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| Chapter XXIII.—Opinions of Thales and Plato.
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Chapter XXIII.—Opinions of Thales and Plato.
You may say, however, since you excel all men in
understanding, How comes it to pass, then, that some of the idols manifest
power, if those to whom we erect the statues are not gods? For it is
not likely that images destitute of life and motion can of themselves do
anything without a mover. That in various places, cities, and nations,
certain effects are brought about in the name of idols, we are far
from denying. None the more, however, if some have received benefit,
and others, on the contrary, suffered harm, shall we deem those to be
gods who have produced the effects in either
case. But I have made careful
inquiry, both why it is that you think the idols to have this power,
and who they are that, usurping their names, produce the effects. It
is necessary for me, however, in attempting to show who they are that
produce the effects ascribed to the idols, and that they are not gods,
to have recourse to some witnesses from among the philosophers. First
Thales, as those who have accurately examined his opinions report,
divides [superior beings] into God, demons, and heroes. God he
recognises as the Intelligence (νοῦς)
of the world; by demons he understands beings
possessed of soul (ψυχικαί);
and by heroes the separated souls of men, the good being the good souls,
and the bad the worthless. Plato again, while withholding his assent
on other points, also divides [superior beings] into the uncreated God
and those produced by the uncreated One for the adornment of heaven, the
planets, and the fixed stars, and into demons; concerning which demons,
while he does not think fit to speak himself, he thinks that those ought
to be listened to who have spoken about them. “To speak concerning
the other demons, and to know their origin, is beyond our powers; but we
ought to believe those who have before spoken, the descendants of gods,
as they say—and surely they must be well acquainted with their own
ancestors: it is impossible, therefore, to disbelieve the sons of gods,
even though they speak without probable or convincing proofs; but as they
profess to tell of their own family affairs, we are bound, in pursuance of
custom, to believe them. In this way, then, let us hold and speak as they
do concerning the origin of the gods themselves. Of Gê and Ouranos
were born Oceanus and Tethys; and of these Phorcus, Kronos, and Rhea, and
the rest; and of Kronos and Rhea, Zeus, Hera, and all the others, who,
we know, are all called their brothers; besides other descendants again
of these.”783
Did, then, he who had contemplated the eternal
Intelligence and God who is apprehended by reason, and declared His
attributes—His real existence, the simplicity of His nature,
the good that flows forth from Him that is truth, and discoursed of
primal power, and how “all things are about the King of all,
and all things exist for His sake, and He is the cause of all;”
and about two and three, that He is “the second moving about the
seconds, and the third about the thirds;”784
| 784 Pseudo-Plat., Epist., ii. p. 312, D.E. The meaning
is very obscure. | —did this man think, that to learn the
truth concerning those who are said to have been produced from sensible
things, namely earth and heaven, was a task transcending his powers? It
is not to be believed for a moment. But because he thought it impossible
to believe that gods beget and are brought forth, since everything that
begins to be is followed by an end, and (for this is much more difficult)
to change the views of the multitude, who receive the fables without
examination, on this account it was that he declared it to be beyond his
powers to know and to speak concerning the origin of the other demons,
since he was unable either to admit or teach that gods were begotten. And
as regards that saying of his, “The great sovereign in heaven,
Zeus, driving a winged car, advances first, ordering and managing all
things, and there follow him a host of gods and demons,”785
| 785 Plat., Phœdr., p. 246,
E. | this does not refer to the Zeus who is said to have sprung
from Kronos; for here the name is given to the Maker of the universe. This
is shown by Plato himself: not being able to designate Him by another
title that should be suitable, he availed himself of the popular name,
not as peculiar to God, but for distinctness, because it is not possible
to discourse of God to all men as fully as one might; and he adds at
the same time the epithet “Great,” so as to distinguish the
heavenly from the earthly, the uncreated from the created, who is younger
than heaven and earth, and younger than the Cretans, who stole him away,
that he might not be killed by his father.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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