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Athenagoras, A Plea for the Christians
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But among the Greeks, also, those who are eminent in poetry and history say the same thing. Thus of Heracles:—
“That lawless wretch, that man of brutal strength, Deaf to Heaven’s voice, the social rite transgressed.”112 Hom., Od., xxi. 28. sq. |
Such being his nature, deservedly did he go mad, and deservedly did he light the funeral pile and burn himself to death. Of Asklepius, Hesiod says:—
“The mighty father both of gods and men Was filled with wrath, and from Olympus’ top With flaming thunderbolt cast down and slew Latona’s well-lov’d son—such was his ire.”113 Hesiod, Frag. |
And Pindar:—
“But even wisdom is ensnared by gain. The brilliant bribe of gold seen in the hand Ev’n him114 i.e., Æsculapius. perverted: therefore Kronos’ son With both hands quickly stopp’d his vital breath, And by a bolt of fire ensured his doom.”115 Pyth., iii. 96 sq. |
Either, therefore, they were gods and did not hanker after gold—
“O gold, the fairest prize to mortal men, Which neither mother equals in delight, Nor children dear”116 Ascribed by Seneca to the Bellerophon of Eurip.— |
for the Deity is in want of nought, and is superior to carnal desire, nor did they die; or, having been born men, they were wicked by reason of ignorance, and overcome by love of money. What more need I say, or refer to Castor, or Pollux, or Amphiaraus, who, having been born, so to speak, only the other day, men of men, are looked upon as gods, when they imagine even Ino after her madness and its consequent sufferings to have become a goddess?
“Sea-rovers will her name Leucothea.”117 From the Ino, a lost play of Eurip. |
And her son:—
“August Palæmon, sailors will invoke.” |
Ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἑλλήνων οἱ περὶ ποίησιν καὶ ἱστορίαν σοφοὶ περὶ μὲν Ἡρακλέους σχέτλιος, οὐδὲ θεῶν ὄπιν ᾐδέσατ' οὐδὲ τράπεζαν τὴν ἥν οἱ παρέθηκεν· ἔπειτα δὲ πέφνε καὶ αὐτόν, Ἴφιτον. τοιοῦτος ὢν εἰκότως μὲν ἐμαίνετο, εἰκότως δὲ ἀνάψας πυρὰν κατέκαυσεν αὑτόν. περὶ δὲ Ἀσκληπιοῦ Ἡσίοδος μέν· “πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε χώσατ', ἀπ' Oὐλύμπου δὲ βαλὼν ψολόεντι κεραυνῷ ἔκτανε Λητοΐδην φίλον σὺν θυμὸν ὀρίνων. Πίνδαρος δέ ἀλλὰ κέρδει καὶ σοφία δέδεται. ἔτραπε κἀκεῖνον ἀγάνορι μισθῷ χρυσὸς ἐν χερσὶ φανείς. χερσὶ δ' ἄρα Κρονίων ·ίψας δι' ἀμφοῖν ἀμπνοὰν στέρνων καθεῖλεν ὠκέως, αἴθων δὲ κεραυνὸς ἐνέσκηψε μόρον. ἢ τοίνυν θεοὶ ἦσαν, καὶ οὔτε αὑτοὺς πρὸς χρυσὸν εἶχον ὦ χρυσέ, δεξίωμα κάλλιστον βροτοῖς, [ὡς] οὔτε μήτηρ ἡδονὰς τοιάσδ' ἔχει, οὐ παῖδες (ἀνεπιδεὲς γὰρ καὶ κρεῖττον ἐπιθυμίας τὸ θεῖον) οὔτε ἀπέθνῃσκον· ἢ ἄνθρωποι γεγονότες καὶ πονηροὶ δι' ἀμαθίαν ἦσαν καὶ χρημάτων ἐλάττους. τί [δεῖ] με πολλὰ λέγειν ἢ Κάστορος ἢ Πολυδεύκους μνημονεύοντα ἢ Ἀμφιάρεω, οἵ, ὡς εἰπεῖν λόγῳ, χθὲς καὶ πρῴην ἄνθρωποι ἐξ ἀνθρώπων γεγονότες θεοὶ νομίζονται, ὁπότε καὶ Ἰνὼ μετὰ τὴν μανίαν καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς μανίας πάθη θεὸν δοξάζουσι γεγονέναι πόντου πλάνητες Λευκοθέαν ἐπώνυμον καὶ τὸν παῖδα αὐτῆς σεμνὸς Παλαίμων ναυτίλοις κεκλήσεται;