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But is it not manifest that vanity rather than reason regulated the
choice of some of their false gods? This Plato, whom they reckon a
demigod, and who used all his eloquence to preserve men from the most
dangerous spiritual calamities, has yet not been counted worthy even of
a little shrine; but Romulus, because they can call him their own,
they have esteemed more highly than many gods, though their secret
doctrine can allow him the rank only of a demigod. To him they
allotted a flamen, that is to say, a priest of a class so highly
esteemed in their religion (distinguished, too, by their conical
mitres), that for only three of their gods were flamens appointed,
the Flamen Dialis for Jupiter, Martialis for Mars, and
Quirinalis for Romulus (for when the ardor of his fellow-citizens
had given Romulus a seat among the gods, they gave him this new name
Quirinus). And thus by this honor Romulus has been preferred to
Neptune and Pluto, Jupiter's brothers, and to Saturn himself,
their father. They have assigned the same priesthood to serve him as
to serve Jove; and in giving Mars (the reputed father of Romulus)
the same honor, is this not rather for Romulus' sake than to honor
Mars?
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