41. Do you observe then, how this man goes on stating, — stating too not things that are not difficult, but impious, and those which are directly opposed to his own Philosophy ? For this is he who in the Republics, drives

away contemptuously (and) entirely from his commonwealth, those whom he here calls the sons of the Gods ! —those ancients (I say) who spoke of the Divinity of these; Homer himself, Hesiod, and prior to these, Orpheus! But now, the same Philosopher advises, that we give credence to these; calling them the sons of the Gods! He supplicates too,—subsequently to the earth and the heavens, and to that humid substance which he names the Ocean, (implicated) in generation and corruption !—that Father of all, both of men and Gods; and Juno, with those others succeeding them, who—as he affirms—are said to be their brothers; and confesses, that they are the sons of those who are of the Earth, and of the Ocean: and he afterwards advises, that we should worship these as Gods⁷⁷! Where then is that multitude of intellectual Essences? And, Where that incorporeal Form which is beyond the world ? or, that Divine story about the nature that has neither colour nor form⁷⁸? And, if indeed every soul be immortal, Why dost thou subject to mortal beings, those that are immortal ? And, to the bodies of Demons, that which is Incorporeal? The intelligent and rational Essence too, to those that are of sense, and subject to corruption ? It seems right to me therefore, to consider this man more reprehensible than (all) the rest; since an attachment, on account of the kindred character of his doctrines, drew me to him. For, as it appears to me, this man alone of all the Greeks, attached himself to the outward portals of the truth, and shewed, in many (of his) sentiments, a relationship with us. Nevertheless, such cannot be honoured by the truth; because he is, as it appears to me, more reprehensible by it than all

others. For he,—whose (main) desire was to live, while those things which attached themselves to his doctrine (virtually) effected his condemnation to death; and, while his opinion was that, (these) were no Gods;.—he did nevertheless submit himself (to them), as if he recognized no other life, but that only which was present.