Chapter XXII.—Pretended Symbolical Explanations.

But perhaps these things are poetic vagary, and there is some natural explanation of them, such as this by Empedocles:—

If, then, Zeus is fire, and Hera the earth, and Aïdoneus the air, and Nêstis water, and these are elements—fire, water, air—none of them is a god, neither Zeus, nor Hera, nor Aïdoneus; for from matter separated into parts by God is their constitution and origin:—

Here are things which without harmony cannot abide; which would be brought to ruin by strife: how then can any one say that they are gods? Friendship, according to Empedocles, has an aptitude to govern, things that are compounded are governed, and that which is apt to govern has the dominion; so that if we make the power of the governed and the governing one and the same, we shall be, unawares to ourselves, putting perishable and fluctuating and changeable matter on an equality with the uncreated, and eternal, and ever self-accordant God. Zeus is, according to the Stoics, the fervid part of nature; Hera is the air (ἀήρ)—the very name, if it be joined to itself, signifying this;85    Perhaps ἡρ (αηρ) α. Poseidon is what is drunk (water, πόσις). But these things are by different persons explained of natural objects in different ways. Some call Zeus twofold masculine-feminine air; others the season which brings about mild weather, on which account it was that he alone escaped from Kronos. But to the Stoics it may be said, If you acknowledge one God, the supreme and uncreated and eternal One, and as many compound bodies as there are changes of matter, and say that the Spirit of God, which pervades matter, obtains according to its variations a diversity of names, the forms of matter will become the body of God; but when the elements are destroyed in the conflagration, the names will necessarily perish along with the forms, the Spirit of God alone remaining. Who, then, can believe that those bodies, of which the variation according to matter is allied to corruption, are gods? But to those who say that Kronos is time, and Rhea the earth, and that she becomes pregnant by Kronos, and brings forth, whence she is regarded as the mother of all; and that he begets and devours his offspring; and that the mutilation is the intercourse of the male with the female, which cuts off the seed and casts it into the womb, and generates a human being, who has in himself the sexual desire, which is Aphrodité; and that the madness of Kronos is the turn of season, which destroys animate and inanimate things; and that the bonds and Tartarus are time, which is changed by seasons and disappears;—to such persons we say, If Kronos is time, he changes; if a season, he turns about; if darkness, or frost, or the moist part of nature, none of these is abiding; but the Deity is immortal, and immoveable, and unalterable: so that neither is Kronos nor his image God. As regards Zeus again: If he is air, born of Kronos, of which the male part is called Zeus and the female Hera (whence both sister and wife), he is subject to change; if a season, he turns about: but the Deity neither changes nor shifts about. But why should I trespass on your patience by saying more, when you know so well what has been said by each of those who have resolved these things into nature, or what various writers have thought concerning nature, or what they say concerning Athênâ, whom they affirm to be the wisdom (φρόνησις) pervading all things; and concerning Isis, whom they call the birth of all time (φύσις αἰῶνος), from whom all have sprung, and by whom all exist; or concerning Osiris, on whose murder by Typhon his brother Isis with her son Orus sought after his limbs, and finding them honoured them with a sepulchre, which sepulchre is to this day called the tomb of Osiris? For whilst they wander up and down about the forms of matter, they miss to find the God who can only be beheld by the reason, while they deify the elements and their several parts, applying different names to them at different times: calling the sowing of the corn, for instance, Osiris (hence they say, that in the mysteries, on the finding of the members of his body, or the fruits, Isis is thus addressed: We have found, we wish thee joy), the fruit of the vine Dionysus, the vine itself Semelé, the heat of the sun the thunderbolt. And yet, in fact, they who refer the fables to actual gods, do anything rather than add to their divine character; for they do not perceive, that by the very defence they make for the gods, they confirm the things which are alleged concerning them. What have Europa, and the bull, and the swan, and Leda, to do with the earth and air, that the abominable intercourse of Zeus with them should be taken for the intercourse of the earth and air? But missing to discover the greatness of God, and not being able to rise on high with their reason (for they have no affinity for the heavenly place), they pine away among the forms of matter, and rooted to the earth, deify the changes of the elements: just as if any one should put the ship he sailed in the place of the steersman. But as the ship, although equipped with everything, is of no use if it have not a steersman, so neither are the elements, though arranged in perfect order, of any service apart from the providence of God. For the ship will not sail of itself; and the elements without their Framer will not move.

Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἴσως πλάνη ποιητική, φυσικὸς δέ τις ἐπ' αὐτοῖς καὶ τοιοῦτος λόγος· “Ζεὺς ἀργής”, ὥς φησιν Ἐμπεδοκλῆς, “Ἥρη τε φερέσβιος ἠδ' Ἀϊδωνεύς Νῆστίς θ', ἣ δακρύοις τέγγει κρούνωμα βρότειον”. εἰ τοίνυν Ζεὺς μὲν τὸ πῦρ, Ἥρα δὲ ἡ γῆ καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ Ἀϊδωνεὺς καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ Νῆστις, στοιχεῖα δὲ ταῦτα, τὸ πῦρ, τὸ ὕδωρ, ὁ ἀήρ, οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν θεός, οὔτε Ζεύς, οὔτε Ἥρα, οὔτε Ἀϊδωνεύς· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς ὕλης διακριθείσης ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ τούτων σύστασίς τε καὶ γένεσις, πῦρ καὶ ὕδωρ καὶ γαῖα καὶ ἠέρος ἤπιον ὕψος, καὶ φιλίη μετὰ τοῖσιν. ἃ χωρὶς τῆς φιλίας οὐ δύναται μένειν ὑπὸ τοῦ νείκους συγχεόμενα, πῶς ἂν οὖν εἴποι τις ταῦτα εἶναι θεούς; ἀρχικὸν ἡ φιλία κατὰ τὸν Ἐμπεδοκλέα, ἀρχόμενα τὰ συγκρίματα, τὸ δὲ ἀρχικὸν κύριον· ὥστε, ἐὰν μίαν καὶ τὴν [αὐτὴν] τοῦ τε ἀρχομένου καὶ τοῦ ἄρχοντος δύναμιν θῶμεν, λήσομεν ἑαυτοὺς ἰσότιμον τὴν ὕλην τὴν φθαρτὴν καὶ ῥευστὴν καὶ μεταβλητὴν τῷ ἀγενήτῳ καὶ ἀϊδίῳ καὶ διὰ παντὸς συμφώνῳ ποιοῦντες θεῷ. Ζεὺς ἡ ζέουσα οὐσία κατὰ τοὺς Στωϊκούς, Ἥρα ὁ ἀήρ, καὶ τοῦ ὀνόματος εἰ αὐτὸ αὑτῷ ἐπισυνάπτοιτο συνεκφωνουμένου, Ποσειδῶν ἡ πόσις. ἄλλοι δὲ ἄλλως φυσιολογοῦσιν· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀέρα διφυῆ ἀρσενόθηλυν τὸν ∆ία λέγουσιν, οἱ δὲ καιρὸν εἰς εὐκρασίαν τρέποντα τὸν χρόνον, διὸ καὶ μόνος Κρόνον διέφυγεν. ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Στοᾶς ἔστιν εἰπεῖν· εἰ ἕνα τὸν ἀνωτάτω θεὸν ἀγένητόν τε καὶ ἀΐδιον νομίζετε, συγκρίματα δὲ εἰς ἃ ἡ τῆς ὕλης ἀλλαγή, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ τῆς ὕλης κεχωρηκὸς κατὰ τὰς παραλλάξεις αὐτῆς ἄλλο καὶ ἄλλο ὄνομα μεταλαγχάνειν φατέ, σῶμα μὲν τὰ εἴδη τῆς ὕλης τοῦ θεοῦ γενήσεται, φθειρομένων δὲ τῶν στοιχείων κατὰ τὴν ἐκπύρωσιν ἀνάγκη συμφθαρῆναι ὁμοῦ τοῖς εἴδεσι τὰ ὀνόματα, μόνου μένοντος τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ θεοῦ. ὧν οὖν σωμάτων φθαρτὴ ἡ κατὰ τὴν ὕλην παραλλαγή, τίς ἂν ταῦτα πιστεύσαι θεούς; πρὸς δὲ τοὺς λέγοντας τὸν μὲν Κρόνον χρόνον, τὴν δὲ Ῥέαν γῆν, τὴν μὲν συλ λαμβάνουσαν ἐκ τοῦ Κρόνου καὶ ἀποτίκτουσαν, ἔνθεν καὶ μήτηρ πάντων νομίζεται, τὸν δὲ γεννῶντα καὶ καταναλίσκοντα, καὶ εἶναι τὴν μὲν τομὴν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ὁμιλίαν τοῦ ἄρρενος πρὸς τὸ θῆλυ, τέμνουσαν καὶ καταβάλλουσαν σπέρμα εἰς μήτραν καὶ γεννῶσαν ἄνθρωπον ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, ὅ ἐστιν Ἀφροδίτη, ἔχοντα, τὴν δὲ μανίαν τοῦ Κρόνου τροπὴν καιροῦ φθείρουσαν ἔμψυχα καὶ ἄψυχα, τὰ δὲ δεσμὰ καὶ τὸν Τάρταρον χρόνον ὑπὸ καιρῶν τρεπόμενον καὶ ἀφανῆ γινόμενον, πρὸς τοίνυν τούτους φαμέν· εἴτε χρόνος ἐστὶν ὁ Κρόνος, μεταβάλλει, εἴτε καιρός, τρέπεται, εἴτε σκότος ἢ πάγος ἢ οὐσία ὑγρά, οὐδὲν αὐτῶν μένει· τὸ δὲ θεῖον καὶ ἀθάνατον καὶ ἀκίνητον καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον· οὔτε ἄρα ὁ Κρόνος οὔτε τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ εἴδωλον θεός. περὶ δὲ τοῦ ∆ιός, εἰ μὲν ἀήρ ἐστι γεγονὼς ἐκ Κρόνου, οὗ τὸ μὲν ἄρσεν ὁ Ζεύς, τὸ δὲ θῆλυ Ἥρα (διὸ καὶ ἀδελφὴ καὶ γυνή), ἀλλοιοῦται, εἰ δὲ καιρός, τρέπεται· οὔτε δὲ μεταβάλλει οὔτε μεταπίπτει τὸ θεῖον. τί δὲ [δεῖ ὑμῖν ἐπὶ] πλέον λέγοντα ἐνοχλεῖν, οἳ ἄμεινον τὰ παρ' ἑκάστοις τῶν πεφυσιολογηκότων οἴδατε, ποῖα περὶ τῆς φύσεως ἐνόησαν οἱ συγγραψάμενοι ἢ περὶ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς, ἣν φρόνησιν διὰ πάντων διήκουσάν φασιν, ἢ περὶ τῆς Ἴσιδος, ἣν φύσιν αἰῶνος, ἐξ ἧς πάντες ἔφυσαν καὶ δι' ἧς πάντες εἰσίν, λέγουσιν, ἢ περὶ τοῦ Ὀσίριδος, οὗ σφαγέντος ὑπὸ Τυφῶνος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ περὶ πελώρου τοῦ υἱοῦ ἡ Ἰσις ζητοῦσα τὰ μέλη καὶ εὑροῦσα ἤσκησεν εἰς ταφήν, ἣ ταφὴ ἕως νῦν Ὀσιριακὴ καλεῖται; ἄνω κάτω γὰρ περὶ τὰ εἴδη τῆς ὕλης στρεφόμενοι ἀποπίπτουσιν τοῦ λόγῳ θεωρητοῦ θεοῦ, τὰ δὲ στοιχεῖα καὶ τὰ μόρια αὐτῶν θεοποιοῦσιν, ἄλλοτε ἄλλα ὀνόματα αὐτοῖς τιθέμενοι, τὴν μὲν τοῦ σίτου σπορὰν Ὄσιριν (ὅθεν φασὶ μυστικῶς ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνευρέσει τῶν μελῶν ἢ τῶν καρπῶν ἐπιλεχθῆναι τῇ Ἴσιδι “εὑρήκαμεν, συγ χαίρομεν”), τὸν δὲ τῆς ἀμπέλου καρπὸν ∆ιόνυσον καὶ Σεμέλην αὐτὴν τὴν ἄμπελον καὶ κεραυνὸν τὴν τοῦ ἡλίου φλόγα. καίτοι γε πάντα μᾶλλον ἢ θεολογοῦσιν οἱ τοὺς μύθους .... θεο ποιοῦντες, οὐκ εἰδότες ὅτι οἷς ἀπολογοῦνται ὑπὲρ τῶν θεῶν, τοὺς ἐπ' αὐτοῖς λόγους βεβαιοῦσιν. τί ἡ Eὐρώπη καὶ ὁ Ταῦρος καὶ ὁ Κύκνος καὶ ἡ Λήδα πρὸς γῆν καὶ ἀέρα, ἵν' ἡ πρὸς ταύτας μιαρὰ τοῦ ∆ιὸς μῖξις ᾖ γῆς καὶ ἀέρος; ἀλλὰ ἀποπίπτοντες τοῦ μεγέθους τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ὑπερκύψαι τῷ λόγῳ (οὐ γὰρ ἔχουσιν συμ πάθειαν εἰς τὸν οὐράνιον τόπον) οὐ δυνάμενοι, ἐπὶ τὰ εἴδη τῆς ὕλης συντετήκασιν καὶ καταπίπτοντες τὰς τῶν στοιχείων τροπὰς θεο ποιοῦσιν, ὅμοιον εἰ καὶ ναῦν τις, ἐν ᾗ ἔπλευσεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ κυβερνήτου ἄγοι. ὡς δὲ οὐδὲν πλέον νεώς, κἂν ᾖ πᾶσιν ἠσκημένη, μὴ ἐχούσης τὸν κυβερνήτην, οὐδὲ τῶν στοιχείων ὄφελος διακεκοσμημένων δίχα τῆς παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ προνοίας. ἥ τε γὰρ ναῦς καθ' ἑαυτὴν οὐ πλευσεῖται τά τε στοιχεῖα χωρὶς τοῦ δημιουργοῦ οὐ κινηθήσεται.