Eustathius of Antioch, Against the Belly-Myther Against Origen

that this has never happened in any way, or that the upright man was brought up by the ventriloquist and the demon. 26.8 Therefore, by a pious act, seeming to deny his own words, does he deceitfully introduce the same vain opinion by another method? But through the very means by which he seems to defend himself, he introduces falsehood as truth. 26.9 And does he not reverence so many and 20such legislative decrees, nor the concordant20 prophetic testimonies, nor the other orthodox harmonies of historiography? But having reasoned fallaciously about the all-holy sayings, by his own choice he confirms the words of the ventriloquist, decreeing newer instruments of idolatry, and introducing the impious divination of demons. 26.10 And not even the composite name persuades him what sort of conduct it implies; for "ventriloquist" is interpreted from showing a myth fabricated in the belly, and the composition of the myth is formed, staged plausibly within the belly, uttering not truth but falsehood outright. At any rate, those who have engaged with various literary accounts know far better what its nature is.

27.1 And even if, burning with superstition, he should Hellenic divination

secretly introduce, yet I do not think I should shrink from refuting his lack of understanding on this point also in a few words, as is fitting. 27.2 For the handbooks of rhetoric clearly state that a myth is a fabrication composed with entertainment for some useful purpose in life; and it is called a "fabrication" because it is, they say, admittedly fabricated; for it would no longer be considered a myth if it had happened in reality. 27.3 But if it is the composition of an improvised fabrication or myth-making, it has indeed been proven to be far from the reality of deeds, while in word it represents the substance of things, lacking in action; for it seems to speak plausibly of things that are not as if they were, and by narrative it introduces a fabricated imitation; it therefore gives form to non-existent things, with no underlying foundation that is in any way firm. 27.4 And the fabrication of myth seems to me to differ in no way from a lifeless sketch; for, I think, it is sketched out with a line in the likeness of a painting; indeed, with a similar resemblance, it personifies a subject, looking to some part of it, and it shapes 27.5 the things themselves by imitation with taut lines. It maintains, therefore, a lack of correspondence in each of the rhythms to the highest degree, and writes the high points of a war and the end, resembling a foundation, and speaking lips and peculiarities of voices, and laughter and weeping, or princely orations or symposia and revels or Bacchic rites or initiations or intemperate drunkenness or erotic drunken violence or robber raids or irreparable destructions or indiscriminate slaughters or pretenses of poverty or inflows of wealth. 27.6 So it describes everything with plausibility, and with lifelike personification it recounts inert actions; for myth-makers, selecting florid words, themselves create varied kinds of colors and interweave them with personification; then, coloring them with sweet words, they bring together the whole narrative of the myth, and just as painters of small figures depict the bloom of the face, painting in wax with red and flowery colors; 27.7 but hastening to set material characters to music with words and figures, they fall short of the reality of truth itself. But these men in such a way embellish the images of myths; and from this some musical harmony is composed and the invention of poetic vanity.

28.1 At any rate, Plato, when asked, defines that there are discourses of music

[of discourses]; "Of discourse," he said, "there is a twofold kind, the one true, and the other false; and one must be educated in both, but first in the false ones." For he said previously that children are enchanted by the incantation of myths. "This is, so to speak, as a whole false, but there is also truth in it. 28.2 Is not the beginning of every work the most important part, especially when

τοῦτο μηδεπώποτε γεγονέναι μηδαμῶς ἢ διὰ τῆς ἐγγαστριμύθου καὶ τοῦ δαίμονος ἀνῆχθαι τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν ὄρθιον. 26.8 ἆρ' οὖν ἀφοσιώσει τὰς ἑαυτοῦ φωνὰς ἀρνεῖσθαι δοκῶν ἄλλῃ μεθόδῳ τὴν αὐτὴν εἰσηγεῖται δοξοκοπίαν ἀπατηλῶς; ἀλλὰ δι' ὧν μὲν ἔοικεν ἀπολογεῖσθαι, διὰ τούτων ὡς ἀλήθειαν εἰσηγεῖται τὸ ψεῦδος. 26.9 οὐ καταιδοῦσι δὲ αὐτὸν αἱ τοσαῦται καὶ 20τοιαῦται νομοθετικαὶ ψηφοφορίαι, οὐ σύμφωνοι20 προφητικαὶ μαρτυρίαι, οὐχ αἱ λοιπαὶ τῆς ἱστοριογραφίας ὁμόδοξοι συνῳδίαι· τὰ δὲ δὴ πανάγια παραλογισάμενος ἀποφθέγματα, προαιρέσει βεβαιοῖ τὰ τῆς ἐγγαστριμύθου ῥήματα, καινότερα μὲν εἰδωλολατρείας ὄργανα θεσπίζων, ἀσεβεῖ δὲ μαντείᾳ δαιμόνων ἐπεισκυκλῶν. 26.10 οὐ πείθει δὲ αὐτὸν οὐδὲ τὸ σύνθετον ὄνομα ποταπὴν ἔχει διαγωγήν· ἡ γὰρ ἐγγαστρίμυθος ἑρμηνεύεται παρὰ τὸ μῦθον ἐν γαστρὶ πεπλασμένον ἐμφαίνειν, ἡ δὲ τοῦ μύθου σύνθεσις ἐσχημάτισται σκηνοπηγουμένη πιθανῶς εἴσω γαστρός, οὐκ ἀλήθειαν ἀλλὰ τὸ ψεῦδος ἄντικρυς ἐκφωνεῖ. μακρῷ γοῦν ἄμεινον ἴσασιν οἱ ποικίλαις ὁμιλήσαντες λόγων ἀναφοραῖς ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ γένος αὐτοῦ.

27.1 Κἂν τὰ μάλιστα δὲ δεισιδαιμονίαν πυρέττων Ἑλληνικὴν μαντείαν

εἰσηγῆται λεληθότως, ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐ παραιτητέον ἡγοῦμαι κἀντεῦθεν ἐλέγξαι τὴν ἀξυνεσίαν αὐτοῦ δι' ὀλίγων, ὡς δέον. 27.2 αἱ γάρ τοι ῥητορικαὶ δηλοῦσι τεχνογραφίαι σαφῶς ὅτι μῦθός ἐστι πλάσμα συγκείμενον μετὰ ψυχαγωγίας πρός τι τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ χρήσει διαφέρον· πλάσμα δὲ δήπουθεν εἴρηται παρὰ τὸ πεπλάσθαι, φασίν, αὐτὸ συνωμολογημένως· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἔτι νομίζοιτο μῦθος, εἰ γεγονὼς εἴη κατὰ ἀλήθειαν. 27.3 εἰ δὲ πλάσματος αὐτοσχεδίου σύνθεσίς ἐστιν ἢ μυθοποιία, πόρρω μὲν ἔργῳ ἀληθείας ἐλήλεγκται, λόγῳ δὲ πραγμάτων ὕλας εἰκονίζει τῇ πράξει λειπομένη· τὰ γὰρ οὐκ ὄντα πιθανολογεῖν ἔοικεν ὡς ὄντα, καὶ διηγήσει μίμησιν εἰσάγει πεπλασμένην· ἀνυπόστατα τοίνυν εἰδοποιεῖ πράγματα, μηδεμιᾶς ὑποκειμένης ἕδρας ὡς οἷόν τε βεβαίας. 27.4 οὐδὲν δέ μοι δοκεῖ διαφέρειν ἀψύχου σκιαγραφίας ἡ τοῦ μύθου πλαστουργία· καθ' ὁμοιότητα γάρ, οἶμαι, τοῦ πίνακος αὐτῇ διαχαράττεται τῇ γραμμῇ· παραπλησίῳ γέ τοι προσεμφερείᾳ προσωποποιεῖ μὲν ὑπόθεσιν, εἴς τι μέρος ἀποβλέπουσα, αὐτὰ δὲ σχηματίζει 27.5 τῇ μιμήσει τὰ πράγματα γραμμαῖς ἐντεταμέναις. ἀνομολογίαν μὲν οὖν ἐφ' ἑκάστων ἐς τὰ μάλιστα τηρεῖ τῶν ῥυθμῶν, ἄκρα τε πολέμου γράφει καὶ τέλος, ἐοικότα βάσει, καὶ χείλη φθεγγόμενα καὶ φωνῶν ἰδιώματα, καὶ γέλωτας καὶ κλαυθμούς, ἢ δημηγορίας ἀρχοντικὰς ἢ συμπόσια καὶ κώμους ἢ βακχείας ἢ τελετὰς ἢ μέθας ἀκολάστους ἢ παροινίας ἐρωτικὰς ἢ λῃστρικὰς ἁρπαγὰς ἢ φθορὰς ἀνηκέστους ἢ σφαγὰς ἀκρίτους ἢ πενίας ὑποκρίσεις ἢ πλούτων ἐπιρροίας. 27.6 εἰκοτολογίᾳ μὲν οὖν ἅπαντα χαρακτηρίζει, προσωποποιίᾳ δὲ προσεμφερεῖ διαγορεύει πράξεις ἀδρανεῖς· οἱ γάρ τοι μυθοποιοὶ τὰς ἀνθηρὰς ἀναλεγόμενοι λέξεις αὐτουργοῦσι ποικίλα χρωμάτων εἴδη καὶ τῇ προσωποποιίᾳ συμπλέκουσιν· εἶτα λόγοις ἐπιχρώσαντες ἡδέσι, πᾶσαν μὲν ἐπισυνάγουσι τὴν τοῦ μύθου διήγησιν, ὥσπερ δὲ ζῳδιογράφοι τὴν τῆς ὄψεως εἰκονίζουσιν ὥραν, ἐρυθροῖς ἠδ' ἀνθινοῖς χρώμασι κηρογραφοῦντες· 27.7 ῥήμασι δὲ καὶ σχήμασι μελοποιεῖν ἐπειγόμενοι χαρακτῆρας ὑλικούς, ἔργῳ τῆς ἀληθείας αὐτῆς ἀποδέουσιν. ἀλλ' οὖτοι μὲν τοιούτῳ ποικίλλουσι τρόπῳ τὰς τῶν μύθων εἰκόνας· ἐντεῦθεν δὲ μουσική τις ἁρμονία συνίσταται καὶ ποιητικῆς οἰησικοπίας εὕρεσις.

28.1 Ἀμέλει γοῦν ἐρόμενος ὁ Πλάτων μουσικῆς μὲν εἶναι λόγους ὁρίζεται

[λόγων]· «λόγων δὲ διττὸν εἶδος» ἔφη «τὸ μὲν ἀληθές, ψεῦδος δὲ θάτερον· παιδευτέον δὲ ἐν ἀμφοτέροις, ἀλλά γε πρότερον ἐν τοῖς ψευδέσι». προηγουμένως γὰρ εἶπε τὰ παιδία καταθέλγεσθαι μύθων ἐπαοιδῇ. «τοῦτο δέ που ὡς τὸ ὅλον εἰπεῖν ψεῦδος, ἔνι δὲ καὶ ἀληθές. 28.2 οὐκοῦν ἀρχὴ παντὸς ἔργου μέγιστον, ἄλλως τε δὴ