m
m?
m
m
WM
?^wn i
hence it is called JEgis (idis), and he himself bears the title
of 'ALyioxpg, or ^gis-bearer (Horn. II. i. 201).
Jupiter, after he had dethroned his father, and precipitated
into Tartarus the giants whom the earth had produced in
order to revenge the fall of the Titans, became supreme
ruler of the Gods and the universe (vTrarog Kpeiovrujv,
vTvaroQ nYjffTwp, vxl/LaroQ, Divum pater atque hominum rex,
iEn. i. 65). He divided, however, his empire with his
brothers. He reserved for himself the kingdom of heaven,
gave the dominion of the sea to Neptune, and that of the
infernal regions to Pluto ;* and the world, in allusion to this
triple division, established by nature, is termed, mundi reyna
triformis ( Ovid, Met. xv. 858).
As the heavens and the region of the heavens are parti-
cularly the sphere of his dominion,t Jupiter is represented
as the author of rain, snow, hail, dew, which are "gendered'
there ; and thunder and hghtning in particular are the in-
struments of his dominion and vengeance. On this account
* posita est mihi regna coelo;
Possidet alter aquas, alter inane Chaos. — Ovid,F. iv. 599.
The infernal regions are here called Chaos inane, in reference,
probably, to the world of shadows. Compare exilis damns
Plutonia, Hor.
f ZtvQ 6' tXax ovpavbv evpvv Iv aiOkpi Kai vecpeXijci. — II. xv. 192.
« Ruled the middle air, their highest heaven." — Milton, P.L.i.516.
JUPITER. 21
he bears the epithets of Cloud- Compeller (vecpsXriyeperrjt: ^
KtXatvi(j)r)Q), the Thunderer {v\pil3pe/jiiTr]Q, Kspavpiog, repTri-
KEpavi'og, Tonans, fulminans), the Lord of storms and rain
{Karafydrrjg, vinoQ, fluvialis). From his connexion with
the " atmosphere" he is termed Zevg aWpiog, aWepLog; na-
vigators address him as Zevg ovpiog, because he gives them
a " favourable breeze ;" on the island of Cos he was wor-
shipped as the author of " humidity" (iKfidlog) ; and at
Euboea he was worshipped under the epithet of e7rt/caj07rtoy,
because he brings the " fruits" of the earth to due per-
fection. As the atmosphere is subject to variations, hence
malus Jupiter, an unpropitious sky, puro numine Jupiter^ a
clear sky, as in keen frost {Hor. Od. iii. 10, 8), and the
poets speak about Jupiter descending copiously in joyous
showers —
Jupiter at laeto descendit plurimus iuibri. — Virg. Ec. vii. 60.
So again, suh Jove, sub dio, under the open sky, " Thou
beholdest (says Hesiod) the high unmeasured aether, that
with tender embrace clasps the earth to his bosom : him
thou must regard as God supreme, him regard as Jupiter."
As Jupiter exercises supreme dominion over the Gods,
his power is irresistible, and his will must be accomplished —
Atos S' ereXeieTO ^ovXrj. — Hom. 11. i. 5.
Ab Jove principium Musae ; Jovis omnia plena. — Virg. Eel. iii-
As the " God of their fathers," the protector of union in
" clans " and " brotherhoods," Jupiter bears the epithets
of TrarputoQ and (pparpiog, whilst he was worshipped by those
in whom the degree of " affinity" was more remote as Zeuc
biioyvLog, arvyyeveiog, Jupiter affinis. As the protector of
tribes and families which have formed themselves into states,
he is designated TzoXievg, TToXiuv)(og — also Koap.rfTrig, he who
" presides over states," Imperator, &.c. He was also wor-
shipped at the family altar as Jupiter Herceus {Zevg epnelog),
from the fore-court or " enclosure" in which his statue was
22 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
placed. He is also the protector of all suppliants (Zevc
iKEffiog, kerijaiog), whether fleeing from the avenger of
blood or the anger of the Gods, and "purifies" them
from their crimes (Ztvg Kcidapaiog). As the protector of
" strangers" he is termed Xenius (^evioq), Salutaris et
Hospilalis, for in strangers and guests the celestials them-
selves were revered, who often came down from Olympus
in human shape, to walk among men. The " freedom" of
the citizen is committed to his preservation (Zevg eXev-
QipLOQ, ffiorrip, Servator) ; and he delivers the soul also from
the prison of the body and the troubles of life. As the
protector of " oaths," he is termed Zevg opKioc ; hence
treaties, established under the sanction of an oath, are
termed OjO/cia Atoc, the "covenants of Jupiter" (II. iii. 107).
When he appears in the character of an " avenger" he is
designated 'AXcKrriop, Vindex ; and the epithet of iraXafj.-
vaioQ marks him as the " avenger of blood."
As the supreme administrator of government and laws,
Jupiter gives to kings their sceptre (crKfjirTpov) and dignity
{kv'6oq) ; hence they are termed the descendants of Jove
{dioyEvelg, horpe(j)e~iQ) ; their heralds are his messengers
{KrjpvKEg, AioQ ayyeXoi) ; and hence may be explained the
fable respecting the sceptre which Pel ops received from
Mercury, and Mercury from Jupiter. As the Fates are
subordinate to him, being represented, in fact, by Hesiod,
as his daughters by Themis, hence he is termed ^oipayirriQ,
or the " leader of the Fates," and, in this sense, he bears
the epithets of Ta^utac, Ntjitecr-WjO, because he is the " steward"
and " distributor," allotting to each his proper portion of
good and evil. As he is the father of the Horce, or Sea-
sons, the year belongs to him (Atoc fJieyaXov iviavrol. II.
ii. 134).
Homer further represents Jupiter as weighing the issue
of things in golden scales {^vaeta raXapra), and giving the
victory to his favourites, who reverence him as Zevq (j)Vl,ioq,
because he puts their enemies to " flight." His mansion is
JUPITER. 23
also represented as containing two vessels, from which their
respective portions of good and evil are distributed to man-
kind (11. xxiv. 527). As he is the original source of all
oracles and omens, hence his epithet, TravofjKpaioQ —
"Evda 7ravofi(f)aiM Zrjvl pk^€(TKov 'A;(atot. — II. viii. 250.
and, under this title, an altar was erected to him on the
Asiatic coast, between the promontories of Sigeum and
Rhoetium. As he unites consummate prudence with un-
limited power, hence he is termed yur/neVr/g Zeve, as "abound-
ing in counsel ;" and a man endowed with remarkable
penetration is said to be equal to Jupiter in wisdom (Au
fxrJTLP araXavTog).
As Jupiter Capitolinus (from his temple on the Capitol*),
he was the national God of the Romans. He also bears
the epithets of Optimus Maximus, from his beneficence and
his power; Feretrius, from Romulus carrying on a frame
(Jeretro, (piptTpov) the spoils of a king whom he had slain
in single combat (spolia opima, Rom. Ant. p. 263) ; Elicius,
because he was drawn down from heaven (eliciebatur) to
explain prodigies ; Stator, because, on the prayer of Romu-
lus, he stayed the flight of the Romans (^Liv. 1.12); Latiaris
and OlympiuSj because worshipped in Latium, and at Olympia
in Greece.
To these epithets may be added, Dodonceus, from Dodona,
in Thessaly ; Acrius {aKpioQ), or the " mountain Jupiter,"
as worshipped on the mountains of Arcadia ; Idceus and
Dictceus, from Ida and Dicte, in Crete ; Nemeus^ from the
city of Nemea, in Argolis, and Apesantius, from Mount
Apesas (-antis), in the same district; Ithomates, from
Ithome, in Messenia; JEthiops, because the Chians wor-
shipped him under a black complexion ; Chrysaoreus, be-
* Jupiter, arce su^ totum quum spectet in orbem
Nil nisi Romanum quod tueatur, habet — Oy. Fasti, i. 85,
the Roman empire [oi-his Romanus) being co-extensive with
the world.
24 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
cause the Carians equipped him with a "golden sword"
{ZevQ XpvaaopevQ, Strabo,xiv. 2, 660); Labradeus, because
the same people equipped him with a " battle-axe ;" Conius
{kovloq), because, in his roofless temple at Megara, he was
exposed to the " dust ;" Carius (Kapiog Zevg, Herod.), the
original Carian tribes having brought his worship along
with them into Crete. He bore the name of Anxur among
the Volsci, Mains among the Tuscans, and Ammon in
Egypt.
To this list we may subjoin a few more epithets of casual
occurrence ; as Jupiter, surnamed Pistor, the "baker," among
the Romans, and Aliterius, the "miller," among the Greeks,
because he assisted them in a season of famine. So also,
as the "deliverer from flies," he was termed Muscat ius
(aTToixviog); as sl }{idge, Arbitrator ; as a helper in battle,' J.nMs
(apELog); as the "father of day y" Diespiter, Lucetius ; as
the " giver" of all good things, Epidotes {kinloT^g) ; Game-
lius {yafxrjXtog), as presiding over marriage; Jupiter Vernus,
as the author of "spring," for his head sometimes appears
crowned with vernal flowers. In like manner the Romans
conferred upon him the epithets of Opitulator, Opitulus, as
the " help-bringer ;" Fidius (TriarLog), as the protector of
treaties and alhances; Pluvius {^ofifipLog), as the bringer
of rain; Prcedator, as the giver of booty; Adultus, Teleus
(riXeiog), as presiding over the age of manhood.
Hercules built to him an altar under the name of Inventor,
because he assisted him in finding the oxen that had been
stolen by Cacus ; and Domitian dedicated to him a temple
under the title of Custos, or " guardian," because he had
delivered him during the troubles of Vitelliug. Romulus
built a temple to him as Jupiter Stator, because he "stopped"
the Romans when flying from the Sabines. By the Greeks
he was termed Panhellenius {TraveWiiviog), as the Jupiter of
" all the Greeks;" also Homagyrius (ofiayvpiog), the '* as-
sembler," because he assisted Agamemnon in assembling the
confederate Greeks against Troy.
JUPITER. 25
Theseus built Jupiter an altar under the title of Sthenius
(Ildiyiog), because he gave him " strength" to uplift a stone
under which were concealed certain things by which he
might be recognised as the son of ^geus. The Arcadians
named him Clarius (KXapLog) , hecsmse he had "allotted"-
their land among the sons of Lycaon ; and the Argives
Milichius {fxeiki-yJLOQ), the " appeaser," from the pacific ter-
mination given to certain troubles in their state {Pans. ii. 20).
The Boeotians also worshipped him as the '* estabhsher of
peace and concord" (Zevg oiioXcD'iog), and celebrated a fes-
tival in his honour (Homoloia). Under the epithet Ago-
rceus {ayopaioQ, forensis), Jupiter was worshipped in various
places ; partly because he was the protector of such " public
assemblies" as met in the forum, or "market-place," and
partly because he was the protector of truth and honesty in
mercantile transactions.
As Jupiter was the supreme God, his worship surpassed
that of the other Gods in solemnity. The most celebrated
temples of Jupiter were to be found at Olympia, Athens,
and Elis ; the Capitoline Temple at Rome has been already
spoken of. The temple of the Olympian Jupiter was adorned
with a colossal statue of that God, which, being the master-
work of Phidias, excited admiration, as well by the majesty
of its expression, as the richness and variety of its sculpture.
Jupiter is usually represented as sitting on a golden or ivory
throne, holding a sceptre in his right hand and a thunder-
bolt in his left ; and the eagle stands with expanded wings
at his feet — hence termed Ales Jovis, Jovis Armiger, and
Minister fulminis (Hor. Od. iv. 4, 1). The artists of an-
tiquity have communicated a largeness to the eye, and a
dignity to his aspect, as if about to shake his ambrosial
locks and make Olympus tremble at his nod. At Olympia
he wears a mantle variegated with diiFerent flowers. The
eagle is perched on the top of the sceptre ; and sometimes
a goddess of victory is represented as hovering on the right
of the God and offering him an olive crown. The olive
26 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
chaplet distinguishes the Olympian Jupiter from the Dodo-
nsean, who wears an oaken chaplet ; for the oak (quercus)
was sacred to Jupiter, because he first taught mankind to
live on acorns.
The ^gis-hearing Jupiter wears his Mgis on his left
shoulder, and is crowned with oaken leaves ; the Capitoline
holds the sceptre and a sacrificial bowl ; the crown on his
knee is the offering of a triumphing general. Hebe, the
Goddess of Youth, or the boy Ganymede, carried off from
Mount Ida by an eagle (Iliacus puer, Juv. xiii. 43), are
sometimes represented attending upon him. The most
celebrated oracles of Jupiter were that of Dodona, in Epirus
(Zev ava, Aw^wvate, lleXaayiKe, II. xvi. 233), and of Ammon
in Libya. At the latter place he was represented with the
horns and visage of a ram (Jupiter Ammon) ;* he appeared
under that form to Bacchus, and showed him a fountain
when he and his army were suffering from thirst in the
deserts of Africa. Olympus, a mountain of Thessaly, has
been fixed upon by the poets as the fittest residence of
Jupiter and the superior Gods on account of the perpetual
serenity of its summits — " the snowy top of cold Olympus"
{OvXvfjTTov vKpoevTOQ, II. xvifi. 615). In Homer, Jupiter
challenges the confederate Gods to dispute his pre-eminence :
" If I but stretch this hand
I heave the Gods, the ocean, and the land ;
I fix the chain to great Olympus' height.
And the vast world hangs trembling in my sight."
II. viii. 5.
* Ammon was the Egyptian name of Jupiter. As he was
particularl)- worshipped at Thebes, called in the sacred books
Hammon-No, " the possession of Ammon," and in the Sept.
Vers, Ez. 20, " the city of Hammo ^" by the Greeks Diospolis
(Aio? TroXty), Alexander consulted the oracle of Jupiter Ammon
in his Eastern expedition. As he was declared his son, and is
sometimes represented with ho7ms on his medals, the Arabians
have given him the name of Bicornis, " two-horned."
27
III. JUNO. "HPH.
CHARACTER OF JUNO. HER HATRED OF THE TROJANS.
HER WORSHIP. HER OFFICES. — HOW REPRESENTED.
EPITHETS.
JuNO was the daughter of Saturn (Saturnia), and the
wife and sister of Jupiter ; consequently the queen of the
Gods {Dimm Regina, Vir. Mn.i. 46). Argos, the island of
Samos, &c., have contended for the honour of her birth ;
though her history, as well as her worship, are rather of
Phoenician origin. The poets have represented her as im-
perious and jealous ; and this feeling of jealousy gave birth
to the transformation of Callisto into a bear (afterwards a
constellation), and Galanthis into a weasel — lo* into a
heifer, watched by the hundred-eyed Argus, and afterwards
goaded over the earth by a malicious insect (oestrus). Ale-
mena, the mother of Hercules, also suffered from this cause ;
and Semele, the mother of Bacchus, fell a sacrifice to the
vengeance of Juno, by foolishly requesting Jupiter to appear
in all his majesty.
H er resentment against Paris, for bestowing the golden apple
as the prize of beauty upon Venus (spretce itijuriaformce),
and against the Trojan Ganymede, advanced to the office of
cup-bearer (rapti Ganymedis honores), were the causes of
the Trojan war, and all the miseries that happened to the
unfortunate house of Priam.f Her conduct frequently ex-
cited the indignation of Jupiter, who once suspended her
* lo was the daughter of Inachus, who founded the ancient
kingdom of Argos ; hence Horace : " Though thou canst derive
thy origin from old Inachus (prisco natus ah Inacho), thou still
remainest a victim of unpitying Orcus" (Od. ii. 3, 21).
f Her wounded pride exhibits a spirit of revenge worthy of
Medea. " Hector must fall, Hecuba pull out her grey hairs,
and Troy become a prey to the flames ," and in the jEneid we
still find her persecuting those who had escaped the merciless
Achilles.
28 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
by a g-olden chain in the atmosphere with an anvil
fastened to each of her feet : all the celestials mourned at
the sight. Juno afterwards engaged some of the gods to
conspire against Jupiter and imprison him ; but Thetis de-
livered Jupiter by bringing to his assistance the hundred-
handed Briareus.
The worship of Juno was widely extended, and the num-
ber of her temples was proportionately great. She was
particularly worshipped in Arcadia and at Argos,* Sparta,
Mycenae, Samos, EHs, Carthage, and Croton. Hence Virgil,
speaks of her having carried on the Trojan war for her
" dear Argos" (^n. i. 24), and of her honouring Carthage
above all lands, even in preference to Samos (Posthabitd —
Samo, i. 16). At Elis, the Hercean games were celebrated
every fifth year in her honour. Her greatest festival was
called Hercea, or Junonia, and sometimes Hecatomhcea
{ekutov^ I3ovq), on account of the number of victims usually
sacrificed. On her great festivals the virgins were dressed
in white, and her victims were of the same colour.
The marriage of Jupiter and Juno, which took place, ac-
cording to one tradition, on the island of Samos, or rather
the "marriage feast," which, according to another tradition,
was celebrated in Crete, was well known in antiquity under
the title of lefwi; ya^oe,t or the " sacred nuptials." To
this festival all the gods were invited ; and, as every guest
brought presents, the Earth presented Juno with the tree
which grew golden apples, and was subsequently planted in
* " There are three cities," says Juno, when urging Jupiter to
the destruction of Troy, "which are dearest of all to me, Argos^
Sparta and MycenoB ; nevertheless, I abandon them entirely to
thy will, if thou wilt consent to the downfall of Troy " (Horn.
II. iv. 50).
f Scilicet semina in antiquissima de Upw ya/xw a Jove et
Junone consummato historia sparsa propullulasse etiam in Eleu-
sineorum, agriculturse initia cum sacro dporco eVt Traidav yvrjaiojv
conjungentium mysteriis, persuasissimum habeo. Hinc derivanda
prima rov reXovs in rebus sacris significatio (Bottiger, Opuscula,
p. 443.)
JUNO. 29
the garden of the Hesperides. Hence Juno was worshipped
under the title of TeKeia, or Adulta, either in reference to
the •' mature " years and marriageable state of the affianced
bride [TeA-e/a, vvfjicpevofiivr]'] ; or, according to others, be-
cause marriage itself was termed riXog, from its " sacred-
ness " or as being the " perfection " of life.
Asthefounderof marriage, Juno bears the epithets of yap/-
XiOQ, Pronuha ; and because she united mankind under the
" yoke " of that institution — hence her epithets, i^vyia,
i^ev^iha, Juga, Jugalis, Jugatina ; for marriage itself is
termed conjugium, or a "yoking" (crv^v^, bjxoiivi,). At
Sparta she was worshipped under the title of Juno-Venus
("Hpr/ 'A(ppohiTT]), to whom the Spartan matrons performed
their vows for the marriage of their daughters. To these
we may add the epithet of Domiduca, in reference to the
Roman custom of " leading " the bride " home ;" Unxia,
because she was required to " anoint " the door-posts of her
new residence with lard on her first entrance ; and Cinxia^
because the bride's " girdle " was dedicated to Juno.
As the protectress of women in child-birth, Juno bore
the title of Lucetia and Litcina ; and, among the Greeks,
she had female assistants, called EtXc/Qumi {Horn. II. xi. 270).
As the chastity of matrons was particularly under her care
she bore the epithet of Matrona. The Roman ladies called
their tutelar genii Junones ; and they swore by this goddess
as the men did by Jupiter. Hehe, the goddess of youth, and
the IlithyicE, who assisted at child-birth, were her daughters ;
and Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, was her messenger, as
Mercury was the messenger of Jupiter.
Though the poets of antiquity have imparted to Juno a cer-
tain degree of haughtiness in reference to her chastity as a wife
(tcovpL^ir) uXoxoq), yet the artists have communicated to her
rather an air of dignity {Uorvia'Hpr]) as the wife of Jupiter.
The Queen of Heaven {Incedo regina, Virg.) inspires us
with veneration rather than love ; for, in addition to the
largeness of her eye. Homer has only celebrated the white-
30 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
ness of her arm, and we find her borrowing the girdle of
Venus {cestus) in order to inspire Jupiter with passion.
The characteristic " largeness of her eye " ((^oMntg) was
fully exhibited by the ancient artists ; and the Doric tunic,
which was only joined together on one side, and on the
other was left partly open or slit up {^■^(^LaTdQ x^Vwr) allowed
them to display to advantage the " whiteness of her arm "
{XevKwXevog).
As the veil was characteristic of Juno {Felata), the
Roman matrons imitated her by veiling themselves from
head to foot. She is sometimes represented as riding
through the air in a chariot drawn by peacocks {Volucres
JunonicBy Junonis aves), attended by the Aurce, or air-
nymphs, and Iris, the daughter of Thaumas, who displayed
the thousand colours of her beautiful rainbow. The cele-
brated statue of the Argive Juno, by Polycletus, which stood
in her temple between Argos and Mycenae, and consisted of
" gold and ivory" {chryselephantine), represented the god-
dess sitting upon a throne with a sceptre in her hand, upon
which was perched the cuckoo, and a crown upon her head,
on which danced the Hours and Graces. She also bore in
her hand a pomegranate, a symbol of fruitfulness among
the ancients.
In the cities of central and lower Italy, where ancient
Grecian customs were sometimes preserved with greater
fidelity than in Greece itself, the Argive Juno is frequently
represented equipped with a shield (oTrXdcr/xta, Lycoph. Cass.
614, 858) ; for the round shield or buckler {ci(nr\q, Argolicus
clypeus), was the pecuHar invention of the Argives, and the
principal feature in the Hersean games, celebrated near
Argos, was the attempt to pull down a brazen shield, fixed
in a place above the theatre, which was scarcely accessible to
any one — hence denominated by Pindar the " brazen con-
test" {ayiov yakKEOQ, Nem. X. 41). Equipped in this
fashion, Juno was properly considered as the protectress of
the city (ttoXiovxoc, Palceph. 51); and hence, at Lanu-
JUNO. 31
vium, in Italy, she was worshipped as Juno Sospita, which
is equivalent to the Greek ^u)TEipa, " a preserver.'*
The following epithets of Juno bear reference either to
local or accidental circumstances : as Samia, from the island
of Samos, and Imbrasia, from Imbrasus, a river of that
island ; Argiva^ from Argos, in the Peloponnesus ; and
Partheniay either from Mount Parthenion, in Arcadia (Pmc?.
01, vi. 88), or because Parthenia was the ancient name of
Samos (Strab. xiv. I. 637). At Corinth she bore the epi-
thet of Bunoea, from a temple built to her by one Bunus ;
at Sparta she was termed Aegophaga, because Hercules first
sacrificed a " goat" in her temple; and, at Sicyon, Adrastus
built a temple to her as Juno Alea, because she assisted
him in his flight from Thebes. In Elis she was worshipped
under the name of Ammonia (as the consort of Jupiter
Ammon ?) ; in Arcadia, Temenus built her a temple, under
the title of Xr/pa, Fidua, or " widow," when she once sepa-
rated from Jupiter; and, in Laconia, another temple was
erected to her under the title of Hyperchiria, because she
was besought to stretch " her hands over" the river Eurotas
during an inundation, and reduce it within its proper
limits (Pans. iii. 13).
Her principal Roman temples were at Lacinium, near
Croton, in Lower Italy, whence her epithet Lacinia ; at
Lanuvium, a town of Latium, whence her epithet Lanuvina;
and at Rome, on the Aventine Mount, where she was wor-
shipped as Juno Regina, the "Queen" of the Gods. She
had also a temple at Rome, under the title of Moneta,^ in
reference to the various useful " warnings or admonitions"
with which she had favoured the Romans ; to which may be
* As money was coined in the temple oi Juno Moneta^ hence
the name, moneta coinage, Anglice mint (Rom. Antiq., p. 284).
The Goddess is represented on medals with the instruments of
coinage, the anvil, hammer, pincers, and die, with the Latin word,
Moneta; and, in the time of the emperors, the empresses were
represented in the same form. The month of June (Junius)
was sacred to Juno.
32 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
added her epithet Caprotina^ in allusion to a circumstance,
in their history, connected with a " wild fig-tree" (Macrob.
Saturn, i. 12). She was also termed Juno Novella, in
reference to the " new" moon ; for the first day of every
month was sacred to her {Juno Calendaris).
IV. NEPTUNE. n02EIAi2N.
DOMINIONS OF NEPTUNE. HIS POWER. OFFSPRING. WOR-
SHIP. HIS EPITHETS AND EXPLOITS. HOW REPRESENTED.
— OCEANUS AND THE SEA-DEITIES. SCYLLA AND CHA-
RYBDIS. — THE SIRENS.
On the division of the world among the sons of Saturn,
the dominion of the sea (TrtXayoc, ttovtoq,)^ fell to Neptune,
who, being dissatisfied with his share, entered into a con-
spiracy, particularly with Apollo, to bind Jupiter in fetters.
As a punishment for the attempt, he was compelled to serve
Laomedon, and assist him in building the walls of Troy,
whence the walls are called Mcenia Neptunia, and the
city Neptunia Troja. As the power of Neptune extends
over the whole of the watery element, hence he shakes the
mountains and the earth (o-etflrt)(0wi/),t he can raise up
islands from the bottom of the sea with a blow of his
trident ; but the stormy billows subside at his presence.
Homer represents Neptune issuing from the sea, and in
three steps crossing the whole horizon. The mountains and
the forests, says the poet, trembled as he walked ; the whales
and all the fishes of the sea appeared round him when he
* The dominions of the ancient Deity Oceanus had extended
over the remotest floods of Ocean, encircling the earth with its
wide circumference ; but such an idea is too vast and illimitable
for the purposes of an elegant mythology. Oceanus, therefore,
disappears, like other Titanic Deities ; Neptune takes his place,
and his dominion is confined to the sea as far as it is navi-
gated. — Moritz,
f iEschylus terms the earthquake subterranean thunder
{x66viov jSpovTTjua, Prometh. 1028).
NEPTUNE. 33
mounted his chariot ; such was his rapidity that the brazen
axle remained untouched by the water ; and even the sea
herself seemed to feel the presence of her God. In the
shipwreck of ^neas, Virgil represents him as engaged with
Cymothoe and Triton in raising the ships from the rocks
with his trident, and gUding over the surface of the deep in
his light chariot (i. 142 — 156). As his power extends par-
ticularly to the inhabitants of the coast, he punishes Lao-
medon by inundating his territories, because he refused to
give him the promised reward for his assistance in building
the walls of Troy ; he destroys, in after times, the rampart
built by the Greeks {Horn. II. vii. 546), and he takes ven-
geance on Ulysses for putting out the eyes of Polyphemus.
Amphitrite, the wife of Neptune, was daughter of Nereus
and Doris, and therefore one of the Nereids, or water-
nymphs, who amounted to fifty in number. The most cele-
brated sons of Neptune were Triton, Phorcus, Proteus, and
Glaucus : — 1 . Triton, who resembled a man in the upper parts
of his body, and a fish in his lower {gemino corpore Triton)
blew a shell {concha) as trumpeter to his father; 2. Proteus
possessed the power of foreteUing future events ; hence
Menelaus consults him about his return {Horn. Od. iv. 351).
His versatility is extraordinary, for he can turn himself into
any shape — formas se vertet in omnes {Fir. G. iv. 411). As
Proteus kept the herds of Neptune, Horace represents him
visiting the mountains with his sea-calves {phocce) during
the flood of Deucalion {grave sceculum Pyrrhce, Od. i. 2, 8) ;
3. Phorcus was the father of the Gorgons, Medusa, Euryale,
and Stheno — monstrous females {Phorcydes) who had snakes
instead of hair, only one tooth, which they used alternately,
and who turned all who looked at them into stone. 4. Glau-
cus, originally a fisherman of Anthedon, in Bceotia,*was the
favourite of Circe. Palcemon was a constant attendant of
" Nuper in Euboica versis Anthedone membris
Glaucus adest." — Ovid, Met. xiii. 940.
34 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
Neptune. Leucothea was the deified Ino, and was styled by
the Romans Matuta {Ov- F. vi. 439).
As Neptune's power extended in particular over the in-
habitants of the sea-coast, the islands, and all who navigated
the deep — hence he was particularly worshipped on the pro-
montories of Tsenarum (C. Matapan), and Sunium, in At-
tica, at Hehce, Calauria, Velia, and the isthmus of Corinth;
the Isthmian games being celebrated in his honour. Nep-
tune also entered into a controversy with Minerva, with
respect to Attica, but was worsted ; the olive, which the
Goddess suddenly raised from the earth, being deemed more
serviceable than the horse, which Neptune had produced by
striking the ground with his trident. Hence the horse was
sa(?red to Neptune ; he was said to be the inventor of the
bridle ; he bore the epithet of EquestriSi Hippius (tinroc),
and his assistance was invoked in chariot-races. He is also
the father of the winged Pegasus, and of Arion, the noblest
horse that ever bore kings or heroes. The Circensian games
(Ludi Circenses) were celebrated at Rome in his honour ;
and hence the doljDhin, which was sacred to him, was en-
graved on the pillars (delphinomm columnce) in the Circus
Maximus. Many consider him as identical with the Roman
Deity Consus, or the god of secret " counsel," during the
celebration of whose festival {Consualia) the Romans carried
away the Sabine women.
The most important exploits of Neptune have been already
mentioned, viz., the war against the Titans (c. i.) ; the build-
ing of the walls of Troy ; the production and subjugation of
the first horse ; to which we may add the raising of the
island of Delos out of the sea, and the destruction of Hip-
polytus for an alleged insult to his step-mother, Pliwdra —
the sea-calves frightening his horses, which hurried him
amongst the rocks and dashed him to pieces.*
* The productions of Neptune are, for the greater part,
monstrous. Witness his Pegasus and Arion; and to these we may
add the giants Aloidse and the Cyclops Polyphemus.— ikTonte.
NEPTUNE. 35
The various epithets of Neptune are frequently connected
with the places where he was worshipped, as Isthmius,
from the isthmus of Corinth ; Tcenarius, from the promon-
tory of Tsenarum, in the Peloponnesus; Onchestius, from
Onchestus, a city of Boeotia ; Mgceus, from the city of
^gae, in Euboea ; Heliconius, from the city of Hehce, in
Achaia; Genesius, from Genesium, a maritime place in
Argolis ; and Nisyrceus, from Nisyrus, an island which he
is reported to have separated from Cos by a stroke of his
trident. "Encircling" the earth with the ocean-stream,
Neptune is said to he the "possessor of the earth" (yatjyo-
Xog, yaiov)(OQ, Telluricinx, Hermann, p. 17), and to "hold
its foundations" together {defxeXiovxoQ)'
From his connexion wdth earthquakes, Neptune bears the
epithet of Ennosigceus, " shaker of the earth" {kvoaixQi^v^
Evvoaiymoe, yairiQ Ktrrjrrjp), and hence he was worshipped
under the title of 'AacpaXiog, Wcr(j)a\ia~ioc, partly because
solicited to " secure" them against earthquakes, and partly
because he threw up new islands and rendered them "se-
cure" for the habitation of men. From the symbol of his
power he derives the epithets of evrpiairrjQ, ayXaorptaivrjQ,
" celebrated for his trident," and opaorpiaivrjc, the "wielder
of the trident." As his dominion extended not only to the
inland sea (ttoptoq) ; but also to the deep sea, or the sea at
large {iriXayoQ), hence we read of a Jupiter UeXayelog.
Since Neptune is frequently represented as sitting among
" rocks," hence his epithet Tverpaloc ; whilst his epithet
(pyraXfjiioc, the "fertiliser," is supposed to refer to the fact
of the retiring sea leaving the soil more favoural^e for the
growth of plants.
Neptune is generally represented sitting in a chariot made
of a shell, drawn by sea-horses or dolphins. His aspect is
majestic, though expressive of impetuous fury rather than
of quiet power. Thus, in Virgil, his indignation, on ac-
count of his domain being invaded by ^olus, is too strong
for his power of utterance, and he is unable to finish the
36 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
sentence (JEn. i. 135). Sometimes he is drawn by winged
horses, with a Triton on each side : he holds his trident in
his right hand and stands up as his chariot flies over the
surface of the deep. With the trident he raises storms and
earthquakes. Tradition represents him as dweUing in the
sea near ^gse (11. xiii. 20; JEn. iii. 74); but his favourite
residence is in Ethiopia (Horn. II. xiii. 17) : and we are told
that the Libyans venerated him above all other nations.
We may observe that anciently the trident was employed in
harpooning the tunny and other large fishes, and that the
earliest sea-farers and pirates of the Mediterranean (OaXoo--
(TOKpaTovyreg) employed it as a symbol of maritime dominion
on taking possession of a strange coast.*
Nereus was the son of Oceanus, who is represented by
Homer as the father of aU the Gods, Oceanides, Nymphs,
Naiads, &c., and dwelling at the western extremity of the
earth (II. xiv. 200). Like all other sea-deities, Nereus
possesses the gift of prophecy : hence his epithet EvftovXoQ,
the "good counsellor." Euripides terms him bull-headed
{ravpoKpavoQ, Orest. 1377); and we may observe that the
epithet tauriformis is generally given to rivers when per-
sonified. In works of art Oceanus is represented with two
horns sprouting from his forehead, rechning upon a sea-
monster, and holding a sceptre in his right hand, emblematic
of his dominion. The material '12/ceavoc, in Homer, is the
ocean, or mighty stream which encompasses the earth and
seas — ebbs and flows twice in the course of a single day.
The heavejily bodies descend into it at their setting, and
emerge from it at their rising.
The sea deities are generally represented with long
greenish hair, their bodies terminating in the form of a fish.
The Tritons have sometimes the forefeet of a horse : the
Gods of rivers rest upon urns, from which the water is
* Visconti, Mus. Pio-Clem. t. iv. p. 63; JEsch. Suppl. 226;
Aristoph. Eq. 858.
PLUTO. PROSERPINE. 37
flowing. The monster Scylla, who dwells in a rocky
cavern near the straits of Sicily, is represented with twelve
feet and six heads of dragons {Horn. Od. xii. 85) ; and Ovid
tells us that this transformation of Scylla into a monster
was effected by the jealousy of Circe (Met. xiv. 1). The
gulf Charyhdis is opposite that of Scylla : hence the difficulty
which navigators experienced of steering clear of one or the
other. Hence the proverb 'of flying Charybdis and falling
into Scylla, shewing that, in avoiding one evil or extreme,
we frequently run into another.
Incidit in Scyllam, qui vult vitare Charybdira.
The SIRENS were, according to Homer, two maiden
Goddesses, Aglaopheme and Thelxiepia, resident on an
island near Sicily : hence Juvenal calls the bewitching
strains by which they detained travellers, Siculi cantus
(ix. 150). Ovid transforms them into half-birds, in order
that they might seek Proserpine with greater celerity (Met.
V. 552). Ulysses, when navigating the coast where they
resided, tied himself to the mast, and stopped the ears of
his companions with wax, at the suggestion of Circe, in
order to escape detention from their melody. The Sirens
threw themselves from the rocks in despair. Virgil places
the Sirenum scopuU {I^eiprjpovffai) on the coast of Italy, near
the island of Caprea (^n.v. 864).
V. PLUTO, 'AIAH^. PROSERPINE, flEPSE^ONH.
DESCRIPTION OF TARTARUS AND ELFSIUM. HISTORY OF
PROSERPINE. DOMINION OF PLUTO. DEPARTED SPIRITS.
PLUTO, HOW REPRESENTED. VARIOUS EPITHETS.
SITE OF THE INFERNAL REGIONS.
Pluto, being the brother of Jupiter and Neptune, became
the God of the infernal regions when the division of the
world was made ; hence he is called the Stygian Jupiter
c
38 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
(Zevg vttoxOovloq), and his wife Juno Inferna. The en-
trance to the infernal regions was placed in remote or deso-
late countries : and hence the rivers Acheron, Styx, Cocy-
tus,^ and Phlegethon (respectively expressive of grief,
horror, lamentation, and burning), were considered as rivers
in hell.
At the first entrance of the infernal regions, Virgil places
the Furies, Centaurs, Briareus, 'the naonster of Lerna, Chi-
msera, Gorgons, Harpies, and the three-bodied Geryon.
Charon, the ferryman, carries departed ghosts over the
Stygian lake for a trifling fare ; but those who have not
received funeral obsequies are obliged to wander one hun-
dred years on the banks before they can be transported.
The entrance on the farther side of Styx is guarded by the
three-headed Cerberusf (Janitor Aulce) : at no great dis-
tance are the mournful plains, possessed by hapless lovers ;
and, beyond, the residence of brave warriors who had fallen
in battle (vi. 417— 485).
The residence of departed spirits was fixed in the infernal
regions : TARTARUS was the place of punishment, and
Elysium the abode of bliss. Virgil surrounds Tartarus with
three impenetrable walls and the impetuous and burning
streams of Phlegethon : its gates can be opened neither by
* Palus inamaUlis (Ffrg-. iEn. vi. 438). The Cocytus, ac-
cording to Homer, branches out of the Styx —
Srwyof vdaTOQ iarlv aTroppiok' — Od. x. 513.
" STYX married Pallas, a son of the Titan Crius, and bore him
the powerful children, Zelos, Nike, Kratos, and Bia. In the
Titanomachia she went over to Jupiter ; hence we find her sons,
Kimtos (power) and Bia (strength), leading Prometheus to the
Caucasian rock. By the dark Styx the Gods swear that in-
violable oath whose obligation cannot be dissolved by any
power, either in heaven or in earth — 'A^darov Srvyos- vbap (II.
1.271). ^
t Hesiod styles Cerberus the fifty-headed dog — kwo. Trevrr)-
KovraKaprjvov (Theog. 312) ; Horace, Bellua Centiceps (Od.
ii. 13, 34).
PLUTO. PROSERPINE. 39
gods nor men. Here Ixion was tied to the revolving
wheel —
Volvitur Ixion, et se sequiturque fugitque. — Ovid^ Met. iv. 461.
and the ponderous rock ever hangs over the head of
Phlegyas ; here Tityus covered nine acres of ground, and
his entrails were devoured by vultures ; here the daughters
of Danaus (Danaides), who had killed their husbands, were
compelled to fill with water vessels full of holes ;* Tanta-
lus is punished with insatiable thirst in the midst of water ;
and Sisyphus rolls the stone up a hill, which rebounds when
it touches the summit.
On the other hand, the happiness of ELYSIUM is complete
— "■ bowers ever green — delightful meadows with pleasant
streams — the air temperate and serenef — and the inhabit-
ants blessed with another sun and other stars." Lethe, or
the river of oblivion, runs through Elysium ; and those
souls destined to animate new bodies, forget the events of
their past lives when they have once tasted its waters :
Secures latices et longa oblivia potant.— Virg.2En.Yi.7l4:.
Again, some are represented in an intermediate state of pur-
gatory, exposed to the action of air, water, or fire, "until the
crimes done in their days of nature are burned and purged
away." It may be observed, that in all the poetical regions
of the dead, chariots and various species of armour are ho-
noured with their separate representations ; so that these
* Inane lymphse Dolium fundo pereuutis imo. — Hor. Od.'m. 1 1, 22 — 23.
As one of the Danaides deceived her father in letting her hus-
band escape, Horace terms her —
Perjurum in parentem splendide mendax. — Ibid.
As Danaus was the son of Belus, his daughters are also termed
Belides —
Assiduas repetunt, quas perdant, Belides undas. — Ovid, Met. iv. 463.
t Largior hie campos attlier et lumine vestit
Purpureo Virg, ^En. vi. 540.
40 SUPERIOR DETTIES.
regions, as appears from the Odyssey, jEneid, and Edda,
are just the simulacra (or representations) of the manners,
opinions^ customs, and fashions that characterised the times
and countries in which their poetical historians flourished.*
The most remarkable event in the life of Pluto was the rape
of PROSERPINE, or Persephone, who thereupon became
his wife and shared with him the g-ovemment of the infernal
regions. As all the Goddesses had refused to marry Pluto
on account of the gloominess of his residence, he became
enamoured of the daughter of Ceres and Jupiter, whom he
saw gathering flowersf in the plains of Enna, in Sicily, and
carried her off in a chariot drawn by four horses, opening
himself a passage through the earth by striking it with his
trident. Ceres, on her application to Jupiter for the reco-
very of her daughter, w^as promised the restoration of Pro-
serpine provided she had tasted nothing in the infernal
regions ; but, it being ascertained upon inquiry that she
had tasted a pomegranate (Punicum malum), it was deter-
mined that she should reside six months with Pluto, and
six months in heaven with Ceres, alternately.^
"Thus Pluto married the daughter of Olympian Jupiter;
and, as the opposite ideas of life and death are united in
the person of Proserpine, she connects, with a tender and
mysterious band, the high and the deep, Olympus and
Orcus."
— Dea regnorum numen commune duorum — Ovid, Met. v. 366.
* See Encyc. Brit., art. Apparitions. The descent to Aver-
nus is sufficiently easy, but it has only been the privilege of a
few heroes to return —
— Revocare gradum superasque evadere ad auras. — Virg. ^n.vi. 127.
f Hence the Sicilians celebrated a festival in her honour,
called Anthesplioria — airb tov (pepeiv avOea, i. e., " from carrying
flowers."
I The circumstances of the rape of Proserpine (raptus Pro-
serpince) have been poetically described by Claudian and Ovid;
and the artists of antiquity have frequently adopted it as a
subject for their representations.
PLUTO. PROSERPINE. 41
As it was supposed that no person could die if the Goddess
or one of her ministers, Atropos, did not cut off a lock of
the hair, hence the remark of Virgil, that Dido could only
be released by the aid of Proserpine —
Nondum illi flavum Proserpina vertice crinem
Abstulerat, Stygioque caput damnaverat Oreo.
JEn. iv. 698.
As the dominion of Pluto extends over the cheerless
realms of death, he is represented as stern and gloomy {Ater
Dis, aydXaaroe) ; he is inexorable, because no entreaties
can avert the common doom ; rapacious, because nothing
can escape his grasp ; he is hated by Gods and men, yet
dreaded by the latter, because all generations are gathered
into his kingdom — o?nnes eodem cogimur {Hor. Od. ii. 3, 25).
The poets represent us all as the victims of unpitying
Pluto {nil miserantis Orci, 24);* no one can escape the
tender mercies of Proserpine — nullum Sceva caput Proser-
pina fugit (Od. i. 28, 20) ; and we shall all, sooner or later,
be embarked in the boat of Charon for everlasting exile
(Od. ii. 3, 28). Hence those whose lives were protracted
too long, were said — Or cum morari — to keep Pluto wait-
ing, and those who exposed themselves to the danger of
death — cum Oreo rationem habere — to have a reckoning
with Pluto.
Homer represents all the departed spirits, whether good
•or bad, as deprived of all their intellectual and bodily powers
(Od. ii. 219). " The empty shades {domus exilis Plutonia,
Hor.) appear and disappear in a moment. Yet they are
sensible of what they had formerly been, and of what they
had possessed, and still strive to accomplish those pursuits
in which they had been engaged when living in the higher
regions, like a man who works and fatigues himself during
* Buttman remarks that the epithet eiraivrj (the meaning of
which is somewhat obscure), is only given to Proserpine in con-
junction with Pluto —
Zevs re KaraxdovLos koX iiraivrj Il€p(T€0IB0i: 'AnOAA^N.
BIRTH, CHARACTER, AND EXPLOITS OF APOLLO. HIS RESI-
DENCE WITH ADMETUS. WORSHIP OF APOLLO. HOW
REPRESENTED. VARIOUS EPITHETS.
Apollo and Diana were twin children of Latona (Gemelli-
para Diva), by Jupiter; hence Ovid calls them Stirps
Latoia (Trist. iii.2, 8). Previous 'to their birth, Juno ex*
pelled Latona from heaven, and raised the serpent Pytho
to persecute her ; and she was not permitted to give birth
to her children on the earth till Neptune, moved at the
severity of her fate, raised up Delos from the bottom of
the sea. Hence this island was sacred to Apollo and Diana,
and its virgins sang hymns, in which all nations supposed
that they heard their own words and their own sounds
(Hymn, in Apol.) ; and since, upon its first formation, it
was a floating island {erratica Delos), Virgil tells us that
Apollo rendered it immovable by binding to it two other
adjoining islands, Gyaros and Myconus.*
As soon as Apollo was born, Thetis gave him ambrosia
and nectar, and forthwith the divine boy stood on his feet—
**The golden lyre," cried he, " shall be my joy, the carved
bow my pleasure, and in oracles I will reveal the events of
* Quam plus Arcitenens oras et litora circum
Errantena Mycono cels^ Gyaroque revinxit. — ^n. iii, 75,
Arcitenens^ the God of the bow {arcus, teneo)*
c 5
46 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
futurity" (Hymn, in Ap. 1 20). Apollo then proceeded to de-
stroy with arrows the serpent Pytho ; hence he himself
was called Pythius ; his priestess at Delphi, Pythia ; and the
Pythian games were instituted in commemoration of the
victory.
" The twins of Latona (says Moritz) are the twin deities
of death. Dividing the human race between them, Apollo
takes man for his aim ; Diana, woman : and thus, in the lan-
guage of poetry, they kill with soothing weapons {ayavoiQ
(3e\ie(7(Ti) whomsoever old age or infirmity has stolen upon.
This is evident from the following passages : — * The small
happy island/ relates Eumseus to Ulysses, * where I was
born, is situated beneath a healthy and benevolent sky ;
there men are not swept away by odious sicknesses, but,
when old age comes over them, Diana or Apollo appears
with silver bow, and kills them with arrows that give no
pain* (Od. xv. 402, seq.) • And when Ulysses, in the lower
world, asks the shade of his mother in what manner she
had died, he receives the answer, * Not Diana's soft arrow
has hilled me, nor has sickness taken me away ; but the
longing after thee, my son, and my grief for thy fate, de-
prived me of sweet life' " (Od. xi. 196).
As Apollo is also the God of health and order, his cha-
racter and worship exhibit a moral and political tendency.
He humbles the proud, protects the good, purifies by means
of expiation, composes the mind by music and by the gift
of prophecy {Avgur Apollo, Hor,), and leads on the world to a
better and higher order of things. Hence Homer repre-
sents him exciting the plague (Tl. i. 43), destroying the
contemners of the Gods, slaying the dragon Pytho (Hymn, in
Ap.) and the children of Niobe with his arrows (II. xxiv.
602) ; and, therefore, in the Homeric poems he bears the
epithets of the " far-darting God," and the " God of the silver
bow," k\vt6tOl,oq,, apyvpoTO^OQ, eKarog, EKaepyog, kicaTr}l36\oQ,
When describing the plague inflicted upon the Greeks, Homer
represents him " walking forth like a black cloud, or the
APOLLO. 4"'/
dark night itself; and the quiver rattles on his shoulders as
he moves along. He sends his arrows into the camp of
the Greeks — his victims fall on every side, and the funeral
piles are never extinguished."
Whatever may be the true etymology of the word 'AttoX-
Xbjy, the Greeks derived it from aTroXXvfxi, " to destroy" ;
hence Hermann renders it by Necinus; and, in the Aga-
memnon of iEschylus, Cassandra exclaims, 'AttoXXwv, aTroX-
\(Miv e/jLog — "Apollo, my destroyer!" And the co- existence
of two opposite functions, those of preservation and de-
struction, in the same deity, is by no means incompatible.
For, as Ceres is worshipped as the author of sterility as
well as fruitfulness — as Mercury is considered to be the
diminisher as well as increaser of the flocks, so Apollo is
considered to be the author of " slaughter and pestilence"
{dvacpoviog, XoifjiLog); and, as he is implored to " bring
assistance" {eTmcovpiog) in the removal of these inflictions,
his compliance entitles him to be worshipped as an **averter
of evil" {oXe^UaKog, airorfiOTvaioQ, averruncus).
It was in this character, that statues were erected to
Apollo in the " streets" under the epithet of 'Ayuifve; and
it may be observed that, in ancient times, the Pcean was
only sung to Apollo and Diana in reference to the removal
of plague and sicknesses. Hence his connexion with the
healing art leads jEschylus to speak of him as the " phy-
sician-prophet" {laTpoiiavTiQ, Eumen. Q'2) ; for he is also
the father and teacher of jEsculapius, who is acquainted
with the means of soothing every pain, and knows a medi-
cine for every sickness. Horace avails himself of this con-
trast in the functions of the God:
quondam cithara tacenteni
Suscitat Musam, neque semper arcum
Tendit Apollo.— Od. ii. 10, 18.
** The God does not always bend his bow : soon will he
awaken the silent muse to play and song."
48 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
Apollo assisted Neptune in building the walls of Troy
(Apollinece structa canore Lyrce^ Ov.); and when Lao-
medon refused to give him the pronaised reward, he de-
stroyed the inhabitants by a pestilence. His musical con-
tests with the Arcadian Pan and the Phrygian Marsyas*
are well known. Ovid considers the latter as the contest
between the flute {av\r]) and the harp (cithara), Met.vi.
382. Apollo appears also as the god of agriculture and
the pastoral life ; for music is characteristic of the pastoral
life, and Apollo, being the giver of these gifts, is considered
as leader of the Muses (fxovaayirrjc). The oracles of Apollo
were in general repute all over the world ; hence his epi-
thet Loxias (Ao^me), in reference to the " obliqueness or
ambiguity" of his responses, though some understood it in
reference to the "obliquity" of the ecliptic — Apollo being
sometimes confounded with the sun.
One of the most remarkable events in the history of
Apollo was his temporary exile from heaven, because, being
irritated by the death of his son- -.^sculapius (whom Jupiter
had killed for restoring the dead to life), he destroyed the
Cyclopes who had fabricated the thunderbolts. He took
up his abode with Admetus, king of Thessaly, and became
one of his "shepherds;" hence he is called Nomius {vofiiogj
* Marsyas, being vanquished, was flayed alive (Ovid, Met.
vi. 697). As Marsyas is supposed to have invented the flute,
Statius calls it Celcsnea huxos (Theb. ii. 666), from his native
city, Celcenoc. In the contest between Pan and Apollo, MIDAS,
king of Phrygia, awarded the victory to Pan. Apollo punished
him for his stupidity by changing his ears into those of an
ass —
Induiturque aures lent^ gradientis aselli. — Ovid, Met. xi. 179.
This defect was discovered by his barber, who, being afraid to
divulge it, yet unable to keep it secret, dug a hole in the ground,
in which he whispered it. On that place grew a number of
weeds, which, when agitated by the wind, uttered the same
words which the slave had repeated — " Midas has the ears of an
ass" {Ovid, Met. xi. 193). To this fable Persius beautifully
alludes, i. 119.
APOLLO. 49
vo/xevg)', Agreus, as "presiding over the chase'* {aypevg) ;
the Amphrysian shepherd {Pastor ah Amphryso, Virg. G.
iii.2), from the river Amphrysus ; and the sibyl, his pro-
phetess, Amphrysia Vales (FzV^. ^n. vi. 398). One day
Mercury carried off some of the cows of Apollo by stealth.
Apollo threatened him with punishment ; but, perceiving
himself artfully deprived of his quiver {vacuus pharetrd,
Ho7\0d. i. 10, 9), he smiled and a mutual reconciliation was
effected — Mercury presenting Apollo with his lyre, and
Apollo presenting Mercury with a golden rod, which he had
carried as a shepherd, and which Mercury now used as his
caduceus. Apollo exhibited his gratitude towards Admetus,
by obtaining for him in marriage Alcestis, the daughter of
Pehas, who saved his life by dying in his stead — the fates
having granted, on the request of Apollo, that Admetus
might be redeemed from death if another was substituted.
The worship of Apollo was widely extended. As the god
of inspiration and prophecy, he had oracles at Didyme near
Miletus, Patara in Lycia (hence surnamed Patareus), Claros
in Ionia (Clarius), Grynium (-seum) in iEolis {GryiK^us),
at Delos (Delius), but especially at Delphi, which last he
founded after the destruction of Pytho. Here, too, was his
most celebrated temple,* though we must not pass over his
temple at Argos, or his temple at Rome, built upon the
Palatine Mount, enriched with a library, and the appendage
of a splendid portico. Homer mentions the protection of
Apollo as particularly extending to Chryse, the divine Cilia
{KiWav re ^adirjv), and Tenedos.
* Whilst founding his abode at Delphi (supposed to be the
centre of the earth, 6iJL({)aX6s rfjs yrjs, umbilicus terrce), he des-
cried a merchant ship from Crete, bound for the coast of Pylos ;
but he compelled them to enter the harbour of Crissa, and an-
nounced to them that they must serve as priests in his temple.
The strangers repined at the barrenness of the country, but
Apollo consoled them by observing that " victims should never
be wanting, for from all parts and countries of the earth they
shall be here gathered together." — Hymn, in Ap.
50 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
Apollo was worshipped also at Rhodes, where the cele-
brated Colossus was erected in his honour ; and the Dorians
in Asia Minor celebrated games to him on the promontory
of Triopium. During the Secular games {ludi Apollinares,
sceculares) at Rome, hymns were sung in the temple of the
Palatine Apollo ; the Carmen sceculare of Horace is an
example. His statue on Mount Actium {Actius), which
served as a mark to mariners to avoid the dangerous coasts,
was visible at a great distance ; Augustus addressed himself
to it for victory, previous to the battle of Actium. He
afterwards built the Palatine temple alluded to, and cele-
brated quinquennial games {ludi Actiaci) in the neighbour-
hood of Nicopolis to commemorate it. " The animals
consecrated to Apollo were the wolf and hawk, as symbols of
his piercing eyes ; the crow and raven (ales Phoeheins, Ov.)
from their supposed faculty of predicting the future ; the
cock from his announcing the dawn, and rising of the sun ;
the grasshopper and swan from their tuneful powers ; and,
in his sacrifices, wolves and hawks were offered, as they
were the natural enemies of the flocks over which he pre-
sided."
As Apollo was the heau ideal of youth, strength, and
beauty,* he is always represented as a beardless young man
with a handsome shape, and long hair ('Afcepo-e/co/ii^c, inton-
sus et crinitns) ; if clothed at all, clothed in a light garment,
holding in his hand a bow, with a quiver suspended on
his back, and sometimes a lyre. He was crowned with
laurel, because the laurel was sacred to him (laurus Apolli-
nea, Phcehea) ; hence those who pretended to prophesy ate
of it — poets and triumphing generals were crowned with it
{laurigeros ignes haurire^ to receive the inspiration of
Apollo, I Stat. Ach. i. 508). As ancient writers have fre-
* The Apollo Belvidere^ discovered 1503, has been considered
to realise all these perfections.
f Hence the Boeotian festival in honour of Apollo, termed
Daphnephoria. Aacpvrjcpdpos, Laurel-bearer.
APOLLO. 51
quently confounded him with the sun, his head is generally
surrounded with rays of light.
The metamorphoses effected by this god were numerous ;
we need only mention his attachment for Daphne, whom he
transformed into a laurel (^a0vr;) ; for Hyacinthus, whom
he changed into a flower of the same name {Tyrio nitentior
ostro, Ov.) ; Clytie's attachment was unrequited, and she
was changed into the sun-flower, or Heliotrope (^Xiog and
rp£7rw), which still "turns" its head " towards the sun" in his
course, as in pledge of her love. Amongst other remarkable
events in his life, we should mention the metamorphosis of
Cyparissus (who had killed a favourite stag of the god) into
a cypress-tree, and the unhappy request of his son Phaeton
to drive the solar chariot, which produced a universal
conflagration.
In addition to others already mentioned, Apollo bore the
epithets of Cynthiiis, from Mount Cynthus in Delos ; Thym-
hrceus, from Thymbra, a place near Troy ; Smintheus, from
his destroying the " mice" which infested Smintha, a town
of Troas ; Lyceus, from the twihght (XvKrj) ; Phcebus, as
indicating the " purity" of youth, or the " brilliance" of the
sun; Pcean, from his arrows {izaiw, percutio), or curing
diseases {iravco, to assuage; Pceonice Iterbce, medicinal
herbs) ; hence Pcean is put for a joyful song, and lo Pcean
was an exclamation of victory, and according to some, bears
reference to the victory over Pytho. He is also called
Leucadius Deus, from thepromontory of Leucate [-as or -ates]
in Leucadia, where he had a temple ; and Agyieus, because
the Greeks erected altars* to him in the streets {ayviai) ;
hence levis Agyieu, O beardless Apollo {Hor, Od. iv. 6, 28).
As the plain and harbour of Cirrha were in the neighbour-
hood of Delphi, Juvenal terms Apollo Cirrhceus Fates {xm.7 9),
* Altars were frequently erected in the streets in the front of
private houses ; hence Kviaaav dyuicis, as in a public rejoicing,
when every altar was smoking. — Vide Kuster ad Aristoph.
"Inn. 1320.
52
SUPERIOR DEITIES.
To these may be added ^gletes, AlyX-qTriQ, the " shining one,"
under which name he was worshipped on the island of
Anaphe; and his epithets, KTiffrrjg, okifrnjs, dcj fj-arirriQ,
point him out as the "builder" of cities. His epithet,
d^//ra>(0, marks him as the " discharger" of arrows {a(pir}^i),
though some interpret it the •• prophesier" {({))) fxi). Apollo
was born on the "seventh day" (e fi^o nay evr]g), fitted the
lyre with seven strings, and is the leader of the seven
planets.
VII. SOL. 'HEAIOS. PHCEBUS.
CHARACTER OP SOL. HIS RESIDENCE. WHERE WORSHIP-
PED. — THE ADVENTURE OF PHAETON. REPRESENTATIONS
OF SOL.
This Titanic god, known to the Greeks under the name of
Helios (>/\ioc)» was the son of Hyperion, according to He-
siod (Theog. 370), though Homer considers them to be
identical (Od. xii. 132); hence Hyperion* is used poetically
for the sun — ictusque Hyperione multo Sirius, the dog-star
heated on account of its proximity to the sun (Stat. Sylv.
iii. 1. 53). Aurora (Eos) and Luna are the sisters of Sol;
and the whole of the heavenly bodies are subject to his
dominion. At a later period, his nature was confounded
with that of Apollo ; and it is on account of this intimate
connection that we here insert an account of Hehos, though
he is not one of the Superior Deities, or sons of Saturn
(Kronidae).f
* Hence Ovid calls the sun " Titan."
Nullus adhuc mundo praebebat lumina Titan. — Met. i. 10.
And Virgil the stars Titania astra (Mn. 6). " Geos is frequently
said of the Sun., and generally without the article (in the Trage-
dians"). — Major's Guide, &c. p. 176.
f iJ^W, Bilderb, i. p. 35. — " The imagination of the poets
seems to have blended together the two persons of Helios and
Apollo, for the sake of unity, while, in fact, they recognised two
diiferent beings, the one from time immemorial driving the
SOL. 53
Sol is supposed to have two mansions — the one in the
East and the other in the West ; hence SoUs utraque domus
{Ov. Ep. ix. 16) ; Frimceque occiduceque domus (Stat. Theb.
i. 200), both East and West. As Spain lay to the extreme
West of Europe, the poets represent its inhabitants as hear-
ing the hissing of the sun's chariot {striderdem solem), when
it sets in the ocean near the straits of Gibraltar {Herculeo
^Mr(;27e, Juv. xiv. 280); and Gades (Cadiz) is called his
couch — Solisque cuhilia Gades {Stat. Sylv. iii. 1, 185).
The name jEthiops is synonymous with Niger, and applied
to men of a dark complexion wherever situated. Homer
has two divisions of ^Ethiopians — the Eastern and Western.
By the Eastern Ethiopians he is supposed to mean the dark-
coloured natives of Southern Arabia, while the Libyans cor-
respond with the Western. Homer makes the Ethiopians
especial favourites of Olympus — the gods, at stated seasons,
honouring their banquets with their presence. " The Greeks
supposed that a race of men which could endure such in-
tense heat, must be a nobler order of beings, and that those
who dwelt so near the rising and setting of the orb of day,
must be in closer union than others with the inhabitants of
the skies." The flocks and herds of the sun are placed by
Homer (Od. xii, 127)* in Sicily, probably on account of its
westerly situation ; for Sicily, at that early period, was
fairly in the land of fable. They were tended by his two
daughters, Lampetia and Phaethusa.
The '• God of day" was worshipped at Athens, Corinth,
Sicy on, Megalopolis ; in Ehs, on the promontoiy of Tsenarum,
solar chariot, the other wandering on earth a new-born immortal
youth, with golden locks, charming the hearts of gods and
mortals with play and song." — Moritz, p. 39.
* In the poetical language of the ancients, herds which
grazed without herdsmen were said to be sacred to the sun, as
under his immediate superintendence. When the companions
of Ulysses had killed several of these sacred oxen, the god of
the sun threatened Jupiter that he would descend into Orcus
and bring light to the dead, unless he avenged the injury.
54 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
and Mount Taygetus, as well as at Troezen,Hermione andAr-
gos. But at Rhodes, the worship of the sun was matured into
a regular system. Here, in addition to a temple ("AXetov)
the celebrated Colossus, one of the seven wonders of the
world, was erected to his honour at the entrance of the
smaller harbour. Its height was 103 Grecian feet, and
from the top of it the spectator might discover Syria and
the ships that went to Egypt. It was erected 300 b.c. and
thrown down about sixty-six years afterwards by an earth-
quake. During the games (fj loprr) rov 'AXiov, "AXem,
'^AXm, 'AXe~ia) there was a solemn procession, and a team
of four horses was precipitated into the sea, as a sacrifice to
the god, in allusion, probably, to the poetical idea of the
sun setting in the ocean.
But as the worship of the heavenly bodies (Sabaism*),
so natural to the human mind when uninstructed by revela-
tion, prevailed at a very early period, and in the most
distant countries, it would hardly be worth while to inquire
whether the worship of the most glorious object in nature,
in any given place, was indigenous or foreign in its origin. f
* Hence the similarity between the term Sahaism [from the
Zdbii who worshipped the heavenly bodies] and the Greek verb
are^ofim, to worship. Again, Uranus from the Greek ovpavos;
and the Titans [his offspring] were nothing more than the con-
stellations, as appears from their names. Thus, Hyperion
(yirep icoj/, " he that moves on high") ; Kceos (koio), " he that
burns"), father of Asteria (darrjp, " a star"), and husband of
PhoBbe, the moon or " the bright shining" {Anthon, s. Cceus).
Crios means the ram^ i. e. Aries, one of the constellations of
the zodiac ; his sons are Pallas, " he that moves to and fro"
(jraXkeiv) ; and Perses, " he who destroys" (jrepOeiv), in allusion,
perhaps, to Sirius. Y\ie Greek da-Trjp, " a star," appears only
an abbreviation oi Astarte, the Syrian goddess, and " Queen of
Heaven,'' as she is styled by Milton (Id. s. Jupiter.)
Lucentemque globum lunoe, Titaniaque astra
Spiritus intus alit Mn. vi. 725.
t At Emesa, in Syria, this deity was worshipped, according
to some, under the title of Heliogabalus, and the image of a
large black stone of a conical shape. — Herod, v. 5.
SOL. 55
In Persia the sun was worshipped under the title of Mithras;
and his worship was introduced into Rome by Hehogabalus,
who had been initiated into the priesthood of the god during
his sojourn in Syria. The magnificent temples of Bel-
Helios at Baalbec in Syria, and of Helios at Palmyra, are
well known ; to which we may add, the beautiful temple of
Bel-Helios erected at Rome by Aurelian. In the Egyptian
Heliopolis, or the " City of the Sun" (j/\tof and ttoXiq), not
far from the modern Cairo, there was a temple in which a
mirror was so disposed, that it reflected the rays of the sun
all day long, and illuminated the whole temple with great
splendour.
The daily occupation of Sol consists in driving his chariot
across the vault of Heaven, from east to west, as far as the
garden of the Hesperides, which is placed by Hesiod beyond
the ocean, but is more universally beheved to be near Mount
Atlas, in Africa.
The sun
Declined, was hasting down with prone career
To the ocean isles ; and in the ascending scale
Of heaven, the stars that usher evening rose.
Milton, Paradise Lost, iv. 353—355.
Minnarmus and others mention the golden boat or cup
{UiraQ, KoiXri, scyphus solis) fabricated by Vulcan, in which
the god sails over the ocean to the sacred abode of night,
to his mother, and wife and children, with whom he wanders
through the laurel-groves.* And this is the golden boat
which Hercules borrowed for his expeditions to Erithyia,
the gardens of the Hesperides, and Sicily.
We have already mentioned the unhappy request of
PHAETON to drive his father's chariot, and the universal
conflagration that followed. According to the poets, it was
owing to this unskilful driving of Phaeton that the colour of
the Ethiopians became black, that the territories of Libya
were parched up, and that Africa now exhibits a sandy
* Weher's Elegiac Poets of the Greeks, p. 35, 37, 479.
56 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
country, and uncultivated waste. Phaeton was struck with
a thunder-bolt by Jupiter, and precipitated into the Eriddnus,
or Po {Phaethontius amnis) ; though some apply the name
to the Rodaun^ a small stream in the north of Europe, near
Dantzic. His sisters {Phaetontiddes, v. zdes, HeliadeSydaagh'
ters of the Sun) lamented his death until they were turned
into alder or poplar-trees {Ov. Met. ii. 1 — 366), and their
tears into amber ; hence capaces Heliadum crustce, large
cups of amber* {Juv. iv, 37). As no amber was found near
the Po, this is considered by some a strong argument why
we should place the scene of Phaeton's fall in the north —
the Phoenicians drawing their main supply of amber from the
Baltic, and the immediate vicinity of the true Eridanus.
Amber (electrum) being obtained afterwards in large quan-
tities among the Veneti on the Adriatic, induced the Greeks
to remove the Eridanus to this quarter, and identify it with
the Po, off the mouth of which stream they placed their
imaginary "amber islands," the Electrides.
Sol is represented in a juvenile form, driving a chariot
drawn by four horses, attended by the HorcE, or four
seasons ; whilst the chariot of the Moon is only drawn by
two horses. In the representations of artists, he is dis-
tinguished by the Chlamys, under which he wears a short
girt tunic — by the crown of rays — by the cornucopia, as a
symbol of the fertility which he occasions — by the globe
which he holds in his hand as the symbol of the world which
he illuminates, and by his two horses, ^thon and Pyrois ;
a cock, the emblem of vigilance, frequently rests upon his
hand. When his worship was introduced into Rome, under
his Persian name Mithras, altars were erected to him with
the inscription, Deo Soli Mithrce, or Soli Deo invicto
Mithrce, " to the invincible God, Mithras."
* The transparency of amber was proverbial — ■
Purior electro campum petit amnis. — Virg, G. iii. 522.
HoUs o'er Bilysian flowers her amber stream.
Milton's Paradise Lost, iii. 359.
57
VII. DIANA. "APTEMIS.
CHARACTER AND OFFICES OF DIANA. EXAMPLES OF HER
VENGEANCE. FABLE OF ENDYMION. WORSHIP OP DIANA.
Diana was the daug-hter of Jupiter and Latona (ArjTojyireia,
JEsch. Sept. 148) ; she was born at Delos at the same birth
with Apollo. The sufferings of her mother inspired her
with an aversion to marriage. Jupiter granted her the sempi-
ternal state of a virgin ; and hence she bears the epithets of
Integra, Intacta, and Ilapdevo^, in reference to her virginity.
In order to shun the society of men, she devoted herself to
the pleasures of hunting ; and in this character she is repre-
sented as a tall, beautiful virgin, somewhat masculine in her
appearance, wearing buskins, with a quiver on her shoulder,
and her clothes girt {succincta), and accompanied by a
number of chosen virgins, above all of whom she " stands
conspicuous, though all of them be beautiful "— -
PeTa 8' apiyvcoTT] ireXerat, KoKai be re nao-ai. — Horn. Od. vi. 110.
Bending her golden bow, she sends forth the fatal shafts on
every side ; the tops of the mountains tremble, and the
forest resounds with the panting of the stricken deer (Hymn,
in Dian.). And hence Diana is designated lox^ciipa " re-
joicing in arrows ;" 0r/po0ov7/, the " killer of wild beasts ;"
e\a(j)rjlju\oQ, the " stag-slayer;" nemorensis, as presiding over
forests; iceXahtr^, as the lover of the "tumult" connected
with hunting ; and, in general, ayporepa, dr^pevTiKij, Kvvrj-
ytrtu), Fenatrix puella, as the Goddess of the " chase/'
As Apollo was confounded with the sun, so Diana was
confounded with the moon. Again, as Goddess of the
lower world, she is sometimes confounded with Hecate ;*
* HECATE was the daughter of Perses, the sen of the Titan
Crius, and of Asteria, the daughter of the Titan Coeus and
Phoebe. As her dominion extends more particularly over the
infernal regions (hence her epithet x^ovia), all the magic powers
stand at her command —
Nocturnisque Hecate triviis ululata per urbes.
And Hecate by night adored with shrieks.— Firs'. vEn.
58
SUPERIOR DEITIES.
and, from this triple existence, Ovid calls her Triplex
Diana (Ep. xii. 79), and Virgil, Tergemina Hecate^ Diva
iriformis, and speaks of the tria virginis ora Diance, as
some of her statues represented her with three heads (^n.
iv. 511). The epithet Trivia refers to her statue being
placed where three ways met. Her Greek name, Artemis,
probably refers to her virginity, or the assistance which she
afforded in childbirth {ElXeidvia, \v(nL,h)vr], Lucina).
Diana, as the sister of Apollo, bears the epithet of 'Emrr/,
the "far darting," or destroyer, as Apollo does of'E^-arog.
Hence she is represented as leading the choruses of the
Muses and Graces who chaunt forth the praises of the
heavenly Latona ; and, in unison with him, she directs her
*• soothing weapons" against the families of men in their
successive generations. As a virgin, she punishes any im-
propriety in the conduct of her own and the other sex ; thus
Actseon was changed into a stag, and devoured by his own
dogs (Oy. Met. iii. 155). The insolence of NIOBE towards
Latona provoked the indignation of her offspring ; and, ac-
cordingly, all the sons of Niobe expired by the darts of
Apollo, and all the daughters, except Chloris, were de-
stroyed by Diana; whilst Niobe* herself, struck at the sud-
denness of her misfortunes, was changed into a stone, or
rock of marble on Mount Sipylus, hence called Genitrix
Sipgleia (Stat.)
Orba resedit,
Exanimes inter nates, natasque virumque
Diriguitque ma\is.— Ov. Met. iv. 148.
Her resentment against Chione, who boasted of her
* The Niobe group, consisting of fifteen figures [ascribed
generally to Praxiteles], has attracted the notice of archaeolo-
gists. " The Niobe," says Hazlitt, '' more than any other an-
tique head, combines truth and beauty with deep passion. But
here the passion is fixed, intense, habitual ; it is not a sudden or
violent gesticulation, but a settled mould of features : the grief
it expresses is such as might almost turn the human countenance
itseldnto marble r—FjUcjc. Brit. (Winckelmann, \i, l,p.52).
DIANA." 59
beauty, and the attachment of the Gods, caused the destruc-
tion of the latter {Ov. Met. xi. 321). CaUisto, too, was ba-
nished from the number of her nymphs ; and the jealous
Juno changed her into a bear, which afterwards became a
constellation called Ursa (Ov. Met. ii. 464), or Helice, in
allusion to its " going round" and round the pole.
Yet, at the same time, Diana, hke Apollo, could avert the
evils it was her special province to inflict ; and hence, in
that light, she was looked upon as a "preserving Goddess"
(0fa o-wretpa, sospila) ; that is, she cured and alleviated the
sufferings of mortals, or delivered them from imminent
danger. The man whom she looked graciously upon was
prosperous in his fields and flocks, his household was
thriving, and he died in old age {Callirri. Hymn, in Dian.
129). She was more especially the "protectress of the
young," whence the epithets 7raidoTp6(j)OQ, Kovporp6(f)oc:, (piXo-
fjielpa^; and ^schylus (Agam. 142) calls her the protectress
of young sucking animals, and of the game ranging through
the forests of the mountains. The laurel was sacred to both
Apollo and Diana, and both were regarded as the protectors
of towns and streets.*
Under the same aspect, Diana is regarded as the " super-
intendent of harbours" (Xt/x£v7rtc, XiixevocrKOTroc), an epithet
which Creuzer supposes to have been transferred from the
Ephesian Diana, seated near the harbour, to the Diana of
the Greeks in general.f Her temples and sanctuaries in
Arcadia were usually near "lakes" or rivers, whence she
was called Xt/ivi/ne or Xifivala {Pans. ii. 7, § 6.; iii. 23, § 6).
But these epithets and functions of Diana are supposed by
others to have arisen from her being confounded with the
Cretan Britomartes, who, flying from the addresses of Minos,
flung herself into the "nets" (diKrva) which had been set
by fishermen [whence her epithet Dictynna], but was saved
* Dr. Smith's Classical Dictionary, s. Artemis,
t Symbol, ii. p. 182.— 2nd edit.
60 JUPERIOR DEITIES.
by Diana, and became the goddess of fishermen and sailors,
as well as the protectress of harbours and navigation gene-
rally.* Hence Diana is also termed eKJSarrjpia, as super-
intending the " landing" of passengers.
In her character of Luna, or the Moon, Diana is said
to have become enamoured of the shepherd ENDYMION, to
whom Jupiter had granted perpetual youth and sleep ad
libitum ; hence Juvenal uses Endymion for a favourite youth
in general (x. 318), and the proverb, Endymionis somnum
dormire, "to sleep the sleep of Endymion" was used to ex-
press a long sleep. The fable of Endymion and Diana, or
the Moon, is supposed to have originated from his know-
ledge of astronomy, and his fondness for passing the night
on a high mountain (Latmos in Caria, hence Latmius), to
observe the heavenly bodies. Pliny says that he first ex-
plained the phases of the moon (ii. 9). " A tender feehng,"
says Moritz, "led the ancients to represent death under the
symbol of the sleeping Endymion ; and upon their marble
coffins, which enclosed the ashes of youths who had early
fallen into the tomb, Diana is to be seen descending from on
high to the lips of the happy slumberer."
The worship of Diana was widely extended. At Rhodes
she was worshipped as the giver of the best council ("Ajore/ite
apKTTopovXoQ), an attribute which is intimately connected
with her representation as the goddess of witchcraft and
divination {Hecate). In her temple in the Taurica Cherso-
nesus, human victims, chiefly strangers wrecked on the
coast, were offered on her altars — (Nefandi Taurica sacri
Inventrix, Juv. xv. 116); the inhabitants (Tauri) were a
a savage and uncivilised nation. This custom of sacrificing
strangers rendered the enterprise of Orestes peculiarly ar-
duous, who was informed by the oracle that nothing could
deliver him from the persecution of the Furies until he had
brought away the statue of Diana from the Tauric Cherso-
* Hock, Creta, ii. p. 158, &c.
DIANA. 61
nese. " Diana, surnamed ravpoTrokoQ, seems to be a kindred
divinity with the Tauric Diana; for her worship was con-
nected with bloody sacrifices, and the chorus, in the Ajax
of Sophocles, describes the madness of Ajax as the work of
this divinity".*
The worship of Diana at Aricia, a town of Latium on the
Appian road, resembled that paid to her in the Tauric Cher-
sonese. As Aricia was in the neighbourhood of Rome, Ovid
speaks of the suhurhance templum DiancE ; the priest was
called Rex — he defended himself by force of arms against all
who aspired to the dignity ; for whoever could slay him suc-
ceeded to the office —
Partaque per gladios regna nocente manu. — Ov. A. A. i. 259.
The temple of Diana on the Aventine Mount was built by
Servius Tullius, and here she was worshipped during the se-
cular games by chosen virgins, who addressed her in her cha-
racter of Ilithyia or Lucina, i.e., the Goddess who presided
over childbirth. The Carmen Sceculare of Horace entreats her
to lend a gracious ear to the prayers of the quindecimviri, who
had the charge of the Sibylline books, the care of the ludi
sceculares, etc. At Sparta, human sacrifices were offered to
her till the age of Lycurgus, who substituted flagellation {Zta-
fxaariyuxTi^), which was inflicted on youthf, just as gladia-
torial games were introduced among the Romans, as a sub-
stitute for human sacrifices at funeral games, {ludi funebres
Val. Max. ii. 4 — 7). The flagellation, therefore, was a
mitigated p^inishment rather than an invention of Spartan
discipline or hardihood.
But the most splendid temple of Diana was built at Ephe-
sus, a celebrated city of Ionia, t in Asia Minor. The extreme
sanctity of the temple inspired universal awe and reverence.
It was for many ages a repository of foreign and domestic
* Dr. Smith's Class. Diet., s. Artemis.
t Pans. iii. 16 ; 6, v. 13. 2 ; Plut Lye. xviii.
X Alterum lumen Asiae. — Plin. v. 29.
62 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
treasure. The statue of the Goddess was supposed to have
fallen from Jupiter (hoTrerk:), like the sacred shields {ancilia)
borne by the Salian priests at Rome, or the Palladium de-
posited in the Trojan Acropolis. This statue was gorg-eously
apparelled, but did not exhibit the Goddess in her Grecian
form, as the eleg-ant huntress, but in the Asiatic form, with
many breasts (TroXu^taaT-oc j, as the Goddess of nature. " The
whole figure of the Goddess resembled a mummy ; her head
was surmounted with a mural crown (corona muralis), and
the lower part of her body, which ended in a point, like a
pyramid turned upside down, was covered with figures of
mystical animals."*
We have already described Diana as the huntress girt
with the Doric x'-'^^^y o^ tunic ; and we need only observe
that her hair is frequently arranged after the Doric fashion,
that her buskins are Cretan, and that she is accompanied by
a dog, and appears to be drawing a hind towards her. In
her character of Luna she is habited in a long robe, wears a
starry veil, frequently carries a "torch in either hand"
(a/^^tTTUjOoc), as the deity who clears up the shades of night;
and, in this character, the crown of her head frequently ap-
pears on coins, surmounted by the half-moon, with the in-
scription "Diana, the light-bringer" ('ApTeixig(j)ioaP0AITH.
ORIGIN OF VENUS. HER VARIOUS EPITHETS AND OFFICES.
STORY OF ADONIS. JUDGMENT OF PARIS. HER WORSHIP.
HOW REPRESENTED.
Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, was the daughter
of Jupiter and the nymph Dione, according to Homer
(II. V. 370. xiv. 194) ; hence Virgil styles her Dioncea Mater
{JEn. iii. 19). But another tradition* supposes her to have
been born from the foam of the sea (d^poc) ; hence her
Greek name Aphrodite, and her epithets, ahich were pastured, the
herds of the sun. 3. The distance between the land of the Loto-
phagi or (lotus-eaters) on the coast of Africa, is apparently
inconsiderable, for Homer does not estimate the distance by
days and nights, as is his custom when the distance is a great
one. — Geogr. iv. 9.
t Pausanias, i. 20 ; iii. 17
82 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
Homer represents him as occupying a brazen mansion in
Olympus, and pursuing his laborious profession, unacquainted
with the refinements of life (II. xviii. 309 ; i. 571). " The
blessed Gods raise peals of inextinguishable laughter (aaftecr-
Toc yi\u)Q) when they behold limping Vulcan, in the place
of Ganymede, making the round in the assembly of the Im-
mortals, reaching them the nectar-cup, and jesting himself
at his bodily defects and deformity."
All works, exhibiting wonderful skill or strength, parti-
cularly when they are formed of gold, silver or brass, were
styled by the ancient poets — the masterpieces of Vulcan,
("H0at<7ro7rorcg, Eur. Iphig. v. 1072.) He builds the palaces
of the Gods, and adorns them with the most costly furni-
ture ; he makes every article of ornament for the God-
desses, He forges tripods rolling upon wheels, which,
at his command, " instinct with life" and motion, enter the
assembly of the Gods and return to him. He has formed for
himself female servants of gold, which support him when
he is walking.
Vulcan fabricated armour for the most celebrated heroes,
as ^neas the son of Venus, and Achilles the son of Thetis.
By him were fabricated the golden dogs which watched the
house of Alcinoiis {Horn. Od. vii. 89) ; the golden collar given
to Hermione, which proved fatal to all who wore it; the
sceptre which was in possession of Agamemnon, king of
Argos and Mycenee ; the crown of seven stars which Bacchus
gave to Ariadne, and was, after her death, converted into a
constellation ; the sword of Peleus, and the urn which subse-
quently received the ashes of Achilles. Hence Homer
terms him the famous workman {tcXvroTEyv-qc, KKvroEpyoQ)
— and has described for us the shield of Achilles with sur-
passing beanty. In the contest between Ajax and Ulysses
for the armour of this hero— Ulysses, when reproaching
Ajax for his stupidity, tells him that he will never be able
to understand the sculpture of a shield which represented
the " Ocean, earth and stars — the Pleiades, Hyades, the
VULCAN. 83
Bear that never dips in ocean, and the glittering sword of
Orion."* The shield of -^neas exhibits the most promi-
nent events in Roman History — famam et fata nepotum^
" the glory and destinies of his posterity {Vir. Mn. 8, 652
—728).
Traditions vary relative to the wife of Vulcan. The
earliest tradition marries him to Charis ;t another to Aglaia,
her youngest sister ; a third, and the most generally received
tradition, makes him the husband of Venus,]: by whom he
had Harmonia ; and the Roman poets term his wife Maia
or Majesta. The tradition about Minerva starting from the
head of Jupiter by the stroke of Vulcan's axe is first men-
tioned by Pindar ;§ the God was afterwards an unsuccessful
candidate for the hand of Minerva. His attachment to his
Goddess was probably intended to represent the connexion
of artistical skill with wisdom ; and his marriage with Venus,
which on other grounds seems irrational, shows us that the
artist naturally seeks for beauty.
Vulcan is usually represented as employed in his pro-
fession ; with one hand he poises his hammer in the air, and
with the other he turns a thunderbolt on the anvil. Some-
times he stands partially naked, holding in his hands the
hammer and pincers, emblematic of his profession, and
wearing a cap on his head. Sometimes he reposes on his
hammer, which rests on the anvil ; the helmet, shield, and
breast- plate show that he has been engaged in the fabri-
cation of armour. As the God of blacksmiths, he bears
the epithets of Mulciher, Pandamator ; Chalaipoda and
* Ovid, Met xiii, 291—294.
t Horn. 11. xviii. 382.
I Hence donare Veneris marito, to commit to the flames
{Jiw. vii. 25). Vulcan was the father of the monster Cacus by
Medusa, who was slain by Hercules, and of Caeculus, who
founded Prseneste {Vir. Mtn. vii. 678 ; x. 544).
§ Fragm. Boeckh., ii. 5, p. 563.
84 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
Cyllopodes from his lameness ; Pamphanes, " all- shining."*
At Athens he had a special festival ('Il^a/oreta), and a
torch-race {Xajj,7ra^r](popia) was celebrated in his honour. At
Rome, the Vulcanalia were introduced at an early period.
It may be remarked that, in his sacrifices, the whole victim
was usually burned ; no portion being reserved, as was
customary in the immolations to the other Gods.
XIII. MERCURY. 'EPMHS.
BIRTH AND CHARACTER OF MERCURY. HIS VARIOUS OFFICES
AS MESSENGER OF THE GODS, THE GOD OF ELOQUENCE,
MERCHANDISE, ETC. HOW REPRESENTED. VARIOUS EPI-
THETS. HIS CADUCEUS.
Mercury was the son of Jupiter and Maia, who was the
daughter of Atlas and Pleione ; hence Ovid terms him At-
lantiades and Atlantis Pleionesque Nepos^ " grandson of
Atlas and Pleione." He was born in Arcadia, on Mount
Cyllene ; hence he is styled Cyllenia proles, and his planet
Cyllenius ignis. On the day of his birth he exhibited
his intelligence by inventing the lyre. Observing the tor-
toise {yiXvQ, testudo) accidentally on the grass, he cried out,
" Now thou art dumb, but after thy death thy song will be
heard." Having killed it, he fitted the shell with seven
* " The fiction of Vulcan shows us the high estimation in
which the art of working in metals was held by the ancients; it
is of all arts the peculiar business of a God. The Curetes or
Coryhantts in Crete, and the Cabiri in Samothrace, have been
considered his descendants ; and we may observe that Ga^a had
formed the first sickle, and the Cyclopes the thunderbolts of
Jupiter before he had commenced his reign, or Vulcan was in
existence. It is pleasing to see the divine artists assisting each
other. Thus Prometheus is assisted in the forn:ation of men
by Vulcan and Minerva ; and it is with great reluctance that
Vulcan, at the command of the Thunderer, binds him to the
rock." — Moritz.
t Met. ii. 743, 627.
MERCURY. 85
strings, tuned it with skilful ear, and striking the instrument
with the plectrum, he sang of the love of Jupiter and Maia,
his own birth, the Nymphs, and the grotto of his mother on
Mount Cyllene {Scliol. Horn. II. xv. 256.—Arat. v. 269).
The lyre, we are told, he subsequently gave to Apollo, and
received the caduceus in exchange.
Mercury, on the same day, exhibited his craftiness by
carrying off the herds of Admetus —
Se memor Ortygias surripuisse boves. — Ov. Fasti, v. 692.
and depriving their keeper, Apollo, of his quiver and arrows.
Though detected by Apollo, he denied the theft before
Jupiter ; but Jupiter commanded him to make restitution of
the cattle.* Yet Mercury was not reformed in his thievish
propensities ; for we find him robbing Jupiter of his sceptre,
Neptune of his trident, Venus of her girdle, Mars of his
sword, and Vulcan of many of his mechanical instruments..
Hence, whenever craft was to be employed. Mercury was
commissioned to lend his assistance, as in stealing the corpse
of Hector from Achilles (II. xxiv. 23) ; in accompanying
Hercules into the lower world in order to carry off Cerberus
(Od. xi. 625), and giving Ulysses such advice as might for-
tify him against the enchantments of Circe (x. 278). Hence
he furnished Perseus with his harpe or scymetar, and his
winged sandals, for his expedition against the Gorgon Me-
dusa ; and he gave to Nephele the golden ram by which her
children, Phryxus and Helle, were enabled to escape from
the oppresssions of their step- mother Ino.
The address of Mercury recommended him to the notice
of Jupiter and the other Gods ; and he became their herald
and messenger (Krjpij^, interpres divorum). In this capacity
he delivered Mars from the confinement of the Aloidse ;
* Horn. Hymn, in Merc. According to another tradition he
committed this theft when he was grown up ( Ov. Met. ii. 685).
Apollo threatened Mercur}* ; but he laughed when he saw him-
self deprived of his quiver {viduus pharetrd) . — Hur. Od. i, 10, 11
86
SUPERIOR DEITIES.
purified the Dan aides who had murdered their husbands ;
tied Ixion to his wheel in the infernal regions ; assisted
Vulcan in fastening Prometheus to the rock ; conducted
Priam to the tent of Achilles to redeem the body of Hector;
and killed the hundred-eyed Argus who watched lo.*
Again, he is recognised as supreme judge in war and peace,
to Gods whether celestial or infernal :
Pacis et armorum superis imisque Deorum
Arbiter. Ov. Fasti, v. QQ5.
As the minister of the Gods, he does not disdain even
menial offices ; and Lucian (Dial. Deor. ii.) represents him
as sweeping the banqueting hall of the Gods, preparing the
seats for the guests, and serving up the viands for their
repast ; for it was necessary that all such offices should be
performed with a certain dignity and grace.
As the messenger of the Gods, and the " eloquent grand-
son of Atlas" {facundus nepos Atlantis, — Hor.), Mercury
naturally presided over rhetoric, an important department in
the education of the ancients. And as at Athens the sophists
were the first rhetoricians and grammarians — hence Mercury
was considered as the God to whom we were indebted for
the origin of language, of grammatical interpretation {epfxt]-
revTiKt]), and of alphabetical writing. Hence we find' Her-
mathence, i.e. "tetragonal blocks surmounted with a bust of
Minerva," placed in the schools of philosophy and eloquence.
As Mercury is the God of " persuasion," the poets represent
a golden chain hanging down from his mouth, and reaching
from Olympus to the listening ears of the dwellers upon
earth.
The idea of a " messenger or conductor" (TrtfiTveip, tto/jlttoq)
* Constiterat quocunque loco, spectabat ad lo,
Ante oculos lo, quamvis aversus, habebat. — Ov. Met. i. 628.
When Argus was slain, his eyes decorated the tail of the
peacock, the bird of Juno —
Gemmis caudam stellantibus implet. — Met. i. 723.
.^....
MERCURY. 87
naturally connected the functions of Mercury with the ad-
ministration of the lower world. Hence he not only super-
induces and dispels sleep, but he is also the " dispenser of
dreams" (rjyrjTMp oveipujv) ; and he is the "conductor" of
departed " souls" (xpvxciyioybc, ■^jv^oTzoincbo) into the regions
of Pluto. Hence ^schylus designates him '^Qovloq or the
" subterranean."
That Mercury was the God of merchandise may be .easily
reconciled with his propensity for thieving ; for commerce,
at an early period, was nothing more than piracy, and the
ancient poets everywhere represent the mariners, when at
sea, inquiring of each other whether they were pirates — the
inquiry exciting neither shame on the one hand nor reproach
on the other. Hence the statues of Mercury were frequently
erected in the market-place; and at Athens, Thebes, Patrae,
&c.; he received the name of Agoraeus (ayopaloc), as the
protector of the ayopa or " market."
The circumstance of Mercury's being born in Arcadia
would naturally recommend him to a pastoral people as the
protector of shepherds (vo/jlioq). As considerable vigilance
is necessary to preserve the flocks from wolves and robbers.
Mercury was well adapted for the office ; and it was pro-
bably, in this respect, that the poet designates him EvaKoiroQ
'Apyei(f)()VTrj<:, "the far-seeing or clear-sighted Argicide."
Hence he is represented as marrying the nymph Polymela
" rich in flocks" ; his son by her is named Eudorus, i. e. the
"liberal or much-giving;" and at Tanagra, in Boeotia, he
was represented as 'Epfirjg Kpio(l)6poQ or " Mercury, the ram-
bearer," because he carried a ram round the city in order to
purify the inhabitants from a pestilence (Pans. ix. 13).
Characterised by his skill and agility, Mercury soon be-
came the patron of gymnastic contests, and also of the " grace-
bestowing palsestra" {decora falcestra, — Hor.), in which
athletes performed the preliminary exercises necessary for
such contests. Hence Mercury bears the epithets of Pro-
machus (7rjOo/ia)(oc), *' the champion or defender ;" Agonius
88 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
and Pancrates (svayMvioQ, Trayjcpar-r/g), as presiding over
" athletic games ;" and the petasus of the God is in imi-
tation of the broad hat worn by athletes.
Mercury is usually represented with a petasus or winged
cap ; talaria, or winged sandals (jaXapa) for his feet, and a
cadiiceus (pa/3^oc), or wand, having two serpents twisted
round it.* He has also a short sword or scymetar (harpe),
which he lent to Perseus in his expedition against the
Gorgons.
As the God of merchants he carries a well- filled purse or
bag ; and, as the conductor of souls, he is associated with
Psyche. The cock, as the emblem of vigilance, and the
tortoise, as emblem of the lyre, are sometimes given as his
attributes.
The Hermce or ordinary " statues of Mercury," were
nothing more than square or tetragonal blocks {kpyaGiai
TETpayojvoij (T^rjixciTa TETpayiova, — Thuc.vi. 27), surmounted
by the head of Mercury. As they were placed not only in
gymnasia and libraries, etc., but also before temples, the
doors of houses, at the corners of streets and high roads ;
hence Mercury was termed gCjkoq, or the " preserver" ;
TrpoTTvXaioQ and Trpovaog, because his statues were placed be-
fore " gates and temples ;" TrvXrj^oicoQ, the " guardian of
gates ;" hodiog ( Trivius), because his statues were placed
in the "pubHc roads," and (TTpo^aioQ, from their being
erected at the " turnings" of streets. The mysterious mu-
tilation of the whole of these statues in a single night, pre-
vious to the sailing of the Sicilian expedition {Thuc. vi. 27),
excited an uncommon indignation at Athens, which termi-
nated in the prosecution of the Hermocopidce, or "muti-
lators of the Hermee." Amongst the Romans these statues
* The Caduceus of the Phoenicians was nothing more than a
rod adorned with green leaves, and with a skilfully tied knot as
the symbol of traffic. These decorations were changed by the
poets to wings and serpents. — Schaaf.
MERCURY. S9
were used as boundary land-marks ; whence they were styled
termini and lapides terminales {Amm. Marc, xviii. 2, 15).
In addition to the terms already mentioned, Mercury is
termed /^/es, "winged;" ^Zzjpes, "wing-footed;" Caducifer
and 'FafihovxoQi from his caduceus, or "wand ;" XpvaoppaTrig,
from that "wand being of gold;" and 'Ajoyet^oj/n^e, the
"Argicide," or slayer of Argus. His Greek name, 'EjO/^^^c,
was given him, because he was the messenger or " inter-
preter of the Gods" {interpres Deorum). His Latin name
Mercurius is derived a mercibus, as he was the God of
" merchandise ;" and at Rome the festival Mercurialia was
celebrated in his honour by persons engaged in trade. Ac-
cording to some writers, Mercury is identical with Cadmilus
or CasmiluSj one of the four Samothracian Cahiri whom
Strabo designates the "ministers of the great Gods." In
Egypt he was the same as Thot, who bears the epithet of
TrismegistuSj " thrice-greatest," as the inventor of letters
and arts {Hermes Trismegistus).
The magic wand is every where associated with Mercury,
as necessary for his important functions. Having seen two
serpents engaged in furious strife, he struck his wand be-
tween them, and the reptiles twisted themselves round it in
gentle concord. No emblem could have been found more
expressive of his power to conciliate enemies, and arrange
differences. With this wand he superinduces or dissipates
sleep {dat somnos adimitque), raises the pale ghosts from
the mansions of the dead (evocat Oreo), conducts others
to Tartarus, and seals the eyes of mortals with death
{lumina morte resignat). Hence Horace terms him equally
** acceptable to the Gods celestial and infernal" —
Superis Deorum Gratus et imis. — Od. i. 10, 20.
Turn virgam capit ; hac animas ille evocat Oreo
Pallentes, alias sub tristia Tartara mittit,
Dat somncs adimitque, et lumina morte resignat.
Ffr.iEn.iv. 242—4.
90
XIV. BACCHUS. AIONYSOS, AmNYSOS.
BIRTH AND EDUCATION OF BACCHUS. HIS EXPLOITS. HIS
WORSHIP AND FESTIVALS HOW REPRESENTED. HIS VA-
RIOUS EPITHETS. SILENUS.
Bacchus was the son of Jupiter and Semele, the daughter
of Cadmus of Thebes {Thehance Semeles puer). At the
instigation of Juno, Semele requested Jupiter to visit her in
all his majesty. The request was fatal; for Semele was con-
sumed by his appearing in thunder and lightning. Bacchus,
we are told, was afterwards inserted in Jupiter's thigh ;* for
mortality must be destroyed before immortality could com-
mence. From these circumstances, Bacchus is termed rrvpi-
ysvr]Q, ignigena, as " born in the fire ;" fxr]poppa(])riQ and
fjirjporpcKpriQ, as being "sewed up" and "nourished in the
thigh" of Jupiter; and bimater (difJiy'iTojp), as, in a figurative
sense, having " two mothers ;" hi(j>vr]Q, as having " two
natures," the mortal and immortal ; or because, under the
idea of uniting the " two sexes," he was considered as the
symbol of fecundity.
The education of Bacchus was committed to his aunt Ino,
and afterwards to the nymphs and satyrs of Nysa — a city
which the ancients have fixed in different countries — Bceotia,
Caria, Lydia, Thrace, Arabia, Egypt, and India. Every
island and every mainland contends for the honour of
having nurtured the God who was beheved to have been
the "discoverer" and "planter of the vine" (evper^g cifi-
TTf'Xov, Vitisator), and to have taught its cultivation. The
great extension of his worship will account for those multi-
farious traditions : " a God," says Buttman, " who came to
the rest of the Greeks out of Thebes, was for them a Deity
* Those who contend for the Indian origin of Bacchus, trace
a resemblance between the Greek word prjpos, a thigh, and the
Indian Merou. " the mountain of the Gods."
BACCHUS. 91
horn in Thebes."* It was probably this extension of his
worship which gave rise to the tradition about his expedition
into the East, in which he was followed by women as well
as men.f We are told that his victories were easy and
without bloodshed ; and this indicates the progress of a re-
ligious system, rather than of military conquest.
The exploits of Bacchus are numerous. At Argos he
descended through the Halcyonian sea into the infernal
regions, in order to conduct his mother Semele to Olympus,
who was there deified under the name of Thyone. He
married Ariadne after she had been forsaken by Theseus in
the island of Naxos ; and he transformed the Tyrrhenian
mariners, who had carried him off while asleep, into dolphins.
All who exhibited any disrespect towards his rites or worship
were severely punished. The Thracian Lycurgus, who ex-
pelled him from his kingdom, and abolished his worship,
was precipitated into the Strymon by his raging horses.
Pentheus, who had manifested similar irreverence towards
his orgies, was torn to pieces on Mount Cithseron by the
Bacchanals with sanguinary joy — Agave, his mother, as-
sisting in his dismemberment.
For the same reason the daughters of Minyas, Alcithoe,
Aristippe, and Leucippe, were inspired with an unconquer-
able desire of eating human flesh, and were afterwards meta-
morphosed into bats. Icarius, an Athenian, had given
wine to some peasants, who, being ignorant of its intoxi-
cating quahties, drank it with avidity. He perished by
their hands, and his daughter Erigone hung herself in de-
spair. Icarius was changed into Bootes ; Msera, his faith-
ful dog, into Sirius ; and Erigone into the constellation
* Vel Baccho Thebas, vel Apolline Delphos
Insignes. Hor. Od. i. 7,3.
■j- Silenus, Satyrs, Bacchi, Bacchse, Maenades, Thyades,
Bassarae.
92 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
called Virgo. In the battle of the Giants, Bacchus assumed
the form of a lion and killed Rhcecus —
Tlhoecum retorsisti leonis
Unguibus horribilique mala. — Hor. Carm. ii. 19, 23.
On the other hand, Midas, king of Phrygia, was rewarded
for his hospitality to Silenus, the preceptor of Bacchus, by
the faculty of converting whatever he touched into gold.
In his expeditions, which in fact are triumphal marches,
Bacchus is armed with a thyrsus or spear, entwined with
vine-leaves,* and he rides in a golden chariot drawn by
tigers, panthers, or lynxes. He is accompanied by a vast
multitude crowned with ivy. Being inspired with divine
fury {afflatus), they flourish their thyrsi in the air, and sing
the achievements of their commander to the sound of flutes
and cymbals — frequently exclaiming, lo Bacche ! Ev'de
Bacche ! etc. Thus an ancient poet describes a Bacchante
as on the top of a mountain, which she had unconsciously
ascended. When the furor has passed away, she suddenly
awakes from her mental slumber, and beholds beneath her
the river Hebrus, and all Thrace covered with snow. " The
danger is sweet thus to follow the God whose temples are
encircled with verdant leaves." Hence Bacchus is termed
dr}\v}.iop(poQ, because "women" took part in his processions
and orgies in the " disguise" of Bacchse, Thyades, etc.
People willingly submitted to the dominion of Bacchus ;
for their gratitude was necessarily excited by the presence
of the God who taught them the use of the vine, the culti-
vation of the earth, and the manner of making honey^ —
Liba dec fiunt, succis quia dulcibus ille
Gaudet, et a Baccho mella reperta ferunt. — Ov. Fasti.
* Some writers conceive that the thyrsus of Bacchus was
borrowed from the tradition of Aaron's rod, which " brought
forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds." —
Numb. xvii. 8.
BACCHUS. 93
The worship of this God was celebrated with the most
extravagant joy hke that of Cybele. As his festivals {Dio-
nysiaca) at Athens were " annual," hence his epithet a^u^i-
eriiQ ; while the Thebans designated him rpieTr]g, Tpurripiicos,
because his festival (trieterica) —
( audito stimulant trieterica Baccho
Orgia, nocturnusque vocat clamore Cithaeron.
•Fir^.^n. iv. 302)—
was celebrated " every third year." Bacchus is also termed
Agrius (ayptog), because his followers wandered through
the "fields" during the celebration of his festival; Nye
telius (vvkteXioq), because his orgies were frequently cele-
brated during the "night;" Lyceus and Lysius, because his
followers were "freed" from all care; Br omius, irom the
"furious noise" of the Bacchanals; and Evius, from the
particular exclamations {Ev'de Bacche !) which they em-
ployed.
The festival of Bacchus originally consisted of a masked
"procession" (Qiaaoo), with music, dancing, and the sacrifice
of a goat, as being destructive to the vine ; and this was the
origin of the Greek Drama.* The procession by night was
conducted under the light of torches: hence Bacchus has
the power of removing a pestilence ; for the burning torches
clear the impurity of the atmosphere, which is so intimately
connected with the origin of pestilence (Soph. CEd.). Mys-
teries (reXerai) were connected with these festivals ; hence
Bacchus is termed TeXerdpxns " leader of the mysteries ;"
XiKvlrrjQ, because a broad basket (XiKvoy, myslica vannus),
was borne in the processions ; and epveaiTreTrXog, because its
contents were " covered by leaves," in order to shroud them
from vulgar eyes. The hymns sung in praise of the God
were termed JJithyrambi. Hence he is styled 7ro\vvjj.pogi
* Tpaycobia from rpdyos " a goat," and abr] '' a song " The
goat was the prize of Tragedy ; as a vessel of wine and a basket
of figs were the premium for Comedy : hence-
Carmine qui tragico vilem certavit ob hircum. — Hor,
E 5
94
SUPERIOR DEITIES.
as being so " often sung" in these compositions ; ttoXvoj-
rufxoQ, as being invoked by so " many names;" and apaoxopoQ-,
as " exciting the dance." The Muses, in general, are repre-
sented as his inseparable companions, and " uniting with
him in the chorus" {(Tvyxopevral, Julian, Or. iv).
It may be necessary to remark that the festivals of
Bacchus {Dionysiaca) were celebrated by the Greeks with
much licentiousness ; and, among the Romans, the disorder
and pollution which was practised at the nocturnal Baccha-
nalia by no less than seven thousand votaries of either sex,
caused the senate to interfere and suppress the Bacchanalia
by a formal decree (568 a. u. 186 B.c.) — Senatus ConsuUum
de Bacchanalihus (Liv. xxxix. 8 — 18). While the Baccha-
nalia were thus suppressed, another more simple and inno-
cent festival of Bacchus — the Liheralia (from Liher or Liher
Pater, a name of Bacchus) continued to be celebrated at
Rome every year on the 16th of March {Ov. Fast. iii. 713).
Bacchus may be considered as the productive overflowing
and intoxicating power of nature ; and, as wine is the most
appropriate symbol of that power, it is called the " fruit of
Bacchus" {^Lovvaov Kapirog, — Pind. Fragm. 89). As the
God of wine he is not only an inspired but an inspiring
God, i. e., he can reveal the future to man by oracles. Now,
as prophetic power is always combined with the healing art,
he is designated, like Apollo, the "physician" or " healer"
{larpoQy vyiar^Q, — Eustath. ad Hom., p. 1624) ; and he is in-
voked as a "preserving deity" {Qs.oq aiorrjp) against raging
diseases (Soph. GEd. Tyr. 210).
As the Greek drama had risen out of the dithyrambic
choruses in use at his festivals, Bacchus was also regarded
as the God of tragic art, and the protector of theatres. In
later times he was also worshipped as a Oeog x^ovloq or
" subterranean deity ;"* and the Orphics, in their mysteries,
styled him the son or disciple of Proserpine, with whom he
is said to have remained during the three years which the
* Smith's Classical Dictionary, s. Dionysus.
BACCHUS.
95
vine requires to arrive at perfection. Since agriculture and
the cultivation of the vine may be considered as the first
precursors of civiHsed society, Bacchus, like Ceres, is termed
defTiuo(t)6poQy or "legislator;" and his festival or mysteries
{reXeTal) were, perhaps, originally symbohcal of the transition
from the savage to the civiHsed state.
Bacchus is usually represented as a youth (£^r//3oc), or
one bordering on youth (fxeXXicprfPoQ) ; his whole appearance
is somewhat voluptuous. His form is fuller and less mas-
cuhne than that of Mercury or Apollo ; his muscles are not
brought out ; and his " beautiful hair" [whence his epithet
KaWiieeipog] loosely flowing down his shoulders — the mitra
on his forehead — the crown of ivy or vine -leaves^ the Dio-
nysian buskins — the fawn's skin {vejSpig, whence veppidoa-
ToXoc " robed in the fawn's skin") which partially covers
him, add to the effeminacy of his appearance.
In Etruria, Sicily, and Magna Grsecia, Bacchus was fre-
quently represented under the image of a bull, with a human
head, and wearing a beard ; hence he is termed TrioyMviTiji;^
barbatus, the " bearded;" difjLop([>oc, having a " double form;"
and ravpoyevrjQ or " bull- descended." And as he is fre-
quently represented on coins, though never on statues, with
the horns of a bull or ram : hence his epithets, diKepiorrj^,
^' two-horned ;" ravpoKspbjg, having the " horns of a bull ;"
ravpoKpavoQ or TavpoK£(f>aXoQ, ravp6iiop((>OQ, ravpofieTOiTrocj
having the " head," " form," or " countenance of a bull."
Bacchus is also represented under other forms : for in-
stance, naked, leaning on a faun ; and the group is usually
accompanied with the musical instruments of his votaries —
the mystical van or basket. The Centaurs, also, frequently
appear in the train of Bacchus, among the satyrs, fauns,
etc., no longer as savage monsters, but tamed by the power
of the God, and playing the horn or lyre ; whence Bacchus
himself is termed (prjpo^avTlQ or "passionately fond of beasts"
{(()i]peQ, the name apphed by Homer* to the Centaurs).
* II. i. 268 ; ii. 743— the same as e^pes (Od. xxi. 295, etc.
Hesiodj Scut. Here. 104, &c.). See Centaurs.
96 SUPERIOR 13KITIES.
The ever verdant ivy, the snake which renews its exist-
ence, as it were, by stripping off its skin, are pleasing em-
blems of the unfading youth in which Bacchus is represented ;
and, for this reason, Bacchus, like Apollo, wears his hair
long and flowing —
Solis aeterna est PhcEbo Bacchoque juventas,
Nam decet intonsus crinis utrumque Deura.
Tihull. i. 4, 38.
As to his names and epithets, which are numerous,
Bacchus is called Dionysus by the Greeks, Liher Pater by
the Latins, and Osiris by the Egyptians ; Lencsus, from the
wine press {Xrjvog), whence his festival Lencea ; Bromius,
from the frantic noise of his votaries ; Thyoneus, from his
mother Thyone ; lacchus, from the shouting ; Eleleus, from
the cry eXeXev^ whence the Baechce are called Eleteides
(Oz;. Ep.); Bassareus, from the Lydian robes Qjaaaapa) ,
in which he is sometimes represented ; Nyseus or Nysceus,
from the mountain Nysa, where he was educated by the
nymphs {nymfhce Nyseides); hence Bacchus and Apollo
are denominated by Juvenal (vii. 64) the " Lords of Cirrha
and Nysa," Domini CirrhcB^ Nysceque ; Thyrsiger he de-
rives from his bearing the thyrsus, and Dithyrambus, from
the hymn sung in his honour.
Bacchus is also designated lofiadiog and (bfjuiarriQ^ from the
circumstance that, at Chios, the Baechce were obhged to eat
the "raw" pieces of flesh of the victim, which were dis-
tributed among them — this " eating" being termed w^o^aym ;
\ifxvaloQ or Xtyurayev>7c, from the circumstance of the district,
where the ancient temple of Dionysus Limnceus was situated
at Athens, being originally a "swamp;" Brisceus, from
Brisa, a promontory of Lesbos ; Thyonceus, from Thyone,
the name which Semele received when admitted among the
Gods ; Cadmeus, from his Theban origin ; Edonus, the
*'Thracian," from Edones, a people of that country ;
Zaypeuq, the mysterious name of Bacchus, considered as the
son of Jupiter and Proserpine,
VESTA. 97
SILENUS, whose birth-place was either the promon-
tory of Malea or the mountain of Nysa (^Nysigena — Cat.
Ixiii. 252), is generally represented as the preceptor and
inseparable companion of Bacchus, instructing him in all
sciences and accompanying him in every expedition (Diod.
iv. 4). As the attendant of Bacchus he is naturally addicted
to intoxication ; but this intoxication only serves to inspire
him and raise his mind to the contemplation of nobler
themes. Hence Virgil introduces him as bound by two
boys, with the assistance of the nymph ^gle, and singing
to them verses in which he describes the origin of all things
according to the doctrine of Epicurus, and subjoins various
fables (Eel. vi. 14). Silenus is considered by some as the
representative of old age intoxicated with the juice of the
grape ; but others conceive that his giddiness arises from
profound meditation on sublime subjects. He is generally
represented riding on an ass crowned with flowers. The
ancient satyrs were frequently termed Silenu
XV. VESTA. 'ESTIA.
OFFICES OF VESTA. THE SACRED FIRE. DUTIES OF THE
VESTAL VIRGINS. VESTA, HOW REPRESENTED.
Vesta was the daughter of Saturn and Rhea. As she ob-
tained from Jupiter the privilege of perpetual virginity, she
rejected the addresses of Apollo and Neptune ; and, on that
account, the ruler of the Gods honoured her with a sacred
seat on the domestic hearth. As Vesta, therefore, was the
Goddess of domestic life, she became the patroness of do-
mestic happiness. The sacredness of the "hearth" secured
protection even to the enemy who " approached" it {£(j)taTiog) ;
and hence the expression^ pro aris et focis, " in defence of
our altars and hearths," became proverbial.
But, as the ancients regarded the city with the same
aiFection as their own homes, Vesta became the patroness of
98 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
civil concord; hence, in the Prytaneum of every state or city,
which was the common home of its members or inhabitants,
and was consequently called taria TroXiiog, the " hearth of
the city," a perpetual fire (irvp afffoearroi^) was kept con-
tinually burning on the public altar of the city, just as in
private houses a fire was kept up on the domestic altar.*
Hence the reciprocal duties of colonies and parent states
were symbolically set forth by taking fire from the Prytaneum
of the parent city ; and, if it ever happened to be extin-
guished, the flame was rekindled from the same source.
The care of the sacred fire was committed by the Greeks
to widows ; by the Romans, to virgins. As Vesta taught man
to protect himself against the influence of the elements by
building himself a house before he could pile the fire on the
domestic hearth — hence the entrance and vestibule of every
dwelling was sacred to her. Temples were seldom erected
to this Goddess, though we meet with one at Trcezene. The
offerings made to her were either drink-offerings or offerings
of incense. The first hbation of sweet wine is made to her
at the beginning of every repast ; and, at the close, she re-
ceives the last.
Virgil tells us that TEneas was the first who introduced
the worship of Vesta into Italy.l The mother of Romu-
lus belonged to the order of Vestal Virgins ; yet Numa is
considered as the institutor of the religious usages which
were practised in her honour. He built a temple to her of
a round figure in imitation of that of the earth —
Terra pilae similis nuUo fulcimine nixa.
for the earth is warmed and penetrated by subterranean fires,
subest vigil ignis utrique. — Ov. F. 267 — 9.
* Compare Smith's Diet, of Antiq. s. Prytaneum.
t Vestamque potentem
^ternumque adytis effert penetralibus ignem.
During the conflagration of Troy ( Vir. JEn. ii. 296, 297).
CERES. 99
The duties of iheVestDlYirgins (Virgines Sanctce, — Hor,)
consisted — first, in preserving their chastity during the
term of their office (30 years) — second, in preventing the
sacred fire from being extinguished in the temple of Vesta ;
and third, in taking charge of the Palladium, or sacred
pledge of the empire. As long as the Palladium remained,
Rome could not be taken ; a violation of her vow of chastity,
on the part of a Vestal, was considered ominous to the
empire ; and, if the sacred fire was extinguished, it was
kindled again with glasses by the rays of the sun. If a
Vestal virgin allowed the sacred fire to go out she was
scourged ; if she violated her vow of chastity she was buried
alive.
Vesta is usually represented in the long flowing robe
which characterised the Roman matron — her veil thrown
over her head — holding in her right hand a flambeau — sym-
bolical of the sacred fire, or the Palladium which ^neas
brought from Troy. The ass's head, which is sometimes
associated with her representations, refers to the fable of
her having been forewarned by the ass of Silenus respect-
ing the intentions of Priapus.
XVI. CERES. AHMHTHP.
WANDERINGS OF CERES. TRIPTOLEMUS. EXPLOITS OF
CERES. ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES.— REPRESENTATIONS OF
CERES.
Ceres was the daughter of Saturn and Rhea, and conse-
quently tlie sister of .Juno, Vesta, Jupiter, Neptune and
Pluto. She had a daughter by Jupiter, named Proser-
pine ; and we have already narrated the manner in which
Proserpine was carried oft' by Pluto (p. 40). Ceres having
lighted a torch at Mount ^tna, wandered over the whole
100 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
earth in search of her for the space of nine days and nine
nights; hence Ovid terms her the '* torch-bearing God-
dess" {taedifera Dea), and directs unctuous torches to be
hghted, if there be no frankincense.
Et si tura aberunt, unctas accendite taedas. — Fasti, iv. 411.
Among other places, Ceres came to Eleusis in Attica ;
hence her epithet Actcea in Statius,* and in Ovid Eleusis is
termed Cerealis Eleusin (F. iv. 507). In subsequent times
a stone called ayiXaarog Trirpa the " mournful stone"
(triste saxum) was shewn near the well Callichoros at
Eleusis, on which the Goddess, overwhelmed with grief and
fatigue, is believed to have rested herself on her arrival in
Attica (Ov. F. iv. 302. Apollod. Bibhoth. i. 5). Around
this well the Eleusinian women were said to have first per-
formed their " chorus," and to have sung hymns to the God-
dess (Pans. i. 38. § 6) ; and hence, perhaps its name
KaWixopoQ. Being hospitably entertained by Celeus, Ceres
restored his son, Triptolemus, to health, and taught him hus-
bandry. She also gave him her own chariot, drawn by two
dragons ; and in this celestial vehicle he travelled in order
to communicate the art to all nations, hence he is termed
unci puer monstrator aratri{Firg. G. i. 19). On his return,
he established the festivals and mysteries [the Eleusinian]
in her honour ; and after death he received divine honours.
When Ceres is considered as performing the duties of a
* Tuque, Actsea Ceres, cursu cui semper anhelo,
Votivam taciti quassamus Jampada naystse. — Stat. Silv. iv. 8, 50.
in reference to the " torch-race" of the initiated who never re-
vealed the mysteries (Jtaciti mystm) as described below. So
Horace says that he would not be under the same roof, or ven-
ture out in a boat {solvere phaselum) with a person who had
revealed the mysteries of Ceres— ^wi Cereris sacrum Vulgarit
arcance, for Jupiter has frequently confounded the innocent with
the guilty.— OfZ. iii. 2. 26.
CERES. 101
legislator (Qeff/jLocliopoQ, Legifera) — it is probably intended to
show us that laws and order are introduced when men
abandon the chase or pastoral life, and apply themselves to
agriculture ; for "agriculture is the basis of a well-regulated
social condition." Sicily, owing perhaps to its great ferti-
lity, was considered as the favourite residence of this God-
dess. The idea of Ceres being the author of the earth's
fertility, was extended to fertility in general; and hence she
was looked upon as the Goddess of marriage {Serv. ad
^En. iv. 58). Since Ceres is represented as the mother who
nourishes us — the loss and final recovery of her daughter is
beautifully adapted to ehcit the maternal feehngs. Her
daughter is termed Koprj, or the "girl;" but as the wife of
Pluto, and queen of the lower world, she is designated
lia-Kotva^ or the " mistress."
The following are the principal fabulous circumstances
belonging to the history of Ceres. When travelling in
quest of her daughter, she assumed the equine form in order
to avoid the importunities of Neptune. Lyncus [Lynceus,
etc.], when about to inflict the fatal blow upon Triptolemus,
whom he had received with feigned hospitality, was sud-
denly changed by Ceres into a lynx — an animal which is
the " emblem of perfidy and ingratitude " Erisicthon, a
Thessalian, had cut down the groves of the Goddess. In
return for his impiety, she afflicted him with perpetual hun-
ger, which goaded him at last — after he had squandered all
his possessions to gratify it — to devour his own hmbs for
want of food.
On the other hand, lasion, who reigned over part of
Arcadia, and applied himself diligently to agriculture, was
rewarded with the afi'ection of the Goddess. All the Gods
were present at their nuptials. She bore him two sons,
Philomelus and Plutus. — Ascalaphus, who had seen her
daughter Proserpine eat the grains of a pomegranate
[J/a/wm Punicuni], which she had gathered in the Elysian
102
SUPERIOR DEITIES.
fields, was changed by Ceres into an owl; for this circum-
stance prevented the return of Proserpine (p. 40).
One of the most celebrated festivals in honour of this
Goddess was the Thesmophoria, which was observed in
most of the Grecian cities, but particularly at Athens ; the
place of high priest was hereditary in the family of Eumolpus
(Eumolpidce). But the FAeusinian Mysteries, celebrated
at Eleusis in Attica, and called " the Mysteries" par excel-
lence, hold a still higher rank; and it was death for any
person initiated to reveal them* They were divided into
*' greater" and "lesser;" the former being probably cele-
brated every five years, the latter annually, and being in
reality only a preparatory purification (TrpoKadapaig, Trpoay-
vevmg) for the real mysteries.
The fifth day of the festival was called the *' day of
Torches" (?/ tcop Xa/zTra^tuv rj/jLepa), because at night the
{jLvarai, or those who had been *' initiated" into the Lesser
Mysteries, being led by the ^aidovx^oQ, or " torch-bearer,"
went in the evening with torches to the temple of Ceres at
Eleusis : the ceremony itself being probably intended to
commemorate the wanderings of Ceres in quest of her
daughter, Proserpine, During the night from the sixth to
the seventh day the mystee remained at Eleusis, and were
initiated into the last mysteries {tTtoTTeia). They now
repeated the oath of secresy which had been adminis-
tered to them at the lesser Eleusinia ;t and, after a second
purification, they were led during the darkness of the night
into the lighted interior of a sanctuary, where they beheld
sudden and awful apparitions. This was termed avToxpia,
* Warburton (Div. Leg.) conceives that the descent of
^ffineas into the infernal regions is a figurative description of an
initiation into the Eleusinian mysteries. Augustus, we must
observe, was initiated into the mysteries during a residence at
Athens (Suet. Aug.) ; and the reverence in which the mysteries
were held rendered allegory necessary.
t Compare Smith's Diet, of Antiq. s. Eleusinia.
CERES. 103
or "intuition;" and the initiated spectators were termed
CTTOTrrai.
In addition to the epithets already mentioned, Ceres is
designated ydovia, or the '' subterranean," probably in re-
ference to the seed-corn being buried in the earth; aXwac
from the "threshing-floor;" aXirr/jo/athe "miller," and ^Xot;
as she presided over " green herbs." And hence, as she
supplied food and " nourishment" to all, she was designated
1)y the Greeks dixirvia, and by the Latins alma ; Kovporpo-
(jwQ, the "nourisher of youths," though some apply it more
especially to the cure which she effected in the boy Tripto-
lemus {Tti:rorp6(j)OQ^ 7ratdo(j)iXn) .
From the places where she was worshipped, Ceres was
denominated Actcea, the Attic ; Amphictyonis, because the
Amphictyonic council met in her temple; Catanensis irom.
Catana in Sicily ; Eleusinia from Eleusis in Attica : Myca-
lessia, from Mycallessus, a city of Bceotia; Fanachcea, from
a temple at ^gse in Achaia; Patrensis, from Patrse in the
same district; Felasyia, irom a temple at Argos; Prosy mne,
from a grove in the forest of Lerna; Stiritis, from a city of
that name in Phocis ; Thermesia, from her temple at Troezene ;
and Cahiria, because worshipped in the Samothracian mys-
teries of the Cabiri* (Ka/3£tp/a Ar]iJ,i]rr)p). The way leading
from Athens to Eleusis was called the sacred way (>/ lepa
6^6(;); and the procession from Attica entered Eleusis by
the " mystical entrance" (fivariK)) eiaodoQ.)'\
Ceres, in her representations, approximates to the figure
* Compare Nitsch, Mythol. Worterb. s. Ceres.
f The worship of Ceres was probably introduced amongst the
Italian tribes from Magna Graecia, In Etruria she belonged to
the Penates; and among the Sabines, Ceres signified bread
{MiiUer, Etrusker, ii. 61). At Rome she was publicly wor-
shipped in the Cerealia, Fordicalia (Fordicidia), Ambarvalia,
Feriae Sementivae, and a festival of gratitude in harvest. The
festival Aloa at Athens (from aXcos a threshing-floor) was cele-
brated in honour of Bacchus and Ceres.
104 SUPERIOR DEITIES.
of Juno ; but her form is rounder, and the expression of
her countenance has more of softness and mildness. Her
tunic falls to her feet in straight lines ; she is girt with a
short upper garment, whilst a mantle falls from it, with
•which she veils the back part of her head when she offers
the ears of corn to Triptolemus. Her hair is confined with
a band, or she is crowned with ears of corn. Her distin-
guishing characteristics are the poppy and ears of corn in
her hands— the torch and corn-basket (cista) — and fre-
quently a sceptre in her left hand. A cornucopia is gene-
rally placed near her to indicate the plenty which agriculture
produces. Her strong sandals (TriciXa) indicate the wan-
dering Goddess. Triptolemus generally appears in the
chariot, drawn by flying serpents, presented to him by
Ceres.
105
INFEEIOE DEITIES.
I. AURORA. 'HOS.
AURORA. STORY OF TITHONUS. STATUE OF MEMNON.
THE CONSTELLATION OF ORION. REPRESENTATIONS OF
AURORA.
Aurora, the Goddess of the morning, was the daughter of
Hyperion and Thia ; and consequently the sister of Helios
(the sun) and Selene (the moon). Another tradition makes
her the daughter of the Giant Pallas ; hence, her epithet Pa/-
lantis-ias, and sexto Pallantidos ortu "on the sixth day," and
Pallantide eddem, " on the same day."* She is represented as
the wife of Astrseus, the son of the Titan Crius, to whom
she bore the winds, Zephyrus, Notus and Boreas, as well as
Hesperus and the Stars (Hes. Theog. 378—382).
Aurora became enamoured of TITHONUS, and, at his
request, conferred upon him immortality ; but the gift was
of little value, as he had forgotten to ask for perpetual
youth, vigour and beauty. When he became old and de-
crepit, he prayed for death, and was converted into a cicada
or grasshopper. "No happiness," exclaims the poet, "no
happiness is complete I Young Achilles was called away
by an early death ; and Tithonus, consumed by a slow old
age : his immortality became his burden !"
Aurora had two sons by Tithonus, viz. Emathion and
MEMNON. The statue of the latter, near the Egyptian
Thebes, was said to utter musical sounds when first struck
by the beams of the rising sun. As this statue was muti-
lated by Cambyses or destroyed, in part, by an earthquake,
Juvenal calls it Dimidius Memnon. It is said that, when
the body of Memnon was burnt upon the funeral pile, a
♦ Ovid, Fasti, vi. 567. Met. xv. 700.
106 INFERIOR DEITIES.
flock of birds (Aves MemnonicR or Memnonides) sprung up
from his ashes, and separating into two parties began a
fight in the air, which they repeated every year in the
neighbourhood of Troy.
Aurora became enamoured also of ORION, whom she
carried away to Delos ; but Diana, who had felt a previous
attachment for him, destroyed him with her arrows. Some,
however, ascribe his death to his insulting conduct towards
that Goddess, or one of her attendants ; but Ovid ascribes it
to the bite of a serpent, because he boasted that there was
no animal on earth which he could not conquer. He is re-
presented in the infernal regions as still pleased with his
favourite pursuit of hunting. After his death he was ranked
among the constellations with his girdle and sword; hence
he is called Ensifer and Armatus auro, because his constel-
lation contains several bright stars. As the rising of this
constellation is generally accompanied with great rains and
storms, hence Virgil has given it the epithet of the " watery
Orion" (Aquosus Orio), and Horace speaks of his hostility to
sailors — Infestus Nautis (Epod. xv. 7).*
Aurora is generally represented by the poets as wearing
a saffron -coloured robe (jcpo/co7r£7rXoe, — Horn. II. viii. 1), rid-
ing in a rosy chariot, drawn by two or four horses {in resets
higis, — Vir. Mn. vii. 26: in roseis quadrtgis, — ib. vi. 535); the
horses are of a saffron colour {crocei equi). Homer gives
her only two horses — Lampos and Phaethon. With her
rosy fingers ('Po^o^a/crvXoe 'Hwc. — H- i. 477) she opens the
gates of the East, — pouring the dew upon the earth (hence
called Roscida), and making the roses grow. Nox and
Somnus fly before her — the constellations of heaven dis-
* The story of Cephalus, who was carried away by Aurora,
is told by Ovid (Met. vii. 26). Cephalus would not listen to
the addresses of Aurora ; but the jealousy of the Goddess de-
prived him of his wife Procris ; he shot her accidentally whilst
hunting. In poetical language the death of a youth is generally
called the " Rape of Aurora."
IRIS. 107
appear, and Diana precedes her chariot with burning
torches {Diana Lucifera).
Aurora is supposed always to rise from the couch of her
favourite, Tithonus —
Tithoni croceum linquens Aurora cubile. — Vir. Mn. iv. 585.
bringing hght to mortals and immortals ;* and as Tithonus
was the son of the Trojan king, Laomedon, Statins calls it
the Phrygian couch {Mygdonia cubilia, — Theb. ii. 134) ;
and Aurora herself is sometimes termed Tithonis. In the
Homeric poems, Aurora not only announces the approach of
Helios or the sun, but accompanies him throughout the day.
Hence she is sometimes interchanged with Helios (Od. v.
390 ; X. 144), and the tragic writers completely identify
her with Hemera, or the '* Day ;"t for the term tiwq itself
denotes " hght," " brilliance." And hence the " region of
Aurora" does not merely denote the East (as in Eurip. Or.
1006), but is sometimes extended to the whole illuminated
surface of the earth (vtt' 7)10 rrjeXiov te, — Horn. II. v. 267),
and specially the southern portion inhabited by the Greeks
(Od. ix. 25).
LUNA was the sister of Aurora and the Sun. As she is
frequently confounded with Diana, we refer to our account
of that Goddess, p. 60.
II. IRIS.
OFFICES OF IRIS. THE RAINBOW. IRIS, HOW REPRESENTED.
Iris, the Goddess of the rainbow, was the daughter of
Thaumas and Electra, one of the daughters of Oceanus ; and
hence she is frequently termed Thaumantias. In the earlier
mythology she appears as the messenger of the Gods and
* 'Hwy S'ex \e)(€(x>v Trap ayavov Tidoivolo
"Q.pvvff , iV aOavdroLcn cpocos (pepoi, r]de ^porolai. —
Horn. II. xi. 1 — 2.
f Compare Br. S?nith''s Class. Diet. s. Eos.
108
INFERIOR DEITIES.
Goddesses in general. Homer fixes her habitation in
Olympus : he designates her the " swift-footed ;" and she is
the minister of Jupiter as well as Juno. Thus she carries
off the wounded Venus in the chariot of Mars to Olympus
{Horn. II. V. 365) ; and, on the prayer of Achilles, she
hastens to the dwelhng of the winds and implores their
assistance in exciting the flames at the funeral pile of
Patroclus (11. xxiii. ]98).
But, when Mercury was subsequently advanced to the
office of herald and messenger of the Gods, the duties of
Iris became more restricted ; and she generally appears as
the inseparable companion and ministering attendant of
Juno, whom she frequently accompanies in her chariot.
The same office is sometimes committed to her as to Pro-
serpine : on the approaching death of women, she cuts off
the hair, and thus effects the hberation of the soul from the
body. Juno commissions her to cut off the hair of Dido
when in the pangs of death ; for Proserpine had not yet
performed the office, because she was perishing prematurely
{ante diem, — Vir. Mn. iv. 696).
Iris is represented as descending from Olympus upon the
rainbow and reflecting a thousand colours from the opposite
sun —
Mille trahens varies adverse sole coleres. — Vir. Mu. iv. 701.
And she returns upon the same bow —
Effugit, et remeat per ques medo venerat arcus. — Ov. Met. ii.
She is represented either standing or floating in the air,
with wings attached to her shoulders and feet. Her tunic
is short and girt ; she holds the herald's wand in her left
hand as the emblem of her office, and a vessel in her right.
Ovid represents Iris as sprinkling or purifying Juno with
" dewy water," when returning from the infernal regions —
Quam coelum intrare parantem,
Roratis lustravit aquis Thaumantias Iris.
Met. iv. 479, 480.
LATONA. 109
As the rainbow indicates rain, Iris is said to supply
nourishment to the clouds —
Concipit Iris aquas, alimentaque nubibus adfert. — Met. i. 271.
And her appearance is gratifying to the husbandman, as
betokening the fructifying shower.
III. LATONA. AHTO.
VENGEANCE OP LATONA. REPRESENTATIONS OF LATONA.
ORTYGIA.
Latona was the daughter of Coeus, the Titan, and Phoebe,
the daughter of Uranus. She was the favourite of Jupiter and
the persecuted of Juno ; and the circumstances of her giving
birth to Apollo and Diana on the island of Delos have
been already narrated. Though represented by Hesiod as
characterised by a benevolent feeling towards Gods and
men (Theog. 404), yet she could not be slighted or in-
sulted with impunity. We have already shewn how Niobe,
the wife of the Theban king, Amphion, was punished for
her insolence towards this Goddess (p. 58). * The giant
Tityus, who insulted her, was killed by the arrows of her
children, and was punished with the perpetual gnawing of
his entrails by vultures in the infernal regions, where he
covers an extent of nine acres of ground. In the war be-
tween the Greeks and the Trojans, Latona sided with the
latter.
The worship of Latona was established wherever her
children received adoration — in Lycia, Crete,* at Athens,
Delos, etc. She is represented in a long tunic, girt with a
short upper garment, holding Apollo and Diana in either arm,
and persecuted by the serpent Pytho. Delos was anciently
called Ortygia from oprv^, a quail ; either because Latona
* Her festival here was termed Ecdysia.
F
no
INFERIOR DEITIES.
fled thither from the wrath of Juno in the form of a quail,
or because the island abounded with quails. On this ac-
count, Strabo tells us that no dogs were allowed to be kept
at Delos, because they destroyed the quails and hares (Geog.
X. 485). The name Ayjtu) has been derived from \i]Qelv or
XaOeLv, to " he hid ;" and hence some have considered her
as symbolical of Night, from which the sun and moon (i.e.
Apollo and Diana) subsequently proceeded.
IV. CUPID. "EPOS.— ANTEROS.— PSYCHE.
REPRESENTATIONS OF EROS. CHARACTER OF ANTEROS.
FABLE OF PSYCHE. — HYMEN^US.
In order to understand the ancients properly, we must dis-
tinguish three E rotes: — 1. The cosmogonic Eros — one of the
fundamental causes in the formation of the world, inasmuch
as he was the uniting power of love, which brought order and
harmony among the conflicting elements of which Chaos
consisted. — 2. The Eros of later poets, who gave rise to the
notion of that God who is most familiar among us, is one
of the young'est of all the Gods ; and his parentage is very
difi'erently described. Eros, in this stage, is always con-
ceived and w^as always represented as a handsome youth ;
and it is not till subsequent to the time of Alexander the
Great that — 3. Eros is represented by the epigrammatists
and amatory poets as a wanton boy (Cupid), of whom a
thousand tricks and cruel sports are related, and from
w'hom neither Gods nor men were safe.*
This last Eros or Cupid was the son of Venus, and dis-
tinguished for his beauty. He is represented as a winged
infant, armed with a bow and golden quiver full of arrows ;
and furnished with torches which no one can touch with
impunity (Mosch. Idyl. vi.). His arrows are of diff"erent
* Cf. D?\ Smith's Class. Diet. s. Eros.
;f
CUPID. Ill
power ; some are golden and kindle love in the heart they
wound, others are blunt and heavy with lead, and produce
aversion to a lover {Ov. Met. i. 468). Hence his dominion
extends over the hearts of Gods and men.
And it was the disarming power, rather than the play-
fulness of Cupid, which induced the ancient poets to repre-
sent him as robbing Jupiter of his thunderbolts, Apollo of
his arrows, I.una of her torch, Hercules of his club. Mars
of his helmet, Neptune of his trident, Bacchus of his
thyrsus, and Mercury of his talaria, or winged shoes. And
hence too he is introduced as the principal actor in all the
love-affairs of poetical story ; as in those of Hero and
Leander, Pyramus and Thisbe, Acontius and Cydippe, Her-
mochares and Ctesylla, ^Egypius and Timandra, Nycteus
and Nyctimene, Piasus and Larissa, Astraeus and Alcippe,
JEneas and Dido, etc.
There is an unsuspected harmlessness in the countenance
of Cupid which ill agrees with his real character ; and he
always appears amusing himself with some childish diversion,
such as driving a hoop, catching a butterfly, blowing a horn
before his mother, or embracing her favourite bird, the swan.
He sometimes appears armed like a conqueror, stepping on
the helmet of Mars, or breaking the thunderbolts of Jupiter;
or riding on a lion which he is taming by the strains of his
lyre — a beautiful emblem of the combined power of love and
music. Like the other Gods, he can assume different shapes ;
and thus, in the ^neid, we find him assuming the form of
young Ascanius, in order to inspire Dido with love. Ovid
records his victory over Apollo.
On the other hand, ANTEROS* is the Deity who avenges
slighted love (Deus ultor) ; hence, in the palaestra at Elis,
he is represented as contending with Eros or Cupid. This
conflict, however, was also considered as a rivalry existing
* The signification of mutual love, which is given to Anteros
by later writers, may have originated, in part, from the ambi-
guity of its etymology, which see.
112 INFERIOR DEITIES.
between two lovers ; and thus Anteros may in some respect
be considered as forwarding the schemes of Cupid. And
hence we may explain the fable that, on the birth of Anteros,
Cupid felt his strength increase and his wings enlarge, and
that, whenever his brother is at a distance, he finds himself
reduced to his ancient shape.
The connection of Eros or Cupid with PSYCHE,* who is
represented as a butterfly, or with the wings of a butterfly,
is somewhat mysterious. The personification of Psyche was
posterior to the Augustan age ; and the later fable can
scarcely be explained, except from an idea in the Orphic
mysteries that the body is the prison of the soul (i//vx'/)'
and that Psyche, recollecting the bliss which she had enjoyed
with Eros in preceding ages, is now passing her life in a
state of mournful separation until death again re-unites
them.
In the train of Cupid we find HYMEN^US, who is repre-
sented as leading Psyche and Amor, whom he has united
by a sacred band (vitta). He is winged, and carries nuptial
torches in his hand ; another God of love holds a basket of
fruit over the couple ; before them is Comus and the genial
couch. The doves are emblematic of conjugal fidelity.
Cupid is also frequently represented as accompanied by
such allegorical beings as Pothos and Himeros (desire),
Tyclie (fortune), Peitho (persuasion), the Charites (Graces),
or Muses, etc.
* " Psyche," says Dr. Nares, " means in Greek the human
' soul,' and also a * butterfly ' .[■vJavx'), papilio'], because it was a
very ancient symbol of the soul. From the prevalence of this
symbol, and the consequent coincidence of the names, the an-
cient sculptors frequently represented Psyche as subject to
Cupid in the shape of a butterfly; and even, under the human
form, decorated her with the light and filmy wings of that gay
insect." — Essays, i. 101.
113
V. BELLONA. 'ENYO.
The Eiiyo of the Greeks was a Goddess of war ; and the
Romans paid great adoration to Bellona — erecting to her a
temple and instituting an order of priests {Bellonarii) who
consecrated themselves by making incisions in their body.
She is the sister of Mars, whose chariot she drives in battle ;
her hair is dishevelled, and her aspect wild and ferocious —
she is armed with a bloody whip —
Sanguineo sequitur Bellona flagello. — Vir. Mn. viii. 703.
And traverses the armies, waving a torch. In the heat of
battle it was customary to call upon her ; and no war was
commenced at Rome without throwing a spear over the
pillar which stood before the temple of Bellona.
VI. HEBE. "HBH.
Hebe, the daughter of Jupiter and Juno, was cup-bearer to
the Olympic Gods, and particularly to Jupiter, whose eagle
she fed with ambrosia. She derives her name from the
circumstance that she w^as always fair, and in the bloom of
" youth" {rJlSr}). Hence the Romans styled her Juventas ;
and hence she is appropriately employed in ministering to
the Gods the ambrosia and nectar which serve to maintain
them in perpetual youth ; the practice itself being perfectly
accordant with the ideas of the ancients, who always em-
ployed beautiful youths in the discharge of these offices at
their banquets. If Hebe is sometimes employed in other
offices, as in preparing the chariot for Juno {Horn. II. v. 722),
it is the daughter waiting upon the mother ; or if she pours
balm into the wounds of Mars (II. v. 905) when returning
from battle, it is the affectionate sister ministering to the
wounded brother.
When Ganymede, the beautiful son of Laomedon, was
114 INFERIOR DEITIES.
carried up to Olympus by the eagle of Jupiter, Hebe was
superseded in her office ; and later writers have ascribed her
dismissal to the circumstance of her accidentally falling
while pouring out nectar for the Gods at a grand festival
{Serv. in Vir, JEn. i. 28). When Hercules was deified and
reconciled with Juno, Hebe became his wife, and bore him
two sons — Alexiares, the " averter of imprecations," and
Anicetus, the " invincible" (Cf, Horn. Od. xi. 600). At the
request of her husband, she restored to vigour and youth
his friend lolas, who had assisted him in destroying the
hydra.
Hebe is represented with wings, clad in a long tunic, girt
with a short upper garment, and either fondling the eagle
of Jupiter or moving lightly with a vessel of nectar. Homer
particularly praises the beauty of her hands and feet ; and
designates her fcaXXto-^vpoe, as " having beautiful ankles'*
(Od. xi. 642).
VH. AESCULAPIUS. 'ASKAHHIOS.
^SCULAPIUS. HYGIEIA. THE SERPENT-SYMBOL. WORSHIP
OF ^SCULAPIUS.
JEscuLAPius was the son of Apollo {Phcehigena) and Co-
ronis (Coronides). Though Homer makes no allusion to
the descent of jEsculapius ; yet, as in his opinion, all phy-
sicians were descended from Pseeon {Uaniioy), the healing
God, and Pseeon was, in later times, identified with Apollo,
this, at all events, may be considered as according with the
universal tradition, that JEsculapius was the son of Apollo.*
Homer merely mentions ^sculapius as the illustrious or
* In Homer (Od. iv. 232), Ilatjyfoi/ evidently occurs as the
name of ^Esculapius ; for the scholia correctly assert that the
name Pseeon was not applied to Apollo till a later period, and
even Hesiod expressly distinguishes between Apollo and Pseeon.
Nitsch, Mythol. Worterb. s. v.
iESCULAPIUS. 115
meritorious physician {Irjrrip afivfxioy) ; and the adjective
afivfjicav, which is never given to a God, shows that Homer
considered him to be only a human being.
The education of 7£sculapius was committed to the Cen-
taur Chiron* who instructed him in the healing art. He
accompanied Jason in the Argonautic expedition ; and his
two sons, Machaon and Podalirius, were heroes and leaders
in the Trojan war, as well as renowned for their medical
skill. Hygieia, or the Goddess of health, was his daughter.
She is represented holding a serpent in one hand (the
emblem of perpetual youth, because it renews its skin pe-
riodically), which is drinking out of a cup or patera in the
other. yEsculapius is frequently associated with her on
monuments, and with his son, Telesphorus, who "brings
termination" to pain.
^sculapius, by his knowledge of medicinal herbs (pceo-
nice herbce), restored Hippolytus and so many others to life,
that Jupiter (either fearing that men might contrive to
escape death altogether, or because Pluto had complained
to him respecting the diminution of his subjects), drove him
by a thunderbolt to the infernal regions. Jupiter, however,
released him afterwards from the shades ; and, at the request
of Apollo, placed him among the stars {Hygin. Poet. Astr.
ii. 14), where his constellation is still termed the " serpent-
holder" {dipLovypo). Creuzer traces a resemblance between
j^Esculapius and the Egyptian deity Serapis ; for both, in
the scenes figured on monuments, bear serpents as the
emblems of health.
The most celebrated temple of JSsculapius was at Epi-
daurus on the Saronic Gulf. His temple was surrounded
with an extensive grove, within which neither death nor
* Chiron was wounded in the knee by Hercules, and begged
Jupiter to deprive him of his iramortality. Jupiter placed him
among the constellations, under the title of the Archer {Sagit-
tarius) .
116
INFERIOR DEITIES.
parturition was allowed to take place. The sanctuary con-
tained a statue of ivory and gold, in which ^sculapius was
represented as a handsome and manly figure, seated on a
throne, holding in one hand a stafF, and resting the other
upon the head of a serpent, whilst a dog is lying by his
side {Pans. ii. 27. § 2).* The sick persons who visited the tem-
ples of ^sculapius usually " slept" one or more nights in
his sanctuary (ey/cot^r/ffte, incubatio), observing certain rules
prescribed by the priests, in order that the God might indi-
cate in a dream the means by which their health could be
restored. t The festival celebrated in his honour was
termed Epidauria or Asclepeia ; and it was accompanied
by a musical contest {lepoQ dywV). In his festival at Cos,
the principal religious act consisted in the "elevation of the
staff" {ayaXrj\piQ pajjdov).
In the year of the city 471, the Romans, in order to be
delivered from a pestilence, sent a solemn embassy, at the
command of the Delphic, or the Sibylhne Books, to obtain
a sacred serpent nourished in the temple at Epidaurus.
Such was the introduction of his worship into Rome.
As, among the ancients, several professions, arts, and
offices, were peculiar to certain famihes (witness the Home-
ridcB in Chios, the Dcedalidce at Athens, etc.) so the science
of medicine was regarded as peculiar to the Asclej^iadce,
or descendants of ^Esculapius, who were also regarded as
an order or caste of priests. The knowledge of medicine
was regarded as a sacred secret, which was transmitted
from father to son in this family ; and we still possess the
oath (Jusjurandum Hippocratis) , which every one was
obliged to take when put in possession of the medical
secrets {Gal. Anat. ii. p. 128).]: The celebrated Hippo-
* Cf. Dr. Smith's Classical Dictionary, s. v.
t Sprengel, Geschichte der Med. i. 107.
I Cf. Classical Dictionary, ut supra.
THEMIS. 117
crates of Cos was one of the most distinguished members of
the Asclepiadse.
Most of the epithets of ^sculapius refer to the effects
produced by his medicinal powers; as Aglaopes, "he of
the shining countenance;" Apalexicacus, the " averter of
evil;" riTTwdojrrjg and i]7n6^o)pog the "giver of soothing"
medicines ; Fhilolaos, the " lover of the people ;" 2wrj)p
Servator, the *• preserver ;" Auxiliator, Opifer, Salutifer,
the " help and health-bringer ;" Sanctus and Augustus from
his sacred and venerable character. To these may be added
Epidaurius, from his worship at Epidaurus ; Gortynius and
Causius, from Gortys and Cans, in Arcadia ; Triccceus, from
Triccse, in Thessaly ; and Hagnitus, from his statue at Sparta
being made of the tree named agnus castus (Pans. iii. 14).
VIII. THEMIS. AlKH. ASTR^A. NEMESIS.
DAUGHTERS AND OFFICES OF THEMIS. ASTRiEA. VEN-
GEANCE OF NEMESIS.
Themis, according to the Theogony of Hesiod, was the
daughter of Uranus and Gsea, and the Goddess of Justice.
To her is ascribed the introduction of sacrifices and oracles
into Greece ; for she was prior in origin to Apollo, and
consequently to the oracle at Delphi. The poets represent
her as bearing to Jupiter, three daughters, Dike (justice),
Eunomia (good legislation), and Irene (unanimity), who
received in common the name of HorcB^ inasmuch as they
regulated not only the affairs of communities, but the divi-
sion of time.
After the flood, Deucalion consulted the oracle of Themis in
Attica, and was instructed how to repair the loss of mankinli
Fatidicamque Themin, quae tunc oracla tenebat. —
Ov. Met. i. 321.
Thus Prometheus was taught by Themis to anticipate the
future ; and as Themis reveals to Jupiter the future or the
118 INFERIOR DEITIES.
decision of fate — hence the Parcce are termed the daughters
of Jupiter, and execute his decrees. It was in reference to
this double capacity of Themis, as the fountain of law and
order, and as possessing the power of revealing the future,
that the verb defjuffrEveiv denotes the right of giving laws
no less than the right of giving oracles.
DIKE, as we have seen, was the daughter of Jupiter and
Themis, and one of the HorcB. As she superintended the
administration of justice, and punished every infraction of
its laws — hence she is frequently termed the " assessor,"
or attendant-counsellor of Jupiter {-n-apElpoQi ^vvedpog. Soph.
(Ed. Col. 1377. Orph. Hymn. 61, 2.) ; for Hesiod de-
scribes her as approaching his throne with lamentations
whenever a judge had violated the dictates of Justice (Op.
239, etc.). As an avenging Goddess, she is sometimes
termed Themis 'I^va/r;, because she " tracks" out injustice
and the evil-doer. Under the same view she is sometimes
represented as furnished with wings. ^-Eschylus equips her
with a sword made by Alcra or Fate, with which she pierces
the hearts of the unjust (Clioeph, 639) ; and on the chest of
Cypselus she is represented as a beautiful female, dragging
Injustice ('A^ticta) with the left-hand, and beating her with
a staff, which she holds in the right (Pans. v. 18).
Hesychia, or tranquillity of mind, is very appropriately re-
presented as her daughter (Find. Pyth. viii. 1).
According to Aratus, Dike dwelt, during the golden age,
among the pious men of that generation : during the silver
age she retired to the mountains, and her visits became in-
frequent ; but when the men of the iron age fabricated arms
and killed the ploughing oxen, then (as Hesiod says of
Nemesis, Op. 198), she ascended to heaven, leaving nothing
to mortals but corroding cares and irreparable misery. Of
course, therefore. Dike is the same as Astrcea, whom Ovid
represents as the last of the Deities that abandoned the
earth on account of the impiety of the iron age.
Ultima coelestilm, terras Astraea reliquit. — Ov. Met. i. 150.
I
THEMIS. 119
She was placed among the Constellations of the Zodiac,
under the name of Vwgo ; and is represented as holding a
pair of scales in the one hand, and a sword in the other.
Generally speaking, NEMESIS is the being who evinces
displeasm-e at the violation of those relations or laws which
are founded upon nature and the principles of social order.
Homer, it must be observed, knows nothing of Nemesis as
a Deity; though his expression ov vifieaig ("there is no
blame! nothing which can excite indignation," II. iii. 156,
xiv. 18), and the corresponding verbs, ve^saona and vejae'
(Tiiio^ai, ('*to fear," " respect," "reverence," Od iv. 158, i.
263), mark out the leading idea associated with her charac-
ter. Hesiod represents her as ascending to heaven along
with At^wc, or Modesty, at the first commencement of the
iron age (Op. 198.)
In later poets, however, Nemesis appears more distinctly
as a Deity, and is invested with special functions. The
Orphic hymn (Ix.) represents her as an all-seeing Goddess,
who surveys the whole life of mortals, and beneath whose
yoke all men bow — for she visits with condign punishment
the blind passions of the haughty; and chequers the prospe-
rity of mortals with strange vicissitudes. Hence Pindar
describes her as the " evil-counselling Nemesis" (01. viii.
114); Euripides ranks her among the avenging instru-
ments of the Thunderer (Phoeniss. 189) ; in an epigram she
is termed the " bitterest of the immortals" (^uampwv inKpo-
TUTi]), and Catullus characterises her as a vehement or
earnest Goddess (vehemens Dea, 50. 21), And hence the
propriety of her various representations by ancient artists :
with a rudder, as indicating her control over the destiny of
men ; a bridle, as taming their presumptuous pride; a wheel
as speedily overtaking the evil-doer; a balance, as carefully
weighing his actions ; and a scourge, as punishing him for
the indulgence of his licentious passions, etc.
These representations, however, are not confined merely
to the poets. Even in Herodotus, the Father of History,
120 INFERIOR DEITIES.
the Goddess who avenges the insolence of inordinate pros-
perity, is every where mixed up with the fall of kings ;* and
may be said to usurp the same province as Jupiter and the
other Gods in the Iliad, Neptune in the Odyssey, or the
inexpiable anger of Juno in the ^neid. It was in striking
conformity with this idea, that the Athenians erected to
Nemesis a statue from the marble which the Persians had
presumptuously designed for a memorial of their anticipated
victory (Pans. i. 33). And with the same feeling, an an-
cient poet has represented Helen, who was the cause of the
destruction of the haughty Trojans, as the child of Nemesis •,
an idea subsequently expanded by various additions about
the egg given by Nemesis to Leda, etc.
Her name Nemesis is supposed to be derived from her
awarding to every man his deserts ; her epithet Adrastea
from Adrastus, who built her a temple ; and she was called
the Rhamnusian Goddess, because she was worshipped at
Ehamnus in Attica.
Sed Dea quae nimiis obstat Rhamnusia votis,
Ingemuit flexitque rotam. — Claudian.
This Goddess was supposed to defend the relics and memory
of the dead from insult.
IX. ^OLUS.
RESIDENCE OF ^OLUS. THE HARPIES. — THE NATURE OF
TYPHON. DIVISIONS OF THE WINDS.
^OLus was the God of the winds and storms. Some
make him the son of Jupiter, others of Neptune, and others
of Hippotas. He dwelt with his six sons and six daughters
in the *' floating island" of ^olia, where, according to
Homer, Jupiter had made him the ruler or " dispenser of
*"E\al3ep €K Oeov Ne/ieo-t? fxeyaXr} Kpolcroi/. — Herod, i. 43.
iEOLUS. 121
the winds" (rafulrjg avifiiov, Od. x. 21), to assuage or excite
them according to his pleasure. Yet he was not elevated to
the rank of a Deity, till about the Alexandrine period,
through the favour of Juno ; for in Homer he does not
possess exclusive direction of the winds: and we find Minerva,
Circe and Calypso, without his assistance, sending the breeze
favourable for navigation.
The term ^olia is apphed by Virgil to the seven islands
between Italy and Sicily, called by the ancients, Molides^
Insulce Molice, Vulcanice, Hephc^stiadea, and known to the
moderns under the general appellation of the Lipari Islands.
Neither Homer nor Virgil has specified, however, the parti-
cular island which was the seat of his residence. Hesiod, it
may be remarked, has fixed his abode in a cave near Thrace ;
and in this he has been followed by Horace, who designates
the winds Animce ThracicB.
Lipara and Strongyle (now Stromboli) are the most cele-
brated of these islands ; and the ancients are supposed to
have fixed the residence of ^olus more particularly in the
latter, on account of its containing a subterranean cavern,
from which winds sometimes broke forth {Plhi. iii. 9, 14).
Ulysses, on his return to Ithaca, landed at ^Eoha; and
the God gave to him, confined in a leathern bag, all the
winds that could blow against his vessel. In the first book
of the ^neid, ^olus excites a storm, and wrecks the fleet
of ^neas, on the coast of Lybia, at the instigation of Juno.
In the earher mythology of Greece, the HARPIES, or
" dogs of Jupiter" ^Canes Jovis], appear as female daemons,
revelling in the storm ; and this is indicated by the names
given to them, viz. cy peta (rsup'id), Celceno (obscurity), and
Aello (the storm). The mixed form, which assigns them the
face of a woman, the body of a vulture, etc., was given them
by the authors of the Argonautics as symbolical of the
ravages which they committed ; and Damm makes the word
Harpyia itself (from ap-Kvia) signify a " furious whirlwind."
Homer fixes the residence of the Harpies on the western
122 INFERIOR DEITIES.
ocean, near Erythia ; and, it is in accordance with this idea,
that he represents the horses of Achilles, as sprung from the
harpy, Podarge, beloved by Zephyr us (Tl. xvi. 149).
Virgil represents them as shut up in the islands called
Strophades, after they had been commissioned to plunder,
and spoil the banquets of Phineus for his cruelty towards
his children. They plundered ^Eneas during his stay here,
and foretold many of the calamities that awaited him.
TYPHON, or Typh(eus (Tv and animated with it his man of clay.
On account of this provocation, Jupiter ordered Vulcan
to make a woman of clay. As all the gods vied in making
her presents, she was termed Pandora, to intimate that she
was furnished with " every gift " that could captivate the
mind of man. Venus endowed her with beauty ; Minerva
with persuasion, and a knowledge of all artistic labours ;
Mercury with the art of pleasing, whilst the Horse and
Graces supplied her with every ornament in her attire.
Jupiter then presented her with a beautiful box, which she
was ordered to present to the man who married her. Pan*
dora was first sent to Prometheus ; but Prometheus [^fore-
thought], awRve of the fraud, sent her away. His brother
Epimetheus [after-thought, the " unwiser son of Japhet"],
* See T. Hemsterhuis ad Lucian. t. i. p. 196. Welchery Pro-
metheus, p. 69, 120.
t /Zbr. Od.i.3,27.
PROMETHEUS. 153
however, was not so cautious. He was smitten with the
charms of Pandora, and opened the pernicious hox, out of
which flew all those diseases and miseries that have since
infected the earth. Hope alone remained in the hottom,
affording some consolation to suffering mortals.
Prometheus, for his daring impiety, was chained to a
rock on Mount Caucasus, where an eagle or vulture con-
tinually preyed upon his liver, which grew again during the
night {lies, Theog. 521—79).
Caucaseasque refert volucres, furtumque Promethei.
Virg. Eel. vi. 42.
He is said to have been ultimately liberated by Hercules,
who, when on his way to the garden of the Hesperides,
shot the eagle or vulture, and released the victim from his
bonds. At Athens an annual festival {Upoji^Qtia) was
celebrated in his honour, with a "torch race" in the
Ceramicus {Xa^Ttah^^opia,, Xaf.nrahr]hpofxia, XafiTradov^og
ayiov).
Prometheus may be considered as the emblem of never-
ceasing disquietude — the restless, never satisfied desire of
mortals ; for the liver which the vulture ate never dies, and
the liver was thought by the ancients to be the seat of
desire.*
* " 1 looked towards the stage, and behold there lay before
me, but afar off, bound upon a rock, a more majestical form, and
bearing a countenance more heroic — I should rather say, more
divine — than ever my imagination had conceived. He had re-
sisted, in silence and disdain,in the cruellest tortures that almighti-
ness could inflict : and now arose the nymphs of ocean, which
heaved its vast waves before us ; and now they descended with
open arms and sweet benign countenances, and spake with pity ;
and the insurgent heart was mollified and quelled." "The
scenery of the PrGmetheus Vinctus is awfully terrific. The
lonely rock frowning over the waves, the stern and imperious
sons of Pallas and Styx holding up I'rometheus to its rifted side,
whi'e Vulcan fixes his chains; (Jceanus on his hippogrifi', the
fury of the whirlwind, the pealing thunder, and Prometheus
himself, undismayed amid the war of elements, and bidding
defi mce even to the monarch of the skies, present a picture preg-
nant with fearful i.Atrest, and worthy the genius of ^schylus."
— V/, S. Landor.
154
II. PERSEUS.
HIS BIRTH AND PRESERVATION. — DESTRUCTION OP THE GOR-
GONS. RELEASE OF ANDROMEDA.
Perseus* was the son of Jupiter and Danae, the daughter
of the Argive king, Acrisius. Danae had been previously
confined in a brazen tower, to prevent the hopes of a pos-
terity ; for Acrisius had been informed by an oracle, that he
should perish by the hands of her son. No sooner, there-
fore, was Perseus born, than he was enclosed in a chest with
his mother, and thrown into the sea. The benevolent God-
desses of the deep carried the chest to the coasts of the
island of Seriphus, one of the Cyclades, where it was found
by a fisherman called Dictys, and carried to Polydectes, the
king of the island.
Danae and her son were kindly treated by Polydectes,
who conceived, in fact, a violent passion for Danae, but was
afraid of rousing the indignation of her son . He, therefore,
had recourse to stratagem. He, invited his friends to a
magnificent banquet, each of whom was expected to present
him with a beautiful horse. As Perseus, however, could
not give the king a horse, yet still did not wish to be sur^
passed by others in generosity, he promised to bring to him
the head of Medusa, the only one of the Go^fgons gifted
with immortality. We might observe that Minerva (casta
Minerva) was the chief instigator to this bloody deed, be-
cause Medusa had profaned her sanctuary.
It was necessary in the first place to compel the Graise,
or Phorcydes (daughters of Phorcys and Ceto), who had
only a single eye and tooth in common, to inform him of
the dwelling of the nymphs, who kept the armour for the
undertaking. Accordingly, he obtained possession of the
* Aurigenaf rater Pallados, applied by Ovid (Met. v. 250) to
Perseus, in reference to the fable of Jupiter visiting Danae in
the form of a shower of gold.
PERSEUS. 155
helmet of Pluto, which rendered him invisible ; the winged
shoes of Mercury {talaria) ; the brazen shield or JEgis of
Minerva, which reflected every object ; and a faulchion or
crooked sword from Mercury {harpe Cyllenis), the same in
fact with which the God had slain the hundred-eyed Argus.
Armed in this manner, Perseus proceeded to the residence
of the GORGONS, which, according to some, was situated in
Libya, according to others in the deserts of Asiatic Scythia ;
but Hesiod, an earlier authority, places it in an island be-
yond the Western Ocean.
Perseus found the monsters asleep. The countenances of
the Gorgons had the peculiar property of petrifying or turn-
ing into stone all who looked upon them, and hence their
epithet Torvince, to express their terrible aspect. * But as
the yEgis of Minerva reflected every object like a mirror,
Perseus was enabled to cut ofi" with Mercury's harpe the
head of Medusa, without fixing his eyes upon it. The two
sisters did not awake before the achievement was performed ;
and they found it impossible to avenge the death of Medusa,
for the helmet of Pluto rendered Perseus invisible. From
the drops of blood which flowed from the head of Medusa,
sprang the innumerable serpents of Libya — the winged
Pegasus [Medusceus equus,-\ Gorgoneus cahallusX], which
flew to Mount Helicon, § where he became the favourite of
the Muses; as well as Chrysaor, with his " golden sword"
— the father of Geryon, Echidna, and the Chimsera. The
* It is very probable, says Nitsch, that this fable of the Gor-
gons rested upon the reports of some Greek adventurer from the
West, relative to the custom of some barbarous nations in scalp-
ing {Hei^od. iv. 63), or cutting 05*1116 heads of their slain enemies,
and affixing them as trophies (iv. 26) to their shields or breast-
plates, in order to inspire terror. Afterwards representations of
this kind were carved in metal. — Mythol. Worterb. s. Gorgon.
t Oy. Fasti, v. 8. J Jww.iii. 118.
§ On Mount Helicon, Pegasus raised a fountain (by striking
the earth), called Hippocrene^ or Fons Cahallinus {Pers. Prol. i.)
Bellerophontei humor equi {Prop. iii. 3, 2). Hence the Muses
are called Pegasides.
156 HEROES.
head of Medusa [Fopyiirj Kt(j)aXrj, to Vopyoveioi''] was after-
wards placed on the ^gis of Minerva {Horn. B. v. 741) ;
but it still retained its petrifying property.
Perseus now prosecuted his journey across the deserts of
Libya; but, being benighted, he \yas obliged to demand hos-
pitality of Atlas, king of Mauritania. Atlas, however, did
not accord it ; for he had been previously informed by an
oracle of Themis, that he should be dethroned by a descen-
dant of Jupiter. Atlas offered violence even to Perseus;
but Perseus, finding himself inferior in strength, showed
him the head of Medusa, which immediately converted him
into a mountain — the same that was fabled to support the
heavens upon its shoulders. Perseus now made his way to
Ethiopia, and found ANDROMEDA, daughter of Cepheus
and Cassiope, tied to a rock, and exposed to a sea-monster,
as an atonement* for the vanity of her mother in boasting
that she was fairer than Juno and the Nereids.
Perseus, captivated with the beauty of Andromeda, and,
at the same time, commiserating her fate, promised to de-
stroy the monster, if Cepheus would give him his daughter
in marriage. Cepheus consented, and Perseus transformed
the monster into a rock by showing him the head of Medusa.
The nuptials of Perseus and Andromeda were nO/V cele-
brated with the greatest festivity ; but Phineus, the brother
of Cepheus, to whom Andromeda had been previously be-
trothed, interrupted the ceremony with a band of armed
followers. A bloody battle ensued ; Perseus at last shewed
the head of Medusa to his adversaries, who were petrified
on the spot — each in his particular attitude.
Perseus, upon his return to Seriphus, finding that Poly-
dectes still molested his mother, turned him into a stone as
well as many of his associates. He then placed Dictys on
the throne, to whose humanity he had been indebted for his
* Neptune had inundated the kingdom ; and the oracle of
Jupiter Ammon had declared that nothing could deliver it from
the inundation, save the exposure of Andromeda.
PERSEUS. 157
life. After these celebrated exploits, he restored to Mercury
his talaria and harpe, to Pluto his helmet, to Minerva her
segis, rendered still more fatal and terrific by the head of
Medusa. He restored his grandfather Acrisius to the
throne of Argos, from which he had been expelled by
Proetus, his twin-brother. Unfortunately, however, Perseus
attended the games celebrated by Teutamias, king of La-
rissa, where he accidentally killed Acrisius with the stroke
of a quoit, of which he is said to have been the inventor.
Being depressed by this event, Perseus refused to return
to Argos as heir to the kingdom, but exchanged it with
Megapenthes, the son of Proetus, for that of Tirynthus and
the maritime coast of Argolis. Here he built Mycenae as
the seat of his government, and reigned several years ; though
he never recovered from the melancholy sadness caused by
the slaying of Acrisius, After his death he was translated
into a constellation along with Andromeda,* Cepheus, and
Cassiopeia.
A temple was erected to Perseus at Athens, statues at
Mycense and Serlphos, and a monument between Argos and
Mycenae. His descendants were called Persidce ; and he
was the grandfather of Hercules, both by the father's and
mother's side. " Though the most illustrious glory was
reserved for Hercules, yet the heroic part assigned to
Perseus is beautiful and charming, and bears much resem-
blance to the chivalry of the middle ages." Perseus is very
frequently represented by artists, as naked, and with the head
of Medusa ; and sometimes he appears in complete armour,
as he was equipped in the expedition against the Gorgons.
* Andromeda is placed just over Aries or the Ram ; hence
Aries is said to bear Andromeda. When Libra rises in the
east Aries sets full west in " far off Atlantic seas." So Milton
speaks of Satan, on his first visit, as surveying the world
from Eastern point
Of Libra to the fleecj' star that bears
Andromeda far off Atlantic seas
Beyond the horizon. Par. Lost, iii. 557 — 60.
H
158
HEROES.
III. BELLEROPHON.
EXILE OF BELLEROPHON. HIS EXPEDITION AGAINST THE
CHIMERA AND AMAZONS, HIS FLIGHT ON PEGASUS.
Bellerophon was the son of Glaucus and Eurymede, and
grandson of Sisyphus, the king of Ephyre, or Corinth.
His original name was Hipponous ; but the murder of
Bellerus, a Corinthian, procured him the name of Belle-
rophon, i. e. BiXXspov (poyevg, " murderer of Bellerus.''
After the commission of that murder, he exiled himself,
according to the custom of that period, and took refuge at
the court of Prcetus, king of Tirynthus. Stheneboea, or
Antsea, the wife of Prostus, conceived an attachment for
Bellerophon ; but, being unable to excite a corresponding
passion in the breast of Bellerophon, she accused him to
Proetus of attempts upon her chastity.
Proetus, unwilling to violate the laws of hospitality, which
were ever regarded by the ancients with the most scrupu-
lous integrity, sent Bellerophon to his father-in-law,
Jobates, king of Lycia, bearing a " mournful letter" (Xvypa
(Trifxara), in which he desired Bellerophon to be put to
death ; hence letters, unfavourable to the bearer, are called
letters of Bellerophon. The ancients considered it a breach
of politeness, or of the laws of hospitality, to inquire into the
object of a stranger's mission until a considerable time had
elapsed. Jobates therefore did not read the letter until he
had hospitably entertained Bellerophon. Consequently, he
did not wish to imbrue his own hands in the blood of his
guest ; but he sent him on various expeditions, in which he
conceived that he must necessarily perish.
Bellerophon was first sent against the Chimcei^a, which,
at that time, was devastating Lycia. For this purpose,
PEGASUS, which had been previously tamed by Neptune,
or Minerva, was given to Bellerophon. By the aid of this
winged horse he conquered the monster (tetricus domitor
BELLEROPHON. 159
Chimcercs'^ — Ov. Trisf. ii. 397), for lie carried on the fight
in the air — the monster belching forth whole masses of fire,
and coiling her dragon-tail in formidable windings. He
was next sent against the Solymi, in Lycia ; and afterwards
against the Amazons, a nation of warhke women, who
deprived themselves of their right breast in order that thev
might use the bow and the javelin with greater force and
dexterity. He was successful in both these expeditions ;
andj on his return from the latter, he was waylaid by a
party sent from Jobates, but he destroyed the assassins.
Jobates, reflecting that no man could escape such un-
paralleled dangers without the assistance or protection of
the Gods, was convinced of Bellerophon's innocence, and
gave him his own daughter in marriage and made him his
successor, as he had no male issue. Bellerophon, being
elated with his success, attempted to fly to heaven on
Pegasus ; but Jupiter, indignant at his temerity, sent a
gadfly (oestrum) to sting the horse. Bellerophon was
thrown from the horse ; but the horse, which disdained a
mortal rider, continued his flight towards heaven, and was
placed among the constellations.
Towards the close of life, Homer tells us, that Belle-
rophon fell into great calamities, or, as the poet expresses
it, became hated by all the Gods, and wandered through
the Alei'an plain, " consumed with grief and melancholv,
and avoiding the ways of men."
"Ov di'ixov Karedcov, Tvarov avOpcdiraiv aXeeivcop. — II. vi. 202.
In works of art he is commonly represented as taming the
horse Pegasus, riding on it in the air armed with helmet
and spear, and on the point of attacking the Chimsera.
* We must observe, that the v;inged Pegasus was introduced
at a later period into this fable.
1 60 HEROES.
IV. HERCULES. 'HPAKAHS.
JUNO's ENMITY TO HERCULES. HIS EDUCATION. — THE
TWELVE LABOURS OP HERCULES ENUMERATED. HIS CON-
TESTS WITH ANTiEUS, BUSIRIS, CACUS. — THE BUILDING
OF TROY. OMPHALE. HIS CONTEST WITH THE ACHE-
LOUS, AND THE CENTAUR NESSUS. THE POISONED TUNIC.
HIS DEATH, THE MORAL TO BE DEDUCED. HIS
VARIOUS EPITHETS AND OFFICES.
Hercules was the son of Jupiter and Alcmena. The wife
of Sthenelus, king of Mycense, was pregnant at the same time
as Alcmena ; and Jupiter ordained that, whichever of the two
children should be born first, he should rule over the other.
Jupiter had boasted in the assembly of the Gods, that, on
that day, a hero would be born who was destined to reign
over his neighbours (Horn. //. xix. 101); whereupon Juno
artfully instigated him to confirm what he had spoken by an
irrevocable oath. Juno, who entertained no kindly feeling
towards Alcmena, retarded the birth of Hercules ; Eurys-
theus was born before him, and exercised his dominion over
him by imposing labours of unparalleled difficulty and
danger.
Jupiter, indignant at being outwitted by the wily Juno,
immediately hurled Ate, the mother of mischief, from
Olympus to the earth ; since which period Ate has hovered
over the heads of men, sowing every where dissension,
broils, and ruin.
Juno's hatred of Alcmena extended to her son {Noverca
Herculis, Ov. Her. Ep. ix. 8) ; and, before he had completed
his eighth month, she sent two serpents to destroy him in
his cradle (a hollow buckler). Hercules boldly seized the
serpents, one in each hand, and squeezed them to death,
whilst his twin brother, Iphicles, alarmed the family with
his shrieks. Thus Hercules' future fate was already woven
by the inexorable Fates before his existence had com-
menced.
HERCULES. 161
At an early age Hercules was instructed in all the liberal
arts and manly exercises. Linus communicated to him a
knowledge of letters ; Eurytus the art of shooting with the
bow ; Eumolpus the art of singing and playing upon the
lyre ; whilst Autolycus taught him how to drive a chariot ;
Harpalycus how to box and wrestle ; and Castor the use of
the sword and spear, as well as the art of drawing up troops
in battle. He finished his education under the Centaur,
Chiron, who was celebrated for his knowledge of music,
medicine, etc., and had instructed, in all the liberal arts, the
greatest heroes of his age — Achilles, ^sculapius, etc.
When Hercules had reached the years of puberty, and
was meditating on his future destiny, Virtue and Luxury
appeared before him, under the form of females, and en-
deavoured each to win him to her interest. After a short
pause of thoughtful silence on the part of Hercules, Virtue
was victorious. " Tliee will I follow," exclaimed the youth,
** and to thee devote my life." It has been justly observed,
that the heroic achievements of Hercules (who obeyed an
inferior, according to the decrees of fate), acquire a double
value, because he first obtains the victory over himself, and
then subdues the monsters.
When in his eighteenth year, Hercules slew, on Mount
Cithseron, with a club made of the olive tree, a powerful lion
which devastated the flocks of his reputed father, Amphi-
tryon. He afterwards delivered his countrymen, the Thebans,
from a tribute of one hundred oxen to the Minyans, who
inhabited Orchomenus, in Boeotia ; for which services he
received in marriage Megara, daughter of Creon, king of
Thebes.
Hercules was now summoned to Mycense, by Eurystheus,
to perform the greatest labours (aOXoi, labor es) which
malice or ingenuity could invent. Hercules refused com-
pliance, and, according to some, was rendered dehrious by
Juno. During the paroxysm, he slew his own children by
Megara, imagining them to be the offspring of Eurystheus.
1 62 HEROES.
When he had recovered the use of his reason, he consulted
the oracle of Apollo, and was told that he must submit to
the will of Eurystheus for twelve years. Hitherto the hero
had been named Alcides, or Alcceus ; but the oracle, we are
told, changed his name to 'HpaKXrjc, or Hercules, thereby
indicating that he should derive " glory from Juno" (kXcoc
i^''llpag). Perceiving that it was the will of the Gods, he
proceeded to Mycenae, determined to bear with fortitude
whatever his natural enemy {Stheneleius hosiis) might im-
pose upon him.
The labours imposed upon Hercules by Eurystheus were
twelve in number: —
I. He slew the Nem^an Lion, born of the hundred-headed
Typhon, and clothed himself with the skin. When he found
that the skin of the lion was proof against his arrows and
club, he seized him in his arms and squeezed him to death.
The Nemcean games, originally instituted by the Argives
in honour of Archemorus, who died by the bite of a serpent,
w^ere renewed by Hercules to commemorate this victory.
II. As Perseus had defeated the Gorgon, and Bellerophon
the ChimBera, so Hercules killed the Lernsean HYDRA, a
celebrated water-snake, having fifty or a hundred heads,
one of which was no sooner cut off than tw^o others imme-
diately sprang up in its place. With the assistance of
lolaus, Hercules was enabled to prevent this by applying a
burning iron to the wounds : he afterwards dipped his
arrows in the gall of the hydra, which rendered the w^ounds
they inflicted incurable.
III. Hercules was ordered to bring, unhurt, into the
presence of Eurystheus, the brazen- footed stag with golden
horns, which frequented Mount Maenalus. This he effected,
and appeased the anger of Minerva, to whom the animal was
sacred, by pleading necessity and the will of the Gods.
IV. Hercules was next commanded to bring alive to
Eurystheus the huge boar of JErgmardhus, in Arcadia.
This he performed ; and Eurystheus, frightened at the sight
HERCULES. 163
of the animal, hid himself for several days in his brazen
cell. During this expedition, he was kindly entertained
with wine by the Centaur Pholus ; but the rest of the Cen-
taurs, indignant at this liberty (though the wine had been
given them on the express condition of treating Hercules
whenever he passed), attacked him with uncommon fury.
In this fray, Chiron, his preceptor, was unfortunately wounded
in the knee, and exchanged immortality for death. Her-
cules was the more irritated; and few of the Centaurs
escaped destruction.*
V. Hercules was now commanded to cleanse the stables
of Augeas, king of EHs, in which three thousand oxen had
stood, and which had never been cleansed for many years ;
hence the proverb of Augean stable is used in reference to
any very laborious attempt at purification. Hercules per-
formed this achievement by directing through the stables
the course of the river Alpheus, or Peneus ; and, when
Augeas refused him the promised recompense, he conquered
EHs, but spared the life of Augeas for the sake of his son,
Phyleus, who had supported his claims. Pans. v. 2, 3.
VT. Hercules was ordered to kill the birds which infested
the lake of Stymphalus, in Arcadia (hence called Stym-
PHALiDEs), and fed on human flesh. These he destroyed
with the assistance of Minerva.
VH. Hercules brought alive to Mycenae a wild bull
w^hich laid waste the island of Crete.
tu Cressia mactas
Prodigia.f Virg. Mu. viii. 294.
This bull infested the territory of Attica, and was subse-
quently killed by Theseus.
Vni. Hercules was next sent to fetch the mares of
Diomedes, a king of Thrace, which were fed on human
* Centaurea monet cum Lapithis rixa super mero
Debellata Hor. Od. i. 18. 8.
f According to this Hercules killed the bull.
164 HEROES.
flesh ; for it was the pecuhar task of heroes to extirpate
monsters from the earth. The inhuman tyrant was de-
voured by his own horses ; and the horses themselves were
either consecrated to Jupiter by Eurystheus, or sent to
Mount Olympus to be destroyed by wild beasts.
IX. Hercules was commanded to take away the girdle of
Hip'polyte, the queen of the Amazons,* whom he must, of
necessity, previously conquer. He afterwards gave Hippo-
lyte in marriage to Theseus.
X. Hercules slew the monster Geryon, or Geryones,
who sprung from the union of Chrysaor with CaUirrhoe, a
daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, and is represented by the
poets as having three heads and three bodies {ter amplus
Geryones — Hor.). He lived in Gades (Cadiz), and Hercules
carried away his flocks to Tirynthus. Hercules, who bears
the surname of Gaditanus, had a celebrated temple there,
in which all his labours were engraved with excellent work-
manship ; and some suppose that the fable about Geryon
having three bodies, was meant merely to express that
Geryon reigned over three places ; namely, Tartessus,
Gades, and Erythia or Juno's Island, in its immediate
neighbourhood.
XI. Hercules was commanded to bring away apples from
the garden of the Hesperides, which was situated near
Mount Atlas, in Africa ;t hence the three Hesperides, who
were daughters of Hesperus, are termed Sorores Afrce
{Juv. V. 152). These apples were the fruit of that tree
* The Amazons were a nation of female warriors, deriving
their name from the circumstance of their right breast being
destroyed, in order that they might use the bow and javelin
with greater force. Hippocrates states, that the right breast of
Sarmatian women was destroyed in their infancy, to qualify
them for war, in which they served on horseback (Trepi aep. /c.r.X.
42) ; and this might have been the foundation of some of the
fables respecting a nation of female warriors — Anthon.
t Some suppose them to correspond with the Cape Verd
islands, others with the Canaries.
HERCULES.
165
which the Earth gave to Juno on the day of her nuptials ;
and they were guarded by a wakeful dragon {Hesperidum
serpens).* During his western expedition, the sun one day
emitted too violent a heat. Hercules shot at the driver of
the solar chariot, who endeavoured to reconcile him, by pre-
senting him with a golden drinking cup {diTrag). It was
during this expedition, that Hercules is reported to have
relieved Atlas, and borne upon his own shoulders the burden
of the heavens. t
XII. As his last and most difficult labour, Hercules was
commanded to bring away Cerberus from the infernal re-
gions ; and, at the same time, he brought away Theseus and
Pirithous, with consent, however, of the infernal deities.
After a struggle with Pluto, Cerberus was dragged from Hell
through a cavern in a small peninsular promontory, called
Acherusia Chersonesus, in the district of the Mariandyni, a
people of Bithynia. Thus,
Perrupit Acheronta Herculeus labor : (Hor. Od. i. 3. 36).
" the energy of Hercules burst the barrier of Acheron."
Such were the labours imposed by Eurystheus ; but Her-
cules, in addition to these, performed several other exploits
of his own accord (Trapepya), and equally celebrated. He
assisted Jupiter in his war against the Giants ; and Horace
ascribes the victory over them to Hercules alone (Od. ii.
12, 6). The giant, Ant^us, received new strength from
* Juv. xiv. 114 —
Abstulit arboribus pretium, nemorique laborem
Alcides. Lucan, ix. 364.
■f We may remark that Abila [Cape Serra] and Calpe
[Gibraltar] — the one on the southern extremity of Spain and
the other on the opposite coast of Africa, were reckoned the
boundaries of the labours of Hercules — Herculis Colunmce— as
conquerors usually erected pillars at the limits of their conquests.
As these hills are in the immediate neighbourhood of the Straits
of Gibraltar, and Hercules, in fact, is supposed to have opened
that communication between the Mediterranean and the At-
lantic, the Straits are termed Herculeum Fretum^ as well as
Fretum Gaditanum.
H 3
166 HEROES.
his mother as often as he touched the earth ; but Hercules
lifted him up in the air, and squeezed him to death in his
arms. When Hercules was travelhng in Egypt, Busiris,
the tyrant {illaudatus — Vir. G. iii. 5), was about to immolate
him on the altar ; but the hero, having disentangled him-
self, offered the tyrant, and the ministers of his cruelty, on
the same.*
The destruction of the famous robber, Cacus, who vomited
flames, has been graphically described by Virgil {Mn.
viii. 194). When Hercules returned from the conquest of
Geryon, Cacus carried away some of his cows; and, in
order to prevent discovery, he dragged them backwards
into his cave. The lowing of the oxen, however, betrayed
the robbery ; and Hercules, having entered the cave,
squeezed and strangled Cacus in his arms. It was here
that Carmenta, the mother of Evander, predicted the future
deification of the hero. Hercules conquered Eryx, son of
Butes and Venus, in a combat of the Qcestus. Eryx was
buried on the mountain in Sicily where he had built a
temple to Venus {Venus Erycina). We have elsewhere
mentioned his deliverance of Alcestis, the wife of Admetus,
from Orcus (p. 49).
We have already remarked that Laomedon built the walls
of Troy with the assistance of Neptune and Apollo, and that
his territories were laid waste by Neptune with an inundation.
According to an oracle, nothing could appease the Gods but
the annual exposure of a Trojan virgin to a sea-monster.
The lot fell upon Hesione, Laomedon's daughter; but Her-
* As Bou^ in the Egyptian language, signifies tomb, Busiris
is supposed to mean the " tomb of Osiris ;" and the barbarity of
Busiris is supposed to be grounded on an Egyptian custom of
sacrificing all the red-haired people they met with [chiefly
strangehs, the hair of the natives being seldom of that colour]
to the manes of Osiris. Anthon considers this as a traditionary
allusion, no doubt, to the shepherd-race, Hycsos^ who had
greatly oppressed Egypt during their occupation, and are repre-
sented as having blue eyes and red or flame-coloured hair.
HERCULES. 167
cules, having agreed with Laomedon to deliver the Trojans
from this curse for a reward of six horses, killed the monster
with his club as he was about to devour Hesione. Laomedon,
however, refused to fulfil the agreement, and Hercules laid
siege to Troy, slew Laomedon and all his children except
Podares, who was subsequently named Priam (from 7rpta/zat,
to purchase), because purchased out of slavery by the veil
of Hesione. The jealousy of Hercules, we are told, was
somewhat excited by the circumstance of Telamon, king of
Salamis, being the first to mount the wall. But his jealousy
was soon appeased when he found Telamon piling up a
trophy in honour of Hercules the " victorious" (CalHnicus,
KaWiviKoc) ; and he gave to him the beautiful Hesione in
in marriage (Cf. Apollod. ii. 6. 4).
Priam, who did not forget that his sister had been forcibly
given in marriage to a foreigner, afterwEirds sent his son
Paris to Greece to reclaim the possession of Hesione ; and
this unfortunate expedition terminated with the abduction of
Helen. Lycophron states that Hercules continued in the
belly of the sea-monster for three days.* Hercules also
took part in the Argonautic expedition, and his deliverance
of Hesione took place as he was on his way to Colchis.
With the consent of Jupiter, he delivered Prometheus from
the Caucasian rock, by killing the vultuj-e with his arrows.
Hercules had several wives. His first, as we have al-
ready remarked, was MEGARA, daughter of Creon. Some
say that Hercules was afflicted with the insanity, already
mentioned, for his murder of Lycus, who had ofifered
* This is considered by some as an adumbration of the Scrip-
ture account respecting Jonah. We may observe that the great
fish (ktjtos) is called by Lycophron, the " rough-toothed dog,"
and that most commentators and lexicographers supposed it to
have been the Canis Maximus, called Carcharias (from its
teeth), and Lamia or Lemna from its capacious swallow — otto
Tov e'xeiu fxeyav Xat/ioj/. See Parkhurst, Schleusner, etc. ; suh
KtJTOS.
168 HEROES.
violence to Megara during his absence.* He subsequently
became enamoured of lOLE, daughter of Eurytus, king of
CEchalia, whom her father had promised in marriage to any
person who could overcome him or his sons in drawing the
bow. Hercules accepted the challenge and came off vic-
torious ; but Eurytus, recollecting that Megara had been killed
in a fit of insanity, refused to fulfil the agreement. Hercules
became a prey to a second fit of insanity; and when
Iphitus, the only son of Eurytus who had favoured his ad-
dresses, was engaged in quest of some stolen oxen, he
threw him down from the walls of Tirynthus.
Though purified afterwards of the murder, Hercules was
visited by a disorder which obliged him to apply to the
oracle at Delphi for relief. As the Pythia answered with
great coldness, Hercules carried away the tripod ; a con-
test ensued between him and Apollo, but it was terminated
by the interference of Jupiter and the other Gods, He was
on this account adjudged to serve Omphale, queen of Lydia,
for three years. Hercules is represented by the poets as in
the most abject state of slavery, and spinning among her
handmaids, while she puts on the hon's skin, takes up his
club, and frequently strikes him with her sandals for the
awkward manner in which he held the distaff (Oy. Her. Ep. ix.
57, 73). Whilst in her service, he destroyed a large ser-
pent near the river Sangarius in Bithynia ; and, on this
account, Jupiter introduced his figure among the constella-
tions under the title of Ophiuchus (6(J)iovxoq) or " serpent-
holder" {Hygin. Astr. ii. 14). He cleared, moreover, all
the country of robbers ; and Omphale, astonished at his ex-
ploits, restored him to liberty and married him ; hence she
is called Lydia conjux Amphitryonidce {Stat. Theb. x. 646).
When he had completed his term of servitude, Hercules
returned to the Peloponnesus, and restored to the throne of
Sparta Tyndarus, the husband of the celebrated Leda.
* Senec. Here. Fur.
HERCULES. 169
Hercules became a suitor of Dejanira, the daughter of
(Eneus, king of Calydon in yEtolia ; for, on his descent into
the infernal regions after Cerberus, Meleager, the son of
GEneus, and one of the Argonauts, entreated him to marry
his sister. Her beauty had procured her many admirers,
and her father had promised to give her in marriage to the
strongest of the competitors.
Hercules therefore engaged in a contest with Achelous,
who first assumed the form of a serpent, then that of a bull.
Hercules conquered him and tore oiF one of his horns,* and
some state that the Naiads, having filled it with the various
productions of the seasons, gave it to the Goddess of plenty,
whence the origin of the cornu copicB.-f Strabo explains this
fable very naturally, by observing that Hercules, to gratify
his father-in-law, confined the river Achelous (which had
frequently inundated the plains of Calydon) by mounds. J In
conformity with this explanation, the form of the serpent
indicates the windings of the river — the tearing off the horn
refers to diverting part of the waters by means of a canal,
and the cornu copies expresses the increased fertility of the
plains in consequence of the draining. From this victory,
Hercules is designated by Ovid Calydonius Heros, or Caly-
donian hero (Met. ix. 112).
Hercules, being once on a journey with Dejanira, was
stopped by the swelling of the river Evenus ; but the Cen-
taur Nessus offered to convey her safe to the opposite
bank. No sooner, however, had Nessus reached the bank
than he endeavoured to make off with Dejanira ; but Her-
cules, having shot a poisoned arrow at the Centaur, mor-
tally wounded him. In the pangs of death Nessus still felt
desirous to revenge himself on the murderer ; and he there-
fore gave Dejanira his tunic besmeared with blood and in-
* Hence Achelous is said to be Herculed turpatus gymnade,
" disfigured in the contest with Hercules."— /Stoif. Theb. iv. 106.
t But see p. 20.
170 HEROES.
fected with poison, telling her that it had the power of
reclaiming her husband from unlawful love.*
Ceyx, king of Trachinia, received the hero with great
kindness, and purified him from an inadvertent homicide
which had been previously committed. Hercules was still
mindful that lOLE, the daughter of Eurytus, had been unlaw-
fully refused him ; he therefore took ffichalia by storm, killed
Eurytus and his sons, and carried off lole. She willingly
accompanied him to Mount QEta, where he intended to offer
a solemn sacrifice to Jupiter. Having failed to provide a
proper dress for the occasion, he despatched a messenger to
Dejanira who, being jealous of lole and recollecting the ob-
servation of the Centaur Nessus, sent him the poisoned
tunic which had been given her by the latter.
The poison of the Lernsean Hydra [for the Centaur had
been shot by a poisoned arrow] immediately penetrated the
bones of Hercules. He endeavoured to pull off the fatal
dress ; and, being unable to endure the racking pain of the
incurable distemper, he caused a funeral pile to be erected.
Spreading over it the skin of the Nemsean hon, he lay upon
it as a couch, leaning his head on his club, and then or-
dered the pile to be set on fire. Philoctetes, the son of
Pcean (Pceantides), is said to have lighted the pile : and for
this service Hercules presented him with his bow and
arrows, which, as we find in subsequent history, were indis-
pensably necessary for the destruction of Troy.f
Jupiter, who beheld the sufferings and the fortitude of his
son, declared to the synod of Olympus his intention of
raising him to the rank of a God. The resolution was ap-
* We may observe that Hercules, in this journey, was leaving
Calydon, the residence of his father-in-law, on account of an
inadvertent homicide. Consequently he was excluded from the
hunting of the Calydonian boar, in which Meleager, the son of
CEneus, and all the neighbouring princes participated. Few
circumstances, in mythological history, are more celebrated.
f The " Philoctetes" of Sophocles details to us the stratagem
by which Ulysses obtained these arrows from the hero.
HERCULES. 171
proved of— the face of Hercules became' resplendent amidst
the surrounding flames — a dark smoke surrounded the
burning pile ; and his immortal parts, conducted by Mercury
and Iris, ascended to heaven in a chariot drawn by four
horses —
flammis ad sidera missus. — Juv. xi. 63.*
Juno laid aside her inveterate fury and gave him her
daughter Hebe in marriage. Dejanira, being inconsolable
for the death of her husband, of which she was the unin-
tentional cause, slew herself.
We have now enumerated the most striking labours in
the life of Hercules. He has ever been considered as the
model of virtue and piety ; and his judicious choice of virtue
in preference to pleasure, as described by Xenophon, is well
known. There is no wonder, then, that Hercules was ex-
tensively worshipped. In his divine functions, he was con-
sidered as the "preserver" and the " averter of evil " [^w-
r^jo, 'AXeliKaKOQ] ; the inhabitants of (Eta, extending the
idea, worshipped him as the destroyer of locusts {KopvoTviiav] ,
those of Ery three as the destroyer of worms that infect
vines flTrofcrovoc] » whilst under the title of airofxvLOQ or
** averter of flies," he reminds us of the oriental Baal. Thus,
in Phoenicia, the sick and infirm were sent to sleep in his
temples, that they might receive in their dreams the pre-
sages of their approaching recovery.
Warm springs, as well as the contiguous baths, were
* The Tyrian Hercules was termed MeZc«r^/t, "king of the
city," being the tutelar deity of Tyre, and worshipped im-
mediately after Baal and Astarte, He is considered identical
with the sun. Hence some perceive a resemblance between the
twelve months of the solar year and the twelve labours of
Hercules. A large pyre was erected annually at Tyre and in
all the colonies, in honour of Melcarth ; whence an eagle was
let loose — symbolical of the sun and of time, like the Egyptian
phoenix, renewing itself from its own ashes. The apotheosis of
Hercules may be compared with this ; and his western expe-
dition with the progress of Phoenician commerce in that direction.
172 HEROES.
consecrated to Hercules ; for, being the first of athletes
(irpiorog ayiovi(TTi]Q)y he is the patron of all who practise the
athletic arts, and it was customary for those who did prac-
tise them, to resort to the bath in order to strengthen the
body and cleanse it from the oil which they had used and
the dust which they had contracted in the previous exercise.
Hence, too, Hercules is represented as endowed with a vora-
cious appetite {alriipayog, TroXvcpayog) devouring one or two
oxen at a meal [fiov(l>ayog] ; for the ancients naturally trans-
ferred the habits of the muscular and overgrown athlete to
the Deity that presided over the art {Athenceiis, x).
With respect to Hercules' fondness for wine [which by
the way did not form, according to Horace, a part of the re-
gimen of athletes], we must observe, that he was a compa-
nion of Bacchus — accompanied him in his Indian expedition
— and, as Bacchus terminated his expedition in the extremities
of the East, so did Hercules terminate his in the extremities of
the west [Herculis Columned'] . Hercules is also represented
as the leader of the Muses (Musac/ctes) ; for the Greeks con-
nected intellectual with bodily exercise, and their Gymnasia
were used equally for both purposes ; and, at a later period,
we find libraries and gymnasia connected with baths at
Rome.*
But, after all, a moral and rehgious purpose appears to
predominate in the mythological character of Hercules. The
moral purpose is exhibited in the unconquerable energy
which distinguishes the hero — the piety with which he
resigns himself to the will of the Gods, and the fortitude
with which he bears his suff"erings. The religious purpose
is exhibited in the unconquerable power of fate ; for medi-
tation upon the strange course of human life led the poets,
* Rom. Antiq. p. 330. " Philosophy there was none in the
days of Hercules ; but, in his person, music could be combined
with strength, as both were found united in the person of
Achilles." — Moritz.
HERCULES. ]73
at an early period, to imagine an all-powerful destiny as al-
lotting irreversibly to each individual his actions and his
sufferings. The enmity of Juno, the tyranny of Eurys-
theus — a course of suffering, as well as glorious achieve-
ment, which could neither be stemmed nor averted, all
conspire to prove this. His struggle with the centaur
Nessus in crossing the river — the dying centaur presenting
his poisoned tunic to Dejanira — Dejanira transmitting it to
him, and the awful death which he suffered in consequence
— what chain of circumstances, in the closing struggle of
a hero, can give us a more vivid conception of the irre-
sistible power of fate — the sheet-anchor of ancient tra-
gedy ! *
The following epithets of Hercules may now be appended :
Buraicus, from his temple and oracle at Burse, a city of
Achaia {Pans. vii. 25) ; Melius, because he was once com-
pelled by the inundation of the river Asopus to offer apples
(/xi/\a) instead of a sacrifice {Jul. Poll. Onom. i. 30) ;
Charops, or the " joyful one," from a statue erected to him
at a place in Bceotia, where he was supposed to have
emerged with Cerberus from the lower regions {Pans. ix.
34) ; Cynosarges, from Cynosarges, a place in the suburbs
of Athens, where Diomus, an Athenian, was commanded by
an oracle to erect an altar to Hercules, because part of the
victim had been snatched away by a " white dog " {kvojv
apyog) during the sacrifice (i. 89) ; Hippodetus, in Boeotia,
from his '* binding together the horses," during the night,
in the war against Erginus, and thereby producing confusion
in his army (ix. 26) ; Rhinocolustes, because he " cut off the
noses" of the ambassadors of Erginus (ix. 25).
* The Farnese Hercules [now at Naples] has been much ad-
mired for its exhibition of muscular power. It is a colossal
statue of white Parian marble : the feet were supplied by Delia
Porta. The torso [mutilated] has been thought to belong to
the same hero ; it is frequently termed the torso of Michael
Angelo, as it was an object of his unceasing admiration and
study.
174 HEROES.
From Cicero we learn that Hercules received the epithet
of Index, because he " discovered" in a dream, to the poet
Sophocles, the person who had carried away a golden bowl
from his temple (de Divin. i. 25). A temple was erected
to him at Rome by Fulvius Nobilior, under the title of
MusageteSy or " Leader of the Muses ;" and, under this
aspect, Hercules was represented with the lyre.
Annuit Alcides, increpuitque lyram. — Ov, Fasti, vi. 810.
In the eleventh region or district of Rome, a temple, or at
least a statue, was erected to him under the title of Oliva-
rius ; either because the money was furnished by the dealers
in olives, or from the circumstance of Hercules wearing an
olive wreath — Hercules being supposed to have introduced
the cultivation of that tree from the Hyperboreans into
Greece.
The remaining epithets of Hercules admit of an easy ex-
planation ; as Tirynthius, from Tirynthus, his usual place of
residence ; Nemeus or NemceuSi from his killing the Nemsean
lion; CEtceus, from sacrificing himself on mount CEta ;
Victor (KaWiviKos) Triumphalis, from his unparalleled ca-
reer of " victory" and " triumph ;" Canopius, as being the
Egyptian Hercules ; Tyrius and Gaditanus, as being wor-
shipped at Tyre, and Gades in Spain. We learn from Lucian
that the Gauls worshipped him under the title of Oymion or
Ogmius (Op. t. ii. p. 365, Grsev.) His representation under
this title varies from the ordinary representations ; for,
though accompanied by his usual attributes — the lion's skin,
club, and bow— yet he is represented as an old man, full
of wrinkles, with a number of chains, extending from his
mouth to the ears of those who surround him, in order to
indicate the power of eloquence.
175
V. THESEUS.
LEGEND OF THESEUS. EXTIRPATION OF ROBBERS.— HIS EX-
PEDITION TO CRETE. BATTLE WITH THE CENTAURS.
HIPPOLYTUS AND PH^DRA. DESCENT OF THESEUS INTO
TARTARUS. HIS UNTIMELY DEATH. HOW REPRESENTED.
Theseus was the son of ^geus and ^thra, daughter of
Piltheus, king of Troezen. He was born at Troezen ; and
^^geus, who wished to conceal his birth from the Pallan-
tides, his nephews, who expected the crown, ordered that,
when of a sufficient age, he should be sent to Athens with
a particular sword by which ^geus would recognise him.
As JEgeus, therefore, was not reputed to be the father of
Theseus, the paternity was ascr ibed to ^^^^^^ptune^ hence The-
seus is caWe^T Neptunius Heron ( O?;. Ep. xvii. 21). Miiller
connects the legend of Theseus with the introduction of
the worship of Neptune into Attica; and he thinks that
^geus was nothing more originally than a personification
of the deity (Alyalog, the "god of the waves") — the fabled
parent ofThfiSeiis.*
Theseus pursued his journey from TrcEzen to Athfens by
land, being determined to clear the road of the robbers and
wild beasts by which it was infested. In the prosecution of
this laudable purpose he destroyed Periphetes — the same,
* Dorians. This view the same writer confirms by observ-
ing that sacrifices were offered on the same day of the month to
iEgeus and Neptune — that the Athenians, even in the Doric
period, took presidency in it — and that the Isthmus was well
adapted for the national festival of the lonians whose residence
was fixed in Attica, at Epidaurus and Troezen, near the north
coast of the Peloponnesus, and at Thespiae in Boeotia. And to
what other purpose did Theseus devote his energies more per-
severingly than the securing of this central point of reunion by
the destruction of Periphetes, Sciron, Cercyon, Sinnis, Pityo-
kampter, Procrustes, so that the Bull [for Neptune's sacrifice]
might be led over in safety to the Isthmian festival from Troezen
as well as Athens ?
176 HEROES.
perhaps, as Corynetes, who derived his name probably from
his club {Kopvvri), or weapon of offence, which Theseus carried
ever afterwards in commemoration of his victory. Sciron,
who plundered the inhabitants of Attica, and threw down
his victims from the highest rocks {Scironia saxa, infames
scopulos), shared the same fate.
Theseus killed also PROCRUSTES, i. e. the "stretcher,"
who was in the habit of tying travellers on a bed, and
" changing the very place of repose into a rack." If their
length exceeded. that of the bed it was cut off; if it was not
equal to it, their limbs were stretched until they coincided
with the length of the bed ; hence the '* bed of Procrustes"
is frequently applied in reference to those who wish to re-
duce all within the exact limits of their own opinions. To
these we must add Cercyon, who obliged all strangers to
wrestle with him, and put to death those who were de-
feated ; Sinis, called " the render of pines," because it was
his delight to bind strangers between two pines, and then
tear them to pieces ; and Phcea, whom some suppose a sow
which infested the neighbourhood of Crommyon ; and others,
a courtesan who murdered and afterwards plundered her
victims.
The reception of Theseus at Athens was not cordial.
Medea, who had been divorced by Jason the Argonaut, was
living at that time with king ^geus ; and, being jealous of
his fame and power, she attempted to poison him at a feast
provided for his entertainment. The sight of the sword,
however, which Theseus wore on his side, convinced iEgeus
that he was his son ; and Medea, being disappointed in
her expectations, mounted her fiery chariot and fled through
the air to Colchis. The Athenians were rejoiced to find
that it was the son of their monarch JEgeus who had extir-
pated the robbers and the wild beasts ; while the Pallan-
tides, who failed in an attempt upon the life of Theseus,
were all put to death by the young prince in return. The
attention of Theseus was next drawn to the bull of Mara-
THESEUS. 177
thon, which is supposed to have been the same with that
which Hercules had brought from Crete to Mycenae. He
caught the animal alive and sacrificed it to Minerva, or the
god of Delphi. He slew Creon, king of Thebes, because he
refused burial to the Argives who had fallen in the war.
The next important undertaking of Theseus was the deli-
very of his country from the disgraceful tribute to the Mi-
notaur. Androgeos, the son of Minos, king of Crete, was
famous for his skill in wrestling ; and, at an Athenian fes-
tival, he defeated every antagonist. His popularity excited
the jealousy of ^geus, who caused him to be waylaid and
assassinated on his road to Thebes. Minos declared war
against Athens, and, fortune turning in his favour, peace
was re-established only on the condition that seven young men
and seven virgins should be annually sent to Crete to be
devoured by the Minotaur, the unnatural offspring * of Pa-
siphae, wife of Minos, and described by the poets as half man
and half bull.
Semibovemque virum, semivirumque bovem. — Ov. Am. ii. 24.
The fable itself has been explained in reference to some
idol, probably set up by Minos in the labyrinth, and repre-
senting either a bull with a human head or the human form
with a bull's head ; for, even now, we find the figure of a
bull, with a bearded man's head, on the coins of Sicily and
Magna Grsecia.
When the tribute had been established some time, The-
seus, who was desirous of slaying the Minotaur, went to
Crete among the seven chosen youths. The Minotaur was
confined in the celebrated labyrinth built by Daedalus in imi-
tation of the Egyptian labyrinth described by Herodotus —
Labor ille domus et inextricabilis error. — Virg. Mn. vi. 27.1
* Veneris monumenta nefandce. — Virg. iEn. vi. 26.
f D^DALus was a celebrated artist. He was the first who
separated the legs of statues, which formerly, as may be ob-
served on Egyptian monuments, were united together ; hence.
178 HEROES.
Here Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, fell in love with
Theseus, and explained to him the windings of the labyrinth.
At the suggestion of Daedalus she gave him a clue of thread
by which he was enabled to extricate himself from the mazes
of his confinement. He slew the Minotaur and carried off
Ariadne. A picture, found at Herculaneum, represents the
hero surrounded by tender Jjo^s^who^ had ^J^^
death by his exertions, and who, in gratitude, are kissing his
hanHs and embracmgliiis knees.
Before returning home, Theseus visited Delos in order to
pay his vow to Apollo ; and the same vow was ever after-
wards scrupulously fulfilled by the Athenians.* On his re-
turn, however, he, Theseus, forgot to hoist the white sails
which he promised his father that he would in case of suc-
cess 5 and the old man, when he descried from the promon-
tory of Sunium the vessel returning with black sails, con-
cluded that his son had perished, and threw himself into the
sea, which was called from him the Mgean Sea. From
Homer, in his Odyssey, we are led to infer that Ariadne was
brought to Athens, where she died suddenly, or, in the lan-
guage of the poets, was " killed by Diana."
But some say that Theseus abandoned Ariadne in the
island of Naxos, where she became the wife of Bacchus, and
is frequently associated with him in the monuments of art.
Bacchus gave her a beautiful crown upon her marriage, which
after her death was changed into a constellation, called
Cressa Corona, the " Cretan Crown," or Gnossia Corona,
m the language of poetry, his statues might be said to walk.
Again, " he raised the arms in varied positions from the flanks,
and spread the eyes, which were before narrow and blinking."
Daedalus is said to have accompanied Theseus into Attica,
1234 B.C., and introduced a new style of sculpture into Greece.
* The vessel, w^hich was never changed but constantly re-
paired whenever any part was injured by time, was called
Theoris^ as carrying the sacred deputation of the God ; and
during its absence, as we see in the case of Socrates, no cri-
minal could be put to death.
THESEUS. 179
from Gnossas in Crete. Since Ariadne is represented in
ancient sculpture, now sunk in mournful slumber, and again,
awakened, joyous, and raised to the skies, Creuzer con-
siders her to be Proserpina- Venus — presiding over the birth
and death of our species — in fact, an emblem of Immorta-
lity, guiding the soul through the winding labyrinths of life,
and leading it forth again to freedom and a new existence.*
Theseus now ascended the throne of Athens with the
universal favour of the people, B.C. 1235. The improve-
ments which he effected in the government and condition
of Attica belong to the department of authentic history.
PiRiTHous, the son of Ixion and king of the Lapithse, was
extremely desirous of becoming acquainted with Theseus ;
and, for this purpose, he took the somewhat unusual step
of invading the territories of Attica. The hostile armies
met ; but, as there existed neither malice nor ambition of
conquest on the part of the leaders, Pirithous gave his hand
to Theseus as the pledge of sincerity ; and the ir frjgndship,
from that period, became T^royerhi^lJThesea fides, Cecrojoia
^c^e£[JTT]ie^'arorTy!a(ies and Orestes. Some time after
Pirithous married Hippodamia. The centaurs, as well as
the gods, were invited to the nuptials ; but Mars, being in-
dignant at his name being omitted in the invitation, resolved
to disturb the harmony of the meeting. Eurythio, one of
the centaurs, grossly insulted Hippodamia ; but Theseus,
Pirithous, Hercules, Nestor, and the rest of the Lapithae,
* Symbolik. iv. 116. Anthon, sub voce. The expedition of
Theseus to Crete bears reference, says Miiller, to the worship
of Apollo; and in the same light we must consider the landing
effected at Delos and Naxos. The Athenian youth and virgins
were so many servants consecrated to the service of Apollo at
his principal temple at Gnossus. The landing at Naxos has an
especial reference to the transplanting of the worship of Bacchus
and Ariadne which prevailed there ; and the landing at Delos
was a type of the theorice or embassies which were sent hither
from the earliest periods, by the Athenians and all the islands
inhabited by the Ionian s.
.«{||g|fK^
180 HEROES.
triumphed over the centaurs. The battle of the centaurs
and Lapithee has been described by Hesiod and Ovid, and
has ever been a favourite subject with sculptors.
On the death of Hippodamia, Pirithous became incon-
solable for her loss. Theseus was visited with a domestic
calamity of a still severer kind. He had married Pheedra,
daughter of Minos and sister of Ariadne [who accompanied
him from Crete] ; but Venus insp ired h er wit h an uncon-
• querable passion for Hippolytus, a son of Theseus by the
Amazon Hippolyte, over whom Hercules had triumphed.
Hippolytus, however, rejected the addresses of Phaedra with
horror and disgust ; and she, out of revenge, accused him,
before Theseus, of attempts upon her virtue. The credulous
Theseus listened to the accusation, banished him from his
kingdom, and iniplored Nepjune [who had once promised
I the choice of any one of three things] to inflict an exem-
lary punishnient upon his son.
As "Hippolytus was pursuing his way to TrcEzen, Neptune
sent a sea-monster to frighten his horses, which immediately
dragged him over rocks and precipices, and dashed him to
pieces. \[7^sculapius, at the request of Diana, is said to have
restored Hippolytus to life, after which he retired to Italy
under the name of J^irbius^ in allusion to his second exist-
ence (Fir bis), and built the city of Aricia. ] niEe^raTwKeh
she learnt the tragical fate of Hippolytus, confessed her
crime and hung herself in despair. " The death of Hippo-
Ivtus and the infamous passion of Plurdra, are llic subject
of one of the tragedies of Euripides and Seneca."
Theseus and Pirithous, who had now both lost their wives,
took a joint resolution never to marry again, except Jto a
goddess or one of the daughters of the gods. The beauty
of Heleh,'^ the daughter of Leda and Tyndarus, attracted
their attention ; and they carried her away before she had
|l attained her tenth year. The lot was drawn, and she fell as
a prize to Theseus, who concealed her at Aphidnae, under
the care of his mother ^thra, until she had attained nubile
THESEUS. 181
years — though another tradition is recorded, stating that
she was marriageable when carried off by Theseus. Her
brothers,^Castor and Pollux, however, soon recovered her
by force,sf-.a'^tti8«>-
When Theseus had obtained his prize, P irithous un der-
took, in conjunction with him, to carry off Proserpma, the
wife of Pluto,^ Fpr this purpose, they descended into 'the
infernal regions, " to the seat of desolation void of light;"
but Pluto had! received intelligence of their object. Accord-
ing to some, Pirithous was torn to pieces by the dog Cer-
berus ; but according: to others, he was tied to the revolving
wheel of his father Ixion— ' " '' " ' ^
Volvitur Ixion, et se sequiturque fusjitque.
Ov.Met.iv.46li^
Theseus was tied to a huge stone, on which Virgil repre-
sents him sitting in eternal punishment, and admonishing
the shades in Tartarus, to learn justice and reverence for the
Gpds.--_ :------— --"^-^'■.---■^^■■^..-"-^■^..........^
Discite justitiam moniti, et non temnere dives. — ^n. vi. 620.
When Hercules came to carry away the dog Cerberus, he is
stated by many mythologists to have torn awaj,,Tiiesgus,
from the stone, and to have obtained from Proserpina the;
pardon of PirithousT^^Xccomin^ly both returned.!
During the captivity of Theseus in the infernal regions,
Mnestheus, a descendant of Erectheus, had so far gained the
popular favour that he usurped the throne ; and Theseus, on
his return, w^as unable to dispossess him. He retired, there-
fore, in disgust to the court of Lycomedes, king of the
* Horace represents him as bound in Tartarus with three
hundred chains.
f We must not forget to remark that some make this Proser-
pina, the daughter of Aidoneus, king of the Molossi— that,
in the attempt to carry her off, Pirithous was torn in pieces
by a dog, called Cerberus, which kept the gates of the palace
I (for the dogs of AJolossia were famous) : and that Theseus was
\ thrown into prison until released by Hercules.
182 HEROES.
island of Scyros, where Thetis disguised her son Achilles in
female attire to prevent his participating in the Trojan expe-
dition. Lycomedes, either influenced by jealousy, or bribed
by the emissaries of Mnestheus, led him to an elevated rock
on pretence of shewing him the extent of his dominions, and
perfidiously threw him down a precipice.
Cimon, when he took the isle of Scyros, brought the bones
of Theseus to Athens, where they were solemnly interred.
Festivals and games were instituted to commemorate his
actions ; and his temple (Theseum) served as an asylum for
slaves flying from the ill-treatment of their masters, Theseus
is generally represented with a lion's skin and club, like Her-
cules ; sometimes with the petasus and chlamys, like an Attic
youth; and he is not unfrequently associated with the
vanquished Minotaur, whilst the young men and virgins
whom he has liberated, are returning him their grateful
thanks.*
VI. ARGONAUTIC EXPEDITION.
PRELIMINARY NOTICES, PHRIXUS AND HELLE. JASON
AND THE GOLDEN FLEECE. THE SHIP ARGO. VARIOUS
ADVENTURES AT LEMNOS, CYZICUS, AND THE STRO-
PHADES. THE BLUE SYMPLEGADES. JASON AND
MEDEA. MURDER OF ABSYRTUS, RETURN OF THE
ARGONAUTS. REMARKS OP UKERT.
The Argonautic expedition, which was undertaken under
the conduct of Jason, king of lolcus, is the most celebrated
* " The admirable fragment of the TJieseus at Lord Elgin's,
shows the possibility of uniting the grand and natural style in
the highest degree. The form of the limbs, as affected by the
pressure or action, and the general sway of the body, are pre-
served with the most consummate mastery. We should prefer
this statue as a model for forming the style of the student to the
Apollo [Belvidere], which strikes us as having something of a
theatrical appearance; or the [Farnese] Hercules, in which there
is an ostentatious and over-laboured display of anatomy. This
last figure is so overloaded with sinews, that it has been suggest-
ed as a doubt, whether, if life could be put into it, it would be
able to move." — Ilazlitt.
ARGONAUTIC EXPEDITION. 183
of all recorded in fabulous history. A few of the preliminary
circumstances necessary for the understanding of this expe-
dition, may be briefly stated.
Athamas, king of Thebes, had married Nephele [Tliemisto
or Demotice] by whom he had Phrixus and Helle. He
afterwards divorced Nephele on pretence that she was sub-
ject to fits of madness, and married Ino, the daughter of
Cadmus, by whom he had two sons, Learchus and Melicerta.
Ino became jealous of the children of Nephele, because they
would ascend the throne in preference to her own. Phrixus
was apprised by his mother of Ino's intentions to kill him :
he therefore secured part of his father's treasures,* and pri-
vately left Bceotia with his sister Helle to go to their friend
and relation -^etes, king of Colchis.
Phrixus and Helle embarked on board a ship, bearing
perhaps the sign of a ram on its prow, or the name as its
parasemon ; but, according to the poets, they were mounted
on the back of a ram [given to Nephele by Neptune] whose
fleece was of gold. They proceeded through the air ; but
Helle, turning giddy, fell and was drowned in the straits
which were afterwards called after her the Hellespont, or sea
of Helle {Helles pontus). Hence Statius terms these straits
Phrixi semiia. (Achill. i. 409), and Ovid, virginis cequor
(Ep. xviii. 117) as well as
angustus pontus Nepheleidos Helles. — Met. xi. 195.
Phrixus arrived safe in the kingdom of -^etes, where he
sacrificed the ram on the altar of /Mj}?7er Phrixius, and gave
the fleece to ^etes, who suspended it in the grove of Mars,
where it was guarded by bulls ihat breathed fire, and a
dragon that never slept.
Though Mimnermus, the earliest extant authority, merely
calls it " a large fleece in the town of j^Eetes, where the rays
of Helios rest in a golden chamber ; " yet, in later traditions.
* Which, according to some, gave rise to the tradition of the
solden fleece.
i
184 HEROES.
it is universally called the 'Golden Fleece,' and the ram,
which bore it, Chrysomallus (Xpvo-o/xaXXoc). It was to the
distant East what the golden fruits of the Hesperides were
to the West — an object which equally attracted cupidity and
admiration.*
The ram itself was translated into the constellation of
Aries ; hence it is Cd^Q^delapsce portitor Helles {Lucan iv.
57) the " bearer of the fallen Ilelle," and Pecus Nejphelceum
(Faler. Argonaut, i. 56) from Nephele her mother; its fleece,
the Nephelean fleece, ^etes received Phrixus with great
kindness, and gave him his daughter Chalciope in marriage,
by whom he had several children. Some time after, Phrixus
was murdered by his father-in-law, who envied him the pos-
session of the golden fleece ; and Chalciope, in consequence,
sent her children to Bceotia — but they were wrecked on the
island of Dia or Arecia.
This introduces us to Jason, the leader of the Argonautic
expedition. He was the son of .^sonf (Jason Msonides) ;
and, on the death of his father, the throne was usurped by
Pelias, the uncle of Jason. On account of an oracle, which
declared that a descendant of ^olust should dethrone him,
Jason was removed from the presence of the usurper, and
his education was committed to the Centaur Chiron. "When
his education was completed, Jason was ordered by the
oracle to go to lolcus, covered with the spoils of a leopard,
and dressed in the garments of a Magnesian. He lost one
of his shoes in crossing the river Enipeus orEvenus. His
singular appearance drew a crowd round him in the market-
place ; and Pelias, who came to see him with the rest, when
he recollected the oracle, which warned him to beware of a
* AS^raJo (Geog.xi.p.499) endeavours to explain the story,
from the Colchians collecting, by means of skins, the gold sand
washed by the rivers from the mountains.
t .^son, Jason's father, was the son of Cretheus ; Cretheus
was the son of iEolus.
ARGONAUTIC EXPEDITION. 185
descendant of yEolus, who should appear with one foot bare,
took the alarm.
Jason boldly demanded the throne from the usurper
Pelias: — "The revenues of the kingdom," said Jason to
Pelias, " thou mayest keep and enjoy, but of the supreme
authority thou must divest thyself." Pelias conceived it to
be the most politic to act with dissimulation ; and he
wrought upon the generous nature of Jason, by represent-
ing that the death of their common relation Phrixus was
still unrevenged, and that he would resign the crown of
lolcus, provided he would fetch the golden fieece from Col-
chis.
Such was the cause of the celebrated Argonautic expedi-
tion, in which the most celebrated heroes of ancient Greece
(semidei reges, Stat. Ach. ii. 363) were summoned by Jason
to participate ; and the period of which has been generally
assigned to the generation that preceded the Trojan war.
The number of heroes who joined the expedition amounted
to fifty.* Sophocles and ^schylus have each given lists of
the Argonauts varying from each other,f and though Bur-
mann has taken the trouble to prefix to his edition of Vale-
rius Flaccus a revised list ( Catalogus Argonautarum) ; yet
the labour is somewhat superfluous, for the mythographers
naturally connected with this expedition every remarkable
hero of that period, as they did in the case of the Calydo-
nian hunt or the Trojan war. We need only state, there-
fore, that Jason was the commander ; Tipkys, and after his
death, Anccous, the pilots ; Lynceus, on account of his
penetrating vision, was appointed to look ahead of the ves-
sel ; Zetes and Calais had command of the rowers ; Her-
cules took his station on the fore- deck, and Peleus and
* Apollon. Rhod. Argon, i. 1, sqq.
t The Scholiast on Lycophron (175) is the only writer who
estimates the number at one hundred.
X Cf. Schol. Pind. Pyth. iv. 303.
Class. Diet.
lob HEROES.
Telamon on the after (Orp/?. Arg. 355 ; Jpollon. Rhod,
i. 551). When all were assembled, the halcyon {oXkvovlq)
sent by Juno flew loud-screaming over the head of Jason,
and was interpreted by Mopsus as an omen of a favourable
voyage.
The first trace of the common tradition that Jason was
sent to fetch the golden fleece from ^a, the city of JEetes,
in the eastern boundaries of the earthy occurs in Mimner-
mus (ap. Strah. i. p. 46, etc.), a contemporary of Solon ;
but the most ancient detailed account of the expedition of the
Argonauts which is extant, is that of Pindar (Pyth. iv). It
may be necessary to premise that the details of this expedi-
tion, and more particularly \\\t geographical details are
given by different writers with every possible discrepancy ;
and we shall therefore select such as appear to be the most
poetical.
The vessel in which the Argonauts sailed was denomi-
nated Argo. It was built of timber from Mount Pelion
[hence called Pelias Arbor], and of a size hitherto unknown
in the Grecian seas ; and it was impelled by fifty oars {-KevTr}-
KovTipoc). According to many authors, it had a beam in the
prow cut in the forest of Dodona by Minerva, which had
the power of giving oracles to the Argonauts {Argo fati-
dica). As Aphetse was situated near the town, or on the
gulf of Pagasse, hence the Argo is termed Pagascea puppis ;
Jason Pagasceus ; and as Pagasse is situated in the country
of Magnesia, hence Argo Magnetis or Puppis Hc;emonia, i. e.,
the Thessalian Argo, for Magnesia was a portion of Thes-
saly. As the ship was built by the assistance of Minerva,
it is also called Palladia ratis and Tritonia piniis ; while
the heroes who sailed in it bore the general title of Argo-
nauts [Argo Nautce], After the expedition was finished,
she was drawn aground at the Isthmus, and consecrated to
Neptune ; while the poets made her a constellation in
heaven.
With favourable winds the Argo sailed from the port of
Aphetse, at the entrance of the Pagassean gulf. Orpheus
ARGONAUTIC EXPEDITION. 187
with his lyre animated his companions in threatening dan-
gers ; Lynceus with his piercing eye penetrated the most dis-
tant regions; and Tiphys, the pilot, managed the helm
with experienced hand.
The first place at which the Argonauts landed was the
isle of Lemnos, the women of which (Lemniades) had slain
all the men in the island, with the exception of Thoas, who
had been preserved by his daughter Hypsipyle. Here the
Argonauts remained two years.* Leaving Lemnos, they
visited Samothrace [Samos Thracia], where they offered
sacrifices to the Gods, and were initiated into the mysteries
of the Cahiri; for, according to some writers, the Cabiri
presided over the winds : hence they became Gods favour-
able to navigators and terrible to pirates.
From Samothrace the Argonauts passed to Troas and
Cyzicus, where they were favourably received by Cyzicus,
king of the island or peninsula. After their departure from
Cyzicus, they were driven back in the night by a storm on
the coast. The inhabitants, supposing them to be their
enemies the Pelasgi, attacked them with fury ; and in this
nocturnal engagement, Cyzicus perished by the hand of
Jason himself. He was honoured with a splendid funeral,
and Orpheus offered sacrifices to Cybele, the mother of the
Gods, on Mount Dindymus,f in order to expiate the mur-
* Pindar says that the Argonauts celebrated games at Lem-
nos, "'EvOa Ka\ yvioiv aiOXois eTridei^avTO Kplaiv eadaTos djjLT&s, the ' descendant of
-Coins', i.e. Ulysses, who, ac-
cording to some, was the son of
Sisyphus, the son of -^ilolus,
234.
-^'oLus, 1. a son of Hellen.
2. the God of the Winds, 120—
123. bolides, a ' descendant of
-^olus'; as Athamas, Misenus,
Sisyphus, and his grandsons,
Cephalus, Ulysses, and Phrixus.
jEoUs, a 'female descendant of
JEolus ' ; as his daughters Canace
and Alcyone. Molioe insuloe,
the Lipari islands, between Si-
cily and Italy, which were sub-
ject to ^olus, 80. The name is
perhaps derived from m.oXog va-
rius, as the winds are ever shift-
ing their positions. AioXo^ , again.
* ^gidaque horriferam, turbatae Palladis arma.— FiVg-.
t Capripedes calamo Panes hiante canent.— Prop.
t AiyXt]Tr)V fxkv ivaKoirov tivtKtv a'iyXr}Q
f^olfiov KtKXoixtvoi. Apollon. Argon, lib. iv.
AER
[ 257 ]
AGA
has been connected with deWa
a storm; and both derived by
Buttmann from a'iio to 'blow';
whence a'ioXog means ' blowing,
flapping, moving '. Thus aloXog
means, 1. flexible, moveable (tto-
Saq a'io\oQ—aio\oQMpr]k — fr^^-
Kf.Qn'f(yov aloXoL) ; 2. varicoloured,
of colours which ' shift quickly'
from shade to shade. Buttmann,
Lexil. p. 73. Passow. s.v.
Aer'ope, the grand-daughter
of Minos, and wife of Atreus.
^scula'pius, the god of the
healing art: ir]Tt}p djjivixojvllom.
a ' distinguished physician '. His
Greek name is ' ArrKXrjTriog, and
his descendants were termed 'Ad-
K\T]7riddai, 114 — 117.
-i5\/ \_aWia to burn ; wi// the
countenance] .
JE'thon 'burning' [a't'^wv],
the name of several horses.
Etii'ra, the mother of The-
seus, and daughter of Pittheus.
Hence Theseus is termed Pit-
theidos Mthrce filius. aWpr] the
serene atmosphere. Hesych.
jEthy'ia, a ' diver', and figu-
ratively, a ship; a surname of
Minerva, aiOuia, 68.
-^TNA, a volcanic mountaiii
of Sicily, in whose furnaces
[^tnai camini'] Vulcan and the
Cyclopes made the thunderbolts
for Jupiter, Mtnceus, an epithet
given to Vulcan and Jupiter.
AtTtmia ttwXoq a ' Sicilian horse',
i.e. a swift one. Soph. O. C.
313.
Affla'tus, 'inspiration', or
divine /wror, 92.
'AyaKXvTog 'celebrated,' ap-
plied to the Centaur Eurytio,
126.
Agame'des, a son of Erginus
and brother of Trophonius; dis-
tinguished as an architect.
Agamem'non, 1. a son of
Atreus and brother of Menelaus.
2. a surname under which Jupi-
ter was worshipped at Sparta.
Some derive it from dydv ' very'
(valde) and jikviov ' continuing',
and translate it the 'Eternal'.
Agamemnonides,s.Agamemnonius,
the 'son of Agamemnon', i.e.
Orestes, 244. 'Ay a fisuvovtia
(Ppkara 'wells of Agamemnon'
[whi(;h he dug everywhere in
Greece] ; applied proverbially to
' great labours', Zenob.i. 6. Aga-
memnonice MycencB, Mycenae, as
being ruled over by Agamem-
non, 243.
' Ayava (SsXeo the ' soothing
darts' or arroAvs of Apollo and
Diana, 46.
Aganip'pe, 1. a nymph of that
name; 2. a well sacred to the
Muses. Aganippides, the Muses.
Aganippis Hippocrene, ' Hippo-
crene, sacred to the Muses', 138.
Agathod^e'mon, the ' good
god ' or dsemon ; a divinity in
whose honour the Greeks drank
a cup of unmixed wine at the
end of every repast. Pausanias
considers it a mere epithet of
Jupiter, viii. 36. § 3. dyaBog
good ; Sainojv a daemon or intel-
ligence.
Aga've, a daughter of Cad-
m3
'ATE
[ 258 ]
AJA
mus, and mother of Pentheus.
Hence she is termed Cadmea
mater, the ' Cadmean mother';
Pentheia mater, ' mother of Pen-
theus ' ; also Thehana mater.
' Ay'tkaaroQ ' sad, gloomy ' ; ap-
plied to Pluto, a not; yeXdio to
laugh, 41. 'Ays\a(TTOQ Trtrpa
Triste saxum, the ' mournful
rock' on which Ceres sat near
Eleusis, when in quest of her
daughter, 100.
Agelei'a, s. Agele'is ['Ay£-
Xeta, 'Aytkrito], a 'leader of the
people ' or of ' booty ' ; an epithet
of Minerva, ayw to lead; XaoQ
the people or \ua booty.
Age'nor, the father of Cad-
mus and king of Pheenicia; Age-
norides, a ' descendant of Age-
nor', as Cadmus, Phineus, and
Perseus.
Agesan'der, s. Agesila'us,
*he who carries away men or
people'; a surname of Hades or
Pluto, ayw to carry off; dvrjp a
man; Xabq the people.
Age'tor, the 'leader or con-
ductor'; an epithet applied to
Jupiter, Apollo, and Mercury.
dyfjriop from ayw to lead.
Agla'ia, one of the Graces.
ayXaog illustrious, 139.
Aglaophe'me, one of the
Sirens. dyXaog illustrious; (pr]{ir}
reputation, fame.
Aglao'pes ['AyXawTTtc], he
of the 'cheerful countenance',
i. e. JEsculapius dyXabg; wi// the
countenance, 117.
' AyXaorpiaivriQ ' illustrious
with the trident', i. e. Neptune-
dyXabq illustrious; rpiaiva the
trident, 35.
'Aydjv %a\/cfog the ' brazen
contest' in the Herajan games,
30. TrpoJTOQ dyiovLffTijg the ' first
of Athletes', i.e. Hercules, 172 n.
Agona'lia, a Roman festival in
honour of Janus.
Ago'nius, 1. he 'who helps in
struggles', as Jupiter and Apol-
lo; 2. he ' who presides over
contests', as Mercury, 87. dyuj-
vioQ from dyiov a contest.
AgOR^'uS, S. AGORyEA ['Ayo-
palog, 'Ayopala'], he who pro-
tects or presides over the ' assem-
blies of the people' or the 'mar-
kets'; an epithet of Jupiter, Mi-
nerva, Diana, and Mercury, 25,
64, 87. dyopaloQ from dyopd an
assembly, market.
Agr^'us, the ' hunter'; a
surname of Apollo, dypalog from
dypa body.
Agrau'los, the name of the
wife and daughter of Cecrops.
Agreus, the 'hunter'; a sur-
name of Pan, Aristajus, Apollo,
etc.; dypei'Q from dypa booty;
hunting, 49.
Agrimenso'res, ' land-mea-
surers', ager, a field ; metior,
mensus to measure, 125 n.
Agrio'nius, a surname of
Bacchus; Agridnia, his festival.
'Aypitijviog signifies 'fierce, cruel' ;
and in this sense Plutarch con-
trasts it with his other epithets,
XapidoTtjg the 'giver of joy';
and fieiXi-x^iog the ' mild, benig-
nant', (in Anton.).
'Aypiog, applied to Bacchus,
because his votaries wandered
through the 'fields' \_dypoQ, 93.
"Aypioi Beoi the ' fierce gods ',
i. e. the Titans, says Hesychius,
Agrot'era, the 'huntress'; a
surname of Diana, dypa hunt-
ing.
Agt'ieus, 'protector of streets' ;
a surname of Apollo, dyvievg
from dyvid a street, 47. Levis
Agyieus, beardless Apollo, kvkj-
cdv dyvidg the 'savour of the
street', when every altar was
smoking with a sacrifice, 51.
A'jAX [Aiag], 1. the son of
Telamon, surnamed the ' Tela-
monian' or 'Greater Ajax'; 2.
the son of Oileus [Oilides'], sur-
named also the ' Locrian ' or the
'Lesser Ajax'. Ajacem celere/r
AIA
[ 259 ]
ALC
sequi (Hor.), 'Ajax swift in pur-
suit ', i. e. the Lesser Ajax (232 n.)
wliom Homer designates the
'swift son of O'ileus' [^OiXijog
raxvQ v'iog'].
Aiavrnog yaXwg the 'laughter
of Ajax', i. e. 'foolish and wit-
less laughter'. Zenoh. i. 43. to
AiavTtlov, a sepulchral monu-
ment or temple of Ajax on the
promontory of Rhceteum in
Troas. Strah. xiii. 1. 595. Awo
MiavTi the ' two Ajaces ', i. e.
Ajax the Telamonian, and Ajax
the son of O'ileus. Mantis, an
Attic tribe so called from this
hero, 233. Sophocles and Ovid
both play upon A'iag as derived
from the exclamation At, Al,
Alas! Alas! whence the verb
aid^(jj to lament.
AiyXtjTi^Q the 'shining one',
i. e. Apollo. alyXri splendour, 52.
Aiylg, Alyioxog, see jEgidu-
chus.
A'iDES, the ' invisible ' ; a sur-
name of Pluto, 'Atdrjg [a not;
dd(o to see], because Pluto is the
ruler of the invisible world, 43.
Aido'neus, a lengthened form
of 'Aidyg, which see.
A i^wt; modesty, 119.
AWpiog, s. AlOepiog, applied to
Jupiter as connected with the
' atmosphere' [ai0»/p, spog'], 21.
Al(ra Fate, 132 ; hence Kar' al-
aav is used to express suitable-
ness or propriety, because what-
ever is ordained by Fate is right,
133.
"AKpiog, worshipped on the
'mountains' [of Arcadia], i.e.
Jupiter. cLKpa the heights, 23.
The term uKpia is also applied
to Minerva I'AOijva aicpia'] as
the goddess of 'high places',
64.
'Afcr?), 1. The ancient name
of Attica ; whence, Actceus ; 2.
KaX?) 'Akt/j, a district of Si-
cily; 3. AevKT} ''Akttj, an island
in the Pontus Euxinus.
Al'ala, an appellation given
to Bellona; hence aXa\aZ,ii), aka-
Xayfidg the 'war-shout', equiva-
lent to (3orj in Homer ^(3or)v
dyaObg'], from /3oaw to ' cry
out'.
Alalco3iene'is ['AXaXfcoftf-
vrjig'], a suraame of Minerva;
either from dXdXicctj to ' defend
vigorously', or from Alalcomena',
a town of Bceotia, which, though
small and built on a flat, still
continued intact, says Strabo,
because, through reverence for
the goddess to whom it was sa-
cred, all abstained from violence.
Alas'tor, the 'Avenger'; a
surname of Jupiter or any aveng-
ing demon. 'AXdarwp, usually
derived from a not; XavOdvoj-iai
to forget, 22.
Alc^'us, the father of Am-
phitryon, and grandfather of
Hercules.
Alcath'ous, a son of Pelopa
and Hippodamia.
Alci'des, 1. aname of Hercu-
les; either from his grandfather
Alcceus, or from dX/c?), vigour,
strength; 2. also an epithet of
Minerva among the Macedoni-
ans, ' M"merra, quam vocant Al-
ciden', Liv. lib. ii. 'AXKsidrjg.
'AXKelSai 9eoi, certain protecting
deities in Sparta. Hesych.
Alces'tis, the wife of Adme-
tus, designated Phercea conjux
and Pagascea conjux, from Pherae
and Pagasse in Thessaly — her
husband being king of Thessaly.
See Admetus.
Alcim'ede, the wife of vEson
and mother of Jason.
'AXKindxn 'strenuous in bat-
tle', i. e. Minei'va, dXic*) strength ;
Hdxn battle, 66.
Al'cinous, the husband of
Arete and ruler of the Phae-
acians in the island of Scheria.
Horn. Od. vi. 12. 'AXk'ivoov diro-
Xoyog, a 'long tale of Alcinous',
i. e. a fabulous narrative. Plat.
ALC
[ 260 ]
ALT
Rep. X. 614. in reference to Ulys-
ses narrating his wonderful sto-
ries respecting the Lotophagi,
Laestrygones, Circe, Cyclopes,
etc. at the banquet of Alcinous.
See Pheeax. ' Bifera Alcinoi po-
viaria ', ' Gardens of Alcinous,
which yield twice a year,' 240.
Al'cis, the 'strong'; a sur-
name of Minerva, okK-n strength,
Alcme'na, the wife of Am-
phitryo and mother of Hercules.
Alcy'one, s. Halcy'one, 1. a
Pleiad, a daughter of Atlas and
Pleione; 2. the wife of Ceyx:
both were metamorphosed into
birds, uXkvojv and kyju^. For
seven days before and after the
winter solstice, while the bird
halcyon was breeding, it was fa-
bled that calms always prevailed
at sea; hence 'halcyon days':
and the birds are said to be
' beloved by Thetis' [dilecti The-
tidi halcyoms], 186, 196. 'AX-
KvoviQ, OdXaTTa, the eastern
portion of the Corinthian gulf.
Strab. viii. 336.
A'lea, a surname of Juno, at
Sicyon. dXdonai to wander (?)
31.
A'lea, a surname of Minerva.
Alec'to, the ' unceasing ' per-
secutor ; one of the Furies, a not ;
Xyyo) to cease, 130.
"AXfiov, a temple of the 'Sun'
\_TjXioQ Dor. aXiof]. His festival
was termed "AX £ia, "AXto, 'AXtla,
54. ^
A'les, 'winged'. Jlipes/ynng-
footed' [a/a and pes'], epithets
of Mercury, 89.
A'les Jovis, the ' bird of
Jove', i. e. the eagle, 25.
Aleu'ad^e, a noble and pow-
erful family of Thessaly.
'AXs^dvSpoQ the Greek name
of Paris.
'AXsK,idpT]g the * averter of im-
precations ', a son of Hercules
and Hebe. aXs^w to avert; dpd
a curse, 114.
Alexic'actjs, * Averter of
evil'; a surname of Jupiter,
Apollo, and Hercules. dXe^i-
KUKog from dXsKio to drive away;
KaKov evil. It is synonymous,
says Pollux, with dTTOTporraiog,
diroTrofnraXoQ, Xvmoc, (pv^ioQ
(lib. v.), all of which signify to
' avert, chase away, or deliver us
from, evil'.
'AXLysvrjQ ' born from the sea',
i.e. Venus. dXg, dXbg the sea;
ysivofxai to be born, 73.
Alite'rius, s. Alite'ria, the
'miller', an epithet of Jupiter
and Ceres among the Greeks,
24, 103.
'AXrjiov TTsdiov Ale'ius campus,
the 'Aleian plain' — a plain of
Lycia in which Belleroplion
wandered, when thrown from
his horse Pegasus. Some derive
it from dXdoaai to wander; and
conceive that Homer alludes to
this etymon,* 159.
'AXXoTTpoo-aXXog a 'waverer',
i. e. Mars, as taking his support
from 'one to another' [dXXog
Ttpbg aXXor], 70.
Alma, ' nourishing' ; an epi-
thet of Ceres; alo, to nourish,
103.
Alo'a ['AXtua], an Athenian
festival to Ceres and Bacchus;
for dX(j)Q signifies not only a
' threshing floor', but ' a district
planted with vines and yielding
com' \_dp,'KtX6(pvroQ ^wpa, Kai
aiTo^opog].
Aloi'd^, the 'sons of Aloeus',
[gemini AloidcB], i.e. Otus and
Ephialtes, giants. 'AXwtiSai, 149.
Alterum Lumen Asi^, ' an-
other glory of Asia,' i. e. Ephe-
sus, 61 n.
Alth^'a, the wife of (Eneus,
* "Hroi 6 Kuinrkdiov to 'AXtjiov olog dXaro. Horn. 11. Yi.
ALY
C 261 ]
AMM
king of Calydon, and mother of
Mcleager; designated by Seneca
Altheea ultrix, ' Althsea, the A-
venger', because she threw into
the fire the fatal log upon the
preservation of which tlie life of
Meleager depended, 204.
Al'ybe, s. Ab'ila, a mountain
of Africa, opposite Calpe, or
Gibraltar. It is one of the ' Pil-
lars of Hercules,' 20.
Amai.the'a, a n3Tnph, the
nurse of Jupiter; or, according
to others, the goat which suckled
Jupiter, when an infant. He-
sychius derives it from dfxaX-
9eveiv to 'enrich', 'nourish'; but
the common derivation is from
dixsXyeiv to milk. 'Afia\9eiag
Kepag the 'horn of Amalthea',
i. e. the horn of plenty; and used
proverbially to denote great
abundance, 20.
Amaktnci'des, 'the son of
Amarynceus', chief of the Eleans,
i. e. Diores. Horn. II. ii. 622.
Amaryn'thus, a city in Eu-
boea, with a temple to Diana;
hence Diana bears the epithet of
'AfiapvvOia, s. 'Ajxapvffia; and
she had a festival at Athens,
termed to. ' Afiapvaia. Hesych.
Amathu'sia, s.Amathun'tia,
a surname of Venus, fi-om the
town of Amathus {Amathuntis)
in Cyprus, 77. Duplex Amathu-
sia, applied to Venus represented
as combining both sexes, 79.
Ama'zones, s. Amazon'ides,
' breastless', a nation of female
warriors, who are said to have
cut off the right breast of their
female offspring, in order that
they might use the javelin or
draw the bow with greater force ;
and to this Virgil is supposed to
allude when speaking of Pen-
thesilea.* Peltata Amazon, the
' Amazon armed with the pelta'.
or small buckler; Amazonia se-
curis, the 'Amazonian hatchet'.
Herodotus says that, in the Scy-
thian language, their name^was
Oiorpata, i. e. dvdpoKTovoi ' man-
killers' (iv. 110); for they de-
stroyed all their male offspring,
164 ??. ' Ap.a^6vu>v rrediov the
'plain of the Amazons', i. e.
Themiscyra near the Thermodon
{Strab. i. 52), a river in which
the Amazons are supposed to
bathe \_Amazonius Thermodon,
Ov.]. 'Aij,a'Cu)v is also a sur-
name of the Ephesian Diana.
Cf. Pans. iv. 31. 8. a not; [xaZog
the breast? 164.
Ambologe'ka, 'delaying old
age' ; a surname of Venus, Pans.
iii. 18. § 1. dva(SdX\u) to defer;
yfjpag old age.
Ambro'sia, the food of the
immortals, 14. As "AfxlSporog
means ' immortal', so 'Ajx^poaiog
means of an ' immortal nature'.
'Ap(3po(Tia was, therefore, ori-
ginally a substantive from dfi-
iSpoTOQ, like dOavufrla from dOa-
varog; and as the deities wash
themselves with beauty (Od. vi.
192), so they eat and drink im-
mortality. Buttmann, Lexil. s.v.
Am'mon, an Ethiopian or Li-
byan divinity; whom the Greeks
and Romans subsequently wor-
shipped under the title of Jupi-
ter Ammon. At first he was
worshipped in Meroe ; after-
wards in the Egyptian Thebes
(or Diospolis, ' city of Jupiter') ;
and ■ more particularly in the
oasis of Ammonium (Siwah) in
the Libyan Desert. Originally
he appears to have been wor-
shipped as a ' protector of flocks' ;
for TertuUian terms him Dives
ovium; Eustathius deduces the
name from Amoni, a ' shepherd ' ;
and the general representation
* Aurea sUbnectens exertae cingula mammae. Vir. Mn, i
AMN
[ 262 ]
AMY
of the god is either in the form
of a ram, or as a human being
with the head of a ram. He-
sychius says, 'Afifjiovg b Zsvg;
and Herodotus, that the ' Egyp-
tians call Jupiter, Ammous' —
'Afifiovv yap AiyvTZTioi KoXkovai
TOP Aia. \_' Af^iiovv, which we,
says Plutarch, lengthen into "Afi-
[iova.^ 26.
Amni'siades, s. Abini'sides,
the nymphs of the river Amni-
sus in Crete.
Amphiara'us, a descendant of
Melampus, the seer, 210. He had
intended not to have gone to the
Theban war; but his wife Eri-
phyle, being corrupted by the
present of a golden necklace
from Adrastus, betrayed his
place of concealment. He was
swallowed up by the earth open-
ing on the first day of the arrival
at Thebes ; and his wife, agree-
ably to his orders, was put to
death by his son Alcmason.
Hence Homer says, that Am-
phiaraus perished ' on account
of female presents' \_yvvai(ijv f'l-
vtKa ddJpojv, Odyss. xv,] ; and
Horace represents the house of
the 'Argive prophet' [^auguris
Argivi'] as utterly ruined on ac-
count of gain [o6 lucrum De-
mersa excidio, Od. iii. 16]. His son
Alcmaeon is termed A mphiar ai-
des. Ov, Fast. ii. 43. To 'Afxcpid-
peiov the temple or oracle of
Amphiaraus near Oropus. Strab.
ix. 404.
Amphic'tyonis, a surname of
Ceres, derived from Anthela
(where she was worshipped),
being the place of meeting for
the Amphictyons of Thermo-
pylae, 103. djxcpiicTLoveQ ^dwellers
around' \_TrfpioiKoi AeX^CJv k.t.X.
Hesychius], neighbours (ajxcpi;
'Afi^iyvrjeiQ 'lame on both
feet'; an epithet of Vulcan, dfi^l
on both sides; yvibg lame, 80.
^AiKparriQ 'annual'; an epi-
thet of Bacchus — his festival
being celebrated every year at
Athens (but at Thebes every
third year, rpi£r>7c); cLixcpi a-
round; troq a year, 93.
Amphil'ochus, one of the
Epigoni, who founded ' Amphi-
lochian Argos' [_Argos Amphilo-
chium'] in Acarnania, 212 n.
Amphin'omb, the wife of ^-
son and mother of Jason.
Amphi'on, a son of Jupiter
and Antiope, so skilful in music
that he is said to have built the
walls of Thebes by the sound of
his lyre \_Am,phionim lyrce, Prop.],
hence Virgil terms him Dircceus
Amphion, the ' Theban Amphion'
[see Dirce] ; Horace the ' builder
of the Theban citadel' \ThehancB
conditor arcis'] ; and the citadel
itself is designated Amphionice
arces. 'Afxcpum^, the sanctuary
of Amphion at Thebes.
'AfKpirrvpog waving a 'torch
in either hand', i. e. Diana, afxcpi
on both sides; rrvp fire, 63.
Amphitki'te, the wife of Nep-
tune and goddess of the sea.
She was a daughter of Nereus
\_Nereia Amphitrite] ; hence used
poetically for the sea; and the
name itself derived from d}i9evQ the
'blooming'; a surname of Bac-
chus. dvBog a flower.
Anthe'le, a village of Phocis
(containing a temple of Ceres)
where the Amphictyons assem-
bled.
Anthe'lii {'Av9i]\ioL Saifio-
v£q), divinities whose images,
being placed before the doors of
houses, were ' exposed to the
Bun'. dvri against; i]\ioQ the
sun.
Anthespiior'ia, a festival in
honour of Proserpine, who was
carried away by Piuto while ga-
thering flowers. avOog a flower;
to
fit, 68.
Bav axivrjTov kav. — Luc. Pseudol. 32.
t Cum cecidit Capaneuss\ih\X.o temerarius ictu. — Oi\
^ Nauplius ultores sub noclem porrigit ignes.— Prop.
CAR
[ 276 ]
CEL
Capitol, 23. Bargains and agree-
ments were sometimes made here,
under oath, as in the presence of
the God.*
Ca'iua, a country of Asia
Minor. Carius, an epithet of
Jupiter as worshipped in Caria,
24.
Carmek'ta, an Arcadian pro-
j.-ihetcss, mother of Evander, so
called from delivering her oracles
in ' verse' [carmen f ] ; as Diony-
sius Hal. interprets it Qta-Kn^^oQ.
She gave her name to the porta
Carmentalis at Rome, afterwards
termed Scelerata, or the ' ac-
cursed', because the 306 Fabii
passed through it in going on
their fatal expedition, 126, n.
CAEYA'Tis,an epithet of Diana,
from Caryce, a village of Laconia.
Her festival was termed Caryatea.
Kapuartof c, a Laconian dance in
lionour ot Diana | Vv'hence is
formed the verb Kapvari^w \_Luc.
Salt, 10]. In architecture the
Caryatides are female figures em-
ployed, as columns, for sup-
port.
Ca'sius, a mountain on the
coast of Africa, on which Jupiter,
surnamed Casius, had a temple.
Here reposed the remains of
Pompey.
Cassan'dra, a daughter of
Priam [Priame'ia virgo'], who,
though possessing the gift of pro-
phecy, was never believed [non
nnquam credita Teucru. Vir.],
218.
Cass'iopb, s. Cassiope'a, the
wife of Cepheus, and mother of
Andromeda; who boasted herself
fairer than the nymphs, and was
punished by her daughter being
exposed to a sea-monster, 156.
Cassiter'ides, the ' tin-is-
land^', or islands from which
tin' [Kaaairepoc, cassiterum]
was exported. Camden sup-
posed these to have been the
Scilly islands.
Castal'ides, the ' Muses',from
Castalia, a fountain of Parnassus.
This fountain was also supposed
to be of a ' prophetic' character
[rrrj-yr) (.lavTiKi)], 138.
Cas'tok and Pollux, twin-
brothers, and the 'sons of Ju-
piter' [Aing Kovpoi] and .Lcda,
the wife of Tyndarus [progenies
Ledaa']. They are sometimes
termed Castores in the plural, or
even ge minus Pollux, 198. Kao--
Tiop 'nmodafxog 'Castor skilled
in horsemanship' [equis super are
nobilis, Hor. raxvirujXoc, Theoc.].
As the ancients swore by their
divinities, hence ^castor and
^depol.
Catanen'sis, i. e. Ceres, from
Catana in Sicily, 103.
Cauca'se^ Vo'lucres, the
' Caucasean birds' which gnawed
the liver of Prometheus. Cauca-
sus vv'as a lofty mountain, sepa-
rating India from Scythia, and
formhig the ' cruel bed of Pro-
metheus' [soevum cubile Prome-
thei:], 153.
Causius, i. e. jEsculapius, from
Cans in Arcadia, 117.
Ce'crops, a native of Sais in
Lower Egypt who colonized
Athens; hence Cecropia puella,
i. e. Minerva, Cecropia being the
ancient name of Athens, which
was sacred to Minerva, 65. Ce-
cropia fides, 'Attic faith'. See
Thesea fides. Cecropia dapes, the
'Attic banquet' [Catull.'] offered
to the Minotaur. See Androgeos.
The Athenians themselves were
termed Cecropidce.
CelvEn^e, a city of Phrygia,
the birth-place of Marsyas. Ce-
* Hence tbe complaint of riiny, alii in ipso capiiolio faUvnt, ac fulniinan-.em
yi'ierunt Jovcm, lib.i. c;q). (!.
\ Ipsa mono, rjuae nonien habes a carmine ductiim. -Oo.
CEL
[ 277 ]
CHA
loinea buxos, i. e. the flute in-
vented by Marsyas, 48 n.
Cel^e'no, one of the Harpies.
KeXaivbg 'black', 121.
Ce'l^us, the father of Tripto-
lemus, to whom Ceres explained
the art of agriculture.
Cen^'um, a ^ promontory of
Euboea, where Jupiter Cenccus
had an altar raised by Hercules.
Centau'ri, the offspring of
Ixion [!xionidiS Centaurij, a
people of Thessaly, generally re-
presented as half man and half
horse * \_semihomines, semiferi],
126. Centaurea rixa cum Lapi-
this [Hor.], 'the quarrel of the
Centaurs with the Lapithee',
163 n.
Cen'ticeps Bel'lua, the 'hun-
dred-headed beast', i. e. Cer-
berus. See Cerberus.
Centim'ani, certain giants as
having a ' hundred hands' [cen-
tum manus], 149.
Centumgem'iki, the ' hundred
handed ', as Cottus, Briareus,
Gyes, 15.
Ceph'alus, a son of Deioneus
and husband of Procris. He was
a celebrated hunter, beloved and
carried off by Aurora f [rosea
Deo], 106 n.
Ce'pheus, the father of An-
dromeda [AndromedcB pater'] and
one of the Argonauts. Hence
Andromeda is termed Cepheia
Andromeda and Cepheia Virgd ;
and Ethiopia, over which Ce-
pheus ruled, Cephaa arva, 156.
Cephis'sus, a river of Boeotia,
whose water Lucan terms ' pro-
phetic' [falidica aqua'], on ac-
count of the ancient oracle of
Themis being situated near it,
Cer'berus, a watchful dog,
stationed at the entrance of the
infernal regions, as its ' fierce
keeper' [asper Janitor]. He is
generally represented as a ' three-
headed dog' [triplex Cerberus,
TfjiKpavoQ (TKvXa^] ; but, accord-
ing to Hesiod, he had ' fifty
heads ' [ kvwv TrtvTrjKovraica.-
prjvog], whilst Horace desig-
nates him the 'hundred-headed
beast' [centiceps bellua]. He-
sychius has Kep(5spioi, daOevug
the 'sick', 38, 165.
Cer'cyon, a monster killed by
Hercules, 176.
Ce'res, the goddess of corn,
termed Orba Ceres because 'be-
reft' of her daughter Proserpine,
99 — 104. Cereris sacrum tulgare
arcancs, to ' reveal the Mysteries
of Ceres', i. e. the Eleusinian
Mysteries, 100 n. Her festival
at Rome was termed Cerealia,
103 n.
Ces'tus [ice;p the coun-
tenance, 173.
Charyb'dis, a dangerous
whirlpool [implacata Charybdis']
on the coast of Sicily, and noted
for its shipwrecks [submersis ra-
tibus saturata Charybdis]. Lu-
can terms it Tauromenitana,
from Tauromenia, a town be-
tween Messana and Catana, 37.
Xr)pa, the ' widow', Lat. Vidua,
i.e. Juno, 31.
Chim^'ra, the offspring of
Echidna and Typho, with the
foreparts those of a lion, tlie
middle those of a goat, and the
hinder parts of a dragon. Hence
Horace terms it the " triple Chi-
msera" [triformis ChimcBra'], and
as it breathed flames, Virgil calls
it Jlammis armata Chimcera,
158.
Chi'ro>% a Centaur [semifer
senex] skilled in medicine, music,
shooting; and the educator of
Hercules, ^sculapius, Achilles,
etc.; hence his epithets o-a»0pwv
' prudent', (^aOvjiijrig ' profoimd
in counsel'. He is also termed
Philyrides and Philyreius heros,
from Philyra his mother, 228.
XiTMv, a ' tunic', or under-
garment, 62. S;\;i(Tr6t; x*^^^ 5 see
Chlo'rts [XXwpjg], the god-
dess of flowers; the same as the
Latin Flora. x^f^poQ virens, ' ver-
dant'.
Choe'phor^, ' offerers of li-
bations' [^Xor](p6poi], the title of
a play by ^schylus, x^V ^ liba-
tion ; (pipu) to carry, 245, n.
XpvaaoptvQ, Chrysaoreus, i. e.
Jupiter, as equipped by the Ca-
rians with a 'golden sword'.
Xpv(T6oQ golden; dap a sword,
24.
Xpvaua TTsdiXa, 'golden san-
dals'. xP^^^V '^'^ dairkdu} ' on
the golden pavement',' 14. xpw-
(TEia rdXavra 'golden scales',
22.
XpvaoixaWog, the ram with
the 'golden fleece' [%pu(r£oe fidX-
Xoc],184.
XpucoppaTTif, bearing a 'gold-
en wand' [xpviTsa paTTig'], i.e.
Mercury, 89.
Chry'saor, a son of Medusa
by Neptune, though some say
that he sprung from the blood of
Medusa, armed with a ' golden
sword' [xpycEOJ^ dop'], 155.
Chryse'is, a daughter of
Chryses, priest of Apollo, allotted
to Agamemnon at the reduction
of Lyrnessus, 221.
CHRYSELEPHAN'TlNUS,COnsist-
ing of ' gold and ivory'. XP^^^G
gold; t\si]g * horn on the
seventh day', i.e. Apollo. sl3So-
fioQ the seventh; yeivofjLai to be
born, 52.
"H.(Stj Hebe, the Goddess of
'youth' [r//3??], 113.
Echidna, a celebrated mon-
ster, the offspring of Chrysaor
and Callirrhoe, and mother of
Typlio, Cerberus, etc.
EcHi'oN, one who sprung from
the dragons' teeth sown by Cad-
mus, and assisted him in the
building of Thebes; hence termed
Echionice Theba, and the inha-
bitants Echionidee, 206.
Echo, a daughter of Air and
Tellus, captivated with the beauty
of Narcissus. From her property
of reflecting the human voice,
after her metamorphosis, she is
termed by Ovid resonabilis and
by Persius reparabilis, and by Ho-
race jocosa imago, * sportive
echo'.
Edo'ni, s. Edones, a people
of Thrace, near the river Stry-
mon. Edo'nides, the priestesses
of Bacchus, who celebrated his
orgies in the most frantic man-
ner.*
Edo'nus, the ' Thracian', i. e.
Bacchus, from 'Edones', a people
of Thrace, 96. Edonides Matres,
the priestesses of Bacchus.
Ege'ria, a nymph visited by
Numa.
'Hyr/rwp 6vdp7riQ 'AOrjvT} the ' blue-
eyed Minerva'. Ccesia Minerva.
yXavKog azure; ufsp the eye, 63.
Glau'cus, 1. A son of Hip-
pg>lochus, who exchanged his
golden armour for the brazen
annour of Diomed; hence Glauci
et Diomedis permutatio, ' a fool-
ish exchange'. 2. A fisherman
of Anthedo in Boeotia. 3. A son
of Sisyphus. 4. A son of Minos
and Pasiphiie.
Gnos'sia Corona, the 'Cre-
tan crown' of Ariadne : from
Gnossus in Crete. See Cressa
Corona. Hence Ariadne herself
is termed Gnossis,-f 178.
Gor'gones, three celebrated
sisters : Stheno, Euryale, and Me-
dusa. Pugnans Gorgone Maura,
' fighting with the Moorish Gor-
gon', i. e. Minerva, who bore the
head of Medusa on her iEgis,
69. The Gorgons are termed
Torvina, from their terrible SiS-
pect [yopyor?;?]. Gorgoneus ca-
ballus,ihe winged Pegasus, which
sprang from the blood of Me-
dusa, 155. Gorgoneum venenum,
' Gorgonic poison' ; for the head
of Medusa was wreathed with
poisonous serpents; and, in A-
frica, all poisons were supposed
to have sprung from the head of
Medusa. Gorgonia, an epithet
of Minerva, from her segis. Fop-
yo], as alBvia from
ai0(it», and dyvia from ayo).
He'be, the Goddess of 'youth'
[rji^T]] and daughter of Juno
[Junonia Hebe] . She became the
wife of Hercules, after his death
[formosa Herculis uxor, Juv.].
Homer praises her ' beautiful
ankles' [Ka\\iaje, applied to Jupi-
ter as the lord of thunder-storms.
KaTa(Saiv(t), to descend, 2L
KaruKXwGeg, the ' Spinners,'
i. e. the Fates. tcaraKXojQix), to
spin, 135.
KoTaxOoviog Zevg, ' Infernal
Jupiter,' i. e. Pluto, kutcl, down ;
X^wv, x^ovbg, the earth, 41 n.
KeXadeivirj, a lover of the ' tu-
mult' [/clXa^oe] connected with
the chase, i. e. Diana, 57.
KtXaire^?/?) collecting 'black
clouds.' KfXaivbg black; vscpog
a cloud, 21.
Kepavviog^ the ' thunderer;'
from Kspavvog thunder, 21.
Kspdibog, an epithet of Mer-
cury, as presiding over merchan-
dise and 'gain' \_Kspdog'].
Krjpeg, hardly distinguishable
from the 'Fates;' but more par-
ticularly connected with violent
death, 134.
Krjpv^, a ' herald,' i. e. Mer-
cury, interpres divorum, 'messen-
ger of the gods,' 85.
Ki]Tog, Canis Maximus, Car-'
charias. Lamia [which swallowed
Jonah], 167 n.
KKraoKOfir^c, wearing an ' i^y
wreath,' i. e. Bacchus. Kicaog
ivy; /co/ir/ the hair. Kiaaivov ^k-
Xog [Eur.] the ' spear entwined
with ivy' [^pampinea hasta, Ov.],
i. e. the thyrsus, 92.
'K.XySovxog, the ' keeper of
keys,' i. e. Minerva. KXijig, idog
a key; ix^ ^o have, 64.
KXvTOTo^og, ' distinguished
with the bow,' i. e. Apollo. KXvrog
famous; Tohov a bow, 46.
Kviaaa, the * steam,' or sa-
vour of sacrifices.
KoiXr], the ' cup or boat' of the
sun. KolXog, hollow, 55.
KOP
[ 311 ]
LAC
Kopt), the 'girl,' i.e. Proser-
pine, the -daughter of Ceres,
101.
KopvoTTiojv, destroyer of * lo-
custs' [icopj'wi^, oTTog^ i. e. Her-
cules, 171.
Kotobear.
Melpom'ene, the muse of tra-
gedy and the patroness of lyric
poetry. [leXTrofxevij from fisXiro-
fiai canto 137. Melpom enos, the
* singer' [canens'] , an epithet of
Bacchus, as presiding over drama-
tic entertainments and theatres,
Pans. i. 2,31.
Me'mor, applied to Minerva.
See M.T}xo.vlTLg.
Mem'non, a son of Tithonus
andAurora [Aurorcefilius.Yirg.'],
and the * dusky warrior-king' of
the Ethiopians {^Niger Memnon.
Virg.. Mefivova x^^^i^f^KqpvfTTTQV.
Hes.}. Mefxvoveiov a 'temple of
Memnon' in the Egyptian The-
bes. To Mefivoviov A(ttv the
*city of Memnon', i. e. Susa, as
being built by Tithonus, the fa-
ther of Memnon. Dimidius Mem-
non, the 'mutilated Memnon';
his statue near the Egyptian The-
bes being partially destroyed,
either by Cambyses or an earth-
quake, 105. Jves Memnoniee, s.
Memnonides, a flock of birds which
sprung up from the funeral pile
of Memnon, and fought till half
of them perished in the flames.
This combat was annually re-
newed, 106.
Menela'us, a son of Atreus
{^Atrides], and brother of Aga-
memnon, 218.
Menoe'tius, a son of Egina,
and father of Patroclus [Menoe-
tiades'] .*
Mephi'tis, a goddess of the
ancient Italians, who presided
over the places whence issued
those 'mephitic' or sulphureous
vapours, supposed to excite a
prophetic spirit.
Mercu'kius, the messenger of
the gods, and the god of merchan-
dise, eloquence, etc., 84. He was
the grandson of Atlas [Atlanti-
ades], and bom on Mount Cyl-
lene. He wears a peculiar broad-
' brimmed hat' [petasus, galerus] ,
is furnished with wings \_Cyllenius
ales'], and a wandf with which
he executes all his functions,
whether as messenger of the gods,
or conductor of the souls of the
departed, * a deity common to
both worlds, celestial and infer-
nal' [commune profundis et supe-
ris numen. Claud.]. His name is
from merces, * wares', as he was
the god of merchandise, 89. Mer-
curialia, the festival of Mercurv,
89.
Mripoppaipt^g, MrjpoTpacpTjg, epi-
thets of Bacchus, as 'sewed up'
and 'nourished' in the 'thigh' of
Jupiter, firjpog a thing; paTma
to sew, and rpitpM to nourish,
90. Compare the Indian Merou,
' Mountain of the gods', 90 n.
Me'ros, a mountain of India.
The tOM^n of Nysa, founded by
Bacchus, is ' situated at the base
of the mountain called Meros;
whence the Greeks feigned that
Bacchus was concealed in Ju-
piter's thigh' [Q. Curt. lib. viii.],
for iirjpbg signifies a thigh.
Methtmn^us Vates, the
* poet of Methymnae,' a principal
town of Lesbos [Methymncea Les-
bos'], i. e. the poet Arion.
MrjTisTriQ, 'abounding in coun-
sel', i. e. Jupiter. [xiiTig counsel.
All fifJTiv ciTaXavTog ' equal to
Jupiter in counsel', 23.
Me'tis, one of the Oceanides.
She was the first wife of Jupiter,
* Sive Menostiaden falsis cecidisse sub armis.- Ov.
t Somniferam quatiens virgam, tectasque galero.— Claud.
MED
[ 321 ]
MIT
and celebrated for her prudence
and 'counsel' IfxrJTig'].
Midas, a king of Phrygia
iMcBonius rex. Claud.], who soli-
cited fi'om Bacchus, in reward for
some services, the power of con-
verting whatever he touched into
gold. Apollo converted his ears
into ass's ears [auriculas asini},
because, in a musical contest be-
tween Pan and Apollo, he gave
the preference to Pan, 48.
Mila'nion, a lover of Atalanta.
MiLESi^ FABULiE. ' Milcsiau
plays or stories', which were noted
as wanton and ludicrous [uko-
Xaara f3ifSXia. Plut.'] ; just as
Milesia crimina denoted the im-
morality of the Milesians. Both
are supposed to refer to the wor-
ship of Venus at Miletus, 77.
Mimal'lones, s. -onides, wo-
men who celebrated the orgies of
Bacchus. They are identical
Avith the Thyades, Mcenades, and
Bacchce; and wore horns on their
heads.* It is derived from fii-
fikonai to • imitate', in reference
to their droll gestures, 92.
Mimas, a giant whom Jupiter
destroyed with thunder. Hor. Od.
iii. 4.
Minerva, the goddess of wis-
dom, 63 — 70. Calculus Minervce.
See Calculus. Minerva pre-
sided over genius, hence invito.
Minerva, * against the bent of
natural genius'; pingui Minerva,
crassd Minerva, ' stupidity and
grossness of intellect'; and over
female labours in general; hence
tenuis Minerva, spinning and
weaving, which bring small pro-
fit, 67. Minerva was the ' inventor
of the olive' [olece inventrix.
Virg.] ; she taught men the art
of building houses and citadels;
hence she is called iroXiovxoQ or
the ' guardian of cities,' whilst
the ship Argo and the Trojan
horse were equally constructed
by her ' divine assistance' \_divina
Palladis arte. Virg.]. In refe-
-rence to her * chastity' and * avoi-
dance of marriage', the poets
term her casta, innupta, Intacta,
liiaovviKpoQ, (pvyoXeKTpoc, etc.
Minister fulminis, the ' mi-'
nister of the thunderbolt', i. e. the
eagle, 25.
Mi'nos, the king of Crete, a
celebrated legislator \_Minos Le-
gifer. Ov.], and a confidant of
Jupiter; hence he is said to have
been ' admitted to the secrets of
Jove''[Jom arcanis Minos admis-
sus'] ; and Homer terms him tv-
vEiopog AioQ oapiarriQ a ' nine
years' disciple of Jupiter'. After
his death, he was appointed a
judge in the infernal regions
[qucesitor Minos. Virg. arbiter
Orci. Prop.], 42.
Minotau'rus, the ' unnatural
offspring' of Pasiphae, the wife of
Minos [ Veneris monumenta refan-
dce] , and represented as half-man
\semivir'\ and half-bull [semihos'] .
Minos; taurus, 177.
Minte'ides, the ' daughters
of Minyas', who, having derided
the orgies of Bacchus, were seized
with an unconquerable desire of
eating human flesh, and after-
wards changed into bats (Oy.
Met. iv. 12), 91.
MiitfjLer]Tr]g Z^vg s. 'Neiieialog s.
NsjUfiof], and renewed the Ne-
mean games [rci Nsjufia s. Ng-
juf a] ; whence N emeus, an epithet
of Hercules, 23, 162, 211.
Nem'esis, the avenging god-
dess. From v'iiih) to distribute,
or vsfjLEdddJ s. vEne(TiK,ouai to
fear, respect, reverence. Hence
she is termed vehemens Dea, an
' earnest goddess' ; ixaicdpojv tti-
Kpordrri the ' bitterest of the
Immortals' (119); iumidis infes-
tum numen, the ' Deity hostile to
the arrogant'; and Plato styles
her diKTjg dyytXog the ' messenger
of justice'. She is called Adras-
tcea, from Adrastus, who built
her a temple, and Rhamnusia,
from her worship at Rhamnus,
in Attica.
N6jLi6crrw|0, the ' Distributor', i.e.
Jupiter, vsixdj to distribute, 22.
Nemoren'sis, presiding over
'forests', i.e. Diana. nemus-oriSy
a grove, 57.
Neoptol'emus, ' New War-
rior', a name given to Pyrrhus,
the son of Achilles, because he
came to Troy in the later years of
the war. veog new, recent; ttto-
Xeixog war, 229- NsoTrroXEjiifta
Tiaig Neoptolemic revenge; used
proverbially; for Neoptolemus,
who had slaughtered Priam at
the altar, was himself murdered
several years afterwards, at the
foot of the altar, in the temple of
Delphi. See Pyrrhus.
Nephele, the wife of Atha-
mas, and mother of Phrixus and
Helle. Hence the Hellespont is
termed the 'narrow sea of the
Nephelean Helle' [Nepheleidos
Hellas'] — Helle being drowned
in it, 183. Pecoris Nephelcei vel-
lera, the ' fleece of the ram which
carried Helle', i. e. the golden
fleece, 184. Some call Nephele
Nebula, which word is the Latin
I translation of vecpeXr] a ' cloud'.
NE$
[ 325 ]
NIO
N£^e\j;yf p£r?/c 'Cloud-compel-
ling', an epithet of Jupiter. N£-
ryarfes], ' mountains'
lOreades'], ' rivers and fountains'
{^Naiades, 'E.
JRh. iii. 1178] and al 'Qyvyiai
TTvXai, a western gate of Thebes.
Eur. Phoen. 1112.
Ogyg'ia, 1. The island of Ca-
* Compare Liry. Extreraas ad orientem monies (Etam vocant, lib. xlvi.
OIL
[ 329 ]
OLY
lypso, at the western boundary
of the earth {Horn. Od. i.). 2. The
ancient name of Boeotia. See
Ogyges.
OiKKTTTjQ, the • founder' of co-
lonies or cities, i. e. Apollo, oi-
Ki^io from oIkoq a house, 52.
Oi'leus, the father of Ajax the
*less' [/xEiwv], who hence bears
the epithets of Oili'des, Ajax Oi-
heus [Virg.], and the 'swift son
of Oileus' [OlXrfOQ Ta^vg viog.
Horn,], 231.
Olot vvv l3poToi tlai, * Such as
mortals now are', 148.
'QKVfiopbJTaTog dXKuiv * the
most short-lived of others', i. e.
Achilles. wKvg swift; fiopog
death, 224.
O'lencs, 1. a son of Vulcan,
who was turned into a stone with
his wife Althgea, because, being
' elated with her beauty' [conjisa
figurd. vOv.] she preferred herself
to the goddesses. 2. A town of
JEtolia. See Olenium pecus.
Ole'nidm Pecus, ' Olenian
cattle', applied by Ovid to the
* she-goat and two kids' (capella
and hoedi) changed into constel-
lations. As the rising and set-
ting of the ' kids' \hcedi] was ge-
nerally attended with rain; hence
Olenice sidus pluviale capellcBjHhe
rainy constellation of the Olenian
she-goat' [ai| 'QXevia. Arat.'].
From Olenos, a town of .^tolia,
where the goat Amalthea was
produced, 20.
Oliva'kius, an epithet of Her-
cules ; oliva, an olive, 174.
Olori'na biga, a 'chariot
drawn by swans' [olores], 78.
'OXvjjiTnoi (0fot), the Olympic
deities', as distinguished from the
marine and infernal, 13. 'OXvfx-
TTiadeg, the Muses of Mount
Olympus. 'OXvfiTna, the ' Olym-
pic games'; 'OXvfnrioviKrig, 'vic-
tor at the Olympic'. Pulvis Olym-
picus, ' Olympic dust', i- e. dust
excited in the chariot race. These
games were celebrated every 'iifth
year'; hence the Olympiad, com-
mencing 776, B.C., was used as
a measure of time [TrtvTairripig,
quinquennis Olympias. Ov.]
Olym'pus, 1. a mountain of
Thessaly. 2. The ' secure resi-
dence of the gods' [QiCJv 'idog
dacpaXkg']. OvXvprrog vi(p6eig
* snowy Olympus', 26. Olympius
'Olympic'; an epithet of Ju-
piter.
'Ofxayvpiog. See Homagyrius.
'Qpddiog, 'Qfiricrrtjg, i, e. Bac-
chus, because the Bacchse at Chios
ate ' raw' pieces of flesh. This
eating was termed wfiotpayia
from bifxbg raw; 0aya> to eat,
96.
"OixjBpiog. See Pluvius.
'Ofioyviog, an epithet of Ju-
piter as the protector of ' kin-
ship', ofiov together; ysvog a
race, 21.
'OfioXotSeg s.'OnoXiotdfg TrvXai,
a gate at Thebes, deriving its
name from Mount 'O/toXj^ [Pans.
ix. 8, 6], or from 'OpoXiotg, a
daughter of Niobe. Schol. Eur.
Phoen. 1126. In Lycophron
[520] , Athens is called 'OfioXiotg.
'OfioXwiiog, the author of ' con-
cord', [-^ol. ofioXov'], i. e. Jupi-
ter, 25. His festival Homolo'ia.
'OfiTTvia At] fif)Tr]p, Alma Ceres,
'nourishing Ceres', ofiirvri, the
fruits of the earth, 103.
Om'phale, queen of Lydia
\_Lydia puella'], whom Hercules
married, having served her for
three years, wearing female at-
tire and spinning; hence she is
termed Lydia conjux Amphitryo-
nidce, the ' Lydian wife of Hercu-
les', 168.
'OiJ,(paXbg Tijg yrjg. See Um-
hilicus.
Onches'tius, i.e. 'Neptune',
from Onchestus, a city of Boeotia,
with a grove ' sacred to Neptune'
[iepov Hoaidrjiov. Horn.] — the
city itself deriving its name from
S3
OPH
[ 330 ]
OKI
Onchestus, a son of Neptune and
Bootes.
Ophel'tes, the same as Arche-
morus, which see.
Ophiu'chus, 'holding the ser-
pent'* [^6(piovxog, anguitenens,
serfentarius], a constellation re-
presenting, according to some,
Hercules, according to . others,
^sculapius. ocpiQ a serpent ;
t'xw to have, hold, 115.
'OipOaXfUTiQ, having a pene-
trating 'eye' [6^9aXfi6g~\, i. e.
Minerva, 68.
Op'ifer s. Opitula'tor s.
OpiT'uLUS,the 'help-bringer', i.e.
Jupiter, ^sculapius, etc. Opem,
help ;/ero [tuli] to bring, 24, 117.
'OTrXoafxia, equipped with a
' shield' [ottXov], i. e. Juno, 30.
Ops, Opis, a daughter of Coe-
lus and Terra, and identical with
the ' Phrygian and tuiTet-bear-
ing Cybele' [Idcea Ops, Tib.,
turrigera Ops. Ov.], as well as
Rhea, Proserpine, Tellus, etc.
Cicero says that ' the earth was
called Ops, because all wealth
lopes'] is derived from it'.
Optimus Maximus, ' best and
greatest' ; epithets of Jupiter from
his beneficence and power, 23.
Orbe perera'to, the ' world
being traversed over' by Saturn,
16. Orbis Romanus, the Roman
empire, 23 n.
Or'chamus, a king of Assyria,
who buried his daughter Leuco-
thoe alive [defodit altd crudus
humo. Ov.] on account of her
connection with the Sun.
Or'cus, a poetical name of
Pluto. Nil miserans Orcus, Or-
cus that shews no compassion,
41. Orcwm morari, to keep Pluto
waiting. Cum Oreo rationem ha-
bere, to have a reckoning with
Pluto, 4 1 . The name is generally
derived from opKog, an oath, 43.
Or'gia, the Orgies of Bacchus
^Bacchea Orgia. Stat.], cele-
brated during the night [noctur-
na Orgia], and at Thebes every
'third year' [triet erica Orgia.
Virg.]. It is derived from 6py^
' fury', by which the Bacchanals
were excited. 'Opyid^tiv ' to sa-
crifice to Bacchus'. Hesych. 'Op-
yswvai ' priests of Bacchus', 92.
Ore'ades, nymphs of the
'mountain' lopog], 128.
Ore'os [*Op£ioc], or, as the
Orphic hymn expresses it, ov-
pecKpoiTrjg, a ' dweller on the
mountains'; an epithet of Bac-
chus, from the Bacchantes wan-
dering- on the mountains [opij].
Ores'tes, son of Agamemnon
and Clytaemnestra [Agamemno-
nius Orestes'] , represented on the
stage as tormented by the Furies.
(scenis agitatus Orestes) for the
murder of hie mother, 245.
Orestea fides, the ' faith or
fidelity of Orestes', in reference
to the friendship of Pylades and
Orestes. Necdum finitus Orestes
Juven., ' Orestes not yet finished'
— Orestes being here the subject
of a tragedy. Orestea is also an
epithet of Diana, because Orestes
brought her statue from Tauris
into Greece, 245.
Ori'on, a celebrated hunter,
the favourite of Aurora, killed
by Diana for his insulting con-
duct [integrce tentator Diance.
Hor.], and converted into a con-
stellation. Aquosus Orio, the 'wa-
tery Orion', its rising being gene-
rally accompanied with great
rains and storms; hence infestus
nautis ' hostile to sailors'. He is
also termed Ensifer ' sword-
bearer', and armatus aura, be-
cause equipped with his belt and
sword; and his constellation con-
tains several bright stars, 106.
Hie pressu duplici palraarum continet anguem.— Cfc.
OPI
[ 331 ]
OTH
"Opiog, the fixer of ' bounda-
ries;' a surname of Apollo at
Argos. opoc a limit.
Orithy'ia, a daughter of E-
rechtheus, king of 'Athens'
I'ArOiSog vvfKprjg. Mus. Actias
Orithyia. Virg.],who was carried
off by Boreas,* to whom she bore
two sons, Zethus and Calais, who
joined theArgonautic expedition.
"OpKiog, the protector of ' oaths',
i. e. Jupiter. opKog an oath. "Op-
Kia AioQ, the covenants of Ju-
piter, 22.
Orpheus, of Thrace [Thra-
cius Orpheus] , a son of CEagrus,
or Apollo, and the sweet-voiced
Calliope, one of the Muses [vo-
cali ^enitus Camcena. Sen.J;
hence he is said to effect his won-
ders by his mother's art [arte
Maternal , i. e. his skill in play-
ing on the lyre [Qprj'i^a xP^^^O"
Xvprig]. He is called (Eagrius
from his father CEagrus; Odry-
sius from the Odrysse, an ancient
people of Thrace ; Rhodopeius
from Rhodope, a mountain of
Thrace ; Bistonius vates, the
' Thracian prophet', from Bis-
tones [which see], and interpres
Deorum, or ' messenger of the
Gods', because he taught them
religion and civilisation. By liis
skill in music he stayed the course
of rivers, drew after him the
trees, tamed tigers, etc., 201.
'Op<70Tpiaivt]g, ' wielder of the
trident', i. e. Neptune, opu), opaoj
to excite; rpiaiva a trident, 35.
'Opaoxopog, * exciting the
dance', i. e. Bacchus, opw, opffw
to rouse; x^P^Q ^^^ dance, 94.
Ortho'sia s. OR'THiA,i,e. Dia-
na, from a mountain in Arcadia,
63.
ORTHRUS,a dog which watched
the herds of Geryon, a celebrated
monster, who lived at Gades in
Spain.f Orthrus was the offspring
of Typhon and Echidna, Hes.
Th. 293.
Ortyg'ia, i. e. Diana, from
Ortygia, an ancient name of
Delos, where she was born.
Ortygice boves, the herds of Ad-
metus, which were tended by
Apollo, 85. The name has been
derived from oprvK a quail, with
which the island abounded, 110.
Oschophor'ia, an Athenian
festival, so called ccTrd tov i\r], a 'lover of chil-
dren', i. e. Ceres. Tratg, Traidog a
child; (}>iXog fond of, 103.
Uaidorpocpog, 'Protectress of
the young', i.e. Diana. Tralg, Trai-
Sbg a, child ; rpefpu) to nourish, 59 .
liairjojv s. Haidv, l.the name
of ^sculapius, Od. iv. 232; 2.
Afterwards identified with Apol-
lo, 114; 3. The epithet signifies
'deliverer' in general; and hence
it is applied, particularly in the
Orphic Hymns, to other deities,
as Helios, 8, 12. Bacchus, 51, 11.
Pan, 10, 11.
Haiojvia, the 'healing' God-
dess, i. e. Minerva, 65. See Pcean.
PcEonicB herbce, 'medicinal herbs',
115.
PaLxE'mon, a son of Athamas
PAL
[ 333 ]
PAL
and Ino, whom his mother flung,
along with herself, into the sea,
in order to escape the insane
fury of his father. The mother
was changed into a sea-deity,
under the name of Leucothea,
or ' white goddess'; and the
son, hitherto called Melicerta,
was changed into another, under
the name ofPalcBmon, the 'guar-
dian of ships' [_vsu>v (pvXaK.
Eurip.] ; whence his Latin name
Portunus, as presiding over ' har-
bours' [jjortus'].
Pal^'stra Deco'ra, the
' grace-bestowing palaestra', 87.
Palame'des, son of Nauplius,
king of Euboea [NaupUades'],
who is said to have invented the
art of drawing up armies in bat-
tle, of numeration, as well as
letters, etc., from observing the
flight of ' cranes' [Palamedis
aves']. The conduct of Ulysses
towards him is mentioned, 234.
HaXaixvaiog, an epithet of Ju-
piter and the Furies, as the
'Avengers of blood'. naXa/x//,
palma, the palm of the hand,
22.
Palati'nus, an epithet of A-
pollo [Palatinus Apollo, Hor.],
from his temple on the Palatine
mount, celebrated for its porti-
coes and library. The mount
derived its name from the Pala-
tium, or ' residence of the Eoman
kings and emperors'.
Pa'les, the goddess of sheep-
folds and feeding cattle lalma
Pales'] . Palilia, her festival, the
anniversary of the building of
the city. Traw to. feed? 126.
Pali'ci, two deities, the sons |
of Jupiter by Thalia, or the
nymph ^tna. As their mother
was concealed in the earth till
her delivery, they were called
Palici, CLTrb tou iraXtv iKsaOai,
'because 'they came again' into
the world from the bowels of the
earth. But Bochart derives the
name from the Punic Palichin s.
Pelichim [the Syriac pelach sig-
nifying to 'worship', 'venerate'],
just as at Athens, the Sfjuj/ai
Oeai, or Furies, were so called
from the 'veneration' paid to
them ; and this agrees with the
passage in ^schylus.* Near
their temple in Sicily were two
small lakes of sulphureous water
[olentia stagna Palici. Ov.] , near
which it was usual for persons,
who wished to decide controver-
sies, to take a solemn oath; for
the Palici punished perjury in a
supernatural manner IprcBsenti
domitant per jura pec tor a suppli-
cio. Sil.]. As sterility was once
averted from Sicily by following
the directions of the Palici, it
was usual to heap every kind of
fruits upon their altar; whence
Virgil terms it pinguis et placa-
bills ara Palici. JEn. viii.
Palla'dia Ra'tis, the ' Palla-
dian ship', i. e. the Argo, as built
by the assistance of Minerva,
186.
Palla'ditjm, the statue of
• Minerva' [Pallas^ adis] , which
rendered TVoy impregnable [a-
vd\i»)Tov~\, and was afterwards
preserved in the temple of Vesta
at Rome, as the ' sacred pledge
of the empire' [fatale pignus
imperii^, 69, 70. It was termed
AioTTSTeg, as having ' fallen from
Jupiter' [Ztvg, Aibg ; and ir'nrTM
to fall].
Pallan'tis s. Pallantias, i. e.
Aurora, as being the daughter
of the giant Pallas. Sexto Pal-
lantidos ortu, ' on the sixth day'.
Pallantide eadem, ' on the same
day', 105.
Pallan'tides, the fifty sons
^sixvovg TlaXiKovc Zevg l(l>itTai KaXeTv. — JEsch.
PAL
C 334 ]
PAN
of Pallas, son of Pandion; all
slain by Theseus.
Pal'las, Palladis, from 7ra\-
Xw, to brandish, 54 n. 1 , The
Greek name of Minerva, UdWag
'AOr]vr]. As the olive was sacred
to this goddess; hence Palladia
silva, a Palladian wood of olive ;
Pallade pingui, 'with fat oil', 67.
2. HaWd^tg, certain virgins con-
secrated by the inhabitants of
Egyptian Thebes to Jupiter.
Strab. xvii.
Pal'las, Pallan'tis, 1. a son
of Evander, killed hy Turnus,
Virg. 2. The son of the Titan
Crius.
Palle'ne, a peninsula of
Macedonia, containing Phlegra
[which see] ; hence Pallencei tri-
umphi, the ' victory over the
giants', 151. Pallencea fulmina,
the thunderbolts hurled by Ju-
piter in that war. Claud.
Pam'phanes, ' all-shining', i. e.
Vulcan. Trai^all; ri)ati/a> to shine,
84.
Pan, the god of shepherds, re-
presented with goats' feet and
horns' [atyo7ro^?;v, diKepiora,
Horn.], 123,4. Some derive the
name from Trdv, all, or every
thing ; but others, with more
probability, from 7raa>, irdofiai,
to feed [flocks] . Pan was born
in Ai'cadia \^Arcadius deus] , was
the inventor of the shepherd's
pipe [TrXaytawXog] ; and the
term Panics [TLaviia ^ti/xara]
is derived from his inspiring
* terror' into the enemy, during
the war of the Titans. Capri-
pedes Panes, ' goat-footed Pans'.
Oi Tldv£Q, the sons of Pan, the
Fauni of the Komans. w Jldvtq !
an exclamation of astonishment.
Ar. Eccles. 1061. Ta Ylavtla, a
festival to Pan ; the Lupercalia
of the Romans.
Panace'a, 1. a daughter of
^sculapius, who had a temple
at Oropus. Ar. Piut. 702. 2. Ta
JlavaKua, a festival in honour of
^sculapius. irdv every thing;
aKBoiiai to heal ; Avhence the
English word panacea^ or ' uni-
versal remedy'.
Panach^'a, an epithet of Ce-
res, from a temple at JE^gas, in
Achaia, 103.
Panach-(E'is, a surname of
Minerva at Laphiria in Achaia.
Pans. vii. 20. Both names show
that they were worshipped in
common by the Achaeans.
Panathen^'a, a festival to
' Minerva', so called because ce-
lebrated by 'air the Athenian
tribes, as united by Theseus.
ircLQ all; 'AOrjvaia a festival to
Minerva ['AOrivr}'], 66. It was
at this festival that the peplus, or
sacred robe, in which were inter-
woven the names of men who
deserved well of the state [a^iot
Tov TTBTrXov. Aristoph.], was of-
fered to Minerva, y HavaOrjva-
Vkt) ttoixtti^, the solemn proces-
sion at this festival; to. Uava-
Orjva'iKct sc. d9Xa, the contests at
this festival.
Pan'crates [Tray Kparjjg], pre-
siding over athletic games. Tra^
all; KpuTog force, 88.
Pan'da, a Roman goddess, so
called because she opened [pan-
debat] the roads and gates.
Pakdam'ator, 'tamer of every
thing', i.e. Vulcan. Trdv every
thing; dafjLOLb) to tame, 83.
Pan'darus, a son of Lycaon,
killed by Diomedes.
Ildvdijiiog Venus, the Venus
of 'all the people' [Trdg drjfiog^,
i. e. vulgar and sensual, in con-
tradistinction from Venus Ura-
nia, 75. Pausanias, however, in-
forms us, that her worship was
introduced by Theseus, upon the
xmion of 'all the tribes' of Attica;
just as Jupiter Pandemus de-
noted the 'Jupiter worshipped
by the tribes in common', i. 22.
Pandi'on, 1. a king of Athens,
PAN
[ 335 ]
PAR
son of Erisichthon. He was the
father of Philomela and Procne ;
his grief, at their ill-treatment,
hastened his death.* 2. A son of
Cecrops II., also king of Athens.
His four children [PandionidcB']
were JEgeus, Pallas, Nisus, and
Lycus. Hence Athens is termed
Pandionice Athena ; and the Acro-
polis, or citadel, Pandionice arces.
IlavdiovoQ d)v Il/y-
vikoTTt), Hom.], undoing in the
night the piece of tapestry she
Avas Avorking in the day : hence
quasi Penelope telam retexere, to
labour in vain, to undo AA'hat
one has done, 242- Sponsi Pe-
nelopes, ' suitors of Penelope',
i. e. dissolute fellows. Hor.
Pene'us, a river of Thessaly,
on the banks of Avhich Daphne
[^Peneia Daphne, 0\dd] was
changed into a laurel \_Peneia
laurus, V. Fl.].
T[i.VTriK0VTaKap7]V0Q kvojv, the
' fifty-headed dog', i.e. Cerberus.
Hes. TravTrjKouTa fifty; Kdpiqvov
a head, 38 n.
Iii.vTr]R6i'rEpog, 'rowed Avith
fifty oars', i. e. the ship Argo.
TTsvT'ijKovTa fifty; tpsaawto row,
186.
Penthesilb'a, a queen of the
Amazons, termed by Propertius
Meeotis Penthesilea, because the
Amazons liA'cd in the neighbour-
hood of the Palus Meeotis. Ovid
describes her as armed Avith the
pelta and hatchet [^sumptd pel-
tata securi] ; and Virgil repre-
sents her as leading on the
bands of the Amazons in the
Trojan war Avith their semi-
lunar shields [Amazonidum luna-
tis agmina pellis~\, and engaging
Avith heroes. She Avas slain by
Achilles.
Pen'theus, a son of Echion
and Agave. He despised the
orgies of Bacchus; and, during
the celebration, he Avas torn in
pieces by his mother, and her
sisters Ino and Autonoe. Hence
some derive his name from Trkv-
9oQ, 'grief, in allusion to his
miserable death, 91. f
Pephre'do, one of the Graaa?.
IlETrXog, the 'robe' or sacred
garment of Minerva, on Avhich
Avere represented the achieve-
ments of Minerva, Jupiter, etc. ;
Avhence d^ioi Trkirkov, 'worthy of
the robe', i. e. to be portrayed on
the robe of Minerva, 65. tcettXol
TrajUTTotKiXoi, 'embroidered robes',
219.
IltTrpionkvr], the allotted por-
tion of good or CAdl, ' foreordain-
ed' by Fate. Quasi TreTrepaTio-
pevt] from irepaTou) to assign the
'limits' [TTEpara], detemiine,
134.
Periclym'enus, a son of Ne-
leus lUepiKXvfitvoQ Nr^Xijiog,
Apollon.} and brother of Nestor;
to whom Neptune had given the
power of assuming any shape he
pleased \^Jiguras sumere quas vel-
let, Ov.]. He Avas one of the
Argonauts.
Periphe'tes, a celebrated
robber, destroyed by Theseus.
He bore the epithet of TLopvvi]-
* Quinquaginta intus famulae, quilius ordine longo
Cura penum struere, et flammis adolere Penates. — Virg.
t 'E^ bpioq 7rkv9r)ixa, Kai ov nevOija, (pkpovaai. — Theoc.
PER
[ 339 ]
PHA
Ttjg, from his iron 'club' [Ko-
pvvj]'], 176.
Per'gamus, a city of Mysia,
where 'parchment' [Pergamena
charta] was first invented. Here
-(Esculapius [Pergameus Deus,
Mart,] was particularly wor-
shipped.
Pekmes'sus, a river of Bceo-
tia, rising on mount Helicon,
and sacred to the Muses. *
Perse'ides Herb^e. i.e. 'ma-
gic herbs', from Perse or Perseis,
the grandmother of Medea, the
magician, 191.
Perse'is, one of the Oceani-
des, who bore to Helios, -^etes,
Perses, Circe, Hecate, and Pasi-
phae.
Perseph'one, the Greek name
of Proserpine lUepmcpovr}}, who
was carried away by Pluto [prce-
done marito, Ov.]. Those who
give a Greek etymology, inter-
pret it q. <^tpaa(pkvr), i.e. (pepovaa
d(pevog, i. e. ' bringing wealth' —
in reference to the fruits of the
earth [Hesych.'] ; for Proserpine
is the daughter of Ceres. Others,
again, explain it as o£0a>v, ambustus Phaeton,
Hor.] was precipitated. His sis-
ters were termed Phdetontiades ;
they were changed into poplars
Ifrondosce sorores, Claud.], and
their tears into precious amber.*
2. A son of Cephalus and Au-
rora. 3. A surname of Absyr-
tus. 4. One of the horses of
Aurora. (pakQojv, from ^aw to
shine.
Pha'etiiusa, one of the He-
liades changed into poplars, after
the death of their brother Phae-
ton, 56.
Phan'tasos, a son of Mor-
pheus, who possesses the power
of * representing' all inanimate
objects. (pavTuaia a representa-
tion, phantasm, 146.
Pharetrati Pratres, the
' quivered brothers', i. e. the Cu-
pids, 78.
Pha'sis, a river of Colchis, vi-
sited by the Argonauts. Pha-
siaca corona, the crown which
set fire to Creusa, and was tlie
gift of the Colchian Medea,
195 n. Phasiani aves, 'birds of
Phasis', i.e. pheasants.
Phe'geus, a priest of Bac-
chus, and father of Alphesiboea,
who purified Alcmason of his
mother's mui'der, and gave him
liis daughter in marriage. Ale-
mason, who subsequently mar-
ried Callirrhoe, endeavoured to
recover from his father-in-law
the fatal 'collar and robe' [rov re
opfiov Kai Tov TTSTrXov] ; Phegeus
ordered him to be waylaid and
assassinated;! and he himself
was afterwards slain by the chil-
dren of Callirrhoe,
*j7jix?;, Fama, the Goddess of
Eame, or Rumour. But the im-
mortal Goddess of Fame, com-
missioned by Jupiter, is deno-
minated "Ocrda in Homer, 144.
Phe'mius, a son of Terpias;
and a bard or ' singer' [doi^of]
in the house of Ulysses.
Phemon'oe, a daughter of
Apollo, and one of the Sibyls;
according to Servius [in -^n. iii.
445], the Cumaean; according
to Pausanias [x. 5] , a Pythia or
priestess at Delphi, and the in-
ventor of the hexameter.
Phe'neus, a lake of Arcadiiv,
whose waters were said to bo
unwholesome in the night, but
wholesome in the day. §
Pherephat'ta-, a name of
Proserpine.
^i]pofi,avrjg, 'passionately fond
of beasts', i. e. Bacchus, in refer-
ence to the ' Centaurs' IcpijptQ,
Horn.'], Satyrs, Fauns, etc., by
which he is accompanied, ^rjp s.
Orjp a wild beast; juaivojwai,2 aor.
tfiavTjv, to be mad, 95.
^rjp Oelog. See Qrjpeg.
^iXr](TifioX7roi, 'lovers of song',
i.e. the Graces. ^iXew to love;
juoXttj) a song, 139.
^iXiog, the god of 'friends'
l^ikoi], a surname of Jupiter at
Megalopolis. Pans. viii. 31.
Philocte'tes, the son of Poeas
[PiEantiusI, and armour-bearer
of Hercules. He was a ' skilful
archer' [r6^o;v sv fldioc, Horn.],
and in possession of the arrows of
Hercules [Herculece sagittaf^ des-
tined for the destruction of Troy
[debita Trojanis spicula fatis],
236.
Philola'os, ' lover of the
* Inde fluunt lacrymse, slillataque sole rigescunt
De ramis electro novis. Ov.
t Donee eum coiijux fatale poposcerat aurum,
Cognaiumque latus Phegeius hauserat ensis. — Ov.
§ Node nocent potae, sine noxa luce bibuntur.— Ou.
...Mt
*IA
[ 341 ]
PHCE
people' \^pa].
Phi'neus, a son of Agenor
['AyTjvopi^T/g, Apollon.] or Nep-
tune, delivered by the Argo-
nauts from blindness, and the
persecutions of the Harpies, ivho
spoiled the meats on his table —
compelling an involuntary fast
\_jejunia Phinei, Prop.], 188.
Phleg'ethon, a river of hell,
whose waters were ' burning'
\_ardens, igneus Phlegethon].
6/3oc, 'fright', a companion
of Mars, 72.
Pho'c^, the ' sea-calves' of
Neptune, 33.
Piice'be, 1. the moon, or the
' bright-shining one'.f See Phte-
bus, 54 n. 2. A daughter of
Leda. Eurip. Iphig. in Aul. 50.
3. A daughter of Uranus and
Gaea; and the mother of Asteria
and Latona.
* Concinit Ismarium Daulias ales Itym. — Ov
t Nee nova crescendo reparabat comua Pheebe. — Ov.
t2
PHCE
[ 342 ]
*PH
Phcebio'ena, the ' son of Phoe-
bus', i. e. -^sculapins. Phoebus,
Apollo; gigno, to beget, 114.
Jupiter struck him with the thun-
derbolt,* on the complaint of
Pluto about his unpeopling his
realms by restoring the dead to
life.
Phce'bus, a name of Apollo,
from 0ot/3oc, 'pure', 'shining'
\_Tog Xaov']'^ who set foot on
the Trojan shore; and, as such,
was ' doomed ' by the oracle to
perish, and fall by the ' spear of
Hector' [Hectored fataliter hastd,
Ov.]. He bears the epithet of
Phylacides, from Phylace, a town
of Thessaly. Protesilai turris,
' tower of Protesilaus', i. e. his
monument on the Hellespont.
PlinAr.U.
Pro'teus, a son of Neptune,
who could ' turn himself into
every shape at pleasure' [formas
se vertet in omnes], whence the
proverb mutabilior Proteo, ' more
changeable than Proteus', 33.
He was gifted with the spirit of
prophecy; hence Virgil terms
him vates : in the Orphic hymns
he is designated TroXvfiovXog,
' abounding in counsel'; and
Homer speaks of him as the
'truthful marine old man' [ys-
pijjv uXiog, vrjfxepri^g] . Papinius
terms him the ' shepherd of Nep-
tune', because he tended the
'sea-calves' [phocce] ; and Horace
represents him as visiting the tops
of the mountains, during the de-
luge of Deucalion, with all his
' cattle' [omne pecus'].
Ilpwroyovog, 'first-born' [Trpw-
Tog; yuvofxai'], a mystic deity of
the later Orphic school, and re-
presenting sometimes Bacchus,
sometimes Jupiter or Eros. He
was the former of the world.
Protesilae, tibi nomen sic fata dederunt
Victima quod Trojse prima futurus Qrvs,.—Auson.
U
PRY
[ 350 ]
PYR
Pkttane'u3i, the common
home of the members or inha-
bitants of a state or city — the
'hearth of the city' [toria tto-
Xewe], 98.
Psam'athe, one of the Ne-
reids, and mother of Phocus by
^acus, king of jEgina-
■^w%aywy6g, •^vxoirofnrbg, the
' conductor' of departed ' souls',
i.e. Mercury, ^vxv a soul; ayw
s. TrefiTro) to lead, conduct, 87.
Pst'che, the favourite of Cu-
pid. She is generally represented
with the wings of a butterfly; for
" 4''^X^ means the human ' soul'
and also a butterfly, because it
was a very ancient symbol of the
mnW Dr. Nares. 112
HrrjvoTTshXoc, having 'winged
sandals', i.e. Mercury. Trrrjvbg
winged; irkdiXov a sandal.
nvXalrig, the keeper of 'gates',
i. e. Diana. ttvXt] a gate, 64.
IIvXrjdoKOQ, * guardian of gates',
i. e. Mercury. ttvXt] agate; di-
Xo^Liat to receive, 88.
PuNicuM Malum, a 'Punic
apple', i. e. a pomegranate, 40.
Iliip d to have, 89.
Redic'ulus, a god invented
by the Romans to commemorate
the sudden ' return' of Hannibal,
when advancing upon Rome.
Redeo, to return.
^e'dux, an epithet applied to
Fortuna; as when Augustus [^Dio
Cass. xlv. 10.] and Domitian
[A/ar/. viii. 65.] erected temples
and altars to her for their safe
' return'.
Regi'na, the ' Queen', i. e.
Juno, 29. It denoted her 'do-
minion' over states.
Remu'ria, festivals established
at Rome by Romulus, to appease
* Nominaque ajunctis quinque diebus habent — Ov.
f Sive quod hasta quiris priscis est dicta Sabinis. — Ov.
KHA
[ 352 ]
EOS
the manes of his brother Remus ;
afterwards called Lemuria, and
celebrated yearly.
Rhadamanthus, a son of Ju-
piter and Europa, born in Crete
iGnossius Rhadamanthus'], who,
on account of his justice and
wisdom \_^.
RUM
[ 353 ]
SAN
Rumil'ia, Rd'mina, s. Rumia,
-M, the goddess of the ' suckling'
among the Romans. It is de-
rived from the old word ruma,
the ' breast'. Liv. l 4. Rumina s.
Ruminalis ficus, the 'Ruminal
fig-tree', or the fig-tree under
which Rqj3iulus and Remus were
found hanging to the ' dugs' [ru-
minibus] of the wolf. Ruminus
and Rumina, deities supposed by
some to be Jupiter and Juno, as
the ' nourishers' of all. Au°^. de
Civ.
'PvaiTTToXiQ, the 'deliverer of
cities', i. e. Minerva, pvio to de-
liver; TToXiQ a city, 64.
S.
Sa'baism, the worship of the
heavenly bodies, from the Zabii,
who worshipped them. Compare
,
U3
SAR
[ 354 ]
SCO
Sabines \_daiix(i)v iTVix^opioQ,
Dion. Hal.'], worshipped as the
'founder of their race' [auctor
gentis^ Sil.] ; and introduced
among the Romans under the
name oiDeus Fidius, or identical
with the Zsvg UiaTiog of the
Greeks, i. e. Jupiter, the protector
of 'faith' l^TriariQ fides].
Sakpe'bon, a son of Jupiter
and Europa [^ingens Sarpedon],
killed by Patroclus in the Trojan
war. To liapTrTjdoviov xtDjua, a
promontory on the coast of Ci-
licia, containing the tumulus, or
'sepulchral mound' [xwjua] of
Sarpedon. ^sch.
Satur'nia, 1. the district in
Italy where Saturn settled,* 16.
2. The daughter of Saturn, i. e.
Juno, 27. 3. Saturnius, a name
given to Jupiter, Neptune, and
Pluto, as the sons of Saturn.
Satur'nus, the father of Ju-
piter, Neptune, Pluto, etc. He
was distinguished for his cun-
ning [^dy KvXo fit] T rig], and as the
king of the golden age ^aureus
Saturnus, Vir,] . Saturnia regna,
the 'reign of Saturn', i.e. the
golden age. Saturnalia, the feast
of Saturn, also Cronia [Kpovia],
17. -Sa^wrn? ^rarmm, the trea-
sury in Saturn's temple at Rome,
18, His planet performs its
revolution in thirty years, and is
distinguished as 'cold' [frigida
Saturni stella, Virg.], and
'noxious.' [grave Saturni sidus,
Prop.] . The Greek name of Sa-
turn js Kpovog, which see.
Sat'yri, rustic deities, repre-
sented with sh6rt horns and the
' feet of goats ' [capripedes] .
Their Doric name is TiTvpog,
for TiTvpog signifies a ' goat'.
The poets represent them ' danc-
ing 'and ' leaping ' [saltantes
Satyri, Virg. CKipTtjTai Saru-
poi, Mosch.] ; and ^ome etymo-
logists have derived their name
from (Ta.9r], ' lasciviousness' ; but
Bochart, from the Heb. Sair^
' a devil under the shape of a
goat', 125.
ScjE^ PoRT^, the ' Scsean
gates', one of the gates of Troy,
where the tomb of Laomedon
was seen ; and so named because
it was on the 'left' [(TKatog],
facing the sea and Grecian camp ;
though Strabo seems to think it
derived from the Sccei, a people
of Thrace.
Scaman'der, a celebrated river
of Troas, between which and the
'river Simois, Troy is supposed
to have been situated. Homer
says that it was ' called by the
Gods' [i. e. that its ancient name
was] Xanthus, probably in refer-
ence to the ' yellow' colour of its
waters [^avObg] — which is still
observable in its modern repre-
sentative, the Mendere.
S%i(Tr6c xirwv, the ' slit tunic',
30. axKTTT^ odoc, a hollow and
narrow way, 208.
Sch(e'nus, -untis, a small dis-
trict of Arcadia, so called from
Schceneus, the father of Atalanta
[Atalantceus Schoenus, Papin.].
'Sxoivovg, -ovvTog.
Sci'ron, a celebrated robber,
killed by Theseus, 176. His
bones, which remained some time
suspended in the air, as the earth
and sea refused to receive them,
were changed into rocks, termed
Scironia saxa, petrce Scironides
[^inf antes Scirone petrce, Stat.].
• Scor'pius s. Scor'pio, one of
the twelve signs of the zodiac
[ardens Scorpius, Virg.] ; and
supposed to be the same as stung
Orion to death, when he boasted
that there was no beast on earth
which he could not kill, 106.
• Inde diu genti mansit Saturnia nomeu. — Ov.
SCY
[ 355 ]
SER
Scyl'la, 1. a (laughter of Ty-
phon or Phorcys, who became
enamoured of Glaucus; but her
rival, Circe, poisoned the waters
in which she bathed, and every
part of the nymph's body below
the waist was changed into
monsters, like dogs, which never
ceased barking [succincta latran-
tibus monstris, Virg.]. 2. A
daughter of Nisus, king of Me-
gara, who delivered that city
into the hands of Minos, by cut-
ting off a purple lock [purpurea
coma, Prop.] on the head of
her father. The two are some-
times confounded; hence Niscei
canes, the ' dogs of Scylla', 37.
Scr'pHus SoLis, the ' cup of
the Sun', 55.
ScYRUS, an island in the ^-
gean, whither Achilles retired
before the Trojan war. Scyria
pubes, the Dolopes, inhabitants
of the island, Scyria puella,
i. e. Deidamia, daughter of Lyco-
medes, king of the island, and
mother of Pyrrhus, son of Achil-
les, Ov. = Scyria virgo, Claud.
Secula'res Ludi, ' Secular
games'; or games celebrated at
Rome in honour of Apollo and
Diana every sceculum or ' age'
[one hundred years, Liv. lib. 136.
one hundred and ten, Hor. Carm.
Sgec], 50.
Seges'ta s. JEges'ta, a daugh-
ter of the Trojan Hippotas or
Hippostratus, sent by her father
to Sicily, in order that she might
not be exposed to the monster
sent by Neptune to punish Lao-
medon for his perjury. Here she
became mother of Acestes, the
founder oiJEgesta, by the river-
god, Crimisus. Sew. in Virg.
^n. i. 550. V. 30.
Sftcrix^wv, ' shaker of the
earth', i. e. Neptune, ado) to
shake; x^'^v the earth, 32.
Sele'ne, the ' moon '. Se-
\r]vr], 60.
^yfxara Xvypd, ' mournful
signs ' — the ' mournful letter '
which Bellerophon brought to
Jobates, 158.
Sem'ele, the mother of Bac-
chus; hence he is termed the
' son of the Theban Semele '
[ThebancE Semeles puer'\. The
poets relate that, at the artful
instigation of Juno, she requested
Jupiter to visit her in all her
majesty; and that upon his com-
pliance, she was consumed by
fire [XajWTrdcri Kspavviaic, Eur.].
She was deified under the name
of Thy one, 90.
Semid'e^, ' demi-goddesses'.
Semidei, ' demigods', semis, half;
deus, a god, 127. Semidei reges,
' demigod kings', i. e. the Argo-
nauts, 185.
'Eefival 9eai, 'venerable god-
desses', i. e. the Furies, 130.
Semo'kes, inferior deities at
Rome, i. e. semi-homines, ' half-
men', or men transferred to the
gods and deified, as Janus, Ver-
tumnus, etc. So Ne-homo be-
comes Nemo. Semosanctus, one
of the Roman Indigetes, or ' local
deities',
Septem Duces adversus
Thebas, the ' Seven Generals
against Thebes', 210.
Septem'plicis Clypei Do-
minus, the ' Lord of the seven-
fold shield' [septem, seven ; plica,
a fold], i. e. Ajax; for the shield
of that hero was formed of
''seven bulls' hides' [(raKog sTrra-
(36siov'\. tTTTo. seven; ^ovq an
ox, 232.
Sera'pis, an Egyptian deity.
His Greek name is ^apairic, and
is derived by Vossius from niv,
\.Q,. chief, prince, or t.m/, an ox,
and Apis; since it is proved that
Apis, who was worshipped in the
form of an ox, and Osiris, the
inventor of agriculture, are iden-
tical with Sarapis. EapaTreiov,
his temple.
SEE
[ 356 ]
SIE
Serva'toe, the ' Preserver'.
See Soter.
SiBTLLiE, certain women who
were inspired to reveal the ' will
of Jupiter' [crtoe -^ol. for Aioc
and ^ovXri counsel] . They were
ten in number; the principal of
which were the Delphic, Cumsean,
and Erythrfean. They commit-
ted their prophecies to leaves
\_ folium Sibylla, Juv.], and
the Sibylline Verses were pre-
served with great care at Rome.
They lived to an extreme old
age — hence Cumceos in annos
vivere, to 'live to the age of a
Sibyl' [Mart.'] ; and, in allusion
to a custom among the ancients,
of drinking as many cups as they
wished to live years, Ovid speaks
of women at the festival of Anna
Perenna, as * becoming Sibyls by
their cups'. East. iii.
SiCH^'us, a priest of Hercules,
and husband of Dido ; killed by
Pygmalion, her brother.
SiciLiA, an island near Italy.
Sicula incude rubens, ' red from
the Sicilian anvil', i. e. Vulcan.
Sicelides, ^' nymphs of Sicily',
applied by Virgil to the
' Muses', as presiding over Bu-
colic poetry, because Theocritus,
the pastoral poet, whom he pro-
fessed to imitate, was a native of
Sicily. Ecl.iv.
Sige'um, a town and promon-
tory of Troas [Sigea freta, Ov.
Sige'ia tellus, Ov.], near which
the greatest part of the battles
between the Greeks and the
Trojans took place; and where
repose the remains of Achilles,
Patroclus, and Antilochus, 230.
Sile'nus, the preceptor of Bac-
chus. The ancient Satyrs are
frequently termed Sileni. Silenus
is generally represented by the
poets as ' intoxicated ' [senex
ebrius, Ov.] ; and, in that state,
he is gifted with inspiration, 97.
Sisle'thus s. Sime'thus, a
river of Sicily, in whose neigh-
bourhood was the altar of the
gods Palici, Simcethius heros, i. e.
Acis, the shepherd, son of Fau-
nus and the nymph Simethis. .
Si'mois, a river of Troas
[Phrygius Simois, Virg.], flow-
ing from Mount Ida. See Sca-
mander.
Si'nis, a monster killed by
Hercules. He was designated
the ' render of pines ' [Trtruo-
KdfiTTTTjg'], for he was in the
habit of bending them \_curvare
trabes, Ovid.], in order that, by
their rebound, they might tear
in pieces the bodies of those tied
to them; whence Propertius de-
signates them arboreas cruces.
aivofiai to injure?
Si'non, a perjured Trojan,
mainly instrumental in obtaining
the admission of the wooden
horse into Troy, by his fictitious
story Iperjurique arte Sinonis,
Virg.], 225.
Sip'ylus, a mountain of Ly-
dia. Sipyleia genitrix, the ' Si-
pylean mother', i. e. Niobe, who
was converted into a rock of
marble on this mountain, 58.
Sire'nes, Sicilian goddesses,
celebrated for their bewitching
strains {Siculi cantus'], by which
they detained vessels and tra-
vellers.* Sirenum Scopuli [Stt-
pr]vov(Tai], three small rocky
islands near the southern coast
of Campania. Bochart derives
Siren from the Punic t-v/, i. e.
canticum, a ' song'; and )n'v/
would therefore signify a 'mu-
sical monster', such as is described
by the poets : for the Greek ety-
mology, from (Tvpoj to ' draw', is
mere trifling; as it would give
* ' .Kv9p(lj7rov<^ OsXyovcnv, oarig (Tu0],and the
Greeks Hermes,'' 89.
QaXdoata, 'marine', i.e. Ve-
nus. BdXaaaa, the sea, 73.
Mysus et Haemonii Juvenis qui cuspide vulnus
Senserat hac ipsa cuspide sensit opera. — Prop.
eAA
[ 363 ]
THE
QaXdaffioi (Qeoi), the ' marine
deities', 13.
Thalas'sius, a deity who pre-
sided over the nuptial ceremony
among the Komans.=Ht/mew.
OaXaarroKpaTovvTeg, ' having
dominion of the sea'. QdXaaaa
the sea, and Kparog, power, 36.
Thali'a, 1. the Muse of co-
medy. QaXsia, from OdXXu), to
flourish, 137. 2. One of the
Graces, 139.
QaXXih; one of the Horse, or
Seasons, i. e. Spring. OdXXo), to
bloom, 141.
^ Tham'ykis, a Thracian ginger
[Thamyras cantor. Prop.], de-
feated in his contest with the
Muses, and punished with blind-
ness, 137-* Hence the proverb,
Qafxvpig fiaiverai, ' Thamyris is
mad' — in reference to those who
attempt things besides their pro-
per genius. Hesych,
Thakge'lia, an Attic festival
in honour of Apollo and Diana;
and hence the eleventh Attic
month Thargelion derives its
name.
Thauman'tias, an epithet of
Iris, the daughter of Thaumas
[Thaumantea virgo, Ov.], 107.
The name is probably derived
from Oavudi^u), to admire — as the
beauty of the rainbow excites
admiration. Compare the Ho-
meric phrase, Qavixa ideaGai, a
'marvel to behold', 107.
Thea'no, the sister of Hecuba,
and wife of Antenor.
The'b^, the capital of Boeotia,
and celebrated as the birth-place
of Bacchus [Baccho Thehce in-
signes], of Cadmus [CadmecB
Thebce] , and Hercules [Herculece
Thebce] ; and sometimes termed
Ogygice Thebce, or ' Ogygian
Thebes'. See Ogyges. The Boe-
otian Thebes is also termed the
* seven-gated' [at tTrrdTrvXoi] , in
order to distinguish it from the
' hundred-gated' Thebes [at t/ca-
rofiTrvXoi] in Egypt, and Hypo-
placian Thebes in Mysia, the
birth-place of Andromache.
The'bais, the title of a poem
by Statius, dopcribing the con-
test between Eteocles and Poly-
nices, and the war of the Seven
against Thebes.
Qr]Xv(xop;}|0, a girdle,
69 ; for to ' put on arms', . says
Pausanias, ' was expressed by
Z,ii)aaaQaC, to gird one's self.
TRANSLATIONS.
The following are Literal Translations of such Poetical
Passages in the Text and Notes as have not been lite-
rally rendered. — n signifies note.
Page
14 But since I was infatuated [aatrafii/v], and Jupiter took away
my understanding. Horn,
15 n Before that Saturn, flying [his country], assumed the rustic
scythe, his diadem being laid aside. Juv.
16 Posterity preserved the ship on brass [i. e. on brazen coins],
Ovid.
17 n Before Jupiter, no husbandmen subdued [i. e. cultivated] the
fields. Virg.
— O two-headed Janus, the origin of the silently gliding year. Ov.
— For Greece has no deity equal to thee. Ov.
18 May Saturn fi-om his loosed fetter, and December heavy with
much wine, and laughing Jocus, and unrestrained pleasantry,
be present to my aid. Tihull.
19 The ghosts were cheerful without infernal kings. Juv.
20nMy region* [or district] is situated in heaven; another pos-
sesses the waters, and another empty Chaos. Ov.
— And Jupiter obtained [for his portion] the spacious heaven in
the air and clouds. Horn.
21 And Jupiter descends copiously in joyful showers. Virg.
— And the will of Jupiter was accomplished. Horn.
— From Jove is the beginning, Muses; all things are full of Ju-
piter. Virg.
23 There the Greeks sacrificed to Jupiter, the source of all oracles.
Horn.
— n Jupiter, when he looks from his citadel on the whole world, has
nothing except the Eoman [world] which he may behold.
Ovid.
33 n Glaucus is present, his limbs being lately changed in Eubcean f
Anthedon. Ov.
* For regna read regio.
f Anthedon is, properly, a city of Boeotia; but is termed Eubcean,
because it lay on the shore of the Euripus, which separates Boeotia
from Euboea.
374 TRANSLATIONS.
Page
37 He falls into Scylla, who wishes to avoid Charyhdis.
38 [The Cocytus] is an emanation from the river Styx. Horn.
39 Ixion is whirled, and both follows and flys from himself Ov.
— They drink waters which free them from care, and long ob-
livion. Virg.
— n The vessel, empty of water, disappearing at the lowest bottom.
Hor.
— n Nobly deceitful towards her perjured parent. Hor.
— n The assiduous * Belides seek again the waters, which they may
lose. Ov.
— n And here a more spacious sky invests the plains with a purple
light. Virg. Mn. ^4.0.
40 The goddess, a deity common to two kingdoms. Ov.
— n To retrace your step, and to make your way to the upper air.
Virg.
41 Not as yet had Proserpine taken away her yellow lock, and
doomed her head to the Stygian Orcus. Virg.
— n Both infernal Jupiter and illustrious f Proserpine.
45 Which, wandering about the coasts and shores, the pious Apollo
bound fast by lofty Myconus, and Gyarus. Virg.
47 At times Apollo rouses the silent Muse with the harp, nor does
he always stretch the bow. Hor.
48 n And he is invested with the ears of the slowly pacing ass. Ov.
52 n No sun as yet afforded light to the world. Ov.
54 n The spirit within nourishes the shining globe of the moon and
the Titanic J stars. Virg.
56 n The river, purer than amber, seeks the plain. Virg.
57 And she is easily to be distinguished ; though all are beautiful.
Horn.
58 Bereft she sat down, amongst her lifeless sons, and daughters,
and husband ; and she became petrified by her calamities. Ov.
61 And the office of rex [or priest] acquired by the sword with
guilty hand. Ov.
64 n Pallas, however, has taken possession of the honours [dignity]
next to him [Jupiter] . Hor.
— n She saw her countenance in the water, and placed her soles on
the bank, and called herself Tritonis, from the beloved lake.
Luc.
66 And, like runners [in the torch-race], they transmit the lamp
of life. Lucr.
67 And the Gorgon herself on the breast of the goddess [Minerva],
turning her eyes, with the neck cut off. Virg.
71 Mars, Mars, homicide, polluted with slaughter, destroyer of
walls. Horn.
— Whom the battle-shout delights, and the polished helmets, and
the countenance of the Moorish infantry fierce against the
bloody enemy. Hor.
* For assiduas read assiduce.
f See k-Traivri in Lexicon-Index.
% See Titan in Lexicon-Index.
TRANSLATIONS. 375
Page
71 n The sacred ^hields are moved, Mars is moved.
— n Nor suffer the Medes to ride about unrevenged. Hor.
72 n Thy age, O Caesar, has restored to our Jupiter the
standards, torn down from the haughty door-posts of the Par-
thians, and has shut up [the temple of] Janus Quirinus, *
free from wars. Hor.
— n By the spear of Mars, and the 'darts of the Cirrhasan prophet
[Apollo] , by the arrows and the quiver of ♦the hunting girl
[Diana], and by thy trident, O Neptune, JEgean father; he
adds also the bow of Hercules and the spear of Minerva. Juv.
74 n From thence Venus derives her name \_Vertieordia], the heart
being turned [to virtue] . Ov.
75 n And the river of Tolenus ran purple, its waters being mixed
with blood. Ov.
77 Who bears sway over Cnidus and the shining Cyclades. Hor.
78 Venus, emerging from the sea, wrings her tresses, wet with the
shower,
— Whom Jocus flies around, and Cupid. Hor.
80 All the day I was carried [headlong], and together with the
setting sun I fell in Lemnos. Horn.
— n The cave of Vulcan, near to the ^olian rocks. Juv.
81 And Brontes and Steropes and Pyracmon, naked as to his
limbs. Virg.
85 Recollecting that he himself had stolen the Ortygian cows. Ov.
86 Arbiter of peace and war to the celestial and infernal gods. Ov.
— w In whatever place he stood, he looked to lo; although turned
away, he had lo before his eyes. Ov.
— n She fills the tail with starry gems. Ov.
89 Then he takes his wand; with this he summons pale ghosts
from Orcus, sends others to the gloomy Tartarus, gives and
takes away sleep, and seals the eyes with death. Virg.
91 n Or Thebes illustrious with Bacchus, or Delphi with Apollo.
Hor.
92 Thou hurledst back Rhcecusf with the paws and terrible jaws of
a lion. Hor.
— Cakes are made for the god, because he delights in sweet juices,
and they say that honey was found out by Bacchus. Ov.
93 The triennial orgies rouse [the Bacchanal], Bacchus being
heard; and Cithseron by night summons her with its shout.
Virg.
— n Who contended in tragic verse for a worthless he-goat. Hor.
96 To Phcebus and Bacchus alone youth is eternal; for unshorn
locks are becoming to both* gods. Tibull.
98 The earth, like a ball, resting on no support. Ov.
— A wakeful fire is connected with both. Ov. vi. 267 — 9.
— n He brings forth powerful Vesta and the eternal fire from the
inmost shrines. Virg.
* For Quirini read Quirinum.
f This is the reading of Bentley : others read Rhcetus.
376 TRANSLATIONS.
Page
100 And, if frankincense shall be wanting, light unctnotis torches,
Oxnd.
— n And thou, O Attic Ceres, to whom ever in panting race, ye
silent mystce [initiated], shake the votive torch. Stat.
107 Aurora leaving the saffron conch of Tithonus. Virg.
— n And Aurora rose from her couch, by the side of the illustrious
Tithonus, in order that she might bring light to the Im-
mortals fhd to Mortals. Horn.
108 Drawing a thousand different colours from the opposite sun.
Virg.
— She flies forth, and returns by the same bow, by which she had
just come. Ov.
— Whom, preparing to enter heaven. Iris, the daughter of Thau-
mas, purified with dewy waters. Ov.
109 Iris conceives the waters, and supplies nourishment to the
clouds. Ov.
113 Bellona follows with her blood-stained whip, Virg.
117 And the prophetic Themis, who then delivered the oracles.
Ovid.
118 Last of the Celestials, Astraea left the earth. Ov.
120 But the Rhamnusian goddess, who opposes immoderate wishes,
groaned and turned her wheel. Claud.
— n A great Nemesis from God seized Croesus [i.e. a reverse
of fortune specially inflicted by Providence for his chastise-
ment], Herod.
124 Pan cares for sheep and shepherds. Virg.
127 w Wine also injured [the understanding of] Eurytion, the fa-
mous centaur. Horn.
129 I have fourteen nymphs of faultless form. Virg.
— n I have demigods, I have rustic deities. Fauns and Nymphs and
Satyrs, and Sylvans inhabiting the mountains. Ov.
130 The Furies always accompany the elder. Horn.
131 n Thou canst arm unanimous brothers for battle, and embroil
masters in hatred, thou canst inflict the lash and the funereal
torch on houses. Virg. *
133 But I am not blameable, but Jupiter, and Fate, and the dark-
wandering Fury. Horn.
135 Whatever Fate and the severe spinners spun for him at his
birth. Horn.
136 Erato [teaches] playing on a stringed instrument; Terpsichore
the Lyre; Polyhymnia speech or narration.
137 Clio, singing the deeds [of history], fixes the times for events:
Melpomene proclaims the woes of Tragedy with impassioned
voice : the comic Thalia delights in wanton discourse :
Euterpe pHes the sweet-sounding flute with her blast :
Terpsichore rouses, sways, and elevates the passions with
the lyre : Erato, bearing the plectrum, dances with foot,
song, and look : Calliope commits heroic songs [i. e. epic
poetry] to books: Urania investigates the motions of the
heaven and stars : Polyhymnia marks out all things by the
hand, speaks by gesture. Auson.
140 The fair-haired Graces, and the benevolent Hours. Horn.
TRANSLATIONS. 377
Page
141 Either to roll away the dense cloud, or to superimpose it.
Horn.
— Sister and companion of the homicide Mars. Horn.
146 A branch moist with the dew of Lethe. Virg.
147 There are two gates of Sleep; one of which is said to be of
horn, by which an easy exit is given to true shades; the
other shining, high-wrought with polished ivory; but the
Manes send false dreams to the upper worM. Virg.
148 Such as mortals now are. Horn.
149 n Whom the Gods call Briareus, and all men ^gaeon. Horn.
150 n In Arimi, where they say is the bed of Typhoeus. Horn.
-^ And the hard bed, Inarime, placed upon Typhoeus by the
commands of Jove.
151 Nor is any rest allowed to his ever-growing fibres. Virg.
153 And he tells of the Caucasean birds, and the theft of Prome-
theus. Virg.
154 n The gold-sprung brother of Pallas. Or*
159 Devouring his mind [with grief], and avoiding the ways
[trodden path] of men, Horn.
163 Thou sacrificest the Cretan monster. Virg.
— n The quarrel of the Centaurs fought with the Lapithae over
wine, warns us. Horn.
165 The energy of Hercules burst through Acheron.
— n Hercule^ carried off the prize from the trees, and the labour
from the grove. Luc.
168 The Lydian spouse of the son of Amphitryo. Stat.
171 Sent by the flames to the stars. Juv.
174 Hercules assented, and struck his lyre. Ov.
ni A man half-ox, and an ox half-man. Ov.
— n A memorial of abominable lust. Virg.
181 Ixion is whirled, and both follows and flies himself. Ov.
— Warned, learn ye justice, and not to despise the Gods.
Virg.
183 The narrow sea of Helle, daughter of Nephele. Ov.
187 n There also, without garments [i. e. nwrfi], they exhibited the
trial of skill in gymnastic games. Find.
188 n At what fountain the sailors [Argonauts] had called aloud for
Hylas, left behind; how all the shore re-echoed, Hylas!
Hylas! Virg.
190 The earth-bom [progeny] sprung from the sleepless tooth [of
the dragon]. Luc.
196n Halcyons beloved* by Thetis. Virg. Georg. i. 399.
— n She relates [the story of] Peleus almost sent to Tartarus,
whilst, continent, he flies the Thessalian Hippolyte. Hor.
— n And, deceitful, she rakes up stories, inculcating [the expe-
diency of] sin. Hor.
197 An excellent counsellor or orator of the Myrmidons. Horn.
198 Brothers of Helen, shining stars. Hor.
* For dilecti read dilectce.
y3
378 TRANSLATIONS.
Page
198 w Whose white star, as soon as it has shone forth to the sailors,
the agitated water flows down from the rocks, the winds
settle, and the clouds fly away. Hor.
199 Pollux redeemed his brother by dying alternately. Virg.
200 And Castor, tamer of horses, and Pollux, excellent in boxing.
Horn.
— The one famous for coming off victor in horsemanship, the
other in boxing. Hor.
202 The voice itself, and the cold tongue still called Eurydice, Ah!
wretched Eurydice, though life was ebbing : the banks re-
echoed Eurydice along the whole river. Virg.
— n The Thracian priest with his long robe. Virg.
203 Having assembled huntsmen from many cities. Horn.
264 w She turns aside from the course, and picks up the rolling gold
[golden apple]. Ov.
— n Then he sings of the girl who admired the apples of the Hes-
perides [i.e. Atalanta]. Virg.
207 Have these walls come [into existence] by the Tyrian plec-
trum* or the Thracian lyre. Stat.
213 Talents of Tantalus. Suid. The riches of Tantalus. Plat.
Guest of the Gods. Hor.
214 No waters are caught by thee, O Tantalus; the tree, which
overhangsj flies [thy grasp]. Ov.
215 The Pisaean father-in-law, to be dreaded with the reins.
218 Who also built for Paris, the ships, beginning of woes, which
were a calamity to all the Greeks. Horn.
219 Variously embroidered robes, the works of Sidonian women,
Horn.
221 n Energetic, irascible, inexorable, impetuous, let him deny that
laws were intended for him, let him vindicate every thing by
arms. Hor.
223 Lamenting her fate, leaving manhood and youth. Horn.
— n And the splendour streamed from it afar, as from the moon.
Horn.
224 Thrice he had dragged Hector round the Trojan walls. Virg.
— n He escaped the Thessalian watch-fires and the camp hostile to
Troy. Hor.
— n And Achilles was selling the lifeless body for gold. Virg.
225 The Ithacan would wish this, the Atridse would buy this at a
great price. Virg.
— n And thrice, wonderful to relate, she sprang from the ground,
bearing both her shield and quivering spear. Virg.
226 And are covered under the feet of the Goddess, and the orb of
her shield. Firg.
* The plectrum was the instrument with which they struck the
strings of the lyre.
f l>ir]7rev9kg ['grief-dispelling'], it will be observed, is merely an
adjective, descriptive of the drug or potion [^apjuaKoi^]. It has,
however, been mistaken for a substantive ; the English Nepenthe
TRANSLATIONS. 379
Page
226 n The Trojans unfortunately revelling. Hor.
227 Eesplendent with the storm-cloud and the fierce Gorgon.
— [A potion] dispeUing grief f and melancholy, imparting obU-
vion of every woe. Horn.
229 On the eve of the melancholy catastrophe of Troy. Hor.
230 Telephus moved the grandson of Nereus. Hor.
232 Ajax surpassed Telamon, as Achilles surpassed Peleus. Juv.
— The beauty of the captive Tecmessa excited [a passion in]
Ajax, the son of Telamon. Hor.
— Seized him in a whirlwind, and dashed him against a pointed
rock. Virg.
233 The latter [litera] belongs to the name; the former to the com-
plaint. Ov.
— Thus I spoke : but he answered me nothing, and went into
Erebus after the other souls of the departed dead. Hrnn.
234 Seeking a man-killing poison that he might have [wherewith]
to anoint his brass-tipped arrows. Horn.
235 Before they had tasted the fodder of Troy, and drunk of the
Xanthus. Virg.
236 The arrows due to the Trojan Fates. Ov. i. e. the arrows re-
quired to fulfil the decrees of the Fates respecting Troy.
237 Four lustra [i. e. twenty years] being served by war and by
sea. Stat.
238 n Like an Argolic shield, or the lamp of Phcebus. Virg,
239 n Thou shalt sing of Penelope and the beauteous Circe,
struggling for one and the same [i. e. Ulysses]. Hor.
24:1 n For sooner I would believe in Scylla or the justling Cyanean
rocks, and bags full of winds, or that Elpenor, struck with
the slender lash of Circe, had grunted in concert with the
rowing pigs [rowers turned into pigs]. Juv.
242 n Whose insolence and violence reaches the starry heaven.
Horn.
— n Kicher than Croesus; poorer than Iras. Mart.
245 Orestes, son of Agamemnon, harassed on the stage [by the
Furies]. Virg.
— And both in turns struggle to die. Ov.
246 And from his tongue language flowed sweeter than honey.
Horn.
247 An ambiguous Salamis, in a new land. Hor.
— Diomed, a match for the Gods by the assistance of Pallas.
Hor.
249 And the Cretan [Idomeneus] occupied the plains of Salen-
tum with his soldiers. Virg.
253 Achelous, weeping, collects his [broken] horns in the rapid
waves, and submerges his mutilated temples in the muddy
waters. Ov.
255 The Pagassean spouse {^Alcestis] redeemed from death the son
of Pheres \^Admetus\. Ov.
has been derived from it ; and naturaUsts and physicians have
sought in vain to identify it as a plant or a preparation.
380 TRANSLATIONS.
Page
255 [The boar is a] witness which once strack the snow-white
Adonis. Prop,
— And we saw ^acus judging. Hor.
— He had heard -^gseon loosening the rigid holts. Stat.
256 And the terrible ^gis, the armour of the enraged Pallas. Virg.
— The goat-footed Pans shall play on a gaping reed. Prop.
— Calling the quick-sighted Phoebus JEgletes [i. e. the ' shining
one'], on account of his splendour. Apollon.
260 He wandered, indeed, alone through the Aleian plain. Horn.
261 Fastening a golden girdle under her exposed breast. Virg.
264 Thou shalt see an Andromache in front; behind she is less,
Juv.
— Concealed in the ever-flowing river, I am called Anna Perenna.
Ovid.
— Now the exhausted limbs are vigorous with renewed strength.
Luc.
266 Whence the Graii called the place Avemus by name. Virg.
268 They dared to scud along the briny waves in swift ship.
Catul.
— And let the Cretan star of the burning crown give way. Virg.
— And Arion [the horse] of Adrastus would have dreaded the
sight of this [i.e. the horse of Domitian]. Stat.
269 Astrsea, the last of the Immortals, left the earth. Ov.
270 Titan standing under the Hesperian pillars. Luc.
— Thou deferrest pleasures ; but Atropos does not also defer the
thread, and every hour is written for thee. Mart.
273 You would swear that he was a Boeotian, born in a foggy
atmosphere. Ham.
— The sacred rites of Bona Dea not to be approached by males .
Tibull.
— They dwell near the 'passage of the cow' ^Bosporus}
daughter of Inachus. Callim.
275 To leave Camarina unmoved. Luc.
— When the fool-hardy Capaneus fell by a sudden stroke. Ov.
— Nauplius, about night, holds forth the avenging fires. Prop.
276 Some deceive in the very capital, and swear falsely by Jupiter,
who hurls the thunderbolt. Plin.
— Thou thyself suggest [to us] , who hast a name derived from
verse. Ov.
277 The Centaur [a constellation] shines with double form, a por-
tion of the human, joined, as to the breast, to the back of a
horse. Manil.
— Nor Cephalus a prey to be ashamed of by the rosy goddess.
Ovid.
280 In the morning, every street will have its Clytaemnestra. Juv.
28 1 He broke the phalanxes with iron club. Ham.
282 They call it the congealed and Cronian Sea. Dion.
— - Nor the box, nor do the brazen cymbals sound, and the gentle
lions have lowered their manes. Claud.
— They circled Delos, and are called Cyclades. Dion, Per.
283 That there are two bears, of which Cynosura is sought after by
the Phoenicians : the Grecian vessel observes Helice. Hygin.
TRANSLATIONS. 381
Page
288 But I now seem to thee an Augur truer than Dodona. Prop.
Nor does the tinkling of Dodonsean brass slacken. Auson.
— But ye sea-nymphs, bom of the beautiful Doris. Prop.
289 No less the Thracian [Bacchanal] weary with incessant
dancing. Prop.
290 They draw thee down from heaven, O Jupiter; whence poste-
rity now also celebrate thee, and call Elicius. Ov.
— They call Engonasis, because it is said to be leaning on the
knees. Cic.
291 The daughter of Salmoneus is witness, burning with the love
of the ThessaHan Enipeus. Prop.
— Who had bound Neptune himself [the 'earth-shaker'] with
fetters. Juv.
— Nor let a naval war deceive thee with ships. Mart.
292 Now Erato, for thou hast the name of ' love'. Ov.
293 Behold what Eriphyle found [i. e. obtained] by bitter gifts.
Prop.
294 The black ember is divided into two parts. Ov.
295 The lover turned his eyes ; and immediately she vanished
back. Ov.
296 Euterpe fills the pipes with melodious blasts. Ov.
— The cold shores of the Euxine ['hospitable'] restrain me: it
was called Axenus [' inhospitable'] by the ancients. Ov.
— She dared to mount alive the funeral pile of her husband. Ov.
297 Kustic Fauns, deities of the woods. Ov.
— And Feronia rejoicing in a verdant grove. Ov.
298 And the river, with insane waters, by name Gallus. Ov.
299 Because they sprang from Geea and the blood of Uranus- Orph.
— And Phoebus loved Daphne, and Bacchus loved the Cretan
[Ariadne]. Ov.
300 And Pluto obtained for his portion the thick darkness. Horn.
— And he who restrains the speech; and prompts to silence by
the finger. Ov.
301 May nimble Hebe serve to me, with beautiful hand, Nectar and
Ambrosia,* the beverage and banquets of the Gods. Ov.
303 The world hung firmly on the neck of Hercules. Claud.
— She fell headlong with great force \lit. a whizzing noise] fi'om
the lofty tower. Mus.
— A booty agreeable to the Centaurs in the midst of wine- Prop.
— The happy Hippolyte bore arms with exposed breast. Prop.
— Eecalled [to life] by medicinal herbs and the love of Diana.
Virg.
— ^olus, the son of Hippotas, restraining the winds in their
prison. Ov.
305 Stars, which the Greek calls Hyades, from rain. Ov.
— No portion of the whole herd of the Hyades lies concealed. Ov.
— Lo! they sing the hymeneal song; and the halls smoke with
fires. Ov.
* For AmbrosicE read Ambrosiam ; and point the line as follows :^-
Nectar et Ambrosiam, latices epulasque Deorum.
382 TRANSLATIONS.
Page
306 Icarus, as the stars bears witness in the serene sky, both
Erigone and the dog. Tibull.
308 Ye have appeased the winds by blood, and a sacrificed virgin.
— She is said to have changed Iphigenia for a substituted stag.
Ovid.
— Why does the rainbow drink the purple waters? Prop.
313 Inducing, as the story goes, oblivion to infernal veins.* Luc.
314 Not so does Phoebe, daughter of Leucippus, fire [the breast of]
Castor; nor Elaira, Pollux, by her style of dress. Prop.
— Thou shalt be called Leucothde by the Greeks, Matuta by ours
[i. e. the Latins] . Ov.
— Or, because thou art Liber, the to^a libera [i. e. the toga
virilis, as indicating greater liberty] is also assumed through f
thee, and a course of freer life. Ov.
315 It is the custom for the Delphic God to conceal secrets in
ambiguous and complicated responses. Sen.
— O Lycean king, be thou a ' wolfish' destroyer [Avfcetoc] to the
hostile army. Msch.
316 Herald of the night Hesperus, just laved in the waters, the
same Lucifer, darkness being again expelled. Sen.
— Thou, Juno, called Lucina, by women in travail. Cat.
— Here the dancing Salii, and the naked Luperci. Firg.
— A woman relaxed by much wine. Ov.
— And the land which lies under the constellation of the bear. Ov.
317 What have you to do with physicians? dismiss all the Ma-
chaons. Mart.
318 For Manto, the daughter of Tiresias, prescient of the future. Ov.
— Who gave to thee, O Mantua, thy walls, and the name of his
mother. Virg.
310 They blame the Colchian [Medea], bespattered with the blood
of her children. Ov.
320 Or that Patroclus had faUen under assumed arms. Ov.
— Shaking his somniferous wand, and covered with a broad -
brimmed hat. Claud.
321 They filled the grim horns with the buzzing noises of the
Mimallones. Pers.
325 Did Thetis, the most beautiful daughter of Neptune, bear
thee? Catull.
— The Pontus begat the unlying and true [prophet] Nereus. Hes-
— And the Neritian abode, the kingdom of the treacherous
Ulysses. Ov.
326 Beauty did not deliver Nereus, nor strength Achilles. Prop.
— We call Phoebus also Nomius. Callim-
— Nocturnal, the god of shepherds, Nebrodes, wearing a garment
of the fawn's skin. Anthol.
327 Oceanus, the father of the gods, and Tethys, the mother. Horn.
— They quaff" the waters of Lethe, and sacred oblivion.
For pro read per. t For ventis read venis.
TRANSLATIONS. 383
Page
328 They call the extreme mountams to the east, CEta. Liv.
330 He holds fast the serpent by a double grasp of his hands. Luc
331 Unhappy Boreas, the terror of Orithyia carried off. Prop.
— Once the guardian of the herd of the monstrous Spaniard. Sil.
— Thrice they attempted to place Ossa upon Pelion, and to roll,
forsooth, the leafy Olympus upon Ossa. Virg.
333 Jupiter desires [that men] should call the Palici venerable.
jEsch.
335 This grief sent Pandion to the infernal shades before his day,
and the extreme times of long old age. Ov.
— For all the gods, inhabiting Olympic mansions, gave her a
gift. Hes.
— An ancient altar was dedicated to the oracle-giving Thunderer.
Ovid.
336 Patroclus, when a boy, left Opus, having committed homicide.
Ovid.
337 An aerial horse will be born, and fly in heaven. Manil.
338 Fifty female servants within, whose business it is in a long
train to prepare the viands, and to enlarge the auspicious
influence of the Penates by means of fires. Virg. See
Anihon. in loc.
— Bringing mourning [TrlvOjy/ta] from the mountains, and not
Pentheus \IievQria]. Theoc.
339 Nor do my orchards equal the Phseacian woods. Prop.
340 Thence flow tears; and the amber drops, distilled from the
new branches, harden with the sun. Ov.
— Until the husband had demanded of him the fatal gold, and
the sword of Phegeus had drunk [the blood of] a kinsman's
side. Ov.
— Drunk in the night, they are injurious; in the day, they are
drunk without harm. Ov.
341 The Daulian bird celebrates the Thracian Itys. Ov.
— Nor did the new moon repair her horns by waxing. Ov.
342 Thrust down the son of Phoebus, by a thunderbolt, to the
Stygian waves. Virg.
— O king, ruling over Delphi, the far-darting Apollo. Orph.
343 And Circe made him a bird, metamorphosed by her enchant-
ments, and sprinkled his wings with [various] colours. Virg.
— [Nor let] Pimplea banish thirst, nor let the conscious Pirene
be given. Stat. Compare vatum conscius amnis. Stat. s.
Pirene.
344 Hope fell off' that they could be reduced by famine ; the enemy
being repulsed, a snow-white altar is erected to Jupiter the
baker. Ov.
— The seventh married thee a mortal, O Sisyphus ; it repents
her, and she alone lies hid [i. e. is dim] through shame of
the deed. Ov.
345 Nor does the parched herb supplicate Jupiter Pluvius. Tihull.
346 Which, large, lay concealed alone under his grim forehead,
like an Argolic buckler, or the disc of the sun. Virg.
— Let the sacrificed Polyxena appease the shade of Achilles. Ov.
347 Whom we call Portunus, his own tongue Palaemon. Ov.
384 TRANSLATIONS.
Page
347 The Parian stone claims Praxiteles by art. Ov.
348 The coast of Cephisus had seen the cruel Procrustes. Ov.
— Antecanis, which is called Procyon by its Greek name. Ov.
349 O Protesilaus, the Fates thus gave to thee thy name, because
thou wast about to be the first victim at Troy. Auson.
351 And they derive their name from the conjunction of five days.
Ovid.
— Or, because the spear was called quiris by the ancient Sabines.
Ovid.
352 And he turns away the fiery steeds to the camp, before they
had tasted the fodder of Troy, and drunk the waters of
Xanthus. Firg.
353 Now he had given to the Salii a name derived from ' leaping'.
Ovid.
354 Hence Satumia remained for a long time the name to the
nation. Ov.
356 They soothe and deceive whoever may come to them. Horn.
358 The Sphinx with her triple form, bird, lion, virgin, affrighted
Aonia: a bird as to her wings, a wild beast as to her feet, a
girl as to the forehead [or front part]. Auson.
362 And the Mysian youth who had felt a wound by the spear of
the Thessalian youth, felt relief from that very spear [point] .
Prop.
363 What does it profit, if Phemius sings to deaf ears? What does
the painted tablet profit the wretched Thamyi-as?
— And Bacchus assumes the shape of a tender virgin.
366 Titan formed the heart of better clay. Juv.
370 I am called a God, Vertumnus, from the turned river. Prop.
361 Thus he says, and brings forth with his hands fillets, and the
powerful Vesta, and eternal fire from the inmost shrines.
Firg.
372 Now the house of Deiphobus gave a crash, the fire over-
powering. Firg.
THE END.
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