Cyniskus. I hear that a certain Minos, a Kretan, acts as judge in such matters; and answer me somewhat about him, too: for he is said to be your son. Zeus. And why do you ask about him, Cyniscus ? Zeus. The wicked, of course, such as murderers and temple robbers. Cyniskus. And whom does he despatch to the heroes ? Zeus. The good and holy, who have lived virtuously. Cyniskus. Why, Zeus ? Zeus. Because some deserve reward, others punishment. Cyniskus. And, if a man have done some dire action unwittingly, does he deem him deserving, too, of being punished ? Zeus. By no means. Cyniskus. Nor, I suppose, if a man does some good action against his will, would he think it proper to reward him either? Zeus. Why, no, to be sure. Cyniskus. Then it befits him, Zeus, neither to punish nor to reward anybody? Zeus. How, not anybody? Cyniskus. Because we men do nothing of our own wills, but are compelled by some inevitable necessity, if, at least, those things are true which have been before admittednamely, that Fate is the cause of everything. In fact, if a man commit a murder, she is the real murderess; and if he rob a temple, he does what it has been ordered him to do. So, if Minos intend to give just judgment, he will punish Destiny instead of Sisyphus,' and Fate instead of Tantalus. For what wrong did they commit, since they obeyed their orders? Zeus (in a towering rage). It is no longer worth while 1 The well-known king of Korinth, equally famous for his commerce and his craft-ò KépdioTos yÉVET άvdpwv. 'IX. vi. 153. By the poet of the Odyssey he is tortured in Tartarus for his misdeeds by the everlastingly rolling rock, or huge stone, which, as soon as pushed up the hill, rolled back again, 'Od. xi. 593-599. Cf. Lucretius, De Rerum Nat. iii 1013; En. vi. 602; Ov. Met. iv. 460; Cicero, Disp. Tusc. i. 5, 10; Aristotle (Prop. iii. 19) represents the poet as employing the fable metaphorically. For Tantalus, see Nɛк. Ataλ. xvii. even to reply to you and your questions-for you are an impudent fellow, and a sophist into the bargain; and I will leave you and go away this moment. Cyniskus (calling after him). I did want to put to you again this question, too-Where do the Fates spend their days, or how do they manage to reach to the superintendence, even to the smallest particular, of so many matters-and that, though they are only three? For they seem to me to live a laborious and no enviable sort of existence, in having such a quantity of public business; and, as it appears, they were born under a not altogether propitious Destiny, even they. I, at all events, if choice were given to me, would not exchange my own life with them, but would pass through life still poorer than I am rather than sit plying my spindle full of such a quantity of troublesome business, and looking after each particular item. However, since it is not easy for you to reply to them, Zeus, we shall be even content with those answers which you have made for they are quite enough to throw light upon the argument concerning Destiny and Providence. As for the rest, probably it was not fated for me to hear them. : THE CONVENTION OF THE GODS.1 [Zeus, to hush the loud murmurs and growing discontent of the privileged classes of Olympus at the constant influx of novi divi, which threatens altogether to swamp the ancient orders of divinity, summons a General Assembly for the purpose of taking measures to remedy the evil. After proclamation by Hermes, by permission of the President, Momus, the Censor, or Public Prosecutor, of Olympus, again undertakes the not uncongenial task of exposing the patent scandals flourishing in their midst. He repeats his old complaints, and animadverts sarcastically upon the scandal, that not only are mortal men deified, but that they bring with them a whole train of disreputable followers of low or hybrid origin, whom, surreptitiously, they introduce into the haut monde, and, by corrupt arts, contrive to get raised to the Olympian peerage; that these dieux nouveaux insist upon an equal share, with the ancient aristocracy, of the public feasts and sacrifices. Here the President interposes, and calls upon the Public Prosecutor to proceed from general to particular charges, and specify names. Thus admonished, Momus particularizes the most conspicuous scandals of this kind, and proceeds (in spite 1 Θεῶν Ἐκκλησία—the or "Con Popular Assembly of the Gods "—is the title of this witty piece. Inasmuch as, however, on this memorable occasion, the "upper and "lower" Houses (the Boulé and Ecclesia) sat and voted together, the French "National Assembly vention" more exactly represents the character of the present meeting of the divinities. The usual English representative title is "Council," which does not accurately express the original. 2 See Ζεὺς Τραγ of a caution from Zeus to except certain privileged personages from his indictment) to insinuate that the case of the "king of Gods and men" himself is not unobnoxious to severe criticism-in particular, in regard to certain events in the island of Krete, the scene of his education and (alleged) decease; and his notorious amours with certain terrestrial mistresses, which were at once bazardous and ridiculous. He does not omit to descant upon a number of other notorious scandals caused by the too free conduct of other deities of either sex, in imitation of their father and sovereign lord. At the urgent interposition. of Zeus, passing over the Ganymede scandal, he next attacks the Oriental, and especially Egyptian, interlopers ; and, again called to order, passes on to the various oracular divinities, and their portentously-increasing number-instancing certain well-known athletes, who had received the honours of divinity and immortality. One of the results of this extension of the celestial franchise, according to the Censor, is the increase of perjury. Descending rapidly to human concerns, he severely assails the newfangled names bandied about in the logomachies, and word-twisting of the “ philosophers;" and has a fling at the new fashion of deifying Nature and Destiny, &c., which threatens to divert the old-accustomed rich sacrifices from Heaven to Earth. At this point of his oration, observing signs of weariness from some, of hostility from others, Momus brings his address to a somewhat abrupt close. Leave having been given by the President, he then reads the resolution. The Decree sets forth, in the approved (Attic) legal forms, the principal cause of the convocation of the Assembly-viz., the intrusion of spurious and barbarous interlopers, the overcrowding of Heaven, and the consequent alarming and extraordinary rise in the marketprices of their ambrosia and nectar, and the arrogance and presumption of the dieux nouveaux. It announces the meeting of the celestial Chambers in the approaching winter, when an Inquisitorial Commission is to be appointed for thorough revision and strict scrutiny of the claims of the several more recent and surreptitious additions to the theocracy; when they will be expected to produce credentials, and proofs of the soundness of their claims: the penalty of the flames of Tartarus to be enacted for all who disobey the ruling of the Commission. Also, it is to be within the powers of the same Commission to ascertain and curtail the present pluralities and patronage of the various members of the ancien régime. To this decree Zeus vouchsafes to give his imprimatur, and the Assembly is prorogued.] Zeus, Hermes, and Momus. Zeus. Have done with your muttering, Gods, and don't crowd yourselves into corners, and take counsel with one another in whispers, in your anger because a number of unworthy guests share our table. But, inasmuch as a Convention has been summoned to deliberate about these matters, let each one say openly what he thinks, and produce his charges. And you, Hermes, make your proclamation according to the legal requirements. Hermes. Oyez! Silence! What God, of full age and qualification, who has the right, desires to harangue ? The subject of inquiry is respecting resident-aliens and strangers. 1 Momus. I do-Momus-if you would give me leave to speak, Zeus. Zeus. The terms of the proclamation already give you leave. So you will have no need of my permission. Momus. I assert, then, that some of us act in a strange manner to whom it is not sufficient that they have been themselves transformed from men into Gods, but, unless they render their hangers-on and attendants possessors of equal rights with ourselves, consider they have accom 1 Mɛroíkov. The Metaci formed a regular and numerous residentcolony in the Greek States, or cities (10,000, at Athens, in the third century B.C.), subject to severe restrictions and disabilities. They were forced to serve in the armies, but were not admitted to any sort of legislative rights of the State in which they lived. Chiefly engaged in trade, they were always actually regarded as evo (foreigners), though nominally distinguished from them. |