<TEI xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" xmlns:py="http://codespeak.net/lxml/objectify/pytype" py:pytype="TREE"><text><body><div type="translation" n="urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0062.tlg018.perseus-eng2" xml:lang="eng"><div type="textpart" xml:base="urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0062.tlg018.perseus-eng2" subtype="section" n="42"><sp><speaker>TIMOCLES</speaker><p>Well ‘then, all men and all nations have been mistaken in believing in gods and celebrating festivals?
</p></sp><sp><speaker>DAMIS</speaker><p>Thank you kindly, Timocles, for-reminding me of
what the nations believe... From that you can discern partitularly well that there is nothing in the
theory of gods, for the confusion is great, and some
believe one thing, some another. The Scythians
offer sacrifice to a scimitar, the Thracians to Zamolxis,
a runaway slave who came to them from Samos, the
Phrygians to Men, the Ethiopians to Day, the
Cyllenians to’ Phales, the Assyrians to a dove, the
Persians to fire, and the Egyptians to water. And
while all the Egyptians in common have water for a
god, the people of Memphis have the bull, the people
of Pelusium a wild onion, others an ibis or a crocodile,
others a dog-faced god or a cat or a monkey. Moreover, taking them by villages, some hold the right
shoulder a god and others, who dwell opposite them,
the left; others, half.a skull, and others an earthen
cup or dish. Isn’t that matter for laughter, good
Timocles?
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