登陆注册
5214200000059

第59章

Justinus, who wrote Greek or rather foreign history in Latin, and briefly, like Trogus Pompeius whom he followed, begins his work thus: "In the beginning of the affairs of peoples and nations the government was in the hands of kings, who were raised to the height of this majesty not by courting the people, but by the knowledge good men had of their moderation.The people were held bound by no laws; the decisions of the princes were instead of laws.It was the custom to guard rather than to extend the boundaries of the empire; and kingdoms were kept within the bounds of each ruler's native land.Ninus king of the Assyrians first of all, through new lust of empire, changed the old and, as it were, ancestral custom of nations.He first made war on his neighbors, and wholly subdued as far as to the frontiers of Libya the nations as yet untrained to resist." And a little after he says: "Ninus established by constant possession the greatness of the authority he had gained.Having mastered his nearest neighbors, he went on to others, strengthened by the accession of forces, and by making each fresh victory the instrument of that which followed, subdued the nations of the whole East." Now, with whatever fidelity to fact either he or Trogus may in general have written--for that they sometimes told lies is shown by other more trustworthy writers--yet it is agreed among other authors, that the kingdom of the Assyrians was extended far and wide by King Ninus.And it lasted so long, that the Roman empire has not yet attained the same age; for, as those write who have treated of chronological history, this kingdom endured for twelve hundred and forty years from the first year in which Ninus began to reign, until it was transferred to the Modes.But to make war on your neighbors, and thence to proceed to others, and through mere lust of dominion to crush and subdue people who do you no harm, what else is this to be called than great robbery?

CHAP.7.--WHETHER EARTHLY KINGDOMS IN THEIR RISE AND FALL HAVE BEENEITHER AIDED

OR DESERTED BY THE HELP OF THE GODS.

If this kingdom was so great and lasting without the aid of the gods, why is the ample territory and long duration of the Roman empire to be ascribed to the Roman gods? For whatever is the cause in it, the same is in the other also.But if they contend that the prosperity of the other also is to be attributed to the aid of the gods, I ask of which? For the other nations whom Ninus overcame, did not then worship other gods.Or if the Assyrians had gods of their own, who, so to speak, were more skillful workmen in the construction and preservation of the empire, whether are they dead, since they themselves have also lost the empire; or, having been defrauded of their pay, or promised a greater, have they chosen rather to go over to the Medes, and from them again to the Persians, because Cyrus invited them, and promised them something still more advantageous? This nation, indeed, since the time of the kingdom of Alexander the Macedonian, which was as brief in duration as it was great in extent, has preserved its own empire, and at this day occupies no small territories in the East.If this is so, then either the gods are unfaithful, who desert their own and go over to their enemies, which Camillus, who was but a man, did not do, when, being victor and subduer of a most hostile state, although he had felt that Rome, for whom he had done so much, was ungrateful, yet afterwards, forgetting the injury and remembering his native land, he freed her again from the Gauls; or they are not so strong as gods ought to be, since they can be overcome by human skill or strength.

Or if, when they carry on war among themselves.the gods are not overcome by men, but some gods who are peculiar to certain cities are perchance overcome by other gods, it follows that they have quarrels among themselves which they uphold, each for his own part.Therefore a city ought not to worship its own gods, but rather others who aid their own worshippers.

Finally, whatever may have been the case as to this change of sides, or flight, or migration, or failure in battle on the part of the gods, the name of Christ had not yet been proclaimed in those parts of the earth when these kingdoms were lost and transferred through great destructions in war.For if, after more than twelve hundred years, when the kingdom was taken away from the Assyrians, the Christian religion had there already preached another eternal kingdom, and put a stop to the sacrilegious worship of false gods, what else would the foolish men of that nation have said, but that the kingdom which had been so long preserved, could be lost for no other cause than the desertion of their own religions and the reception of Christianity?

In which foolish speech that might have been uttered, let those we speak of observe their own likeness, and blush, if there is any sense of shame in them, because they have uttered similar complaints; although the Roman empire is afflicted rather than changed,--a thing which has befallen it in other times also, before the name of Christ was heard, and it has been restored after such affliction,--a thing which even in these times is not to be despaired of.For who knows the will of God concerning this matter?

CHAP.8.--WHICH OF THE GODS CAN THE ROMANS SUPPOSE PRESIDED OVER THEINCREASE AND

PRESERVATION OF THEIR EMPIRE, WHEN THEY HAVE BELIEVED THAT EVEN THECARE OF

SINGLE THINGS COULD SCARCELY BE COMMITTED TO SINGLE GODS?

同类推荐
  • 续华严经略疏刊定记

    续华严经略疏刊定记

    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。
  • 元曲集(下)

    元曲集(下)

    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。
  • The Flying U's Last Stand

    The Flying U's Last Stand

    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。
  • The Cost

    The Cost

    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。
  • 释门章服仪应法记

    释门章服仪应法记

    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
  • 杀手也穿时空

    杀手也穿时空

    想当年叱咤风云的杀手竟然死在自己男朋友的手上?不只是这样,她还赶上了新一代的潮流——穿越。他伤她如此之深,亲手杀死了自己的亲生孩子,可是她为什么还是爱着他?
  • 萧十一郎

    萧十一郎

    萧十一郎是各来去无踪、潇洒浪荡的“大盗”,为人侠义、忠诚。风四娘告诉他,武林中人人窥伺的神秘宝物割鹿刀进入中原,一时江湖上烽烟四起,萧十一郎屡屡被人嫁祸,深深卷入这场风波,但也由此结识了武林第一美女、世家公子连城璧的妻子沈璧君,从此萧,沈,连三人开始了恩怨纠缠的一生……
  • 职场现形记

    职场现形记

    天仁大学毕业后只身来到深圳找工作,应聘进入欢喜公司做布料推销员,不料虽向鸿发公司推销成功反倒被炒了鱿鱼;又应聘进入美国3A公司深圳办事处继续推销布料。天仁再次向鸿发公司推销成功,同时,与办事处首席代表丹妮互生爱慕。美国3A公司派来新的首席代表顶替丹妮,天仁被提拔为副代表。天仁的收入明升暗降,暗下决心自己创业。天仁结识日本商人日下部,接下一笔衬衣出口订单生意。天仁注册了自己的公司,周密安排,从美国3A公司购进布料原料委托鸿发公司加工生产出货后,赚得36万元,预备向美国3A公司辞职并向丹妮求爱。丹妮却嫁给了鸿发公司二代掌门人胡仲谋。天仁怀揣着要把自己的公司打造成一家跨国公司的大梦……
  • 左脸比右脸诚实

    左脸比右脸诚实

    我们为什么会相信谎言?因为我们对金钱充满着强烈的渴望。所以看见中大奖的值息会兴奋不已;因为爱情至上,遇见别有用心的人也不知道设防;因为嫉妒心理强烈,眼里容不下一粒沙子,成为别人欺骗的棋子;因为不辨是非,上了居心叵测小人的当。我们怎么捕捉谎官线索? 识破谎言的线索可能出现在说谎者的表情、情绪上;识破谎言的线索可能出现在说谎者的身体,手势、动作等,也可能是他的说话方式出卖了他;识破谎言的线索更有可能出现在事情的来龙去脉中;抑或在你与说谎者的行为互动中就该对对方产生怀疑。
  • 穿越之玉系红尘系相思

    穿越之玉系红尘系相思

    二十一世纪的她,因一块玉而穿越时空,武林江湖小说才有的章节,发生在自己的身上,身不由己,深陷江湖纷争,江湖儿女情长路,缘终到头一场空……
  • 一切法高王经

    一切法高王经

    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。
  • 天皇巨星是怎样炼成的

    天皇巨星是怎样炼成的

    这是一本指导大家如何从籍籍无名成长为天皇巨星的标准教科书。
  • 这样记忆最高效

    这样记忆最高效

    有的人,大段文章看一两遍便能背诵,考前随便翻翻书就能拿到好成绩——这让我们既羡慕又嫉妒,从而怀疑自己的智商:“为什么我的记忆力这么差?为什么我没有这种超能力?”其实,归根到底,这是记忆方法的问题。没有方法,记忆就不快、不准、不牢。为了帮助广大中学生改变这种记忆现状,充分发掘自己的记忆潜能,轻松掌握高效的记忆方法,《这样记忆最高效》从兴趣、情绪、习惯、方法、环境等九个方面,归纳整理了中学生必须掌握的多种记忆方法,把学生从遗忘的痛苦中解救出来,为学习成绩的提高打下最坚实的基础。
  • 华西语文学刊(第九辑)

    华西语文学刊(第九辑)

    本辑包括:学者访谈,语言类型学研究,日语语法研究,汉日语言对比研究,语料库与日语研究,日语教学研究,日语翻译研究,书评等栏目,共收录37篇文章。
  • 最强灵魂医师

    最强灵魂医师

    新笔名【真如丶】,本书择机重制。李无声穿越成为平行世界的自己,成了一名灵魂医师,具备了复活别人的能力。但是他发现他穿得有点奇葩。一个废柴萝莉系统娘。一个0.0.2的版本号。一个胡乱定价的许愿机。一个中二病爆棚的金手指商店,卖的都是奇怪的东西。数年后,李无声在山顶遥望这片和谐的世界,以及被他救赎的众生。同行们:“你特么到底开了多少挂!”日常欢乐向。