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Why, also, is Juno united to him as his wife, who is called at once
"sister and yoke-fellow?" Because, say they, we have Jove in the
ether, Juno in the air; and these two elements are united, the one
being superior, the other inferior. It is not he, then, of whom it
is said, "All things are full of Jove," if Juno also fills some
part. Does each fill either, and are both of this couple in both of
these elements, and in each of them at the same time? Why, then, is
the ether given to Jove, the air to Juno? Besides, these two
should have been enough. Why is it that the sea is assigned to
Neptune, the earth to Pluto? And that these also might not be left
without mates, Salacia is joined to Neptune, Proserpine to Pluto.
For they say that, as Juno possesses the lower part of the heavens,
that is, the air, so Salacia possesses the lower part of the sea,
and Proserpine the lower part of the earth. They seek how they may
patch up these fables, but they find no way. For if these things were
so, their ancient sages would have maintained that there are three
chief elements of the world, not four, in order that each of the
elements might have a pair of gods. Now, they have positively
affirmed that the ether is one thing, the air another. But water,
whether higher or lower, is surely water. Suppose it ever so unlike,
can it ever be so much so as no longer to be water? And the lower
earth, by whatever divinity it may be distinguished, what else can it
be than earth? Lo, then, since the whole physical world is complete
in these four or three elements, where shall Minerva be? What should
she possess, what should she fill? For she is placed in the Capitol
along with these two, although she is not the offspring of their
marriage. Or if they say that she possesses the higher part of the
ether, and on that account the poets have feigned that she sprang from
the head of Jove, why then is she not rather reckoned queen of the
gods, because she is superior to Jove? Is it because it would be
improper to set the daughter before the father? Why, then, is not
that rule of justice observed concerning Jove himself toward Saturn?
Is it because he was conquered? Have they fought then? By no
means, say they; that is an old wife's fable. Lo, we are not to
believe fables, and must hold more worthy opinions concerning the
gods! Why, then, do they not assign to the father of Jove a seat,
if not of higher, at least of equal honor? Because Saturn, say
they, is length of time. Therefore they who worship Saturn worship
Time; and it is insinuated that Jupiter, the king of the gods, was
born of Time. For is anything unworthy said when Jupiter and Juno
are said to have been sprung from Time, if he is the heaven and she is
the earth, since both heaven and earth have been made, and are
therefore not eternal? For their learned and wise men have this also
in their books. Nor is that saying taken by Virgil out of poetic
figments, but out of the books of philosophers, "Then Ether, the
Father Almighty, in copious showers descended Into his spouse's
glad bosom, making it fertile,", that is, into the bosom of
Tellus, or the earth. Although here, also, they will have it that
there are some differences, and think that in the earth herself Terra
is one thing, Tellus another, and Tellumo another. And they have
all these as gods, called by their own names distinguished by their own
offices, and venerated with their own altars and rites. This same
earth also they call the mother of the gods, so that even the fictions
of the poets are more tolerable, if, according, not to their poetical
but sacred books, Juno is not only the sister and wife, but also the
mother of Jove. The same earth they worship as Ceres, and also as
Vests; while yet they more frequently affirm that Vests is nothing
else than fire, pertaining to the hearths, without which the city
cannot exist; and therefore virgins are wont to serve her, because as
nothing is born of a virgin, so nothing is born of fire;, but all
this nonsense ought to be completely abolished and extinguished by Him
who is born of a virgin. For who can bear that, while they ascribe to
the fire so much honor, and, as it were, chastity, they do not blush
sometimes even to call Vests Venus, so that honored virginity may
vanish in her hand-maidens? For if Vests is Venus, how can virgins
rightly serve her by abstaining from venery? Are there two Venuses,
the one a virgin, the other not a maid? Or rather, are there three,
one the goddess of virgins, who is also called Vesta, another the
goddess of wives, and another of harlots? To her also the Phenicians
offered a gift by prostituting their daughters before they united them
to husbands. Which of these is the wife of Vulcan? Certainly not
the virgin, since she has a husband. Far be it from us to say it is
the harlot, lest we should seem to wrong the son of Juno and
fellow-worker of Minerva. Therefore it is to be understood that she
belongs to the married people; but we would not wish them to imitate
her in what she did with Mars.
"Again," say they, "you return to fables." What sort of justice
is that, to be angry with us because we say such things of their gods,
and not to be angry with themselves, who in their theatres most
willingly behold the crimes of their gods? And, a thing incredible,
if it were not thoroughly well proved, these very theatric
representations of the crimes of their gods have been instituted in
honor of these same gods.
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