MINUCIUS FELIX. 485 they not argue the contemptibleand disgracefulcharacters of your gods ?1 Vulcan isa lame god,and crippled; Apollo, smooth-facedafterso many ages; ./Esculapiuswell bearded, notwithstanding that he is the son of the ever youthful Apollo; Neptune with sea-greeneyes; Minerva with eyes bluishgrey; Juno with ox-eyes;Mercury with winged feet; Pan with hoofed feet; Saturn with feet in fetters; Janus, indeed,wears two faces,as if that he might walk with looks turned back ; Diana sometimes is a huntress,with her robe girded up high ; and as the Ephesian she has many and fruitfulbreasts; and when exaggeratedas Trivia,she is horriblewith three heads and with many hands. What is your Jupiter himself? Now he is representedin a statue as beardless,now he is set up as bearded; and when he is calledHammon, he has horns; and when Capitolinus,then he wields the thunderbolts; and when Latiaris,he is sprinkled -withgore; and when Feretrius,he isnot approached;3 and not to mention any furtherthe multitudeof Jupiters,the monstrous appearancesof Jupiter are as numerous as his names. Erigone was hanged from a noose,thatas a virgin she might be glowing 8 among the stars. The Castorsdie by turns,thatthey may live. iEsculapius,thathe may rise into a god, is struckwith a thunderbolt. Hercules,that he may put offhumanity, isburnt up by the firesof (Eta.4 CHAPTER XXII. Ajigument. — Moreover, thesefables,which at firstwere in vented by ignorantmen, were afterwardscelebratedby 1 Otherwise," do theynotshowwhat arethesportsandthehonours ofyourgods?" 2 Thesewordsareveryvariouslyread. Davisconjecturesthatthey shouldbe," When Feretrius,hedoesnothear,"andexplainstheallusion as follows: thatJupiterFeretriuscouldonlybe approachedwiththe sjwliaopima;and MinuciusiscovertlyridiculingtheRomans,because, not havingtakenspoliaopimaforso longa time,theycouldnot ap proachFeretrius. • Otherwise,"pointedout,"or"designated." 1 Otherwisecorruptedinto./Etna.