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he commands to sacrifice to the chthonic gods over pits and 4.9.4 indeed, having sacrificed to them, to bury the bodies. For that the quadrupeds are common to these, he himself when asked added: These quadrupeds are common to the earthy and the subterranean gods alone; to the earthy gods the fresh-formed limbs of lambs. But to the aerial gods he commands to sacrifice birds, making whole burnt-offerings and carrying the blood around the altars; but to the marine gods, birds, but to release them living into the waves, being black in color. For he says: To the gods the birds, but to the marine gods the black ones, 4.9.5 meaning to all the gods except the chthonic the birds, but to the marine gods alone the black ones, therefore to the others white ones. But to the celestial and ethereal gods to dedicate the extremities of the victims, which are white, and to eat the remaining parts; for from these alone you must eat, but not from the others. Those whom he has called celestial in 4.9.6 the division, these he here calls astral. Will it be necessary then to explain the symbols of the sacrifices, which are clear to the intelligent? For quadrupeds to the chthonic gods are also land animals; for like rejoices in like. And the sheep is chthonic and for this reason dear to Demeter, and in heaven it presides over the appearance of the fruits from the earth with the sun. But black things, for such is the earth, by nature dark. 4.9.7 And three things; for three is the symbol of the corporeal and the earthy. To the terrestrial gods, therefore, one must sacrifice upwards on altars, for these move upon the earth; but to the subterranean gods in a pit and in a trench, where they spend their time; and the birds to the others, because everything divine is swift. For the water of the sea is ever-moving, and black; wherefore such victims are also appropriate. But to the aerial gods white things; for the air is also luminous, being of a transparent nature. But to the celestial and ethereal gods the lighter parts of the animals, which are the extremities. With whom one must share in the sacrifice; for these are givers of good things, but the others are averters of evils.” Such are the things from the philosophy from oracles of the wonderful theosopher. 4.10.1 11. THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE GODS WHO REJOICE IN SACRIFICES OF ANIMALS
Come then, let us compare the contrary statements of the same man, which he has set down in the work he entitled "On Abstinence from Animal Food." There indeed, moved by right reason, he first of all acknowledges that one ought not to burn incense at all, nor to sacrifice to the God who is over all, nor even to the divine and 4.10.2 celestial powers after him. Then, going through the opinions of the many, he refutes them, saying that one ought not to suppose that those who rejoice in sacrifices of animals are gods. For he says that to sacrifice animals is the most unjust thing of all, and unholy and abominable and harmful, and for this reason not even dear to the gods. But in saying these things he would clearly be refuting his own god; for he just now said that the oracle commands sacrificing animals not only to the subterranean and terrestrial gods, but 4.10.3 also to the aerial, celestial, and ethereal gods. And so Apollo said such things. But he, calling Theophrastus to witness, says that sacrifice of animals is not fitting for gods, but for demons only, so that according to his own and Theophrastus' argument, Apollo is a demon, but not a god, and not only he, but also all the gods believed in among all the nations, to whom all the people, rulers and ruled, in cities and countries, perform sacrifices of animals; for one must consider these to be nothing other than demons, according to those 4.10.4 who have been mentioned. But if they say that they are good, how, if the sacrifice of blood was unholy and abominable and harmful, could they be good who rejoice in such things? And if they should be found delighting not only in such sacrifices, but, in an excess of cruelty and inhumanity, in man-slaying and human sacrifices, how would they not be manifestly blood-stained and akin to all cruelty and inhumanity, and nothing other than evil demons? 4.10.5 But since we have received the proof of these things, I think that of the
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ὑποχθονίοις ἐπὶ βόθρων παρακελεύεται καὶ 4.9.4 μέντοι καταθάπτειν τούτοις θύσαντας τὰ σώματα. ὅτι γὰρ κοινὰ τούτων καὶ τὰ τετράποδα, αὐτὸς ἐρωτηθεὶς ἐπήγαγεν· ξυνὰ πέλει χθονίων καὶ ὑποχθονίων τάδε μούνων τετράποδα· χθονίοις ἀρνῶν νεοπηγέα γυῖα. τοῖς δὲ ἀερίοις πτηνὰ θύειν παρακελεύεται ὁλοκαυτοῦντας καὶ τὸ αἷμα ἐπὶ τῶν βωμῶν περιάγοντας· τοῖς δὲ θαλασσίοις πτηνὰ μέν, ζῶντα δὲ ἀφιέναι εἰς τὰ κύματα, μέλανα τὴν χρόαν ὄντα. φησὶ γάρ· τοῖς δὲ θεοῖς τὰ πετεινά, θαλασσαίοις δὲ κελαινά, 4.9.5 πᾶσιν μὲν λέγων τοῖς θεοῖς πλὴν τῶν χθονίων τὰ πετεινά, μόνοις δὲ τοῖς θαλασσίοις τὰ κελαινά, οὐκοῦν τοῖς ἄλλοις λευκά. τοῖς δ' οὐρανίοις τε καὶ αἰθερίοις τὰ ἄκρα τῶν ἱερείων λευκῶν ὄντων ἀφιεροῦν, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ μέρη ἐσθίειν· ἐκ μόνων γὰρ τούτων βρωτέον σοι, ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων μή. οὓς δὲ εἴρηκεν ἐν 4.9.6 τῇ διαιρέσει οὐρανίους, τούτους ἐνταῦθα ἀστραίους. ἆρ' οὖν δεήσει ἐξηγήσασθαι τῶν θυσιῶν τὰ σύμβολα τῷ εὐσυνέτῳ δῆλα; τετράποδα μὲν γὰρ τοῖς χθονίοις καὶ χερσαῖα· τῷ γὰρ ὁμοίῳ χαίρει τὸ ὅμοιον. χθόνιον δὲ τὸ πρόβατον καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ∆ήμητρι φίλον, καὶ ἐν οὐρανῷ τὴν ἔκφανσιν ἐκ τῆς γῆς τῶν καρπῶν μεθ' ἡλίου λοχεύει. μέλανα δέ· τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ γῆ φύσει σκο4.9.7 τεινή. τρία δέ· τοῦ γὰρ σωματικοῦ καὶ γεώδους τὰ τρία σύμβολον. τοῖς μὲν οὖν ἐπιχθονίοις ἄνω ἐπὶ βωμῶν δεῖ θῦσαι, ἐπὶ γὰρ τῆς γῆς ἀναστρέφονται οὗτοι· τοῖς δ' ὑποχθονίοις ἐν βόθρῳ καὶ ἐν ταφῇ, ἔνθα διατρίβουσιν· τὰ πτηνὰ δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὅτι πάντα θεῖ. καὶ γὰρ τὸ ὕδωρ ἀεικίνητον τῆς θαλάσσης, μέλαν δέ· διὸ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἱερεῖα πρόσφορα. τοῖς δὲ ἀερίοις λευκά· πεφώτισται γὰρ καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ φύσεως ὢν διαφανοῦς. οὐρανίοις δὲ καὶ αἰθερίοις τὰ ἐπὶ τῶν ζῴων κουφότερα, ἅπερ ἐστὶν ἄκρα. οἷς κοινωνεῖν τῆς θυσίας δεῖ· δοτῆρες γὰρ οὗτοι ἀγαθῶν, οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι τῶν κακῶν κωλυτῆρες.» Τοιαῦτα μὲν τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκ λογίων φιλοσοφίας τοῦ θαυμαστοῦ θεοσόφου. 4.10.1 ιαʹ. ΟΤΙ ΟΥΚ ΑΝ ΕΙΕΝ ΘΕΟΙ ΟΙ ΤΑΙΣ ∆ΙΑ ΖΩΙΩΝ ΘΥΣΙΑΙΣ ΧΑΙΡΟΝΤΕΣ
Φέρε δὲ τοῦ αὐτοῦ τὰς ἐναντίας τούτοις φωνὰς συγκρίνωμεν, ἃς τέθειται ἐν οἷς ἐπέγραψεν «Περὶ τῆς τῶν ἐμψύχων ἀποχῆς». ἔνθα δὴ ὀρθῷ λογισμῷ κινούμενος πρῶτον ἁπάντων ὁμολογεῖ μὴ δεῖν τὸ καθόλου μηδὲν μήτε θυμιᾶν μήτε θύειν τῷ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν θεῷ, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ ταῖς μετ' αὐτὸν θείαις καὶ 4.10.2 οὐρανίαις δυνάμεσιν. εἶτα δὲ ἐπεξιὼν τὰς τῶν πολλῶν ὑπολήψεις ἀνασκευάζει, μὴ χρῆναι φάσκων θεοὺς ὑπολαμβάνειν τοὺς ταῖς διὰ ζῴων θυσίαις χαίροντας. εἶναι γάρ φησι πάντων ἀδικώτατον τὸ ζῳοθυτεῖν καὶ ἀνόσιον καὶ μυσαρὸν καὶ βλαβερὸν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μηδὲ θεοῖς προσφιλές. ταῦτα δὲ λέγων δῆλος ἂν εἴη τὸν ἑαυτοῦ θεὸν ἀπελέγχων· προστάττειν γὰρ ἀρτίως ἔφησεν τὸν χρησμὸν μὴ μόνον τοῖς ὑποχθονίοις καὶ ἐπιχθονίοις θεοῖς, ἀλλὰ 4.10.3 καὶ τοῖς ἀερίοις οὐρανίοις τε καὶ αἰθερίοις ζῳοθυτεῖν. καὶ ὁ μὲν Ἀπόλλων τοιαῦτα. ὁ δὲ τὸν Θεόφραστον μαρτυρόμενος θεοῖς μὲν οὔ φησιν ἁρμόζειν τὴν διὰ ζῴων θυσίαν, δαίμοσιν δὲ μόνοις, ὥστε κατὰ τὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ Θεοφράστου λόγον δαίμονα εἶναι, ἀλλ' οὐ θεὸν τὸν Ἀπόλλωνα, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας τοὺς παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν νενομισμένους θεούς, οἷς τὰς διὰ ζῴων θυσίας πανδημεὶ πάντες ἄρχοντές τε καὶ ἀρχόμενοι κατά τε πόλεις καὶ χώρας ἐκτελοῦσιν· τούτους γὰρ οὐκ ἄλλο τι τυγχάνειν ἡγεῖσθαι χρὴ κατὰ τοὺς 4.10.4 εἰρημένους ἢ δαίμονας. εἰ δὲ ἀγαθοὺς εἶναί φασιν αὐτούς, καὶ πῶς, εἴπερ ἀνόσιος ἦν καὶ μυσαρὰ καὶ ἐπιβλαβὴς ἡ δι' αἱμάτων θυσία, ἀγαθοὶ ἂν εἶεν οἱ τοῖς τοιοῖσδε χαίροντες; εἰ δὲ καὶ μὴ μόναις ταῖς τοιαύταις δὴ θυσίαις, καθ' ὑπερβολὴν δὲ ὠμότητος καὶ ἀπανθρωπίας φανεῖεν ἀνδροκτασίαις καὶ ἀνθρωποθυσίαις ἡδόμενοι, πῶς οὐκ ἄντικρυς εἶεν ἂν μιαιφόνοι καὶ πάσης ὠμότητος καὶ ἀπανθρωπίας οἰκεῖοι καὶ οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ πονηροὶ δαίμονες; 4.10.5 τούτων δὲ ἡμῖν τὴν ἀπόδειξιν εἰληφότων οἶμαι τῆς