ANF06. Fathers of the Third Century: Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius the Great, Julius Africanus, Anatolius, and Minor Writers, Methodius, Arnobius

2. For we—but, perhaps, you would rob and deprive us of common-sense—feel and perceive that none of these has divine power, or possesses a form of its own;⁴⁰⁸³

⁴⁰⁸³ Lit., “is contained in a form of its own kind.”
but that, on the contrary, they are the excellence of manhood,⁴⁰⁸⁴

⁴⁰⁸⁴ i.e., manliness.
the safety of the safe, the honour of the respected, the victory of the conqueror, the harmony of the allied, the piety of the pious, the recollection of the observant, the good fortune, indeed, of him who lives happily and without exciting any ill-feeling. Now it is easy to perceive that, in speaking thus, we speak most reasonably when we observe⁴⁰⁸⁵

⁴⁰⁸⁵ Lit., “which it is easy to perceive to be said by us with the greatest truth from,” etc.,—so most edd. reading nobis; but the ms., according to Crusius, gives vobis—“you,” as in Orelli and Oberthür.
the contrary qualities opposed to them, misfortune, discord, forgetfulness, injustice, impiety, baseness of spirit, and unfortunate⁴⁰⁸⁶

⁴⁰⁸⁶ Lit., “less auspicious.”
weakness of body. For as these things happen accidentally, and⁴⁰⁸⁷

⁴⁰⁸⁷ The ms., first four edd., and Elmenhorst, read, quæ—“which;” the rest, as above, que.
depend on human acts and chance moods, so their contraries, named⁴⁰⁸⁸

⁴⁰⁸⁸ Lit., “what is opposed to them named,” nominatum; a correction by Oehler for the ms. nominatur—“is named.”
after more agreeable qualities, must be found in others; and from these, originating in this wise, have arisen those invented names.
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