SECTION X.

CHAP. 10.1.

It now remains, in the last place, that we should speak concerning felicity, about which you make various inquiries, first of all proposing objections, afterwards doubting, and then interrogating.

10.1 Λείπεται δὲ τελευταῖος ὁ περὶ εὐδαιμονίας λόγος͵ περὶ οὗ σὺ ποικίλως ἐπεζήτησας͵ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἐπι στάσεις ὑποτείνων ἔπειτα ἀπορῶν καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα δια πυνθανόμενος.

Adducing, therefore, all that is said by you, we shall answer it appropriately.

Θέντες οὖν ἕκαστα τῶν σῶν ᾗπερ αὐτὰ προήγαγες͵ ἀποκρινούμεθά σοι πρὸς αὐτὰ συμμέτρως.

You inquire, then, “whether there is not some other latent way to felicity.”

Ἐπέστησας γὰρ μήποτε ἄλλη τις λανθάνῃ οὖσα ἡ πρὸς εὐδαιμονίαν ὁδός·

But how, in that path which recedes from the Gods, is it probable there can be an ascent to felicity?

καὶ τίς ἂν γένοιτο ἑτέρα ἀφισ ταμένη τῶν θεῶν εὔλογος πρὸς αὐτὴν ἄνοδος;

For if the essence and perfection of all good are comprehended in the Gods, and the first and ancient power of them is with us priests, and if by those who similarly adhere to more excellent natures, and genuinely obtain a union with them, the beginning and end of all good is earnestly pursued; if this be the case, here the contemplation of truth, and the possession of intellectual science are to be found.

εἰ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς θεοῖς ἡ οὐσία τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὅλων καὶ τελειότης περιέχεται καὶ ἡ πρώτη δύναμις αὐτῶν καὶ ἀρχή͵ παρὰ μόνοις ἡμῖν καὶ τοῖς ὁμοίως ἐχομένοις τῶν κρειττόνων γνησίως τε τῆς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἑνώσεως ἀντιλαμβανομέ νοις ἡ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὅλων ἀρχὴ καὶ τελευτὴ σπουδαίως ἐπιτηδεύεται· ἐνταῦθα δὴ οὖν καὶ ἡ τῆς ἀληθείας πάρ εστι θέα καὶ ἡ τῆς νοερᾶς ἐπιστήμης͵

And a knowledge of the Gods is accompanied with a conversion to, and the knowledge of, ourselves.

καὶ μετὰ τῆς τῶν θεῶν γνώσεως ἡ πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιστροφὴ καὶ ἡ γνῶσις ἑαυτῶν συνέπεται.

CHAP. 10.2.

Hence you in vain doubt, “that it is not proper to look to human opinions.”

10.2 Μάτην οὖν διαπορεῖς ὡς οὐ δεῖ πρὸς δόξας ἀνθρωπίνας βλέπειν.

For what leisure can he have whose intellect is directed to the Gods to look downward to the praises of men? Nor do you rightly doubt in what follows, viz. “that the soul devises great things from casual circumstances.”

Τίς γὰρ σχολὴ τῷ πρὸς τοῖς θεοῖς τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχοντι κάτω βλέπειν εἰς ἀνθρώπων ἐπαίνους; ἀλλ΄ οὐδὲ τὸ ἐπὶ τούτῳ πρὸς ἔπος ἐπαπορεῖς͵ ὡς ἡ ψυχὴ ἐκ τοῦ τυχόντος ἀναπλάττει μεγάλα.

For what principle of fictions can there be in truly existing beings? Is it not the phantastic power in us which is the maker of images? But the phantasy is never excited when the intellectual life energizes perfectly. And is not truth essentially coexistent with the Gods? Is it not, likewise, concordantly established in intelligibles? It is in vain, therefore, that things of this kind are disseminated by you and others.

Τίς γὰρ δὴ ἐν τοῖς ὄντως οὖσι πλασμάτων ἀρχὴ συνίσταται; οὐχ ἡ μὲν φανταστικὴ δύναμις ἐν ἡμῖν ἐστιν εἰδωλοποιός͵ φαντασία δ΄ οὐδεμία ἐγείρεται τῆς νοερᾶς ζωῆς τελείως ἐνεργούσης; οὐ παρὰ τοῖς θεοῖς συνυπάρχει ἡ ἀλήθεια κατ΄ οὐσίαν͵ ἀλλ΄ οὐχὶ κατὰ συμφωνίαν͵ ἐνιδρυμένη τοῖς νοητοῖς; εἰκῆ τοίνυν τὰ τοιαῦτα καὶ παρὰ σοὶ καὶ παρ΄ ἄλλοις τισὶ θρυλλεῖται.

But neither do those things for which certain futile and arrogant men calumniate the worshipers of the Gods, the like to which have been asserted by you, at all pertain to true theology and theurgy.

Ἀλλ΄ οὐδὲ ὅσα ὡς ἀγύρτας καὶ ἀλαζόνας διασύρουσί τινες τοὺς τῶν θεῶν θερα πευτάς͵ οἷς καὶ σὺ παραπλήσια εἴρηκας͵ οὐδὲν οὐδὲ ταῦτα ἅπτεται τῆς ἀληθινῆς θεολογίας τε καὶ θεουργίας.

And if certain things of this kind germinate in the sciences of divine concerns, as in other arts evil arts blossom forth; these are doubtless more contrary to such sciences than to any thing else. For evil is more hostile to good than to that which is not good.

Εἰ δέ πούτινες παραφύονται τοιοῦτοι παρὰ τὰς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐπιστήμας (ὥσπερ καὶ παρὰ τὰς ἄλλας τέχνας αἱ κακοτεχνίαι παραβλαστάνουσιν)͵ ἐναντιώτε ραι δήπου αὗται πρὸς αὐτὰς ὑπάρχουσι μᾶλλον ἢ πρὸς ἄλλο ὁτιοῦν· τῷ γὰρ ἀγαθῷ τὸ κακὸν διαμάχεται μᾶλ λον ἢ τῷ μὴ ἀγαθῷ.

CHAP. 10.3.

I wish, in the next place, to reply to such assertions as calumniate divine prediction. For you compare with it “certain other methods which are conversant with the prediction of future events.”

10.3 Βούλομαι δὴ τὸ μετὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἐπιδρα μεῖν͵ ὅσα διαβάλλων τὴν θείαν πρόγνωσιν ἄλλας τινὰς μεθόδους αὐτῇ παραβάλλεις͵ περὶ τὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος προμήνυσιν διατριβούσας.

To me, however, it does not appear to be any thing honourable if a certain natural aptitude is ingenerated in us to the indication of the future, just as in animals there is a foreknowledge of earthquakes, or winds, or tempests. For an innate presage of this kind is the consequence of acuteness of sensation, or sympathy, or some other conjoint motion of the physical powers, and is not attended with any thing venerable and supernatural. Nor if some one, by human reasoning, or artificial observation, conjectures from signs those things of which the signs are indicative (as physicians foreknow that a fever will take place from the systole and torpor of the pulse), neither does he appear to me to possess any thing honourable and good. For he conjectures after a human manner, and concludes from our reasoning power about things which are acknowledged to be effected naturally, and forms a judgment not very remote from the corporeal-formed order.

Ἐμοὶ γάρ͵ οὔτε εἴ τις ἐκ φύσεως ἐπιτηδειότης εἰς σημασίαν τοῦ ἐσομένου πα ραγίγνεται͵ ὥσπερ ἡ τοῖς ζῴοις τῶν σεισμῶν ἢ τῶν ἀνέμων ἢ τῶν χειμώνων συμπίπτει πρόγνωσις͵ τίμιος εἶναι δοκεῖ· κατ΄ αἰσθήσεως γὰρ ὀξύτητα ἢ κατὰ συμ πάθειαν ἢ κατ΄ ἄλλην τινὰ φυσικῶν δυνάμεων συγκί νησιν ἡ τοιαύτη ἔμφυτος συνέπεται μαντεία͵ οὐδὲν ἔχουσα σεμνὸν καὶ ὑπερφυές· οὔτε εἴ τις κατὰ λογισμὸν ἀνθρώπινον ἢ τεχνικὴν παρατήρησιν ἀπὸ σημείων τεκ μηριοῦται ἐκεῖνα ὧν ἐστι τὰ σημεῖα δηλωτικά (ὡς ἀπὸ συστολῆς ἢ φρίκης τὸν μέλλοντα πυρετὸν προγιγνώσ κουσιν οἱ ἰατροί)͵ οὐδὲν οὐδὲ οὗτός μοι δοκεῖ τίμιον ἔχειν καὶ ἀγαθόν· ἀνθρωπίνως τε γὰρ ἐπιβάλλει καὶ συλλογίζεται τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ διανοίᾳ͵ περί τε τῶν ἐν τῇ φύσει τοῖς γιγνομένοις ὁμολογουμένως οὐ πόρρω τῆς σωματοειδοῦς τάξεως ποιεῖται τὴν διάγνωσιν.

Hence, if there is in us a certain natural presentiment of the future, in the same manner as in all other animals, this power is clearly seen to energize; this presentiment does not in reality possess any thing which is most blessed. For what is there among the things which are implanted in us by nature in the realms of generation that is a genuine, perfect, and eternal good?

Ὥστε οὐδ΄ εἰ φυσική τις ἔνεστιν ἐν ἡμῖν ἐπιβολὴ τοῦ μέλλον τος͵ ὥσπερ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ἡ δύναμις ἥδε ἐναργῶς ἐνεργοῦσα διαφαίνεται͵ οὐδὲν οὐδὲ αὕτη μα καριστὸν τῷ ὄντι κέκτηται· τί γὰρ ἂν εἴη γνήσιον καὶ τέλειον καὶ ἀίδιον ἀγαθὸν τῶν ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως τῆς ἐν γενέσει εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐμφυομένων;

CHAP. 10.4.

Sivine divination, therefore, which is conjoined with the Gods, alone truly imparts to us a divine life; since it participates of [divine] foreknowledge, and divine intellections, and renders us in reality divine. It likewise causes us to be genuine participants of the good, because the most blessed intellectual perception of the Gods is filled with all good. Hence those who possess this divination “do not,” as you conjecture, “foresee future events, and are nevertheless unhappy.” For all divine foreknowledge is boniform. Nor “do they foresee, indeed, what is future, but do not know how to use this knowledge properly.” For, together with the foreknowledge, they receive the beautiful itself, and true and appropriate order: and utility is also present with it.

10.4 Μόνη τοίνυν ἡ θεία μαντικὴ συναπτομένη τοῖς θεοῖς ὡς ἀληθῶς ἡμῖν τῆς θείας ζωῆς μεταδίδωσι͵ τῆς τε προγνώσεως καὶ τῶν θείων νοήσεων μετέχουσα καὶ ἡμᾶς θείους ὡς ἀληθῶς ἀπεργάζεται· ἡ δὲ αὐτὴ καὶ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἡμῖν γνησίως παρέχει͵ διότι πεπλήρωται τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὅλων ἡ μακαριωτάτη τῶν θεῶν νόησις· οὐ τοίνυν προορῶσι μέν͵ ὡς σὺ τοπάζεις͵ οἱ ταύτην ἔχοντες τὴν μαντικήν͵ οὐ μήν εἰσιν εὐδαίμονες· ἀγαθοειδὴς γάρ ἐστι πᾶσα ἡ θεία πρόγνωσις· οὐδὲ προορῶσι μὲν τὰ μέλλοντα͵ χρῆσθαι δὲ αὐτοῖς καλῶς οὐκ ἐπίστανται· ἀλλ΄ αὐτὸ τὸ καλὸν καὶ τὴν τάξιν τὴν ἀληθῆ καὶ πρέ πουσαν μετὰ τῆς προγνώσεως παραδέχονται· πάρεστι δ΄ αὐτῇ καὶ τὸ ὠφέλιμον.

For the Gods, in conjunction with it, deliver a transcendent power of defence against the inconveniences which accede from nature. And when it is necessary to exercise virtue, and the ignorance of future events contributes to this, then the Gods conceal what will be for the sake of rendering the soul better. But when the ignorance of what is future does not at all contribute to this, and foreknowledge is advantageous to souls, for the sake of their salvation and reascent [to divinity], then the Gods insert the foreknowledge which pertains to divination in the penetralia of the essences of souls.

Οἱ γὰρ θεοὶ καὶ δύναμιν τοῦ φυλάξασθαι τὰ ἐπιόντα ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως δεινὰ παρα διδόασι· καὶ ὅταν μὲν ἀσκεῖν δέῃ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ συμβάλληται πρὸς τοῦτο ἡ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἀδηλία͵ ἀπο κρύπτουσι τὰ ἐσόμενα ἕνεκα τοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν βελτίονα ἀπεργάζεσθαι· ὅταν δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο μηδὲν διαφέρῃ͵ λυσιτελῇ δὲ ταῖς ψυχαῖς τὸ προγιγνώσκειν͵ ἕνεκα τοῦ σώζειν αὐτὰς καὶ ἀνάγειν͵ τὴν ἐν ταῖς μαντείαις πρό γνωσιν ἐν μέσαις αὐτῶν ταῖς οὐσίαις ἐντιθέασιν.

CHAP. 10.5.

ut why am I prolix about these particulars? For I have abundantly shown, in what has been before said, the transcendency of divine above human divination. It is better, therefore, in compliance with your request, “to point out to you the way to felicity, and show you in what the essence of it is placed.” For from this the truth will be discovered, and at the same time all the doubts may be easily dissolved.

10.5 Ἀλλὰ τί ταῦτα ἀπομηκύνω͵ διὰ πολλῶν ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν τὸ τῆς θείας μαντικῆς πρὸς τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἐπιδείξας ὑπερέχον; βέλτιον οὖν͵ ὅπερ ἀπαιτεῖς παρ΄ ἡμῶν͵ τὴν εἰς εὐδαιμονίαν ὁδὸν ἐπιδεῖξαί σοι͵ καὶ ἐν τίνι κεῖται ἡ αὐτῆς οὐσία· ἀπὸ γὰρ τούτου τό τε ἀλη θὲς εὑρίσκεται καὶ ἅμα τὰς ἀπορίας πάσας ἔνεστι δια λύειν ῥᾳδίως.

I say, therefore, that the more divine intelligible man, who was formerly united to the Gods by the vision of them, afterwards entered into another soul, which is coadapted to the human form, and through this became fettered with the bonds of necessity and fate.

Λέγω τοίνυν ὡς ὁ θεωτὸς νοούμενος ἄν θρωπος͵ ἡνωμένος τὸ πρόσθεν τῇ θέᾳ τῶν θεῶν͵ ἐπεισ ῆλθεν ἑτέρᾳ ψυχῇ τῇ περὶ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον μορφῆς εἶ δος συνηρμοσμένῃ͵ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐν τῷ τῆς ἀνάγκης καὶ εἱμαρμένης ἐγένετο δεσμῷ.

Hence it is requisite to consider how he may be liberated from these bonds.

Σκοπεῖν δὴ δεῖ τίς αὐτοῦ γίγνεται λύσις καὶ ἀπαλ λαγὴ τῶν δεσμῶν.

There is, therefore, no other dissolution of them than the knowledge of the Gods. For to know scientifically the good is the idea of felicity; just as the oblivion of good, and deception about evil, happen to be the idea of evil. The former, therefore, is present with divinity; but the latter, which is an inferior destiny, is inseparable from the mortal nature. And the former, indeed, measures the essences of intelligibles by sacred ways; but the latter, abandoning principles, gives itself up to the measurement of the idea of body. The former is a knowledge of the father; but the latter is a departure from him, and an oblivion of the God who is a superessential father, and sufficient to himself. The former, likewise, preserves the true life of the soul, and leads it back to its father; but the latter draws down the generation-ruling man, as far as to that which is never permanent, but is always flowing.

Ἔστι τοίνυν οὐκ ἄλλη τις ἢ τῶν θεῶν γνῶσις· ἰδέα γάρ ἐστιν εὐδαιμονίας τὸ ἐπίστασθαι τὸ ἀγαθόν͵ ὥσπερ τῶν κακῶν ἰδέα συμβαίνει ἡ λήθη τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ ἀπάτη περὶ τὸ κακόν· ἡ μὲν οὖν τῷ θείῳ σύνεστιν͵ ἡ δὲ χείρων μοῖρα ἀχώριστός ἐστι τοῦ θνητοῦ· καὶ ἡ μὲν τὰς τῶν νοητῶν οὐσίας ἱερατικαῖς ὁδοῖς ἀναμετρεῖ͵ ἡ δέ͵ παρακρουσθεῖσα τῶν ἀρχῶν͵ προΐησιν ἑαυτὴν ἐπὶ τὴν καταμέτρησιν τῆς τοῦ σώμα τος ἰδέας· καὶ ἡ μὲν γνῶσίς ἐστι τοῦ πατρός͵ ἡ δὲ παρ αγωγὴ ἀπ΄ αὐτοῦ καὶ λήθη τοῦ προουσίου αὐταρχοῦν τος πατρὸς θεοῦ· καὶ ἡ μὲν σώζει τὴν ἀληθινὴν ζωὴν ἐπὶ τὸν πατέρα αὐτῆς ἀνάγουσα͵ ἡ δὲ κατάγει τὸν γεναρχοῦντα ἄνθρωπον ἄχρι τοῦ μηδέποτε μένοντος ἀλλ΄ ἀεὶ ῥέοντος.

You must understand, therefore, that this is the first path to felicity, affording to souls an intellectual plenitude of divine union. But the sacerdotal and theurgic gift of felicity is called, indeed, the gate to the Demiurgus of wholes, or the seat, or palace, of the good. In the first place, likewise, it possesses a power of purifying the soul, much more perfect than the power which purifies the body; afterwards it causes a coaptation of the reasoning power to the participation and vision of the good, and a liberation from every thing of a contrary nature; and, in the last place, produces a union with the Gods, who are the givers of every good.

Αὕτη μὲν οὖν νοείσθω σοι ἡ πρώτη τῆς εὐδαιμονίας ὁδός͵ νοερὰν ἔχουσα τῆς θείας ἑνώ σεως ἀποπλήρωσιν τῶν ψυχῶν· ἡ δ΄ ἱερατικὴ καὶ θεουρ γικὴ τῆς εὐδαιμονίας δόσις καλεῖται μὲν θύρα πρὸς θεὸν τὸν δημιουργὸν τῶν ὅλων͵ ἢ τόπος ἢ αὐλὴ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ· δύναμιν δ΄ ἔχει πρώτην μὲν ἁγνείαν τῆς ψυχῆς πολὺ τελειοτέραν τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἁγνείας͵ ἔπειτα κατάρτυσιν τῆς διανοίας εἰς μετουσίαν καὶ θέαν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐναντίων πάντων ἀπαλλαγήν͵ μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πρὸς τοὺς τῶν ἀγαθῶν δοτῆρας θεοὺς ἕνωσιν.

CHAP. 10.6.

Moreover, after it has conjoined the soul to the several parts of the universe, and to the total divine powers which pass through it; then it leads the soul to, and deposits it in, the whole Demiurgus, and causes it to be independent of all matter, and to be counited with the eternal reason alone. But my meaning is, that it peculiarly connects the soul with the self begotten and self-moved God, and with the all-sustaining, intellectual, and all-adorning powers of the God, and likewise with that power of him which elevates to truth, and with his self-perfect, effective, and other demiurgic powers; so that the theurgic soul becomes perfectly established in the energies and demiurgic intellections of these powers.

10.6 Ἐπειδὰν δὲ κατ΄ ἰδίαν ταῖς μοίραις τοῦ παντὸς συνάψῃ καὶ ταῖς διηκούσαις δι΄ αὐτῶν ὅλαις θείαις δυνάμεσι͵ τότε τῷ ὅλῳ δημιουργῷ τὴν ψυχὴν προσάγει καὶ παρακατατίθεται͵ καὶ ἐκτὸς πάσης ὕλης αὐτὴν ποιεῖ μόνῳ τῷ ἀιδίῳ λόγῳ συνηνωμένην· οἷον͵ ὃ λέγω͵ τῇ αὐτογόνῳ καὶ τῇ αὐτοκινήτῳ καὶ τῇ ἀνεχούσῃ πάντα καὶ τῇ νοερᾷ καὶ τῇ διακοσμητικῇ τῶν ὅλων καὶ τῇ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν τὴν νοητὴν ἀναγωγῷ καὶ τῇ αὐτοτελεῖ καὶ τῇ ποιητικῇ καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις δημιουργικαῖς δυνάμεσι τοῦ θεοῦ κατ΄ ἰδίαν συνάπτει͵ ὡς ἐν ταῖς ἐνεργείαις αὐτῶν καὶ ταῖς νοήσεσι καὶ ταῖς δημιουργίαις τελέως ἵστασθαι τὴν θεουργικὴν ψυχήν.

Then, also, it inserts the soul in the whole demiurgic God.

Καὶ τότε δὴ ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ δημιουρ γικῷ θεῷ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐντίθησιν.

And this is the end with the Egyptians of the sacerdotal elevation of the soul to divinity.

Καὶ τοῦτο τέλος ἐστὶ τῆς παρ΄ Αἰγυπτίοις ἱερατικῆς ἀναγωγῆς.

CHAP. 10.7.

With respect to the good, likewise, they conceive that one kind is divine, and this is the God who is prior to the intelligible; but that the other is human, and is a union with the former. And these two kinds of good Bitys has unfolded from the Hermaic books.

10.7 Αὐτὸ δὲ τἀγαθὸν τὸ μὲν θεῖον ἡγοῦνται τὸν προεν νοούμενον θεόν͵ τὸ δὲ ἀνθρώπινον τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἕνω σιν͵ ὅπερ Βίτυς ἐκ τῶν ἑρμαϊκῶν βίβλων μεθηρμήνευ σεν.

This part, therefore, is not, as you suspect, omitted by the Egyptians, but is divinely delivered by them. Nor do “theurgists disturb the divine intellect about trifling concerns;” but they consult it about things which pertain to the purification, liberation, and salvation of the soul. Neither do they studiously employ themselves in things which are indeed difficult, yet useless to mankind; but, on the contrary, they direct their attention to things which are of all others most beneficial to the soul. Nor, in the last place, are “they deceived by a certain fraudulent dæmon,” who, having vanquished a fallacious and dæmoniacal nature, ascend to an intelligible and divine essence.

Οὐκ ἄρα παρεῖται τοῦτο τὸ μέρος τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις͵ ὃ σὺ ὑπονοεῖς͵ ἀλλὰ θεοπρεπῶς παρεδόθη· οὐδὲ περὶ σμικρῶν οἱ θεουργοὶ τὸν θεῖον νοῦν ἐνοχλοῦσιν͵ ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν εἰς ψυχῆς κάθαρσιν καὶ ἀπόλυσιν καὶ σωτη ρίαν ἀνηκόντων· οὐδὲ χαλεπὰ μὲν διαμελετῶσιν οὗτοι ἄχρηστα δὲ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις͵ ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον τὰ τῇ ψυχῇ πάντων ὠφελιμώτατα· οὐδ΄ ὑπὸ πλάνου τινὸς φενακίζονται δαίμονος οἱ πᾶσι τὴν ἀπατηλὴν καὶ δαι μονίαν φύσιν ἐπικρατήσαντες͵ ἐπὶ δὲ τὴν νοητὴν καὶ θείαν ἀνενεχθέντες.

CHAP. 10.8.

And thus we have answered, to the utmost of our ability, your inquiries concerning divination and theurgy.

10.8 Τοσαῦτά σοι καθ΄ ἡμετέραν δύναμιν ἀπεκρινάμεθα περὶ ὧν ἠπόρησας περὶ τῆς θείας μαντικῆς τε καὶ θεουργίας.

It remains, therefore, at the end of this discussion, that I should beseech the Gods to afford me an immutable guard of true conceptions, to insert in me truth eternally, and to supply me abundantly with the participation of more perfect conceptions of the Gods, in which the most blessed end of our good is posited, and the confirmation of our concordant friendship with each other.

Εὔχομαι δὴ οὖν τὸ λοιπὸν τοῖς θεοῖς ἐπὶ τῷ τέλει τῶν λόγων͵ τῶν ἀληθῶν νοημάτων ἐμοί τε καὶ σοὶ παρ έχειν τὴν φυλακὴν ἀμετάπτωτον͵ εἴς τε τὸν ἀίδιον αἰῶνα τῶν αἰωνίων ἀλήθειαν ἐντιθέναι͵ καὶ τελειοτέρων νοήσεων περὶ θεῶν χορηγεῖν μετουσίαν͵ ἐν αἷς δὴ καὶ τὸ μακαριστὸν τέλος τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡμῖν πρόκειται καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ κῦρος τῆς ὁμονοητικῆς φιλίας τῆς πρὸς ἀλ λήλους.