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others of those who are frenzied with neck-tossing convulsion, I would say are performed, not for any of the gods, but for the aversion of evil demons, as a consolation for the ancient 10.9 human sacrifices.” Therefore, in what was examined before, he said that the oracles were not of gods, but of demons; and here he also called them evil, using as very clear proofs the things done by them. For to whom do eating of raw flesh and tearing of limbs and shameful words and shameful deeds and frenzies of those who are maddened and toss their necks with convulsion belong, if not to all-evil demons, who harm the race of men? Who in ancient times, like avenging spirits, took delight in the slaughter of most wretched men, but when they saw that men abhorred that man-slaying and bloodshed which to them was desirable, and had ceased from the abomination, they devised the scourgings and eating of raw flesh and 10.10 the other rites. And he has added this to what has been said: “When Ammonius had stopped, I said, 'Rather, tell us about the oracle, O Cleombrotus; for great was the ancient renown of the divinity there, but now it seems to be fading away.' But when Cleombrotus was silent and looked down, Demetrius said that there was no need to inquire and be puzzled about the things there, seeing the fading of the oracles here, or rather the failure of all except one or two.” 10.11 Plutarch wrote these things after the epiphany of our God and Savior; therefore, the time shows the cause of the failure of the oracles. And Porphyry also, in his *On the Philosophy from Oracles*, said this: "But already both the precise knowledge of motion and the accounts from these things are incomprehensible to men, and not only to them, but also to some of the demons; whence they also lie about many things when asked.” 10.12 Therefore, O men, since you disbelieve us when we speak about your oracles, believe him who is most hostile to us, but most dear to you; for he is our implacable enemy, having undertaken open battle against piety. And he has said that the demons who attend upon the so-called oracles 10.13 lie. But that he calls the same beings gods and testifies that they have astrology rather than divine foreknowledge, he has shown in the treatise itself; and he says this: “For what the gods say, if indeed they speak knowing what has been fated, they declare from the motion of the stars; and this nearly all the unerring ones among the gods have revealed.” 10.14 But those whom he here called gods, he again said were not gods in this, and not in any other, treatise; for having cited the oracle of Apollo, which teaches how one must sacrifice to the terrestrial, how to the subterranean gods, and how to the marine, and how to the celestial and ethereal, he refutes 10.15 this oracle as not being right, saying that one must not suppose those who rejoice in sacrifices of living creatures to be gods; for sacrificing animals is the most unjust of all things, and unholy and abominable and harmful, and for this reason not dear to the gods either. Then he introduces Theophrastus, saying that sacrifices of living creatures are not fitting for gods, but for demons. He also ridicules the human sacrifices of the ancients and recounts very many that were performed by many peoples. 10.16 Then, having taught that evil demons commanded these to be performed, he added: "Wherefore a man who is prudent and temperate will beware of using such sacrifices, through which he will draw such beings to himself, but he will be eager to purify his soul in every 10.17 way; for they do not attack a pure soul." But the Pythian legislates the opposite to Porphyry; for he commands the one asking for an oracle to give a certain ransom to the evil demon, libations and a pyre and dark blood and all-black wine; and having added certain such things, he also taught the prayer which one must offer while sacrificing: "Demon, who has obtained as your diadem the souls of sinners, beneath the recesses of the air, and above those of the earth." And Porphyry has set down these things in the treatise itself, refuting this one as not being a god, but his own ...

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ἄλλαι ὀρινομένων ῥιψαύχενι σὺν κλόνῳ, θεῶν μὲν οὐδενί, δαιμόνων δὲ πονηρῶν ἀποτροπῆς ἕνεκα φή σαιμ' ἂν ἐπιτελεῖσθαι, παραμυθίας τῆς παλαιᾶς ποιουμένους 10.9 ἀνθρωποθυσίας." Ἐν μὲν οὖν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐξητασμένοις ἔφη μὴ εἶναι τὰ μαντεῖα θεῶν, ἀλλὰ δαιμόνων· ἐνταῦθα δὲ τούτους καὶ πονηροὺς προσηγόρευσε, τεκμηρίοις ἐναργεστάτοις τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτῶν δρωμένοις χρησάμενος. Τίνι γάρ που προσήκουσιν ὠμο φαγίαι καὶ διασπασμοὶ αἰσχρορημοσύναι τε καὶ αἰσχρουργίαι καὶ μανίαι ὀρινομένων καὶ ῥιψαυχενούντων σὺν κλόνῳ, ἢ δαίμοσι παμπονήροις, τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων πημαίνουσι γένος; οἳ πάλαι μέν, οἷα δὴ ἀλάστορες, ταῖς τῶν τρισαθλίων ἀνθρώπων σφαγαῖς ἐπε τέρποντο, ἐπειδὴ δὲ βδελυξαμένους εἶδον τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τὴν ἀνδροφονίαν ἐκείνην καὶ μιαιφονίαν τὴν αὐτοῖς ἀξιέραστον καὶ παυσαμένους τοῦ μύσους, τὰς διαμαστιγώσεις καὶ ὠμοφαγίας καὶ 10.10 τὰς ἄλλας ἐπενόησαν τελετάς. Καὶ ταῦτα δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις προστέθεικεν· "Παυσαμένου δὲ τοῦ Ἀμμωνίου, μᾶλλον, ἔφην ἐγώ, περὶ τοῦ μαντείου δίελθε ἡμῖν, ὦ Κλεόμβροτε· μεγάλη γὰρ ἡ παλαιὰ δόξα τῆς ἐκεῖ θειότητος, τὰ δὲ νῦν ἔοικεν ἀπομα ραίνεσθαι. Τοῦ δὲ Κλεομβρότου σιγῶντος καὶ κάτω βλέποντος, ὁ ∆ημήτριος οὐδὲν ἔφη δεῖν περὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ πυνθάνεσθαι καὶ διαπορεῖν, τὴν ἐνταῦθα τῶν χρηστηρίων ἀμαύρωσιν, μᾶλλον δὲ πλὴν ἑνὸς ἢ δυοῖν ἁπάντων ἔκλειψιν ὁρῶντας." 10.11 Ταῦτα μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιφάνειαν ὁ Πλούταρχος ἔγραψεν· τοιγάρτοι ὁ χρόνος δηλοῖ τῆς τῶν χρη στηρίων ἐκλείψεως τὴν αἰτίαν. Καὶ ὁ Πορφύριος δὲ ἐν τῷ Περὶ τῆς ἐκ λογίων φιλοσοφίας καὶ ταῦτα ἔφη· "Ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς φορᾶς τὴν ἀκριβῆ καὶ τὰς ἐκ τούτων διηγήσεις ἀκατα λήπτους εἶναι ἀνθρώποις, καὶ οὐ μόνον τούτοις, ἀλλὰ καί τισι τῶν δαιμόνων· ὅθεν καὶ ψεύδονται περὶ πολλῶν ἐρωτηθέντες." 10.12 Οὐκοῦν, ὦ ἄνδρες, ἐπειδήπερ ἡμῖν περὶ τῶν ὑμετέρων χρηστη ρίων λέγουσιν ἀπιστεῖτε, τῷ ἡμῖν μὲν ἐχθίστῳ, ὑμῖν δὲ προσφι λεστάτῳ πιστεύσατε· ἄσπονδος γὰρ ἡμῶν οὗτος πολέμιος, τὴν προφανῆ κατὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀναδεξάμενος μάχην. Οὗτος δὲ ψεύδεσθαι εἴρηκε τοὺς τοῖς καλουμένοις μαντείοις προσεδρεύον10.13 τας δαίμονας. Ὅτι δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καὶ θεοὺς ὀνομάζει καὶ ἀστρολογίαν μᾶλλον αὐτοῖς ἢ θείαν πρόγνωσιν μαρτυρεῖ, ἐν αὐτῷ δεδήλωκε τῷ ξυγγράμματι· λέγει δὲ ταῦτα· "Ἃ γὰρ λέγουσιν οἱ θεοί, εἴπερ τὰ μεμοιραμένα γινώσκοντες λέγουσιν, ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ἄστρων φορᾶς δηλοῦσι· καὶ τοῦτο σχεδὸν πάντες ἐξέφηναν οἱ ἀψευδεῖς τῶν θεῶν." 10.14 Ἀλλ' οὓς ἐνταῦθα θεοὺς προσηγόρευσε, πάλιν ἔφη μὴ εἶναι θεοὺς ἐν τούτῳ γε καὶ οὐκ ἐν ἄλλῳ τῳ ξυγγράμματι· τοῦ γάρ τοι Ἀπόλλωνος τεθεικὼς τὸν χρησμόν, ὃς διδάσκει, πῶς χρὴ τοῖς ἐπιχθονίοις, πῶς δὲ τοῖς ὑποχθονίοις θύειν θεοῖς, καὶ πῶς μὲν τοῖς ἐναλίοις, πῶς δὲ τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις καὶ αἰθερίοις, διελέγ 10.15 χει τοῦτον ὡς οὐκ εὖ ἔχοντα τὸν χρησμόν, μὴ χρῆναι φάσκων θεοὺς ὑπολαμβάνειν τοὺς ταῖς διὰ ζῴων θυσίαις χαίροντας· εἶναι γὰρ πάντων ἀδικώτατον τὸ ζῳοθυτεῖν καὶ ἀνόσιον καὶ μυσαρὸν καὶ βλαβερὸν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μηδὲ θεοῖς προσφιλές. Εἶτα τὸν Θεόφραστον εἰσάγει λέγοντα, ὡς θεοῖς οὐχ ἁρμόζουσιν, ἀλλὰ δαίμοσιν, αἱ διὰ ζῴων θυσίαι. Κωμῳδεῖ δὲ καὶ τὰς τῶν παλαιῶν ἀνθρωποθυσίας καὶ διηγεῖται παμπόλλας παρὰ πολλῶν 10.16 γεγενημένας. Ἔπειτα διδάξας, ὡς οἱ πονηροὶ ταύτας τελεῖσθαι ἐκέλευον δαίμονες, ἐπήγαγεν· "∆ιὸ συνετὸς ἀνὴρ καὶ σώφρων εὐλαβήσεται τοιαύταις χρῆσθαι θυσίαις, δι' ὧν ἐπισπάσεται πρὸς ἑαυτὸν τοὺς τοιούτους, σπουδάσει δὲ καθαίρειν τὴν ψυχὴν παν 10.17 τοίως· καθαρᾷ γὰρ ψυχῇ οὐκ ἐπιτίθενται." Ἀλλ' ὁ Πύθιος τἀναντία τῷ Πορφυρίῳ νομοθετεῖ· κελεύει γὰρ τῷ χρησμὸν ἐξαι τοῦντι λύτρα τινὰ δοῦναι τῷ πονηρῷ δαίμονι, χοὰς καὶ πυρὴν καὶ αἷμα κελαινὸν καὶ οἶνον παμμέλανα· καὶ τοιαῦτα ἄττα προσ θείς, καὶ τὴν εὐχήν, ἣν δεῖ θύοντα προσενεγκεῖν, ἐξεπαίδευσεν· δαῖμον ἀλιτρονόων ψυχῶν διάδημα λελογχὼς ἠερίων ὑπένερθε μυχῶν, χθονίων δ' ἐφύπερθεν. Καὶ ταῦτα δὲ ὁ Πορφύριος ἐν αὐτῷ γε τῷ ξυγγράμματι τέ θεικε, τοῦτον διελέγχων ὡς οὐκ ὄντα θεόν, τὸν δὲ οἰκεῖον κρα