Chapter XVII.—They are Blameworthy Who Invented Such Stories.

“Now,^10761076    [Compare with the arguments here, Recognitions, x. 35–38.—R.] since these things can be clearly, profitably, and without prejudice to piety, set forth in an open and straightforward manner, I wonder you call those men sensible and wise who concealed them under crooked riddles, and over266laid them with filthy stories, and thus, as if impelled by an evil spirit, deceived almost all men.  For either these things are not riddles, but real crimes of the gods, in which case they should not have been exposed to contempt, nor should these their needs have been set before men at all as models; or things falsely attributed to the gods were set forth in an allegory, and then, Appion, they whom you call wise erred, in that, by concealing under unworthy stories things in themselves worthy, they led men to sin, and that not without dishonouring those whom they believed to be gods.