登陆注册
5214200000071

第71章

For what kind of augury is that which they have declared to be most beautiful, and to which I referred a little ago, that Mars, and Terminus, and Juventas would not give place even to Jove, the king of the gods? For thus, they say, it was signified that the nation dedicated to Mars,--that is, the Roman,--should yield to none the place it once occupied; likewise, that on account of the god Terminus, no one would be able to disturb the Roman frontiers;and also, that the Roman youth, because of the goddess Juventas, should yield to no one.Let them see, therefore, how they can hold him to be the king of their god's, and the giver of their own kingdom, if these auguries set him down for an adversary, to whom it would have been honorable not to yield.However, if these things are true, they need not be at all afraid.

For they are not going to confess that the gods who would not yield to Jove have yielded to Christ.For, without altering the boundaries of the empire, Jesus Christ has proved Himself able to drive them, not only from their temples, but from the hears of their worshippers.But, before Christ came in the flesh, and, indeed, before these things which we have quoted from their books could have been written, but yet after that auspice was made under king Tarquin, the Roman army has been divers times scattered or put to flight, and has shown the falseness of the auspice, which they derived from the fact that the goddess Juventas had not given place to Jove; and the nation dedicated to Mars was trodden down in the city itself by the invading and triumphant Gauls; and the boundaries of the empire, through the falling away of many cities to Hannibal, had been hemmed into a narrow space.Thus the beauty of the auspices is made void, and there has remained only the contumacy against Jove, not of gods, but of demons.For it is one thing not to have yielded, and another to have returned whither you have yielded.Besides, even afterwards, in the oriental regions, the boundaries of the Roman empire were changed by the will of Hadrian;for he yielded up to the Persian empire those three noble provinces, Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Assyria.Thus that god Terminus, who according to these books was the guardian of the Roman frontiers, and by that most beautiful auspice had not given place to Jove, would seem to have been more afraid of Hadrian, a king of men, than of the king of the gods.

The aforesaid provinces having also been taken back again, almost within our own recollection the frontier fell back, when Julian, given up to the oracles of their gods, with immoderate daring ordered the victualling ships to be set on fire.The army being thus left destitute of provisions, and he himself also being presently killed by the enemy, and the legions being hard pressed, while dismayed by the loss of their commander, they were reduced to such extremities that no one could have escaped, unless by articles of peace the boundaries of the empire had then been established where they still remain; not, indeed, with so great a loss as was suffered by the concession of Hadrian, but still at a considerable sacrifice.It was a vain augury, then, that the god Terminus did not yield to Jove, since he yielded to the will of Hadrian, and yielded also to the rashness of Julian, and the necessity of Jovinian.The more intelligent and grave Romans have seen these things, but have had little power against the custom of the state, which was bound to observe the rites of the demons; because even they themselves, although they perceived that these things were vain, yet thought that the religious worship which is due to God should be paid to the nature of things which is established under the rule and government of the one true God, "serving," as saith the apostle, "the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for evermore."(1) The help of this true God was necessary to send holy and truly pious men, who would die for the true religion that they might remove the false from among the living.

CHAP.30.--WHAT KIND OF THINGS EVEN THEIR WORSHIPPERS HAVE OWNED THEYHAVE

THOUGHT ABOUT THE GODS OF THE NATIONS.

Cicero the augur laughs at auguries, and reproves men for regulating the purposes of life by the cries of crows and jackdaws.(2) But it will be said that an academic philosopher, who argues that all things are uncertain, is unworthy to have any authority in these matters.In the second book of his De Natura Deorum,(3)he introduces Lucilius Balbus, who, after showing that superstitions have their origin in physical and philosophical truths, expresses his indignation at the setting up of images and fabulous notions, speaking thus: "Do you not therefore see that from true and useful physical discoveries the reason may be drawn away to fabulous and imaginary gods? This gives birth to false opinions and turbulent errors, and superstitions well-nigh old-wifeish.For both the forms of the gods, and their ages, and clothing, and ornaments, are made familiar to us; their genealogies, too, their marriages, kinships, and all things about them, are debased to the likeness of human weakness.They are even introduced as having perturbed minds; for we have accounts of the lusts, cares, and angers of the gods.Nor, indeed, as the rabies go, have the gods been without their wars and battles.And that not only when, as in Homer, some gods on either side have defended two opposing armies, but they have even carried on wars on their own account, as with the Titans or with the Giants.Such things it is quite absurd either to say or to believe:

同类推荐
  • 图画见闻志

    图画见闻志

    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。
  • 金师子章云间类解

    金师子章云间类解

    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。
  • 血证论

    血证论

    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。
  • 喜逢妻弟郑损因送入

    喜逢妻弟郑损因送入

    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。
  • Cupid's Understudy

    Cupid's Understudy

    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
  • 孩子一定要掌握的99个学习秘诀

    孩子一定要掌握的99个学习秘诀

    最通俗易懂的语句、最具代表性的趣味故事和案例、最简便易行的方法。本书是一部实用性极强的快乐学习方法宝典。培养学习兴趣、打造学习能力、掌握学习方法、创造学习环境,让不爱学习的孩子崇尚知识,让烦恼的家长不再忧郁。
  • 行为改变思想

    行为改变思想

    威廉·詹姆斯观察人们的情绪和行为联系时,发现了“表现”原理,认为人们可以通过对某种行为的表现而获得相应的情绪感受。本书以“表现”原理为核心,用通俗易懂的语言,详细地阐述了行为是如何影响人的认知,改变认知,改变思想的。本书充满世界著名哲学家,思想家在行为与思想方面进行的经典实验和案例,开阔了读者视野,令人耳目一新。同时,生动地列举出日常生活中人们的各种行为对思想情绪产生的影响,使人们更容易反观自己的行为,有目的地改变自己的行为,从而使得自己越来越靠近预设的目标。
  • 客船凶夜

    客船凶夜

    “化装舞会?我才不愿像那些西洋人一样,把自己装扮成小丑呢!”孟世增一面摆弄着刀叉用餐,一面心里想。格莱姆船长在餐厅宣布:本船即将通过马六甲海峡,明天早上就要停靠新加坡,接着将陆续到达香港、上海,然后到达日本。从法国马赛开船以来共同航行了好几个星期的旅客们要先后登岸了。为此今晚九时在餐厅举行化装舞会,邀请全体旅客参加。餐厅里坐满了欧亚旅客。舷窗外,暗夜里浪涛汹涌,这条排水量一万二千吨的客轮隐隐起伏着,餐盆里的汤摇晃着要溅出来。
  • 兄弟我在义乌的发财史(大结局)

    兄弟我在义乌的发财史(大结局)

    本书详细记录了BOSS唐从1998年身无分文的惨状,到2003年身价数百万的历程。在BOSS唐的发财道路上,他几乎遇到了所有小本生意人都会遇到的难题与麻烦,书中,这些难题和麻烦被“义乌发财哥”逐个击破,逐一解决。
  • 宠后攻略

    宠后攻略

    在今上的几个皇子中,属三王爷萧长砚的心思最为难懂。某小五直拍大腿:是啊,三王爷的心思你别猜。某王(逼近):我心思难懂?小五:不不不某王:跟着我委屈你了?小五(狗腿脸):一点也不委屈当晚成国公府五小姐卒……
  • 反穿越之公主现代行

    反穿越之公主现代行

    前世的公主加末代国主,到今世父母捧在手中的珍珠。张果果说,她也算是经历到别人都经历不到的事了。
  • THE IDLE THOUGHTS OF AN IDLE FELLOW

    THE IDLE THOUGHTS OF AN IDLE FELLOW

    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。
  • 佛说妙吉祥最胜根本大教经

    佛说妙吉祥最胜根本大教经

    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。
  • 杀手皇后

    杀手皇后

    人是他捡的,名是他赐的,宠是他许的,想逃?他准了吗!她敬他爱他,杀孽、报应她从不看在眼里,她厌了够了想逃了,他却对她说我不许!等对方都受尽折磨,妥协的还是他,他给她她想要的一切,他终于给她自由,可是她还是逃不掉了,这个至高无上的王阿,终究还是她的王....情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 我们的少年时代之如果再重来

    我们的少年时代之如果再重来

    王鑫,华辉队王牌棒棒手,棒球界的奇迹。可身世悲惨。再一次注定的巧合下,穿越到《我们的少年时代》中,从此——便开始了一段特殊的旅乘