21. But this, too, it is
fitting that we should here learn from you: If a goat be slain to
Jupiter, which is usually sacrificed to father Liber and
Mercury,4863
| 4863
Goats were sacrificed to Bacchus, but not, so far as is known, to
Mercury. Cf. c. 16, p. 524, n. 3. |
or if the
barren heifer be sacrificed to Unxia, which you give to Proserpine, by
what usage and rule is it determined what
crime there is in this, what
wickedness or guilt has been contracted, since it makes no difference to
the
worship offered to the deity what
animal it is with whose
head the honour is paid which you owe? It is not
lawful, says
my opponent, that these things should be
confounded, and it is
no
small crime to throw the ceremonies of the rites and the mode of
expiation into confusion. Explain the reason, I beg.
Because it is right to
consecrate victims of a certain
kind to certain
deities, and that certain forms of
supplication should be also
adopted. And what, again, is the reason that it is right to
consecrate victims of a certain
kind to certain deities, and that
certain forms of
supplication should be also
adopted, for this very
rightfulness should have its own cause, and spring, be derived from
certain reasons? Are you going to speak about
antiquity and
custom?
If so, you relate to me merely the opinions of
men, and the inventions of a
blind creature: but I, when I
request a reason to be brought forward to me, wish to hear either that
something has fallen from
heaven, or, which the subject rather
requires, what relation
Jupiter has to a bull’s
blood that it
should be offered in
sacrifice to him, not to Mercury
or
Liber. Or what are the
natural properties of a
goat, that they
again should be suited to these gods, should not be adapted to the
sacrifices of
Jupiter? Has a partition of the
animals been made
amongst the gods? Has some contract been made and agreed to, so
that
4864
| 4864
Lit. “by the paction of some transaction is it,” etc. |
it is
fitting that this one should hold himself back from the victim which
belongs to that, that the other should cease
4865
| 4865
So all except both Roman edd., which retain the ms. reading desi-d-eret (corrected -n-
by Gelenius)—“wish.” |
to claim as his own the
blood which
belongs to another? Or, as
envious boys, are they
unwilling to
allow others to have a share in enjoying the cattle presented to them?
or, as is reported to be done by races which differ greatly in manners,
are the same things which by one party are considered fit for eating,
rejected as food by others?
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