Ad Nationes.

 Book I.

 In this case you actually conduct trials contrary to the usual form of judicial process against criminals for when culprits are brought up for trial,

 Since, therefore, you who are in other cases most scrupulous and persevering in investigating charges of far less serious import, relinquish your care

 But the sect, you say, is punished in the name of its founder. Now in the first place it is, no doubt, a fair and usual custom that a sect should be m

 As to your saying of us that we are a most shameful set, and utterly steeped in luxury, avarice, and depravity, we will not deny that this is true of

 Whenever these statements and answers of ours, which truth suggests of its own accord, press and restrain your conscience, which is the witness of its

 Whence comes it to pass, you will say to us, that such a character could have been attributed to you, as to have justified the lawmakers perhaps by it

 We are indeed said to be the “third race” of men. What, a dog-faced race? Or broadly shadow-footed? bread

 But why should I be astonished at your vain imputations?  Under the same natural form, malice and folly have always been associated in one body and gr

 Pour out now all your venom fling against this name of ours all your shafts of calumny: I shall stay no longer to refute them but they shall by and

 In this matter we are (said to be) guilty not merely of forsaking the religion of the community, but of introducing a monstrous superstition for some

 As for him who affirms that we are “the priesthood of a cross,” we shall claim him all cross

 Others, with greater regard to good manners, it must be confessed, suppose that the sun is the god of the Christians, because it is a well-known fact

 Report has introduced a new calumny respecting our God. Not so long ago, a most abandoned wretch in that city of yours, a man who had deserted indeed

 Since we are on a par in respect of the gods, it follows that there is no difference between us on the point of sacrifice, or even of worship, if I ma

 I am now come to the hour for extinguishing the lamps, and for using the dogs, and practising the deeds of darkness. And on this point I am afraid I m

 As to your charges of obstinacy and presumption, whatever you allege against us, even in these respects, there are not wanting points in which you wil

 The rest of your charge of obstinacy against us you sum up in this indictment, that we boldly refuse neither your swords, nor your crosses, nor your w

 Here end, I suppose, your tremendous charges of obstinacy against the Christians. Now, since we are amenable to them in common with yourselves, it onl

 Chapter XX.—Truth and Reality Pertain to Christians Alone. The Heathen Counselled to Examine and Embrace It.

 Book II

 Chapter I.—The Heathen Gods from Heathen Authorities. Varro Has Written a Work on the Subject. His Threefold Classification. The Changeable Character

 Chapter II.—Philosophers Had Not Succeeded in Discovering God. The Uncertainty and Confusion of Their Speculations.

 Chapter III.—The Physical Philosophers Maintained the Divinity of the Elements The Absurdity of the Tenet Exposed.

 Chapter IV.—Wrong Derivation of the Word Θεός. The Name Indicative of the True Deity. God Without Shape and Immaterial. Anecdote of Thales.

 Chapter V.—The Physical Theory Continued. Further Reasons Advanced Against the Divinity of the Elements.

 Chapter VI.—The Changes of the Heavenly Bodies, Proof that They are Not Divine.  Transition from the Physical to the Mythic Class of Gods.

 Chapter VII.—The Gods of the Mythic Class. The Poets a Very Poor Authority in Such Matters. Homer and the Mythic Poets. Why Irreligious.

 Chapter VIII.—The Gods of the Different Nations. Varro’s Gentile Class. Their Inferiority. A Good Deal of This Perverse Theology Taken from Scripture.

 Chapter IX.—The Power of Rome. Romanized Aspect of All the Heathen Mythology. Varro’s Threefold Distribution Criticised. Roman Heroes (Æneas Included,

 Chapter X.—A Disgraceful Feature of the Roman Mythology. It Honours Such Infamous Characters as Larentina.

 Chapter XI.—The Romans Provided Gods for Birth, Nay, Even Before Birth, to Death. Much Indelicacy in This System.

 Now, how much further need I go in recounting your gods—because I want to descant on the character of such as you have adopted? It is quite uncertain

 Manifest cases, indeed, like these have a force peculiarly their own.  Men like Varro and his fellow-dreamers admit into the ranks of the divinity tho

 Chapter XIV.—Gods, Those Which Were Confessedly Elevated to the Divine Condition, What Pre-Eminent Right Had They to Such Honour? Hercules an Inferior

 Chapter XV.—The Constellations and the Genii Very Indifferent Gods. The Roman Monopoly of Gods Unsatisfactory. Other Nations Require Deities Quite as

 Chapter XVI.—Inventors of Useful Arts Unworthy of Deification. They Would Be the First to Acknowledge a Creator. The Arts Changeable from Time to Time

 In conclusion, without denying all those whom antiquity willed and posterity has believed to be gods, to be the guardians of your religion, there yet

Chapter XI.—The Romans Provided Gods for Birth, Nay, Even Before Birth, to Death. Much Indelicacy in This System.

And you are not content to assert the divinity of such as were once known to you, whom you heard and handled, and whose portraits have been painted, and actions recounted, and memory retained amongst you; but men insist upon consecrating with a heavenly life495 I know not what incorporeal, inanimate shadows, and the mere names of things—dividing man’s entire existence amongst separate powers even from his conception in the womb: so that there is a god Consevius,496 to preside over concubital generation; and Fluviona,497 to preserve the (growth of the) infant in the womb; after these come Vitumnus and Sentinus,498 through whom the babe begins to have life and its earliest sensation; then Diespiter,499 by whose office the child accomplishes its birth. But when women begin their parturition, Candelifera also comes in aid, since childbearing requires the light of the candle; and other goddesses there are500 who get their names from the parts they bear in the stages of travail. There were two Carmentas likewise, according to the general view: to one of them, called Postverta, belonged the function of assisting the birth of the introverted child; while the other, Prosa,501 executed the like office for the rightly born.  The god Farinus was so called from (his inspiring) the first utterance; while others believed in Locutius from his gift of speech. Cunina502 is present as the protector of the child’s deep slumber, and supplies to it refreshing rest. To lift them (when fallen)503 there is Levana, and along with her Rumina.504 It is a wonderful oversight that no gods were appointed for cleaning up the filth of children. Then, to preside over their first pap and earliest drink you have Potina and Edula;505 to teach the child to stand erect is the work of Statina,506 whilst Adeona helps him to come to dear Mamma, and Abeona to toddle off again; then there is Domiduca,507 (to bring home the bride;) and the goddess Mens, to influence the mind to either good or evil.508 They have likewise Volumnus and Voleta,509 to control the will; Paventina, (the goddess) of fear; Venilia, of hope;510 Volupia, of pleasure;511 Præstitia, of beauty.512 Then, again, they give his name to Peragenor,513 from his teaching men to go through their work; to Consus, from his suggesting to them counsel. Juventa is their guide on assuming the manly gown, and “bearded Fortune” when they come to full manhood.514 If I must touch on their nuptial duties, there is Afferenda whose appointed function is to see to the offering of the dower; but fie on you! you have your Mutunus515 and Tutunus and Pertunda516 and Subigus and the goddess Prema and likewise Perfica.517 O spare yourselves, ye impudent gods! No one is present at the secret struggles of married life. Those very few persons who have a wish that way, go away and blush for very shame in the midst of their joy.

[11.] Non contenti eos deos asseverare, qui visi retro, auditi contrectatique sunt, quorum effigies descriptae, negotia digesta, memoria propagata, umbras nescio quas incorporales, inanimales, et nomina de rebus efflagitant deosque sanciunt, dividentes omnem statum hominis singulis potestatibus ab ipso quidem uteri conceptu, ut si deus Consevius quidam, qui consationibus concubitalibus praesit, et Fluviona, 0600C quae infantem in utero . . . . . . . hinc Vitumnus, et Sentinus, per quem viviscat infans et sentiat . . . . . : dehinc Diespiter, qui puerum perducat ad partum. Cum prin . . . . . . . . . . . et Candelifera, quoniam ad candelae lumina pariebant, et quae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . us dictae. Perverse natos . . . . . . . . . . to Prosae carmentis esse provin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . et ab effatu Farmus, et aliis a lo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nem ad cavendum sumministrat . . . . . . . . . . rix et Albana, et una Rucinia. Mirum . . . . . . . . . . non esse provisos. Exinde et primi cibi sum . . . . . . . . . . . . Potina et Eluda, et statuendi infantis sta . . . . . . . . . do, Abeona, et Domiducam, et habent Edeam . . . . . . . ae et malam. Item voluntatis, Volumnum, Voletam . . . . . . . . . Paventinam, Pavoris, Spei, Venilliam; voluptatis, Volupiam . . . . . ntiae, 0600D Praestitiam; aeque ab actu, Peragenorem: a consiliis Consum; juventam, novorum togatorum; 0601A virorum jam, fortuna barbata . . . . . . . nuptialibus disseram. Afferenda est ab afferendis dotibus ordinata . . . . . . . dor, et Mutunus et Tutunus , et dea pertunda, et Subigus, et Prema . . . . . parcite, dei impudentes, luctantibus sponsis nemo intervenit . . . quorum votum est foris gaudentes erubescunt .