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their evil desires, so that having these as advocates of their wickedness they might commit adultery, plunder, murder, and do all terrible things. 8.4 For if their gods did such things, how will the men who follow them not do such things? 8.5 From these practices of error, therefore, it came about that men have frequent wars and slaughters and bitter captivities.

9.1 But if we wish to examine each of their gods in our discourse, you will see much absurdity. 9.2 Thus there is introduced to them before all others a god called Cronus, and to him they sacrifice their own children. 9.3 He had many children by Rhea, and in a fit of madness he devoured his own children. 9.4 And they say that Zeus cut off his private parts and threw them into the sea, from which Aphrodite is fabled to have been born. Then Zeus, having bound his own father, cast him into Tartarus. 9.5 Do you see the error and licentiousness which they introduce concerning their god? Is it possible, then, for a god to be a prisoner and mutilated? O, the folly! Who in his right mind would say these things? 9.6 Secondly, Zeus is introduced, who they say reigned over their gods and changed himself into animals so that he might commit adultery with mortal women. 9.7 For they introduce him changing into a bull for Europa, and into gold for Danae, and into a swan for Leda, and into a satyr for Antiope, and into a thunderbolt for Semele; then that from these many children were born, Dionysus, and Zethus and Amphion, and Heracles, and Apollo and Artemis, and Perseus, and Castor and Helen and Polydeuces, and Minos, and Rhadamanthus, and Sarpedon, and the nine daughters whom they called Muses. Then they also introduce the story of Ganymede. 9.8 It came about therefore, O king, that men imitated all these things, and became adulterers and pederasts, and workers of other terrible deeds, in imitation of their god. 9.9 How then is it possible for a god to be an adulterer or a sodomite or a patricide?

10.1 In addition to this they also introduce a certain Hephaestus as a god, and him as lame and holding a hammer and tongs and working as a smith for the sake of his food. 10.2 Is he then in need? For it is not possible for a god to be lame and in need of men. 10.3 Then they introduce Hermes as a god who is covetous and a thief and a magician and lame and an interpreter of speeches. 10.4 For it is not possible for a god to be such a one. 10.5 And Asclepius they introduce as a god, being a physician and preparing drugs and compounding plasters for the sake of his food. For he was in need; and afterwards he was struck by lightning by Zeus because of Tyndareus the son of Lacedaemon, and he died. 10.6 And if Asclepius, being a god and struck by lightning, was not able to help himself, how will he help others? 10.7 And Ares is introduced as being a god who is a warrior and lustful after cattle and other things; and afterwards, while committing adultery with Aphrodite, he was bound by the child Eros and by Hephaestus. How then is he a god who is lustful and a warrior and a captive and an adulterer? 10.8 And they introduce Dionysus as a god, leading nocturnal festivals and a teacher of drunkenness and carrying off the wives of his neighbours and being mad and a fugitive; and afterwards he was slain by the Titans. If then Dionysus, being slain, was not able to help himself, but was also mad and a fugitive, how could he be a god? 10.9 And they introduce Heracles as being drunk and mad and slaying his own children, then consumed by fire and so died. How could a drunkard and child-murderer and one who is burned be a god? Or how could he help others, who was not able to help himself?

11.1 And Apollo they introduce as a god who is jealous, and also holding a bow and quiver, and at other times also a lyre and a plectrum and giving oracles to the

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τὰς ἐπιθυμίας αὐτῶν τὰς πονηράς, ἵνα τούτους συνηγόρους ἔχοντες τῆς κακίας μοιχεύωσιν, ἁρπάζωσι, φονεύωσι καὶ τὰ δεινὰ πάντα ποιῶσιν. 8.4 εἰ γὰρ οἱ θεοὶ αὐτῶν τοιαῦτα ἐποίησαν, πῶς καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ προσέχοντες αὐτοῖς ἄνθρωποι οὐ τοιαῦτα πράξουσιν; 8.5 ἐκ τούτων οὖν τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων τῆς πλάνης συνέβη τοῖς ἀνθρώ- ποις πολέμους ἔχειν συχνοὺς καὶ σφαγὰς καὶ αἰχμαλωσίας πικράς.

9.1 Ἀλλὰ καὶ καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν εἰ θελήσομεν ἐπεξελθεῖν τῷ λόγῳ, πολλὴν ὄψει ἀτοπίαν. 9.2 οὕτως παρεισάγεται αὐτοῖς πρὸ πάντων θεὸς ὁ λεγόμενος Κρόνος καὶ τούτῳ θύουσι τὰ ἴδια τέκνα. 9.3 ὃς ἔσχε παῖδας πολλοὺς ἐκ τῆς Ῥέας καὶ μανεὶς ἤσθιε τὰ ἴδια τέκνα. 9.4 φασὶ δὲ τὸν ∆ία κόψαι αὐτοῦ τὰ ἀναγκαῖα καὶ βαλεῖν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, ὅθεν Ἀφροδίτη μυθεύεται γεννηθῆναι. δήσας οὖν τὸν ἴδιον πατέρα ὁ Ζεὺς ἔβαλεν εἰς τὸν Τάρταρον. 9.5 ὁρᾷς τὴν πλάνην καὶ ἀσέλγειαν, ἣν παρεισάγουσι κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτῶν· ἐνδέχεται οὖν θεὸν εἶναι δέσμιον καὶ ἀπόκοπον; ὢ τῆς ἀνοίας· τίς τῶν νοῦν ἐχόντων ταῦτα φήσειεν; 9.6 δεύτερος παρεισάγεται ὁ Ζεύς, ὅν φασι βασιλεῦσαι τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν καὶ μεταμορφοῦσθαι εἰς ζῷα, ὅπως μοιχεύσῃ θνητὰς γυναῖκας. 9.7 παρεισάγουσι γὰρ τοῦτον μεταμορφούμενον εἰς ταῦρον πρὸς Εὐρώ-πην, καὶ εἰς χρυσὸν πρὸς ∆ανάην, καὶ εἰς κύκνον πρὸς Λήδαν, καὶ εἰς σάτυρον πρὸς Ἀντιόπην, καὶ εἰς κεραυνὸν πρὸς Σεμέλην· εἶτα γενέσθαι ἐκ τούτων τέκνα πολλά, ∆ιόνυσον, καὶ Ζῆθον καὶ Ἀμφίονα, καὶ Ἡρακλῆν, καὶ Ἀπόλλωνα καὶ Ἄρτεμιν, καὶ Περσέα, Κάστορά τε καὶ Ἑλένην καὶ Πολυδεύκην, καὶ Μίνωα, καὶ Ῥαδάμανθυν, καὶ Σαρπηδόνα, καὶ τὰς ἐννέα θυγατέρας ἃς προσηγόρευσαν Μούσας. εἶθ' οὕτως παρεισάγουσι τὰ κατὰ τὸν Γανυμήδην. 9.8 συνέβη οὖν, βασιλεῦ, τοῖς ἀνθρώποις μιμεῖσθαι ταῦτα πάντα, καὶ γίνεσθαι μοιχοὺς καὶ ἀρρενομανεῖς, καὶ ἄλλων δεινῶν ἔργων ἐργάτας, κατὰ μίμησιν τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτῶν. 9.9 πῶς οὖν ἐνδέχεται θεὸν εἶναι μοιχὸν ἢ ἀνδροβάτην ἢ πατροκτόνον;

10.1 Σὺν τούτῳ δὲ καὶ Ἥφαιστόν τινα παρεισάγουσι θεὸν εἶναι καὶ τοῦτον χωλὸν καὶ κρατοῦντα σφῦραν καὶ πυρολάβον καὶ χαλκεύοντα χάριν τροφῆς. 10.2 ἆρα ἐπενδεής ἐστιν; ὅπερ οὐκ ἐνδέχεται θεὸν εἶναι χωλὸν καὶ προσδεόμενον ἀνθρώπων. 10.3 εἶτα τὸν Ἡρμῆν παρεισάγουσι θεὸν εἶναι ἐπιθυμητὴν καὶ πλεονέκτην καὶ μάγον καὶ κυλλὸν καὶ λόγων ἑρμηνευτήν. 10.4 ὅπερ οὐκ ἐνδέχεται θεὸν εἶναι τοιοῦτον. 10.5 Τὸν δὲ Ἀσκληπιὸν παρεισάγουσι θεὸν εἶναι, ἰατρὸν ὄντα καὶ κατασκευάζοντα φάρμακα καὶ σύνθεσιν ἐμπλάστρων χάριν τροφῆς. ἐπενδεὴς γὰρ ἦν· ὕστερον δὲ κεραυνοῦσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ ∆ιὸς διὰ Τυνδάρεων Λακεδαίμονος υἱὸν καὶ ἀποθανεῖν. 10.6 εἰ δὲ Ἀσκληπιὸς θεὸς ὢν καὶ κεραυνωθεὶς οὐκ ἠδυνήθη ἑαυτῷ βοηθῆσαι πῶς ἄλλοις βοηθήσει; 10.7 Ἄρης δὲ παρεισάγεται θεὸς εἶναι πολεμιστὴς καὶ ἐπιθυμητὴς θρεμμάτων καὶ ἑτέρων τινῶν· ὕστερον δὲ αὐτὸν μοιχεύοντα τὴν Ἀφροδίτην δεθῆναι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ νηπίου Ἔρωτος καὶ ὑπὸ Ἡφαίστου. πῶς οὖν θεός ἐστιν ὁ ἐπιθυμητὴς καὶ πολεμιστὴς καὶ δέσμιος καὶ μοιχός; 10.8 Τὸν δὲ ∆ιόνυσον παρεισάγουσι θεὸν εἶναι, νυκτερινὰς ἄγοντα ἑορτὰς καὶ διδάσκαλον μέθης καὶ ἀποσπῶντα τὰς τῶν πλησίον γυναῖκας καὶ μαινόμενον καὶ φεύγοντα· ὕστερον δὲ αὐτὸν σφαγῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν Τιτάνων. εἰ οὖν ∆ιόνυσος σφαγεὶς οὐκ ἠδυνήθη ἑαυτῷ βοηθῆσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μαινόμενος ἦν καὶ δραπέτης, πῶς ἂν εἴη θεός; 10.9 Τὸν δὲ Ἡρακλῆν παρεισάγουσι μεθυσθῆναι καὶ μανῆναι καὶ τὰ ἴδια τέκνα σφάξαι, εἶτα πυρὶ ἀναλωθῆναι καὶ οὕτως ἀποθανεῖν. πῶς δ' ἂν εἴη θεὸς μέθυσος καὶ τεκνοκτόνος καὶ κατακαιόμενος; ἢ πῶς ἄλλοις βοηθῆσαι, ἑαυτῷ βοηθῆσαι μὴ δυνηθείς;

11.1 Τὸν δὲ Ἀπόλλωνα παρεισάγουσι θεὸν εἶναι ζηλωτήν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τόξον καὶ φαρέτραν κρατοῦντα, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ κιθάραν καὶ ἐπαυθίδα καὶ μαντευόμενον τοῖς