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| Chapter XXI.—Analogies to the history of Christ.
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Chapter XXI.—Analogies to the history
of Christ.
And when we say also that the Word, who is
the first-birth1812
of God, was produced without sexual union, and
that He, Jesus Christ, our Teacher, was crucified and died, and rose
again, and ascended into heaven, we propound nothing different from what
you believe regarding those whom you esteem sons of Jupiter. For you know
how many sons your esteemed writers ascribed to Jupiter: Mercury, the
interpreting word and teacher of all; Æsculapius, who, though he was a
great physician, was struck by a thunderbolt, and so ascended to heaven;
and Bacchus too, after he had been torn limb from limb; and Hercules,
when he had committed himself to the flames to escape his toils; and the
sons of Leda, and Dioscuri; and Perseus, son of Danae; and Bellerophon,
who, though sprung from mortals, rose to heaven on the horse Pegasus. For
what shall I say of Ariadne, and those who, like her, have been declared
to be set among the stars? And what of the emperors who die among
yourselves, whom you deem worthy of deification, and in whose behalf you
produce some one who swears he has seen the burning Cæsar rise to heaven
from the funeral pyre? And what kind of deeds are recorded of each of
these reputed sons of Jupiter, it is needless to tell to those who
already know. This only shall be said, that they are written for the
advantage and encouragement1813
| 1813 διαφορὰν καὶ προτροπήν. The irony
here is so obvious as to make the proposed reading (διαφθορὰν
καὶ παρατροπήν, corruption
and depravation) unnecessary. Otto prefers the reading adopted above.
Trollope, on the other hand, inclines to the latter reading, mainly on
the score of the former expressions being unusual. See his very sensible
note in loc. | of youthful scholars; for all reckon it
an honourable thing to imitate the gods. But far be such a thought
concerning the gods from every well-conditioned soul, as to believe that
Jupiter himself, the governor and creator of all things, was both a
parricide and the son of a parricide, and that being overcome by the love
of base and shameful pleasures, he came in to Ganymede and those many
women whom he had violated and that his sons did like actions. But, as we
said above, wicked devils perpetrated these things. And we have learned
that those only are deified who have lived near to God in holiness and
virtue; and we believe that those who live wickedly and do not repent are
punished in everlasting fire.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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