[175] Προσήκει δὲ πρῶτον ὑπομνῆσαι διὰ βραχέων, τίνα τε ἔφαμεν εἶναι τὸν Ἄττιν καὶ τί τὴν ἐκτομήν, τίνος τε εἶναι σύμβολα τὰ μετὰ τὴν ἐκτομὴν ἄχρι τῶν Ἱλαρίων γινόμενα καὶ τί βούλεσθαι τὴν ἁγνείαν. ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἄττις ἐλέγετο αἰτία τις οὖσα καὶ θεός, ὁ προσεχῶς δημιουργῶν τὸν ἔνυλον κόσμον, ὃς μέχρι τῶν ἐσχάτων κατιὼν ἵσταται ὑπὸ τῆς ἡλίου δημιουργικῆς κινήσεως, ὅταν ἐπὶ τῆς ἄκρως [B] ὡρισμένης τοῦ παντὸς ὁ θεὸς γένηται περιφερείας, ᾗ(876) τῆς ἰσημερίας τοὔνομά ἐστι κατὰ τὸ ἔργον. ἐκτομὴν δὲ ἐλέγομεν εἶναι τῆς ἀπειρίας τὴν ἐποχήν, ἣν οὐκ ἄλλως ἢ διὰ τῆς ἑπὶ τὰς πρεσβυτέρας καὶ ἀρχηγικωτέρας αἰτίας ἀνακλήσεώς τε καὶ ἀναδύσεως συμβαίνειν. αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς ἁγνείας φαμὲν τὸν σκοπὸν ἄνοδον τῶν ψυχῶν. (First I had better remind you in a few words who I said Attis is; and what his castration means; and what is symbolised by the ceremonies that occur between the castration and the Hilaria; and what is meant by the rite of purification. Attis then was declared to be an original cause and a god, the direct creator of the material world, who descends to the lowest limits and is checked by the creative motion of the sun so soon as that god reaches the exactly limited circuit of the universe, which is called the equinox because of its effect in equalising night and day.(877) And I said that the castration meant the checking of limitlessness, which could only be brought about through the summons and resurrection of Attis to the more venerable and commanding causes. And I said that the end and aim of the rite of purification is the ascent of our souls.)