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Gegen die Heiden (BKV)
Nr. 7
Steht nicht auch die Venus Militaris den Lastern des Lagers und der Knabenschändung vor? Ist nicht die Perfica eine der Götterschaar, welche verursacht, daß jene obscöne und unreine Lust unbeschadet sich beendige? Nicht auch die Pertunda, welche im Brautbett der Entjungferung vorsteht? Nicht auch Tutunus, auf dessen kolossalen Phallus ihr zum Glück und Segen euere Matronen setzet? Wenn auch diese Dinge selbst nicht mindestens zur Erkenntniß der Wahrheit ermahnen, könnt ihr denn nicht aus den Namen wenigstens erkennen, wie diese Bildungen des nichtswürdigsten Aberglaubens und Einbildungen falscher Gottheiten seyen? Ihr sagt, dem Ausputzen und Beschneiden der Bäume und Weinstöcke stehe die Puta, den zu erhaltenden Dingen die Peta vor. Gott der Wälder ist Nemestrinus. Patellana S. 121 und Patella sind Gottheiten, deren die erste den an's Licht gekommenen, die andere den an's Licht zu kommenden Dingen vorgesetzt ist. Ein Gott heißt Nodotus, weil er das Getraide in die Knoten treten läßt; und die Vorsteherin des Dreschens ist Terensis. Vor Verirrung auf dem Wege behütet die Vibilia. Unter dem Schutze der Orbana befinden sich die Eltern, so ihre Kinder verloren, unter dem der Naenia, welche am Ende ihres Lebens sind. Als Ossipaga erwähnt man die, welche die Gebeine der Kleinen fest werden läßt. Die Göttin Mellonia ist vermögend und mächtig in Bezug auf die Bienen, sorgetragend für den Honigseim und ihn bewahrend.
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The Seven Books of Arnobius Against the Heathen
7.
Does Venus Militaris, also, preside over the evil-doing 1 of camps, and the debaucheries of young men? Is there one Perfica, 2 also, of the crowd of deities, who causes those base and filthy delights to reach their end with uninterrupted pleasure? Is there also Pertunda, who presides over the marriage 3 couch? Is there also Tutunus, on whose huge members 4 and horrent fascinum you think it auspicious, and desire, that your matrons should be borne? But if facts themselves have very little effect in suggesting to you a right understanding of the truth, are you not able, even from the very names, to understand that these are the inventions of a most meaningless superstition, and the false gods of fancy? 5 Puta, you say, presides over the pruning of trees, Peta over prayers; Nemestrinus 6 is the god of groves; Patellana is a deity, and Patella, of whom the one has been set over things brought to light, the other over those yet to be disclosed. Nodutis is spoken of as a god, because he 7 brings that which has been sown to the knots: and she who presides over the treading out of grain, Noduterensis; 8 the goddess Upibilia 9 delivers from straying from the right paths; parents bereaved of their children are under the care of Orbona,--those very near to death, under that of Naenia. Again, 10 Ossilago herself is mentioned as she who gives firmness and solidity to the bones of young children. Mellonia is a goddess, strong and powerful in regard to bees, caring for and guarding the sweetness of their honey.
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So the ms. reading flagitiis, followed by all edd. except LB. and Orelli, who read plagiis--"kidnapping." ↩
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Of this goddess, also, no other author makes mention but the germ may be perhaps found in Lucretius (ii. 1116-7), where nature is termed perfica, i.e., "perfecting," or making all things complete. [The learned translator forgets Tertullian, who introduces us to this name in the work Arnobius imitates throughout. See vol. iii. p. 140.] ↩
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i.e., in cubiculis praesto est virginalem scrobem effodientibus maritis. ↩
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The first five edd. read Mutunus. Cf. ch. 11. [I think it a mistake to make Mutubus = Priapus. Their horrible deformities are diverse, as I have noted in European collections of antiquities. The specialty of Mutunus is noted by our author, and is unspeakably abominable. All this illustrates, therefore, the Christian scruples about marriage-feasts, of which see vol. v. note 1, p. 435.] ↩
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Lit., the "fancies" or "imaginations" of false gods. Meursius proposed to transpose the whole of this sentence to the end of the chapter, which would give a more strictly logical arrangement; but it must be remembered that Arnobius allows himself much liberty in this respect. ↩
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Of these three deities no other mention is made. ↩
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The ms., LB., Hild., and Oehler read qui--"who brings;" the other edd., as above, quia. ↩
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So the ms. (cf. ch. 11), first five edd., Oberth., Hild., and Oehler; the other edd. read Nodutim Ter. ↩
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So the ms., both Roman edd., and Oehler; the other edd. reading Vibilia, except Hild., Viabilia. ↩
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The ms. reads nam--"for," followed by all edd. except Orelli, who reads jam as above, and Oehler, who reads etiam--"also." ↩