Class _ Book_ _ SMITHSONIAN DEPOSIT. T ;;^f2§^ c TOOKE'3 PANTHEON ILLUSTRIOUS HEROES. REVISED FOR A CLASSICAL COURSE OF EDUCATION, AND ADAPTED FOR THE USE OF STUDENTS OF EVERY AGE AND OF EITHER SEX. Illustrated with Engravings from new and original designs. BALTIMORE: PUBLISHED BY E J. COALE- 1825. DISTRICT OF MARYLAND, 55. BE IT REMEMBERED, that on this fifth day of May, in the forty-first year of the Independence of the United States of America, Edward J. Coale and Nathaniel G. Maxwell, of the said district, have deposited in this office, the title of a book, the right whereof they claim as proprietors in the words following, to wit : — " Tooke's Pantheon of the Heathen Gods, and Illustrious He- roes. Revised for a classical cours© of education, and adapted for the use of students of every age, and of either sex. Illus- trated with engravings from new and original designs." In conformity to an act of the Congress of the United States, entitled " An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and pro- prietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned;" and also to the act, entitled, " An act supplementary to the act, entitled ' An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books to the authors and propri- etors of such copies during the times therein mentioned,' and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints." PHILIP MOORE, CUrk of the District of Maryland. 'X JUNf £.1332 ADVERTISEMENT TO THIS REVISED EDITION OF TOOKE'S PANTHEON. The object of the Editor of this work, is to present a complete summary of Mythology, in a chaste diction, for the study of persons of every age, and of either sex. Without a general know- ledge of Heathen Mythology, the immortal writ- ings of Homer, Virgil, Ovid, and others, are al- most unintelligible, and their principal beauties lost. * Tooke's Pantheon is a work which has stood the test of time. It is more than a century since it was published, and the labours and re- searches of the author are at this day so justly es- teemed, that it is used as a class-book in several of our colleges. The sole exception urged by many, is, that the work is occasionally too indelicate in its phraseology, and therefore not well adapted for the youth of either sex. An attempt has been made in this edition to render it free from this objection, by altering or expunging the language or phrases considered improper, while much care has been taken that no fact nor incident, worthy of any note, related by the author, is omitted. * Andrew Tooke, born in London, 1673, was a learned man, and a very respectable teacher. Though he possessed much property, he was so attached to literature and his habits of life, that he continued in his profession to the end e-f his days. He published several learned works, among them The Pantheon, translated from the Latin of Pomey, a Jesuit ol Lyons. Pomey was much distinguished for his Pantheum Mysticum, translated by Tooke without acknowledgment. He wrote besides a French and Latin dictionary, and several works which exhibited his great learning in ancient literature. He died at Lyons, in the year 1673; thus it appears that this work was published previoo? to that year, IV ADVERTISEMENT. While this book may be resorted to, occasionally by gentlemen who have finished their classical course of education, we trust it will be found very useful to both young ladies and young gentlemen prosecuting their studies in polite literature, espe- cially as classical learning has of late become an object of considerable importance in female edu- cation. Thirty new and beautiful outlined plates, drawn from antique statues, have been engraved for this edition by G. Fairman, Esq,, an artist of the first reputation of this country, and the work is printed with good type, on paper of an excellent quality ; it is therefore anticipated, that it will meet with a favourable reception, and a liberal support from the classical reader and the heads of colleges, acada- mies and schools, equal to the endeavours of the publishers to render it worthy of their patronage. Questions for examination, for the conve- nience of teachers, and for the use ©f students, will be found at the end of each chapter. The table of contents exhibits a brief analysis of the work. CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION— AN ACCOUNT OF THE PANTHEON. Origin of Idolatry, • • • J^ Distribution of the Gods into several classes, 19 A more commodious division of the Gods, Celes- tial, Terrestrial, Marine, Infernal, &,-c. . 22 PART I.— CELESTIAL GODS. Jupiter, ~* Apollo, 39 The Sun, or Sol, 52 Mercury, 58 Bacchus, . • ^4 Mars, 76 CELESTIAL GODDESSES. Juno, 83 Minerva, 91 Venus, 99 hatona, 112 Aurora, 115 PART II.— TERRESTRIAL GODS. Saturn, 118 Janus, 127 Vulcan, 132 JEolus, . . . . 136 Momus, 138 > TERRESTRIAL GODDESSES. Vesta, 139 Cybele, 142 Ceres, 150 The Muses, 159 Themis, Astraa, JYemesis, 164 GODS OF THE WOfS), AND RURAL DEITIES. Pan, . . . . : 167 Silvanus and Silenus, 171 The Satyrs, Fauns, Priapus, Aristceus, . 173 Terminus, 175 GODDESSES OF THE WOODS. Diana, 176 Pales, Flora, Feronia, Pomona, . . . . 182 CONTENTS. The Nymphs, 186 The Inferior Rural Deities, . . . . . 191 PART HI.— GODS OF THE SEA. Neptune, 194 Triton and other Marine Gods, . . . . 199 Monsters of the Sea, ) Scylla and Charybdis, \ PART IV.— INFERNAL DEITIES. View of Hell, Charon, Rivers of Hell, Cer- berus, 207 Pluto, Plutus, 211 Proserpine, the Fates, the Furies, . . . 215 Night, Death, Sleep, the Judges of Hell, . 220 The most famous of the Condemned in Hell, 222 Monsters of Hell, Elysium, Lethe, ... 229 PART V.— OF THE DII MINORUM GENTIUM, OR THE SUBORDINATE DEITIES. The Penates, the Lares, 236 The Genii, 240 The Nuptial Deities, 243 Deities presiding over Infants, 245 PART VI.— OF THE DII INDIGETES AND ADSCRIPTITII, OR THE SEMI-DEI AND HEROES. Hercules, 249 Jason, Theseus, 258 Castor and Pollux, 263 Perseus, JEsculapius, . 267 Prometheus, Atlas, • 273 Orpheus, and Amphion, Achilles, . . . . 279 Ulysses and Orion, 283 Osires, Apis, Serapis, . ■ y 286 APPENDIX— OF THE VIRTUES AND VICES WHICH HAVE BEEN DEIFIED. The Virtues and the Good Deities, ... 292 The Vices and the Evil Deities, . , . . 298 wmsm&ssmSi MODERN DESCRIPTION OF THE PANTHEON. This temple, the most celebrated of those which have escaped the more essential injuries of time, im- presses us with a very striking idea of the magnifi- cence of the ancients. From its circular form it has acquired the name of the rotunda. The entrance to it is under a grand portico, supported by sixteen im- mense columns of the Corinthian order, each of them composed of a single piece of red oriental granite. Of these, eight of them are in front, and sustain an entablature and frontispiece of the most beautiful proportion which architecture can boast. The cir- cumference of each of these columns is fourteen feet ; and the height, independent of the base and capital, which are of white marble, two and forty. The in- side of the temple is supplied with light through one circular aperture, the diameter of which is six and twenty feet, and to which* there is an ascent by a staircase consisting of an hundred and ninety steps. The gallery over the principal altar of a semicircu- lar form, is obtained from the thickness of the wall, and supported by pillars of yellow marble. On every side are chapels adorned also with columns of yellow marble, and with pilasters crowned with an entablature of white marble, which extends round the building. The walls and the pavement are cased with marble. The whole presents us with an assem- blage of rare beauty ; and we cannot but regret the 2 14 loss of its statues and some of its other original or- naments 5 which would still improve the magnifi- cence of its effect. The bronze ornaments of the dome were removed in the pontificate of Urban VIII. for the purpose of forming the canopy of the great altar in St. Peter's. We know that the bronze gates ornamented wjth bass-relief, were taken away by Genseric, king of the Vandals, and were lost in the sea of Sicily. FABULOUS HISTORIES CHAPTER I. THE APPROACH TO THE PANTHEON.— THE ORIGIN OF IDOLATRY. The Fabulous Pantheon, is, as its name imports, the Temple of all the Gods, which the superstitious folly of men have feigned through a gross ignorance of the true and only God. It may be right to give some account of the Pan- theon, of which you have a view in the plate that fa- ces the title page. It is uncertain by whom this beau- tiful edifice was erected : some suppose it to have been built by Agrippa, the son-in-law of Augustus ; but others contend that he only enlarged and adorned it, and added to it a magnificent portico. Its body is cylindrical, and its roof or dome spherical ; its inner diameter was one hundred and forty-four feet, and the height from the pavement to the grand aperture, on its top, was also one hundred and forty-four feet. Its exterior was built after the Corinthian order of architecture. The inner circumference is divided into seven grand niches, six of which are flat at the top, but the seventh, which is opposite to the entrance^ is arched. Before each niche are two columns of an- tique yellow marble, fluted, and of one entire block. The whole wall of the temple, as high as the grand cornice inclusive, is cased with different kinds of precious marble, in compartments. The frieze is 16 entirely of porphyry. Above the grand cornice rises an attic, in which are wrought, at equal distances, fourteen oblong square niches, between each of which were four marble pilasters, and between the pillars, marble tables of various kinds. This attic had a complete entablature ; but the cornice projected less than that of the grand order below. The spherical roof springs from the cornice, which is divided by bands that cross each other like the meridians and parallels of an artificial terrestrial globe. The spa- ces between the bands decrease in size as they ap- proach the top of the roof, to which they do not reach, there being a considerable space left plain, between them and the great opening. The walls below were formerly decorated with works of carved brass or silver, and the roof was co- vered on the outside with plates of gilded bronze. The portico is composed of sixteen columns of granite, four feet in diameter, eight of which stand in front, widi an equal intercolumniation. To these columns is a pediment, whose tympanum, or flat, was orna- mented with bass-reliefs in brass : the cross beams, which formed the ceiling of the portico, were covered with the same metal, and so were the doors. Such was the Pantheon, the richness and magnificence of which induced Pliny, and others, to rank it among the wonders of the world. This temple Subsisted in all its grandeur, till the incursion of Alaric, who plundered it of its precious metals. The building continues to this day ; but it was, in the beginning of the seventh century, converted, by Boniface IV. into a Christian church, and dedicated to the " Vir- gin Mary, and all the saints." The causes which have chiefly conduced to the establishment and continuance of idolatry are thus enumerated : 1. The first cause of idolatry was the extreme fol- ly, and vain glory of men. who have denied to Him. 17 who is the inexhausted fountain of all good, the hon- ours which they have attributed to muddy streams : " Digging," as the prophet Jeremiah complains, " to themselves broken and dirty cisterns, and neglecting and forsaking the most pure fountain of living wa- ters." It ordinarily happened after this maimer : if any one excelled in stature of body, if he were en- dued with greatness of mind, or noted for clearness of wit, he first gained to himself the admiration of the ignorant vulgar ; this admiration was by degrees turned into a profound respect, till at length they paid him greater honour than men ought to receive, and ranked the man among the number of gods ; while the more prudent were either carried away by the torrent of the vulgar opinion, or were unable or afraid to resist it. 2. The sordid flattery of subjects toward their princes, was a second cause of Idolatry. To gratify their vanity, to flatter their pride, and to soothe them in their self-conceit, they erected altars, and set the images of their princes on them ; to which they offered incense, in like manner as to the gods ; and not unfrequently, while they were living. 3. A third cause of Idolatry, ivas an immoderate love of immortality in many ; who studied to attain it, by leaving effigies of themselves behind them ; ima- gining that their names would still be preserved from the power of death and time, so long as they lived in brass, or in statues of marble, after their funerals. 4. A desire of perpetuating the memories of excel- lent and useful men to future ages, was the fourth cause of Idolatry. For to make the memory of such men eternal, and their names immortal, they made them gods, or rather called them so. The contriver and assertor of false gods was Ni- nus, the first king of the Assyrians, who, to render the name of his father Belus, or Nimrod, immortal 2* 18 worshipped him with divine honours after his death, which is thus accounted for : After Ninus had conquered many nations far and near, and built the city called after his name, Nine- veh; in a public assembly of the Babylonians he extolled his father Belus, the founder of the empire and city of Babylon, beyond all measure, representing him not only worthy of perpetual honour among all posterity, but also of an immortality among the gods above. He then exhibited a statue of him, curiously and neatly made, to which he commanded them to pay the same reverence that they would have given to Belus while alive ; he also appointed it to be a common sanctuary to the miserable, and ordained, " that if at any time an offender should fly to this statue, it should not be lawful to force him away to punishment." This privilege easily procured so great a veneration to the dead prince, that he was thought more than a man, and, therefore, was cre- ated a god, and called Jupiter, or, as others write, Saturn of Babylon ; where a most magnificent tem- ple was erected to him by his son. After this beginning of Idolatry, several nations formed to themselves gods ; receiving into that num- ber not only mortal and dead men, but brutes also ; and even the most mean and pitiful inanimate things. For it is evident from the authority of innumerable writers, that the Africans worshipped the heavens as a god; the Persians adored fire, water, and the winds; the Lybians, the sun and moon; the The- bans, sheep and weasels ; the Babylonians of Mem- phis, a whale; the inhabitants of Mendes, a goat; the Thessalanians, storks ; the Syrophcenicians, doves ; the Egyptians, dogs, cats, crocodiles and hawks; nay, leeks, onions, and garlic. Which most sense- less folly Juvenal wittily exposes. " O sanctas gentes, quibus base nascuntur in hortif - * Nomina" — ■ — - 19 Religious nations sure, and bless'd abodes, Where ev'ry orchard is o'errun with gods. The ancient Romans, who were so superior in arms, in arts, in eloquence, and in almost every thing that can adorn human nature, were plunged into the grossest idolatry. They reckoned among their gods not only beasts and things void of all sense, but, which is a far greater madness, they some- times worshipped as gods, the very worst of man- kind. Besides their own country gods, and family gods, they worshipped all strange deities that came to the city, and which were made free of it. Whence it came to pass, in time, that when they saw their pre- cincts too narrow to contain so many, necessity forced them to send their gods into colonies, as they did their men. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION ON THE FOREGO- ING CHAPTER. What is meant by the Fabulous Pantheon ? Give some account of the Pantheon at Rome. To what purpose was it devoted by Pope Boniface ? What causes have conspired to the establishment of Idolatry ? Who was the contriver of false gods, and how is the circum- stance accounted for ? Whom or what did the Africans, Persians, and others wor- ship as gods ? Did the ancient Romans exhibit more wisdom in this respect? To what had they recourse when their deities became very numerous ? CHAPTER II. THE ENTRANCE INTO THE PANTHEON. A DISTRI- BUTION OF THE GODS INTO SEVERAL CLASSES, As the Roman people were distributed into three ranks ; namely, of ^senators or noblemen, knights or gentlemen, plebeans or citizens: as also into f noble, * Patricii, equites, et plebeii. t Nobiles, novi, et ignobiles. Cic, pro Mursen. 20 new-raised, and ignoble; (of which the new-raised were those wiio did not receive their nobility from their ancestors, but obtained it themselves by their own virtue;) so the Roman gods were divided, as it were, into three classes. The first class is of superior gods, Dii majorum gentium, for the people paid to them a higher degree of worship ; because they imagined that these gods were more eminently employed in the government of this world. These were called also select, because they had always the title of celestial gods, and were famous and eminent above others, of extraordinary authority and renown. Twelve of these were styled consentes ; because, in affairs of great importance, Jupiter admitted them into his council. The images of these were fixed in the Forum at Rome : six of them were males, and six females ; commonly, with- out other additions, called The Twelve gods ; and whose names Ennius comprises in a distich. Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, Mercurius, Neptunus, Jupiter, Vuicanus, Apollo. These twelve gods were believed to preside over the twelve months ; to each of them was allotted a month; January to Juno, February to Neptune, March to Minerva, April to Venus, May to Apollo, June to Mercury, July to Jupiter, August to Ceres, September to Vulcan, October to Mars, November Jo Diana, December to Vesta. They likewise pre- sided over the twelve celestial signs. If to these twelve Dii Consentes, you add the eight following, Janus, Saturnus, Genius, Sol, Pluto, Bacchus, Tel- Ins, and Jjuna, you will have twenty, that is, all the select gods. The second class contains the gods of lower rank and dignity, who were styled Dii Minor um Gentium; because they shine with a less degree of glory, and have been placed among the gods, as Cicero says, by 21 their own merits. Whence they are called also Ad- scriptitii, Minuscularii, Putatii, and Indigetes : be- cause now they wanted nothing ; or because, being translated from this earth into heaven, they conversed with the gods ; or being fixed, as it were, to certain places, committed peculiarly to their care, they dwelt in them, to perform the duty intrusted to them. Thus iEneas was made a god, by his mother Venus, in the manner described by Ovid ; His better parts by lustral waves refin'd, More pure and nearer to ethereal mind ; With gums of fragrant scent the goddess strews, And on his features breathes ambrosial dews. Thus deified, new honours Rome decrees, Shrines, festivals ; and styles him Indiges. — Met. 14. The gods of the third and lower class, are some- times called Minuti, Vesci, and Miscellanei, but more usually Semones, whose merits were not sufficient to gain them a place among the celestial gods; yet their virtues were such, that the people thought them superior to mortal men. They were called Patel- larii, from certain small dishes, in which the an- cients offered to the gods their sacrifices, of which Ovid makes mention : To Vesta's deity, with humble mess, In cleanly dish serv'd up, they now address. To these we ought to adjoin the gods called JVb- vensiles, which the Sabines brought to Rome by the command of king Tatius ; and which were so named, and some say, because they were latest of all rec- koned among the gods ; or because they were presi- dents over the changes, by which the things of this world subsist. Circius believes them to have been the strange gods of conquered nations ; whereof the numbers were so vast, that it was thought fit to call all in general Novensiles, lest they should forget any of them. And lastly, to this class also we must refer c 22 those gods and goddesses by whose help and means, as Cicero says, men are advanced to heaven, and obtain a place among the gods ; of which sort are the principal virtues, as we shall show in the proper place. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Were the heathen gods, all of one degree of rank ; if not, into how many classes were they divided ? What is said of the first class ? Why were they called select f Why were some of them called consentes? Over what did the twelve gods preside ? Enumerate them. Which others make up the twenty Select gods ? Which is the second class of gods, and why are they so styled ? What are the gods of the third class, and how are they deno minated ? What are the -: Novensiles ?" CHAPTER IIL A SUPPOSED VIEW OF THE PANTHEON. A MORE COMMODIOUS DIVISION OF THE GODS. Having already described to you the structure and ornaments of this wonderful building, within the nich- es of which the statues of the gods were placed, it is right you should be informed, that the three classes, mentioned above, are here divided into six, and paint- ed upon the several parts of the Pantheon. 1 . The celestial gods and goddesses are upon an arch. 2. The terrestrial, upon the wall on the right hand, 3. The marine and river gods upon the wall on the left. 4. The infernal, upon the lower compartment by the pavement. 5. The minuti or semones, and miscella- nei, before you. 6. The adscriptitii and indigetes behind you. Our discourse shall likewise consist of six parts ; in each of which I shall lay before you whatever I have found most remarkable among the 23 best authors upon this subject. Let us, however first sit down together awhile ; and, as the place is free from company, we will take a deliberate view of the whole army of gods, and inspect them one after another ; beginning, as is fit, with the celestial, and so with Jove, according to the direction of the poet: " Ab Jove principium Musae : Jovis omnia plena." Virg. Eel. 3. From the great father of the Gods above My Muse begins : for all is full of Jove. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION Into how many classes are the gods in the pantheon divided f How are they ranged ? Whence does the description begin ? Repeat the line from Virgil and translation. PART I. OF THE CELESTIAL DEITIES. CHAPTER I. SEC. I JUPITER. HIS IMAGE. The gods commonly called celestial, are Jupiter, Apollo, Mars, Mercury, and Bacchus. The celes- tial goddesses are Juno, Vesta, Minerva or Pallas, Venus, Luna, and Bellona. We will begin with Jupiter,* the father and king of gods and men, whom you see sitting in a throne of ivory and gold, under a rich canopy, with a beard, holding thunder in his right hand, which he brandish- es against the giants at his feet, whom he formerly conquered. His sceptre, they say, is made of cy- press, which is a symbol of the eternity of his empire, because that wood is free from corruption. On his sceptre sits an eagle, either because he was brought up by it, or because an eagle resting upon his head, portended his reign, or because in his wars with the giants an eagle brought him his thunder ; and thence received the title of Jupiter's armour bearer. He wears golden shoes, and an embroidered cloak, adorned with various flowers and figures of animals. This cloak, it is reported, Dionysius the tyrant took from him in Sicily, and giving him a woollen cloak instead of it, said; " That would be more convenient for him in all seasons, since it was warmer in the * Diyum pater atque horainum re*. Virg. JEn. 1. catfl5RCitt AND ACTIONS. This glorious sun, which illustrates all things with his light, is called Sol, as Cicero says, either be- cause he is the only star that is of that apparent mag- nitude ; or because, when he rises, he puts out all the other stars, and only appears himself. Vel quia Solus ex omnibus sideribus tantus est ; vel quia cum exortus est, obscuratis omnibus, Solus appareat. Cic. de Nat. Deor. 2. 3. Although the poets have said, that there -were five Solsr j ypt, whatever they delivered concerning each- of them severally, they commonly apply to one, who was the son of Hype- rion, and nephew to iEther, begotten of an unknown mother. The Persians call the sun Mithra, accounting him the greatest of their gods, and worship him in a cave. His statue has the head of a lion, on which a turban called tiara, is placed ; it is clothed with Persian at- tire, and holds with both hands a mad bull by the horns. Those that desired to become his priests s and understand his mysteries, did first undergo a great many hardships before they could attain to the honour of that employment. It was not lawful for the kings of Persia to drink immoderately, but upon that day in which the sacrifices were offered to Mithra. The Egyptians called the sun Horus ; whence those parts into which the sun divides the day, are called horce, hours. They represented his power by a sceptre, on the top of which an eye was placed ; by which they signified that the sun sees every thing, and that all things are seen by his means. 53 j These hora were thought to be the daughters oj Sol and Chronis, who early in the morning prepare the chariot and the horses for their father, and open the gates of the day. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. What is Cicero's opinion with regard to Sol, and to Whom does the name apply ? What is said of the Persians with regard to the sun ? What was necessary to be done by those who would become the priests of the sun ? What name did the Egyptians give to the sun, and how did they represent his power ? Who were the " horae," and what was their business ? SEC. 2.— OF THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD. The seven wonders of the world : 1 . The Colossus at Rhodes, a statue of the sun, seventy cubits high, placed across the mouth of the harbour; a man could not grasp his thumb with both his arms. Its legs were stretched out to such a distance, that a large ship under sail might easily pass into the port between them. It was twelve years making, and cost three hundred ^talents. It stood fifty years, and at last was thrown down by an earthquake. And from this Colossus the people of Rhodes were named Colossenses ; and now every statue of an unusual magnitude is called Colossus. 2. The temple of Diana, at Ephesus, a work of the greatest magnificence ; which the ar cients great- ly admired, f Two hundred and twenty years were spent in finishing it, though all Asia was employed. It was supported by one hundred and twenty-seven pillars sixty feet high, each of which was raised by as many kings. Of these pillars thirty-seven were engraven. The image of the goddess was made of ebony, as we learn from history. 3. The Mausoleum, or sepulchre of Mausolus, * A Rhodian talent is worth 322/. 18$. 4d. English. t Plin. 1. 7. c. 38. k 1. 16. c. 40. , . 54 king of Caria, *built by his queen Artemisia, of the purest marble ; and yet the workmanship of it was much more valuable than the marble. It was from north to south sixty-three feet long, almost four hundred and eleven feet in compass^ and twenty-five cubits (that is, about thirty-five feet) high, surround- ed with thirty-six columns, which were beautified ia a wonderful maimer. From this Mausoleum all other sumptuous sepulchres are called by the same name. 4. A statue of Jupiter, in the temple of the city of f Olympia, carved with the greatest art by Phidias, out of ivory, and made of a prodigious size. 5. The walls of Babylon (the metropolis of Chal- dea,) Jbuilt by queen Semiramis ; their circum- ference was sixty miles, and their breadth fifty feet, so that six chariots might conveniently pass upon them in a row. 6. The [(pyramids of Egypt; three of which, re- markable for their height, still remain. The first has a square basis, and is one hundred and forty- three feet long, and one thousand feet high : it is made of great stones, the least of which is thirty feet thick; and three hundred and sixty thousand men were employed in building it, for the space of twen- ty years. The other two, which are somewhat smaller, attract the admiration of all spectators. In these pyramids, it is reported, the bodies of the kings of Egypt lie interred. 7. The palace of § Cyrus, king of the Medes, made by Menon, with no less prodigality than art f for he cemented the stones with gold. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. What is the first of the seven wonders of the world ; how is it described, and what name did the inhabitants of Rhodes de- rive from it. Describe the second of the wonders of the world ? * Plin. 1. 36. c. 5. + Phil. 1. 36. c. 3. \ Plin. 1. 6. c. 26. |j Plin. 1. 36. c. 13. Belo. 1. 2. c. 32. §Calepin. V. Miraculum, 55 Which was the third, and what technical term owes its origin to it ? Which was the fourth ? Describe the fifth ? Give some account of the sixth ? Which was the seventh ? SEC. 3.— THE CHILDREN OF THE SUN. The most celebrated of Sol's children was Phaeton, who gave the poets an excellent opportunity of show- ing their ingenuity by the following action. Epa- : phus, one of the sons of Jupiter, quarrelled with i Phaeton, and said that though he called himself the ! son of Apollo, he was not. This slander so pro- voked Phaeton, that by Clymene, his mother's ad- ! vice, he went to the royal palace of the Sun, to j bring thence some indubitable marks of his nativity. The sun received him kindly, and owned him as his I son ; and, to take away all occasion of doubting hereafter, he gave him liberty to ask any thing, ; swearing by the Stygian lake, an oath which none of i the gods dare violate, that he would not deny him. i Phaeton then desired leave to govern his father's cha- riot for one day. This was the occasion of great grief to his father, who endeavoured to persuade him not to persist in his project, which no mortal was capable of executing. Phaeton, however, pressed him to keep his promise, and perform what he had sworn by the river Styx. The father was forced to comply with his son's rashness : he directed him how to, guide the horses, and especially advised him to oflfeerve the middle path. Phaeton was transport- ed with joy, mounted his chariot, and taking the reins, began to drive the horses ; which, finding him unable to govern them, ran away, and set on fire both the heaven and the earth. Jupiter, to put an jend to the conflagration, struck him out of the chariot with thunder, and cast him headlong into the river jPo. His sisters, Lampethusa, Lampetia, and Pha- 56 ethusa, lamenting his death, incessantly, upon the banks of that river, were turned, by the pity of the gods, into poplars, from that time weeping amber in- stead of tears. This forms a subject of one of the most beautiful passages in Ovid. — Met. 2. Circe, the most skilful of all sorceresses, poisoned her husband, a king of the Sarmatians ; for which she was banished by her subjects, and flying into Italy, fixed her seat on the promontory Circaeum, where she fell in love with Glaucus, a sea god, who at the same time loved Scylla : Circe turned her into a sea monster, by poisoning the water in which she used to wash. She entertained Ulysses, who was driven hither by the violence of storms, with great civility ; and restored his companions, whom, ac- cording to her usual custom, she had changed into hogs, bears, wolves, and the like beasts, unto their former shapes. Pasiphae, the wife of Minos, king of Crete, loved an officer named Taurus, hence the fable of her at- tachment to a bull, and of her giving birth to a mon- ster, half man and half beast, called Mino-Taurus, or, Minotaur. The Minotaur was shut up in a labyrinth, which Daedalus made by the order of king Minos. This labyrinth was a place diversified with very many windings and turnings, and cross paths, running in- to one another ; — see Theseus. Daedalus was an excellent artificer of Athens, and, as it is said, in- vented the ax, the saw, the plummet, the augur, and glue ; he also first contrived masts ancT Jbrds for ships ; besides, he carved statues so admirably that I they not only seemed alive, but could never stand still J in one place ; nay, would fly away unless they were chained. This Daedalus, together with Icarus, his I son, was shut up by Minos in the labyrinth which he had made, because he had assisted Pasiphae in her intrigues, and finding no Fay to escape, he made I 5* wings for himself and his son, with wax and the feathers of birds : fastening these wings to their shoulders, Daedalus flew out of Crete into Sicily, but Icarus in his flight, neglecting his father's advice, observed not his due course, and out of juvenile wantonness flew higher than he ought ; upon which the wax was melted by the sun, the wings broke in pieces, and he fell into the sea, which is since, ac- l cording to Ovid, named the Icarian sea, from him. "Icarus Icariis nomina fecit aquis." — Trist. 1. Icarian seas from Icarius were called. To these children of the sun, we may add his ; niece and his nephew Byblis and Caunus. Byblis ! was in love with Caunus, and followed him so long I to no purpose, that at last, being quite oppressed with sorrow and labour, she sat down under a tree, and shed such a quantity of tears, that she was QQUr verted into a* fountain, " Sic lachrymis consumpta suis Phoebeia Byblis Vertitur in fontem, qui nunc quoque vallibus illis Nomen habet dominae, nigraque sub ilice manat." Ov. Met. 9. Thus the Phcebian Byblis, spent in tears, Becomes a living fountain, which yet bears Her name, and, under a black holm that grows In those rank valleys, plentifully flows. QUESTIONS FOR EXJMWjiTlOJV. What is said of Phaeton, one of the children of the sun ? What happened to Phaeton ? Who were his sisters, and what happened to them ? Who was Circe, and what is related of her ? Who was Pasiphae, and how is the fable of the Monitaur ex- plained ? Who was Daedalus, and what circumstances are related of him? Who were. the niece and nephew of Sol ? £8 CHAPTER IV. SEC. 1— MERCURY. HIS IMAGE, BIRTH, QUALITIES, AND OFFICES. Mercury is represented with a cheerful counte- nance and lively eyes ; having wings fixed to his hat and his shoes, and a rod in his hand, which is wing- ed, and bound about by two serpents. His face is partly black and dark, and partly clear and bright ; because sometimes he converses with the celestial, and sometimes with the infernal gods. He wears winged shoes, which are called Talarxa, and wings are also fastened to his hat, which is called Petasus, because, since he is the messenger of the gods, he. ought not only to run, but to fly. His wings are emblematical of the. wings which language gives to the thoughts of men. His cha- racter, as the swift messenger of the gods, is thus referred to by Homer :— The god who mounts the winged winds Fast to his feet the golden pinions binds, That high through fields of air his flight sustain, O'er the wide earth, and o'er the boundless main .; He grasps the wand that causes sleep to fly r Or in soft slumbers seals the wakeful eye ; Then shoots from heav'n to high Pieria's steep, And stoops incumbent on the rolling deep. — Odyssey. His parents were Jupiter, and Maia, the daughter uf Atlas ; and for that reason, they used to offer sa- crifices to him in the month of May. They say that Juno was his nurse, and once when he took his milk too greedily, it ran out of his mouth upon the hea- vens, and made that white stream which they call " The Milky-way." He had many offices. 1 . The first and principal was to carry the commands of Jupiter ; whence he 3GSS#I0S2' 59 I is commonly called " The messenger of the gods." j 2. He swept the room where the gods supped, and I made the beds ; and underwent many other the like ! servile employments ; hence he was styled Camiilus or Casmillus, that is, an inferior servant of gods ; i for anciently all boys and girls under age were call- ed Camilli and Camillae : and the same name was j afterward given to the young men and maids, who ; attended the priests at their sacrifices : though the | people of Bceotia, instead of Camiilus, say Cadmillus ; j perhaps from the Arabic word chadam, to serve ; or ■from the Phoenician word chadmel, god's servant or ! minister sacer. 3. He attended upon dying persons to unloose their souls from the chains of the body, and carry them to hell : he also revived, and placed I in new bodies those souls which had completed their full time in the Elysian fields. Almost all which 'things Virgil comprises in seven verses. " Dixerat. Ille patris magni pare re parabat Imperio, et primum pedibus talaria nectit Aurea, quae sublimem alts sive acquora supra, Seu terrain, rapido pariter cum flamine portant. Turn virgam capit ; hac animas ille evocat Oreo Fallentes, alias sub tristia Tartara mittit.; Dat somnos, adimitque, et lumina morie resignat." J£n. 4, Hermes obeys ; with golden pinions binds His flying feet, and mounts the western winds : Anr", whether o'er the seas or earth he flies, With rapid force they bear him down the skies. But first he grasps, within his awful hand, The mark of sov'reign pow'r, his magic wand : With this he draws the souls from hollow graves ; With this he drives them down the Stygian waves ; With this he seals in sleep the wakeful sight, And eyes, though clos'd in death, restores to light. His remarkable qualities were these : 1 . He was the inventor of letters, and excelled in eloquence, so that the Greeks called him Hermes, from his *skill n interpreting or explaining ; and, therefore, he is * 'A.STO m spjttijWMiis i. e. ab interpretandd. 60 accounted the god of the rhetoricians and orators. 2. He is reported to have been the inventor of contracts, weights, and measures ; to have first taught the arts of buying, selling, and trafficking ; and to have received the name of Mercury* from his under- standing of merchandise. Hence he is accounted the god of the merchants, and the god of gain ; so that all unexpected gain and treasure, which comes of a sud- den, is from him called «/»^e7ov or epuxiov. 3. In the art of thieving he certainly excelled all the sharpers that ever were* or will fbe ; and is the prince and god of thieves. The very day on which he was born, he stole away some cattle from king Admetus' herd, although Apollo was keeper of them j who complained much of the theft, and bent his bow against him : but, in the mean time, Mercury stole even his arrows from him. While he was yet an infant, and entertained by Vulcan, he stole his tools from him. He took away by stealth Venus' girdle, while she embraced him ; and Jupiter's sceptre : he designed to steal the thunder too, but he was afraid lest it should burn him. 4. He was mightily skilful in making peace ; and for that reason was sometimes painted with chains oj gold flowing from his mouth, with which he linkee together the minds of those that heard him. And h< not only pacified mortal men, but also the immorta gods of heaven and hell ; for whenever they quarrel led among themselves, he composed their differences | " Pacis et armorum, superis imrsque Deorum, Arbiter, alato qui pede carpit iter." — Ovid Fast. 5. Thee, wing-foot, all the gods, both high and low, The arbiter of war and peace allow. This pacificatory faculty of his is signified by th rod that he holds in his hand, which Apollo heretc * A mercibus, vel a merciura cura, Philostrat, in Soph. 3. t Luci&n. Diall. Apoll. et Yule CI fore gave him, because he had given Apollo a harp. This rod had a wonderful faculty of deciding all controversies. The virtue was first discovered by Mercury, who seeing two serpents fighting, as he travelled, he put his rod between them, and recon- ; ciled them presently ; for they mutually embraced 1 each other ; and stuck to the rod, which is called Caduceus. *Hence all ambassadors sent to make peace are called Caduceatores : for, as wars were denounced by f Feciales, so they were ended by Caduceatores. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. \ How is Mercury represented ? Why does he wear wings, and what are they called ? "Who were his parents ? What is said to be the origin of the Milky-way ? What are Mercury's principal offices ? What was the first remarkable quality belonging to Mercury ? What was the second ? What was the third ? What was the fourth ? What emblem of peace does he carry ? How was this virtue discovered ? What was the rod called, and what name is derived from it ? SEC. 2.— ACTIONS OF MERCURY. Of which the following are the most remarkable : Hermaphroditus, the son of Mercury and Venus, was a celebrated hunter. In one of his excursions through the forests, he was observed by a wood nymph called Salmacis, who, struck with his manly j form and noble visage, both new to her, anxiously | followed him wherever he went. But Hermaphro- ditus inured to solitude by the nature of his pursuits, and unaccustomed to the soft attractions of female society, as anxiously avoided her, until she had re- course to stratagem, and to hide in ambush to be- hold him. At length, however, they met at a favourite fountain in the midst of the forest, where he usually v Horn, in Hym. t Lexic. Lat. in hoc Verbo. 6 G2 came to bathe during the heat of the day. Here the infatuated nymph imprudently disclosed her senti- ments. Such frankness merited a generous return, but the ungrateful and sturdy huntsman, unmoved by her advances, rejected her with disgust, upon which the indignant Salmacis prayed the gods to avenge the insult by wedding him for ever to a fe- male form. Her prayer was granted, and the wretched Hermaphroditus, equally amazed and shocked at the change, prayed then in turn, to alle- viate the poignancy of his misfortue by sending him companions of similar form. The gods always mer- ciful, listened to his entreaties, and decreed that whoever, thereafter, should bathe in that fountain, .should resemble Hermaphroditus, and partake alike the form and qualities of either sex. A herdsmen, whose name was Battus, saw Mer- cury stealing Admetus' cows from Apollo their keep- er. When Mercury perceived that his theft was discovered, he went to Battus, and desired that he would say nothing, and gave him a delicate cow. Battus promised him secrecy. Mercury, to try his fidelity, came in another shape to him, and asked him about the cows ; whether he saw them, or knew the place where the thief carried them. Battus- de- nied it ; but Mercury pressed him hard, and pro- mised that he would give him both a bull and a cow, if he would discover it. With this promise he was overcome ; upon which Mercury was enraged, and laying aside his disguise, turned him into a stone called Index. This story Ovid describes in very- elegant verse. The ancients used to set up statues where the I roads crossed : these statues they called Indices, be- cause with an arm or finger held out they showed the way to this or that place. The Romans placed some in public places and highways ; as .ie Athe- nians did at their doors to drive away thieves ; and they call these statues Hermae, from Mercury, whose Greek name was Hermes : concerning which Her- nia? it is to be observed : 1. That they have neither hands nor feet ; and hence Mercury was called Cyllenius, and by con- traction Cyllius, which words are derived from a Greek word signifying a man without hands and feet : and not from Cyllene, a mountain in Arcadia, on which he was educated. 2. A purse was usually hung to a statue of Mer- cury, to signify that he was the god of gain and pro- fit, and presided over merchandising ; in which, be- cause many times things are done by fraud and treachery, they gave him the name of Dolius. 3. The Romans used to join the statues of Mer- cury and Minerva together, and these images they called Hermathenoe ; and sacrificed to both deities upon the same altar. Those who had escaped any great danger, always offered sacrifices to Mercury ; they offered up a calf, and milk, and honey, and es- pecially the tongues of the sacrifices, which, with a great deal of ceremony, they cast into the fire, and then the sacrifice was finished. It is said that the Megarenses first used this ceremony. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. What is related of Mercury in connexion with Venus ? What is the story of Battus ? What were the ancient indices ? What were the Hermae ? Why was Mercury called Cyllenius ? Why was he called Dolius ? What were the Hermathenae ? What were the sacrifices offered to Mercury, and why ? 64 CHAPTER V. SEC. 1.— BACCHUS. HIS IMAGE AND BIRTH. Bacchus, the god of wine, and the captain and emperor of drunkards, is represented with swoln cheeks, red face, and a body bloated and puffed up. He is crowned with ivy and wine-leaves ; and has in. his hand a thyrsus, instead of a sceptre, which is a javelin with an iron head, encircled by ivy or vine- leaves. He is carried in a chariot, which is some- j times drawn by tigers and lions, and sometimes by jj lynxes and panthers: and, like a king, he has his guards, who are a drunken band of satyrs, demons, nymphs that preside over the wine-presses, fairies of | fountains, and priestesses. Silenus oftentimes comes after him, sitting on an ass that bends under his burden. He is sometimes painted an old man, and some times a smooth and beardless boy ; as Ovid and Ti- bullus describe him. I shall give you the reason i these things, and of his horns, mentioned also in Ovid: " Tibi inconsumpta juventa ? Tu puer eeternus, tu formosissimus alto Conspiceris ccelo, tibi, cum siae cornibus adstas, Virgineum caput est." Still dost thou enjoy Unwasted youth ? Eternally a boy Thou'rt seen in heaven, whom all perfections grace : And when unhorn'd, thou hast a virgin's face. According to the poets, the birth of Bacchus was both wonderful and ridiculous. They say, that when Jupiter was in love with Se- mele, it excited Juno's jealousy, who endeavoured to destroy her ; and in the shape of an old woman, visited Semele. and advised her to oblige him, when 65 he came, by an inviolable oath, to grant her a re- quest : then, says she to Semele, ask him to come to you as he is wont to come to Juno : and he will come clothed in all his glory, and majesty, and ho- nour. Semele was greatly pleased with this advice ; ! and therefore, when Jupiter visited her next, she begged a favour of him, but did not expressly name | the favoutf. Jupiter bound himself in the most so- | lemn oath to grant her request, let it be what it ! would. Semele, little foreseeing what she desired ' would prove her ruin, made the rash request. What 1 Jupiter had so solemnly sworn to perform, he could not refuse : he accordingly put on all his terrors, ar- ! rayed himself with his greatest glory, and in the midst of thunder and lightning entered Semele's house. Her mortal body could not stand the shock, and she perished ; for the thunder struck her down and stupified her, and the lightning reduced her to ashes. So fatal are the rash desires of the ambitious ! Bac- chus, her son, not yet born, was preserved, taken from his mother, and sewed into Jupiter's thigh, whence in fulness of time he was born, and deliver- ed into the hands of Mercury to be carried into Eu^ bcea, to Macris, the daughter of Aristeeus, who im- mediately anointed his lips with honey,, and brought him up with great care in a cave, to which there were two gates. Ovid. Met. 3. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMmATOW. How is Bacchus represented ? By what is his chariot drawn ? How is he painted ? Give some account of Bacchus' birth ? What was the consequence of that request ? What did Macris do for Bacchus at his birth i SEC. 3.— THE NAMES OF BACCHUS. Bacchus was so called from a Greek word, which signifies " to revel f and for the same reason, the 6* 66 wild women, his companions, are called Thyades and Mrenades, which words signify madness and fol- ly. They were also called Mimallones, that is, imi- tators or mimics; because they imitated all Bac- chus' actions. Biformis, because he was reckoned both a young and an old man ; with a beard, and without a beard : or, because wine (of which Bacchus is the emblem) makes people sometimes cheerful and pleasant, sometimes peevish and morose. He was named Brisreus, either from the nymph his nurse ; or from the use of the grapes and honey, which he invented, for brisa signifies a bunch of press- ed grapes ; or else from the promontory Brisa, in the island of Lesbos, where he was worshipped. Bromius, from the crackling of fire, and noise of thunder, that was heard when his mother was killed. Bimater, because he had two mothers : the first was Semele, and the other the thigh of Jupiter, into which he was received after he was saved from the fire. He is called also by the Greeks Bugenes, that is, born of an ox, and thence Tauriformis, or Tauri- ceps ; and he is supposed to have horns, because he first ploughed with oxen, or because he was the son of Jupiter Amnion, who had the head of a ram. Daemon bonus ; the " good angel;" and in feasts, after the victuals were taken away, the last glass was drunk round to his honour. Dithyr ambus, which signifies either that he was born twice, of Semele and of Jove ; or the double gate that the cave had, in which he was brought up : or perhaps it means that drunkards cannot keep se- crets ; but whatever is in the head comes in the mouth, and bursts forth, as fast as it would out of two doors. Dionysius or Dionysus, from his father Jupiter, or from the nymphs called Nysse, by whom he was 67 nursed, as they say, or from a Greek word, signify- ing " to prick," because he pricked his father's side with his horns, when he was born ; or from Jupiter's lameness, who limped when Bacchus was in his thigh ; or from an island among the Cyclades, call- i ed Dia, or Naxos, which was dedicated to him when he married Ariadne ; or lastly, from the city of Ny- j sa, in which Bacchus reigned. Evius, or Evous : for, in the war of the giants, when Jupiter did not see Bacchus, he thought that he was killed, and cried out " Alas son !" or because when he found that Bacchus had overcome the giants, by changing himself into a lion, he cried out again, I " Well done son." E» vie Evan, from the acclamations of Bacchantes, who were therefore called Evantes. Euchius, because Bacchus fills his glass plenti- i fully, even up to the brim. Eleleus and Eleus, from the acclamation where- with they animated the soldiers before the fight, or I encouraged them in the battle itself. The same ac- clamation was also used in celebrating the Orgia, which were sacrifices offered up to Bacchus. Iaccus was also one of his names, from the noise which men make when drunk : and this title is given him by Claudian ; from whose account of Bacchus, we may learn, that he was not always naked, but sometimes clothed with the skin of a tiger. Lenaeus ; because wine palliates and assuages the sorrows of men's minds; or from a Greek word, which signifies the " vat" or " press" in which wine is made. Liber and Liber Pater, from lihero ; as in Greek they call him ExevBeptog [Eleutherios] the " Deliver- er ;" for he is the symbol of liberty, and was wor- shipped in all free cities. Lyseus and Lyceus signify the same with Liber : for wine frees the mind from cares ; and those who 68 have drank plentifully, speak whatever comes in theif minds. The sacrifices of Bacchus were celebrated in the night, therefore he is called Nyctilius and Nysseus, because he was educated upon the mountain Nysa. Rectus, 'o^s [Orthos,~\ because he taught a king of Athens to dilute his wine with water ; thus men, who through much drinking staggered before, by mixing water with their wine, begin to go straight. His mother Semele and his nurse were sometimes called Thyo : therefore from this they called him Thyoneus. Lastly, he was called Triumphus ; because, when in triumph the conquerors went into the capitol, the soldiers cried out, " Io triumphe /" QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. From what is the name of Bacchus derived ? What are his companions called ? Why was Bacchus called Biformis ? Why, Briseeus ? Why, Bromius ? Why, Bimater? Why, Bugenes ? W r hy, Dithyramhus ? Why, Dionysius ? Why, Evius ? Why, Evan ? Why, Eleus ? Whv, lacchus ? Why, Liber ? Why, Nyctilius ? Why, Rectus ? Why, Triumphus ? SEC. 3.— ACTIONS OF BACCHUS. Bacchus invented so many things useful to man- kind, either in finishing controversies, in building cities, in making laws, or obtaining victories, that he was declared a god by the joint suffrages of the whole world. What Bacchus could not himself do, his priestesses were able to accomplish ; for by stri- 69 Iking the earth with their thyrsi, they drew forth (rivers of milk and honey and wine, and wrought se- veral other miracles, without the least labour. Yet ithese received their whole power from Bacchus. 1 . He invented the use of wine : and first taught jthe art of planting the vine from which it is made ; as also the art of making honey, and tilling the earth. This he did among the people of Egypt, who therefore honoured him as a god, and called him Osiris. The ass of Nauplia merits praise, be- cause by knawing vines he taught the art of pru- i ning them. 2. He invented commerce and merchandise, and j found out navigation, when he was king of Phoe- nicia. 3. At the time when men wandered about unset- tled, like beasts, he reduced them into society, he taught them to worship the gods. \ 4. He subdued India, and many other nations, riding on an elephant : he victoriously subdued Egypt, Syria, Phrygia, and all the east ; where he erected pillars, as Hercules did in the west : he first invented triumphs and crowns for kings. 5. Bacchus was desirous to reward Midas the king of Phrygia, because he had done him some service ; and bid him ask what he would. Midas desired, that whatever he touched might become gold : Bac- chus was troubled that Midas asked a gift which might prove so destructive to himself; however, he granted his request, and gave him the power he de- sired. Immediately whatever Midas touched became gold, even his meat and drink ; he then perceived that he had foolishly begged a destructive gift : and j desired Bacchus to take his gift to himself again. ! Bacchus consented, and bid him bathe in the river j Pactolus ; Midas obeyed ; and hence the sand of ! that river became gold, and the river was called I Chrvsorrhoos, or Aurifluus.— ^-Owd Met. 1 1 . 70 6. When he was yet a child, some Tyrrhenian mariners found him asleep, and carried him into a j ship : Bacchus first stupified them, stopping the ship in such a manner that it was immoveable ; afterward he caused vines to spring up the ship on a sudden, and ivy twining about the oars ; and when the sea- men were almost dead with the fright, he threw them headlong into the sea, and changed them into Dol- phins. Ovid Met. 3. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION Why was Bacchus declared a god ? What were his priestesses able to perform ? What was the first invention attributed to him ? Why does the ass of Nauplia merit praise ? What were Bacchus' second and third inventions ? What did he do as a conqueror ? What was Midas' request ? What circumstance occurred when he was but a child ? SEC. 4.— THE SACRIFICES OF BACCHUS. In sacrifices there are three things to be con si-' dered, viz. the creatures offered, the priests who offer them, and the sacrifices themselves, which are cele- brated with peculiar ceremonies. The fir, the ivy, bindweed, the fig, and the vine, were consecrated to Bacchus. So also were the dragon and the pie, signifying the talkativeness of drunken people. The goat was slain in his sacrifi- ces, because he is a creature destructive to the vines, the Egyptians sacrificed a swine to his honour be- fore their doors. 2. The priests and priestesses of Bacchus were the Satyrs, the Sileni, the Naiades, but especially the reveling women called Bacchse, from Bacchus' name. 3. The sacrifices themselves were various, and celebrated with different ceremonies, according to the variety of places and nations. They were cele- brated on stated days of the year, with the greatest regard to religion, as it was then professed. 71 Oscophoria were the first sacrifices offered up to Bacchus : they were instituted by the Phoenicians, 'and when they were celebrated, the boys, carrying j/ine-leaves in their hands, went in ranks praying i'om the temple of Bacchus, to the chapel of Pallas. The Trieterica were celebrated in the winter at light, by the Bacchse, who went about armed, making a great noise and pretending to foretell things to come. They were entitled Trieterica, because Bacchus returned from his Indian expedition after ihree years. The Epilensea were games celebrated in the time bf vintage, before the press for squeezing the grapes jvvas invented. They contended with one another, In treading the grapes, who should soonest press out jmost must ; and in the mean time they sung the praises of Bacchus, begging that the must might be pweet and good. ; Apaturia were feasts celebrated in honour of Bac- jchus, setting forth how greatly men are deceived by vine. These festivals were principally observed by jche Athenians. Ambrosia were festivals observed in January, a month sacred to Bacchus ; for which reason this month was called Lenseus, or Leneeo, because the wine was brought into the city about that time. But the Ro- mans called these feasts Brumalia, Bruma, one of the names of Bacchus among them ; and they cele- brated them twice a year, in the months of Februa- ry and August. Ascolia, feasts so called from a Greek word sig- nifying a boracho, or leathern bottle ; several of which were produced filled with air, or, as others say, with wine. The Athenians were wont to leap upon them with one foot, so that they w r ould some- times fall down ; however, they thought they did a great honour to Bacchus hereby, because they trampled upon the skins of the goat, which animal 72 is the greatest enemy to the vines. But among the Romans, rewards were distributed to those who, by artificially leaping upon these leathern bottles, over- came the rest ; then all of them together called aloud upon Bacchus confusedly, and in unpolished verse ; and putting on masks, they carried his statue about their vineyards, daubing their faces with the bark of trees, and the dregs of wine: and returning to his al- tar they presented him with their oblations in basins, and then burnt them. In the last place, they hung upon the highest trees little wooden or earthen ima- ges of Bacchus, which from the smallness of their mouths were called Oscilla : they intended that the places, where these small images were set up in the trees, should be, as it were, so many watch-towers, from which Bacchus might look after the vines, and see that they suffered no injuries. These festivals, and the images hung up when they were celebrated, are elegantly described by Virgil, in the second book of his Georgics. ' Atque inter pocula laeti Mollibus in pratis unctos saliere per utres : Nee non Ausonii, Troja gens missa coloni, Versibus incomptis ludunt, risuque soluto, Oraque corticibus suraunt borrenda cavatis : Et te, Bacche, vocant per carmina laeta, tibique Oscilla ex alta suspendunt mollia pinu. Hinc oinnis largo pubescit vinea foetu, &,c." And glad with Bacchus, on the grassy soil, Leap'd o'er the skins of goats besmear'd with oil. Thus Roman youth, deriv'd from ruin'd Troy, In rude Saturnian rhymes express their joy ; Deform'd with vizards, cut from barks of trees, With taunts and laughter loud their audience please , In jolly hymns they praise the god of wine, Whose earthen images adorn the pine, And there are hung on high, in honour of the vine, A madness so devout the vineyard fill, Stc. Lastly, the Bacchanalia, or Dionysia, or Orgia, were the feast, of Bacchus, among the Romans,: which at first were solemnized in February, at mid- 73 day, by women only ; but afterward they were per- formed in the most scandalous manner by men and ■women, and young boys and girls, till the senate by an edict abrogated this festival, as Diagundus did ; at Thebes. Pentheus, king of Thebes, attempted J the same thing, but the Baccha? barbarously killed him ; whence came the story, that his mother and sisters tore him in pieces, fancying he was a boar. There is a story, that Alcithoe, the daughter of Nin- yas, and her sisters, despising the sacrifices of Bac- _ , chus, staid at home spinning while the Orgia were jjj celebrating, and on that account were changed into i! bats. — Ovid Met. 4. — And it is said that Lycurgus, ij who attempted many times to hinder these Baccha- \ nalia in vain, cut oil* his own legs, because he had 1 rooted up the vines to the dishonour of Bacchus. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. What are the three things to be considered in regard to sacri- fices ? What things were consecrated to Bacchus ? Who were the priests and priestesses of Bacchus ? Were the sarifices all of one kind ? Which were the first sacrifices ; by whom wei-e they instituted, and how were they celebrated ? What were the Epilensea ? What were the Apaturia ? What were the Ambrosia ? What were the Ascolia, and how were they celebrated ? What were the Oscilla ? Repeat the lines of Virgil on this subject ? What were the Bacchanalia ? SEC. 5— THE HISTORICAL SENSE OF THE FABLE BACCHUS AN EMBLEM EITHER OF NIMROD OR MOSES. Some writers say, that Bacchus is the same with Nimrod : the reasons of these opinions are : 1. The similitude of the words Bacchus and Barchus, which signifies the son of Chus, that is, Nimrod. 2. They think the name of Nimrod may allude to the He- brew word namur, or the Chaldee, namer, a tiger : and accordingly the chariot of Bacchus was drawn by tigers, and himself clothed with the skin of a ti- ger. 3. Bacchus is sometimes called Nebrodes, which is the very same as Nimrodus. 4. Moses styles Nimrod " a great hunter," and we find that Bacchus is styled Zagreus, which in Greek signifies the same thing. Nimrod presided over the vines, since lie was the first king of Babylon, where were the most excellent wines, as the ancients often say. Others think that Bacchus is Moses, because ma- ny things in the fable of the one seemed derived from the history of the other. For, first, some feign that he was born in Egypt, and presently shut up in an ark, and thrown upon the waters, as Moses was. 2d. The surname of Bimatur, which belongs to Bacchus, may be ascribed to Moses, who, be- side one mother by nature, had another by adoption, king Pharaoh's daughter. 3d. They were both beautiful men, brought up in Arabia, good soldiers, and had women in their armies. 4th. Orpheus di- rectly styles Bacchus a lawgiver, and calls him Moses, and further attributes to him the two tables of the law. 5th. Bacchus was called Bicornis ; and accordingly the face of Moses appeared double horn- ed, when he come down from the mountain, where he had spoken to God ; the rays of glory that dart- ed from his brow, resembling the sprouting out of horns. 6th. As snakes were sacrificed, and a dog given to Bacchus, as a companion ; so Moses had his companion Caleb, which in Hebrew signifies " a dog." 7th. As the Bacchse brought water from a rock, by striking it with their thyrsi, and the coun- try wherever they came flowed with wine, milk, and honey ; so the land of Canaan, into which Mo- ses conducted the Israelites, not only flowed with milk and honey, but with wine also ; as appears from that large bunch of grapes which two men car- ried between them upon a stall". 8th. Bacchus dried 75 up the rivers Orontes and Hydaspes, by striking them with his thyrsis, and passed through them, as Moses passed through the Red Sea. 9th. It is said also, that a little ivy-stick, thrown down by one of the Bacehee upon the ground, crept like a dragon, and twisted itself about an oak. And, 10. That the Indians once were all covered with darkness, while those Bacchae enjoyed a perfect day. From this you may collect, that the ancient inven- tion of fables have borrowed many things from the Holy Scriptures, to patch up their conceits. Thus Homer says, that Bacchus wrestled with Pallene, to whom he yielded ; which fable is taken from the his- tory of the angel wrestling with Jacob. In like manner Pausanias reports,, that the Greeks at Troy found an ark that was sacred to Bacchus ; which when Euripidus had opened, and viewed the statue of Bacchus laid therein, he was presently struck with madness : the ground of which fable is in the second book of Kings, where the Sacred History relates that the Bethshemites were destroyed by God, be- cause they looked with too much curiosity into the ark of the covenant. Wine and its effects are understood in this fable of Bacchus. He was educated by the Naiades, nymphs of the rivers and fountains ; whence men may learn to dilute their wine with water. Bacchus is naked, he cannot conceal any thing. Wine always speaks truth, it opens all the secrets of the mind. The poet says Bacchus has horns. " Accedant capiti cornua, Bacchus eris." — Ov. Ep. Saph. But put on horns, and Bacchus thou shalt be. Wine makes even the meanest people bold, inso- lent, and fierce, exercising their fury and rage against others, as a mad ox gores with his horns. He is crowned with ivy ; because that plant, be- 76 ing always green and flourishing, by its natural coldness assuages the heat occasioned by too much QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. In what respects do Bacchus and Nimrod resemble each other ? In what respects is Bacchus like Moses ? What does the fable of Bacchus teach ? CHAPTER VI. SEC. 1.— MARS. HIS IMAGE AND DESCENT. Mars is fierce and sour in his aspect ; terror is every where in his looks, as well as in his dress ; he sits in a chariot drawn by a pair of horses, which are driven by a distracted woman ; he is covered with armour, and brandishes a spear in his right hand, as though he breathed fire and death, and threatened every body with ruin and destruction. Mars, the god of war, who is often seen on horse- back, in a formidable manner, with a whip and a spear together. The dog was consecrated to him, for his vigilance in the pursuit of his prey ; the wolf, for his rapaciousuess ; the raven, because he dili- gently follows armies when they march, and watches for the carcasses of the slain.; and the cock, for his watchfulness, whereby he prevents all surprise. But, that you may understand every thing in the picture, observe, that the creatures which draw the chariot are not horses, but Fear and Terror. Sometimes Discord goes before them in tattered garments, and Clamour and Anger go behind. Yet some say, that Fear and Terror are servants to Mars ; and accord- ingly, he is not more awful and imperious in his com- mands, than they are ready and exact in their obe- dience. 77 * Fer galeam, Bellona mihi, nextfsques rotarum Tende, Pavor ; Fraena rapidos, Formido, jugales." Claud, in Ruf. My helmet let Bellona bring ; Terror my traces fit ; And, panic Fear, do thou the rapid driver sit. " Saevit medio in certamine Mavors, Ccelatus ferro, tristesque ex aethere Dirae, Et scissa gaudens vadit Discordia palla, Quam cum sanguineo sequitur Bellona flagello." Virg. JEn. 8. Mars in the middle of the shining shield Is grav'd, and strides along the liquid field. The Dirae come from heav'n with quick descent, And Discord, died in blood, with garments rent, Divides the press : her steps Bellona treads, And shakes her iron rod above their heads. Bellona is the goddess of war, and the companion of Mars ; or, as others say, his sister, or wife. She prepares for him his chariot and horses when he goes to fight. It is plain that she is called Bellona from helium. She is otherwise called Duellona from du- ellum, or from the Greek word /3fA»v» [belone] a " needle," whereof she is said to be the inventress. Her priests, the Bellonarii, sacrificed to her in their own blood ; they hold in each hand naked swords, with which they cut their shoulders, and wildly run up and down like men mad and possessed : upon which people thought, that (after the sacrifice was ended) they were able to foretell future events. Clau- dian introduces Bellona combing snakes ; and another poet describes her shaking a burning torch, with her hair hanging loose, stained and clotted with blood, and running through the midst of the ranks of the army, uttering horrid shrieks and dreadful groans, " Ipsa faciem quatiens, et flavam sanguine multo Sparsa ^oraara, medias acies Bellona pererrat. Stridet Tartarea nigro sub pectore Diva Lethiferum murmur." Sil. I. 6. Her torch Bellona waving through the air, Sprinkles with clotted gore her flaming hair, •7* 78 And through both armies up and down doth flee ; While from her horrid breast Tis.sipb.one A dreadful murmur sends. And in Homer we have a description of a battle in which Mars, Minerva, and Discord, are engaged : Loud clamours rose from various nations round ; Mix'd was the murmur, and confus'd the sound : Each host now joins, and each a god inspires ; These Mars incites, and those Minerva fires. Pale Flight around, and dreadful Terror reign ; And Discord, raging, bathes the purple plain. Discord, dire sister of the slaught'ring powY, Small at her birth, but rising every hour; While scarce the skies her horrid head can bound ; She stalks on earth, and shakes the world around ; The nations bleed where'er her steps she turns : The groan still deepens, and the combat burns. — Iliad. Before the temple of this goddess, there stood a pillar called Bellica, over which the herald threw a spear, when he proclai lived war. Mars is said to be the son of Jupiter and Juno, though, according to Ovid's story, he is the child of Juno only. He married Nerio or Nerione, which word in the Sabian language signifies " valour and strength," and from her the Claudian family derived the name of Nero. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION How is Mars represented ? How is his chariot drawn and driven ? What animals are consecrated to Mars ? Repeat the lines in Virgil. Who is Bellona ? Who is Bellonarii ? How is Bellona represented by Claudian ? Who was Mars ? Whom did he marry ? SEC. 2 —NAMES AND ACTIONS OF MARS. The name of Mars sets forth the power and influ- ence he has in war, where he presides over the sol- 79 diers ; and" his other name, Mavors, shows that all great exploits are executed and brought about through his means. The Greeks call him A^vs [Ares,] either from the destruction and slaughter which he causes ; or from the silence which is kept in war, where actions, not words, are necessary. But from whatever words this name is derived, it is certain that those famous names Areopagus and Areopagita, are derived from Af s;s. The Areopagus, that is, the " hill" or " moun- tain" of Mars, was a place at Athens, in which Mars, being accused of murder and incest, was forced to defend himself in a trial before twelve gods, and was acquitted by six voices ; from which time, that place became a court wherein were tried capital causes, and the things belonging to religion. The Areopa- gitne were the judges, whose integrity and credit was so great, that no person could be admitted into their society, unless he delivered in public an ac- count of his past life, and was found in every part thereof blameless. And, that the lawyers who plead- ed, might not blind the eyes of the judges by their charms of eloquence, they were obliged to plead their causes Without any ornaments of speech ; if they did otherwise, they were immediately com- manded to be silent. And, lest they should be moved to compassion by seeing the miserable con- ditions of the prisoners, they gave sentence in the dark, without lights ; not by words, but on paper ; hence, when a man speaks little or nothing, they used proverbially to say of him, that " He is as si- lent as one of the judges in the Areopagus." His name Gradivus comes from his stateliness in marching; or from his vigour in brandishing his spear. He is called Quirinus, from Curis or Quiris, signi- fying a spear ; whence comes securis or semicuris, a piece of a spear. And this name was afterward attri- 80 buted to Romulus, because he was esteemed the son of Mars ; from whom the Romans were called Quirites. Gradivus is the name of Mars when he rages ; and Quirinus, when he is quiet. And accordingly there were two temples at Rome dedicated to him ; one within the city, which was dedicated to Mars Quiri- nus, the keeper of the city's peace ; the other with- out the city, near the gate, to Mars Gradivus, the warrior, and the defender of the city against all out- ward enemies. The ancient Latins applied to him the title of Sa- lisubsulus, or " dancer," from salio, because his tem- per is very imconstant and Uncertain, inclining some- times to this side, and sometimes to that, in wars : whence we say, that the issue of battle is uncertain, and the chance dubious. But we must not think that Mars was the only god of war ; for Bellona. Victoria, Sol, Luna, and Pluto, used to be reckoned in the number of martial deities. It was usual with the Lacgedemonians to shackle the feet of the image of Mars, that he should not fly from them : and among the Romans, the priests Salii were instituted to look after the sacrifices of Mars, and go about the city dancing with their shields. The poets relate only one action of this terrible god : this is his attachment to Venus, and her treach- ery. Sol was the first that discovered it, and he immediately acquainted Vulcan, Venus' husband. Vulcan instantly made a net of iron, whose links were so small and slender, that it was invisible. By this the lovers were caught, Alectryon, Mars' fa- vourite, suffered punishment, because, when he was appointed to watch, he fell asleep, and so gave Sol an opportunity to slip in ; therefore Mars changed him into a cock, which to this day is so mindful of his old fault, that he constantly gives no- tice of the approach of the sun, by crowing. 81 QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION What does the name of Mars import ? What do tSie Greeks call him ? What names are derived from Aatie ? Who were the Areopagita? ? From what does Mars derive hi? name Gradivus ? Why is he called Quirinus ? On what account has he the title of Salisubsulus I What action is related of Mars ?■ Who discovered Venus' treachery, and what was done in con- sequence ? What happened to Alectryon ? SEC. 3.— THE STORY OF TEREUS ; AAD THE SACRI- FICES OF MARS. Tereus, the son of Mars, by the nymph Bistonis, married Progne, the daughter of Pandion, king of Athens, when he was king of Trace. This Progne had a sister called Philomela, a virgin in modesty and beauty inferior to none. She lived with her fa- ther at Athens. Progne, being desirous to see her sister, asked Tereus to fetch Philomela to her, with which he complied. Tereus fell desperately in love with Philomela j and as they travelled together, be- cause she refused to favour his addresses, he over- powered her, cut out her tongue, and threw her into a gaol ; and returning afterwards to his wife, pre- tended that Philomela died in her journey ; and that his story might appear true, he shed many tears and put on mourning. But injuries sharpen the wit, and a desire of revenge makes people cunning : for Philomela, though she was dumb, found out a way to tell her sister the villany of Tereus. She de- scribed the violence offered to her in embroi- dery, and sent the work folded up to her sister. Progne no sooner viewed it, than she was so trans- ported with passion that she could not speak, her thoughts being wholly taken up in contriving how she should avenge the affront. First, then, she has- tened to her sister^ and brought her home without 82 Tereus' knowledge. While she was thus meditating revenge, her young son Itys came and embraced his mother ; but she carried him aside into the remote parts of the house, and slew him while he hung about her neck, and called her mother. When she had killed him, she cut him into pieces, and dressed the flesh, and gave it Tereus for supper, who fed heartily on it. After supper he sent for his son Itys : Progne told him what she had done, and Philomela showed him his son's head. Tereus, incensed with rage, rushed on them both with his drawn sword ; but they fled away, and fear added wings to their flight : so that Progne became a swallow, and Phi- lomela a nightingale. Tereus was also changed into a hoopoe [upturn,] which is one of the filthiest of all birds. The gods out of pity changed Itys into a pheasant. Ovid Met. 6. To Mars were sacrificed the wolf for his fierce- ness ; the horse for his usefulness in war ; the wood- pecker and the vulture for their ravenousness ; the cock for his vigilance, which is a prime virtue among soldiers ; and grass, because it grows in towns laid desolate by war. Among the ancient rites belonging to Mars, the most memorable is the following : Whoever under- took the conduct of any war, went into the vestry of the temple of Mars ; and first shook the Ancilla, a holy shield, afterwards the spear of the image of Mars, and said " Mars, watch." Qui belli alicujus susceperat curam, sacrarmm Martis ingres- sus, primo Ancilia commovebat, post hastum simulacri ipsius > dicens, Mars, Vigila. Servius QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who was Tereus, and whom did he marry ? Give some account of the story of Philomela. [The pupil might shut the book, and write the story from memory, in bis own words.] Into what were Progne, Philomela, Tereus, and Itys meta- morphosed ? 83 What were the sacrifices offered to Mar?, and on what ac- count ? What rite did the ancient warriors perform before they vent out to battle ? CHAPTER VII EC. 1— THE CELESTIAL GODDESS, JUNO. HER IMAGE AND DESCENT. We have viewed the five celestial gods ; let us now look upon the goddesses that follow them in order. First observe Juno, riding in a golden chn- riot drawn by peacocks, holding a sceptre in her hand, and wearing a crown beset with roses and lilies. Juno's chariot is finely represented by Homer j and Hebe is mentioned as her attendant : — At her command rush forth the steeds divine ; Rich with immortal gold their trappings shine : Bright Hebe waits : by Hebe, ever young, The whirling wheels are to the chariot hang. On the bright axle turns the bidden wheel Of sounding brass ; the polish'd axle,, steel : Eight brazen spokes in radiant order flame ; Such as the heav'ns produce : and round the gold Two brazen rings of work divine were rolVd. The bossy naves, of solid silver, shone ; Braces of gold suspend the moving throne ; The car, behind, an arching figure bore ; The bending concave form'd an arch before ; Silver the beam, th' extended yoke was gold, And golden reins th' immortal coursers hold. Homer, Juno is the queen of the gods, and both the sister and wife of Jupiter : — " Jovisque Et soror et conjux." Virg. JEn. 1. Her father was Saturn, and her mother Ops ; she was born in the island Samos, and there lived till she was married.' 84 She serins very august and majestical. How beautiful is that face, how comely are all her limbs ? how well does a sceptre become those hands, and a crown that head ? how much beauty is there in her smiles ? She is full of majesty, and worthy of the greatest admiration. Her servant is Iris, the daughter of Thaumus and Electra, and sister to the Harpies. She is Juno's messenger, and Mercury is Jupiter's ; though Jupi- ter and the other gods, the Furies, nay, sometimes men have sent her on messages. Because of her swiftness she is painted with wings, and she some- times rides on a rainbow, as Ovid says : - : Effugit, et remeat per quos modo venerat areas." Met. 3. On the same bow she went she soon returns. It is her office to unloose the souls of women from the chains of the body, as Mercury unlooses those of men. We have an example of this in Dido, who laid violent hands on herself, for when she was al- most dead, Juno sent Iris to loose her soul from her body, as Virgil describes at large, in the fourth book of his iEneid : " Turn Juno omnipotens longum miserata dolorem, Diflicilesque obitus, Irim demisit Olympo, Quae luctantem animum nexosque resolveret artus. Ergo Iris croceis per ccelum roscida pennis, Mille trabens varios adverso Sole eolores, Devolat, et supra caput astitit : hunc ego Diti Sacrum jussa fero, teque isto corpore solvo. Sic ait, et dextra crinem secat : omnis et una Dilapsus calor, atque in ventos vita recessit." Then Juno, grieving that she should sustain A death so ling'ring, and so full of pain, Sent Iris down to free her from the strife Of laboring nature and dissolve her life. Downward the varioua goddess took her flight, And drew a thousand colours from the light ; Then stood about the dying lover's head, And said, I thus devote thee to the dead : This off'ring to the infernal gods I bear. 85 Thus while she spoke, she cut the fatal hair: The struggling soul was loos'd and life dissolv'd in air. But in this Iris differs from Mercury ; for he is sent both from heaven and hell, but she is sent from heaven only. He oftentimes was employed in mes- sages of peace, whence he was called the peacema- ker ; but Iris was always sent to promote strife and dissension, as if she were the goddess of discord : and therefore some think that her name was given to her from the contention which she perpetually creates ; though others say, she was called Iris, be- cause she delivers her messages by speech, and not in writing QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. How is Juno represented ? Repeat Homer's description of her chariot ? Who is Juno, and what relation does she bear to Jupiter and Saturn ? How is she represented with regard to her figure ? Who is Iris, and for what purpose was she employed ? How is she painted ? What office does Iris bear with respect to the souls of women ? In what does Iris differ from Mercury ? SEC. 2.— THE CHILDREN, AND DISPOSITION OF JUNO. Vuican, Mars, and Hebe, were the children of Juno by Jupiter. Although some say that Hebe had no other parent than Juno. Hebe, on account of her extraordinary beauty was, by Jupiter, made goddess of youth, and held the office of cupbearer of Jupiter, i But by an unlucky fall she offended the king of the gods, who turned her out from her office, and put Ganymede in her stead. Juno's worst fault was jealousy, of which the fol- lowing are instances. Jupiter loved Io, the daughter of Inachus. When Juno observed that Jupiter was absent from heaven she suspected the cause of his absence. Therefore she immediately flew down to the earth after him. As soon as Jupiter perceived 8 86 her coming, fearful of a chiding, he turned the young lady into a white cow. Juno seeing the cow, asked who she was, and what was her origin f Jupiter said, she was born on a sudden out of the earth. The cunning goddess, suspecting the matter, de- sired to have the cow T , which Jupiter could not re- fuse, lest he should increase her suspicion. So Ju- no, taking the cow, gave it to Argus to keep : this Argus had a hundred eyes, two of which in their turns slept, while the others watched. 1 Servandam tradidit Ars; Centum luminibus cinctum caput Argus habebat: Inde suis vicibus capiebant bina quietem ; Camera pcrvabaut. atque in statione manebant. Constiterat quocunque modo, spectabat ad Io ; Ante oculos Io, quamvis aversus, habebat." — Ov. Met. 1. The goddess then to Argus straight convey'd Her gift, and him the watchful keeper made. Argus' head a hundred eyes possest, And only two at once reelin'd to rest : The others watch'd, and, in a constant round, Refreshment in alternate courses found. Where'er he turn'd he always Io view'd ; Io he saw, though she behind him stood. Thus was Io under constant confinement ; nor was the perpetual vigilance of her keeper the only misfortune ; for she was fed with nothing but insipid leaves and bitter herbs. This hardship Jupiter could not. endure ; therefore, he sent Mercury to Ar- gus, to set Io free. Mercury, under the disguise of a shepherd, came to Argus, and with the music of his pipe lulled him asleep, and then cut off his head. Juno was grieved at Argus' death, and to make him some amends she turned him into a peacock, and scattered his hundred eyes about the tail of the bird. " Centumque oculos nox occupat una Excipit hos, volucrisque sure Saturnia pennis Collocat, et gemmis caudam stellautibus implet." There Argus lies ; and all that wond'rous light, Which gave his hundred eyes their useful sight. Lies buried now in one eternal night. 87 But Juno, that she might his eyes retain, Soon fix'd them in her gaudy peacock's train. Nor did her rage against Io cease, for she commit- ted her to the furies to be tormented. Despair and Anguish made her flee into Eygpt, where she beg- ged of Jupiter to restore her to her former shape. Her request being granted, she thenceforth took the name of Isis, the goddess of the Egyptians, and was worshipped with divine honours. Juno gave another evidence of her jealousy. For^_ when her anger against Jupiter was so violent that nothing could pacify her, king Citheeron advised Jupiter to declare that he intended to take another wife. The contrivance pleased him, wherefore he takes an oaken image, dressed very beautifully, and puts it into a chariot ; and declares publicly, that he is about to marry Platoea the daughter of iEsopus. The report came to Juno's ears, who immediately fell furiously upon the image, and tore its clothes, till she discovered the jest ; and laughing very hear- tily, she was reconciled to her husband. She was afterward called Citheronia, from king Citheeron^ the adviser of the trick. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who were Juno's children ? What was Hebe's office, how did she lose it, and who sug» ceeded her in it ? What was Juno's great fault? With whom was Jupiter enamoured ? Into what was Io metamorphosed by Jupiter, and Avhat ac- count did he give of the matter to his wife ? What did Juno do with Io in her new form ? What became of the eyes of Argus after his death ? Repeat the lines from Ovid What became of Io ? To what was Jupiter advised by Cithaeron, and what wa3 the Result ? SEC. 3.— NAMES OF JUNO. Juno was called Argiva, from the Argivi, among whom sacrifices were celebrated to her honour ; in which a hetacomb, that is, one hundred oxen, were sacrificed to her. They made her image of gold and ivory, holding a pomegranate in one hand, and a sceptre in the other ; upon the top, of which stood a cuckoo, because Jupiter changed himself into that bird, when he fell hi love with her Bunea, from Bunseus the son of Mercury, who built a temple to this goddess at Corinth. Coprotina, or the nones of July, that is, on the seventh day, maid-servants celebrated her festival, together with several free women, and offered sacri- fices to Juno under a iig-tree (cuprijicus) in memo- ry of the extraordinary virtue, which enabled the maid-servants to preserve the honour of the Roman name. For, after the city was taken, the enemy, determined to oppress the Romans, sent a herald to them, saying, if they desired to save the remain- der of their city from ruin, they must send them their wives and daughters. The senate was dis- tracted at the thought. A maid-servant named Phi- Jotis or Tuteja, took with her several other maid- servants, some dressed like mistresses of families, and some like virgins, and went over to the enemy. Livy, the dictator, disposed them about the camp ; they incited the men to drink much, because it was a festival : the wine made the soldiers sleep soundly ; and a sign being given from a wild fig-tree, the Ro- mans came and slew them all. These maid-servants were made free, and portions out of the public treasu- ry were given them : the day was afterwards called Nonse Caprotinse, from the wild fig-tree, whence they had the sign : and they ordered an anniversary sacrifice to Juno Caprotina to be celebrated under a wild fig-tree, the juice of which was mixed with the sacrifices in memory of the action. Curis or Curitis, from her spear, called Curis in the language of the old Sabines. The matrons were understood to be under her guardianship ; whence* 89 says Plutarch, the spear is sacred to her, and maay of her statues lean upon spears, and she herself i6 called Quiritis and Curitis. Hence springs the cus- tom, that the bride combs her hair with a spear found sticking in the body of a gladiator ; and taken out of him when dead, which spear was called Has- ta Celibaris. Crinis nubentium comebatur hasta celibari, qnee scilicet in corpore gladiatoris stetisset abjecti occisique. Festus. Arnob contra Gentes. Cingula, from the girdle which the bride wore when she was led to her marriage ; for this girdle was unloosed with Juno's good leave, who was thought the patroness of marriage. Dominduca and Interduca, from bringing home the bride to her husband's house. Egeria, because she promoted, as they believed, the facility of the birth. Quod earn partui egerendo opitulari crederent. Festus. Februalis, Februata, Februa, or Februla, because they sacrificed to her in the month of February. Her festivals was celebrated on the same day with Pan's feasts, when the Luperci, the priests of Pan, the god of shepherds, running naked through the city, and striking the women with Juno's cloak (that is, with the skin of a goat) purified them. The ani- mals sacrificed to Juno were a white cow, a swine, and a sheep : the goose and the peacock were also sacred to her. Juga, because she is the goddess of marriage. A street in Rome, where her altar stood, was hence called Jugarius : and anciently people used to enter into the yoke of marriage at that altar. She is also, hy some, called Socigena, because she assists in the coupling the bride and bridegroom. Lacinia, from the temple of Lacinium, built and -dedicated to her by Lacinius. 8* 90 Lucina and Lucilia, either from the grove, in which she had a temple, or from the light of this world, into which infants are brought by her. Ovid comprises both these significations in a distich. " Gratia Lucina, dedit hsec tibi nomina lucus. Vel quia principium tu, dea, lucis habes." — Fast. 2* Lucina, hail, so nam'd from thy own grove, Or from the light thou giv'st us from above. Nuptialis ; and when they sacrificed to her under this name, they took the gall out of the victim, and cast it behind the altar ; to signify that there ought to be no gall or anger between those who are mar- ried. Opigena, because she gives help to women in la- bour. Parthenos the virgin ; she was so called, as we are told, from this circumstance : there was a foun- tain among the Argivi, called Canathus, where Ju- no washing herself every year was thought to re- cover her youth and beauty. Perfecta, that is, perfect ; for marriage was es- teemed the perfection of human life. She was called Pronuba; marriages were not lawful unless Juno was first called upon. Regina, queen ; which title she gives herself, as we read in Virgil : " Ast ego, quae divum incedo regina, Jovisque Et soror et conjux." — JEn. 1. But I who walk in awful state above, The queen of heav'n, sister and wife of Jove. Sospita, because all the women were supposed to be under her safeguard, every one of which had a Juno, as every man had his Genius. Unxia was another of her names, because the posts of the door were anointed, where a new-mar- ried pair lived, whence the wife was called Uxor. ^ fawstTeysy 91 QUESTIONS FOR EXAMIXATIOX. Why was Juno called Argiva ? How did the Argivi represent her ? Give in writing the reasons for her name Caprotina. How did she obtain the name Curis and Curitis ? What custom arose from this ? Why was she named Cingula ? On what accounts was she named Dominduca and Interduo* £ Why was she called Februalis? What animals were sacrificed to her ? On what account was she named Juga, and Socigena ? Why is she called Lacinia and Lucina ? What circumstances took place when they sacrificed to Jun© under the name of Nuptialis ? Why was she called Parthenos, and why Perfecta? What title does she give herself in Virgil ? Why is she called Sospita and Unxia ? CHAPTER VIII. ^EC. 1.— MINERVA, OR PALLAS. HER IMAGE AN© BIRTH. Minerva — it may be asked why she is clothed with armour, rather than with women's clothes. What means the head piece of gold, and the crest that glit- ters so ? To what purpose has she a golden breast- plate, and a lance in her right hand, and a terrible shield in her left ? On her shield is a grisly head beset with snakes : and the cock and owl are paint- ed on it. Minerva is armed, rather than dressed in women's clothes, because she is the president and inventress of war. The cock stands by her because he is a fighting bird, and is often painted sitting on her head- piece. The head, which seems so formidable with snakes, she not only carries on her shield, but sometimes also in the midst of her breast ; it is the head of Medusa, one of the Gorgons, of which Virgil gives a beauti- 92 lul description. The Basilisk is also sacred to her, to denote the great sagacity of her mind, and the dreadful effects of her courage, she being the god- dess both of wisdom and of war ; for the eye of the basilisk is not only piercing enough to discover the smallest object, but it is able to strike dead whatso- ever creature it looks on. She wears an olive crown, because it is the emblem of peace ; and war is only made that peace may follow. Though there is another reason, too, why she wears the olive : for she first taught mankind the use of that tree. When Cecrops built a new city, Neptune and Minerva contended about its name ; and it was resolved, that whichsoever of the two deities found out the most use- ful creature to man, should give their name to the city. Neptune brought a horse ; and Minerva caused an olive to spring out of the earth, which was judged a more useful creature to man than the horse : therefore, Minerva named the city, and call- ed it Athenae, after her own name, in Greek 'a&jv*. The most celebrated of the statues of Phidias, after that of Jupiter Olympius, was the statue of Mi- nerva in her temple at Athens : it was thirty-nine feet high. History mentions five Minervas. We shall speak of that only which was born of Jupiter, and to whom the rest are referred. The account given of her birth was this : when Jupiter saw that his wife Juno had no children, he through grief struck his fore- head, and after three months brought forth Minerva : whence she was called Tritonia : Vulcan "^striking his head with the blow of a hatchet, was amazed to see an armed virago leap out of the brain of her fa- ther, instead of a tender infant. " De capitis fertur sine matre paterni Vertice, cum clypeo prosiluisse suo. * Lucian. in Dial. Deor. 93 Out of her father's scull, as they report, Without a mother, all in arms leaped forth. They say besides, that it rained gold in the island of Rhodes, when Minerva was born, an observation made by Claudian also. " Auratos Rhodii.s imbres, nascente Minerva, Induxisse Jovem ferunt." At Pallas' birth, great Jupiter, we're told, Bestrevv'd the Rhodians with a shower of gold. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. From what does Minerva derive her name ? How is she represented, and what are the figures represented nn the shield ? Why is she armed, and what does the cock signify ? Why is the basilisk sacred to Minerva ? Why does she wear an olive crown ? How did Athens derive its name ? Which is the most celebrated statue of Minerva ? What was the origin of Minerva ? What happened at Rhodes w r hen Minerva was born ? SEC. 2.— NAMES OF MINERVA. Minerva is so called from diminishing, [a minis.] And it is very true, that she,, being the goddess of war, diminishes the number of men, and deprives families of their head, and cities of their members. But the name may be derived from threatenings, be- cause her looks threaten the beholders with violence, and strike them with terror. Or, perhaps, she has her name from the good admonition she gives ; be- cause she is the goddess of wisdom. She is com- monly thought to be wisdom itself ; hence, when men pretend to teach those that are wiser than them- selves, it is proverbially said, Sus Minervam, ?««• 'A0*»«v, Cic. 9. Epist. 18, " That sow teaches Mi- nerva." The Greeks call her iYthena, because she never sucked the breast of a mother or nurse ; for she was born out of her father's head, in full strength, and 94 was therefore called motherless. Plato says she had this name from her skill* in divine a fairs. Others think she was so named, -(-because she is never en- slaved, but enjoys the most perfect freedom, as the Stoics well observe, who say. The philosopher is the only freeman. Liber nemo est nisi sapiens. Tollius in Paradox. She is Called Pallas, from a giant of the same name, whom she slew : or from the lake Pallas, where she was first seen by men ; or, lastly, which is more probable, from brandishing J her spear in war. She had many other names; but we shall only mention two or three, after we have given some ac- count of the Palladium. The Palladium was an image of Pallas, preserved in the castle of the city of Troy ; for while the cas- tle and temple of Minerva were building, they say, this image fell from heaven into it, before it was co- vered with a roof. This raised every body's admi- ration ; and when the oracle of Apollo was consult- ed, he answered, " That the city should be safe so long as that image remained within it." Therefore, when the Grecians besieged Troy, they found that it was impossible to take the city, unless the Palla- dium was taken out of it. This business was left to Ulysses and Diomedes, who undertook to creep into the city through the common sewers, and bring away the fatal image. When they had performed the task, Troy was taken without difficulty. Some say it was not lawful for any person to remove the Palla- dium, or even to look upon it. Others add, that it was made of wood, so that it was a wonder how it could move the eyes and shake the spear. Others, * 'A.4r,cc quisa St^ycv, vel 'Hfavov, hoc est, quae divina cogni- scit. Plato in Clatyio. t Ab a non et S-r,ra,c-$xi servire. $ Asra t£ ztkxkuv [tritori] a word whicli in the old Boeotian and iEolic languages signifies a head,, because she was born from Jupiter's head. Yet, before we leave the lake Triton, let me tell you the ceremonies that were performed upon the banks of it in honour of Minerva. A great concourse of peo- ple out of the neighbouring towns assembled to see the following performance : all the virgins came in companies, armed with clubs and stones, and on a sign being given, they assaulted each other ; she who was first killed was not esteemed a virgin, and therefore her body was disgracefully thrown into the lake ; but she who received the most and the deepest wounds, and did not desist, was carried home in tri- umph in a chariot, in the midst of the acclamations and praises of the whole company. Epyocrt^ [Ergatis~\ operarin, " workwoman" was her name among the Samians, her worshippers ; because she invented divers arts, especially the art of spinning, as we learn from the poets : thus the distaff is ascribed to her, and sometimes she is call- ed Minerva, from her name, because she was the in- ventress of it. Although Minerva so much excelled all others in spinning, yet Arachne, a young lady of Lydia, very skilful at spinning, challenged her in this art ; but it proved her ruin ; for the goddess tore her work, and struck her forehead with a spoke of the wheel. This disgrace drove her into despair, so that she hanged herself; but Pallas, out of com- passion, brought her again to life, and turned her into a spider, which continues still employed in spinning : " Frontem percussit Arachnes ; Kon tulit infaelix, laqneoque animosa ligavit 9? Gultura, pendentein Pallas miseratalevavit : \toue ita, Vive quidem, pende tamen, improba dixit. ' Ov. Met. 6. Arachne thrice upon the forehead smote ; Whose great heart brooks it not > about her throat A rope she ties : remorseful Pallas staid Her falling weight: — Live wretch, yet hang, she said. She is called Musica ; because, says Pliny, the dragons or serpents on her shield, which, instead of hair encompassed the Gorgon's head, did ring and resound, as if the strings of a harp near them were touched. But it is more likely that she was so na- med, because she invented the pipe ; ujpn which, when she played by the river-side, and saw in the water how much her face was swelled and deformed by blowing it, she was moved with indignation, and threw it aside, saying, the sweetness of the music is too dear, if purchased with so much loss. Glaucopis was another of her names ; because her eyes, like the eyes of an owl, Were gray or sky- coloured, that is, of a green colour mixed with white. She was also called Pylotis, from a Greek word, signifying a " gate :" for, as the image of Mars was set up in the suburbs, so her efil^y or picture was pjaced on the city gates, or doors of houses; by which they signified, that we ought to use our wea- pons abroad, to keep the enemy from entering our towns ; but in the town we must use the assistance of Minerva, not of Mars ; that is, the state ought to be governed at home by prudence, counsel, and law. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMLXATIOX. What are the reasons given for the name Minerva ? What proverb has her great wisdom furnished, and what doe* the term Minervale signify ? Why is she called Athena ? Why is she named Palias ? Give some account in writing of the Palladium. Why was she called Parthenos ? What is the history of Tiresias ? What is related of Neptune and Medusa ? 9 Why was Minerva named Tritonia ? What ceremony was performed on the banks of the lake Triton ? Why is Minerva called Ergatis ? Repeat the lines from Ovid. Why is Minerva called Musica ? Why is she named Glaucopis ? Why is she called Pylotis ? What inference is drawn from the circumstance? SEC. 3.— THE SIGNIFICATION OF THE FABLE. By the story of Minerva, the poets intended to re- present wisdom ; that is, true and skilful knowledge, joined wi% discreet and prudent manners. They hereby signify also the understanding of the noblest arts, and the accomplishments of the mind ; like- wise the virtues, and especially chastity : for, 1. Minerva is said to be born out of Jupiter's brain : because the wit and ingenuity of man did not invent the useful sciences, which, for the good of men were derived from the brain of Jupiter ; that is, from the inexhausted fountain of the divine wisdom, whence not only the arts and sciences, but the bless- ings of wisdom and virtue also proceed. 2. Pallas was born armed ; because a wise man's soul being fortified with wisdom and virtue, is invin- cible : he is prepared and armed against fortune ; in dangers he is intrepid, in crosses unbroken, in calamities impregnable. Thus, though the image of Jupiter perspires in bad weather, yet as Jupiter him- self is dry and unconcerned, so a wise man's mind is hardened against the assaults that fortune can make upon his body. 3. She invented and exercised the art of spinning ; and hence other young women may learn, if they would preserve their good character, never to in- dulge idleness, but to employ themselves continu- ally in some sort of work ; after the example of Lucretia. 4. As the spindle and the distaff were the inven- Wmrnj I 99 tion of Minerva, so they are the arms of eve rj ^vir- tuous woman. For which reason those instrument, were formerly carried before the bride when shewas brought to her husband's hoS?e? and somewheic it is a custom, at the funeral of wo^en, to throw the distaff and spindle into the grave with ^ em '. , 5. An owl, a bird seeing in the dark, w^ s ? c * . g to Minerva, and painted upon her images, whn^ the representation of a- wise man, who, scattering ajid dispelling the clouds of ignorance and error, is clear sighted where others are stark blind. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. What do the poets represent by the story of Minerva ? Why is Minerva said to have originated from Jupiter's brain? Why was she said to be born armed ? What lesson should Minerva teach as the inventress of spin- ning ? Why were the spindle and distaff carried before the bride, when she went to her husband's house ? What does the owl represent as sacred to Minerva ? CHAPTER IX. 3EC. 1.— VENUS. HER IMAGE. HER DESCENT. Turn your eyes now to a sweet object, and view that goddess in whose countenance the graces sit playing, and discover all their charms. You see a pleasantness, a mirth, and joy in every part of her face. Observe with what becoming pride she holds up her head and views herself, where she finds nothing but joys and soft delights. She is clothed with a purple mantle glittering with diamonds. By her side stand two Cupids, and round her are three Graces, and after follows the lovely beautiful Ado- nis, who holds up the goddess' train. The chariot in which she rides is made of ivory, finely carved, 100 and beautifully parted and gilded; It is drawn bv swans and doves, or swallows as Venus directs, when she pleases to ride. 1 V « nUS 5 , wh ° m in mr " ' honourable terms men style tne goddess oi t> e Graces," the author of elegance, S th neai ' Vess ' delight, and cheerfulness, is in re- ofiv mistress, president, and patron of all manner J, 'lentiousness ; and it should seem, by the wor- kup which was formerly pa4d to her, that men used at that period to erect altars to, and deify their vices ; that they hallowed the greatest impieties with frank- incense, and thought to ascend into heaven by the steps of their iniquities. You will see her sometimes painted like a young virgin rising from the sea, and riding in a sheil ; at other times like a woman holding the shell in her hand, her head being crowned with roses. Some- times her picture has a silver looking-glass in one hand, and on the feet are golden sandals and buc- kles. In the pictures of the Sicyonians, she holds a poppy in one hand, and an apple in the other. At Elis she was painted treading on a tortoise; showing thereby that young women ought not to. ramble abroad ; and that married women ought to keep silence, love their home, and govern their fa- mily. She wore a girdle or belt, called Cestus ; in which all kinds of pleasures were folded, and which was supposed to excite irresistible affection. Some give her arrows ; . and make Python Suada, the goddess of eloquence, her companion. We learn from several authors, that there were four Venuses, born of different parents, but this Ve- nus of whom we speak was the most eminent, and had the beauties as well as the disgraces of the others commonly ascribed to her. She sprang from the froth of the sea. She was by the Greeks called Aphrodite, ex *0g»« spuma. As soon as she was born, she wa? laid, like a pearl, in a shell instead oi a cradle ; and was driven, by Zephyrus upon island Cythera, where the Horae, or hours, re- ceived, educated, accomplished, and adorned her ; and, when she came of age, carried her into heaven, and presented her to the gods, all of whom, being taken with her beauty, desired to marry her : but she was at length betrothed to Vulcan, and married to him. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. How is Venus described ? By whom is she attended ? How is her chariot drawn ? What different descriptions are given of her ? What may be inferred from the worship paid to Venus ? How is she painted ? How is she painted at Elis, and what does that denote ? What was she called by the Greeks ? What happened to her as soon as she was born ? By whom was she educated, and who did she marry ? • SEC. 2 —NAMES OF VENUS. She is called Venus, says Cicero, because alfr things are subject to the laws of love. Or else, as others say, her name is given her because she is emi- nently beautiful ; for she is the goddess of beauty. Or lastly, she is so called, because she was a stran- ger or foreigner to the Romans ; for she was first wor- shipped by the Egyptians, and from the Egyptians she was translated to the Greeks, and from them to the Romans. Let us now proceed to her other- names. Arnica, Er«<^ [Hetaira] was a name given her by the Athenians ; because she joins lovers together j and this Greek word is used both in good and bad senses. Armata, because when the Spartan women sallied out of their town, besieged by the Messenians, and beat them, a temple was dedicated to Venus Ar- mata. 9* 102 Apaturia, that is " the deceiver," for nothing is more deceitful than love, which flatters our eyes and pleases us, like roses in their finest colours, but at the same time leaves a thorn in the heart. She was called by the Romans Barbata ; because, when the Roman women were so troubled with a disease that caused their hair to fall off, they pray- ed to Venus, and their hair grew again; upon which they made an image of Venus with a comb, and gave it a beard, that she might have the signs of both sexes. Cypris, Cypria, and Cyprogenia, because she was worshipped in the island of Cyprus : Cytheris and Cytherea ; from the island of Cythera, whither she was first carried in a sea-shell. There was a temple at Rome dedicated to Venus Calva ; because when the Gauls possessed that city, ropes for the engines were made with the women's hair. Erycina, from the mountain Eryx in the island of Sicily ; upon which iEneas built a splendid and fa- mous temple to her honour, because she was his mo- ther. Horace makes mention of her under this name. She is properly called Ridens, and Homer calls her a lover of laughing : for she is said to be born laughing, and thence called the " goddess of mirth." Hortens. , because she looks after the production of seed and plants in gardens. And Festus tells us, that the word Venus is by Naevius put for herbs, as Ceres is for bread, and Neptunus for fish. Idalia and Acidalia from the mountain Idalus, in the island of Cyprus, and the fountain Acidalius, in Bceotia. Marina, because she was born of the sea, to which Ausonius refers in his poem. " Orta salo, suscepta 3 olo, patre edida Coelo." Heav'n gave her life, the sea a cradle gave, And earth's wide regions her with joy receive. 103 She is called Aphroditus and Anadyomne, that is> emerging out of the waters, as Apelles painted her ; and Pontia, from Pontus. Hence came the custom, that those who had escaped any danger by water, used to sacrifice to Venus. Hence also the mari- ners observed those solemnities called Aphrodisia^ which Plutarch describes in a treatise against Epi- curus. Melanis, or Melsenis, that is dark and concealed ; whence the Egyptians worshipped a Venus, called Scoteia, a goddess to be admired in the night. Migonitis signifies her power in the management of love. Therefore, Paris dedicated the first temple to Venus Migonitis. Paphia, from the city Paphos in the island of Cy- prus, where they sacrificed flowers and frankincense to her. And this is mentioned by Virgil : " Ipsa paphum sublimis adit, sedesque revisit Lata suas, ubi templum illi, centumque Sabaso Thure calent arae, sertisque recentibus halant." — JEn. 1, This part performed, the goddess flies sublime To visit Paphos arid her native clime ; Where garlands, ever green and ever fair, With vows are ofter'd, and with solemn pray'r : A hundred altars in her temple smoke, A thousand bleeding hearts her pow'r invoke. Her name Verticordia, signifies the power of love to change hearts, and to ease the minds of men from all cares that perplex them. Ovid mentions this power, and for the same reason Venus is called in the Greek Epistrophia. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Why is she called Arnica and Armata ? Why was she called Apaturia and Barbata ? Why was she denominated Cypris and Cytheris ? Why was a temple dedicated to Venus Calva at Rome ? Why was she called Erycina and Ridens ? Why was she denominated Hortensi3 Idalia ? and Acidaha ? 104 How did she derive her names Marina and Aphroditis? Why is she cailed Melsenis, and why Migonitis ? Why is she called Paphia and Verticordia ? SEC. 3.— ACTIONS OF VENUS. Pygmalion, a statuary, considering the great in- conveniences of marrying, had resolved to live sin- gle ; but afterward making a most elegant and arti- licial image of Venus, he fell so much in love with his own workmanship that he begged Venus to turn it into a woman, and enliven the ivory. His wish- es were granted, and of her he had Paphos, from whom the island Paphos had its name. Ovid Met. 10. Pyramus and Thisbe were both inhabitants of the city of Babylon ; equal in beauty, age, condition, and fortune. They began to love each other from their cradles. Their houses were contiguous, so that their love arose from their neighbourhood, grew greater by their mutual play, and was perfected by their singular beauty. This love increased with their years, and in due time, they begged their pa- rents' consent ; which was refused, because of some former quarrels between the two families. And that the children might not attempt any thing against their parents' will, they were not permitted to see each other. There was a partition-wall between both houses, in which wall there was a small chink, never discovered by any of the servants. This cre- vice the lovers found, and met here : their words and their sighs went through, but kisses could not pass ; which, when they parted, they printed on each side of the wall. By some contrivance they met and agreed upon an interview under the shade of a large mulberry tree, which stood near a foun- tain. When night came on, Thisbe deceived her keepers, and escapes first, and flies into the wood \. for love gave her wings. When she got to the ap-* 105 pointed place, a lioness fresh from the slaughter of some cattle, came to drink at the fountain. Thisbe was so frightened that she ran into a cave, and in her flight her veil fell from her head ; the lioness return- ing from the fountain, found the veil, and tore it with her jaws besmeared with blood. Pyramus comes next, and sees the print of a wild beast's foot, and finds the veil of Thisbe bloody and torn. He, ima- gining that she was killed and devoured by the wild beast, »grew distracted, and hastened to the ap- pointed tree ; but not finding: Thisbe. he threw him- self upon his sword, and <"W' ^^llsbe in the mean time, recovered from her .right, came to the mul- berry tree, where she saw^i^yramus in the struggles of death : she embraced her dying lover, mingled her tears with his blood, and folding her arms about him, called upon him to answer her, but he was speechless, and looking up expired. Thisbe, dis- tracted with grief, tore her cheeks, beat her breast, rent her hair, and shed a deluge of tears upon his cold face ; nor did she cease to mourn, till she per- ceived her veil, bloody and torn, in Pyramus' hand. She then understood the occasion of his death, and drew the sword from the body of her lover, plunged it into her own, and falling accidentally on him, gave him a cold kiss, and breathed her last breath into his bosom. The tree, warmed with the blood of the slain lovers, became sensible of their misfor- tune, and mourned. Its berries, which were before white, became red with grief, and blushed for the death of Pyramus ; when Thisbe also died, the ber- ries then became black and dark, as if they had put on mourning. Such were the fatal effects of love. In the next place hear the story of Atalanta and Hippomenes. She was the daughter of the king Schaeneus, or Cameus. It was doubted whether her beauty or swiftness in running were greater. When she consulted the oracle, whether she should marry 106 or not, this answer was given, "That marriage would be fatal to her." Upon which the virgin hid herself in the woods, and lived in places remote from the conversation of men. But the more she avoided them, the more eagerly they courted her ; for her disdain inflamed their desires, and her pride raised their adoration. At last, when she saw she could not otherwise deliver herself from the impor- tunity of her lovers, she made this agreement with them : " You court me in vain ; he who overtakes me in running shall be my husband j but they who are beaten by me i&all suffer death ; I will be the victor's prize, but the vanquishers punishment. If these terms please, go with me into the field." They all agreed to these conditions : " Venit ad hanc legem tenieraria turba procorum." Ov. Met. 10. All her mad wooers take the terms propos'cL They strove to outrun her ; but they were all beaten and put to death according to the agree- ment ; suffering the loss of their lives for the fault of their feet. Yet the example of these lovers did not deter Hippomenes from undertaking the race, who entertained hopes of winning the victory, be- cause Venus had given him three golden apples, gathered in the gardens of the Hesperides, and also told him how to use them. Hippomenes briskly set out and began the race ; and when he saw that Atalanta overtook him, he threw down a golden ap- ple ; the beauty of it enticed her so that she went out of her way, followed the apple, and took it up, " Declinat cursus, aurumque volubile tollit." She, greedy of the shining fruit, steps back To catch the rolling gold. Afterward he threw down another, which she pursued also to obtain ; and again a third ; so that 107 while Atalanta was busied in gathering them up, Hippomenes reached the goal, and took the lady as the prize of his victory. But forgetful of the grati- tude and respect due to Venus, he met with a signal punishment. Himself and Atalanta were turned into a lion and lioness. Another proof of the fatal effects of love is the case of Paris and Helena. Paris was the son of Priamus, king of Troy, by Hecuba. His mother, when she was pregnant, dreamed that she brought forth a burning torch : and asking the oracle for an interpretation, was answered, " That it portended the burning of Troy," and that the fire should be kindled by her son. Therefore, as soon as the child was born, he was exposed upon the mountain Ida : where the shepherds brought him up privately, edu- cated him, and called him Paris. When he was grown to man's estate, he gave such tokens of singu- lar prudence and equity in deciding controversies, that on a great difference which arose among the goddesses, they referred it to his judgment to be de- termined. The goddess *Discordia was the occa- sion of this contention : for, because all the gods and goddesses, except herself, were invited to the marriage of Peleus, she was angry, and resolved to revenge the disgrace ; therefore, when they all met and set down at the table, she came in privately, and threw down upon the table an apple of gold, on which was this inscription, " Let the fairest take it." Hence arose a quarrel among the goddesses, for every one thought herself the most beautiful. But at last, all the others yielded to the three supe- rior goddesses, Juno, Pallas, and Venus ; who dis- puted so eagerly, that Jupiter himself was not able to bring them to agreement. He resolved therefore to leave the final determination of it to the judgment * Dion. Chrysost. Orat. 20. Philostrat. in Icon, t Pulchrior accipiat, vel, Detur pulchriori. 106 of Paris ; so that she should have the apple to whom Paris should adjudge it. The goddesses consent, and call for Paris, who was then feeding sheep upon a mountain. They tell him their business, and court his favour with great promises : Juno promised to reward him with power, Pallas with wisdom, and Venus promised him the most beautiful woman in the world. He pronounced Venus the fairest, and assigned to her the apple of gold. Ve- nus did not break her promise to Paris ; for in a little time Paris was owned to be king Priam's son, and sailed into Greece with a great fleet, under the colour of an embassy, to fetch away Helena, the most beautiful woman in the world, who was be- trothed to Menelaus, king of Sparta, and lived in his house. When he came, Menelaus was from home, and, in his absence, Paris carried away Helena to Troy. Menelaus demanded her, but Paris refused to send her back ; and this occasioned that fatal war between the Greeks and Trojans, in which Troy, the metropolis of all Asia, was taken and burnt, in the year of the world 2871. There were killed eight hundred sixty-eight thousand of the Grecians ; among whom Achilles, one of their generals, lost his life by the treachery of Paris himself. There were slain six hundred and seventy-six thousand of the Trojans, from the beginning of the war to the taking of the city, among whom Paris himself was killed by Pyrrhus or Philoctetes ; and his brother Hector, the pillar of his country, was killed by Achilles. When the city was taken and burnt, king Priamus, the father of Paris and Hector, at once lost all his children, his queen Hecuba, his kingdom and his life. Helena, after Paris was kill- ed, married his brother Deiphobus : yet she at length betrayed the castle to the Grecians, and admitted Menelaus into her chamber to kill Deiphobus : by which, it is said, she was reconciled to the favour of 109 Menelaus again. These things, however, belong rather to history than to fable. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. What happened to Pygmalion ? Can you give in short the story of Pyramus and Thisbe ? Give the story of Atalanta and Hippomenes. Give an abridged account of the fates of Paris and Helena. SEC. 4.— THE COMPANIONS OF VENUS ; VIZ. HYME- NiEUS, THE CUPIDS, THE GRACES, ADONIS. The first of Venus' companions was the god Hy- meneeus. He presided over marriage, and was the protector of young unmarried women. He was the son of Bacchus and Venus Urania, born in Attica, where he used to rescue virgins carried away by thieves, and restore them to their parents. He was of a very fair complexion ; crowned with the ama- racus or sweet marjoram, and sometimes with roses ; in one hand he carried a torch, in the other a veil of flame colour, to represent the blushes of a virgin. Newly married women offered sacrifices to him, as they did also to the goddess Concordia. Cupid was the next of Venus' companions. He is called the god of love, and many different parents are ascribed to him, because there were many Cupids. Plato says he was born of Penia, the goddess of poverty, by Poros, the son of Coun- sel and Plenty. Hesiod relates, that he was born of Chaos and Terra. Sappho derives him from Ve- nus and Ccelum. Alcreus says he was the son of Lite and Zephyrus. Simonides attributes him to Mars and Venus ; and Alcmteon, to Zephyrus and Flora. But whatever parents Cupid had, this is plain, he always accompanies Venus, either as a son or a servant. The poets speak of two Cupids. One of which k an ingenious youth, the son of Venus and Jupiter, a celestial deity ; the other the son of .Erebus and Nox, 10 110 [Hell and Night,] a vulgar god, whose companions are drunkenness, sorrow, enmity, contention, and such kind of plagues. One of these Cupids is call- ed Eros, and the other Anteros ; both of them are hoys, and naked, and winged, and blind, and armed with a bow and arrows and a torch. They have two darts of different natures ; a golden dart which procures love, and a leaden dart which causes ha- tred. Anteros is also the god who avenges slight- ed love. Although this be the youngest of all the celestial gods, yet his power is so great, that he is esteemed the strongest, for he subdues them all. Without his assistance, his mother Venus is weak, and can do nothing, as she herself confesses in Virgil. " Nate, raeae vires, mea magna potentia, solus." J£n. 4. Thou art my strength, O son, and power alone. He is naked because the lover has nothing of his own, but deprives himself of all that he has, for his mistress' sake. Cupid is a boy, because he is void of judgment. His chariot is drawn by lions, for the rage and fierceness of no creature is greater than the extrava- gance and madness of violent love. He is blind, because a lover does not see the faults of his beloved object, nor consider in his mind the mischief pro- ceeding from that passion. He is winged, because nothing flies swifter than love, for he who loves to- day, may hate to-morrow. Lastly, he is armed with arrows, because he strikes afar off. The Graces called *Charites, were three sisters, the daughters of Jupiter and Eurynome, or Euno- mia, as Orpheus says, or rather, as others say, the daughter of Bacchus and Venus. The first was * Xafirts dictae uto rfis X«/x*? i. e. a gaudio. Ill called * Aglaia, from her cheerfulness, her beauty, or her worth ; because kindness ought to be perform- ed freely and generously. The second, fThalia, from her perpetual verdure ; because kindness ought never to die, but to remain fresh always in the re- ceiver's memory. The third, JEuphrosyne, from her cheerfulness ; because we ought to be free and cheerful, as well in doing as in receiving a kindness. These sisters were painted naked, or in transpa- rent and loose garments, young and merry, with hands joined. One was turned from the beholder, as if she was going from him ; the other two turned their faces, as if they were coming to him ; by which we understand, that when one kindness is done, thanks are twice due ; once when received, and again when if is repaid. The Graces are naked, because kindnesses ought to be done in sincerity and candour, and with- out disguise. They are young, because the memo- ry, of kindness received ought never to grow old. They are virgins, because kindness ought to be pure, without expectation of requital. Their hands are joined, because one good turn requires another; there ought to be a perpetual intercourse of kind- ness and assistance among friends. ? Adonis was the son of Cinyras, king of Cyprus, and Myrrha. As he was very handsome, Venus took great delight in him, and loved his company. When he hunted, a boar gored him with his tusks, and killed him. Venus bewailed his death with much sorrow and concern, and changed his blood, which was shed on the ground, into the flower ane- mone, which ever since has retained the colour of blood. While she flew to assist him, being led by his dying voice, a thorn ran into her foot, and the * Aykaix id est, splendor, honestas, vel dignitas. f OaXc&la (nam 3-u\iix est Musee noraen) id est, veriditas et cinnitas a SaXXw vireo. I Esfyofftmij id est, laetitia et urbanitas. Vide Hesiod, in Theqgi. 112 blood that came thence fell on the rose, which be- fore was white, but thereby made red. Venus besought of, and obtained from Jupiter, that he should return to life for six months in every year ; so that Adonis revives and dies in incessant succession. In Greece, Phoenicia, and some other countries, festivals were appointed expressive of this circumstance : the solemnity continued several days ; the first part being spent in lamentations for hi$ loss, and the second in joy for his restoration. QUESTIONS FOB EXAMINATION. Who was Hymeneeus, and of whom was he the protector ? Whose son was he, and how was he represented? Who was Cupid, and whose son was he said to be ? How many Cupids do the poets describe, and" how are they represented ? What is his character with regard to power ? Why is he represented naked ? How is his chariot drawn ? Why is he represented blind, winged, and armed with arrows ? Who were the Graces, and what were their names ? How are they represented in paintings ? Why are they said to be ever young, naked, and with their hands joined ? Who was Adonis ? what was the cause and consequences of his death ? CHAPTER X. LATONA. Latona was the daughter of Phcebe, by Caeus the Titan. So great was her beauty, that Jupiter fell in love with her, which excited the jealousy of Juno, who caused her to be cast out of heaven to the earth ; not contented with this, she obliged Terra, by an oath, not to give her a habitation, and be- sides she set the serpent Python upon her, to per- 113 secute her wherever she went. Juno, however, was disappointed, for the island Delos received Latona, where, under a palm or an olive tree, she brought forth Diana ; who, as sobn as she was born, nursed and took care of her brother Apollo. Her reception at Delos, notwithstanding the oath of Terra, is thus accounted for. This island for- merly floated in the sea, and they say that at the time it was hidden under the waters, when Terra took her oath, but that it emerged afterwards by the order of Neptune, and became fixed and immovea- ble for Latona's use, from which time it was called Delos, because it was visible like other places. The island Delos emerged for Latona's use, be- cause it was sister to Latona. Some say, that her name was formerly Asteria, whom Jupiter loved and courted, but she was converted into an island : others report that she was converted into a quail, (Ovid Met. 15,J and flew into this island, which was, therefore, among other names, called Ortygia. Ni- obe's pride, and the barbarity of the countrymen of Lycia, increase the fame of this goddess. Niobe was the daughter of Tantalus, and the wife of Amphion, king of Thebes. She was so enriched with all the gifts of nature and fortune, and her hap- piness so great, that she could not bear it : being puffed up with pride, and full of self-conceit, she be- gan to despise Latona, and to esteem herself the greater, saying : " is any happiness to be compared to mine, who am out of the reach of fortune ? She may rob me of much wealth, but she cannot injure me, since she must leave me still very rich. Does any one's wealth exceed mine ? Is any one's beauty like mine ? Have I not seven most beautiful daughters, and as many ingenious and handsome sons ? And have I not, therefore, reason to be proud?" In this manner she boasted of her happiness, and de- spised others : but her pride, in a short time, depri- 10* 114 ved her of all the happiness which she possessed, and reduced her from the height of good fortune to ihe lowest degree of misery. For when Latona saw herself despised, and her sacrifices disturbed by Nio- be, she appointed Apollo and Diana to punish the injury that was offered to their mother. Immediate- ly they went with their quivers well filled with arrows, to Niobe's house ; where first they killed the sons, then the daughters, and next the father, in the sight of Niobe, who by that means was stupified with grief, till at length she was turned into marble, which, because of this misfortune, is said to shed ma- ny tears to this day. — Ovid Met. 6. The rustics of the country of Lycia in Asia, did also experience the anger of Latona to their ruin ; for when she wandered in the fields, the heat of the weather and toil of her journey brought such a drought upon her that she almost fainted for thirst. At last discovering a spring in the bottom of the val- ley, she ran to it with great joy, and fell on her knees to drink the cool waters : ————'•' Gelidos potura liquores." To quenc\ her thirst with the refreshing stream. But the neighbouring clowns hindered her, and bid her depart. She earnestly begged leave, and they denied it : she did not desire she said to injure the stream by washing herself in it, but only to quench her thirst. " Quid prohibetis aquas ? usus communis aquarum ; Nee solem proprium natura, nee aera fecit, Nee tenues undas. Ad publica munera veni. Quae tamen ut detis supplex peto. Non ego nostros Abluere hie artus,, lassataque membra parabam : Sed releyare sitim. Caret os humore loquentis, Et fauces arent, vixque est via vocis in illis. Haustus aquae mihi nectar erit : vitamque fatebor Accepisse eirau)." 115 -Why hinder you, said she, The use of water that to all is free ? The sun, the air, the pure and cooling wave, Nature made free. I claim the boon she gave : Yet humbly I entreat it, not to drench My weary limbs, but killing thirst to quench. My tongue wants moisture, and my jaws are dry, Scarce is there way for speech. For drink I die, Water to me were nectar. If I live, 'Tis by your favour. They regarded not her entreaties, but with threats endeavoured to drive her away. This great inhu- manity moved the indignation of Latona, who cursed them, and said, "May you always live in this wa- ter." Immediately they were turned into frogs, and leaped into the muddy water, where they ever after lived. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who was Latona, and what was the consequence of Jupiter's affection to her ? Where was Diana born, and how was she employed immedi- ately after her birth ? How is Latona's reception at Delos accounted for ? What is said of her transmigrations into an island and quail ? Who was Niobe, and what is said of her pride and self-suffi- ciency ? What was Latona's conduct towards Niobe ? Into what was Niobe changed ? What happened to the rustics of Lycia, and why were they so punished ? CHAPTER XI. AURORA. Aurora, the daughter of Terra and Titan, the sister of the sun and moon, and mother of the stars and the winds, is a goddess drawn in a chariot of gold by white horses ; her countenance shines like gold ; her fingers are red like roses : so Homer de- no scribes Aurora. The Greeks call Aurora by another name, and some say that she was the daughter of Hyperion and Thia, or of Pallas, from whom the poets also call her Pallantias. She by force carried two beautiful young men, Cephalus and Tithonus, into heaven. Cephalus married Procris, the daughter of the king of Athens. When Aurora could, by no per- suasion, move him to leave her, she carried him into heaven ; but even there she could not shake his con- stancy ; therefore she sent him again to his wife Procris, disguised in the habit of a merchant. Af- ter this she gave him an arrow that never missed the mark, which she had received from Minoe. When Cephalus had this arrow, he spent his whole time in hunting and pursuing wild beasts. Procris, sus- pecting the constancy of her husband, concealed herself in a bush, to discover the truth : but when she moved carelessly in the bush, her husband think- ing some wild beast was there, drew his bow, and shot his wife to the heart. — Ovid Met. 7. Tithonus was the son of Laomedon, and brother of Priamus : Aurora, for his singular beauty, carri- ed him up to heaven, and married him ; and, instead of portion, obtained from the Fates immortality for him. She had Memnon by him, but she forgot to ask the Fates to grant him perpetual youth, so that he became so old and decrepid, that, like an infant, he was rocked to sleep in a cradle. Hereupon he grew weary of lite, and wishing for death, asked Aurora to grant him power to die. She said, that it was not in her power to grant it, but that she would do what she could : and therefore turned her husband into a grasshopper, which, they say, moults when it is old, and grows young again.' — Ovid Met. 13. Memnon went to Troy, to assist the king Priam, where, in a duel with Achilles, he was killed ; and, 117 in the place where he fell, a fountain arose which every year, on the same day on which he died, sends forth blood instead of water. But as his body lay upon the funeral pile to be burnt, it was changed into a bird by his mother Aurora's intercession ; and many other birds of the same kind flew out of the pile with him, which, from his name, were called Aves Memnoniae : these, dividing themselves into two troops, and furiously fighting with their beaks and claws, with their own blood appeased the ghost of Memnon, from whom they sprung. — Ovid Met. 13. There was a statue of this Memnon, made of black marble, and set up in the temple of Serapis at Thebes, in Egypt, of which diey relate an incredi- ble story : for it is said that the mouth of the statue, when first touched by the rays of the rising sun, sent forth a sweet and harmonious sound as though it rejoiced when its mother Aurora came ; but at the setting of the sun, It sent forth 3 Iqw melancholy tone, as lamenting her departure. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who was Aurora, how was her chariot drawn, and how is she described by Homer ? Who did she carry to heaven ? What is said of Cephalus, and what became of his wife Pro- ci'is ? Who is Tithon, and what is related of him ? Into what was he changed, and why ? What became of Memnon, and what is said to have happened where he was killed ? Into what was his dead body changed ? Where was his statue erected, and what is reported of it ? PART II. OF THE TERRESTRIAL DEITIES, CHAPTER I. SEC. 1.— SATURN. HIS IMAGE, FAMILY, AND ACITONS. Look upon the wall on the right hand. On that wall, which is the second part of the Pantheon, as well as of our discourse, you see the terrestrial dei- ties divided into two sorts ; for some of them inhabit both the cities and the fields indifferently, and are called in general *-" the terrestrial goddesses :" but the others live only in the countries and the woods, and are properly called f " the gods of the woods." We will begin with the first. Of the terrestrial gods, which are so called, be- cause their habitation is in the earth, the most cele- brated are Saturn, Janus, Vulcan, iEolus, and Mo- mus. The terrestrial goddesses are Vesta, Cybele, Ceres, the Muses, and Themis : they are equal in number to the celestial gods and goddesses. We will begin with the eldest, Saturn, who is re- \ presented as a decrepid Jold man, with a long beard and hoary head. His shoulders are bowed like an arch, his jaws hollow and thin, his cheeks sunk ; his nose is flat, his forehead full of furrows, and his * Dii terrestres urbes et campos promiscue incolunt. t Dii autem sylvestres rure tantum et in sylvis degunt t Vivg. Mn, 7. Ill* chin turned up ; his right hand holds a rusty scythe, and liis left a child, which he is about to devour. He is the son of Terra, or Vesta, and Coelum, Ccelus, or Ccelius, who was the son of iEther and Dies, and the most ancient of all the gods. This Coelum married his own daughter Vesta, by whom he had many children. The most eminent of them was Saturn, whose brothers were the Cyclops, Ocea- nus, Titan, the hundred-handed giants, and divers others ; his sisters were Ceres, Tetlrys, and Ops, or Rhea, whom he afterwards married. The sisters persuaded their mother Vesta to exclude Titan, or Titanus, the eldest son, and to appoint Saturn heir of his father's kingdom. When Titan saw the fixed resolution of his mother and sisters, he would not strive against the stream, but voluntarily quitted his right, and transferred it to Saturn, under condition that he should not bring up any male chil- dren, so that after Saturn's death, the kingdom might return to the children of Titan. His wife Ops, perceiving that her husband devour- ed all her male children, when she brought forth the twins, Jupiter and Juno, she only sent Juno to him, and sent Jupiter to be nursed in Mount Ida, by the priestesses of Cybele, who were called Curetes, or Corybantes. It was their custom to beat drums and cymbals while the sacrifices were offered up, and the noise of them hindered Saturn from hearing the cries of Jupiter. By the same trick she also saved Neptune and Pluto from her devouring hus- band. Titan, when he saw himself cheated, and the agreement broken, to revenge the injury, raised for- ces, and brought them against Saturn, and making both him and Rhea prisoners, he bound them, and shut them together in hell, where they lay till Jupi- ter, a few years after, overcame the Titans, and set his father and mother again at liberty. After this 120 Saturn strove to take away his life ; because he heard by an oracle that he should be driven out of his kingdom by a son, as in reality he was after- wards ; for Jupiter deposed him from the throne, and expelled him the kingdom ;- because he had con- spired to take away his life. Beside this, when he found Saturn almost drunk with mead, he bound and maimed him, as Saturn had also maimed his father Ccelum before, with his sickle. Saturn having thus lost his kingdom went into Italy, which was anciently called Saturnia. He lived there with king Janus ; and that part of Italy in which he lay hidden, was afterwards called La- tium, and the people Latini ; as Ovid observes : " Inde diu Genti mansit Saturnia nomen : Dicta fuit Latium terra, latente Deo." Fast. 1. The name Saturnia thence this land did bear, And Latium too, because he shelter'd here. King Janus made Saturn partner of his kingdom, upon which Saturn reduced the people to civil so- ciety, and joined them to each othef, as it were, in chains of brass, that is, by the brass money which he invented ; and therefore, on one side of the money was stamped a ship. " At bona posteritas puppim signavit in aera, Hospitis adventum testificata Dei." Fast. 3. A ship by th' following age was stamp'd on coin, To show they once a god did entertain. And on the other side was stamped a Janus Bifrons. But although the money was brass, yet this was the golden age in which Saturn lived, when, as the poets, who magnify the happiness of that age, would per- suade us, the earth without the labour of ploughing and sowing brought forth its fruits, and all things were common to all. Virgil hath given an elegant description of this happy age in the eighth book of his iEneid : 121 11 Primus ad aethereo venit Saturntfs Olympo, Arma Jovis fugiens, et regnis exul ademptis. Is genus indocile, ac dispersum montibus altis Composuit, legesque dedit. Latiumque vocari Maluit, his quoniam latuisset tutus in oris :' Aurea, quae ut perhibent. illo sub rege fuere Sascula ; sic placida populos in pace regebat." Then Saturn came, who fled the pow'rs of Jove, Robb'd of his realms, andbanish'd from above. The men dispers'd on hills to town he brought, The laws ordain'd, and civil customs taught, And Latium call'd the land, where safe he lay From his unduteou.s son, and his usurping sway. With his wild empire, peace and plenty came ; And hence the golden times derived their name. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. How are the terrestrial deities divided, and why ? Which are the most celebrated of the celestial deities ? How is Saturn described ? Whose son was he, and who were his brothers and sisters? What was the conduct of his sisters to him ? How did Titan act, and for what did he stipulate ? By what means did Jupiter escape, and who besides were sa ved in like manner ? Who were the corybantes ; and what was their custom in of- fering sacrifices ? How did Titan avenge himself upon Saturn ? Who released Saturn, and how did he requite the exertions of Jupiter in his behalf? How did Jupiter act afterwards ? What is the origin of the name Latini ? Repeat the two Latin and English lines. What did he perform at Latium ? How is the age in which Saturn flourished described by the poets? Repeat the lines from Virgil— " Primus ad aethereo venit," &c,. SEC. 2,— NAMES OF SATURN. SACRIFICES, kc. Many derive the name Satnrnus* from sowing, because he first taught the art of sowing and tilling the ground, in Italy ; and therefore he was esteem- ed the god of husbandry, and called Stercutius by the Romans, because he first fattened the earth with manure : he is accordingly painted with a sickle, * Satarnus dictus est a Satu, sicut a Portu Portunus, et a Nep» tu Neptunua. Festus. Serv. in jEn. 7. Lips. Sat. 3. 11 122 with which the meadows are mowed and the corn is cut down. This sickle was thrown into Sicily, and there fell within a city then called Trepanum, and since Trepano, from that circumstance ; though others affirm, that this city had its name from that sickle which Ceres had from Vulcan, and gave the Titans when she taught them to mow. But others say, the town had its name because it was crooked and hollow, like a sickle. Indeed Sicily is so fruit- ful in corn and pasture, that the poets justly imagin- ed that the sickle was invented there. Saturnus is derived from that *fulness which is the effect of his bounty when he fills the people with provisions ; as his wife was called f Ops, because " she helps the hungry." Others affirm, that he is called Saturn, Jbecause he is satisfied with the years that he devours, for Saturn and Time are the same. Men were sacrificed to Saturn, because he was delighted, as they thought, with human blood : therefore the gladiators were placed under his pro- tection, and fought at his feasts. The Romans es- teemed him an infernal god, as Plutarch sa}'s, be- cause the planet Saturn is malignant and hurtful. Those who sacrificed to him had their heads bare, and his priests wore scarlet garments. On this altar were placed wax tapers lighted, because by Saturn men were brought from the darkness of error to the light of truth. The feasts Saturnalia, in the Greek language Kpovia, [Cronia] were instituted either by Tullus, king of the Romans, or, if we believe Livy, by Sempronius and Minutius, the consuls. Till the time of Julius Caesar they were finished in one day, viz. on the 19th of December ; after this they began to celebrate them for three days ; and then, during four or five, by the order of Caligula : and * A saturando, quasi saturet populos annona. f Quod esurientibes opem ferat. | Quod ipse saturetur annis quos ipse devorat. Cic . de Nat. Deor. 2 I 123 write, that they lasted seven days. Hence they call- ed these days the first, the second, the third, &c. festivals of Saturn : and when these days were added to the feast, the first day of celebrating it was the 17th day of December. Upon these festival days, 1. The senate did not sit. 2. The schools kept holy day. 3. Presents were sent among friends. 4. It was unlawful to proclaim war, or execute offenders. 5. Servants were allowed to be jocose and merry toward their masters ; as we learn from Ausonius : " Aurea nunc revocat Saturni festa December ; Nunc tibi cum domino ludere, verna, licet." Ed. de Men, December now brings Saturn's merry feasts, When masters bear their sportive servants' jests. 6. Nay, the masters waited on their servants, who sat at table, in memory of that liberty which all en- joyed in ancient times in Saturn's reign, when there was no servitude. 7. Contrary to the custom, they washed them as soon as they arose, as if they were about sitting down at table. 8. And lastly, they put on a certain festival garment, called synthesis, like a cloak, of purple or scarlet colour, and this gentlemen only wore. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. How is the name of Saturn derived, and why is he esteemed the god of husbandry ? Why is he often painted with a sickle in his hand ? How do others derive the name as an assistant to the poor ? Why were gladiators put under his protection ? How was he esteemed by the Romans ? How were his sacrifices made ? When were the Saturnalia instituted, and how long did they last in each year? What peculiarities were observed during the feasts ? SEC. 3— THE HISTORICAL SENSE OF THE FABLE BY SATURN IS MEANT NOAH. Although it is generally said, that Saturn was Nimrod, the founder of the empire of Babylon, yet I 124 am more inclined to believe the opinion of Bochar- tus, who maintains that Saturn and Noah were the same. The reasons which he brings are these : 1. In the time of Noah *the whole earth spoke one language : and the ancient mycologists say^that the beasts understood this language. And it is said, f that in Saturn's age there was but one language, which was common to men and brutes. 2. Noah is called in the Hebrew language Ja man of the earth, that is, a husbandman, according to the usual phrase of Scripture, which calls a sol- dier \\a man of war ; a strong man §a man of arms ; a murderer ^a man of blood ; an orator **a man of words ; and a shepherd ffa man of cattle. Now Saturn is justly called a man of the earth, because he married Tellus, whose other names were Rhea and Ops. 3. As Noah was the first planter of vineyards, so the art of cultivating vines and fields is attributed to Saturn's invention. 4. As Noah was once overcome with wine, be- cause perhaps he never experienced the strength of it before ; so the Saturnalians did frequently drink excessively, because Saturn protected drunken men. 5. As Noah cursed his son Ham, because he saw his father's nakedness with delight ; so Saturn made a law that whoever saw the gods naked should be punished. 6. Plato says, " that Saturn and his wife Rhea, and those with them, were born of Oceanus and The- tis :" and thus Noah, and all that were with him, were in a manner new born out of the waters of the deluge, by the help of the ark. And if a ship was stamped upon the ancient coins, because Saturn * Genesis xi. 1. § Job xxii. 3. t Plato in Politicis. II 2 Samuel xvi. 17. i Vir terra>, Gen. ix. 20. y * Exod. iv. I! Jo?h.ia. v. 4. n Gen. xlvi. 32. 125 came into Italy in a ship ; surely this honour be- longed rather to Noah, who in a ship preserved the race of mankind from utter destruction. 7. Did Noah foretel the coming of the flood ? so did Saturn foretel, *" that there should be great quantities of rain, and an ark built, in which men, and birds, and creeping things, should all sail to- gether." 8. Saturn is said to have devoured all his sons, except Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto. So Noah may be said to have condemned all men, -(-because he foretold that they would be destroyed in the flood. For in the scripture phrase, the prophets are said to "do the things which they foretel shall be done hereafter." But as Saturn had three sons left to him not devoured ; so Noah had three, Shem, Cham or Ham, and Japhet, who were not destroyed by the flood. Furthermore, these reasons may persuade us that Noah's son Cham is Jupiter : 1 . His Hebrew name Ham is by many called Cham, from which the Egyptians had the name 'A^av [Amoun] and the Africans had Ammon or Hammon. 2. Cham was the youngest son of Noah, as Jupiter was of Saturn. 3. Jupiter is said to be lord of the heavens ; thus Cham had Africa, which country is esteemed nearer the heavens than any other countries, because it has the planets vertical. Japhet is the same with Neptune ; for as Nep- tune had the command of the sea, so the islands and peninsulas fell chiefly to Japhet's lot. Shem is supposed to be the Pluto of the ancients, which is thus accounted for : he was so holy, and so * Kpo»9? TfeffnfiaUu *nT%6tti vXndos opfZouv &,c. id est, SaturnuS praenunciat magnara imbrium vim iuturam, et fabricandam, esse arcara, et in ea cum volucribus, reptilibus, atque ju- mentis esse navigandum. Alex. Polyhistor. Apud Cyril, contra Julian, 1. 1. t Hebrews xi. 7. 11* 126 great an enemy to idolatry, that the idolaters hated him while he lived, and endeavoured to blacken his memory when he died, by sending him to the Sty- gian darkness, and putting into his hand the sceptre of hell. The Greek words signifying Saturn and Time, differ only in one letter, from which it is plain, that by Saturn, Time may be meant. And on this ac- count Saturn is painted devouring his children, and throwing them up again ; as time devours and con- sumes all things that it has produced, which at length revive and are renewed. Our days, months, or years, are the children of Time, which he con- stantly devours and produces anew. Lastly, as Saturn has his scythe, so has Time too, with which he mows down all things ; neither can the hardest adamant withstand the edge thereof. QUESTIONS FOR EXJXLY.1TI0JV. With what scripture character has Saturn been identified ? What is the first reason for supposing Saturn and Noah to he the same person ? What is the second ? What is the third ? What is the fourth ? What is the fifth ? What is the sixth ? What is the seventh ? What is the eighth ? What are the reasons for supposing Noah's son Cham to he Jupiter ? With which of the scripture characters is Neptune compared ? How is it accounted for that Shem and Pluto are the same personages ? Point out the arguments to prove that Saturn and Time are the same ? 127 CHAPTER II. SEC. 1.— JANUS. HIS IMAGE, NAMES, AND ACTIONS Janus is the two-faced god ; holding a key in his right hand, and a rod in his left. Beneath his feet you see twelve altars ; some say he was the son of Ccelus and Hecate ; and that this name was given to him *from a word signifying to go or pass through. fWhence it is that thoroughfares are called in the plural number jani ; and the gates before the door of private houses, januce. A place at Rome was called Jani, in which were three images of Janus : and there usurers and creditors met always to pay and receive money. This place is mentioned both by {Tully and || Horace. As he is painted with two faces, so he is called by Virgil, Bifrons, and by Ovid,, Biceps : u Jane Biceps anni tacite labentis imagOj Solus de superis, qui tua terga vides." Thou double pate, the sliding year dost show, The only god that thine own back can view. Because so great was his prudence, that he saw both the things past, and those which were future. Or by Janus the world was thought to be meant, viewing with two faces the two principal quarters, the east and the west. When Romulus, king of the Romans, made a * Jan 19 quasi Eanus ab eundo. t Unde fit ut transitiones perviae Jani (plurali numero) fores que in limis profanarum aedium Januae dicerentur. Cic. de Nat. Deor. X Viri optimi ad medium Janum sedentes. Cic. de Offic, £. Dempster, in Paralip. \\ Imus et Summus Janus. Horat. 1. 1. ep. 1. 126 league with Titus, king of the Sabines, they set up an imag^ of Janus Bifrons, intending thereby to re- present both nations between which the peace was concluded. Numa afterwards built a temple, which had double doors, and dedicated it to the same Ja- nus. When Falisci, a city of Hetruria, was taken, there was an image of Janus found with four faces ; upon which the temple of Janus had four gates, but of that temple we shall speak by-and-by. He is called Claviger, " turnkey" or " club-bear- er," from the rod and the key in his hands. He held the rod, because he was the guardian of the ways, rector viarum ; and the key for these reasons : 1 . He was the inventor of locks, doors, and gates, which are called januce, after his name : and him- self is called Janitor, because doors were under his protection. 2. He is the Janitor of the year, and of all the months ; the first of which takes the name of Janu- ary from him. To Juno belongs the calends of the months, and she committed them to his care, there- fore he is called by some Junonius, and Martial takes notice, that the government of the year was com- mitted to him ; for which reason twelve altars were dedicated to him, according to the number of the months ; as there were also twelve small chapels in his temple. The consuls at Rome were inaugurated in the temple of Janus, who were from this said to open the year. Upon the calends of January (and as Macrobius says on the calends of March) a new laurel was hung upon the statue of Janus, and the old laurel was taken away ; to which custom Ovid refers. " Laurea Flaminibus, quae toto perstitit anno Tollitur, et frondes sunt in honore novas." Fast. The laurel that the former year did grace, T" a fresh and verdant garland yields his place. 129 Pliny thought this custom was occasioned because Janus rules over the year ; " The statue," says he, "of Janus, which was dedicated by Numa, had its fingers so composed, as to signify the number of three hundred and sixty-five days ; to show that Ja- nus was a god, by his knowledge of the year, and time, and ages." He had not these figures described on his hand, but had a peculiar way of numbering them, by bending, stretching, or mixing his fingers, of which numeration many are the opinions of au- thors. 3. He holds a key in his hand, because he is, as it were, the door through which the prayers of man- kind have access to the gods r for, in all sacrifices, prayers were offered up to Janus. And Janus him- self gives the same reason, as we find in Ovid, why, before men sacrificed to any of the other gods, they first offered sacrifice to him : — u Cur quamvis aliorum numina placem, Jane, tibi primum thura merumque fero ? Ut possis aditum per me, qui limina servo, Ad quoscunque voles inquit; babere deos." Fast* 1. Why is't that though I other gods adore, I first must Janus' deity implore ?— Because I hold the door, by which access Is bad to any god you would address. But Festus says, because men thought that all things took their being from Janus, therefore they first made their supplications to him as to a common father. For though the name father is given to all the gods, yet Janus was particularly called by this name. He first built temples and altars, and instituted religious rites ; and for that reason, among others, in all sacrifices they begin their rites by offering bread, corn, and wine, to Janus, before any thing is offered to any other deity. Frankincense was ne- ver offered to him, though Ovid mentions it, which 130 therefore he inserts either by poetical license, or only in respect to the sacrifices which were in use in his time. For Pliny asserts, that they did not sa- crifice with frankincense in the times of the Trojans. Neither does Homer m the least mention frankincense in any place where he speaks concerning sacrifices. He was also called Patulcius and Clusius, or Patu- lacius and Clausius ; from opening and shutting ; for in the time of war Janus' temple was open, but shut in the time of peace. This temple was found- ed by Romulus and Tatius. Numa ordained that it should be opened when the Romans waged war, but shut when they enjoyed peace. Ovid mentions both these latter names of Janus in a distich : and Virgil describes the manner and occasion of opening his temple, and also the conse quences of shutting it again : " Sunt geminae belli portae sic nomine dicunt Religione sacrse et saevi formidine martis. Centum asrei claudunt vectes seternaque ferri Robora ; nee custos absistit limine Janus. Has ubi certa sedet patribus sententia pugnae, Ipse Quirinali trabeacinctuqueGabino Insignis, reserat stridentia limina consul.'" JEn. 7. Two gates of steel (the name of Mars they bear, And still are worshipped with religious fear) Before his temple stand : the dire abode And the fear'd issues of the furious god Are fene'd with brazen bolts ; without the gates The weary guardian Janus doubtly waits. Then when the sacred senate votes the wars, The Roman consul their decree declares, And in his robes the sounding gates unbars. It is remarkable, that within the space of seven hundred years, this temple of Janus was shut only thrice : once by Numa ; the second time by the consuls Marcus Attilius and Titus Manlius, after the Carthaginian war ; and lastly, by Augustus, after the victory at Actium. In this story of Janus, we may behold the repre- sentation of a very prudent person ; whose wisdom II 131 consists "in the remembrance of things past, and in the foresight of things to come." " Aspera turn positis mitescent saecula bellis : Cana fides, et Vesta, Rerao cum fratre Quirinus Jura dabunt ; dirae ferro et compagibus arctis Claudentur belli portae, Furor impius intus, Soeva sedens super arma, et centum vinctus ahenia Post tergum nodis, fremet horridus ore cruento." Then dire debate, and impious war shall cease, Then the stern age be soften'd into peace : Then banish'd faith shall once again return, And vestal fires in hallow'd temples burn ; And Remus with Quirinus shall sustain The righteous laws, and fraud and force restrain. Janus himself before his fane shall wait, And keep the dreadful issues of his gate, With bolts and iron bars. Within remains ImprisonM Fury, bound in brazen chains ; High ona trophy rais'd of useless arms He sits, and threats the world with vain alarms. The prudent man ought therefore to have, as it were, two faces ; that, according to his natural sa- gacity of mind, and ripeness of judgment, observing both things past and future, he may be able to dis- cern the causes, beginnings, and progresses of all events and things. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who was Janus, and from what is his name derived ? Who, mentions the place called the Jani at Rome, and for What was it used ? What is he named by Virgil and Ovid, and why ? What happened in the reigns of Romulus and Numa? Why was he called Claviger ? Why was he named Janitor ? Which month is said to be named after him Why is he called Junonius ? Why were the Roman consuls said to open the year ? To what custom does Ovid refer ? What does Pliny say on this subject r Why does he hold a key in his hand ? What did Janus do ? What sacrifices were offered to him ? Why was he called Patulcius and Chasms ? 132 By whom was the temple of Janus founded ? In how long was it only thrice shut ? What does the story of Janus teach ? CHAPTER III. VULCAN. HIS SERVANTS AND SONS Vulcan is both a smith and a god, and had a shop in the island Lemnos, where he exercised his trade, and where, though he was a god himself, he made Jupiter's thunder and the arms of the other gods. He was born of Jupiter and Juno, some say of Juno only ; and being contemptible for his deformity, was cast down from heaven into the island Lemnos, whence he is called Lemnius : he broke his leg with the fall, and if the Lemnians had not caught him when he fell, he had certainly broke his neck : he has ever since been lame. *In requital of their kindness, he fixed his seat among them, and set up the craft of a smith ; teaching them the manifold uses of fire and iron ; and from softening and polishing iron, f he re- ceived the name Mulciber, or Mulcifer. He was the god of fire, the inventor and patron of the art of fabricating arms and all kinds of utensils from the metals. His most celebrated works are the famous palace of the sun ; the armour of Achilles and iEne- as; the beautiful necklace of Hermione, and the crown of Ariadne. According to Homer, the shield of Achilles was enamelled with metals of various co- lours, and contained twelve historical designs, with * 'T/ev t%tn voi "Epwrcif yt»vitiKtt> ot ti\» 'A^»Sir>}v, 'Oi/x etititatt xaXxtu r«* irofra, %*\o\ tgi'S- Cupid is Vulcan's son, Venus his wife, No wonder then he goes lame all his life. ♦ A mulcendo ferro. Vide Lucan. 1. 1. 133 groups of figures of great beauty : the seats which Vulcan constructed for the gods were so contrived, that they came self-moved from the sides of the apartment to the place where each god seated him- self at the table when a council was to be held. He is described by Homer in the midst of his works : —the silver footed dame I Reach'd the Vulcanian dome, eternal frame ! High-eminent, amid the works divine, Where heaven's far beaming brazen mansions shine, There the lame Architect the goddess found, Obscure in smoke, his forges flaming round ; While bath'd in sweat, from fire to fire he flew, And, puffing loud, the roaring bellows blew. Then from his anvil the lame artist rose ; Wide with distorted legs oblique he goes, And stills the bellows, and, in order laid, Locks in their chest the instruments of trade. Then with a sponge the sooty workman drest His brawny arms imbrown'd, and hairy breast: With his huge sceptre grac'd, and red attire, Came halting forth the so v 'reign of the fire. — Homer. He obtained in marriage the most beautiful god- dess Venus j who behaved treacherously towards him, as has been already noticed. He desired to marry Minerva, and Jupiter consented, if he could overcome her modesty. For when Vulcan made arms for the gods, Jupiter gave him leave to choose out of the goddesses a wife, and he chose Minerva ; but he admonished her at the same time to refuse him, as she successfully did. At Rome were celebrated the Vulcania, feasts in honour of Vulcan ; at which they threw animals into the fire to be burnt to death. The Athenians instituted other feasts to his honour, called Chalsea. A temple besides was dedicated to him upon the mountain iEtna, from which he is sometimes named iEtnseus. This temple was guarded by dogs, whose sense of smelling was so exquisite, that they could discern whether the persons that came thither were chaste and religious, or whether they were wicked ; 12 134 they used to meet, and flatter and follow the good, esteeming them the acquaintance and friends of Vul- can their master. It is feigned, that the first woman was fashioned by the hammer of Vulcan, and that every god gave her some present, whence she was called Pandora. Pallas gave her wisdom, Apollo the art of music, Mercury the art of eloquence, Venus gave her beau- ty, and the rest of the gods gave her other ac- complishments. They say also, that when Prome- theus stole fire from heaven, to animate the man which he had made, Jupiter was incensed, and sent Pandora to Prometheus with a sealed box, but Pro- metheus would not receive it. He sent her with the same box again to the wife of Epimetheus, the bro- ther of Prometheus ; and she, out of a curiosity na- tural to her sex, opened it, which as soon as she had done, all sorts of diseases and evils, with which it was filled, flew among mankind, and have infest- ed them ever since. And nothing was left in the bottom of the box but Hope. Vulcan's servants were called Cyclops, because they had but one eye, which was in the middle of their foreheads, of a circular figure ; Neptune and Amphitrite were their parents. The names of three of them were Brontes, Steropes, and Pyracmon : besides these there were many more, all of whom exercised the art of smithery under Vulcan, as we are taught by Virgil. — JEn. 8. Cacus, so called from his wickedness, tormented all Latium with his fires and robberies ; living like a beast in a dismal cave. He stole Hercules' oxen, and dragged them backward by their tails into his cave, that the track of their feet might not discover this repository of his thefts. But Hercules passing by, heard the lowing of the oxen in the cave, broke open the doors, and seizing the villain, put him to death. — Virg. JEn, 8. 135 His cave was so dark, that it admitted not the least ray of light ; the floor of it was red with the blood perpetually shed upon it, and the heads and limbs of the men he had murdered were fastened to the posts of the doors. Ceeculus also lived by plunder and robbery. He was so called from the smallness of his eyes : it is thought the noble family of the Caecilii at Rome de- rived their origin from him. He was the founder of the city Pra3neste. Others say, that the shep- herds found Calculus unhurt in the midst of the fire, as soon as he was born ; from which he was thought to be the son of Vulcan. To these servants and sons of Vulcan, add the shepherd Polyphemus, a monster not unlike them, born of Neptune. For he had but one eye in his forehead, like the Cyclops, and he procured his living by murders and robberies, like Cacus and. Caeculiv?. This monster drew Ulysses and some of his companions into his den in Sicily, and devoured them. He thought, too, that the rest of Ulysses' servants could not escape his jaws. But Ulysses made him drunk with wine, and then with a fire- brand quite put out his sight, and escaped. u Visceribus miserorum, et sanguine vescitur atro, Vidi egomet, duo de numero cum corpora nostro Prensa rnanu magna, medio resupimis in antro Frangeret ad saxum, sanieque aspera natarent Limina : vidi, atro cum membra iluentia tabo Manderet, et tepidi tremerent sub dentibus artus. Haud impune quidem : nee taliapassus Ulysses, Oblitusve sui est Ithacus discrimine tanto. Nam simul expletus dapibus, vinoque sepultus Cervicem inflexam posuit, jacuitque per antrum Immensus, saniem eructans, ac frusta cruento Per somnuiu commixta mero ; nos magna precali Numina, sortitique vices, una uudique circum Fundimur, et telo lumen terebramus acuto Ingens ; quod torva solum sub fronte latebat, Argolici clypei aut Phcebeae lampadis instar." — Virg, JEn. 3 136 The joints of slaughter'*! wretches are his food, And for his wine he quaffs the streaming blood. These eyes beheld, when with his spacious hand He seiz'd two captives of our Grecian band ; Stretch 'd on his back, he dash'd against the stones Their broken bodies and their crackling bones. With spouting blood the purple pavement swims, While the dire glutton grinds the trembling limbs. Not unreveng'd Ulysses bore their fate, Nor thoughtless of his own unhappy state ; For gorg'd with flesh, and drunk with human wine,. While fast asleep the giant lay- supine, Snoring aloud, and belching from his maw His undigested foam and morsels raw ; We pray, we cast the lots ; and then surround The monstrous body, stretch'd along the ground; Each as he could approach him, lends a hand To bore his eyebald with a flaming brand ; Beneath his frowning forehead lay his eye, For only one did this vast frame supply, But that a globe so large, his front it fill'd, Like the sun's disk, or like the Grecian shield. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who was Vulcan, and where did he exercise his trade ? Whose son was he, and what accident happened to him ? How was his life saved, and how did he requite the kindness of his benefactors ? Who did he marry ? Did he wish to marry any one besides, and was he successful I What were the Vulcania, and how were they celebrated ? What other feasts ; and what temple was dedicated to him? What is said of the dogs that guarded that temple ? What story is told of Vulcan with respect to- Pandora ? Who were Vulcan's servants, and what was their business. ? What is said of his son Cacus ? What is said of Csecnlns, another son ? How is Polyphemus described ? CHAPTER IV. JEOLUS. He who stands next him is iEolus, the " god of the winds," the son of Jupiter and Acesta or Seges- ta, the daughter of Hippotas, from whom he is na- 137 med Hippotades. He dwelt in one of those seven islands, which from him are called JEolia?, and some- times Vulcanise. He was a skilful astronomer, and an excellent natural philosopher : he understood more particularly the nature of the winds ; and, by observing the clouds of smoke of the iEolian islands, he was enabled to foretel winds and tempests a great while before they arose, and it was generally believed they were under his power : so that he could raise the winds, or still them as he pleased. Hence he was styled emperor and king of the winds, the children of Astraeus and Aurora. Virgil de- scribes Juno coming to him, at his palace, of which he gives a description in beautiful verse : "Nimborum in patriam, loca feta furentibus Austris, iEoliarn venit. Hie vasto res JEoIus antro Luctantes ventos, tempestatesque sonoras Iraperio premit, ac vinclis et carcere froenat. Illi indignantes magno cum murmure raontis Circum claustra fremunt. Celsa sedet iEolus arce, Sceptra tenens ; mollitque animos, et temperat iras* Ni faciat, maria ac terras, coelumque profundura Quippe ferant rapidi secum, verrantque per auras, Sed pater omnipotens speluncis abdldit atris, Hoc metuens ; molemque, et montes insuper altos, Imposuit ; regemque dedit, qui foedere certo, Et pre mere, et laxas sciret dare jussus habenas." Thus rag'd the goddess, and with fury fraught, The restless regions of the storms she sought. Where, in a spacious cave of living stone, The Tyrant iEolus, from his airy throne, With pow'r imperial curbs the struggling winds, And sounding tempests in dark prisons binds. » This way and that, th' impatient captives tend, And, pressing for relief, the mountains rend. High in his hall th' undaunted monarch stands, And shakes his sceptre, and their rage commands y Which did he not, their unresisted sway Would sweep the world before them in their way : Earth, air and seas, through empty space would roll, And heav'n would fly before the driving soul, In fear of this, the father of the gods Confined their fury to these dark abodes, And lock'd them safe, oppress'd with mountain-loads ; 12* 136 Impos'd a king with arbitrary sway, To loose their fetters,, or theirforce allay. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION Who was iEolus, and where did he live ? What was his character as a philosopher? What was generally believed of him ? How was he styled in consequence of this ? Give Virgil's fine description — CHAPTER V. The name of the god Momus is derived from the Greek, signifying a jester, mocker, or mimick ; for that is his business. He follows no particular em- ployment, but lives an idle life, yet nicely observes the actions and sayings of the other gods, and when he finds them doing amiss, or neglecting their duty, he censures, mocks and derides them with the great*- est liberty. Neptune, Vulcan, and Minerva, may witness the truth of this. They all contended for the mastery as the most skilful artificer : whereupon Neptune made a bull, Minerva a house, and Vulcan a man : Momus was appointed judge between them ; but he chid them all three. He accused Neptune of impru- dence, because he did not place the bull's horns in his forehead before his eyes : for then the bull might give a surer and a stronger blow. He blamed Mi- iierva, because her house was immoveable ; so that it could not be carried away, if by chance it was pla- ced among bad neighbours. But he said that Vul- can was the most imprudent of them all, because he did not make a window in the man's breast, that we m 139 might see what his thoughts were, whether he de- signed some trick, or whether he intended what he spoke. The parents of Momus were Nox and Somnus. It is a sign of a dull, drowsy, sottish disposition, when we see a man satirizing and censuring the actions of all other men, because none but God is wholly per- fect : some imperfections attaches to every other be- ing, so that every thing is defective and liable to blame, QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION, What does the name of Momus signify ? How is he employed ? For what did Neptune, Vulcan, and Minerva contend ? What was the decision of Momus with respect to their seve- ral performances ? Who were the parents of Momus ? What does a satirical temper indicate CHAPTER VI. OF THE TERRESTRIAL GODDESS VESTA. Vesta, whom you see sitting and holding a drum -is the wife of Coelum, and the mother of Saturn. She is the eldest of the goddesses, and is placed among the terrestrial goddesses, because she is the same with Terra, and has her name from ^clothing ; plants and fruits being the garments of the earth. Or, -(-according to Ovid, the earth is called Vesta from its stability, because it supports itself. She * Quod plantis frugibusque terra vestiatur. \ " Stat vi terra sua, vestando Vesta vocatur."— — — Fast. 6. By its own strength supported Terra stands ; Hence it is Vesta nam'd. 140 sits, because the earth is immoveable, and was sup- posed to be placed in the centre of the world. Ves- ta has a drum, because the earth contains the bois- terous winds in its bosom ; and divers flowers weave themselves into a crown, with which her head is crowned. Several kinds of animals creep about and fawn upon her. Because the earth is round, Ves- ta's temple at Rome was also round, and some say that the image of Vesta was orbicular in some pla- ces, but *Ovid says her image was rude and shape- less. And hence round tables were anciently called vesta, because, like the earth, they supply all neces- saries of life for us. It is no wonder that the first oblations in all sacrifices were offered to her, since whatever is sacrificed springs from the earth. And the Greeks both began and concluded their sacrifi- ces with Vesta, whom they esteemed as the mother of all the gods. There were two Vestas, the elder and the young- er. The first of whom I have been speaking was the wife of Ccelum and the mother of Saturn. The second was the daughter of Saturn by his wife Rhea. And as the first is the same with Terra, so the other is the same with Ignis : and her power was exercised about altars and houses. The word vesta is often put for fire itself, for it is derived from a Greek word which signifies a chimney, a house, or household goods. She is esteemed the president and guardian of houses, and one of the household deities ; not without reason, since she invented the art of building houses : and, therefore, an image of Vesta, to which they sacrificed every day, was pla- ced before the doors of the houses at Rome : and the places where these statues were set up were call- ed vestibula, from Vesta. * " Effigiem nullam Vesta nee ignis habet." No image Vesta's shape can e'er express, Or fire's 141 This goddess was a virgin, and so great an ad- mirer of virginity, that when Jupiter, her brother, gave her liberty of asking what she would, she beg- ged that she might always be a virgin, and have the first oblations in all sacrifices. She not only ob- tained her desire but received this further honour among the Romans, that a perpetual fire was kept in her temple, among the sacred pledges of the em- pire ; not upon an altar, or in the chimnies, but in earthen vessels, hanging in the air ; which the ves- tal virgins tended with so much care, that if by chance this fire was extinguished, all public and pri- vate business was interrupted, and a vacation pro- claimed tHl they had expiated the unhappy prodigy with incredible pains ; and if it appeared that the virgins were the occasion of its going out, by care- lessness, they were severely punished, and sometimes with rods. In recompense for this severe law, the vestals ob- tained extraordinary privileges and respect: they had the most honourable seat at games and festi- vals : the consuls and magistrates gave way when- ever they met them : their declarations in trials were admitted without the form of an oath ; and, if they happened to encounter in their path a criminal go- ing to the place of execution, he immediately ob- tained his pardon. Upon the calends of March, every year, though it was not extinguished, they used to renew it with no other fire than that which was produced by the rays of the sun. It has been conjectured, that when the poets say that Vesta is the same with fire, the fire of Vulcan's forge is not understood, nor yet the dangerous flames of Venus, but a pure, unmixed, benign flame, so ne- cessary for us, that human life cannot possibly sub- sist without it ; whose heat being diffused through all the parts of the body, quickens, cherishes, re- freshes, and nourishes it ) a ilame really sacred, hea- 142 venly, and divine ; repaired daily by the (bod which we eat, and on which the safety and welfare of our bodies depend. This flame moves and actuates the whole body ; and cannot be extinguished but when life itself ceases with it. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who was Vesta ? Why is she placed among the terrestrial goddesses What reasons are assigned for the ornaments with which she is decked ? Why is Vesta's temple round ? What are the Vestae ? Why were the first sacrifices offered to Vesta ? Why did the Greeks begin and conclude their sacrifices with Vesta ? Who were the two Vestas ? For what is the word " vesta" put ? Why is she esteemed the president and guardian of houses : and why was her image placed before the doors of the houses at Rome ? What favour did she ask of Jupiter ; and what other honour did she obtain among the Romans ? What was the duty of the vestal virgins ? What was the punishment inflicted on them if they suffered the fire to go out ? What respect was paid them, by way of recompense for the severity of this law ? When and how was the vestal fire renewed ? What is understood by the vestal fire ? CHAPTER VII. SEC. 1.— CYBELE. HER IMAGE. HER NAMES. Cybele is the goddess not of cities only, but of all things which the earth sustains. She is the Earth itself. On the earth are built many towers and castles, so on her head is placed a crown of tow- ers. In her hand she carries a key, for in winter 143 the earth locks up those treasures which she brings forth and dispenses with so much plenty in summer. She rides in a chariot, because the earth hangs suspended in the air, balanced and poised by its own weight. But that chariot is supported by wheels, since the earth is a revolving body, and turns round ; and it is drawn by lions, because nothing is so fierce, so savage, or so ungovernable, but a mo- therly piety and tenderness is able to tame it, and make it submit to the yoke. I need not explain why her garments are painted with divers colours, and figured with the images of several creatures, since every body sees that such a dress is suitable to the earth. She is called Cybele, and Ops, and Rhea, and Dindymene, and Berecynthia, and Bona Dea, (the good goddess,) and Idaea, and Pessinuntia, and Magna Deoruin Mater, (the great mother of the gods,) and sometimes also Vesta. All these names, for different reasons, were given to the same god- dess ; who was the daughter of Ccelum by the elder Vesta, and Saturn's wife. She is called Cybele, from the mountain Cybelus in Phrygia, where sacrifices were first instituted to her. Or the name was given her from the behaviour of her priests, who used to dance upon their heads, and toss about their hair like madmen, foretelling things to come, and making a horrible noise. These were named Galli, and this fury and outrage in pro- phesying is described by Lucian in his first book. Others again derive the word Cybele from a cube, because the cube, which is a body every way square, was dedicated to her by the ancients. She is called Ops, because she brings help and -assistance to every thing contained in this world. Her name *Rhea is derived from the abundance "* A psu, fluo, quod bonis omnibus circumfluat, 144 of benefits, which, without ceasing, flow from her on every side. Dindymene and E>indyme, is a name given her from the mountain Dindymus, in Phrygia. Virgil calls her mater Berecynthia, from Bere- cynthus, a castle in that country ; and in the same place describes her numerous and happy offspring. — " Qualis Berecynthia mater Invehitur curru Phrygian turrita per urbes La3ta Deum partu, centum complexa nepotes, Omnes ccelicolas, omnes supera alta tenentes."— JEn. 6. High as the mother of the gods in places, And proud, like her, of an immortal race , Then, when in pomp she makes the Phrygian round, With golden turrets on her temple crown'd, A hundred gods her sweeping train supply, Her offspring all, and all command the sky. She was by the Greeks called *Pasithea ; that is, as the Romans usually named her, the mother of all the gods ; and from the f Greek word signifying a mother. Her sacrifices were named Metroa, and to celebrate them was called Metrazein, in the same language. Her name Bona Dea implies that all good things necessary for the support of life proceed from her. She is also called Fauna, Jbecause she is said to fa- vour all creatures ; and Fatua, because it was thought that new born children never cried till they touched the ground. It is said, that this Bona Dea was the wife of king Faunus ; who beat her with myrtle rods till she died, because she disgraced her- self, and acted very unsuitable to the dignity of a queen, by drinking so much wine that she became * Pasithea, id est, -sruv Ss«/j ftxrrip, omnibus diis maters. Luc. 1. 2. t A f^rtip, mater, derivantur fiarpua. Cybeles sacra, et ftn- rftttuv sacra ea celebrare. Coel. Rhod. 1, 8. c. 17. t Fauna quod animantibus favere, dicatur.. 145 drunk. But the king afterwards repenting of his severity, deified his dead wife, and paid her divine honours. This is the reason assigned why it was forbidden that any one should bring myrtle into her temple. In her sacrifices, the vessels of wine were covered ; and when the women drank out of them they called it milk, not wine. *The modesty of this goddess was so extraordinary, that no man ever saw her except her husband ; or scarce heard her name : wherefore her sacrifices were performed in private, and all men were excluded from the temple* " Sacra bonae maribus non adeunda Deae. — Tib. I. el. 6. No men admitted were to Cybele's rites. From the great privacy observed by her votaries, the place in which her sacrifices were performed was called Opertum, and the sacrifices themselves were styled Opertanea, for the same reason that Pluto is by the poets called Opertus. Silence was observed in a most peculiar manner in the sacrifices of Bona Dea, as it was in a less degree in all other sacrifices ; according to the doctrine of the Pythagoreans and Egyptians, who taught, that God was to be worship- ped in silence, since from this, at the first creation, all things took their beginning. To the same pur- pose, Plutarch says, "fMen were our masters to teach us to speak, but we learn silence from the gods : from those we learn to hold our peace, in their rites and initiations." She was called Idaea Mater, from the mountain Ida, in Phrygia, or Crete, for she was at both pla- ces highly honoured : as also at Rome, whither they brought her from the city Pessinus in Galatia, by a Juvenal. Sat. 9. t Loquendi magistros homines habemus, tacendi Deos : ab illis silentium accipientes in initiationibus et mysteriis : — Plut de Loquac. 4 13 146 remarkable miracle. For when the ship in whic she was carried, stopped in the mouth of the Tiber, the vestal Claudia (whose fine dress and free beha- viour made her modesty suspected) easily drew the ship to shore with her girdle, where the goddess was received by the hands of virgins, and the citizens went out to meet her, placing censers with frankin- cense before their doors ; and when they had lighted the frankincense, they prayed that she would enter freely into Rome, and be favourable to it. And be- cause the Sybils had prophesied that Idsea Mater should be introduced by the " best man among the Romans, the senate *was a little busied to pass a judgment in the case, and resolve who was the best man in the city : for every one was ambitious to get the victory in a dispute of that nature more than if they stood to be elected to any commands or honours by the voices either of the senate or people. At last the senate resolved that P. Scipio, the son of Cneus, who was killed in Spain, a young gentleman who had never been quaestor, was the best man in the whole city." She was called Pessinuntia ffrom a certain field in Phrygia, into wh ! -h an image of her fell from hea- ven ; from this the place was called Pessinus, and the goddess Pessinuntia. And here the Phrygians first began to celebrate the sacrifices Orgia to this goddess, near the river Gallus, from which her priests were called Galli. When these priests desired that great respect and adoration should be paid to any thing, they pretended that it fell from heaven ; and * Haud parvse rei judicium senatum tenebat, qui vir optimus in civitate esset : verum certe victoriam ejus rei sibi quisque mallet, quam ulla imperia, houoresve, suffragio seu Patrum, seu Plebis, delatos. Palres conscripti P. Scipionem, Cnei fihum ejus, qui in Hispania occidebatur, adolescentem, nondum Quaes- torem, judicaverunt in tota civitate virum optimum esse. t Hesiod. 1. j. 147 they called these images Aton-sri), [Diopetfe,] that is, " sent from Jupiter." Of which sort were the Ancile, the Palladium, and the effigies of this goddess, con- cerning which we now speak. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who was Cybele ? How is she represented ? In what does she .ride, and how is she drawn ? Why are her garments of divers colours? ■ Why is she called Cybele ? What were her priests called ? Why is she called Ops and Rhea ? Why and by whom is she called Dindyme and Berecynthiaf W T hat was she called by the Greeks, and why ? What does the name of Bona Dea imply ? Who was Bona Dea ? Why is myrtle prohibited from her temple ? What was observed in her sacrifices, and why ? What was the saying of Plutarch ? Why was Cybele called Ida^a Mater ? Why was she called Pessinuntia? Why were her priests called Galli j and under what pretence were they able to get particular respect paid to any thing ? SEC. 2— OF THE SACRIFICES AND PRIESTS OF CYBELE. Her sacrifices, like the sacrifices of Bacchus, were celebrated with a confused noise of timbrels, pipes, and cymbals ; and the sacrificants howled, as if they were mad ; they profaned both the temple of their goddess, and the ears of their hearers, with their vile words and actions. The following rites were pecu- liarly observed in her sacrifices : her temple was open- ed, not by hands, but by prayers ; none entered who had tasted garlic ; the priests sacrificed to her sitting, and touching the earth, and offered the hearts of the victims. And lastly, among the trees, the box and the pine were sacred to her. The box, because the pipes used in her sacrifices were made of it : the pine, for the sake of Atys, Attes, or Attynes, a boy that Cybele much loved, and made him president of 148 her rites, upon condition that he always preserved his chastity inviolate. But he forgot his vow, and lost that virtue ; wherefore the offended goddess threw him into such a madness, that he was about to lay violent hands upon himself, but Cybele, in pity, turned him into a pine. There was, however, a true Atys, the son of Croe- sus, king of Lydia. He was born dumb ; but when he saw in the fight a soldier at his father's back, with a sword lifted up to kill him, the strings of his tongue, which hindered his speech, burst ; and by speaking clearly, he prevented his father's destruc- tion. The priests of Cybele were named Galli, from a river of Phrygia. Such was the nature of the wa- ter of this river, that whoever drank of it immedi- ately grew mad. The Galli, as often as they sacri- ficed, furiously cut and slashed their arms with knives ; and thence all furious and mad people were called Galantes. Beside the name of Galli, they were also called Curetes, Corybantes, Telchines, Cabiri, and Idaei Dactyli. Some say that these priests were different from the Galli ; but most peo- ple believe them to be the same, and say that they were priests of Cybele. The Curetes were either Cretans, or iEtolians, or Euboeans : and had their names from shaving ; so that Curetes and Detonsi signify almost the same thing. For they shaved the hair of their heads be- fore, but wore hair behind, that they might not be taken (as it has often happened) by the forelocks, by the enemy ; or, perhaps they were called Cure- tes, ^because they were habited in long vests, like young maidens ; or lastly, fbecause they educated Jupiter in his infancy. * Ato rr,; xa/»jj, a puella, quod puellarum stolam induebant. t A*e >rns Kopor^tpiecs, ab cducatione juvenum, quod Jovem infantem alaisse perhibentur. Strabo. 149 Her priests were also called Corybantes ; because in the sacrifices of their goddess they tossed their heads and danced, and butted with their foreheads like rams, after a mad fashion. Thus, when they miitiated any one into their sacrifices, *they placed fcm*in a chair, and danced about him like fools. ' Another name of her priests was Telchines. These were famous magicians and enchanters j and they came from Crete to Cyprus, and thence into Rhodes, which latter island was called Telchines from them. Or, if we believe others, they were de- serving men, and invented many arts for the good of the public, and first set up the statues and images of the gods. The Cabiri, or Caberi, so called from Cabiri, mountains of Phrygia, were either the servants of the gods, or gods themselves, or rather daemons, or the same with the Corybantes ; for the people's opinions concerning them are different. The Idaei Dactyli were the servants and assistants of Magna Mater ; called Ideei from the mountain Ida, where they lived ; and Dactyli from the fingers, for the priests were ten, like the fingers : they served Rhea every where, and in every thing, as if they were fingers to her. f Yet many affirm, that there were more than ten. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. How were the sacrifices of Cybele celebrated ? What peculiar rites were observed in them ? Why were the box and pine sacred to Cybele ? On what condition was Atys made president of her rites, and what happened to him on his breaking his vow ? Who was the true Atys, and what is his history ? What property belonged to the river Gallus ? What was the origin of the word " gallantes/" Kito rov xacvrrnv, a cornibus feriendo, et /3a/ve* incedendo, Strabo. 1. 1. Plato in Enthid. t Digiti enim Qreece dicuntur faxrvXti, 13* 150 What other names have been given to the priests of Cybele ? From what did the Curetes derive their name ? From what circumstance were the Corybantes named? Who were the Telchines ? Who were the Cabin ? Who was the Idasi Dactyli ? CHAPTER VIII. SEC. 1.— CERES. HER IMAGE AND SACRIFICES. Ceres is a tall majestic lady; who stands beau- tified with yellow hair, and crowned with a turban composed of the ears of corn ; her bosom swells with breasts as white as snow ; her right hand is full of poppies and ears of corn, and in her left is a lighted torch. She is the daughter of Saturn and Ops ; whose singular beauty made the gods themselves her lovers and admirers. Her brothers Jupiter and Nep- tune fell in love with her. She had Proserpine by Jupiter. And by Neptune it is uncertaian whether she was the mother of a daughter, or a horse called Arion. Upon the mountain iEleus, in Arcadia, an altar was dedicated to Ceres ; her image had the body of a woman, but the head of a horse ; it re- mained perfect and entire in the midst of fire. Yet others have told us that Ceres did not bring forth a horse, but a daughter. The Arcadians thought it a wicked thing to call this daughter by any other name than " the lady," or "the great goddess," which were the usual names of her mother Ceres. Ceres was greatly ashamed of this disgrace, and testified her sorrow by the mourning clothes which she afterwards wore ; whence she was named Melae- na, Mf/\*.iv$, a gloria sc. rerum gestarum quas memo. Schok Ap. I. § 'Asro m tpwro;, ab more. Ovid Art. Am. 2. (J 'A** re 3«^Xi/y ; id est, virere, gernainar e ; et florere. Prod- in Hesiod. 161 and pleasantry. Some ascribe to her the invention of comedy, others of geometry. The fifth, Melpomene, from *the excellency of her song and the melody she makes when she sings. She is supposed to have presided over tragedy, and to have invented sonnets. The sixth, Terpsichore,f has her name from the pleasure she takes in dancing, because she delights in balls. Some call her Citharistria. The seventh, Euterpe, or Euterpia, from Jthe sweetness of her singing. Some call her Tibicina, because, according to them, she presides over the pipes : and some say logic was invented by her. The eighth, Polyhymnia, or Polymnia, or Poly- menia, from §her excellent memory : and therefore the invention of writing history is attributed to her, which requires a good memory. It was owing to her, 1 1 that the songsters add to the verses that they sing, hands and fingers which speak more than the tongue ; an expressive silence ; a language without words ; in short, gesture and action. The ninth, ITUrania, was so called either because she sings of divine things ; or because, through her assistance, men are praised to the skies, or because, by the sciences, they become conversant in the con- templation of celestial things. Bahusius, a modern poet, has comprised the names of all the Muses in a distich ; that is, he has made the nine Muses to stand, which is something strange, but upon eleven feet. Perhaps you will remember * A piX-nopou canto et rnodulor, vel « -aeo ts piXos zsoiuv con- centum facere. i ' A.*o np*uv ran %opais quod choreis delectetur. X Ab iurspzrvs, jucunda nempe in concentu, § AzroKvs multus et pvnu, memoria. 11 Quod carminibus additae sint orchestrarum loquacissimae ma» nus, linquosi digiti, silentium clamosum, expositio tacita, uno verbo gestus et actio. TT Asro t* »?«w, a ccelo 14* 1G2 their names better, when they are thus joined to- gether in two verses : " Calliope, Polymneia, Erato, Clio, atque Thalia, Melpomene, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Urania." I. 4. ep. 1. The most remarkable of the names which are com- mon to them all are : Heliconides, or Heliconiades, from the mountain Helicon, in Bceotia. Parnassides, from the mountain Parnassus, in Phocis, which has two heads, where, if any person slept, he presently became a poet. It was anciently called Larnassus, from Larnace, the ark of Deu- calion, which rested here, and was named Parnassus after the flood, from an inhabitant of this mountain, so called. Citherides, or Citheriades, from the mountain Ci- theron, where they dwelt. Aonides, from the country Aonia. Pierides, or Pieriae, fom the mountain Pierus, or Picria, in Thrace; or from the daughters of Pierius and Anippe, who, daring to contend with the Muses, were changed into pies. Pegasides and Hippocrenides, from the famous fountain Helicon, which by the Greeks is called *Hippocrene, and by the Latins, fCaballinus, both which words signify the horse's fountain: it was also named Pegaseius, from Pegasus, the winged horse, which by striking a stone in this place with his foot, opened the fountain, fand the waters be- came vocal. Aganippides. or Aganippea?, from the fountain Aganippe. Castalides, from the fountain Castalius, at the foot of Parnassus. * Ab mzsos eques, et *6w>? fons. t Caballinus, a Caballus, id est, equus, i Ovid Met. 5. 163 Some write, that there were but three in the be- ginning- ; because sound, out of which all singing is formed, is naturally threefold : either made by the voice alone; or by blowing, as in pipe^, or by striking, as in citherns or drums. Or. ft may be. because there are three tones of the voice, or other instruments, the bass, the tenor, and the treble. Or lastly, because all the sciences are distributed into three general parts ; philosophy, rhetoric, and ma- thematics ; and each of these parts is subdivided into three other parts ; philosophy into logic, ethics, and physics ; rhetoric into the demonstrative, de- liberative, and judicial kind : mathematics into mu- sic, geometry, and arithmetic : and hence it came to pass, that they reckoned not only Three Muses, but Nine. Others give a different reason why they are Nine. When the citizens of Sicyon appointed three skilful artificers to make the statues of the Three Muses, promising to choose those three statues out of the nine which they liked best, they were all so well made that they could not tell which to prefer ; so that they bought them all, and placed them in the temples : and Hesiod afterward assigned to them the names mentioned above. Some affirm that they were virgins, and others deny it, who reckon up their children. Let no per- son, however, despise the Muses, unless he design to bring destruction upon himself by the example of Thamyras or Thamyris ; who, being conceited of his beauty and skill in singing, presumed to chal- lenge the Muses to- sing, upon condition, that if he was overcome, they should punish him as they pleas- ed. And after he was overcome, he was deprived at once both of his harp and his eyes. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who are the Muses, and how are they dressed ? What is their employment ? 164 Over what do they preside ? Who were their parents, and why are they called daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne ? Why were they formerly called Mosa ? How were the Muses re presented on Pyrrhus' ring From w^lat were their names derived ? How did Calliope derive her name ? Who was Clio ? What does Erato derive her name from ? Why is Thalia so called ? What are the peculiar excellencies of Melpomene and Terpsi chore ? In what does Euterpe excel ? From what does Polyhymnia derive her name ? Why was Urania so named ? Repeat the distich of Bahusias. Give some account of the names common to all the Muses. How many Muses were there at first, and how were the three converted into Nine ? What other reason is given ? What should the example of Thamyris teach ? CHAPTER X. THEMIS, ASTRiEA, NEMESIS, Are three goddesses, who contrive and consult together on affairs of great moment. Themis, the first of them, is the daughter of Coe- lum and Terra. According to the *signification of her name, her office is to instruct mankind to do things honest, just, and right. Therefore her images were brought and placed before those who were about to speak to the people, that they might be ad- monished thereby to say nothing in public but what was just and righteous. Some sa}^ she spoke ora- cles at Delphi, before Apollo ; though Homer says, that she served Apollo with nectar and ambrosia. There was another Themis, of whom Justice, Law, * Qipis enim significat fas. 165 and Peace, are said to be born. Hesiod, by way of eminence, calls her modest, because she was ashamed to say any thing that was done against right and equity. Eusebius calls her Carmenta; ^because by her verse and precepts she directs eve- ry one to that which is just. But here he means a different Carmenta, who was the mother of Evander, otherwise called Themis Nicostrata, a prophetical lady. She was worshipped by the Romans, because she prophecied ; and was called Carmenta, either from the verse in which she uttered her predictions, or from the madness which seemed to possess her when she prophecied. To this lady an altar was dedicated near the gate Carmentalis, by the Capi- tol ; and a temple was also built to her honour upon this occasion : When the senate forbade the married women the use of litters or sedans, they combined together, and resolved that they would never bring children, unless their husbands rescinded that edict : they kept to this agreement with so much resolution, that the senate was obliged to change their sentence, and yield to the women's will, and allow them all se- dans and chariots again. And when their wives conceived and brought forth fine children, they erected a temple in honour of Carmenta. Astraea, the daughter of Aurora and Astraeus the Titan, (or, as others say, the daughter of Jupiter and Themis,) was esteemed the princess of Justice. The poets feign, that in the Golden Age she de- scended from heaven to the earth ; and being of- fended at last by the wickedness of mankind, she returned to heaven again, after all the gods had gone before her. She is many times directly called by the name of Justitia ; as particularly by Virgil. And when she had returned to heaven again, she was placed where we now see the constellation Virgo. * Quod carminibus edictisque suis praecipiat unicuique quod iiistura est. Eusub. Pnep. Evang. 1- 3. 166 The parents of Nemesis were Jupiter and Neces- sity ; or, according to others, Nox and Oceanus, She was the goddess that rewarded virtue, and pun- ished vice : and she taught men their duty, so that she received her name *from the distribution that she made to every body. Jupiter deceived her, as the story says, in the shape of a goose ; and that she brought forth an egg, which she gave to a shep- herd whom she met, to be carried to Leda. Leda laid up the egg in a box, and Helena was soon af- ter produced of that egg. But others give us quite different accounts of the matter. The Romans cer- tainly sacrificed to this goddess, when they went to war ; whereby they signified that they never took up arms unless in a just cause. She is called by another name, Adrastsea, from Adrastus, king of the Argives, who first built an altar to her ; or, per- haps from f the difficulty of escaping from her : be- cause no guilty person can flee from the punishment due to his crimej though Justice sometimes over- takes him late. She has indeed wings, but does not always use them ; but then the slower her foot is, the harder is her hand : " Ad scelerum pcenas ultrix venit ira tonantis, Hoc graviore manu, quo graviore pede." Vengeance divine to punish sin moves slow, The slower is its pace, the surer is its blow. Rhamnusia is another name of this goddess ; from Rhamnus, a town in Attica, where she had a tem- ple, in which there was a statue of her made of one stone, ten cubits high ; she held the bough of an ap- ple-tree in her hand, and had a crown upon her * Asro rv txxtrwaiv tftrxriut, a distributione quae unicuique sit. Plato de Legibus Dial. t Abe non et hoputrxu fugio. quod videlicet nemo no census effugere queat pcenani suit scele'ibus debitam. 167 head, in which many images of deer were engraven. She had also a wheel, which denoted her swiftness J when she avenges. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who are the goddesses that are consulting together on im- portant business ? Who was Themis ; and what was her business ; and why were ! her images placed before public speakers ? Who were the children of the other Themis ? Why was Themis styled modest by Hesiod ; and Carmenta by Eusebius ? Why was a temple erected in honour of Carmenta ? Who was Astraea ? Who were the parents of Nemesis ? What did the Romans sacrifice to her ? Why was she called Adrastaea ? Why is she named Rhamnusia ? CHAPTER XI. THE GODS OF THE WOODS, AND THE RURAL GODS. PAN. HIS NAMES, DESCENT, ACTIONS, &c. We are now come to the images of the gods and goddesses of the woods. Here you may see the gods Pan, Silvanus, the Fauni, the Satyri, Silenus, Priapus, Aristaeus, and Terminus. And there you see the goddesses, Diana, Pales, Flora, Feronia, Pomona, and an innumerable com- pany of Nymphs. Pan is called by that name, either, as some tell us, because he exhilarated the minds of all the gods with the music of the pipe, which he invented ; and by the harmony of the cithern, upon which he play- ed skilfully as soon as he was born. Or, perhaps, he is called Pan, because he governs the affairs ok 168 the universal world by his mind, as he represents it by his body. The Latins called him Inuus and Incubus, the " nightmare ;" and at Rome he was worshipped, and called Lupercus and Lyceus. To his honour a, temple was built at the foot of the Palatine hill, and festivals called Lupercalia were instituted, in which his priests, the Luperci, ran about the streets naked. His descent is uncertain, but the common opinion is, that he was born of Mercury and Penelope. For when Mercury fell violently in love with her, and tried in vain to move her, at last, by changing himself into a white goat, succeeded. Pan, after he was born, was wrapt up in the skin of a hare, and carried to heaven. He is represented as a horned half goat, that re- sembles a beast rather than a man, much less a god. He has a smiling, ruddy face, his nose is flat, his beard comes down to his breast, his skin is spotted, and he has the tail, legs, and feet of a goat ; his head is crowned or girt about with pine, and he holds a crooked staff in one hand, and in th^ other a pipe of uneven reeds, with the music of w hich he can cheer even the gods themselves. When the Gauls, under Brennus, their leader, made an irruption into Greece, and were just about to plunder the city Delphi, Pan, so terrific in ap- pearance, alarmed them to such a degree, that they all betook themselves to flight, though nobody pur- sued them. Whence we proverbially say, that men are in panic fear, when we see them aflfrighted with- out a cause. Now hear what the image of Pan signifies. Pan is a symbol of the world. In his upper part he re- sembles a man, 'in his lower part a beast ; because the superior and celestial part of the world is beau- tiful, radiant, and glorious : as is the face of this // \l,-s, , ,1,1 Wmm 169 god, whose horns resemble the rays of the sun, and the horns of the moon : the redness of his face is like the splendour of the sky ; and the spotted skin that he wears, is an image of the starry firmament. In his lower parts he is shagged and deformed, which represents the shrubs and wild beasts, and the trees of the earth below : his goats' feet signify the solidity of the earth ; and his pipe of seven reeds, that celestial harmony which is made by the seven planets. He has a sheep-hook, crooked at the top, in his hand, which signifies the turning of the year into itself. The nymphs dance to the music of the pipe; which instrument Pan first invented. You will won- der when you hear the relation which the poets give to this pipe, namely, as oft as Pan blows it, the dugs of the sheep are filled with milk : for he is the god of the shepherds and hunters, the captain of the nymphs, the president of the mountains and of a country life, and the guardian of the flocks that graze upon the mountains : " Pan curat oves, oviumque magistros." Virg. Eel 2. Pan loves the shepherds, and their flocks he feeds. The nymph Echo fell in love with him, and brought him a daughter named Iringes, who gave Medea the medicines with which he charmed Jason. He could not but please Dryope, to gain whom, he laid aside his divinity and became a shepherd. But he did not court the nymph Syrinx with so much suc- cess : for she ran away to avoid her lover ; till coming to a river (where her flight was stopped,) she prayed the Naiades, the nymphs of the waters, because she could not escape her pursuer, to change her into a bundle of reeds, just as Pan was laving hold of her, who therefore caught the reeds in his 15 170 arms instead of her. The winds moving these reeds backward and forward occasioned mournful but mu- sical sounds, which Pan perceiving, he cut them down, and made of them reeden pipes : " Dumque ibi suspirafr, motos in arundine ventos Effecisse sonum tenuera, simi'lemque querenti. Arte nova, vocisque Deum dulcedine captum, Hoc mihi concilium tecum, dixisse, manebit; Atque ita disparibus calamis compagine cerae Inter se junctis nomen tenuisse puellae," He sighs, his sighs the tossing reeds return In soft small notes, like one that seem'd to mouTB, The new, but pleasant notes the gods surprise, Yet this shall make us friends at last, he cries: So he this pipe of reeds unequal fram'd With wax ; and Syrinx from his mistress nam'd. But Lucretius ascribes the invention of these pipes not to Pan, but to some countrymen, who had ob- served, on another occasion, the whistling of the wind through reeds : " Zephyri cava per calamorum sibila primum: Agrestes docuere cavas infiare cicutas ; Inde minutatim dulces didicere querelas, Tibia quas fundit digitis pulsata canentum : Avia per nemora ac sylvas saltusque reperta, Per loca pastorum deserta atque otia Dia." Lucr. 1. 5.. And while soft ev'ning gales blew o'er the plains, And shook the sounding reeds, they taught the swains j And thus the pipe was fram'd, and tuneful reed: And while the tender flocks securely feed, And harmless shepherds tune their pipes to love- And Amaryllis sounds in ev'ry grove, In the sacrifices of this god, they offered to him milk and honey in a shepherd's bottle. He was more especially worshipped in Arcadia, for which reason he is so often called Pan, Deus Arcadia?. Some derive from him Hispania, Spain, formerly called Iberia ; for he lived there, when he returned from the Indian war, to which he went with Bacchus and the Satyrs. 171 QUEST10XS FOR EXAMINATION. From what does Pan derive his name ? What was he called by the Latins^ and under what title wa"B ae worshipped at Rome ? What is the origin of Pan ? How is he represented ? What is the origin of the phrase " panic-struck ?" What does the image of Pan signify ? What instruments did he invent, and what occurs when he blows his pipe ? What does Lucretius say of the invention of the pipes ? Repeat the lines. What were used in the sacrifices of Pan ? Whence is he derived ? CHAPTER XII. SILVANUS AND SILENCS. Although many writers confound Silvanus the Fauni, Satyri, and Sileni, with Pan, yet, as others distinguish them, we shall treat of them separately, and begin with Silvanus. Silvanus, who is placed next to Pan, with the feet of a goat, and the face of a man, of little stature. He holds cypress in his hand stretched out. He is so called from silvce, the woods ; for he presides over them. He loved the boy Cyparissus, who had a tame deer, in which he took great pleasure. Sil- vanus by chance killed it ; upon which the youth died for grief. Therefore Silvanus changed him into a cypress-tree, and carried a branch of it always in his hand, in memory of his loss. Silenus follows next, with a flat nose, bald head, large ears, and a small flat body ; he derives his name from his jocular temper, because he perpetu- ally jests upon the people. He sits upon a saddle- 172 backed ass : but when he walks, he leans upon a staff. He was foster-father to Bacchus his master, and his perpetual companion, and consequently was almost always drunk, as we find him described in the sixth Eclogue of Virgil. The cup which he and Bacchus used, was called Cantharus ; and a staff with which he supported himself, Ferula: this he used when he was so drunk, as it often happened, I hat he could not sit, but fell from his ass. The Satyrs were not only constant companions of Silenus, but were assistants to him ; they held him in great esteem, and honoured him as their father ; and when they became old, they were called Sileni too. And concerning Silenus' ass, they say, that he was translated into heaven, and placed among the stars ; because in the giant's war, Silenus rode on him, and helped Jupiter very much. * When Silenus was asked, " What was the best thing that could befall man?" he, after long silence, answered, "It is best for all never to be born, but being born, to die very quickly." Which expres- sion Pliny reports nearly in the same words : f There have been many who have judged it happy never to have been born, or to die immediately after one's birth. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. How is Silvanus represented? From what is his name derived ? Why is he represented with a branch of cypress in his hand ♦ How is Silenus represented ? What are his cap and staff called ? Who were his companions ? What became of his ass ? What was the decision of Silenus with respect to the best thing that can befall man ? *Rogatus quidnam, esset hominibus optimum : respondit om- nibus esse optimum non nasci, et natos quam citissime inteire. Pint in Consolatione Apol. t Mufti extitere qui non nasci, optimum censerunt, aut quam citissime aboleri. In Prefat. I. 7 173 CHAPTER XIII. THE SATYRS, FAUNS, PRIAPUS, ARIST^US TERMINUS. Behold ! Those are Satyrs who dance under the shade of that tall and spreading oak ; they have heads armed with horns, goat's feet and legs, crook- ed hands, and tails not much shorter than horses' tails. There is no animal in nature more libidi- nous than these gods. Their * name itself shows their nature. The Fauns, whom you see joined with the Satyrs, differ from them in the name only ; at least they are not unlike them in their looks : for they have hoofs and horns, and are crowned with the branches of the pine. When they meet drunken persons, they stupify them with their looks alone. The boors of the country call them the " rural gods ;" and pay them the more respect because they are armed with horns and nails, and painted in terrible shapes. Faunus, or Fatuellus, was the son of Picus, king of the Latins. He married his own sister, whose name was Fauna or Fatuella : he consecrated and made her priestess ; after which, she had the gift of prophecy. History likewise tells us that this Fau- nus was the father and prince of the other Fauns and Satyrs. His name was given him from his skill in prophecying ; and thence also fatus signifies both persons that speak rashly and inconsiderately, and enthusiasts ; because they who prophecy, deliver the mind and will of another, and speak things which themselves, many times, do not understand. Priapus, painted with a sickle in his hand, was the son of Venus and Bacchus, born at Lampsacus ; from whence he was banished, till by the oracle's * Satyrus derivator uxo rns tufas a veretro. Euseb. Praep. Eva». ^ 174 command he was recalled, and made god of the gardens, and crowned with garden herbs. He car- ries a sickle in his hand, to cut off from the trees all superfluous boughs, and to drive away thieves and beasts, and mischievous birds ; whence he is called Avistupor. His image is usually placed in gardens, as we may learn from Tibullus, Virgil, and Horace. He is called Hellespontiacus by the poets ; because the city Lampsacus, where he was born, was situ- ate upon the Hellespont. He was very deformed, which misfortune was occasioned by the ill usage that his mother suffered while pregnant, from Juno* He was named Priapus, Phallus, and Fascinum, from his deformity. Ail these names have an in- decent signification ; though by some he is called Bonus Daemon, or the good Genius. Aristaeus ; whom you see busied in that nursery of olive?, supporting and improving the trees, is em- ployed in drawing oil from the olive, which art he first invented. He also found out the use of honey, and therefore, you see rows of bee-hives near him. For these two profitable inventions, the ancients paid him divine honours. He was otherwise called Nomius and Agrseus, and was the son of Apollo by Cyrene ; or, as Cicero says, the son of Liber Pater, educated by the nymphs, and taught by them the art of making oil, honey, and cheese. He fell in love with Euridice, the wife of Orpheus, and pursued her into a wood, where a serpent stung her so that she died. On this account the nymphs hated him, and destroyed all his bees to revenge the death of Euridice; The loss was ex- ceedingly deplored by him ; and asking his mother's advice, he was told by the oracle that he ought by sacrifices to appease Euridice. Wherefore he sacri- ficed to her four bulls and four heifers, and his loss was supplied ; for suddenly a swarm of bees burst forth from the carcases of the bulls. 175 Another god, greatly honoured in the city of Rome, is Terminus, because they imagine that the boundaries and limits of men's estates are under his protection. His name, and the divine honours paid to him by the ancients, are mentioned by Ovid, Ti- bullus, and Seneca. The statue of this god was either a square stone, or a log of wood planed; i which they usually perfumed with ointment, and !| crowned with garlands. And, indeed, the Lapides Terminales (that is, " land-marks,") were esteemed sacred ; so that who- ever dared to move, or plough up, or transfer them to another place, his head became devoted to the Diis Terminalibus, and it was lawful for any body to kill him. And further, though they did not sacrifice the lives i of animals to those stones, because they though that it was not lawful to stain them with blood ; yet they offered wafer made of flour to them, and the first fruits of corn, and the like : .and upon the last day of the year, they always observed festivals to their honour, called Terminalia. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. How are the Satyrs represented ? How are the Fauns represented, and what are they called fcy the country-boors ? What does history say of Faunus ? How did he obtain his name ? Who was Priapus, and where was he born ? How is he represented, and for what is the sickle in his hand! Why was he called Hellespontiacus? Where is his image placed ? What is Aristaeus's employment? What did he invent? Why was he called Nomius? What is the story of Euridice ? How did Terminus derive his name ? What was his statue ? What is said of the Lapides Terminales ? What did the ancients offer as sacrifices to these stones ? 176 CHAPTER XIV. THE GODDESSES OF THE WOODS. DIANA. Here comes a goddess, taller than the other god- desses, in whose virgin looks we may ease our eyes, which have been wearied with the horrid sight of those monstrous deities. Welcome, Diana ! your hunting habit, the bow in your hand, and the quiver full of arrows, which hang down from your should- ers, and the skin of a deer fastened to your breast, discover who you are. Your behaviour, which is free and easy, but modest and decent ; your gar- ments, which are handsome and yet careless, show that you are a virgin. Your name indicates your modesty and honour. Actseon, the son of Aristseus, the famous hunts- man, unfortunately observing you, whilst bathing, was changed into a deer, which was afterwards torn in pieces by the dogs. Further honour is due to you ; because you repre- sent the Moon, the glory of the stars, and the only goddess who observed perpetual chastity. Nor am I ignorant of that famous and deserving action which you did to avoid the flames of Alpheus, when you so hastily fled to your nymphs, who were altogether in one place ; and so besmeared both yourself and them with dirt, that when he came he did not know you : whereby your honest deceit suc- ceeded according to your intentions ; and the dirt which injures every thing else, added a new lustre to your virtue. Diana is called Triformis and Tergemina. First, because though she is but one goddess, yet she has three different names, as well as three different offi- ces. In the heavens she is called Luna ; on the & -^*M f^HMf. ' A Ji •Dmm : 177 j&atth she is named Diana ; and in hell she is called Hecate or Proserpine. In the heavens she enlight- ens every thing by her rays ; on the earth she keeps lunder her power all wild beasts by her bow and her jdart ; and in hell she keeps all the ghosts and the spirits in subjection to her by her power and au- thority. The several names and offices are com- prised in an ingenious distich : " Terret, lustrat, agit; Proserpina, Luna, Diana; Ima, suprema, feras ; sceptro, fuigore, sagitta." Dempter in Paralip. But although Luna, Diana, and Hecate, are com- monly thought to be only three different names of the same goddess, yet Hesiod esteems them three i distinct goddesses. Secondly, because she has, as the poets say, three heads ; the head of a horse on the right side, of a dog on the left, and a human head in the midst : whence some call her three- headed, or three-faced. And others ascribe to her the likeness of a bull, a dog, and a lion. Virgil and Claudian also mention her three countenances. Thirdly, according to the opinion of some, she is called Triformis, because the moon hath three phases or shapes : the new moon appears arched with a semicircle of light ; the half moon fills a semicircle with light ; and the full moon fills a whole circle or orb with its splendour. But let us examine these names more exactly. She is named Luna, from shining, either because s^he only in the night time sends forth a glorious light, or else because she shines by borrowed light, and not by her own ; and therefore the light with which she shines is always * new light. Her chariot is drawn with a white and a black horse j or with two oxen, because she has got two horns ; some- ■ Quod luce aliena splendeat, unde Graece dicitur 2«A*v»j a ■ r -y.»: viov. id est, lumen novum. Id. ibid. 178 times a mule is added, because she has no children, and shines by the light of the sun. Some say, that Luna? of both sexes have been worshipped, especial- ly among the Egyptians ; and indeed they give this property to all the other gods. Thus both Lunus and Luna were worshipped, but with this difference, that those who worshipped Luna were thought sub- ject to the women, and those who worshipped Lunus were superior to them. We must also observe, that the men sacrificed to Venus, under the name of Luna in women's clothes, and the women in men's clothes. This Luna had ti lover who was named Endy- mion, and he was courted by her, insomuch, that to kiss him, she descended out of heaven, and came to the mountain Latmus, or Lathynius, in Caria ; he lay condemned to an eternal sleep by Jupiter j because, when he was taken into heaven, he at- tempted to make love to Juno. In reality, Endy- mion was a famous astronomer, who first described the course of the moon, and he is represented sleep- ing, because he contemplated nothing but the plane- tary motions. Hecate may be derived from Ux6sv [hehathen\ ; eminus ; because the moon darts her rays or ar- rows afar off. She is said to be the daughter of Ceres by Jupiter, who being cast out by her mo- ther, and exposed in the streets, was taken up by shepherds, and nourished by them ; for which rea- son she was worshipped in the streets, and her statue was usually set before the doors of the houses, whence she took the name Propylaea. Others de- rive her name from ex-arov [hecaton] centum, because they sacrificed a hundred victims to her : or, be- cause, by her edict, those who die and are not buri- ed, wander a hundred years up and down hell. However, it is certain that she is called Trivia, from triviis, "the streets;" for she was believed to pre- ! side over the streets and ways ; so that they sacri- 179 jficed to her in- the streets ; and the Athenians, every new moon, made a sumptuous supper for her there, which was eaten in the night by the poor people of tithe city. They say that she was excessively tall, iier head was covered with frightful snakes instead of hair, and her feet were like serpents. She was re- presented encompassed with dogs ; because that ani- mal was sacred to her ; and Hesychius says, that 'she was sometimes represented by a dog. We are *old that she presided over enchantments, and that when she was called seven times she came to the sacrifices : as soon as these were finished, several apparitions appeared, called from her Hecataea. | She was called by the Egyptians, Bubastis ; her feasts were named Bubastse ; and the city where jthey were yearly celebrated was called Bubastis. She is called Chitone and Chitonia, * because women after childbirth used -first to sacrifice to Ju- no, and then offer to Diana their own and their chil- dren's clothes. She was named Dictynna, not only from the f nets which she used, for she was a huntress, and the princess of hunters (for which reason all woods Were dedicated to her,) but also because Britomar- jtis the virgin, whom she hunted, fell into the nets, |and vowed, if she escaped, to build a temple for Diana. She did escape, and then consecrated a {temple to Diana Dictynna. Others relate the story Ithus • When Britomartis, whom Diana loved be- cause she was a huntress, fled from Minos her lover, jand cast herself into the sea ; she fell into the fish- jermen's nets, and Diana made her a goddess. The ancients thought that Diana left off hunting on the &des of August, therefore at that time it was not * X/rwvw, quasi tunicata a %ir&>v, tunica ; solehant enim fcemi- taae partus laborious perfunctee Junoni sacrificare ; suas autem pt jinfantium vestes Dianee consecrare. Plut. 3. Symp. c. ult. j t Retia enim &xvr« dicuntur. I 180 lawful lor any one to hunt, but they crowned the dogs with garlands, and by the light of torches, made of stubble, hung up the hunting instruments ■near them. We shall only adjoin, to what has been said, the two stories of Chione and Meleager. Chione was the daughter of Daedalion, the son of Daedalus : she was beloved by Apollo and Mercu4 ry, and was the mother of twins ; namely, Philam-| mon, a skilful musician, and Autolychus, who prov-;> ed a famous juggler, and an artful thief. She was so far from thinking this a shame, that she grew very proud ; nay, openly boasted, that her beauty had charmed two gods. Besides, she was so bold as to speak scornfully of Diana's beauty, and to pre-;; fer herself before her : but Diana punished the in-: solence of this boaster, for she drew her bow, and shot an arrow through her tongue, and thereby put her to silence : ' Se praeferre Dianae Sustinuit, faciemque Dea? culpavit. At illi Ira ferox mota est, factisque placabimus, inquit,. Nee mora curvavit corriu, nervusque sagittam linpulit, et meritam trajecit arundine linguam." She to Diana's durst her face prefer, And blnnie her beauty. With a cruel look, She said our deed shall right us. Forthwith took Her bow, and bent it ; which she strongly drew, And through her guilty tongue the arrow flew. Meleager was punished for the fault of his fathei Oeneus, who, when he offered his first fruits to th< gods, wilfully forgot Diana ; therefore she was an gry, and sent a wild boar into the fields of his king dom of Caledonia, to destroy them. Meleager accompanied with many chosen youths, immediately undertook either to kill this boar, or to drive hin out of the country. The Virgin Atalanta was anion; 181 the hunters, and gave the boar the first wound ; and soon after Meleager killed him. He valued Atalan- ta more who wounded him, than himself who killed him, and therefore offered her the boar's skin. But the uncles of Meleager were enraged that the hide was- given to a stranger, violently took it from her ; upon which Meleager killed them. As soon as his mother Althaea understood that Meleager had killed her brothers, she sought revenge like a mad woman. In Althaea's chamber was a billet, which, when Me- leager was born, the Fates took, and threw into the fire, saying, The new-born infant shall live as long as this stick remains unconsumed : " Tempora, dixerunt, eadem lignoque tibique, O modo nate, damus : quo postquam carmine dicto, Excessere Dese ; flagrantem mater ab igne Eripuit ramum, sparsitque liquentibus uiidis ; Servatusque diu juvcnis servaverat annos." O lately born, one period we assign To thee and to the brand. The charm they weave Into his fate, and then the chamber leave. His mother snatch'd it with a hasty hand Out of the fire, and quench'd the flaming brand, This in an inward closet closely lays, And by preserving it prolongs his days. The mother snatched it out of the fire and quench- ed it, and laid it in a closet. But now, moved with rage, she goes to her chamber, and fetching the stick, she threw it into the fire : -" Dextraqne aversa».trementi, Funereum torrem medios conjecit in ignes. With eyes turn'd back, her quaking hand To trembling flames expos ; d the fun'ral brand, As the log burned, Meleager, though absent, felt fire in his bowels, which consumed him in the same manner that the wood was consumed ; and when at 16 18* last the log was quite reduced to ashes, and the lire quenched, Meleager at the same time expired, and turned to dust. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. How is Diana described ? What is said of Actason ? Why does Diana represent the moon ? "What is said of her with regard to Alpheus? Why is she called Triformis ? How is she named in the heavens, in the earth, and in hell ; and why so ? Repeat the Latin distich. Why is she named Lunae ? How was Lunae worshipped among the Egyptians ? What is said of Endymion ? What is said of HecRte ? Why was she called Trivia? Why is she represented as encompassed with dogs ? Why is she called Bubastae, and why Brimo ? Why was she called Lucina and Opis ? Why was she called Chitone ? Why was she named Dictynna? Why did the ancients esteem it unlawful to hunt after the first of August ? Give some account of the stories of Chione and Meleager. CHAPTER XV. PALES, FLORA, FERONIA, POMONA. That old lady, whom you see surrounded by shepherds, is Pales, the goddess of shepherds and pastures. Some call her Magna Mater and Vesta. To this goddess they sacrificed milk, and waters made of millet, that she might make the pastures fruitful. They instituted the feasts called Palilia, or Parilia, to her honour, which were observed upon the eleventh or twelfth day of the calends of May ifirOiyi 183 by the shepherds in the field, on the same day in which Romulus laid the foundation of the city. These feasts were celebrated to appease this god- dess, that she might drive away the wolves, and prevent the diseases incident, to cattle. The so- lemnities observed in the Palilian feasts were many: the shepherds placed little heaps of straw in a par- ticular order, and at a certain distance ; then they danced and leaped over them ; then they purified the sheep and the rest of the cattle with the fume ot rosemary, laurel, sulphur, and the like ; as we learn from Ovid, who gives a description of the rites. " Alma Pales, faveas pastoria sacra canenti, Prosequar officio si tua facta raeo. Certe ego de vitulo cinerem, stipulamque fabalem Saepe tuJi, lava, februa tosta, manu. Certe ego transilui positas ter in ordine flammas, Virgoque rorales laurea misit aquas." . Great Pales help ; the past'ral rites I sing, With humble duty mentioning each thing. Ashes of calves, and bea:i-straws oft I've held, With burnt purgations in a hand well fill'd. Thrice o'er the flames, in order rarig'd, I've leapt, And holy dew my laurel twig has dript. Flora, so dressed and ornamented, is the god- dess and president of flowers. The Romans gave her the honour of a goddess, but in reality she was a woman of infamous character, who, by her abo- minable trade, heaped up a great deal of money, and made the people of Rome her heir. She left a certain sum, the yearly interest of which was settled, that the games called Florales, or Floralia, might be celebrated annually, on her birth-day. But be- cause this appeared impious and profane to the se- nate, they covered their design, and worshipped Flora under the title of " goddess of flowers 5" and pretended that they offered sacrifice to her, that the plants and trees might flourish. 184 Ovid follows the same fiction, and relates, that Chloris, an infamous nymph, was married to Ze- phyrus, from whom she received the power over all the flowers. But let us return to Flora, and her games. Her image, as we find in Plutarch, was exposed in the temple of Castor and Pollux, dress- ed in a close coat, and holding in her right hand the flowers of beans and peas. For while these sports were celebrated, the officers, or aediles, scat- tered beans and other pulse among the people. These games were proclaimed and begun by sound of trumpet, as we find mentioned in Juvenal.-— Sat. 6. Feronia, the goddess of the woods, is justly placed near Flora, the goddess of flowers. She" is called Feronia, from the care she takes in * pro- ducing and propagating trees. The higher place is due to her, because fruits are more valuable than flowers, and trees than small and ignoble plants. It is said she had a grove sacred to her, under the mountain Soracte : this was set on fire, and the neighbours were resolved to remove the image Fe- ronia thence, when on a sudden the grove became green again. Strabo reports that those who were inspired by this goddess, used to walk barefoot upon burning coals without hurt. Though many believed, that by the goddess Feronia, that kind of virtue only is meant, by which fruit and flowers were produced. Pomona is the goddess, the guardian, the presi- dent, not of the f apples only, but of all the fruit and the product of trees and plants. As you see, she follows after Flora and Feronia, in order ; but in the greatness of her merit she far surpasses them ; and has a priest who serves her only, called Flamen Pomonalis. * Feronia a ferendis arboribus dicta. t Pomona a pomis dicitur. 185 Once when Pomona was very busy in looking af- ter her gardens and orchards with great care, and was wholly employed in watering and securing the roots, and lopping the overgrown branches ; *Ver- tumnus, a principal god among the Romans, (called so because he had power to turn himself into what shape he pleased,) fell in love with Pomona, and counterfeited the shape of an old grey-headed wo- man. He came leaning on a staff into the gardens, admired the fruit and beauty of them, and commend- ing her care about them, he saluted her. He view- ed the gardens, and from the observations he had made, he began to discourse of marriage, telling her that it would add to the happiness even of a god, to have her to wife. Observe, says he, the trees which creep up this wall : how do the apples and plums strive which shall excel the other in beauty and co- lour ! whereas, if they had not props or supports, which like husbands hold them up, they would pe- rish and decay. All this did not move her, till Ver- tumnus changed himself into a young man ; and then she also began to feel the force and power of love, and then received him with favour. — Ovid- Met. 14. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who was Pales, and what did they sacrifice to her? Why Were these feasts observed ? What solemnities were observed in the Palilian feasts ? Who was Flora ? Was she really a goddess ? How were the Floralia instituted ; when were they celebrated j find under what pretence did they worship Flora ? How is her figure represented ? Who is Feronia ; what is her occupation ; and why is more honour due- to her than to Flora ? What does Strabo say of Feronia ? Who was Pomona, and what was her priest called ? What story is related of Vertumnus ? * Vertumnus a vertendo, quod in quas yellet figuras sese ver- tere poterat. 186 CHAPTER XVI. THE NYMPHS. Now observe that great company of neat, pretty, handsome, beautiful, charming, virgins, who are very near the gardens of Pomona. Some run about the woods, and hide themselves in the trunks of the aged oaks ; some plunge themselves into the foun- tains, and some swim in the rivers. They are call- ed by one common name, nymphs, ^because they always look young; or fbecause they are hand- some : yet all have their proper names beside, which they derive either from the places in which they live, or the offices Which they perform ; they are espe- cially distributed in three classes, celestial, terres- trial, and marine. The celestial nymphs were those genii, those souls and intellects, who guided the spheres of the hea- vens, and dispensed the influences of the stars to the things of the earth. Of the terrestrial nymphs, some preside over the woods, and were called Dryades, from a Greek word, A^§, which principally signifies an oak, but generally any tree whatever. These Dryades had their habitations in the oaks. Other nymphs were called JHamadryades, for they were born when the oak was first planted, and when it perishes they die also. The ancients held strange opinions concern- ing oaks : they imagined that even the smallest oak was sent from heaven. The Druidae, priests of the Gauls, esteemed nothing more divine and sacred, than the excrescence which sticks to oaks. Others of * 'Atro t5 aii ve«; tpxivtirtieii quod semper juvenes appareant. i 'Am t5 (pccivuv, splendere quod forme decore praefulgeant. I Ab &pa } simul, et fyvj, quereus. 187 those nymphs were called *Oreades, or Oriestiades^ because they presided over the mountains, f Napaeae, because they had dominion over the groves and val- leys. Others JLimoniades, because they looked after the meadows and fields. And others, ||Meliae, from the ash, a tree sacred to them ; and these were supposed to be the mothers of those children, who were accidentally born under a tree, or exposed there. Of the marine nymphs, those which presided over the seas, were called Nereides or Nereinee, from the sea god Nereus, and the sea nymph Doris, their pa- rents ; which Nereus and Doris were born of Tethys and Oceanus, from whom they were called Oceani- tides and Oceania?. Others of those nymphs pre- side over the fountains, and were called §Naides or Naiades : others inhabit the rivers, and were called Fluviales or ITPotamides : and others preside over the lakes and ponds, and were called Limnades. All the gods had nymphs attending them. Jupi- ter speaks of his in Ovid : " Sunt mihi Semidei, sunt rustica numina Fauni, Et Nymphae, Satyrique, et monticolae Sylvani. Half gods and rustic Fauns attend my will, Nymphs, Satyrs, Sylvans, that on mountains dwell. Neptune had many nymphs, insomuch that Hesi- od and Pindar call him **Nymphagetes, that is, the captaii/of the nymphs : the poets generally gave him fifty. Phoebus likewise had nymphs called Agan- nippidae and Musae. Innumerable were the nymphs of Bacchus, who were called by different names, * Ab Spos } mons. t A v«5ru, saltus vel vallis. \ A Xupaiv, pratum. jj A fttXim, fraxinus. § A vaa, fluo. "f[ Tlora/^os, fluvitlS. ** nvpfxyirqs, id est, Nympharum dux. 188 Baccha?, Bassarides, Eloides, and Thyades. Hunt- ing nymphs attended upon Diana ; sea nymphs, called Nereides, waited upon Tethys ; and fourteen very beautiful nymphs belonged to Juno : " Bis septem praestanti corpore Nymphae." Virg. JEn. 1. Twice seven the charming daughters of the main, Around my person wait, and bear my train. Out of all which I will only give you the history of two. Arethusa was one of Diana's nymphs : her vir- tue was as great as her beauty. The pleasantness of the place invited her to cool herself in the waters of a fine clear river : Alpheus, the god of the river, assumed the shape of a man, and arose out of the water ; he first saluted her with kind words, and then approached near to her : but away she flies, and he follows her ; and when he had almost over- taken her, she was dissolved with fear, into a foun- tain, with the assistance of Diana, whom she im plored. Alpheus then resumed his former shape of water, and endeavoured to mix his stream with hers, but in vain ; for to this day Arethusa continues her flight, and by her passage through a cavity of the earth, she goes under ground into Sicily. Alpheus also follows by the like subterraneous passage, till at last he unites and marries his own streams to those of Arethusa in that island. Virg. JEn. 2. Echo was formerly a nymph, though nothing ot her but her voice remains now, and even when she was alive, she was so far deprived of her speech, that she couid only repeat the last words of those sentences which she heard : u Corpus adhuc Echo, non vox erat ; et tamen usum Garrula non alium ; rjuam nunc habet, oris habebat ; Reddere de multis ut verba novissima posset." Ovid. Met. 3, 189 She was a nymph, though only now a sound ; Yet of her tongue no other use was found, Than now she has ; which never could be more. Than to repeat what she had heard before. Juno inflicted this punishment on her for her talk- ativeness : for when, prompted by her jealousy, she came down to discover Jupiter among the nymphs, Echo detained her very long with her tedious dis- courses, that the nymphs might have an opportunity to escape, and hide themselves : " Fecerat hoc Juno, quia cum deprendere posset Sub Jove saepe suo nymphas in monte jacentes, Ilia deam longo prudens sefmone tenebat, Dum fugerent nymphae." This change impatient Juno's anger wrought, Who, when her Jove she o'er the mountains sought, Was oft by Echo's tedious tales misled, Till the shy nymphs to caves and grotto's fled. This Echo by chance met Narcissus rambling m the woods ; and she so admired his beauty that she fell in love with him : she discovered her love to him, courted him, followed and embraced him, but he broke from her embraces, and hastily fled from her sight : upon which the despised nymph hid herself in the woods, and pined away with grief, so that every part of her but her voice was consumed, and her bones were turned into stones. u Vox tantum, atque ossa supersunt ; Vox manet : ossa ferunt lapidis traxisse figuram J Inde latet sylvis, nulloque in monte videtur, Omnibus auditur ; sonus est qui vivit in ilia." Her flesh consumes and moulders with despair, And all her body's juice is turn'd to air; So wond'rous are the effects of restless pain, That nothing but her voice and bones remain ; Nay, e'en the very bones at last are gonp, And metamorphos'd to a thoughtless stone y Yet still the voice does in the woods survive, The form's departed, but the sound's aUve. 190 Narcissus met with as bad a fate ; for though he would neither love others, nor admit of their love, yet he fell so deeply in love with his own beauty, that the love of himself proved his ruin. His thirst led him to a fountain, whose waters were clear and bright as silver : " Fons erat illimis nitidis argenteus undis." Ovid Met. 3. There was by chance a living fountain near, Whose unpolluted channel ran so clear, That it seem'd liquid silver. When he stooped to drink, he saw his own image j he stayed gating at it* insomuch that he fell pas- sionately in love with it. A little water only sepa- rated him irom his beloved object : " Exigua prohibetur aqua"— A little drop of water does remove And keep him from the object of his love. He continued a long time admiring this beloved picture, before he discovered what it was that he so passionately adored ; but at length the unhappy creature perceived, that the torture he suffered was from the love of his own self: " Flammas, inquit, moveoque, feroque : Quod cupio mecum est : inopero me copia fecit. O utinam a nostro secedere corpore possem ! Votum in amante novum est, vellem quod amamusabesset/ 1 My love does vainly on myself return, And fans the cruel flames with which I burn. The thing desir'd I still about me bore, And too much plenty has ccnfirm'd me poor. O that I from my much-lov'd self could go j A strange request, yet would to God 'twere sa! In a word, his passion conquered him, and the power of love was greater than he could resist, so that, by degrees, he wasted away and consumed, and 191 At last, by the favour of the gods, was turned into a daffodil, a flower called by his own name. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who are the Nymphs ; how are they engaged ; and from whence do they derive their general name ? : From whom do they get their peculiar names, and into what glasses are they divided ? Who, are the celestial Nymphs ? Give some account of the terrestrial Nymphs. Over what d ; d the marine .Nymphs preside ? Whom did the Nymphs attend ? What is said of Arethusa ? Who was Echo, and what is her history ? What is the history of Narcissus ? CHAPTER XVn. THE INFERIOR RURAL DEITIES. Rusina, the goddess to whose care all parts of he country are committed. Collina, she who reigns over the hills. Vallonia, who holds her empire in the valleys. Hippona, who presides over the horses and sta- ges. Bubona, who hath the care of the oxen. ! Seia, who takes care of the seed, while it lies bu- ried in the earth. She is likewise called Segetia, because she. takes care of the blade as soon as it ap- bears green above the ground.. Runcina is the goddess of weeding. She is in- voked when the fields are to be weeded. Occator is the god of harrowing. He is wor- shipped when the fields are to be harrowed, i Sator and Sarritor are the gods of sowing and faking. 192 To the god Robigus were celebrated festivals call- ed Robigalia, which were usually observed upon the seventh of the calends of May, to avert the blasting . of the corn. Stercutius, Stercutus, or Sterculius, called like- wise Sterquilinius and Picumnus, is the god who first invented the art of manuring the ground. ' Proserpine is the goddess who presides over the corn, when it is sprouted pretty high above the earth. We shall speak more of her when we discourse con- cerning the infernal deities. Nodosus, or Nodotus, is the god that takes care I of the knots ^and the joints of the stalks. Volusia is; the goddess who takes care to fold the blade round the corn, before the beard breaks out, which foldings of the blade contain the beard, as pods do the seed. * Patelina, who takes care of the corn after it is broken out of the pod, and appears. The goddess Flora presides over the ear when it blossoms. Lactura, or Lactucina, who is next to Flora, pre- sides over the ear when it begins to have milk. And Matura takes care that the ear comes to a . just maturity. Hostilina was worshipped that the ears of corn might grow even, and produce a crop proportion- ably to the seed sown. Tutelina, or Tutulina, hath a tutelage of corn when it is reaped. Pilumnus invented the art of kneading and baking bread. He is commonly joined with Picumnus, his brother, whom we mentioned above. Mellona is the goddess who invented the art of making honey. And Fornax is esteemed a goddess ; because, be- fore the invention of grinding wheat, corn was parch- ed in a furnace. Ovid makes mention of this goddess : 193 " Facta Dea est Fornax, laeti fornace coloni Orantj ut vires temperet ilia suas." Fast. 6. A goddess Fornax is, and her the clowns adore, That they may've kindly batches by her pow'r. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION Who were the Rusinn, Collina, Vallonia, and Hippona ? What were the occupations of Bubona, Seia, Runcina, and Occator ? Who were the gods of sowing and raking? On what account were the Robigalia instituted ? Who invented the art of manuring the land ? Over what does Proserpine preside ? Who were Nodosus, Volusia, and Patellina ? Over what does Flora, Lactura, and Matura preside f Why was Hostilena worshipped ? What was the office of Tutelina ? Whiit did Pilumnus invent ? Who was Mellona ? Why is Fornax esteemed a goddess ? 17 195 vouring jaws of Saturn, who ate up all the male children that was born to him, by giving Saturn a young foal to eat in his stead. In the Greek he is called UoTetSm [Posiedon^] because he so binds our feet that we are not able to walk within his do- minions, that is, on the water. When he came of age, Saturn's kingdom was di- vided by lot, and the maritime parts fell to him. He and Apollo, by Jupiter's command, were forced to serve Laomedon, in building the walls of Troy ; because he and some other gods had plotted against Jupiter. Then he took *Amphitrite to wife, who refused a long time to hearken to his courtship ; but at last, by the assistance of a dolphin, and by the power of flattery, he gained her. To recompense which kindness, the dolphin was placed among the stars, and made a constellation. Amphitrite had two other names ; Salacia, so called from salum, the sea, or the salt water, towards the lower part and bottom of the sea ; and Venilia, so called «TGIK ZZZli endo, because the sea goes and comes with the tide, or ebbs and flows by turns. The poets tell us, that Neptune produced a horse in Attica out of the ground, by striking it with his trident; whence he is called Hippius and Hippo- dromus, and he is esteemed the president over horse races. At his altar, in the Circus at Rome, games were instituted, in which they represented the an- cient Romans by violence carrying away the Sabine women. His altar was under ground, and sacrifi- ces were offered to him by the name of Consus, the god of counsel ; which for the most part ought to be given privately ; and therefore the god Consus was worshipped in an obscure and private place. The solemn games Consualia, celebrated m the * Dicitur afttpirpirn -srecpei to ap, Luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae ; Pallentesque habitant Morbi tritisque Senectus, Et Metusj et malesuada Fames, et turpis Egestas, (Terribiles visa formae) Lethumque Laborque. Turn consanguineus Lethi Sopor, et mala mentis Gaudia, mortiferumque adverso in limine Bellum. Ferreique Eumenidura thalami, et Discordia demens Vl pe rsuia criaem vittis innexa truentis." JEn. 6\ Just in the gate, and in the jaws of Hell, Revengeful Care and sullen Sorrows dwell ; And pale Diseases, and repining Age, Want, Fear, and Famine's unresisted rage : Here Toil and Death, and Death's half-brother, Sleep, (Forms terrible to view,) their sentry keep. With anxious Pleasures of a guilty mind, Deep Fraud before, and open force behind ; The Furies' iron beds, and Strife that shakes Her hissing tresses, and unfolds her snakes. Charon is an old decrepid, long-bearded fellow : he is the ferryman of hell; his fname denotes the ungracefulness of his aspect. In the Greek lan- guage he is called .nop6f*.ev<; \Porthmeus^\ that is, gortitor ; " ferryman." You see his image, but you * Avernus dicitur quasi aopvts, id est, sine avibus. Quod nul- la* volucres lacum ilium, ob lethiferum halitum, praetervolare salva? possent. t Charon, quasi Acharon, id est, sine gratia ab *, non ; et %Kfi; gratia. 209 may read a more beautiful and elegant picture of him drawn by the pen of Virgil. " Portitor has horrendus aquas et flumina serva Terribili squalore Charon : cui plurima mento Canities inculta jacet ; stant lumina flamma, Sordidiis ex humeris nodo dependet amictus,, Ipse ratem conto subigit, velisque rainistrat, Et Ferruginea subvectat corpora cymba, Jam senior ; sed cruda Deo viridisque senectus." JEti. 6. There Charon stands, who rules the dreary coasts ; A sordid god : down from his hoary chin A length of beard descends, uncomb'd, unclean j His eyes like hollow furnaces on fire ; A girdle foul with grease binds his obscene attire. He spreads his canvass, with his poll he steers ; The frights of flitting ghosts in his thin bottom bears. He look'd in years, yet in his years were seen A youthful vigour, and autumnal green. He is waiting to take and carry over to the other side of the lake the souls of the dead, which you see flocking on the shores in troops. Yet he takes not all promiscuously who come, but such only whose bodies are buried when they die ; for the unburied wander about the shores an hundred years, and then are carried over. " Centum errant annos, volitant haec litora circum : Turn demum admissi stagna exoptata revisunt." — JEn. 6. : A hundred years they wander on the shore, At length, their penance done, are wafted o'er. But first they pay Charon his fare, which is at least a halfpenny. There are three or four rivers to be passed by the dead. The first is Acheron, which receives them when they come first. This Acheron was the son of Terra or Ceres, born in a cave, and conceived without a father ; and because he could not endure light, he ran down into hell and was changed into a river, whose waters are extremely bitter. 18* 210 The second is Styx, which is a lake rather than a river, and was formerly the daughter of Oceanus, and the mother of the goddess Victoria by Acheron. When Victoria was on Jupiter's side in his war against the Giants, she obtained the prerogative for her mother, that no oath that was sworn among the gods by her name, should ever be violated : for if any one of the gods broke an oath sworn by Styx, they were banished from the nectar and the table of the gods a year and nine days. This is the Stygian lake, by which when the gods swore, they observed their oath with the utmost scrupulousness. "Dii cujus jurare timent et fallere numen." Virg. JEn. 6. The sacred stream which heaven's imperial state Attests in oaths, and fears to violate. The third river, Cocytus, flows out of Styx with a lamentable groaning noise, and imitates the howl- ing, and increases the exclamations of the damned. Next comes *Phlegethon, or Puriphlegeton, so called because it swells with waves of fire, and all its streams are flames. When the souls of the dead have passed over these four rivers, they were afterwards carried to the pa- lace of Pluto, where the gate is guarded by Cerbe- rus, a dog with three heads, whose body is covered in a terrible manner with snakes, instead of hair. This dog is the porter of hell, begotten of Echidna, by the giant Typhon, and is described by Virgil and by Horace. " Cerberus haec ingens latratu regna trifauci Personat adverso recubar.s immanis in antro.*' Stretch'd in his ketinel, monstrous Cerb'rus round From triple jaws made all these realms resound. * A QXtyu, ardeo, quod undis intumeat ignis flammeosque fluc- tua evolvat 211 *? Cessit immanis tibi blandienti Janitor aulce Cerberus ; quamvis furiale centum Muniant angues caput ejus ; atque Spiritus teter, saniesque manat Ore trilingui." — 1. 3. od. 11. Hell's grisly porter let you pass, And frown'd and listen'd to your lays ; The snakes around his head grew tame, His jaws no longer glow'd with flame, Nor triple tongue was stain'd with blood ; No more his breath with venom flovv'd. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION Give Virgil's description of hell, and the translation How is it described in the text ? What is said of the monsters at the entrance ? Give Virgil's description. Who is Charon ? What is his business ? Repeat Virgil's description. Does Charon take all, promiscuously ? What is said of Acheron ? What is Styx ? How are Cocytus and Phlegethon described ? What becomes of the souls of the dead after they hare passed these rivers ? Repeat Virgil's description of Cerberus. Likewise the description by Horace. CHAPTER II. PLUTO. PLUTUS. Pluto is the king of hell, son of Saturn and Ops, and brother of Jupiter and Neptune. He had these infernal dominions allotted to him, not only be- cause in the division of his father's kingdom the western parts fell to his lot, but also, because the invention of burying, and of honouring the dead 212 with funeral obsequies, proceeded from him : for the same reason he is thought to exercise a sovereignty over the dead. Look upon him, he sits on a throne covered with darkness, and discover, if you can, his habit, and the ensign of his majesty, more narrowly. He holds a key in his hand, instead of a sceptre, and is crowned with ebony. Sometimes he is crowned with a diadem ; and sometimes with the flowers of narcissus, or white daffodils, and sometimes with cypress leaves ; be- cause those plants greatly please him, and especially the narcissus, since he stole away Proserpine, when she gathered that flower. Very often a rod is put into his hand in the place of a sceptre, with which he guides the dead to hell : and sometimes he wears a head-piece, which makes him ^invisible. His cha- riot and horses are of a black colour, and f when he carried away Proserpine he rode in his chariot. But if you would know what the key signifies which he has in his hand, the answer is plain, that when once the dead are received into his kingdom, the gates are locked against them, and there is no regress thence into this life again. ' Facilis descensus Averni : ISoctes atque dies patet atri janua Ditis ; Sed revocare graduta, superasque evadere ad auras, Hoc opus, hie Jabor est." Virg. JEn. 6. To th' shades you go a downhill easy way : But to return, and re-enjoy the day, That is a work, a labour. His Greek name tPluton or Pluto, as well as his Latin name Dis, signifies wealth. The reason why he is so called, is, because all our wealth comes from the lowest and most inward bowels of the earth ; and . because, as Cicero observes, ||all the natural powers * Horn. Iliad. 5. t Ovid. Met. 5. t Ukaroi divitiae. || Terrena vis cmnis ac natura ipsi dicata credebatur. Gic. da > T at. Deor. 2. 213 and faculties of the earth are under his direction ; for all things proceed from the earth, and go thither again. The name a&js [Hades^] by which he is called among the Greeks, ^signifies dark, gloomy, and me- lancholy 5 or else, fas others guess, invisible ; be- cause he sits in darkness and obscurity : his habita- tion is melancholy and lonesome, and he seldom ap- pears to open view. He is likewise called JAgesilaus, because he leads people to the infernal regions ; and sometimes || Age- lastus, because it was never known that Pluto laughed. His name Februus, comes from the old word fe- bruo, because purifications and lustrations were used at funerals : whence the month of February receives also its appellation : at which time especially, the sacrifices called Februo were offered by the Romans to this god. He is also called Orcus or Urgus, and Ouragus, as some say, ^because he excites and hastens people to their ruin and death : but others think that he is so named ITbecause, like one that brings up the rear of an army, he attends at the last moments of men's lives. He is called Summarms, that is, the chief **of all the infernal deities ; the principal governor of all the ghosts and departed spirits. The thunder that hap- pens in the night is attributed to him : whence he is * Ahi flE^sj, id est, triste, tenebrosum. t A.ut quasi aopxro;, quod videri minime possit, aut ab « pri<- vm\ie,et uhiv videi;e. Socr. ap. Plut. Phurnut. Gaza. ap. Lil. Gyr. t riapa to etynv [phlego] uro, for it abounds in subterraneous fires, and hot baths flow- ing continually. The giants were beaten and all cut off, either by Jupiter's thunder, Apollo's arrows, or by the arms of the rest of the gods. And some say, that out of tl»e blood of the slain, which was spilt upon the earth, serpents and such envenomed and pernicious animals were produced. The most eminent of those giants were, Typhosus, or Typhon, the son of Juno, had no father. So vast was his magnitude, that he touched the east with one hand, and the west with the other, and the heavens with the crown of his head. A hun- dred dragon's heads grew from his shoulders ; his body was covered with feathers, scales, rugged hair, and adders ; from the ends of his fingers snakes issu- ed, and his two feet had the shape and folds of a serpent's body ; his eyes sparkled with fire, and his mouth belched out flames. He was at last over- come, and thrown down ; and, lest he should rise again, the whole island of Sicily was laid upon him : " Nititur ille quidem, pugnatque resurgere saepe : Dextra sed Ausonio manus est subjecta Peloro ; Lasva, Pachyne, tibi ? Lilybaeo crura premuntur ; Preegravat iEtna caput." Ovid. Met. S, He struggles oft, and oft attempts to rise > Rut on his right hand vast-Pelorus lies; On's left Pachynus ; Lilybaeus spreads O'er his huge thighs ; and iEtna keeps his heads. This island was also called Trinacria, because it bears the shape of a triangle, in the corners of which are the three promontories, Pelorus, Pachynus, and Lilybaeus ; Pelorus was placed on his right hand, Pachynus on his left, and Lilybaeus lay upon his legs. iEgeon was another prodigious and cruel giant : Virgil tells us that he had fifty heads and a hundred 224 hands, from which he was called Centumgeminus, and by the Grecians, Briareus. " ^Egeon qualis, centum cui brachia dicunt, Centenasque manus, quinquaginta oribus, ignem Pectoribusque arsisse : Jovis cum fulmina contra Tot paribus streperet clypeis, tot stringeret enses.'' JEn. 10. And as iEgeon, when with heav'n he strove, Stood opposite in arms to mighty Jove, Mov'd all his hundred, hands, provok'd to war, Defy'd the forky lightning from afar : At fifty mouths his flaming breath expires, And flash for flash returns, and fires for fires ; In his right hands as many swords he wields And takes the thunder on as- many shields. He hurled a hundred rocks against Jupiter at one throw ; yet Jupiter dashed him down, bound him in a hundred chains, and thrust him under the moun- tain jEtna ; where, as soon as he moves his side, the mountain casts forth great flames of fire. Tityus was the son of Jupiter and Elara, born in a subterraneous cave, in which Jupiter hid his mo- ther, fearing the anger of Juno. She brought forth a child of so prodigious a bulk that the earth was rent to give him a passage out of the cave ; and thence he was believed to be a son of the earth. Juno afterward persuaded this giant to accuse Lato- na of criminal conduct ; for which Jupiter struck him with thunder down • into hell : there he lies, stretched out, covering nine acres of ground with his body ; and a vulture continually gnaws his liver, which grows again every month : "Nee non et Tity on, terra? omniparentis alumnum, Ornere erat ; ciii tota novem per jugera corpus PbrrtgituF, rostroque immanis vultur obunco Immortale jecur tundens, fcecundaque peenis Viscera,, riinaturque- epulis, habitatque sub alto Pectore : necfibris requies dataulla reuatis." Virg. JEn. 6, There Tityus tortur'd lay, who took his birth From heav'n, his nursing from the fruitful earth ; 225 Here his gigantic limbs, with large embrace, Infold nine acres of infernal space : A rav'nous vulture in his open side Her crooked beak and cruel talons try'd; , Still, for the growing liver digg'd his breast, The growing liver still supply'd the feast ; Still are the entrails fruitful to their pains, Th' immortal hunger lasts, th' immortal food remains. To these we may add the Titans, the sons of Teiv ra and Ccelum ; the chief of whom was Titanus, Saturn's eldest brother : they made war against Sa- turn, because the birth of Jupiter was concealed, and conquered him ; but they were afterward over- come by Jupiter, and cast down into hell. Phlegyas, who was the king of the Lapithse in Thessalia, and the father of the nymph Coronis. When he heard that Apollo had deceived his daugh- ter, he went in anger and fired the temple of Apollo at Delphi : for which the enraged god shot him through the body with an arrow, and inflicted on him the following punishment : A great stone hangs over his head, wbich he imagines every moment will fall down and crush him to pieces : "Quos super atra silex jamjam lapsura, cadentique Imminet assimilis." Virg. ^En. 6> . A massy stone, . Ready to drop, hangs o'er his cursed head. Thus he sits, perpetually fearing what will never come to pass ; which makes him frequently call out to men, to observe the rules of justice and the pre* cepts of religion : " Discite justitiam monlti, et non temnere Divos." Learn justice hence, and don't despise the gods. Ixion was the son of Phlegyas : he killed his own Sister, and obtained his pardon from the gods, who 226 advanced him to heaven ; and his prosperity made him so arrogant, that he attempted to make love to Juno. This insolent attempt was discovered to Ju- piter, who sent a cloud in the shape of Juno, which the deceived lover embraced, and thence those mon- sters, the Centaurs, were born : he was then thrown down to the' earth again ; where, because he boast- ed every where that he had gained the heart of the queen of the gods, he was struck with thunder down into hell, and tied fast to a wheel, which continu- ally turns about. Sahnoneus was king of Elis ; his ambition was not satisfied with an earthly crown, for he desired divine honours ; and, that the people might esteem him a god, he built a brazen bridge over the city, and drove his chariot upon it, imitating by this noise Jupiter's thunder; he also threw down light- ed torches, and those who were struck by them, were taken and killed, Jupiter would not suffer so great insolence, and therefore threw the proud man from his stage into hell, where iEneas, when he, visited the infernal regions, saw him punished as Virgil relates ; " Vidi crudeles dantem Salmonea pcenas, Dum flammas Jo vis et sonitus imitatur Olympi.'' JEn 6, j Salmoneus suffering cruel pains I found, For emulating Jove ; the rattling sound Of mimie thunder, and the glitt'ring blaze Of pointed lightnings, and their forked rays. Sisiphus was a famous robber killed by Theseus ; he is condemned in hell to roll *a great and unwiel- dy stone to the top of a high hill, and as oft as the • stone almost touches the top of the mountain, it | .slides down again. The Belides were fifty virgin sisters, so called * Ma gens et non exsuperabile saxum. Virg. 227 from their grandfather Belus ; and named also Da- naides, from their father Danaus, who married them to the fifty sons of his brother. The oracle fore- told, that Danaus should be slain by his son-in-law ; wherefore he commanded his daughters to provide daggers, and on their wedding-night to kill their husbands. The daughters performed their promises, and killed their husbands, except Hypermnestra, for she spared Lynceus, her husband, who afterward killed Danaus, and took his kingdom. This great impiety was thus punished : they were condemned to draw water out of a deep well, and fill a tub, that (like a seive) is full of holes ; the water runs out as fast as it is put in, so they are tormented with a per- petual and unprofitable labour. " Assiduas repetunt q;ias perdunt Belides undas." Ovid. Met. 4. They hourly fetch the water that they spill, Tantalus, another remarkable criminal, was the son of Jupiter and the nymph Plota. He invited all the gods to a feast, to get a plain and clear proof of their divinity : when they came, he killed and quar- tered his own son Pelops, and boiled him and set the joints before them to eat. All the gods abstain- i ed from such horrible diet, except Ceres, who being j melancholy and inattentive from the recent loss of her daughter, eat one of the child's shoulders. Af- terward the gods sent Mercury to recall him to life, and gave him an ivory shoulder, instead of the shoulder which Ceres had eaten. This Pelops was the husband of Hlppodamia, who bore him, Atreus. and Thyestes ; the latter of whom was banished, be- cause he seduced CErope his brother Atreus' wife ; | and when he was recalled from banishment, he eat up his children ; for Atreus killed them, and had them served in dishes to the table, where he and Thyestes dined together. It is said, that the sun 228 could not endure so horrible a sight, and turned his course back again to the east. But as Tantalus' crime was greater, so was his punishment ; *for he is tormented with eternal hunger and thirst in the midst of plenty, both of meat and drink : he stands in water up to his lips, but cannot reach it; and fruit is placed just to his mouth, which he cannot take hold of. Ovid mentions the punishment of Tan- talus, but assigns another reason for it ; namely, be- cause he divulged the secrets of the gods to men. " Quoerit annas in aquis, et poraa fugacia captat Tantalus, hoc III 1 garrula lingua dedit." Now this fable of Tantalus represents the condi- tion of a miser, who in the midst of plenty suffers want, and wants as much the things which he has, as those which he has not ; as Horace rightly says, where he applies this fable of Tantalus to the real wants of the covetous man. " Tantalus, a labris sitiensfugientia captat Flumina. Quid rides ? mutato nomine, de te Fabula narratur." Serm. 1. 1. Though Tantalus, you've heard, does stand chin deep In water, yet he cannot get a sip : At which you smile ; now all on't would be true, Were the name chang'd, and the tale told of you. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who were the Giants ? How are they and their actions described ? How were they subdued ? Who was Typhagus or Typhon, and how is he described* What became of him ? Who was iEgeon, and what were his other names? What became of him when he was subdued? Who was Tityus ? What became of him ? Who were the Titans, and what is said of their chief? * Horn. Odyss. 11. &J9 Who was Phlegyas ; what was his crime ; and what his pun- ishment ? What is said of Ixion ? What is said of Salmoneus ? Who was Sysyphus ; and what his punishment ? Who were the Belides ? What is the history of Tantalus ? What are the lines of Horace descriptive of Tantalus? CHAPTER VI. MONSTERS OF HELL. ELYSIUM. LETHE. There are many strange pictures of these infer- nal monsters, but the most deformed are the Cen- taurs, who were the ancient inhabitants of Thessalia, and the first who tamed horses, and used them in war. Their neighbours, who first saw them on horseback, thought that they had partly the mem- bers of a man, and partly the limbs of a horse. But the poets tell us another story ; for they say that Ixion begat them of a cloud, whence they are called *Nu- biginae ; and Bacchus is said to have overcome them. Geryon, because he was the king of three islands called Balearides, is feigned to have three bodies ; or, it may be, because there were three bodies of the same name, whose minds and affections were so united, that they seemed to be governed and to live by one soul. They add, that Geryon kept oxen, which devoured the strangers that came to him : they were guarded by a dog with two heads, and a dragon with seven. Hercules killed the guards and drove the oxen away. The Harpies, so called f from their rapacity, were born of Oceauus and Terra. They had the faces of * Virg. ^En. 6. f Ab apfxlv. rapio. f 20 230 virgins and the bodies of birds ; their hands were armed with claws, and their habitation was in the islands. Their names were iEllo, Ocypete, and Ce- leno ; which last brought forth Zephyrus, the " west wind," and Balius, and Xanthus, the horse of Achil- les. Virgil gives us an elegant description of these three sisters. " At subitae horrifico lapsu de montibus adsunt Harpyae; et magnis quatiunt clangoribus alas: Sive Deae, seu sunt Dirae, obscrenajque volucres. Tristius baud illis monstrum est, nee savior ulla Pestis et ira Deura, Stygiis sese extnlit undis. Virginei voluerum vultus, fcedissima ventris Proluvies, uncaeque maims, et pallida semper Ora fame." JEn. 3. When from the mountain tops, with hideous cry And clattering wings, the filthy harpies fly: Monsters more fierce offended heav'n ne'er sent, From hell's abyss, for human punishment. With virgin faces, but with wombs obscene ; Foul paunches, and with ordure still unclean ; With claws for hands, and looks forever lean. To the three Harpies add the three Gorgons, Me- dusa, Stheno, and Eunaie, who were the daughters of Phorcus and Cete. Instead of hair, their heads were covered with vipers, which so terrified the be- holder, that they turned him presently into a stone. Perhaps they intended to represent, by this part of the fable, the extraordinary beauty of these sisters ; which was such, that whoever saw them were ama- zed, and stood immoveable like stones. There were other Gorgons beside, born of the same parents, who were called Latria?, or Empusae. They had only one eye and one tooth, common to them all : they kept this tooth and eye at home in a little vessel, and which ever of them went abroad, she used them. They had the faces of women, and also the necks and breasts; but below they were covered with scales, and had the tails of serpents. They used to entice men. and then devour them. 231 The Chimaera *was a monster, which vomited forth fire ; he had the head and breast of a Hon, the body of a goat, and the tail of a dragon, as it is ex- pressed in a known verse, and described by Ovid • u Prima leo, postrema draco, media inde eapella. rr A lion's head and breast resemble his, His waist a goat's, his tail a dragon's is. " Qnoque Chimaera jugo mediis in partibus ignem, Pectus et ora lea3, caudam serpentis habebat." Met, 9. -And on the craggy top Chimaera dwells, with lion's face and rnane, A goat's rough body, and a serpent's train. A volcano in L} r cia occasioned this fable ; for in the top of the mountain were lions ; in the mid- dle, where was pasture, goats lived ; and the bottom of it abounded with serpents. Bellerophon made this mountain habitable, and therefore is said to have killed the Chimaera. The monster Sphynx was begotten of Typhon and Echidna. She had the head and breast of a woman, the wings of a bird, the body of a dog, and the paws of a lion. She lived in the mountain Sphincius, as- saulted all passengers, and infested the country about Thebes ; insomuch that the oracle of Apollo was consulted concerning her, and answer was made, that unless somebody did resolve the riddle of Sphynx, there would be no end to that great evil. Many endeavoured to explain it, but were overcome, and torn in pieces by the monster. Creon, at that time king of Thebes, published an edict through all Greece, in which if any one could explain the riddle of Sphynx, he promised that he would give him to wife his own sister Jocasta. The riddle was this ; -j-" What animal is that, which walks upon four feet in the morning, upon two at noon, and upon three * Horn. Iliad. 24. t Quidam animal mane quadrupes, meridie bipes, vesperi tri- pes esset r 232 at night ? " (Edipus, encouraged with the hopes of the reward, undertook it, and happily explained it ; so that the Sphynx was enraged, and cast herself headlong into the sea, and died. He said, that the animal was a man, who in his infancy creeps upon his hands and feet, and so may be said to go on four feet ; when he grows up he walks on two feet ; but when he grows old, he uses the support of a staff, and so may be said to walk on three feet. This (Edipus was the son of Laius, king of Thebes. Soon after his birth, Laius commanded a soldier to carry his son (Edipus into a wood, and then destroy him ; because it had been foretold by the oracle, that he should be killed by his own son. But the soldier was moved with pity toward the child, and afraid to imbrue his hands in royal blood ; where- fore he pierced his feet with a hook, and hanged him on a tree to be killed with hunger. One of the shepherds of Polybius, king of Corinth, found him, and brought him to the queen, who, because she had no children, educated him as her own son, and from *his swollen feet called him (Edipus. When (Edi- pus came to age, he knew that king Polybius was not his father, and therefore resolved to find out his parents : he consulted the oracle, and was told that he should meet his father in Phocis. In his jour- ney he met some passengers, among whom was his father, but he knew him not : a quarrel arose, and in the fray he by chance killed his father. After this he proceeded on his journey, and arrived al Thebes, where he overcame Sphynx, and for his re- ward married Jocasta, whom he knew not to be his mother then, but discovered it afterward. He had, by her, two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, and two daugters, Antigone and Ismena. f When afterward * Puerurn CEdipum vovacit a tumere pedum oifoa enim tumeo el 5thj pedem sisrniiicat. t Seneca* (Edip. 233 he found, by clear proof, that he had killed his fa- ther, and married his mother, he was seized with so great madness that he pulled out his own eyes, and would have killed himse if his daughter Antigone (who led him about after he was blind) had not hin- dered him. Eteocles and Polynices, the sons of CEdipus and Jocasta, "^succeeded their father in the government ; and they agreed to reign a year each, in their turns. Eteocles reigned the first year, and then refused to admit his brother Polynices to the throne ; upon which a war arose, and the two brothers, in a duel, killed each other. Their enmity lasted longer than their lives ; for when their bodies were placed on the same pile, to be burnt by the same fire, the flames refused to unite, but divided themselves into two parts. There is a place in the infernal dominions abound- ing with pleasures and delights, which is called the Elysium ; f because thither the souls of the good re- sort, after they are loosed from the chains of the bod} and have been purified from the light offences that they had contracted in this world : " Quisque suos patimur manes ; exinde per amplum Mittimur Elysium, et pauci laeta arva tenemus." JEn. 6. All have their manes, and those manes bare : The few who're cleans'd, to those abodes repair, And breathe in ample fields the soft Elysian air. iEneas received this account from one of the in- habitants of it, as V'rgil tells us, who describes this place as abounding with all the delights that the most pleasant plains, and the finest and most tempe* rate air, can produce. * Stat. Theb, t Ato rns Xvftus, a solutione ; quod Animae piorum corpo- reis solutae vinculis, loca illi petant postquam purgatac sunt & ievioribus noxis quas contraxerent. 20* 234 Devenere locos laetos, et amaena vireta Fortanatorum nemorum, sedesque beatas. Largior hie campos tether et lumina vestit Purpureo : solemque suum sua sidera norunt. These holy rites perform^, they took their way, Where long extended plains of pleasure lay. The verdant fields with those of heav'n may vie> With ether vested, and a purple sky : The blissful seats of happy souls below, Stars of their own, and their own sun they know."'* There is a river in hell called Lethe, f from the forgetfulness it causes. For if any body tlrinks this water, he immediately forgets all things past ; so that when the souls of the pious have spent many ages in the Elysian fields, they drink the water of Lethe, and are believed to pass into new bodies, and return into the world again : and it is necessary they should forget both the pleasures they have received in Elysi- um, and the miseries they did formerly endure in this life, that they may willingly return into this miserable ife again. These souls went out from Elysium by that ivory gate ; which you see painted in the lower part of this wall : — Animae, quibus altera fato Corpora debentur, Letha?i ad fluininis undam Securos latices et longa oblivia potaut. Virg. JEn. 6< Souls that by fate Are doonrd to take new shapes, at Lethe's brink Quaff drafts secure and long oblivion drink. * Mr. Cliffton, an American poet, thus beautifully describes the cBarms of Elysium,, in lines which would do honour to Pope. "There, rage no storms; the sun diffuses there His temper'd beams, thro' skies for ever fair. There gentler airs, o'er brakes of myrtle blow; Hills greener rise, and purer waters flow ; There bud the woodbine and the jes,mine pale, With ev'ry bloom that scents the morning gale ; While thousand melting sounds the breezes bear, In silken dalliance to the dreaming ear, And golden fruits, 'mid shadowy blossoms, shine, In fields immortal and in groves divine. \ Ac* cik X«*«, ab oblivio nc. 235 QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. What is said of the Centaurs ? What is the history of Geryoo ? Who were the Harpies ? What is said of the Gorgons ? What is said of the Chimaera, and what was the occasion of this fahle ? What is the history of Sphynx ? Who explained it ? Give the history of CEdipns. What is the Elysium, and how is it described? Repeat the lines from Virgil. What is said of the river Lethe ? Repeat the lines from Virgil. Repeat the lines of Mr. Cliffton, in the note PART Y. DII M1N0RUM GENTIUM; THE SUBORDINATE DEITIES. CHAPTER I. THE PENATES. THE LARES. The fifth division of this Fabulous Pantheon con- tains the inferior or subordinate gods : the Latins gen- erally called them Dii Minorum Gentium, and some- times Semones, Minuti, Plebeii, and Patellarii. The Penates are so called from the Latin word yenus, which word, *Cicero says, includes every thing that man eats. Or they have perhaps this name from the place allotted to them in the heavens, f be- cause they are placed in the most inward and private parts of the heavens where they reign : hence they call them f Penetrales, and the place of their abode Penetrale. They entirely govern us by their reason, their heat, and their spirit, so that we can neither live, nor use our understanding without them ; yet we know neither their number nor names. The an- cient Hetrusci called them Consentes and Compli- * Est enim penus omne quo vescuntur homines. De Nat. Deor. t Quod penitus insideant, ex quo Penetrales a Poetis vocantur, et locus in quo servabantur eorum effigies Penetrale dictus. Var- ro ap. Arnob. 1. 3. 237 ces ; supposing that they are Jupiter's counsellors, and the chief of the gods ; and many reckon Jupi* ter himself, together with Juno and Minerva, among the Penates. But I will give you more distinct and particular information in this matter. There were three orders of the Dii Penates : 1. Those who governed *kingdoms and provinces, and were absolutely and solely called Penates. 2. Those who presided over cities only ; and these were called the -)-" gods of the country," or the " great gods :" .flSneas makes mention of them in Virgil. " Tu, genitor, cape sacra manu, patriosque Penates." JEn. 2 Our country gods, the reliques and the bands, Hold you, my father, in your guiltless hands. 3. Those who preside over particular houses and families, and these were called the J" small gods :" The poets make frequent mention of them, especially Virgil, who in one place mentions fifty maid-servants whose business it was to look after their affairs, and §to offer sacrifices to the household gods : and in || ano- ther place he speaks of these household gods being stained and defiled by the blood of one that was killed by his brother. But it must likewise be observed that, among the Latins, the word Penates not only signifies the gods, of which we have been speaking, but likewise a dwelling house, of which we have in- stances in many authors, and among the rest, in ^"Virgil, **Cicero, and f f Fabius. * Virg, j£n. 1. 5. t Dii Patrii Scot zsretrputot. Macrob. 3. Saturn. 14. i Parvique Penates. Virg. JExi. 8. § Flammis adolere penates. i£n. 1. |{ Sparsos fraterna caede Penates. JEn. 4. 11 Nostris succede penatibus hospes. JEn. 8. ** Exterminare aliquem a suis Diis Penatibus. Pro Sexto. tt Liberos pellere dorao. ac prohibere Penatibus. Dec. 260 238 *Timaeus, and from him Dionysius, says that these Penates had no proper shape or figure ; but were wooden or brazen rods, shaped somewhat like trumpets. But it is also thought by others, that they had the shape of young men with spears, which they held apart from another. The Lares were children born from Mercury and the Nymph Lara ; for when, by her prating, she had discovered some of Jupiter's intrigues, he was so enraged that he cut out her tongue, and banished her to the Stygian lake : Mercury, who was ap- pointed to conduct her thither, made love to her. She brought forth twins, and named them Lares. " Fitque gravis Geminosque parit qui compita servant, Et vigilant nostra semper in aede Lares. Ovid, Fast. 2 Her twins the Lares called. 'Tis by their care Our houses, roads, and streets in safety are They were made domestic gods, and accordingly presided over houses, streets, and ways. On this account they were worshipped in the roads and opea streets, called compita in Latin, whence the games celebrated in honour of them were called Compi- talitii, Compitalitia, and sometimes Compitalia. When these sports were exercised, the images of men and women, made of wool, were hung in the streets ; and so many balls made of wool as there were servants in the family, and so many complete images as there were children. The meaning of which custom was this : These feasts were dedicated to the Lares, who were esteemed infernal gods ; the people desiring by this, that these gods would be contented with those woollen images, and spare the persons represented by them. The Roman youths used to wear a golden ornament, called bulla, about their necks ; it was made in the shape of a heart, * Lib. 1. 239 and hollow within : this they wore till they were fourteen years of age, then they put it off, and hang- ing it up, consecrated it to the Lares ; as we learn from Persius. " Bullaque succinctis Laribus donata pependit." When fourteen years are past, the Bulla's laid Aside, an offering to the Lares made. These Lares sometimes were clothed in the skin of dogs, and sometimes fashioned in the shape of dogs; whence that creature was consecrated to them. The place in which the Lares were worshipped was called Lararium ; and in the sacrifices offered to them, the first fruits of the year, wine and in- cense, were brought to their altars, and their images adorned with chaplets and garlands. *The begin- ning of which worship came hence : that anciently the dead, f who were buried at home, were wor- shipped as gods, and called Lares. And besides, we find in {Pliny, that they sacrificed, with wine and incense, to the images of the emperors while they yet lived. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. How are the inferior gods divided? What is said of the Penates ? Into how many orders were they divided, and what was their office ? What signification is given to the word " Penates" by the Latins ? What is related of the Penates by Timaeus and Dionysius ? Who were the Lares ? Over what did they preside ? What games were celebrated in honour of them, and how were they exercised ? What customs had the Romans with respect to the Lares ? Where were the Lares worshipped ? • Juv. Sat. 9, 12. t Arnob. 5. ex. Var % Epist. 1. 10. 240 CHAPTER II. THE GENII. THEIR NAMES, IMAGES, SACRIFICES, AND OFFICES. Although the Genii and the Lares sometimes mean the same deities, yet by Genius is commonly meant that spirit of nature which produces all things, from which ^generative power it has its name. The birth-day had the name ■(•" genial" from him : which name was likewise given to all days, wherein mirth, pleasure, and joys did abound. And on the same account those who live merrily, who deny themselves nothing that makes for their ease and pleasure, or that is grateful to their appetite, who entirely follow the dictates of their sensual desires, are said to live a genial life, or to indulge their genius. The Greeks called these Genii " daemons ;" as it is thought, from the Jterror and dread they create in those to whom they appear ; or, as it is more probable, §from the prudent and wise answers which they gave when they were consulted as oracles. Hence some think, that illustrious men, whose ac- tions in this life gain them universal praise and ap- plause, do after their deaths become daemons ; by which daemons is to be understood, as Plutarch says, beings of a middle kind, of a greater dignity than man, but of a nature inferior to the gods. The images of the Genii (according to Persius and his commentators) resembled for the most part • A gignendo seu genendo, nam geno pro gigno olim diceba- tur. Aug. de Civ. Dei. 7. Cic. de Orat. 2. et de Invent. 2. t Censorin. de Dei. Nat. 3. i Daemones diciintur a iai/tevua exterreo aut pavefacio. Eu- sebius. § Vel quasi ieufims id est, periti rerumque proscii nam res- ponea dabant con»ulentibua. Isidor. 3. Etymol. 241 the form of a serpent. Sometimes also they were described like a boy, a girl, or an old man ; and crowned with the leaves of the plane, which was a tree sacred to them. Wine and flowers were offered up in the sacrifices to the Genii, and that, especially by the people on their birth-days, as we may learn from Persius and Horace : " Funde merum Genio." Pers. To Genius consecrate a cheerful glass. -" piabant Floribus et vino Genium memorem braevis aevi, Cum sociis operum et pueris conjuge fida." Epist. % Their wives, their neighbours, and their prattling boys, Were call'd ; all tasted of their sportive joys : They drank, they danc'd, they sung, made wanton sport, Enjoy'd themselves, for life they knew was short. To these flowers and wine they added ^incense, parched bread, and corn strewed with salt, f Some- times also a swine was sacrificed ; though Censorinus writes, that it was not usual to sacrifice to the Genii with the blood and slaughter of any thing, since we ought not to take life from other creatures on that day on which we received it. The Genii were appointed the continual guar- dians, overseers, and safe keepers of the men (as the women's guardians and protectors were called Junones) from their cradles to their graves. They likewise carried the prayers of men to the gods, and interceded for them. Whence some call them Prse- stites, or chief governors, because they are set over the management of all things. To every person {were assigned two Genii 9 a * Plut. in Aul. t Palaeph. Eel. 5. Hor. Carm. 3. % Plut de Iside et Osrr. 21 242 bonus Gehius, and a mains Genius : *Horace calls them a white and a black one. We are told by f Valerius Maximus, that when Cassius fled to Athens, after Anthony was beaten at Actium, there appeared to him a man of large stature, of a black swarthy complexion, with long hair, and grisly beard. Cas- sius asked him who he was ? and the apparition answered, " I am your evil Genius." Virgil is thought, by his Jcommentator, Servius, to mean these two Genii, by the word manes. Of these two Genii, the good one, which is given to every one at his birth, constantly incites him to the practice of virtue and goodness ; whereas the bad one prompts him to all manner of vice and wickedness. Nor were they assigned to men only ; for several countries had their Genii, who therefore were called §" the deities of the place :" Nay, || Genii were al- lotted to all houses, and doors, and stables, and hearths : and because the hearths were usually co- vered with slates, therefore the god of the hearths was called Lateranus. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who were the Genii, and from what is the term derived ? Why were they called Daemons? How are they represented ? What were the sacrifices offered to the Genii ? To whom were the Genii appointed guardians? How many Genii were appointed to each person, and what were they ? What was the office of each ? Were Genii appointed to countries and places, as well as per- sons ? What was the god of the hearths called ? * Genium album et nigrum Epist. 2. f Interrogatus quisquam esset respondit se esse xeuce$*ifMint t • O.7. » Quisque suos patimur manes. Virg. JEn. 7. Vide Servium * If umen loci. Virg. JEn. 7. I Prud. in Symm. Lateroulis extrui foci solebant. Lil. Gyr lynt. 1. 243 CHAPTER III. THE NUPTIAL GODS AND GODDESSES, DEITIES PRE- SIDING OVER WOMEN IN LABOUR, &c. Five deities were so absolutely necessary to all marriages, that none could lawfully be solemnized without them. They were Jupiter perfectus or adul- tus, Juna perfecta or adulta, Venus, Suada, and Diana : beside these, several inferior gods and god- desses were worshipped at all marriages. Jugatinus joined the man and the woman together in *the yoke of matrimony. Domiducus fguided the bride into the bride- groom's house. Domitius was worshipped, that the bride might be Jkept at home, to look after the affairs of the family. Manturna was worshipped, that the wife might never leave her husband, but in all conditions of life ^abide with him. Then the goddess Virginensis, and also the god- dess Cinxia Juno, ||were invoked. Priapus, or Mutinus, was also reckoned one of the nuptial gods, because in his lap the bride was com- manded to sit. ITViriplaca reconciles husbands to their wives. A temple at Rome was dedicated to her, whither the married couple usually repaired when any quarrel arose between them ; and there, opening their minds freely to each other, without passion, they laid aside all anger, and returned home together friendly. * A jugo matrimonii dictus. Aug. de Civ. Dei. 4. t Quod sponsam in sponsi domum duceret. Idem. ibid. X Ut sponsam domi teneret. § Ut cum marito semper maneret. fl August, ibid. Tf A placando yjro. Val. Max. 1. 2. c. 1. 244 Pilumnus, one of the gods of children, was so called from the *pestle which the ancients pounded their corn with, before they made their bread ; or, -[■because he keeps off those misfortunes which attend children. Intercidona was the goddess who first taught the art Jof cutting wood with a hatchet to make fires. Deverra was worshipped as a goddess, because she invented brooms, by which all things are brushed clean, and those distempers prevented that proceed from uncleanliness. The Sylvan gods, who were always hurtful to pregnant women, were driven away by those dei- ties, and the mischiefs they intended were prevented. For, as neither the trees, §says St. Augustine, are cut down without an axe, nor bread made without a pestle, nor things preserved clean without a brush ; so, since these instruments are thought signo of good housewifery, it was supposed that these wild unclean deities would never enter into the chamber of a pregnant woman. Juno Lucina, the friend of women in labour, is represented with one hand empty, and ready, as it were, to receive the new-born babe ; the other hand holding a lighted torch, by which that light of life was signified, which all enjoy as soon as they are born. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who were the deities necessary in all marriages ? What was the business of Jugatinus, Domiducus, and Domi* tius ? Why were Matuma, Virginensis, and Priapus, reckoned nap» tial gods ? What was the business of Viriplaca ? * A pile. i Quod mala ab infantibus pellit. Servius,- X Ab intercisione securis. § De Civ. Dei. 7. 245 Who was Pilumnus ? Who was Intercidona ? Why was Deverra worshipped as a goddess ? What gods were driven away by these deities j and what are the observations of St. Augustine ? How is Juno Lucina represented ? CHAPTER IV. THE DEITIES PRESIDING OVER INFANTS AT THE TIME OF THEIR BIRTH AND AFTERWARDS. The chief of these are as follows : Janus, who opened *the door of life to them. Opis, who f assisted them when they came into the world. Nascio, or Natio, a goddess so called from a Latin word signifying to be born. Cunia, who attends the cradle, and watches the infants while they lie and sleep. Levana, from lifting them up from the ground, for when a child was born, the midwife constantly laid the child on the ground, and the father, or in his absence, somebody appointed by him, lifted it from the ground ; and hence tollere liberos signifies M to educate children." Carna, or Carnea, Jwho keeps the inward parts safe. To this goddess they sacrificed upon the calends of June, bacon, and cakes made of beans. Whence those calends were called Fabarise. The goddess Nundina was so called from the ninth day of the child's age, which was the day of the pu- rification : in which the name was given it, if it was * Qui aperiret vitae januam. t Qua? opem ferret. \ A carne. Vid,° Maerob. Saturn. 1. 1. 21* 246 a boy; if it was a girl, this ceremony was performed on the eighth day. Our several actions are supposed to be under the protection of divers gods. Juvenilis-, or Juventas, protects us in the beginning of our youth, *when we have thrown off the child's coat. Horto is the goddess f who exhorts us to under- take noble enterprises. Her temple at Rome stood always open : and some call her Hora. Quies had her temple without the city : and J was supposed to be the donor of peace and quietness. The goddess M editrina has her name from §heal- ing ; and her sacrifices were called Meditrinalia, in which they drank new and old wine, instead of physic. The goddess Vitula is called from leaping for joy : she is the " goddess of mirth," which mitigates the toijs of life. Sentia was worshipped, that children might im- bibe at first just and honourable || sentiments. Angerona was the goddess that removed the •[languish of the mind. Stata, or Statua Mater, was worshipped in the Forum, that it should not be burnt, or suffer damage from the frequent fires, which happened there in the night. The goddess Laverna was the protectress of thieves, who, from her, were named Laverniones : they worshipped her, that their designs and intrigues might be successful : her image was a head without a body. * August. 4. c. 11. f Plut. Quaest. Roitv. 14. % August. 4. c. 16. § A medendo. Var. et Festus. ft A sentiendo. Fest. Jul. Modest. V t T t pelleret angoves anion. 147 Volumnus and Volumna were so named, because, through their means, men *were willing to follow things that are good. Aius Locutius was worshipped on this occasion : A common soldier reported, that in the night he heard a voice say, " the Gauls are coming." No- body minded what he said, because he was a poor fellow. After the Gallic war, Camillas advised the Romans to expiate their offence in neglecting this nocturnal voice, which forewarned them of the Gal- lic war, and the ensuing destruction ; upon which a temple was dedicated in Via Nova to Aius Locu- tius. A particular god was assigned and ascribed to every member of the body of man. The head was sacred to Jupiter, the breast to Nep- tune, the waist to Mars ; the forehead to Genius, the eyebrows to Juno, the eyes to Cupid, the ears to Memoria, the right hand to Fides, the back and the hinder parts to Pluto, the reins to Venus, the feet to Mercury, the knees to Misericordia, the ancles and soles of the feet to Thetis, and the fingers to Mi- nerva. The astrologers assign the parts of the body to the celestial constellations, hi another manner. The chief of the funeral deities is Libitina, whom some account to be the same as Venus ; but others think that she was Proserpine. In her temple all things necessary for funerals were sold or let. Libi- tina sometimes signifies the grave, and Libitinarii, those men who were employed in burying the dead. Porta Libitina, at Rome, was that gate through which the dead bodies were carried to be burnt : and Rationes Libitina?, in Suetonius, signifies those accounts which we call " the bills of mortality," ot " the weekly bills." * A volendo, quod ejus consilio bona vellcnt, 248 QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who were Janus. Opis, Nascio, and Cunia ? What was the office of Levana? What was the business of Carna, and what were the sacrifices offered to her ? Who was the goddess Nundina, and why was she so called ? What is the office of Juventus ? What are the duties of Horta and Quies ? Who w r as Vitula ? Who were Sentia and Angerona ? Why were Stata and Laverna worshipped ? From what did Volumnus and Voliimna derive their names * What is said of Aius Locntius ? What parts of the body were sacred to the gods ? Who was the chief of the funeral deities ? '^mifr^yji v #• I ^V-" I PART VI. DII INDIGETES AND ADSCRIPT1TII ; OR, THE SEMI-DEI AND HEROES. H CHAPTER I. ERCULES. HIS NAMES AND LABOURS. In the last division of the Fabulous Pantheon, are described the images of the Indigetes, or Semi-Dei, and the Heroes. The Semi-Dei, VLfuQtci [Hemitheoi,'] or Demi- Gods, were those who had human bodies, sacred minds, and celestial souls : they were born in this world for the good and safety of mankind. Labeo, in St. Augustine, distinguishes them from the Heroes, lie thinks that Heros was one of Juno's sons, and that the name Heros is derived from H/»# [JFfera,] Juno's name in the Greek language. Others think that the word comes from ep« [era,] " the earth;" because men owe their original to it. Others again think it comes from epaq [eros,] " love ;" for heroes are the most illustrious product of love, and are themselves, as Hierocles observes, full of love. But others think that this name is derived from epett [ereo,] " to plead," and is given them because heroes are very elegant, and most powerful, and skilful in rhe- toric. Or, lastly, it is thought that the word comes 252 m as many Latin verses, translated out of the Greek : " Prima Cleonei tolerata serum na leonis. Proxima Lerna?am ferro et face contudit hydram. Mox Erymantheum vis tertia perculit aprum. iEripidis quarto tulit aurea cornua cervi. Stymphalidas pepulit volucres discrimine qilinto. Threiciam sexto spoliavit Amazonabaltheo. Septima in Augea? stabulis impensa laboris. Octava expulso numeratur adorea tauro. In Diomedis victor jam nona quadrigis. Geryone extincto decimam dat Iberia palmam. Undecimum mala Hesperidum distracta triumphum, Cerberus extremi suprema est meta laboris." -The Cleonian lion first he kills; With fire and sword then Lerna's pest lie quells ; Of the wild boar he clears th' Er'manthean fields; The brass-foot stag with golden antlers yields: He Stympha clears of man-devouring birds ; And next the bouncing Amazon ungirds: The stables of king Augeas he cleans; The Cretan bull he vanquishes and chains: Diomedes' horses him their conqu'ror own ; Then he brings low three-headed Geryon : Hesperian apples next his name sustains ; And his last labour Cerberus enchains. The particular account of these twelve is this : The first labour of Hercules was, that he tore in pieces, with his nails, the lion in the woods of Ne- masa, which, some say, fell from the orb of the moon, and was invulnerable by any weapon. This place was also named Cleone, from which the lion was also called Cleoneus. He afterwards skinned the lion, and with the skin made himself a shield and a breast-plate. 2. There was a hydra, a serpent in the lake Lema, in the field of Argos, that had seven heads ; some say nine, others fifty. When any of these heads were cut off, another presently sprang up in the place of it : unless the blood which issued from the wound was stopped. 253 Iolaus, the son of Iphiclus, procured for him light- ed brands from the neighbouring wood, and with them Hercules stanched the blood issuing from the wounds he made. This seasonable assistance was not forgotten ; for when. Iolaus was grown to decre- pid age, Hercules, by his prayers, restored him to his youth again. Ovid. Met. 9. 3. He bound the wild boar, whose fierceness and bigness were equally admirable, in the mountain Erymanthus of Arcadia ; and afterwards brought it to Euristheus, 4. He was ordered to bring to Mycenae a hind, whose feet were brass, and horns gold. Nobody dared to wound her, because she was consecrated to Diana, nor could any body outrun her : yet Her- cules hunted her a year, on foot, caught her, and brought her away on his shoulders. 5. He partly killed and partly drove away the birds called Stymphalides, from lake Stymphalus, which used to feed upon man's flesh. 6. He defeated the army of the Amazons, and took from Hyppolite, their queen, the finest belt in the world. 7. He in one day cleansed the stable of Augeas, by turning the course of a river into it. This sta- ble had never been cleansed, although three thou- sand oxen stabled in it thirty years. Whence, when we would express a work of immense labour and toil, in proverbial speech, we call it " cleansing the Au- gean stable." 8. He tamed a great bull, that did much mischief in the island of Crete, and brought him bound to Euristheus. 9. He overcame Diomedes, the most cruel tyrant of Thrace, who fed his horses with the flesh of his guests. Hercules bound him, and threw him to be eaten by those horses to which the tyrant had ex- posed others. 22 254 10. He overcame in war Geryon, king of Spain, who had three bodies, and took his bay oxen that ate men's flesh, and brought them into Italy, when he had killed the dragon with seven heads, and the two-headed dog which guarded him. 11. He killed the dragon that watched, and then carried away the golden apples in the gardens of the Hesperides ; whence perhaps he is called ^Melius, and apples were offered up in Ins sacrifices. In Bceotia, when no bull (or sheep) could be procured at the time of sacrifice, they took an apple, and stuck into it four straws, which represented four legs, and two more for horns, with another for a tail, and offered Hercules this apple instead of a victim. 12. Lastly, he was commanded by Euristheus to go down into hell, and bring away thence the dog Cerberus. This he performed without delay, bound the three-headed monster in a triple chain, and by force brought him up to the earth. When Cerebus saw the light, he vomited, and thence the poisonous herb wolf's-bane, Aconitum, sprang. These are the twelve labours of Hercules. 13. He vanquished the cruel and enormous giant Antaeus, the son of the earth, who was above sixty- four cubits high, and who forced strangers to wrestle with him. Hercules threw this giant down thrice, and perceiving that he recovered new strength as oft as he touched the earth, he lifted him in his arms from the ground, and then despatched him. 14. Busiris, the tyrant, used to sacrifice all the strangers that he caught to his father Neptune, till Hercules sacrificed both him and his son upon the same altar. 15. He killed the giants Albion and Bergeori, who intended to stop his journey : and when in the *MwXrfV Graece significat malum vel pomurn. 255 fight his arrows were consumed, so that he wanted arms, he prayed to Jupiter, and obtained from him a shower of stones, with which he defeated and put to flight his adversaries. This, they say, happened in that part of France, anciently called Gallia Nar- bonensis; which place is called the Stony Plain, Campus Lapideus. 16. When Atlas was weary of his burden, Her- cules took the heavens upon his shoulders. He overcame the robber Cacus, who spit fire, and strangled him. He shot the eagle that devoured the liver of Prometheus, as he lay chained to the rock. And he slew Theodamus, the father of Hy- las, because he denied him victuals ; but he took care of Hylas, and was kind to him. 17. He delivered *Hesione, daughter of Lao- medon, king of Troy, from the whale in this manner; he raised, on a sudden, a bank in the place where Hesione was to be devoured, and stood armed be- fore it ; and when the whale came seeking his prey, Hercules leaped into his mouth, slided down his throat, destroyed him and came away safe. Lao- medon, after this, broke his word, and refused to give Hercules the reward he promised ; therefore he took it by force, and pillaged the city of Troy ; giving to Telamon, who first mounted the wall, the lady Hesione, as a part of the booty. 18. In fighting for Deianira, Hercules overcame Achelous, the son of Oceanus and Terra, though Achelous first turned himself into a serpent, then into a bull. By plucking one of his horns off, he obliged him to yield ; but Achelous purchased his horn again ; giving Amalthsea's horn in its stead. The meaning of which is this : Achelous is a river of Greece, whose course winds like a serpent ; its stream is so rapid, that it makes furrows where it * Ovid Met. IK 256 flows, and a noise like the roaring of a bull : and indeed it is common among the poets to compare a river to a bull. This river divided itself into two streams, but Hercules forced it into one channel ; that is, he broke off one of the horns or streams. The lands thus drained became fertile ; so that Her- cules is said to have received the horn of plenty. 19. Deianira was daughter of (Eneus, king of CEtolia. Hercules carried her to be married, and in their way they were stopped by a river : but the centaur Nessus offered to carry Deianira over upon his back. Nessus, when she was over, insulted her; which Hercules observing, while he swam, shot him with an arrow. When Nessus was dying, he gave Deianira his bloody coat, and told her, if a husband wore that coat, he would never follow unlawful pur- suits. The credulous lady soon after experienced the virtue of it, far otherwise than she expected. For Hercules, who had surmounted so many and so great labours, was at length overcome by the charms of Omphale, queen of Lydia, and, to gratify her, changed his club into a distaff, and his arrows into a spindle. His love also to Iole, daughter of Eury- tus, king of Oechalia, brought en him destruction. For his wife Deianira being desirous of turning him from unlawful objects, sent him Nessus' coat to put on when he went to sacrifice ; which drove him into such distraction, that he burned himself on the pile he had raised, and was accounted among the num- ber of gods. The lines of Virgil in praise of th<* hero, shall finish my description. - <; ut prima no\ercae Monstra manu, gemiuosque primus elisei'it angues; Ut belfcb egregias idem disjeeerit urbes, Trqj antique (Edialiamque ; ut duros mille labores Ke^e sub Eurystbeo, fatis Junonis imquse, Perturterit. Tu nubigenas inviote bimembres, Hylaeumque, Pholumque, manu ; tu Cressia macts* gia, et vastum Nemeaj sub rupe ieaneai 257 Te Stigii tremuere lacus ; te janitor Orci, Ossa super recubans antro semesa cruento. Nee te ullae facies, non terruit ipse Typhoeus, Arduus, arma tenens, non te rationis egentem Lernaeus turba capitura circumstetit anguis. Salve, vera Jovis proles, decus addite Divis : Et nos, et tua dexter adi pede sacra secundo." First, how the mighty babe, when swath'd in bands', The serpents strangled with his infant hands ; Then, as in years and matchless force he grew, Th' GEchalian walls and Trojan overthrew. Besides a thousand hazards they relate, Procur'd by Juno's and Euristheus' hate. Thy hands, unconquer'd hero ! could subdue The cloud-born centaurs, and the monster crew; Nor thy resistless arm the bull withstood; Nor he the roaring terror of the wood. The triple porter of the Stygian seat, With lolling tongue, lay fawning at thy feet, And seiz'd with fear, forgot thy mangled meat. Th 5 infernal waters trembled at thy sight ; Thee god ! no face of danger could affright ; Not huge Typhosus, nor th' unnumber'd snakes ; Increas' with hissing heads in Lerna's lake. Hail, Jove's undoubted son ! an added grace To heav'n, and the great author of thy race. Receive the grateful otf'rings which we pay, And smile propitious on thy solemn day. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who were the Semi-Dei ? What account is given of the heroes ? Who was Hercules ? Who was the twin-brother of Hercules, and for what was he celebrated? How did Juno act with regard to Hercules ? By whom was she reconciled; and what was the consequence of the reconciliation ? What were the proper names of Hercules ; and how did he derive them ? Why was Hercules subject to Euristheus ? Repeat the Latin lines descriptive of Hercules' labours. What was his first labour ? What was his second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth ? What did he do with regard to Antaeus? How T did he act with Busiris ? . • Why did he kill the giants Albion and Bergeon? 22* 258 What was his conduct with regard to Atlas, Cacus, theus, and Theodamus ? How did he deliver Hesione ? What is the meaning of the fable of Achelous ? What is related of Deianira? CHAPTER IL JASON. THESEUS. Jason, the son of CEson, king of Thessalia, by Alcimede, was an infant when his father died, so that his uncle Pelius administered the government. When he came of age, he demanded possession of the crown ; but Pelius advised him to Colchis, under pretence of gaining the golden fleece thence, though his real intention was to kill him with the Fabour and danger of the journey. The golden fleece was the hide of a ram, of a white or purple colour, which was given to Phryxus, son of Athamus and Nephele, by his mother. Phryx- us and his sister Helle, fearing the designs of their stepmother Ino, got on a ram to save themselves by flight. But while they swam over the narrowest part of Pontus, Helle, affrighted at the tossing of the waves, fell down ; whence the sea was called Hellespont. Phryxus was carried over safe ; and went to i£ta, king of Colchis, a country of Asia, near the Pontus; where he was kindly received, and sacrificed the ram to Jupiter, or Mars, who af- terwards placed it among the constellations. Only his hide or fleece was hung up in a grove sacred to Mars. It was called the Golden Fleece, because it was of a golden colour ; and it was guarded by bulls that breathed fire from their nostrils, and by a vast and watchful dragon, as a sacred and divine pledge, and as a thing of the greatest importance. 259 Jason went on board a ship called Argo, from the builder of that name ; and chose forty-nine noble companions, who, from the ship, were called Argo- nautee, among whom were Hercules, Orpheus, Cas- tor, and Pollux. In his voyage, he visited Hipsy- phile, queen of Lemnos, who had twins by him. Then, after a long voyage, and many dangers, he arrived at Colchis, and demanded the Golden Fleece of king jEta, who granted his request, on condition that he tamed the bulls which guarded it; killed the dragon, and sowed his teeth in the ground ; and lastly, destroyed the soldiers who sprang from the ground where these teeth were sown. Jason undertook the thing, and was delivered from manifest destruc- tion by the assistance of Medea, the king's daughter, who was in love with him. For, observing her di- rections, he overcame the bulls, laid the dragon asleep, carried away the fleece, and fled by night, carrying Medea with him, whom he afterward mar- ried. Mta. pursued them, but his daughter, to stop his pursuit, tore her brother Absyrtus, who went with her, in pieces, and scattered the limbs on the road ; that when her father saw the torn members of his son, he might stop to gather them up. So Jasoi* and the Argonautae returned to their own country, where Medea by her charms restored Jason's father, the old decrepid iEson, to youth again ; though some say that ^Eson died before their return. Af- ter this, Jason divorcing himself from Medea, he married Creusa, the daughter of Creon, king of Corinth : and Medea, to revenge his perfidiousness, not only murdered the two children that she had by him in his own sight, but, in the next place, enclosed fire in a little box, and sent it to Creusa, who opened the box, and by the fire which burst out of it, was burnt, together with the whole court. When she had done this, the admirable sorceress flew by magic 260 art to Athens. Some write that she was reconciled afterwards to Jason. But what has been said is enough for this hero ; let us proceed to Theseus, whose parents were iEthra and iEgeus, king of Athens. Minos, king of Crete, made war against iEgeus, because the Athenians had disho- nourably and barbarously killed his son, who carried the prize in the games. When he had banished the Athenians, he imposed this severe condition upon" them, that they should send seven of the most noble youths of their country into Crete by lot every year. In the fourth year the lot fell upon Theseus, which mightily grieved and troubled his father ^Egeus. Theseus went on board a ship, whose sails and tackle were black, and received this command from his father : " If by the propitious providence of hea- ven he escaped the dangers, and did return safe unto his own country again, that then he should change his black sails into white ones, that his father, being assured of his safety by that signal, might be sensible of his happiness as soon as might be." The event was fortunate to Theseus; but very unfortunate to his father ^geus : for when Theseus came to Crete, he was shut up in the Labyrinth ', but he slew the Minotaur, and escaped out of that inextricable prison by the help of Ariadne. After this he set sail for Athene in the same mournful ship in which he came to Crete, but forgot to change his sails, according to the instructions which his father had given him i so that, when his father beheld from a watchtower the ship returning with black sails, he imagined that his son was dead, and cast himself headlong into the sea, which was afterward called the JEgean or Black Sea, from his name and destiny. Ariadne was the daughter of Minos, king o% Crete. She having delivered Theseus out of the 261 Labyrinth by the means of a thread, followed him in his return to the island of Naxus, where he perfidi- ously and ungratefully left her. But Bacchus, pity- ing her miserable condition, married her, and gave her a crown that was illuminated with seven stars, which he had before received from Venus. This crown was called Gnossia Corona; and Ariadne her- self was surnamed Gnossis, from the city of that name in Crete. After the death of Ariadne, the same was carried among the stars, and made a con- stellation in the heavens. It was thought that Diana caused the death of Ariadne, because she preserved not her virginity. The actions of Theseus were so famous, that they accounted him a Hercules. For, 1. He killed the Minotaur. 2. He overcame the Centaurs. 3. He vanquished the Thebans. 4. He defeated the Ama- zons. 5. He went down into hell ; and returned back into the world again. He and Pirithous, his most intimate friend, the lawful son of Ixion, agreed never to marry any wo- men except Jupiter's daughters. Theseus married Helena, the daughter of Jupiter and Leda, and none of Jupiter's daughters remained on the earth for Pirithous ; therefore they both went down into hell to steal Proserpine away from her husband Pluto. As soon as they entered hell, Pirithous was unfortunately torn in pieces by the dog Cerberus ; but Theseus came alive into the palace of Pluto, who fettered him, and kept him till Hercules was sent into hell by Euristheus to rescue him. The Amazons were women animated with the souls and bravery of men ; a military race, inhabit- ing that part of Seythia which is washed by the river Tanais. They were called Amazons, ^either because they cut off one of their breasts, or f because f Ab « privativo et /*<&& mamma, • ^b */** si mill et £/,v viv'eve.. 262 they lived together without the society of men They were a nation of women, who, that the country might have inhabitants and not be depopulated, when the present race of women died, admitted the ad- dresses of the neighbouring young men. They kill- ed the boys at their birth, but brought up the girls. They cut off their right breast that they might more conveniently use their hands in shooting their ar- rows, and brandishing their weapons against their enemy. These female warriors, by their frequent excursions, became possessors of a great part of Asia, when Hercules, accompanied with Theseus, made war upon them, and defeated them ; and taking Hippolyte, their queen, prisoner, he gave her in marriage to Theseus. Theseus had by Hippolyte his son Hippolytus, who was very beautiful, and mightily addicted to hunting, and a remarkable lover of chastity; for when ^Phaedra, his step mother, (the daughter of king Minos, whom Theseus had preferred to her sister Ariadne) made love to him, he repulsed her. This repulse provoked her so much, that when her husband returned, she accused him wrongfully. Theseus gave ear to the wicked woman, and believ- ed her untruth against his son Hippolytus, who per- ceiving it, fled away in his chariot. In his flight he met several monstrous sea-calves, which frighted his horses, so that they threw him out of his seat, his feet were entangled in the harness, and he was drag- ged through the thickets of a wood, and torn to pieces miserably. JEsculapius afterwards, at the request of Diana, restored him to life again. But he however left Greece and came into Italy, where he changed his name to f Virbius, because he had been a man twice. Phaedra was gnawn with the stings of her own conscience, and hanged herself, * Ovid, in Ep. Phaedr. t Quod, vir bis esset. ■ , 7 263 \nd not long after, Theseus, being banished from his country, ended an illustrious life with an obscure death. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who was Jason ; and why sent after the Golden Fleece ? What was the Golden Fleece ? Whence was the Hellespont namea ? ? Bv whose assistance did Jason procure the Fleece, Who was Medea, and what were her actions? Who was Theseus, and what were his actions ? jEsean or Black Sea ; why so called ? Who was Ariadne, and what happened to her ? , . What agreement was made between Theseus and Pentiums, and what became of the latter ? . . Who were the Amazons ; and what account is given of them* What is the story of Hippolytus ? What became of Phaedra and Theseus ? CHAPTER ffl. CASTOR AND POLLUX. Castor and Pollux are twin brothers the sons of Jupiter and Leda, who was the wife of Tyndarus kin- of Laconia, whom Jupiter loved, but could not succeed in his amour till he changed himself into a swan; which swan was afterwards made a constel- lation. Leda produced two eggs, which hatched the twin brothers. Out of one egg came Pollux and Helena, who sprang from Jupiter, and were therefore immortal. But out of the other by 1 yn- darus her husband, came * Castor and Clytemnes- tra who were mortal. Yet both Castor and Pollux are' frequently called Tyndarid* by the poets as Helena is also called Tyndaris, from the same king Tyndarus. * Hor. Sat. 1. 264 Castor and Pollux accompanied Jason when he sailed to Colchis ; and, when he returned thence, they recovered their sister Helena from Theseus, who had stolen her, by overcoming the Athenians that fought for him, to whom their clemency and hu- manity were so great after the defeat, that the Athe- nians called them the sons of Jupiter ; and hence white lambs were offered upon their altars. *But although they were both at the same birth, and, as some think out of the game egg, yet their tempers were different. Castor being, as some say, a mortal person, was killed by Lynceus : upon which Pollux prayed to Jupiter to restore him to life again, and confer an immortality upon him. But this could not be grant- ed. However, he obtained leave to divide his im- mortality between himself and his brother Castor, and thence it came to pass fthat they lived after- wards by turns every other day, or, as some say, every other fortnight. After the death of Castor, a kind of pyr'rhick, or dance in armour, was instituted to his honour ; which was performed by young men armed, and called J" Castor's dance." At length the}' both were translated into heaven, and made a constellation, which is still called Gemi- ni. Sailors esteem these stars lucky and prosperous to them, ^because, when the Argonauts were driven * " Castor gaudet equis : Ovo prognatus eodem, Pugnis : quot capitura vivunt, totidem in studiorum Miilia." Horat. Serm. 2. 1. As many men, so many their delights. t " Sic fratem Pollux alterna morte redemit, Itque reditque viam." Virg. JEn. 6, Thus Pollux, offering his alternate life, Could free his brother. They did daily go By turns aloft, by turns descend below. t Plin. 1. 7. c. 5. 7. ap. Nat. Com. § Hor. Carm. 3. 265 by a violent tempest, two lambent flames settled upon the heads of Castor and Pollux, and a calm immediately ensued : from which a virtue more than human was thought to be lodged in these youths. If only one flame appeared, they called it Helena, and it was esteemed fatal and destructive to mari- ners. There was a famous temple dedicated to Castor and Pollux in the Forum at Rome ; for it w*is' be- lieved, that in the dangerous battle of the Romans with the Latins, they assisted the Romans, riding upon white horses. And hence came that form of swearing by the temple of Castor, which women only used, saying, *Ecastor : whereas, when men swore^ they usually swore by Hercules, using the words f Hercule, Hercle, Hercules, Mehercules, Me- hercule. But both men and women swore by the temple of Pollux, using the word jEdepol, an oath common to them both. Clytemnestra was married to Agamemnon, whom, after his return from the siege of Troy, she killed, by the help of iEgisthus ; with whom, in the mean time, she had lived. She attempted also to kill his son Orestes, and would have done so, Jif his sister Electra had not delivered him at the very point of destruction, sending him privately to Strophius, king of Phocis. After Orestes had lived there twelve years, he returned to his own country, and slew both Clytemnestra and iEgisthus. He killed also Pyrr- hus, in the temple of Apollo ; because he had car- ried away Hermione, the daughter of Menelaus, who was first betrothed to Orestes. ^Therefore the Fu- ries tormented him ; neither could he obtain deli- verance from them, till he had expiated his crimes * ^castor, et iEdepol. id t A, per aedem Castoris et Pollucis. t Passim apud Terent. Plaut. Cicer. &,c. I Soph, in Electr. Eurip. in Orest. § Cic. de Amicit. 23 266 at the altar of Diana Taurica, whither he was con- ducted by his friend Pylades, his perpetual com- panion and partner in all his dangers ; *their friend- ship was so close and sacred, that either of them would die for the other. The goddess Diana, who was worshipped in Tau- rica Chersonesus, or Cherronesus, a peninsula, so called from the Tauri, an ancient people of Scythia Eurqtpae. She was worshipped with human victims ; the lives and the blood of men being sacrificed to her. When. Orestes went thither, his sister Iphi- genia, the daughter of Agamemnon, was priestess to Diana Taurica : she was made priestess on the fol- lowing occasion. Agamemnon, king of the Argives, was, by the common consent of the Grecians, appointed general in their expedition against Troy ; and after his re- turn home, was killed by his own wife Clytemnestra. This Agamemnon killed a deer by chance, in the country of Aulis, which belonged to Diana ; the goddess was angry, and caused such a calm, that for want of wind, the Grecian ships bound for Tro3', were fixed and immoveable : upon this they consult- ed the soothsayers, who answered, fthat they must satisfy the winds, and Diana, with some of the blood of Agamemnon. Therefore Uhsses was forthwith sent to bring away lphigenia, the daughter of Aga- memnon, from her mother, by a trick, under pre- tence of marrying her to Achilles. While the young lady stood at the altar to be sacrificed, the goddess pitied her, and substituted a hind in her stead, and sent her to Taurica Chersonesus ; where, by the or- der of kingThoas. site presided over those sacrifices of the goddess, which were solemnized with human blood. When Orestes was brought thither by the inhabitants to be sacrificeu, he was known and pre- * Eurip. in Iphig. in Taur. t Eurip. in Iphip. in Taur. 267 served by his sister. After which Thoas was kill- ed, and the image of Diana, which lay hidden among a bundle of sticks, was carried away ; and hence Diana was called Fascelis, from fascis, a " bundle." QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who were Castor and Pollux, and what was their origin ? Why were white lambs offered upon their altars ? What became of Castor, and what was granted to him at the request of his brother ? What do the Sailors say of the stars Castor and Pollux ? What is related of the temple dedicated to them ? What is the story of Clytemnestra ? ' Who was Diana'Taurica ; how Avas she worshipped ; and who was her priestess ? What is related of Agamemnon ? On what account was Diana called Fascelis ? CHAPTER IV. PERSEUS. AESCULAPIUS. Perseus was the son of Jupiter and Dana?, the daughter of Acrisius, who was shut up by her father in a very strong tower, where no man could enter, because her father had been told by an oracle, that he should be killed by his own grandchild. But nothing is impregnable to love : for Jupiter, as we are told by Horace, by changing himself into a shower of gold, descended through the tiles into the lady's apartment. " Inctusam Danaen turris ahenea Robustaeque fores, et vigilum canum Tristes excubiae munierant satis Nocturnis ab adulteris : Si non Acrisium, virginis abditae Custodem pavidum, Jupiter et Venus Risissent : fore enim tutum iter et patens, Converso in pretium Deo." Carm. 1. 3. 1&. 268 Within a brazen tow'r immur'd, By dogs and centinels secur'd, From midnight revels, and intrigues oi"love, Fair Danas was kept within her guardian's pow'r: But gentle Venus smil'd, and amorous Jove Knew he could soon unlock the door. And by his art successful prove, Chang'd to a golden show'r. As soon as Acrislus had heard that his daughter had brought forth a son, he ordered that she and the infant should be shut up in a chest, and thrown into the sea : the chest was driven to the island Se- riphus, where a fisherman found it, took them out, and presented them to king Polydectes ; who be- came enamoured of Danse, and brought up her son ; whom he called Perseus. Perseus, when he was grown a man, received from Mercury a scythe of adamant, and wings, which he fixed to his feet : Pluto gave him a helmet, and Minerva a shield of brass, so bright, that it reflected the images of things, like a looking-glass. His first exploit was the deliverance of Andromeda, the daughter of Cepheus, king of Ethiopia, who was bound by the nymphs to a rock, to be devoured by a sea-monster, because her mother Cassiope, or Cas- siopeia, had proudly preferred her daughter's beau- ty to theirs ; and when he had delivered her, he took her to wife. After which, both the mother and the daughter, and the son-in-law, were placed among the celestial constellations. His next expe- dition was against the Gorgons, of whom we have spoken before : he encountered Medusa, their prin- cess, whose head was supplied with snakes in the place of hair ; he saw the image of her head by the brightness of his shield, and, by the favourable as- sistance of Minerva, struck it off : he then fixed it upon a shield, and, by showing it, afterward turned many persons into stone. Atlas was turned by tht sie:ht of it, into the mountain in Mauritania of that 269 name : because he rudely refused to entertain Per- seus. When Medusa's head was cut off, the horse Pegasus sprang from the blood which fell on the ground, he was so called from wy*) [i^g* 6 ] " a fountain," because he was produced near the foun- tains of the sea. This horse had wings ; and flying over the mountain Helicon, he struck it with his hoof, and opened a fountain, which they call in Greek, Hippocrene ; and in Latin, Fons CabalUnus ; that is, the " horse fountain." But afterward, while he drank at the fountain Pyrene in Corinth, where Bel- lerophon prepared himself for his expedition against the Chimaera, he was taken by him and kept. Bellerophon's first name was Hipponus ; because . he first taught the aft of governing horses with a bridle : but when he had killed Bellerus, a king of Corinth, he was afterward called Bellerophontes. This Bellerophon, the son of Glaucus, king of Ephyra, was equally beautiful and virtuous : he re- sisted all the temptations by which Sthenobaea, the wife of Pra?tus, enticed him to love her; and his repulses provoked her so, that in revenge she accus- ed the innocent stranger to her husband. Praetus. however, would not violate the laws of hospitality with the blood of Bellerophon, but sent him into Lycia, to his father-in-law Jobates, with letters, which desired him to punish Bellerophon, as his crime deserved. Jobates read the letters, and sent him to fight against the Solymi, that he might be killed in -the battle : but he easily vanquished them, and in many other dancer,-, to which he was expos- ed, he always came oif conqueror. At last he was sent to kill the Chimera ; which he undertook, and performed, when he had procured the horse Pegasus, by the help of Neptune. Therefore Jobates, ad- miring the bravery of the youth, gave him one of his daughters to wife, allotting him also a part of his kingdom. Sthenobaea killed herself when she 23* 27© heard this. This happy success so transported Bel- lerophon, that he endeavoured to fly upon Pegasus to heaven ; for which Jupiter struck him with mad- ness, and he fell from his horse into a field called Aleius Campus, ^because in that place Bellerophon wandered up and down blind, to the end of his life : but Pegasus was placed among the stars. Some say that this was the occasion of the fable of the Chi~ msera. There was a famous pirate, who used to sail in a ship in whose prow was painted a lion, in the stern a dragon, and by the body of the ship a goat was described; and this pirate was killed by Belle- rophon, in a long boat that was called Pegasus. From the letters which Bellerophon carried Jobates, f comes the proverb, " Bellerophon's letters ;" when any (me carries letters, which he imagines are wrote in his favour, but are sent to procure his ruin : and such letters are frequently called " Letters of Uriah," for the same reason. JEsculapius is represented as a bearded old man ? leaning on his jointed cane, adorned with a crown of laurel, and encompassed with dogs. He is the god of the physicians and physic, and the son of Apollo by the nymph Ceronis. He improved the art of physic, which before was little understood ; and for that reason they accounted him a god. Apollo shot the nymph his mother when she was pregnant, be- cause she admitted the addresses of another young man after he had become enamoured of her. But he repented after he had killed her, took out the child alive, and delivered him to be educated by the physician Chiron, J who taught him his own art : the youth made so great a progress in it, that be- cause he restored health to the sick,- and gave safety * Ab aXiuu erro. t BixxtpoQovros ypxpfiKru, Belhrophontis literte usitatius dictae, Lit era Urice. 4 Ovid Met. 1. 271 to those whose condition was desperate, he was thought to have a power of recalling the dead to life again. Upon this Pluto, the king of hell, Com- plained to Jupiter that his revenue was very much diminished, and his subjects taken from him by means of iEsculapius ; and at length, by his persua- sion, Jupiter killed him with a stroke of thunder. He wears a crown of laurel, because that tree is powerful in curing many diseases. By the knots in his staff, is signified the difficulty of the study of physic. He has dogs painted about him, and dogs in his temple ; because many believe that he was born of uncertain parents, and exposed, and after- ward nourished by a bitch, f Others say, that a goat, which was pursued by a dog, gave suck to the forsaken infant ; and that the shepherds saw a lam- bent flame playing about his head, which was a prog- nostication of his future divinity. The Cyrenians used to offer a goat to him in the sacrifices ; either because he was nourished by a goat, as was said, Jor because a goat is always in a fever ; and therefore a goat's constitution is very contrary to health. §Plato says, that they used to sacrifice dung-hill cocks to him, which are deemed the most vigilant of all birds ; for of all virtues, watchfulness is chiefly necessary to a physician. iEsculapius was worshipped first at Epidaurus, where he was born ; afterward at Rome, because, on being sent for thither, he delivered the city from a dreadful pestilence. For which reason, a temple was dedicated to him in an island in the mouth of the Tiber, where he- was worshipped under the form of a great serpent ; for when the Romans came to Epidaurus to transport the god thence ; a great ser- * Virg. JEn. 7. t Lactant. de fals. Religo. Paean, in Corinth. J Didym. !. 3. Nat. Curn. § In Phaedone. 272 pent entered the ship, which they believed was «3Esculapius ; and brought it to Rome with them. Others tell the story thus : when the Romans were received by the people of Epidaurus with all kind- ness, and were carried into the temple of iEseula- pius ; the serpent, under whose image they worship- ped that god, went voluntarily into the ship of the Romans. I can tell you nothing of the children of iEscula- pius, except their names. He had two sons r called Machaon and Podalirius, both famous physicians, who followed Agamemnon, the general of the Gre- cians, to the Trojan war, and were very service- able among the soldiers ; and two daughters, Hygioea (though some think this was his wife) and Jaso. Chiron, his master, was a Centaur, and the son of Saturn and Phillyra ; for when Saturn embraced that nymph, he suddenly changed himself into a horse, because his wife Ops came in. Phillyra was born a creature, in its upper parts like a man, in its lower parts like a horse. She called it Chiron ; when he grew up, he betook himself to the woods $ and there, learned the virtues of herbs, he became a most excellent physician. For his skill in physic^ and for his other virtues, which were many, he was appointed tutor to Achilles ; he also instructed Her- cules in astronomy, and taught iEsculapius physic* At last, when he "handled Hercules' arrows, one of them dipped in the poisonous blood of the Lernsean hydra, fell upon his foot, and gave him a wound that was incurable, and pains that were intolerable ; in- somuch that he desired to die, but could not, because he was born of immortal parents. Therefore, at length the gods translated him into the firmament, where he now remains ; for he became a constella- tion called Sagittarius, which is placed in the zo- diac. 273 QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who was Perseus ? What order did Acrisius give with regard to his grandson, and fiOAV was the child saved ? What were the exploits of Perseus ? What is said of Medusa's head, and what happened when it was cut off? How is Pegasus described ? For what was Bellerophon famous? Give the circumstances attending his history. What is meant by " Bellerophon's letters;" and what else are they called ? . Who was iEsculapius? What became of his mother ? Under whose care was iEsculapius brought up? What complaint was made against him ? Why does he wear a crown of laurel ; and what do the staff and dogs signify ? Why were goats and cocks sacrificed to him ? Where was he first worshipped ; and why was he adored un- der the form of a serpent ? Who were jEsculapius's children ? What is the history of Chiron ? CHAPTER II. PROMETHEUS. ATLAS. Prometheus, the son of Japetus, and the father of Deucalion, was the first, as we find in history, that formed man out of clay ; which he did with such art and skill, that Minerva was amazed, and proffered to procure him any thing from heaven ; which would complete his work. Prometheus answered, that he did not know what in heaven would be useful to him, since he had never seen heaven. Therefore Mi- nerva carried him up into heaven, and showed him all its wonders. He observed that the heat of the sun would be very useful in animating the man which he had formed ; therefore he lighted a stick by the wheel of the sun's chariot, and carried it lighted with him to the earth. This theft displeased Jupiter so much, that he sent Pandora into the world to Pro^ 274 metheus, with a box filled with all sorts of evils. Prometheus, fearing and suspecting the matter, re- fused to accept it ; but his brother Epimetheus was not so cautious ; for he took it and opened it. and all the evils that were in it flew abroad among man- kind. When he perceived what he had done, he immediately shut the box again, and by good for- tune hindered Hope from flying away, which stuck to the bottom of the box. You may remember how sweetly Horace speaks of this theft of Prometheus, " Audax omnia perpeti Genus humana ruit per vetitum nefas. Audax Japeti genus Ignem fraude mala gentibus intulit ; Post ignem a^therea domo Subductum, macies et nova febrium Terris incubuit cohors : Semotique prins tarda necessitas Lethi corripuit gradum." Carm. 1. 1. No pow'r the pride of mortals can control: Prone to new crimes, by strong presumption driv'n. With sacrilegious hands Prometheus stole Celestial fire, and bore it down from heav'n : The fatal present brought on mortal race An army of diseases ; death began With vigour then, to mend its halting pace, And found a more compendious way to man. Jupiter punished Prometheus in this manner : he commanded Mercury to bind him to the mountain Caucasus ; and then he sent an eagle to him there, which continually gnawed his liver. Yet some say, that he was not punished because he stole fire from heaven, but because he had made a woman, which, they say, is the most pernicious creature in the world. Prometheus had been serviceable to Jupiter, for he discovered to him his father Saturn's conspiracy, and prevented the marriage of Jupiter and Thetis, which he foresaw would be fatal ; therefore Jupiter suffered Hercules to shoot the eagle, and set Pro- metheus at liberty. 275 This perhaps is the meaning of this fable : Pro- metheus, whose name is derived *from a word denoting foresight and providence, was a very pru- dent person ; and because he reduced men, who be- fore were rude and savage, to the precepts of hu- manity, he was feigned thence to have made men out of dirt : and because he was diligent in observing the motions of the stars from the mountain Caucasus, therefore they said that he was chained there. To which they added, that he stole fire from the gods, because he invented the way of striking fire by means of the flint ; or was the first that discovered the na- ture of lightning. And lastly, because he applied his mind to study with great care and solicitude, therefore they imagined an eagle preying upon his liver continually. We have said that Prometheus was the father of Deucalion, who was king of Thessaly. During his reign, there was so great a deluge, that the whole earth was overflowed by it, and all mankind entirely destroyed, excepting only Deucalion and Pyrrha his wife, who were carried in a ship upon the mountain Parnassus ; and when the waters were abated, they consulted the oracle of Themis, to know by what means mankind should again be restored. The oracle answered that mankind would be restored if they cast the bones of their great mother behind them. By great mother the oracle meant the earth ; and by her bones, the stones ; therefore casting the stones behind their back, a prodigious miracle en- sued ; for those stones that were thrown by Deuca- lion became men, and those that were thrown by Pyrrha became women. Missa viri manibus faciem traxere verilem ; Et de feemineo reparata est fcemina jactu. * A«ra rris sfi tfoftihas^ id est, providentia, Pausan. in Eliae. 276 Tnde genus durum sumus, experiensque laborum; Et documenta damus, qua simus origine nati." Ov. Mel. 1. -And of the stones Those thrown by th' man the form of men endue ; And those were women which the woman threw. Hence we, a hardy race, inur'd to pain"; Our actions our original explain. The occasion of which fable was this : Deucalion and his wife were very pious, and by the example of their lives, and the sanctity of their manners, they softened the men and women, who before were fierce and hard like stones, into such gentleness and mild- ness, that they observed the rules of civil society and good behaviour. Atlas, king of Mauritania, the son of Japetus, and brother of Prometheus, is represented as sustaining the heavens on his shoulders. He was forewarned by an oracle that he would be almost ruined by one of the sons of Jupiter, and therefore resolved to give entertainment to no stranger at all. At last Perseus, who was begotten by Jupiter, travelled by chance through Atlas' dominions, and designed, in civility, to visit him. But the king excluded him the court, which inhumanity provoked him so much, that put- ting his shield before the eyes of Atlas, and showing him the head of Medusa, he turned him into the mountain of his own name ; which is of so great height that it is believed to touch the heavens. Vir- gil makes mention of him in the fourth book of his iEneid. " Jamque volans apicem et latera ardua cernit Atlantis duri, ccelumohe vertice fulcit: Atlantis, cinctum assidue cui nubibus atris Piniferum caput, et vento pulsatur et imbri: Nix humeros iufusa tegit ; turn flumina mento Prascipitant senis, et glacie riget horrida barba." Now sees the top of Atlas as he flies, Whose brawny back supports the starry skies : 277 Atlas, whose head with piny forests crown 'd Is beaten by the winds> with foggy vapours bound: Snows hide his shoulders ; from beneath his chin The founts of rolling streams their race begin. The reason why the poets feigned that Atlas sus- tained the heavens on his shoulders, was this : Atlas was a very famous astronomer, and the first person who understood and taught the doctrine of the sphere ; and on the same account the poets tell us, that his daughters were turned into stars. By his wife Pelione he had seven daughters, whose names were Electra, Haley one, Celaeno, Maia, As- terope, Taygete, and Merope ; and they were called by one common name, Pleiades ; and by his wife iEthra he had seven other daughters, whose names were Ambrosia, Euloria, Pasithoe, Coronis, Plexa- ris, Pytho, and Tyche ; and these were called by one common name, Hyades, from *a word which in the Greek language signifies " to rain," because, when they rise or set, they are supposed to cause great rain ; and therefore the Latins called them Sucultz, that is, " swine," because the continual rain that they cause makes the roads so muddy, that they seem to delight in dirt, like swine. Others de- rive their name from Hyas, their brother, who was devoured by a lion : his sisters were so immoderate- ly afflicted and grieved at his death, that Jupiter in compassion changed them into seven stars, which appear in the head of Taurus. And they are justly called Hyades, because showers of tears flow from their eyes to this day. The Pleiades derive their name from a Greek word signifying f " sailing." From whence these stars rise, they portend good weather to navigators. * Aire t» ws/y, id est, pluere. " Navita quas Hyades Graius ab imbre vocat." From rain the sailors call them Hyades. t A?xa 'Ewrfiffiuv $«%*?«!, id est, mala Hesperidnm largiri, 280 charmed both the king and queen with the sweet- ness of ..his music, that they permitted his wife to return to life again, upon this condition, that he should not look upon her till they were both ar- rived upon the earth : but so impatient and eager was the love of Orpheus, that he could not perform the condition ; therefore, she was taken back into hell again. Upon this, Orpheus resolved for the future to live a widower : and with his example alien- ated the minds of many others from the love of women. This so provoked the Maenades and Bac- chae, that they tore him in pieces : though others as- sign another reason of his death, which is this : the women, by the instigation of Venus, were so inflam- ed with the love of him, that, quarrelling with one another who should have him, they tore him in pieces. His bones were afterward gathered by the Muses, and reposed in a sepulchre, not without tears ; and his harp was made the constellation Lyra. Amphian was the son of Jupiter by Antiope. He received his lute and harp from Mercury ; and with the sound thereof moved the stones so regularly, that they composed the walls of the city of Thebes. " Dictus et Amphion, Thebanae conditor urbis, Saxa movere sono testudinis, et prece blanda Ducere quo vellet." Hor. de Art PqtL Amphion too, as story goes, could call Obedient stones to make the Theban wall. He led them as he pleas'd : the rocks obey'd, And danc'd in order to the tunes he play'd. The occasion of which fable was this : Orpheus and Amphion were both men so eloquent, that they persuaded those who lived a wild and savage life before, to embrace the rules and manners of civil society. Arion is a proper companion for these two musi- cians, for he was a lyric poet of Methymna, in the island of Lesbos, and gained immense riches by his 281 art. When he was travelling from Lesbos into Italy, his companions assaulted him to rob him of his wealth ; but he entreated the seamen to suffer him to play on his harp, before they cast him into the sea : he played sweetly, and then threw himself into the sea, where a dolphin, drawn thither by the sweet- ness of his music, received him on his back, and carried him to Tenedos, ** Ille sedet, citharamque tenet, pretiumque vehendi Cantat, et aequoreas carmine mulcet aquas." — Ov. Fast. 2. He on his crouching back sits all at ease, , With harp in hand, by which he calms the seas, And for his passage with a song he pays. The dolphin for this kindness was carried into heaven, and made a constellation. Achilles was the son of Peleus by Thetis. His mother plunged him in the Stygian waters when he was an infant, which made his whole body ever af- ter invulnerable, excepting that part of his foot by which he was held when he was washed. Others say, that Thetis hid him in the night under a fire, after she had anointed him in the day with ambro- sia ; whence at first he was called Pyrisous, because he escaped safe from the fire ; and afterward Achil- les, ^because he had but one lip, for he licked the ambrosia from his other lip, so that the fire had power to'burn it off. Others again report, f that he was brought up by Chiron the Centaur, and fed, instead of milk, with the entrails of lions, and the marrow of bears : so that by that means he received immense greatness of soul, and mighty strength of body. From him those who greatly excelled in strength, were called Achilles, {and an argument is called Achilleum, when no objection can weaken or dis- prove it. * Ab a. priv, et %uXos , labrum ; quasi sine Iabro. t Apoll. I. 3. Eurip. in Iphig. t Gell. 1.2. c. 11. 24* 282 Thetis, his mother, had heard from an oracle, that he should be killed in the expedition against Troy. On the other hand, Calchas, the diviner, had de- clared, that Troy could not be taken without him. By the cunning of Ulysses he was forced to go : for when his mother Thetis hid him in a boarding-school {in Gynecseo) in the island of Scycros, one of the Cyclades, in the habit of a virgin, among the daugh- ters of king Lycomedes, Ulysses discovered the trick : he went thither in the disguise Of a merchant, and took with him several goods to sell. The king's daughters, began to view and handle curiously the bracelets, the glasses, and necklaces, and such like women's ornaments ; but Achilles, on the contrary laid hold of the targets, and fitted the helmets, to his head, and brandished the swords, and placed them to his side. Thus Ulysses plainly discovered Achil- les from the virgins, and compelled him to go to the war : after that Vulcan, by Thetis' entreaty, had given him impenetrable armour. Achilles at Troy killed Hector, the son of Priamus ; and was killed himself by Paris, by a trick of Polyxena : and all the Nymphs and Muses are said to have lamented his death. This Polyxena was the daughter of Priamus, king of Troy, a virgin of extraordinary beauty. Achilles by chance saw her upon the walks of the city, and fell in love with her, and desired to marry her. Priamus consented. They met in the temple of Apollo to solemnize the marriage ; where Paris, the brother of Hector, coming iy privately, and lurking behind Apollo's image, shot Achilles suddenly with an arrow, in that part of his foot in which only he Was vulnerable. After this Troy was taken, and the ghost of Achilles demanded satisfaction for the mur- der, which the Grecians appeased by offering .the* blood of Polyxena. 283 QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Who were Orpheus and Amphion, and in what did they excel ? What is related of Orpheus ? Who was Amphion, and what was the occasion of the fable ? Who was Arion, and what is related of him ? Who was Achilles, and what is reported of him during his in- fancy ? In what did Achilles excel ; and what is the nature of the ar- gument named after him ? Why and how was he forced into the Trojan war? What hero did he kill, and by whom was he slain ? How was he killed, and what did the Grecians do to appease his ghost? CHAPTER VII. ULYSSES. ORION. Ulysses was so named, because when his mother was travelling, as some say, in the island of Ithaca ; as others say, in Bceotia, she fell down on the *road, and brought him into the world. He was the son of Laertes and Anticlea. His wife was Penelope, a lady highly famed for her prudence and virtue. He was unwilling that the Trojan war should part him and his dear wife ; therefore, to avoid the expedition, he pretended to be mad, joining the different beasts to the same plough, and sowing the furrows with salt. But this pretence was detected by Palamedes, who laid his infant son in the furrow, while Ulysses was ploughing, to see whether he would suffer the plough share to wound him or not. When Ulysses came where his son lay, he turned the plough, and thus it was discovered that he was not a madman, and he was compelled to go to the war. There he was very serviceable to the Grecians, and was almost the sole occasion of taking the town. He forced Achilles from his retreat, and obtained the arrows of Hercules from Philoctetes, which he brought against * Grace 'Ohcrtrtvs, ab ofros via'; quod in ipsa via ejus mater iter faciens lapsa ilium peperit Vide Nat. Com. et Horn, in Odyst. 254 Troy. He took away the ashes of Laomedon, which were preserved upon the gate Scaea in Troy. He stole the Palladium from the city ; killed Rhce- sus, king of Thrace, and took his horses, before they had tasted the water of the river Xanthus. In which things the destiny of Troy was wrapped up : for if the Trojans had preserved them, the town could never have been conquered. He contended with Ajax the son of Telamon and Hesione, who was the stoutest of all the Grecians except Achilles, before judges, for the arms of Achilles. The judges were persuaded by the eloquence of Ulysses, gave sen- tence in his favour, and assigned the arms to him. This disappointment made Ajax mad, upon which he killed himself, and his blood was turned into the violet. When Ulysses departed from Troy to return home, he sailed backward and forward ten years ; for contrary winds and bad weather hindered him from getting home. During which time, 1. He put out the eye of Polyphemus with a firebrand ; and then sailing to TEolia, he there obtained from iEolus all the winds which were contrary to him, and put them into leathern bags. His companions, believ- ing that the bags were filled with money, and not with wind, intended to rob him ; therefore, when they came almost to Ithaca, they untied the bags, and the winds gushed out, and blew him back to ^Eolia again. 2. When Circe had turned his com- panions into beasts, he first fortified himself against her charms with the antidote that Mercury had given him, and then ran into her cave with his sword drawn, and forced her to restore his companions to their former shapes again. After which he and Circe were reconciled, and he had by her Telego- nus. 3. He went down into hell to know his fu- ture fortune from the prophet Tiresias. 4. When he sailed to the islands of the Sirens, he stopped the 285 ears of his companions, and bound himself with strong ropes to the ship's mast : by these means he avoided the dangerous snares, into which, by their charming voices, they led men. 5. And lastly, after his ship was broken and wrecked by the waves, he escaped by swimming ; and came naked and alone to the port of Phaeacia, where Nausica, the daughter of king Alcinous, found him hidden among the young trees, and entertained him civilly. When his companions were found, and the ship refitted, he was sent asleep into Ithaca, where Pallas awaked him, and advised him to put on the habit of a beg- gar. Then he went to his neat-herds, where he found his son Telemachus ; and from them he went home in a disguise ; where, after he had received several affronts from the wooers of Penelope, by the assistance of the neat-herds, and his son, to whom he discovered himself, he set upon them, and killed them every one ; and then received his Penelope. Penelope, the daughter of Icarus, was a rare and perfect example of chastity. For though it was ge- nerally thought that her husband Ulysses was dead, since he had been absent from her twenty years, yet neither the desires of her parents, nor the solicita- tions of her lovers, could prevail upon her to marry another man, and to violate the promises of con- stancy which she gave to her husband when he de- parted. And when many noblemen courted her, and even threatened her with ruin unless she declar- ed which of them should marry her, she desired that the choice might be deferred till she had finished a ! piece of needle-work, about which she was then employed: but undoing by night what she had worked by day, she delayed them till Ulysses re- turned and killed them all. Hence came the pro- i verb, *" to weave Penelope's web ;" that is, to * Penelopes telam texere' id est, inajieni operant sumere. Vid, I Erasm. Adag. 286 labour in vain ; when one hand destroys what the other has wrought. Orion, when young, was a constant companion of Diana : but because his love to the goddess exceed- ed the bounds of modesty, or because, as some say, he extolled the strength of his own body, and boast- ed that he could outrun and subdue the wildest and fiercest beasts, his arrogance grievously displeased the Earth ; therefore she sent a scorpion, which killed him. He was afterward carried to the hea- vens, and there made a constellation; which is thought to predict foul weather when it does not ap- pear, and fair when it is visible ; whence the poets call him ^tempestuous, or stormy Orion. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION From what did Ulysses derive his name ? How did he excuse himself from going to the Trojan war, and how was the artifice detected ? What exploits did he perform at Troy ? What was the contention between him and x4jax, and what was the consequence of it? What acts did he perform during his return i What happened to him in Ithaca ? What is said of Penelope, and whence is the origin of th.£ phrase, " To weave Penelope's web ?" What is said of Orion ? What does the constellation predict ? CHAPTER VIII. OSIPJS, APIS, SERAPIS Osiris, Apis, and Serapis, are three different names of one and the same god. Osiris was the * Nimbosus Orion. Virg. Mn. nam epiav significat turbo mov&k unde etiam ipse nomen sumpsisse a nonnullis judicatur. 237 son of Jupiter, by Niobe, the daughter of Phoro-- neus ; and was king of the Argives many^years. He was stirred up, by the desire of glory, to leave his kingdom to his brother iEgialus, and to sail into Egypt, to seek a new name and new king- doms. The Egyptians were not so much over- come by his arms, as obliged to him by his cour- tesies and kindness. After this he married Io, the daughter of Inachus, whom Jupiter formerly turn- ed into a cow ; but, when by her distraction she was driven into Egypt, her former shape was again restored, and she married Osiris, and in- structed the Egyptians in letters. Therefore, both she and her husband attained to divine honours, and were thought immortal by that people. But Osiris showed that he was mortal ; for he was kill- ed by his brother Typhon. Io (afterward called Isis) sought him a great while ; and when she had found him at last in a chest, she laid him in a monument in an island near to Memphis, which island is encompassed by that sad and fatal lake, the Styx. And because when she sought him she had used dogs, who by their excellent virtue of smelling might discover where he was hidden, thence the ancient custom came, that dogs went first in an anniversary procession in honour of Isis. And the people carefully and religiously . worshipped a god with a dog's head, called Anu- bis ; which god the poets commonly call ^Barker, " a god half a dog, a dog half a man." He is also called Hermanubis ; because his sagacity is so great that some think him to be the same with Mercury, But let us return to Osiris and Isis. After the body of Osiris was interred, there ap- peared to the Egyptians a stately, beautiful ox j the Egyptians thought that it was Osiris, therefore * Latratorem, semicanera Deum, Virg. JEn. 9. 28J& they worshipped it, and called it Apis, which in the Egyptian language signifies an " ox." But be- cause the body, after his death, was found shut up in a *chest, he was afterward from this called So- rapis, and by the change of a letter Serapis ; as we shall see more clearly and particularly by and by, when I have observed what Plutarch says, that Osiris was thought to be the Sun. His name comes from os, which in the Egyptian language signifies " much," and iris, an " eye ;" and his image was a sceptre, in which was placed an eye. So that Osiris signifies the same as noXvoc, [polyoph- thalmos,~\ " many-eyed," which agrees very well to the Sun, who seems to have as many eyes as he has rays, by which he sees, and makes all things visible. Some say that Isis is Pallas, others Terra, others Ceres, and many the Moon; for she is painted sometimes horned, as the moon appears in the in- crease, and wears black garments ; because the moon shines in the night. In the right hand she held a cymbal, and in her left a bucket. Her head was crowned with the feathers of a vulture ; for among the Egyptians that bird is sacred to Juno ; and therefore they adorned the tops of their porches with the feathers of a vulture. The priests of lsis, called after her own name Isiaci, abstained from die flesh of swine and sheep, and they used no salt to their meat. They shaved their heads, they wore paper shoes, and a linen vest, because Isis first taught the use of flax ; and hence she is called Linigera, and also Inachis, from Inachus, her father. By the name of Isis, is usually under- stood " wisdom :" and accordingly, upon the pavement of the temple, there was this inscription : * 'Septs significat stream, in qua inventum est illius corpus iff* clasum 289 *"I am every thing that hath been, and is, and shall be ; nor hath any mortal opened my veil." By the means of this Isis, f Iphis, a young vir- gin of Crete, the daughter of Lygdus and Tele- thusa, was changed into a man. For when Lygdus went a journey, he enjoined his wife, who was then pregnant, if she brought a daughter, that she should not educate her, but leave her exposed in the fields to perish by want, Telethusa brought forth a daughter, but was very unwilling to lose her child ; therefore she dressed it in a boy's habit, and called it Iphis, which is a common name to boys and girls. The father returned from his journey, and believed both his wife and his daughter, who personated a son : and as soon as she was marriageable, her fa- ther, who still thought that she was a man, married her to the beautiful lanthe. As they went to the temple to celebrate the marriage, the mother was much concerned, and begged the favourable assist- ance of Isis, who heard her prayers, and changed Iphis into a most beautiful young man. Now let us come to Serapis and Apis again. Though Serapis was the god of the Egyptians, yet he was worshipped in Greece, ^especially at Athens, and also at Rome. Among the different nations he had different names : for he was called sometimes Jupiter Amnion, sometimes Pluto, Bac- chus, iEsculapius, and sometimes Osiris. His name was reckoned abominable by the Grecians ; for all names of seven letters, eirTxypetftfMtTet \Jieptagram- mata] are by them esteemed infamous. Some say that Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, procured the effi- gies of him at Pontus, from the king of Sinope, and * 'Ey&> stfii ■zrav ro yiyovns xai ov, xai arofavov scat to suov zftirXa* sJs/s ruv Svnruv efTTixxXv^/ty. Ego sum quicquid fuit est erit; nee meum quisquam motalium peplum retexit. Plut in Iside. f Ovid. Met. 9. 4 Pausan. in Attic. _ i 25 290 dedicated a magnificent temple to him at Alexan* dria. Eusebius calls him the " Prince of evil de- mons :" a flasket was placed upon his head and near him lay a creature with three heads ; a dog's on the right side, a wolf's on the left, and a lion's head in the middle : a snake with his fold encompassed them, whose head hung down upon the god's right hand, with which he bridled the terrible monster. Apis was king of the Argivi, and being trans- ported thence into Egypt, he became Serapis, or the greatest of all the gods of Egypt. After the death of Serapis, the ox that we mentioned a little before, succeeded in his place. *Pliny describes the form and quality of this ox, thus : An ox, in Egypt, is worshipped as a god : they call him Apis. He is thus marked : there is a white shining spot upon his right side, horns like the moon in its in- crease, and a nose under its tongue, which they call cantharus. His body, says Herodotus, was all black : in his forehead he had a white square shining figure ; the effigies of an eagle in his back ; and beside the cantharus in his mouth, he had hair of two sorts in his tail. But Pliny goes on : if he lives beyond an appointed period of time, the} r drown him in the priests' fountain ; then the priests shave their heads, mourn and lament, and seek another to substitute in his room. When they have found one, he is brought by the priests to Memphis. He hath two chapels or chambers, which are the oracles of the people ; in one of them he foretels good, in the other evil. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION What was Osiris; whom did he marry; and what is told of his wife ? . What was To afterwards called, and why did dogs go first in the pocession devoted to her? *Plin. Hist. Nat. 1,8. c.40. 291 Who was Anubis? What was Apis ; why was the name Osiris changed to Sera? pis ; and what does Osiris signify ? Who was Isis ; what is said of her ; and what is signified by the name ? How was Iphis changed into a man, and what was the cause of this metamorphosis ? Under what name has Serapis been worshipped ? How is he denominated by Eusebius j and what symbols are connected with him : Who was Apis ; and how is he described ty Pliny? APPENDIX. OF THE VIRTUES AND VICES WHICH HAVE BEExN DEIFIED. CHAPTER I. THE VIRTUES AND GOOD DEITIES. The ancients not only worshipped the several species of virtues, but also Virtue herself, as a god- dess. Therefore, first of her, and then of the others. Virtue derives her name from vir, because virtue is the most manly ornament. . She was esteemed a goddess, and worshipped in the habit of an elderly matron, sitting upon a square stone. *M. Marcel- lus dedicated a temple to her ; and hard by placed another, that was dedicated to Honour : the temple of Virtue was the passage to the temple of Honour ; hence by virtue alone true honour is attained. The priests sacrificed to honour with bare heads, and we usually uncover our heads when we see honourable and worthy men ; and since honour itself is valua- ble and estimable, it is no wonder if such respect is shown in celebrating its sacrifices. Fides had a temple at Rome, near the capitol, which fNuma Pompilius, it is said, first consecrated to her. {Her sacrifices were performed without slaughter or blood. The heads and hands of the ■ Liv. 1. 2. t Cic. de Officiis. j Dioiu Halicarn. 1. % 293 priest9 were covered with a white cloth when they sacrificed, because faith ought to be close and se- cret. Virgil calls her *Cana Fides, either from the candour of the mind, whence fidelity proceeds, or because faith is chiefly observed by aged persons. The symbol of this goddess was a white dog, which is a faithful creature, f Another symbol was two hands joined, or two young ladies shaking hands : for Jby giving the right hand, they engaged their faith for their future friendship. Hope had a temple at Rome, in the herb-market, which was unfortunately burnt down with lightning. §Giraldus says, that he has seen her effigies in a golden coin of the emperor Adrian. She was de- scribed in the form of a woman standing ; her left hand lightly held up the skirts of her garments ; she leaned on her elbow ; and in her right hand held a plate, on which she was placed a ciberium, a sort of a cup fashioned to the likeness of a flower, with this inscription: SPES, P. R. " The Hope of the people of Rome," We have already related in what manner Hope was left and preserved in the bottom of Pandora's box. Justice was described like a virgin, with a pierc- ing, steadfast eye, a severe brow, her aspect awful^ noble, and venerable. Alexander says, that among the Egyptians she had no head, and that her left hand was stretched forth, and open. The Greeks called her Astrsea. Attilius, the duumvir, dedicated a chapel to Piety, at Rome, in the place where that woman lived, who fed her mother in prison with the milk of her breasts. The story is thus : jjthe mother was punished with * Serv. in 1. et 8. Ela. t Stat. Theb. 1. $ Dextra data fidem futurae amicitiae saneibant Liv. 1. 21. § Syntagm. 1. 1. !l Plin. Hist. Nat. 1. 7. c. 36. 25* 294 imprisonment ; her daughter, who was an ordinary woman, then gave suck ; she came to the prison frequently, and the gaoler always searched her, to see that she carried no food to her mother : at last she was found giving suck to her mother with her breasts. This extraordinary piety of the daughter gained the mother's freedom ; and they both were afterwards maintained at the public charge ; and the place was consecrated to the goddess Piety. There is a like example in the ^Grecian history, of a woman, who by her breasts nourished Cymon, her aged father, who was imprisoned, and supported him with her own milk. The Athenians erected an altar to Jllisericoy'dia, " Mercy ;" f where was first established an Asylum, a place of common refuge to the miserable and un- fortunate. It was not lawful to force any from thence. When HerCules died, Jhis kindred feared some mischief from those whom he had afflicted ; therefore, they erected an asylum, or temple of mer- cy, at Athens. Nothing memorable occurs concerning the god dess Clemency, unless that there was a temple erected to dementia Ceesaris, " The Clemency of Csesar," as we read in ^Plutarch. Two temples at Rome were dedicated to Chastity ; the one to Pudicitia Patricia, which stood in the ox- market; the other to Pudicitia Plebeia, built by Virginia, the daughter of Aulus : for when she, who was born of a patrician family, [[had married a plebeian, 'he noble ladies were mightily incensed, and banished her from their sacrifices, and would not suffer her to enter into the temple of Pudicitia * Val. Max. 1. 13. i Pausan. in Attic. t Serv. in Mn. 8. § In Vita Csesaris. ]\ Liv. 1. 10. 295 into which senatorian families only were permitted entrance. A quarrel arose upon this among the women, and a great breach was made between them. This induced Virginia, by some extraordinary ac- tion, to blot out the disgrace she had received; and therefore, she built a chapel in the long street where she lived, and adorned it with an altar, to which she invited the plebeian matrons ; and complaining to them that the ladies of quality had used her so bar- barously ; " I dedicate," says she, " this altar to Pudicitia Plebeia ; and I desire of you that you will as much adore Chastity, as the men do Honour ; that this altar may be followed by purer and more chaste votaries than the altar of Pudicitia Patricia, if it be possible." It is said in history, that the women, who were contented at one marriage, were usually rewarded with a *crown of chastity. Truth, the mother of Virtue, f is painted in gar- ments as white as snow ; her looks are serene, plea- sant, courteous, cheerful, and yet modest ; she is the pledge of all honesty, the bulwark of honour, the ligfct and joy of human society. J She is commonly accounted the daughter of Time or Saturn ; be- cause truth is discovered in the course of time : but Democritus feigns that she lies hidden in the bottom of a well. Good Sense, or Understanding, [mens,] was made a goddess by the Romans, §that they might obtain a sound mind. ||An altar was built to her in the capitol, by M. iEmihus. 1TThe praetor Attilius vowed to build a chapel to her ; which he perform ed when he was created duumvir. * Corona pudicitiae. Val. Max. 1. 2. t Philost. in Heric. et Amp. | Plut. in Quffist. § Aug. de Civ. Dei. 2. I| Cic. Nat. Deor. 2. V Liv. 22 et 23. 296 We shall find by *the concurrent testimony or many, that the goddess Concordia had many altars at several times dedicated to her ; but she was es- pecially worshipped by the ancient Romans. Her image held a bowl in her right hand, and a horn of* plenty, or a sceptre from which fruit seemed to sprout forth, in her left, f The symbol of concord was two right hands joined together, and a pome- granate. Pax was honoured formerly at Athens with an altar, {as Plutarch tells us. At Rome she had a most magnificent temple in the Forum, begun by Claudius, and finished by Vespasian ; §which was afterwards consumed by fire under emperor Corn- modus. She was described in the form of a matron,. holding forth ears of corn in her hands, and crowned with olives and laurel, or sometimes roses. Her particular symbol was a caduceus, a white staff borne by ambassadors when they go to treat of peace. The goddess Salus was so much honoured by the Romans, that anciently several holy days were ap- pointed in which they worshipped her. There was a gate at Rome called Porta Salutaris, because it was near to the temple of Salus. Her image was the figure of a woman sitting on a throne, and hold- ing a bowl in her right hand. Hard by stood her altar, a snake twining round it, and lifting up his head toward it. The Augurium Salutis was for- merly celebrated in the same place. It was a kind of divination, by which they begged leave of the gods that the people might pray for peace. Fidelity, ||says St. Augustine, had her temple and * Liv. 1. 9. Plut. in C. Gracch. Suet, in Tib. t Lil. Gyr. synt. 1. 1. X Plut. in Cimon. § Herodot. 1. 2. (I De Civ. Dei. 4. 297 altar, and sacrifices were performed to her. They represented her like a venerable matron sitting upon a throne, holding a white rod in her right hand, and a great horn of plenty in her left. As the Romans were, above all things, careful of their liberty, especially after the expulsion of the kings, when they set themselves at liberty, so they built a temple to Liberty, among the number of their other goddesses. The Romans invoked Pecunia as a goddess, that they might be rich. They worshipped the god JEsculanus, the father of Argentinus, that they might have plenty of brass and silver : and esteem- ed jEsculanus, the father of Argentinus, because brass money was used before silver. " I wonder," *says St. Augustine, " that Aurinus was not made a god after Argentinus, because silver money was fol- lowed by gold." To this goddess, Money, O how many apply their devotions to this day ! what vows do they make, and at what altars do they impor- tune, that they may fill their coffers ! " If they have those gods," says f Menander, " gold and silver at home, ask whatever you please, you shall have it, the very gods themselves will be at your ser- vice." l^curgus ridiculously erected an image among the {Lacedaemonians, to the god Risus. The Thes- salonians, of the city of Hypata, every year sacri- ficed to this god with great jollity. The god Bonus Genius had a temple in the way diat leads to the mountain Maenalus, as says Pau- sanius. At the end of the supper they offered a cup to him, filled with wine and water ; which was call- * Miror autem quod Argentinus non genuit Aurinum, quia et aurea pecunia subsecuta est. De Civ. Dei. 1: 4. t Hos Deos Aurum et Argentum, si domi habeas, quicquid voles, roga, tibi omnia aderunt, ipsos habebis, vel ministrantes Deos. Ap. Strob. or. de laude axiri. f Plut. in Lycurgo 298 ed " the grace cup." Some say the cup had more water than wine ; others say the contrary. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. From what does the goddess Virtue derive her name ? To what does the temple of Virtue lead ? In what way did the priests sacrifice to Honour ? Where was the temple of Fides, and how are her sacrifices performed ? What were the usual symbols of Fides ? How is Hope described, and where was her temple ? How was Hope preserved to the inhabitants of the earth ? How is justice described ? Where was there a chapel dedicated to Piety, and what wa» the cause of it ? What temples were dedicated to Chastity ? How is Truth painted ; whose daughter is she ; and why ? Why was mens made a goddess ? How is Concordia described, and by what symbol is she known ? Where was Pax honoured, how is she described, and what 15 her peculiar symbol ? What is said of the goddess Salus ? How is Fidelity represented ? What is said of Liberty ? Why did the Romans invoke Pecunia as a goddess ? What was the saying of Menander ? Who sacrificed to Risus ? Where was there a temple dedicated to Bonus Genius, and what was offered to this god ? CHAPTER II. THE VICES AND EVIL DEITIES. I call those Evil Deities which oppose our hap- piness, and many times do us mischief. And first, of the Vices to which temples have been conse- crated. That Envy is a goddess, appears by the con- fession of Pallas, who owned that she was assisted by her, to infect a young lady, called Aglauros, with her poison. Ovid describes the house where 299 she dwells in very elegant verse, and afterward gives a most beautiful description of Envy herself. "Protinus Invidiae nigro squallentia tabo Tecta petit. Doraus est imis in vallibus antri Abdita, sole carens, nee ulli pervia vento; Tristis, et ignavi plenissima frigoris ; et quae Igne vacet semper caligine semper abundet." Met. 2^ Then strait to Envy's cell she bends her way, Which all with putrid gore infected lay. Deep in a gloomy cave's obscure recess, No beams could e'er that horrid mansion bless; No breeze e'er fann'd it. but about it roll'd Eternal woes, and ever lazy cold ; No spark shone there, but everlasting gloom. Impenetrably dark, obscur'd the room. " Pallov in ore sedet ; macies in corpore toto; Nusquam recta acies; livent rubigine dentes: Pectora felle virent ; lingua est suffusa veneno ; Risus abest, nisi queru visi movere dolores. Nee fruitur somno, vigilahtibas excita cutis ; Sed videt ingratos, intabescitque videntio, Successus hominum : carpitque, et carpitur una ; Suppliciumque suum est." Met. & A deadly paleness in her cheeks are seen ; Her meager skeleton scarce cas'd with skin ; Her looks awry; an everlasting scowl Sits on her brows ; her teeth deform 'd and foul ; Her breast had gall more than her breast could hold ; Beneath her tongue black coats of poison roll'd ; No smiles e'er smooth'd her furrow'd brows, but those Which rise from common mischiefs, plagues, and woes: Her eyes, mere strangers to the sweets of sleep, Devouring spite for ever waking keep ; She sees blest men with vast successes crown'd, Their joys distract her, and their glories wound : She kills abroad, herself s consum'd at home, And her owu crimes are her perpetual martyrdom. The vices Contumely and Impudence, were both adored as deities by the Athenians : and particular- ly, it is said, they were represented by a partridge ; which is esteemed a very impudent bird. The Athenians erected an altar to Calumny. % *p**h«s painted her thus : There sits a man witl 300 great open ears, inviting Calumny, with his hand held out, to come to him ; and two women, Igno- rance and Suspicion, stand near him. Calumny breaks out in a fury ; her countenance is comely and beautiful, her eyes sparkle like lire, and her face is inflamed with anger ; she holds a lighted torch in her left hand, and with her right twists a young man's neck, who holds up his hands in praj^er to the gods. Before her goes Envy, on her side are Fraud and Conspiracy ; behind her follows Repentance, clad in mourning and her clothes torn, with her head turned backward, as if she looked for Truth, who comes slowly after. Fraud w r as described with a human face, and with a serpent's body : in the end of her tail was a scor- pion's sting : she swims through the river Cocytus, and nothing appears above water but her head. Pretronius Arbiter, where he treats of the civil war between Pompey and Caesar, has given a beau* tiful description of the goddess Discordia. Intremuere tub®, ac scisso Discordia crine Extulit ad superos Stygium caput. Hujus in ore Concretus sanguis, comesa.jue lumina rlebant ; Stabant aerata rubigine dentps, Tabo lingua fluens, obsessa draconibus ora : Atque inter toto laeeiatam pertcre vestem, Sanguineam tremula quatiebat lampada dextra " The trumpets sound, and with a dismal yell Wild Discord rises from the vale of hell From her swell'd eyes there ran a briny flood, ,And clotted gore upon her visage stood; Around her head serpentine elf-locks hung, And streams of blood flow'd from her sable tongue* Her tatter'd clothes her yellow skin betray (An emblem of the breast on which they lay ;) And brandish'd flames her trembling hand obey. Fury is described sometimes chained, sometimes raging and revelling with her chains broke : but Virgil chooses to describe her bound in chpvis, 301 1 Furor impius intus Steva sedens super anna, et centum vinctus ahenis Post tergum nodis, fremit horridus ore cruento." JEn. 1. -Within sits impious On cursed arms, bound with a thousand chains, And, horrid with a bloody mouth complains. Petronius describes her at liberty, unbound. . " Furor abruptis, ceu liber, habenis Sanguineum late tollit caput ; oraque mille Vulneribus confossa cruenta casside velat. Haeret detritus laevee Mavortius umbo Innumerabilibus telis gravis, atque flagranti Stipite dextra minax terris incendia portat." Disordered Rage, from brazen fetters freed, Ascends to earth with an impetuous speed : Her wounded face a bloody helmet hides, And her left arm a batter'd target guides ; Red brands of fire supported in her right, The impious world with flames and ruin fright. -Pausanias and f Plutarch say, that there were temples dedicated to Fame. She is thus finely and delicately described by Virgil. " Fama, malum quo non aliud velocius ullum, Mobilitate viget, viresque acquirit eundo ; Parva metu primo ; mox sese attollit in. auras, Ingrediturque solo, et caput inter nubila condit. 111am terra parens ira irritata Deorum, Extremam (ut perhibent) Cceo Enceladoque sororem Progenuit ; pedibus celerem et pernicibus alis: Monstrum horrendum, ingens ; cui quot sunt corpore plumaeu Tot vigiles oculi subter (mirabile dictu) Tot linguae, totidem ora sonant, lot subrigit aures. JXocte volat cceli medio terraeque per umbram Stridens, nee dulci declinat lamina somno. Luce sedet custos, aut summi culmine tecti, Turribus aut altis ; et magnas territat urbes : Tam ficti pravique tenax, quam nuncia veri." wEn. 4. Fame, the great ill, from small beginning grows, Swift from the first, and every moment brings * Pausan. in Atti, t Plut. iu Camillo. 26 302 New vigour to her flights, new pinions to her wings. Soon grows the pigmy to gigantic size, Her feet on earth, her forehead in the skies Enrag'd against the gods, revengeful Earth Produc'd he? last of the Titanian birth. Swift is her walk, more swift her winged haste, A monstrous phantom, horrible and vast: As many plumes as raise her lofty flight, So many piercing eyes enlarge her sight ; Millions of op'ning mouths to Fame belong, And ev'ry mouth is furnish'd with a tongue ; And round with list'ning ears the flying plague is hung. She fills the peaceful universe with cries ; No slumbers ever close her wakeful eyes ; By day from lofty tow'rs her head she shows, And spreads through trembling crowds disastrous news. With court-informers' haunts, and royal spies, Things done relates, not done she feigns, and mingles truth with lies : Talk is her business, and her chief delight To tell of prodigies; and cause affright. Why was Fortune made a goddess, says *St. Au- gustine, since she comes to the good and bad with- out any judgment ? She is so blind, that without distinction she runs to any body ; and many times she passes by those that admire her, and sticks to those that despise her. So that Juvenal had reason to speak in the manner he does of her. " Nullum numen abest si sit prudentia; sed te Nos facimus, Fortuna, Deam, cceloque locamus." Sat. 20. Fortune is never worshipp'd by the wise ; But she, by fools set up, usurps the skies. Yet the temples that have been consecrated to her, and the names that she has had, are innumera- ble : the chief of them I will point out to you. She was styled Aurea, or Regia Fortuna, and an image of her so called was usually kept in the emperor's chamber ; and when one died, it was re- moved to the palace of his successor. * Aug. de Civ. Dei. 1. 303 She is also called Caeca, " blind." Neither is she only, says *Cicero, blind herself, but she many times makes those blind that enjoy her. She was called Muliebris, because the mother and the wife of Coriolanus saved the city of Rome. And when his image was consecrated in their pre- sence, f it spoke these words twice : " Ladies you have dedicated to me as you should do." Servius Tullus dedicated a temple to Fortuna Obsequens, because she obeys the wishes of men. The same prince worshipped her, and built her chapels ; where she was called Primigenia, {be- cause both the city and the empire received their origin from her ; also Privata or ^Propria, because she had a chapel in the court, which that prince used so familiarly, that she was thought to go down through a little window into his house. Lastly, she was called Viscata, Viscosa, because we are caught by her, as birds are with birdlime 5 in which sense Seneca says, " kindnesses are birdlime." Febris, Fever, had her altars and temples in the palace. She was worshipped that she should not hurt : and for the same reason they worshipped all the other gods and goddesses of this kind. Fear and Paleness were supposed to be gods, and worshipped by Tullus Hostilius ; ||when in the bat- tle between the Romans and the Vejentes it was told him that the Albans had revolted, and the Romans grew afraid and pale, for in this doubtful conjecture, he vowed a temple to Pallor and Pavor. The people of Gadara made Poverty and Art goddesses ; because the first whets the wit for the discovery of the other. * Dei Amicitia. t Rite me, Matronse, dedicatis. Ausr. de Civ. Dei. 4. Val Max. 1. 2. X Plutarch. § Ibid. It Liv. 1. 1, 304 Necessity and Violence had their chapel upon the Acro-Corinthus : but it was a crime to enter into k, M. Marcellus dedicated a chapel to Tempestas, without the gate of Capena, after he had escaped a severe tempest in a voyage to the island of Sicily. Both the Romans and Egyptians worshipped the gods and goddesses of Silence. The Latins parti- cularly worshipped Ageronia and Tacita, whose image, they say, stood upon the altar of the god- dess Volupia, with its mouth tied up and sealed : ^because they who endure their cares with silence- and patience, do by that means procure to them- selves the greatest pleasure. The Egyptians worshipped Harpocrates, as the " god of Silence," f after the death of Osiris. He was the son of Isis. They offered the first fruits of the lentils and pulse to him. They consecrated the tree persea to him ; because the leaves of it were shaped like a tongue, and the fruit like a heart. He was painted naked in the figure of a boy, crown- ed with an Egyptian mitre, which ended at the points as it were in two buds ; he held in his left hand a horn of plenty, wnile a finger of his right hand was upon his lip, thereby commanding silence. And therefore I say no more ; neither can I better be silent, than when a god commands me to be so QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION, How are the evil deities described? - How is it ascertained ? fcc. Whom did the Athenians adore as deities ? How is Calumny painted by Apelles ? How was Fraud described ? Repeat the lines descriptive of Discord. How is Fury described by Virgil ? What are the lines by Petronius ? Give me Virgil's line description of Fame ? * Quod, qui suos angores (unde Angeronia dicta, est) aequo aBimoferunt, perveniunt ad maximam voluptatera t Epiph. 3. contra Haerese* E£^iPOCrRAT_ES 305 How is Fortune described ? What does Juvenal say of her ? How is she described by Cicero ? What did Servius Tullus do with respect to Fortune ? Why was Fortune called Viscosa, and what was Seneca'* phrase ? Why was Febris worshipped ? By whom were Fear and Paleness worshipped ? Why, and by whom were Poverty and Art deified ? What is said of Necessity and Violence ? Who dedicated a temple to Tempestas ; and why did he do so ? Who worshipped the gods and goddesses of Silence ? Whom did the Latins worship, and why ? Whom did the Egyptians worship ? How is Harpocrates painted ? THE END. 26* INDEX. Absyrtus, torn in pieces by Me- dea 259 Achelous, turns himself into a serpent, then into a bull, in which shape he is conquered by Hercules 255 Acheron, one of the infernal rivers 209 Achilles, history of 281 Acidalia, one of the names of Venus 102 Actaeon, turned into a deer by Diana, and torn in pieces by his own dogs 176 Adonis, killed by a boar, and by Venus turned into the flower anemone 111 Adrastaea, the same with Ne- mesis, one of the goddesses of justice 166 Adscriptitii Dii, gods of the lower rSSit 21—249 JEacus, judge of hell 221 •Ecastor, an oath only used by women, as Hercle was used by men 265 •Edepol, an oath used by both r 9f>ft SeXeS r ooo JEgeon, account of 223 iEgis, Jupiter's shield 26 Aello, one of the Harpies 230 iEolus, god of winds, descrip- tion of 136 . ., great skill of 137 .SSsculapius, description of 270 JEson,the father of Jason, when very old, restored to youth by Medea 259 iEta, father of Medea, and king of Colchis 259 Africans, gods of the^ 18 Agamemnon, history of 366 Aglaia, one of the graces 111 Ajax, kills himself, and his blood turned into a violet 284 Alcides, one of the names of Hercules, see Hercules 251 ATecto, one of the Furies 218 Alectrvon, why and how pun- ished 80 Alpheus, story of 188 Amazons, female warriors, ac- count of 261 Ambarvalia, description of 157 Ambrosia, festivals in honour of Bacchus 71 Arnica, a name of Venus 101 Amphion, from whom he re- ceived his harp 280 Amphy trite, wife of Neptune 195 Andromeda, delivered by Per- seus from a sea-monster 268 Angerona, the goddess that re- moved anguish of mind 246 Anteus, a giant overcome by Hercules, see Hercules Antiope, 28 Anubis, a god with a dog's head, history of 287 Aonides, the Muses so called 162 Apaturia, a title of Venus 102 Apis, king of the Argivi 290 Apollo, description of, and how painted, 39 , what devoted to 40 Apollos, the four ib. Apollo, actions of 41 , names of 45 . , sigpification of the fa- ble of 50 — — , things sacrificed to 50 INDEX, Arachne, turned into a spider by Minerva 96 Areopagus, for what used 75 — , judges of their du- ties ib. Arethusa, for what celebrated 188 Argonautae, Jason's compan- ions that went with him to fetch the golden fleece 259 Argus, description of 86 Ariadne, daughter of Minos 260 Arion, history of 280 Aristaeus, history of 174 Armata, a title of Venus 101 Ascolia, games in feonour of Bacchus 71 Astra?a, description of 165 Atalanta and Hippomenes, sto- ry of 106 Atlas 276 Atropos, one of the Fates 218 Atys, history of 147 Avernus, a lake on the borders of hell 208 Augaeays, his stable containing three thousand oxen, cleans- ed in one day by Hercules 253 Aurora, birth, and description of 115 B Baal, a name of Jupiter 30 Babylon, walls of 54 Babylonians, gods of the 18 Bacchanalia, when celebrated 72 Bacchae, the priestesses of Bac- chus 68 Bacchus, description of 64 . , birth of ib. , names of 65 — , sacrifices of, when ce- lebrated 70 , actions of 68 , fables of 73 Battus, turned by Mercury into an index 62 Belides, fifty daughters of Da- naus, who killed their hus- bands on the wedding night 226 , punishment of in hell ib. Bellerophon, history of 269 's letters, meaning of ib. Bellica, a pillar before the tem- ple of Bellona 78 Bellona, description of 77 Belus, king of Assyria, the first to whom an idol was set up and worshipped 17 Berecinthia, a title of Cybele, see Cybele Biblis, falls in love with her brother Caunus 57 , pines away with grief, dies, and is turned into a fountain 57 Bona Dea, a title of Cybele 144 Briareus, one of the giants that warred against heaven 224 Busiris, a tyrant that offered human sacrifices to his father Neptune 254" jCabiri, priests of Cybele 149 Cacus, son of Vulcan 134 Cadmus, banished, and builds the city of Thebes 29 , invents the Greek let- ters : sows the teeth of a dra- gon in the ground whence armed men sprung up 29 Caduceus, Mercury's wand de- sci'ibed 61 Caeculus, a robber, Vulcan*s son 135, Caenis 198 Caprotina, kc. names of Juno 88 Calisto, turned into a bear, and made a constellation 28 Calliope, one of the muses 160 Calumny, how painted by Apel- les 300 , Camillus, a name of Mercury, see Mercury INDEX. Canopus-, god of the Egyptians 201 Cantharus, the name of Sile- nus' jug 172 Casitolinus, a title of Jupiter 30 Castalides, the Muses so called 162 Castor and Pollux, accompani- ed Jason to Colchis, 264 Celeno, one of the harpies 230 Centaurs, overcome by The- seus 261 Cephalus and Tithonus how carried to heaven 116 Cerberus, description of 210 Ceres, description and history of 150 , inventions of 151 , why called the foundress of laws 152 Cham, to which of the heathen gods likened 125 Charon, how represented 208 , office of 209 Charybdis, description of 205 Chymaera, description of 231 Chiron, a centaur, account of 270 Circe, character of 56 , a famous sorceress, ban- ished for poisoning her hus- band ib- , falls in love with Glau- cus, and turns Scylla into a sea-monster 204 Clio, one of the Muses 160 Clotho, one of the fates 217 Clowns of Lycia, turned into frogs 115 Clytemnestra, history of 265 Cocytus, description of 210 Caelum, wife and children of 119 Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven wonders of the world described 53 Concordia, temples dedicated to 296 Corybantes, whence the name of derived 149 Cupid, character of 109 Curetes, signification of 14ft Cybele, reason of her different names 143 , names of the priests of, rites observed in sacrificing to 148 Cyclops, servants of Vulcan 134 Cyllenius, a title of Mercury, see Mercury Cynthius, a title of Apollo, see Apollo Cyparissus, a beautiful youth turned into a cypress-tree 43 Cypria, Cypris, Cytheraea, &c. names of Venus, see Venus Cyrus, palace of 54 D. Daedalus, character and descrip- tion of 56 Dana?, 27 Danaides, story of 227 Daphne, turned into a laurel 43 Deianira, wife of Hercules, oc- casion of his death 256 Delius, Delphicus, titles of Apollo, see Apollo Delos, origin of 113 Deluge, account of the 275 Deucalion, history of ib. Diana, description and history of 176 , names of 177 , temple of 53 Diespiter, a name of Jupiter 31 Diomedes, a tyrant of Thrace, subdued by Hercules, and given as food to his horses 253 Dirae, a name of the Furies 218 Dodoneus, a name of Jupiter 31 Dreams, by what ways convey- ed to men, 220, Dryades 186 Echo, description of J89 Elysium, description of 233 Envy, description of 3 Erato, one of the Muses, 160 Eriskhthon, story of 16.4 IxNDEX. EuryaIe,one of the gorgons 230 Euterpe, one of the Muses 161 Endymion 178 Eleusian mysteries 154 Fates, how represented 217 Fauns, description of the 173 Febris, why worshipped 303 Feronia, the goddess of the woods, why so named 154 Fides, reverence paid to, and symbols of 292 Fleece, golden account of 258 Flora, how painted and de- scribed 183 Floralia, when celebrated ib. Fortune, how represented and described 302 Fraud, description of 300 Frogs, why doomed to live in water 1 15 Furies, description of 218 Gallantes, from whence the term derived 148 Galli, from whence the name of derived ib. Genii 240 — — , history of ib. , to whom assigned 241 Geryon, story of 229 Giants, from what derived, character of, battles of 222 Glaucopis, a name of Minerva, see Minerva Glaucus, how transformed to a sea-god 201 Gods, false origin of 17 , of the Romans, divided into- six classes 20 , celestial, enumerated 24 , terrestrial', most celebrat- ed of, named and described 118 -. — — , infei'ior rural 191 , of the woods 171 , and goddess, nuptial 243 « , sylvan, for what mis- chievous 244 Gods, presiding over infants, 245 , a particular one, assigned to each part of the body 247 , funeral ib. Golden Age, described 120 Golden Fleece, described 258 Gorgons, number and names of 230 Graces, description of 1 10 Gradivus, a title of Mars, see Mars Grasshopper, curious property of 116 Greek Letters, by whom in- vented 29 H. Hades, a name of Pluto, see Pluto Halcyone, a daughter of Atlas 277 Harpies, from whom born, de- scription of 229 Hebe, the goddess of youth, her birth ; made cup bearer to Jupiter; but for an un- lucky fall is turned out of her office 85 Hecate, whence the name of derived 178 Helena, the most beautiful vir- gin in the world, runs away with Paris, after his death marries his brother Deipho- bus,, and then betrays him to Menelaus 107 Helicon, the Muses' mount 162 Heliconides or Heliconiades, the Muses so called ib. Hell, description of 207 , rivers of 209 , judges of 221 , monsters of 208 Helle, drowned in that sea, which from her is since pall- ed the Hellespont 258 Hellespontiacus, a title of Pria pus, see Priapus Hercules, actions of, to whom ascribed 25ii Hercules, infant strength of 251 , labours of 252 by whom overcome 256 Hermae, statues of Mercury set up for the direction of travel- lers 62 Hermaphroditus and Salmacis, made into one person, called a hermaphrodite 61 Hermathenae, images used among the Romans 63 Hermes, a name of Mercury ib. Hermione, the daughter of Me- nelaus, promised to Orestes, but married to Phyrrus 265 Heroes, whence the name de- rived 249 Hesper or Hesperugo,the even- ing-star 278 Hesperides, the three daughters of Hesperus, in whose garden Were golden apples, guarded by a dragon, which Hercules kills, and takes away the fruit 278 Hesperus, the brother of Atlas, turned into a star ib. Hippius and Hippodromus, names of Neptune, see Nep- tune Hippocampi, the horses of Nep- tune's chariot 196 Hippocrene, the Muses' foun- tain 162 Hippolyte, queen of the Ama- zons, married to Theseus ib. Hippolytus, the son of Theseu9, his exemplary chastity ; is killed by a fall from his cha- riot, and restored to life by iEsculapius ib. Hippona, a goddess presiding over horses and stables 191 Honour, why sacrificed to 292 Hope, how described 293 Horae or Hours, their late de- scent and offices 52 Hortensis, a title of Venus 102 Horus, a name of the Sun 52 Hostilina, a goddess of corn 192 Hyacinthus,. killed by Apollo, with a quoit 42 Hyades, signification of 277 Hydra, a monstrous serpent, killed by Hercules 252 Hygiaea or Sanitas, a daughter of iEsculapius, see jEscula pius I. Jani, a place at Rome where usurers met 127 Janitor, a title of Janus 128 Janus, description of 127 , name of, whence de- rived 128 , what sacrifices offered to him 130 , founder of temples and religious duties ib. , temple of, when shut ib. , story of ib. Japhet, to whom likened 125 Jason, the history of 258 Icarus, flies with artificial wings, but the sun melts them, so that he falls into the sea, and is drowned 57 Idoei Dactyl i, origin of 149 Idalia, a name of Venus, see Venus Idolatry, causes of 15 Ignis, a god of the Chaldeans fights with the Egyptian god Canopus, -and is vanquished 201 Imperator, a name of Jupiter 32 Impudence, by what represent- ed 299 Incubus and Inuus, names of Pan 168 Io, Jupiter's intrigue with her, and by him turned into a cow ; after her death wor- shipped by the Egyptians, and called Isis 85 Iolaus, assists Hercules, for which, when become old, he is restored to youth again 253 Iphiclus, twin brother to Her- cules, see Hercules Iris 84 INDEX. I fudges of hell, their names and characters 221 Juno, description of 83 , children of 85 , character of ib. Jupiter, description of 24 ,how dressed and adorn- ed by different nations ib. ■ 's descent, and educa- tion of 25 , exploits and actions of 26 , names 30 Justice, how described 293 Ixion, punishment of 225 L. Labyrinth, Theseus delivered from 261 Lachesis, one of the Fates 217 Lacinia, a title of Juno, see Juno Lactura or Lactucina, a god- dess of corn 192 Laomedon , king of Troy,breaks the promise he had made, for which Hercules destroys Troy 255 Lapides Terminales, why es- teemed sacred 175 Lapis or Lapideus, a title of Jupiter 32 Lares, account of the 238 , feasts dedicated to ib. -, where worshipped 239 Latona, history of, reception of, at Delos 1 12 — — — , effects of the anger of 114 Learchus, killed by his father Athamas 200 Leda 28 Lenseus, a name of Bacchus, see Bacchus Lethe, river of hell, description ot 234 Levana, a tutelar goddess to new-born infants 245 Leucothe, buried alive for her incontinence, and turned in- to a tree bearing frankin- cense 44 Liber and Liber Pater, names of Bacchus, see Bacchus Libitina, the goddess of fune- rals; also a name for the grave itself 247 Libitinarii, officers that buried the dead ib. Lucetius, a title of Jupiter 33 Lucina, a name of Juno, see Juno Luna, why Diana was called by this name, see Diana Lupercalia, festivals in honour of Pan 168 Luperci, the priests of Pan 168 Lycaon, king of Arcacia, turn- ed into a wolf for his mon- strous impiety 27 Lyceus, a name of Pan, see Pan Lycian clowns, turned into frogs by Latona 115 Lycurcus, to whom erected an image 297 Lybians, gods of the 18 M. Mars, description of 76 , what things consecrated , wife of 77 — — , names of 78 - , chief actions of 80 , sacrifices of 82 , son of 81 , ancient rites of 82 Marsyas, challenges Apollo in music, is overcome by him and turned into a river 44 Matura, a goddess of corn 192 Mausolus' tomb, one of the se- ven wonders of the world 53 Medea, story of 259 Medusa, one of the gorgons 230 , description of 268 Meleager, his adventures 181 Melicerta, made a sea-god 201 Mellona, the goddess of honey 192 Melpomene, one of the Muses 161 Memnon, story of 116 INDEX. Memnon, statue of, described Mulciber or Mulcifer, a name 117 of Vulcan, see Vulcan Mentha, turned into a mint 216 Muscarius, a title of Jupiter 33 Mercury, description of 58 Muses, the description of the ■ -, parents of ib. 159 , offices of ib. , of what the mistresses , qualities of 59 and presidents ib. , actions of 61 , how painted 160 , statues of, when erected — , names of the ib. 62 , names of, common to all 162 , why three, and after- wards nine 163 Myrmidones, from what deriv- ed 221 ; , sacrifices to,by whom offered 63 Mercy, an altar erected to 294 Metra, Mestra, Mestre, the daughter of Erischthon, who could transform herself into any shape 198 Midas, treatment of by Apollo Naiades or Naides, priestesses 44 of Bacchus, nymphs of the ■ , asses' ears of 45 Migonitis, a title of Venus, see Venus Milky-way, origin of 251 Minerva, description of 91 ■ , why armed ib. • , things sacred to her 92 with ib. ib. ib. -s contention fountains 187 Napaeae, nymphs of the groves and vallies 187 Narcissus, falls in love with his own image 190 , pines away and is turned into a daffodil ib. Nemasan Lion, killed by Her- cules, see Hercules Nemesis, history of 166 Neptune, king of the waters, description of 194 , how preserved from Saturn 194 , to whom married 195 •, president of the horse races ib. , governor of ships, &c. 196 , children of 197 Nereides, origin of the name of 200 Mithra, a name of the Sun 52 Nereus, for what famous ib. Momus, name of, whence de- Nicephorus, a title of Jupiter 33 rived 138 Nimrod, to whom compared 73 , business of ib. Ninus, account of 17 , judgment of ib. Niobe, story of 113 , parents of 139 Noah, in what respects similar Morpheus, the servant of Som- to Saturn 124 nus, he brings to the people Nodosus or Nodotus, a god of their dreams 221 corn 192 Mors, the goddess of death 220 Nox, from whom derived, and Moses, to whom compared 73 how represented 220 Neptune , statue of . — , birth of , names of ", signification of the fable of 98 Minos, judge of hell 221 , king of Crete 260 , his conduct towards the Athenians ib. Minotaur, described 56 , overcome by The- seus 260 INDEX. Nundina, a tutelar goddess to infants 245 Nyctilius, a name of Bacchus, see Bacchus Nymphs, description of, office of 186 O, Oceanus, sea-god, description of 200 Ocypete, one of the Harpies 230 Oedipus, history of 232 Opigena, atitle of Juno,see Juno Opitulus or Opitulator, a name of Jupiter 34 Ops, a name of Cybele 143 Orestes, kills his mother Cly- temnestra, and her gallant iEgisthus, also Phyrrus, for marrying his sweetheart Her- mione 265 Orgia, feasts of Bacchus 72 Orion, companion of Diana 286 Orpheus, his parentage, and amazing skill in music ; he overcomes the Sirens ; ob- . tains Eurydice, his wife, from hell, but loses her again ; re- solves never more to marry, forwhichheis torn in pieces; his harp made a constellation; the meaning of this fable 279 Osiris, king of the Argives, quits his kingdom and travels into Egypt, where he marries Io; killed by his brother Typhon ; the same with Apis and Sera- pis, and also thought to be the Sun 286 P. Pactolus, a river whose sand is gold 69 Paean, a name of Apollo 46 Palaemon, one of the sea^gods 200 Pales, the goddess of shepherds 182 Palladium, an image of Miner- va that fell from heaven 94 Pallas, the same with Minerva Palilian feasts, when and how observed 183 Pan, history of 167 Pandora, the first woman fash- ioned by Vulcan ; her box, and the mischiefs that came from it on mankind 134 Pantheon, description of 15 Paphia, name of Venus 103 Parca?, why so called, names and offices of 217 Paris, his descent and birth ; determines who is the fairest of Juno, Minerva, and Ve- nus ; runs away with Helena, who was betrothed to Meno- laus, which occasions the war between the Greeks and Tro- jans, in which Paris is killed by Philoctetes 107 Parnassides, the Muses so call- ed 162 Parthenos or Parthenia, a title of Juno 90 ; and of Minerva 95 Pasiphae, falls in love with, Taurus, and brings forth a Minotaur ; the meaning of this fable 56 Pax, honours paid to 296 Pecunia, why prayed to 297 Pegasus, the Muses' horse, his birth and description ; is caught and rode upon by Bellerophon, and afterwards placed in heaven among the stars 269 Penates, enumerated and de- scribed 236 Penelope 285 Periclymenus, one that could transform himself into any shape, and was killed by Hercules when in the shape of a fly 198 Perseus, son of Jupiter, story of 267 Persians, gods of the 18 Phaeton, the son of Sol, obtains leave to drive the chariot of the Sun for one day ; over- throws it, by which the hea- INDEX. ven and the earth are set on fire, and he is by Jupiter struck with thunder into the river Po ; his sisters turned into poplars ; the meaning of this fable 55 Philomela, story of 81 Phlegethon or Puriphlcgethon, one of the infernal rivers, the streams of which are fire 210 Phlegyas, in what manner, and why punished 225 Phorcus or Phorcys, a son of Neptune 197 Pierides or Pieriae, the Muses so called 162 Piety, description and illustra- tion of 293 Pilumnus, a rural god 192 Pistor, a name of Jupiter 34 Pleiades, names of 277 , from what the name rived ib. . Pluto, description of, names of, over what he presides, why blind 211 Podalirius, a famous physician 272 Polyhymnia, one of the muses 161 Polyphemus 135 Polyxena, at her marriage with Achilles causes him to be killed, and is sacrificed to appease his ghost 282 Pomona, the goddess of fruit 184 Porthmeus or Portitor, a name of Charon 208 Praedator, a name of Jupiter, see Jupiter Priapus, description of 174 Procris, married to Cephalus, and killed accidentally by him »6 Progne, story of 81 Prometheus, makes a man of clay, and animates him with fire stolen from heaven ; pun- ished by Jupiter for his theft, freedfrom his punishment by Hercules; the meaning of this fable 273 Proserpine, a goddess of corn ; her descent, and how carried away by t'luto: is sought for by her mother Ceres, who obtains from Jupiter that Proserpine should be six months with Pluto, and the other six wi.-h her in heaven 216 Proteus, description of 197 Pygmalion, history of 104 Pyramids of Egypt, one of the seven winders of the world 54 Pyramus and Thisbe, account of 104 Pythius, a name of Apollo 47 Pytho, a daughter of Atlas 277 Python, killed by Apollo 47 Quietus, a name of Pluto, see Pluto Quirinus, a title of Jupiter 34 -, a title of Mars, see Mars. R. Rationes Libitinae, an account of the dead, not unlike our Bills of Mortality 247 Rhadamanthus, judge of hell 221 Rhea, a name of Cybele 143 Rhodes, Colossus of 53 Riddle, proposed by Sphynx 231 Robigus, a god of corn, whose festivals are called Robigalia 192 Roman people, ranks of 19 gods, how divided 20 , over what presid- ed »b. Runcina, the goddess of weed- ing 191 Salii, priests of Mars, see Mars Salisubsulus, a title of Mars ib. Salmoneus, why and how pun- ished 226 Salus, how honoured 301 Saturn, representation and his- tory of 118 , names and sacrifices of 121 , feasts of 122 , to whom of the antedi- luvians compared 123 Saturnalia, festivals in honour of Saturn 122 Satyrs, of whom the compan- ions, and description of the 173 Scylla, the daughter of Nisus, ruins her country, by cutting oft" her father's purple lock of hair, and is turned into a lark 204 Scylla and Charybdis, fables of 205 Seia or Segetia, a goddess of corn 191 Semele, beloved by Jupiter; through her own ambition is destroyed 64 Semi-Dei, described 249 Serapis, the name of derived 288 Shem, who supposed to repre- sent 125 Silence, why worshipped 304 Silenus, story of 171 Silvanus, description of ib. Sirens, their description ; over- come by Orpheus, and turn- ed into stones ; the explana- tion of this fable 202 Sisyphus, a famous robber 226 Sol, a name of Apollo 45 , a name of the Sun 52 Somnus, description of 220 Sospita, atitle of Juno, see Juno Soter or Sovator, a title of Ju- piter 35 Sphynx,by whom begotten 231 Stellio, a saucy boy turned into an evet by Ceres 154 Sterculius, Stercutius, Stercutus or Sterquilinius, a rural god 192 Stheno, one of the gorgons 230 Sthajuobcea, endeavours to en- tice Bellerophon, but is re- jected, and therefore kills herself, see Bellerophon Stymphalides, birds that feed on human flesh, destroyed by Hercules 253 Styx, description of 210 Sun, why named Sol 52 , how named by other na- tions ib. , children of 55 Syrens, story of, he. 202 Syrinx, a nymph courted by Pan, but flies from him, and is turned into a bundle of reeds 169 Tantalus, wickedness and pun- ishment of 227 Telchines, an account of the 149 Tereus, marries Progne, falls in love with her sister Philo- mela, cuts out her tongue, she informs Progne of this villany by needlework, and to revenge themselves they kill and dress Itys, whom bis father Tereus feeds on for supper, Progne becomes a sparrow, Philomela a night- ingale, Tereus a hoopoe, and Itys a pheasant 81 Tergemina, a title of Diana 176 Terminus, of what the god 175 Terpsichore, one of the Muses 161 Terrestrial Gods and Goddesses 118 Thalia, one of the Graces 111 , one of the Muses 160 Thamyras, dismal fate of 163 Thesmophorian Mysteries 157 Themis 164 Theodamus, killed by Hercu- les 265 Theseus, actions of, &c. 260 Thisbe, history of 104 Thyades, Bacchus' companions 66 Index time and Saturn, why mean- ing the same 126 Tisiphone, one of the Furies 218 Titan, conduct of 119 Titans, description of 225 Tithonus, history of 116 Tytius, history of 224 Tonas and Tonitrualis, names of Jupiter 35 Trieterica, sacrifices to Bac- chus 71 Triformis, a title of Diana 177 TriocuJus or Triophthalmos, a name of Jupiter 36 Triptolemus, account of 153 , fourth Judge of hell 221 Triton, a sea-god, description of 199 Tritonia, a name of Minerva 95 Trivia, a name of Hecate or Diana, see Diana Trojan war, reason of the 108 Troy, the walls of it built by the music of Apollo's harp 42 Truth, how painted 295 Tutelina or Tutulina, a goddess of corn 192 Tyndaria?, the children of Tyn- darus 263 Tyndarus, king of Laconia, the husband of Leda ib. Typhosus, description of 223 V. Vallonia, the goddess of the vallies l&l Vejovis, Vejupiter and Vedius, titles of Jupiter 36 Venus, description of 99 — i , character of 100 — , how painted ib. , from what sprung ib. — — , to whom married 101 . , names of ib. ., actions of 104 _ , companions of 109 Verticordia, a title of Venus, see Venus Vertumnus, story of 1 Vesta, description of 1 , sacrifices of 1 , why put for fire i , why highly esteemed i , fire kept in her tempi, 11 , privileges of i , meaning of by the poe i Vices, enumerated and descril ed 2S Virtue, by whom worshippe 21 Volumnusand Volumna, tutel; deities to adult persons 24 Volusia, the goddess of corn IS Vulcan, his birth, descent, an employment ; courts Mine; va, but is rejected ; marrit Venus ; makes the first \x( man, who is called Pandora his servants; his children the signification of this fabl 13 Vulcania, feasts in honour c Vulcan, see Vulcan. U. Ulyseee, wky so named, histor of, actions Urania, one of the Muses lti Unxia, a title of Juno, see Jun< W. Walls of Babylon, one of th seven wonders of the worl 5 Wise men of Greece, thei names and characters 4 Wonders, seven of the world 5 Xanthus, one of the horses c Achilles, see Achilles Xenia. a name for presents mad to strangers 3