And in declaring that the Word, who is the first-begotten of God, was begotten without sexual union—Jesus Christ our teacher—and that he was crucified and died and rose again and ascended into heaven, we bring in nothing new beyond those whom you call sons of Zeus. For you know how many sons of Zeus the writers held in honor among you have spoken of: Hermes, the interpreting Word and teacher of all; Asclepius, who, though he was a healer, was struck by lightning and ascended into heaven; Dionysus, who was torn in pieces; Heracles, who to flee his labors gave himself to the fire; the Dioscuri, sons of Leda; Perseus, son of Danaë; and Bellerophon, who from among men rose on the horse Pegasus. And why should we mention Ariadne and those said to have been set among the stars like her? And why those of your own emperors who die, whom you regularly deem worthy of being made immortal, and produce someone who swears that he has seen the burned Caesar ascending into heaven from the funeral pyre? And what sort of deeds are recorded of each of the so-called sons of Zeus there is no need to tell those who know—except that these things were written for the instruction and incitement of the young; for all consider it good to be imitators of the gods. But far be such a notion concerning the gods from any sober soul—as that Zeus himself, the ruler and begetter of all according to them, was a parricide and the son of such a one, and that, overcome by lust for evil and shameful pleasures, he came to Ganymede and to the many women whom he seduced into adultery, and accepted his own children when they did the like. But, as we said before, the wicked demons did these things; whereas we have been taught that those alone are made immortal who live in holiness and virtue near to God, and we believe that those who live unjustly and do not change are punished in eternal fire.