Select Works of Plotinus — trans. Thomas Taylor

us, non solum neglectus religionum , sed ( quod est durius) quasi de legibus , a religione, pietate , cul tuque divino statuetur prcescripta pcena, prohibition Tunc terra ista , sane ~ tissima sedes delubrorum et iemplorum , sepulchrorum erit mor - tuorumque plenissima. O iEgypte, iEgypte, religionum solae supererunt fabulae, eaeque incredibiies posteris suis, solaque supererunt verba lapidibus incisa, tua pia facta narrantibus, et inhabitabit Mgyptum Scythes aut Indus , ant aliquis talis, Divinitas enim repetet ccelum, deserti homines toli morientur, atque ita iEgyptus Deo et homine viduata deseretur. Te vero appello sanctissimum flumen, tibique futura prasdico, torrenti sanguine plenus ad ripas usque erumpes, undseque divinae non solum polluentur sanguine, sed totae rumpentur, et vivis multo major erit numerus sepultorum^; superstes vero qui erit, lingua sola cognoscetur iEgyptius, actibus vero videbitur alienus. Quid ties, O Asclepi ? Et his amplius, multoque deterius, ipsa JEgyptus suadebitur, imbueturque pejoribus malis, quae sancta quondam et divinitatis amantissima deorum in terras religionis suae merito, sola seductio [lege reductio] sanctitatis et pietatis magistra, erit maximae crudelitatis exemplum. Et tunc teedio hominum non admirandus videbitur mundus, neque adorandus. Hoc totum bonum} quo melius nec est , nec fuit , nee erit , quod videri possit , periclitabitur. Eritque grave hominibus , ac per hoc contemnetur , nec diligetur totus hie mundus , Dei opus im~ mutabile , gloriosa construction bonum multiformi imaginum varietate compositum , machina voluntatis Dei in suo opere sine invidia suffragantis omnium in unum, quee venerari> laudari% amari denique a videntibus possunt , multiformis adunata con¬ gest io, Nam et tenebrae praeponentur lumini, et mors vita utilior judicabitur. Nemo suspiciet ccelum. Religiosus pro insano, irreligiosus putabitur prudenst furiosus fortis, pro bono habebitur pessirnus. Anima enim et omnia circum earn quip. 552purpose called in the assistance of the Barbarians* and erected a temple in the city, having previously bus aut immortalis nata est, aut immortal itatem se consectituram esse praesumit ; secundum quod vobis exposui, non solum risus, sed etiam putabitur vanitas. Sed mihi credite etiam periculum capitate constituetur in eum, qui se mentis religioni dederit . Nova constituentur jura, lex nova, nihil sanc¬ tum, nihil religiosum, nec ccelo, nec coelestibus dignum audietur, aut mente credetur.

sus, sed etiam putabitur vanitas. Sed mihi credite etiam periculum capitate constituetur in eum, qui se mentis religioni dederit . Nova constituentur jura, lex nova, nihil sanc¬ tum, nihil religiosum, nec ccelo, nec coelestibus dignum audietur, aut mente credetur. Fiet Deorum ab hominibits dolenda se¬ cession soli nocentes angeli remanebant, qui humanitati commixti ad omnia audacice mala miseros manu inject a compellent in bella, in rapinas , in fraudes, et in omnia quce sunt animarum naturae cont r aria. Tunc non terra constabit, nec navigabitur mare, nec coelum astrorum cursibus, nec siderum cursus constabit in ccelo. Omnis vox divina necessaria taciturnitate mutescet, fructus terrae corrumpentur, nec foecundaerit tellus, et aer ipse mcesto torpore languescet. Haec et talis senectus veniet mundi, irreligio, inordinatio, irrationabilitas bonorum omnium. Cbm ha2c cuncta contigerint, O Asclepi, tunc ille dominus et pater, Deus primipotens, et unus gubernator mun¬ di, intuens in mores factaque voluntaria voluntate sua, qum est Dei benignitas, vitiis resistens, et corruptelae omnium errorem revocans, malignitatem omnem vel alluvione diluens, vel igne consumens, vel morbis pestilentiisque per diversa loca dispersis finiens, ad antrquam faciem mundam revocabit, ut et mundus ipse adorandus videatur et mirandus, et tanti operis effector et restitutor Deus ab omnibus qui tunc eruht frequentibus laudum praeconiis benedictionibusque celebretur. Haec enim mundi genitura cunctarum reformatio rerum bonarum, et na¬ turae ipsius sanctissima et religiosissima restitutio, peracto ternporis cursu, quae est et fuit sine initio sempiterna. Voluntas enim Dei caret initio, qua? eadem est, et ubique est sempiterna.” i. e.

p. 553

subverted the laws of his country. When these things therefore came to pass, the stranger began st Are you ignorant, O Asclepius, that Egypt is the image of heaven, or, which is more true, a translation and descent of every thing which is governed and exercised in heaven ? And if it may be said, our land is truly the temple of the whole world. Nevertheless, because it becomes wise men to fore¬ know all things, it is not lawful you should be ignorant that the time will come when it may seem that the Egyptians have in vain, with a pious mind and sedulous religion, paid attention to divinity, and all their holy veneration shall become void and of no effect. For divinity shall return back from earth to heaven, Egypt shall be forsaken, and the land which was the seat of divinity, shall be destitute of religion, and deprived of the presence of the Gods.

all their holy veneration shall become void and of no effect. For divinity shall return back from earth to heaven, Egypt shall be forsaken, and the land which was the seat of divinity, shall be destitute of religion, and deprived of the presence of the Gods. For when strangers shall possess and fill this region and land , there shall not only be a neglect of religion , but , which is more miserable , there shall be laws enacted against religion , piety , and divine worship ; they shall be prohibited , and punishments shall be irficted on their vota¬ ries . Then this most holy land, the seat of places consecrated to divinity , and of temples, shall be full of sepulchres and dead bodies. 0 Egypt, Egypt, fables alone shall remain of thy re¬ ligion, , and these such as will be incredible to posterity , and words alone shall be left engraved in stones , narrating thy pious deeds. The Scythian , also , or Indian , or some other similar nation , shall inhabit Egypt. For divinity shall return to heaven, all its inhabitants shall die, and thus Egypt, bereft both of God and man, shall be deserted. Ϊ call <>n thee, O most holy river, and predict to thee future events. Thou Shalt burst forth with a torrent of blood, full even to thy banks, and thy divine waters shall not only be polluted with blood, but the land shall be inundated with it, and the number of the dead shall exceed that of the living. He likewise who survives, shall only by his language be known to be an Egyj -p. 554 to think that this was the event which divinity had predicted. And perhaps, said he, 1 shall be a tlan, but by his deeds he will appear to be a stranger. Why do you weep* O Asclepius ? Egypt shall experience more ample, and much worse evils than these, though she was once holy, and the greatest lover of the Gods on the earth, by the desert of her religion. And she who was alone the reductor of sanctity, and the mistress of piety, will be an example of the greatest cruelty. Then also, through the weariness of men, the world will not appear to be an admirable and adorable thing. This whole good, a better than which, as an object of percep¬ tion, there neither is, nor was, nor will be, will be in danger, and will be grievous to men. Hence this whole world will be despised, and will not be beloved, though it is the immutable work of God, a glorious fabric, a good compounded with a multiform variety of images, a machine of the will of God, who in his work gave his suffrage without envy, that all things should be one.