Testimonia

{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">But, that we may not pass without notice what Celsus has\r\nsaid between these and the preceding paragraphs, let us quote\r\nhis words: “We might adduce Herodotus as a witness on this\r\npoint, for he expresses himself as follows: ‘For the people of\r\nthe cities Marea and Apis, who inhabit those parts of Egypt\r\nthat are adjacent to Libya, and who look upon themselves as\r\nLibyans, and not as Egyptians, finding their sacrificial worship\r\noppressive, and wishing not to be excluded from the use of\r\ncows’ flesh, sent to the oracle of Jupiter Ammon, saying that\r\nthere was no relationship between them and the Egyptians,\r\nthat they dwelt outside the Delta, that there was no community\r\nof sentiment between them and the Egyptians, and that they\r\nwished to be allowed to partake of all kinds of food. But the\r\ngod would not allow them to do as they desired, saying that that\r\ncountry was a part of Egypt, which was watered by the inundation\r\nof the Nile, and that those were Egyptians who dwell\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_304\">304</span>to the south of the city of Elephantine, and drink of the river\r\nNile.’<a id=\"r965\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f965\"><sup>[965]</sup></a> Such is the narrative of Herodotus. But,” continues\r\nCelsus, “Ammon in divine things would not make a worse ambassador\r\nthan the angels of the Jews,<a id=\"r966\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f966\"><sup>[966]</sup></a> so that there is nothing\r\nwrong in each nation observing its established method of worship.\r\nOf a truth, we shall find very great differences prevailing\r\namong the nations, and yet each seems to deem its own by far\r\nthe best. Those inhabitants of Ethiopia who dwell in Meroe\r\nworship Jupiter and Bacchus alone; the Arabians, Urania and\r\nBacchus only; all the Egyptians, Osiris and Isis; the Saïtes,\r\nMinerva; while the Naucratites have recently classed Serapis\r\namong their deities, and the rest according to their respective\r\nlaws. And some abstain from the flesh of sheep, and others\r\nfrom that of crocodiles; others, again, from that of cows, while\r\nthey regard swine’s flesh with loathing. The Scythians, indeed,\r\nregard it as a noble act to banquet upon human beings. Among\r\nthe Indians, too, there are some who deem themselves discharging\r\na holy duty in eating their fathers, and this is mentioned\r\nin a certain passage by Herodotus. For the sake of credibility,\r\nI shall again quote his very words, for he writes as follows:\r\n‘For if any one were to make this proposal to all men, viz.\r\nto bid him select out of all existing laws the best, each would\r\nchoose, after examination, those of his own country. Men\r\neach consider their own laws much the best, and therefore it\r\nis not likely that any other than a madman would make these\r\nthings a subject of ridicule. But that such are the conclusions\r\nof all men regarding the laws, may be determined by many\r\nother evidences, and especially by the following illustration.\r\nDarius, during his reign, having summoned before him those\r\nGreeks who happened to be present at the time, inquired of\r\nthem for how much they would be willing to eat their deceased\r\nfathers; their answer was, that for no consideration would they\r\ndo such a thing. After this, Darius summoned those Indians\r\nwho are called Callatians, who are in the habit of eating their\r\nparents, and asked of them in the presence of these Greeks,\r\nwho learned what passed through an interpreter, for what\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_305\">305</span>amount of money they would undertake to burn their deceased\r\nfathers with fire; on which they raised a loud shout, and bade\r\nthe king say no more.’<a id=\"r967\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f967\"><sup>[967]</sup></a> Such is the way, then, in which these\r\nmatters are regarded. And Pindar appears to me to be right\r\nin saying that ‘law’ is the king of all things.”<a id=\"r968\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f968\"><sup>[968]</sup></a></p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK V.","Chapter XXXIV."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-361"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"84961d2e5153f1bf142dc5b7c3ead5bcf5fbafe66ae0df706fa5ec357dbe42a1","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie","W. H. Cairns"],"edition_year":1872,"explicit_reference_candidates":[],"headings":[],"id":"pg70693-f965","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Project Gutenberg metadata: Public domain in the USA. Existing 1872 English edition; listed translators died 1889 and 1872. Electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"f965","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f965\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r965\">965</a>.  </span><abbr class=\"spell\">Cf.</abbr> <abbr title=\"Herodotus\">Herodot.</abbr> <abbr title=\"two\">ii.</abbr> 18.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f965","text_sha256":"b3ce1a370ffd354d19094d2c2e13bb409c36aa955fc202471b6b1f9f30013db7","verified":false,"work_id":null}

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