Tertullian, To the Nations

Chapter viii.—the gods of the different nations. varro’s gentile class. their inferiority. a good deal of this perverse theology taken from scripture.

Chapter ix.—the power of rome. romanized aspect of all the heathen mythology. varro’s threefold distribution criticised. roman heroes (æneas included,

Chapter x.—a disgraceful feature of the roman mythology. it honours such infamous characters as larentina.

Chapter xi.—the romans provided gods for birth, nay, even before birth, to death. much indelicacy in this system.

Chapter xii. —the original deities were human—with some very questionable characteristics. saturn or time was human. inconsistencies of opinion about

Chapter xiii. —the gods human at first. who had the authority to make them divine? jupiter not only human, but immoral.

Chapter xiv.—gods, those which were confessedly elevated to the divine condition, what pre-eminent right had they to such honour? hercules an inferior

Chapter xv.—the constellations and the genii very indifferent gods. the roman monopoly of gods unsatisfactory. other nations require deities quite as

Chapter xvi.—inventors of useful arts unworthy of deification. they would be the first to acknowledge a creator. the arts changeable from time to time

Chapter xvii. —conclusion, the romans owe not their imperial power to their gods. the great god alone dispenses kingdoms, he is the god of the christi

Chapter XV.228 Comp. The Apology, c. ix.—The Charge of Infanticide Retorted on the Heathen.

Since we are on a par in respect of the gods, it follows that there is no difference between us on the point of sacrifice, or even of worship,229 Sacri. if I may be allowed to make good our comparison from another sort of evidence. We begin our religious service, or initiate our mysteries, with slaying an infant. As for you, since your own transactions in human blood and infanticide have faded from your memory, you shall be duly reminded of them in the proper place; we now postpone most of the instances, that we may not seem to be everywhere230 He refers in this passage to his Apology, especially c. ix. handling the selfsame topics. Meanwhile, as I have said, the comparison between us does not fail in another point of view. For if we are infanticides in one sense, you also can hardly be deemed such in any other sense; because, although you are forbidden by the laws to slay new-born infants, it so happens that no laws are evaded with more impunity or greater safety, with the deliberate knowledge of the public, and the suffrages231 Tabellis. of this entire age.232 Unius ætatis. This Oehler explains by “per unam jam totam hanc ætatem.” Yet there is no great difference between us, only you do not kill your infants in the way of a sacred rite, nor (as a service) to God. But then you make away with them in a more cruel manner, because you expose them to the cold and hunger, and to wild beasts, or else you get rid of them by the slower death of drowning. If, however, there does occur any dissimilarity between us in this matter,233 Genere. you must not overlook the fact that it is your own dear children234 Pignora, scil. amoris. whose life you quench; and this will supplement, nay, abundantly aggravate, on your side of the question, whatever is defective in us on other grounds. Well, but we are said to sup off our impious sacrifice! Whilst we postpone to a more suitable place235 See Apology, c. ix. whatever resemblance even to this practice is discoverable amongst yourselves, we are not far removed from you in voracity. If in the one case there is unchastity, and in ours cruelty, we are still on the same footing (if I may so far admit our guilt236 Si forte.) in nature, where cruelty is always found in concord with unchastity. But, after all, what do you less than we; or rather, what do you not do in excess of us? I wonder whether it be a small matter to you237 Parum scilicet? to pant for human entrails, because you devour full-grown men alive? Is it, forsooth, only a trifle to lick up human blood, when you draw out238 Elicitis. the blood which was destined to live? Is it a light thing in your view to feed on an infant, when you consume one wholly before it is come to the birth?239 Infantem totum præcocum.

15. Plures Onocoetae penes vos deprehenduntur. Si in deis aequalitate concurrimus, sequitur, ut sacrificii vel sacri quoque inter nos diversitas nulla sit, ut ex alia specie comparationis satis fiat. Nos infanticidio litamus sive initiamus? Vos, si de memoria abierunt, quae caede hominis, quaeque infanticidiis transegisse, recognoscetis suo ordine; nunc enim differimus pleraque, ne cadem videamur ubique retractare. Interim, ut dixi, ex alia parte non deest adaequatio. Nam etsi nos aliter , amen non aliter vos quoque infanticidae, qui infantes editos enecantes legibus quidem prohibemini, sed nullae magis 0580B leges tam impune, tam secure sub omnium conscientiae unius ae . . . . . . . tabellis eluduntur. Sed nec eo distant, si vos non ritu sacri, neque deo necatis. Atquin in hoc asperius, quod frigore et fame, aut bestiis . . . . . . . . . . . tis, aut longiore in aquis morte demergitis. At et si quo . . . . . . . . dissimilius penes vos fit, eo addicite, quo vestra pignora ex. . . . . . . . . . s, et supplebitur. Imo superacervabitur in vobis quidquid. . . . . ratione defecerit. Sed de ea impietatis hostia dicimur. . . . . dum ita quoque in vobis recognoscitur, ubi opportunius positum est, non multo secernimur a vestra voracitate, si illa impudica est, nostra vero crudelis, conjungimur si forte natura, qua semper saevitia cum impudicitia concordat.