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and they are not called gods. But that the soul of each one represents ideas of demons according to its preconceptions, and that those called gods do not appear, is clear from the fact that they do not appear to the Jews. But someone will say: How then do they give oracles, signifying future things? And this is a lie. But let it be granted that it is true, still such a thing is not a god. For not everything that prophesies is a god; because even Pythons prophesy, but being adjured by us as demons, they are put to flight. But someone will say: To some they prescribe cures. It is a lie; but let it be granted to be so, still such a thing is not a god. For physicians also heal many, and are not gods. But (he says) physicians do not in every case heal those for whom they take care, but these both give oracles and heal. But the demons know the remedies truly suited to each ailment; wherefore, being able physicians able to heal, and these things being able to be healed by men, but also being prophetic and knowing when each thing is healed spontaneously, they then prescribe the cures, so that they may get the credit for themselves. Since why do they give oracles about cures after a long time? And why, if they can do all things, do they not bring about the cure without applying anything? And for what reason do they prescribe cures to some who have prayed, but to others, who are sometimes even more familiar with them, they give no oracle? Thus, whenever a cure is about to happen spontaneously, they announce it, so that they may get the credit for themselves. And others who were sick and prayed, having been healed spontaneously, have inscribed the names of those they invoked and made votive offerings. However, those who after prayer have met with failure are not able to dedicate their failures. Except if the relatives of the dead <or> some of them themselves had investigated the failures, you would have found the failures to be more numerous than the successes. But no one who is prejudiced in their favor is willing to publish the refutation against them, out of shame or fear, but on the contrary they conceal their trusted absurdities. And how many falsely claim oracles and cures were accomplished by them, and confirm these things with oaths? How many for a fee have given themselves up, having undertaken to suffer something through certain contrivances, and having so proclaimed it, when their ailment was cured by an opposite remedy, say that the cure was revealed by an oracle, in order to attribute credit to the senseless object of worship? How many of their rites were from the beginning performed by magical art, so that one might have dreams and receive oracles? And yet in the long run even these have proved discordant. How many now practice sorcery, wishing to establish such things? Nevertheless, not everything that is prophetic or curative is a god. For God can do all things. For he is good and just, now being long-suffering with all, so that those who wish, having repented of the evil things they have done and having lived rightly, on the day in which all things are judged, may enjoy their just deserts. Therefore, now begin for the cause of good knowledge, being persuaded by God, to contradict your evil desires and thoughts, so that you may be able to recall the first saving religion delivered to humanity. For so the good things will at once arise for you, which having received after an experience of evils, you will for the future forsake. but give thanks to the one who has given, with that of the

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καὶ θεοὶ οὐ λέγονται. ὅτι δὲ πρὸς τὰς προλήψεις ἡ ἑκάστου ψυχὴ ἰδέας δαιμόνων ἀπεικονίζει καὶ οὐχ οἱ λεγόμενοι θεοὶ ἐπιφαίνονται, σαφές ἐστιν ἐκ τοῦ Ἰουδαίοις μὴ ἐπιφαίνεσθαι. ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις· Πῶς οὖν χρηματίζουσιν τὰ μέλλοντα προσημαίνοντες; καὶ τοῦτο ψεῦδός ἐστιν. δεδόσθω δὲ ἀλήθεια εἶναι, οὔπω τὸ τοιοῦτο θεός ἐστιν. οὐ γὰρ εἴ τι μαντεύεται, θεός ἐστιν· ὅτι καὶ πύθωνες μαντεύονται, ἀλλ' ὑφ' ἡμῶν ὡς δαίμονες ὁρκιζόμενοι φυγα- δεύονται. ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις· Ἐνίοις θεραπείας προστάσσουσιν. ψεῦδός ἐστιν· δεδόσθω δὲ οὕτως ἔχειν, οὔπω τὸ τοιοῦτο θεός ἐστιν. καὶ γὰρ ἰατροὶ ἰῶνται πολλοὺς καὶ θεοὶ οὔκ εἰσιν. ἀλλά (φησίν) ἰατροὶ οὐ πάντως ἰῶνται ἐκείνους, ὧν τὴν πρόνοιαν ποιοῦνται, οὗτοι δὲ καὶ χρηματίσαντες ἰῶνται. ἀλλ' ἴσασιν οἱ δαίμονες τὰ ὄντως πρὸς ἕκαστον πάθος προσῳ- κειωμένα βοηθήματα· διὸ ἰατροὶ ἐπιστήμονες ἰᾶσθαι δυνάμενοι, καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων ἰαθῆναι δυνάμενα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μαντικὰ ὄντα καὶ εἰδότα πότε ἕκαστον ἐξ αὐτομάτου θεραπεύεται, τότε συντάσσουσιν τὰς θεραπείας, ἵνα ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιγράφωσιν. ἐπεὶ διὰ τί μετὰ πολὺν χρόνον χρηματίζουσιν τὰς ἰάσεις; διὰ τί δέ, εἰ πάντα δύνανται, ἄνευ τοῦ προσ- φέρειν τι τὴν ἴασιν οὐ ποιοῦνται; τίνος δὲ ἕνεκα τισὶν μὲν εὐξαμένοις θεραπείας προστάσσουσιν, ἐνίοις δὲ ἔσθ' ὅτε καὶ οἰκειοτέροις οὖσιν οὐ χρηματίζουσιν; οὕτως ὁπόταν ἐξ αὐτομάτου θεραπεία μέλλῃ γίνεσθαι, ἐπαγγέλλονται, ἵνα ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιγράψωσιν. ἄλλοι δὲ νοσήσαντες καὶ εὐξάμενοι ἐξ αὐτομάτου ὑγιάναντες, οὓς ἐπεκαλέσαντο, ἐπέγραψαν καὶ ἀναθήματα ἐποίησαν. οἱ μέντοι γε μετὰ εὐχὴν διαφωνήσαντες τὰς ἀποτυχίας ἀναθεῖναι οὐ δύνανται. πλὴν εἰ οἱ συγγενεῖς τῶν τεθνεώτων <ἢ> ἐξ αὐτῶν τινες συνεζήτησαν τὰς ἀποτυχίας, πλείονας ἂν εὑρήκειτε τὰς ἀποτυχίας τῶν ἐπιτευγμάτων. ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς προειλημμένος αὐτοῖς τὸν κατ' αὐτῶν ἔλεγχον ἐκφᾶναι θέλει αἰδούμενος ἢ φοβούμενος, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον τὰ πιστὰ αὐτῶν ἀτοπήματα συνκρύβουσιν. πόσοι δὲ καὶ καταψεύδονται χρηματισμοὺς καὶ θεραπείας ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀποτελεσθείσας καὶ ταύτας βεβαι- οῦνται μετὰ ὅρκων; πόσοι δὲ ἐπὶ μισθῷ ἑαυτοὺς ἐξέδωκαν, δι' ἐνίων ἐπινοιῶν πάσχειν τινὰ ἀναδεξάμενοι καὶ οὕτως κηρύξαντες, αὐτῶν τὸ πάθος ἀντιπαθείᾳ ἀποκατασταθέντες, κεχρηματίσθαι τὴν θεραπείαν λέγουσιν, ἵνα τὸ ἀναίσθητον ἐπιγράψωσιν σέβασμα; πόσα δὲ αὐτῶν ἐκ καταρχῆς μαγικῇ τέχνῃ ἐτελέσθη, ἵνα ὀνειροπολῇ καὶ χρηματίζῃ; καὶ ὅμως μακρῷ χρόνῳ καὶ ταῦτα διεφώνησεν. πόσοι δὲ νῦν τὰ τοιαῦτα κρατύνειν θέλοντες γοητεύουσιν; πλὴν οὐκ εἴ τι μαντικόν ἐστιν ἢ θερα- πευτικόν, τοῦτο θεός ἐστιν. ὁ γὰρ θεὸς πάντα δύναται. ἐκεῖνος γάρ ἐστιν ἀγαθὸς καὶ δίκαιος, νῦν πᾶσιν μακροθυμῶν, ἵνα οἱ βουλόμενοι ἐφ' οἷς ἔπραξαν κακοῖς μεταμεληθέντες καὶ πολιτευσάμενοι ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, ᾗ τὰ πάντα κρίνεται, τῶν κατ' ἀξίαν ἀπολαύσωσιν. ∆ιὸ νῦν ἄρξασθε ἀγαθῆς γνώσεως αἰτίᾳ θεῷ πειθόμενοι ἀντιλέγειν ὑμῶν ταῖς κακαῖς ἐπιθυμίαις καὶ ἐννοίαις, ἵνα δυνηθῆτε ἀνακαλέσασθαι τὴν πρώτην τῇ ἀνθρωπότητι παραδοθεῖσαν σωτήριον θρησκείαν. οὕτω γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐξαυτῆς ἀνατελεῖ τὰ ἀγαθά, ἅτινα λαβόντες πεῖραν τῶν κακῶν τοῦ λοιποῦ καταλείψετε. ἀλλὰ τῷ δεδωκότι εὐχαριστήσατε, μετὰ τοῦ τῆς