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The Shows, or De Spectaculis

Tertullian

Chapter 6

About this work

Author: Tertullian

To the testimony of antiquity is added that of later games

‹ Chapter 5 Chapter 7 ›

instituted

in

their

turn

,

and

betraying

their

origin

from

the

titles

which

they

bear

even

at

the

present

day

,

in

which

it

is

imprinted

as

on

their

very

face

,

for

what

idol

and

for

what

religious

object

games

,

whether

of

the

one

kind

or

the

other

,

were

designed

.

You

have

festivals

bearing

the

name

of

the

great

Motherand

Apollo

of

Ceres

too

,

and

Neptune

,

and

Jupiter

Latiaris

,

and

Flora

,

all

celebrated

for

a

common

end

;

the

others

have

their

religious

origin

in

the

birthdays

and

solemnities

of

kings

,

in

public

successes

in

municipal

holidays

.

There

are

also

testamentary

exhibitions

,

in

which

funeral

honours

are

rendered

to

the

memories

of

private

persons

;

and

this

according

to

an

institution

of

ancient

times

.

For

from

the

first

the

“

Ludi

”

were

regarded

as

of

two

sons

,

sacred

and

funereal

,

that

is

in

honour

of

the

heathen

deities

and

of

the

dead

.

But

in

the

matter

of

idolatry

,

it

makes

no

difference

with

us

under

what

name

or

title

it

is

practised

,

while

it

has

to

do

with

the

wicked

spirits

whom

we

abjure

.

If

it

is

lawful

to

offer

homage

to

the

dead

,

it

will

be

just

as

lawful

to

offer

it

to

their

gods

:

you

have

the

same

origin

in

both

cases

;

there

is

the

same

idolatry

;

there

is

on

our

part

the

same

solemn

renunciation

of

all

idolatry

.

Notes

1
[Cybele.]