35. Finally, if you think it
right, returning to our inquiry, we ask this of you, whether you think
that all stories about the gods,4500
| 4500
The ms., first four edd., and Hild.
read de his—“about these,” corrected in
the others dîs or diis, as above. |
that is, without any exception,
4501
have been written
throughout with a double meaning and sense, and in a way
4502
admitting of
several interpretations; or that some parts of them are not ambiguous
at all,
while, on the contrary, others have many meanings, and
are enveloped in the
veil of
allegory which has been thrown round
them? For if the whole structure and arrangement of the narrative
have been surrounded with a
veil of
allegory from beginning to end,
explain
to us, tell
us, what we should put and substitute
for each thing which every
story says, and to what other things and
meanings we should refer
4503
each. For as, to take an example,
you wish
Jupiter to be said instead of the rain, Ceres for the
earth,
and for Libera
4504
| 4504
i.e., Proserpine. The readiness with which Arnobius breaks
the form of the sentence should be noted. At first the gods
represent physical phenomena, but immediately after natural events are
put for the gods. In the ms. two copyists
have been at work, the earlier giving Libero, which is
rather out of place, and is accordingly corrected by the later,
Libera followed by LB., Oberthür, Orelli, Hild., and
Oehler. |
and
father
Dis the sinking and casting of
seed into the earth, so you ought
to say what we should understand for the bull, what for the
wrath and
anger of Ceres; what the word Brimo
4505
| 4505
The ms. reads primo.
Cf. c. 20. |
means; what the anxious prayer of
Jupiter;
what the gods sent to make
intercession for him, but not listened to;
what the castrated ram; what the parts
4506
of the castrated ram; what the
satisfaction made with these; what the further dealings with his
daughter, still more unseemly in their lustfulness; so, in the other
story also, what the grove and
flowers of Henna are; what the
fire
taken from Ætna, and the
torches lit with it; what the travelling
through the
world with these; what the Attic country, the canton of
Eleusin, the hut of Baubo, and her rustic hospitality; what the drought
of
cyceon4507
| 4507
[κυκεὼν, a draught
resembling caudle. See p. 499, note 10.] |
means, the
refusal of it, the shaving and disclosure of the privy parts, the
shameful charm of the sight, and the forgetfulness of her bereavement
produced by such means. Now, if you point out what should be put
in the place of all these, changing the one for the other,
4508
| 4508
Lit., “by change of things.” |
we shall admit
your assertion; but if you can neither present another supposition in
each case, nor appeal to
4509
| 4509
The ms. omits ad, supplied
by Ursinus. |
the context as a whole, why do you make that obscure,
4510
| 4510 So all
edd., except Hild. and Oehler, reading obscur-atisfor the
ms. -itatibus. |
by means of fair-seeming allegories, which
has been spoken plainly, and disclosed to the understanding of
all?
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
