366 /l/-43
- Now arguing on the basis of the common conception, they say
that practically all men, Greeks and barbarians, believe that the divine
exists, and because of this they agree in making sacrifices and prayers
and in erecting shrines for the gods, even though they do this in different
ways. So, although they hold in common the belief that something divine
exists, they do not have the same basic grasp of its nature. But if this
basic grasp were false, they would not all have agreed thus. Therefore,
gods exist. - Besides, false opinions and ad hoc declarations do not stay around
for a long time, but last as long as those things for the sake of which
they were maintained. For example, men honour kings with sacrifices
and with all the other religious observances with which they revere
as gods. But they retain these only while the kings are alive and as soon
as they have died they abandon them as irreligious and impious. But the
conception of the gods, at any rate, has always existed, and persists
forever, as is likely since they are testified to by events themselves. 63.
Moreover, even if one ought to ignore the idiosyncratic ideas and ought
to have confidence in the most talented and wise men, one can see that
the poetic art produces no great or luminous work in which god is not
the one who is endowed with power and authority over events, just as
he is in the poet Homer's writings about the war between Greeks and
barbarians. 64. One can also see that the majority of natural philosophers
are in agreement with the poets. For Pythagoras, Empedocles, the Ionians,
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, and perhaps the philosophers of
the Garden (as the very words ofEpicurus testify), all allow [the existence
of] god. 65. Therefore, just as if we were investigating some visible object,
it would be reasonable to put our confidence in those with the keenest
sight, and if some audible object, those with the keenest hearing, so since
we are investigating a matter perceived by reason we ought to put our
confidence in those with the keenest minds and reasoning ability, such
as were these philosophers. - But those holding the opposite view are accustomed to reply that
all men also have a common conception of the myths about the things
in Hades, and that they have the agreement of the poets, and indeed
even more so with respect to the things in Hades than with respect
to the gods; but we would not say that the myths about Hades are
really true.... - But, [the dogmatist retorts,] whereas the myth contains in itself
its own refutation, the supposition regarding gods is not like this nor did
it suggest conflict but has appeared to harmonize with [real] events ....
74 .... This, then, is the argument based on the common conception
and agreement in thinking about god. 75. Let us then examine the