Testimonia

{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">After this, Celsus, desiring to exhibit his learning in his\r\ntreatise against us, quotes also certain Persian mysteries, where\r\nhe says: “These things are obscurely hinted at in the accounts\r\nof the Persians, and especially in the mysteries of Mithras,\r\nwhich are celebrated amongst them. For in the latter there\r\nis a representation of the two heavenly revolutions,—of the\r\nmovement, viz., of the fixed<a id=\"r1147\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1147\"><sup>[1147]</sup></a> stars, and of that which takes\r\nplace among the planets, and of the passage of the soul through\r\nthese. The representation is of the following nature: There\r\nis a ladder with lofty gates,<a id=\"r1148\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1148\"><sup>[1148]</sup></a> and on the top of it an eighth gate.\r\nThe first gate consists of lead, the second of tin, the third of\r\ncopper, the fourth of iron, the fifth of a mixture of metals,<a id=\"r1149\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1149\"><sup>[1149]</sup></a>\r\nthe sixth of silver, and the seventh of gold. The first gate\r\nthey assign to Saturn, indicating by the ‘lead’ the slowness of\r\nthis star; the second to Venus, comparing her to the splendour\r\nand softness of tin; the third to Jupiter, being firm<a id=\"r1150\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1150\"><sup>[1150]</sup></a> and solid;\r\nthe fourth to Mercury, for both Mercury and iron are fit to\r\nendure all things, and are money-making and laborious;<a id=\"r1151\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1151\"><sup>[1151]</sup></a>\r\nthe fifth to Mars, because, being composed of a mixture of\r\nmetals, it is varied and unequal; the sixth, of silver, to the\r\nMoon; the seventh, of gold, to the Sun,—thus imitating the\r\ndifferent colours of the two latter.” He next proceeds to\r\nexamine the reason of the stars being arranged in this order,\r\nwhich is symbolized by the names of the rest of matter.<a id=\"r1152\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1152\"><sup>[1152]</sup></a> Musical\r\nreasons, moreover, are added or quoted by the Persian theology;\r\nand to these, again, he strives to add a second explanation, connected\r\nalso with musical considerations. But it seems to me,\r\nthat to quote the language of Celsus upon these matters would\r\nbe absurd, and similar to what he himself has done, when, in\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_361\">361</span>his accusations against Christians and Jews, he quoted, most\r\ninappropriately, not only the words of Plato; but, dissatisfied\r\neven with these,<a id=\"r1153\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1153\"><sup>[1153]</sup></a> he adduced in addition the mysteries of the\r\nPersian Mithras, and the explanation of them. Now, whatever\r\nbe the case with regard to these,—whether the Persians and those\r\nwho conduct the mysteries of Mithras give false or true accounts\r\nregarding them,—why did he select these for quotation, rather\r\nthan some of the other mysteries, with the explanation of them?\r\nFor the mysteries of Mithras do not appear to be more famous\r\namong the Greeks than those of Eleusis, or than those in\r\nEgina, where individuals are initiated in the rites of Hecate.\r\nBut if he must introduce barbarian mysteries with their explanation,\r\nwhy not rather those of the Egyptians, which are\r\nhighly regarded by many,<a id=\"r1154\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1154\"><sup>[1154]</sup></a> or those of the Cappadocians regarding\r\nthe Comanian Diana, or those of the Thracians, or\r\neven those of the Romans themselves, who initiate the noblest\r\nmembers of their senate?<a id=\"r1155\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1155\"><sup>[1155]</sup></a> But if he deemed it inappropriate to\r\ninstitute a comparison with any of these, because they furnished\r\nno aid in the way of accusing Jews or Christians, why did it\r\nnot also appear to him inappropriate to adduce the instance of\r\nthe mysteries of Mithras?</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK VI.","Chapter XXII."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-415"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"128590ccd4e726920e6e675d0d7af03c77b1add927e09d108d914b1f26cec0fc","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-f1152","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":"f1152","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f1152\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r1152\">1152</a>.  </span><span lang=\"grc\">τῆς λοιπῆς ὕλης.</span> For <span lang=\"grc\">ὕλης</span>, another reading is <span lang=\"grc\">πύλης</span>.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f1152","text_sha256":"1d1cf2f3563a83c4f71434843b0c74b6e6001d0a820e4c30a4d0ee7b513eaab0","verified":false,"work_id":null}

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