43. For if this
deity4070
requires a
black, that
4071
a white
skin;
if sacrifice must be made to this one with veiled, to that with
uncovered head;
4072
| 4072
Saturn and Hercules were so worshipped. |
this one is
consulted about marriages,
4073
the other relieves
distresses,—may it not be of some importance whether the one or
the other is Novensilis, since ignorance of the facts and confusion of
persons displeases the gods, and leads necessarily to the contraction
of guilt? For suppose that I myself, to
avoid some inconvenience
and
peril, make
supplication to any one of these deities, saying, Be
present, be near,
divine Penates, thou Apollo, and thou, O Neptune, and
in your
divine clemency turn away all these evils, by which I am
annoyed,
4074
| 4074
The ms., first five edd., and Oehler
read terreor—“terrified;” the others
tor., as above, from the conjecture of Gifanius. |
troubled, and
tormented: will there be any
hope that I shall receive help from
them, if Ceres, Pales, Fortune, or the
genius Jovialis,
4075
| 4075 Cf.
ch. 40, note 21. It may further be observed that the Etruscans
held that the superior and inferior gods and men were linked together
by a kind of intermediate beings, through whom the gods took cognizance
of human affairs, without themselves descending to earth. These
were divided into four classes, assigned to Tina (Jupiter), Neptune,
the gods of the nether world, and men respectively. |
not Neptune and
Apollo, shall be the
dii Penates? Or if I invoked the
Curetes instead of the Lares, whom some of your writers maintain to be
the
Digiti Samothracii, how shall I enjoy their help and favour,
when I have not given them their own names, and
have given to
the others names not their own? Thus does our interest demand
that we should rightly know the gods, and not hesitate or doubt about
the power, the name of each; lest,
4076
| 4076 So
LB., Hild., and Oehler, reading nomine ne; all others
ut, the ms. having no
conjunction. |
if they be invoked with rites and
titles not their own, they have at once their ears stopped
against
our prayers, and hold us involved in guilt which may not be
forgiven.
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