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Arnobius
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Introductory Notice to Arnobius.
[3295] Protagoras of Abdera, b. b.c. 480, d. 411.
[3296] Democritus of Abdera, b. b.c. 460, and Epicurus, b. b.c. 342, d. 270.
[3297] Obstinatione, literally “stubbornness;” Walker conjectures opinatione, “imaginings,” which Orelli approves.
[3298] So the ms.; for which Meursius would read, nobis vobisque, communis esset (for cessat)—“is to us and to you, the anger of the gods would be shared in common.”
[3299] So Ursinus, followed by most edd., for the reading of the ms. Fenta Fatua, cf. v. 18. A later writer has corrected the ms. Fanda, which, Rigaltius says, an old gloss renders “mother.”
[3300] So restored by Salmasius for Dioscuri, and understood by him as meaning Dea Syria, i.e., Venus, because it is said that a large egg having been found by the fish in the Euphrates, was pushed up by them to the dry land, when a dove came down, and sat upon it until the goddess came forth. Such was the form of the legend according to Nigidius; but Eratosthenes spoke of both Venus and Cupid as being produced in this manner. The Syrian deities were therefore Venus, Cupid, and perhaps Adonis. It should be remembered, however, that the Syrians paid reverence to pigeons and fish as gods (Xen., Anab., i. 4, 9), and that these may therefore be meant.
[3301] So all edd., except those of Hildebrand and Oehler, for the ms. censum—“list.”
[3302] That is, that God is a Spirit. [Note our author’s spirit of faith in Christ.]
[3303] Orelli would refer these words to God; he thinks that with those immediately following they may be understood of God’s spiritual nature,—an idea which he therefore supposes Arnobius to assert had never been grasped by the heathen.
[3304] So Gelenius, followed by Orelli and others, for the corrupt reading of the ms., idem ne quis; but possibly both this and the preceding clause have crept into the text from the margin, as in construction they differ from the rest of the sentence, both that which precedes, and that which follows.
[3305] The phrase animalibus causis is regarded by commentators as equal to animatis causis, and refers to the doctrine of the Stoics, that in the sun, moon, stars, etc., there was an intelligent nature, or a certain impulse of mind, which directed their movements.
[3306] Lit. “shall see”—visuri, the reading of the ms.; changed in the first ed. and others to victuri—“shall live.”
[3307] Some have suggested a different construction of these words—memoriam nullam nostri sensus et recordationis habituri, thus—“have no memory of ourselves and senses of recollection;” but that adopted above is simpler, and does not force the words as this seems to do.
[3308] The ms. and 1st and 2d Roman edd. read, qui constringit—“who restrains.”
[3309] It was a common practice with the Romans to hang the spoils of an enemy on a tree, which was thus consecrated to some deity. Hence such trees were sacred, and remained unhurt even to old age. Some have supposed that the epithet “old” is applied from the fact that the heathen used to offer to their gods objects no longer of use to themselves; thus it was only old trees, past bearing fruit, which were generally selected to hang the spoila upon.
[3310] [This interesting personal confession deserves especial note.]
[3311] Vel personæ vel capiti.
[3312] So all the later edd.; but in the ms., 1st and 2d Roman edd., and in those of Gelenius and Canterus, this clause reads, cruciatoris perpetitur sævitatem—“but suffers the cruelty of his persecutor.”
[3313] The words post pœnas in the text are regarded as spurious by Orelli, who supposes them to have crept in from the preceding sentence: but they may be defended as sufficiently expressing the agonies which Hercules suffered through the fatal shirt of Nessus.
[3314] The words deum propitium are indeed found in the ms., but according to Rigaltius are not in the same handwriting as the rest of the work.
[3315] Cybele whose worship was conjoined with that of Atys.
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