XXIII. 1. But I am afraid that this is "* moTiDg the

immoveable," and " warring " not only " against many centuries," according to SimonidSs,* but ** against many nations of men " and races held fast by religious feeling towards these Gods — when people let nothing alone but transfer such mighty names from heaven to earth, and [so] banish and dissolve the sense of worship and faith that has been implanted in nearfy all [men] from their first coming into exi8tence» opening up wide entrances for the godless folk,^ and reducing the divine [mysteries] to the level of men's doings, and giving a splendid licence to the charla- tanries of Evemerus^ the Messenian, who of himself composing the counterpleas of a baseless science of myths unworthy of any credit, flooded the civilised world with sheer atheism, listing off level all those who are looked on as gods into names of generals and admirals and kings, who (he is good enough to say)
1 CanopoB was fabled to be the pilot of the bark of Osiris ; in Qreek mythology he was the pilot of the General Menelaoa on his return from Troy.
> Cf. xxl S. s Bergk, iiL 6SS.
* Or " atheists." ** An evident allusion to the Christiao^* nys King (in loc) ; bat we think Plutarch was more impeisonsl than his commentator.
A K flourished in the last quarter of the 4th century &a
THE MYSTERIES OF ISIS AND OSIRIS 297
existed in bygone days, and are recorded in letters of gold at Fanchon,^ — which [records] neither any non- Greek nor any Greek has ever come across, but Evemerus alone, when he went his voyage to the Fanchoans and Triphyllians, who never have been nor are anywhere on earth.