Idols are nothing — and still hostile
Since some, not beholding the earthly intent of the hostile power's assault, suppose the idols nothing — hear: the demons, dwelling in earth's thick air, are fatted by sacrifice-smoke and blood, and by such food grow strong to deceive. 'He that sacrificeth to gods shall be uprooted' (Exodus 22:20 (LXX 21)) — save to the Lord alone. To sacrifice is to feed demons and subject oneself to them: 'the things the nations sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I would not ye have fellowship with demons.' (1 Corinthians 10:20) Flee then the demons' table, lest, fed by you, they boast to have overcome God's soldiers (Exodus 22:20).
Greek
ἡμῶν" πειϑόμεϑα γὰρ ,κρείττονα" ἔχειν »ὕπαρξιν“" οὐ γηΐνην ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ σωματικὴν ἀλλά τινα ἀόρατον καὶ ἀσώματον. σχοποῦμεν γὰρ οὐ „ra βλεπόμενα", ὁρῶντες ταῦτα μὲν »»πρόσχαιρα" ἐκεῖνα δὲ ,αἰώνεα“.
XLV. Ἐπεὶ δέ τινες μὴ ϑεωροῦντες. τὸν περὶ τῶν δαιμόνων λόγον, xal αἷς ὑπὲρ τοῦ παραμένειν ἐν τῷ παχεῖ τούτῳ καὶ περιγείῳ ἀέρε δεόμενοι τροφῆς τῆς διὰ τῶν | ἀναϑυμιάσεων ἐπιτηροῦσιν 0x xviooa ἀεὶ καὶ αἵματα καὶ λιβανωτοὶ, ἐξευτελίζουσιν ὡς ἀδιάφορον τὸ ϑύειν, εἴποιμεν ἂν καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα ὅτι, εἴπερ οἱ τροφὰς λῃσταῖς καὶ φονεῦσι καὶ βαρβάροις ἐχϑροῖς τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως παρέχοντες ὡς τὸ κοινὸν ἀδικήσαντες καὶ κολάζονται, πόσῳ πλέον οἱ τοῖς τῆς κακίας ὑπηρέταις διὰ τοῦ ϑύειν διδόντες τροφὰς παρακατεχούσας αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ περιγείῳ τόπῳ δικαιότατα ἂν ἐγχαλοῖντο, καὶ μάλιστα εἰ μαϑόντες τό" „Oo ϑύων ϑεοῖς ἑτέροις ἐξολοϑρευϑήσεται, πλὴν κυρίῳ
μόνῳ", ϑύοιεν τοῖς τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς καχῶν αἰτίοις. καὶ οἶμαί γε ἐπὶ τοῖς;
ἁμαρτανομένοις ὑπὸ τῶν δαιμόνων ἐνεργούντων κατὰ τῶν ἀνϑρώ- πῶν οὐχ ἔλαττον ἐγχληϑήσεσϑαι τῶν ἐνεργησάντων δαιμόνων τὰ χείρονα, διὰ τοῦ ϑύειν ϑρέψαντες αὐτούς" οἱονεὶ γὰρ κοινῇ τὰ κακὰ πεποιήχασι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις οἵ τε δαίμονες xal οἱ κατασχόντες
αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς, μὴ ἂν δυνηϑέντας διαρχέσαι χωρὶς τῶν ἀναϑυμιά- σεῶν καὶ τῶν νομιζομένων εἶναι χαταλλήλων τροφῶν τοῖς σώμασιν αὐτῶν. ᾿ XLVL Πάλιν τε αὖ ὑπολαμβάνοντές τινες ϑέσει εἶναι τὰ 0v0- 5 ματα καὶ οὐδεμίαν αὐτὰ ἔχειν φύσιν πρὸς τὰ ὑποκείμενα, ὧν ἐστιν ὀνόματα, νομίζουσι μηδὲν διαφέρει», εἰ λέγοι τις σέβω τὸν πρῶτον ϑεὸν ἢ τὸν Δία ἢ Ζῆνα, καὶ εἰ φάσκοι τις" τιμῶ καὶ ἀποδέχομαι τὸν ἥλιον ἢ τὸν Ἀπόλλωνα καὶ τὴν σελήνην ἢ τὴν "ἄρτεμιν καὶ τὸ ἐν τῇ γῇ πνεῦμα ἢ τὴν Δήμητραν Ι καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα φασὶ» οἱ Ἑλλήνων 10 σοφοί. πρὸς οὖς λεχτέον ὅτι ἔστι τις καὶ περὶ ὀνομάτων πραγματεία βαϑυτάτη καὶ ἀναχεχωρηχυῖα, ἥντινα ὁ συνιεὶς ὄψεται ὅτι, εἴπερ ἦν ϑέσει τὰ ὀνόματα, οὐχ ὑπήχουσαν ἂν οἱ καλούμενοι δαίμονες (ἢ) ἄλ- λαι τινὲς ἡμῖν ἀόρατοι δυνάμεις τοῖς ἐχείνους μὲν νοοῦσιν ὀνομάζουσι δὲ ὡς τεϑέντα τὰ ὀνόματα: νυνὶ δὲ φϑόγγοι τινὲς καὶ συλλαβαὶ καὶ 15 μετὰ προσπνεύσεως ἢ ψιλότη
About this text
Written for Ambrose and Protoctetus. Open the Greek under each section.
English follows Paul Koetschau, Origenes Werke I (GCS, 1899). The Archive OCR of that same print was checked. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Koetschau, Origenes Werke I (GCS 2, 1899) (Greek · Exhortation to Martyrdom)
- Checked print Archive.org OCR of GCS 2 (Greek · Same print)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.