Parallels to the story of Christ

When we say that the Logos, who is the first offspring of God, was begotten without sexual union, and that Jesus Christ, our teacher, was crucified, died, rose again, and ascended into heaven, we are introducing nothing new compared with what you say about the sons of Zeus. You know how many sons the writers honored among you attribute to Zeus: Hermes, the interpreting word and teacher of all; Asclepius, who became a healer and, after being struck by lightning, ascended into heaven; Dionysus, after being torn apart; Heracles, who gave himself to fire to escape his labors; the Dioscuri, sons of Leda; Perseus, son of Danae; and Bellerophon, who though born from human beings rode the horse Pegasus. Why mention Ariadne and those like her who are said to have been placed among the stars? And why mention your emperors who die, whom you continually deem worthy of immortality, even producing someone to swear that he saw the burned Caesar rise from the funeral pyre into heaven? There is no need to tell people who already know what deeds are recorded of each so-called son of Zeus. It is enough to say that these stories have been written for the distinction and encouragement of those being educated, since everyone thinks it good to imitate the gods. But let such a conception of the gods be far from a sound mind—that Zeus himself, whom they call the ruler and begetter of all, was a murderer of his father and the son of such a father, that he was overcome by desire for evil and shameful pleasures and went after Ganymede and the many women with whom he committed adultery, and that his children likewise did similar things. As we said before, evil demons did these things. We have been taught that only those who live near God in holiness and virtue are made immortal, and we believe that those who live unjustly and do not change will be punished in eternal fire.