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L'Apologie d'Aristide

XI.

Ils adorent comme Dieu, Apollon l’ambitieux qui porte l’arc et le carquois, ou la lyre et la pectis, et qui vend aux hommes des oracles contre salaire. Est-il donc dans le besoin? Ne peut être dieu quiconque est nécessiteux, ambitieux et joueur de lyre.

Ils ajoutent qu’Artémis est sa soeur, la chasseresse qui a un arc avec carquois. Elle court seule dans les montagnes avec des chiens à la poursuite du cerf et du sanglier. Comment cette chasseresse, qui court avec des chiens, serait-elle Dieu?

Ils prétendent qu’Aphrodite l’adultère est une déesse. Tantôt elle a comme amant Arès, tantôt Anchise, tantôt Adonis dont elle pleure la mort en le cherchant. On raconte qu’elle est descendue dans l’Hadès afin de racheter Adonis à Perséphone. As-tu vu, ô Roi, une démence plus grande que celle-là? Faire une déesse d’une adultère qui se lamente et qui pleure!

Ils adorent Adonis[^12] le chasseur comme Dieu, lui qui mourut violemment tué par un sanglier et ne put se secourir dans son infortune. Comment un adultère, chasseur, mort violemment, se soucierait-il des hommes?[^13]

Toutes ces choses et beaucoup de semblables, infiniment plus honteuses et mauvaises, les Grecs les racontent de leurs dieux; il n’est pas permis de les dire, ni même d’en faire mention. Les hommes ayant donc pris exemple sur leurs dieux ont commis toute injustice, débauche et impiété, souillant la terre et l’air de leurs horribles actions.

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The Apology of Aristides the Philosopher - Translated from the Syriac

XI.

And after him they bring forward another god and call him Apollon. And they say that he is jealous and inconstant, and at times he holds the bow and quiver, and again the lyre and plectron. And he utters oracles for men that he may receive rewards from them. Is then this god in need of rewards? But it is an insult that all these things should be found with a god.

And after him they bring forward as a goddess Artemis, the sister of Apollo; and they say that she was a huntress and that she herself used to carry a bow and bolts, and to roam about upon the mountains, leading the hounds to hunt stags or wild boars of the field. But it is disgraceful that a virgin maid should roam alone upon the hills or hunt in the chase for animals. Wherefore it is impossible that Artemis should be a goddess.

Again they say of Aphrodite that she indeed is a goddess. And at times she dwells with their gods, but at other times she is a neighbour to men. And once she had Ares as a lover, and again Adonis who is Tammuz. Once also, Aphrodite was wailing and weeping for the death of Tammuz, and they say that she went down to Sheol that she might redeem Adonis from Persephone, who is the daughter of Sheol (Hades). If then Aphrodite is a goddess and was unable to help her lover at his death, how will she find it possible to help others? And this cannot be listened to, that a divine nature should come to weeping and wailing and adultery.

And again they say of Tammuz that he is a god. And he is, forsooth! a hunter and an adulterer. And they say that he was killed by a wound from a wild boar, without being able to help himself. And if he could not help himself, how can he take thought for the human race? But that a god should be an adulterer or a hunter or should die by violence is impossible.

Again they say of Rhea that she is the mother of their gods. And they say that she had once a lover Atys, and that she used to delight in depraved men. And at last she raised a lamentation and mourned for Atys her lover. If then the mother of their gods was unable to help her lover and deliver him from death, how can she help others? So it is disgraceful that a goddess should lament and weep and take delight in depraved men.

Again they introduce Kore and say that she is a goddess, and she was stolen away by Pluto, and could not help herself. If then she is a goddess and was unable to help herself how will she find means to help others? For a god who is stolen away is very powerless.

All this, then, O King, have the Greeks brought forward concerning their gods, and they have invented and declared it concerning them. And hence all men received an impulse to work all profanity and all defilements; and hereby the whole earth was corrupted.