Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IV/Commodianus/The Instructions of Commodianus/Chapter 8

VII.&#8212;Of the Septizonium and the Stars.

Your want of intelligence deceives you concerning the circle of the zone, and perchance from that you find out that you must pray to Jupiter.&#160; Saturn is told of there, but it is as a star, for he was driven forth by Jupiter, or let Jupiter be believed to be in the star.&#160; He who controlled the constellations of the pole, and the sower of the soil; he who made war with the Trojans, he loved the beautiful Venus.&#160; Or among the stars themselves Mars was caught with her by married jealousy:&#160; he is called the youthful god.&#160; Oh excessively foolish, to think that those who are born of Maia rule from the stars, or that they rule the entire nature of the world!&#160; Subjected to wounds, and themselves living under the dominion of the fates, obscene, inquisitive, warriors of an impious life; and they made sons, equally mortal with themselves, and were all terrible, foolish, strong, in the sevenfold girdle.&#160; If ye worship the stars, worship also the twelve signs of the zodiac, as well the ram, the bull, the twins, as the fierce lion; and finally, they go on into fishes,&#8212;cook them and you will prove them.&#160; A law without law is your refuge:&#160; what wishes to be, will prevail.&#160; A woman desires to be wanton; she seeks to live without restraint.&#160; Ye yourselves will be what ye wish for, and pray to as gods and goddesses.&#160; Thus I worshipped while I went astray, and now I condemn it.