登陆注册
5214200000123

第123章

The one earth, then, on account of this fourfold virtue, ought to have had four surnames, but not to have been considered as four gods,--as Jupiter and Juno, though they have so many surnames, are for all that only single deities,--for by all these surnames it is signified that a manifold virtue belongs to one god or to one goddess; but the multitude of surnames does not imply a multitude of gods.But as sometimes even the vilest women themselves grow tired of those crowds which they have sought after under the impulse of wicked passion, so also the soul, become vile, and prostituted to impure spirits, sometimes begins to loathe to multiply to itself gods to whom to surrender itself to be polluted by them, as much as it once delighted in so doing.For Varro himself, as if ashamed of that crowd of gods, would make Tellus to be one goddess."They say," says he, "that whereas the one great mother has a tympanum, it is signified that she is the orb of the earth; whereas she has towers on her head, towns are signified; and whereas seats are fixed round about her, it is signified that whilst all things move, she moves not.And their having made the Galli to serve this goddess, signifies that they who are in need of seed ought to follow the earth for in it all seeds are found.By their throwing themselves down before her, it is taught," he says, "that they who cultivate the earth should not sit idle, for there is always something for them to do.The sound of the cymbals signifies the noise made by the throwing of iron utensils, and by men's hands, and all other noises connected with agricultural operations; and these cymbals are of brass, because the ancients used brazen utensils in their agriculture before iron was discovered.They place beside the goddess an unbound and tame lion, to show that there is no kind of land so wild and so excessively barren as that it would be profitless to attempt to bring it in and cultivate it." Then he adds that, because they gave many names and surnames to mother Tellus, it came to be thought that these signified many gods."They think," says he, "that Tellus is Ops, because the earth is improved by labor; Mother, because it brings forth much; Great, because it brings forth seed; Proserpine, because fruits creep forth from it; Vesta, because it is invested with herbs.And thus,"says he, "they not at all absurdly identify other goddesses with the earth." If, then, it is one goddess (though, if the truth were consulted, it is not even that), why do they nevertheless separate it into many? Let there be many names of one goddess, and let there not be as many goddesses as there are names.

But the authority of the erring ancients weighs heavily on Varro, and compels him, after having expressed this opinion, to show signs of uneasiness; for he immediately adds, "With which things the opinion of the ancients, who thought that there were really many goddesses, does not conflict." How does it not conflict, when it is entirely a different thing to say that one goddess has many names, and to say that there are many goddesses? But it is possible, he says, that the same thing may both be one, and yet have in it a plurality of things.I grant that there are many things in one man; are there therefore in him many men? In like manner, in one goddess there are many things; are there therefore also many goddesses? But let them divide, unite, multiply, reduplicate, and implicate as they like.

These are the famous mysteries of Tellus and the Great Mother, all of which are shown to have reference to mortal seeds and to agriculture.Do these things, then,--namely, the tympanum, the towers, the Galli, the tossing to and fro of limbs, the noise of cymbals, the images of lions,--do these things, having this reference and this end, promise eternal life? Do the mutilated Galli, then, serve this Great Mother in order to signify that they who are in need of seed should follow the earth, as though it were not rather the case that this very service caused them to want seed? For whether do they, by following this goddess, acquire seed, being in want of it, or, by following her, lose seed when they have it? Is this to interpret or to deprecate? Nor is it considered to what a degree malign demons have gained the upper hand, inasmuch as they have been able to exact such cruel rites without having dared to promise any great things in return for them.Had the earth not been a goddess, men would have, by laboring, laid their hands on it in order to obtain seed through it, and would not have laid violent hands on themselves in order to lose seed on account of it.Had it not been a goddess, it would have become so fertile by the hands of others, that it would not have compelled a man to be rendered barren by his own hands; nor that in the festival of Liber an honorable matron put a wreath on the private parts of a man in the sight of the multitude, where perhaps her husband was standing by blushing and perspiring, if there is any shame left in men; and that in the celebration of marriages the newly-married bride was ordered to sit upon Priapus.These things are bad enough, but they are small and contemptible in comparison with that most cruel abomination, or most abominable cruelty, by which either set is so deluded that neither perishes of its wound.There the enchantment of fields is feared; here the amputation of members is not feared.There the modesty of the bride is outraged, but in such a manner as that neither her fruitfulness nor even her virginity is taken away; here a man is so mutilated that he is neither changed into a woman nor remains a man.

CHAP.25.--THE INTERPRETATION OF THE MUTILATION OF ATYS WHICH THE DOCTRINEOF THE

GREEK SAGES SET FORTH.

同类推荐
  • 诗品

    诗品

    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。
  • 诸佛集会陀罗尼经

    诸佛集会陀罗尼经

    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。
  • 萧闲老人明秀集注

    萧闲老人明秀集注

    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。
  • 列子

    列子

    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。
  • 石林燕语

    石林燕语

    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
  • 诸天之痕

    诸天之痕

    传闻,有圣贤久望昆仑仙门,坐忘长生。释家高僧迈出万丈红尘,度之苦海而不尽。九幽之地若存于神话,世间缘何又有执念徘徊?古来禁地,是否隐藏万载之谜?人界守护者陨落,这诸天格局又将轮回。一个身世成谜的少年在灵霞洞天成长,在一场巨大变故之后,踏入了浩瀚人间,妖魔横行,在渐渐看清天地本貌之后,才知他生来便注定了挽救苍生的使命......
  • 希澹园诗集

    希澹园诗集

    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。
  • 我的世界炔你不可

    我的世界炔你不可

    【已完结】“老公,我……”“什么?”话音未落,迟早早就扑了过来。在她眼里,这个外人眼中冷酷倨傲,铁腕狠绝的男人,完全是属于她自己的,所以,她可以在每个夜晚,对他肆意。他是天宇集团总裁,冷酷无情,不近女色,却唯独对她,束手无策。被逼婚,婚后又被逼生娃,生了一个不够,再来一个。终于,叶总忍无可忍,“迟早早,敢情有了儿子,我在你眼里就没用了?”叶夫人呵呵一笑,“有用啊,我们再生一个。”“……”叶总直接气倒。
  • 猎吻冷酷魔族殿下

    猎吻冷酷魔族殿下

    堂堂天界公主,仙送外号小魔女不懂何为情爱;于是一次事件后,她逃下天界,来到了几界之中的结合界寻找姐姐口中那很甜蜜很甜蜜的爱。看到他的第一眼,就被他的特殊迷住,她吻上他,一切皆由一个吻开始。阴谋的出现,真相的浮现,她,该作何选择。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 在爱中我们已然相遇

    在爱中我们已然相遇

    这是一本关于爱、梦想、生活的书。17个刻骨铭心的真实故事,17段痛彻心扉的相知相遇,只想告诉你:无论生活曾多么辜负你的真心,你要相信,美好的一切终会来临。有时候,多么希望晚一点遇到对方,那是否就不会因为年少的不成熟而分开呢?有时候,多么希望没有遗憾、不曾错过,那是否才不会在未来的年岁怀旧伤感?人生其实就是一场场相遇,然后挥手再见,本就不是你的风景,又何须太眷恋?总有那么一瞬间不够珍惜,或者留有悔恨,或许,这才是青春本来的样子。
  • 隐身女孩

    隐身女孩

    参加了学校的戏剧社以后,13岁的Jazmine几年来第一次感觉到活力和快乐。但为了保住自己的角色和新认识的朋友,她必须首先克服自己的听觉障碍,勇敢面对同学的欺凌,面对父亲身上发生的事件真相。隐身女孩(Invisible)曾入围2014年亚马逊年度图书大奖半决赛。
  • 二十亿光年的孤独

    二十亿光年的孤独

    《二十亿光年的孤独》该书分为世界的约定、春的临终、小鸟在天空消失的日子、语言的胎盘、悲伤的天使、如果语言六个部分。由谷川先生与他的知音译者田原先生从其创作的诗歌中,共同遴选出120首(其中17首为新作首次发布)艺术成就比较高、流传最广的篇目编选而成。作者用他蕴含着精湛技艺和惊人想象的诗篇,向这个世界吟唱出悠远而纯粹的恋歌。
  • 诗义固说

    诗义固说

    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。
  • 总裁大人好难追

    总裁大人好难追

    第一次相见,她直接将他扑倒在地,熊熊的亲了下去。冷峻型男,宁可错杀,绝不放过!倒追!矜持丢一边,羞怯滚远点,追!追!追!追不到他誓不罢休!哪个白痴说的:男追女,隔层山,女追男,隔层纱……为什么她这一层纱比山还要厚呢?损友出主意,教她爱情三十六计,鲜花素果供上桌,情信爱笺满天飞,可他的冰块脸就是不肯融化,好吧,那就休怪她辣手摧草,用上最后一招——霸女硬上弓,然后对他负责到底!该死的女人,口口声声说爱他,现在居然给他逃跑,最可恶的还是“带球”跑,害得他搁下上亿的合同,追着她满世界的跑,还有他那个没良心的二弟,串通她的损友,一起藏着她,阻拦他,总之一句话,不让他见到她。笑话,他的女人,凭什么不让他见?!等着吧,等到他追到她,非让她知道,敢对他“始乱终弃”会是什么下场!
  • 我和镜酱的那些事儿

    我和镜酱的那些事儿

    某镜框:“勇敢的骚年哦!快去收集镜子的碎片吧!”陆晓晨:“愚蠢的镜框哦!你掉的是这堆玻璃渣,还是这些水珠子,或者是这双明亮的眼睛呢?”【一句话简介:小骗子镜框与半中二少年互怼互爱的故事(←_←大雾)】