore. Sallust rejecte this opinion altogether, a though invented by the poets, and wishe to give an ingenious explanation fili reasons sor hicli tho Curetes are aid o have nourishod Jupiter an he speah to this purpori Because the weretheraret to underetand the worahi of the deity that heresore antiquity, hic exaggerates at things, made them known asthe nourishers of Jupiter How much this earne man usmistaen the matte isset at once declares For i Jupiter holds therars place both among the god and in religiolis rites, is no god were orshipped by the eopleaesore him,aecause the who re orshippe mere not et orn it appears that the Curetes, o the contrary, were thoire Who did not undo stand the worshimo the deity, since ali error a introduced by them, and the memor of the rue God Was ahen aWay. The ought therefore to hau underetood rom the mysteries and eremontes themselves stat the were offering prayer todead men. I domo the require that an oneraliould bellex ollis fictions of the poets. I any one imagines that these speah salsely, letiim conside the writings os the pontim themselves, and weigh whateve there is o literaturo pertaining to sacredrites: he wil perhaps find more thing than wearinisorWard,srom Whicli a may understand that at things which aroesteeme sacre are empty, ain, and fictilious But i any one having discovered Wisdom, hali lay asido his error, he willassurediflaugh at the sollies of men ho ars almos Without

Anciis, the aere ahiela, ea ed by the Salii, o priuata es Mara, in the prooemiona at the festival of that dei .

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Booci. TNE DIUINE INSTITUTES. 6bthough his ossico as praetor gave hi an exemptio homthi du . e was thereior no Furius,aut altogether ad who thought stat ho grace his praetorsiti by this service. Deservedi then, since thes things are done by men no vnahilsu an ignorant, oes Lucretius exclaim: o oolistimi sit moest alindodare is i In hat darknes o litoand in ho mea danger is passed this termis life Whateverbo iis durationi VWho that is possesse of an sons Would no laugh at thesemockeries, hen e sees that men, a though berest os intelliu nce, do thos things serio ly, hiclici an ono inould do inspori, he Would appea to fulli spori and tolly

CHAP. XII. Who was the author of the vanities Vore, seribed in Italnamong the Romana, and who mons ther

The author an est lislier of thes vanities among the Roman was that Sabine hing Who especiali engaged the rude an ignorant ind of men it neW superstitions and thath might do his it som authori , he retende that he had meetings by night illi tho goddes Egeria Thero asa very dar cavem in the grove of Aricia, rom hicli flowed astream it a neve falling spring. ither he was accustomedio illidra himself,ithout an witnesses, that he might beablerio pretend that by the admonitionis the goddes his iso, lis delivered to the eoplo thos sacred rites hic mere most acceptati to tho goti. It is evident that he wishedri imitato the crastines of Minos, ho concealed himself in the cave of Jupiter, and after a long dela there brought for ard la s,

a though delivored in hiin by Jupiter, that he might bind mento obedience no only by the aut rit of his government, butias by tho sanctionis religion Nor ascit dissiculi to e suade hepherti. Thereior he institute pontiffs, priesis, salii, an augura he arrange the god in iamilies and by thes meansae ostene the fieres spirit of the ne people, and calle them amansrom artiho assatis to tho ursui of ace. ut thoughae deceived othera, he didio deceive himself. For aster many years in the consulfhi o Cornelius and Bebius, in a fiet belongin to the scribe Petilius, under

Non Furius, sed plane furios .' Implieaviti

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digging, in one of hic Was the bovi Numa, in thoitherseven book in Latin respecting the la of the pontim, and the samo number ruten in Gree respecting system o philosophy, in Whichae not oesy annullod tho religious rite inita ho himsol had institutia, but ali iners also. Wheminis Wasreferred to the senate, it mas decreed that theso book inould bo destroyad Therelam Quintus Petilius, the praetor hohad jurisdiction in tho city, burni them in an assembl of tho

.ith what piet the defende religious institutions theylessene in authorit of the institutions themselves by their

testimony.

But a Pompilius a tho institutoris foesisti superstitio among the Romans, s also,aefore Pompilius, Faunus mas in Latium .ho both est liine implaus rite in his grandiather Saturnus, and honoured his faster Picus With a placo among the goti, an consecrate his sister Fatua Fauna, ho Matio hi Wise; ho, as Gabius Bassus relates, a called Fatuabemus ah ha been in tho habitis foretolling thoi fatos

in omen, a Faunus dido men. Varro rite thatine M a Womanis suc great modestri stat, a long as helivia, o malo except heroustandisa his o Mard hername on his account,omen sacrificorio her in secret, andeat he tho Good Goddem. n Sextus Claudius, in that o whic ho roto in Greeh, relates that it mas in mise

roti But alterWarti, he he was ore for hacho haddone, and was nable is endum his regre so her, he adher divino hono s. ominis reason the say that a coverediar of Wino is placo at he sacre rites Therelam Faunus also test is posterit no light error, hic ali stat are intel-

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ligoni eo throuo. For Lucilius in these versos deridesino est o thos in imagine that images are gods: aho terrestriat Lamiae, hicli Faunus and Numa Pompilius and thera instituita; at theso e trembles, he places verything in his A insani Mys belleus that ver statuo olbrongo is a living man, o thes imagine that ali iningsse norare trus: the bellovo that statues o bronge contain a Mart. It is a piantes galleo; there is nothin true allining are fictilio I The poet, indeed, compares Dolis mento intanis But Psa stat tho ars much more sensetes than insanis. For the infandi suppos that images are men, hereas thes ista them forinoda the ono throuo thei age, tho iners throuo solin imagino that hic is no true atav rate, the onoes nise ad toto deceiud; tho oolishnes of tho iners is permanent, an alWays incremes Orpheus asino frit .ho introduco in rite o fallior Liber into Gresce; and Miurat celebrated themima mountatam Boeotia, erymearis hebes, here Liber mas bom; and bemus thia mountain continuali refoundeLWit the atrians of the lyra, it was called Cithaeron. Thos sacred rite are even nominiled Orphic, in .hic he himself was lacerate an tor in places an helisex out in samo timo missi Faunus But hic of them a prior in ago admita of doubi, inco Latinus an Priam ignin during the sameaeare, as did ais their facter Faunus an Laomedon, in hos reim Orpheus amo it the AH nauis to the coas of the Trojans. Let ua thereiam advance surther, and inquire Who a reatly

the sint author of tho Minimo the goo. Didymus, in tho

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68 LACTANTIUS. Boo I. book of his commentar on Pindar, says that Melisseus, hingos the Cretans, a therars who sacrifice to the oti, and introduce ne rite an parades o sacrifices. He ad tu cidaughters, Amalthaea and elissa, ho ourished the outhsul Jupiter,ith goata milh and honey. ence that poetic ablo derive iis origin that bee fle to the child, and filio his mouili illi honey. oreover, he says that Melissa a appoinred by her fallier horars priestes of the Grea Mothor; hom hic circumstanc the riesis of the samo Mother arestili called Melissae. But the sacred history testifies that Jupiter himself, he he had gaine possession o po er arrive at such insolenc that he uili temples in honour os himself in many places. For he he went bout o different lands,on his arriva in acti region, he nite to imself the hingsor princes of the eopte in hospitalit an triendship and when e a departinifrom ach, he ordere that a stirino inould bo dedicato to himself in tho nam os his host, asthough tho remembrance of thei friendshimand teque could thusae preserved Thus temples ere founde in honourii

Jupiter labyrius and Jupiter Labrandius for Atabyrius

and Labrandius mere his entertainers an assistant in ar.

Temples ere also bulli to Jupiter Laprius to Jupiter Molion, to Jupiter Casius, and thera, iter the fame manner Thisma a very crasty devicein his pari, stata might both acquire divino honouessor himself, and a perpetua name sor his ente lainers in conjunction,ith religious observances. Accordinglythe were glad, and cheerfuit submittod to his command and

observe annua rite an festivat for tho sine of handingilown their W name. Eneas id something lita his in Sicily, whenae gave tho nam of his hoses Acestes to a ci whieliae had bulli that Acestes might asterWard joysuli and willingly love increas' and adorn it. In this manner Jupiter sprea abrota through the worid the observance of his orship, and ave an examplo for the imitatio of thers. Whether, then, the practice of -rshippin the od proceede homMelisseus a Didymus relared, o hom Jupiter also himself, as Euhemerus sus, the time is stili agreeLupo When thogod began to e orshipped. Melisseus, indeed, a much prior in time, in much as heirought up Jupiter as his gran

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Booci. TNE DIVINE INSTITUTES. 69son. t is theratore possibi stat sitheraetore, or,hilo Jupiter mas et a boy heriaught the orshi of the gods, amely themother os his foste child, and his grandmother Tellus, ho a the Wis of manus, an his sather Saturnus and he himself, by this example an institution may have exalted Jupiter

whicli the whos memor is honoured lived Theophilus, in his book Writton to Autolycus respecting the times, susinat Thallus relates in his history that Belus, Who is Worshippedis the Babylonians and Assyrians, is found to have live 322

temporar With Saturnus, and that they both gre u at onetime; --hicli is o true, that it a b inferred by reasonitaeis. For Agamemnon, ho carried on the Trojan war, Wastho ourth in descent froni Jupiter; and Achilles and Ajaxwer of the third descent Domaim; and lyssos a related in the fame degree. Priam, indeed, a distant is a longseries of descents. ut accordin to som authorities, Dardanus and Iasius ero sons os oritus, notis Jupiter. Foris it had Me so Jupiter could no have forme that unchaste connection illi Ganymede his Wn descendant Therefore, i you divide thesears hicli are in agreement the number illbo ound in harmon wit tho parent of thos whom I havenamed above. NON, fromine destructio of tho Trojan city1470 years are madetp. From this calculation os times, it is manifest that Saturnus has no Menior more than 1800 years, andae also a tho fallieris ali the gods Let them notato ,

Theophilua mas bisho es Antioch in tho lalter par of the secondemtur1. e ma originalty a heathen, and wa convertessito Christianity, ache tella ua, by the reading of the Scriptures. Among tho extant moris of Theophilus inere is no an mith this titio de Temporibus), but his mor to Autolycus containa an apolognsor Christianit in three Mori. It icto this that Lactanti aere resera. Abnepos,' aonis a great-gra child.

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eto LACTANTI S. Boo I. then, in sto antiquit of thei saere rites, sine both thoirorion and system an times have been ascerta ed. Therastili remata som things hic may be of great weight so thodisprovin os falso religions buta have determine no tobring this book to an end that it marno exceed moderate limits. For thos things mustae fossoπed, more fully that havingrefutod es things hic seem to oppos the truth, e may beablorio instruct in true religio men ho throuo ignorance of good things, mander in uncertain . ut theirst sto towardswisdom is in underatand whacis false the second, to ascertain

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