Book V - Snyder Bible

316
excel all others in crimes, in order that he might allure all to
the imitation of his evil deeds.
Chapter XXIV: Folly of Polytheism
But also the sepulchers of his sons, who are regarded
amongst these as Elohim, are openly pointed out, one in one
place, and another in another: that of Mercury at Hermopolis;
that of the Cyprian Venus at Cyprus; that of Mars in Thrace;
that of Bacchus at Thebes, where he is said to have been torn
in pieces; that of Hercules at Tyre, where he was burnt with
fire; that of Aesculapius in Epidaurus. And all these are spoken
of, not only as men who have died, but as wicked men who
have been punished for their crimes; and yet they are adored
as Elohim by foolish men.
Chapter XXV: Dead Men Deified
But if they choose to argue, and affirm that these are rather
the places of their birth than of their burial or death, the
former and ancient doings shall be convicted from those at
hand and still recent, since we have shown that they worship
those whom they themselves confess to have been men, and to
have died, or rather to have been punished; as the Syrians
worship Adonis, and the Egyptians Osiris; the Trojans, Hector;
Achilles is worshipped at Leuconesus, Patroclus at Pontus, Alexander
the Macedonian at Rhodes; and many others are worshipped,
one in one place and another in another, whom they
do not doubt to have been dead men. Whence it follows that
their predecessors also, falling into a like error, conferred divine
honor upon dead men, who may have had some power or
some skill, and especially if they had stupefied stolid men by
magical fantasies.
Chapter XXVI: Metamorphoses
Hence there has now been added, that the poets also
adorn the falsehoods of error by elegance of words, and by
sweetness of speech persuade that mortals have been made
immortal; yea more, they say that men are changed into stars,