29.

And here, indeed, we can show that all those whom you represent to us as and call gods, were but men, by quoting either Euhemerus of Acragas, ¹ whose books were translated by Ennius into Latin that all might be thoroughly acquainted with them; or Nicanor ² the Cyprian; or the Pellaean Leon; or Theodorus of Cyrene; or Hippo and Diagoras of Melos; or a thousand other writers, who have minutely, industriously, and carefully ³ brought secret things to light with noble candour. We may, I repeat, at pleasure, declare both the acts of Jupiter, and the wars of Minerva and the virgin ⁴ Diana; by what stratagems Liber strove to make himself master of the Indian empire; what was the condition, the duty, the gain ⁵ of Venus; to whom the great mother was bound in marriage; what hope, what joy was aroused in her by the comely Attis; whence came the Egyptian Serapis and Isis, or for what reasons their very names ⁶ were formed.