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is accustomed to name them with titles eponymous with their practices, but the daemons, if indeed it is fitting for us to explain their etymology, not as the Greeks think, from being "knowing" and "skilled," but rather from "dread," which is to fear and to frighten, 4.5.5 that they are aptly called "daemons." The divine and good powers, at any rate, are foreign both to their character and to the demonic appellation; since it would be most illogical of all to deem those who are similar in neither their choice nor their natural character worthy of one and the same title. 4.6.1 2. THAT NOT FROM OURSELVES BUT FROM GREEK CITATIONS THE TESTIMONIES OF THE

PROOFS WE CONFIRM Come now, let us examine what, according to them, is the manner of the oracles, so that we may learn of what sort of power they ought to be declared, and whether we have rightly withdrawn from them or not. But if I were to bring forward the proofs of the matters under discussion from my own resources, I know well that I would not present an unblameworthy account to the censorious. Wherefore, saying nothing from myself, I will again make use of 4.6.2 the testimonies of outsiders. And since there are countless prose writers and philosophers among the Greeks, I judge that man to be suitable above all for the present subjects, that very friend of daemons, who, having been born in our time, is distinguished for his false accusations against us. For this man, more than any other philosopher of our time, seems to have communed with daemons and with those he calls gods, and to have acted as an envoy on their behalf, and to have investigated matters concerning them much more accurately. 4.6.3 This man, therefore, in the work he entitled "On the Philosophy from Oracles," made a collection of the oracles of Apollo and of the other gods and good daemons, which, having selected them with special care, he considered sufficient for himself both for a demonstration of the excellence of the divinities spoken of, and for an exhortation to what 4.6.4 he is fond of calling theosophy. From these approved oracles, therefore, which were deemed worthy of mention, it is good to distinguish the oracle-givers and to consider what sort of power they happen to possess. But first let us see how the man in question, at the beginning of his writing, swears an oath that he is indeed telling the truth, speaking thus: 4.7.1 7. CONCERNING THE INEFFABLE MATTERS IN THE ORACLES, FROM THE GREEK CITATION 8. FROM PORPHYRY, AN OATH CONCERNING THE ORACLES

"Stable and steadfast is he who draws from here, as from the only firm source, the hopes of being saved; which you will also impart, taking away nothing. For I too call the gods to witness that I have neither added nor subtracted anything from the meanings of the oracles delivered, except where I have corrected a faulty phrase, or changed it for greater clarity, or filled out a deficient meter, or struck out something not contributing to the purpose, so that I have preserved the pure meaning of what was said, guarding against the impiety from these things more than the avenging justice that follows upon temple-robbery. 4.7.2 The present collection will contain a record of many philosophical doctrines, as the gods have declared them to be true; and we shall also briefly touch upon the oracular treatise, which will be of use both for contemplation and for the other purification of life. And the benefit which the collection has, those will know best who, travailing with the truth, have ever prayed that, by obtaining a manifestation from the gods, they might find relief from their perplexity through the trustworthy teaching of the speakers."

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ἐπωνυμίαις φερωνύμως τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασιν αὐτῶν ὀνομάζειν εἴωθε, τοὺς μέντοι δαίμονας, εἰ δὴ καὶ τούτων ἡμᾶς προσήκει τὴν ἐτυμολογίαν ἐξειπεῖν, οὐχ ᾗπερ Ἕλλησι δοκεῖ παρὰ τὸ δαήμονας εἶναι καὶ ἐπιστήμονας, ἀλλ' ἢ παρὰ τὸ δειμαίνειν, ὅπερ ἐστὶ φοβεῖσθαι καὶ ἐκφοβεῖν, 4.5.5 δαίμονάς τινας προσφυῶς ὀνομάζεσθαι. τάς γέ τοι θείας καὶ ἀγαθὰς δυνάμεις, ὥσπερ οὖν τοῦ τρόπου, οὑτωσὶ δὲ καὶ τῆς προσηγορίας τῆς δαιμονι κῆς ἀλλοτρίας τυγχάνειν· ἐπεὶ καὶ πάντων ἂν εἴη παραλογώτατον τὰς μήτε μὴν τὴν προαίρεσιν μήτε τὴν ἐκ τοῦ τρόπου φύσιν ὁμοίας μιᾶς καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἐπωνυμίας ἀξιοῦν. 4.6.1 ʹ. ΟΤΙ ΜΗ ΑΦ' ΕΑΥΤΩΝ ΑΛΛ' ΕΚ ΤΩΝ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΩΝ ΠΑΡΑΘΕΣΕΩΝ ΤΑΣ ΤΩΝ

ΕΛΕΓΧΩΝ ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΑΣ ΠΙΣΤΟΥΜΕΘΑ Φέρε οὖν ἐπισκεψώμεθα, τίς ὁ κατ' αὐτοὺς τῶν χρηστηρίων τρόπος, ὡς ἂν μάθοιμεν ποίας χρὴ δυνάμεως αὐτοὺς ἀποφήνασθαι καὶ εἴτε ὀρθῶς αὐτῶν ἀνεχωρήσαμεν εἴτε καὶ μή. εἰ δὲ μέλλοιμι παρ' ἐμαυτοῦ τοὺς ἐλέγχους τῶν δηλουμένων προφέρειν, εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι μηδ' ἀνεπίληπτον παρέξω τοῖς φιλεγκλήμοσι τὸν λόγον. διόπερ αὐτὸς οὐδὲν οἴκοθεν εἰπὼν αὖθις ταῖς τῶν 4.6.2 ἔξωθεν ἀποχρήσομαι μαρτυρίαις. μυρίων δὲ ὄντων παρ' Ἕλλησι λογογράφων τε καὶ φιλοσόφων, πρὸ πάντων ἐπιτήδειον εἰς τὰ προκείμενα ἐγκρίνω τὸν δαιμόνων φίλον αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον, ὃς δὴ καθ' ἡμᾶς γεγονὼς ταῖς καθ' ἡμῶν ἐλλαμπρύνεται ψευδηγορίαις. μάλιστα γὰρ φιλοσόφων οὗτος τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς δοκεῖ καὶ δαίμοσιν καὶ οἷς φησι θεοῖς ὡμιληκέναι ὑπέρ τε τούτων πρεσβεῦσαι καὶ πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ περὶ αὐτῶν ἀκριβέστερον διηρευνηκέναι. 4.6.3 οὗτος τοιγαροῦν ἐν οἷς ἐπέγραψεν «Περὶ τῆς ἐκ λογίων φιλοσοφίας» συναγωγὴν ἐποιήσατο χρησμῶν τοῦ τε Ἀπόλλωνος καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν θεῶν τε καὶ ἀγαθῶν δαιμόνων, οὓς καὶ μάλιστα ἐκλεξάμενος ἑαυτῷ ἡγήσατο ἱκανοὺς εἶναι εἴς τε ἀπόδειξιν τῆς τῶν θεολογουμένων ἀρετῆς εἴς τε προτροπὴν ἧς 4.6.4 αὐτῷ φίλον ὀνομάζειν θεοσοφίας. ἐκ δὴ τούτων τοιγαροῦν τῶν ἐγκριθέντων καὶ μνήμης ἀξιωθέντων λογίων διακρῖναι καλὸν τοὺς χρησμολόγους καὶ σκέψασθαι ποίας ποτὲ ὄντες τυγχάνουσι δυνάμεως. πρῶτον δὲ θεασώμεθα ὅπως τῆς γραφῆς ὁ δηλωθεὶς ἀνὴρ ἀρχόμενος ἦ μὴν ἀληθεύειν ἐπόμνυται λέγων οὕτως· 4.7.1 ζʹ. ΠΕΡΙ ΤΩΝ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΥΣ ΧΡΗΣΜΟΥΣ ΑΠΟΡΡΗΤΩΝ ΕΚ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΠΑΡΑΘΕΣΕΩΣ ηʹ. ΕΚ ΤΩΝ ΠΟΡΦΥΡΙΟΥ ΟΡΚΟΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΩΝ ΧΡΗΣΜΩΝ

«Βέβαιος δὲ καὶ μόνιμος ὁ ἐντεῦθεν ὡς ἂν ἐκ μόνου βεβαίου τὰς ἐλπίδας τοῦ σωθῆναι ἀρυτόμενος· οἷς δὴ καὶ μεταδώσεις μηδὲν ὑφαιρούμενος. ἐπεὶ κἀγῶ τοὺς θεοὺς μαρτύρομαι ὡς οὐδὲν οὔτε προστέθεικα οὔτε ἀφεῖλον τῶν χρησθέντων νοημάτων, εἰ μή που λέξιν ἡμαρτημένην διώρθωσα ἢ πρὸς τὸ σαφέστερον μεταβέβληκα ἢ τὸ μέτρον ἐλλεῖπον ἀνεπλήρωσα ἤ τι τῶν μὴ πρὸς τὴν πρόθεσιν συντεινόντων διέγραψα, ὡς τόν γε νοῦν ἀκραιφνῆ τῶν ῥηθέντων διετήρησα, εὐλαβούμενος τὴν ἐκ τούτων ἀσέβειαν μᾶλλον ἢ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἱεροσυ4.7.2 λίας τιμωρὸν ἑπομένην δίκην. ἕξει δὲ ἡ παροῦσα συναγωγὴ πολλῶν μὲν τῶν κατὰ φιλοσοφίαν δογμάτων ἀναγραφήν, ὡς οἱ θεοὶ τἀληθὲς ἔχειν ἐθέσπισαν· ἐπ' ὀλίγον δὲ καὶ τῆς χρηστικῆς ἁψόμεθα πραγματείας, ἥτις πρός τε τὴν θεωρίαν ὀνήσει καὶ τὴν ἄλλην κάθαρσιν τοῦ βίου. ἣν δ' ἔχει ὠφέλειαν ἡ συναγωγή, μάλιστα εἴσονται ὅσοιπερ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὠδίναντες ηὔξαντό ποτε τῆς ἐκ θεῶν ἐπιφανείας τυχόντες ἀνάπαυσιν λαβεῖν τῆς ἀπορίας διὰ τὴν τῶν λεγόντων ἀξιόπιστον διδασκαλίαν.»