grasp　mythology。
  But　Mythology　must　remain　excluded　from　our　history　of　Philosophy。　The　reason　of　this　is　found　in
  the　fact　that　in　Philosophy　we　have　to　do　not　with　theorems　generally；　or　with　thoughts　which　only
  are　implicite　contained　some　particular　form　or　other；　but　with　thoughts　which　are　explicit；　and
  only　in　so　far　as　they　are　explicit　and　in　so　far　as　a　content　such　as　that　belonging　to　Religion；　has
  come　to　consciousness　in　the　form　of　Thought。　And　this　is　just　what　forms　the　immense　distinction
  which　we　saw　above；　between　capacity　and　actuality。　The　theorems　which　are　implicite
  contained　within　Religion　do　not　concern　us；　they　must　be　in　the　form　of　thoughts；　since　Thought
  alone　is　the　absolute　form　of　the　Idea。
  In　many　mythologies；　images　are　certainly　used　along　with　their　significance；　or　else　the　images　are
  closely　attended　by　their　interpretation。　The　ancient　Persians　worshipped　the　sun；　or　fire；　as　being
  the　highest　existence；　the　first　cause　in　the　Persian　Religion　is　Zervane　Akerene　…　unlimited　time；
  eternity。　This　simple　eternal　existence　possesses　according　to　Diogenes　L？rtius　（I。　8）；　〃the　two
  principles　Ormuzd　and　Ahriman；　the　rulers　over　good　and　evil。〃　Plutarch　in　writing　on　Isis　and
  Osiris　（T。　II。　p。　369；　ed。　Xyl。）　says；　〃It　is　not　one　existence　which　holds　and　rules　the　whole；　but
  good　is　mingled　with　evil；　nature　as　a　rule　brings　forth　nothing　pure　and　simple；　it　is　not　one
  dispenser；　who；　like　a　host；　gives　out　and　mixes　up　the　drink　from　two　different　barrels。　But
  through　two　opposed　and　inimical　principles　of　which　the　one　impels　towards　what　is　right；　and　the
  other　in　the　opposite　direction；　if　not　the　whole　world；　at　least　this　earth　is　influenced　in　different
  ways。　Zoroaster　has　thus　emphatically　set　up　the　one　principle　（Ormuzd）　as　being　the　Light；　and
  the　other　（Ahriman）　as　the　Darkness。　Between　the　two　is　Mithra；　hence　called　by　the　Persians　the
  Mediator。〃　Mithra　is　then　likewise　substance；　the　universal　existence；　the　sun　raised　to　a　totality。　It
  is　not　the　mediator　between　Ormuzd　and　Abriman　by　establishing　peace　and　leaving　each　to
  remain　as　it　was；　it　does　not　partake　of　good　and　evil　both；　like　an　unblest　middle　thing；　but　it
  stands　on　the　side　of　Ormuzd　and　strives　with　him　against　the　evil。　Ahriman　is　sometimes　called　the
  first…born　son　of　the　Light；　but　Ormuzd　only　remained　within　the　Light。　At　the　creation　of　the
  visible　world；　Ormuzd　places　on　the　earth　in　his　incomprehensible　kingdom　of　Light；　the　firm
  arches　of　the　heavens　which　are　above　yet　surrounded　on　every　side　with　the　first　original　Light。
  Midway　to　the　earth　is　the　high　hill　Albordi；　which　reaches　into　the　source　of　Light。　Ormuzd's
  empire　of　Light　extended　uninterruptedly　over　the　firm　vault　of　the　heavens　and　the　hill　Albordi；
  and　over　the　earth　too；　until　the　third　age　was　reached。　Then　Ahriman；　whose　kingdom　of　night
  was　formerly　bound　beneath　the　earth；　broke　in　upon　Ormuzd's　corporeal　world　and　ruled　in
  common　with　him。　Now　the　space　between　heaven　and　earth　was　divided　into　light　and　night。　As
  Orniuzd　had　formerly　only　a　spiritual　kingdom　of　light；　Ahriman　had　only　one　of　night；　but　now　that
  they　were　intermingled　he　placed　the　terrestrial　light　thus　created　in　opposition　to　the　terrestrial
  night。　From　this　time　on；　two　corporeal　worlds　stand　opposed；　one　pure　and　good；　and　one
  impure　and　evil；　and　this　opposition　permeates　all　nature。　On　Albordi；　Ormuzd　created　Mithra　as
  mediator　for　the　earth。　The　end　of　the　creation　of　the　bodily　world　is　none　other　than　to　reinstate
  existence；　fallen　from　its　creator；　to　make　it　good　again；　and　thus　to　make　the　evil　disappear　for
  ever。　The　bodily　world　is　the　battle…ground　between　good　and　evil；　but　the　battle　between　light
  and　darkness　is　not　in　it　self　an　absolute　and　irreconcilable　opposition；　but　one　which　can　be
  conquered；　and　in　it　Ormuzd；　the　principle　of　Light；　will　be　the　conqueror。
  I　would　remark　of　this；　that　when　we　consider　the　elements　in　these　ideas　which　bear　some　further
  connection　with　Philosophy；　the　universal　of　that　duality　with　which　the　Notion　is　necessarily　set
  forth　can　alone　be　interesting　and　noteworthy　to　us；　for　in　it　the　Notion　is　just　the　immediate
  opposite　of　itself；　the　unity　of　itself　with　itself　in　the　〃other：〃　a　simple　existence　in　which　absolute
  opposition　appears　as　the　opposition　of　existence；　and　the　sublation　of　that　opposition。　Because
  properly　the　Light　principle　is　the　only　existence　of　both；　and　the　principle　of　Darkness　is　the　null
  and　void；　…　the　principle　of　Light　identifies　itself　with　Mithra；　which　was　before　called　the　highest
  existence。　The　opposition　has　laid　aside　the　appearance　of　contingency；　but　the　spiritual　principle
  is　not　separate　from　the　physical；　because　the　good　and　evil　are　both　determined　as　Light　and
  Darkness。　We　thus　here　see　thought　breaking　forth　from　actuality；　and　yet　not　such　a　separation　as
  only　takes　place　in　Religion；　when　the　supersensuous　is　itself　again　represented　in　a　manner
  sensuous；　notionless　and　dispersed；　for　the　whole　of　what　is　dispersed　in　sensuous　form　is
  gathered　together　in　the　one　single　opposition；　and　activity　is　thus　simply　represented。　These
  determinations　lie　much　nearer　to　Thought；　they　are　not　mere　images　or　symbols；　but　yet　these
  myths　do　not　concern　Philosophy。　In　them　Thought　does　not　take　the　first　place；　for　the　myth…form
  remains　predominant。　In　all　religions　this　oscillation　between　form　and　thought　is　found；　and　such　a
  combination　still　lies　outside　Philosophy。
  This　is　also　so　in　the　Sanchuniathonic　Cosmogony　of　the　Phoenicians。　These　fragments；　which　are
  found　in　Eusebius　（Pr？par。　Evang。　I。　10）；　are　taken　from　the　translation　of　the　Sanchuniathon　from
  Phoenician　into　Greek　made　by　a　Grammarian　named　Philo　from　Biblus。　Philo　lived　in　the　time　of
  Vespasian　and　ascribes　great　antiquity　to　the　Sanchuniathon。　It　is　there　said；　〃The　principles　of
  things　are　found　in　Chaos；　in　which　the　elements　exist　undeveloped　and　confused；　and　in　a　Spirit　of
  Air。　The　latter　permeated　the　chaos；　and　with　it　engendered　a　slimy　matter　or　mud　which
  contained　within　it　the　living　forces　and　the　germs　of　animals。　By　mingling　this　mud　with　the
  component　matter　of　chaos　and　the　resulting　fermentation；　the　elements　separated　themselves。　The
  fire　elements　ascended　into　the　heights　and　formed　the　stars。　Through　their　influence　in　the　air；
  clouds　were　formed　and　the　earth　was　made　fruitful。　From　the　mingling　of　water　and　earth；　through
  the　mud　converted　into　putrefying　matter；　animals　took　their　origin　as　imperfect　and　senseless。
  These　again　begot　other　animals　perfect　and　endowed　with　senses。　It　was　the　crash　of　thunder　in　a
  thunderstorm　that　caused　the　first　animals　still　sleeping　in　their　husks　to　waken　up　to　life。〃7
  The　fragments　of　Berosus　of　the　Chaldeans　were　collected　from　Josephus；　Syncellus　and　Eusebius
  under　the　title　Berosi　Chaldaica；　by　Scaliger；　as　an　appendix　to　his　work　De　emendatione
  lemporum；　and　they　are　found　complete　in　the　Greek　Library　of　Fabricius　（T。　xiv。　pp。　175…211）。
  Berosus　lived　in　the　time　of　Alexander；　is　said　to　have　been　a　Priest　of　Bel　and　to　have　drawn
  upon　the　archives　of　the　temple　at　Babylon。　He　says；　〃The　original　god　is　Bel　and　the　goddess
  Omoroka　（the　sea）；　but　beside　them　there　were　yet　other　gods。　Bel　divided　Omoroka　in　two；　in
  order　to　create　from　her　parts　heaven　and　earth。　Hereupon　he　cut　off　his　own　head　and　the　human
  race　originated　from　the　drops　of　his　divine　blood。　After　the　creation　of　man；　Bel　banished　the
  darkness；　divided　heaven　and　earth；　and　formed　the　world　into　its　natural　shape。　Since　certain
  parts　of　the　earth　seemed　to　him　to　be　insufficiently　populated；　he　compelled　another　god　to　lay
  hands　upon　himself；　and　from　his　blood　more　men　and　more　kinds　of　animals　were　created。　At
  first　the　men　lived　a　wild　and　uncultivated　life；　until　a　monster〃　（called　by　Berosus；　Oannes）　〃joined
  them　into　a　state；　taught　them　arts　and　sciences；　and　in　a　word　brought　Humanity　into　existence。
  The　monster　set　about　this　end　with　the　rising　of　the　sun　out　of　the　sea；　and　with　its　setting　he　again
  hid　himself　under　the　waves。〃
  ii。What　belongs　to　Mythology　may　in　the　second　place　make　a　pretence　of　being　a　kind　of
  Philosophy。　It　has　produced　philosophers　who　availed　themselves　of　the　mythical　form　in　order　to
  bring　their　theories　and　systems　more　prominently　before　the　imagination；　for　they　made　the
  thoughts　the　content　of　the　myth。　But　the　myth　is　not　a　mere　cloak　in　the　ancient　myths；　it　is　not
  merely　that　the　thoughts　were　there　and　were　concealed。　This　way　happen　in　our　reflecting　times；
  but　the　first　poetry　does　not　start；　from　a　separation　of　prose　and　poetry。　If　philosophers　used
  myths；　it　was　usually　the　case　that　they　had　the　thoughts　and　then　sought　for　images　appropriate　to
  them；　Plato　has　many　beautiful　myths　of　this　kind。　Others　likewise　have　spoken　in　myths；　as　for
  example；　Jacobi；　whose　Philosophy　took　the　form　of　the　Christian　Religion；　through　which　he　gave
  utterance　to　matter　of　a　highly　speculative　nature。　But　this　form　is　not　suitable　to　Philosophy。
  Thought　which　has　itself　as　object；　must　have　raised　itself　to　its　own　form；　to　the　form　of　thought。
  P