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Ad Autolycum

10.

Τί μοι λοιπὸν καταλέγειν τὸ πλῆθος ὧν σέβονται ζώων Αἰγύπτιοι, ἑρπετῶν τε καὶ κτηνῶν καὶ θηρίων καὶ πετεινῶν καὶ ἐνύδρων νηκτῶν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ποδόνιπτρα καὶ ἤχους αἰσχύνης; εἰ δὲ καὶ Ἕλληνας εἴποις καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἔθνη, σέβονται λίθους καὶ ξύλα καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν ὕλην, ὡς ἔφθημεν εἰρηκέναι, ἀπεικονίσματα νεκρῶν ἀνθρώπων. Φειδίας μὲν γὰρ εὑρίσκεται ἐν Πείσῃ ποιῶν Ἠλείοις τὸν Ὀλύμπιον Δία, καὶ Ἀθηναίοις ἐν ἀκροπόλει τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν.

Πεύσομαι δέ σου κἀγώ, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, πόσοι Ζῆνες εὑρίσκονται· Ζεὺς μὲν γὰρ ἐν πρώτοις προσαγορεύεται Ὀλύμπιος καὶ Ζεὺς Λατεάριος καὶ Ζεὺς Κάσσιος καὶ Ζεὺς Κεραύνιος καὶ Ζεὺς Προπάτωρ καὶ Ζεὺς Παννύχιος καὶ Ζεὺς Πολιοῦχος καὶ Ζεὺς Καπετώλιος. καὶ ὁ μὲν Ζεὺς παῖς Κρόνου, βασιλεὺς Κρητῶν γενόμενος, ἔχει τάφον ἐν Κρήτῃ· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἴσως οὐδὲ ταφῆς κατηξιώθησαν. εἰ δὲ καὶ εἴποις τὴν μητέρα τῶν λεγομένων θεῶν, μή μοι γένοιτο διὰ στόματος τὰς πράξεις αὐτῆς ἐξειπεῖν (ἀθέμιτον γὰρ ἡμῖν τὰ τοιαῦτα καὶ ὀνομάζειν), ἢ τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτῆς τὰς πράξεις ὑφ’ ὧν θεραπεύεται, ὁπόσα τε τέλη καὶ εἰσφορὰς παρέχει τῷ βασιλεῖ αὐτή τε καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῆς.

Οὐ γάρ εἰσιν θεοί, ἀλλὰ <εἴδωλα>, καθὼς προειρήκαμεν, <ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων> καὶ <δαιμόνια> ἀκάθαρτα. <γένοιντο> δὲ <τοιοῦτοι οἱ ποιοῦντες αὐτὰ> καὶ οἱ ἐλπίζοντες ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς.

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Theophilus to Autolycus

Chapter X.--Absurdities of Idolatry.

Why should I further recount the multitude of animals worshipped by the Egyptians, both reptiles, and cattle, and wild beasts, and birds, and river-fishes; and even wash-pots ¹ and disgraceful noises? ² But if you cite the Greeks and the other nations, they worship stones and wood, and other kinds of material substances,--the images, as we have just been saying, of dead men. For Phidias is found in Pisa making for the Eleians the Olympian Jupiter, and at Athens the Minerva of the Acropolis. And I will inquire of you, my friend, how many Jupiters exist. For there is, firstly, Jupiter surnamed Olympian, then Jupiter Latiaris, and Jupiter Cassius, and Jupiter Tonans, and Jupiter Propator, and Jupiter Pannychius, and Jupiter Poliuchus, and Jupiter Capitolinus; and that Jupiter, the son of Saturn, who is king of the Cretans, has a tomb in Crete, but the rest, possibly, were not thought worthy of tombs. And if you speak of the mother of those who are called gods, far be it from me to utter with my lips her deeds, or the deeds of those by whom she is worshipped (for it is unlawful for us so much as to name such things), and what vast taxes and revenues she and her sons furnish to the king. For these are not gods, but idols, as we have already said, the works of men's hands and unclean demons. And such may all those become who make them and put their trust in them!