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| Chapter II.—The Gods are Despised When They are Made; But Become Valuable When Bought.
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Chapter II.—The Gods are Despised When They are Made; But Become Valuable When Bought.
And in truth it does seem to me absurd that statuaries
and carvers, or painters, or moulders, should both design and paint,
and carve, and mould, and prepare gods, who, when they are produced
by the artificers, are reckoned of no value; but as soon as they are
purchased549
| 549 The words “by
some and placed in” are omitted in some editions, but occur in
the best mss. | by
some and placed in some so-called temple, or in some house, not only do
those who bought them sacrifice to them, but also those who made and sold
them come with much devotion, and apparatus of sacrifice, and libations,
to worship them; and they reckon them gods, not seeing that they are
just such as when they were made by themselves, whether stone, or brass,
or wood, or colour, or some other material. And this is your case, too,
when you read the histories and genealogies of the so-called gods. For
when you read of their births, you think of them as men, but afterwards
you call them gods, and worship them, not reflecting nor understanding
that, when born, they are exactly such beings as ye read of before.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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