登陆注册
5214200000115

第115章

Who, then, is Janus, with whom Varro commences? He is the world.Certainly a very brief and unambiguous reply.Why, then, do they say that the beginnings of things pertain to him, but the ends to another whom they call Terminus? For they say that two months have been dedicated to these two gods, with reference to beginnings and ends--January to Janus, and February to Terminus-over and above those ten months which commence with March and end with December.And they say that that is the reason why the Terminalia are celebrated in the month of February, the same month in which the sacred purification is made which they call Februum, and from which the month derives its name.[1]

Do the beginnings of things, therefore, pertain to the world, which is Janus, and not also the ends, since another god has been placed over them? Do they not own that all things which they say begin in this world also come to an end in this world?

What folly it is, to give him only half power in work, when in his image they give him two faces! Would it not be a far more elegant way of interpreting the two-faced image, to say that Janus and Terminus are the same, and that the one face has reference to beginnings, the other to ends? For one who works ought to have respect to both.For he who in every forthputting of activity does not look back on the beginning, does not look forward to the end.Wherefore it is necessary that prospective intention be connected with retrospective memory.For how shall one find how to finish anything, if he has forgotten what it was which he had begun? But if they thought that the blessed life is begun in this world, and perfected beyond the world, and for that reason attributed to Janus, that is, to the world, only the power of beginnings, they should certainly have preferred Terminus to him, and should not have shut him out from the number of the select gods.Yet even now, when the beginnings and ends of temporal things are represented by these two gods, more honor ought to have been given to Terminus.For the greater joy is that which is felt when anything is finished; but things begun are always cause of much anxiety until they are brought to an end, which end he who begins anything very greatly longs for, fixes his mind on, expects, desires; nor does any one ever rejoice over anything he has begun, unless it be brought to an end.

CHAP.8.--FOR WHAT REASON THE WORSHIPPERS OF JANUS HAVE MADE HIS IMAGEWITH TWO

FACES, WHEN THEY WOULD SOMETIMES HAVE IT BE SEEN WITH FOUR.

But now let the interpretation of the two-faced image be produced.For they say that it has two faces, one before and one behind, because our gaping mouths seem to resemble the world: whence the Greeks call the palate ou?rno?s, and some Latin poets,[2] he says, have called the heavens palatum [the palate]; and from the gaping mouth, they say, there is a way out in the direction of the teeth, and a way in in the direction of the gullet.See what the world has been brought to on account of a Greek or a poetical word for our palate! Let this god be worshipped only on account of saliva, which has two open doorways under the heavens of the palate,--one through which part of it may be spitten out, the other through which part of it may be swallowed down.Besides, what is more absurd than not to find in the world itself two doorways opposite to each other, through which it may either receive anything into itself, or cast it out from itself; and to seek of our throat and gullet, to which the world has no resemblance, to make up an image of the world in Janus, because the world is said to resemble the palate, to which Janus bears no likeness?

But when they make him four-faced, and call him double Janus, they interpret this as having reference to the four quarters of the world, as though the world looked out on anything, like Janus through his four faces.Again, if Janus is the world, and the world consists of four quarters, then the image of the two-faced Janus is false.Or if it is true, because the whole world is sometimes understood by the expression east and west, will any one call the world double when north and south also are mentioned, as they call Janus double when he has four faces? They have no way at all of interpreting, in relation to the world, four doorways by which to go in and to come out as they did in the case of the two-faced Janus, where they found, at any rate in the human mouth, something which answered to what they said about him; unless perhaps Neptune come to their aid, and hand them a fish, which, besides the mouth and gullet, has also the openings of the gills, one on each side.Nevertheless, with all the doors, no soul escapes this vanity but that one which hears the truth saying, "I am the door."[3]

CHAP.9.--CONCERNING THE POWER OF JUPITER, AND A COMPARISON OF JUPITERWITH JANUS.

But they also show whom they would have Jove (who is also called Jupiter)understood to be.He is the god, say they, who has the power of the causes by which anything comes to be in the world.

And how great a thing this is, that most noble verse of Virgil testifies:

"Happy is he who has learned the causes of things."[4]

But why is Janus preferred to him? Let that most acute and most learned man answer us this question."Because," says he, "Janus has dominion over first things, Jupiter over highest[1] things.

Therefore Jupiter is deservedly held to be the king of all things; for highest things are better than first things: for although first things precede in time, highest things excel by dignity."Now this would have been rightly said had the first parts of things which are done been distinguished from the highest parts; as, for instance, it is the beginning of a thing done to set out, the highest part to arrive.The commencing to learn is the first part of a thing begun, the acquirement of knowledge is the highest part.And so of all things: the beginnings are first, the ends highest.

同类推荐
  • 亦玉堂稿

    亦玉堂稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 如来成道经

    如来成道经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 释名

    释名

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • A Bit O' Love

    A Bit O' Love

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 斗南暐禅师语录

    斗南暐禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 巴菲特写给股东的投资年报

    巴菲特写给股东的投资年报

    林汶奎主编的《巴菲特写给股东的投资年报》记 录了投资大师巴菲特每年向股东们写的一份投资年报 。《巴菲特写给股东的投资年报》包括:巴菲特致 股东的信,探讨的主题涵盖管理、投资及评估等,将 从其中提炼出巴菲特精华的投资思想展现在读者面前 。
  • 位面无限定

    位面无限定

    温嘉丽是一个生活在比较科技化的位面,因为一次购买了个手环而激发了一个位面机器。不知情的她拿着一桶水进入了末世位面,阴差阳错之下和当地人进行了一场交易。而她拥有的位面机器并不只限定和某个位面的某个人做交易,而是会带着温嘉丽穿梭在各种位面中。于是她穿梭在那些光怪陆离的世界,开启了她的“惊心动魄”的交易之旅。
  • 其路漫漫其修远

    其路漫漫其修远

    顾若楠:教官,我们好好讨论一下,给你两个选择,一是你娶我,二是我娶你,你选一还是二?结婚当天:教官,我开玩笑的啦,你怎当真了?从此,过上如愿以偿的生活,每天睡到早上十点起不来,却天天嚷着要离家出走!顾若楠:我要项链、钻石、珠宝、包包、水晶鞋、豪车、别墅,扳着手指开始细数。杨子诚一一记下——等下买。顾若楠想哭:这不是我要的结果顾若楠:我长得丑!杨子诚:没事我瞎。顾若楠:所有人都说我配不上你!杨子诚:我不嫌弃。顾家二小姐日常作死,最后真把自己作死了,用行动明确的告诉我们不作死就不会死!顾若楠扶腰,她想爆粗,说好的禁欲呢!说好的不近女色呢!骗纸!可怜她的老腰
  • 健康红宝书:健康语录

    健康红宝书:健康语录

    本书搜集整理了古今中外有关运动、饮食、生活、心理、医疗和益寿等方面具有代表性的健康语录,再结合相关内容阐述其深刻内涵,同时为了想得更周到一些,以增强实用性和理解性,还增加了“贴心提示”和“语录链接”等内容,所以,具有很强的科学性和指导性,是广大读者身心健康的良师益友。
  • 悟空降魔传

    悟空降魔传

    人如鸟儿被关在笼子里,会发生什么呢?如果世界是牢笼,囚禁着万物生灵,那么万物生灵,会歇斯底里的想要逃离这片世界。更可悲的是,他们费尽心里,饱受折磨追逐最后的真相……却悲凉的发现,一切都如梦幻泡影,一切的追逐都成空想。万物都在疯狂,生灵已经疯魔!!三界毁灭后。“猴哥”偏偏降临到了这片世界,这里没有任何灵气,无法修炼的世界……
  • 影子总裁遇顽妻(完结)

    影子总裁遇顽妻(完结)

    影子门的存在,谁也说不清楚到底是什么时候,但是只要做生意的人都知道,只要能搭上影子门,那他们就无后顾之忧了。可是影子门很神秘,谁也不知道他们的领导是谁,只是在传说中流传着......!君元浩,农氏的副总裁,却可以轻易的指挥“影子门”的一切,他到底是什么身份?!他表面花心,可是却精明暗藏......!罗月,只是一个无意,一个无心,却惹上了人人羡慕的流口水的他,是幸还是霉呢?属于两个人的战争,为什么会参合进那么多的事情?!多年前因醉酒而差点..了罗月的男人,为什么会在这个时候突然的出现——他的出现,是真正的忏悔,还是另有目的!?君元浩的那些红粉胭脂,真的只是在逢场作戏吗?剪不断的情感纠葛,阴森而恐怖的袭击,让一切的关系都显得危险而惊恐......!
  • 断发皇后

    断发皇后

    21世纪少女苏若车祸意外穿越,竟然穿越到了雍正十一年!成为了历史上著名的“断发皇后”那拉容若!扑朔迷离的剧情让苏若只好接受,不过还好,清朝也是有帅哥的嘛!误打误撞认识了“荒唐王爷”弘昼,两人竟还一见钟情了,可惜历史是不可能改变的。弘历登基,本以为可以舒舒服服的当个娴妃,没想到撞破的弘历的小秘密,还被后宫嫔妃嫉恨,从一个单纯无知的小女孩改变成了一位心思缜密的皇后......
  • 威尔特郡的乡野生灵

    威尔特郡的乡野生灵

    《威尔特郡的乡野生灵》中有活泼的野兔、歌唱的夜莺、茂密的梣树林、归巢的白嘴鸦,威尔特郡的乡野生灵生机勃勃,鲜活灵动,杰弗里斯用一只妙笔描绘出令人心驰神往的英伦乡野风情画。在他的笔下,十九世纪的英格兰乡村生活淳朴粗犷,乡野间的动物和植物充满活力和欢乐,他用精妙的文字和广博的知识将这种欢乐呈现给读者,让人在阅读时尽享自然的宁静、生机、包容。
  • 魔种

    魔种

    无数的利益恩怨,无尽的杀伐,在这过程中,方寒,一步一步成长,身边的朋友和沾惹上的势力也越来越强大。但是,方寒,遇强则强,报仇杀敌,不但在朋友的帮助下收复王国,甚至,达到了在凡界修炼的瓶颈,最终,进入天鉴山,在十年一开的一线天中,引渡成功,最终,突破凡界修炼瓶颈,进入到不灭天,修炼之路,上升到迈向神的层次。但他不知道,风绝辰的真实身份,以及,风绝辰要他所做的一切,才刚刚开始……
  • 道岳

    道岳

    袁修看了看这个世界:天庭、帝国、妖……光明之下,黑暗就在身边。书上说:“大道如岳,你我皆是登山人。”袁修说:“大道三千,苟字为先!”