The Discourse to the Greeks

But since, next to Homer, Hesiod wrote his Works and Days, who will believe his absurd theogony? For they say that Chronos, the son of Ouranos, in the beginning killed his father and took over his rule; and that, being seized with a panic lest he should himself suffer in the same way, he preferred devouring his children; but that, by the craft of the Curetes, Jupiter was taken away and kept in secret, and afterwards bound his father with chains, and divided the empire; Jupiter receiving, as the story goes, the air, and Neptune the sea, and Pluto the portion of Hades.

But Pluto kidnapped Proserpine; and Ceres sought her child wandering through the deserts. And this myth was celebrated in the Eleusinian fire. Again, Neptune ravished Melanippe when she was drawing water, besides abusing many Nereids, whose names, if we were to list them, would take a multitude of words. And as for Jupiter, he was a varied adulterer, with Antiope as a satyr, with Danaë as gold, and with Europa as a bull; with Leda, moreover, he assumed wings. For the love of Semele proved both his unchastity and the jealousy of Semele.

And they say that he carried off the Phrygian Ganymede to be his cup-bearer. These, then, are the exploits of the sons of Saturn. And your illustrious son of Latona [Apollo], who claimed to be a soothsayer, proved himself a liar. He pursued Daphne, but did not gain possession of her; and to Hyacinthus, who loved him, he did not foretell his death. And I say nothing of the masculine character of Minerva, nor of the feminine nature of Bacchus, nor of the promiscuous nature of Venus.

Read to Jupiter, you Greeks, the law against parricides, and the penalty of adultery, and the shame of pæderasty. Teach Minerva and Diana the works of women, and Bacchus the works of men. What proper behavior is there in a woman arming herself, or in a man decorating himself with cymbals and garlands and female attire, and accompanied by a group of bacchanalian women?