25. For if whatever is done
by men, and especially in religion, should have its causes,—and
nothing should be done without a reason in all that men do and
perform,—tell us and say what is the cause, what the reason, that
these things also are given to the gods and burned upon their sacred
altars? For here we delay,
constrained
most urgently
to
wait
for this cause, we pause, we stand fast, desiring to learn
what a god has to do with pottage, with cakes, with different
kinds
of
stuffing prepared in manifold ways, and with different
ingredients? Are the
deities affected by splendid dinners or
luncheons, so that it is fitting to devise for them feasts without
number? Are they troubled by the loathings of their stomachs, and
is variety of flavours sought for to get rid of their aversion, so that
there is set before them meat at one time roasted, at another raw, and
at another half cooked and half raw? But if the gods like to
receive all these parts which you term
præsiciæ
,
4887
and if these gratify them with
any sense of pleasure or delight, what prevents, what hinders you from
laying all these upon
their altars
at once with the whole
animals? What cause, what reason is there that the
haunch-piece
4888
by
itself, the gullet, the tail, and the tail-piece
4889
separately, the entrails only, and
the membrane
4890
alone, should
be brought to do them honour? Are the gods of heaven moved by
various condiments? After stuffing themselves with sumptuous and
ample dinners, do they, as is usually done, take these little bits as
sweet dainties, not to appease their hunger, but to rouse their wearied
palates,
4891
and excite
in themselves a perfectly voracious appetite? O wonderful
greatness of the gods, comprehended by no men, understood by no
creatures! if indeed their favours are bought with the testicles and
gullets of beasts, and if they do not lay aside their anger and
resentment, unless they see the entrails
4892
prepared and
offæ
bought
and burned upon their altars.
4887
i.e., cut off for sacrifice.
4888
Caro strebula.
4889
Plasea.
4890
The
ms.
reads unintelligibly
nomen quæ
, corrected by Gelenius
omentum
, as
above.
4891
Lit., “admonish the ease of the palate;” a correction of
Salmasius, by omitting
a
from the
ms.
palati-a admoneant.
4892
Næniæ.