20. But you, on the contrary, forgetting how great946 Lit., “forgetting the so great majesty and sublimity.” their dignity and grandeur are, associate with them a birth,947 Both plural. and impute to them a descent,948 Both plural. which men of at all refined feelings regard as at once execrable and terrible. From Ops, you say, his mother, and from his father Saturn, Diespiter was born with his brothers. Do the gods, then, have wives; and, the matches having been previously planned, do they become subject to the bonds of marriage? Do they take upon themselves949 The ms., first four edd., and Oberthür read conducunt—“unite;” for which the rest read condic-unt, as above. the engagements of the bridal couch by prescription, by the cake of spelt, and by a pretended sale?950 i.e., usu, farre, coemptione. Have they their mistresses,951 The word here translated mistresses, speratas, is used of maidens loved, but not yet asked in marriage. their promised wives, their betrothed brides, on settled conditions? And what do we say about their marriages, too, when indeed you say that some celebrated their nuptials, and entertained joyous throngs, and that the goddesses sported at these; and that some threw all things into utter confusion with dissensions because they had no share in singing the Fescennine verses, and occasioned danger and destruction952 Lit., “dangers of destructions.” to the next generation of men?953 Instead of “occasioned,” sevisse, which the later editions give, the ms. and first four edd. read sævisse—“that danger and destruction raged against,” etc.
XX. At vero vos contra, majestatis immemores et sublimitatis tantae, eas illis adjungitis nativitates, ortusque 1039B eos adscribitis, quos ingeniis lautioribus homines 1040A et execrationi habeant et horrori. Ex Ope, inquitis, matre, et ex genitore Saturno, cum suis est natus Diespiter fratribus. Uxores enim dii habent, atque in conjugalia foedera conditionibus veniunt ante quaesitis? usu, farre, coemptione, genialis lectuli sacramenta condicunt? habent speratas, habent pactas, habent interpositis stipulationibus sponsas? Et quid de ipsis conjunctionibus loquimur? quando et quosdam nuptias celebrasse, et festas habuisse frequentias dicitis, et lusisse in his deas: et quod participes fescenninorum non essent, perturbasse discordiis omnia; et in humanum in posterum genus 1040B exitiorum sevisse discrimina?