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But possibly these stars which have been called by their names are
these gods. For they call a certain star Mercury, and likewise a
certain other star Mars. But among those stars which are called by
the names of gods, is that one which they call Jupiter, and yet with
them Jupiter is the world. There also is that one they call Saturn,
and yet they give to him no small property besides, namely, all
seeds. There also is that brightest of them all which is called by
them Venus, and yet they will have this same Venus to be also the
moon:, not to mention how Venus and Juno are said by them to contend
about that most brilliant star, as though about another golden apple.
For some say that Lucifer belongs to Venus, and some to Juno.
But, as usual, Venus conquers. For by far the greatest number
assign that star to Venus, so much so that there is scarcely found one
of them who thinks otherwise. But since they call Jupiter the king of
all, who will not laugh to see his star so far surpassed in brilliancy
by the star of Venus? For it ought to have been as much more
brilliant than the rest, as he himself is more powerful. They answer
that it it only appears so because it is higher up, and very much
farther away from the earth. If, therefore, its greater dignity has
deserved a higher place, why is Saturn higher in the heavens than
Jupiter? was the vanity of the fable which made Jupiter king not able
to reach the stars? And has Saturn been permitted to obtain at least
in the heavens, what he could not obtain in his own kingdom nor in the
Capitol?
But why has Janus received no star? If it is because he is the
world, and they are all in him, the world is also Jupiter's, and
yet he has one. Did Janus compromise his case as best he could, and
instead of the one star which he does not have among the heavenly
bodies, accept so many faces on earth? Again, if they think that on
account of the stars alone Mercury and Mars are parts of the world,
in order that they may be able to have them for gods, since speech and
war are not parts of the world, but acts of men, how is it that they
have made no altars, established no rites, built no temples for
Aries, and Taurus, and Cancer, and Scorpio, and the rest which
they number as the celestial signs, and which consist not of single
stars, but each of them of many stars, which also they say are
situated above those already mentioned in the highest part of the
heavens, where a more constant motion causes the stars to follow an
undeviating course? And why have they not reckoned them as gods, I
do not say among those select gods, but not even among those, as it
were, plebeian gods?
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