Chapter XX.—Testimony of Plato.

But Plato, though he accepted, as is likely, the doctrine of Moses and the other prophets regarding one only God, which he learned while in Egypt, yet fearing, on account of what had befallen Socrates, lest he also should raise up some Anytus or Meletus against himself, who should accuse him before the Athenians, and say, “Plato is doing harm, and making himself mischievously busy, not acknowledging the gods recognised by the state;” in fear of the hemlock-juice, contrives an elaborate and ambiguous discourse concerning the gods, furnishing by his treatise gods to those who wish them, and none for those who are differently disposed, as may readily be seen from his own statements. For when he has laid down that everything that is made is mortal, he afterwards says that the gods were made. If, then, he would have God and matter to be the origin of all things, manifestly it is inevitably necessary to say that the gods were made of matter; but if of matter, out of which he said that evil also had its origin, he leaves right-thinking persons to consider what kind of beings the gods should be thought who are produced out of matter. For, for this very reason did he say that matter was eternal,40    Or, “uncreated.” that he might not seem to say that God is the creator of evil. And regarding the gods who were made by God, there is no doubt he said this: “Gods of gods, of whom I am the creator.” And he manifestly held the correct opinion concerning the really existing God. For having heard in Egypt that God had said to Moses, when He was about to send him to the Hebrews, “I am that I am,”41    ὁ ὢν, “He who is; the Being.” he understood that God had not mentioned to him His own proper name.

Πλάτων δέ, ἀποδεξάμενος μέν, ὡς ἔοικεν, τὴν περὶ ἑνὸς καὶ μόνου θεοῦ Μωϋσέως καὶ τῶν ἄλλων προφητῶν διδασκαλίαν, ἣν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ γενόμενος ἔγνω, διὰ δὲ τὰ συμβεβηκότα Σωκράτει δεδιὼς μήπως καὶ αὐτὸς Ἄνυτόν τινα ἢ Μέλητον καθ' ἑαυτοῦ γενέσθαι παρασκευάσῃ κατηγοροῦντα αὐτοῦ παρ' Ἀθηναίοις καὶ λέγοντα: Πλάτων ἀδικεῖ καὶ περιεργάζεται, θεοὺς οὓς ἡ πόλις νομίζει οὐ νομίζων: φόβῳ τοῦ κωνείου ποικίλον τινὰ καὶ ἐσχηματισμένον τὸν περὶ θεῶν γυμνάζει λόγον, εἶναί τε θεοὺς τοῖς βουλομένοις καὶ μὴ εἶναι οἷς τἀναντία δοκεῖ τῷ λόγῳ κατασκευάζων, ὡς ἔσται ῥᾴδιον ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ λεχθέντων γνῶναι. Πᾶν γὰρ τὸ γενόμενον θνητὸν προαποφηνάμενος εἶναι, ὕστερον θεοὺς γεγενῆσθαι λέγει. Εἰ τοίνυν ἀρχὴν ἁπάντων τὸν θεὸν καὶ τὴν ὕλην εἶναι βούλεται, δῆλον ὅτι ἀνάγκη πᾶσα ἐξ ὕλης τοὺς θεοὺς γεγενῆσθαι λέγειν. Εἰ δὲ ἐξ ὕλης, ἐξ ἧς καὶ τὸ κακὸν ὡρμῆσθαι ἔφη, οἵους εἶναι τοὺς θεοὺς τοὺς ἐξ ὕλης γενομένους οἴεσθαι προσήκει, τοῖς εὖ φρονοῦσι παρῆκε σκοπεῖν. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἀγένητον τὴν ὕλην ἔφησεν εἶναι, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ τὸν θεὸν τοῦ κακοῦ ποιητὴν εἶναι λέγειν. Καὶ περὶ μὲν τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ δημιουργηθέντων θεῶν ταῦτ' εἰρηκὼς φαίνεται: Θεοὶ θεῶν, ὧν ἐγὼ δημιουργός. Περὶ δὲ τοῦ ὄντως ὄντος θεοῦ τὴν ὀρθὴν ἔχων φαίνεται δόξαν. Ἀκηκοὼς γὰρ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τὸν θεὸν τῷ Μωϋσεῖ εἰρηκέναι Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν, ὁπηνίκα πρὸς τοὺς Ἑβραίους αὐτὸν ἀποστέλλειν ἔμελλεν, ἔγνω ὅτι οὐ κύριον ὄνομα ἑαυτοῦ ὁ θεὸς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔφη.