38. How, then, can you give
to religion its whole power, when you fall into error about the gods
themselves? or summon us to their solemn worship, while you give us no
definite information how to conceive of the deities themselves?
For, to take no notice of the other4037
| 4037
Lit., “in the middle,” “intermediate.” |
authors, either the first
4038
makes away
with and
destroys six
divine Muses, if they are certainly nine; or the
last
4039
adds six who
have no existence to the three who alone really are; so that it cannot
be known or understood what should be added, what taken away; and in
the performance of
religious rites we are in
danger4040
| 4040 Lit.,
“the undertaking of religion itself is brought into the
danger,” etc. |
of either worshipping that which does not
exist, or passing that by which, it may be, does exist. Piso
believes that the Novensiles are nine gods, set up among the Sabines at
Trebia.
4041
Granius
thinks that they are the Muses, agreeing with Ælius; Varro
teaches
that they are nine,
4042
| 4042
Lit., “that the number is nine.” [i.e., a triad of
triads; the base a triad, regarded, even by heathen, as of mystical
power.] |
because, in doing anything,
that
number is always reputed most
powerful and greatest;
Cornificius,
4043
| 4043 A
grammarian who lived in the time of Augustus, not to be confounded with
Cicero’s correspondent. |
that they
watch over the renewing of things,
4044
because, by their care, all things are
afresh
renewed in
strength, and
endure; Manilius, that they are the
nine gods to whom alone
Jupiter gave
power to wield his
thunder.
4045
| 4045
The Etruscans held (Pliny, H. N., ii. 52) that nine gods
could thunder, the bolts being of different kinds: the Romans so
far maintained this distinction as to regard thunder during the day as
sent by Jupiter, at night by Summanus. |
Cincius
declares them to be deities brought from abroad, named from their very
newness, because the
Romans were in the
habit of sometimes individually
introducing into their families the rites
4046
| 4046 So
LB., reading relig- for the ms. reg-iones. |
of conquered cities, while some they
publicly consecrated; and lest, from their great number, or in
ignorance, any god should be passed by, all alike were briefly and
compendiously invoked under one
name—Novensiles.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
