[Jupiter];10 and after this follows Puroeis, [Mars,]11 which has the reddest colour of all. Of these things when a person is speaking, it is not difficult to have a notion; but after learning, it is requisite to think of them, as we have said.
[10.] This however it is necessary for every Greek to have in his thoughts, that we inhabit a spot,[1] Belonging to the Greeks,[1] [2]nearly the best,[2] as regards virtue. But it is proper to say that it deserves praise for being situated in the middle of the natural qualities of summer and winter. [3]But though its nature, as regards summer, falls short of that, which belongs to the region there,[4] as I have stated, it gave subsequently to them the mental perception relating to these gods of the world.[3] Let us then admit that, whatever the Greeks have received from the Barbarians, they work it out to a more beautiful end.[5] And the very same notion we ought to have with respect to what has been said now, that it is difficult to discover all matters of this kind without feeling a doubt. There is however a hope, both much and glorious, that the Greeks will respect all these divinities in a manner more beautiful and more just than the tradition, which has come from the Barbarians, by employing both discipline and the Delphic oracles and every attention according to the laws. Nor let any Greek be afraid of this, that mortals ought not to busy themselves about divine matters; but to think quite the contrary of this, that the deity is not senseless, nor ignorant of human nature; but knows that, where he teaches, (man) will follow, and learn what has been taught; and that he surely knows that he does teach us this very thing, and that we learn both number and to number. For being ignorant of this, he would be the most stupid of all beings. For, according to the saying,[6] he would
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The words between the numerals both Ficinus and Taylor omit.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 In the formula ὲν τοῖς ἅριστον, so common with Thucydides, and even Plato, the word σχεδὸν is never, I believe, added elsewhere.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Taylor has followed here to the letter the loose translation of Ficinus, "quoniam vero magis quam barbari, ut diximus, ab æstiva serenitate distamus, horurn deorum ordinem tardius intelleximus."
- ↑ By "there" is meant Syria.
- ↑ On this notion Ast refers to the anonymous biographer of Pythagoras in Porphyr. ed. Cantab. p. 65.
- ↑ I confess I cannot explain to what saying the author is here alluding.
of Φαίνωνα, Φαέθοντα, and Πυρόεις. Opportunely then does the best MS. Z. offer Φαίνωνα for Κρόνου, and ὅνομα instead of ἐπωνυμίαν: for ἐπωνυμίαν φθέγγεσθαι is a phrase not be found elsewhere.
