73. But are we alone in this
position?3896
| 3896
The ms. reads unintelligibly
vertitur solæ; for which LB., followed by the later edd.
reads, as above, vertimur soli. |
What!
have you not introduced into the number of your gods the Egyptian
deities named Serapis and Isis, since the consulship of Piso and
Gabinius?
3897
| 3897
Dr. Schmitz (Smith’s Dict., 3. v. Isis) speaks of
these consuls as heading the revolt against the decree of the senate,
that the statues of Isis and Serapis should be removed from the
Capitol. The words of Tertullian (quoting Varro as his authority)
are very distinct: “The consul Gabinius…gave more
weight to the decision of the senate than the popular impulse, and
forbade their altars (i.e., those of Serapis, Isis, Arpocrates, and
Anubis) to be set up” (ad Nationes, i. 10, cf.
Apol., 6). |
What!
did you not begin both to know and be acquainted with, and to
worship
with remarkable honours, the Phrygian mother—who, it is said, was
first set up as a
goddess by Midas or Dardanus—when Hannibal, the
Carthaginian, was plundering
Italy and aiming at the empire of the
world?
3898
Are
not the
sacred rites of mother Ceres, which were
adopted but a little
while ago, called Græca because they were unknown to you, their
name bearing witness to their novelty? Is it not said
3899
in the
writings of the
learned, that the rituals of Numa Pompilius do not
contain the name of Apollo? Now it is clear and manifest from
this, that he, too, was unknown to you, but that at some time
afterwards he began to be known also. If any one, therefore,
should ask you why you have so lately begun to
worship those deities
whom we mentioned just now, it is certain that you will reply, either
because we were
till lately not aware that they were gods, or
because we have now been
warned by the seers, or because, in very
trying circumstances, we have been
preserved by their favour and
help. But if you think that this is well said by you, you must
consider that, on our part, a similar reply has been made. Our
religion has sprung up just now; for now He has arrived who was sent to
declare it to us, to bring
us to its truth; to show what God is;
to summon us from mere conjectures, to His worship.
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