Chap. xiii.—how vain and trifling are the interpretations of the stoics respecting the gods, and in them concerning the origin of jupiter, concerning saturn and Ops.

If therefore these speculations of the philosophers are trifling, what remains, except that we believe it to be a matter of fact that, being a man, he suffered mutilation from a man? Unless by chance any one esteems him as a god who feared a co-heir; whereas, if he had possessed any divine knowledge, he ought not to have mutilated his father, but himself, to prevent the birth of Jupiter, who deprived him of the possession of his kingdom. And he also, when he had married his sister Rhea, whom in Latin we call Ops, is said to have been warned by an oracle not to bring up his male children, because it would come to pass that he should be driven into banishment by a son. And being in fear of this, it is plain that he did not devour his sons, as the fables report, but put them to death; although it is written in sacred history that Saturn and Ops, and other men, were at that time accustomed to eat human flesh, but that Jupiter, who gave to men laws and civilization, was the first who by an edict prohibited the use of that food. Now if this is true, what justice can there possibly have been in him? But let us suppose it to be a fictitious story that Saturn devoured his sons, only true after a certain fashion; must we then suppose, with the vulgar, that he has eaten his sons, who has carried them out to burial? But when Ops had brought forth Jupiter, she stole away the infant, and secretly sent him into Crete to be nourished. Again, I cannot but blame his want of foresight. For why did he receive an oracle from another, and not from himself? Being placed in heaven, why did he not see the things which were taking place on earth? Why did the Corybantes with their cymbals escape his notice? Lastly, why did there exist any greater force which might overcome his power? Doubtless, being aged, he was easily overcome by one who was young, and despoiled of his sovereignty. He was therefore banished and went into exile; and after long wanderings came into Italy in a ship, as Ovid relates in his Fasti:—  

Janus received him wandering and destitute; and the ancient coins are a proof of this, on which there is a representation of Janus with a double face, and on the other side a ship; as the same poet adds:—  

Not only therefore all the poets, but the writers also of ancient histories and events, agree that he was a man, inasmuch as they handed down to memory his actions in Italy: of Greek writers, Diodorus and Thallus; of Latin writers, Nepos, Cassius, and Varro. For since men lived in Italy after a rustic fashion,42    Virg., Æneid, viii. 321.  —  

Does any one imagine him to be a god, who was driven into banishment, who fled, who lay hid? No one is so senseless. For he who flees, or lies hid, must fear both violence and death. Orpheus, who lived in more recent times than his, openly relates that Saturn reigned on earth and among men:—  

And also our own Maro says:43    Georg., ii. 538.    

and in another place:44    Æneid, viii. 324.  —  

The poet did not say in the former passage that he led this life in heaven, nor in the latter passage that he reigned over the gods above. From which it appears that he was a king on earth; and this he declares more plainly in another place:45    Ibid., vi. 793.  —  

Ennius, indeed, in his translation of Euhemerus says that Saturn was not the first who reigned, but his father Uranus. In the beginning, he says, Cœlus first had the supreme power on the earth. He instituted and prepared that kingdom in conjunction with his brothers. There is no great dispute, if there is doubt, on the part of the greatest authorities respecting the son and the father. But it is possible that each may have happened: that Uranus first began to be pre-eminent in power among the rest, and to have the chief place, but not the kingdom; and that afterwards Saturn acquired greater resources, and took the title of king.  

CAPUT XIII. Quam vanae sint et inanes stoicorum interpretationes de diis; et ibi de Jovis ortu, Saturno et Ope.

Si ergo vanae sunt istae rationes philosophorum, quid superest, nisi ut vere factum esse credamus, id est hominem ab homine abscissum? nisi forte aliquis existimet deum fuisse, qui timuit cohaeredem: cum, si quid divinitatis habuisset, non patris genitalia debuerit amputare, sed propria, ne Jupiter nasceretur, 0187A qui eum regni possessione privavit. Idem 0187A sororem suam Rheam, quam latine Opem dicimus, cum haberet uxorem, responso vetitus esse dicitur, mares liberos educare; quod futurum esset, ut a filio pelleretur: quam rem metuens, natos sibi filios non utique devorabat (ut ferunt fabulae) sed necabat; quamquam scriptum sit in Historia sacra (scilicet Ennii) Saturnum, et Opem, caeterosque tunc homines humanam carnem solitos esitare: verum primum Jovem, leges hominibus moresque condentem, edicto prohibuisse ne liceret eo cibo vesci. Quod si verum est, quae potest in eo fuisse justitia? Sed fictum sane putemus, Saturnum filios devorasse, modo quum aliqua ratione: num idcirco, quod ait vulgus comedisse filios suos eum qui extulerit, sepulturaeque mandaverit? 0187B Ops autem cum Jovem peperisset, subtraxit infantem, eumque nutriendum furtim misit in Cretam. Rursum imprudentiam reprehendam necesse est. Cur enim responsum ab alio potius accepit? Cur in coelo constitutus, quae gerebantur in terra, non videbat? Cur 0188A eum Corybantes cymbalis fefellerunt? Postremo cur extitit aliqua vis major, quae illius vinceret potestatem? Nimirum senex a juvene facile victus est, ac spoliatus imperio. Fugit igitur, et in Italiam navigio venit, cum errasset diu; sicut expulsus Ovidius in Fastorum libris (libro primo) refert: Causa ratis superest. Thuscum rate venit ad amnem Ante pererrato falcifer orbe Deus.Hunc errantem atque inopem Janus excepit. Cujus rei argumenta sunt nummi veteres, in quibus est cum duplici fronte Janus, et in altera parte navis; sicut idem poeta (ibidem) subjecit: At bona posteritas puppim formavit in aere, Hospitis adventum testificata dei.

0188B Omnes ergo non tantum poetae, sed historiarum quoque ac rerum antiquarum scriptores, hominem fuisse consentiunt, qui res ejus in Italia gestas memoriae prodiderunt: Graeci, Diodorus et Thallus; Latini, Nepos et Cassius et Varro. Nam cum agresti 0189A quodam more in Italia viveretur, Is genus 0189A indocile, ac dispersum montibus altis Composuit; legesque dedit, Latiumque vocari Maluit, his quoniam latuisset tutus in oris.Censet ne aliquis deum esse, qui pulsus est, qui fugit, qui latuit? Nemo tam stultus est. Qui enim fugit aut latet, et vim et mortem timeat necesse est. Orpheus, qui temporibus ejus recentior fuit, aperte Saturnum in terra et apud homines regnasse commemorat: Πρώτιστος μὲν ἄνασσεν ἐπιχθονίων Κρόνος ἀνδρῶν, Ἐκ δὲ Κρόνου γένετ᾽ αὐτὸς ἄναξ, μέγας, εὐρυόπα Ζεὺς.Item Maro noster: Aureus hanc vitam in terris Saturnus agebat;Et alio loco: Aureaque (ut perhibent) illo sub rege fuere Saecula: sic placida populos in pace regebat.0189B Neque superius dixit in coelo egisse vitam, neque inferius superos in pace rexisse: unde apparet illum regem fuisse terrenum; quod alibi apertius declarat: Aurea condet Saecula; qui rursus Latio, regnata per arva Saturno quondam.Ennius quidem in Euhemero non primum dicit regnasse Saturnum, sed Uranum patrem. Initio, inquit, primus in terris imperium summum Coelus habuit; is id regnum una cum fratribus suis instituit atque paravit. Non magna dissensio, siquidem maximorum auctorum de filio ac patre dubitatio est. Sed tamen utrumque fieri potest: ut et primus Uranus eminere 0189C inter caeteros potentia coeperit, et principatum 0190A habere, non regnum; postea Saturnus majores sibi opes comparaverit, ac regium nomen asciverit.