Ὅπερ δὲ ἔλεγον, ὅτι καὶ τὸν καιρὸν οὐκ ἀλόγως ὑποληπτέον, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα μετὰ εἰκότος καὶ ἀληθοῦς λόγου παρὰ τῶν παλαιῶν τῷ θεσμῷ προστεθεῖσθαι, σημεῖον δὴ(866) τούτου, ὅτι τὸν ἰσημερινὸν κύκλον ἡ θεὸς αὐτὴ(867) κατενείματο. τελεῖται γὰρ περὶ τὸν ζυγὸν Δηοῖ καὶ Κόρῃ τὰ σεμνὰ καὶ ἀπόρρητα μυστήρια. [B] καὶ τοῦτο εἰκότως γίνεται. χρὴ γὰρ καὶ ἀπιόντι τῷ θεῷ τελεσθῆναι πάλιν, ἵνα μηδὲν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθέου καὶ σκοτεινῆς δυσχερὲς πάθωμεν ἐπικρατούσης δυνάμεως. δὶς γοῦν Ἀθηναῖοι τῇ Δηοῖ τελοῦσι τὰ μυστήρια, ἐν αὐτῷ μὲν τῷ κριῷ τὰ μικρὰ, φασί, μυστήρια, τὰ μεγάλα δὲ περὶ τὰς χηλὰς ὄντος ἡλίου, δι᾽ ἃς ἔναγχος ἔφην αἰτίας. μεγάλα δὲ ὠνομάσθαι καὶ μικρὰ νομίζω καὶ ἄλλων ἕνεκα, μάλιστα δέ, ὡς εἰκός, τούτου ἀποχωροῦντος τοῦ θεοῦ μᾶλλον ἤπερ προσιόντος· [C] διόπερ ἐν τούτοις ὅσον εἰς ὑπόμνησιν μόνον. ἅτε δὴ καὶ παρόντος τοῦ σωτῆρος καὶ ἀναγωγοῦ θεοῦ, τὰ προτέλεια κατεβάλλοντο τῆς τελετῆς· εἶτα μικρὸν ὕστερον ἁγνεῖαι συνεχεῖς καὶ τῶν ἱερέων(868) ἁγιστεῖαι. ἀπιόντος δὲ λοιπὸν τοῦ θεοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἀντίχθονα ζώνην, καὶ φυλακῆς ἕνεκα καὶ σωτηρίας αὐτὸ τὸ κεφάλαιον ἐπιτελεῖται τῶν μυστηρίων. ὅρα δέ· ὥσπερ ἐνταῦθα τὸ τῆς γενέσεως αἴτιον ἀποτέμνεται, οὕτω δὲ καὶ παρὰ Ἀθηναίοις οἱ τῶν ἀρρήτων ἁπτόμενοι παναγεῖς εἰσι, [D] καὶ ὁ τούτων ἐξάρχων ἱεροφάντης ἀπέστραπται πᾶσαν τὴν γένεσιν, ὡς οὐ μετὸν αὐτῷ τῆς ἐπ᾽ ἄπειρον προόδου, τῆς ὡρισμένης δὲ καὶ ἀεὶ μενούσης καὶ ἐν τῷ ἑνὶ συνεχομένης οὐσίας ἀκηράτου τε καὶ καθαρᾶς. ὑπὲρ μὲν δὴ τούτων ἀπόχρη τοσαῦτα. (I was saying that we ought not to suppose that the ancients appointed the season of the rites irrationally, but rather as far as possible with plausible and true grounds of reason; and indeed a proof of this is that the goddess herself chose as her province the cycle of the equinox. For the most holy and secret Mysteries of Deo and the Maiden(869) are celebrated when the sun is in the sign of Libra, and this is quite natural. For when the gods depart we must consecrate ourselves afresh, so that we may suffer no harm from the godless power of darkness that now begins to get the upper hand. At any rate the Athenians celebrate the Mysteries of Deo twice in the year, and the Lesser Mysteries as they call them in the sign of Capricorn, and the Great Mysteries when the sun is in the sign of Cancer, and this for the reason that I have just mentioned. And I think that these Mysteries are called Great and Lesser for several reasons, but especially, as is natural, they are called great when the god departs rather than when he approaches; and so the Lesser are celebrated only by way of reminder.(870) I mean that when the saving and uplifting god approaches, the preliminary rites of the Mysteries take place. Then a little later follow the rites of purification, one after another, and the consecration of the priests. Then when the god departs to the antipodes, the most important ceremonies of the Mysteries are performed, for our protection and salvation. And observe the following: As in the festival of