On the Mysteries

By what sign can we distinguish which is the appearance of a God, or an Angel, or an Archangel, or a Demon, or some ruler, or a soul? For, just as the Gods and demons, and indeed all superior orders, have this in common, that they appear boastful and fashion certain idols and phantasms of themselves. Wherefore in no respect do the Gods excel the demons.

Since, therefore, ignorance and error concerning divine things is the source of all impiety and impurity, and conversely, the knowledge of the Gods is found to be both holy and most useful, insofar as to be ignorant of the Gods creates darkness for us, but to know them creates light, and while the former fills men with all evils through ignorance and audacity, the latter is the cause of all good things; I desire that the truth about these matters be handed down to me by you.

And first, I demand that it be explained to me distinctly what happens in the foreknowledge of the future. For while sleeping, through dreams, we often encounter knowledge of the future, and this, even if it happens, occurs without tumultuous ecstasy (for our body is at rest); yet we do not understand what is happening in the same way as when we are awake.

But many know the future beforehand through enthusiasm divine possession and divine rapture, and in such a way that they are awake, and their senses are active, yet they themselves are not in control of themselves, or at least not as clearly as before.

I see, however, in those who become ecstatic, that some are so affected if they happen to hear cymbals or drums, or a certain melody, which we see happen to those who suffer from corybantism the frenzy of the Corybantes, and to those possessed by Sabazius, and those who serve the Mother of the Gods. Others suffer this if they drink water, as happens to the priest of Apollo Clarius in Colophon; others if they sit at the mouth of a cave, like the Delphic prophetesses: others are suffused with vapors rising from water, like the prophetess at Branchidae. Some use characters, like those who are filled with the insinuations of spirits. Others, furthermore, are in other respects in control of themselves, and become entheic divinely inspired by fantasy alone, and of these some use the aid of darkness for this purpose, others use potions, others use spells and combinations...

What is the mark of the presence of a God, or an angel, or an archangel, or a demon, or some ruler, or a soul? For boasting about oneself and showing some phantom as an appearance is common both to the Gods and to demons, and to all superior orders; so that there will be no excellence of our Gods over other demons.

Since ignorance and error regarding divine things are the source of all impiety and impurity, I seek to know what is holy and useful concerning the Gods, since ignorance of the things that are beautiful and divine creates darkness, but knowledge creates light; and the former fills men with all evils through ignorance and audacity, while the latter is the cause of all good things.

What is it that happens in divination? For when we are asleep, we often encounter future events through dreams, not in an ecstasy that is tumultuous, for the body lies quiet; yet we ourselves, as if we were awake, are no longer following ourselves.

But many encounter the future through enthusiasm divine possession and divine possession, while being awake and active according to sense, yet they are not following themselves, or are not following themselves as clearly as before.

As for those who are ecstatic, some are moved by the sound of cymbals or drums, or by a certain melody, as are those who are subject to the Corybantes priests of Cybele, and those who are possessed by Sabazius, and those who serve the Mother of the Gods; others by drinking water, like the priest of Apollo Clarius in Colophon; others by sitting at the mouth of caves, as the prophetesses in Delphi; others by inhaling the vapors from water, like the prophetesses at Branchidae; others by using characters, like those who are filled with the insinuations of spirits. Others, while still following themselves in other respects, act according to the faculty of fantasy, but some take the help of darkness, others take potions, and others use incantations and combinations; and some by water...