St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.
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Title
St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.
Author
Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo.
Publication
London :: Printed by George Eld,
1610.
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Subject terms
Christianity and other religions -- Early works to 1800.
Cite this Item
"St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A22641.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 6, 2024.
Pages
Of Varro's opinion, that it is meete in policy that some men should faigne them∣selues to be begotten of the gods. CHAP. 4.
BVt doe you beleeue this will some say? not I truly. For Varro, one of their most learned men, doth (though faintly, yet almost plainely) confesse that they all are false. But that it is (a) profitable for the citties (saith he) to haue their greatest men their generalls and gouernours, beleeue that they are begotten of gods, though it be neuer so false: that their mindes being as illustrate, with part of their parents deitie, may bee the more daring to vndertake, more seruent to act, and so more fortunate to performe affaires of value. Which opinion of Var∣ro, (by me here laid downe) you see how it opens a broad way to the falshood of this beleefe: and teacheth vs to know, that many such fictions may be inserted in∣to religion, whensoeuer it shall seeme vse-full vnto the state of the city, to inuent such fables of the gods. But whether Venus could beare Aeneas by Anchises, or Mars beget Romulus of Syluta, (b) Numitors daughter▪ that we leaue as we find it, vndiscussed. For there is almost such a question ariseth in our Scriptures. Whe∣ther the wicked angells did commit fornication with the daughters of men, and whether that therevpon came Giants, that is, huge and powrefull men, who in∣creased and filled all the earth?
L. VIVES.
IT is (a) profitable] It is generally more profitable vnto the great men themselues, who hereby haue the peoples loue more happily obliged to them. This made Scipio that he would neuer seeke to change that opinion of the people, who held, that hee was begot by some god: and Alexander in Lucian saith it furthered him in many great designes, to bee counted the sonne
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of Iupiter Hamon. For hereby he was feared, and none durst oppose him that they held a god. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (saith he) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The Barbarians obserued mee with reuerence and amazement, and none durst with-stand mee, thinking they should warre against the gods, whose confirmed sonne they held mee. (b) Numitors daughter,] Numitor was sonne to Procas the Albian King, and elder brother to Amulius, But being thrust by his brother from his crowne, he liued priuately, Amulius enioying the crowne by force and fraude. Numitor had Lausus to his sonne, and Rhea or Ilia Syluia to his daughter: the boy was killed, the daughter made Abbesse of the Vestals by Amulius, meaning by colour of religion to keepe her from children-bearing: who not-with-standing had two sonnes, Ro∣mulus and Remus, by an vnknowne father as is afore-said.