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wickedness” 6.1.4 and the following, to which he adds: “The mind of the Fates brought these things, and established dark strife to subdue with calamities, as he went under the evil path of high-ruling Kronos.” 6.1.5 and after other things: “But the grievous destroyer of mortals, pressing on against Kronos, hastened to make you fulfill the fated day of your life, and destroyed the foundation of your mind; for this reason he threatened the sacred heart of your godlike father to flee from evil-doing Ares.” 6.1.6 This shows that they do not prophesy from their own divine power, but from observation of the stars according to the reasonings of astrologers, so that in this they differ in no way from men, nor do they exhibit any superior work of a more divine nature. 6.1.7 But see how they also do away with that which is in our power, not only attributing external things and things not in our power to the motion of the stars, but also our choices; 6.2.1 2. THAT THEY ALSO DO AWAY WITH THAT WHICH IS IN OUR POWER, SAYING THAT FROM FATE ALSO

OUR CHOICES ARE MOVED “Thus Apollo, concerning someone, while at the same time relating whence his zeal for the army came, said: He has swift Ares at his birth, who stirs him up and will not bury him; for the counsel of Zeus has ordained, which will straightway stretch forth martial glory for him from Ares. And again concerning another: Long-haired Kronos lies in wait, and with hateful goads grieves the ill-fated life of the wretched child.” 6.2.2 To such a degree do the noble gods shudder at fate, that they confess they are not able to help their own sanctuaries even when they are struck by lightning. Great, then, would be the hope for men who pray to receive help from those who are not even able to help themselves. Why then is it necessary to be pious and worship and serve the gods, who are capable of absolutely nothing, not even of helping themselves? Hear then what the oracle says: 6.3.1 3. THAT NOT EVEN THE TEMPLES CONSECRATED TO THEM, WHEN STRUCK BY LIGHTNING,

WERE THEY ABLE TO HELP “So also are the fates of temples and holy places, and the very sanctuary of Apollo was fated to be struck by lightning, as he says: O you born of the divine race of Erichthonius, you have dared to come and inquire of my oracle, where the seats of the most beautiful shrine may be destroyed. Hear the divine oracle from the laurel-roofed inner shrine. When the winds blowing on high, roaring, are dashed together with crashes, contending against each other, and again a windless frost will be around the boundless cosmos, and the afflicted air may have no outlet, a fiery torch, full of soot, will fall around the earth, wherever it may chance; then the beasts in the mountains, fearing it, flee to their deepest lairs and do not wait to behold with their eyes the descending spear of Zeus. By it both the temples of the blessed gods and the tall trees and the peaks of steep mountains and ships on the sea are subdued, as it approaches with its fiery flights; and the consort of Poseidon herself, Amphitrite, being struck, often draws back resounding. You, therefore, though having unbearable grief in your minds, endure with spirit the unalterable counsels of the Fates; for to them Zeus, son of Ouranos, has nodded his head, that what they spin with their spindles remains unshaken. For it was fated that in long ages the most beautiful shrine would be subdued by the heaven-sent swings of torches.” 6.3.2 If, then, by the spindles of the Fates both the temples of the venerable gods and their sacred houses “are subdued by fiery flights,” what hope would be left for mortal men of escaping what has been fated? And if there is no help at all from the gods, but one must in every way endure the unalterable counsels of the Fates with spirit, 6.3.3 then what is this useless zeal for the gods? one might say. And what need is there for “both libation and

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κακότητα» 6.1.4 καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, οἷς ἐπιλέγει· «Ταῦτα δὲ Μοιράων νόος ἤγαγεν, ἠδὲ κελαινὴν εἰς ἔριν ἐστήριξε κακηπελίῃσι δαμάζειν, ὑψιπόλοιο Κρόνοιο κακὴν ὑπ' ἀταρπὸν ἰόντος.» 6.1.5 καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα· «Ἀλλά σε μόρσιμον ἦμαρ ἀναπλῆσαι βιότοιο ἀλγινόεις βροτολοιγὸς ἐπισπέρχων Κρόνῳ ἄντα σπεύσατο, σῆς δὲ θέμειλον ἀπὸ φρενὸς ἠίστωσε· τοὔνεκα καὶ πατέρος θεοειδέος ἱερὸν ἦτορ φευγέμεναι κακοεργὸν ἐπηπείλησεν Ἄρηα.» 6.1.6 ταῦτα μὲν ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐκ θείας αὐτῶν δυνάμεως μαντεύονται, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἄστρων ἐπιτηρήσεως κατὰ τοὺς τῶν μαθηματικῶν λόγους, ὡς μηδὲν ἐν τούτῳ διαφέρειν ἀνθρώπων μηδέ τι κρεῖττον καὶ φύσεως θειοτέρας ἔργον ἐπιδεί6.1.7 κνυσθαι. θέα δὲ ὡς καὶ τὸ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἀναιροῦσιν, οὐ μόνον τὰ ἐκτὸς καὶ τὰ οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν τῇ τῶν ἄστρων ἀνατιθέντες φορᾷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἡμετέρας προαιρέσεις· 6.2.1 βʹ. ΟΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΕΦ' ΗΜΙΝ ΑΝΑΙΡΟΥΣΙΝ ΕΞ ΕΙΜΑΡΜΕΝΗΣ ΦΑΣΚΟΝΤΕΣ ΚΑΙ

ΤΑΣ ΠΡΟΑΙΡΕΣΕΙΣ ΚΙΝΕΙΣΘΑΙ «Οὕτως καὶ ὁ Ἀπόλλων περί τινος, ἅμα καὶ τὴν περὶ στρατιὰν προθυμίαν ἀφηγούμενος πόθεν αὐτῷ γίνεται, ἔφη· Ἄρεα κραιπνὸν ἔχει γενεθλήιον, ὅς μιν ὀρίνει οὐδέ ἑ ταρχύσει· Ζηνὸς γὰρ ἐπέχραε βουλή, ἥ οἱ κῦδος ἄρειον ἀπ' Ἄρεος εὐθὺς ὀρέξει. καὶ πάλιν ἐπ' ἄλλου· εὐχαίτης ἐπίκειται Κρόνος, στυγεροῖσι δὲ κέντροις ἀλγύνει παιδὸς ταλαοῦ δυσπέμφελον αἰῶ.» 6.2.2 εἰς τοσοῦτον δὲ τὴν εἱμαρμένην οἱ γενναῖοι θεοὶ πεφρίκασιν ὡς ὁμολογεῖν μηδὲ κεραυνουμένοις αὐτῶν τοῖς ἱεροῖς δύνασθαι ἐπαμύνειν. πολλὴ ἄρα γένοιτ' ἂν ἐλπὶς ἀνθρώποις εὐχομένοις τυχεῖν βοηθείας παρὰ τῶν μηδὲ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἐπαρήγειν δυνατῶν. τί δὲ χρὴ λοιπὸν εὐσεβεῖν καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς προσκυνεῖν καὶ θεραπεύειν, μηδὲν οἵους τε καθόλου μηδὲ ἑαυτοῖς ἐπαρκεῖν; ἄκουε δ' οὖν ἅ φησιν ὁ χρησμός· 6.3.1 γʹ. ΟΤΙ ΟΥ∆Ε ΤΟΙΣ ΑΦΙΕΡΩΜΕΝΟΙΣ ΑΥΤΟΙΣ ΝΑΟΙΣ ΚΕΡΑΥΝΟΥΜΕΝΟΙΣ

ΕΠΑΡΚΕΙΝ Ε∆ΥΝΗΘΗΣΑΝ «Οὕτω καὶ ναῶν μοῖραι καὶ ἱερῶν, καὶ αὐτοῦ γε τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος τὸ ἱερὸν μεμοίρατο κεραυνωθῆναι, ὥς φησιν· ὦ ζαθέης γεγαῶτες Ἐριχθονίοιο γενέθλης, ἔτλητ' ἐλθέμεναι καὶ ἐμὴν ἐρεεινέμεν ὀμφήν, ὁππόθι δῃωθῇ περικαλλέος ἕδρανα σηκοῦ. κλῦτε δαφνηρεφέων μυχάτων ἄπο θέσκελον ὀμφήν. εὖτ' ἂν ἄνω πνείοντες ὑπηέριοι κελάδοντες τρίβωνται πατάγοισιν ἐναντία δηριόωντες κρυμὸς δ' αὖ περὶ κόσμον ἀπείρονα νήνεμος ἔσται μηδὲ διεξερύγησιν ἔχῃ κεκακωμένος αἰθήρ, αἰθαλόεις περὶ γαῖαν, ὅπη τύχεν, ἔκπεσε πυρσός· τὸν μὲν δὴ θῆρές τε κατ' οὔρεα δειμαίνοντες φεύγουσιν πυμάτοις ὑπὸ κεύθεσιν οὐδὲ μένουσιν εἰσιδέειν ὄσσοισι καταιβάσιον ∆ιὸς ἔγχος. τοῦ μὲν καὶ νηοὶ μακάρων καὶ δένδρεα μακρὰ ἠλιβάτων τ' ὀρέων κορυφαὶ νῆές τ' ἐνὶ πόντῳ δάμνανται ζαπύροις πωτήμασιν ἐμπελάοντος· καὶ δ' αὐτὴ πληγεῖσα Ποσειδάωνος ἑταίρη πολλάκις ἠχήεσσ' ἀναχάζεται Ἀμφιτρίτη. ὑμεῖς οὖν καὶ ἄτλητον ἐνὶ φρεσὶν ἄλγος ἔχοντες, τέτλατε Μοιράων ἀμετάτροπα δήνεα θυμῷ· ταῖσι γὰρ Οὐρανίδαο ∆ιὸς κατένευσε κάρηνον, ὅττι κε δὴ νήσωσι μένειν ἀσάλευτον ἀτράκτοις. αἶσα γὰρ ἦν δολιχοῖσι χρόνοις περικαλλέα σηκὸν πυρσῶν αἰώρῃσι διιπετέεσσι δαμῆναι.» 6.3.2 εἰ δὴ οὖν Μοιρῶν ἀτράκτοις καὶ τῶν σεβασμίων θεῶν οἱ ναοὶ τά τε ἱερὰ αὐτῶν δώματα «δάμναται ζαπύροις πωτήμασι», τίς ἂν ἔτι λείποιτο ἐλπὶς θνητοῖς ἀνθρώποις τῆς τῶν πεπρωμένων ἀποφυγῆς; εἰ δὲ καὶ μηδεμία ἐκ θεῶν ὑπάρχοι βοήθεια, δεῖ δὲ ἐξ ἅπαντος τετλάναι Μοιράων ἀμετάτροπα δήνεα θυμῷ, 6.3.3 καὶ τίς ἡ περὶ τοὺς θεοὺς ματαία σπουδή; εἴποι ἄν τις. τί δὲ δεῖ «λοιβῆς τε