18. What then? Do the
gods remain always in such substances, and do they not go away to any
place, even though summoned by the most momentous affairs? or do they
have free passage, when they please to go any whither, and to leave
their own seats and images? If they are under the necessity of
remaining, what can be more wretched than they, what more unfortunate
than if hooks and leaden bonds hold them fast in this wise on their
pedestals? but if we allow that they prefer these images
to heaven and the starry seats, they have lost their divine
power.4714
| 4714 It
will be seen that these words fit into the indirect argument of
Arnobius very well, although transposed in LB. to the end of last
chapter, and considered a gloss by Orelli and Hildebrand.
“See the consequences,” Arnobius says, “of supposing
that the gods do not quit these images: not merely are they in a
wretched case, but they must further lose their power as
divinities.” Meursius, with, more reason, transposes the
clause to the end of the next sentence, which would be justifiable if
necessary. |
But if,
on the contrary, when they choose, they
fly forth, and are perfectly
free to leave the statues empty, the images will then at some time
cease to be gods, and it will be doubtful when sacrifices should be
offered,—when it is right and fitting to withhold them.
Oftentimes we see that by artists these images are at one time made
small, and reduced to the size of the hand, at another raised to an
immense height, and built up to a wonderful size. In this way,
then, it follows that we should understand that the gods contract
themselves in
4715
| 4715
Perhaps “into,” as Arnobius sometimes uses the abl.
after in instead of the acc. |
little
statuettes, and are compressed till they become like
4716
| 4716
Lit., “compressed to the similitude of.” |
a strange body; or, again,
that
they stretch themselves out to a great length, and extend to
immensity in images of vast bulk. So, then, if this is the case,
in sitting statues also the gods should be said to be seated, and in
standing ones to stand, to be running in those stretching forward to
run, to be hurling javelins in those
represented as casting
them, to fit and fashion themselves to their countenances, and
to make themselves like
4717
| 4717
Lit., “to adapt their similitude to.” |
the other characteristics of the body
formed by the
artist.
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