14. But all this conceding
and ascribing of honour about which we are speaking are met with among
men alone, whom their natural weakness and love of standing above their
fellows4830
| 4830
Lit., “in higher places.” |
teach to
delight in arrogance, and in being preferred above others. But, I
ask, where is there
room for honour among the gods, or what greater
exaltation is found to be given
4831
| 4831
Lit., “what eminences is it found to be added,”
addier. So Hild. and Oehler for the reading of
ms., first four edd., and Oberthür
addere—“to add,” emended in rest from margin
of Ursinus accedere, much as above. |
to them by piling up
4832
| 4832
So the ms., reading
conjectionibus, which is retained in no edd., although its
primary meaning is exactly what the sense here requires. |
sacrifices? Do they become more venerable, more
powerful, when
cattle are sacrificed
to them? is there anything added to them
from this? or do they begin to be more
truly gods, their
divinity being increased? And yet I consider it almost an insult,
nay, an insult altogether, when it is said that a
god is honoured by a
man, and exalted by the offering of some
gift. For if honour
increases and augments the grandeur of him to whom it is given, it
follows that a
deity becomes greater by means of the man from whom he
has received the
gift, and the honour conferred on him; and thus the
matter is brought to this issue, that the god who is exalted by human
honours is the inferior, while, on the other hand, the man who
increases the power of a deity is his superior.
4833
| 4833 The last clause was omitted
in first four edd. and Elmh., and was inserted from the ms. by Meursius. |
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