11. You laugh because in
ancient times the Persians worshipped rivers, as is told in the
writings which hand down these things to memory; the Arabians an
unshapen stone;4642
| 4642
It is worthy of notice that although in this passage, as often
elsewhere, Arnobius adheres pretty closely to the argument proposed by
Clemens Alexandrinus, he even in such passages sometimes differs from
it, and not at random. Thus Clement speaks merely of a
“stone,” and Arnobius of an “unshaped
stone.” The former expression harmonizes with the words of
Maximus Tyrius (Serm., xxxviii. p. 225, Steph.), “The
Arabians worship I know not whom, but the image which I saw was a
square stone;” while Suidas (Küster’s ed., s.v.
θεὺς
῎Αρης) agrees with Arnobius in calling
it a “stone, black, square, unfashioned” (ἀτύπωτος). This
is the more noteworthy, as at times Arnobius would almost seem to be
following Clement blindly. [See Clement, cap. iv. vol. ii. p.
184, this series.] |
the
Scythian
nations a sabre; the Thespians a
branch instead of
Cinxia;
4643
| 4643
So Arnobius renders Clement’s Cithæronian Hera. |
the
Icarians
4644
| 4644
So corrected in the notes of Canterus from Clem. for the
ms. reading Carios, retained by
the first four edd. and Elmenh. In Icaria there was a temple of
Diana called Ταυροπόλιον. |
an unhewn log
instead of
Diana; the people of Pessinus a flint instead of the mother
of the gods; the
Romans a
spear instead of Mars, as the muses of Varro
point out; and, before they were acquainted with the statuary’s
art, the Samians a plank
4645
| 4645
The ms. and first four edd. read
p-uteum—“a well,” corrected plut., as
above, by Gifanius, and in the notes of Canterus. |
instead of Juno, as Aëthlius
4646
| 4646
The ms. reads ethedius,
corrected in the notes of Canterus. |
relates: and you do not
laugh when, instead of the
immortal gods,
you make
supplication to little images of men and human
forms—nay, you even suppose that these very little images are
gods, and besides these you do not believe that anything has
divine
power. What say you, O ye—! Do the gods of
heaven
have
ears, then, and
temples, an occiput, spine, loins, sides, hams,
buttocks, houghs,
4647
| 4647
So all edd., except both Roman edd., which retain the
ms. reading in the singular,
suffraginem. |
ankles,
and the
rest of the other members with which we have been formed, which
were also mentioned in the first part
of this book4648
| 4648
i. e., iii. 13. p. 467. |
a little
more fully, and cited with greater copiousness of
language? Would
that it were possible
4649
| 4649
Lit., “it was allowed.” |
to look into the sentiments and very
recesses of your
mind, in which you revolve various and enter into the
most obscure considerations: we should find that you yourselves
even feel as we do, and have no other opinions as to the form of the
deities. But what can we do with obstinate prejudices? what with
those who are menacing
us with
swords, and devising new
punishments
against us? In your rage
4650
| 4650 So
Meursius suggested amentes for the ms. reading animantis for which Heraldus
proposed argumentis—“by arguments.” |
you maintain a bad cause,
and that
although you are perfectly aware
of it; and that which you
have once done without reason, you defend lest you should seem to have
ever been in ignorance; and you think it better not to be conquered,
than to yield and bow to acknowledged truth.
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