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And a consequence of this is smoke; but yet it itself also sometimes provides some benefit; for example in midday fire-signals, when the fire, illuminated by the sun's rays, is obscured, an enemy attack is signaled by smoke. 8.14.50 As the argument is concerning the rainbow, so it is also concerning eclipses; for eclipses follow upon the divine natures of the sun and moon, and they are messages either of the death of kings or the destruction of cities; which 8.14.51 Pindar also hinted at when an eclipse occurred, through the words mentioned before. And indeed the circle of milk has partaken of the same substance as the other stars, but if it is hard to explain, let those who are accustomed to investigating the things of nature not shrink from it; for the discovery is most beneficial, and the investigation itself is also most pleasant to lovers of learning. 8.14.52 As, therefore, the sun and moon have come to be by providence, so also have all things in heaven, even if we, being unable to trace out the natures and powers of each, 8.14.53 remain quiet. And earthquakes and plagues and thunderbolts and such things, are said to be sent by God, but in truth it is not so; for God is the cause of no evil at all, but the changes of the elements produce these things, not as primary works of nature, 8.14.54 but as following upon necessities and consequent upon what has gone before. And if some of the more refined share in the harm from these things, one must not blame the administration. For in the first place, it is not the case that if some are considered good among us, they are also so in truth, since the judgments of God are more exact than all those according to the human mind; and in the second place, the provident power prefers to look to what is most essential in the cosmos, just as in kingdoms and military commands it looks to the cities and the armies, not to some neglected and obscure chance 8.14.55 individual. And some say that, just as in the killing of tyrants it is lawful also for the relatives to be destroyed so that injustices may be checked by the magnitude of the punishment, in the same way also in plagues some of those not responsible perish alongside, so that others may be brought to their senses from afar, apart from it being necessary for those exposed to diseased air to fall ill, just as also 8.14.56 for those in a storm-tossed ship to be equally in danger. And the mighty beasts have come into being—for one must not remain silent, even if you, being a clever speaker, have anticipated and disparaged the defense—for the sake of training for the contests of war. For gymnastic exercises and continuous hunts strengthen and invigorate the bodies very well and before the bodies, they accustom the souls to disregard the sudden attacks 8.14.57 of enemies with steadfast strength. And it is possible for those who are peaceful by nature to live without being plotted against, not only within walls, but also while staying in huts, having most abundant herds of tame animals for their enjoyment; since boars and lions and all suchlike creatures, following their own nature, have been driven far from the city, 8.14.58 preferring to suffer nothing from the plots of men. But if some, through laziness, unarmed and unprepared, live fearlessly in the lairs of wild beasts, let them blame themselves for what happens, and not nature, because when it was possible to be on guard, they were negligent. Indeed, I have even seen some in the hippodromes yield to thoughtlessness, who, when they ought to have been seated and watching in an orderly fashion, stood in the middle and, being pushed by the rush of the four-horse chariots, were trampled by feet and wheels, 8.14.59 finding the wages of folly. Therefore, what has been said about these things is sufficient. But the venomous reptiles have come to be not by providence, but as a consequence, as I also said before. For it is brought to life when the inherent moisture changes towards the hotter. And some things decay also animates, as worms from that which is around food, and lice from sweat. But as many things as have their origin from their own matter according to a spermatic and primary nature, are reasonably ascribed 8.14.60 to providence. And I have also heard

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ἐπακολούθημα δὲ τούτου καπνός· ἀλλ' ὅμως παρέχεταί τινα ὠφέλειαν ἔστιν ὅτε καὶ αὐτός· ἐν γοῦν ταῖς μεθημεριναῖς πυρσείαις, ἡνίκα τὸ πῦρ ὑπὸ τῶν ἡλιακῶν καταλαμπόμενον αὐγῶν ἐξαμαυροῦται, καπνῷ 8.14.50 μηνύεται πολεμίων ἔφοδος. οἷος οὖν ἐπὶ τῆς ἴριδος, τοιοῦτος καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐκλείψεων ὁ λόγος· θείαις γὰρ φύσεσιν ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης ἐπακολουθοῦσιν ἐκλείψεις, αἱ δὲ μηνύματά εἰσιν ἢ βασιλέων τελευτῆς ἢ πόλεων φθορᾶς· ὃ καὶ 8.14.51 Πίνδαρος ᾐνίξατο γενομένης ἐκλείψεως διὰ τῶν πρόσθεν εἰρημένων. ὁ δὲ δὴ τοῦ γάλακτος κύκλος τῆς μὲν αὐτῆς οὐσίας τοῖς ἄλλοις ἄστροις μετέσχηκε, δυσαιτιολόγητος δ' εἴπερ ἐστί, μὴ ἀποκνείτωσαν οἱ τὰ φύσεως ἐρευνᾶν εἰωθότες· ὠφελιμώτατον γὰρ ἡ εὕρεσις, ἥδιστον δὲ καὶ καθ' αὑτὸ τοῖς φιλομαθέσιν 8.14.52 ἡ ζήτησις. ὥσπερ οὖν ἥλιος καὶ σελήνη προνοίᾳ γεγόνασιν, οὕτως καὶ τὰ ἐν οὐρανῷ πάντα, κἂν ἡμεῖς τὰς ἑκάστων φύσεις τε καὶ δυνάμεις 8.14.53 ἰχνηλατεῖν ἀδυνατοῦντες ἡσυχάζωμεν. σεισμοί τε καὶ λοιμοὶ καὶ κεραυνῶν βολαὶ καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, λέγεται μὲν εἶναι θεήλατα, πρὸς δ' ἀλήθειαν οὐκ ἔστι θεὸς γὰρ οὐδενὸς αἴτιος κακοῦ τὸ παράπαν, ἀλλ' αἱ τῶν στοιχείων μεταβολαὶ ταῦτα γεννῶσιν, οὐ προηγούμενα ἔργα φύσεως, 8.14.54 ἀλλ' ἑπόμενα τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις καὶ τοῖς προηγουμένοις ἐπακολουθοῦντα. εἰ δέ τινες τῶν χαριεστέρων συναπολαύουσι τῆς ἀπὸ τούτων βλάβης, οὐκ αἰτιατέον τὴν διοίκησιν. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ οὐκ εἴ τινες ἀγαθοὶ παρ' ἡμῖν νομίζονται, καὶ πρὸς ἀλήθειάν εἰσιν, ἐπειδὴ τὰ θεοῦ κριτήρια τῶν κατὰ τὸν ἀνθρώπινον νοῦν πάντων ἀκριβέστερα· δεύτερον δὲ τὸ προμηθὲς ἐπὶ τὸ τῶν ἐν κόσμῳ συνεκτικώτατον ὁρᾶν ἀγαπᾷ, καθάπερ ἐν ταῖς βασιλείαις καὶ στραταρχίαις ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις καὶ τὰ στρατόπεδα, οὐκ ἐπί τινα τῶν ἠμελημένων καὶ ἀφανῶν ἕνα 8.14.55 τὸν προστυχόντα. λέγουσι δέ τινες, καθάπερ ἐν ταῖς τυραννοκτονίαις καὶ τοὺς συγγενεῖς ἀναιρεῖσθαι νόμιμόν ἐστιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μεγέθει τῆς τιμωρίας ἐπισχεθῆναι τὰ ἀδικήματα, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον κἀν ταῖς λοιμώδεσι νόσοις παραπόλλυσθαί τινας τῶν μὴ ὑπαιτίων, ἵνα πόρρωθεν οἱ ἄλλοι σωφρονίζωνται, δίχα τοῦ ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι τοὺς ἐμφερομένους ἀέρι νοσώδει νοσεῖν, ὥσπερ καὶ 8.14.56 τοὺς ἐν νηὶ χειμαζομένους κινδυνεύειν ἐξίσου. τὰ δ' ἄλκιμα τῶν θηρίων γέγονεν οὐ γὰρ ὑποσιωπητέον, εἰ καὶ τῷ δεινὸς εἰπεῖν εἶναι προλαβὼν τὴν ἀπολογίαν διέσυρες ἀσκήσεως ἕνεκα τῆς πρὸς τοὺς πολεμικοὺς ἀγῶνας. τὰ γὰρ γυμνάσια καὶ αἱ συνεχεῖς θῆραι συγκροτοῦσι καὶ νευροῦσιν εὖ μάλα τὰ σώματα καὶ πρὸ τῶν σωμάτων τὰς ψυχὰς ἐθίζουσιν ἐχθρῶν ἐξαπιναίους ἐφό8.14.57 δους τῷ καρτερῷ τῆς ῥώμης ἀλογεῖν. τοῖς δὲ τὰς φύσεις εἰρηνικοῖς ἔξεστιν οὐ μόνον τειχῶν ἐντός, ἀλλὰ καὶ κλισιάδων θαλαμευομένοις ἀποζῆν ἀνεπιβουλεύτως, ἔχουσιν εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν ἀφθονωτάτας ἡμέρων ἀγέλας· ἐπειδὴ σῦς καὶ λέοντες καὶ ὅσα ὁμοιότροπαι, ἑκουσίῳ φύσει χρώμενα μακρὰν ἄστεος ἀπελή8.14.58 λαται, τὸ μηδὲν παθεῖν ἀγαπῶντα τῆς ἀνθρώπων ἐπιβουλῆς. εἰ δέ τινες ὑπὸ ῥᾳθυμίας ἄοπλοι καὶ ἀπαράσκευοι ταῖς καταδύσεσι τῶν θηρίων ἀδεῶς ἐνδιαιτῶνται, τῶν συμβαινόντων ἑαυτούς, ἀλλὰ μὴ τὴν φύσιν αἰτιάσθωσαν, διότι φυλάξασθαι παρὸν ὠλιγώρησαν. ἤδη γοῦν καὶ ἐν ἱπποδρομίαις εἶδόν τινας εἴξαντας ἀλογιστίᾳ, οἵ, δέον ἐγκαθέζεσθαι καὶ σὺν κόσμῳ θεωρεῖν, ἐν μέσῳ στάντες ὑπὸ τῆς ῥύμης τῶν τεθρίππων ἀνωσθέντες ποσὶ καὶ τροχοῖς κατηλοή8.14.59 θησαν, ἀνοίας τἀπίχειρα εὑράμενοι. Περὶ μὲν οὖν τούτων ἀπόχρη τὰ λεχθέντα. τῶν δ' ἑρπετῶν τὰ ἰοβόλα γέγονεν οὐ κατὰ πρόνοιαν, ἀλλὰ κατ' ἐπακολούθησιν, ὡς καὶ πρότερον εἶπον. ζῳογονεῖται γάρ, ὅταν ἡ ἐνυπάρχουσα ἰκμὰς μεταβάλῃ πρὸς τὸ θερμότερον. ἔνια δὲ καὶ σῆψις ἐψύχωσεν, ὡς ἕλμινθας μὲν ἡ περὶ τροφήν, φθεῖρας δ' ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν ἱδρώτων. ὅσα δ' ἐξ οἰκείας ὕλης κατὰ φύσιν σπερματικὴν καὶ προηγουμένην ἔχει γένεσιν, εἰκότως ἐπιγέγραπται 8.14.60 πρόνοιαν. ἤκουσα δὲ καὶ