But
all things that are many in number have matter; for one and the same
definition, e.g. that of man, applies to many things, while Socrates
is one. But the primary essence has not matter; for it is complete
reality. So the unmovable first mover is one both in definition and in
number; so too, therefore, is that which is moved always and
continuously; therefore there is one heaven alone.) Our forefathers in
the most remote ages have handed down to their posterity a
tradition, in the form of a myth, that these bodies are gods, and that
the divine encloses the whole of nature. The rest of the tradition has
been added later in mythical form with a view to the persuasion of the
multitude and to its legal and utilitarian expediency; they say
these gods are in the form of men or like some of the other animals,
and they say other things consequent on and similar to these which
we have mentioned. But if one were to separate the first point from
these additions and take it alone-that they thought the first
substances to be gods, one must regard this as an inspired
utterance, and reflect that, while probably each art and each
science has often been developed as far as possible and has again
perished, these opinions, with others, have been preserved until the
present like relics of the ancient treasure. Only thus far, then, is
the opinion of our ancestors and of our earliest predecessors clear to
us.
9
The nature of the divine thought involves certain problems; for
while thought is held to be the most divine of things observed by
us, the question how it must be situated in order to have that
character involves difficulties.
Pages:
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331