14. Are, then, the divine bodies free from these deformities? and since they do not eat the food of men, are we to believe that, like children, they are toothless, and, having no internal parts, as if they were inflated bladders, are without strength, owing to the hollowness of their swollen bodies? Further, if this is the case, you must see whether the gods are all alike, or are marked by a difference in the contour of their forms. For if each and all have one and the same likeness of shape, there is nothing ridiculous in believing that they err, and are deceived in recognising each other.730    Lit., “in the apprehension of mutual knowledge.” But if, on the other hand, they are distinguished by their countenances, we should, consequently, understand that these differences have been implanted for no other reason than that they might individually be able to recognise themselves by the peculiarites of the different marks. We should therefore say that some have big heads, prominent brows, broad brows, thick lips; that others of them have long chins, moles, and high noses; that these have dilated nostrils, those are snub-nosed; some chubby from a swelling of their jaws or growth of their cheeks, dwarfed, tall, of middle size, lean, sleek, fat; some with crisped and curled hair, others shaven, with bald and smooth heads. Now your workshops show and point out that our opinions are not false, inasmuch as, when you form and fashion gods, you represent some with long hair, others smooth and bare, as old, as youths, as boys, swarthy, grey-eyed, yellow, half-naked, bare; or, that cold may not annoy them, covered with flowing garments thrown over them.

XIV. An numquid coelestium corpora foeditatibus his carent? et quoniam cibis mortalibus abstinent , edentulos eos esse parvulorum credendum est ritu, et viduatos interioribus cunctis, tamquam utres sufflatos, 0955B turgidorum corporum inanitate pendere? 0956A Quid quod, si haec ita sunt, erit vobis necessarium contueri, similesne sint dii omnes, an formarum dispari circumscriptione teneantur. Si enim par cunctis, atque una est omnibus similitudinis species, non absurdum est credere errare eos, fallique cognitionis in mutuae comprehensione. Sin autem gerunt discrimen in vultibus, sequitur ut intelligi debeat non alia de causa dissimulitudines his datas, nisi ut singuli se possent differentium signorum proprietatibus noscitare. Ergo esse dicendum est quosdam capitones, cilunculos, frontones, labeones: in his alios 0956B mentones, naevios , atque nasicas. Hos displosis naribus, 0957A illos resimis, nonnullos turgentibus malis aut buccarum cumulatione saccibucces, nanos, longos, medios, macilentos, pingues, crassos: hos capillorum intortionibus crispulos, calvitiis alios et glabritatibus rasos. Neque opinari nos falso, vestrae et produnt atque indicant officinae. Siquidem cum facitis atque informatis deos, hos crinitos effingitis, alios laeves, senes , juvenes, pueros, aquilos , caesios, ravos, seminudos, intectos, aut, ne frigus incommodet, fluidarum vestium superjectione perfusos.