s: for
when Archimedes described in a sphere the motions of the moon, sun, and
five planets, he did the very same thing as Plato's God, in his Timaeus,
who made the world; causing one revolution to adjust motions differing as
much as possible in their slowness and velocity. Now, allowing that what
we see in the world could not be effected without a God, Archimedes could
not have imitated the same motions in his sphere without a divine soul.

XXVI. To me, indeed, it appears that even those studies which are more
common and in greater esteem are not without some divine energy: so that I
do not consider that a poet can produce a serious and sublime poem,
without some divine impulse working on his mind; nor do I think that
eloquence, abounding with sonorous words and fruitful sentences, can flow
thus, without something beyond mere human power. But as to philosophy,
that is the parent of all the arts, what can we call that but, as Plato
says, a gift, or as I express it, an invention of the Gods? This it was
which first taught us the worship of the Gods; and then led us on to
justice, which arises from the human race being formed into society: and
after that it imbued us with modesty, and elevation of soul. This it was
which dispersed darkness from our souls, as it is dispelled from our eyes,
enabling us to see all things that are above or below, the beginning, end,
and middle of every thing. I am convinced entirely, that that which could
effect so many and such great things must be a divine power. For what is
memory of words and circumstances? what, too, is invention? Surely they
are things than which nothing greater can be conceived in a God! for I do
not imagine the Gods to be delighted with nectar and ambrosia, or with
Juventas presenting them with a cup; nor do I put any faith in Homer, who
says that Ganymede was carried away by the Gods, on account of his beauty,
in order to give Jupiter his wine. Too weak reasons for doing Laomedon
such injury! These were mere inventions of Homer, who gave his Gods the
imperfections of men. I would rather that he had given men the perfections
of the Gods! those perfections, I mean, of uninterrupted health, wisdom,
invention, memory. Therefore the soul (which is, as I say, divine,) is, as
Euripides more boldly expresses it, a God. And thus, if the divinity be
air or fire, the soul of man is the same: for as that celestial nature has
nothing earthly or humid about it, in like manner the so