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[250]
Οἵτινες, μηδ̓ ἐν τούτοις ἀρκεσθέντες ἢ τοῖς λοιποῖς
σεβάσμασι τῶν ἐθνῶν, καὶ τὰ ἄλογα ζῷα
παρεισήγαγον θεοὺς εἶναι. τινὲς γὰρ αὐτῶν ἐσεβάσθησαν
πρόβατον, τινὲς δὲ τράγον, ἕτεροι δὲ
μόσχον καὶ τὸν χοῖρον, ἄλλοι δὲ τὸν κόρακα καὶ
τὸν ἱέρακα καὶ τὸν γῦπα καὶ τὸν ἀετόν, καὶ ἄλλοι
τὸν κροκόδειλον, τινὲς δὲ τὸν αἴλουρον καὶ τὸν
κύνα, καὶ τὸν λύκον καὶ τὸν πίθηκον, καὶ τὸν
δράκοντα καὶ τὴν ἀσπίδα, καὶ ἄλλοι τὸ κρόμυον
καὶ τὸ σκόροδον καὶ ἀκάνθας, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ κτίσματα.
καὶ οὐκ αἰσθάνονται οἱ ταλαίπωροι περὶπάντων
τούτων ὅτι οὐδὲν ἰσχύουσιν. ὁρῶντες γὰρ
τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν βιβρωσκομένους ὑπὸ ἑτέρων
ἀνθρώπων καὶ καιομένους καὶ σφαττομένους καὶ
[p. 416]
σηπομένους, οὐ συνῆκαν περὶ αὐτῶν ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶ θεοί.
Πλάνην οὖν μεγάλην ἐπλανήθησαν οἵ τε Αἰγύπτιοι
καὶ οἱ Χαλδαῖοι καὶ οἱ Ἕλληνες τοιούτους
παρεισάγοντες θεούς, καὶ ἀγάλματα αὐτῶν ποιοῦντες,
καὶ θεοποιούμενοι τὰ κωφὰ καὶ ἀναίσθητα
εἴδωλα. καὶ θαυμάζω πῶς ὁρῶντες τοὺς θεοὺς
αὐτῶν ὑπὸ τῶν δημιουργῶν πριζομένους καὶ πελεκωμένους,
παλαιουμένους τε ὑπὸ τοῦ χρόνου καὶ
ἀναλυομένους, καὶ χωνευομένους, οὐκ ἐφρόνησαν
περὶ αὐτῶν ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶ θεοί. ὅτε γὰρ περὶ τῆς
ἰδίας σωτηρίας οὐδὲν ἰσχύουσι, πῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων
πρόνοιαν ποιήσονται; ἀλλ̓ οἱ ποιηταὶ
αὐτῶν καὶ φιλόσοφοι, τῶν τε Χαλδαίων καὶ Ἑλλήνων
καὶ Αἰγυπτίων, θελήσαντες τοῖς ποιήμασιν
αὐτῶν καὶ συγγραφαῖς σεμνῦναι τοὺς παῤ αὐτοῖς
θεούς, μειζόνως τὴν αἰσχύνην αὐτῶν ἐξεκάλυψαν
καὶ γυμνὴν πᾶσι προὔθηκαν. εἰ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ
ἀνθρώπου πολυμερὲς ὂν οὐκ ἀποβάλλεταί τι τῶν
John, of Damascus (attributed author). G.R. Woodward. H. Mattingly. St. John Damascene Barlaam and Joseph. William Heinemann Ltd; Harvard University Press. London; Cambridge, Mass. 1914. Keyboarding.
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