167 Orpheus, under whose name there was current in the time of Arnobius an immense mass of literature freely used, and it is probable sometimes supplemented, by Christian writers. Cf. c. 19.
168 Lit, "put forth with Greek mouth."
170 It may be well to observe that Arnobius differs from the Greek versions of these lines found in Clem. Alex. (vol. ii. p. 177) and Eusebius (Praepar. Evang. ii. 3), omitting all mention of Iacchus, who is made very prominent by them; and that he does not adhere strictly to metrical rules, probably, as Heraldus pointed out, because, like the poets of that age, he paid little heed to questions of quantity. Whether Arnobius has merely paraphrased the original as found in Clement and Eusebius, or had a different version of them before him, is a question which can only be discussed by means of a careful comparison between the Greek and Latin forms of the verses with the context in both cases.
171 So LB., Hild., and Oehler, reading Erechthidoe O (inserted by Hild.) for the ms. erithideo.
173 The ms., 1st ed., Hild., and Oehler read ita-"It is thus not," etc.; the others as above, ista.
174 Delatione calumniosa. [Conf. vol. ii. p. 175, col. 2.]
175 Cyceon. (P. 499, supra, and 503, infra.]
176 The ms. reads exci-ta, corrected as above, ex cista, in the margins of Ursinus.
177 [It is a pity that all this must be retailed anew after Clement, vol. ii. pp. 175, 177, notes.]
178 Lit., "by stealthy frauds."
179 Lit. "is the honour of virginity snatched from them?"
180 Sine veniâ ac sine honoribus praefatis..
181 So Stewechius, LB., and Orelli, reading spec-t-u in t-ali for the ms. in specu ali.
182 Lit., "light." [Note Clement, vol. ii. p. 175, col. 2, line 12.]
183 So the ms., Hild. and Oehler reading noscentis.
184 This allusion is somewhat obscure. Heraldus regards tricas Tellenas as akin in sense to t. Atellanas, i.e., "comic trifles;" in which case the sense would be, that Arnobius had been heaping up any trifles which would keep him back from the disagreeable subject. Ausonius Popma (quoted by Orelli) explains the phrase with reference to the capture of Tellenae by Ancus Martius as meaning "something hard to get through."
185 The ms. reads alimoniae, corrected from Clem. Alex. by Salmasius, Alimontia, i.e. celebrated at Halimus in Attica.
186 Lit., "in pure senses." [Ironically said.]
187 Cicero (de Nat. Deor., iii. 23) speaks of five Dionysi, the father of the fifth being Nisus. Arnobius had this passage before him in writing the fourth book (cf. c. 15, and n. 2), so that he may here mean to speak of Liber similarly.
189 So the ms., acc. to Hild., reading expe-titionis; acc. to Crusius, the ms. gives -ditionis-"(having accomplished) his expedition."
190 Lit., "is surveying with all careful examination."
191 ms. cuius. [Retailed from Clement, vol. ii. p. 180. As to the arguments the Fathers were compelled to use with heathen, see note 5, same volume, p. 206.]
194 Lit. "by right of friendship."
196 Lit., "of holy divinity." Orelli thinks, and with reason, that Arnobius refers to the words which Terence puts into the mouth of Chaerea (Eun., iii. 5, vv. 36-43), who encourages himself to give way to lust by asking, "Shall I, a man, not do this?" when Jove had done as much. [Elucidation III.]
197 Lit., "to speak of any one as atheist...of those who," etc.
198 So the ms. and edd., reading in eo, for which we should perhaps read in eos-"heap upon them."
200 Lit., "to the reward (meritum) of divinity."
202 So the edd., reading tardati for the ms. tradatis, except Hild., who reads tardatis.
204 Exoletos. Cf. iv. c. 35, note 13, p. 487, supra.
206 Both Roman edd. and ms. read dicet-"shall say;" all others as above-dicit.
208 Lit., "in the signification of his daughter."
209 So the margin of Ursinus-ut reris for the ms. ut ce-reris.
211 The ms. and both Roman edd. read indecorum est, which leaves the sentence incomplete. LB., followed by later edd., proposed de-cursum est, as above (Oehler, inde d.-"from these recourse has been had"), the other conjectures tending to the same meaning.
212 "We need only;" lit., "it is enough for us to."
214 Lit., "in the obscure mind of senses."
215 "Or at the time," aut tum, the correction of LB, for the ms. sutum.
216 Lit., "fear of any reason and of religion."
218 Lit., "from shut-up things."
221 Lit., "his suspicion and conjectural (perhaps "probable") inference."
222 Lit., "to be deduced with variety of expositions through numberless ways."
223 The ms., first four edd., and Hild. read de his-"about these," corrected in the others dîs or diis, as above.
227 i.e., Proserpine. The readiness with which Arnobius breaks the form of the sentence should be noted. At first the gods represent physical phenomena, but immediately after natural events are put for the gods. In the ms. two copyists have been at work, the earlier giving Libero, which is rather out of place, and is accordingly corrected by the later, Libera followed by LB., Oberthür, Orelli, Hild., and Oehler.
228 The ms. reads primo. Cf. c. 20.
230 [kukewn, a draught resembling caudle. See p. 499, note 10.]
231 Lit., "by change of things."
232 The ms. omits ad, supplied by Ursinus.
233 So all edd., except Hild. and Oehler, reading obscur-atis for the ms. -itatibus.
234 Lit., "were placed above the interior truth."
235 Lit., "with simple senses."
236 i.e., involved in obscurity.
237 i.e., free from ambiguity.
238 Lit., "of shut-off obscurities."
239 The reference is to the words in the middle of the chapter, "how do you know which part is simple?" etc.; Arnobius now saying that he does not see how this can be known.
242 Lit., "in their customs and conditions."
243 i.e., if historical, the whole must be so, as bits of allegory would not fit in.