“One may call the world a myth , in which bodies and things are visible, but souls and minds hidden. Besides, to wish to teach the whole truth about the Gods to all produces contempt in the foolish, because they cannot understand, and lack of zeal in the good, whereas to conceal the truth by myths prevents the contempt of the foolish, and compels the good to practice philosophy.” WorldMindMaySoulPhilosophyWholeBodyWishTeachPracticeProduceMythFoolishVisibleContemptZealWhole Truth Author:Sallust
“Of the cosmic Gods some make the world be, others animate it, others harmonize it, consisting as it does of different elements; the fourth class keep it when harmonized.” WorldDoeDifferentClassElementsCosmicFourth Author:Sallust
“All this care for the world, we must believe, is taken by the Gods without any act of will or labor. As bodies which possess some power produce their effects by merely existing: e.g. the sun gives light and heat by merely existing; so, and far more so, the providence of the Gods acts without effort to itself and for the good of the objects of its forethought. This solves the problems of the Epicureans , who argue that what is divine neither has trouble itself nor gives trouble to others.” WorldGivingBelieveProblemBodyLightCareEffortSunTakenTroubleEffectsObjectsProduceDivineLaborSolveArguingHeatProvidenceForethoughtEpicureanMerely Existing Author:Sallust
“Again, if the world is destroyed, it must needs either be destroyed according to nature or against nature. Against nature is impossible, for that which is against nature is not stronger than nature. If according to nature, there must be another nature which changes the nature of the world: which does not appear.” IfsWorldNeedsDoeImpossibleStrongerDestroyed Author:Sallust
“Souls that have lived in virtue are in general happy, and when separated from the irrational part of their nature, and made clean from all matter, have communion with the gods and join them in the governing of the whole world. Yet even if none of this happiness fell to their lot, virtue itself, and the joy and glory of virtue, and the life that is subject to no grief and no master are enough to make happy those who have set themselves to live according to virtue and have achieved it.” IfsWorldMadeSoulMatterEnoughWholeJoyGriefVirtueSubjectsMastersGloryCleanWhole WorldIrrationalCommunionGoverningMake Happy Author:Sallust
