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A Plea for the Christians

Athenagoras of Athens

Chapter 23

About this work

A polished petition to Roman emperors rebutting charges of atheism, incest, and cannibalism while explaining Christian monotheism, moral discipline, and belief in Father, Son, and Spirit.

Author: Athenagoras of Athens
Date: c. AD 176–177
Origin: Athens (traditional)
Genre: Apology

Chapter XXIII.—Opinions of Thales and Plato.

You may say, however, since you

‹ Chapter 22 Chapter 24 ›

excel

all

men

in

understanding

,

How

comes

it

to

pass

,

then

,

that

some

of

the

idols

manifest

power

,

if

those

to

whom

we

erect

the

statues

are

not

gods

?

For

it

is

not

likely

that

images

destitute

of

life

and

motion

can

of

themselves

do

anything

without

a

mover

.

That

in

various

places

,

cities

,

and

nations

,

certain

effects

are

brought

about

in

the

name

of

idols

,

we

are

far

from

denying

.

None

the

more

,

however

,

if

some

have

received

benefit

,

and

others

,

on

the

contrary

,

suffered

harm

,

shall

we

deem

those

to

be

gods

who

have

produced

the

effects

in

either

case

.

But

I

have

made

careful

inquiry

,

both

why

it

is

that

you

think

the

idols

to

have

this

power

,

and

who

they

are

that

,

usurping

their

names

,

produce

the

effects

.

It

is

necessary

for

me

,

however

,

in

attempting

to

show

who

they

are

that

produce

the

effects

ascribed

to

the

idols

,

and

that

they

are

not

gods

,

to

have

recourse

to

some

witnesses

from

among

the

philosophers

.

First

Thales

,

as

those

who

have

accurately

examined

his

opinions

report

,

divides

[

superior

beings

]

into

God

,

demons

,

and

heroes

.

God

he

recognises

as

the

Intelligence

(

νοῦς

)

of

the

world

;

by

demons

he

understands

beings

possessed

of

soul

(

ψυχικαί

)

;

and

by

heroes

the

separated

souls

of

men

,

the

good

being

the

good

souls

,

and

the

bad

the

worthless

.

Plato

again

,

while

withholding

his

assent

on

other

points

,

also

divides

[

superior

beings

]

into

the

uncreated

God

and

those

produced

by

the

uncreated

One

for

the

adornment

of

heaven

,

the

planets

,

and

the

fixed

stars

,

and

into

demons

;

concerning

which

demons

,

while

he

does

not

think

fit

to

speak

himself

,

he

thinks

that

those

ought

to

be

listened

to

who

have

spoken

about

them

.

“

To

speak

concerning

the

other

demons

,

and

to

know

their

origin

,

is

beyond

our

powers

;

but

we

ought

to

believe

those

who

have

before

spoken

,

the

descendants

of

gods

,

as

they

say

—

and

surely

they

must

be

well

acquainted

with

their

own

ancestors

:

it

is

impossible

,

therefore

,

to

disbelieve

the

sons

of

gods

,

even

though

they

speak

without

probable

or

convincing

proofs

;

but

as

they

profess

to

tell

of

their

own

family

affairs

,

we

are

bound

,

in

pursuance

of

custom

,

to

believe

them

.

In

this

way

,

then

,

let

us

hold

and

speak

as

they

do

concerning

the

origin

of

the

gods

themselves

.

Of

Gê

and

Ouranos

were

born

Oceanus

and

Tethys

;

and

of

these

Phorcus

,

Kronos

,

and

Rhea

,

and

the

rest

;

and

of

Kronos

and

Rhea

,

Zeus

,

Hera

,

and

all

the

others

,

who

,

we

know

,

are

all

called

their

brothers

;

besides

other

descendants

again

of

these

.

”

Did

,

then

,

he

who

had

contemplated

the

eternal

Intelligence

and

God

who

is

apprehended

by

reason

,

and

declared

His

attributes

—

His

real

existence

,

the

simplicity

of

His

nature

,

the

good

that

flows

forth

from

Him

that

is

truth

,

and

discoursed

of

primal

power

,

and

how

“

all

things

are

about

the

King

of

all

,

and

all

things

exist

for

His

sake

,

and

He

is

the

cause

of

all

;

”

and

about

two

and

three

,

that

He

is

“

the

second

moving

about

the

seconds

,

and

the

third

about

the

thirds

;

”

—

did

this

man

think

,

that

to

learn

the

truth

concerning

those

who

are

said

to

have

been

produced

from

sensible

things

,

namely

earth

and

heaven

,

was

a

task

transcending

his

powers

?

It

is

not

to

be

believed

for

a

moment

.

But

because

he

thought

it

impossible

to

believe

that

gods

beget

and

are

brought

forth

,

since

everything

that

begins

to

be

is

followed

by

an

end

,

and

(

for

this

is

much

more

difficult

)

to

change

the

views

of

the

multitude

,

who

receive

the

fables

without

examination

,

on

this

account

it

was

that

he

declared

it

to

be

beyond

his

powers

to

know

and

to

speak

concerning

the

origin

of

the

other

demons

,

since

he

was

unable

either

to

admit

or

teach

that

gods

were

begotten

.

And

as

regards

that

saying

of

his

,

“

The

great

sovereign

in

heaven

,

Zeus

,

driving

a

winged

car

,

advances

first

,

ordering

and

managing

all

things

,

and

there

follow

him

a

host

of

gods

and

demons

,

”

this

does

not

refer

to

the

Zeus

who

is

said

to

have

sprung

from

Kronos

;

for

here

the

name

is

given

to

the

Maker

of

the

universe

.

This

is

shown

by

Plato

himself

:

not

being

able

to

designate

Him

by

another

title

that

should

be

suitable

,

he

availed

himself

of

the

popular

name

,

not

as

peculiar

to

God

,

but

for

distinctness

,

because

it

is

not

possible

to

discourse

of

God

to

all

men

as

fully

as

one

might

;

and

he

adds

at

the

same

time

the

epithet

“

Great

,

”

so

as

to

distinguish

the

heavenly

from

the

earthly

,

the

uncreated

from

the

created

,

who

is

younger

than

heaven

and

earth

,

and

younger

than

the

Cretans

,

who

stole

him

away

,

that

he

might

not

be

killed

by

his

father

.

Notes

86
Tim., p. 40, D.E.
87
Pseudo-Plat., Epist., ii. p. 312, D.E. The meaning is very obscure.
88
Plat., Phœdr., p. 246, E.