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the decans, but 6.10.38 countless. And you ought to remember what I said before, that even in one climate and in one country of the Indians there are man-eating Indians and there are those who abstain from living things; and that the Magusaeans marry their daughters not only in Persia, but also in every nation where they may dwell, observing the 6.10.39 laws of their ancestors and the rites of their mysteries. But we also listed many barbarian nations, those that are in the south and west and east and north, that is, in different climates, not partaking of Hermetic sci6.10.40 ence. How many wise men, do you think, have done away with ill-established laws? How many laws have been abolished through want? How many kings, having conquered nations, did away with the laws before them and established their own? 6.10.41 And none of the stars lost its own climate. Yesterday the Romans, having conquered Arabia, changed the laws of the barbarians; for free will follows free will. But that which is able to persuade even the unbelievers I will set forth 6.10.42 to you. All Jews who received the law through Moses cause the male children who are born to bleed on the eighth day by circumcising them, not awaiting the presence of a star, not respecting the power of a climate, not being led by the law of a foreign country, but whether they happen to be in Syria or in Galatia or in Italy or in Greece or in Parthia or wherever they may be, they do this. 6.10.43 which is not according to nativity; for not all Jews can have one nativity. But also for seven days, all, wherever they are, rest from all work and neither travel nor use fire, nor does nativity compel a Jew not to build a house, not to demolish, not to work, not to sell, not to buy on the days of the Sabbath, although on the same day Jews 6.10.44 are begetting and being born and falling sick and dying. For these things are no longer of free will. In Syria and in Osroene many were emasculating themselves for Rhea, and in this, in one stroke, King Abgar commanded that the genitals and the hands of those who emasculated themselves be cut off, and from then on no one 6.10.45 emasculated himself in Osroene. What then shall we say about the sect of the Christians, of which we, its adherents, being many, have arisen in different climates, in every nation and climate, who being many are called by one name? 6.10.46 And neither do Christians in Parthia practice polygamy, though being Parthians, nor do those in Media expose their dead to dogs, nor do those in Persia marry their own daughters, being Persians, nor among the Bactrians and Geli do they corrupt their marriages, nor do those in Egypt worship Apis or the dog or the goat or the cat, but wherever they are, they are neither conquered by the ill-established laws and customs, nor does nativity, which is administered by the authorities, compel them to practice the evils forbidden by their teacher, but to sickness and poverty and 6.10.47 passions and what are considered dishonors they are subject. For just as our free man is not compelled to be a slave, and even if compelled, he resists those who compel him, so too our man who appears a slave cannot easily escape from subjection. 6.10.48 For if we were able to do all things, we ourselves would be the all, so that if we were able to do nothing, we would be the instruments of others, as I said before, and not of ourselves. But with God's assent all things are possible and unhindered; for nothing can stand against His will. For even the things that seem to resist, resist because He, being good, allows each nature to have its own property and the free will of its desire.” 6.10.49 So much from the Syrian also. But having mentioned one more thing, I will conclude the argument. For since what is from external sources has been sufficiently adduced, what remains is from the sacred writings, which indeed we especially need for the Preparation for the Proof of the Gospel; it would be well to examine these things also, so that the argument may in no way fall short of what is considered for the problem. 6.10.50 whence indeed I will also make these things clear to you. But you would not be able to understand naked

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τοὺς δεκανούς, ἀλλὰ 6.10.38 μυρίοι. μνημονεύειν τε ὀφείλετε ὧν προεῖπον, ὅτι καὶ ἐν ἑνὶ κλίματι καὶ ἐν μιᾷ χώρᾳ τῶν Ἰνδῶν εἰσιν ἀνθρωποφάγοι Ἰνδοὶ καί εἰσιν οἱ ἐμψύχων ἀπεχόμενοι· καὶ ὅτι οἱ Μαγουσαῖοι οὐκ ἐν Περσίδι μόνῃ τὰς θυγατέρας γαμοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει, ὅπου ἂν οἰκήσωσι, τοὺς τῶν προγόνων φυ6.10.39 λάσσοντες νόμους καὶ τῶν μυστηρίων αὐτῶν τὰς τελετάς. ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὰ βάρβαρα ἔθνη κατελέξαμεν, τά γε ὄντα ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ καὶ δύσει καὶ ἀνατολῇ καὶ ἄρκτῳ, τουτέστιν ἐν διαφόροις κλίμασι, μὴ μετέχοντα Ἑρμαϊκῆς ἐπι6.10.40 στήμης. πόσοι, νομίζετε, σοφοὶ ἄνδρες παρήγαγον τοὺς κακῶς κειμένους νόμους; πόσοι δὲ νόμοι ὑπὸ τῆς ἀπορίας κατελύθησαν; πόσοι βασιλεῖς κρατήσαντες ἐθνῶν παρήγαγον τοὺς πρὸ αὐτῶν νόμους καὶ ἔθεντο τοὺς ἰδίους; 6.10.41 καὶ οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀστέρων ἀπώλεσε τὸ ἴδιον κλίμα. χθὲς οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τῆς Ἀραβίας κρατήσαντες τοὺς τῶν βαρβάρων νόμους ἤλλαξαν· ἕπεται γὰρ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον τῷ αὐτεξουσίῳ. τὸ δὲ δυνάμενον πεῖσαι καὶ τοὺς ἀπίστους ἐκθή6.10.42 σομαι ὑμῖν. Ἰουδαῖοι πάντες οἱ διὰ Μωσέως δεξάμενοι νόμον τοὺς γεννωμένους ἄρρενας παῖδας ἐν τῇ ὀγδόῃ ἡμέρᾳ αἱμάσσουσι περιτέμνοντες, οὐκ ἀστέρος παρουσίαν ἀναμένοντες, οὐ κλίματος ἐξουσίαν ἐντρεπόμενοι, οὐχ ὑπὸ νόμου ἀλλοτρίας χώρας ἀγόμενοι, ἀλλ' εἴτε ἐν Συρίᾳ τυγχάνουσιν εἴτε ἐν Γαλατίᾳ εἴτε ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ εἴτε ἐν Ἑλλάδι ἢ ἐν Παρθίᾳ ἢ ὅπου ἂν ὦσι, τοῦτο ποιοῦσιν. 6.10.43 ὅπερ οὐκ ἔστι κατὰ γένεσιν· οὐ γὰρ δύνανται πάντες οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι μίαν γένεσιν ἔχειν. ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' ἡμερῶν ἑπτὰ πάντες ὅπου ἂν ὦσιν ἀργοῦσιν ἐκ παντὸς ἔργου καὶ οὔτε ὁδεύουσιν οὔτε πυρὶ χρῶνται οὔτε ἀναγκάζει ἡ γένεσις Ἰουδαῖον οὐ κτίσαι οἶκον, οὐ καταλῦσαι, οὐκ ἐργάσασθαι, οὐ πωλῆσαι, οὐκ ἀγοράσαι ταῖς ἡμέραις τοῦ σαββάτου, καίτοι ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ γεννώντων Ἰου6.10.44 δαίων καὶ γεννωμένων καὶ νοσούντων καὶ ἀποθνησκόντων. ταῦτα γὰρ οὐκέτι ἐστὶ τοῦ αὐτεξουσίου. ἐν τῇ Συρίᾳ καὶ ἐν τῇ Ὀσροηνῇ ἀπεκόπτοντο πολλοὶ τῇ Ῥέᾳ, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ μιᾷ ῥοπῇ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἄβγαρος ἐκέλευσε τῶν ἀποκοπτομένων τὰ αἰδοῖα ἀποκόπτεσθαι καὶ τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ ἐκ τότε οὐδεὶς 6.10.45 ἀπεκόψατο ἐν τῇ Ὀσροηνῇ. τί δὲ ἐροῦμεν περὶ τῆς τῶν Χριστιανῶν αἱρέσεως, ἧς ἡμεῖς οἱ δοξασταὶ πολλοὶ ὄντες καὶ ἐν διαφόροις ἀνέστημεν κλίμασιν, ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει καὶ κλίματι, οἵτινες πολλοὶ ὄντες ἑνὶ ὀνόματι κεκλήμεθα; 6.10.46 καὶ οὔτε οἱ ἐν Παρθίᾳ Χριστιανοὶ πολυγαμοῦσι, Πάρθοι τυγχάνοντες, οὔθ' οἱ ἐν Μηδίᾳ κυσὶ παραβάλλουσι τοὺς νεκρούς, οὐχ οἱ ἐν Περσίδι γαμοῦσι τὰς θυγατέρας αὐτῶν, Πέρσαι ὄντες, οὐ παρὰ Βάκτροις καὶ Γήλοις φθείρουσι τοὺς γάμους, οὐχ οἱ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ θρησκεύουσι τὸν Ἆπιν ἢ τὸν κύνα ἢ τὸν τράγον ἢ αἴλουρον, ἀλλ' ὅπου εἰσίν, οὔτε ὑπὸ τῶν κακῶς κειμένων νόμων καὶ ἐθῶν νικῶνται οὔθ' ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχῶν πρυτανευομένη γένεσις αὐτοὺς ἀναγκάζει τοῖς ἀπειρημένοις κακοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ διδασκάλου αὐτῶν χρῆσθαι, νόσῳ δὲ καὶ πενίᾳ καὶ 6.10.47 πάθεσι καὶ ταῖς νομιζομέναις ἀτιμίαις ὑπόκεινται. ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἐλεύθερος ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος δουλεύειν οὐκ ἀναγκάζεται κἂν ἀναγκασθῇ ἀνθίσταται τοῖς ἀναγκάζουσιν, οὕτως οὐδὲ ὁ φαινόμενος ἡμῶν δοῦλος ἄνθρωπος τῆς ὑποταγῆς 6.10.48 ἐκφεύγειν ῥᾳδίως δύναται. εἰ γὰρ πάντα ἐδυνάμεθα, ἡμεῖς ἂν ἦμεν τὸ πᾶν, ὥστ' εἰ μηδὲν ἐδυνάμεθα, ἄλλων ἦμεν, ὡς προεῖπον, ὄργανα, καὶ οὐχ ἑαυτῶν. θεοῦ δ' ἐπινεύσαντος πάντα δυνατὰ καὶ ἀνεμπόδιστα· τῇ γὰρ ἐκείνου βουλήσει οὐδὲν ἀντιστῆναι δύναται. καὶ γὰρ τὰ δοκοῦντα ἀνθίστασθαι αὐτοῦ χρηστοῦ ὄντος καὶ συγχωροῦντος ἑκάστῃ φύσει ἔχειν τὴν ἰδιότητα καὶ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον τοῦ θελήματος ἀνθίσταται.» 6.10.49 Τοσαῦτα καὶ ὁ Σύρος. ἑνὸς δὲ ἔτι μνησθεὶς περιγράψω τὸν λόγον. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὰ μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν αὐτάρκως παρατέθειται, λείπει δὲ τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων, ὧν δὴ καὶ μάλιστα ἡμῖν δεῖ εἰς τὴν τῆς Εὐαγγελικῆς Ἀποδείξεως Προπαρασκευήν εὖ ἂν ἔχοι καὶ τάδε ἐποπτεῦσαι, ὡς ἂν κατὰ μηδὲν ὁ λόγος ἐλλείποι τῶν εἰς τὸ πρόβλημα θεωρουμένων. 6.10.50 ὅθεν δὴ καὶ τάδε σοι σαφῆ καταστήσω. οὐ μὴν οἷός τ' ἂν εἴης γυμνῶν ἐπαΐειν