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.
Lit., "Euhemerus being opened." ↩
So Elm. and Orelli, reading Nicanore for the ms. Nicagora, retained by all other edd. ↩
Lit., "with the care of scrupulous diligence." ↩
Meursius would join virginis to Minerva, thinking it an allusion to her title Parthenos. ↩
These terms are employed of hetaerae. ↩
Lit., "the title itself of their names was." ↩
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