Arnobius — Against the Nations 2.67
67.1. Therefore when you charge us with turning away from the religion of the ancients, it is fitting that you inspect the cause, not the deed, and not oppose what we have left but rather look at what we have followed. For if it is any fault or crime to change opinion and to migrate from old institutions into other new things and wills, that accusation also looks at you, who have so often changed life and custom, who have passed into other manners and other rites by condemning those of the ancients.
2. Do you still have the people distributed into five classes, as your ancestors once had? Do you create magistrates through the people? Do you know what the military, urban, common assemblies are? Do you keep watch of the sky or make actions idle by announcements? If you prepare wars, do you show the signal from the citadel? Or do you handle the fetial laws? Do you reclaim seized goods by clarigation? Or when entering Mars' decision do you take hope of battle and take auspices from spear-points?
3. In entering offices do you keep the annual laws? In gifts and presents the Cincian? In restraining expenses the censorial? In the inner shrines and heaven-born ones do you foster perpetual hearths? Do you make tables sacred by placing salt-cellars and images of the gods? When you come into marriages, do you spread beds with the toga and call the husbands' genii? Do you stroke brides' hair with the celibate spear? Do you carry girls' little togas to Virginal Fortune? Do your mothers of households work in the halls of homes, testifying their industry? Do they abstain from wine-draughts? Is it lawful for them to be kissed by connections and kin, that they may prove themselves sober and abstemious?
Latin
67.1. Itaque cum nobis intenditis aversionem a religione priorum, causam convenit ut inspiciatis, non factum, nec quid reliquerimus opponere, sed secuti quid simus potissimum contueri. Nam si mutare sententiam culpa est ulla vel crimen et a veteribus institutis in alias res novas voluntatesque migrare, criminatio ista et vos spectat, qui totiens vitam consuetudinemque mutastis, qui in mores alios atque alios ritus priorum condemnatione transistis.
2. Numquid enim quinque in classes habetis populum distributum, vestri olim ut habuere maiores? numquid magistratus per populum creatis? militaria urbana communia quae sint comitia scitis? servatis de caelo aut otiosas facitis obnuntiationibus actiones? si paratis bella, signum monstratis ex arce? aut fetialia iura tractatis? per clarigationem repetitis res raptas? aut Martium discrimen obeuntes spem proelii sumitis et ex acuminibus auspicatis ?
3. in potestatibus obeundis leges conservatis annarias? in donis, in muneribus Cincias? in cohibendis censorias sumptibus? in penetralibus et caeligenis perpetuos fovetis focos? sacras facitis mensas salinorum adpositu et simulacris deorum? cum in matrimonia convenitis, toga sternitis lectulos et maritorum genios advocatis? nubentium crinem caelibari hasta mulcetis? puellarum togulas Fortunam defertis ad Virginalem? matres familias vestrae in atriis operantur domorum industrias testificantes suas? potionibus abstinent vini? adfinibus et propinquis osculari eas ius est, ut sobrias comprobent atque abstemias se esse?