Chapter LXXVII.

He next likens our teacher to one suffering from ophthalmia, and his disciples to those suffering from the same disease, and says that “such an one amongst a company of those who are afflicted with ophthalmia, accuses those who are sharp-sighted of being blind.”  Who, then, would we ask, O Greeks, are they who in our judgment do not see, save those who are unable to look up from the exceeding greatness of the world and its contents, and from the beauty of created things, and to see that they ought to worship, and admire, and reverence Him alone who made these things, and that it is not befitting to treat with reverence anything contrived by man, and applied to the honour of God, whether it be without a reference to the Creator, or with one?602    ειτε χωρὶς τοῦ δημιουργοῦ θεοῦ εἴτε καὶ μετ᾽ ἐκείνου.  For, to compare with that illimitable excellence, which surpasses all created being, things which ought not to be brought into comparison with it, is the act of those whose understanding is darkened.  We do not then say that those who are sharp-sighted are suffering from ophthalmia or blindness; but we assert that those who, in ignorance of God, give themselves to temples and images, and so-called sacred seasons,603    ἱερομηνίας. are blinded in their minds, and especially when, in addition to their impiety, they live also in licentiousness, not even inquiring after any honourable work whatever, but doing everything that is of a disgraceful character.

Μετὰ ταῦτ' ἐξομοιοῖ τὸν μὲν διδάσκοντα ὀφθαλμιῶντι τοὺς δὲ μανθάνοντας ὀφθαλμιῶσι καί φησι τοῦτον ἐπὶ τῶν ὀφθαλμιώντων αἰτιᾶσθαι τοὺς ὀξὺ βλέποντας ὡς πεπηρω μένους. Τίνες οὖν, εἴποιμεν ἄν, οἱ καθ' ἡμᾶς οὐ βλέποντες ἢ οἱ ἐκ τοῦ τηλικούτου μεγέθους τῶν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ τοῦ κάλλους τῶν δημιουργημάτων μὴ δυνάμενοι ἀναβλέψαι καὶ θεωρῆσαι ὅτι προσκυνεῖν καὶ θαυμάζειν καὶ σέβειν χρὴ μόνον τὸν ταῦτα πεποιηκότα, καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν παρ' ἀνθρώποις κατασκευαζομένων καὶ εἰς θεῶν τιμὴν παραλαμβανομένων καθηκόντως ἄν τις σέβοι, εἴτε χωρὶς τοῦ δημιουργοῦ θεοῦ εἴτε καὶ μετ' ἐκείνου; Τὰ γὰρ οὐδαμῶς συγκριτὰ συγκρίνειν τῷ ἀπείρῳ ὑπεροχῇ ὑπερέχοντι πάσης γενητῆς φύσεως, τυφλῶν τὴν διάνοιάν ἐστιν ἔργον. Οὐκ ὀφθαλμιῶντας οὖν τοὺς ὀξὺ βλέποντας λέγομεν εἶναι ἢ πεπηρωμένους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς καλινδουμένους ἀγνοίᾳ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς νεὼς καὶ τὰ ἀγάλματα καὶ τὰς λεγομένας ἱερομηνίας φάσκομεν τετυφλῶσ θαι τὸν νοῦν· καὶ μάλιστα ὅτε πρὸς τῇ ἀσεβείᾳ καὶ ἐν ἀσελγείᾳ ζῶσιν, ὅ τι ποτ' ἐστὶν αἰδέσιμον ἔργον μηδὲ ζητοῦντες ἀλλὰ πάντ' αἰσχύνης ἄξια πράττοντες.