Those persons, however, who are
full of religious fervour and love of the gods, and who refuse to
disbelieve or reject anything of this kind, find in its miraculous
character, and in the fact that the ways of God are not as our ways, a
great support to their faith. For He resembles mankind in nothing,
neither in nature, nor movement, nor learning, nor power, and so it is
not to be wondered at if He does what seems to us impossible. Nay,
though He differs from us in every respect, it is in his works that He
is most unlike us. But, as Herakleitus says, our knowledge of things
divine mostly fails for want of faith.
XXXIX. When Marcius returned to Antium, Tullus, who had long hated him
and envied his superiority, determined to put him to death, thinking
that if he let slip the present opportunity he should not obtain
another. Having suborned many to bear witness against him, he called
upon him publicly to render an account to the Volscians of what he had
done as their general. Marcius, fearing to be reduced to a private
station while his enemy Tullus, who had great influence with his
countrymen, was general, answered that he had been given his office of
commander-in-chief by the Volscian nation, and to them alone would he
surrender it, but that as to an account of what he had done, he was
ready at that moment, if they chose, to render it to the people of
Antium. Accordingly the people assembled, and the popular orators
endeavoured by their speeches to excite the lower classes against
Marcius.
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