482 THE OCTAVIUS OF in thatthemost ancientof men have veneratedtheirHngs, theirillustriousgenerals,and inventorsof arts,on account of theirremarkabledeeds,no otlierwisethanas Gods. " I have setforththe opinionsalmostof allthe philosophers whose more illustriousgloryit is to have pointed out that there is one God, althoughwith many names ; so that any one might thinkeitherthat Christiansare now philosophers, or thatphilosopherswere then alreadyChristians.But ifthe world isgoverned by providence,and directedby the will of one God, antiquityof unskilledpeople ought not,however delightedand charmed with itsown fables,to carry us away intothe mistakeof a mutual agreement,when it isrebutted by the opinionsof itsown philosophers,who are supported by the authorityboth of reason and of antiquity. For our ancestorshad such an easy faithin falsehoods,that they rashlybelievedeven other monstrositiesas marvellouswon ders;1 a manifold Scylla,a Chimaera of many forms, and a Hydra risingagain from itsauspiciouswounds, and Cen taurs,horsesentwinedwith theirriders;and whatever Report was allowed2to feign,they were entirelywillingto listento. Why should I refer to those old wives' fables,that men were changed from men intobirdsand beasts,and from men intotreesand flowers?— which things,ifthey had happened at all,would happen again; and becausethey cannot happen now, thereforenever happened at all. In likemanner with respectto the gods too,our ancestorsbelievedcarelessly, credulously,with untrained simplicity; while worshipping theirkings religiously,desiringto look upon them when dead in outward forms,anxious to preservetheirmemories in statues,3those things became sacred which had been taken up merely as consolations.Thereupon, and before the world was opened up by commerce, and before the nationsconfounded theirritesand customs,each particu- 1 Some editorsread," merewonders,"apparentlyon conjectureonly. 2 Otherwise," was pleased." 3 Four earlyeditionsread" instantius" for" instatuis,"makingtie meaningprobably,"more keenly,"" moredirectly."