121

of burnt fat" and to bestow the honor resulting from these things upon those who are not even worthy of them, if they are able to benefit us in no way? Since we ought not to think of them as "givers of good things," 6.3.4 but as the cause of contrary things, as they themselves admitted. For if it is fated for men whether something good or something contrary, this will of necessity be and will be present whether the gods wish it or not. Therefore, Necessity alone is to be served, while caring little, or rather not at all, for the gods 6.3.5 who are able to neither harm nor benefit. But if indeed the God who is over all things alone supervises the Fates, and he alone is also their lord—for it says, "the head of Zeus, son of Uranus, nodded assent to them, that whatever they spin with their unshaken spindles should remain"—why then do you not, putting him above all, confess that the All-King and master of fate is the only God, and the only giver of good things and savior? For it is easy for him alone to turn and change what you call the Fates' "irrevocable counsels"; so that he who is devoted to the All-King God and reveres him alone serves neither Necessity nor Fate, but like a free man released from every bond, he follows without hindrance the divine and saving dispensations. But the true argument reveals such things; but see, on the contrary, by what means he says the things of fate are loosed: 6.4.1 4.

THAT THEY SAY THE THINGS OF FATE ARE LOOSED THROUGH MAGIC

"For when someone asked to receive a god, the god said that he was unfit because he was bound by nature, and for this reason, after dictating averting rites, he adds: 'For with demonic rush a destroying force has run upon your offspring, which you must escape by such magic.' 6.4.2 Through which it has been clearly shown that magic was given by the gods for loosing the things of fate, in order to divert it in some way." 6.4.3 This Porphyry tells you, not I. He, therefore, who advises to loose the things of fate by magic, how did he, being a god himself, not loose the fated things against his own temple when it was being burned by a thunderbolt? And he who urges to practice magic, but not philosophy, how would it not be clear what sort of character he happens to have? In addition to all these things, the same author confesses that the gods also lie: 6.5.1 5.

THAT THEY ALSO LIE WHEN PROPHESYING

"But now also the precise knowledge of their motion and the events resulting from these things are incomprehensible to men, and not only to these, but also to some of the spirits; whence also they lie when questioned about many things." 6.5.2 To these he adds again: "And the surrounding medium, by compelling, causes the oracles to become false, not that those present willingly add the falsehood. Often, at any rate, they foretell that they will lie; 6.5.3 but the people remain and compel them to speak through their ignorance. At least Apollo once said, when the state of the surrounding medium was such, as we have shown, a bad one: 'Hold back the force and strength of words; I will speak falsely.' 6.5.4 And that these things we have said are true, the oracles will show. For one of the gods, being invoked, said: 'Today it is not fitting to speak the sacred path of the stars; for the seats of prophecy are now shackled in the stars.' And he adds: 'It has been shown, then, whence the falsehood often arises.'" 6.6.1 6. REFUTATIONS OF THE DOCTRINE CONCERNING FATE. Have you now ceased from your doubtful opinion, that there was nothing divine in the oracles of the gods? For how could the divine ever lie, being by nature most truthful, if indeed the divine is without falsehood? And how would a good spirit ever deceive those who consult it with falsehoods? And how could that which is shackled by the motion of the stars be superior to man? 6.6.2 Mortal, therefore,

121

κνίσης τε» καὶ τὸ ἐκ τούτων γέρας τοῖς μηδὲ τούτων ἀξίοις ἀπονέμειν, εἰ κατ' οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς ὠφελεῖν δύνανται; ἐπεὶ μηδὲ «τῶν ἀγαθῶν δοτῆρας» οἴεσθαι 6.3.4 χρῆν αὐτούς, ἀλλ' ἣν καὶ τῶν ἐναντίων ὡμολόγουν αἰτίαν. εἰ γὰρ πέπρωται ἀνθρώποις εἴτε τι ἀγαθὸν εἴτε τι καὶ ἐναντίον, ἔσται ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ παρέσται τοῦτο καὶ βουλομένων καὶ μὴ τῶν θεῶν. μόνην ἄρα τὴν Ἀνάγκην θεραπευτέον, σμικρὰ μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ μηθὲν φροντίσαντας τῶν θεῶν 6.3.5 μήτε λυπεῖν μήτε εὐεργετεῖν δυναμένων. εἰ δὲ δὴ τῶν Μοιρῶν μόνος ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων ἐπιστατεῖ θεὸς καὶ μόνος καὶ τούτων ὑπάρχει κύριος, ταῖσι γὰρ Οὐρανίδαο φησὶ ∆ιὸς κατένευσε κάρηνον, ὅττι κε δὴ νήσωσι μένειν ἀσάλευτον ἀτράκτοις, τί δὴ οὐχὶ πάντα ὑπερθέμενος τὸν παμβασιλέα καὶ τῆς εἱμαρμένης δεσπότην μόνον θεὸν εἶναι ὁμολογεῖς καὶ μόνον ἀγαθῶν δοτῆρα καὶ σωτῆρα; ὅτι δὴ μόνῳ αὐτῷ καὶ ἃ φῂς Μοιράων «ἀμετάτροπα δήνεα» τρέπειν καὶ μεταλλάττειν ῥᾴδιον· ὡς μήτ' Ἀνάγκῃ μήτε Εἱμαρμένῃ τὸν τῷ παμβασιλεῖ θεῷ καθωσιωμένον καὶ μόνον αὐτὸν εὐσεβοῦντα δουλεύειν, οἷα δὲ ἐλεύθερον καὶ παντὸς ἀφειμένον δεσμοῦ ταῖς ἐνθέοις καὶ σωτηριώδεσιν οἰκονομίαις ἀκωλύτως ἐφέπεσθαι. ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἀληθὴς τοιαῦτα προφαίνει λόγος· ὁ δ' ἔμπαλιν ὅρα διὰ τίνων φησὶ τὰ τῆς εἱμαρμένης λύεσθαι· 6.4.1 δʹ.

ΟΤΙ ∆ΙΑ ΜΑΓΕΙΑΣ ΦΑΣΙ ΤΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΙΜΑΡΜΕΝΗΣ ΛΥΕΣΘΑΙ

«∆εηθέντος γάρ τινος καταδέξασθαι θεόν, εἰπὼν ὁ θεὸς ὅτι ἀνεπιτήδειός ἐστι διὰ τὸ ὑπὸ φύσεως καταδεδέσθαι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀποτροπιασμοὺς ὑπαγορεύσας ἐπάγει· ῥιπῇ δαιμονίη γὰρ ἀλεῖσ' ἐπιδέδρομεν ἀλκὴ σαῖσι γοναῖς, ἃς χρή σε φυγεῖν τοίαισι μαγείαις. 6.4.2 δι' ὧν καὶ σαφῶς δεδήλωται ὅτι ἡ μαγεία ἐν τῷ λύειν τὰ τῆς εἱμαρμένης παρὰ θεῶν ἐδόθη εἰς τὸ ὁπωσοῦν ταύτην παρατρέπειν.» 6.4.3 Ταῦτά σοι ὁ Πορφύριος, οὐκ ἐγώ. ὁ τοίνυν μαγείαις παραινῶν λύειν τὰ τῆς εἱμαρμένης πῶς αὐτὸς θεὸς ὢν τὰ πεπρωμένα κατὰ τοῦ ἰδίου ναοῦ κεραυνῷ πιμπραμένου μὴ ἔλυσεν; ὁ δὲ δὴ μαγεύειν, ἀλλὰ μὴ φιλοσοφεῖν παρορμῶν, πῶς οὐκ ἂν εἴη δῆλος ὁποῖος ὢν τυγχάνει τὸν τρόπον; ἐπὶ πᾶσι τούτοις καὶ ψεύδεσθαι τοὺς θεοὺς ὁ αὐτὸς ὁμολογεῖ· 6.5.1 εʹ.

ΟΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΨΕΥ∆ΟΝΤΑΙ ΜΑΝΤΕΥΟΜΕΝΟΙ

«Ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς φορᾶς τὴν ἀκριβῆ καὶ τὰς ἐκ τούτων συμβάσεις ἀκατάληπτον εἶναι ἀνθρώποις, καὶ οὐ μόνον τούτοις, ἀλλὰ καί τισι τῶν δαιμονίων· ὅθεν καὶ ψεύδονται περὶ πολλῶν ἐρωτηθέντες.» 6.5.2 Τούτοις αὖθις ἐπιλέγει· «Καὶ τὸ περιέχον ἀναγκάζον ψευδῆ γίνεσθαι τὰ μαντεῖα, οὐ τοὺς παρόντας ἑκόντας προστιθέναι τὸ ψεῦδος. πολλάκις γοῦν προλέγουσιν ὅτι ψεύ6.5.3 σονται· οἱ δὲ μένουσι καὶ λέγειν ἀναγκάζουσι διὰ τὴν ἀμαθίαν. εἶπε γοῦν ὁ Ἀπόλλων ποτέ, τοιαύτης οὔσης τῆς καταστάσεως, ὡς ἐδείξαμεν, πονηρᾶς τοῦ περιέχοντος· κλεῖε βίην κάρτος τε λόγων· ψευδηγόρα λέξω. 6.5.4 καὶ ὅτι ταῦτα ἀληθῆ ἐστιν ἅπερ ἔφαμεν, δηλώσει τὰ λόγια. ἔφη γοῦν τις κληθεὶς τῶν θεῶν· σήμερον οὐκ ἐπέοικε λέγειν ἄστρων ὁδὸν ἱρήν· ἕδρανα μαντοσύνης γὰρ ἐν ἄστρασι νῦν πεπέδηται.» καὶ ἐπιλέγει· «Πέφηνεν ἄρα πόθεν πολλάκις τὸ ψεῦδος συνίσταται.» 6.6.1 ʹ. ΑΝΑΣΚΕΥΑΣΤΙΚΑ ΤΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΕΙΜΑΡΜΕΝΗΣ ΛΟΓΟΥ Ἆρά σοι πέπαυται λοιπὸν τὰ τῆς ἀμφιβόλου γνώμης, ὅτι μηδέν τι ἦν θεῖον ἐν τοῖς τῶν θεῶν χρησμοῖς; πῶς γάρ ποτε τὸ θεῖον ψεύσαιτ' ἄν, τὴν φύσιν ὂν ἀψευδέστατον, εἴ γε ἀψευδὲς τὸ θεῖον; πῶς δὲ ἀγαθὸς δαίμων ταῖς ψευδολογίαις ἀπατήσειέ ποτε τοὺς χρωμένους; πῶς δ' ἂν εἴη κρεῖττον ἀνθρώπου 6.6.2 τὸ τῇ τῶν ἄστρων φορᾷ πεπεδημένον; θνητὸς μὲν οὖν