Chapter L.—Folly of Astrology.
Employing these accounts, (the heretics) think to deceive as many of these as devote themselves over-sedulously to the astrologers, from thence striving to construct a system of religion that is widely divergent from the thoughts of these (speculators). Wherefore, beloved, let us avoid the habit of admiring trifles, secured by which the bird (styled) the owl (is captured). For these and other such speculations are, (as it were), dancing, and not Truth. For neither do the stars yield these points of information; but men of their own accord, for the designation of certain stars, thus called them by names, in order that they might become to them easily distinguishable. For what similarity with a bear or lion, or kid, or waterman, or Cepheus, or Andromeda, or the spectres that have names given them in Hades, have the stars that are scattered over the firmament—for we must remember that these men, and the titles themselves, came into existence long after the origin of man,—(what, I say, is in common between the two), that the heretics, astonished at the marvel, should thus strive by means of such discourses to strengthen their own opinions?
[50] Τούτοις χρώμενοι τοῖς λόγοις ἀπατᾶν νομίζουσι πολλούς, ὅσοι περιεργότερον τοῖς ἀστρολόγοις προσέχουσιν, ἐντεῦθεν τὴν θεοσέβειαν συνιστᾶν πειρώμενοι, μακρὰν ἀπεμφαίνουσαν τῆς τούτων ὑπολήψεως. διό, ἀγαπητοί, φύγωμεν τὸ μικροθαύμαστον τοῦ ὄρνιθος τοῦ ὤτου: ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ τὰ τοιάδε ὄρχησίς ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἀλήθεια. οὐδὲ γὰρ τὰ ἄστρα ταῦτα δηλοῖ, ἀλλὰ ἰδίως οἱ ἄνθρωποι πρὸς ἐπισημείωσίν τινων ἄστρων ὀνόματα [αὐτοῖς] οὕτως ἐπεκάλεσαν, ἵνα αὐτοῖς εὔσημα ᾖ. τί γὰρ ἄρκτου ἢ λέοντος ἢ ἐρίφων ἢ ὑδροχόου ἢ Κηφέως ἢ Ἀνδρομέδας ἢ τῶν ἐν Ἅιδου ὀνομαζομένων εἰδώλων ὅμοιον ἔχουσιν ἀστέρες διεσπαρμένοι κατὰ τὸν οὐρανόν_πολὺ [μέντοι] μετα(γε)νεστέρ(ων) γεγενημένων τούτων τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τῶν ὀνομάτων ἢ τ(ῶ)ν ἄστρων συνέστηκε γένεσις_, ἵνα καὶ οἱ αἱρετικοὶ κ(α)ταπλαγέντες τὸ θαῦμα οὕτως ἐξεργάσωνται, δι(ὰ) [τῶν] τ(οι)ῶ(ν)δε λόγων τὰ ἴδια δόγματα συνιστᾶν [πειρώμενοι];