Taylor - Eleusianian and Bacchic Mysteries.pdf - Platonic Philosophy

Bacchic Mysteries. Illis clearly confirmed by Plotiiius.* And, inshort, that magical evocation formed a partof the sacerdotal office in the Mysteries, andthat this was universally believed by allantiquity, longbefore the era of the latterPlatonists,f is plain from the testimony ofHippocrates, or at least Democritus, in hisTreatise de Morbo Sacro.l For speaking ofthose who attempt to cure this disease bymagic,he observes : siyap oeXvjvYjvTS xaQaipscv,*ai TJ/.IOV acpaviCstv, X C JL(ova T 7>ac J ~!Xaaaav arpovov %ai y7]v, %ai r aXXa TOCipoira ^av:a eictSe^ovrat eitKJcao&ai, SITSsx TEAETQN, SCTS 7,aL s$ aXXvj^ tivoc y|X/,rr^ ^paatv ococ TS stvai oc Ta^ta Sovrs^ 5 ja(5ccv |ioi ys 5o%ooaL x. L /. e.u For ifthey profess themselves able to drawdown the moon, to obscure the sun, to produce stormy and pleasant weather, as likewise showers of rain, and heats, and to renderthe sea and earth barren, and to accomplish*Entiead, i. book 6; and ix. book 9.t Plotinus, Porphyry, lamblichus, Proclus, Longinus, and theirassociates.t Epilepsy.