[69] Plutarch, _de. def. orac._ 29, 425 F-426 A. Celsus has the same view; (Origen, _c. Cels._ v, 25; vii, 68): the world's regions are severally allotted to _epoptai_ under Providence; so that local usages may well be maintained in such form as pleases them; to alter these would be impious, while to worship the daemons is to honour God, who is not jealous of them. Cf. Plutarch, _de fortuna Romanorum_, 11, 324 B, _ho Romaion megas daimon ... te polei synebesas kai synauxetheis, kthe_--the tract is a poor and rhetorical one, and the phrase may be merely a synonym for "luck." See also Celsus (Orig. _c. Cels._ viii, 58) on the Egyptian attribution of the human body to thirty-six "daemons or gods of aether," so that by prayer to the right one disease in any part of the body may be cured; Celsus gives some of their names. The Christians assumed a somewhat similar scheme with a rather different development. Athenagoras, an apologist of the second century, gives the following account in his _Presbeia_, 24-27. A system of angels under Providence existed, some good and some bad, enjoying free-will as men also do; "the ruler of matter and of the forms in it" lusted after virgins and succumbed to flesh, and neglected the administration entrusted to him; others fell with him; they cannot regain heaven but meantime occupy the air; their children by mortal women were giants and the souls of these are the daemons; the ruler of matter directs all things against God; with matter are connected the soul's worse impulses. See also Clem. Alex. _Strom._ vi, 157, on angelic governance of individual nations and cities; and Lactantius, _Instit._ ii, 8, 14, whose account fairly resembles that of Athenagoras. Tertullian, however, suggests (_Apol._ 11) that the Creator had no need of ancillary gods to complete his work. [70] For a summary of Stoic teaching here, see Cicero, _N.D._ ii, 60-70. [71] _de def. orac._ 29, 426 B. Cf. _de Iside_, 66, 377 D, E. "You might as well give the name of steersman to sails, ropes or anchor." [72] _de def. orac._ 30, 246 D, E. [73] This triple government of the Universe is worked out in _de fato_ (a tract whose authorship is questioned), but from one passage and another of Plutarch's undoubted works it can be established, though every statement has a little fringe of uncertainties. [74] _de Iside_, 25, 360 E. [75] _de def. orac._ 12, 416 C. [76] Cf. Athenagoras, _Presb._ 24 (quoted in note 1 on p. 95); and Apuleius, _de deo Socr._ 6, 132, cited on p. 232. [77] _de def. orac._ 13, 416 F. [78] _de def. orac._ 9, 414 F. [79] See _de comm. not. adv. Stoicos_, 33, and _de Stoicorum repugn._ 33, 34--three very interesting chapters. Clement of Alexandria has the same tone in criticizing this idea--_ouk oid hopos anexethi tis epaion toutou theon egnokos apidon eis ton bion ton hymeteron en hosois phyrometha kakois. ein gar an outos, ho med eipein themis, merikos hamartanon ho those, kthe_. _Strom._ ii, 74.