Freethought & Rationalism Archive

andrewcriddle · 08-03-2005, 01:34 PM

Richard Carrier has suggested in other threads that Romulus by Plutarch is an example of belief in a preexistent divine being descending to earth and then reascending to heaven. This view has been held by other scholars and IMO it is a misunderstanding of Plutarch.

The context in Plutarch is that after Romulus' mysterious disappearance he is believed either taken up to the Gods or killed and dismembered by the Senators. A Patrician Julius Proculus comes forward and declares on oath that

Quote:

as he was travelling on the road, he had seen Romulus coming to meet him, looking taller and comelier than ever, dressed in shining and flaming armour; and he, being affrighted at the apparition, said, "Why, O king, or for what purpose have you abandoned us to unjust and wicked surmises, and the whole city to bereavement and endless sorrow?" and that he made answer, "It pleased the gods, O Proculus, that we, who came from them, should remain so long a time amongst men as we did; and, having built a city to be the greatest in the world for empire and glory, should again return to heaven. But farewell; and tell the Romans, that, by the exercise of temperance and fortitude, they shall attain the height of human power; we will be to you the propitious god Quirinus."

At face value this is a claim that Romulus descended from heaven and later ascended. However there are problems:
a/ Although other writers have similar accounts, the idea of Romulus not only ascending to heaven but also first descending to Earth is IIUC only found here.
b/ The idea of Romulus descending from heaven seems unrelated to anything
else in Plutarch's narrative.
c/ Plutarch does not say that Romulus descended from heaven he only claims that Proculus claimed to have a vision in which Romulus claimed to have descended from heaven.
d/ this claim is preceded by an account of allegations accusing the patricians 'as men that persuaded the people to believe ridiculous tales, when they themselves were the murderers of the king.'
e/ it is followed by a discussion by Plutarch of other stories about disappearing bodies ending with Plutarch's comment that

Quote:

And many such improbabilities do your fabulous writers relate, deifying creatures naturally mortal; for though altogether to disown a divine nature in human virtue were impious and base, so again, to mix heaven with earth is ridiculous. Let us believe with Pindar, that- "All human bodies yield to Death's decree, The soul survives to all eternity." For that alone is derived from the gods, thence comes, and thither returns; not with the body, but when most disengaged and separated from it, and when most entirely pure and clean and free from the flesh: for the most perfect soul, says Heraclitus, is a dry light, which flies out of the body as lightning breaks from a cloud; but that which is clogged and surfeited with body is like gross and humid incense, slow to kindle and ascend. We must not, therefore, contrary to nature, send the bodies, too, of good men to heaven; but we must really believe that, according to their divine nature and law, their virtue and their souls are translated out of men into heroes, out of heroes into demi-gods, out of demi-gods, after passing, as in the rite of initiation, through a final cleansing and sanctification, and so freeing themselves from all that pertains to mortality and sense, are thus, not by human decree, but really and according to right reason, elevated into gods admitted thus to the greatest and most blessed perfection.

Together this makes it most unlikely that Plutarch either believed or intended others to believe that Romulus had really descended from heaven and bodily ascended, whatever he has Proculus claim.

Andrew Criddle

Chris Weimer · 08-03-2005, 03:00 PM

Moreover, coming from the Gods does not infer descending from the sky. Actually, I would take that as all are from the Gods aka the Gods made us, nothing like assumption.

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08-03-2005, 03:00 PM	#2
Chris Weimer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: none Posts: 9,879	Moreover, coming from the Gods does not infer descending from the sky. Actually, I would take that as all are from the Gods aka the Gods made us, nothing like assumption.

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