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On the Vanity of Idols

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 3

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

3. From this the religion of the gods is variously changed

‹ Section 2 Section 4 ›

among

individual

nations

and

provinces

,

inasmuch

as

no

one

god

is

worshipped

by

all

,

but

by

each

one

the

worship

of

its

own

ancestors

is

kept

peculiar

.

Proving

that

this

is

so

,

Alexander

the

Great

writes

in

the

remarkable

volume

addressed

to

his

mother

,

that

through

fear

of

his

power

the

doctrine

of

the

gods

being

men

,

which

was

kept

secret

,

had

been

disclosed

to

him

by

a

priest

,

that

it

was

the

memory

of

ancestors

and

kings

that

was

(

really

)

kept

up

,

and

that

from

this

the

rites

of

worship

and

sacrifice

have

grown

up

.

But

if

gods

were

born

at

any

time

,

why

are

they

not

born

in

these

days

also

?

—

unless

,

indeed

,

Jupiter

possibly

has

grown

too

old

,

or

the

faculty

of

bearing

has

failed

Juno

.

Notes

7
The readings here vary much. The first part of the sentence is found in Minucius Felix, c. 21. [Vol. iv. p. 185.]