The Nature of the Gods by Cicero

Author:Cicero
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion, Philosophy, Theism, History & Surveys, Ancient & Classical, Literary Collections
Publisher: Penguin UK
Published: 2004-10-28T05:14:24+00:00

Or a quality which manifests some great power is itself named as a god, such as Faith and Reason, both of which we have actually seen consecrated in the Capitol by Marcus Aemilius Scaurus. There was also a previous consecration of Hope by Aulus Atilius Calatinus. You can see from here the temple of Virtue, restored as a temple of Honour by Marcus Marcellus, and originally consecrated many years ago in the time of the Ligurian War by Quintus Maximus. Wealth, Salvation, Concord, Liberty, Victory – all of these, on account of their great power, which seemed to demand a divine origin, have been named as gods. In the same way Desire, Pleasure, Lust have been deified. But these are perverse and sophisticated vices rather than natural emotions, even if Velleius thinks otherwise. But often such vicious and artificial pleasures can overcome our more natural instincts.

‘As each divine power confers its own benefits, so it is recognized as a god in accordance with the importance of the benefits which it confers, and the power which resides in each of the gods is expressed in their names, as in the examples I have given.

‘The common custom of our human life has also brought it about that men who have conferred outstanding benefits upon mankind have been deified out of gratitude. Hence the

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