Different Customs of Different Countries.
2933.
In the regions of Britain several men have one wife;
in Parthia many women have one husband;
and each part of the world adheres to its own manners and institutions.
2934.
None of the Amazons have husbands, yet, like animals, they go out from their own territories once a year about the vernal equinox, and live with the men of the neighbouring nation, observing a sort of solemnity the while, and when they have conceived by them they return; and if they bring forth a male child, they cast him away, and rear only females.
2935.
Now, since the birth of all is at one season, it is absurd to suppose that in the case of males Mars is at the time in equal portions with Saturn, but never in the genesis of females; and that they have not Mercury placed with Venus in his own houses, so as to produce either painters, or sculptors, or money-changers; or in the houses of Venus, so that perfumers, or singers, or poets might be produced.
2936.
Among the Saracens, and Upper Libyans, and Moors, and the dwellers about the mouths of the ocean, and also in the remote districts of Germany, and among the Sarmatians and Scythians, and all the nations who dwell in the regions of the Pontic shore, and in the island Chrysea, there is never found a money-changer, nor a sculptor, nor a painter, nor an architect, nor a geometrician, nor a tragedian, nor a poet.
2937.
Therefore the influence of Mercury and Venus must be wanting among them.
Not Genesis, But Free-Will.
2938.
The Medes alone in all the world, with the greatest care, throw men still breathing to be devoured by dogs; yet they have not Mars with the Moon placed in Cancer all through their daily genesis .
2939.
The Indians burn their dead, and the wives of the dead voluntarily offer themselves, and are burned with them.
2940.
Yet all the Indian women who are burned alive have not the Sun under the earth in nightly Genesis, with Mars in the regions of Mars.
2941.
Very many of the Germans end their lives by the halter;
yet all have not therefore the Moon with Hora be girt by Saturn and Mars.
2942.
From all this it appears that the fear of the laws bears sway in every country,
and the freedom of will which is implanted in man by the Spirit complies with the laws;
2943.
and genesis can neither compel the Seres to commit murder,
nor compel the Brahmans to eat flesh, (whom are vegans)
2944.
nor compel the Persians to shun incest, (probably a reference to eugenics)
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nor compel the Indians to refrain from burning, (their offerings to Hindu gods)
2945.
nor compel the Medes to refrain from being devoured by dogs,
nor compel the Parthians to refrain from having many wives,
2946.
nor compel the women of Mesopotamia to refrain from preserving their chastity,
nor compel the Greeks to refrain from naked athletic exercises,
2947.
nor compel the Gaullic boys to refrain from from being abused;
nor can it compel the barbarous nations to be instructed in the studies of the Greeks;
2948.
yet, as we have said, each nation observes its own laws according to free-will,
and annuls the decrees of genesis by the strictness of laws.
There is subtlety here, that nations must always be law abiding people, yet are afforded certain exceptions, if they abide by the law overall, in order to set them apart from others. Apparently a feature of the Republic, there is often a geo-political reason for the atypical conduct, typically some sort of inside joke or twist of themes to make a political point. Others would adorn their society in unusually illustrious or savagely macabre societal behaviours to enhance their reputation one way or the other. Ultimately, Greek society was supposed to be the greater and loftier ideal that each region would acquiesce to when they turned more civilized. Certain civilized religious cultures were allied.
Climates.
2949.
Yet some one skilled in the science of mathematics will say that genesis is divided into seven parts,
which they call climates, and that over each climate one of the seven heavenly bodies bears rule;
and that those diverse laws to which we have referred are not given by men,
yet by those dominant stars according to their will,
and that that which pleases the star is observed by men as a law.
2950.
To this we shall answer, in the first place, that the world is not divided into seven parts;
and in the second place, that if it were so, we find many different laws in one part and one country;
and therefore there are neither seven laws according to the number of the heavenly bodies,
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nor twelve according to the number of the signs,
nor thirty-six according to that of the divisions of ten degrees; yet they are innumerable.
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