Arnobius

Footnotes

^[4571] [See note 5, book. vi. p. 506.]

^[4572] The ms. and most edd. read di-vina nobiscum—“the divine things along with us;” Heraldus rejects div. as a gloss, while Meursius, followed by Orelli, corrects dii una, and Oehler divi una, as above.

^[4573] Lit., “are contained in vital substance.”

^[4574] Arnobius here expressly denies that the Christians had any temples. There has been some controversy on the subject (Mosheim, book i. cent. 1, ch. 4, sec. 5, Soames’ ed.), surely as needless as controversy could be; for as the Christians must at all times have had stated places of meeting (although in time of persecution these might be changed frequently), it is clear that, in speaking thus, the meaning must be only, that their buildings had no architectural pretensions, and their service no splendour of ritual. [Diocletian’s mild beginning suffered Christians to build costly temples in many places. These he subsequently destroyed with great severity.]

^[4575] Lit., “drawn out.”

^[4576] So the edd., reading constructafor the corrupt ms. conscripta—“written.”

^[4577] i.e., to suppose that temples are necessary to the gods, is to make them subject to human weakness.

^[4578] Lit. “with fortifications of roofs.”

^[4579] i.e., if you have regard merely to the weakness of men, a temple may be something wonderful.

^[4580] Lit., “some.”

^[4581] Lit., “formed by contrivance of a poor heart.”

^[4582] Institutor, wanting in all edd., except Hild. and Oehler.

^[4583] Arnobius here agrees with Clemens Alexandrinus, but Jos. Scaliger has pointed out that the name should be Cecrops. It is possible that Arnobius may have been misled by what was merely a slip of Clement’s pen. [See the passage here referred to, vol. ii. p. 184, this series.]

^[4584] The preceding words, from “this of Hercules,” are omitted by the first four edd. and Elmenh., and were first restored from the ms. by Stewechius.

^[4585] Lit., “first and.”

^[4586] So the edd., reading habere districtos for the ms. destructos.

^[4587] Lit., “that the things be thought to be.”

Chapter IV

^[4588] Lit., “knowledge being anticipated.”

^[4589] These words, et tacitis, omitted by Oberthür, are similarly omitted by Orelli without remark.

^[4590] So the edd., inserting quo- into the ms. reading ita-que—“it is therefore fitting,” which is absurd, as making the connection between the members of the sentence one not of analogy, but of logical sequence.

^[4591] Cf. the speech of Thetis, Iliad, i. 423–425.

Chapter V

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