Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VI/Arnobius/Adversus Gentes/Book IV/Chapter XXIV

by Arnobius

24. If you will open your minds’ eyes, and see the real^[1] truth without gratifying any private end, you will find that the causes of all the miseries by which, as you say, the human race has long been afflicted, flow from such beliefs which you held in former times about your gods; and which you have refused to amend, although the truth was placed before your eyes. For what about them, pray, have we indeed ever either imagined which was unbecoming, or put forth in shameful writings that the troubles which assail men and the loss of the blessings of life^[2] should be used to excite a prejudice against us? Do we say that certain gods were produced from eggs,^[3] like storks and pigeons? Do we say that the radiant Cytherean Venus grew up, having taken form from the sea’s foam and the severed genitals of Cœlus? that Saturn was thrown into chains for parricide, and relieved from their weight only on his own days?^[4] that Jupiter was saved from death^[5] by the services of the Curetes? that he drove his father from the seat of power, and by force and fraud possessed a sovereignty not his own? Do we say that his aged sire, when driven out, concealed himself in the territories of the Itali, and gave his name as a gift to Latium,^[6] because he had been there protected from his son? Do we say that Jupiter himself incestuously married his sister? or, instead of pork, breakfasted in ignorance upon the son of Lycaon, when invited to his table? that Vulcan, limping on one foot, wrought as a smith in the island of Lemnos? that Æsculapius was transfixed by a thunderbolt because of his greed and avarice, as the Bœotian Pindar^[7] sings? that Apollo, having become rich, by his ambiguous responses, deceived the very kings by whose treasures and gifts he had been enriched? Did we declare that Mercury was a thief? that Laverna is so also, and along with him presides over secret frauds? Is the writer Myrtilus one of us, who declares that the Muses were the handmaids of Megalcon,^[8] daughter of Macarus?^[9]

Footnotes

1. Orelli, without receiving into the text, approves of the reading of Stewechius, promptam, “evident,” for the ms. propriam.
2. Lit., “the benefits diminished by which it is lived.”
3. The ms. reads ex Jovis; the first five edd. Jove—“from Jove,” which is altogether out of place; the others, as above, ex ovis. Cf. i. 36.
4. The ms. reads et ablui diebus tantis…elevari; LB., Hild. and Oehler, statis or statutis…et levari—“and was loosed and released on fixed days;” Elm., Oberthür, and Orelli receive the conjecture of Ursinus, et suis diebus tantum…rel., as above.
5. Cf. iii. [cap. 41, p. 475, and cap. 30, p. 472].
6. i.e., hiding-place. Virg., Æn., viii. 322: Quoniam latuisset tutus in oris.
7. Pyth., iii. 102 sq.
8. ms. Meglac.
9. The ms. and most edd. give filias, making the Muses daughters of Macarus; but Orelli, Hild., and Oehler adopt, as above, the reading of Canterus, filiæ, in accordance with Clem. Alex.