But Let it be Assumed that There are These Gods...
But let it be assumed that there are these gods, as you wish and believe, and are persuaded; let them be called also by those names by which the common people suppose that those meaner gods [3930] are known. [3931] Whence, however, have you learned who make up the list of gods under these names? [3932] have any ever become familiar and known to others with whose names you were not acquainted? [3933] For it cannot be easily known whether their numerous body is settled and fixed in number; or whether their multitude cannot be summed up and limited by the numbers of any computation. For let us suppose that you do reverence to a thousand, or rather five thousand gods; but in the universe it may perhaps be that there are a hundred thousand; there may be even more than this, -- nay, as we said a little before, it may not be possible to compute the number of the gods, or limit them by a definite number. Either, then, you are yourselves impious who serve a few gods, but disregard the duties which you owe to the rest; [3934] or if you claim that your ignorance of the rest should be pardoned, you will procure for us also a similar pardon, if in just the same way [3935] we refuse to worship those of whose existence we are wholly ignorant.
Footnotes:

[3930] So all edd., reading populares, except Hild. and Oehler, who receive the conj. of Rigaltius, populatim--"among all nations;" the ms. reading popularem.

[3931] Censeri, i.e., "written in the list of gods."

[3932] Otherwise, "how many make up the list of this name."

[3933] So Orelli, receiving the emendation of Barth, incogniti nomine, for the ms. in cognitione, -one being an abbreviation for nomine. Examples of such deities are the Novensiles, Consentes, etc., cc. 38-41.

[3934] Lit., "who, except a few gods, do not engage in the services of the rest."

[3935] Orelli would explain pro parte consimili as equivalent to pro uno vero Deo--"for the one true God."

4 but we do not
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