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320
the miracles of antichrist
XI
victory
Far back in the olden times there lived in Sicily
the great philosopher Empedokles. He was the
most beautiful and most perfect of men, so glorious
and wise that one believed him to be a god.
Empedokles owned a country-place on Etna, and
one evening he made a feast there for his friends.
During the feast he spoke such words that they cried
out to him, " Thou art a god : Empedokles, thou art
a god !"
During the night, Empedokles thought: " Thou
hast now attained unto the highest possible on earth.
Now thou shouldst die, before adversity and
weakness come upon thee." And he wandered up to
Etna’s top and threw himself down into the burning
crater. " When no one finds my body," he thought,
" they will say that I have been taken up alive
among the gods."
The following morning however, his friends sought
him all over the villa and over the whole mountain.
They also came up to the crater, and there at the
mouth they found Empedokles’ shoe. And they
understood that Empedokles had sought death in
the crater in order to be numbered among the
immortals.
And he would have succeeded in that as well, had
not the mountain thrown up his shoe.
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