Arnobius — Against the Nations 2.21
21.1. Now since we have prepared a seat for the image, let us next take someone just born and into the hospitality of that place which has nothing and is empty and vacant—of Platonic or Pythagorean stock if you like, or of any of those who are said to have been of divine sharpness or named most wise from the gods' answers.
2. When that has been done, it follows that he must be nourished and raised with fitting foods. Let us therefore also bring a nurse who always comes to him naked, always silent, making no word nor parting mouth and lips into use of any speech, but when she has given the breasts and fulfilled the following duties, leaves him given to rest and continues days and nights before closed doors: for the matter often demands that nursing cares be present and that timely motions be watched.
3. But when the infant begins to need to be supported by more solid foods, let them be brought by that same nurse, with clothing laid aside as we said and the tenor of silence kept. But the food itself that is brought in let always be one and the same, differing in no matter nor renewed through various tastes, but either a millet porridge or bread from emmer or, to imitate ancient ages, acorns from warm ash or berries from wild branches.
4. But let drink of wine be wholly unknown, and for quenching thirst let nothing else be applied than pure liquid from springs untouched by fire's heat and, if it can be done, supplied with hollowed hands. For a familiar custom from habit will become nature and desire will not be stretched further, not knowing that there is anything more that could be sought.
Latin
21.1. Nunc quoniam imagini praeparavimus sedem, accipiamus deinceps mox aliquem natum et in loci illius hospitium, quod habeat rem nullam et sit inane ac vacuum, Platonica licet aut Pythagorea progenie aut horum alicuius, qui acuminis perhibentur fuisse diuini aut ex deum responsis sapientissimi nuncupati.
2. Quod cum actum fuerit, nutriri ut debeat sequitur et alimoniis convenientibus educari. Adhibeamus igitur et nutricem, quae semper ad eum nuda, semper silens accedat, verbum nullum faciens nec in sermonis alicuius <usus> ora et labra diducat, sed cum mammas dederit et consequentia supplerit officia, datum quieti linquat et ante fores clausas dies noctesque continuet: poscit enim plerumque res, nutricias adesse curas et observari temporarios motus.
3. At vero cum coeperit solidioribus cibis infans debere fulciri, nutrice inferantur ab eadem, veste ut diximus posita et tenore reticentiae servato. Ipse autem qui infertur cibus sit unus atque idem semper, nihil materia differens nec per varios redintegratus sapores, sed aut fitilla de milio aut sit panisex farre aut, ut saecula imitemur antiqua, ex cinere caldo glandes aut ex ramis agrestibus baculae.
4. Potio autem vini sit prorsus incognita nec sedandae aliud admoveatur siti quam liquor purus e fontibus caldore ignis intactus et, si fieri potis est, manibus subministratus cavis. Fiet enim familiaris e more consuetudo in naturam versa nec adpetitio porrigetur ulterius, esse amplius nesciens quod petatur.