42.
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And what pollution or
abomination could have flowed from this, either to make the circus less
pure, or to defile Jupiter, seeing that in a few moments, in
a
few
seconds, he beheld so many thousands throughout the world
perish by different kinds of death, and with various forms of
torture? He was led across, says
my opponent
, before the
games began to be celebrated. If from a sacrilegious spirit and
contempt
4974
for
religion, we have reason to excuse Jupiter for being indignant that he
was contemned, and that more anxious care was not given to his
games. But if from mistake or accident that secret fault was not
observed and known, would it not have beer right and befitting Jupiter
to pardon human failings, and grant forgiveness to the blindness of
ignorance? But it was necessary that it should be punished.
And after this, will any one believe that he was a god who avenged and
punished neglect of a childish show by the destruction of a state? that
he had any seriousness and dignity, or any steady constancy, who, that
he might speedily enjoy pleasure afresh, turned the air men
breathed
4975
into a
baneful poison, and ordered the destruction of mortals by plague and
pestilence? If the magistrate who presided over the games was too
careless in learning who on that day had been led across the circus,
and blame was therefore contracted, what had the unhappy people done
that they should in their own persons suffer the penalty of
another’s offences, and should be forced to hurry out of life by
contagious pestilences? Nay, what had the women, whose weakness
did not allow them to take part in public business, the
grown-up
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maidens, the
little boys, finally the young children, yet dependent for food on
their nurses,—what had these done that they should be assailed
with equal, with the same severity, and that before
they tasted
the joy of life
4977
they
should feel the bitterness of death?
4973
39 in Orelli.
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So all edd., rejecting
s
from
ms.
contemptu-s
.
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Lit., “draughts of air.”
4976
So, by omitting two letters, all edd. except 1st and Ursinus,
which retain
ms.
adult-er-ae
—“adulterous.”
4977
Lit., “light.”