Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

226 THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOMheap over his head. Whereupon, a pause ensuing,Apollonius ordered the stones to be removed, that allmight see the wild beast they had destroyed. Andlo, what they thought was destroyed had made itsescape, and a dog similar to one of the Molossianbreed, but as big as the largest lion, appeared whenthe stones were taken away, vomiting foam as madmendo. Now the statue of the Averter, Hercules,was erected on the very spot where the spectre wasstoned.Apollonius now travels into Greece, visiting on hisway the tomb of Achilles, whose ghost appears to himas a shape of ineffable beauty, and tells him amongother charges to warn people against discontinuingreligious ceremonies. f At Athens the philosopherswelcome him with delight, and ten young men declarethat they were just on the point of sailing toIonia to meet him. Finding the Athenians muchgiven to religious worship, he made sacrifices thesubject of his discourse, wherein he specified the kindof offering best suited to each god, and the precisehour of day or night when they should sacrifice, offerlibations, or pray.1 Here among ^ his auditors was ayouth whom he saw to be possessed by a demon,though the youth knew it not. And when ApolloniusI fixed his eyes I uponhim, the spectre broke out intocries of fear and anger O like those who are racked, * andswore that he would depart out of the youth, andnever again enter into another. Apollonius rebukedhim as a master does a cunning, saucy, insolent slave,and commanded him to come out, and give a visiblesign of his departure. Upon this the demon said, " Iwill overthrow a certain statue," to which he pointed.1 Book iv. 19.