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TOOKE'S PANTHEON
OF THE
HEATHEN GODS
AMD
ILLUSTRIOUS HEROES
\J £' REVISED FOR
(^
A CLASSICAL COURSE OF EDUCATION,
AND ADAPTED FOR
THE USE OF STUDENTS OF EVERY AGE
AND oe; I^HER^ S^X.
ILLUSTRATED WITH EKGRATIXGS FROM MEW AMD ORIGINAL DESIGKS.
BALTIMORE:
PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM & JOSEPH NEAU
1833.
8 1 7 00
DISTRICT OF MARYLAND, ss.
BE IT REMEMBERED, that on this fifth day of May, in the
forty-first year of the Independence of the United States of
America, Edward J. Coale and Nathaniel G. Maxwell, of the
said district, have deposited in this office, the title of a book, the
right whereof they claim as proprietors in the words following,
to w^it : —
" Tooke's Pantheon of the Heathen Gods, and Illustrious He«
roes. Revised for a classical course of education, and adapted
for the use of students of every age, and of either sex. Illus-
trated with engravings from new and original designs."
In conformity to an act of the Congress of the United States,
entitled •' An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing
the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and pro-
prietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned;'*
and also to the act, entitled, " An act supplementary to the act,
entitled ' An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing
the copies of maps, charts, and books to the authors and propri-
etors of such copies during the times therein mentioned,' and
extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving,
and e*;:hing historical and other prints."
PHILIP MOORE,
Chrk of the District of Maryland.
ti^f* f
ADVERTISEMENT
TO THIS REVISED EDITION OF
TOOKE'S PAxNTHEON,
The object of the Editor of tins work, is lo
present a complete summary of Mythology, in a
chaste diction, for the study of persons of every
age, and of either sex. Without a general know-
ledge of Heathen Mythology, the immortal writ-
ings of Homer, Virgil, Ovid, and others, are al-
most unintelligible, and their principal beauties
lost.
* Tooke's Pantheon is a work which has
stood the test of time. It is more than a century
since it was published, and the labours and re-
searches of the author are at this day so justly es-
teemed, that it is used as a class-book in several of
oiu- colleges. The sole exception urged by many,
is, that the work is occasionally too indelicate in
its phraseology, and therefore not well adapted for
the youth of either sex. An attempt has been made
in this edition to render it free from this objection,
by altering or expunging the language or phrases
considered improper, while much care has been
taken that no fact nor incident, worthy of any note,
related by the author, is omitted.
* Andrew Tooke, born in London, 1673, was a learned man,
and a very respectable teacher. Though he possessed much
property, he was so attached to literature and his habits of life,
that he continaed in his profession to the end of his days. He
published several learned works, among them The Pantheon^
translated from the Latin of Pomey, a Jesuit of Lyons. Pomey
was much distinguished for his Pantheum Mysticum, translated
by Tooke without acknowledgment. He wrote besides a French
and Latin dictionary, and several works which exhibited bis
great learning in ancient literature. He died at Lyons, in the
year 1673; thus it appears that this work was published preyious
to that year.
SV ADVERTISEMENT.
While this book may be resorted to, occasionally
by gentlemen who have finished their classical
course of education, we trust it will be found very
useful to both young ladies and young gentlemen
prosecuting their studies in polite literature, espe-
cially as classical learning has of late become an
object of considerable importance in female edu-
cation.
Thirty new and beautiful outlined plates, drawn
from antique statues, have been engraved for this
edition by G. Fairman, Esq. an artist of the first
reputation of this country, and the work is printed
with good type, on paper of an excellent quality ;
it is therefore anticipated, that it will meet with a
favourable reception, and a hberal support from the
classical reader and the heads of colleges, acada-
mies and schools, equal to the endeavours of the
publishers to render it worthy of their patronage.
Questions for examination, for the conve-
nience of teachers, and for th€ use of students, will
be found at the end of each chapter. The table of
contents exhibits a brief analysis of the work.
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION— AN ACCOUNT OF THE PANTHEON.
Origin of Idolatry, 15
Distribution of the Gods into several classes, 10
Ji more commodious division of the Gods, CeleS'
iial, Terrestrial, Marine, Infernal, <^c. . 22
PART I.— CELESTIAL GODS.
Jnpiter, ....'.... 24
Apollo, 39
The Sun, or Sol, 52
Mercury, 58
Bacchus, 64
Mars, 76
CELESTIAL GODDESSES.
Juno, 83
Minerva, 91
Venus, 99
Latona, 112
Aurora, 115
PART II.— TERRESTRIAL GODS.
Saturn, 118
Janus, 127
Vulcan, 132
^olus, 136
Momus, 138
TERRESTRIAL GODDESSES.
Vesta, 139
C7jhele, 142
Ceres, 150
The Muses, 159
Themis, Astrcua, JVemesis, 164
GODS OF THE WOOD, AND RURAL DEITIES.
Pan, 167
Silvanus and Silenus, 171
The Satyrs, Fauns, Priapus, Aristaus, . 173
Terminus, 175
GODDESSES OF THE WOODS.
Diana, 176
Pales, Flora, Feronia, Pomona, .... 182
CONTENTS.
The JVymphs, 86
The Inferior Rural Deities^ 191
PART III.— GODS OF THE SEA.
JVeptune, 194
Triton and other Marine Gods, . . . . 199
Monsters of the Sea, ) ^ 202
Scylla and Charyhdis, )
PART IV.— INFERNAL DEITIES.
P^tew of Hell, Charon, Rivers of Hell, Cer-
berus, ..... 207
Pluto, Flutus, 211
Proserpine, the Fates, the Furies, . . . 216
Mght, Death, Sleep, the Judges of Hell, . 220
The most famous of the Condemned in Hell, 222
Monsters of Hell, Elysium, Lethe, . . . 229
PART v.— OF THE DII RIINORUM GENTIUM, OR THE
SUBORDINATE DEITIES.
The Penates, the Lares, 236
The Genii, 240
The Kuptial Deities, 243
Deities presiding over Infants, 245
PART VI.— OF THE DII INDIGETES AND ADSCRIPTITII,
OR THE SEMI-DEI AND HEROES.
Hercules, ... V 249
Jason, Theseus, > ... 258
Castor and Pollux, 263
Perseus, ^sculapius, 267
Prometheus, Atlas, 273
Orpheus, and Amphion, Achilles, .... 279
Ulysses and Orion, 283
Osires, Apis, Se7'apis, 286
APPENDIX— OF THE VIRTUES AND VICES WHICH
HAVE BEEN DEIFIED.
The Virtues and the Good Deities^ . . . 292
The Vices and the Evil DeitteSy . . • 298
2N^S©JBWlS^2®l5
MODERN DliSCRIPTION OF THE PANTHEON.
This temple, the most celebrated of those which
have escaped the more essential injuries of time, im-
presses us with a very striking idea of the magnifi-
cence of the ancients. From its circular form it has
acquired the name of the rotunda. The entrance to
it is under a grand portico, supported by sixteen im-
mense columns of the Corinthian order, each of them
composed of a single piece of red oriental granite.
Of these, eight of them are in front, and sustain an
entablature and frontispiece of the most beautiful
proportion which architecture can boast. The cir-»
cumference of each of these columns is fourteen feet ;
and the height, independent of the base and capital,
which are of white marble, two and forty. The in-
side of the temple is supplied with light through one
circular aperture, the diameter of which is six and
twenty feet, and to which there is an ascent by a
staircase consisting of an hundred and ninety steps
The gallery over the principal altar of a semicircu
lar form, is obtained from the thickness of the wall,
and supported by pillars of yellow marble. On
every side are chapels adorned also with columns of
yellow marble, and with pilasters crowned with an
entablature of white marble, which extends round
the building. The walls and the pavement are cased
with marble. The whole presents us with an assem-
blage of rare beauty ; and we cannot but regret the
2
14
loss of its statues and some of its other original or-
naments ; which would still improve the magnifi*
cence of its effect.
The bronze ornaments of the dome were removed
in the pontificate of Urban "VTII. for the purpose of
forming the canopy of the great altar in St. Peter's.
We know that the bronze gates ornamented with
bass-relief, were taken away by Genseric, king of the
Vandals, and were lost in the sea of Sicily.
THE
FABULOUS HISTORIES
CHAPTER I.
THE APPROACH TO THE PANTHEON.— THE ORIGIN
OF IDOLATRY.
The Fabulous Pantheon, is, as its name imports,
the Temple of all the Gods, which the superstitious
folly of men have feigned through a gross ignorance
of Uie true and only God.
It may be right to give some account of the Pan-
theon, of which you have a view in the plate that fa-
ces the title page. It is uncertain by whom this beau-
tiful edifice was erected : some suppose it to have been
built by Agrippa, the son-in-law of Augustus ; but
others contend that he only enlarged and adorned it,
and added to it a magnificent portico. Its body is
cylindrical, and its roof or dome spherical ; its inner
diameter was one hundred and forty-four feet, and
the height from the pavement to the grand apertm'e,
on its top, was also one hmidred and forty-four feet.
Its exterior was built after the Corinthian order of
architecture. The inner circumference is divided
into seven grand niches, six of which are flat at the
top, but the seventh, which is opposite to the entrance,
is arched. Before each niche are two columns of an-
tiqu£ yellow marble, fluted, and of one entire block.
The whole wall of the temple, as high as the grand
cornice inclusive, is cased with different kinds of
precious marble, in compartments. The frieze n
16
entirely of porphyry. Above the grand cornice rises
an attic, in which are wrought, at equal distances,
fourteen oblong square niches, between each of which
were four marble pilasters, and between the pillars,
marble tables of various kinds. This attic had a
(•omplete entablature ; but the cornice projected less
than that of the grand order below. The spherical
roof springs from the cornice, which is divided by
bands that cross each other like the meridians and
parallels of an artificial terrestrial globe. The spa-
ces between the bands decrease ni size as they ap-
proach the top of the roof, to which they do not
reach, there being a considerable space left plain,
between them and the great opening.
The walls below were formerly decorated with
works of carved brass or silver, and the roof was co-
vered on the outside with plates of gilded bronze. Tae
portico is composed of sixteen columns of granite,
four feet in diameter, eight of which stand in front,
with an equal intercolumniation. To these columns
is a pediment, whose tympanum, or flat, was orna-
mented with bass-reliefs in brass : the cross beams,
which formed the ceiling of the portico, were covered
with the same metal, and so were the doors. Such
was the Pantheon, the richness and magnificence of
which induced Pliny, and others, to rank it among
the wonders of the world. This temple subsisted in
all its grandeur, till the incursion of Alaric, who
plundered it of its precious metals. The building
continues to this day ; but it was, in the beginning
of the seventh centur}', converted, by Boniface IV.
into a Christian church, and dedicated to the ^' Vir-
gin ]\Iary, and all the saints."
The causes which have chiefly conduced to the
establishment and continuance of idolatry are thus
enumerated :
1. The first cause of idolatry was the extreme foU
hjj and vain glory of men, who have denied to Him,
17
who is the inexhausted fountain of all good, the hon-
ours which they have attributed to muddy streams .
" Digging." as the prophet Jeremiah complains, '' to
tliemselves broken and dirty cisterns, and neglecting
and forsaking the most pure fountain of living wa-
ters." It ordinarily happened after tliis manner : if
any one excelled in stature of body, if he were en-
dued with greatness of mind, or noted for clearness
of wit, he first gained to himself the admiration of
the ignorant vulgar ; this admiration was by degrees
turned into a profound respect, till at length they
paid him greater honour than men ought to receive,
and ranked the man among the number of gods ;
while the more prudent were either carried away by
tlie torrent of the vulgar opinion, or were miable or
afraid to resist it.
2. The sordid flattery of subjects toward their
princes, was a second cause of Idolatry. To gratify
their vanity, to flatter thei.r pride, and to soothe
them in their self-conceit, they erected altars, and
set the images of their princes on them ; to which
they offered incense, in like manner as to the gods ;
and not unfrequently, while they were living.
3. A third cause of Idolatry, was an immoderate
love of immortality in many ; who studied to attain
it, by leaving effigies of themselves behind them ; ima-
gining that their names would still be preserved from
the power of death and time, so long as they lived
in brass, or in statues of marble, after their funerals.
4. A desire of perpetuating the memories of excel-
lent and useful men to future ages, was the fourth
cause of Idolatry. For to make the memory of
such men eternal, and their names immortal, they
made them gods, or rather called them so.
The contriver and assertor of false gods was Ni-
nus, the first king of the Assyrians, who, to render
the name of his father Belus, or Nimrod immortal,
2*
18
Morsljipped lilin with divine honours after his death,
w liich is tluis accounted for :
After Ninus had concjuered many nations far and
near, and buiU the city called after his name, Nine-
veh; in a public assembly of the Babylonians he
extolled his father Belus, the founder of the empire
and city of Babylon, beyond all measure, representing
Iiim not only worthy of perpetual honour among all
posterity, but also of an immortality among the gods
above. He then exhibited a statue of him, curiously
and neatly made, to which he commanded them to
pay the same reverence that they would have given
to Belus while alive ; he also appointed it to be a
common sanctuary to the miserable, and ordained,
" that if at any time an offender should fly to this
statue, it should not be lawful to force him away to
punishment." This privilege easily procured so
great a veneration to the dead prince, that he was
thought more than a man, and, therefore, was cre-
ated a god, and called Jupiter, or, as others write,
Saturn of Babylon ; where a most magnificent tem-
ple was erected to him by his son.
After this beginning of Idolatry, several nations
formed to themselves gods ; receiving into that num-
ber not only mortal and dead men, but brutes also ;
and even the most mean and pitiful inanimate things.
For it is evident from the authority of innumerable
writers, that the Africans w^orshipped the heavens as
a god; the Persians adored fire, water, and the
winds; the Lybians, the sun and moon; the The-
bans, sheep and weasels; the Babylonians of Mem-
phis, a whale ; the inhabitants of IMendes, a goat
theThessalanians, storks ; the S3Tophoenicians, doves
the Egyptians, dogs, cats, crocodiles and hawks
nay, leeks, onions, and garhc. Which most sense-
less folly Juvenal wittity exposes.
" sanctas gentes, quibus haic nascuntur in Ijortis
Numina"
19
Religious nations sure, and bless'd abodes,
Where ev'ry orchard is o'errun with gods.
The ancient Romans, who were so superior in
arms, in arts, in eloquence, and in almost every
thing that can adorn human nature, were plunged
into the grossest idolatry. They reckoned among
their gods not only beasts and things void of all
sense, but, which is a far greater madness., they some-
times worshipped as gods, the very worst of man-
kind.
Besides their own country gods, and family gods,
they worshipped all strange deities that came to the
city, and which were made free of it. Whence it
came to pass, in time, that when they saw their pre-
cincts too narrow to contain so many, necessity
forced them to send their gods into colonies, as they
did their men.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMmATIOJV OJV THE FOREGO-
LYG CHAPTER.
What is meant by the Fabulous Pantheon ?
Give some account of the Pantheon at Rome.
To what purpose w^as it devoted by Pope Boniface ?
What causes have conspired to the establishment of Idolatry ?
W^ho was the contriver of false gods, and how is the circum-
stance accounted for ?
Whom or what did the Africans, Persians, and others wor-
ship as gods ?
Did the ancient Romans exhibit more wisdom in this respect?
To what had they recourse when their deities became very
attmerous ?
CHAPTER II.
THE ENTRANCE INTO THE PANTHEON. A DISTRI-
BUTION OF THE GODS INTO SEVERAL CLASSES.
As the Roman people were distributed into three
ranks ; namely, of ^senators or noblemen, knights or
gentlemen, plebeans or citizens; as also into ^noble,
• Patricii, equites, et plebeii. f Nobiles, novi, et ignobiles. Cic.
pro Muraen.
20
new-raised, and ignohle ; (of which the neiv-rai&ed
were those who did not receive their nobihty from
their ancestors, but obtained it themselves by their
own virtue;) so the Roman gods were divided, as it
were, into three classes.
The first class is of superior gods, Dii majorum
gehtium, for the people paid to them a higher degree
of worship ; because they imagined that these gods
were more eminently employed in the government of
this world. These were called also select, because
they had always the title of celestial gods, and were
famous and eminent above others, of extraordinary
authority and renown. Twelve of these were styled
consentes ; because, in affairs of great importance,
Jupiter admitted them into his council. The images
of these were fixed in the Forum at Rome : six of
them were males, and six females ; commonly, with-
out other additions, called The Twelve gods ; and
whose names Emiius comprises in a distich.
Juno, Vesta, Mlnen^a, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars,
Mercurius, Neptunus, Jupiter, Vulcanus, Apollo.
These twelve gods were believed to preside over
the twelve months ; to each of them was allotted a
month; January to Juno, February to JYeptune,
March to Minerva, April to T^enus, May to Apollo,
June to Mercury, July to Jupiter, August to Ceres,
September to T^ulcan, October to Mars, JS^ovember
to Diana, December to T^esta. They likewise pre-
sided over the twelve celestial signs. If to these
twelve Dii Consentes, you add the eight followins^,
Janus, Saturnus, Genius, Sol, Pluto, Bacchus, Tel-
lus, and Luna, you will have twenty, that is, all the
select gods.
The second class contains the gods of lower rank
and dignity, who were styled Dii Minorum Gentium;
because they shine wifli a less degree of glorj , and
have been placed among the gods, as Cicero says, by
21
their own merits. Wlience they are called also Ad-
scriptitii, Minuscularii^ Putatii, and Indigetes : be-
cause now they wanted nothing ; or because, being
translated from this earth into heaven, they conversed
with the gods; or being fixed, as it were, to certain
places, committed peculiarly to their care, they dwelt
in them, to perform the duty intrusted to them. Thus
^neas was made a god, by his mother Venus, in
the manner described by Ovid :
His better parts by lustral waves refin'd,
More pure and nearer to ethereal mind ;
With gums of fragrant scent the goddess strews,
And on his features breathes ambrosial dews.
Thus deified, new honours Rome decrees,
Shrines, festivals ; and styles him Indiges.— jl/e^. 14.
The gods of the third and lower class, are some-
times called Minuti, Vesci, and Miscellanei, but more
usually Semones, whose merits were not sufficient to
gain them a place among the celestial gods; yet
their virtues were such, that the people thought ±2:r.
superior to mortal men. They were called Patel-
larii, from certain small dishes, in which the an-
cients offered to the gods their sacrifices, of which
Ovid makes mention :
To Vesta's deity, with humble mess,
In cleanly dish serv'd up, they now address.
To these we ought to adjoin the gods called JVo-
vensiles, which the Sabines brought to Rome by the
command of king Tatius; and which were so named,
and some say, because they were latest of all rec-
koned among the gods ; or because they were presi-
dents over the changes, by which the things of this
world subsist. Circius believes them to have been
the strange gods of conquered nations ; whereof the
numbers were so vast, that it was thought fit to call
all in general A^ov ensiles, lest they should forget any
of them. And lastly, to this class also we must refer
22
those gods and goddesses by whose help and means,
as Cicero says, men are advanced to heaven, and
obtain a place among the gods ; of which sort are
the principal virtues, as we shall shoAV in the proper
place.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMIKJITION.
Were the heathen gods, all of one degree of rank ; if not, into
how many classes were they divided ?
What is said of the first class ?
Why were they called select 9
Why were some of them called consenies f
Over what did the twelve gods preside ? Enumerate them.
Which others make up the twenty Select gods ?
Which is the second class of gods, and why are they so styled »
What aie the gods of the third class, and how are they deno
rainated ?
What are the " NovensUes ?"
: CHAPTER m. V -
A SUPPOSED VIEW OF THE PANTHEON. A MORE
COMMODIOUS DIVISION OF THE GODS.
Having already described to you the structure and
ornaments of this wonderful building, within the nich-
es of which the statues of the gods were placed, it is
right you should be informed, that the three classes,
mentioned above, are here divided into six, and paint-
ed upon tlie several parts of the Pantheon. 1. The
celestial gods and goddesses are upon an arch. 2.
The terrestrial, upon the wall on tlie right hand. 3.
The marine and river gods upon the wall on the left.
4. The infernal, upon the lower compartment by the
pavement. 5. The minuti or semonesj and miscella-
nei, before you. 6. The adscriptitii and indigetes
behind you. Our discourse shall likewise consist of
six parts ; in each of which I shall lay before you
whatever I have found most remarkable among the
23
best authors upon this subject. Let us, however
first sit down together awhile ; and, as the place is
free from company, we will take a deliberate view
of the whole army of gods, and inspect them one
after another ; beginning, as is fit, with the celestial,
and so with Jove, according to the direction of the
poet :
" Ab Jove principium Musae : Jovis omnia plena***
Virg. Eel. 3.
From the great father of the Gods above
My Muse begins : for all is full of Jove.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMINATION
Into how many classes are the gods in the pantheon dividtui f
How are they ranged ?
Whence does the description begin ?
Repeat the line from Virgil and translation.
PART I.
OF THE CELESTIAL DEITIES*
CHAPTER I.
SEC. L— JUPITER. HIS IMAGE.
The gods commonly called celestial, are Jupiter,
Apollo, Mars, Mercury, and Bacchus. The celes-
tial goddesses are Juno, Vesta, Minerva or Pallas,
Venus, Luna, and Bellona.
We will begin with Jupiter,* the father and king
of gods and men, whom you see sitting in a throne
of ivory and gold, under a rich canopy, with a beard,
holding thunder in his right hand, which he brandish-
es against the giants at his feet, whom he formerly
conquered. His sceptre, they say, is made of cy-
press, which is a symbol of the eternity of his empire,
because that wood is free from corruption. On his
sceptre sits an eagle, either because he was brought
up by it, or because an eagle resting upon his head,
portended his reign, or because in his wars with the
giants an eagle brought him his thunder ; and thence
receiv^ed the title of Jupiter's armour hearer.
He wears golden shoes, and an embroidered cloak,
adorned with various flowers and figures of animals.
This cloak, it is reported, Dionysius the tyrant took
from him in Sicily, and giving him a \voollen cloak
instead of it, said, " That would be more convenient
for him in all seasons, since it was warmer in the
• * biv&m pater atque hominum rex. Virg. S,n. 1.
cPmfflB^
25
\«nnter, and much lighter in the summer." Yet you
must not be surprised, if by chance you should see
him in another place, and in another dress, for he is
wont to be decked in several fashions, according to
the various names he assumes, and according to tlie
diversity of the people among whom he is worship-
ped. You may see him among the Lacedaemonians
without ears ; whereas the Cretans are so liberal to
him in this particular, that they give him four. So
much for the figure of Jupiter.
QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION.
Which are the celestial gods ?
Who is Jupiter?
Of what is his sceptre the symbol ?
What does the eagle on his sceptre denote ?
What happened to him with respect to his cloak ?
How was he represented by the Lacedaemonians and Cretans ^
SEC. 2. JUPITER'S DESCENT AND EDUCATION.
Those who were skilled in the Heathen Theology,
reckon up three Jupiters ; of which the first and se-
cond were born in Arcadia. The father of the one
was ^ther ; from whom Proserpine and Liber are
said to be born. The father of the other was Coelus;
he is said to have begot IMinerva. The third was a
Cretan, the son of Saturn, whose tomb is yet extant
in tlie isle of Crete. But Varro reckoned up three
hmidred Jupiters ; and others mention a much larger
number ; for there was hardly any nation that did
dot worship a Jupiter of their own, and suppose him
to be born among themselves. But of all these, the
most famous Jupiter, according to the general opin-
ion, is he, whose mother was Ops, and whose father
was Saturn ; to whom therefore all that the poets
fabulousl}^ wrote about the other Jupiters is usual-
ly ascribed.
He was educated at the place where he was bom,
that is, upon the mountain Ida in Crete, but it is not
26
agreed by whom he was brought up. Some affirm,
that he was educated by the Curetes and Corybantes-;
some say, by the Nymphs, and some, by Amaltheea,
the daughter of Mellissus, king of Crete. Others,
©n the contrary, have recorded, that the bees fed him
with honey ; and some maintain, that a goat gave
him milk. Not a few say, that he was nourished by
doves ; some, by an eagle ; man}^, by a bear. And
further, it is the opinion of some concerning the
aforesaid Amalthsea, that she was not the daughter
of Mellissus, as we have mentioned ; but the very
goat which suckled Jupiter, whose horn he gave af-
terwards to his nurses, with this admirable privilege,
" that whoever possessed it should immediately ob-
tam every thing that he desired." They add be-
sides, that after this goat was dead, Jupiter took the
skin and made a shield of it ; with which he singly
combated the giants ; whence that shield was called
^gisj from a Greek word that signifies a she goat,
which at last he restored to life again, and, giving
her a new skin, placed her among the celestial con-
stellations.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXJMIJVATIOJV.
How many Jupiters were there, and whence do they derive
their origin ?
Which was the most famous Jupiter ?
What is ascribed to him ?
Where was he educated ?
What do authors say of those who brought him up ?
What is said of the horn of the goat which is thought to have
suckled Jupiter ?
Why was his shield called the ^gis ?
SEC. 3.— EXPLOITS OF JUPITER.
He overcame, in war, the Titans and the Giants, df
whom we shall say more when we speak of Saturn.
He also delivered his father Saturn from imprison-
ment ; but afterwards deposed him from the throne,
and banished him for a conspiracy, and then divided
27
the paternal inheritance with his two brothers, Nep-
tune and Phito. In fine, he so assisted and obhged
all mankind by the great favours which he did, that be
not onh^ thence obtained the name of Jupiter, but he
was advanced also to divine honours, and was esteen>-
ed the common father both of gods and men. Among
some of his most illustrious actions, we ought to re-
member the story of Lycaon. For when Jupiter
had heard a report concerning the wickedness and
great impiety of men, it is said that he descended
from heaven to the earth, to know the real truth of
it ; and that being come into the house of Lycaon,
king of Arcadia, where he declared himself to be a
god, while others were preparing sacrifices for him,
Lycaon derided him : nor did he stop here, but be-
ing desirous to try whether Jupiter was a god, he
kills one of his domestic servants, roasts and boils
Ithe flesh of him, and sets it on the table as a ban-
quet for Jupiter ; who, abhori'ing the wTetch's bar-
barit}^ fired the palace with lightning, and turned
Lycaon into a wolf. Ovid Met. 1.
With respect to his other exploits, some of them
are absurd ; others are highly criminal, if taken in a
literal sense. But it is supposed by the Abbe Ba-
nier and other learned writers on this subject, that
they are merely allegorical, and conceal some mean-
ing, at present either lost to us or open to conjecture.
1st. Such for instance his having wooed his sister,
Juno, in the shape of a crow ; an ill-boding fowl
one would suppose, not very likely to captivate
tlie heart of a tender maid, but, perhaps, the croak-
mg thing might take very well with a termagant,
such as she has been described to be. 2d. Next,
that he overcame the innocence of Danae, daughter
of Acrisius, king of the Argives ; this monarch be-
ing forewarned by the oracle that he would perish
by the hand of his grandson shut up his only child
m a tower ; Jupiter, however assumed the shape of
28
a shining metal called gold, (In which no small por
tion of his divinity has ever since resided,) and de-
scending through the roof, fell into the lady's lap.
3d. At another time he flew into the arms of Leda,
tlie wife of T^iidarus, in the shape of a beautiful
swan. 4tli. In the likeness of a wild satyr, he be-
haved like a ruffian to Antiope, the wife of Lycus,
king of Thebes. 5th. He imposed upon Alcmena
by assuming the figure of her husband Amphitryon,
6th. In the shape of fire he won the heart of Egina,
tlie daughter of Asopus, king of Boetia. 7th. He
deceived Calisto by counterfeiting the modesty and
countenance of Diana; yet, he shamefully abandoned
her to the cruel persecution of Juno, who transformed
her into a bear ; but, however, commiserating her
condition, he placed her and her son Areas both in
the heavens. Calisto Is said to be the great bear and
Areas the little. 8th. He sent an eagle to snatch away
Ganymede, the son of Tros, as he hunted upon the
mountain Ida. Or rather he himself, being changed
into an eagle, took him unto his claws, and carried
him up to heaven. He offered the same violence to
Asteria ; the daughter of Coeus, a young lady of the
greatest modesty, to whom he appeared in the shape
of an eagle, and carried her away in his talons. 9th,
Personally attached to Europa, daughter of Agenor,
king of Phoenicia, he ordered Mercury to convey her
to tlie seashore, where, having transformed himself
into a bull, he took her upon his back and transported
her Into Crete. The bull is supposed to have bee®
the ship upon which a bull was painted, in which Eu-
ropa was carried away. In like manner the horse
Pegasus, which was painted upon Bellerophon's ship,
and the ram, which was painted on that of Phryxus
and Helle, created ample matter of fiction for the poets.
But to return to our fable : Agenor Immediately or-
dered his son Cadmus to travel, and search every
\\ here for his sister Europa ; which he did, but could
29
no where find her. Cadmus dared not return without
her, because, by a sentence not less unjust to him than
Idnd to his sister, his father had banished him for
ever unless he found her. Wherefore he built the
city of Thebes, not far from the mountain Parnassus ;
and as it happened that his companions, who were
with him were devoured by a certain serpent, while
tliey went for water ; he, to avenge their death, slew
that serpent ; whose teeth he took out, and, by the
advice of Minerva, sowed them in the ground ; and
suddenly sprouted up a harvest of armed soldiers,
who, quarrelling among themselves, with the same
speed that they grew up, mowed one another down,
excepting five only, by whom that country was peo-
pled afterward. At length Cadmus and his wife
Hermione, after much experience, and many proofs
of the inconstancy of fortmie, were changed into
serpents.
He is said to have invented sixteen of the letters of
the Greek alphabet ; «, /3, y, ^, e, i, y,, a, ft, v, o, ^, ^,
c, T, y, which, in the time of the judges of Israel, he
brought out of Phoenicia into Greece : two hundred
and fifty years after this, Palamedes added four more
letters, namely, |, 6, ^, x^ in the time of the siege of
Troy ; although some affirm that Epicharmus invent-
ed the letters 6 and x • and six hundred and fifty
years after the siege of Troy, Simonides invented
the other four letters, namely, n, s', ^, 4"' Cadmus is
also said to have taught the manner of writing in
prose ; and that he was the first among the Greeks
who consecrated statues to the honour of the gods,
qUESTIOA'S FOR EXAMINATION,
Mention some of the exploits of Jupiter?
How did he derive his name and honours ?
What did he to Lycaon, and why?
"What is his other exploits ?
What happened to Calisto ?
3*
30
Wliat circumstance occurred to Ganymede and Asteria? r
Exjilaiu the fable respecting Europa ?
What did Agenor do to recover his daughter?
What city did Cadmus build, and what exploit did he pbiform
on a serpent ?
Which of the letters of the Greek alphabet did Cadmus inTent?
Who addetl the others, and when ^
What besides did Cadmus do for the benefit of mankind ?
SEC. 4.— THE NAMES OF JUPITER,
Can hardly be numbered ; so many did he obtain,
either from the places \^ here he lived and was wor-
shipped, or from the things diat he did. The most
remarkable shall be given alphabetically.
The Greeks called him Ammon, or Hammon, which
name signifies sandy. He obtained this name first
in Lybia, where he was worshipped, under the figure
of a ram ; because, when Bacchus was athirst in the
fabulous deserts of Arabia, and implored the assist-
ance of Jupiter, Jupiter appeared in the form of a ram,
opened a ibuntain with his foot, and discovered it to
him. But others give this reason, because Jupiter
in war wore a helmet, whose crest was a ram's head.
The Babylonians and Assyrians, whom he govern-
ed, called him Belus, who was the impious author of
idolatry : and because of the uncertainty of his de-
scent, they believed that he had neither father nor
mother ; and, therefore, he was thought the first of
all gods. In difierent places, and languages, he
was afterwards called Beel, Baal, Beelphegor, Beel-
zebub, and Belzemen.
Jupiter was called Capitolinus, from the Capito-
Jine hill, upon the top of which he had the first tem-
ple that ever was built in Rome ; this Tarquin the
Elder determined to build, Tarquin the Proud did
build, and Horatius, the consul, dedicated.
He was also called Tarpeius, from the Tarpeiau
rock, on which this temple was built. He was hke-
wise styled Optimus Maximum, from his power and
wiUingness to profit all men.
31
He was also called Ciistos. There is in Nero's
coins an image of him sitting on his throne, which
bears in one hand thunder, and in the other a spear,
with this inscription, Jupiter Custos.
In some forms of oaths he was commonly called
Diespiter, the father of light ; as we shall further
remark presently under the word Lapis ; and to the
same purpose he was by the Cretans called Dies.
The title of Dodonseus was given him from the
city Dodona in Chaonia, which was so called from
Dodona, a nymph of the sea. Near to this city
there was a grove sacred to Jupiter, which was
planted with oaks ; and famous, because it was the
mast ancient oracle of all Greece. Two doves de-
livered responses there to those who consulted it :
or, as others used to say, the leaves of the oaks
themselves became vocal, and gave forth oracles.
He was named Elicius, because the prayers of men
may bring him down from heaven.
Quod ccelo precibus eliciatur.
" Eliciunt ccelo te Jupiter, unde Minores
Nunc quoque te celebrant, Eliciumque vocant." —
Fast 3.
Jove can't resist the just man's cries,
They bring him down, e'en from the skies j
Hence he's Elicius call'd.
The name Feretrius is given him, because be
smites his enemies, or because he is the giver of
peace ; for when peace w^as made, the sceptre by
which the ambassadors swore, and the flint-stone on
which they confirmed their agreement, were brought
out of his temple : or lastly, because, after they had
overcome their enemies, they carried the grand
spoils [spolia opima) to his temple. Romulus first
presented such spoils to Jupiter, after he had slain
Acron, king of Csenina ; and Cornelius Gallus of-
fered the same spoils, after he had conquered Tolum-
mus, king of Hetruria j and thirdly, M. Marcellus,
32
when he had vanquished Viridomarus, khig of the
Gauls, as we read in Virgil :
*' Tertiaque arma Patri suspendet capta Quirino.'*
And the third spoils shall grace Feretrian Jove. — ^n. 6
Those spoils were called opima, which one general
took from the other in battle.
Fulminator, or Ceraiinius, in Greek Kefetwvies, is
Jupiter's title, from hurling thunder, which is thoughv
to be his proper office, if we beUeve the poet :
-0 qui res hominumque Deumque
^ternis regis imperils, et fulmine terres." —
Virg. JEn. 1. 229.
king of gods and men, whose awful hand
Disperses thunder on the seas and land ;
Dispensing all with absolute command.
In Lycia they worshipped him under the name of
Gragus, r^a^^iog ^Grapsios'] and Genitor.
In iEgium, about the seacoast, he is said to have
had a temple with the name of Homogynus.
At Praeneste he was called Imperator. There was
a most famous statue of him at that place, afterward
translated to Rome.
He was called Latialis, because he was worshipped
m Latium, a comitry of Italy ; whence the Latin
festivals are denominated, to which all the inhabit-
ants of those cities of Italy resorted, who desired to
be partakers of the solemnity ; and brought to Ju-
piter several oblations ; particularly, a bull was sa-
crificed at tliat time, in the common name of them
all, of which every one took a part.
The name Lapis, or as others write, Lapideus,
was given him by the Romans, who believed that an
oath* made in the name of Jupiter Lapis, was the
most solemn of all oaths. And it is derived either
* Juramentum per Jovem Lapidem omnium sanctissimum
Cic, 7. ap. 12.
, 33
from the stone which was presented to Saturn by his
wife Ops, who said it was Jupiter, in which sense
Eusebius says, that Lapis reigned in Crete ; or from
the flint-stone, which, in making bargains, the swearer
held in his hand, and said, *" If knowingly I deceive,
so letDiespiter, saving the city and the capitol, cast me
away from all that is good, as I cast away this
stone ;" upon which he threw the stone away. The
Romans had another form, not milike to this, of
making bargains, which may be mentioned here :
f " If with evil intention I at any time deceive ; upon
that day, O ! Jupiter, so strike thou me, as I shall
this day strike this swine ; and so much the more
strike thou, as thou art the more able and skilfid to
do it ;" he then struck down the swine.
In the language of the people of Campania, he is
called Lucetius, from lux ; and among the Latins Di-
espiter, from dies. Which names were given to Ju-
Eiter, " because he cheers and comforts us with the
ght of the day, as much as with life itself :" or, be-
cause he was believed to be the father of light.
The people of Ehs used to celebrate him by the
title of Martins.
He was also called Muscarius, because he drove
away the flies ; for when the rehgious exercises of
Hercules were interrupted by a multitude of flies, he
immediately oflTered a sacrifice to Jupiter, wliich be-
ing finished, all the flies flew away.
He was styled Nicephorus, that is, carrying vic-
tory : and by the oracle of Jupiter Nicephorus, em-
peror Adrian was told, that he should be promoted
to the empire. Livy often mentions him 5 and ma-
* Si sciens fallo, me Diespiter, salva urbe arceque, bonis eji
cial ut ego hunc lapidem. — Fest ap. Lil.
t Si dolo malo aliquando fallam, tu illo <iie, Jiipiler, me siB
ferito, ut ego hunc porcum hodie feriam ; tantoque magisferito,
quanto raagis poles, pollesque. Liv. 1. 1
34
ny coins are extant, in which is the image of Jupi-
ter bearing victory in his hand.
He was called Opitulus, or Opitulator, the helper,
and Centipeda, from his stability ; because those
things stand secure and firm which have many feeL
He was called Stabilitor and Tigellus, because he
supports the world : Almus and Alumnus, because
be cherishes all things.
He was styled Olympius, from, Oh-mpus, the name
of the master who taught him, and of the heaven
wherein he resides, or of a city which stood near the
mountain Olympus, and was anciently celebrated
far and near, because there a temple was dedicated
to Jupiter, and games solemnized every five years.
To this Jupiter Olympus, the first cup was sacri-
ficed in their festivals.
When the Gauls besieged the capitol, an altar was
erected to Jupiter Pistor ; because he put it into the
minds of the Romans, to make loaves of bread, and
throw them into the Gaul's tents -, upon which the
siege was raised.
The Athenians erected a statue to him, and wor-
shipped it upon the momitain Hymettus, giving him
in that place the title of Pluvius ; this title is nien-
tioned by Tibullus :
" Arida nee Pluvio supplicat herba Jovi."
Prsedator was also his name, not because he pro-
tected robbers, but because out of all the booty taken
from the enemy, one part was due to him. For
when the Romans went to war, they used to devote
to the gods a part of the spoil that they should get,
and for that reason there was a temple at Rome
dedicated to Jupiter Prsedator.
He was styled* Quirinus, as appears by that verse
of Virgil, cited above, when we spoke of the name of
Feretrius.
35
Rex and Regiiator are his common titles in Vir-
gil, Homer, and Ennius.
Jupiter was also called Stator, which title he first
had from Romulus on this occasion : when Romulus
was fighting with the Sabines, his soldiers began to
fly ; upon which Romulus, as Livy relates, thus
prayed to Jupiter :* " O ! thou father of the gods
and mankind, at this place at least drive back the
enemy, take away the fear of the Romans, and stop
their dishonourable flight. And I vow to build a
temple to thee upon the same place, that shall bear
the name of Jupiter Stator, for a monument to pos-
terity, that it was from thy immediate assistance that
Rome received its preservation." After this prayer
tlie soldiers stopped, and returning again to the bat-
tle, obtained tlie victory 5 upon which Romulus con-
secrated a temple to Jupiter Stator.
The Greeks called him Xeorup [^Soterl Servator^
the saviour, because he delivered them from the
Medes. Conservator also was his title, as appears
from divers of Dioclesian's coins, on which were his
effigies, with thunder brandished in his right hand,
and a spear in his left ; with this inscription : CoU'
servatori. In others, instead of thmider, he holds
forth a little image of victory, with this inscription :
Jovi Conservatori Orbis, To Jupiter the conservator
of the world.
The augurs called him Tonans and Fulgens. And
emperor Augustus dedicated a temple to him, so call-
ed ; wherein was a statue of Jupiter, to which a little
bell was fastened. He is also called B/JovTa/o? [Bror^
taiosl by Orpheus ; and Tonitrualis, the thunderer,
by Apuleius ; and an inscription is to be seen upon
a stone at Rome, Jovi BrontontL
* Tu pater Deum hominumque, hinc saltern arce hostem, deme
terrorem Rojnanis, fugamque foedam siste. H»c ego tibi templum
Statori Jovi, quod monumentum sit posteris tua praesenti ope
servatam urbem esse, voveo. Liv. 1. 1.
36
Trioculus, rj).o<p6xXfA.oi [Triepthahios] was an epi-
thet g-iven him by the Grecians, who thought that
he had three eyes, with one of which he observed
the afiairs of heaven, with another the afiairs of the
earth, and with tlie third he viewed the sea affairs.
There was a statue of him, of this kind, in Priamus'
palace, at Troy ; which, beside the two usual eyes,
had a third in the forehead.
Vejovis, or T^ejupiter, and Vedius, that is, " lit-
tle Jupiter," was his title when he was described
without his thmider, viewing angrily short spears
which he held in his hand. The Romans accounted
him a fatal and noxious deity ; and therefore they
worshipped him only that he might not hurt them*
Agrippa dedicated a pantheon to Jupiter Ultor,
"the avenger ;" at Rome, according to Pliny.
He was likewise called Xenius, or Hospitalis, be-
cause he was thought the author of the laws and cus-
toms concerning hospitality. Whence the Greeks
call presents given to strangers xenia, as the Latins
called them lauiia.
Zfy^ [^Zeiis] is the proper name of Jupiter, because
he gives hfe to animals.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXJlMmATJOJT,
Had Jupiter many names ?
What did the Greeks call him ?
"What name did he obtain in Lybia?
By Avhom and on what account was he called Belus ?
Why was he called Capitolinus ?
Why was he called Tarpeius, and why Optimus MaiimiLS?
How did he obtain the title of Diespiter ?
Why was he styled Dodoneeus ?
Why was he named Elicius ?
^Explain the reason why the name Feretrius was given him ?
Why was he called Fulminator ?
What was he called at Prieneste ?
W'hy was he called Latialis ?
How did he obtain the name Lapis, and from what U U dD-
rived ?
What was the Roman way of making bargains ?
Why was he called Lucetius •*
37 7vv
Why was he styled Muscarius, and >vhy JNl^Wph^ns ?
Why was he denommated Opitulatoi', Centip^,da, Almus, and
Ruminus ? ^ >
On what account was he denominated Olympius, Pistor, Pitt-
vius, Prajdator ?
What are his titles in Virgil, Homer, and Ennius?
How did he obtain the title Stator ?
Why, and by whom was he called Soter ?
What was he called by the augurs?
Why Avas he called Triocuhas .''
Why was he called Xenius, and why Zeus ?
SEC. 5.— THE SIGNIFICATION OF THE FABLE, AND
WHAT IS UNDERSTOOD BY THE NAME JUPITER.
Natural philosophers many times think that heaven
IS meant by the name Jupiter : whence many authors
express the thunder and lightning, which came from
heaven, by these phrases : Jove tonante,- fulgente, <^c»
and in this sense Virgil used the word Olympus.
" Panditur interea domus omnipotentis Olympi." Ma. 10.
Meanwhile the gates of heaven unfold.
Others liave imagined that the air, and the things
that are therein contained, as thunder, lightnings
rain, meteors, and the like, are signified by the same
name. In which sense Horace is to be understood,
when he says : sub Jove, that is, " in the open air."
Some, on the contrary, call the air Juno, and the
fii'e Jupiter, by which the air being warmed becomes
fit for the production of things. Odiers, again, call
the sky Jupiter, and the earth Juno : because out of
the earth all things spring ; which Virgil has ele-
gantly expressed in the second book of his Georgics ;
'' Turn pater omnipotens fcecundis imbribis aether,
Cohjugis in gremium lets descendit, et omnes
Magnus alit, magno cbmmistus corpore, foetus."
Euripides thought so, when he said that the sky
ought to be called Summus Deus, " the great God."
Plato's opinion was different ; for he thought that the
sun was Jupiter ; and Homer, together with the
aforesaid Euripides, thinks that he is fate; which
4
38
fate is, according to Cicero's definition, — *" The
cause from all eternity why such things as are al-
ready past, were done 3 and why such things as are
doing at present, he as they are; and why such
things as are to follow hereafter, shall follow ac-
cordingly." In shortj others by Jupiter understand
the soul of the world ; which is diffused not only
through all human bodies, but hkewise through all
the parts of the universe, as Virgil poetically de-
scribes it :
^The heaven and earth's compacted frame,
And flowing AVaters, and the starry frame,
And both the radiant lights, one common soul
Inspires, and feeds, and animates the AThole.
This active mind, infus'd through all the space,
Unites and mingles with the mighty mass. — iEn. 6.
Jupiter is usually represented by the ancients sts
governing the world by his providence ; and is de-
scribed as viewing from an eminence the pursuits
and contentions of mankind, and weighing in his
scales their fortunes and their merits. He is the
moderator of the differences of the gods, and when-
ever any of the inferior deities asked him a favour,
he was disposed to nod his assent :
He, whose all-conscious eyes the world behold,
Th' eternal thunderer, sat enthron'd in gold : "
High heav'n the footstool for his feet he makes,
And W'ide beneath him, all Olympus shakes.
He spake ; and awful bends his sable browns,
Shakes his ambrosial curls, and gives the nod ;
The stamp of fate and sanction of the god :
High heaven, w ith trembling, the dread signal took,
And all Olympus to the centre shook. — Homer.
AH heaven is represented as shaken with his ter-
rors, and neither men nor gods had the temerity to
oppose his will ;
* .interna rerum causa; cur ea, quae preterierint, facta sint;
et ea, quag instant, fiant ; et ea, quas consequentur, futura sint.
C*c. de Divin. 1.
%:
.^
39^
Then spaku th' almighty father as he sat
Enthron'd in gold ; and clos'd the great debate,
Th' attentive winds a solemn silence keep ;
The wond'ring waves lie level on the deep ;
Earth to his centre shook ; high heav'n was aw'd,
And all th' immortal powi-s stood trembling at the god.
Virgil.
questiojxs for EXAMIKATION.
What do philosophers understand by the word Jupiter ?
What meaning do others give of it ?
What is the example from Horace ?
How does Virgil understand it in the Georgics ?
Repeat the original and translation ?
Give me the opinion of Euripides, Plato, and Homer ?
Repeat the lines from the sixth iEneid, and point out the ap-
plication ?
How is Jupiter represented by the ancients ?
Repeat the lines from Homer ?
How is he lepresented by Virgil?
CHAPTER n.
SEC. I.— APOLLO. HIS IMAGE AND DESCENT.
Apollo is represented as a beardless youth, witii
long hair, comely and graceful, who wears a laurel
crown, and shines in garments embroidered with
gold, with a bow and arrows in one hand, and a
harp in the other. He is at other times described
holding a shield in onxi hand and the Graces in the
other. And because he has a threefold power in
heaven, where he is called Sol ; in earth, where he
is named Liber Pater ; and in hell, where he is styled
Apollo ; he is usually painted with these three things :
a harp, a shield, and arrows. The harp shows that
he bears rule in heaven, where all things are full of
harmony ; the shield describes his office in earth,
where he gives health and safety to terrestrial crea^
tures ; his arrows show his authority in hell, for who*
ever he strikes with them, he sends them into bell.
40
Sometimes he is painted with a crow and a hawk
flying over his head, a wolf and a laurel tree on one
side, and a swan and a cock on the other ; and un-
der his feet grasshoppers creeping. The crow is sa-
cred to him, because he foretells the weather, and
shows the different changes of it by the clearness or
hoarseness of his voice. The swan is likewise en-
dued v/ith a divination,* because foreseeing his hap-
piness in death, he dies with singing and pleasure.
The wolf is not unacceptable to him, not only be-
cause he spared his flock when he was a shepherd,
but the sharpness of his eyes represents the foresight
of prophecy. The laurel tree is of a very hot na-
ture, always flourishing, and conducing to divination
and poetic raptures ; and the leaves of it put under
the pillow, was said to produce true dreams. The
hawk has eyes as bright as the sun ; the cock fore-
tells his rising; and the grasshoppers so entirely
depend on him, that they owe their rise and sub-
sistence to his heat and influence.
There were four Apollos : the first and most an-
cient of them was born of Vulcan, and was the tute-
lary god of the Athenians ;f the second was a Cre-
tan, a son of one of the Corybantes ; the third was
born of Jupiter and Latona ; the fourth was born in
Arcadia, called by the Arcadians, Nomius. But
though, as Cicero says, there were so many Apollos,
yet the rest of them are seldom mentioned, and all
tliat they did is ascribed to one only, namely, to him
that was born of Jupiter and Latona, which is thuj
represented :
Latona, the daughter of Coeus the Titan, con-
ceived twins by Jupiter : Juno, incensed at it, sent
the serpent Python against her ; and Latona, to es-
* Cygiii non sine causa Apollini dicati sunt, quod ab eo divi-
tiatiouem habere videantur ; quia pra^videntes quid in morte bo-
ni sit, cum cantu et voluptate raoriuntur. Cic. Tuscul. 1.
t Lanier's Mylhologv.
41
cape the serpent, fled into the island of Delos ;
where she brought forth Apollo and Diana at the
same birth.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMINATIOK.
How is Apollo represented ?
With what things is he painted, and why ?
Why are the crow, hawk, wolf, swan, and laurel, consecrated
to him ? •
How many Apollos were there, and which is the principal ?
Where was Apollo born, and what was the occasion of bis
birth at Dftlos ?
SEC. 2.— ACTIONS OF APOLLO.
Apollo was advanced to the highest degree of
honour and worship by these four means, viz : by
the invention of physic, music, poetry, and rhetoric,
which is ascribed to him ; and, therefore, he is sup-
posed to preside over the Muses. It is said that he
taught the arts of foretelling events, and shooting
with arrows ; when, therefore, he had benefited man-
kind infinitely by these favours, they worshipped
him as a god. Hear how gloriously he himself re-
peats his own accomplishments of mind and nature,
where he magnifies himself to the flying nymph
whom he passionately loved.
-" Nescis, temeraria, nescis
Quem fuglas, ideoque fugis-
Jupiter est genitor. Per me quod eritque, fuitque,
Estque, patet. Per me concordant carmina nervis;
Certa quidem nostra est, nostra tamen una sagitta
Certior, in vacuo, quae vulnera pectore fecit.
Inventum medicina meum est, opiferque per orbem
Dicor ; et herbarum est subjecta potentia nobis."
Ov. Met, 1.
Stay, nymph, he cried, I follow not a foe ;
Thus from the lion darts the trembling doe :
Thou shunn'st a god, and shunn'st a god that loves.
But think from whom thou dost so rashly fly,
Nor basely born, nor shepherd's swain am I.
—What shall be,
Or is, or ever was, in fate I see.
4*
42
Mine is the invention of tiie charming lyre ;
Sweet notos and heavenly numbers 1 inspire.
Sure is my how. unenirig is my dart,
But ah ! more deadly his, \\ ho pierc'd my heart.
Med'cine is mine ; vvliat lierbs and simjoles grow
In fields, in forests, all their powers I know,
And am the great physician call'd below.
His principal actions are as follows :
1. He destroyed all the Cyclops, the forgers of
Jupiter's thunderbolts, with his arrows, to revenge
the death ofiEsculapius, his son, whom Jupiter had
killed with thunder, because by the help of his
physic he revived the dead. ^For this act Apollo
was cast down froui heaven and deprived of his di-
vinity, exposed to the calamities of the world, and
commanded to live in banishment upon the earth. In
this distress he was compelled by want to look after
Admetus' cattle : where, it is said, he first invented
and formed a harp. After this. Mercury got an op-
portunity to drive away a few of the cattle of his
herd by stealth ; and while Apollo complained and
threatened to punish him, unless he brought the
same cattle back again, his harp was also stolen by the
samef god 5 so that his anger was changed to
laughter.
2. He raised the walls of the city of Troy, by the
music of his harp alone ; if we may believe the poet :
" Ilion aspices, firmataque turribus altis
Mffiui, ApoUinai structa canore lyrai." — Ovid. Ep. Parid.
Troy you shall see, and walls divine admire;
Built by the music of Apollo's lyre.
Some say that there was a stone, upon which
Apollo only laid down his harp, and the stone by
the touch became so melodious, that whenever it was
struck with another stone, it sounded like a harp.
3. By misfortune he killed Hyacinthus, a boy
that he loved. For, while Hyacinthus and he were
* Lucian Dial. Mort.
t Hor. Carm 1.
43
playing together at quoits, Zephyrus was enraged,
because Apollo was better beloved by Hyacinthus
than himself; and, having an opportunity of re-
venge, he blew the quoit that Apollo cast, against
the head of Hyacinthus, by which blow he fell down
dead. Apollo caused the blood of the youth, that
was spilt upon the earth, to produce flowers called
violets, as Ovid finely expresses it :
" Ecce cruor, qui fusus humi signavera.t herbam,
Desinit esse cruor; Tyrioque nitentinr ostro
Flos oritur, formamque capit, quam lilia ; si non
Purpureus color huic, argenteus esse in illis. ' — Met. 10.
Behold the blood, which late the grass had dy'd,
Was now no blood ; from which a flower full blown,
Far brighter than the Tyrian scarlet shone,
Which seem'd the same, or did resemble right
A lily, changing but the red to white.
m^ Besides, he was passionately fond of Cyparissus,
^^ginother boy, who, when he had unfortunately killed
a fine deer, which he exceedingly loved and had
brought up from its birth, was so melancholy for
his misfortune, that he constantly bewailed the loss
of his deer, and refused all comfort. Apollo, be-
cause he begged of the god that his mourning might
be made perpetual, in pity changed him into a cj^press
tree, the branches of which were always used at fu-
nerals.
" munusque supremum,
Hoc petit a superis, ut tempore lugeat omni, —
Ingemuit, tristisque Deus, lugebere nobis,
Lugebisque alios, aderisque dolentibus, inquit"
Ov. Met, 10.
Implores that he might never cease to mourn,
When Phoebus sighing, I for thee will mourn,
Mourn thou for others, hearses still adorn.
4. He fell violently in love with the virgin
Daphne, so famous for her modesty. He pursued
her, but while she fled from the violence of his pas-
44
sion, she was changed into a laurel, which remains
always flourishing, and always pure.
5. He courted also a long time the nymph Bolina,
but never could gain her ; for she chose rather to
tlirow herself into the river and be drowned, than
yield to his wishes.
6. Leucothoe, the daughter of Orchamus, king of
Babylon, was not so tenacious. Her father could
not bear the disgrace brought on his family, and
buried her alive. Apollo was greatly grieved at
this, and though he could not bring her again to life,
he poured nectar upon the dead body, and thereby
turned it into a tree that drops frankincense.
" Nectare adorato spargit corpusque locumque,
Multaque praequestus, tanges tamen aethera, dixit.
Protinus imbutum coelesti nectare corpus
Dellcuit, terraaique suo madefecit adore ;
Virgaque per glebas, sensim radicibus actis,
Thurea surresit ; tumulumque cacumine rupit."
Ov. Met. 4.
He mourned her loss, and sprinkled all her hearse
With balmy nectar, and more precious tears.
Then said since fate does here our joys defer,
Thou shalt ascend to heav'n and bless me there
Her body straight embalm'd with heav'nly art,
Did a sweet odour to the ground impart,
And from the grave a beauteous tree arise,
That cheers the gods with pleasing sacrifice.
The attachment of Leucothoe and Apollo had
been discovered to her father by her sister Clytie,
whom Apollo formerly loved, but now deserted :
which she seeing, pined away, with her eyes con-
tinually looking up to the sun, and at last was
changed into a flower called a sun-flower, or helio^
trope. Ovid Met. 4.
7. Apollo was challenged in music by Marsyas, a
proud musician ; and when he had overcome him,
Apollo slayed him for his temerity, and converted
bim into the river of that name in Phrygia.
8. Midas, king of Phrygia, having foolishly de-
45 V ■
termined the victory to Pan, when Apollo and he
sang together, Apollo stretched his ears to the length
and shape of asses' ears. IMidas endeavoured to
hide his disgrace hy his hair : but since it was im-
possible to conceal it from his barber, he prevailed
with him by great promises, not to divulge what he
saw. But the barber went and dug a hole, and put-
ting his mouth to it, whispered these words, " King
Midas has asses' ears :" and the reeds that grew
out of that hole, if they were moved by the least
blast of wind, uttered the same words, viz, " King
Midas has the ears of an ass."
Secedit, huraumque
Effodit, et domini quales conspexerit aures,
Voce refert parva." Ovid Mel. 15.
He dug a hole, and in it whispering said,
What monstrous ears sprout from king Midas' head !
QUESTIONS FOR EXAMIJVATIOJV.
How was Apollo advanced to honour ?
Repeat the description of himself, as given by Ovid. '
What occurred to Apollo, with regard to the Cyclops?
What is said of the music of his harp ?
How did he kill Hyacinthus, and what was the effect of it?
Repeat the lines from Ovid.
What is the stoiy of Cyparissus .''
Repeat the lines from Ovid.
What is related of Daphne .' *
What is related of Bolina ?
What happened to Leucothoe ? ^
What became of Marsyas ?
What is the story respecting Midas ?
SEC. 3.— NAMES OF APOLLO.
As the Latins call him Sol, because there is but
one sun ; so some think the Greeks gave him the
name of Apollo for the same reason. Though
others think that he is called iYpollo, either because
he drives away diseases, or because he darts vigor-
ously his rays.
He was called Cynthius, from the mountain Cyn-
thus, in the island of Delos ; whence Diana also was
called Cynthia,
46
And Delius, from the same island, because he was
born there : or, as some say, because Apollo (who
is the sun,) by his light, makes all things manifest 5
for which reason he is called Phana^us.
He was named Delphinius, because he killed the
serpent Python, called Delphis : or else, because
when Castilius, a Cretan, carried men to the planta-
tions, Apollo guided him in the shape of a dolphin-
His title Delphicus comes from the city Delphi,
in Boeotia. Here Apollo had the most famous tem-
ple in the world, in which he uttered the oiacles to
those who consulted him ; which he first received
from Jupiter. They say that this famous oracle
became dumb at the birth of our Saviour, and when
Augustus, who was a great votary of Apollo, de-
sired to know the reason of its silence, the oracle
answered him, that in Judea a child was born, who
was the son and image of the supreme God, and had
commanded him to depart, and return no more an-
swers.
Me puer Hebrseus, divos Dens ipse gubernans,
Cederc sede jubet, tristem(|ue redire sub orcum j
Aris ergo dehinc nostris abscedito, Caesar.
Apollo was likewise called Didymoeus, which
word in Greek, signifies /m;/«5, by which are meant
the two great luminaries of heaven, the sun and the
moon, which alternately enlighten the world by day
and by night.
He was also called Nomius, which signifies either
a shepherd, because he fed the cattle of Admetus ;
or because the sun, as it were, feeds all things that
the earth generates, by his heat and influence. Or
perhaps tliis title may signify lawgiver ; and was
given him, because he made very severe laws, when
he was king of Arcadia.
He was styled Pnean, either from allaying sorrows,
or from his exact skill in striking ; wherefore he is
47
armed with arrows. And we know that the sua
strikes us, and often hurts us with his rays, as with
so many darts.
He is accordingly referred to in this character by
Homer :
Bent was his bow, the Girecian' hearts to wound,
Fierce as he mov'd his silver shafts resound.
Breathing revenue, a sudden night he spreadj
And gloomy darkness roU'd around his head.
;• The fleet in view, he twang'd his deadly bow,
And hissing fly the feathered fates below.
On mules and dogs th' infection first began j
And last the vengeful arrows fix'd on man. — Iliad.
By this name Paean, his mother Latona, and the
spectators of the combat, encouraged Apollo, when
he fought with the serpent Python, crying frequently,
" Strike him, P(ean, with thy darts." By the same
name the diseased invoke his aid, crying, " Heal us,
Psean." And hence the custom came, that not only
all hymns in the praise of Apollo were called Pceanes,
but also, in all soiig:s of triumph in the celebration
of all victories, n^ cried out, " lo Paean." After
tliis manner the ai. and wanton lover in Ovid acts
his triumph too :
" Dicite lo Pa?an, et lo, bis discite, Paean !
Decidit in casses praeda petita meos." ^rt. Am. ^.
Sing lo Psean twice, twice lo say;
My toils are pitch'd, and I have caught my prey.
He was called Phoebus, from the great swiftness of
his motion.
He was named Pythius, not only from the serpent
Python, which he killed, but likewise from asking
and consulting ; for none among the gods was more
consulted, or delivered more responses, or spake
more oracles than he ; especially in the temple which
he had at Delphi, to which all sorts of nations resort-
ed, so that it was called " the oracle of all the earth."
The oracles were first given out by a 3'omig virgin ;
afterwards it was determined that an old woman
48
should give the answers, in the dress of a young
maid, who was therefore called Pythia, from Py-
thms, one of Apollo's names, and sometimes Phoe-
bas, from Pho^hus, another of them. But as to the
manner hy which the woman imderstood the god's
mind, men difler.
There are also different opinions respecting the
tripos on which the oracle sat. Some say tliat it
was a table with three feet ; on which she placed
herself when she designed to give forth oracles.
But others say, that it was a vessel, in which she
was plunged before she prophesied ; or rather, that
it was a golden vessel, furnished with ears, and sup-
ported by three feet, whence it was called tripos ;
and on this the lady sat down. It happened that
this tripos was lost in the sea, and afterwards taken
up in the nets of fishermen, who contended among
themselves which should have it : the Pythian
priestess being asked, gave answer that it ought to
be sent to the wisest man of all Greece. Where-
upon it was carried to Thales of Miletus ; who sent
it to Bias, as to a wiser person ; Bias referred it to
another, and that other referred it to a fourth, till,
after it had been sent backward and forward to all
the wise men, it retured again to Thales, who dedi-
cated it to Apollo, at Delphi.
The seven wise men of Greece were, " Thales of
Miletus,^^ " Solon of Athens" " Chilon of Lacedce-
mon," " Fittacus of Mytilene^" " Bias of Priene,"
" Cleohulus of Lindi" and " Periander of Co-
rinth.''^ 1 will add some remarkable things con-
cerning them :
Thales was reckoned among the wise men, be-
cause he was believed to be the first that brought
geometry into Greece. He first observed the courses
of the times, the motion of the winds, the nature of
thunder, and the motions of the smi and the stars.
Being asked what he thought the most difficult thing
45
m the world, he answered, " To know one's self.'
This perhaps was the occasion of the advice written
on the front of Apollo's temple, to those that were
about to enter, " Know thyself." Tviodi tsxvtok
When Solon visited Croesus, king of Lydia,
the king showed his vast treasures to him, and ask-
ed him wiiether he knew a man happier than he :
" Yes," says Solon, " I know Tellus, a very poor,
but a very virtuous man, at Athens, who lives
in a little tenement, and he is more happy than
your majesty : for neither can those things make us
happy, which are subject to the changes of the times;
nor is any one to be thought truly happy till he
dies." It is said, when king Croesus was afterward
taken prisoner by Cyrus, and laid upon the pile to
be burnt, he remembered this saying of Solon, and
often repeated his name ; so that Cyrus asked why
he cried out Solon, and who the god was whose as-
sistance he begged. Croesus said, " I now find by
experience that to be true, which he told me j" and
he then related the story. Cyrus, on hearing i^
was so touched with the vicissitude of human affairs,
that he preserved Croesus from the fire, and ever af-
ter had him in great honour.
Chilo had this saying continually in his mouth:
*' JVe quid nimium cupias," " Desire nothing too
much." Yet when his son had got the victory
at the Olympic games, the good man died with joy,
and all Greece honoured his funeral.
Bias, a man no less famous for learning than no*
bility, preserved his citizens a long time. And when
at last, says Cicero, his country Priene was taken,
and the rest of the inhabitants, in their escape, car*
ried away with them as much of their goods as they
could ; one advised him to do the same, but he made
answer. " Ego vero facio, nam omnia mea mecum
portoJ^ " It is what I do ah eady ; for all thingf
that are mme I carry about me." He often ssdd»
5
50
" Amicos Ita aniare opertere, ut aliquando essent
osuri, " That friends should reniembei so to love
one another, as persons who sometimes hate one
another." A sentiment very unworthy of a wise
and good man.
Of the rest, nothing extraordinary is reported.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMINATION.
What is the origin of the name Apollo ?
Why was he called Cynthius, Delius, and Delphinius?
From what did he derive his title Delphicus ?
When did the oracle become dumb ?
Why was he called Didymeeus and Nomius ?
Why was he styled Paean ?
On what account was he named Phoebus and Pythius?
What is said of the tripos ?
Who were the seven wise men of Greece ?
On what account w as Thales celebrated ?
For what is Solon celebrated ?
What was the famous saying of Chllo ?
Why is Bias reckoned among the seven wise men ?
SEC. 4.— THE SIGNIFICATION OF THE FABLE APOL-
LO MEANS THE SUN.
Every one agrees, that by Apollo the Sun is to be
understood ; for the four chief properties ascribed to
Apollo, were the arts of prophesying, of healing, of
darting, and of music ; of all which we may find, iu
the sun, a lively representation and image.
It may be observed that Apollo's skill in music
seems to agree with the nature of the sun, which,
being placed in the midst of the planets, makes \v\x\i
tliem a kind of harmony, and as it were, a concert :
and because the sun is thus placed the middlemost
of the seven planets, the poets assert, that the instru-
ment which Apollo plays on, is a harp with seven
sdrings.
Besides, from the things sacrificed to Apollo, it
appears that he was the Sun : the first of these was
the olive, the fruit of which cannot be nourished in
places distant from it. 2. The laurel, a tree always
51
flourishing, never old, and conducing to divination ;
and therefore the poets are crowned with laurel. 3.
Among animals, swans were offered to him ; because,
as was observed before, thc}^ have from Apollo, a
faculty of divination ; for they, foreseeing the hap-
piness in death, die singing and pleased. 4. Grif-
fins also, and crows, were sacred to him for the same
reason ; and the hawk, which has eyes as bright and
piercing as the sun ; the cock, which foretells hii^
rising, and the grasshopper, a singing creature :
hence it was a custom among the Athenians, to fast-
en golden grasshoppers to their hair, in honour of
Apollo.
And especially, if we derive the name of Lato-
na, the mother of Apollo and Diana, from the
Greek a«v^<«v6> [lanthano, to lie hid^ it will signify,
that before the birth of Apollo and Diana, that is,
before the production of the sun and moon, all things
lay involved in darkness ; from which these two glo-
rious luminaries afterward proceeded, as out of the
womb of a mother.
But notwithstanding all this, several poetical fa-
bles have relation only to the sun, and not to Apollo.
And of those therefore it is necessary to treat apart,
qUESTIOA'S FOR EXAMIKATIOK.
What were the chief properties of Apollo ?
Why does Apollo's skill in music agree with the nature of the
sun ?
How is it inferred that he was the sun from the things saci>
ficed to him ?
What is ittfsrred from the name Latona, mother ot Apollo
and Diana ?
52
CHAPTER III.
SEC. 1.— THE SUN. HIS GENEALOGY, NAMES, AND
ACTIONS.
This glorious sun, which illustrates all things with
his light, is called Sol, as Cicero says, either be-
cause he is the only star that is of that apparent mag-
nitude ; or because, when he rises, he puts out all
the other stars, and only appears himself. Vel quia
Solus ex omnibus sideribus tantus est ; vel quia cum
exortus est, obscuratis omnibus. Solus appareat.
Cic. de Nat. Deor. 2. 3. Although the poets have
said, that there were five Sols ; yet, whatever they
delivered concerning each of them severally, they
commonly apply to one, who was the son of Hype-
rion, and nephew to jEther, begotten of an unknown
inother.
The Persians call the sun Mithra, accounting him
the greatest of their gods, and worship him in a cave.
His statue has the head of a lion, on which a turban
called tiara, is placed ; it is clothed with Persian at-
tire, and holds with both hands a mad bull by the
horns. Those that desired to become his priests,
and understand his mysteries, did first undergo a
great many hardships before they could attain to the
honour of that employment. It was not lawful for
the kings of Persia to drink immoderately, but upon
that day in which the sacrifices were ofiered to
]^Iithra.
The Egyptians called the sun Horus ; whence
those parts into which the sun divides the day, are
called horcd, hours. They represented his power by
a sceptre, on the top of which an eye was placed ;
by which they signified that the sun sees every thing,
aud that all things are seen by his means.
53
These horct were thought to be the daughters ok
Sol and Chronis, who early m the morning prepare
the chariot and the horses for their father, and open
the gates of the day.
qUESTIO.YS FOR EXAMIKATIOX.
What is Cicero's opinion with regard to Sol, and to who»
does the name apply ?
What is said of the Persians with regard to the sun ?
What was necessary to be done by those who would become
the priests of the sun ?
What name did the Egyptians give to the sun, and how did
they represent his power ?
Who were the " horae," and what was their business ?
SEC. 2.— OF THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD.
The seven wonders of the world :
1. The Colossus at Rhodes, a statue of the sun„
seventy cubits high, placed across the mouth of the
harbour ; a man could not grasp his thumb with
both his arms. Its legs were stretched out to such
a distance, that a large ship under sail might easily
pass into the port between them. It was twelve
years making, and cost three hundred ^talents. It
stood fifty years, and at last was thrown down by
an earthquake. And from this Colossus the people
of Rhodes were named Colossenses; and now every
statue of an unusual magnitude is called Colossus.
2. The temple of Diana, at Ephesus, a work of
the greatest magnificence ; which the ancients great-
ly admired. fTwo hundred and twenty years were
spent in finishing it, though all Asia was employed*
It was supported by one hundred and twenty-seven
pillars sixty feet high, each of which was raised by
as many kings. Of these pillars thirty-seven were
engraven. The image of the goddess was made of
ebony, as we learn from history.
3. The Mausoleum, or sepulchre of Mausolus^
» A Rhodian talent is worth 322/. 18*. 4d. English.
t Plin. 1. 7. c. 38. h 1. 16. c. 4U.
6*
54
king ofCarra, *biiilt by his queen Artemisia, of the
purest marble ; and yet the workmanship of it was
much more valuable than the marble. It was from
north to south sixty-three feet long, almost four
hundred and eleven feet in compass, and twenty-five
cubits (that is, about thirty-five feet) high, surround-
ed with thirty-six columns, which were beautified in
a wonderful manner. From this Mausoleum all other
sumptuous sepulchres are called by the same name.
4. A statue of Jupiter, in the temple of the city of
f Olympia, carved with the greatest art by Phidias,
out of ivory, and made of a prodigious size.
5. The walls of Babylon (the metropolis of Chal-
dea,) Jbuilt by queen Semiramis ; their circum-
ference was sixty miles, and their breadth fifty feet,
so that six chariots might conveniently pass upon
them in a row.
6. The llpyramids of Egypt; three of which, re-
markable for their height, still remain. The first
has a square basis, and is one hundred and forty-
three feet long, and one thousand feet high ; it is
made of great stones, the least of which is thirty feet
thick ; and three hundred and sixty thousand men
were employed in building it, for the space of twen-
ty years. The other two, which are somewhat
smaller, attract the admiration of all spectators. In
these pyramids, it is reported, the bodies of the
kings of Egypt lie interred.
7. The palace of §Cyrus, king of the Medes,
made by Menon, with no less prodigaUty than art j
for he cemented the stones with gold.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMmATIOjY.
What is the first of the seven wonders of the world ; how Is
it described, and what name did the inhabitants of Rhodes de-
rive from it.
Describe the second of the wonders of the world ?
• Plin. 1. 36. c. 5. f Phil. 1. 36. c. 3. t Plin. 1. 6. c. 26.
I Plin I. 36. c. 13, Belo. 1. 2. c. 32 ^Calepin. V.MiracuIum.
65
'Which was the third, and what technical term owes its orisia
to it ?
Which was the fourth ?
Describe the fifth ?
Give some account of the sixth ?
Which was the seventh ? |
SEC. 3.— THE CHILDREN OF THE SUN
The most celebrated of Sol's children was Phaeton,
who gave the poets an excellent opportunity of show-
ing their ingenuity by the following action. Epa-
phus, one of tlie sons of Jupiter, quarrelled with
i*haeton, and said that though he called himself the
son of Apollo, he was not. This slander so pro-
voked Pheeton, that by Clymene, his mother's ad-
vice, he went to the royal palace of the Sun, to
bring thence some indubitable marks of his nativity.
The sun received him kindly, and owned him as his
son ; and, to take away all occasion of doubting
hereafter, he gave him liberty to ask any thing,
swearing by the Stygian lake, an oath which none of
the gods dare violate, that he would not deny him.
Phseton then desired leave to govern his father's cha-
riot for one day. This was the occasion of great
grief to his father, who endeavoured to persuade him
not to persist in his project, which no mortal was
capable of executing. Phceton, however, pressed
him to keep his promise, and perform what he had
sworn by the river Styx. The father was forced
to comply with his son's rashness : he directed him
how to guide the horses, and especially advised him
to observe the middle path. Phaeton was transport-
ed with joy, mounted his chariot, and taking the
reins, began to drive the horses ; which, finding him
unable to govern them, ran away, and set on fire
both the heaven and the earth. Jupiter, to put an
end to the conflagration, struck him out of the chariot
with thunder, and cast him headlong into the river
Po. His sisters, Lampethusa, Lampetia, and Pha-
56
ethusa, lamenting his death, incessantly, upon the
banks of that river, were turned, by the pity of the
gods, into poplars, from that time weeping amber in-
stead of tears. This forms a subject of one of the
most beautiful passages in Ovid. — Met. 2.
Circe, the most skilful of all sorceresses, poisoned
her husband, a king of the Sarmatians ; for which
she was banished by her subjects, and flying into
Italy, fixed her seat on the promontory Circseum,
where she fell in love with Glaucus, a sea god, who
at the same time loved Scylla ; Circe turned her into
a sea monster, by poisoning the water in which she
used to wash. She entertained Ulysses, who was
driven hither by the violence of storms, with great
civility; and restored his companions, whom, ac-
cording to her usual custom, she had changed into
hogs, bears, wolves, and the like beasts, unto their
former shapes.
Pasiphge, the wife of Minos, king of Crete, loved
an officer named Taurus, hence the fable of her at-
tachment to a hull, and of her giving birth to a mon-
ster, half man and half beast, called Mino-Taurus,
or, Minotaur,
The Minotaur was shut up in a labyrinth, which
Daedalus made by the order of king Minos. This
labyrinth was a place diversified with very many
windings and turnings, and cross paths, rumiing in-
to one another ; — see Theseus. Daedalus was an
excellent artificer of Athens, and, as it is said, in-
vented the ax, the saw, the plummet, the augur,
and glue ; he also first contrived masts and yards
for ships ; besides, he carved statues so admirably that
they not only seemed alive, but could never stand still
in one place ; nay, would fly away unless they were
chained. This Daedalus, together with Icarus, his
son, was shut up by Minos in the labyrinth which
he had made, because he had assisted Pasiphae in
her intrigues, ^d finding no way to escape, he made
67
wings for himself and his son, with wax and the
feathers of birds : fastening these wings to their
shoulders, Daedalus flew out of Crete into Sicily,
but Icarus in his flight, neglecting his father's advice,
observed not his due course, and out of juvenile
wantonness flew higher than he ought ; upon which
the wax was melted by the sun, the wings broke in
pieces, and he fell into the sea, which is since, ac-
cording to Ovid, named the Icarian sea, from him.
"Icarus Icariis nomina fecit aquis." — Trisi. 1.
Icarian seas from Icarius were called.
To these children of the sun, we may add his
niece and his nephew Bybhs and Caunus. Byblis
was in love with Caunus, and followed him so long
to no purpose, that at last, being quite oppressed
with sorrow and labour, she sat down under a tree,
and shed such a quantity of tears, that she was con-
verted into a fountain.
" Sic lachrymis consumpta suis Phcebeia Byblis
Vertitur in fontem, qui nunc quoque vallibus illis
IVomen habet clomina?, nigraque sub ilice manat."
Ov. Met. 9.
Thus the Phcebian Byblis, spent in tears,
Becomes a livi.ig fountain, which yet bears
Her name, and, under a black holm that grows
In those rank valleys, plentifully flows.
qUESTW.XS FOR EXAMIKJITIOK.
What is said of PhaKon, one of the children of the sun ?
What happened to Phajton ?
Who were his sisters, and what happened to them .•'
Who was Circe, and what is related of her ?
Who was Pasip'^ae, and how is the fable of the Monitaur ex-
plained ?
Who was Daedalus, and what circumstances are related of
him ?
Who were the niece and nephew of Sol ?
58
CHAPTER IV.
SEC. 1— MERCURY. HIS IMAGE, BIRTH, QUALITIES
AND OFFICES.
Mercury is represented with a cheerful counte-
nance and hvely eyes ; having wings fixed to his hat
and his shoes, and a rod in his hand, which is wing-
td, and bound about by two serpents. His face is
^'iartly black and dark, and partly clear and bright ,
because sometimes he converses with the celestial,
and sometimes with the infernal gods. He wears
winged shoes, which are called Talaria, and wings
are also fastened to his hat, which is called Petasus,
because, since he is the messenger of the gods, he
ought not only to run, but to ^y.
His wings are emblematical of the wings which
language gives to the thoughts of men. His cha-
racter, as tlie swift messenger of the gods, is thus
referred to by Homer : —
The god who mounts the winged winds
Fast to his feet the golden pinions binds.
That high through fields of air his flight sustain,
O'er t'le wide earth, and o'er the boundless main ,
He grasps the wand that causes sleep to fly,
Or in soft slumbers seals the wakeful eye ;
Then shoots from heav'n to high Pieria's steep,
And stoops incumbent on the rolling deep. — Odyssey.
His parents were Jupiter, and Maia, the daughtei
of Atlas ; and for that reason, they used to offer sa-
crifices to him in the month of May. They say that
Juno was his nurse, and once when he took his milk
too greedily, it ran out of his moudi upon the hea-
vens, and made that white stream which they call
'' The Milky-way."
He had many offices. 1. The first and principal
was to carry the commands of Jupiter 5 whence he
((UK-I7EESITYJ
yjfgjg WTijyy
69
is commonly called " The messenger of the gods."
2. He swept the room where the gods supped, and
made the beds ; and underwent many other the like
servile employments ; hence he was styled Camillus
or Casmillus, that is, an inferior servant of gods ;
for anciently all boys and girls under age were call-
ed Camilli and Camillae : and the same name was
afterward given to the young men and maids, who
attended the priests at their sacrifices : though the
peopleofBcEOtia, instead of Camillus, sayCadmillus;
perhaps from the Arabic word chadam, to serve ; or
from the Phoenician word chadmel, god's servant or
minister sacer. 3s He attended upon dying persons
to unloose their souls from the chains of the body,
and carry them to hell : he also revived, and placed
in new bodies those souls which had completed their
full time in the Elysian fields. Almost all which
things Virgil comprises in seven verses.
*' Dixerat. Ille patris magni parere parabat
Imperio, et primum pedibus talaria nectit
Aurea, quae sublimem alis sive aequora supra,
Seu terrara, rapido pariter cum flamine portant.
Turn virgam capit ; hac animas ille evocat Oreo
Pallentes, alias sub tristia Tartara mittit ;
Dat soranos, adimitque, et lumina morte resignat." .^n.4
Hermes obeys ; with golden pinions binds
His flying feet, and mounts the western winds •
And, whether o'er the seas or earth he flies,
With rapid force they bear him down the skies.
But first he grasps, within his awful hand,
The mark of sov'reign pow'r, his magic wand :
With this he draws the souls from hollow graves j
With this he drives them down the Stygian waves ;
With this he seals in sleep the wakeful sight,
And eyes, though clos'd in death, restores to light.
His remarkable qualities were these : 1 . He was
the inventor of letters, and excelled in eloquence, so
that the Greeks called him Hermes, from his *skill
in interpreting or explaining ; and, therefore, he is
• 'Awo ra Ipu-nni*" i. e. ab interpretando.
60
accounted the god of the rhetoricians and orators.
2. He is reported to have been the inventor of
contracts, weights, and measures ; to have first taught
the arts of buying, selling, and trafficking ; and to
have received the name of Mercury*^ from his under-
standing of merchandise. Hence he is accounted the
god of the merchants^ and the god ofgain ; so that all
unexpected gain and treasure, which comes of a sud-
den, is from liim called ip,u.e7ov or spf^cctov.
3. In the ait of thieving he certainly excelled all
the sharpers that ever were, or will fbe ; and is the
prince and god of thieves. The very day on which
he was born, he stole away some cattle from king
Admetus' herd, although Apollo was keeper of them ;
who complained much of the theft, and bent his bow
against him : but, in the mean time. Mercury stole
even his arrows from him. While he was yet an
infant, and entertained by Vulcan, he stole his tools
from him. He took away by stealth Venus' girdle,
while she embraced him ; and Jupiter's sceptre : he
designed to steal the thunder too, but he was afraid
lest it should burn him.
4. He was mightily skilful in making peace ; and
for that reason was sometimes painted with chains of
gold flowing from his mouth, with which he linked
together the minds of those that heard him. And he
not only pacified mortal men, but also the immortal
gods of heaven and hell ; for whenever they quarrel-
led among themselves, he composed their differences.
*' Pacis et armorum, superis imisque Deorum,
Arbiter, alato qui pede carpit iter." — Ovid Fast. S.
Thee, wing-foot, all the gods, both high and low,
The arbiter of war and peace allow.
This pacificatory faculty of his is signified by th«
rod that he holds in his hand, which Apollo hereto-
• A mercibus, vel a mercium cura, Philostrat, in Soph. S.
t Lucian. Diall. ApoU. et Vulc
61
fore gave Ii:m, because he liad given Apollo a harp»
This rod had a wonderlul faculty of deciding all
controversies. The virtue was first discovered by
Mercury, wiio seeing two serpe/its fighting, as he
travelled, he put his rod between them, and recon-
ciled tlieni presently ; for they mutually embraced
each other; and stuck to the rod, which is called
Caduceus. *Hence all ambassadors sent to make
peace are called Caduceatores : for, as wars were
denounced by -fFeciales, so they were ended by
Caduceatores.
qUESTIOXS FOR EXAMINATION.
How is Mercury represented ?
VThy does lie wear wings, and what are they called.'
Who \Vere his parents ?
What is said to be the origin of the Milky-way ?
W^hat are Mercury's principal offices ?
What was the first remarkable quality belonging to Mercury/
What was the second ?
What was tlie third ?
What was the fourth ?
What emblem of peace does he carry ■*
How was this virtue discovered ?
What was the rod called, and what name is derived from it?
SEC. 2.— ACTIONS OF MERCURY.
Of which tlie following are the most remarkable
Hermaplu'oditus, the son of Mercury and W^nus,
was a celebrated hunter. In one of his excursions
through the forests, he was observed by a wood
nymph called Salmacis, who, struck with his manly
form and noble visage, both new to her, anxiously
followed him wherever he went. But Hermaphro-
dims inured to solitude by the nature of his pursuits,
and unaccustomed to the soft attractions of female
society, as anxiously avoided her, until she had re-
course to stratagem, and to hide in ambusli to be-
hold him. At length, however, they met at a favourite
foimtain in the midst of the foi^^st, where he usually
• Horn, in Hvm. f Lexic. Lat. in hoc Vcrbo.
'6
62
came to bathe during the heat of the day. Here the
infatuated nymph imprudently disclosed her senti-
ments. Such I'rankness merited a generous return,
but the ungrateful and sturdy huntsman, unmoved
by her advances, rejected her widi disgust, upon
which the indignant Salmacis prayed the gods to
avenge the insult by wedding him tor ever to a fe-
male form. Her prayer was granted, and the
wretched Hermaphroditus, equally amazed and
shocked at the change, prayed then in turn, to alle-
viate the poignancy of his misfortue by sending him
companions of similar form. The gods always mer-
ciful, listened to his entreaties, and decreed that
whoever, thereafter, should bathe in that fountain,
should resemble Hermaphroditus, and partake alike
the form and qualities of either sex.
A herdsmen, whose name was Battus, saw Mer-
cury stealing Admetus' cows from Apollo their keep-
er. When Mercury perceived that his theft was
discovered, he went to Battus, and desired that he
would say nothing, and gave him a delicate cow^
Battus promised him secrecy. Mercury, to try his
fidelity, came in another shape to him, and asked
him about the cows ; whether he saw them, or knew
the place where the thief carried tliem. Battus de-
nied it ; but Mercury pressed him hard, and pro-
mised that he would give him both a bull and a cow,
if he would discover it. With this promise he was
overcome ; upon which Mercury was enraged, and
laying aside his disguise, turned him into a stone
called Index. This story Ovid describes in very
elegant verse*
The ancients used to set up statues where the
roads crossed : these statues they called Indices, be-
cause with an arm or finger held out they showed
tlie way to this or that place. The Romans placed
some in pubhc places and highways ; as t\u Athe-
nians did at tlieir doors to drive away thieves ; and
63
they call these statues Hermae, from Mercury, whose
Greek name was Hermes : concerning which Her-
mcC it is to be observed :
1. That they have neither hands nor feet ; and
hence ]\Iercury was called Cyllenius, and by con-
traction Cyllius, which words are derived from
a Greek word signifying a man without hands and
feet ; and not from Cyllene, a mountain in Arcadia,
on which he was educated.
2. A purse was usually hung to a statue of Mer-
cury, to signify that he was the god of gain and pro-
fit, and presided over merchandising ; in which, be-
cause many times things are done by fraud and
treachery, they gave him the name of Dolius.
3. The Romans used to join the statues of Mer-
cury and Minerva together, and these images they
called Hermathena? ; and sacrificed to both deities
upon the same altar. Those who had escaped any
great danger, always oflered sacrifices to Mercury ;
they ofiered up a calf, and milk, and honey, and es-
pecially the tongues of the sacrifices, which, with a
great deal of ceremony, they cast into the fire, and
then the sacrifice was finished. It is said that the
Megarenses first used this ceremony.
quESTTO.rs for examijvatjok.
Wliat is related of Mercury in connexion with Venus ?
What is the story of Battus ?
What were the ancient indices ?
Wliat were the Hermai ?
Why was Mercury called Cyllenius ^
Why was he called Dolius ?
What were the Hermathenaj ?
What were the sacrifices offered to Mercury, and why/
04
CHAPTER V.
SEC. 1.— BACCHUS HIS IMAGE AND BIRTH.
Bacchus, the god of ivine, and the captain and
emperor of drunkards, is represented with swoln
cheeks, red face, and a body bloated and puffed up.
He is crowned with ivy and wine-leaves ; and has
in his hand a thyrsus, instead of a sceptre, which is
a javelin with an iron head, encircled by ivy or vine-
leaves. He is carried in a chariot, which is some-
times drawn by tigers and lions, and sometimes by
lynxes and panthers : and, like a king, he has his
guards, w ho are a drunken band of satyrs, demons,
nymphs that preside over the wine-presses, foiries of
fountains, and priestesses. Silenus oftentimes comes
after him, sitting on an ass that bends under his
burden.
He is sometimes painted an old man, and some-
times a smooth and beardless boy ; as Ovid and Ti-
bullus describe him. 1 shall give you the reason of
these things, and of his horns, mentioned a*
Ovid:
-" Tibi inconsumpta juventa
Tn puer tetenius, tu torinosissiaius alto
Coiispicei-is ccelo, tibi, cum sine cornibus adstas,
Virgineuin caput est."
. Still dost thou eujoy
Unwasted youth : Eternally a boy
■J'hou'rt seen in heaven, whom all perfections grace
And when uahonrd, thou hast a virgin's face.
According to the poets, the birth of Bacchus was
both wonderful and ridiculous.
They say, that when Jupiter was in love with Se-
mele, it excited Juno's jealousy, who endeavoured to
destroy her ; and in the shape of an old woman,
visited Semcle, and advised her to oblige him, when
f: -• .,
65
he came, by an inviolable oath, to grant her a r^
quest : then, says she to Semele, ask him to come to
you as he is wont to come to Juno : and he will
come clotiied in all his glory, and majesty, and ho-
nour. Semele was greatly pleased with this advice ;
and therefore, when Jupiter visited her next, she
begged a ("avour of him, but did not expressly name
the lavour. Jupiter bound liimseH* in the most so-
lemn oath to grant her request, let it be ^^llat it
would. Semele, little foreseeing what she desired
would prove her ruin, made the rash request. What
Jupiter had so solemnly sworn to perform, he could
not refuse : he accordmgly put on all his terrors, ar-
rayed himself with his greatest glory, and in the midst
of thunder and lightning entered Semele's house.
Her mortal body could not stand the shock, and
she perished ; for the thmider struck her down and
stupified her, and the lightning reduced her to a^hes.
So fatal are the rash desires of the ambitious ! Bac-
chus, her son, not yet born, was preserved, taken
from his mother, and sewed into Jupiter's thigh,
whence in fulness of time he was born, and deliver-
ed into the hands of Mercury to be carried into Eu-
bcea, to Macris, the daughter of Aristaeus, who ini-
mediately anointed his lips with honey, and brought
him up with great care in a cave, to which lh(;re
were two gates. Ovid. Met. 3.
qUESTIO.rS fob EXJMIjY^TOLX.
How is Bacchus representftd ?
By what is iiis chariot drawn?
How is lie painted r
Give some account of Bacchus' birth ?
What u as the co?:se(|!ietice ( f thai reipiest ?
What did Macris do for Bacchus at his birth f
SEC. 3.-TIIE NAMES OF BACCIIdS.
Bacchus was so called from a Greek word, wliich
iignifies " to revel :" and for the same reason, tho
66
wild women, his companions, are called Thyades
and Mamades, which words sic^nify madness and fol-
ly. They were also called jMimaUones, that is, imi-
tators or mimics ; because they imitated all Bac-
chus' actions.
Bilbrmis, because he was reckoned both a young
and an old man ; with a beard, and without a beard :
or, because wine (of which Bacchus is the emblem)
makes people sometimes cheerful and pleasant,
sometimes peevish and morose.
He was named Brisaeus, either from the nymph
his nurse ; or from the use of the grapes and honey,
which he invented, for b?'isa signifies a bunch of press-
ed grapes ; or else from the promontory Brisa, hi
the island of Lesbos, where he was worshipped.
Bromius, from the crackling of fire, and noise of
thunder, that was heard when his mother was killed.
Bimater, because he had two mothers : the first
was Semele, and the other the thigh of Jupiter, into
which he was received after he was saved from the
fire.
He is called also by the Greeks Bu genes, that is,
born of an ox, and thence Tauriformis, or Tauri-
ceps ; and he is supposed to have horns, because he
first ploughed with oxen, or because he was the son
of Jupiter Amnion, who had the head of a ram.
Dcemon bonus ; the " good angel;" and in feasts,
after the victuals were taken away, the last glass was
drunk round to his honour.
Dithyrambus, which signifies either that he was
born twice, of Semele and of Jove ; or the double
gate that the cave had, in which he was brought up .
or perhaps it means that drunkards cannot keep se-
crets ; but whatever is in the head comes in the
mouth, and bursts forth, as fast as it w^ould out of
two doors.
Dionysius or Dionysus, from his father Jupiter,
or from the nymphs called Nysse, by whom he was
67
nursed, as tney say, or from a Greek word, signify-
ing " to prick," because he pricked his father's side
with his iioriis, when he was born ; or from Jupiter's
lameness, who limped when Bacchus was in his
thigh ; or from an island among the Cyclades, call-
ed Dia, or Naxos, which was dedicated to him when
he married Ariadne ; or lastly, from the city of Ny-
sa, in which Bacchus reigned.
Evius, or Evous : for, in the war of the giants,
when Jupiter did not see Bacchus, he thought that
he was killed, and cried out " Alas son !" or because
when he found that Bacchus had overcome the u^iants,
by clianging himself into a lion, he cried out again,
" Well done son." Ew ine
Evan, from the acclamations of Bacchantes, who
were therefore called Evantes.
Euchius, because Bacchus fills his glass plenti-
fully, even up to the brim.
Eleleus and Eleus, from the acclamation where-
with they animated the soldiers before the fight, or
encouraged them in the battle itself. The same ac-
clamation was also used in celebrating the Orgia,
which were sacrifices ofiered up to Bacchus.
laccus was also one of his names, from the noise
which men make when drunk : and this title is given
him by Claudian : from whose account of Bacchus,
we may learn, that he was not always naked, but
sometimes clothed with the skin of a tiger.
LenaDus ; because wine palliates and assuages the
sorrows of men's minds; or from a Greek word,
which signifies the " vat" or " press" in which wine
is made.
Liber and Liber Pater, from libero ; as in Greek
they call him LXiv6ip-o<i [JEhutherios] the " Deliver-
er ;" for he is the symbol of liberty, and was wor-
shipped in all (i'ee cities.
Lya?us and Lyceus signify the same with Liber :
for wine frees the mind from cares ; and those who
68
have drank plentifully, speak whatever comes in theu
minds.
The sacrifices of Bacchus were celebrated in the
night, therefore he is called Nyctilius and Nysgeus,
because he was educated upon the mountain Nysa.
Rectus, 'o^^(55 [Or^//05,] because he taught a king
of Athens to dilute his wine with water ; thus men,
who through much drinking staggered beibre, by
mixing water with dieir wine, begin to go straight.
His mother Semele and his nurse were sometimes
called Thyo : therefore from this they called him
Thyoneus.
Lastly, he w^as called Trlumphus ; because, v/hen
in triumph the conquerors went into the capitol, the
soldiers cried out, " lo triuinphe /"
QUESTIO.XS FOR EXJlMIKJiTIOK.
From what is the name of Bacchus derived ?
What are his companions called?
Why was Bacchus called Biformis ?
Why, Brisa!us ?
Why, Bromius ?
W'hy, Bi mater?
Why, Bilge nes ?
Why, Dithyrambus ^
Why, Dionysius ?
W' hy, Evius ?
W hv, Evan ?
Why, Eleus ?
W' hy, lacchus ?
Why, Liber?
Why, Nyctilius?
Why, Rectus?
Why, Triumphus ?
SEC. 3.— ACTIONS OF BACCHUS.
Bacchus invented so many things useful lo man-
kind, either in finishing controversies, in building
cities, in making laws, or obtaining victories, that
he was declared a god by the joint suffrages of tlie
whole world. What Bacchus coidd not himself do,
his priestesses w^re able to accomplish ; for by stri
GO
king the earth with their thyrsi, they drew forth
rivers of milk and honey and wine, and wrought se^
veral other m.racles, without the least labour. Yet
these received their wliole power Irom Bacchus.
y 1. He invented the use of wine: and first taught
the art of planting the vine from winch it is made ;
as also the art of making honey, and tilling the
earth. This he did among the people of Egypt,
who therefore honoured hnn as a god, and called
him Osiris. The ass of Naupha merits praise, be-
cause by knawing vines he taught the art of pru-
ning them.
2. He invented commerce and merchandise, and
found out navigation, when he was king of Phoe-
nicia.
3. At the time when men v. andered about unset-
tled, like beasts, he reduced them into society, he
taught them to worship the gods.
4. He subdued India, and many other nations,
riding on an elephant : he victoriously subdued
Egypt, S} ria, Phrygia, and all the east ; where he
erected pillars, as Hercules did in tlie west : he first
invented triumphs and crowns ibr kings.
5. Bacchus was desirous to reward Midas the king
of Phrygia, because he had done him some service ;
and bid him ask what he would. Midas desired,
that whatever he touched migiit become gold : Bac-
chus was troubled that Midas asked a gift which
might prove so destructive to himself; however, he
granted his request, and gave him the power he de-
sired. Immediately whatever Midas touched became
gold, even his meat and drink ; he then perceived
tliat he had foolishly begged a destructive gift : and
desired Bacchus to take his gift to himself again^
Bacchus consented, and bid him bathe in the river
Pactolus ; Midas obeyed ; and hence the sand of
that river became gold, and the river was called
Chrysorrhoos, or Auritiuus. — Ovid Met, i\
70
6. When he was yet a child, some Tyrrhenian
mariners found him asleep, and carried him into a
ship : Bacchus first stupiiied them, stopping the ship
in such a manner that it was innnoveable ; aiterward
he caused vines to spring up the ship on a sudden,
and ivy twining about the oars ; and when the sea-
men were almost dead with the fright, he threw them
fieadlong into die sea, and changed them into Dol-
phins. Ovid Met. 3.
QUEST 10 jYS for EXMIIJVATIOjY.
Why was Bacclius declared a god ?
What were his priestesses able to perform ?
What was the (irst invention attributed to him ?
Why does the ass of Nauplia merit praise ?
What were Bacchus' second and third inventions ?
What did he do as a conqueror ?
What was Midas' request ?
What circumstance occurred when he was but a child?
SEC. 4.- THE SACRIFICES OF BACCHUS.
In sacrifices there are three things to be consi-
dered, viz. tiie creatures offered, the priests who ofTer
them, and the sacrifices themselves, which are cele-
brated with peculiar ceremonies.
The fir, the ivy, bindweed, the fig, and the vine,
were consecrated to Bacchus. So also were the
dragon and the pie, signifying the talkativeness of
drunken people. The goat was slain in his sacrifi-
ces, because he is a creature destructive to the vines,
the Egyptians sacrificed a swine to his honour be-
fore their doors.
2. The priests and priestesses of Bacchus were
the Satyrs, the Sileni, the Naiades, but especially
the reveling women called Bacchse, from Bacchus'
name.
3. The sacrifices themselves were various, and
celebrated with different ceremonies, according to
the variety of places and nations. They were cele-
brated on stated days of the year, with the greatest
regard to religion, as it was then professed.
71
Oscopboria were the first sacrifices offered up to
Bacchus : they were instituted by the Phoenicians,
and wlien they were celebrated, tlie boys, carrying
vine-leaves in their hands, went in ranks praying
from the temple of Bacchus, to the chapel of Pallas.
The Trieterica were celebrated in the winter at
night, by the Bacchce, who went about armed,
making a great noise and pretending to foretell things
to come. They were entitled Trieterica, because
Bacchus returned from his Indian expedition after
three years.
The Epilenaeawere games celebrated in the time
of vintage, before the press for squeezing the gi*apes
was invented. They contended with one another,
in treading the grapes, who should soonest press out
most must ; and in the mean time they sung the
praises of Bacchus, begging that the nmst might be
sweet and good.
Apaturia were feasts celebrated in honour ofBac*
chus, setting forth how greatly men are deceived by
wine. These festivals were principally observed by
the Athenians.
Ambrosia were festivals observed in January, a
month sacred to Bacchus ; for which reason this month
was called Lenteus, or Lengeo, because the wine was
brought into the city about that time. But the Ro-
mans called these feasts Brumalia, Bruma, one of
the names of Bacchus among them ; and they cele-
brated them twice a year, in the months of Februa-
ry and August.
Ascolia, feasts so called from a Greek word sig-
nifying a boracho, or leathern bottle ; several of
which were produced filled with air, or, as others
gay, with wine. The Athenians were wont to leap
upon them with one foot, so that they would some-
times fall down ; however, they thought they did a
great honour to Bacchus hereby, because they
trampled upon the skins of the goat, which animal
72
IS the greatest ci^emy to the vines. Bat among the
Romans, rewards were distributed to tliose who, by
artifieially leaping upon these leathern bottles, over-
came the rest; then all of them together ealled aloud
upon Baeehus eonl'usedly, and in unpolished verse ;
and putting on masks, they earried his statue about
their vineyards, daubing their laees with the bark of
ti'ees, and the dregs of wine: and returning to his al-
tar they presented him with their oblations in basins,
and then burnt them. In the last place, they hung
upon the highest trees little wooden or earthen ima-
ges of Bacchus, which from the smallness of their
mouths were called Oscilla : they intended that the
places, where these small images were set up in the
trees, should be, as it were, so many watch-towers,
from which Bacchus might look after the vines, and
see that they suflered no injuries. These festivals,
and the images hung up when they were celebrated,
are elegantly described by Virgil, in the second
book of his Georgics.
" Atque inter pocula Iseti
MoUibus in pratis unctos saliere per utres ;
IVec non Ausonii, Troja gens missa coloni,
Versibus incomptis ludunl, risuque solulo,
Oraque corticibus sumiinl horrenda cavatis:
Et te, B^cche, vocant per carmina Ista, tibiqu^
Oscilla ex alia suspendunt mollia pinu.
Hinc omnis largo pubescit vinea fretu, &,c."
And glad with Bacchus, on the grassy soil,
Leap'd o'er the skins of goats besmear'd with oil.
Thus Roman youth, deriv'd from ruin'd Troy,
In rude Saturnian rhymes express their Joy;
Deforni'd with vizards, cut from barks of trees,
With taunts and laughter loud their audience please,
In jolly hymns thiey praise the god ol" wine,
Whose earthen images adorn the pinej
And there are hung on high, in honour of the vine.
A madness so devout the vineyard fill, he.
Lastly, the Bacchanalia, or Dionysia, or Or^a,
were the feasts of Bacchus, among the Romans,
which at first were solemnized in February, at midp
clay, by women only ; but afterward. they wer6 pel'*
formed in the most scandalous manner by men and
women, and young boys and girls, till the senate by
an edict abrogated this festival, as Diagundus did
at Thebes. Pentheus, king of Thebes, attempted
the same thing, but the Bacchae barbarously killed
him ; whence came the story, that his mother and
sisters tore him in pieces, fancying he was a boar.
There is a story, that Alcithoe, the daughter of Nin-
yas, and her sisters, despising the sacrifices of Bac-
chus, staid at home spinning while the Orgia were
celebrating, and on that account were changed into
bats. — Ovid Met. 4. — And it is said that Lycurgus,
who attempted many times to hinder these Baccha-
nalia in vain, cut off his own legs, because he had
rooted up the vines to the dishonour of Bacchus.
qUESTWXS FOR EXAMLYATIOJY.
What al-e the three things to be considered in regard to 6flcrt»
fices ?
What things were consecrated to Bacchus ?
Who were the priests and priestesses of Bacchus ?
Were the sarifices all of one kind ?
Which were the first sacrifices ; by whom were they instituted,
and how were they celebrated ?
What were the Epilenaa ?
What were the Apaturia ?
What were the Ambrosia ?
What were the Ascolia, and how were they celebrated?
What were the Oscilla?
Repeat the lines of Virgil on this subject ?
What were the Bacchanalia ?
SEC. 5.— THE HISTORICAL SENSE OF THE FABLE.
BACCHUS AN EMBLEM EITHER OF NIMROD OR
MOSES.
Some writers say, that Bacchus is the same with
Nimrod : the reasons of these opinions are : 1. The
similitude of the words Bacchus and Barchus, which
signifies the son of Chus, that is, Nimrod. 2. They
think the name of Nimrod may allude to the He*
brew word namur, or the Chaldee, namer^ a tiger t
7
74
aiid accordingly the chariot of Bacchus was drawn
by tigers, and himself clothed vvidi the skin of a ti-
ger. 3. Bacchus is sometimes called Nebrodes,
which is the very same as Nimrodus. 4. Moses
styles Nimrod " a great hunter," and we find that
Bacchus is styled Zagreus, which in Greek signifies
the same thing. Nimrod presided over the viiieSj
shice he was the first king of Babylon, where were the
most excellent wines, as the ancients often say.
Others think that Bacchus is IMoses, because ma-
ny things in the fable of the one seemed derived
from the history of the other. For, first, some feign
tliat he was born in Egypt, and presently shut up in
an ark, and thrown upon the waters, as IMoses
Was. 2d. The surname of Bimatur, which belongs
to Bacchus, may be ascribed to Moses, who, be-
side one mother by nature, had another b}^ adoption,
king Pharaoh's daughter, od. They were both
beautiful men, brought up in Arabia, good soldiers,
and had women in their armies. 4th. Orpheus di-
rectly styles Bacchus a lawgiver, and calls him
Moses, and further attributes to him the two tables
of the law. 5th. Bacchus was called Bicornis ; and
accordingly the face of Moses appeared double horn-
ed, when he come down from the mountain, where
he had spoken to God ; the rays of glory that dart-
ed from his brow, resembling the sprouting out of
horns. 6th. As snakes were sacrificed, and a dog
given to Bacchus, as a companion ; so IMoses had
his companion Caleb, which in Hebrew signifies '* a
dog." 7th. As the Baccha? brought water from a
rock, by striking it with their thyrsi, and the coun-
try wherever they came flowed with wine, milk, and
honey ; so the land of Canaan, into which Mo-
ses conducted the Israelites, not only flowed with
milk and honey, but with wine also ; as appears
from that large bunch of grapes which two men car-
ried between them upon a staff* 8th» Bacchus dried
75
up the rivers Orontes and Hydaspes, by striking
them with his thyrsis, and passed through them, as
Moses passed through tlie Red Sea. 9th. It is said
also, that a httle ivy- stick, thrown down by one of
the Bacchffi upon the ground, crept Hke a dragon,
and twisted itself about an oak. And, 10. That
tlie Indians once were all covered with darkness,
while those Bacchae enjoyed a perfect day.
From this you may collect, that the ancient inven-
tion of fables have borrowed many things from the
Holy Scriptures, to patch up their conceits. Thus
Homer says, that Bacchus wrestled with Pallone, to
whom he yielded ; whicli fable is taken from the his-
tory of the angel wrestling with Jacob. In like
manner Pausanias reports, that tlie Greeks at Troy
found an ark that was sacred to Bacchus ; v/hich
when Euripidus had opened, and viewed the statue
of Bacchus laid dierein, he was presently struck with
madness : the ground of which fable is in the second
book of Khigs, where the Sacred History relates
that the Bethshemites were destroyed by God, be-
cause they looked with too much curiosity into the
ark of the covenant.
Wine and its effects are understood in this fable
of Bacchus. He was educated by the Naiades,
nymphs of the rivers and fountains ; whence men
may learn to dilute their wine with water.
Bacchus is naked, he cannot conceal any thing.
Wine always speaks truth, it opens all the secrets of
the mind.
The poet says Bacchus has horns.
" Accedant capiti corr.ua, Bacclius ei-b." — Oc. Ep. Saph.
But put on horns, and Bacchus thou shalt be.
Wine makes even the meanest people bold, inso-
lent, and fierce, exercising their fury and rage against
others, as a mad ox gores with his horns.
He is crowned with ivy ; because that plant, be-
76
ing always green and flourishing, by its natural
coldness assuages the heat occasioned by too much
wine.
QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION.
In what respects do Bacchus and Nimrod resemble each other ?
In what respects is Bacchus like Moses ?
AVhat does the fable of Bacchus teach ?
;; CHAPTER VI.
SEC. 1.— MARS. HIS IMAGE AND DESCENT.
Mars is fierce and sour in his aspect ; terror is
every where in his looks, as well as in his dress ; he
sits in a chariot drawn by a pair of horses, which
are driven by a distracted woman ; he is covered
with armour, and brandishes a spear in his right
hand, as though he breathed fire and death, and
threatened every body with ruin and destruction.
Mars, the god of war, who is often seen on horse-
back, in a formidable manner, with a whip and a
spear together. The dog was consecrated to him,
for his vigilance in the pursuit of his prey ; the wolf,
for his rapaciousness ; the raven, because he dili-
gently follows armies when they march, and watches
for the carcasses of the slain ; and the cock, for his
watchfulness, whereby he prevents all surprise. But,
that you may understand (iYery thing in the picture,
observe, that the creatures which draw the chariot
are not horses, but Fear and Terror. Sometimes
Discord goes beibre them in tattered garments, and
Clamour and Anger go behind. Yet some say, that
Fear and Terror are servants to Mars j and accord-
ingly, he is not more awful and imperious in his com-
mands, than they are ready and exact in their obe-
dienqe.
B
77
"Fer galeam, Bellona milii, nexusqnes rotanim
Teiide, Favor ; Fra^iia rapidos, Fonnido, juo:aIes."
Claud, in Ru/.
My helmet let Bellona bring ; Terror my traces fit;
And, panic Fear, do thou the rapid driver sit.
-" Saevit medio in certamine Mavors,
Ccelatus ferro, tristesque ex aithere Dirse,
Et scissa gaudens vadit Discordia palla,
Quam cum sanguineo sequitur Bellona Hagello."
Virg. JEn. S
Mars in the middle of the shining shield
Is grav'd, and strides along the liquid field.
The Diraj come from iieav'n with quick descent,
And Discord, died in blood, with garments rent,
: Divides the press : her steps Bellona treads,
And shakes her iron rod above their heads.
Bellona is the goddess of war, and the companion
of Mars ; or, as others say, his sister, or wife. She
prepares for him his chariot and horses when he goes
to fight. It is plain that she is called Bellona fronx
helium. She is otherwise called Duellona from du-
ellum, or from the Greek word /SeAov;? [belone] a
*' needle," whereof she is said to be the inventress.
Her priests, the Bellonarii, sacrificed to her in their
own blood ; they hold in each hand naked swords,
with which the}^ cut their shoulders, and wildly run
up and down like men mad and possessed : upon
which people thought, that (after the sacrifice was
ended) they were able to foretell future events. Clau-
dian introduces Bellona combing snakes ; and
another poet describes her shaking a burning torch,
with her hair hanging loose, stained and clotted with
blood, and running through the midst of the ranks of
the army, uttering horrid shrieks and dreadful groans.
" Ipsa faciem quatiens, et flavam sanguine multo
Sparsa comam, medias acies Bellona pererrat.
Stridet Tartarea nigro sub pectore Diva
Lethiferum murmur." SiL I. 5.
Her torch Bellona waving through the air,
Sprinkles with clotted gore her flaming hair,
7*
78
And tlirou«;h both armies up and down doth flee ,
Wliile tVoni her horrid l)reast Tissiphone
A dreadful murmur sends.
And in Homer we have a description of a battle
iu which Mars, Minerva, and Discord, are engaored*
Loud clamours rose from various nations round,
Mix'd was the murmur, and confus'd the sound:
Each host now joins, and each a god inspires;
These Mars incites, and those Minerva fires.
Pale Flight around, and dreadful Terror reign ;
And Discord, raging, bathes the purple plain.
Discord, dire sister of the slaught'ring pow'r,
Small at her birth, but rising every hour;
While scarce the skies her horrid head can bound ;
She stalks on earth, and shakes the world around;
The nations bleed where'er her steps she turns :
The groan still deepens, and the combat burns. — Iliad,
Before the temple of this goddess, there stood a
pillar called Bellica, over which the herald threw a
spear, when he proclaimed war.
Mars is said to be the son of Jupiter and Juno,
though, according to Ovid's story, he is the child of
Juno only.
He married Nerio or Nerione, which word in the
Sabian language signifies " valour and strength,"
and from her the Claudian family derived the name
of Nero.
QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINJlTIOJf,
How is Mars represented .?
How is his chariot drawn and driven }
Wh.al animals are consecrated to Mars?
Kepcai the lines in Virgil.
Vho is Hollona?
\^ ho is Beilonarii ?
Hf»w is Belloiia represented by Claudian ?
Who wa« Mars ?
Whom did he marry.'
Sl^C. 2— NAMES AND ACTIONS OF MARS.
The name of IMars sets forth the power and influ-
ence he has in war, where he presides over the sol-
79
diers ; and his other name, Mavors, shows that all
great exploits are executed and brought about
through his means.
The Greeks call him A^r^ [^Ai'es,'] either from the
destruction and slaughter which he causes ; or from
the silence which is kept in war, where actions, not
words, are necessary. But from whatever words
this name is derived, it is certain that those famous
names Areopagus and Areopagita, are derived from
A§7}q. The Areopagus, that is, the " hilP' or " moun-
tain" of Mars, was a place at Athens, in which Mars,
being accused of murder and incest, was forced to
defend himself in a trial before twelve gods, and was
acquitted by six voices ; from which time, that place
became a court wherein were tried capital causes,
and the things belonging to religion. The Areopa-
gitae were the judges, whose integrity and credit
was so great, that no person could be admitted into
their society, unless he delivered in public an ac-
count of his past life, and was found in every part
thereof blameless. And, that the lawyers who plead-
ed, might not blind the eyes of the judges by their
charms of eloquence, they were obliged to plead
their causes without any ornaments of speech ; if
they did otherwise, they were immediately com-
manded to be silent. And, lest they should be
moved to compassion by seeing the miserable con-
ditions of the prisoners, they gave sentence in the
dark, without lights ; not by words, but on paper ;
hence, when a man speaks little or nothing, they
used proverbially to say of him, that " He is as si-
lent as one of the judges in the Areopagus."
His name Gradivus comes from his stateliness in
marching; or from his vigour in brandishing his
spear.
He is called Quirinus, from Curis or Quiris, signi-
fying a spear ; whence comes securis or semicuris, a
piece of a spear. And this name was afterward attri-
80
buted to Romulus, because be was esteemed tbe son of
Mars ; from wbom the Romans were called Quirites.
Gradivus is the name ol' iMars when he rages ; and
Quirinus, when he is quiet. And accordingly there
were two temples at Rome dedicated to him ; one
within the city, which was dedicated to IMars Quiri-
nus, the keeper of the city's peace ; the other with-
out the city, near the gate, to Mars Gradivus, the
warrior, and the defender of the city against all out-
ward enemies.
The ancient Latins applied to him the title of Sa-
lisubsulus, or " dancer," from sallu, because his tem-
per is very unconstant and uncertain, inclining some-
times to this side, and sometimes to that, in wars :
whence we say, that the issue of battle is uncertain,
and the chance dubious. Bui we must not think
that IMars was the only ixod of war ; ibr Bellona,
Victoria, Sol, Luna, and Pluto, used to be reckoned
in the number of martial deities. It was usual with
the Lacgedemonians to shackle the feet of the image
of Mars, that he should not lly from them : and
among the Romans, the priests Salii were instituted
to look after the sacrifices of Mars, and go about
the city dancing with their shields.
The poets relate only one action of this terrible
god : this is his attachment to Venus, and her treach-
ery. Sol was the first that discovered it, and he
immediately acquainted Vulcan, Venus' husband.
Vulcan instantly made a net of iron, whose links
were so small and slender, that it was invisible. By
this the lovers were caught, Alectryon, Mars' fa-
vourite, suffered punishment, because, when he was
appointed to watch, he fell asleep, and so gave
Sol an opportunity to slip in ; therefore Mars
changed him into a cock, which to this day is so
mindful of his old fault, that he constantly gives no-
tice of the approach of the sun, by cjovving.
81
qUESTIO.YS FOR EXAMIKATIOXf
What does the name of Mars import ?
What do the Greeks call him ?
What names are derived from A^»; ?
Who were the Areopagitaj ?
From what does INIars derive his name Gradivus ?
Why is he called Quirinus ?
On what account has he the title of Salisubsulus ?
What action is related of Mars ?
Who discovered Venus' treacheiy, and what was done in con
sequence ? •
What happened to Alectryon ?
SEC. 3.— THE STORY OF TEREUS ; AND THE SACRI-
FICES OF MARS.
Tereus, the son of Mars, by the nymph Bistonis,
married Progne, the daughter of Pandion, king of
Athens, when he was king of Trace. This Progne
had a sister called Philomela, a virgin in modesty
and beauty inferior to none. She lived with her fa-
ther at Athens. Progne, being desirous to see her
sister, asked Tereus to fetch Philomela to her, with
which he complied. Tereus fell desperately in love
with Philomela ; and as they travelled together, be-
cause she refused to favour his addresses, he over-
powered her, rut out her tongue, and threw her into
a gaol ; and returning afterwards to his wife, pre-
tended that Philomela died in her journey ; and that
his story might appear true, he shed many tears and
put on mourning. But injuries sharpen the wit^
and a desire of revenge makes people cunning : foi
Philomela, though she was dumb, found out a way
to tell her sister the \illany of Tereus. She de-
scribed the violence offered to her in embroi-
dery, and sent the work folded up to her sister.
Progne no sooner viewed it, than she was so trans-
ported with passion that she could not speak, her
thoughts being wholly taken up in contriving how
she should avenge the affront. First, then, she has-
tened to her sister, and brought her home without
82
Tereus' knowledge. While she was thus meditating
revenge, her young son Itys came and embraced his
motlier ; but she carried him aside into the remote
parts of the house, and slew him while he hung
about her neck, and called her mother. When she
had killed him, she cut him iiito pieces, and dressed
the flesh, and gave it Tereus lor supper, who fed
heartily on it. After supper he sent for his son Itys :
Progne told him what she had done, and Philomela
showed him his son's head. Tereus, incensed wuth
rage, rushed on them both v/ith his drawn sword ;
but they fled awa}', and fear added wings to their
flight : so tjjat Progne became a swallow, and Phi-
lomela a nightingale. Tereus was also changed
into a hoopoe [i//?«^3«,] which is one of the filthiest
of all birds. Tiie gods out of pity changed Itys
into a pheasant. Ovid Met. C.
To Mars were sacrificed the wolf for his fierce-
ness ; the horse for iiis usefulness in war ; the wood-
pecker and tlie vulture ibr tlieir ravenousness ; the
cock lor his vigilance, which is a prime virtue among
soldiers ; and grass, because it grows in towns laid
desolate by war.
Among the ancient rites belonging to Mars, the
most memorable is the following : Whoever under-
took the conduct of any war, went into the vestry of
the temple of ]\lars ; and first shook the Ancilla, a
holy shield, afterwards the spear of the image of
Mars, and said " Mars, watch."
Qui belli alicujns susceperat curam, sacrarium Martis ingres-
sus, primo Ancilla commovebat, post hastum simulacri ipsius ,
diceiis, Mars, Vigila. Servius
qUESTIOKS FOR EXjIMLX.ITIOX.
Who was Tereus, and whom did he marry?
Give some account of the story of Philomela. [The pupil
might shut the book, and write the story from memory, in his
own words.]
Into what were Progne, Philomela, Terejs, and Itys meta»
jnorpho.'ied ?
83
What were the sacrifices offered to Mars, and on what a»*
count -^
What rile did the ancient warriors perform before they went
out to battle ?
CHAPTER VIL
SEC. 1.— THE CELESTIAL GODDESS, JUNO. HER
LMAGE AND DESCENT.
We have viewed the five celestial gods ; let us
now look upon the goddesses that follow them in
order. First observe Juno, riding in a golden cha-
riot drawn by peacocks, holding a sceptre in ner
hand, aiid wearing a crown beset with roses and
lilies.
Juno's chariot is finely represented by Homer |
and Hebe is mentioned as her attendant • —
At her command rush fortli the steeds divine;
Rich with immortal gold their tra|)pings shine:
Bright Hebe waits : by Hebe, ever young,
The whirling wheels are to the chariot hung.
On the bright axle turns the bidden wheel
Of sounding brass ; the polish'd axle, steel :
Eight brazen spokes in radiant order flame ;
5uch as the heav'ns produce : and round the gold
rv.ro brazen rings of work divine were roU'd.
The bossy naves, of solid silver, shone ;
iraces of gold suspend the moving throne j
"he car, behind, an arching figure bore ;
The bending concave form'dan arch before ;
rdver the beam, th' extended yoke was gold,
Vnd golden reins th' immortal coursers hold. Homer.
Juno is the queen of the gods, and botli the sistei
and wife of Jupiter :
" Jovisque
Et soror et conjus." Virg. JEn. 1.
Her father was Saturn, and her mother Ops ; sht
was born in the island Samos, and there lived
•ill she was married.
64
She seems very an^^ust and majestical. How
beautiful is tliat lace, how comely are all her limbs ?
how well does a sceptre become those hands, and a
crown that head ? how much beauty is there in her
smiles f She is full of majesty, and w^orthy of the
greatest admiration.
Her servant is Iris, the daughter of Thaumus and
Electra, and sister to the Harpies. She is Juno's
messenger, and INlercury is Jupiter's ; though Jupi-
ter and the other gods, the Furies, nay, sometimes
men have sent her on messages. Because of her
swiftness she is painted with waigs, and she some-
times rides on a rainbow, as Ovid says :
' Effugit, et remeat per quos modo venerat arcus." Met. 3.
On the same bow she went she soon returns.
It is her office to unloose the souls of women from
the chains of the body, as Mercury unlooses those
of men. We have an example of this in Dido, who
laid violent hands on herself, for when she was al-
most dead, Juno sent Iris to loose her soul from her
body, as Virgil describes at large, in the fourth book
of his ^neid :
"Turn Juno omnipotenslongum miserata dolorem,
Difficilesque obitus, trim demisit Olyrapo,
Quae luctantem animum nexos(]ue resolveret artus.
Ergo Iris croceis per cffilum roscida pennis,
Mille trabens varies adverso Sole colores,
Devolat, et supra caput astitit : hunc ego Dili
Sacrum jussa fero, teque isto corpore solve.
Sic ait, et dextra crinem secat : omnis et una
Dilapsus calor, atque in ventos vita recessit."
Then Juno, grieving that she should sustain
A death so ling'riii?;, and so full of pain,
Sent Iris down to free her from the strife
Of lab'ring nature and dissolve her life.
Downward the various goddess took her flight,
And drew a thousand colours from the light; ■
Then stood about the dying lover's head,
And said, I thus devote thee to the dctid :
This ott''ring to the infernal gods I bear.
85
Thus while she spoke, she cut the fatal hair :
The struggling soul was loos'd and life dissolv'd in air
But in this Iris diifers from JMcrcury ; for he is
sent both from heaven and hell, but she is sent from
heaven only. He oftentimes was employed in mes-
sages of peace, whence he was called the peacema-
ker ; but Iris was always sent to promote strife and
dissension, as if she were the goddess of discord :
and therefore some think that her name was given
to her from the contention which she perpetually
creates ; though others say, she was called Iris, be-
cause she delivers her messages by speech, and not
in writing
QUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMINATIOK.
How is Juno represented ?
Repeat Homer's description of her chariot ?
Who is Juno, and what relation does she bear to Jupiter and
Saturn ?
How is she represented with regard to her figure ?
Who is Iris, and for what purpose was she employed ?
How is she painted ?
What office does Iris bear with respect to the souls of wometj
In what does Iris differ from Mercury ?
SEC. 2.— THE CHILDREN, AND DISPOSITION OF JUNO.
Vulcan, Mars, and Hebe, were the children of
Juno by Jupiter. Although some say that Hebe
had no other parent than Juno. Hebe, on account
of her extraordinary beauty was, by Jupiter, made
goddess of youth, and held the office of cupbearer
of Jupiter. But by an unlucky fall she offended
the king of the gods, who turned her out from her
office, and put Ganymede in her stead.
Juno's worst fault was jealousy, of which the fol-
lowing are instances. Jupiter loved lo, the daughter
of Inachus. When Juno observed that Jupiter was
absent from heaven she suspected the cause of his
absence. Therefore she immediately flew down to
the earth after him. As soon as Jupiter perceived
8
86
her coming, fearful of a chiding, he turned the young
lady into a white cow. Juno seeing the cow, asked
wlio she was, and what was her origin ? Jupiter
said, she was born on a sudden out of the earth.
The cunning goddess, suspecting the matter, de-
sired to have the cow, which Jupiter could not re-
fuse, lest he should increase her suspicion. So Ju-
no, taking tlie cow, gave it to Argus to keep : this
Argus had a hundred eyes, two of which in tlieir
turns slept, while the others watched.
-" Servandam tradldit Are-o.
Centum luminibus cinctum caput Argus' habebat :
Inde suis vicibus capicbaut biria (piietem ;
Ca3tera servabant, atnue in statione manebant.
Constiterat quocuncjue modo, spectabat ad lo ;
Ante oculos lo, quaravis aversus, habebat." — Ov. Met, 1
The goddess then to Argus straight convey'd
Her gift, and him the watchful keeper made.
■' Argus' head a hundred eyes possest,
And only two at once reclin'd to rest : "
The others watch'd, and, in a constant round,
Refreshment in alternate courses found.
Where'er he turn'd he always lo view'd ;
lo he saw, though she behind him stood.
Thus was lo under constant confinement ; nor
was the perpetual vigilance of her keeper the only
misfortune ; for she was fed with nothing but insipid
leaves and bitter herbs. This hardship Jupiter
could not endure ; therefore, he sent Mercury to Ar-
gus, to set lo free. Mercury^ under the disguise of
a shepherd, came to Argus, and with the music of
his pipe lulled him asleep, and then cut o/This head.
Juno was grieved at Argus' death, and to make him
some amends she turned him into a peacock, and
scattered his hundred eyes about the tail of the bird.
-" Centumque Oculos nox occupat una
Excipit hos, volucrisque suae Saturnia pennis
Collocat, et gemmis caudam stellantibus implet."
There Argus lies ; and all that wond'rous light,
Which gave his hundred eyes their useful sight,
Lies buried now in one eternal night.
87
But Juno, that she might his eyeE retain,
Soon fix'd tliem in her gaudy peacock's train.
Nor did her rage against lo cease, for she commit-
ted her to the furies to be tormented. Despair and
Anguish made her flee into Eygpt, where she beg-
ged of Jupiter to restore her to her former shape.
Her request being granted, she thenceforth took the
name of Isis, the goddess of the Egyptians, and was
worshipped with divine honours.
Juno gave another evidence of her jealousy. For,
when her anger against Jupiter was so violent that
nothing could pacify her, king Cithseron advised
Jupiter to declare that he intended to take another
wife. The contrivance pleased him, wherefore he
takes an oaken image, dressed very beautifullj^, and
puts it into a chariot ; and declares publicly, that he
is about to marry Platoea the daughter of ^sopus.
The report came to Juno's ears, who immediately
fell furiously upon the image, and tore its clothes,
till she discovered the jest ; and laughing very hear-
tily, she was reconciled to her husband. She was
afterward called Citheronia, from king Cithaerpn,
the adviser of the trick.
qUESTIOjXS FOR EXAMIJVATIOJ^.
Who were Juno's children ?
What was Hebe's office, how did she lose it, and who sae*
ceeded her in it ?
What was Juno's great fault?
With whom was Jupiter enamoured?
Into what was lo metamorphosed by Jupiter, and what ac-
count did he give of the matter to his wife ?
What did Juno do with lo in her new form ?
What became of the eyes of Argus after his death ?
Bepeat the lines from Ovid
What became of lo ?
To what was Jupiter advised by Citharon, and what was tbft
result?
SEC. 3.— NAMES OF JUNO.
Juno was called Argiva, from the Argivi, among
whom sacrifices were celebrated to her honour ; in
88
which a hetacomb, that is, one hundred oxen, were
sacrificed to her. They made her image of gold
and ivory, hoJdhig a pomegranate in one hand, and
a sceptre in the other ; upon the top of which stood
a cuckoo, because Jupiter changed himself into that
bird, when he fell in love with her
Bunea, from Bunseus tlie son of Mercury, who
built a temple to this goddess at Corinth.
Coprotina, or the nones of July, that is, on the
seventh day, maid-servants celebrated her festival,
together with several free women, and offered sacri-
fices to Juno under a fig-tree (cajprijicus) in memo-
ry of the extraordinary virtue, which enabled the
maid-servants to preserve the honour of the Roman
name. For, after the city was taken, the enemy,
determined to oppress the Romans, sent a herald
to them, saying, if they desired to save the remain-
der of their city from ruin, they must send them
their wives and daughters. The senate was dis-
tracted at the thought. A maid-servant named Phi-
lotis or Tutela, took with her several other maid-
servants, some dressed like mistresses of families,
and some like virgins, and went over to the enemy.
Livy, the dictator, disposed them about the camp ;
they incited the men to drink much, because it was
a festival : the wine made the soldiers sleep soundly ;
and a sign being given from a wild fig-tree, the Ro-
mans came and slew them all. These maid-servants
were made free, and portions out of the public treasu-
ry were given them : the day was afterwards called
Nonae Caprotinse, from the wild fig-tree, whence
they had the sign : and they ordered an anniversary
sacrifice to Juno Caprotina to be celebrated imder
a wild fig-tree, the juice of which was mixed with
the sacrifices in memory of the action.
Curis or Curitis, from her spear, called Curis in
the language of the old Sabines. The matrons were
understood to be under her guardianship ; whence,
89
gays Plutarch, the spear is sacred to her, and many
of her statues lean upon spears, and she herself is
called Quiritis and Curitis. Hence springs the cus-
tom, that the bride combs her hair with a spear
found sticking in the body of a gladiator ; and taken
out of him when dead, which spear was called Has-
ta Celibaris.
Crinis nubentlum comebatur hasta celibari qiia^. scilicet in
corpore gladiatoris stetisset abjecti occisique. Festus. Arnob
contra Gentes.
Cingula, from the girdle which the bride wore
when she was led to her marriage ; for this girdle
was unloosed with Juno's good leave, who was
tliought the patroness of marriage.
Dominduca and Interduca, from bringing home
tlie bride to her husband's house.
Egeria, because she promoted, as they believed,
tlie facility of the birth.
Quod earn partui egerendo opitulari crederent. Festus.
Februalis, Februata, Februa, or Februla, because
they sacrificed to her in the month of February.
Her festivals was celebrated on the same day with
Pan's feasts, when the Luperci, the priests of Pan,
the god of shepherds, running naked through the
city, and striking the women with Juno's cloak (that
is, with the skin of a goat) purified them. The ani-
mals sacrificed to Juno were a white cow, a swine,
and a sheep : the goose and the peacock were also
sacred to her.
Juga, because she is the goddess of marriage. A
street in Rome, where her altar stood, was hence
called Jugarius : and anciently people used to enter
into the yoke of marriage at that altar. She is also,
by some, called Socigena, because she assists in the
coupling the bride and bridegroom.
Lacinia, from the temple of Lacinium, built and
dedicated to her by Lacinius,
8*
90
Luciiia and Liicllia, either from the grove, in
which she had a temple, or from the light of this
world, into whicli infants are brought by her. Ovid
comprises both these significations in a distich.
*' Gratia Lucina, dedit lifflc tibi nomina lucus.
Vel quia principium lu, dea, lucis babes." — Fast 2.
Lucina, hail, so nam'd from thy own grove,
Or from the light thou giv'st us from above.
Nuptialis ; and when they sacrificed to her mider
this name, they took the gall out of the victim, and
cast it behind the altar ; to signify that there ought
to be no gall or anger between those who are mar-
ried.
Opigena, because she gives help to women in la-
bour.
Parthenos the virgin ; she was so called, as we
are told, from this circumstance : there was a foun-
tain among the Argivi, called Canathus, where Ju-
no washing herself every year was thought to re-
cover her youth and beaut}-.
Perfecta, that is, perfect ; for marriage was es-
teemed the perfection of human life.
She was called Pronuba ; marriages were not
lawful unless Juno was first called upon.
Regina^ queen ; which title she gives herself as
we read in Virgil :
*' Ast ego, quse divum incedo reghia, Jovisque
Et soror et conjux." — JEn. 1.
I But I who walk in awful state above,
The queen of heav'n, sister and wife of Jove.
Sospita, because all the women were supposed to
be under her safeguard, every one of which had a
Juno, as every man had his Genius.
Unxia v/as another of her names, because the
posts of the door were anointed, where a new-mar-
ried pair lived, whence the wife was called Uxor.
m^
n r^
Mmm^Y^
91
QUESTIOJ^S FOR EXAMINATION.
Why Avas Juno called Argiva ?
How did the Argivi represent her ?
Give in writing the reasons for her name Caprotina.
How did she obtain the name Curis and Curitis ?
What custom arose from this ?
Why was she named Cingula ?
On Avhat accounts was she named Dominduca and Interduca '
Why was she called Februalis ?
What animals were sacrificed to her ?
On what account was she named Juga, and Socigena ?
Why is she called Lacinia and Lucina ?
What circumstances took place when they sacrificed to * '«»
under the name of Nuptialis ?
Why was she called Parthenos, and why Perfecta?
What title does she give hei'self in Virgil ?
Why is she called Sospita and Unxia?
CHAPTER VIII.
SEC. 1.— MINERVA, OR PALLAS. HBR IMAGE AND
BIRTH.
Minerva — it may be asked why she is clothed with
armour, rather than with women's clothes. What
means the head piece of gold, and the crest that glit-
ters so ^ To what purpose has she a golden breast-
plate, and a lance in her right hand, and a terrible
shield in her left ^ On her shield is a grisly head
beset with snakes : and the cock and owl are paint-
ed on it.
Minerva is armed, rather than dressed in women's
clothes, because she is the president and inventress
of war. The cock stands by her because he is a
fighting bird, and is often painted sitting on her head-
piece.
The head, which seems so formidable with snakes,
she not only carries on her shield, but sometimes also
in the midst of her breast ; it is the head of Medusa,
one of the Gorgons, of which Virgil gives a beauti-
92
ful description. The Basilisk is also sacred to her,
to denote the great sagacity of her mind, and the
dreadful effects of her courage, she being the god-
dess both of wisdom and of war ; for the eye of the
basilisk is not only piercing enough to discover the
smallest object, but it is able to strike dead whatso-
ever creature it looks on. She wears an olive crown,
because it is the emblem of peace ; and war is
only made that peace may follow. Though there
is another reason, too, why she wears the olive : for
she first taught mankind the use of that tree. When
Cecrops built a new city, Neptune and Minerva
contended about its name ; and it was resolved, that
whichsoever of the two deities found out the most use-
ful creature to man, should give their name to the
city. Neptune brought a horse ; and Minerva
caused an olive to spring out of the earth, which
was judged a more useful creature to man than the
horse : therefore, Minerva named the city, and call-
ed it Athense, after her own name, in Greek 'A^3)v<«,
The most celebrated of the statues of Phidias,
after that of Jupiter Olympius, was the statue of Mi-
nerva in her temple at Athens : it was thirty-nine
feet high.
History mentions five Minervas. We shall speak
of that only which was born of Jupiter, and to whom
the rest are referred. The account given of her
birth was this : when Jupiter saw that his wife Juno
had no children, he through grief struck his fore-
head, and after three months brought forth Minerva •
whence she was called Tritonia : Vulcan ^striking
his head with the blow of a hatchet, was amazed to
see an armed virago leap out of the brain of her fa-
ther, instead of a tender infant.
" De capitis fertur sine matre paterni
Vertice, cum clypeo prosiluisse suo.
* Lucian. in Dial. Deor.
93
Out of her father's scull, as they report,
Without a mother, all in ai-ms leap'd forth.
They say besides, that it rained gold in the island
of Rhodes, when Minerva was born, an observation
made by Claudian also.
" Auratos Rhodiis imbres, nascente Minerva,
Induxisse Jovem ferunt."
At Pallas' birth, great Jupiter, we're told,
Bestrew'd the Rhodians with a shower of gold.
qUESTlOA'S FOR EXAMINATION.
From what does Minerv'a derive her name ?
How is she represented, and what are the figures r«presente<l
on the shield ?
Why is she armed, and what does the cock signify ?
Why is the basilisk sacred to Minerva ?
Why does she wear an olive croAvn ?
How did Athens derive its name ?
Which is the most celebrated statue of Minerva ?
What was the origin of Minerva ?
What happened at Rhodes when Minerva was born ?
SEC. 2.— NAMES OF MINERVA.
Minerva is so called from diminishing, \a minisJ]
And it is very true, that she, being the goddess of
war, diminishes the number of men, and deprives
families of their head, and cities of their members.
But the name may be derived from threatenings, be-
cause her looks threaten the beholders with violence,
and strike them with terror. Or, perhaps, she has
her name from the good admonition she gives ; be-
cause she is the goddess of wisdom. She is com-
monly thought to be wisdom itself; hence, when
men pretend to teach those that are wiser than them-
selves, it is proverbially said, Sus Minervam, c-yo-
'A^;jvav, Cic. 9. Epist. 18. " That sow teaches Mi-
nerva."
The Greeks call her Athena, because she never
sucked the breast of a mother or nurse ; for she was
born out of her father's head, in full strength, and
94
tras therefore called motherless. Plato says she had
this name from her skill^ in divine affairs. Others
think she was so named, "l-becaiise she is never en-
slayed, but enjoys the most perfect freedom, as the
Stoics well observe, who say, The philosopher is
the only freeman.
Liber nemo est nisi sapiens. Tollius in Paradv^x.
She is called Pallas, from a giant of the same name,
whom she slew : or from the lake Pallas, wh^Te she
was first seen by men ; or, lastly, which is more
probable, from brandishingj her spear in war.
She had many other names ; but we shall only
mention two or three, after we have given some ac-
count of the Palladium.
The Palladium was an image of Pallas, preserved
in the castle of the city of Troy ; for while the cas-
tle and temple of Minerva were building, they say,
tills image lell from heaven into it, before it\^as co-
vered with a roof. This raised every body's admi-
ration ; and when the oracle of Apollo was consult-
ed, he answered, " That the city should be S'xfe so
long as that image rem.ained within it." Therefore,
when the Grecians besieged Tro}', they found that
it was impossible to take the city, unless the Palla-
dium was taken out of it. This business was left to
Ulysses and Diomedes, who undertook to creep into
the city through the common sewers, and bring away
the fatal image. When they had performed the task,
Troy was taken without difficulty. Some say it
was not lawful for any person to remove the Palla-
dium, or even to look upon it. Others add, that
it was made of wood, so that it was a wonder how
it could move the eyes and shake the spear. Others,
• ^K^nx quisa ^ayev, vel 'Hf/^vov, hoc est, qujE divina cogni*
scit. Plato in Clatyio.
t Ab « non et ^r,<ra.(r$eti servire.
i /ivo TV nriKkuv -re oo.v, a vibranda hasta Serv. in £a. 1.
95
Dn the contrary, report, that it was made of the
bones of Pelops, and sold to the Trojans by the
Scythians. They add, that ^neas recovered it, af-
ter it had been taken by the Greeks, from Diomedes,
and carried it with him into Italy, where it was laid
up in the temple of Vesta as a pledge of the stability
of the Roman empire, as it had been before a token
of the security of Troy. And, lastly, others write,
that there were two Palladia ; one of which Diome-
des took, and the other jEneas carried with him.
Parthenos, i. e. virgin, was another of Minerva's
names : whence the temple at Athens, where she was
most religiously worshipped, was called Parthenon.
For Minerva, like Vesta and Diana, was a perpetual
virgin ; and such a lover of chastity, that she de-
prived Tiresias of his sight, because he saw her
bathing in the fountain of Helicon : but Tiresias'
mother, by her petitions, obtained, that since her
son had lost the eyes of his body, the sight of his
mind might be brighter and clearer, by having the
gift of prophecy. Ovid, indeed, assigns a diiferent
cause of his blindness. There is another illustrious
instance of the chastity of Minerva : when Neptune
had successfully made love to the beautiful Medusa
(whose hair was gold) in the temple of Minerva, the
goddess changed into snakes that hair which had
tempted him ; and decreed, that those who looked
upon her thereafter should be turned into stone.
Her nkme Tritonia was taken from the lake Tri-
ton, where she was educated ; as we also may learn
from Lucian, who mentions the love which Pallas
bears to this lake ;
" Hanc et Pallas amat, patrio quod vertice nata
Terrarum primam Lybien (nam proxlma ccelo est,
Ut probat ipse calor) tetigit, stagnique quieta
Vultus vidit aqua, posuitque in margine plantas,
Et se delecta, Tritonida dixit, ab unda."
This Pallas loves, born of the brain of Jove,
Who first on Lybia trod (tie heat doth prove
96
This land next heav'n :) she standing by the side,
Her face within the quiet water spied,
And gave herself from the lov'd pool a name
Tritonia.
Or from rpira^ or rpirm [tritoTi] a word which m the
old Boeotian and ^ohc languages signifies a head,
because she was born from Jupiter's head. Yet,
before we leave the lake Triton, let me tell you the
ceremonies that were performed upon the banks of it
in honour of Minerv a. A great concourse of peo-
ple out of the neighbouring towns assembled to see
the following performance : all the virgins came in
companies, armed with clubs and stones, and on a
sign being given, they assaulted each other ; she
who was first killed was not esteemed a virgin, and
therefore her body was disgracefully thrown into the
lake ; but she who received the most and the deepest
wounds, and did not desist, was carried home in tri-
umph in a chariot, in the midst of the acclamations
and praises of the whole company.
Epyccrii ^Ei'gatisl operaria^ " workwoman" was
her name among the Samians, her worshippers ;
because she invented divers arts, especially the art
of spinning, as v/e learn from the poets : thus the
distaff is ascribed to her, and sometimes she is call-
ed Minerva, from her name, because she was the in-
ventress of it. Although Minerva so much excelled
all others in spinning, yet Arachne, a young lady of
Lydia, very skilful at spinning, challenged her in
this art ; but it proved her ruin ; for the goddess
tore her work, and struck her forehead with a spoke
of the wheel. This disgrace drove her into despair,
so that she hanged herself; but Pallas, out of com-
passion, brought her again to lifcj and turned her
into a spider, which continues still employed in
spinning :
" Frontem percussit Arachnes ;
Non tulit infaelix, laqueoque animosa ligavit
D7
Gullura, pendentem Pallas miscrata levavit ;
AI4UC ila, Vive quideui, pende tamen, iniproba dixit."
Ov. Mel. 6.
Arachne tlirice upon the foreliead smote ;
AVhose great heart brooks it not ; about her throat
A rope she ties : remorseful Pallas staid
Her falling weight : — Live wretch, yet hang, she said.
She is called Musica ; because, says Pliny, the
dragons or serpents on her shield, which, instead of
hair encompassed the Gorgon's head, did ring and
resound, as if the strings of a harp near them were
touched. But it is more likely that she was so na*
med, because she invented the pipe ; upon which,
when she played by the river-side, and saw in the
water how much her lace was swelled and delbrmed
by blowing it, she was moved with indignation, and
threw it aside, saying, the sweetness of the music is
too dear, if purchased with so much loss.
Glaucopis was another of her names ; because
her eyes, like the eyes of an owl, were gra}^ or sky-
coloured, that is, of a green colour mixed with white.
She was also called Pylotis, from a Greek word,
signifying a " gate :" for, as the image of Mars was
set up in the suburbs, so her effigy or picture was
placed on the city gates, or doors of houses ; by
which they signified, that we ought to use our wea-
pons abroad, to keep the enemy from entering our
towns ; but in the town we must use the assistance
of Minerva, not of Mars; that is, the state ought to
be governed at home by prudence, counsel, and law.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMIXATIOK,
What are the reasons given for the name Minerva?
What proverb has her great wisdom furnished, and what doci
the term Minervale signify ?
Why is she called Athena?
Why is she named Pallas ?
Give some account in writing of the Palladium,
Why was she called Parthenos ?
What is the history of Tiresias ?
What is related of Neptune and Medusa ?
9
98
Why was JVlinerva named Trilonia?
What ceremony was performed on the banks of the lakb
Trito!.i ?
Wliy is Mitierva called Erp;atis ?
Repent the lines from Ovid.
Why is iViiiiorva calicd iMuslca?
Why is she named Glaucopis?
Why is hhe called Fylotis ?
Wjiat inference is drawn from the circumstance ?
SEC. 3.— THE SIGNIFICATION OF THE FABIE.
By the Story of Minerva, the poets intended to re>*
present wisdom ; that is, true and skilful knowledge^
joined with discreet and prudent manners. They
hereby signify also the understanding of the noblest
arts, and the accomplishments of the mind ; like-
wise the virtues, and especially chastity : for,
1. ]\Iinerva is said to be born out of Jupiter's
brain : because the wit and ingenuity of man did
not invent the useful sciences, v.hich, for the good of
men were derived from the brain of Jupiter ; that is,
from the inexhausted fountain of the divine wi-sdom,
whence not only the arts and sciences, but the bless-
ings of wisdom and virtue also proceed.
2. Pallas was born armed ; because a wi^ man's
soul being fortified with wisdom and virtue, is invin-
cible : he is prepared and armed against fortune ;
in dangers he is intrepid, in crosses unbroken, in
calamities impregnable. Thus, though the image o/
Jupiter perspires in bad weather, yet as Jupiter him-
self is dry and unconcerned, so a wise man's mind
is hardened against the assaults that fortune can
make upon his body.
3. She invented and exercised the art of spinning;
and hence other young women may learn, if they
would preserve their good character, never to in-
dulge idleness, but to employ themselves continu-
ally in some sort of work j after the example of
Lucretia.
4. As the spindle and the distaff were the inven-
CTx rm
"T-Eiwa
99
tion of Minerva, so they are the arms of every vir-
tuous woman. For which reason those instruments
were formerly carried before the bride when she was
brought to her husband's house ; and somewhere it
is a custom, at the funeral of women, to throw the
distafl' and spindle into the grave with them.
5. An owl, a bird seeing in the dark, was sacred
to Minerva, and painted upon her images, which is
the representation of a wise man, who, scattering
and dispelhng the clouds of ignorance and error, is
dear sighted where others are stark blind.
qUESTWJYS FOR EXAMINATION.
What do the poets represent by the story of Minerva ?
Why is Minerva said to have orio;inated from Jupiter's brain?
Why was she said to be born armed ?
What lesson should Minerva teach as the inventress of spiQ>-
ning ?
Why were the spindle and distaff carried before the brid«,
when she went to her husband's house ?
What does the owl represent as sacred to Minerva ?
CHAPTER IX.
SEC. 1.— VENUS. HER IMAGE. HER DESCENT.
Turn j^our eyes now to a sweet object, and view
that goddess in whose countenance the graces sit
playing, and discover all their charms. You see a
pleasantness, a mirth, and joy in every part of her
face. Observe with what becoming pride she holds
up her head and views herself, where she finds
nothing but joys and' soft delights. She is clothed
with a purple mantle glittering with diamonds. By
her side stand two Cupids, and round her are three-
Graces, and after follows the lovely beautiful Adc>->
nis, who holds up the goddess' train. The chariot
in which she rides is made of ivory, finely carve(l>
100
and beautifully painted and gilded. It is drawn by
8wans and doves, or swallows as Venus directs,
when she pleases to ride.
Venus, whom in more honourable terms men style
the " goddess of the Graces," the author of elegance,
beauty, neatness, delight, and cheerfulness, is in re-
ahty tlie mistress, president, and patron of all manner
of licentiousness ; and it should seem, by the v\or-
ship which was formerly paid to her, that men used al
that period to erect altars to, and deify their vices ;
tliat they hallowed the greatest impieties with frank-
incense, and thought to ascend into heaven by the
»teps of their iniquities.
You will see her sometimes painted like a young
virgin rising from the sea, and riding in a shell ; at
otlier times like a woman holding the shell in her
hand, her head being crowned with roses. Some-
times her picture has a silver looking-glass in one
hand, and on the feet are golden sandals and buc-
kles. In the pictures of the Sic^'onians, she holds
a poppy in one hand, and an apple in the other.
At Elis she was painted treading on a tortoise;
showing thereby that 3'oung women ought not to
ramble abroad ; and that married women ought to
keep silence, love their home, and govern their fa-
mily. She wore a girdle or belt, called Cestus ;
m which all kinds of pleasures were folded, and
which was supposed to excite irresistible aflection.
Some give her arrows ; and make Python Suada,
the goddess of eloquence, her companion.
We learn from several authors, that there were
four Venuses, born of different parents, but this Ve-
nus of whom we speedv was the most eminent, and
had the beauties as well as the disgraces of the
others commonly ascribed to her. She sprang from
tlie froth of the sea. She was by the Greeks called
Aphrodite, ex a(p^oc, sjjuma. As soon as she was
born, she was laid, like a pearl, in a shell instead of
101
a cradle ; and was driven, by Zephyrus upon the
island Cythera, \Aliere the Horte, or hours, re-
ceived, educated, accomplished, and adorned her ;
and, when she came of age, carried her into heaven,
and presented her to the gods, all of whom, being
taken with her beauty, desired to marry her : but
she was at lengtli betrothed to Vulcan, and married
to him.
qUESTIOJ^S FOR EXAMINATION.
How is Venus described ?
By wliom is she attended ?
How is her chariot drawn ?
What different descrijitions are given of her ?
What may be inferred from the worship paid to Venus ?
How is she painted ?
How is she painted at Elis, and what does that denote ?
What was she called by the Greeks ?
What happened to her as soon as she was born ?
By whom was she educated, and who did she marry?
SEC. 2— NAMES OF VENUS.
She is called Venus, say^ Cicero, because all-
things are subject to the laws of love. Or else, as
others say, her name is given her because she is emi-
nently beautiful ; for she is the goddess of beauty.
Or lastly, she is so called, because she was a stran-
ger or foreigner to the Romans ; for she was first wor-
shipped by the Egyptians, and from the Egyptians
she was translated to the Greeks, and from them to
the Romans. Let us now proceed to her other
names.
Amica, 'Eraipx ^Hetaira] was a name given her
by the Athenians ; because she joins lovers together ;
and this Greek word is used both in good and bad
senses.
Armata, because when the Spartan w^omen sallied
out of their tow n, besieged by the Messenians, and
beat them, a temple was dedicated to Venus Ai-
mata.
9*
102
Apaturia, that is " the deceiver," for nothhig is
more deceitful than love, which flatters our eyes and
pleases us, like roses in their finest colours, but at
the same time kaves a thorn in the heart.
She was called by the Romans Barbata ; because,
when the Roman women were so troubled with a
disease that caused their hair to fall off, they pray-
ed to Venus, and their hair grew again; upon
which they made an image of Venws with a comb,
and gave it a beard, that she might have the signs of
both sexes.
Cypris, Cypria, and Cyprogenia, because she
was worshipped in the island of Cyprus : Cytheris
and Cytherea ; from the island of Cythera, whither
she was first carried in a sea-shell.
There was a temple at Rcme dedicated to Venus
Calva ; because when the Gauls possessed that city,
ropes for the engines were made with the women's hair.
Erycina, from the mountain Eryx in the island of
Sicily ; upon which jEneas built a splendid and fa-
mous temple to her honour, because she was his mo-
tlier.
Horace makes mention of her under this name.
She is properly called Ridens, and Homer calls
her a lover of laughing : for she is said to be born
laughing, and thence called the *' goddess of mirth."
Hortensi'S, because she looks after the production
of seed and plants in gardens. And Festus tells us,
that the word Venus is by Naevius put for herbs, as
Ceres is for bread, and Neptunus for fish.
Idalia and Acidalia from the mountain Idalus,
in the island of Cyprus, and the fountain Acidalius,
in Boeotia.
Marina, because she was born of the sea, to which
Ausonius refers in his poem.
"Orta salo, suscepta solo, patre edida Ccelo."
Heav'n gave her life, the sea a cradle gave,
And earth's wide regions her with joy receive.
103
She is called Aphroditus and Anadyomne, that is,
emerging out of tlie waters, as Apelles painted her ;
and Pontia, from Pontus. Hence came the custom,
that those who had escaped any danger by water,
used to sacrifice to Venus. Hence also the mari-
ners observed those solemnities called Aphrodisia,
which Plutarch describes in a treatise against Epi-
curus.
Melanis, or MelEenis, that is dark and concealed ;
whence the Egyptians worshipped a Venus, called
Scoteia, a goddess to be admired in the night.
Migonitis signifies her power in the management
of love. Therefore, Paris dedicated the first temple
to Venus Migonitis.
Paphia, from the city Paphos in the island of Cy-
prus, where they sacrificed flowers and frankincense
CO her. And this is mentioned by Virgil :
" Ipsa paphum sublimis adit, sedesque revisit
Lajta suas, ubi templum illi, centumque Sabaeo
Thure calent arse, sertisque recentibus halant." — ,®n. 1.
This part perform'd, the goddess flies sublime
To visit Paphos and her native clime ;
"Where garlands, ever green and ever fair.
With vows are otter'd, and with solemn pray'r:
A hundred altais in her temple smoke,
A thousand bleeding hearts her pow'r invoke.
Her name Verticordia, signifies the power of love
to change hearts, and to ease the minds of men from
all cares that perplex them. Ovid mentions this
power, and for the same reason Venus is called in
the Greek Epistrophia.
qUESTlO.XS FOR EXAMINATION.
"Why is she called Amica and Armata?
Why was she called Apaturia and Barbata ?
Why was she denominated Cypris and Cytheris ?
Why was a temple dedicated to Venus Calva at Rome?
Why was she called Erycina and Ridens ?
Why was she denominated Hortensis Idalia? and Acidalia?
104
How did she derive her names Marina and Aphroditis
Why is slie called iNIelienie-, and why Migonitis?
Why is she called Faphia and Verticordia ?
SEC. 3.— ACTIONS OF VENUS.
Pygmalion, a statuary, considering the great in
conveniences of marrying, had resolved to live sin
gle ; bnt afterward making a most elegant and arti«
ficial image of Venus, he fell so much in love with
his ow n workmanship that he begged Venus to turn
it into a w^oman, and enliven the ivory. His wish-
es were granted, and of her he had Paphos, from
whom the island Paphos had its name. Ovid
Met. 10.
Pyramus and Thisbe were both inhabitants of the
city of Babylon ; equal in beauty, age, condition,
and fortune. They began to love each other from
their cradles. Their houses were contiguous, so
that their love arose from their neighbourhood, grew
greater by their mutual play, and was perfected by
their singular beauty. This love increased with
their years, and in due time, they begged their pa-
rents' consent ; which was refused, because of some
former quarrels between the two families. And that
the children might not attempt any thing against
their parents' will, they were not permitted to see
each other. There was a partition-wall between
both houses, in which wall there was a small chink,
never discovered by any of the servants. This cre-
vice the lovers found, and met here : their words
and their sighs went through, but kisses could not
pass ; which, when they parted, they printed on
each side of the wall. By some contrivance they
met and agreed upon an interview under the shade
of a large mulberry tree, which stood near a foun-
tain. When night came on, Thisbe deceived her
keepers, and escapes first, and flies into the wood ^
for love gave her wings. When she got to the ap
105
pointed place, a lioness fresh from the slaughter of
6ome cattle, came to drink at the fountain. Thisbe
was so frightened that she ran into a cave, and in her
flight her veil fell from her head ; the lioness return-
ing from the fountain, found the veil, and tore it with
her jaws besmeared with blood. Pyramus comes
next, and sees the print of a wild beast's foot, and
finds the veil of Thisbe bloody and torn. He, ima-
gining that she was killed and devoured by the wild
beast, grew distracted, and hastened to the ap-
pointed tree ; but not finding Thisbe, he threw him-
self upon his sword, and died. Thisbe in the mean
time, recovered from her fright, came to the mul-
berry tree, where she saw Pyramus in the struggles
of death : she embraced her dying lover, mingled
her tears with his blood, and folding her arms about
him, called upon him to answer her, but he was
speechless, and looking up expired. Thisbe, dis-
tracted with grief, tore her cheeks, beat her breast,
rent her hair, and sbed a deluge of tears upon his
cold face ; nor did she cease to mourn, till she per-
ceived her veil, bloody and torn, in Pyramus' hand
She then understood the occasion of his death, and
drew the sword from the body of her lover, plunged
it into her own, and falling accidentally on him,
gave him a cold kiss, and breathed her last breath
mto his bosom. The tree, warmed with the blood
of the slain lovers, became sensible of their misfor-
tune, and mourned. Its berries, which were before
white, became red with grief, and blushed for the
death of Pyramus ; when Thisbe also died, the ber-
ries then became black and dark, as if they had put
on mourning. Such were the fatal eifects of love.
In the next place hear the story of Atalanta and
Hippomenes. She was the daughter of the king
Schseneus, or Oseneus. It was doubted whether her
beauty or swiftness in running were greater. When
she consulted the oracle, whether she should marry
106
or not, this answer was given, "That maniagiR
would be iatal to her." Upon \\ hich the virgin hid
herself in the woods, and lived in places remote
from the conversation of men. But the more she
avoided them, the more eagerly they courted her ;
for her disdain inflamed their desires, and her pride
raised their adoration. At last, when she saw she
could not otherwise deliver herself from the impor-
tunity of her lovers, she made this agreement with
them : " You court me in vain ; he who overtakes
me in running shall be my husband ; but they who
are beaten by me shall suffer death ; I will be the
victor's prize, but the vanquished's punishment. If
these terms please, go with me into the field." They
all agreed to these conditions :
" Venit ad banc legem temeraria turba procorum."
Ov. Met. la
All her mad wooers take the terms propos'd.
They strove to outrun her ; but they were all
beaten and put to death according to the agree-
ment ; suffering the loss of their lives for the fault
of their feet. Yet the example of these lovers did
not deter Hippomenes from undertaking the race,
who entertained hopes of winning the victory, be-
cause Venus had given him three golden apples,
gathered in the gardens of the Hesperides, and also
told him how to use them. Hippomenes briskly
set out and began the race ; and when he saw that
Atalanta overtook him, he threw down a golden ap-
ple ; the beauty of it enticed her so that she went
out of her way, followed the apple, and took it up.
" Declinat cursus, aurumque volubile tollit."
She, greedy of the shining fruit, steps back
To catch the rolling gold.
Afterward he threw down another, which she
pursued also to obtain ; and again a third ; so tliat
107
while Atalanta was busied in gathering them up
Hippomenes reached the goal, and took the lady as
the prize of his victory. But forgetful of the grati-
tude and respect due to Venus, he met with a si«gnal
punishment. Himself and Atalanta were turned
into a lion and lioness.
Another proof of the fatal effects of love is the
case of Paris and Helena. Paris was the son of
Priamus, king of Troy, by Hecuba. His mother,
when she was pregnant, dreamed that she brought
forth a burning torch : and asking the oracle for an
interpretation, was answered, " That it portended
the burning of Troy," and tliat the fire should be
kindled by her son. Therefore, as soon as the child
was born, he was exposed upon the mountain Ida :
where the shepherds brought him up privately, edu-
cated him, and called him Paris. When he was
grown to man's estate, he gave such tokens of singu-
lar prudence and equity in deciding controversies,
that on a great difference which arose among the
goddesses, they referred it to his judgment to be de-
termined. The goddess ^Discordia was the occa-
sion of this contention : for, because all the gods
and goddesses, except herself, were invited to the
marriage of Peleus, she was angry, and resolved to
revenge the disgrace ; therefore, when they all met
and set down at the table, she came in privately,
and threw down upon the table an apple of gold, on
which was this inscription, " Let the fairest take
it." Hence arose a quarrel among the goddesses
for every one thought herself the most beautifuL
But at last, all the others yielded to the three supe-
rior goddesses, Junoj Pallas, and Venus ; who dis-
puted so eagerly, that Jupiter himself was not able
to bring them to agreement. He resolved therefore
to leave the final determination of it to the judgment
• Dion. Chrysost. Orat. 20. Philostrat. in Icon.
t Pulchrior accipiat, vel, Detur pulchriori.
108
of Paris ; so that she should have tho p.pple to whom
Paris sliould adjudge it. The goddesses consent,
and call for Paris, who was then feeding siieep
upon a mountain. They tell him their business,
and court his lavour with great promises : Juno
promised to reward him witli power, Pallas with
wisdom, and Venus promised him the most beautiful
woman in the world. He pronounted Venu? the
fairest, and assigned to her the apple uf gold. Ve-
nus did not break her promise to Paris ; for in a
little time Paris was owned to be king Priam's son,
and sailed into Greece with a great fleet, under the
colour of an embassy, to fetch away Helena, the
most beautiful woman in the world, who was be-
trothed to Menelaus, king of Sparta, and lived in his
house. When he came, Menelaus was from home,
and, in his absence, Paris carried away Helena to
Troy. Menelaus demanded her, but Paris refused
to send her back ; and this occasioned that fatal war
between the Greeks and Trojans, in which Troy,
the metropolis of all Asia, v/as taken and burnt, in
the year of the world 2871. There were killed
eight hundred sixty-eight thousand of the Grecians ;
among whom Achilles, one of their generals, lost his
life by the treachery of Paris himself.
There were slain six hundred and seventy-sii
thousand of the Trojans, from the beginning of the
war to the taking of the city, among whom Paris
himself was killed by P3 rrhus or Philoctetes ; and
his brother Hector, the pillar of his country, was
killed by Achilles. When the city was taken and
burnt, king Priamus, the father of Paris and Hector,
at once lost all his children, his queen Hecuba, his
kingdom and his life. Helena, after Paris was kill-
ed, married his brother Deiphobus : yet she at length
betrayed the castle to the Grecians, and admitted
Menelaus into her chamber to kill Deiphobus : by
which, it is said, she was reconciled to the favour of
109
Menelaiis again. These things, however, belong
rather to history than to fable.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAML\ATIOK.
What happened to Pygmalion ?
Can you give in short the story of Pyramus and Thisbe ?
Give the story of Atalanta and Hippomenes.
Give an abridged account of the fates of Paris and Helena.
SEC 4.— THE COMPANIONS OF VENUS ; VIZ. HYME-
NJ=:US, THE CUPIDS, THE GRACES, ADONIS.
The first of Venus' companions was the god Hy-
menseus. He presided over marriage, and was the
protector of yomig miraarried women. He was the
son of Bacchus and Venus Urania, born in Attica,
where he used to rescue virgins carried away by
thieves, and restore them to their parents. He was
of a very fair complexion ; crowned with the ama-
racus or sweet marjoram, and sometimes with roses ;
in one hand he carried a torch, in the other a veil
of flame colour, to represent the blushes of a virgin.
Newly married women offered sacrifices to him, as
they did also to the goddess Concordia.
Cupid was the next of Venus' companions. He
is called the god of love, and many different parents
are ascribed to him, because there were many
Cupids. Plato says he was born of Penia, the
goddess of poverty, by Poros, the son of Coun-
sel and Plenty. Hesiod relates, that he was born of
Chaos and Terra. Sappho derives him from Ve-
nus and Coelum. Alcseus says he was the son of
Lite and Zephyrus. Simonides attributes hira to
Mars and Venus ; and Alcmeeon, to Zephyrus and
Flora. But whatever parents Cupid had, this is
plain, he always accompanies Venus, either as a son
or a servemt.
The poets speak of two Cupids. One of which Is
an ingenious youth, the son of Venus and Jupiter, a
celestial deity ; the other the son of Erebus and Nox*
10
no
\^Hell and Kight,'] a vulgar god, whose companions
are drunkenness, sorrow, enmity, contention, and
such kind of plagues. One of these Cupids is call-
ed Eros, and the other Anteros ; both of them are
boys, and naked, and winged, and blind, and armed
with a bow and arrows and a torch. They have
two darts of diflercnt natures ; a golden dart which
procures love, and a leaden dart which causes ha-
tred. Anteros is also the god who avenges slight-
ed love.
Although tliis be the youngest of all the celestial
gods, yet his power is so great, that he is esteemed
the strongest, for he subdues them all. Without
his assistance, his mother Venus is weak, and can
do nothing, as she herself confesses in Virgil.
" Nate, meae vires, mea magna potentia, soIhs." ^n. 4.
Thou art my strengtli, son, and power alone.
He is naked because the lover has nothing of his
own, but deprives himself of all that he has, for his
mistress' sake.
Cupid is a boy, because he is void of judgment.
His chariot is drawn by lions, for the rage and
fierceness of no creature is greater than the extrava-
gance and madness of violent love. He is blind,
because a lover does not see the faults of his beloved
object, nor consider in his mind the mischief pro-
ceeding from that passion. He is winged, because
nothing flies swifter than love, for he who loves to-
day, may hate to-morrow. Lastly, he is armed
with arrows, because he strikes afar off.
The Graces called *Charites, were three sisters,
the daughters of Jupiter and Eurynome, or Euno-
mia, as Orpheus says, or rather, as others say, the
daughter of Bacchus and Venus. The first was
• Xapirts dictaj u^o Ttis 2\ctf:u4 i. e. a gaudio.
Ill
called *Aglaiaj from her cheerfulness, her beauty, or
her worth ; because kindness ought to be perform-
ed freely and generously. The second, f Thalia,
from her perpetual verdure ; because kindness ought
never to die, but to remain fresh always in the re-
ceiver's memory. The third, JEuphrosyne, from
her cheerfulness ; because we ought to be free and
cheerful, as well in doing as in receiving a kindness.
These sisters were painted naked, or in transpa-
rent and loose garments, young and merry, with
hands joined. One was turned from the behslder,
as if she was going from him ; the other two turned
their faces, as if they were coming to him ; by which
we miderstand, that when one kindness is done, thanks
ai*e twice due; once when rectived, and again when it
is repaid. The Graces are naked, because kindnesses
ought to be done in sincerity and candour, and with-
out disguise. They are young, because the memo-
ry of kindness received ouglit never to grow old.
They are virgins, because kindness ought to be pure,
without expectation of requital. Their hands are
joined, because one good turn requires another;
there ought to be a perpetual intercourse of kind-
ness and assistance anioiij^ friends.
Adonis was tlie son of Cinyras, king of Cyprus,
and Myrrhac As he was very handsome, Venus
took great delight m liim, and loved his company.
When he hunted, a boar gored him with his tusks,
and killed him. Venus bewailed his death with
much sorrow and concern, and changed his blood,
which was shed on the ground, into the flower ane-
mone, which ever since has retahied the colour of
blood. While she flew to assist him, being led by
his dying voice, a thorn ran into her foot, and the
* AyXalec id est, splendor, honestas, vel dignitas.
t BaXala. (nam SaXs/a est MusEe nomeii) id est, veridilas et
cinnitas a ^ccWu vireo.
X "Eviffoffwriy id est, iKtitia et urbanitas. Vide Hcsiod, in Theog.
112
blood that came thence fell on the rose, which be-
fore was white, but thereby made red.
Venus besought of, and obtained from Jupiter,
that he should return to life for six months in every
year ; so that Adonis revives and dies in incessant
succession. In Greece, Phoenicia, and some other
countries, festivals were appointed expressive of this
circumstance : the solemnity continued several days;
the first part being spent in lamentations for his
loss, and the second in joy for his restoration.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMmATION.
Who wa3 Hymenaeus, and of whom was he the protector?
Whose son was he, and how was he represented ?
Who was Cupid, and whose son was he said to be ?
How many Cupids do the poets describe, and how are they
represented ?
What is his character with regard to power ?
Why is he represented naked ?
How is his chariot drawn ?
Why is he represented blind, winged, and armed with arrows ?
Who were the Graces, and what were their names ?
How are they represented in paintings ?
Why are they said to be ever young, naked, and with their
hands joined ?
Who was Adonis '' what was the cause and consequences of
his death ?
CHAPTER X
LATONA.
Latona was the daughter of Phoebe, by Caeus
the Titan. So great was her beauty, that Jupiter
fell in love with her, which excited the jealousy of
Jmio, who caused her to be cast out of heaven to the
earth ; not contented with this, she obliged Terra,
by an oath, not to give her a habitation, and be-
sides she set the serpent Python upon her, to per-*-
113
secute her wherever she went. Juno, however, was
disappomted, for the island Delos received Latona,
where, under a pahn or an oUve tree, she bi'ought
forth Diana ; who, as soon as she was born, nursed
and took care of her brother Apollo.
Her reception at Delos, notwithstanding the oath
of Terra, is thus accounted for. This island for-
merly floated in the sea, and they say that at the
time it was hidden under the waters, when Terra
took her oath, but that it emerged afterwards by the
order of Neptune, and became fixed and immovea-
ble for Latona's use, from which time it was called
Delos, because it was visible hke other places.
The island Delos emerged for Latona's use, be-
cause it was sister to Latona. Some say, that her
name was formerly Asteria, whom Jupiter loved and
<:ourted, but she was converted into an island : others
report that she was converted into a quail, (Ovid
Met. 15,j and flew into this island, which was,
tlierefore, among other names, called Ortygia.. Ni-
che's pride, and the barbarity of the countrymen of
Lycia, increase the fame of this goddess.
Niobe was the daughter of Tantalus, and the wife
of Amphion, king of Thebes. She was so enriched
with all the gifts of nature and fortune, and her hap-
piness so great, that she could not bear it : being
pufled up with pride, and full of self-conceit, she be-
gan to despise Latona, and to esteem herself the
greater, saying : " is any happiness to be compared
to mine, who am out of the reach of fortune ^ She
may rob me of much wealth, but she cannot injure
me, since she must leave me still very rich. Does any
one's wealth exceed mine f Is any one's beauty like
mine ? Have I not seven most beautiful daughters,
and as many ingenious and handsome sons f And
have I not, therefore, reason to be proud .'"' In
tliis manner she boasted of her happine-ss, and de-
spised others : but her pride, in a short time, depri-
10*
114
ved her of all the happiness which she possessed,
and reduced her iVom the height of good fortune to
the lowest degree of misery. For when Latona saw
herself despised, and her sacrifices disturbed by Nio-
be, she appointed Apollo and Diana to punish the
injury that was offered to their mother. Immediate-
ly they went with their quivers well filled with arrows,
to Niobe's house ; where first they killed the sons,
then the daughters, and next the father, in the sight
of Niobe, who by that means was stupified with
grief, till at length she was turned into marble,
which, because of this misfortune, is said to shed ma-
ny tears to this day. — Ovid Met. 6.
The rustics of the country of Lycia in Asia, did
also experience the anger of Latona to their ruin ;
for when she wandered in the fields, the heat of the
weather and toil of her journey brought such a
drought upon her that she almost fainted for thirst.
At last discovering a sprhig in the bottom of the val-
ley, slie ran to it witli great joy, and fell on her knees
to drink the cool waters :
Gelidos potura liquores.'
To quench her thirst with the refreshing stream.
But the neighbouring clowns hindered her, and
bid her depart. She earnestly begged leave, and
they denied it : she did not desire she said to injure
the stream by washing herself in it, but only to
quench her thirst.
"Quid prohibetis aquas? usus communis aquanim:
IVec solem proprium natura, nee aera fecit, '
iS'ec tenues undas. Ad publica munera veni.
Quae tamen ut detis supplex peto. Non ego nostroa
Abluere hie artiis, lassataque membra parabam :
Sed relevare siiim. Caret os humore loquentis,
Et fauces arent, vlxque est via vocis in illis.
Haiistus aqua; niihi nectar erit: vitamque fatebor
Accepisse siraul."
G¥ THE
[UNITEESITT
115
-Why hinder you, said she,
The use of water that to all is free
The sun, the air, the pure and cooling wave,
Nature made free. I claim the boon she gave : ^
Yet humbly I entreat it, not to drench
My weary limbs, but killing thirst to quench.
My tons;ue wants moisture, and my jaws are dry,
Scarce is there way for speech. For drink I die,
Water to me were nectar. If I live,
'Tis by your favour.
They regarded not her entreaties, but with threats
endeavoured to drive her away. This great inhu-
manity moved the indignation of Latona, who cursed
them, and said, " jMay you always hve in this wa-
ter." Immediately they were turned into frogs, and
leaped into the muddy water, where they ever after
lived.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMTKATIOK.
Who was Latona, and what was the consequence of Jupiter's
affection to her ?
Where was Diana born, and how was she employed immedi*
ately after her birth .-*
How is Latona's reception at Delos accounted for.?
What is said of her transmigrations into an island and quail }
Who was Niobe, and what is said of her pride and self-sufli-
ciency ?
What was Latona's conduct towards Niobe .'
Into what was Niobe changed .'
What happened to the rustics of Lycia, and why were they sd
punished ?
CHAPTER XI.
AURORA.
•Aurora, the daughter of Terra and Titan, the
sister of the sun and moon, and mother of the stars
and the winds, is a goddess drawn in a chariot of
gold by white horses ; her countenance shines like
gold 5 her fingers are red like roses : so Homer de-
116
scribes Aurora. The Greeks call Aurora by another
name, and some say that she was the daughter of
Hyperion and Thia, or of Pallas, from whom the
poets also call her Pallantias. She by force carried
two beautiful young men, Cephalus and Tithonus,
into heaven.
Cephalus married Procris, the daughter of the
king of Athens. When Aurora could, by no per-
suasion, move him to leave her, she carried him into
heaven ; but even there she could not shake his con-
stancy ; therefore she sent him again to his wife
Procris, disguised in the habit of a merchant. Af-
ter this she gave him an arrow that never missed the
mark, which she had received from Minoe. When
Cephalus had this arrow, he spent his whole time in
hunting and pursuing wild beasts. Procris, sus-
pecting the constancy of her husband, concealed
herself in a bush, to discover the truth : but when
she moved carelessly in the bush, her husband think-
ing some wild beast was there, drew his bow, and
shot his wife to the heart. — Ovid Met. 7.
Tithonus was the son of Laomedon, and brother
of Priamus : Aurora, for his singular beauty, carri-
ed him up to heaven, and married him ; and, instead
of portion, obtained from the Fates immortality for
him. She had Memnon by him, but she forgot to
ask the Fates to grant him perpetual youth, so that
he became so old and decrepid, that, like an infant,
he was rocked to sleep in a cradle. Hereupon he
grew weary of life, and wishing for deatli, asked
Aurora to grant him power to die. She said, that
it was not in her power to grant it, but that she
would do what she could : and therefore turned Jier
husband into a grasshopper, which, they say, moults
when it is old, and grows young again. — Ovid
Met. 13.
Memnon went to Troy, to assist the king Priam,
where, in a duel with Achilles, he was killed ; and,
117
in the place where he fell, a fountain arose which
every year, on the same day on which he died,
sends forth blood instead of water. But as his body
lay upon the funeral pile to be burnt, it was changed
mto a bird by his mother Aurora's intercession 5 and
many other birds of the same kind flew out of the
pile with him, which, from his name, were called
Aves Memnonise : these, dividing themselves into
two troops, and furiously fighting with their beaks
and claws, with their own blood appeased the ghost
of Memnon, from whom they sprung. — Ovid
Met. 13.
There was a statue of this Memnon, made of
black marble, and set up in the temple of Serapis at
Thebes, in Egypt, of which they relate an incredi-
ble story : for it is said that the mouth of the statue,
when first touched by the rays of the rising sun,
sent forth a sweet and harmonious sound as though
it rejoiced when its mother Aurora came ; but at
the setting of the sun, it spnt forth a low melancholy
tone, as lamenting her departure.
qUESTIOJYS FOR EXAMIKATION.
Who was Aurora, how was her chariot drawn, and how is she
described by Homer ?
Who did she carry to heaven ?
What is said of Cephalus, and what became of his wife Pro-
of is?
Who is Tithon, and what is related of him ?
Into what was he changed, and why ?
What became of Memnon, and what is said to have happened
where he was killed ?
Into what was his dead body changed ?
Where was his statue erected, and what is reported of it ?
PART 11.
OF THE TERRESTRIAL DEITIES.
CHAPTER I.
SEC. L— SATURN. HIS IMAGE, FAMILY, AND ACTfONS.
Look upon the wall on the right hand. On that
wall, which is the second part of the Pantheon, as
well as of our discourse, you see the terrestrial dei-
ties divided into two sorts ; for some of them inhabit
both the cities and the fif'lds indiftprently, nnd are
called in general *'* the terrestrial goddesses :" but
the others live only in the countries and the woods,
and are properly called f" the gods of the woods."
We will begin with the first.
Of the terrestrial gods, which are so called, be-
cause their habitation is in the earth, the most cele-
brated are Saturn, Janus, Vulcan, iEolus, and Mo-
mus. The terrestrial goddesses are Vesta, Cybele,
Ceres, the Muses, and Themis : they are equal in
number to the celestial gods and goddesses.
We Mill begin with the eldest, Saturn, who is re-
presented as a decrepid Jold man, with a long beard
and hoary head. His shoulders are bowed like an
arch, his jaws hollow and thin, his cheeks sunk;
his nose is flat, his forehead full of furrows, and his
• Dli terrestres urbes et campos promiscue incolunt.
t Dii autem sylvestres rure tantum et in sylvis degunt
t Virg. iEn. 7.
119
chin turned up ; his right hand holds a rusty scythe,
and his left a child, which he is about to devour.
He is the son of Terra, or Vesta, and Ccelum,
Coelus, or CccJius, who was the son of jEdier and
Dies, and the most ancient of all the gods. This
Coelum married his own daughter Vesta, by whom
he had many children. The most eminent of them
was Saturn, whose brothers were the Cyclops, Ocea-
nus, Titan, the hundred-handed giants, and divers
others ; his sisters were Ceres, Tethys, and Ops, or
Rhea, whom he afterwards married. The sisters
persuaded their mother Vesta to exclude Titan,
or Titanus, the eldest son, and to appoint Saturn
heir of his father's kingdom. When Titan saw
the fixed resolution of his mother and sisters, he
would not strive against the stream, but voluntarily
quitted his right, and transferred it to Saturn, under
condition that he should not bring up any male chil-
dren, so that after Saturn's death, the kingdom
might return to the children of Titan.
His wife Ops, perceiving that her husband devour-
ed all her male children, when she brought forth the
twins, Jupiter and Juno, she only sent Juno to hira,
and sent Jupiter to be nursed in Mount Ida, by the
priestesses of Cybele, who were called Curetes, or
Corybantes. It was their custom to beat drums
and cymbals while the sacrifices were ofiered up,
and the noise of them hindered Saturn from hearing
the cries of Jupiter. By the same trick she also
saved Neptune and Pluto fi:om her devouring hus-
band.
Titan, when he saw himself cheated, and the
agreement broken, to revenge the injury, raised for-
ces, and brouglit them against Saturn, and making
both him and Rhea prisoners, he bound them, and
shut them together in hell, where they lay till .Jupi-
ter, a few years after, overcame the Titans, and set
his father and mother again at liberty. After this
120
Saturn strove to take away his life ; because he
heard bj an oracle that he should be driven out of
his kingdom by a son, as in reality he was after-
wards ; for Jupiter deposed him from the throne,
and expelled him the kingdom ; because he had con-
spired to take away his life. Beside this, when he
found Saturn almost drunk with mead, he bound
and maimed him, as Saturn had also maimed his
father Coelum before, with his sickle.
Saturn having thus lost his kingdom went into
Italy, which was anciently called Saturnia. He
lived there with king Janus ; and that part of Italy
ill which he lay hidden, was afterwards called La-
tium, and the people Latini ; as Ovid observes :
" Inde diu Genti raansit Saturnia nomen:
Dicta fuil Latium terra, latente Deo." Fast. 1.
The name Saturnia thence this land did bear,
And Latium too, because ke shelter'd here.
King Janus made Saturn partner of his kingdom,
upon which Saturn reduced the people to civil so-
ciety, and joined them to each other, as it were, in
chains of brass, that is, by the brass money which he
invented ; and therefore, on one side of the money
was stamped a ship.
" At bona posteritas pnpplm signavit in aera,
Hospitis adventum testiiicata Dei." Fast. 3.
A sh-ip by th' following age was stamp'd on coin,
To show they once a god did entertain.
And on the other side was stamped a Janus Bifrons.
But although the money was brass, yet this was the
golden age in which Saturn lived, when, as the poets,
who magnify the happiness of that age, would per-
suade us, the earth without the labour of ploughing
and sowing brought forth its fruits, and all things
were common to all, Virgil hath given an elegant
description of this happy age in the eighth book of
his Mne'id :
121
" Primus ad aethereo venit Saturnus Olympo,
Arma Jovis fugiens, et regnis exul ademptis.
Is genus indocile, ac dispersum montibus altis
Composuit, legesque dedit. Latiumque vocari
Maluit, liis quoniam latuisset tutus in oris :
Aurea, quae ut perhibent, illo sub rege fuere
SaBcula ; sic placida populos in pace regebat."
Then Saturn came, who fled the pow'rs of Jove,
Robb'd of his realms, and banish'd from above.
The men dispers'd on hills to tov^n he brought,
The laws ordain'd, and civil customs taught,
And Latiura call'd the land, where safe he lay
From his unduteous son, and his usurping sway.
With his wild empire, peace and plenty came j
And hence the golden times derived their name.
qUEST10^'S FOR EXAMIKATIOK.
How are the terrestrial deities divided, and why?
Which are the most celebrated of the celestial deities?
How is Saturn described ?
Whose son was he, and who were his brothers and sisters?
What was the conduct of his sisters to him ?
How did Titan act, ar.»d for what did he stipulate ?
By what means did Jupiter escape, and who besides were sa
ved in like manner ?
Who were the corybantes ; and what was their custom in ofc
faring sacrifices ?
How did Titan avenge himself upon Saturn?
Who released Saturn, and kow did he requite the exertions of
Tupiter in his behalf?
How did Jupiter act afterwards?
What is the origin of the name Latini ?
Repeat the two Latin and English lines.
What did he perform at Latium ?
How is the age in which Saturn flourished describedby thepoetrf
Repeat the lines from Virgil —
" Primus ad sethereo venit," &;c.
SEC. 2.— NAMES OF SATURN. SACRIFICES, &c
Many derive the name Saturnus* from sowing,
because be first taught the art of sowing and tilling
the gi'ound, in Italy ; and therefore he was esteem-
ed the god of husbandry, and called Stercutius by
the Romans, because he first fattened the earth with
manure : he is accordingly painted with a sickle,
♦ Saturnus dictus est a Satu, sicut a Portu Portunus, et a Nq^
tti Neptunus. Festus. Serv. in JEn. 7. Lips. Sat. 3.
11
122
with which the meadows are mowed and the corn is
cut down. This sickle was thrown into Sicily, and
there fell within a city then called Trepanmn, and
since Trepano, from that circumstance ; though
others affirm, that this city had its name from that
sickle which Ceres had from Vulcan, and gave the
Titans v/hen she taught them to mow. But others
say, the town had its name oecause it v/as crooked
and hollow, like a sickle. Indeed Sicily is so fruit-
ful in corn and pasture, that the poets justly imagin-
ed that the sickle was invented there.
Saturnus is derived from that ^fulness which is
the effect of his bounty when he fills the people with
provisions ; as his wife was called f Ops, because
" she helps the hungry." Others affirm, that he is
called Saturn, Jbecause he is satisfied vjith the years
that he devours, for Saturn and Time are the same.
Men were sacrificed to SaUirn, because he was
delighted, as they thought, with human blood :
therefore the gladiators were placed under his pro-
tection, and fought at his feasts. The Romans es-
teemed him an infernal gcd, as Plutarch says, be-
cause the planet Saturn is malignant and hurtful.
Those who sacrificed to him had their heads bare,
and his priests wore scarlet garments. On this altar
were placed wax tapers lighted, because by Saturn
men were brought from the darlmess of error to the
light of truth.
The feasts Saturnalia, in the Greek language
Kpovix [^Croiiial were instituted either by Tullu-
king of the Romans, or, if we believe Livy, by
Sempronius and Minutius, the consuls. Till the
time of Julius Ceesar they were finished in one day,
viz. on the 19th of December ; after this they began
to celebrate them for three days ; and then, during
four or five, by the order of CaUgula : and some
* A saturando, quasi saturet populos annona.
f Quod esurientibes opem ferat.
X Quod ipse saturetur annis quos ipse devorat. Cic.de Nat. Deor. 2
123
write, that they lasted seven days. Hence they call
ed these days the first, the second, the third, &ic
festivals of Saturn : and when these days were added
to the feast, the first day of celebrating it was the
17th day of December.
Upon these festival days, 1. The senate did not
sit. 2. The schools kept holyday. 3. Presents
were sent among friends. 4. It was milawful to
proclaim war, or execute oilenders. 5. Servants
were allowed to be jocose and merry toward their
masters ; as we learn from Ausonius :
" Aurea nunc revocat Saturni festa December ;
Nunc tibi cum doraino ludere, verna, licet." Eel. de Men.
December now brings Saturn's merry feasts,
When masters bear their sportive servants' jests.
6. Nay, the masters waited on their servants, who
sat at table, in memory of that liberty which all en-
joyed in ancient times in Saturn's reign, when there
was no servitude. 7. Contrary to the custom, they
washed them as soon as they arose, as if tliey were
about sitting down at table. 8. And lastly, they
put on a certain festival garment, called synthesis,
like a cloak, of purple or scarlet colour, and this
gentlemen only wore.
Q,UESTIOKS FOR EXAMINATION.
How is the name of Saturn derived, and why is he esteemed
Ihe god of husbandry ?
Why is lae often painted with a sickle in his hand ?
How do others derive the name as an assistant to the poor ?
Why were gladiators put under his protection ?
How was he esteemed by the Romans ?
How were jii-' sacrifices made ?
When were the Saturnalia institut<;d; and how long did they
last in each year ?
What peculiarities were observed during the feasts ?
SEC. 3.— THE HISTORICAL SENSE OF THE FABLE BY
SATURN IS MEANT NOAH.
Although it is generally said, that Saturn was
Nimrod, the founder of the empire of Babylon, yet I
124
am more iiicliiKid to believe the opinion of Bochar*
tus, who maintains that Saturn and Noah were the
same. The reasons which he brings are these :
1 . In the time of Noah '^the whole earth spoke
one language : and the ancient mythologists say, that
the beasts understood this language. And it is said,
jthat in Saturn's age there was but one language,
which was common to men and brutes.
2. Noah is called in the Hebrew language Ja
man of the earth, that is, a husbandman, according
to the usual phrase of Scripture, which calls a sol-
dier ||a man of war ; a strong man §a man of arms ;
a murderer ITa man of blood ; an orator *^a man
of words ; and a shepherd \\artian of cattle. Now
Saturn is justly called a man of the earth, because
lie married Tellus, whose other names were Rhea
and Ops.
3. As Noah was the first planter of vineyards, so
the art of cultivating vines and fields is attributed to
Saturn's invention.
4. As Noah was once overcome with wine, be-
cause perhaps he never experienced the strength of
it before; so the Saturnahans did frequently drink
excessively, because Saturn protected drunken men.
5. As Noah cursed his son Ham, because he
saw his father's nakedness with delight ; so Saturn
made a law that whoever saw the gods naked should
be punished.
6. Plato says, " that Saturn and his wife Rhea,
and those with them, were born of Oceanus and The-
tis :" and thus Noah, and all that were widi him,
were in a manner new born out of the waters of the
deluge, by the help of the ark. And if a ship was
sta;Tiped upon the ancient coins, because Saturn
* Genesis xi. 1. § Job xxii. 3.
t Plato in Politicis. TI 2 Samuel xvi. 17.
X Vir terras, Gen. ix. 20. ** Exod. iv.
jj jQshuei V, 4, ft Gen. xlvi. 33.
125
came into Italy in a ship ; surely this honour be-
longed rather to Noah, who in a ship preserved the
race of mankind from utter destruction.
7. Did Noah foretel the coming of the flood ? so
did Saturn foretel, *" that there should be great
quantities of rain, and an ark built, in which men,
and birds, and creeping things, should all sail to-
gether."
8. Saturn is said to have devoured all his sons,
except Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto. So Noah may
be said to have condemned all men, f because he
foretold that they would be destroyed in the flood.
For in the scripture phrase, the prophets are said
to " do the things which they foretel shall be done
hereafter." But as Saturn had three sons left to him
not devoured ; so Noah had three, Shem, Cham or
Ham, and Japhet, who were not destroyed by the
flood.
Furthermore, these reasons may persuade us that
Noah's son Cham is Jupiter : 1 . His Hebrew name
Ham is by many called Cham, from which the
Egyptians had the name 'a^m-sv [Amouri] and the
Africans had Ammon or Hammon. 2. Cham was
the youngest son of Noah, as Jupiter was of Saturn.
3. Jupiter is said to be lord of the heavens ; thus
Cham had Africa, which comitry is esteemed nearer
the heavens than any other countries, because it has
the planets vertical.
Japhet is the same with Neptune ; for as Nep-
tune had the command of the sea, so the islands and
peninsulas fell chiefly to Japhet's lot.
Shem is supposed to be the Pluto of the ancients,
which is thus accounted for : he was so holy, and so
• Kpovoj vr^offnfi,a!vii 'uridcti zrXn^of e/ifipcj* &LC. id est, Satumns
praenunciat magnam imbrium vim futuram, et fabricandam,
«sse arcani, et in ea cum volucribus, reptilibus, atque ju-
mentis esse navigandum. dlex. Polyhislor. Apud Cyril, contra
Julian, 1. 1.
t Hebrews xi. 7.
126
great an enemy to idolatry, that tlue idolaters hated
him while he lived, and endeavoured to blacken his
memory when he died, by sending him to the Sty-
gian darkness, and putting into his hand the sceptre
of hell.
The Greek words signifying Saturn and Time,
differ only in one letter, from which it is plain, that
by Saturn, Time may be meant. And on this ac-
count Saturn is painted devouring his children, and
throwing them up again ; as time devours and con-
sumes all things that it has produced, which at
length revive and are renewed. Our days, months,
or years, are the children of Time, which he con-
stantly devours and produces anew.
Lastly, as Saturn has his scythe, so has Time too,
with which he mows down all things ; neither can
the hardest adamant withstand the edge thereof.
qUESTWJ^S FOR EXAMINATION,
With what scripture character has Saturn been identified ?
What is the first reason for supposing Saturn and Noah to bo
the same person ?
What is the second ?
What is the third ?
What is the fourth ?
What is the fifth ?
What is the sixth ?
What is the seventh ?
What is the eighth ?
What are the reasons for supposing Noah's son Cham to be
Jupiter ?
With which of the scripture characters is Neptune compared ?
How is it accounted for that Shem and Pluto are the same
personages ?
Point out the arguments to prove that Saturn and Time are
the same ?
^ ■ or TBE '^y \
U1TI7EESITTJ
^^mmm
127
CHAPTER n.
SEC. 1. —JANUS. HIS IMAGE, NAMES, AND ACTIONS
Janus is the two-faced god ; holding a key in his
right hand, and a rod in his left. Beneath his feet
you see twelve altars ; some say he was the son of
Ccelus and Hecate ; and that this name was given to
him *from a word signifying to go or pass through,
f Whence it is that thoroughfares are called in the
plural number jani ; and the gates before the door
of private houses, januce. A place at Rome was
called Jani, in which were three images of Janus :
and there usurers and creditors met always to pay
and receive money. This place is mentioned both
by JTully and || Horace.
As he is painted with two faces, so he is called by
Virgil, Bifrons, and by Ovid, Biceps :
" Jane Biceps anni tacite labentis imago,
Solus de superis, qui tua terga vides."
Thou double pate, the sliding year dost show,
The only god that thine own back can view.
Because so great was his prudence, that he saw
both the things past, and those which were future.
Or by Janus the world was thought to be meant,
viewing with two faces the two principal quarters,
the east and the west.
When Romulus, king of the Romans, made a
• Jan IS quasi Eanus ab eundo.
f Unde fit ut transitiones perviae Jani (plurali numero) fores
que in limis profanarum aedium Januae dicerentur. Cic. de Nat.
Deor.
$ Viri optimi ad medium Janum sedentes. Cic. de Offic. 2.
Dempster, in Paralip.
[I Imus et Summus Janus. Horat. I. 1, ep. 1.
128
league with Titus, king of the Sabines, they set np
an image of Janus Bifrons, intending thereby to re-
present both nations between which the peace was
conchided. Numa afterwards built a temple, which
had double doors, and dedicated it to the same Ja-
nus. When Fahsci, a city of Hetruria, was taken,
there was an image of Janus found with four faces ;
upon which the temple of Janus had four gates, but
o£ that temple we shall speak by-and-by.
He is called Claviger, " turnkey" or " club-beai^
cr," from the rod and the key in his hands. He
held the rod, because he was the guardian of the
ways, rector viarum ; and the key for these reasons :
1. He was the inventor of locks, doors, and gates,
which are called januce, after his name : and him-
self is called Janitor, because doors were mider hia
protection.
2. He is the Janitor of the year, and of all the
months ; the first of which takes the name of Janu-
ary from him. To Juno belongs the calends of the
months, and she committed them to his care, there-
fore he is called by some Junonius, and Martial takes
notice, that the government of the year was com-
mitted to him ; for which reason twelve altars were
dedicated to him, according to the number of the
months ; as there were also twelve small chapels in
his temple. The consuls at Rome were inaugurated
in tlie temple of Janus, who were from this said to
open the year. Upon the calends of January (and
as Macrobius says on the calends of March) a new
laurel was hung upon the statue of Janus, and the
old laurel was taken away ; to which custom Ovid
refers.
" Laurea Flaminibus, quae toto perstitit anno
Tollitur, et frondes sunt in honore novae." Fast. 8L
The laurel that the former year did grace,
T' a fresh and verdant gailand yields his place.
129
Pliny thought this custom was occasioned because
Janus rules over the year ; " The statue," says he,
"of Janus, which Avas dedicated by Numa, had its
fingers so composed, as to signify the number of
three hundred and sixty-five days ; to show diat Ja-
nus was a god, by his knowledge of the year, and
time, and ages." He had not these figures described
on his hand, but had a peculiar way of numbering
tliem, by bending, stretching, or mixing his fijigers,
of which numeration many are the opinions of au-
thors.
3. He holds a key in his hand, because he is, as
it were, the door through which the prayers of man-
kind have access to the gods : for, in all sacrifices,
prayers were offered up to Janus. And Janus him-
self gives the same reason, as we find in Ovid, why,
before men sacrificed to any of the other gods, they
first ofiered sacrifice to him :
— " Cur quamvis aliorum numina placem,
Jane, tibi primum thura merumque fero ?
Ut posiis adituaa per me, qui iimina servo,
Ad quoscunque voles iiiquit; habere decs." Fcut. h
Why is't that though I other gods adore,
I first must Janus* deity implore ? —
Because I hold the door, by which access
Is had to any god you would address.
But Festus says, because men thought that all
things took their being from Janus, therefore they
first made their supplications to him as to a common
father. For though the name father is given to all
the gods, yet Janus was particularly called by tliis
name.
He first built temples and altars, and instituted
religious rites ; and for that reason, among others,
in all sacrifices they begin their rites by ofiering
bread, corn, and wine, to Janus, before any thing is
ofiered to any other deity. Frankincense was ne-
ver ofiered to him, though Ovid mentions it, whick
130
therefore he inserts either by poetical license, or
only in respect to the sacrifices which were in use
in his time. For Pliny asserts, that they did not sa-
crifice with firankincense in the times of the Trojans.
Neither does Homer m the least mention frankincense
in any place where he speaks concerning sacrificev5.
He was also called Patulcius and Clusius, or Patu-
lacius and Clausius ; from opening and shutting ;
for in the time of war Janus' temple was open, but
shut in the time of peace. This temple was found-
ed by Romulus and Tatius. Numa ordained that
it should be opened when the Romans waged war,
but shut when they enjojed peace.
Ovid mentions both these latter names of Janus
in a distich : and Virgil describes the manner and
occasion of opening his temple, and also the conse
quences of shutting i^ again :
" Sunt gerainae belli portas sic nomine dicunt
Religione S5)cr?e e\ ^aivi formidine martis.
Centum aerei claudunt vecfes ajternaque ferri
Robora ; nee cusvos abslsiit limine Janus.
Has ubi cerla sedet patribus sententia pugnae,
Ipse Quii'inali trabeacinctuqueGabino
In^ignis,* resfcrat stridentla limina consul." ^n. 7.
Two gates of steel (the name of Mars they bear,
And fecill are worshipped with religious fear)
Before his temple stand : the dire abode
And the fear'd issues of the furious god
Are fenc'd with brazen bolts ; without the gates
The weary guardian Janus doubtly waits.
Then when the sacred senate votes the wars,
The Roman consul their decree declares,
And in his robes the sounding gates unbars.
It is remarkable, that within the space of seven
hundred years, tliis temple of Jaims was shut only
thrice : once by Numa ; the second time by the
consuls ]\Iarcus Attilius and Titus Manlius, after the
Carthaginian war ; and lastly, by Augustus, after
the victory at Actium.
In this story of Janus, we may behold the repre-
sentation of a very prudent person ; whose wisdowj
131
consists " in the remembrance of things past, and in
the foresight of things to come."
" Aspera turn positis mitescent saecula bellis :
Cana fides, et Vesta, Remo cum fratre Quirinus
Jura dabunt ; dira^. ferro et compagibus arctis
Claudentur belli porta?, Furor impius intus,
Sieva sedens super arma, et centum vinctus ahenia
Post tergum nodis, fremet horridus ore cruento."
Then dire debate, and impious war shall cease,
Then the steni age be sof len'd into peace :
Then banish'd faith shall once again return,
And vestal fires in liallow'd temples burn ;
And Remus with Quirinus shall sustain
The righteous laws, and fraud and force restrain.
Janus himself before his fane shall wait,
And keep the dreadful issues of his gate,
With bolts and iron bars. Within remains
Imprison'd Fury, bound in brazen chains ;
High on a trophy rais'd of useless arms
He sits, and threats the world w^ith vain alarms.
The prudent man ought therefore to have, as it
were, two faces ; that, according to his natural sa-
gacity of mind, and ripeness of judgment, observing
both things past and future, he may be able to dis-
cern the causes, beginnings, and progresses of all
events and things.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMINATION.
Who was Janus, and from what is his name derived ?
Who mentions the place called the Jani at Rome, and for
whai was it used ?
What is he named by Virgil and Ovid, and why ?
What happened in the reigns of Romulus and Numa?
Why w^as he called Claviger ?
Why was he named Janitor ?
Which month is said to be named after him
Why is he called Junonius ?
Why were the Roman consuls said to open the year?
To what custom does Ovid refer ?
What does Pliny say on this subject ?
Why does he hold a key in his hand ?
What did Janus do ?
What sacrifices were offered to him ?
Why was he called Patulcius and Clusius ?
132
By whom was the temple of Janus founded ?
In hou' long was it only thrice shut?
What does the story of Janus teach ?
CHAPTER III.
VULCAN. HIS SERVANTS AND SONS
Vulcan is both a smith and a god, and had a
shop in the island Lemnos, where he exercised his
trade, and where, though he was a god himself, he
made Jupiter's thunder and the arms of the other
gods. He was born of Jupiter and Juno, some say of
Jimo only ; and being contemptible for his deformity,
was cast down from heaven into the island Lemnos,
whence he is called Lemnius : he broke his leg with
the fall, and if the Lemnians had not caught him when
he fell, he had certainly broke his neck : he has ever
since been lame. "^'In requital of their kindness, he
fixed his seat among them, and set up the craft of a
smith ; teaching them the manifold uses of fire and
iron ; and from softening and polishing iron, fhe re-
ceived the name Mulciber, or Midcifer. He was the
god of fire, the inventor and patron of the art of
fabricating arms and all kinds of utensils from the
metals. His most celebrated works are the famous
palace of the sun ; the armour of Achilles and Mne-
as ; the beautiful necklace of Hermione, and the
CTOv^n of Ariadne. According to Homer, the shield
of Achilles was enamelled with metals of various co-
lours, and contained twelve historical designs, with
• "Ttov i^iis 70V "Epwra, yctjvcc7x,a,, o£ t^v 'A^/Joairw?,
Cupid is Vulcan's son, Venus his wife,
No wonder then he goes lame all his life.
t A mulcendo ferro. Vide Lucan, 1, 1.
/'V^'-
"V^m^
133
groups of figures of great beauty : the seats wK
Vulcan constructed for the gods were so contrive-
that they came self-moved from the sides of thi
apartment to the place where each god seated him-
self at the table when a council was to be held. He
is described by Homer in the midst of his works •
-the silver footed dame
Reacli'd the Vulcanian dome, eternal frame !
High-eminent, amid the works divine,
Where heaven's far beaming brazen mansions shine.
There the lame Architect tlie goddess found,
Obscure in smoke, his forges flaming round ;
While bath'd in SAveat, from fire to lire he flew,
And, puffing loud, the roaring bellows blew\
Then from his anvil the lame artist rose ;
Wide with distorted legs obliijue he goes,
And stills the bellows, and, in order laid.
Locks in their chest the instruments of trade.
Then with a sponge the sooty workman drest
His brawny arms imbrown'd, and hairy breast:
With his huge sceptre grac'd, and red attire.
Came halting forth the sov'reign of the fire. — Homer,
He obtained in marriage the most beautiful god-
dess Venus ; who behaved treacherously towards
him, as has been already noticed. He desired to
marry ^linerva, and Jupiter consented, if he could
overcome her modesty. For when Vulcan made
arms for the gods, Jupiter gave him leave to choose
out of the goddesses a wife, and he chose Minerva ;
but he admonished her at the same time to refuse
him, as she successfully did.
At Rome were celebrated the Vulcania, feasts in
lionour of Vulcan ; at which they threw animals
into the fire to be burnt to death. The Athenians
instituted other feasts to his honour, called Chalsea.
A temple besides was dedicated to him upon the
mountain jEtna, from which he is sometimes named
iEtnaeus. This temple was guarded by dogs, whose
sense of smeUing was so exquisite, that they could
discern whether the persons tha came thither were
chaste and religious, or whether they were wicked ^
12
134
they used to meet, and flatter and follow the good,
esteeming them the acquaintance and friends of Vul-
can their master.
It is feigned, that the first woman was fashioned
by the hammer of Vulcan, and that every god gave
lier some present, whence she was called Pandora.
Pallas gave her wisdom, Apollo the art of music,
Mercury the art of eloquence, Venus gave her beau-
ty, and the rest of the gods gave her other ac-
comphshments. They say also, that when Prome-
theus stole fire from heaven, to animate the man
which he had made, Jupiter was incensed, and sent
Pandora to Prometheus with a sealed box, but Pro-
metheus would not receive it. He sent her with the
same box again to the wife of Epimetheus, the bro-
ther of Prometheus ; and she, out of a curiosity na-
tural to her sex, opened it, which as soon as she
had done, all sorts of diseases and evils, with which
it was filled, flew among mankind, and have infest-
ed them ever since. And nothing was left in the
bottom of the box but Hope.
Vulcan's servants were called Cyclops, because
they had but one eye, which was in the middle of
tlieir foreheads, of a circular figure ; Neptune and
Amphitrite were their parents. The names of three
of them were Brontes, Steropes, and Pyracmon ;
besides these there were many more, ail of whom
exercised the art of smithery under Vulcan, as we
are taught by Virgil. — JEn. 8.
Cacus, so called from his wickedness, tormented
all Latium with his fires and robberies ; living like a
beast in a dismal cave. He stole Hercules' oxen,
and dragged them backward by their tails into his
cave, that the track of their feet might not discover
this repository of his thefts. But Hercules passing
by, heard tlie lowing of the oxen in the cave, broke
open the doors, and seizing the villain, put him to
death. — Virg. JEn. 8.
135
His cave was so dark, that it admitted not the
least ray of light ; the floor of it was red with the
blood perpetually shed upon it, and the heads and
limbs of tlie men he had murdered were fastened to
the posts of the doors.
Cae-culus also lived by plunder and robbery. He
was so called from the smallness of his eyes : it is
tliought the noble family of the Csecihi at Rome de-
rived their origin from him. He was the founder
of the city Prseneste. Others say, that the shep-
herds found Cseculus unhurt in the midst of the fire,
as soon as he was born ; from which he was thought
to be the son of Vulcan.
To these servants and sons of Vulcan, add the
shepherd Polyphemus, a monster not unlike them,
born of Neptune. For he had but one eye in his
forehead, like the Cyclops, and he procured his
living by murders and robberies, like Cacus and
Cseculus. This monster drew Ulj^sses and some of
his companions into his den in Sicil}^, and devoured
them. He thought, too, that the rest of Ulysses'
servants could not escape his jaws. But Ulysses
made him drunk with wine, and then with a fire
brand quite put out his sight, and escaped.
" Visceribus miserorum, et sanguine vescitur atro,
Vidi egomet, duo de numero cum corpora nostra
Prensa manu magna, medio resupinus in antro
Fran ge ret ad saxum, sanieque aspera natarent
Limiiia: vidi, atro cum membra fluentia tabo
Manderet, et tepidi tremerent sub dcntibus artus.
Hand impune quidem : nee talia passus Ulysses,
Oblitusve sui est Ithacus discrimine tanto.
Nam simul e^pletus dapibus, vinoque sepultus
Cervicem inflexam posuit, jacuitque per antrum
Immensus, saniem eructans, ac frusta cruento
Per somnum cornmixta mero ; nos magna precati
Numina, sortitique vices, una undique circum
Fundimur, et telo lumen terebramus acute
Ingens ; quod torva solum sub fronte latebat,
Argolici clypei aut Phoebeae lampadis instar." —
Vir^. Mn. 3
136
The joints of slaughter'd Avrelches are his food,
And for his wine he quaffs the streaming blood.
These eyes beheki, when with his spacious hand
He seiz'd two captives of our Grecian hand ;
Stretch'd on liis back, he dash'd against the stones
Their broken bodies and tlieir crackling bones.
With spouting blood tiie purple pavement swims,
While the dhe glutton grinds tlie trembling limbs.
Not unreveng'd Ulysses bore their fate,
Nor thoughtless of his own unhappy state;
For gorg'd with flesh, and drunk with human wine,
While fast asleep the giant lay supine,
Snoring aloud, and belcliing from his maw
His undigested foam and morsels raw ;
We pray, we c:ist the lots; and then surround
The monstrous body, stietch"d along the ground,
Each as he could approach him, lends a hand
To bore his eyebald with a fiaming brand ;
Beneath his frowning forehead lay his eye,
For only one did this vast frame supply,
But that a globe so large, iiis front it fill'd.
Like the sun's disk, or like the Grecian shield.
qUESTIOKS FOR EXMILY^TIOJV.
Who was Vulcan, and where did he exercise his trade
Whose son was he, and what accident happened to him .'
How was his iife saved, and how did he requite the kindness
of his benefactors ?
Who did he marry ?
Did he wish to marry any one besides, and was he successful /
What were the Vulcania, and how were they celebrated .''
What other feasts; and what temple was dedicated to him'
What is said of the dogs that guarded that temple ?
What story is told of Vulcan with respect to Pandora.'
Who were Vulcan's servants, and w^iat was their business'
What is said of his son Cacus ?
What is said of Calculus, another son ?
How is Polyphemus described ?
CHAPTER IV.
iEOLUS.
He who stands next him is iEokis, the " god of
the winds," the son of Jupiter and Acesta or Seges
ta, the daughter of Hippotas, from whom he is iia
137
nied Hippotades. He dwelt in one oi thost seven
islands, which from him are called iEolise, and some-
times Vulcanise. He was a skillul astronomer, and
an excellent natural philosopher : he understood
more particularly tlie nature of the winds ; and, by
observing the clouds of smoke of the ^olian islands,
he was enabled to foretel winds and tempests a
great while before they arose, and it was generally
believed they were under his power : so that he
could raise the winds, or still them as he pleased.
Hence he was styled emperor and king of the winds,
the children of Astreeus and Aurora. Virgil de-
scribes Juno coming to him, at his palace, of whicJ:
he gives a description 'n beautiful verse ;
" Nimborum in patriam, loca feta furentibus Austris,
^oliatn venit. Hie vasto rex iEolus antro
Luctantes ventos, tempestatesque sonoras
Imperio premit, ac vinclis et carcere froenat.
lUi indignantes magno cum murmure mentis
Circum claustra fremunt. Cclsa sedet jEoIus arce,
Sceptra tenens ; mollitque animos, et tcmperat has*
Ni facial, maria ac terras, ccelumque profundum
Quippe ferant rapidi secum, verrantque per auras,
Sed pater omnipotens speluncis abdldit atris,
Hoc metuens ; molemque, et montes insuper altos,
Imposuit ; regeraque dedit, qui focdere certo,
Et premere, et laxas sciret dare jussus habenas."
Thus rag'd the goddess, and with fury fraught.
The restless regions of the storms she sought.
Where, in a spacious cave of living stone,
The Tyrant ^Eolus, from his airy throne,
With pow'r imperial curbs the struggling winds,
And sounding tempests in dark prisons binds.
This way and that, th' in.patient captives tend.
And, pressing for relief, the mountains rend.
High in his hall th' undaunted monarch stands,
And shakes his sceptre, and their rage commands j
Which did he not, their unresisted sway
Would sweep the world before them in their way.
Earth, air and seas, through empty space would roll,
And heav'n would fly before the driving soul.
In fear of this, the father of the gods
Confined their fury to these dark abodes,
And lock'd them safe, oppress'd with mountain-loads 5
12*
138
Impos'd a king with arbitrary sway,
To loose their fetters, or their force allay.
Q,UESTIO^^S FOR EXJMIJV^TIOK.
Who was Mollis, and where did he liv^e ?
What was his character as a philosopher?
What was generally believed of him ?
How was he styled in consequence of this ?
Give Virgil's fine description —
CHAPTER V.
MOMUS.
The name of the god Momus is derived from the
Greek, signifying a jester, mocker, or mimick ; for
tliat is his business. He follows no particular em-
ployment, but lives an idle life, yet nicely observes
the actions and sayings of the other gods, and when
he finds them doing amiss, or neglecting their duty,
he censures, mocks and derides them with the great-
est liberty.
Neptune, Vulcan, and Minerva, may witness the
truth of this. They all contended for the mastery
as the most skilful artificer : whereupon Neptune
made a bull, Minerva a house, and Vulcan a man :
Momus was appointed judge between them ; but he
chid them all three. He accused Neptune of impru-
dence, because he did not place the bull's horns in
his forehead before his eyes : for then the bull might
give a surer and a stronger blow. He blamed Mi-
nerva, because her house was immoveable ; so that it
could not be carried away, if by chance it was pla-
ced among bad neighbours. But he said that Vul-
can was the most imprudent of them all, because he
did not make a window in the man's breast, that we
139
might see what his thoughts were, whether he de-
signed some trick, or whether he intended what he
spoke.
The parents of Momus were Nox and Somniis. It
IS a sign of a dull, drowsy, sottish disposition, when
we see a man satirizing and censuring the actions of
all other men, because none but God is wholly per-
fect : some imperfections attaches to every other be-
ing, so that every thing is defective and liable to
blame.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMIKJITION.
What does the name of Momus signify ?
How is he employed ?
For what did Neptune, Vulcan, and Minerva contend ?
What was the decision of Momus with respect to their SCT©-
n»l performances ?
Who were the parents of Momus ?
What does a satirical temper indicate
CHAPTER VI.
OF THE TERRESTRIAL GODDESS VESTA
Vesta, whom you see sitting and holding a drum
is the wife of Coelum, and the mother of Saturn.
She is the eldest of the goddesses, and is placed
among the terrestrial goddesses, because she is the
same with Terra, and has her name from *clothing ;
plants and fruits being the garments of the earth.
Or, f according to Ovid, the earth is called Vesta
from its stabihty, because it supports itself. She
• Quod plantis frugibusque terra vestiatur.
t " Stat vi terra sua, vestando Vesta vocatur."— — Farf. 6.
By its own strength supported Terra stands ;
Hence it is Vesta nam'd.
140
sits, because the earth is immoveable, and was sup-
posed to be placed in the centre of the world. Ves-
ta has a drum, because the earth contains the bois-
terous winds in its bosom ; and divers flowers weave
tiiemselves into a crown, with which her head is
crowned. Several kinds of animals creep about and
fawn upon her. Because the earth is round, Ves-
ta's temple at Rome was also round, and some say
that the image of Vesta was orbicular in some pla-
ces, but "^Ovid says her image was rude and shape-
less. And hence round tables were anciently called
vestce, because, like the card), they supply all neces-
saries of life for us. It is no wonder that the first
oblations in all sacrifices were offered to her, since
whatever is sacrificed springs from the earth. And
the Greeks both began and concluded their sacrifi-
ces with Vesta, whom they esteemed as the mother
of all the gods.
There were two Vestas, the elder and the young-
er. The first of whom I have been speaking was
the wife of Coelum and the mother of Saturn.
The second was the daughter of Saturn by his wife
Rhea. And as the first is the same with Terra,
so the other is the same with Ignis : and her power
was exercised about altars and houses. The woi'd
vesta is often put for fire itself, for it is derived from
a Greek word which signifies a chimney, a house, or
household goods. She is esteemed the president
and guardian of houses, and one of the household
deities ; not without reason, since she invented tlie
art of building houses : and, therefore, an image of
Vesta, to which they sacrificed every day, was pla-
ced before the doors of the houses at Rome : and
the places where these statues were set up were call-
ed vestibular from Vesta.
• " Effigiem nullam Vesta nee ignis habet."
No image V^esta's shape can e'er express,
Or fire's
1
141
Tins goddess was a virgin, and so great an ad-
mirer of virginity, that when Jupiter, her brother,
gave her liberty of asking what she would, she beg-
ged that she might always be a virgin, and have the
first oblations in all sacrifices. She not only ob-
tained her desire but received this further honour
among the Romans, that a perpetual fire was kept
in her temp!e, among the sacred pledges of the em-
pire ; not upon an altar, or in tlie chimnies, but in
earthen vessels, hanging in the air ; which the ves-
tal virgms tended with so much care, that if by
chance this fire was extinguished, all public and pri-
vate business was interrupted, and a vacation pro-
claimed till they had expiated the unhappy prodigy
with incredible pains ; and if it appeared that the
virgins were the occasion of its going out, by care-
lessness, they were severely pmiished, and sometimes
with rods.
In j-ecompense for this severe law, the vestals ob-
tained extraordinary privileges and respect : they
had the most honourable seat at games and festi-
vals : the consuls and magistrates gave way when-
ever they met them : their declarations in trials were
admitted without the form cf an oath ; and, if they
happened to encounter in their path a criminal go-
ing to the place of execution, he immediately ob-
tained his pardon. Upon the calends of ]\Iarch,
every year, though it was not extinguished, they
used to renew it with no other fire than that which
was produced by the rays of the sun.
It has been conjectured, that when the poets say
that Yesta is the same with fire, the fire of Vulcan's
forge is not miderstood, nor yet the dangerous flames
of Venus, but a pure, unmixed, benign llame, so ne-
cessary for us, that human life cannot possibly sub-
sist without it ; whose heat being difiiised through
all the parts of the body, quickens, cherishes, re-
freshes, and nourishes it ; a flame really sacred, hea-
142
venly, and divine ; repaired daily by the food which
we eat, and on which the safety and welfare of our
bodies depend. Tins llame moves and actuates the
whole body ; and cannot be exthiguished but when
life itself ceases with it.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMIKATIOK.
"Who Avas Vesta ?
Why is she placed among the terrestrial goddesses
What reasons are assigned for the ornaments with which she
ts decked ?
Why is Vesta's temple round ?
What are the Vestas ?
Why Avere tlie first sacrifices offered to Vesta ?
W^hy did the Greeks begin and conclude their sacrifices with
Vesta ?
Who Avere thp Iaa'd Vestas ?
For Avhat i^s Uie word " vesta" put?
W"hy is she esteeiiicd the president and guardian of houses :
and AAhy AA'as her image placed before the doors of the houses
at Rome ?
What favour did she ask of Jupiter ; and Avhat other honour
did she obtain among the Romans ?
V^^hat Avas the duty of the vestal \'irgins ?
What Avas the punishment inflicted on them if they suffered
Che fire to go out ?
What respect Avas paid them, by Avay of recompense for the
severity of this law ?
When and hoAv Avas the vestal fire reneAved?
What is understood by the vestal fire ?
CHAPTER VII.
SEC. 1.— CYBELE. HER IMAGE. HER NAMES.
Cybele is the goddess not of cities only, but of
all things which the earth sustains. She is the
Earth itself. On the earth are built many towers
and castles, so on her head is placed a crown of tow-
ers. In her hand she carries a key, for in winter
143
the earth loclis up those treasures which she brings
forth and dispenses with so much plenty in summer.
She rides in a chariot, because the earth hangs
suspended in the air, balanced and poised by
its own weight. But that chariot is supported by
wheels, since the earth is a revolving body, and turns
round ; and it is drawn by lions, because nothing is
so fierce, so savage, or so ungovernable, but a mo-
therly piety and tenderness is able to tame it, and
make it submit to the yoke. I need not explain
why her garments are painted with divers colours,
and figured with the images of several creatures,
since every body sees that such a dress is suitable
to the earth.
She is called Cybele, and Ops, and Rhea, and
Dindymene, and Berecynthia, and Bona Dea, (the
good goddess,) and Ideea, and Pessinuntia, and
Magna Deorum Mater, (the great mother of the
gods,) and sometimes also Vesta. All these names,
for different reasons, were given to the same god-
dess ; who was the daughter of Coelum by the elder
Vesta, and Saturn's wife.
She is called Cybele, from the mountain Cybelus
in Phrygia, where sacrifices were first instituted to
her. Or the name was given her from the behaviour
of her priests, who used to dance upon their heads,
and toss about their hair like madmen, foretelling
things to come, and making a horrible noise. These
were named Galli, and this fury and outrage in pro-
phesying is described by Lucian in his first book.
Others again derive the word Cybele from a cube,
because the cube, which is a body every way square,
was dedicated to her by the ancients.
She is called Ops, because she brings help and
assistance to every thing contained in this world.
Her name ^Rhea is derived from the abundance
* A psu, fluo, quod bonis omnibus circumfluat.
144
of benefits, which, without ceasing, flow from her
on every side.
Dindymeiie and Dindj'me, is a name jjiven her
from the mountain Dindymus, in PIn-ygia.
Virgil calls her mater Berecjnthia, from Bere-
cynthus, a castle in that country ; and in the same
place describes her numerous and happy offspring.
-'* Qualis Berecynthia mater
Invehitur curru Piirygiai turrita per urbes
Laeta Deum partu, centum complexa nepotes,
Omnes ccelicolas, omms supera alta tenentes." — wEn. 6.
High as the mother of the gods in places,
And proud, like her, of an immortal race,
Then, when in pomp she makes the Phrygian round|
With golden turrets on her temple crown'd,
A hundred gods her sweeping train supply,
Her offspring all, and all command the sliy.
She was by the Greeks called ^Pasithea ; that is,
as the Romans usually named her, the mother of all
the gods ; and from the -j-Greek word signifying a
mother. Her sacrifices were named Metroa, and to
celebrate them was called Metrazein, in the same
language.
Her name Bona Dea implies that all good things
necessary for the support of life proceed from her.
She is also called Fauna, Jbecause she is said to fa-
vour all creatures ; and Fatua, because it was
thought that new born children never cried till they
touched the ground. It is said, that this Bona Dea
was the wife of king Faunus ; who beat her with
myrtle rods till she died, because she disgraced her-
self, and acted very unsuitable to the dignity of a
queen, by drinking so much wine that she became
• Pasithea, id est, zrasi ^seis fi'^mp, omnibus diis maters,
Luc. 1. 2.
t A f/.tiTfip, mater, dcrivantnr f^arpua Cybeles sacra, et ft^
rfKtuv sacra ea celebrare. Coel. Rhod. 1. 8. c. 17
t Fauna quod animantibus favere, dicatur.
145
drunk. But the king afterwards repenting of his
severity, deilied his dead wife, and paid her divine
honours. This is the reason assigned why it was
forbidden that any one sliould bring myrtle into her
temple. In her sacrifices, the vessels of wine were
covered ; and when the women drank out of them
they called it milk, not wine. ^The modesty of.
this goddess was so extraordinary, that no man ever
saw her except her husband ; or scarce heard her
name : wherefore her sacrifices were performed in
private, and all men were excluded from the temple.
*' Sacra bonag maribus non adeunda Deae. — Tib. I. el. 6.
No men admitted were to Cybele's rites.
From the great privacy observed by her votaries,
the place in which her sacrifices were performed was
called Opertum, and the sacrifices themselves were
styled Opertanea, for the same reason that Pluto is
by the poets called Gpertus. Silence was observed
in a most peculiar manner in the sacrifices of Bona
Dea, as it was in a less degree in all other sacrifices ,
according to the doctrine of the Pythagoreans and
Egyptians, v\ ho taught, that God was to be worship-
ped in silence, since from this, at the first creation,
all things took their beginning. To the same pur-
pose, Plutarch says, "fMen were our masters to
teach us to speak, but we learn silence from the
gods : from those we learn to hold our peace,^ m
tiieir rites and initiations."
She was called Idsea Mater, from the mountahi
Ida, ih Phr^gia, or Crete, for she was at both pla-
ces highly honoured : as also at Rome, whither they
brought her from the city Pessinus in Galatia, by a
Juvenal. Sat. 9.
t Loquendi magistrds homines habemus, tacendi Decs: ab
niis silentium accipientes in initiationibus et mysteriis : — Plut,
de LoQuac.
13
146
remarkable miracle. For when the ship in which
she was carried, stopped in the mouth of tlie Tiber,
tlie vestal Claudia (whose fine dress and free beha-
viour made her modesty suspected) easily drew the
ship to si lore witii her girdle, where the goddess was
received by the hands of virgins, and the citizens
went out to meet her, placing censers v/ith frankin-
cense before their doors ; and when they had lighter
the frankincense, they prayed that she would enter
freely into Rome, and be favourable to it. And be-
cause the Sybils had prophesied that Ideea Mater
should be introduced by the " best man among the
Romans, the senate ^'was a httle busied to pass a
judgment in the case, and resolve who was the best
man in the city : for every one was ambitious to get
the victory in a dispute of that nature more than if
they stood to be elected to any commands or honours
by the voices either of the senate or people. At last
the senate resolved that P. Scipio, the son of Cneus,
who was killed in Spain, a young gentleman who
had never been quccstor, was the best man in the
whole cit3^"
She was called Pessinuntia -j-from a certain field
in Phrygia, into which an image of her fell from hea-
ven ; from this the place was called Pessinus, and
the goddess Pessinuntia. And here the Phrygians
first began to celebrate the sacrifices Orgia to this
goddess, near the river Gallus, from which her priests
were called Galli. When these priests desired that
great respect and adoration should be paid to any
thing, they pretended that it fell from heaven ; and
* Haud parvoe rei judicium senatum tenebat, qui vir optimus
in clvitate esset : verum certe victoriam ejus rei sibi quisque
mallet, quam ulla imperia, honoresve, suffragio seu Patrum, sen
Plebis, delates. Patres conscripti P. Scipionem, Cnei filium
ejus, qui in Hispania occidebatur, adolescentem, nondum Quaes
torem, judicaverunt in tota civitate virum optimum esse.
t Hesiod. 1. ].
147
they called these images A/o^tc-t-/?, [JDiope^e,] that is,
" sent from Jupiter." Of which sort were the Ancile,
the Palladium, and the effigies of this goddess, con-
cerning which we now speak.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMINATION.
Who was Cybele ?
How is she represented ?
In what does slie ride, and how is she drawn'
Why are her garments of divers colours?
Why is she called Cybele ?
What were her priests called ?
Why is she called Ops and Rhea ?
Why and by whom is she called Dindyme and Berecynthia P
What was she called by the Greeks, and why ?
What does the name of Bona Dea imply ?
Who was Bona Dea ?
Why is myrtle prohibited from her temple ?
What was observed in her sacrifices, and why ?
What was the saying of Plutarch ?
Why was Cybele called Idaia Mater ?
Why was she called Pessinuntia '!
Why were her priests called Galll ; and under what pretence
were they able to get particular respect paid to any thing ?
SEC. 2.— OF THE SACEIFICES AND PRIESTS OF
CYSELE.
Her sacrifices, hke the sacrifices of Bacchus, were
celebrated with a confused noise of timbrels, pipes,
and cymbals ; and the sacrificants liov.ded, as if they
were mad ; they profaned both the temple of their
goddess, and the ears of their hearers, v/ith their vile
words and actions. The following rites were pecu-
liarly observed in her sacrifices : her temple was open-
ed, not by hands, but by prayers ; none entered who
had tasted garlic ; the priests sacrificed to her sitting,
and touching the earth, and ofiered the hearts of the
victims. And lastly, among the trees, the box and
tlie pine- were sacred to her. The box, because the
pipes used in her sacrifices were made of it : the
pine, for the sake of Atys, Attes, or Attynes, a boy
that Cybele much loved, and made him president of
148
her rites, upon condition that he always presei-ved
his chastity invioJate. But he forgot his vow, and
lost that virtue ; wherefore the offended goddess
tlirew him into such a madness, that he was about
to lay violent hands upon himself, but Cybele, in
pity, turned him into a phie.
There w^as, however, a true Atys, the son of Croe-
sus, king of Lydia. He was born dumb ; but when
he saw in the fight a soldier at his father's back,
with a sword lifted up to kill him, the strings of his
tongue, which hindered his speech, burst ; and by
speaking clearly, he prevented his father's destruc-
tion.
The priests of Cybele v/ere named Galli, from a
river of Phrygia. Such was the nature of the wa-
ter of this river, that whoever drank of it immedi-
ately grew mad. The Galli, as often as they sacri-
ficed, furiously cut and slashed their arms with
knives ; and thence all furious and mad people were
called Galantes. Beside the name of Galli, they
were also called Curetes, Corybantes, Telchines,
Cablri, find Idsei Dactyli. Some say that these
priests were different from the Galli ; but most peo-
ple believe them to be the same, and say that they
were priests of Cybele.
The Curetes were either Cretans, or jEtolians, or
Euboeans : and had their names from shaving ; so
that Curetes and Detonsi signify almost the same
thing. For they shaved the hair of their heads be-
fore, but wore hair behind, that they might not be
taken (as it has often happened) by the forelocks,
by the enemy ; or, perhaps they were called Cure-
tes, ^because they were habited in long vests, like
young maidens 5 or lastly, ybccause they educated
Jupiter in his infancy.
* Kwo Tm Kiifiy,;, a puella, quod pnellarum stolam inditebant.
t Ato Tni KopoT^ofla.;, ab educatioiie ju-venum, quod Jovem
infantem aluisse perhibcntur, Strabo.
149
Her priests were also called Corybantes ; because
in the sacrifices of their goddess they tossed their
heads and danced, and butted with their foreheads
like rams, after a mad fashion. Thus, when they
initiated any one into their sacrifices, ^they placed
him in a chair, and danced about him like fools.
Another name of her priests was Telchines.
These were famous magicians and enchanters ; and
they came from Crete to Cyprus, and thence into
Rhodes, which latter island was called Telchines
fi-om them. Or, if we believe others, they were de-
serving men, and invented many arts for the good of
the public, and first set up the statues and images of
the gods.
The Cabiri, or Caberi, so called from Cabiri,
mountains of Phrygia, were either the servants of
the gods, or gods themselves, or rather daemons, or
the same with the Corybantes ; for the people*s
opinions concerning them are different.
The Idsei Dactyli were the servants and assistants
of Magna Mater ; called Idsei from the mountain Ida,
where they lived ; and Dactyli from the fingers, for
the priests were ten, Hke the fingers : they served
Rhea every where, and in every thing, as if they
were fingers to her. f Yet many affirm, that there
were more than ten.
(lUESTIO^'S FOR EX^Mm^TIOJi.
How were the sacrifices of Cybele celebrated ? '
What peculiar rites were observed in them ?
W hy were the box and pine sacred to Cybele ?
On what condition was Atys made president of her rites, and
what happened to him on his breaking his vow ?
Who was the true Atys, and what is his history ?
What property belonged to the river Gallus?
What was the origin of the word " gallantes ?"
Awo rev xopvrrtiy, a cornibus feriendo, et ficclvtit incedendD
Strabo. 1. 1. Plato in Enthid.
t Digiti enim Qraece dicuntur txptrvXn,
13*
150
What other names have been given to the priests of Cybele?
From what did the Curetes derive their name ?
From what circumstance were the Corybantes named?
Who were the Telchines ?
Who were the Cabiri ?
Who was the Idsei Dactyli ?
CHAPTER VUL
SEC. 1.— CERES. HER IMAGE AND SACRIFICES.
Ceres is a tall majestic lady; who stands beau-
tified with yellow liair, and crowned with a turban
composed of the ears of corn ; her bosom swells with
breasts as white as snow ; her right hand is full ot
poppies and ears of corn, and in her left is a lighted
torch. She is the daughter of Saturn and Ops ;
whose singular beauty made the gods themselves her
lovers and admirers. Her brothers Jupiter and Nep-
tune fell in love with her. She had Proserpine by
Jupiter. And by Neptune it is uncertaian whether
she was the mother of a daughter, or a horse called
Arion. Upon the mountain jEleus, in Arcadia, an
altar was dedicated to Ceres ; her image had the
body of a woman, but the head of a horse ; it re-
mained perfect and entire in the midst of fire. Yet
others have told us that Ceres did not bring forth
a horse, but a daughter. The Arcadians thought it a
mcked thing to call this daughter by any other
name than " the lady," or " the great goddess,"
which were the usual names of her mother Ceres.
Ceres was greatly ashamed of this disgrace, and
testified her sorrow by the mourning clothes which
slpie afterwards wore ; whence she was named Melae-
na, MeXoctvu nigra ; she retired into the dark recess-
es of a cave, where she lay so privately that none of
151
the gods knew where she was, till Pan, the god of the
woods, discovered her by chance, and told Jupiter ;
who, sending the Fates to her, persuaded her at last
to lay aside her grief, and rise out of the cave,
which was a happy and joyful thing for all the world.
For in her absence a great infection reigned tlirough-
out all sorts of living creatures, which sprang from
the corruption of the fruits of the earth, and the gra-
naries every where. She is the goddess of the fruits,
and her name is derived '^from the care which she
exerts in producing or preserving them. It is sup-
posed that she first invented and taught the art of
tilling the earth, and sowing corn, and of making
bread therewith, when before mankind only ate
acorns.
" Prima Ceres unco glebam dimovit aratro,
Prima dedit fruges alimentaque mitia terris,
Prima dedit leges. Cereris sunt omnia munus."
Ceres was she who first our furrows plough'd ;
Who gave sweet fruits, and easy food aliow'd.
Ceres first tam'd us with her gentle laws ;
From her kind hand the world subsistence draws.
This may be learned from Ovid, who tells us that
Ceres was the first that made laws, provided whole-
some food, and taught the art of husbandry, of
ploughing and sowing.
For, before her time, the earth lay rough and un-
cultivated, covered with briers and unprofitable
plants ; when there were no proprietors of land, they
neglected to cultivate it ; when nobody had any
ground of his own, they did not care to fix land-
marks ; but all things were common to all men, tiU
Ceres, who had invented the art of husbandry,
taught men how to exercise it ; and then they began
• Ceres dicitur quasi Ceres a gerendis fructibus : aut quasi Se-
rens, vel ab antiquo verbo Cereo, quod idem est ac Creo, qucd
cunctarum frugum creatrix sit et altrix. Cic. Nat. Deo. 2.
152
to contend and dispute about the limits of those
fields from the culture of which they reaped so much
profit ; and hence it was necessary that laws should
be enacted to determine the rights and properties of
those who contended. For this reason Ceres was
named the foundress of laws: and hence she is
crowned with corn.
1. Ceres is beautiful and well shaped; because
tlie earth, which she resembles, appears beautiful
and delightful to the beholders ; especially when it
is arrayed with plants, diversified with trees, adorn-
ed with flowers, enriched with fruits, and covered
Ti^'ith greens ; when it displays the honours of spring,
and pours forth the gifts of autumn with a bountiful
hand.
2. Her hair is yellow, and w^hen the ears of com
are ripe, they are adorned with a golden colour.
3. Her breasts swell with milk, whence she is
styled Mammosa sometimes, ^because, after the earth
is impregnated with seed, and big with the fruit
thereof, it brings forth all things out of itself in
abundance, and like a mother, feeds and nourishes
us ; and hence she is called f Alma, and JAltrix
Nostra.
4. She holds a lighted torch, because, when Pro-
serpine was stolen away by Rluto, her mother ||Ce*
res was greatly afilicted at the loss of her daughter
and, being very desirous to find her again, she kind-
led her torches with the flames which burst from the
mountain Mtna. ; and with them sought her daughter
through the whole world.
5. She carries poppy, because, when through
grief she could not obtain the least rest or sleep, Ju-
piter gave her poppy to eat : for this plant is endu-
ed with a power to cause sleep and forgetfulness.
Her grief was a little allayed by sleep, but she far*
• Cic. Nat. Deor. 2 and 3. f Virg. Geo. 1.
X Cic. Nat. Deor. 2, jj Cic. in Verrem.
153
got not her loss, and, after many voyages and joujv
neys, she at last heard where Proserpine was ; as we
shall hear in its proper place.
We often *see a young man sitting in a chariot
drawn by flying serpents. It is Triptolemiis, in the
chariot wliich Ceres gave him. He was the son of
Celeus, king of Eleusis in Attica. Ceres brought
him up from his infancy, upon this occasion : while
she was seeking Proserpine by sea and land, upon
the w'ay she came into the city Eleusis, where king
Celeus entertained her 5 whose kindness she requited
by bringing up his young son, whom, in the day time
she fed with celestial and divine milk, but in the
night covered him all over with fire. The child in
a lew days became a beautiful young man by this
extraordinary manner of education. Meganira, his
mother, greatly wondering at this speedy progress, was
very desirous to know how Ceres dealt with her son ;
she therefore looked through a small hole, and saw
Ceres cover her son Triptolemus with burning coal.
This affrighted her so, that she cried out that Ceres
was murdering her son ; and ran into the room to save
him. Ceres punished her imprudent curiosity w^ith
death ; then putting Triptolemus into a splendid cha-
riot, she sent him throughout the world, to show
mankind the use of corn. He executed her com-
mands so faithfully, and taught men the art of hus-
bandry, of sowing, reaping, and of thrashing the
corn so well, that hence he obtained his name *Trip-
tolemus. Ovid gives us an excellent description of
this in the fifth book of his Metamorphoses.
Ceres once changed a boy into a lizard : for, be-
ing very w^ary with travelling, and thirsty, she came
to a cottage, and begged a little water to v/ash her
mouth, of an old woman that lived there ; the old
woman no-t only gave her water, but also barley
• Triptolemus dictilur quasi rfi^Kt vas sXaj, id est, hordeuiQ
terens. Hygin. fac. 147.
154
broth ; which, when the goddess took greedily, the
woman's son, Stellio, a saucy boy, mocked her. '
This so raised Ceres' indignation, that in a rage she
flung some of the broth into the boy's face, who was
thereby changed into an evet, or hzard.
We may notice here Erisichthon, who, in con-
tempt of the sacrifices of Ceres, defJed her groves,
and cut down one of her oaks ; for which he was
punished with perpetual hunger : so that, when he
has devoured all the meat and food which he can by
any means procure, he is forced to eat his own flesh
to support his body ; and to bring upon himself a
horrible death, the better to sustain life.
Among all the Cerealia, or sacrifices instituted to
tlie honour of Ceres, these which follow are the chief:
1. The Eleusian mysteries were of two sorts,*
tlie greater and the lesser ; one qualification requisite
to both was to be able to keep a great secret. Though
Triptole.iius had appointed that no stranger should
be initiated into the great mysteries, yet Hercules,
to whom thev durst refuse nothing, demanded to be
admitted to them, and upon his account other cere-
monies were instituted, which they called the lesser
mysteries, and these were celebrated afterwards at
Agra and Athens. Those who were ambitious to be
admitted to them, repaired to this place in the month
of November, sacrificed to Jupiter, and kept the
skins of the victims to lay upon their feet when they
were purified upon the banks of the river Ilissus.
We know not exactly what sort of ceremonies were
made use of in those purifications. These lesser
mysteries served as a preparation for the greater
* Mr. Tooke is very brief on the subject of the Eleusinian
mysteries, which were the most important mentioned in the
history of the ancient rites; and as many fancy that the an-
cient order of Free Masonrjj is a branch of the Eleusinian order,
we have thought proper here to give a more full account of
these cerealia than can be found in any edition of Tooke's Pan-
Uieon heretofore published Am. Ed.
155
ones, whicli were celebrated at Eleusis ; and hy
their means persons were initiated into the secret ce-
remonies of Ceres. After having passed through a
good many trials, the person was Mystes, that is,
qualified for being very soon initiated into the great-
er Mysteries, and to become Epoptes, or the witness
of the most secret mysteries, which were not procu-
red till after five years probation ; during which he
might enter into the vestibule of the temple, but not
into the sanctuary.
When one was initiated, he was introduced by
night into the temple, after having his hands wash-
ed at the entry, and a crown of myrtle put upon him.
Then was opened a little box wherein were the laws
of Ceres, and the ceremonies of her mysteries 5 and
after having given him these to read, he was made
to transcribe them. A slight repast, in memory of
that wiiich the goddess liad got from Baubo, suc-
ceeded this ceremony ; after which the Mystes en-
tered into the sanctuary, over which the priest drew
the veil, and then all was in darkness in the twink-
ling of an eye. A bright light succeeded and ex-
hibited to view the statue of Ceres magnificently
adorned ; find while they were attentive in consider-
ing it, the light again disappeared, and all was once
more wrapped in profound darkness. The peals of
thunder that were heard, the lightnings that flashed
from all hands, the thunder that broke in the midst
of the sanctuary, and a thousand monstrous figures
lliat appeared on all sides, filled the initiated with
horror and consternation ; but the next moment a
calm succeeded, and there appeared in broad day
light a charming meadow, where all came to dance
and make merry together.
It is probable that this meadow v/as in a place en-
closed with walls behind the sanctuary of the temple,
which they opened all of a sudden, when the day-
light was let in ; and this scene appeared tlie more
156
agreeable, that it succeeded a night when nothing
but doleful and liideous objects were to be seen.
There it was that amidst jollity and mirth, all the
secrets of tlic mysteries were revealed. But after all,
we knovr not well what passed there, these myste-
ries having been long kept an impenetrable secret;
and had it not been for some libertines, who got
themselves initiated in order to divulge them, they
had never been brought to light. In both the greater
and the lesser, a perpetual and wonderful silence was
observed : to publish any thing concerning them was
a crime, hence came the proverb concerning silent per-
sons, Amy,!/. E^svTivcc [Attica Eleusina^ and the word
tnysterium signifies a " religious rite," from f^vcj [muo^
OS claudo. This much is true, that the greatest
modesty, and even a pretty severe chastity was ex-
acted from the mystae and women who presided
over tiie feasts of this goddess. The purifications
and oblation that were practised, would make one
iiiiagine they were not so dissolute as some authors
kave alleged ; unless we will say that the abuses
which the fathers of the church speak of were not
In the primitive institution, but had only crept into
them afterwards. This night being spent in these
ceremonies, the priest dismissed the assembly with
some barbarous words, which shows that they had
been instituted by people v/ho spoke another lan-
guage, namely, by the Egyptians.
After having spoke of the initiated, we must, be*
fore we be done, say something of the ministers who
officiated in the festivals. The first was a Jliero
phantes or a Mystagogos, that is, a man who shows
the sacred things, and the initiated Avere not per-
mitted to mention his name to the profane. The
second was a Daduchus, or Torch-Bearer. The
third a Sacred Herald. The fourth a Minister of
the Aliar ; this was a young man who put up pray-
ers in behalf of the assembly, and was subject to the
157
superior ministers. Besides these four ministers
there were two prophets to do sacrifice, and five
delegates, to see that all things were performed in
order ; the first was called the king, and the other
four Epimeletes.
The Thesmophoria was instituted by Triptole-
mus ; and those women who vowed perpetual chas-
tity were initiated in them. For some days a fast
was kept ; and wine was altogether banished from
her altar ; whence this expression came, Cereri nup-
Has facere^ which (among the ancients) signifies a
least where there was no wine. Swine were sacri-
ficed to this goddess, because they hurt the fruits of
the earth :
" Prima Ceres avid© gavisa est sanguine porcSB,
Ulta suas merita casde nocentes opes." Ovid Fast, l,
Ceres with blood of swine we best atone,
Wiiich thus requite the mischief they have done.
And garlands, composed of ears of corn, were oA
fered to her :
" Flava Ceres, tibi sit nostro de rure corona
Spicea, quae templi pendeat ante fores." Tibullvs.
To thee, fair goddess, we'll a garland plait
Of ears of corn, to adorn thy temple gate.
Ambarvalla were instituted to purge the fields,
and to beg fruitfulness and plenty. They were so
called, because the sacrifices were led about the fields;
as the suburbs ^amburbia] were esteemed sacred,
because the sacrifice was carried round the city.--
These sacrifices were performed by husbandmen,
who carried a sow with yoking, or a cow-calf, through
the corn and the hay, in the beginning of harvest,
tlirice ; the countrymen following him with dancing
and leaping, and acclamations of joy, till all the
fields rung with the noise. In the mean time, one
14
158
of tliem, adorned with a crown, sung the praises of
Ceres ; and after they had ofiered an oblation of
wine mixed with lioney and milk before they began
to reap, they sacrificed tlie cow to her. The rites of
tlie Ambarvalia are beautifully described by Virgil :
" Cuncta tibi Cererem pubes agrestis adoret:
Cul tu lacte favos, el miti dilue Baccho,
Terque novas circum felix eat hostia fruges ;
Omiiis qiiain chorus et socii coniitantur ovantes,
Et Cererem clamore vocent in tecta : neque ante
Falcem maturis quisqiiam supponat aristis,
Quam Cereri, torla redimitus tempora quercu,
Det motus incompositos, et carmina dicat." Geo. 1«
Let ev'ry swain adore her power divine,
And milk and honey mix with sparkling wine:
Let all the choir of clowns attend this show,
In long procession, shouting as they go;
Invoking her to bless their yearly stores,
Inviting plenty to their crowded floors.
Tims in the spring, and thus in summer's heat,
Before the sickles touch the rip'ning wheat,
On Ceres call ; and let the lab'ring hind
"With oaken wreaths his hollov/ temples bind:
On Ceres let him call, and Ceies praise,
With'^xncouth dances, and with country-lays.
qUESTIOKS FOR EXAMINATION.
tlow is Ceres represented ?
Who is she, and who were her brothers ?
What kind of altar was dedicated to her on the mountain
;Eleus ?
What were the usual names of her mother Ceres?
Why was she named Melajna?
Where did she conceal herself ; who discovered her ; andwbo
persuaded her to come out of her retirement ?
What happened to the v.-orld during her absence ?
What inventiof.s are ascribed to her ?
In what respects does she resemble the earth ?
Why does she carry a poppy ?
What is the history of Triptolemus ?
What is the history of Stellio ?
What is the history of Eri.sichthon ?
What were the Elensinia'
From what is the word '' mystery" derived?
Who instituted the Thesmophoria, and who were initiated ta
Uim ?
;Cts£
OF TIIE
UFI7ER
suufy>
II M, ■',.,, I, I
mw^m
159
Why were the Ambarvalia instituted ?
Repeat the lines from Virgil in which these sacrifices are d«
scribed.
CHAPTER IX.
SEC. 1.— THE MUSES. THEIR IMAGE, NAMES, AND
NUMBER.
Tke mnses are nine virgins, crowned with palms ;
their dress is decent and becoming. They sit to-
gether in the shade of a laurel arbour. Some of them
play on the harp, some upon the cithern, some upon
the pipe, some upon the cymbal, and some harmo-
niously sing and play at once. Methinks I hear
them with united minds, voices, and hands, make an
agreeable concord arise from their diiierent instru-
ments, governing their- several voices in such a man-
ner as to produce the most noble harmony.
They are the mistresses of all the sciences, the
presidents of the musicians and poets, and the go-
vernors of the feasts and solemnities of the gods.
They are the daughters of Jupiter and the nymph
Mnemosyne, and were born on the mountain Picri-
us. Some affirm that they had other parents, and
ancient writers say, that they lived before Jupiter,
and were the daughters of Coelum. They are call-
ed the daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne (which
in Greek signifies " memory,") because all students
and scholars ought not only to have great ingenuity,
but ready memories.
The Musee were formerly called Mosge, and
were so named from a *Greek word that signifies
" to inquire," because men, by inquiring of them
• 'Aara tv f/u(rai, id est, ab inquirendo. Plalo in Cratylo.
160
learn the things of which they were before ignorant.
But others say, they had their name from ^their
resemblance, because there is a similitude, and an
affinity and relation between all the sciences ; in
which they agree, and are united with one another.
Wherefore the Muses are often painted with their
hands joined; dancing in a ring; in the middle of
lliem sits Apollo, their commander and prince. The
pencil of nature described them in that manner upon
the agate which Pjrrhus, who made war against the
Romans, wore in a ring ; for in it was a representa-
tion of the nine Muses, and Apollo holding a harp :
and these figures were not delineated by art, but by
the spontaneous handywork of nature : and the
veins of the stone were formed so regularly, that
every idiise had her particular distinction.
They had each a name derived from some parti-
cular accomplishment of their minds or bodies.
The first, Calliope, was so called from fthe sweet-
ness of her voice ; she presides over rhetoric, and is
esteemed the most excellent of all the nine.
The second, Clio, is so named from Jglory. For
she is the historical Muse, and takes her name from
the excellence of the things she records.
The third, Erato, has her name from §love, be-
cause she sings of amours, or because learned men
are beloved and praised by others. She is also
called Saltatrix; for she first invented the art of
dancing, over v.hich she presided. She was also
the inventress of poetr}^
The fourth, Thalia, from ||her gayety, briskness,
* Mtiircii, quasi eftoavffx,:, id est similes. Cassiodor
t 'Asro T'/i; xx/.»; oTtii a suavitats vocis.
'A^ro m kXus;, a gloria sc. rerum gestarum quas memo. Schol
Ap. I.
§ 'Ato th ipcoroi, ab more. Ovid Art. Am. 2.
IJ 'AfTo Tis^aXXiiv, id est, virere, germinare ; et florere. Procl
in Hesiod.
161
and pleasantry. Some ascribe to her the invention
of comedy, others of geometry.
The fifth, Melpomene, from ^the excellency of her
song and the melody she makes when she sings.
Slie is supposed to have presided over tragedy, and
to have invented sonnets.
The sixth, Terpsichore,-}- has her name from the
pleasure she takes in dancing, because she delights
in balls. Some call her Citharistria.
The seventh, Euterpe, or Euterpia, from Jthe
sweetness of her singing. Some call her Tibicina,
because, according to them, she presides over the
pipes : and some say logic was invented by her.
The eighth, Polyhymnia, or Pol^aimia, or Poly-
menia, from <5>her excellent memory : and therefore
the invention of writing history is attributed to her,
which requires a good memor}'. It was owing to
her, II that the songsters add to the verses that they
sing, hands and fingers which speak more than the
tongue ; an expressive silence ; a language without
words J in short, gesture and action.
The ninth, ITUrania, was so called either because
she sings of divine things ; or because, through her
assistance, men are praised to the skies, or because,
by the sciences, they become conversant in the con-
templation of celestial things.
Bahusius, a modern poet, has comprised the names
of all the Muses in a distich ; that is, he has made
the nine Muses to stand, which is something strange,
but upon eleven feet. Perhaps you will remember
* A iA,i,'k-s:o(ji,a.t canto et modulor, vcl d-sso ts (ji,iXos "ssonn con-
centum facere.
t 'A.*o T£:!T£(VTaij ;^;;o^9;j quod clioreis delectetur.
X Ab tvrifs^t)?, jucunda nempe in concentu.
§ AzffoXv; multus et iJt,niot, memoria.
II Quod carminibus additae sint orchestrarura loquacissimae ma-
nus, linquosi digiti, silentium clamosum, expositio tacita, uno
yerbo gestus et actio.
H AiTa Tn if?av», a ccelo.
14*
162
their names better, when they are thus joined to-
gether in two verses :
" Calliope, Polymneia, Erato, Clio, atque Thalia,
Melpomene, Euterpe, Terpsichore, Urania." /. 4. ep. 1.
The most remarkable of the names which are com-
mon to tliem all are :
Heliconides, or Heliconiades, from the momitaia
Helicon, in Boeotia.
Parnassides, from the momitain Parnassus, in
Phocis, which has two heads, where, if any person
slept, he presently became a poet. It was anciently
called Larnassus, from Larnace, the ark of Deu-
calion, which rested here, and was named Parnassus
after the flood, from an inhabitant of this mountain,
so called.
Citherides, or Citheriades, from the mountain Ci-
ther on, where they dwelt.
Aonides, from the country Aonia.
Pierides, or Pierise, fom the mountain Pierus, or
Pieria, in Thrace ; or from the daughters of Pierius
ajid Anippe, who, daring to contend with the Muses,
were changed into pies.
Pegasides and Hippocrenides, from the famous
fountain Helicon, which by the Greeks is called
*Hippocrene, and by the Latins, fCaballinus, both
which words signify the horse's fountain : it was
also named Pegaseius, from Pegasus, the winged
horse, which by striking a stone in this place with
his foot, opened the fountain, Jand the waters be-
came vocal.
Aganippides, or Aganippeae, from the fomitain
Aganippe.
Castalides, from the fountain Castalius, at the
foot of Parnassus.
• Ab nsr-xos eques, et «/:»}v»j tons.
t Caballinus, a Caballus, id estj equus,
j Ovid Met. 5.
163
Some write, that there were but three in the be-
ginning ; because sound, out of which all singing is
*brmed, is naturally threefold : either made by the
voice alone ; or by blowing, as in pipes, or by
striking, as in citherns or drums. Or it may be.
because there are three tones of the voice, or other
instruments, the bass, the tenor, and the treble. Or
lastly, because all the sciences are distributed into
three general parts ; philosophy, rhetoric, and ma-
thematics ; and each of these parts is subdivided
into three other parts ; philosophy into logic, ethics,
and physics ; rhetoric into the demonstrative, de-
liberative, and judicial kind : mathematics into mu-
sic, geometry, and arithmetic : and hence it came
to pass, that they reckoned not only Three Muses,
but Nine.
Others give a different reason why they are Nine.
When the citizens of Sicyon appointed three skilful
artificers to make the statues of the Three Muses,
promising to choose those three statues out of the
nine which they liked best, they were all so well
made that they could not tell which to prefer ; so
that they bought them all, and placed them in the
temples : and Hesiod afterward assigned to them
the names mentioned above.
Some affirm that they were virgins, and others
deny it, who reckon up their children. Let no per-
son, however, despise the Muses, unless he design
to bring destruction upon himself by the example of
Thamyras or Thamyris ; who, being conceited of
his beauty and skill in singing, presumed to chal-
lenge the Muses to sing, upon condition, that if he
was overcome, they should punish him as they pleas-
ed. And after he was overcome, he was deprived
at once both of his harp and his eyes.
qUESTIOJYS FOR EXAMIN.iTION,
Who are the Muses, and how are they dressed?
What is their employment ?
164
Over what do they preside ?
Who were their parents, and why are they called daughters
of Jupiter and Mnemosyne ?
Why were they formerly called Mosae ?
How were the Muses represenled on Pyrrhus' ring
From what were their names derived ?
How did Calliope derive her name?
Who was Clio ?
What does Erato derive her name from ?
Why is Thalia so called ?
What are the peculiar excellencies of Melpomene and Tcrpsi
chore ?
In what does Euterpe excel ?
From what does Polyhymnia derive her name ?
Why w-as Urania so named ?
Repeat the distich of Bahusias.
Give some account of the names common to all the Muses.
How many Muses were there at first, and how were the three
converted into Nine ?
What other reason is given ?
What should the example of Thamyris teach ?
CHAPTER X.
THEMIS, ASTRiEA, NEMESIS,
Are three goddesses, who contrive and consult
together on affairs of great moment.
Themis, the first of them, is the daughter of Coe-
lum and Terra. According to the ^"signification of
her name, her oftice is to instruct mankind to do
things honest, just, and right. Therefore her images
were brought and placed before those who were
about to speak to the people, that they might be ad-
monished thereby to say nothing in public but what
was just and righteous. Some say she spoke ora-
cles at Delphi, before Apollo ; though Homer says,
that she served Apollo with nectar and ambrosia.
There was another Themis, of whom Justice, Law,
• Qifjt,is enim significat fas.
165
..nd Peace, are said to be born. Heslod, by way
of eminence, calls her modest, because she was
ashamed to say any thing that was done against
right and equity. Eusebius calls her Carmenta;
■'^because by lier verse and precepts she directs eve-
ry one to that wliich is just. But here he means a
different Carmenta, who was the mother of Evander,
otherwise called Themis Nicostrata, a prophetical
lady. She was wo:'shipped by the Romans, because
she prophecied ; and was called Carmenta, either
from the verse in which she uttered her predictions,
or from the madness which seemed to possess her
when she prophecied. To this lady an altar was
dedicated near the gate Carmentalis, by the Capi-
tol ; and a temple was also built to her honour upon
this occasion : When the senate forbade the married
women the use of litters or sedans, they combined
together, and resolved that they would never bring
children, unless their husbands rescinded that edict :
they kept to this agreement witii so much resolution,
that the senate was obliged to change their sentence,
and yield to tiie women's will, and allow them all se-
dans and chariots again. And v/hen their wives
conceived and brouglit forth fine children, they
erected a temple in honour of Carmenta.
Astrsea, the daughter of Aurora and Astraeus the
Titan, (or, as others say, the daughter of Jupiter
and Themis,) v/as esteemed the princess of Justice.
The poets feign, that in the Golden Age she de-
scended from heaven to the earth ; and being of-
fended at last by the wickedness of mankind, she
returned to heaven again, after all the gods had
gone before her. She is many times directly called
by the name of Justitia ; as particularly by Virgil.
And when she had returned to heaven again, she
was placed where we now see the constellation Virgo.
* Quod carminibus edictisque suis praecipiat unicuique quod
Justura est. Eusub. Praep. Evar.g. 1. 3.
166
The parents of Nemesis were Jupiter and Neces-
sity ; or, according to otliers, Nox and Oceanus.
She was the goddess that rewarded virtue, and pun-
ished vice : and she taught men their duty, so that
she received her name *from the distribution tliat
she made to every body. Jupiter deceived her, as
the story says, in the shape of a goose ; and that
she brought forth an egg, which she gave to a shep-
herd whom she met, to be carried to Leda. Leda
laid up the egi^ in a box, and Helena was soon af-
ter produced of that egg. But others give us quite
diflerent accounts of the matter. The Romans cer-
tainly sacrificed to this goddess, when they went
to war ; whereby they signified that tl^-ey never took
up arms unless in a just cause. She is called by
another name, Adrastsea, from AdraruiA, king of
tlie Argives, who first built an altar to her , or, per-
haps from j-tlie diiiiculty of escaping from her : be-
cause no guilty person can flee from the pi,'n!shment
due to his crime, though Justice sometimes over-
takes him late. She has indeed wings, but does not
always use them ; but then the slower her foot b,
die harder is her hand :
" Ad scelerum pcenas ultrix veiiit ira tonantis,
Hoc graviore manu, quo graviore pede."
Vengeance divine to punisli sin moves slow,
The slower is its pace, the surer is its blow.
Rhamiiusia is another name of this goddess ; from
Rhamnus, a town in Attica, where she had a tem-
ple, in which there was a statue of her made of one
stone, ten cubits high ; she held the bough of an ap-
ple-tree in her hand, and had a crown upon her
* Awo m ifixa-rni-sDv ifx,7;(Ttus, a distributione quas unicuique sit
Plato de Legibus Dial.
t Ab a non e( o.lf.affKUj fugio, quod videlicet nerao nocensiv
efiugere queat pcenain suit scele'ibus debitain.
167
bead, In which many images of deer were engraven.
She had also a wheel, which denoted her swiftness
when she avenges.
qUESTIOA'S FOR EX.^MmATIOJf,
Who are tlie goddesses that are consulting together on im-
portant bus'iness ?
Who was Themis ; and what was her business ; and why weio
Uer images placed before public speakers ?
Who were the cliildreti of the other Themis?
Why was Themis styled modest by Hesiod ; and Carmentaby
Eusebius ?
Wliy was a temple erected in honour of Carmenta ?
Who was Astra^a ?
Who were the parents of Nemesis?
What did the Romans sacrifice to her?
Why was she called Adrastffia?
Why is she named Rhamnusia ?
CHAPTER XI.
THE GODS OF THE WOODS, AND THE RURAL GODa
PAN. HIS NAMES, DESCENT, ACTIONS, he.
We are now come to the images of the gods and
goddesses of the woods. Here you may see the
gods Pan, Silvaniis, the Faimi, the Satyri, Silenus,
Priapns, Aristreus, and Terminus.
And there you see the goddesses, Diana, Pales,
Flora, Feronia, Pomona, and an innumerable com-
pany of Nymphs.
Pan is called by that name, either, as some tell
us, because he exhilarated the minds of all the gods
with the music of the pipe, winch he invented ; and
by the harmony of the cithern, upon Vr hich he play-
ed skilfully as soon as he was born. Or, perhaps,
he is called Pan, because he governs the affairs of
168
the universal world by his mind, as he represents it
by his body.
The Latins called him Inmis and Incubus, the
" iiip,htuiare ;" and at Rome he was worshipped,
and called Lupercus and Lyceus. To his honoui
a temple was built at the foot of the Palatine hill,
and festivals called Lupercalia were instituted, in
which his priests, the Luperci, ran about the streets
naked.
His descent is uncertain, but the common opinion
IS, that he was born of Mercury and Penelope.
For when Mercury fell violently in love with her,
and tried in vain to move her, at last, by changing
himself into a white goat, succeeded. Pan, after he
was born, was wrapt up in the skin of a hare, and
carried to heaven.
Ho is represented as a horned half goat, that re-
sembles a beast rather than a man, much less a god.
He has a smiling, ruddy face, his nose is flat, his
beard comes down to his breast, his skin is spotted,
and he has the tail, legs, and feet of a goat ; his
head is crowned or girt about with pine, and he
holds a crooked staff in one hand, and in the other
a pipe of uneven reeds, with the music of which he
can cheer even the gods themselves.
When the Gauls, under Brennus, their leader,
made an irruption into Greece, and were just about
to plunder the city Delphi. Pan, so terrific in ap-
pearance, alarmed them to such a degree, that they
all betook themselves to flight, though nobody pur-
sued them. Whence we proverbially say, that men
are in panic fear, when we see them aflrighted witli-
ont a cause.
Now hear what the image of Pan signifies. Pan
15 a symbol of the world. In his upper part he re-
sembles a man, in his lower part a beast ; because
the superior and celestial part of the world is beau-
tiful, radiant, and glorious ; as is the face of this
I'lfiit.
vss^
'v'"^.
'( lRy» ;i!'lk> 7^^' ''s^'-vTv-l/ 'V-'-'^'
y^sf
,^
169
god, whose liorns resemble the rays of the sun, and
the horns of the moon : the redness of his face is
like the splendour of the sky ; and the spotted skin
that he wears, is an image of the starry firmament*
In his lower parts he is shagged and deformed,
which represents the shrubs and wild beasts, and the
trees of the earth below : his goats' feet signffy the
solidity of the earth ; and his pipe of seven reeds,
that celestial harmony which is made by the seven
planets. He has a sheep-hook, crooked at the top,
in his hand, which signifies the turning of the year
mto itself.
The nymphs dance to the music of the pipe;
which instrument Pan first invented. You will won-
der when you hear the relation which the poets give
to this pipe, namely, as oft as Pan blows it, the
dugs of the sheep are filled with milk : for he is the
god of the shepherds and hunters, the captain of the
nymphs, the president of the mountains and of a
country life, and the guardian of the flocks that
graze upon the mountains :
'' Pan curat oves, oviumque magistros."
Virg. Ed. 2.
Pan loves the shepherds, and their flocks he feeds.
The nymph Echo fell in love with him, and brought
him a daughter named Iringes, who gave Medea
the medicines with which he charmed Jason. He
could not but please Dryope, to gain whom, he laid
aside his divinity and became a shepherd. But he
did not court the nym-ph Syrinx with so much suc-
cess : for she ran away to avoid her lover ; tiU
coming to a river (where her flight was stopped,)
she prayed the Naiades, the nymphs of the waters,
because she could not escape her pursuer, to change
feer into a bundle of reeds, just as Pan was laying
hold of her, who therefore caught the reeds in liis
15
170
arms instead of her. The winds moving these reeds
backward and forward occasioned mournful but mu-
sical sounds, which Pan perceiving, he cut them
down, aad made of them reeden pipes :
" Dumque ibi suspirat, motos in arundine ventos
Eflecisse sonum tenuern, similemque querent!.
Arte nov^a, vocisque Deum dulcedine captum,
Hoc milii concilium tecum, dixisse, manebitj
Atque ita disparibus calamis compagine cerae
Inter se junctis nomen tenuisse puellse,"
He sighs, his sighs the tossing reeds return
In soft small notes, like one that seem'd to mourny
The new, but pleasant notes the gods surprise,
Yet this shall make us friends at last, he cries:
So he this pipe of reeds unequal fram'd
With wax ; and Syrinx from his mistress nam'd.
But Lucretius ascribes the invention of these pipes
not to Pan, but to some countrymen, who had ob-
served, on another occasion, the whisthng of the wuid
through reeds :
*• Zephyri cava per calamorum sibila primum:
Agrestes docuere cavas inflare cicutas ;
Inde minutatim dulces didicere querelas,
Tibia quas fundit digitis pulsata canentum:
Avia per nemora ac sylvas saltusque reperta,
Per loca pastorum deserta atque otia Dia." LucT. 1. 5.
And while soft ev'ning gales blew o'er the plains,
And shook the sounding reeds, they taught the swains;
• And thus the pipe was fram'd, and tuneful reed:
And while the tender flocks securely feed,
And harmless shepherds tune their pipes to love*
And Amaryllis sounds in ev'ry grove.
In the sacrifices of this god, they offered to him
milk and honey in a shepherd's bottle. He was
more especially worshipped in Arcadia, for which
reason he is so often called Pan, Deus Arcadiae.
Some derive from him Hispania, Spain, formerly
called Iberia ; for he lived there, when he returned
from the Indian war, to which he went with Bacchus
and the Satyrs.
x71
qUESTIOjYS FOR EXAMLYATION.
From what does Pan derive his name ?
What Avas he called by the Latins, and under what title was
he worshipped at Rome ?
What is the origin of Pan ?
How is he represented ?
What is the origin of the phrase " panic-struck?"
What does the image of Pan signify ?
What instruments did he invent, and what occurs when he
blows his pipe ?
■What does Lucretius say of the invention of the pipes?
Repeat the lines.
What were used in the sacrifices of Pan ?
Whence is he derived ?
CHAPTER XII.
SILVANUS AND SILE?WS.
Although many writers confound Silvanus the
Fauni, Satyri, and Sileni, with Pan, yet, as others
distinguish them, we shall treat of them separately,
and begin with Silvanus.
Silvanus, who is placed next to Pan, with the feet
of a goat, and the face of a man, of little stature.
He holds cypress in his hand stretched out. He is
so called from silvce, the woods ; for he presides
over them. He loved the boy Cyparissus, who had
a tame deer, in which he took great pleasure. Sil-
vanus by chance killed it ; upon which the youth
died for grief. Therefore Silvanus changed him
into a cypress-tree, and carried a branch of it always
in his hand, in memory of his loss.
Silenus follows next, with a flat nose, bald head^
large ears, and a small flat body ; he derives his
name from his jocular temper, because he perpetu-
ally jests upon the people. He sits upon a saddle-
172
backed ass : but when he walks, he leans upon a
staiF. He was foster-father to Bacchus his master,
and his perpetual companion, and consequeiuly was
almost always drunk, as we find him described in the
sixth Eclogue of Virgil. Tlie cup which he and
Bacchus used, was called Caiitharus ; and a staff
n'ith which he supported himself. Ferula : this he
ased when he was so drunk, as it often happened
hat he could not sit, but fell from his ass.
The Satyrs were not only constant companions of
Silenus, but were assistants to him j tliey held him
ai great esteem, and honoured him as their father;
and when thej^ became old, they were called Sileni
•,oo. And concerning Silenus' ass, they say, that
We was translated into lieaven, and placed among
!he stars ; because in the giant's war, Silenus rode
on him, and helped Jupiter very much.
" When Silenus v/as asked, " What was the best
.hing that could befall man?" he, after long silence^
answered, " It is best for all never to be born, but
being born, to die very quickly." WMch expres-
.*ion Fliny reports nearly in the same words : f There
have been man}^ who hare judged it happy never to
have been born, or to die immediately after one's
birth.
qUESTIOjXS FOR EXAMIJS'JiTIO.Y.
How is Silvanus represented?
From what is liis name derived ? *
Wliy is he represented with a branch of cypress in his hand?
How is Silenus represented ?
What are his cap and statF called?
Who were his companions ?
What became of his as«3 ?
What was the decision of Silenus with respect to the bes4
tiling that can befall man ?
*Rogatus quidnam, esset hominibus optimum: respondit om
nibus esse optimum non nasci, et natos quam citissime inteire
Plut in Consolatione Apol.
t Multi extitere qui non nasci, optimum censerunt, aut quam
citissime aboleri. In Prefat. 1. 7
173
CHAPTER XIII.
THE SATYRS, FAUNS, PRIAPUS, ARISTJ=:US TERMINUS.
Behold ! Those are Satyrs who dance under the
shade of that tall and spreading oak , they have
heads armed with horns, goat's feet and legs, crook-
ed hands, and tails not much shorter than horses*
tails. There is no animal in nature more libidi-
nous than these gods. Their -name itseli shows
their nature.
The Fauns, whom you see joined with the Satyrs,
differ trom them in the name only ; at least they are
not unlike them in their looks : for they have hoois
and horns, and are crowned with the branches of
the pine. When they meet drunken persons, they
stupily them with their looks alone. The boors of
the country call them the " rural gods ;'' and pay
them ihe more respect because they are armed with
horns and nails, and painted in terrible shapes.
Faunus, or Fatuellus, was the son of Picus, king
of the Latins. He married his own sister, whose
name was Fauna or Fatuella : he consecrated and
made her priestess ; after which she had the gift of
prophecy. History likewise tells us that this Fau-
nus was the father and prince of the other Fauns and
Satyrs. His name was given him from his skill in
prophecying ; and thence also fatus signifies both
persons that speak rashly and inconsiderately, and
enthusiasts ; because they who prophecy, deliver the
mmd and will of another, and speak things which
tliemselves, many times, do not understand.
Priapus, painted wic'a a sickle in his hand, was
the son of Venus and Bacchus, born at Lampsacus ;
from whence he was banished, till by the oracle's
• Satyrus derivatur a-^ro Tti; cahf a veretro. Euseb. Praep,
Evan. jg^
174
command he was recaikv!, and made god of the
gardens, and crowned wit!^ garden herbs. He car-
ries a sicide hi his hand, to cut ofl' from the trees all
superfluous boughs, and to drive away diieves and
beasts, and mischievous birds ; whence he is called
Avistupor. His image is usually placed in gardens,
as we may learn from Tibullus, Vn*gil, and Horace.
He is railed Hellespontiacus by the poets ; because
tiie city Lampsacus, where lie was born, was situ-
ate upon tiie Hellespont. He was very deformed,
which misfortune was occasioned by the ill usage
that his modier sudered while pregnant, from Juno.
He was named Priapus, Phallus, and Fascinum,
from his deformity. All these names have an in-
decent signification ; though by some he is called
Bonus Dfemon, or tlie good Genius.
Aristasus ; whom you see busied in that nursery of
olives, supporting and improving the trees, is em-
ployed in drawing oil from tlie olive, which art he
first invented. He also found out the use of honey,
and therefoi'e, you see rows of bee-hives near him.
For these two profitable inventions, the ancients
paid him divine honours.
He was otherwise called Nomius and Agrfeus, and
was the son of Apollo by C\rene; or, as Cicero
says, the son of Liber Pater, educated by the nymphs,
and taught by them the art of making oil, honey,
and cheese. He fell in love with Euridice, the wife
of Orpheus, and pursued her into a wood, where a
serpent stung her so that she died. On this account
the nymphs hated him, ai:d destroyed all hjs bet- s to
revenge the death of Euridice. The loss was ex-
ceedingly deplored by him r and asking his mother's
advice, he was told by the^ oracle that he ought by
sacrifices to appease Euridice. Wherefore he sacri-
ficed to her four bulls and four heifers, and his loss
was supplied ; for suddenly a swarm of bees burst
forth from the carcases ol' the bulls.
175
Another god, greatly honoured in the city of
Rome, is Teiininus, because they imagine that the
boundaries and limits of men's estates are under his
protection. His name, and the divine honours paid
to him by the ancients, are mentioned by Ovid, Ti-
bidlus, and Seneca. The statue of this god was
eidier a square stone, or a log of wood planed ;
which they usually perfumed with ointment, and
crowned with garlands.
And, indeed, the Lapides Terminales (that iS,
*' land-marks,") were esteemed sacred 5 so that who-
ever dared to move, or plough up, or transfer them
to another place, his head became devoted to the
Diis Terminalibus, and it was lawful for any body
to kill him.
And lurther, though they did not sacrifice the lives
of animals to those stones, because they though
that it was not lawful to stain them with blood ; yet
they offered wafer made of flour to them, and the first
fruits of corn, and the like : and upon the last day
of the year, they always observed festivals to their
honour, called Terminalia.
qUESTIOA^S FOR EXAMUVATIOXi'
How are the Satyrs represented ?
How are the Fauns represented, and what are they called by
the country-boors ?
What does history say of Faunus ?
How did he obtain his name ?
Who was Priapus, and where was he born ?
How is he represented, and for what is the sickle in his hand?
Why was he called Hellespontiacus?
Where is his image placed?
What is Aristaeus's employment.' ■>,
What did he invent?
Why was he called Nomius? ", -
What is the story of Euridice? 4'.
How did Terminus derive his name '
What was his statue ?
What is raid of the Lapides Terminales ?
What did the ancients offer as sacrifices to these stones?
176
CHAPTER XIV,
THE GODDESSES OF THE WOODS.
DIANA.
Hkiif: comes a goddess, taller than the other god-
desses, in whose virgin looks we may ease our eyes,
which have been wearied with the horrid sight of
those monstrous deities. Welcome, Diana ! your
hunting habit, the bow in your hand, and the quiver
full of arrows, which hang down from your should-
ers, and the skin of a deer fastened to your breast,
discover who you are. Your behaviour, which is
free and easy, but modest and decent ; your gar-
ments, which are handsome and yet careless, show
that you are a virgin. Your name indicates your
modesty and honour.
Actseon, the son of Aristaeus, the famous hunts-
man, unfortunately observing you, whilst bathing,
was changed into a deer, which was afterwards torn
in pieces by the dogs.
Furtlier honour is due to you ; because you repre-
sent the IMoon, the glory of the stars, and the only
goddess who observed perpetual chastity.
Nor am I ignorant of that tamous and deserving
action w hich you did to avoid tlie flames of Alpheus,
wlien you so hastily tied to your nymphs, who were
altogether in one place ; and so besmeared both
yourself and them with dirt, that when he came he
did not know you : whereby your honest deceit suc-
ceeded according to your intentions ; and the dirt
which injures every thing else, added a new lustre
to your virtue.
Diajia is called Triformis and Tergemina. First,
because though she is but one goddess, yet she has
three difi'erent names, as well as three difi'erent offi-
ces. In the heavens she is called Luna ; on the
DlM^t^
177
earth she is named Diana ; and in hell she is called
Hecate or Proserpine. In the heavens she enlight-
ens every thing by her ra\ s ; o;i the earth she keeps
ander her power ail wild beasts by her bow and her
dart ; and in hell she keeps all the ghosts and the
spirits in subjection to her by her power and au-
tliority. The several names and offices are coid-
Qrised in an ingenious distich :
" Terret, lustrat, agit; Proserpina, Luna, Diana;
Ima, suprema, feras ; sceptro, t'ulgore, sagitta."
Dempter in Paraiip.
But altlioiigh Luna, Diana, and Hecate, are com-
monly thought to be only three different names of
the same goddess, yet Hesiod esteems them three
distinct goddesses. Secondly, because she has, as
the poets say, three heads ; the head of a horse on
the right side, of a dog on the left, and a human
head in the midst : whence some call her three-
headed, or three-faced. And others ascribe to her
the likeness of a bull, a dog, and a lion. Virgil
and Claudian also mention her three countenances.
Thirdly, according to the opinion of some, she is
called Triformls, because the moon hath three phases
or shapes : tlie new moon appears arched vvith" a
semicircle of hght ; tbe half moon fills a semicircle
w^ith light ; and the full moon fdls a whole circle or
orb vvith its splendour. But let us examine these
names more exactlj^
She is named Luna, from shining, either because
she only in the night time sends fordi a glorious
light, or else because she shines by borrowed li^ht,
and not by her own 5 and therefore the light with
which she shines is always "^ new light. Her chariot
is drawn with a vAuie and a black horse; or with
two oxen, because she has got two horns ; sorae-
* Quod luce aliena splcndeat, unde Gra?ce dicitur SiXwij si
fiXxi nov, id est, lumen novum. Id. ibid.
178
times a mule is added, because she has no children,
and shines by the light of the sun. Some say, that
Lunos of both sexes have been worshipped, especial-
ly among the Egyptians ; and indeed they give this
property to all tlie otlier gods. Thus both Lunus
and Luna were worshipped, but with this difference,
that those who vvorshipped Luna were thought sub-
ject to the women, and those who worshipped Lunus
were superior to them. We must also observe, that
the men sacrificed to Venus, under the name of Luna
in women's clothes, and the women in men's clothes.
This Luna had a lover who was named Endy-
mion, and he was courted b}' her, insomuch, that
to kiss him, she descended out of heaven, and came
to the mountain Latmus, or Lathynius, in Caria ;
he lay condemned to an eternal sleep by Jupiter ;
because, v.hen he was taken into heaven, he at-
tempted to make love to Juno. In reality, Endy-
mion v.as a famous astronomer, wvlio first described
the course of the moon, and he is represented sleep-
ing, because he contemplated nothing but the plane-
tary motions.
Hecate may be derived from UyJsv [heJcathen]
eminus ; because the moon darts her rays or ar-
rows afar off. She is said to be the daughter ot
Ceres by Jupiter, who being cast out by her mo-
ther, and exposed in the streets, was taken up by
shepherds, and nourished by them ; for v» hich rea-
son she was worshipped in the streets, and her
statue was usually set before the doors of the houses,
whence she took the name Prop^dsea. Others de-
rive her name from Ua.ro'i [/icc«?07i] centum, because
they sacrificed a hundred victims to her : or, be-
cause, by her edict, those who die and are not buri-
ed, wander a hundred years up and down hell.
However, it is certain that she is called Trivia, from
triviis, "the streets;" for she was believed to pre-
side over the streets and ways ; so that they sacri-
179
ficed to her In the streets ; and the Athenians, every
new moon, made a sumptuous supper for her there,
which was eaten in the night hy the poor people of
the city. They say that she was excessively tall,
her head was covered with frightful snakes instead of
hair, and her feet were like serpents. She was re-
presented encompassed with dog^s ; because that ani-
mal was sacred to her; and Hesychius says, that
she was sometimes represented by a dog. We are
told diat she presided over enchantments, and that
when she was called seven times she came to the
sacrifices : as soon as these were finished, several
apparitions appeared, called from her Hecata^a.
She was called by the Egyptians, Bubastrs ; her
feasts were named Bubastse ; and the city where
they were yearh' celebrated was called Bubastis.
She is called Chitone and Chitonia, ^ because
women after childbirth used first to sacrifice to Ju-
no, and then ofler to Diana their own and their chil-
dren's clothes.
She was named Dictynna, not only from the
f nets which she used, for she was a huntress, and
the princess of hunters (for which reason all woods
v/ere dedicated to her,) but also because Britomar-
tis the virgin, whom she hunted, fell^nto the nets,
and vowed, if she escaped, to build a temple for
Diana. She did escape, and then consecrated a
temple to Diana Dictynna. Others relate the story
thus • When Britomartis, whom Diana loved be-
cause she was a huntress, fled from Minos her lover,
and cast herself into the sea ; she fell into the fish-
ermen's nets, and Diana made her a goddess. The
ancients thought that Diana left off hunting on the
ides of August, therefore at that time it was not
• HiTcavyi, quasi tunicata a ;^<7-aJv, tmiica ; solebant enim foemi-
nae partus laboribus perfunctce Junoni sacrificare : suas autein nx
infantiuni veste? Diante consecrare. Plut. 3. Symp. c. ult.
t Retia enim ^iKvra dicuntur.
180
lawful for any one to hunt, but they crowned the
dugs with garlands, and by the light of torches,
made of stubble, hung up the hunting instruments
near them.
We shall only adjoin, to what has been said, the
two stories of Chione and Meleager.
Chione was the daughter of Dsedalion, the son of
Daedalus : she was beloved by Apollo and Mercu-
ry, and was the mother of twins ; namely, Philam-
mon, a skilful musician, and Autolychus, who prov-
ed a famous juggler, and an artful thief. She was
so far from thinking this a shame, that she grew
very proud ; na}*, openly boasted, that her beauty
had charmed two gods. Besides, she was so bold
as to speak scornfully of Diana's beauty, and to pre-
fer herself before her : but Diana punished the in-
solence of this boaster, for she drew her bow, and
shot an arrow through her tongue, and thereby put
her to silence :
Se preeferre Dianae
Suslinuit, faciemque Deae culpavit. At illi
Ini fcrox niota est, factisque placablmus. inquit,
IS'i'c mora curvavit cornu, nervusque sagittam
Impulil. et meritam trajecit arundine linguam."
She to Diana's durst her face prefer,
And blame her beauty. With a cruel look,
She said our deed shall right us. Forthwith took
Her bow, and bent it; which she strongly drew,
And through her guilty tongue the arrow flew.
Meleager was punished for the fault of his father
Oeneus, who, when lie offered his first fruits to the
gods, Vvilfully forgot Diana ; tlierefore she was an-
gry, and sent a wild boar into the fields of his king-
dom of Caledonia, to de?troy them. Meleager,
accompanied with many chosen youths, immediately
undertook either to kill this boar, or to drive hira
out of the country. The Virgin Atalanta was among
181
the hunters, and gave the boar the first wound ; and
soon after Meleager killed liim. He valued Atalan-
ta more who wounded him, than himself who killed
him, and tlierefore offered her the bftar's skin. But
the uncles of Meleager were enraged that the hide
was given to a stranger, violently took it from her ;
upon which Meleager killed tJiem. As soon as his
mother Althaea understood that Meleager had killed
her brothers, she sought revenge like a mad woman.
In Althaea's chamber was a billet, which, when Me-
leager was born, the Fates took, and threw into the
fire, saying. The new-born infant shall live as long
as this stick remains unconsumed :
" Tempora, dlxerunt, eadem lignoque tibique,
O modo nate, damus : quo poslquarn carmine dictO|
Excessere Dea3 ; flagrantem mater ab igne
Eripuit ramum, sparsitque liquentibiis undisj
Servatusque diu juvenis servaverat annos."
O lately born, one period we assign
To thee and to the brand. The charm they weave
Into his fate, and then the chamber leave.
His mother snatch"d it with a hasty hand
Ont of the fire, and quench'd the flaming brand,
This in an inward closet closely lays,
And by preserving it prolongs his days.
The mother snatched it out of the fire and quench-
ed it, and laid it in a closet. But now, moved with
rage, she goes to her chamber, and fetching th€
stick, she threv/ it into the fire :
-" Dextraque aversa trementi,
Funereum torrem medios conjecit in ignes.
-With eyes turn'd back, her quaking hand
To trembling (lames exposed the fun'ral brand,
As the log burned, Meleager, though absent, felt
fire in his bowels, which consumed him in the same
manner that the wood was consumed ; and when at
IG
iS2
last the log was quite reduced to ashes, and the fire
quenched, Meleager at the same time expired, and
turned to dust.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXMIIJVATIOJi.
How is Diana described ?
What is said of Actason ?
Why does Diana represent the moon ?
What is said of her with regard to Alpheus ?
Why is she called Triformis ?
How is she named in the heavens, in the earth, and in heU
and why so ?
Repeat the Latin distich.
Why is she named Luna3 ?
How was LuL'aj worshipped among the Egyptians?
What is said of Endymion ?
What is said of Hecate ?
'Vny was she called Trivia?
Why is she represented as encompassed with dogs?
Why is she called Bubasta;. and why Brimo ?
Why was she called Lucina and Opis ?
Why was she called Chitone ?
Why was she named Dictynna ?
Why did the ancients esteem it unlawful to hunt after the first
of August ?
Give some account of the stories of Chione and Meleager.
CHAPTER XV.
PALES, FLORA, FERONIA, POMONA.
That old lady, whom you see surrounded by
shepherds, is Pales, the goddess of shepherds and
pastures. Some call her Magna Mater and Vesta,
To this goddess they sacrificed milk, and wafers
made of millet, that she might make the pastures
fruitful. They instituted the feasts called Palilia,
or Parilia, to her honour, which were observed upon
the eleventh or twelfth day of the calends of May
cr..Tii;
II M,-.. .1,1
TliOIEiL
183
by the shepherds in the field, on the same day in
which Rornukis laid the foundation of the city.
These feasts were celebrated to appease this god-
dess, that she might drive away the wolves, and
prevent the diseases incident to cattle. The so-
lemnities observed in the Palilian feasts were many:
the shepherds placed little heaps of straw in a par-
ticular order, and at a certain distance ; then they
danced and leaped over them ; then they purified
the sheep and the rest of the cattle with the fume ol
rosemary, laurel, sulphur, and the like ; as we learn
from Ovid, who gives a description of the rites.
"Alma Pales, faveas pastoria sacra canenti,
Prosequar officio si tua facta meo.
Cei'te ego de vitiilo cinerem, stipulamque fabalein
Seepe tuli, l<eva, februa tosta, manu.
Certe ego tiansilui positas ter in ordine fiammas,
Virgoque rorales laurea misit aquas."
Great Pales help ; the past'ral rites I r.lng,
With humble duty mentioning eac*h thing.
Ashes ot calves, and bean-straws oft I've held,
With burnt purgations in a hand well fill'd.
Thrice o'er the (lames, in order rang'd, I've leapt,
And holy dew my laurel twig has dript.
Flora, so dressed and ornamented, is the god-
dess and president of flowers. The Romans gave
her the honour of a goddess, but in reality she was
a woman of inlanious character, who, b}^ her abo-
minable trade, heaped up a great deal of money,
and made the people of Rome her heir. She left a
certain sum, the yearly interest of which was settled,
that the games called Florales, or Floralia, might
be celebrated annually, on lier birth-day. But be-
cause this appeared impious and profane to the se-
nate, they covered their design, and worshipped
Flora under the title of "goddess of dowers ;" and
pretended that they offered sacrifice to her, that the
plants and trees might flourish.
164
Ovid follows the same fiction, and relates, that
Chloris, an inlamous nymph, was married to Ze-
pliyrus, from whom she received the power over all
the flowers. But let us return to Flora, and her
games. Her image, as we find in Plutarch, was
exposed in tlie temple of Castor and Pollux, dress-
ed in a close coat, and holding in her right hand
die flowers of beans and peas. For while these
sports were celebrated, the officers, or ccdiles, scat-
tered beans and other pulse among the people.
These games were proclaimed and begun by sound
of trumpet, as we find mentioned in Juvenal.—
Sat. 6.
Feronia, the goddess of the woods, is justly
placed near Flora, the goddess of flowers. She
IS called Feronia, from the care she takes in * pro-
ducing and propagating trees. The higher place
is due to her, because iruits are more valuable than
flowers, and trees than small and ignoble plants.
It is said she had a grove sacred to her, under the
mountain Soracte : this was set on fire, and the
neighbours were resolved to remove the image Fe-
ronia thence, when on a sudden the grove became
green again. Strabo reports that those who were
inspired by this goddess, used to walk barefoot
upon burning coals without hurt. Though many
believed, that by the goddess Feronia," that kind ol
virtue only is meant, by which fruit and flowers
were produced.
Pomona is the goddess, the guardian, the presi-
dent, not of the f apples only, but of all the frait
and the product of trees and plants. As you see,
she follows after Flora and Feronia, in order ; but
in the greatness of her merit she far surpasses them;
and has a priest who serves her only, called Flamen
Pomopalis.
♦Feronia a ferendis arboribus dicta,
t Fomaua a poinis (JicUur.
185
Once when Pomona was very busy in looking af
ter her gardens and orchards witli great care, and
was wholly employed in watering and securing the
roots, and lopping the overgrown branches ; "^Ver-
tumnus, a prmcipal god among the Romans, (called
so because he had power to turn himself into what
shape he pleased,) fell in love with Pomona, and
counterfeited the shape of an old grey-headed wo-
man. Ke came leaning on a stafl'into the gardens,
admired the fruit and beauty of them, and commend-
ing her care about them, he saluted her. He view-
ed the gardens, and from the observations he had
made, he began to discourse of marriage, telling her
that it would add to the happiness even of a god, to
have her to wife. Observe, says he, the trees which
creep up this wall : how do the apples and plums
strive which shall excel the other in beauty and co-
lour ! whereas, if they had not props or supports,
which like husbands hold them up, they would pe-
rish and decay. All this did not move hc<r, till Ver-
tumnus changed himself into a young man ; and
then she also began to feel the force and power of
love, and then received him with favour. — Ovid
Met. 14.
qUESTfOjXS FOR EXAMmATIOK.
Who was Pales, and what did they sacrifice to her?
Why were tliose feasts observed ?
What solemnities were observed in the Palilian feasts'
Who was Flora ?
Was she really a goddess ?
How were the Floralia instituted ; v lien were they celebrated J
Ond under what pretence did they worship Flora?
How is her fir^iire represented ?
Who is Feronia ; wliat is her occupalion ; and ,vhy is mors
honour due to her than to Flora?
What does Strabo say of Fero.iia?
Who was Pomona, and what was her priest called '
What story is related of Verlumnus ?
• Vertumnus a vertendo, quod in quas vellet ngiiras sese vei*
tere poterat.
16* ^
186
CHAPTER XVI.
THE NYMPHS.
Now observe that great company of neat, pretty,
handsome, beautiful, charming, virgins, who are
very near the gardens of Pomona. Some run about
tlie woods, and hide themselves in the trunks of the
aged oaks ; some plunge themselves into the foun-
tams, and some swim in the rivers. They are call-
ed by one common name, nymphs, ^because they
always look young: or f because they are hand-
some : yet all have their proper names beside, which
they derive either from the places in which tiiey live,
or the offices which they perform ; they are espe-
cially distributed in three classes, celestial, terres-
trial, and marine.
The celestial nymphs were those genii, those souls
and intellects, who guided the spheres of the hea-
vens, and dispensed the influences of the stars to
the things of the earth.
Of the terrestrial nymphs, some preside over the
woods, and were called Dryades, I'rom a Greek
word, Apvi, which principally signifies an oak, but
generally any tree whatever. These Dryades had
their habitations in the oaks. Other nymphs were
called JHamadryades, for they were born when the
oak was first planted, and when it perishes they die
also. The ancients held strange opinions concern-
ing oaks : they imagined that even th? smallest oak
was sent from heaven. The Druids, priests of the
Gauls, esteemed nothing more divine and sacred,
than the excrescence which sticks to oaks. Others oj
• 'Aro t5 ail »£«; (fiama-^ai quod semper juvenes apparearit.
t 'Ato ri (pa'tniv, splendere (]uod forme decore pra-'lulgeant.
X Ab «/*«, simul, et ^fvs, quereus.
187
those nyinphs were called ^Oreades, or Uriestiades,
because they presided over the mountains, fNapscae,
because they had dominion over the groves and val-
leys. Others JLimoniades, because they looked
after the meadows and fields. And others, ||Meliae,
from the ash, a tree sacred to them ; and these were
supposed to be the mothers of those children, who
were accidentally born under a tree, or exposed
there.
Of the marine nymphs, those which presided over
the seas, were called Nereides or Nereinse, from the
sea god Nereus, and the sea nymph Doris, their pa-
rents ; which Nereus and Doris w ere born of Tethys
and Oceanus, from whom they were called Oceani-
tides and Oceaniae. Others of those nymphs pre-
side over the fountains, and were called §Naides or
Naiades : others inhabit the rivers, and were called
Fluviales or IFPotamides : and others preside over
the lakes and ponds, and were called Limnades.
All the gods had nymphs attending them. Jupi-
ter speaks of his in Ovid ;
" Sunt mihi Seraidei, sunt rustica numina Fauni,
El IVyinpha3, Satyrique, et monticolffi Sylvani.
Half gods and rustic Fauns attend my will,
Nymphs, Satyrs, Sylvans, that oa mountains dwell.
Neptune had many nymphs, insomuch that Hesi-
od and Pindar call him '''^^Nymphagetes, that is, the
captain of the nymphs : the poets generally gave him
fifty. Phoebus likewise had nymphs called Agaiv-
nippidje and IMusae. Innumerable were the nymphs
of Bacchus, who were called by diHerent names,
• Ab Spot, mons.
t A »«^w, saltus vel valiis.
I A Xiifiuv, nratum.
A fi(X.'ict, fraxinus.
A letu, duo.
UoTttftoi, fluvius.
Kv/Aipuy'iTvi, id est, Nyrapharum dux.
188
Bacchse Bassarides, Eloides, and Thyades. Hunt*
ing nymphs attended upon Diana ; sea nymphs,
called Nereides, waited upon Tethys ; and lourteea
very beautiful nymphs belonged to Juno ;
'• Bis septem praestanti corpore Nymphae."
Virg. JEn. 1.
Twice seven the charming daughters of the main,
Around my person wait, and bear my train.
Out of all which I will only give you the history of
two.
Arethusa was one of Diana's nymphs : her vir-
tue was as great as her beauty. The pleasantness
of the place invited her to cool herself in the waters
of a fine clear river : Alpheus, the god of the river,
assumed the shape of a man, and arose out of the
water; he first saluted her with kind words, and
then approached near to her : but away she flies,
and he follows her ; and when he had almost over-
taken her, she was dissolved with fear, into a foun-
tain, with the assistance of Diana, whom she im
plored. Alpheus then resumed his former shape o\
water, and endeavoured to mix his stream with hers,
but in vain ; for to this day Arethusa continues her
flight, and by her passage through a cavity of the
earth, she goes under ground into Sicil}'. Alpheus
also follows by the like subterraneous passage, till
at last he unites and marries his own streams to those
of Arethusa in that island. Virg. ^n. 2.
Echo was formerly a nymph, though nothing ot
her but her voice remains now, and even when she
was alive, she was so far deprived of her speech,
that she could only repeat the last words of those
Bentences \> liich she heard :
" Corpus adhuc Echo, non vox erat ; et tamen usuni
Garrula non alium ; (jiiam nunc habet, oris habebat ;
Reddere de muitis ut verba novissinia posset."
Ovid. Mtl. 3.
189
She was a nymph, thouo;li only now a sound j
Yet of her tongue no other use was fomul,
Than now slie has; v/liich never conid be more,
Than to repeat "what she had heard before.
Juno inflicted this punislinient on her for her talk-
ativeness : for when, prompted by her jealousy, she
came down to discover Jupiter among the nymphs.
Echo detained her very long with her tedious dis-
courses, that the nymphs might have an opportunitjT
to escape, and hide thems(?lves :
"Fecerat hoc Juno, quia cum deprendere posset
Sub Jove sa'pe suo nymplias in monte jacentes,
Ilia dcam longo prudens sermone tenebat,
Dum fugcreiit nymphae."
This change impatient Juno's anger wrought,
Who, when her Jove she o'er the mountains sought,
Was oft by Eciio's tedious tales misled,
Till the shy nymphs to caves and grotto's fled.
This Echo by chance met Narcissus rambling in
the woods ; and she so ad?nired his beauty that she
fell in love with him : she discovered her love to him,
courted him, followed and embraced him, but he
broke from her embraces, and hastily fled from her
sight : upon which the despised nymph hid herself
in the woods, and pined away with grief, so that
every part of her but her voice was consumed, and
her bones were turned into stones.
" Vox tantum, atq;ie ossa snpersiint ;
Vox manet: ossa ferunt lapidis traxisse figuram ;
Inde latet sylvis, nuUoquc in monte videlcr,
Omnibus auditur: sonus est qui vivU in iila."
Her flesh consumes and moulders with despair,
And all her body's juice is turn'd to air;
So wonc'rous are the effects of restless pain,
That nothing but her voice and boiies remain ;
Nay, e'en the very bones at last are gone,
And metamorphos'd to a thoughtless stane;
Yet still the voice does in the woods survive,
The form's departed, but the sound's alive.
190
Narcissus met with as bad a fate : for though he
nould neither love others, nor admit of their love,
yet he fell so deeply in love with- his own beauty,
diat the love of himself proved his ruin. His thirst
led him to a fountain, whose waters were clear and
bright as silver :
" Fons erat illimis nitidis argenteus undis." Ovid Met. 3.
There was by chance a living fountain near,
Whose unpollatcd channel ran so clear,
That it seem'd liquid silver.
When he stooped to drink, he saw his own image ,
he stayed gazing at it, insomuch that he fell pas-
sionately in love with it. A little water only sepa-
rated him irom his beloved object :
" Exigua prohibetur aqua"
A little drop of water does remove
And keep liim from the object of his love.
He continued a long time admiring this beloved
picture, before he discovered what it was that he
.so passionately adored ; bat at length the unhappy
creature perceived, that the torture he suffered was
from the love of his own self:
"Flammas, inquit, moveoque, feroque :
Quod ciipio mccum est: inopem me copia fecit.
ntinam a nostro secedere corpore possem!
Votum in amante novum est, vellem quod amamusabcsset."
My love does vainly on nivself return,
And iaiis the cruel flames with which I burn.
The thing desir'd I still about me bore,
And too much plenty has confirm'd me poor.
O that I from mv much-lov'd self could go;
A strange request, yet would to God 'twere so !
In a word, his passion conquered him, and the
power of love was greater than he could resist, so
that, by degrees, he wasted away and consumed, amth
191
at last, by the favour of the gods, was turned into a
daffodil, a flower called by his own name.
qUESTIO.XS FOR EX^^MLYATIOK
Who are the Nymphs; how are they engaged; and from
whence do they derive their general nanne?
From whom do they get their peculiar names, and into what
classes are they divided ?
Who are tl:e celestial Nymphs ?
Give some account of the terrestrial Nymphs.
Over what d-d the marine Nymphs preside?
Whom did the Nymphs attend?
What Is said of Areth.usa ?
Who was Echo, and v.hat is her history?
What is the history of Narcissus?
CHAPTER XVII.
THE INFERIOR RURAL DEITIES.
RusiNA, the goddess to whose care all parts of
tlie country are committed.
Collina, she who reigns over the hills.
Vallonia, wlio holds her empire in the valleys.
Hippona, who presides over the horses and sta-
bles.
Bubona, v/ho hath the care of the oxen.
Seia, who takes care of the seed, while it lies bu-
ried in the earth. She is likewise called Segetia,
because she takes care of the blade as soon as it ap-
pears green above the ground.
Runcina is the goddess of weeding. She is in^
voked when the fields are to be weeded.
Occator is tlie god of harrowing. He is wor-
shipped when the fields are to be harrowed.
Satoi and Sarritor are the gods of sowing and
raking.
19.2
To the god Robigus were celebrated festivals call-
ed Robigalia, wliich v-jre usually observed upon the
seventh of the calends of May, to avert tlie blasting
of the corn.
Stercutius, Stercutus, or Sterculius, called li^ie-
wise Sterquilinius and Picumnus, is the god who
first invented the art of manuring the ground.
Proserpine is the goddess who presides over the
corn, when it is sprouted pretty high above the eartli.
We shall speak more of her when we discourse con-
cerning the infernal deities.
Nodosus, or Nodotus, is the god that takes care
of the knots and the joints of the stalks.
Volusia is the goddess who takes care to fold the
blade round the corn, before the beard breaks out,
wliich foldings of the blade contain the beard, as
pods do the seed.
Patelina, vv ho takes care of the corn after it is
broken out of the pod, and appears.
The goddess Flora presides over the ear when it
blossoms.
Lactura, or Lactucina, who is next to Flora, pre^
sides over the ear when it begins to have mnlk.
And Matura takes care that the ear comes to a
just maturity.
Hostilina was worshipped that the ears of com
might grow even, and produce a crop proportioi*-
ably to the seed sown.
Tutelina, or Tutuhna, hath a tutelage of com
when it is reaped.
Pilumnus invented the art of kneading and baking
bread. He is commonly joined with Picumnus, hii
brother, v/hom v/e mentioned above.
Mellona is the goiddess who invented the art of
making honey.
And Fornax is esteemed a goddess ; because, be**
(ore the invention of grinding wheat, corn was parch-
ed in a furnace. Ovid makes mention of this goddess*
193
*» Facia Dea est Fornax, laeli fornace coloni
Grant, ut vires temperet ilia suas." Fast. 6.
A goddess Fornax is, and her the clowns adore,
That they may've kindly batches by her pow'r.
qUESTIOJ^S FOR EXMfmATION.
Who were the Rusina, Collina, Vallonia, and Hippona ?
What were the occupations of Bubona, Seia, Runcina, &nd
Occator ?
Who were the gods of sowing and raking?
On what account were the Robigalia instituted ?
Who invented the art of manuring the land ?
Over what does Proserpine preside ?
Who were Nodosus, Volusia, and Fatellina ?
Over what does Flora, Lactura, and Matura preside f
Why was Hostilena worshipped ?
W^hat was the office of Tutelina ?
What did Pilumnus invent?
Who was Mellona ?
Why is Fornax esteemed a goddess f
<.F THE
&£i
1
17
PART III.
OF THE GODS OF THE SEA,
CHAPTER I.
SEC. 1.— NEPTUNE. HIS NAME AND DESCENT,
ACTIONS AND CHILDREN.
Neptune, the king of the waters, is represented
with black hair and bhie eyes, holding a sceptre in
nis right hand, like a fork with three tines, and
beautifully arrayed in a mantle of blue, clasping his
.eft hand round his queen's waist. He stands up-
right in his chariot, which is a large escalopshell,
drawn by sea horses, and attended b}^ odd kind of
animals, which resemble men in the upper parts,
and fish in the lower. His name is derived, by the
change of a few letters, from the word nubo, which
signifies " to cover ;" because the sea encompasses,
embraces, and, as it were, covers the land. Or,
as others believe, he is so called from an Egyptian
Word (nepthen,) which signifies the coasts and pro-
montories, and other parts of the earth, which are
washed by the waters. So that Cicero, who de-
rives Neptune from nando (swimming,) is either
mistaken, or the place is corrupt.
Neptune is the governor of the sea, the father of
the rivers and the fountains, and the son of Saturn
by Ops. His mother preserved him from the de-
to
195
vo ' rng jaws of Saturn, who ate up all the male
chus'ren that was born to him, by givintj; Saturn a
yoii\\9; foal to eat in his stead. In the Greek he is
called Uoa-ei^av [^Posiedon,~\ because he so binds our
feet thit we are not able to walk within his do-
minions'., that is, on the water.
When he came of age, Saturn's kingdom was di-
vided by lot, and the maritime parts fell to hiip.
He and .<\pollo, by Jupiter's command, were torced
to c.':.rve Liaomedon, in building the walls of Troy ;
betawse he and some other gods had plotted against
Ju{,''ler. Then he took ^Amphitrite to wife, who
refi/.>.ed a long time to hearken to his courtship ; but
at lastj by the assistance of a dolphin, and by the
power i'Tfluttery, he gained her. To recompense
which kiidness, the dolphin was placed among tne
stars, avid made a constellation. Amphitrite had
two other names ; Salacia, so called from salum, the
sea, or tl^" salt water, towards the lower part and
bottom of '.he sea ; and Venilla, so called from veni'
endo, beca.ise the sea goes and comes with the tide,
or ebbs and flows by turns.
The poe^s tell us, that Neptune produced a horse
in Attica out of the ground, by striking it with his
trident; whence he is called Hippius and Hippo-
dromus, and he is esteemed the pr^ sident over horse
races. At his altar, in the Circus at Rome, games
were instituted, in which they represented the an-
cient Romans by violence carrying away the Sabine
women. His altar was under ground, and sacrifi-
ces were offered to him by the name of Consus, the
god of counsel ; which for the most part ought to
be given privately ; and therefore the god Consul
was worshipped in an obscure and private place.
The solemn games Consualia, celebrated ni the
* Dicitur a,y,(piTftrn wa.foi TO ufKpirpitiiv a circumterendo, quod
errans mare circumterat.
196
month of March, were instituted In honour of Nep-
tune. At the same time, the horses left working,
and the mules were adorned with garlands of flowers.
Hence it also happens, that the chariot of Nep-
tune is drawn by hippocam^n, or sea horses, as well
as sometimes by dolphhis. Those sea horses had
the tails of fishes, and only two feet, which were like
the fore feet of a horse, according to the description
given of them in Statius :
" lUic ^Egeo Neptunus gurgUe fesso:-
In portam deducit equos, prior haurit habeaas
Ungula, postremi solvuntur in aeqtiora pisces." Treb- 2,
Good IS'eplune's steeds to rest are set up here,
In the jEgean gulph, whose fore parts harness bear,
Their hinder parts fish-shap'd.
And this is the reason why Virgil calls them two-
footed horses : Neptune guides them, and goads
Uiem with his trident, as it is expressed in Statius :
" Triplici telo jubet ire jugales :
lUi spumiferos glomerant a pectore fluctu?,
Pone natant, delentque pedum vestigia cauda." Achil. 1,
Shaking his trident, urges on his steeds,
Who witli two feet beat from thsir brawny breasts
The foaming billows ; but their hinder parts
Swim, and go smooth against the curling surge.
It was therefore Neptune's peculiar office, not only
to preside over, and to govern horses both hy land
and sea, but also the government of ships were com-
mitted to his care, which wTre always safe under his
protection ; for whenever he rides upon the waters,
the weather immediately grows fair, and the sea
calm.
-" Tumida aquora placat,
Collectasque fugat nubes, solemque reduclt." Virg.^n. 1
He sraoolh'd the sea,
PispeU'd the darkness, and restored the day
197
" Subsidunt undas, tnmiduraqiie sub axe tonanti
Sternitur aequor aquis, fugiunt vasto a^there nimbi "
^n. 6.
High on the waves his azure car he guides,
Its axles thunder, and the sea subsides ;
And the smooth ocean rolls her silent tides.
-" ^quora postquam
Prospiciens genitor, caeloque invectus aperto,
Flectit equos, curruque volans dat lora secundo."
Virg. JEh.
-Where'er he guides
His finny coursers, and in triumph rides,
The waves unruffle, and the sea subsides
The most remarkable of his children were Triton,
Phorcus or Proteus. Of the first we shall speak in
another place.
Phorcus or Phorcys, was his son by the nymph
Thesea. He was vanquished by Atlas, and drowrj-
ed in the sea. His surviving friend said, that )>€
was made a sea god, and, therefore, they worship-
ped him. We read of another Phorcus, who had
three daughters, they had but one eye among them
all, which they all could use. When either of thera
desired to see any thing, she fixed the eye in her
forehead, in the same manner as men fix a diamond
in a ring ; and having used it, she pulled the eye
out again, that her sisters might have it; thus they
all used it, as there was occasion.
Proteus, his son by the nymph Phoenice, was the
keeper of the sea calves. He could convert himself
into all sorts of shapes ; sometimes he could flow
like the water, and sometimes burn like the fire ;
sometimes he was a fish, a bird, a lion, or whatever
he pleased. — Ovid Met. 8.
Nor was this wonderful power enjoyed by Pro-
teus alone ; for Vertumnus, one of the gods of the
Romans, possessed it ; his *narae shows it, as we
* Vertumnus dictus est a vertendo
17^
198
observed before in the story of Pomona. From this
god, Verlumnus, comes that common Latin expres-
sion, henc or male veriaf, may it succeed well or ill ;
because it is the business of V'ertumnus to preside
over the turn or change of things, which happen
according to expectation, though oftentimes what
we think good is found in the conclusion [waZe
vertere'] to be worse than was expected ; as that
sword wh.ich Dido received from ^Eneas, with which
she afterwards killed herself.
Neptune "^endued Per icly menus, Nestor's brother,
with the same power ; and he was killed by Hercu-
les when in the shape of a fly : for when Hercules
fought against Neleus, a fly tormented and stung
him violently ; and Ai Pallas discovering to him
that this fly was Periclymenus, he killed him.
Neptune gave the same power to Metra, Mestra,
or Mestre, the daughter of Erisichthon, by which
f she was enabled to succour lier father's insatiable
hunger.
For the same cause Caenis, a virgin of Thessaly,
obtained the same, or rather a greater power, from
Neptune ; for he gave her power to change hei
sex, and made her invulnerable : she, therefore,
turned herself into a man, and was. called Cseneus.
She fought against the Centaurs, till they had over-
whelmed her with a vast load of trees, and buried
her alive ; after which she was changed into a bird
©f her own name. — Ovid Met,
"Ensemqiie rechiHit
Dardaiiium, non hos quitsUum raunus in usns."
I'irg. JEn 4.
The Trojan sword unslieath'd,
A gift by liim not to Ibis use bequealh'd.
• Horn, in Odyss. 11.
t •' Nunc e'jua, nunc ales, mode bos, modo servus obihat.
Praebeltatfjue uvido iion jnsta alimenta parenti." — Ovid Met, 3,
199
qUESTIOjXS FOR EXAMINATION.
How is Neptune represented ?
From what is iiis name dei ived ?
Whose son was Neptune, and how was his life preserved?
What is his name in Greek, and why?
What task was imposed on him for his rebellion against Ju-
piter ?
Why w as tlic dolphin made a constellation ?
What were Amphitrite's names, and from what were they
derived r
Why ie Neptune called Hippius and Hippodromus?
What games were instituted at his altar, and what sacrifice*
were offered him ?
What were the Consualia, and how were they kept?
What were the Hippocampi?
What was Neptune's peculiar office?
Who were Neptune's children?
What is the history of Phorcus?
Who was Proteus, and what particular power had he?
What is said of Vertumnus ?
What is the history of Periclymenus ?
Who was Mestra, and what did she do?
What power did Neptune g/ant to Cgenis ?
CHAPTER II.
TRITON, AND THE OTHER MARINE GODS.
Triton was the son of Neptune by Amphitrite ;
he was his father's companion and trumpeter. Half
of him resembles a man, but his other part is like a
fish : his two feet are like the fore feet of a horse, his
tail is cleft and crooked, like a half moon, and his
hair resembles wild parsley. Two princes of Par-
nassus, Virgil and Ovid, give most elegant descrip-
tions of him :
" Hunc vehit immanis Triton, et ca2rula concha
Exterreiis freta ; cui laterum *enus his|)ida nanti
Frons hominem pra^fert, in pristim desinit alvus,
Spumea pestifero sub pe&tore murmurat unda." — Mn. 10
200
Him and his martial train the Triton bears,
High on his poop the sea-green god appears;
Frowning, he seems his crooked shell to sound,
And at the blast the billows dance around.
A hairy man above the waist he shows ;
A porpoise tail beneath his body grows.
And ends a fish : his breast the waves divide,
And froth and foam augment the murm'ring tide.
" Caeruleum Tritona vocat ; conchaque sonaci
Inspirare jubet ; fluctusque et flumina signo
Jam revocare dato. Cava buccina suniitur illi
Tortilis, in latum (juaj turbine crescit ab imo :
Buccina, quaj medio concepit ut aera ponto,
Littora voce replet sub utroque jacentia Phcebe." — Met. 1
Old Triton rising from the deep he spies,
Whose shoulders rob'd with native purple rise,
And bids him liis loud-sounding shell inspire,
And give the floods a signal to retire.
He his wreath'd trumpet takes (as given in charge)
That from the turning bottom grows more large;
This, when the Psumen o'er the ocean sounds,
The east and west from shore to shore rebounds.
Oceanus another of the seagods, was the son ol
Coelum and Vesta. He, by the ancients, was called
the " Father," not only of all the rivers, but of the
animals, and of the very gods themselves ; for they
imagined that all things in nature took their begin-
ning from him. It is said that he and his wife Te-
thys were parents of three thousand sons, the most
eminent of which was :
Nereus, who was nursed and educated by the
waves, and afterward dwelt in the Mgean sea, and
became a famous prophecier. He was the father of
fifty daughters by his wife Doris, whose nymphs
were called after their father's name, Nereides.
Palsemon, and his mother Ino, are also to b€
reckoned among the sea deities. They were made
seagods on this occasion : Ino's husband, Athamas,
was distracted, and tore his son Learchus into pie-
ces, and dashed him against the wall : Ino saw this,
and fearing lest the same fate should come upon her-
201
self and lier other son, Melicerta, she took her soo,
and with him threw herself into the sea : where they
were made sea deities. Nothing perished in the wa-
ters but their names. Though their former names
wore lost in tlie waves, yet they found new ones :
she was called Leucothea, and he Palsemon by the
Greeks, and Portumnus by the Latins.
Glaucus, the fisherman, became a seagod by a
more pleasant way : for when he pulled the fishes
which he had caught out of his nets, and laid them
on the shore, he observed that by touching a certain
herb, they recovered tlieir strength, and leaped
again into the water. He wondered at so strange
an efiect, and had a desire to taste this herb. When
he had tasted it, he followed his fishes, and, leaphig
into the water, became a god of the sea. — Ovid
Met. 13.
To these we may add the story of Canopus, a
god of the Egyptians, who, by the help of water,
gained a memorable victory over the god of the
Chaldeans. When these two nations contended
about the power and superiority of their gods, the
priests consented to bring tvv'o gods together, that
they might decide thsir controversy. The Chal-
deans brought their god Ignis (Fii'e,) and the
Egyptians brought Canopus : they set the two gods
near one another to fight. Canopus was a great
pitcher filled with water, and full of holes, but so
stopped with wax that nobody could discern them *
when the fight began. Fire, the god of the Chal-
deans, melted the wax, which stopped the holes ; so
that Canopus, with rage and violence assaulted Ig-
nis with streams of water, and totally extinguished
vanquished, and overcame him.
qUESTIOJYS FOR EXAMJKATIOK'.
Who was Triton, and how is he described ?
Give Virgil's description.
202
Give Ovid's account.
Who was OccHtius '
What is said of Nereus ?
Give the history of Talaemon.
How was Glaucus transformed to a seagoJ ?
What story is told of Canopus ?
CHAPTER III.
THE MONSTERS OF THE SEA.
THE SIRENS, SCYLLA, AND CHARYBDIS.
There were three Sirens, whose parentage is un»
certain, though some say they were the offspring of
the river Achelous, and tlie muse Melpomene. They
had the faces of women, but the bodies of flying
fishes : they dwelt near the promontory Pel oris in
Sicily, (now called Capodi Faro,) or in tlie islands
called Sirenusfe, which are situate in the extreme
parts of Italy ; where, with the sweetness of their
singing, they allured all the rien to them that sail-
ed by those coasts : and when by their charms they
brought upon them a dead sleep, tiiey drowned
them in the sea, and afterward took them out and
devoured them. Their names were Parthenope,
fwho died at Naples, for which reason that city was
formerly called Parthenope,) LigtC, and Leucosia.
That their charms might be more easily received,
and make the greater impression on the minds of
the hearers, they used musical instruments with their
Toices, and adapted the matter of their songs to the
temper and inclination of their hearers. With some
songs they enticed the ambitious, with others the vo-
luptuous, and with other songs tliey drew on the co-
vetous to their destruction.
203
♦* Monstra maris Sirenes erant, quae voce canora
Quasliuet admissas detinuere rates." — Ov. Art. Am. 3.
Sirens were once seamonsters, mere decoys,
Trepanning seamen with their tuneful voice.
History mentions only two passengers, viz. Ulys-
ses and Orpheus, who escaped. The first was fore-
warned of the danger of their charming voices ])y
Circe : tiierefore he stopped the ears of his com-
panions with wax, and was himself fast bound to the
mast of the ship, by which means he safely passed
the fatal coasts. But Orpheus overcame them in
their own art, and evaded the temptations of their
murdering music, by playing upon his harp, and
singing the praises of the gods so well, that he out-
did the Sirens. The fates had ordained, that the Si-
rens should live till somebody who passed by heard
them sing, and yet escaped alive. When, therefore,
they saw themselves overcome, they grew desperate,
and threw themselves headlong into the sea, and
were turned into stones. Some write, that they
were formerly virgins, Proserpine's companions,
who sought every where for her when she was sto-
len away by Pluto ; but when they could not find
her, that they were so grieved, that they cast them-
selves into the sea, and from that time were changed
into seamonsters. Others add, that by Juno's per-
suasion they contended in music with Muses, who
overcame them, and, to punish their rashness, cut off
tlieir wings, with which they afterward made for
tliemselves garlands.
The poets teach by this fiction, that the *" minds
of men are deposed from their proper seat and state,
by the allurements of pleasure." It corrupts them ;
and there is not a more deadly plague in nature to
manldnd than voluptuousness. Whoever addicts
• Voluptatura illicebris mentem e sua sede et statu diraoveii.
Cic. de Senectu*e.
204
himself altogether to pleasure, loses his reason, and
is ruined ; and lie that desires to decline their charms,
must stop his ears and not listen to them ; but heark-
en to the music of Orpheus. That is, he must ob-
serve the precepts and instruction of the wise.
The description of Scyila is very various ; for
some say that she was a most beaivuihl woman from
the breasts downward, but had six dotrs' heads •
and others say, that in her upper parts she resem-
bles a woman, in her lower, a serpent and a wolf.
But whatever her picture was, all acknowledge that
she w^as the daughter of Phorcus. She was court-
ed by Glaucus, and received his addresses ; upon
which Circe, who passionately loved Glaucus, and
could not bear that Scyila should be preferred be-
fore her by Glaucus, poisoned with venomous herbs
those waters in which Scyila used to wash herself:
Scyila was ignorant of it, and according to her cus-
tom, went into the fountain ; and when she saw that
the lower ppxrts of her body were turned into the
heads of dogs, being extremely grieved that she
had lost her lieauty, she cast herself headlong into
the sea, where she was turned into a rock, famous
for the many shipwrecks that happen there. This
rock is still seen in the sea that divides Italy from
Sicily, between Messina, a city of Sicil}', and Rhe-
^um (now Reggio) in Calabria. It is said to be
surrounded with dogs and wolves, which devour the
persons who are cast away there : but by this is
meant, that when the waves, by a storm, are dashed
against this great rock, the noise a little resembles the
barking of dogs, and the howling of wolves.
There was another Scyila, the daughter of king
Nisus, in love with jNIinos, who besieged her father
in the city of Megara. She betrayed both her fa-
ther and her country to him, by cutting off the fatal
lock of purple hair, in which were contained her fa-
ther's and her country's safety, and sent it to the
205
besieger. Minos gained the city by it, but detested
Scylla's perfidiousness, and hated her. She could
lot bear this misfortune, but was changed into a lark.
Nisus, her father, was likewise changed into a spar-
hawk, ^^ hich is called nisus, after his name, and, as
if he still ought to punish his daugliter's baseness,
pursues the lark with great fury to devour her.
Charybdis is a vast whirlpool in the same Sicilian
sea, over against Scylla, which swallows whatsoever
comes within its circle, and throws it up again.
They say, that this Charybdis was formerly a very
ravenous woman, who stole away Hercules* oxen :
for which theft Jupiter struck her dead with thun-
der, and then turned her into this gulf. Virgil gives
an elegant description of these two monsters, Scylla
and Charybdis.
" Dextrum Scylla latus, lasviim implacata Charybdi*
Obsidel atque imo barathri ter gurgite vastos
Sorbet in abruptum iVtictus, rursusque sub auras
Erigit alternos, et sidera verberat unda,
At Scyllam caecis cohibet spelunca latebris
Ora exsertantem, et naves in saxa trahentend :
Prima hominis facies, et pulchro pectore virgo
Pube tenus : postrema immani corpore pristis,
Delphinum caudas utero commissa Jnporum." — ^iu 3
Far on the right her dogs foul Scylla hides:
Charybdis roaring on the left presides,
And in her greedy whirlpool sucks the tides;
Then spouts them from below : with fury driv'n,
The waves mount up, and wash the face of heav'n.
But Scylla from lier den, with open jaws
The sinking vessel in her eddy draws;
Then dashes on the rocks. A human face
And virgin bosom hide the tail's disgrace:
Her parts obscene below the waves descend,
With dogs enclos'd, and in a dolphin end.
*ri«e fables of Scylla and Charybdis represent lust
and gluttony, vices which render our voyage through
this world extremely hazardous and perilous. Lust,
like Scylla, engages unwary passengers by the beau-
ty and pomp of her outside ; and when they are evr
18
206
tangled in her snares, she tortures, vexes, torments,
and disquiets them with rage and fury, which ex-
ceeds the madness of dogs, or the ravenousness of
Avolves. Ghittony is a Charybdis, a gulf or whirl-
pool that is insatiable : it buries families alive, de-
vours estates, consumes lands and treasures, and
sucks up all things.
qUESTIOJSS FOR EXMUKjiTIOK.
Who were the Sirens, and how are they described '
What Avere their names ?
How did they entice the unwaiy ?
Who escaped their machinations, and how did they effect it?
What became of the Sirens aftenvards ?
W^hat moral is to be drawn from this story?
What is the histoiy of Scylla?
What is said of the other Scylla ?
Give the history of Chaiybdis.
What is the moral of the fable ?
i'it
OF TBB
p
PART IV.
OF THE INFERINAL DEITIES.
CHAPTER L
A VIEW OF HELL. CHARON. RIVERS OF HELL,
CERBERUS.
We are now in the confines of hell. Prithee
come along with me ; I will be the same friend to
you that the Sibyl was to jEneas. Nor shall you
need a golden bough to present to Proserpine. You
see here painted those regions of hell, of which you
read a most elegant description in Virgil :
" Spelunca alta fuit, vastoque immanis hiatu,
Scrupea, tuta lacu nigro nemorumque tenebris ;
Quam super baud ulla3 poterant impune volantes
Tendere iter pennis : talis sese balitus alris
Faucibus efFundens supera ad convexa ferebat ;
Unde locum Graii dixerunt nomine Avernum." — JEn 6.
Deep was the cave, and downward as it went
From the wide mouth a rocky rough descent;
And here th' access a gloomy grove defends ;
And there th' unnavigai»le lake extends,
O'er whose unhappy waters, void of light,
No bird presumes to steer his airy flight,
Such deadly stenches from the depth arise.
And steaming sulphur, which infects the skies;
Hence d'o the Grecian bards their legends make,
And give the name Avernus to the lake.
The passage that leads to these infernal domin-
ions was a wide dark cave, through which you pass
208
by a steep rocky descent till you arrive at a gloon? r
grove, and an unnavigable lake, called *Avernus,
from which such poisonous vapours arise, that no
birds can fly over it ; for in their flight they fall down
dead.
The monsters at the entrance of hell are those fa-
tal evils which bring destruction and death upon
mankind, by means of which the inhabitants of these
dark regions are greatly augmented ; and those
evils are care, sorrow, diseases, old age, fright, fa-
mine, want, labour, sleep, death, sting of conscience,
force, fraud, strife, and war.
* Vsstibulum ante ipsum, primisque in faucibus Orcl#
Luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Cur« ;
Pallentesque habitant Morbi tritisque Senectus,
Et Metus, et malesuada Fames, et turpis Egestas,
(Terribiles visa forma?) Lelhumque Laborque.
Turn consanguineus Lethi Sopor, et mala mentis
Gaudia, mortiferumque adverse in limine BeDum.
Ferreique Eumenidum thalami,et Discordiademens
Vipereum crinem vittis innexa cruentis." .ZEn. 6.
Just in the gate, and in the jaws of Hell,
Revengeful Care and sullen Sorrows dwell ;
And pale Diseases, and repining Age,
Want, Fear, and Famine's unresisted rage :
Here Toil and Death, and Death's half-brother, Sleep,
(Forms terrible to view.) their sentry keep.
With anxious Pleasures of a guilty mind,
Deep Fraud before, and open force behind ;
The Furies' iron beds, and Strife that shakes
Her hissing tresses, and unfolds her snakes.
Charon is an old decrepid, long-bearded fellow :
he is the ferryman of hell ; his f name denotes the
ungracefulness of his aspect. In the Greek lan-
guage he is called UopSy.iv^, \_Po7ihmeus,'] that is,
portitor ; " ferryman." You see his image, but you
* Avernus dicitur quasi aopve$, id est, sine avibus. Quod nul-
lae volucres lacum ilium, ob lethiferum halitum, pratervolare
sulvte posse nt.
f Charon, quasi Acbaron, id est, sine gratia ab a non; et
^ftf>; gratia.
209
may read a more beautiful and elegant picture of
him drawn by the pen of Virgil.
'' Portitor has horrendus aquas et flumina serva
Terribilj squalore Charon : cui plurima mento
Canities inculta jacet ; stant lumina flamma,
Sordidus ex humeris nodo dependet amictus,
Ipse ratem conto subigit, velisque ministrat,
Et FeiTuginea subvectat corpora cymba,
Jam senior } sed cruda Deo viridisque senectus." *2En. 6.
There Charon stands, who rules the dreary coasts ;
A sordid god : down from his hoary chin
A length of beard descends, uncorab'd, unclean ;
His eyes like hollow furnaces on fire ;
A girdle foul with grease binds his obscene attire.
He spreads his canvass, with his poll he steers ;
The frights of flitting ghosts in his thin bottom bears.
He look'd in years, yet in his years were seen
A youthful vigour, and autumnal green.
He is waiting to take and carry over to the other
side of the lake the souls of the dead, which you see
flocking on the shores in troops. Yet he takes not
all promiscuously who come, but such only whose
bodies are buried when they die ; for the unburied
wander about the shores an hundred years, and then
are carried over.
" Centum errant annos, volitant haec litora circum :
Turn demum admissi stagna exoptata revisunt." — ^n. 6.
A hundred years they wander on the shore,
At length, their penance done, are wafted o'er.
But first they pay Charon his fare, which is at least
a halfpenny.
There are three or four rivers to be passed by the
dead. The first is Acheron, which receives them
when they come first. This Acheron was the son
of Terra or Ceres, born in a cave, and conceived
without a father ; and because he could not endure
light, he ran down into hell and was changed into a
river, whose waters are extremely bitter.
18*
210
The second is Styx, which is a lake rather than
a river, and was formerly the daughter of Oceanus,
and the mother of the goddess Victoria by Acheron.
When Victoria was on Jupiter's side in his war
against the Giants, she obtained the prerogative for
her mother, that no oath that was sworn among the
gods by her name, should ever be violated : for if
any one of the gods broke an oath sworn by Styx,
they were banished from the nectar and the table of*
the gods a year and nine days. This is the Stygian
'ake, by which when the gods swore, they observed
their oath with the utmost scrupulousness.
"Dii cujus jurare timent et fallere numen." Virg. JEn. 6.
The sacred stream Avhich heaven's imperial state
Attests in oaths, and fears to violate.
The third river, Coc3^tus, flows out of Styx with
a lamentable groaning noise, and imitates the howl-
ing, and increases the exclamations of the damned.
Next comes ^'Phlegethon, or Puriphlegeton, so
called because it swells with waves of fire, and all
its streams are flames.
When the souls of the dead have passed over these
four rivers, they were afterwards carried to the pa-
lace of Pluto, where the gate is guarded by Cerbe-
rus, a dog with three heads, whose body is covered
in a terrible manner with snakes, instead of hair.
This dog is the porter of hell, begotten of Echidna,
by the giant Typhon, and is described by Virgil
and by Horace.
" Cerberus hac ingens latratu regna trifauci
Personat adverse recubans immanis in antro."
Stretch'd in his kennel, monstrous Cerb'rus round
From triple jaws made all these realms resound.
• A <p\tyu^ ardeo, quod undis intumeat ignis flammeosqne fine*
tus evolvat.
211
** Ccssit immanis tibi blandienfi
Janitor auloe
Cerberus ; quamvis furiale centum
Muniant angues caput ejus ; atque
Spiritus teter, saniesque manat
Ore trilingui." — 1. 3. od. 11.
Hell's grisly porter let you pass,
And frown'd and listen'd to your lays ;
The snakes around his head grew tame,
His jaws no longer glow'd Avith flame,
Nor triple tongue was stain'd with blood;
No more his breath with venom flow'd.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMINATION
Give Virgil's description of hell, and the translation
How is it described in the text?
What is said of the monsters at the entrance ?
Give Virgil's description.
Who is Charon ?
What is his business ?
Repeat Virgil's description.
Does Charon take all, promiscuously 1
What is said of Acheron .''
What is Styx ?
How are Cocytus and Phlegethon described .'
What becomes of the souls of the dead after they have passed
these rivers ?
Repeat Virgil's description of Cerberus.
Likewise the description by Horace.
CHAPTER 11. • :;
PLUTO. PLUTUS.
Pluto is the king of hell, son of Saturn and Ops,
and brother of Jupiter and Neptune. He had these
infernal dominions allotted to him, not only be-
cause in the division of his father's kingdom the
western parts fell to his lot, but also, because the
invention of burying, and of honouring the dead
212
with funeral obsequies, proceeded from him : for the
same reason he is thought to exercise a sovereignty
over the dead. Look upon him, he sits on a throne
covered with darkness, and discover, if you can, his
habit, and the ensign of his majesty, more narrowly.
He jiolds a key in his hand, instead of a sceptre,
and is crowned with ebony.
Sometimes he is crowned with a diadem ; and
sometimes with the flowers of narcissus, or white
daflbdils, and sometimes with cypress leaves ; be-
cause those plants greatly please him, and especially
the narcissus, since he stole away Proserpine, when
she gathered that flower. Very often a rod is put
mto his hand in the place of a sceptre, wath whioh
he guides the dead to hell : and sometimes he wears
a head-piece, which makes him ^invisible. His cha-
riot and horses are of a black colour, and f when he
carried away Proserpine he rode in his chariot. But
if you would know what the key signifies which he
has in his hand, the answer is plain, that when once
the dead are received into his kingdom, the gates are
locked against them, and there is no regress thence
into this life again.
-" Facilis descensus Averni
Ps^octes atque dies patet atri janua Ditis ;
Sod revocare gradam, superasque evadere ad auras,
Hoc opus, hie labor est." Virg. ^n. 6,
To th' shades you go a downhill easy way;
But to return, and re-enjoy the day,
That is a work, a labour.
His Greek name JPluton or Pluto, as well as his
Latin name Dis, signifies wealth. The reason why
he is so called, is, because all our wealth comes from
the lowest and most inward bowels of the earth ; and
because, as Cicero observes, ||all the natural powders
• Horn. Iliad. 5. t Ovid. Met. 5. | UXures divitiae.
11 Terreiia vis omnis ac natura ipsi dicata credebatur. Cic. de
Nat. Deor. 2.
213
and faculties of the earth are under his direction ;
for all things proceed from the earth, and go thither
again.
The name A<Jjj5 \^Hades,'] by which he is called
among the Greeks, ^signifies dark, gloomy, and me-
lancholy ; or else, fas others guess, invisible ; be-
cause he sits in darknrss and obscurity : his habita-
tion is melancholy and lonesome, and he seldom ap-
pears to open view.
He is Hkewise called JAgesilaus, because he leads
people to the infernal regions ; and sometimes || Age-
lastus, because it was never known that Pluto
laughed.
His name Februus, comes from the old w^ord fe-
bruo, because purifications and lustrations were used
at funerals : whence the month of February receives
also its appellation : at which time especially, the
sacrifices called Februo were offered by the Romans
to tills god.
He is also called Orcus or Urgus, and Ouragus,
as some sa}^, <5>because he excites and hastens people
to their ruin and death : but others think that he is
so named ^because, like one that brings up the rear
of an army, he attends at the last moments of men's
hves.
He is called Summanus, that is, the chief ^*of all
the infernal deities ; the principal governor of all the
ghosts and departed spirits. The thunder that hap-
pens in the night is attributed to him : whence he is
* aJjjj eeths, id est, triste, tenobrosum.
t A.ut quasi aopxTa;, quod videri minimc possit, aut ab « pri-
vante,et£/^£<v videre. Socr. ap. Plut. Pliurnut. Gaza.ap. Lil. Gyr.
t Uapx TO aytiv th; Xxti;, a ducendis populls ad inferos.
[J Ab a non, e yiXau rideo, quod sine risu sit.
§ Oicus quasi Urgus et Ouragus ab urgendo, quod homines ur*
geat in interitum. Cic. in Verrem. 6.
TI Ovpayos, eum significat qui agmen claudit ; simili mode Plu-
k> postremum humanae vitas actum excipit. Guth. 1. i. c. 4. dc
ur. Man.
** Quasi summus Deorum manium. Aug. de Civ. Dei. I. 4.
214
commonly styled also, the Infernal Jupiter, the Sty-
gian Jupiter, the Third Jupiter ; as Neptune is the
second Jupiter.
The Fates will tell you that Pluto presides over
life and death ; that he not only governs the depart-
ed spirits below, but also can lengthen or shorten
the lives of men here on the earth, as he thinks fit.
maxime noctis
Arbiter, umbrarumcjue potens, cui nostra laborant
Stamina qui finem cunctis et semina proebes,
Nascendique vices alterna morte rependis,
Qui vitam lethumque regis." Claud, de Rap. Pros^
Great prince o' th' gloomy regions of the dead,
From whom we hourly move our wheel and thread,
Of nature's growth and end thou hast the sway,
All mortals' birth with death thou dost repay.
Who dost command 'em both.
Though Plutus be not an infernal god, I join him
to Pluto, because their names and office are very si-
milar ; they are both of them gods of riches, which
are the root of all evil, and which nature, our com-
mon parent, hath placed near hell ; and, indeed,
there is not a nearer way to hell than to hunt gree-
dily after riches.
Plutus was the son of Jason, or Jasiiis, by Ceres :
he was blind and lame, injudicious, and timorous.
And truly these infirmities are justly ascribed to
him ; for if he were not blind and injudicious, he
would never pass over good men, and heap his trea-
sures upon the bad. He is lame, because great es-
tates come slowly. He is fearful and timorous, be-
cause rich men watch their treasure with a great
deal of fear and care.
qUESTIOA'-S FOR EXAMINATION.
Who is Pluto, and how did he become possessed of bi« do*
mmion ?
How is he painted ?
215
What does the key signify ?
Wliat does his name Pluto signify, and why is he so called f
What does the name Hades signify ?
Why is he called Agesilaus ?
From what does his name Februus come ?
Wliy is he called Orcus ?
Why is he called Snmmanus, and what else is he styled?
Over what does Pluto preside ?
in what respects is Plutus like Pluto ?
Who was Plutus, and how is he represented ?
CHAPTER III.
PROSERPINE. THE FATES. THE FURIES.
She who sits next to Pluto is the Queen of hell,
*the infernal Juno, fthe " lady" (as the Greeks com-
monly call her,) and the most beloved wife of Pluto,
the daughter of Ceres and Jupiter. She is called
both Proserpine and Libera.
When all the goddesses refused to marry Pluto,
because he was so deformed, he was vexed at this
contempt and scorn, and troubled that he was forced
to live a single life ; wherefore, in a rage, he seated
himself in a chariot, and arose on a sudden from a
den in Sicily, Jwhere he saw a company of very
beautiful virgins gathering flowers in the fields of En-
na, a beautiful place, situate about the middle of the
island. One of them, Proserpine, pleased him
above the rest, for she surpassed them all in beauty.
He carried her with him from that place, and on a
sudden sunk into the earth near Syracuse. In the
place where he descended, a lake arose : and Cice-
ro says, the people of Syracuse keep yearly festivals
to which great multitudes of both sexes resort.
♦ Virg. ^n. 6.
f AnToitiit, domina. Paus. in Aread.
i Cic. in Verrem. 6.
216
The nymphs, her companions, were grievously
affriglited, and fled away. In the mean time Ceres,
the mother of Proserj)ine, seeks her daughter among
her acquaintance a long time, but in vain. She
next kindled torches by the flames which burst out
from the top of the mountain ^Etna, and went with
them, to seek her daughter throughout the world ;
neither did she give over her vain labour, till the
nymph Arethusa fully assured her, that Proserpine
was stolen by Pluto, and carried down into his king-
dom. In great anger, she immediatly hastened and
expostulated with Jupiter concerning the violence
that was ofl^ered her daughter ; and the god pro-
mised to restore Proserpine again, if she had not yet
tasted any thing in hell. Ceres went joyfully down,
and Proserpine, full of triumph and gladness, prepa-
red to return into this world ; when Ascalaphus dis-
covered, that he saw Proserpine, while she walked
m Pluto's orchard, piuck a promegranate, and eat
some grains of it ; therefore, Proserpine's journey
was immediately stopped. Ceres being amazed at
tbis new misfortune, and incensed at the fatal dis-
covery of Ascalaphus, turned him into an owl, a
bird said to be of an ill omen, and unlucky to aU
that see it : but at last, by the importunity of her
prayers to Jupiter, she extorted this favour from him,
that he should permit Proserpine to live half the
year, at least with her in heaven, and the other half
below in hell, with her husband.
" Et Dea regnonim numen commune duomm,
Cum maite est totidcm, totidem rum conjuge menses.'*
Ov. Met. 6
The goddess now in eitlier empire sways,
Six montlis with Ceres, six with Pluto stays.
Proserpine afterwards loved this disagreeable
husband so much, that jealous of Mentha, she
changed her into mint, an herb of her own name.
217
Let us now turn our eyes toward the tribunal of
Pluto ; where you see, in that dismal picture, con-
tinual trials : and all persons, as well the accusers
as the offenders, who have been formerly wicked in
their lives, receive their death impartially from the
three Fates ; after death they receive their sentence
impartially from the three judges; and after condem-
nation, their pmiishment impartially from the three
Furies.
The Fates are represented by three ladies : their
garments are made of ermine, white as snow, and
bordered with purple. They were born either of
Nox and Erebus, or of Necessity, or of the Sea, or
of that rude and undigested mass which the ancients
called Chaos.
They are called Parcse in Latin ; because, as
*Varro thinks, thej^ distributed good and bad things
to persons at their birth ; or, as the common and
received opinion is, f because they spare nobody.
They are also called Fatum, " fate ;" and are three
in number, because they order, the past, present,
and future time. JFate, says Cicero, is all that
which God hath decreed and resolved shall come to
pass, and which the Grecians call Eif^tupf^evT} [^Eimar-
mene.~\ Fatum is derived from the word /an, to
pronounce or declare ; because when any one is
bom, these three sisters pronounce what fate will
befall him.
Their names and offices are as follows ; the name
of one is ||Clotho ; the second is called §Lachesis ;
* Parcae dicuntur partu, a quod nascentibus hominibus bona
malaque conferre censentur.
t Aut a parcendo per Antiphrasin, quod nemini parcant,
Serv. in JEn. 1.
J Est autem Fatum id orane quod a Deo constitutum et do-
signatum est ul eveniat, quod Greeci ufAap/Aivi} appellant. D«
Fato et Divinat.
A verbo xkuSu id est, neo.
Ab X«y;^;av«, sortior.
19
218
the third *Atropos, because she is unalterable, un-*
changeable. These names the Grecians give them,
Nona, Dccima, and Morta.
To them is intrusted the management of the fatal
thread of life : for Clotho draws the thread between
her fingers ; Lachesis turns about the wheel; and
Atropos cuts the thread spun with a pair of scissors.
That is, Clotho gives us life, and brings us into the
world ; Lachesis determines the fortunes that shall
befall us here; and Atropos concludes our lives.
j-One speaks, the other writes, and the third spins.
The Furies have the faces of women. Their
looks are full of terror ; they hold lighted torches
in their hands ; snakes and serpents lash their necks
and shoulders. They are called in Latin sometimes
Furice ; Jbecause they make men mad, by the stings
of conscience which guilt produces. They are also
called ||Dira?, §Eumenides, and ITCanes ; and were
the oflspring of ^^Nox and ff Acheron. Their
proper names are Alecto, Tisiphone, and Magsera ;
and they are esteemed virgins ; because, since they are
the avengers of all wickedness, nothing can corrupt
and pervert them from inflicting the punishment that
is due to the offender.
There are onl}^ three Furies, because there are
three principal passions of the mind, anger, covetous-
ness, and lust, by which mankind are chiefly hurried
into all sorts of wickedness; for anger begets revenge,
covetousness provokes us to get immoderate wealth
by right or wrong, and lust persuades us to pursue
our pleasures at any rate. Indeed some add a ffourth
Fury, called Lisso that is, rage and madness ; but
* Ab a privativa particula, et Tpt^ru verto, quod verti et fleet©
nequeat.
t Una loquitur, altera scribit, tertia fila ducit. Serv. in Mn. I
t Quod sceleratos in furorem agant.
11 Virg. JEn. 3. § Ibid. 8. H Ibid. 4. •*Ibid. 6.
H Ibid. n.
219
she is easily reduced to the other three : as also
Erinnys, a name common to them all.
The office of the Furies is to observe and pmiish
the crimes of bad men, and to torment the conscien-
ces of secret offenders ; whence they are commonly
also entitled ^the goddesses, the discoverers and re-
vengers of bad actions. They punish and torment
the wicked, by frightening and following them with
burning torches. You see the picture of them there,
and you will find them beaiitifally described in the
twelfth book of Virgil's iEneld :
" Dicuntur geminfe pestes, cognomine Direc,
Qiias ct Tartaream Nox inleinpesta Megaeram
Uno eodeiuque tulit partu, parWDtisque revinxit
Serpentum spiris, ventosasque addidit alas."
Deep in the dismal regions, void of light,
Two daughters at a birth were born to Night :
These their brown mother, brooding on her care,
Endn'd with windy wings to fleet in air,
With serpents girt alike, and crown'd -with hissing hair,
In heav'n the Diree call'd.
QUESTIONS FOR EXMimATION.
Who was Proserpine ?
How did Pluto obtain her for his wife ?
What steps did Ceres take to recover her daughter?
What favour did Ceres obtain for Proserpine ?
What do the Fates, the Judges, and the Furies determine?
Who are the Fates ?
Why are they called Parcae ?
What is fate, according to Cicero ?
From what is the word '< fate" derived ?
What are the names and offices of the Fates ?
How are the Furies described ?
What are their common and what their proper names?
Why are there only three Furies ?
What is the office of the Furies ?
* Deae speculatrices et v indices Facinorum.
220
CHAPTER IV.
NIGHT. DEATH. SLEEP. THE JUDGES OF HELL.
Nox is, of all the gods, the most ancient : she was
llie sister of Erebus, and the daughter of the first
Chaos ; and of these two, Nox and Erebus, Mors
[deatli] was born. She is represented as a skeleton,
(h-esscd usually w^ith a speckled garment and black
w ings : but there are no temples nor sacrifices, nor
priests consecrated to Mors, b^'.^ause she is a god-
dess whom no prayers can move, or sacrifices
pacify.
Scmnus [*S7ee;?] is the brother of Death, and also '
hath wings, like her. Iris, who was sent by Juno to
the palace of this god, mentions the great benefits
that he bestows c,'i mankind ; such as quiet of mind,
tranquillity, freedom from care, and refreshment of
the spirits, by which men are enabled to proceed iq
their labours :
" Somne, quies rcrnm, placldissime Somne Deorum,
Pax animi, quein cura i'ugit, qui corpora duris
Fessa minlsteriis mulces reparasque labori." Ov. Mel. 11.
Thou rest o' th' world, Sleep, the most peaceful god,
Who drlv'st care from the mind,, and dost unload
The tired limbs of all their weariness,
And for new toil the body dost refresh.
In this palace there are two gates, out of which
dreams pass and repass ; one of these gates was
made of clear ivory, through which false dreams
pass; the other was made of transparent honij and
through that gate true visions come to men :
" Sunt geminse Somni portcp, quarum altera fertur
Cornea, qua veris facilis datur exitus umbris:
Altera candenti perfecta nitens elephanto ;
Sed falsa ad ccelum mittunt insomnia manes."
Virg. mn. 6.
221
Two gates the silent house of Sleep adorn ;
Of polish'd iv'ry this, that of transparent horn :
True visions through transparent horn arise ;
Through polish'd iv'ry pass deluding lies.
*Morpheus, the servant of Somnus, who can put
on any shape or figure, presents these dreams to
those who sleep ; and these dreams were brought
from a great spreading elm in hell, under whose
shade they urnially sit.
Near the three Furies and the three Fates, f you
see the three judges of hell, Minos, Rhadamanthus,
and jEacus, who are believed to be judges of the
souls of the dead ; because they exercised the offices
of judges in Crete with the greatest prudence, dis-
cretion, and justice. The first two were the sons of
Jupiter by Europa : the last was the son of Jupiter
by ^gina. When all the subjects of queen -^gina
were swept away in a plague, beside Macus, he
begged of his father, that he would repair the race
of mankind, which was almost extinct ; Jupiter
heard his prayer, and turned Ja great multitude of
ants, which crept about a hollow old oak, into men,
who afterward were called Myrmidones, from M-^p^k
[Jllurmex,'] which word signifies an ant.
These three had their particular province assign-
ed by Pluto in this manner : Rhadamanthus was ap-
pointed to judge the Asiatics, and jEacus the Euro-
peans, each holding a staff in his hand ; but Minos
holds a golden Sceptre and sits alone, and oversees
the judgments of Rhadamanthus and iEacus ; and
if in their courts there arose a case that w^as ambi-
guous and difficult, then Minos used to take the cog-
nizance thereof, and decide it. Cicero adds to these
a fourth judge, Triptolemus ; but we have already
discoursed of him in his proper place.
• Ovid. Met. 11. Virg. JEn. 6.
t Horn. Odyss. 2.
i Ovid. Met. 7. Plata in Georg.
19*
222
quESTiojys for examikatioj^
Who is Nox, and how was INIors produced?
How is Mors, or Death, represented?
Who is Somnus, and what benefits does he bestow on man'
kind ?
Who is Morpheus and Somnus ?
Who are the judges of hell, and whose sons were they ?
What is the origin of the Myrmidones ?
What was the province of the judges ?
CHAPTER V.
THE MOST FAMOUS OF THE CONDEMNED IN HELL
From the judges let us proceed to the criminals,
whom you see represented there in horrid colours.
It will be enough if we take notice of the most cele-
brated of them, and notice their crimes, and the
punishments inflicted on them.
The giants were the sons of Terra [the eartK^
when she received the blood of Coelum, which flow-
ed from that dishonourable wound given him by his
son Saturn. They are all very tall i4i stature, with
horrible dragon's feet ; their looks and their bodies
are altogether full of terror. Their impudence *was
so great, that they strove to depose Jupiter from the
possession of heaven ; and when they engaged with
the celestial gods, they fheaped up mountains upon
mountains, and thence darted trees, set on fire,
against the gods and heaven. They hurled also
prodigious massy stones and solid rocks, some of
which, falling upon the earth again, became moun-
tains ; others fell into the sea, and became islands.
This Jbattle was fought upon the Phlegrsean plains,
near the borders of Campania, Hwhich country is
* Horn. Odyss. 12. t Ovid. Met. 1.
{ Nat. Comes, 1. 6. 1| Horn. Hymn, in Apollin.
223
called Phlegra, from (p'Kiyu \^phltgo'\ uro, for it
abounds in subterraneous fires, and hot baths flow-
ing continually. The giants were beaten and all
cut off, either by Jupiter's thunder, Apollo's arrows,
or by the arms of the rest of the gods. And some
say, that out of the blood of the slain, which was
spilt upon the earth, serpents and such envenomed
and pernicious animals were produced. The most
eminent of those giants were,
Typhoeus, or Typhon, the son of Juno, had no
father. So vast was his magnitude, that he touched
the east with one hand, and the west with the other,
and the heavens with the crown of his head. A hun-
dred dragon's heads grew from his shoulders ; his
body was covered with feathers, scales, rugged hair,
and adders ; from the ends of his fingers snakes issu-
ed, and his two feet had the shape and folds of a
serpent's body ; his eyes sparkled with fire, and his
mouth belched out flames. He was at last over-
come, and thrown down ; and, lest he should rise
again, the whole island of Sicily was laid upon him •
" Nititur ille quidem, pugnatque resurgere saepe :
Dextra sed Ausonio manus est subjecta Peloro ;
T.aeva, Pachyne, tibi? Lilybaeo crura premuntur;
Praegravat ^tna caput." Ovid. Met. 6.
He struggles oft, and oft attempts to rise ;
But on his right hand vast Pelorus lies ;
On's left Pachynus ; Lilybaeus spreads
O'er his huge thighs ; £uid ^tna keeps his heads.
This island was also called Trinacria, because it
bears the shape of a triangle, in the corners of which
are the three promontories, Pelorus, Pachynus, and
Lilybaeus ; Pelorus was placed on his right hand,
Pachynus on his left, and Lilybseus lay upon his
legs.
^geon was another prodigious and cruel giant:
Virgil tells us that he had fifty heads and a hundred
224
hands, from which he was called Centumgeminu*
and by the Grecians, Briareus.
"iEgeon qualis, centum cui brachia dicunt,
Centenasque manus, quinquaginta oribus ignem
Pectoribusque arsisse : Jovis cum fulmina contra
Tot paribus streperet clypeis, tot stringeret enses."
JEn. 10
And as ^Egeon, when with heav'n he strove,
Stood opposite in arms to mighty Jove,
Mov'd all his hundred hands, provok'd to war,
Defy'd the forky lightning from afar :
At fifty mouths his flaming breath expires,
And flash for flash returns, and fires for fires ;
In his right hands as many swords he wields
And takes the thunder on as many shields.
He hurled a hundred rocks against Jupiter at one
throw ; yet Jupiter dashed him down, bound him in
a hundred chains, and thrust him under the moun-
tain jEtna ; where, as soon as he moves his side, the
mountain casts forth great flames of fire.
Tityus was the son of Jupiter and Elara, born in
a subterraneous cave, in which Jupiter hid his mo-
ther, fearing the anger of Juno. She brought forth
a child of so prodigious a bulk that the earth was
rent to give him a passage out of the cave ; and
thence he was believed to be a son of the earth.
Juno afterward persuaded this giant to accuse Lato-
na of criminal conduct ; for which Jupiter struck
him with thunder down into hell : there he lies,
stretched out, covering nine acres of ground with
his body ; and a vulture continually gnaws his
liver, which grow s again every month :
"Nee non et Tityon, terras omniparentis alumnum,
Cernere erat ; cui tota novem per jugera corpus
Porrigitur, rostroque immanis vultur obunco
Immortale jecur tundens, fcecundaque poenis
Viscera, rimaturque epulis, habitatque sub alto
Pectore : nee fibris requies data ulla renatis/ ' Virg. JEn, 6,
There Tityus tortur'd lay, who took his birth
From heav'n, his nursing from the fruitful earth ;
225
Here his gigantic limbs, with large embrace.
Infold nine acres of infernal space :
A rav'nous vulture in his open side
Her crooked beak and cruel talons try'd ;
Still, for the growing liver digg'd his breast,
The growing liver still snpply'd the feast;
Still are the entrails fruitful to their pains,
Th' immortal hunger lasts, tli' immortal food remains.
To tliese we may add the Titans, the sons of Ter-
ra and Coelum ; the chief of whom was Titanus,
Saturn's eldest brother : they made war against Sa-
tm-n, because the birth of Jupiter was concealed,
and conquered him ; but they were afterward over-
come by Jupiter, and cast down into hell.
Phlegyas, who was the king of the Lapithae in
Thessaha, and the father of the nymph Coronis.
When he heard that Apollo had deceived his daugh-
ter, he went in anger and fn-ed the temple of Apollo
at Delphi : for which the enraged god shot him
through the body with an arrow, and inflicted on
him the following punishment : A great stone hangs
over his head, which he imagines every moment will
fail down and crush him to pieces :
"Quos super atr?i sllex jamjam lapsura, cadentique
Imminet assimilis." Virg. ^n. 6.
-A massy stone.
Ready to drop, hangs o'er his cursed head.
Thus he sits, perpetually fearing what will never
come to pass ; which makes him frequently call out
to men, to observe the rules of justice and the pre-
cepts of religion :
" Discite justitiam moniti, et non temnere Divos."
Learn justice hence, and don't despise the gods.
Ixion was the son of Phlegyas : he killed his own
sister, and obtained his pardon from the gods, who
226
advanced him to heaven ; and his prosperity made
him so arrogant, that he attempted to make love to
Juno. This insolent attempt was discovered to Ju-
piter, who sent a cloud in the shape of Juno, which
tlie deceived lover embraced, and thence those mon-
sters, the Centaurs, were born : he was then thrown
down to the earth again ; where, because he boast-
ed every where that he had gained the heart of the
queen of the gods, he was struck with thunder down
into hell, and tied fast to a wheel, which continy-
ally turns about.
Salmoneus was king of Elis ; his ambition was
not satisfied with an earthly crown, for he desired
divine honours ; and, that the people might esteem
him a god, he built a brazen bridge over the city,
and drove his chariot upon it, imitating by this
noise Jupiter's thunder ; he also threw down light-
ed torches, and those who were struck by them,
were taken and killed. Jupiter would not suffer so
great insolence, and therefore threw the proud man
Irom his stage into hell, where iEneas, when he
visited the infernal regions, saw him punished as
Virgil relates ;
" Vidi crudeles dantem Salmonea poenas,
Dum flammas Jovis et sonitus imitatur Olympi." ^n 6.
Salmoneus suffering cruel pains I found,
For emulating Jove ; the rattling sound
Of mimic thunder, and the glitt'ring blaze
Of pointed lightnings, and their forked rays.
Sisiphus was a famous robber killed by Theseus ,
he ts condemned in hell to roll *a great and unwiel-
dy stone to the top of a high hill, and as oft as the
stone almost touches the top of the mountain, it
slides down again.
The Belides were fifty virgin sisters, so called
* In^ens et non exsuperabile sasum. Virg,
227
from their grandfather Belus ; and named also Da-
naides, from their father Danaijs, who married them
to the fifty sons of his brother. The oracle fore-
told, that Danaijs should be slain by his son-in-law ;
wherefore he commanded his daughters to provide
daggers, and on iheir wedding-night to kill their
husbands. The daughters performed their promises,
and killed their husbands, except Hypermnestra, for
she spared Lynceus, her husband, who afterward
kdlcd Danaiis, and took his kingdom. This great
impiety was thus punished : they were condemned
to draw water out of a deep well, and fill a tub, that
(like a seive) is full of holes ; the water runs out as
fast as it is put in, so they are tormented with a per-
petual and unprofitable labour.
" Assiduas repetunt quas perdunt Belides undas."-
Ovid. Mel. 4.
They hourly fetch the water that they spill.
Tantalus, another remarkable criminal, was the
son of Jupiter and the nymph Plota. He invited all
the gods to a feast, to get a plain and clear proof of
their divinity : when they came, he killed and quar-
tered his own son Pelops, and boiled him and set
tlie joints before them to eat. All the gods abstain-
ed from such horrible diet, except Ceres, who being
melancholy and inattentive from the recent loss of
her daughter, eat one of the child's shoulders. Af
terward the gods sent Mercury to recall him to life,
nnd gave him an ivory shoulder, instead of the
shoulder which Ceres had eaten. This Pelops was
the husband of Hippodamia, who bore him, Atreus,
and Thyestes ; the latter of whom was banished, be-
cause he seduced CErope his brother Atreus' wife ;
and when he was recalled from banishment, he eat
up his children ; for Atreus killed them, and had
them served in dishes to the table, where he and
Thyestes dined together. It is said, that the sun
2^8
could not endure so horrible a sight, and turned his
course back again to the east. But as Tantalus'
crime was greater, so was his punishment ; *for he
is tormented with eternal Iiunger and thirst in the
midst of plenty, both of meat and drink: he stands
in water up to his lips, but cannot reach it ; and
fruit is placed just to his mouth, which he cannot
take hold of. Ovid mentions the punishment of Tan-
talus, but assigns another reason for it ; namely, be-
cause he divulged the secrets of the gods to men.
" Qucerit aquas in aqiiis, et poma fugacia captat
Tantalus, hoc illi gariula lingua dedit."
Now this fable of Tantalus represents the condi-
tion of a miser, who in the midst of plenty suffers
want, and wants as much the things which he has,
as those which he has not ; as Horace rightly says,
where he applies this fable of Tantalus to the real
wants of the covetous man.
" Tantalus, a labris sitiensfugientia captat
Fluraina. Quid rides ? mutato nomine, dfe te
Fabula narratur. Serm. 1. 1.
Though Tantalus, you've heard, does stand chin deep
In water, yet he cannot get a sip :
At which you smile ; now all on't would be true,
Were the name changed, and the tale told of you.
QUESTIONS FOR EXAMIKATIOX.
Who were the Giants ?
How are they and their actions described ?
How were they subdued ?
Who was Typba^us or Typlion, and how is he described*
What became of him ?
W'ho Avas iEgeon, and what were his other names '
What became of h'lm when he was subdued ?
Wiio w as Tityus ?
What became of him ?
Who were the Titans, and w hat is said of their chiel f
* Horn. Odyss. 11.
259
Who was Phleg^-as ; what was his crime ; and what his pun
ishment ?
What is said of Ixion ?
What is said of Salmoneus ?
Wbo was Sysyphus ; and what his punishment ?
Who were the Belides ?
What is the history of Tantalus ?
What are the lines of Horace descriptive of Tantalus?
CHAPTER VI.
MONSTERS OF HELL. ELYSIUM. LETHE.
There are many strange pictures of these infer-
nal monsters, but the most deformed are the Cen-
taurs, who were the ancient inhabitants of Thessalia,
and the first who tamed horses, and used them in
war. Their neighbours, who first saw them on
horseback, thought that they had partly the mem-
bers of a man, and partly the limbs of a horse. But
the poets tell us another story ; for they say that Ixion
begat them of a cloud, whence they are called *Nu-
biginae ; and Bacchus is said to have overcome them.
Geryon, because he was the king of three islands
called Balearides, is feigned to have three bodies ;
or, it ma}^ be, because there were three bodies of the
same name, whose minds and afiections were so
united, that they seemed to be governed and to live
by one soul. They add, that Geryon kept oxen,
which devoured the strangers that came to him •
they were gutirded by a dog with two heads, and a
dragon with seven. Hercules killed the guards and
drove the oxen away.
The Harpies, so called f from their rapacity, were
born of Oceanus and Terra. They had the faces of
• Virg. Mn. 6.
t Ab afxtxlu, rapio.
20
230
virgins and the bodies of birds ; their hands were
nrmed with claws, and their habitation was in the
islands. Their names were ^llo, Ocypete, and Ce-
leno ; which last brought forth Zeph} rus, the " west
wind," and Balius, and Xaiitkiis, the horse of Achil-
les. Virgil gives us an elegant description of these
tJirce sisters.
*' At sublto3 horrifico lapsu de montihus adsunt
Harpyac; et niai^uis f]Matiunt clangoribus alas:
Sive T)ex, sea sunt Dira?, obsca^;ueque volucres.
Tristius iiaud illis monstnim est. nee seevior ulla
Pestis et ii-a Deiini, Stygiis sese cxtulit undis.
Virginei voliicnim vultus, fcedissima ventris
Proluvies. mica^que manus, ct pallida semper
Ora fame." JEn.S.
When from the mountain tops, Avitli hideous cry
And clattering wings, the filthy harjiies fly:
Monsters more fierce o.'iended heav'n ne'er sent,
From hell's abyss, for human punishment.
With virgin faces, l)ut with wombs obscene ;
Foul paunches, and with ordure still unclean;
With claws for hands, and looks forever lean.
To the three Harpies add the three Gorgons, Me-
dusa, Stheno, and Euryale, who were the daughters
of Phorcus and Cete. Instead of hair, their heads
were covered with vipers, w^hich so terrified the be-*
holder, that they turned him presently into a stone.
Perhaps they intended to represent, by this part of
the fable, the extraordinary beauty of these sisters ;
which was such, that whoever saw them were ama-
zed, and stood immoveable like stones. There were
other Gorgons beside, born of the same parents, who
were called Latrise, or Empusje. They had only
one eye and one tooth, common to them all : they
kept this tooth and eye at home in a little vessel,
and which ever of them went abroad, she used them.
They had the faces of women, and also the necks
and breasts ; but below they were covered with
scales, and had the tails of serpents. They used to
entice men,. and then devour them.
231
The Chimaera *\vas r* monster, which vomited
forth fire ; he had the head and breast of a lion, the
body of a croat, and the tail of a dragon, as it is ex-
pressed in a known verse, and described by Ovid :
" Prima leo, postrema draco, media inde capella."
A lion's head and breast resejuble his,
His waist a goat's, !iis tail a dragon's is.
" Quoque Chimffirajugo niediis in partibus ignera,
Pectus et ora lea.', caudam sorpentis habebat." Met. 9.
And on the cr.Tgijy top
Chima^ra dwell?, ^vith lion's face and mane,
A goat's rough body, and a serpent's train.
A volcano ni Lycia occasioned this fable ; for
in the top of the mountain were lions ; in the mid-
dle, where was pasture, goats lived ; and the bottom
of it abounded with serpents. Bellerophon made
'his mountain habitable, and therefore is said to have
killed the Chimaera.
The monster Sphynx was begotten of Typhon and
Echidna. She had the head and breast of a woman,
the wings of a bird, the body of a dog, and the paws
of a lion. She lived in the mountain Sphincius, as-
saulted all passengers, and infested the country
about Thebes ; insomuch that the oracle of Apollo
was consulted concerning her, and answer was made,
that unless somebody did resolve the riddle of
Sphynx, there would be no end to that great evil.
Many endeavoured to explain it, but were overcome,
and torn in pieces by the monster. Creon, at that
time king of Thebes, published an edict through all
Greece, in which if any one could explain the riddle
of Sphinx, he promised that he would give him to
wife his own sister Jocasta. The riddle was this ;
f" What animal is that, which walks upon four {eet
in the morning, upon two at noon, and upon three
* Hom. Iliad. 24.
t Quidam animal mane quadrupes, meridie falpes, vesperi tri-
pes esset .'
232
at night ?" QCdlpus, encouraged with the hopes of
the reward, undertook it, and happily explained it ;
so that the Spliynx was enraged, and cast herself
headlong into the sea, and died. He said, that the
animal was a man, who in his infancy creeps upon
his hands and feet, and so may be said to go on
four feet ; when he grows up he walks on two feet ;
but when he grows old, he uses the support of a stafl,
and so may be said to walk on three feet.
This CEdipuswas the son of Laius, king of Thebes,
Soon after his birth, Laius commanded a soldier to
carry his son QCdipus into a wood, and then destroy
him ; because it had been foretold by the oracle,
that he should be killed by his own son. But the
soldier was moved with pity toward the child, and
afraid to imbrue his hands in royal blood ; where-
fore he pierced his feet with a hook, and hanged
him on a tree to be killed with hunger. One of the
shepherds of Polybius, king of Corinth, found him,
and brought him to the queen, who, because she had
no children, educated him as her own son, and from
'^his swollen feet called him CEdipus. When CEdi-
pus came to age, he knew that king Polybius was
not his father, and therefore resolved to find out his
parents : he consulted the oracle, and was told that
he should meet his father in Phocis. In his jour-
ney he met some passengers, among whom was his
father, but he knew him not : a quarrel arose, and
in the fray he by chance killed his father. After
this he proceeded on his journey, and arrived al
Thebes, where he overcame Sphynx, and for his re-
ward married Jocasta, whom he knew not to be his
mother then, but discovered it afterward. He had,
by her, two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, and two
daugters, Antigone and Ismena. fWhen afterward
* Puerum (Edipum vovacit a tumere pedum othu enira tumea
et 5raj pedem significat.
t Senecee (Edip.
233
he found, by clear proof, that he had killed his fa
ther, and married his mother, he was seized with so
great madness that he pulled out his own eyes, and
would have killed himself, if his daughter Antigone
(who led him about alter he was blind) had not hin-
dered him.
Eteocles and Polynices, the sons of CEdipus and
Jocasta, ^succeeded their father in the government ;
and they agreed to reign a year each, in their turns.
Eteocles reigned the first year, and then refused to
admit his brother Polynices to the throne ; upon
which a war arose, and the two brothers, in a duel,
killed each other. Their enmity lasted longer than
their lives ; for when their bodies were placed on
the same pile, to be burnt by the same fire, the
flames refused to unite, but divided themselves into
two parts.
There is a place in the infernal dominions abound-
ing with pleasures and delights, which is called the
Elysium ; fbecause thither the souls of the good re-
sort, after they are loosed from the chains of the
bod} V and have been purified from the light offences
that they had contracted in this world :
" Quisque snos patimur manes ; exinde per amplum
Mittiniur Elysium, et pauci laeta arva tenemus." Mn. 6.
All have their manes, and those manes bare :
The few Avho're cleans'd, to those abodes repair,
And breathe in ample fields the soft Elysian air.
^neas received this account from one of the In-
habitants of it, as V'rgil tells us, who describes this
place as abounding v/ith all the delights that the
most pleasant plains, and the finest and most tempe-
rate air, can produce.
• Stat. Theb,
t Ato rr.s xmiui, a solutione -, quod Animae piorum corpo-
reis 3olutae vinculis, loca illi petant postquam purgatae sunt a
levioribus noxis quas contraxerent.
20*
234
Dcvenere locos laetos, et amaena vireta
Fortunatorum nemorum, sedesque beatas.
Largior hie carnpos aither et lumina vestit
Purpureo : solemque suum sua sidera norunt.
These holy rites perform'd, they took their way
Where long extended plains of pleasure lay.
The verdant fields with those of heav'n may vie,
"With ether vested, and a purple sky:
The blissful seats of happy souls below,
Stars of their own, and their own sun they know."*
There is a river in hell called Lethe, -j-from the
forgetfulness it causes. For if any body drinks this
water, he immediately forgets all things past 5 so that
when the souls of the pious have spent many ages in
the Ely si an fields, they drink the water of Lethe,
and are believed to pass into new bodies, and return
into the world again : and it is necessary they should
forget both the pleasures they have received in Elysi-
um, and the miseries they did formerly endure in this
life, that they may willingly return into this miserable
ife again. These souls went out from Elysium by
that ivory gate ; which you see painted in the lower
part of this wall :
Animse, quibus altera fate
Corpora debentur, Lethaji ad fluminis undara
Securos latices et longa oblivia potant. Virg. ^n, 6.
Souls that by fate
Are doom'd to take new shapes, at Lethe's brink
QuatF drafts secure and long oblivion drink.
• Mr. Cliffton, an American poet, thus beautifully describes the
charms of Elysium, in lines which would do honour to Pope,
"There, rage no storms; the sun diffuses there
His temper'd beams, thro' skies for ever fair.
There gentler airs, o'er brakes of myrtle blow;
Hills greener rise, and purer waters flow ;
There bud the woodbine and the jes,mine pale,'
With ev'ry bloom that scents the morning gale;
While thousand melting sounds the breezes bear,
In silken dalliance to the dreaming ear.
And golden fruits, 'mid shadowy blossoms, shine,
In fields immortal and in groves divine.
t A<r» wi y%6nt, ab oblivio ne.
235 \
quESTI0^'s for examinatioj^.
What is said of the Centaurs ?
What is the history of Geryon ?
Who were the Harpies ?
What is said of the Gorgons ?
What is said of the Chimsera, and what was ihe occasion of Uiir
fable ?
What Is the history of Sphynx ?
Who explained it ?
Give the history of (Edipns.
What is the Elysium, and how is it described?
Repeat the lines from Virgil.
What is said of the river Lethe ?
Repeat the lines from Virgil.
Repeat the lines of Mr. Ciififton, in the note
PART y.
OF THE
DU MINORUM GENTIUM;
OR,
THE SUBORDINATE DEITIES.
CHAPTER I. ^
THE PENATES. THE LARES.
The fifth division of this Fabulous Pantheon con-
tains the inferior or subordinate gods : the Latins gen-
erally called them Dii Minorum Gentium, and some-
times Semones, Minuti, Plebeii, and Patellarii.
The Penates are so called from the Latin word
jpenus, which word, "^Cicero says, includes every
thing that man eats. Or they have perhaps this name
from the place allotted to them in the heavens, f be-
cause they are placed in the most inward and private
parts of the heavens where they reign : hence they
call them f Penetrales, and the place of their abode
Penetrale. They entirely govern us by their reason,
their heat, and their spirit, so that we can neither
live, nor use our understanding without them ; yet
we know neither their number nor names. The an-
cient Hetrusci called them Consentes and Compli-
• Est enim penus omne quo vescuntnr homines. De Nat. Deor.
t Quod penitus insideant, ex quo Penetrales a Poetis vocantur,
rt locus in quo servabantur eorum effigies 'Penetrale dictus. Var»
ro ap. Arnob. 1. 3.
237
ces ; supposing that they are Jupiter's counsellors,
and the chief of the gods ; and many reckon Jupi-
ter himself, together with Juno and Minerva, among
the Penates. But 1 will give you more distinct and
particular information in this matter.
There were three orders of the Dii Penates :
1. Those who governed ^kingdoms and provinces,
and were absolutely and solely called Penates.
2. Those who presided over cities only ; and these
were called the f" gods of the country," or the "great
gods :" ^neas makes mention of them in Virgil.
"Tu, genitor, cape sacra raanu, patriosque Penates."
Mn. 2.
Our country gods, the reliques and the bands,
Hold you, my faUier, in your guiltless hands.
3. Those who preside over particular houses and
families, and these were called the J" small gods :"
The poets make frequent mention of them, especially
Virgil, who in one place mentions fifty maid-servants
whose business it was to look after their affairs, and
•^to offer sacrifices to the household gods : and in ||ano-
ther place he speaks of these household gods being
stained and defiled by the blood of one that was killed
by his brother. But it mast likewise be observed
that, among the Latins, the word Penates not only
signifies the gods, of which we have been speaking,
but likewise a dwelling house, of which we have in-
stances in many authors, and among the rest, ia
irVirgil, **Cicero, and ff Fabius.
• Virg. JEn. 1. 5.
f Dii Patrii Ssaj wxrpuioi. Macrob. 3. Saturn. 14.
t Parvique Penates. Virg. JEn. 8.
& Flammis adolere penates. ^n. 1.
fl Sparsos fraterna ca^de Penates. JEn. 4.
U Nostris succede penatibus hospes. JEn. 8.
** Exterminare aliquem a suis Diis Penatibus. Pro Sexto.
tt Liberos pellere dorao, ac prohibere Penatibus. Dec. 260
238
*T*im3eus, and from him Dlonyslus, says tl A
these Penates had no proper shape or figure ; but
were wooden or brazen rods, shaped somewhat hke
trumpets. But it is also thought by others, that
they had the shape of young men with spears, which
they held apart from another.
The Lares were children born from JMercury and
the Nymph Lara ; for when, by her prating, she
had discovered some of Jupiter's intrigues, he was so
enraged that he cut out her tongue, and banished
her to the Stj'gian lake : Mercury, who was ap-
pointed to conduct her thither, made love to her.
She brought forth twins, and named them Lares.
" Fitque gravis Ceminosque parit qui compita servant,
F.t vigilant nostra semper in ajde Lares. Ovid. Fast. 3
Her twins the Lares called. 'Tis by their care
Our houses, roads, and streets in safety are
The}^ were made domestic gods, and accordingly
presided over houses, streets, and ways. On this
account they were worshipped in the roads and opeu
streets, called compita in Latin, whence the games
celebrated in honour of them were called Compi-
talitii, Compitalitia, and sometimes Compitalia.
When these sports were exercised, the images of
men and women, made of wool, were hung in the
streets ; and so many balls made of wool as there
were servants in the family, and so many complete
images as there were children. The meaning of
which custom was this : These feasts were dedicated
to the Lares, who were esteemed infernal gods ; the
people desiring by this, that these gods would be
contented with those woollen images, and spare the
persons represented by them. The Roman youths
used to wear a golden ornament, called bulla^ about
their necks ; it was made in the shape of a heart,
* Lib. 1.
239
and hollow within : tljis they wore till they were
fourteen years of age, then they put it off, and hang-
ing it up, consecrated it to the Lares ; as we learn
from Persius.
" Bullaque succinctis Laribus donata pependit."
When fourteen years are past, the Bulla's laid
Aside, an olfering to the Lares made.
These Lares sometimes were clothed in the skin
of dogs, and sometimes fashioned in the shape of
dogs; whence that creature was consecrated to them.
The place in which the Lares were worshipped
was called Lararium ; and in the sacrifices offered
to them, the first fruits of the year, wine and in-
cense, were brought to their altars, and their images
adorned with chaplets and garlands. *The begin-
ning of which wo5"«hip came hence : that anciently
the dead, fwho were buried at home, were wor-
shipped as go'^j, and called Lares. And besides,
we find in fPliny, that they sacrificed, with wine
and incense, to the images o[ the emperors while
tliey yet lived.
QUEsrioys for examination.
How are the inferior gods divided?
What is said of the Penates ?
Into how many orders were they divided, and what was their
office ?
What signification is given to the word " Penates" by the
Latins ?
What is related of the Penates by Timaeus and Dionysius ?
Who were the Lares ?
Over what did they preside ?
What games were celebrated in honour of them, and how
were they exercised ?
What customs had the Romans with respect to the Larea?
Where were the Lares worshipped ?
• Juv. Sat. 9, 12.
f Arnob. 5. ex. Var
X Epist. 1. 10.
240
CHAPTER II.
THE GENII. THEIR NAMES, IMAGES, SACRIFICES,
AND OFFICES.
Although the Genii and the Lares sometimes
mean the same deities, yet by Genius is commonly
meant that spirit of nature which produces all things,
from which ^generative power it has its name. The
birth-day had the name f" genial" from him* which
name was likewise given to all days, wherein mirth,
pleasure, and joys did abound. And on the same
account those who live merril}-, who deny themselves
nothing that makes for their ease and pleasure, or
that is grateful to their appetite, who entirely follow
the dictates of their sensual desires, are said to live
a genial life, or to indulge their genius.
The Greeks called these Genii " daemons ;" as
it is thought, from the Jterror and dread they create
in those to whom they appear ; or, as it is more
probable, §from the prudent and wise answers which
they gave when they were consulted as oracles.
Hence some think, that illustrious men, whose ac-
tions in this life gain them universal praise and ap-
plause, do after their deaths become daemons ; by
which da3mons is to be understood, as Plutarch
says, beings of a middle kind, of a greater dignity
than man, but of a nature inferior to the gods.
The images of the Genii (according to Persius
and his commentators) resembled for the most part
* A gignendo seu genendo, nam geno pro gigno olim diceba-
tur. Aug. de Civ. Dei. 7. Cic. de Orat. 2. et de Invent. 2.
t Censorin. de Dei. Nat. 3.
t DEemoncs dicuntur a. iaifiovau exterreo airt pavefacio. Eu-
sebius.
§ Vel quasi laiftom id est, periti rerumque proscii nam res-
ponsa dabant consulentibus. Isidor. 3. Etymol.
241
the form of a serpent. Sometimes also they were
described like a boy, a girl, or an old man ,• and
crowned with the leaves of the plane, which was a
tree sacred to them.
Wine and flowers were offered up in the sacrifices
to the Genii, and that, especially by the people on
their birth-days, as we may learn from. Persius and
Horace :
" Funde raerum Genio." Pers.
To Genius consecrate a cheerful glass
-" piabant
Floribus et vino Genium memcrem brsevis aevi,
Cum sociis operuni e* pueris conjuge fida." Epist. 2.
Their wives, their neighbours, and their prattling boys,
Were call'd ; all tasted of their sportive joys :
They drank, they danc'd, they sLing, made wanton sport,
Enjoy'd themselves, for life they knew was short.
To these flowers and wine they added *ineense,
parched bread, and corn strewed with salt. fSome-*
times also a swine was sacrificed ; though Censorinus
writes, that it was not usual to sacrifice to the Genii
with the blood and slaughter of any thing, since we
ought not to take life from other creatures on that
day on which we received it.
The Genii were appointed the continual guar-
dians, overseers, and safe keepers of the men (as
the women's guardians and protectors were called
Junones) from their cradles to their graves. They
likewise carried the prayers of men to the gods, and
interceded for them. Whence some call them Prae-
stites, or chief governors, because they are set over
the management of all things.
To every person Jwere assigned two Genii, a
• Plut. in Aul.
t Pal»ph. Eel. 5. Hor. Carm. 3.
i Plut de Iside et Osir.
21
242
bonus Genius, and a mnlus Genius : "Horace calls
tbeni a white and a black one. We are told by
f Valerius Maxinuis, that when Cassius lied to Athens,
alter Anthony was beaten at Actiuni, tliere appeared
to l)hn a man of larj^e statme, of a bhick swarthy
complexion, with long hair, and grisly beard. Cas-
sius asked him who he was ? and the apparition
answered, " 1 am your evil Genius." Virgil li-.
thought, by his tcommentaioi-, Servius, to Uiean
these Lwo Genii, by the word manes. 0( these two
Genii, the good one, which is given to every one at
his birth, constant]}' incites him to the practice of
virtue and goodness ; whereas the bad one prompts
him to all manner of vice and wickedness.
Nor were they assigned to men only ; ibr several
countries had their Genii, who tlierefore ncrc called
<5," the dolties ot* the place :" Nay, || Genii were al-
lotted to all liouses, and doors, and stables, and
hearths: and because the hearths were usually co-
vered with slates, tlierefore the god of tlie hearths
was called Lateranus.
qUESTIOA'S FOR EX.^MLY.^TIOX.
Who were the Genii, and from Avhat is the term derived?
Why were they called DaMnuns?
How are t'.iey reprp.=cnted ?
What were tlie faciiiiccs ottered to the Genii?
To whom were tiie Genii appointed guardians?
How many Genii were appointed to each person, and what
were (hey r
W'hsU was the office of each ?
V/ere Genii appointed to countries and places, as well as pcr-
fOns ?
What Avas the god of the hearths called?
• Genium album et nigrum Epist. 2.
t Interrogatus (juisipiam essel respondit se esse KUKt^ecifUfm,
c. 7.
• Quisquc SUDS patimur manes. Virg. JEn. 7. Vide Servium
I i^umen loci. VIrg. .^n. 7.
fl Irud. in Symm. Laleroulis extrui foci solebant. Lil. Gyr
yut. 1.
OJ7.
CHAPTER III.
THE NUiTIAL GODS AND GODDESSES, DEITIES PRE-
SIDING OVER WO.MEN IN LABOUR, kc.
Five deities were so nbsoliitely necessary to all
marriages, that none coult! lawfully be solemnized
without them. They were Jupiter perfectus or adul-
ius, Juna pcrfecta or aUtdta, Venus, Suada, and
Diana ; beside these, several inferior gods and god-
desses were worshipped at all marriages.
Jngatinns joined the man and the woman together
in *the yoke of matrimony.
DomJducus fguided tlie bride into the bride-
groom's house.
Domitius was woishipped, that the bride might be
Jkept at home, to look after the alfairs of the family.
Manturjia was worshi])ped, that the wife might
never leave lier husband, but in all conditions of life
^abide vvitli him.
Then the goddess V^irginensis, and also the god-
dess Cinxia Jiujo, jjwere invoked.
Prinpus, or IMutnuis, was also reckoned one of the
nuptial gods, because in his lap the bride was com-
manded to sit.
irV'iripiaca reconciles husbands to their wives. A
tem[)le at Home was dedicated to her, whither the
married couple usually repaired when any quarrel
arose between them ; and there, opening their minds
fieely to each other, without j)assion, tliey laid aside
all anger, and relurned home together friendly.
* A jiiso matrimonii dictiis. Aug. de Civ. Doi. 4.
i Qiioil spotisarii in spoiisi dotnuin diiceret. Idem. ibid.
{ Ut ppoiis.Tin domi teiierct.
6 I'l cum uiarito semper maneret.
fl Aii<;i:st. ihid.
% A j)!acaiido vi:o. Val, Max. 1. 2. r. I.
244
Pilumnus, one of the gods of children, was so
called from the ^pestle which the ancients pounded
their corn with, before they made tiieir bread 5 or,
■fbecause he keeps ofl' those misfortmies which attend
children.
Intercidona was the goddess who first taught the
art jof cutting wood with a hatchet to make fires.
Deverra was worshipped as a goddess, because
she invented brooms, by which all things are brushed
clean, and those distempers prevented that proceed
from uncleanliness.
The Sylvan gods, who were always hurtful to
pregnant women, were driven away by those dei-
ties, and the mischiefs they intended were prevented.
For, as neither the trees, §says St. Augustine, are
cut down without an axe, nor bread made without
a pestle, nor things preserved clean without a brush ;
so, since these instruments are thought signs of good
housewifery, it was supposed that these wild unclean
deities would never enter into the chamber of a
pregnant woman.
Juno Lucina, the friend of women in labour, is
represented with one hand empty, and ready, as it
were, to receive the new-born babe ; the other hand
holding a Hghted torch, by which that light of life
was signified, which all enjoy as soon as they are
born.
qUESTIOKS FOR EXAMmATION.
Who were the deities necessary in all marriages ?
What was the business of Jugatinus, Domiducus, and Domi-
tius ?
Why were Maturna, Virginensis, and Priapus, reckoned nup
tial gods ?
What was the business of Viriplaca?
• A pile.
t Qood mala ab infantibus pellit. Servias.
I Ab intercisione securis.
§ De Civ. Dei. 7,
\
245
Who was Pilumnus ?
Who was Intercidona ?
Why was Deverra worshipped as a goddess?
What gods were driven away by these deities ; and what are
the observations of St. Augustine ?
How is Juno Lucina represented ?
CHAPTER IV.
THE DEITIES PRESIDING OVER INFANTS AT THE
TIME OF THEIR BIRTH AND AFTERWARDS.
The chief of these are as follows :
Janus, who opened *the door of life to them.
Opis, who j-assisted them when they came into
the world.
Nascio, or Natio, a goddess so called from a Latin
word signifying to be born.
Cmiia, who attends the cradle, and watches the
infants while they lie and sleep.
Levana, from lifting them up from the ground,
for when a child was born, the midwife constantly
laid the child on the ground, and the father, or in
his absence, somebody appointed by him, lifted it
from the ground ; and hence tollere liheros signifies
" to educate children."
Carna, or Carnea, {who keeps the inward parts
safe. To this goddess they sacrificed upon the
calends of June, bacon, and cakes made of beans.
Whence those calends were called Fabarige.
The goddess Nundina was so called from the ninth
day of the child's age, which was the day of the pu-
rification : in which the name was given it, if it was
• Qui aperiret vitaj januara.
t Quae opem ferret.
X A carne. Vide Macrob. Saturn. 1. L
21*
2AC)
a boy; if It was a girl, tliis ceremony was performed
on the eigiitli iUyy.
Our several attions are sii])p()se(l to be under the
protection of (Users gods.
Juvenuis, or Jiivenias, protects us in the beginning
of our youth, *when ue have thrown oil' tlie child's
coat.
Horto is the goddess fwho exhorts us to under-
take noble enterprises. Her teni})le at Rome stood
always open : and some call her Hora.
Quies had her temple without the city: and Jwas
supposed to be the donor of peace and quietness.
The goddess iMeditrina has her name from §heal-
ing ; and iier sacrifices were called ]\Ieditrinalia, in
wliich tliey diank new and old wine, instead of
pliysic.
1'he goddess Vitula is called from leapiiigfor joy :
she is the " goildess of mirth," which mitigates the
toils of life.
Sentia was worshipiped, th.at children might im-
bibf at first ju>t and lionourabie ||sentiments.
Angerona was the goddess that removed the
Hanguish of the mind.
Siata, or Statua Mater, was worshipped in the
Forum, that it should not be bunU, or sulier damage
from the irequent iires, wliich happened there in the
night.
The goddess Laverna was the protectress of
tlfieves, who, from her, were named Laverniones :
they worshij)ped her, that th.eir designs ard intrigues
might be successi'ul ; her im;ige was a iiead without
a body.
* Ans;ii<t. A. .:. 11,
i IMiii. Qiii.sl. Rom. 14.
\ ^iiijiis'. A. (;. It).
& A incdciKJo. \'ar. v\ I'rstii«.
i; A sn)i-M.)i.'o. Frsj. Jul. Md.lest,
^ L)l |!t.'llciot angurc's aiiir.ii.
217
Voliinii'.ii> aiu! Volimma wtri' so iianird, because,
tliroiiuli llirir incwiis, men ■^'ucti' \\il!iii!^ to follow
lhinu:s thai arc j^'oocl.
Aiiis liociii'ms was worsliipped on liiis occasion:
A c'onjnion soldier rcporicd, dial lii llu' i}ii4,lit he
lieard a Noicc say, " {\\v Gaids arc couiiiii:." No-
body mir.di'd wliat lie said, beca.ise lie was a poor
fellow. Alter the Gallic war, Cainilliis advised the
Romans to expiate their ollence in nei^ieclini; this
nocturnal Noice, which Torewarned iheni of i!ie(iul-
lic wai", and the enstfnju: destruction ; nj)oi> u hicli
a tenij)le was (L'dicated in Via Nova to Ains Locii-
lius.
A j)articnlar ^od was assii;i)ed and ascribed to
every member of the body of ma.n.
The head was sacred to Jupiter, llie breast to Xep-
time, tl:e w aist to !\birs ; the forelieavd to (ienius, the
eyebrows to Jnno, tlie eyes to (Jnp:;l, the ears lo
IMemotia, the ri,u,ht hand to Fides, the bac!; and the
Iiinder paits to Phito, the reins to V'einis, the feel to
Mercury, the kiiees to Misericordia, the ancles and
soles of liie feet to Thetis, and the fiiii;ers to Mi-
ner\a.
The aslroloirers assiiz;n the ;)ai-ts of ihe body lo
tlie celestial c(inslelIations, in another juanner.
The chief of the funeral deities is i/:bilii!a, whom
some account to be the same as W-juis ; but oi.ijers
think that she was Proserpine. In her temple all
things necessary for fur.erals were sold or lei. liibi-
tina so:netimes signifies the grave, and Libilinarii,
those JJien who were en^ployed in bm-ying the dead.
Porta Libitina, at Rome, was that gale ilnoiigh
which the dead bodies were carried lo be burnt:
and RaLones Libitina*, in Stietoifpi'^, signifies ihose
accouiits whu-h we call " the b.lls of m<n-laliiv," or
"the weekly bills."
• A vuitriuio, ijiKid fjiis consllio l»tii:a H'licnt,
248
qUESTJOjYS FOR EXAMIKATIOJ^.
Who were Janus, Opis, Isascio, and Cunia ?
What was the office of Levana?
What was the business of Carna, and what were the sacrificet
offered to her ?
Who was the goddess Nundina, and why was she so called ?
What is the oface of Juventus ?
What are the duties of Horta and Quies ?
Who was Vitula ?
Who were Sentia and Angerona ?
Why were Stata and Laverna worshipped ?
From what did Volumnus and Volumna derive their namesf
What is said of Aius Locutius ?
What parts of the body were sacred to the gods ?
Who was the chief of the funeral deities ?
V' OF THE ^
ItgXli;^!.:!^
PART VI.
DU INDIGETES AND ADSCRIPTITII ;
THE SEMI-DEI AND HEROES,
CHAPTER I.
HERCULES. HIS NAMES AND LABOURS.
In the last division of the Fabulous Pantheon, are
described the images of the Indigetes, or Semi-Dei,
and the Heroes.
The Semi-Dei, Yi/^t&eoi [Hemitheoi^ or Demi-
Gods, were those who had human bodies, sacred
minds, and celestial souls : they were born hi this
world for the good and safety of mankind. Labeo,
in St. Augustine, distinguishes them from the Heroes.
He thinks that Heros was one of Juno's sons, and
that the name Heros is derived from Wpu, [Jlera^
Juno's name in the Greek language. Odiers think
that the word comes from epct. [era,] " the earth ;"
because men owe their original to it. Others again
think it comes from spaq [e?'05,] " love ;" for heroes
are the most illustrious product of love, and are
themselves, as Hierocles observes, full of love. But
others think that this name is derived from spea [ereo^
" to plead," and is given them because heroes are
very elegant, and most powerful, and skilful in rhe-
toric. Or, lastly, it is thought that the word conies
250
from ecptrt; [r/re^?.] " virtue ;" for heroes are endued
witli many virtues. But let us speak particularly
concerning some of these heroes, ot'whoni the most
famous v» as Hercules.
There were many heroes called Hercules, but (as
* Cicero says) llie famous actions of them all are
ascribed to iiim who was the son of J:;piter, by Alc-
mena, the wife of Amjdiytrio, king of Thebes.
When Aniphytrio was absent, Jupiter put on his
shape and dress, and came to Alcmena ; who, think-
ing that her husband was returned, entertained the
deceitful god, and had by him a son, whose limbs
were extraordinary and wonderOdiy large, his con-
stitution robust, a)id his body full of vigor. Bcibre
this, Alcmoia had conceived a son by her husband.
This son and Hercules were twins; his name was
Iphiclus ; he was wonderfully swift in running ;
" Nam super oxlremassegetum ciirrebat arislas,
Ncc siccos fructus Icedcbat pondeie plantar."
Orph. in Hymn,
lie over sli?ndin<^ corn would run, and ne'er
In liis swift motion bruise the tender ear.
When Juno had discovered the conduct of Jupi-
ter, she began to hale Hercules so violently, that
she endeavoured to ruin him. First, she obtained
an edict from Jupiter, which she endeavoured to turn
to his utter destruction ; for the wife of Sthenelus,
king of Mycena?, was pregnant with Euristheus, at
ilie same time whei:i Alcmena was with Hercules.
Jupiter ordained, that whichever of the two children
was born first, he should be superior to the other :
Juno accelerated Euristheus' birdi, so that he was
born after seven months, and came into the world
before Hercules. Again, she sent two vipers to de-
j^troy him when he lay crying in the cradle : but it
• De Nat. Deor. 2.
251
was in vain ; for the valiant infant griped tlicm in
his liands till they perished by his p:rasp, as we are
told by Ovid, in his epistles. At length, by the
mediation of Pallas, Jnno was reconciled to the no-
ble youth, and suckled him, but he drew the milk
with suck violence, that she violently put him away,
and some ol' her milk was spilt; (allin-T upon the sky,
it made the Milkyway, which is in Greek Votx-^l't^
[Galaxta.'] Some of it passed throng!) tiie clouds,
and fell on the earth ; and where it fell lilies sj)rang
up : hence some call these the "roses of Juno."
He had two proper names, Hercules and Alcides;
but his sirnames are innumerable. His parents call-
ed him * Alcides, from his extraordinary strength,
in uhich he greatly excelled ail mankind. He was
afterward called Hercules, y from the glory which
Juno caused him : for when she exposed him to the
greatest dangers, she rendered him most illustrious,
and by enjoining him so many labors, she only ex-
ercised his patience and courage.
Hercules v,as subjected to Euristhcus. not only by
the edict of Jupiter and unkindness of Juno, but also
because the oracle of Apollo at Delphi advised and
persuaded him to subnet himself, and obey Euris-
thcus' commands ; and especially, to undeigo. will-
ingly, the twelve labors which his master should
lay upon him. Hercules obeyed the Fates, and
served Er.risllieus twelve years : he performed the
most dangerous and diHicu't commands with a suit-
able couinge and success. Some say, that Hercu-
les served him voluntarily, and performed these
difficult tasks, to show how great love he bore Eu-
risthcus.
Tliou^li Hercules performed an infinite number
of great ;md memorable actions, twelve are (.'spe-
cially celebrated : and those twelve are comprised
• Ai) '^^Xy.r, i-()l)iir.
< Jui.o Grace dicilur n/ic, cl xXs«; gloria, undc nomeu Hercules.
252
m as many Latin verses, translated out of the
Greek :
"Prima Clconei tolorata aerumna leonis.
Proxima Lerna^am ferro et face contudit hydram.
Mox Erymantheum vis terlia pcrculil aprum.
iEripidis quarto tulit aurea cornua cervi.
Stymphalidas pepulit volucres discriinine quinto.
Threiciam sexto spoliavit Amazonabaltheo.
Septiraa in Augean stabulis impensa laboris.
Octava expulso numeratur adoreatauro
In Diomedis victor jam nona quadrigis.
Geryone extincto decimam dat Iberia palmam.
Undecimum maK Hesperidum distracla triumphum.
Cerberus extremi suprema est meta laboris."
The Cleonian lion first he kills;
With fire and sword then Lerna's pest he quells;
Of the wild boar he clears th' Er^'manthean fields
The brass-foot stag with golden antlers yields:
He Styrapha clears of man-devouring birds;
And next the bouncing Amazon ungirds:
The stables of king Augeas he cleans;
The Cretan bull he vanquishes and chains:
Diomedes' horses him their conqu'ror own ;
Then he brings low three-headed Geryon :
Hesperian apples next his name sustains;
And his last labour Cerberus enchains.
The particular account of these twelve is this :
The first labour of Hercules was, that he tore in
pieces, with his nails, the lion in the woods of Ne-
maea, which, some say, fell from the orb of the moon,
and was invulnerable by any weapon. This place
was also named Cleone, from which the lion was
also called Cleoneus. He afterwards skinned the
lion, and with the skin made himself a shield and a
breast-plate.
2. There was a hydra, a serpent in the lake
Lerna, in the field of Argos, that had seven heads;
some say nine, others fift}'. When any of these
heads were cut off, another presently sprang up in
the place of it : unless the blood which issued from
the wound was stopped.
253
lolaus, the son of Iphiclus, procured for him light-
ed brands from the neighbouring wood, and with
tliem Hercules stanched the blood issuing from the
wounds he made. This seasonable assistance was
not forgotten ; for when lolaus was grown to decre-
pid age, Hercules, by his prayers, restored him to
his youth again. Ovid. Met. 9.
3. He bound the wild boar, whose fierceness and
bigness were equally admirable, in the mountain
Erymanthus of Arcadia ; and afterwards brought it
to Euristheus.
4. He was ordered to bring to Islycendd a hind,
whose feet were brass, and horns gold. Nobody
dared to wound her, because she was consecrated to
Diana, nor could any body outrun her : yet Her-
cules hunted her a year, on foot, caught her, and
brought her away on his shoulders.
5. He partly killed and partly drove away the
birds called Stymphalides, from lake Stymphalus,
which used to feed upon man's flesh.
6. He defeated the army of the Amazons, and
took from Hyppolite, their queen, the finest belt in
the world.
1; He in one day cleansed the stable of Augeas,
by turning the course of a river into it. This sta-
ble had never been cleansed, although three thou-
sand oxen stabled in it thirt}^ years. Whence, when
we would express a work of immense labour and toil,
in proverbial speech, we call it '* cleansing the Au-
gean stable."
8. He tamed a great bull, that did much mischief
in the island of Crete, and brought him bound to
Euristheus.
9. He overcame Diomedes, the most cruel tyrant
of Thrace, who fed his horses with the flesh of his
guests. Hercules bound him, and threw him to be
eaten by those horses to which the tyrant had ex-
posed others*
^ 22
254
10. He ovei came in war Geryon, king of Spain,
who had three bodies, and took his bay oxen that
ate men's (icsh, and brought them into Italy, when
he had killed the dragon with seven heads, and the
two-headed dog which guarded him.
11. He killed the dragon that watched, and then
carried away the golden apples in the gardens of the
Hesperides ; whence perhaps he is called ^Melius,
and apples were offered up in his sacrifices. In
Ba*otia, when no bull (or sheep) could be procured
at the time of sacrifice, they took an apple, and
stuck into it four straws, which represented four
legs, and two more for horns, with another for a
tail, and offered Hercules this apple instead of a
victim.
12. Lastly, he was commanded by Euristheus to
go down into hell, and bring away thence the dog
Cerberus. This he performed without delay, bound
the tliree-headed monster in a triple chain, and by
force brought him up to the earth. When Cerebus
saw the light, he vomited, and thence the poisonous
herb wolf's-bane, Aconitum, sprang. These are the
twelve labours of Hercules.
13. He vanquished the cruel and enormous giant
Ant?eus, the son of the earth, who was above sixty-
four cubits high, and who forced strangers to wrestle
with him. Hercules threw this giant down thrice,
and perceiving that he recovered new strength as
oft as he touched the earth, he lifted him in his arms
from the ground, and then despatched him.
14. Busiris, the tyrant, used to sacrifice all the
strangers that he caught to his father Neptune, till
Hercules sacrificed both him and his son upon the
same altar.
15. He killed the giants Albion and Bergeon,
who intended to stop his journey : and when in the
*M»iX«y Grsece significat malum vel pomum.
255
fight his arrows were consumed, so that he wanted
arms, he prayed to Jupiter, and obtained from him
a shower of stones, with which he defeated and put
to flight his adversaries. This, they say, happened
in that part of France, ancientl}' called Gcdlia Nar-
bonensis ; which place is called the Stony Plain,
Campus Lapideus.
16. When Atlas was weary of his burden, Her-
cules took the heavens upon his shoulders. He
overcame the robber Cacus, who spit fire, and
strangled him. He shot the eagle that devoured
the liver of Prometheus, as he lay chained to the
rock. And he slew Theodamus, the father of Hy-
las, because he denied him victuals ; but he took
care of Hylas, and was kind to him.
17. He delivered ^Hesione, daughter of Lao-
medon, king of Troy, from the whale in this manner;
he raised, on a sudden, a bank in the place where
Hesione was to be devoured, and stood armed be-
fore it ; and when the whale came seeking his prey,
Hercules leaped into his mouth, slided down his
throat, destroyed him and came away safe. Lao-
medon, after this, broke his word, and refused to
give Hercules the reward he promised ; therefore
he took it by force, and pillaged the city of Troy ;
giving to Telamon, who first mounted the wall, the
lady Hesione, as a part of the booty.
18. In fighting for Deianira, Hercules overcame
Achelous, the son of Oceanus and Terra, though
Achelous first turned himself into a serpent, then
into a bull. By plucking one of his horns of!', he
obliged him to yield ; but Achelous purcliased his
horn again ; giving Amaltha:a's horn in its stead.
The meaning of which is this : Achelous is a river
of Greece, whose course winds like a serpent ; its
stream is so rapid, that it makes furrows where it
• Ovid Met. 11.
256
flows, and a noise like the roaring of a bull : and
indeed it is common among the poets to compare a
river to a bull. This river divided itself into two
streams, but Hercules forced it into one channel ;
that is, he broke off one of the horns or streams.
I'he lands thus drained became fertile ; so that Her-
cules is said to have received the horn of plenty.
19. Deianira was daughter of (Eneus, king of
Qi]tolia. Hercules carried her to be married, and
in their way they were stopped by a river : but the
centaur Nessus offered to carr}^ Deianira over upon
his back. Nessus, when she was over, insulted her 5
which Hercules observing, while he swam, shot him
with an arrow. When Nessus was dying, he gave
Deianira his bloody coat, and told her, if a husband
wore that coat, he would never follow unlawful pur-
suits. The credulous lady soon after experienced
the virtue of it, far otherwise than she expected.
For Hercvdes, who had surmounted so many and so
great labours, was at length overcome by the charms
of Omphale, queen of Lydia, and, to gratify her,
changed his club into a distaff, and his arrows into
a spindle. His love also to lole, daughter of Eury-
tus, king of Oechalia, brought on him destruction.
For his wife Deianira being desirous of turning him
from unlawful objects, sent him Nessus' coat to put
on when he went to sacrifice ; which drove him into
such distraction, that he burned himself on the pile
he had raised, and was accounted among the num-
ber of gods. The lines of Virgil in praise of th«
hero, shall finish my description.
-" ut prima no\ercEe
Monstra manu, i^eminosciue primus eliserit anguea;
Ut bello egregias idem disjecerlt urbes,
Trojamque (Eclialiamqiie ; ut duros mille labores"
Rege sub Eurystheo, fatis Junouis iniquK,
Pertulerit. Tu nubigonas invicte bimembres,
Hylceumqiie, Pholumque, manu ; tu Cressia mactas
Prodigia, et vastura Nemeae sub rupe leonem.
257
To Stigii tremuere lacus ; te janitor Orci, , , ..
Ossa super recubans antro semesa cruento. '; [
]Vec te uUae facies, non terruit ipse Typhoeus, ,''
Arduus, arma tenens, non te rationis egentem
Lernajus turba capitum circumstetit anguis.
Salve, vera Jovis proles, decus addite Divis :
Et nos, et. tua dexter adi pede sacra secundo."
First, how the mighty oabe, when swath'd in bands,
The serpents strangled with his infant hands ;
Then, as in years and matchless force he grew,
Th' CEchalian walls and Trojan overthrew.
Besides a thousand hazards they relate,
Procur'd by Juno's and Euristheus' hate.
Thy hands, unconquer'd hero ! could subdue
The cloud-born centaurs, and the monster crewj
Nor thy resistless arm the bull withstood ;
Nor he the roaring terror of the wood.
The triple porter of the Stygian seat.
With lolling tongue, lay fawning at thy feet, '
And seiz'd with fear, forgot thy mangled meat
Th^ infernal waters trembled at thy sight ;
Thee god ! no face of danger could atiright ; ''
Not huge Typhceus, nor th' unnumber'd snakes ; >;
Increas' with hissing heads in Lerna's lake.
Hail, Jove's undoubted son ! an added gi-ace ,
To heav'n, and the great author of thy race.
Receive the grateful off'rings which we pay,
And smile propitious on thy solemn day.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXJlMmATIOJV.
Who w^ere the Semi-Dei ?
What account is given of the heroes ?
Who Avas Hercules ?
Who was the twin-brother of Hercules, and for what was be
celebrated ?
How did Juno act with regard to Hercules ?
By whom was she reconciled; and what w^as the consequenoe
of the reconciliation ?
What were the proper names of Hercules ; and how did bd
delve them ?
Why was Hercules subject to Euristheus ?
Repeat the Latin lines descriptive of Hercules' labours.
What was his first labour ?
What was his second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth,
ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth.'
What did he do with regard to Antaeus.''
How did he act with B?^n4s ? ^J""'^
Why did he kill the giants^MUiCJIl and Bergeon?
22*
258
What was his conduct with regard to Atlas, Cacas, Prome-
theus, and Theodamus ?
How did he deliver Hesione ?
What is the meaning of the fable of Achelous?
What is related of Deianira ?
CHAPTER n.
JASON. THESEUS
Jason, the son of (Eson, king of Thessalla, by
Alcimede, was an infant when his father died, so that
his uncle Pelius administered the government.
When he came of age, he demanded possession
of the crown ; but PeHus advised him to Colchis,
under pretence of gaining the golden fleece thence,
though his real intention was to kill him with the
labour and danger of the journey.
The golden fleece was the hide of a ram, of a
white or purple colour, which was given to Phryxus,
son of Athamus and Nephele, by his mother. Phryx-
us and his sister Helle, fearing the designs of their
stepmotlier Ino, got on a ram to save themselves by
flight. But while they swam over the narrowest
part of Pontus, Helle, afli'ighted at the tossing of
the waves, fell down ; whence the sea was called
Hellespont. Phryxus was carried over safe ; and
went to ^ta, king of Colchis, a country of Asia,
near the Pontns ; where he was kindly received,
and sacrificed the ram to Jupiter, or ]\Iars, who af-
terwards placed it among the constellations. Only
his hide or fleece was hung up in a grove sacred to
Mars. It was called the Golden Fleece, because it
was of a golden colour ; and it was guarded by bulls
that breathed fire from their nostrils, and by a vast
and watchful dragon, as a sacred and divine pledge,
and as a thi'ng of the greatest importance.
259
Jason went on board a ship called Argo, from the
builder of that name ; and chose forty-nine noble
companions, who, from the ship, were called Argo-
nautae, among whom were Hercules, Orpheus, Cas
.or, and Pollux. In his voyage, he visited Hipsy-
phile, queen of Lemnos, who had twins by him.
Then, after a long voyage, and many dangers, he
arrived at Colchis, and demanded the Golden Fleece
of king ^ta, who granted his request, on condition
that he tamed the bulls which guarded it; killed the
dragon, and sowed his teeth in the ground ; and
lastly, destroyed the soldiers who sprang from the
ground where these teeth were sown. Jason undertook
the thing, and was delivered from manifest destruc-
tion by the assistance of Medea, the king's daughter,
who was in love with him. For, observing her di-
rections, he overcame the bulls, laid the dragon
asleep, carried away the fleece, and fled by night,
carrying Medea with him, whom he afterward mar-
ried.
^ta pursued them, but his daughter, to stop his
pursuit, tore her brother Absyrtus, who went with
her, in pieces, and scattered the limbs on the road ;
that when her father saw the torn members of his
son, he might stop to gather them up. So Jason
and the Argonautae returned to their own country,
where Medea by her charms restored Jason's father,
the old decrepid ^son, to youth again ; though
some say that ^son died before their return. Af-
ter this, Jason divorcing himself from Medea, he
married Creusa, the daughter of Creon, king of
Corinth : and Medea, to revenge his perfidiousness,
not only murdered the two children that she had by
him in his own sight, but, in the next place, enclosed
fire in a little box, and sent it to Creusa, who opened
the box, and by the fire which burst out of it, was
burnt, together with the whole court. When she
had done this, the admirable sorceress flew by magic
260
art to Athens. Some write that she was reconciled
afterwards to Jason. But what has been said is
enough for this hero ; let us proceed to
Theseus, whose parents were jEthra and ^geus,
king of Athens. Minos, kuig of Crete, made war
against jEgeus, because the Athenians had disho-
nourably and barbarously killed his son, who carried
the prize in the games. When he had banished the
Athenians, he imposed this severe condition upon
them, that they should send seven of the most noble
youths of their country into Crete by lot every year.
In the fourth year the lot fell upon Theseus, which
mightily grieved and troubled his father jEgeus.
Theseus went on board a ship, whose sails and
tackle were black, and received this command from
his father : " If by the propitious providence of hea-
ven he escaped the dangers, and did return safe
unto his own countr}^ again, that then he should
change his black sails into white ones, that his
father, being assured of his safety by that signal,
might be sensible of his happiness as soon as might
be."
The event was fortunate to Theseus; but very
unfortunate to his father iEgeus : for when Theseus
came to Crete, he was shut up in the Labyrinth ;
but he slew the Minotaur, and escaped out of that
inextricable prison by the help of Ariadne. After
this he set sail for Athens in the same mournful ship
in which he came to Crete, but forgot to change his
sails, according to the instructions which his father
had given him ; so that, when his father beheld
from a watchtower the ship returning with black
sails, he imagined that his son was dead, and cast
himself headlong into the sea, which was afterward
called the ^gean or Black Sea, from his name and
destiny.
Ariadne was the daughter of Minos, king ol
Crete. She having delivered Theseus out of the
261
labyrinth by the means of a thread, followed him in
his return to the island of Naxiio, where he perfidi-
ously and ungratefully left her. But Bacchus, pity-
ing her miseiable condition, married her, and gave
her a crown that was illuminated with seven stars,
which he had before received from Venus. This
crown was called Gnossia Corona ; and Ariadne her-
self was surnamed Gnossis, from the city of that
name in Crete. After the death ci Ariadne, the
same was carried among the stars, and made a con-
stellation in the heavens. It was thought that Diana
caused the death of Ariadne, because she preserved
not her virginity.
The actions of Theseus were so famous, that they
accounted him a Hercules. For, 1. He killed the
Minotaur. 2. He overcame the Centaurs. 3. He
vanquished the Thebans. 4. He defeated the Ama-
aons. 5. He went down into hell ; and returned
back into the world again.
He and Pirithous, his most intimate friend, the
lawful son of Ixion, agreed never to marry any wo-
men except Jupiter's daughters. Theseus married
Helena, the daughter of Jupiter and Led a, and
none of Jupiter's daughters remained on the earth
for Pirithous ; therefore they both went down into
hell to steal Proserpine away from h^r husband
Pluto. As soon as they entered hell, Pirithous was
unfortunately torn in pieces by the dog Cerberus ;
but Theseus came alive into the palace of Pluto,
who fettered him, and kept him till Hercules was
sent into hell by Euristheus to rescue him.
The Amazons were women' animated with the
souls and bravery of men ; a military race, inhabit-
ing that part of Scythia which is washed by the
river Tanais. They were called Amazons, ^either
because they cut oiT one of their breasts, or f because
• Ab « privativo et fia^es mamma,
t Ab «/«« simul et ^k vivere.
262
they lived together without the society ot men
They were a nation of women, who, that the country
might have inhabitants and not be depopulated, when
the present race of women died, admitted the ad-
dresses of the neiglibouring young men. They kill-
ed the boys at tlieir birth, but brought up the girls.
They cut off their right breast that they might more
conveniently use their hands in shooting their ar-
rows, and brandishing their weapons against their
enemy. These female warriors, by their frequent
Excursions, became possessors of a great part ot
Asia, when Hercules, accompanied with Theseus,
made war upon them, and defeated them ; and
taking Hippolyte, their queen, prisoner, he gave
her in marriage to Theseus.
Theseus had by Hippolyte his son Hippolytus,
who was very beautiful, and mightily addicted to
hunting, and a remarkable lover of chastity ; for
when ^Phaedra, his step mother, (the daughter of
king Minos, whom Theseus had preferred to her
sister Ariadne) made love to him, he repulsed her.
This repulse provoked her so much, that when her
husband returned, she accused him wrongfully.
Theseus gave ear to the wicked woman, and behev-
ed her untruth against his son Hippolytus, who per-
ceiving it, fled away in his chariot. In his flight he
met several monstrous sea-calves, which frighted his
horses, so that they threw him out of his seat, his
feet were entangled in the harness, and he was drag-
ged through the thickets oi* a wood, and torn to
pieces miserably. iEsculapius afterwards, at the
request of Diana, restored him to life again. But
he however left Greece and came into Italy, where
he changed his name to fVirbius, because he had
been a man twice. Phaedra was gnawn with the
stings of her own conscience, and hanged herself.
• 0\rid. in Ep. Phaedr,
t Quod, vir bis esset.
V- OF THB ' \
263
And not long after, Theseus, being banished from
his country, ended an illustrious life with an obscure
death.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMINATIOK.
Who was Jason; and why sent after the Golden Fleece?
What was the Golden Fleece?
Whence was the Hellespont named ?
By whose assistance did Jason procure the Fleece?
Who was Medea, and what were her actions?
Who was Theseus, and what were his actions ?
i^^gean or Black Sea ; why so called ?
Who was Ariadne, and what happened to her?
What agreement w^as made between Theseus and Perithooj;
Upd what became of the latter ?
Who were the Amazons ; and what account is given of IheiB?
What is the story of Hippolytus ?
What became of Phaedra and Theseus ?
CHAPTER m.
CASTOR AND POLLUX.
Castor and Pollux are twin brothers, the sons of
Jupiter and Leda, who was the wife of Tyndarus,
king of Laconia, whom Jupiter loved, but could not
succeed in his amour till he changed himself into a
swan ; which swan was afterwards made a constel-
lation. Leda produced two eggs^ which hatched
the twin brothers. Out of one ^g^ came Pollux
and Helena, who sprang from Jupiter, and were
therefore immortal. But out of the other, by Tyn-
darus' her husband, came "^Castor and Clytemnes-
tra, who were mortal. Yet both Castor and Pollux
are frequently called Tyndaridse by the poets, as
Helena is also called Tyndaris, from the same king
Tyndarus.
• Hor. Sat. I.
264
Castor and Pollux accompanied Jason when h^
sailed to Colchis ; and, when he returned thence,
they recovered their sister Helena from Theseus, who
had stolen her, by overcoming the Athenians that
fought for him, to whom tlieir clemency and hu-
manity were so great after the defeat, that the Athe-
nians called them the sons of Jupiter ; and hence
white lambs were offered upon their altars. *But
although they were both at the same birth, and, as
some think out of the same egg^ yet their tempers
were different.
Castor being, as some say, a mortal person, was
killed by Lynceus : upon which Pollux prayed to
Jupiter to restore him to life again, and confer an
immortality upon him. But this could not be grant-
ed. However, he obtained leave to divide his im-
mortality between himself and his brother Castor,
and thence it came to pass f that they lived after-
wards by turns every other day, or, as some say,
every other fortnight. After the death of Castor, a
kind o^ pyrrliick, or dance in armour, was instituted
to his honour ; which was performed by young men
armed, and called J" Castor's dance."
At length they both were translated into heaven,
and made a constellation, which is still called Gemi-
ni. Sailors esteem these stars lucky and prosperous
to them, "^because, when the Argonauts were driven
* " Castor gaudet equis: Ovo prognalus eodem,
Pugnis : quot capitum vivunt, totidem in studiorum
Millia." Horat. Smn. % \
As many men, so mf^ny their delights.
t " Sic fratem Pollux alterna morte redemit,
Itque reditque viam." Virg, JSn, &
Tlius Pollux, offering his alternate life,
Could free his brother. They did daily go
By turns aloft, by turns descend below.
\ Plin, 1. 7. c. 5. 7. ap. Nat Com.
4 Hor. Carm. 3.
265
by a violent tempest, two lambent flames settled
upon the heads of Castor and Pollux, and a calm
imniediateiy ensued : from which a virtue more than
human was thought to be lodged in these youths*
If only one flame appeared, they called it Helena,
and it was esteemed fatal and destructive to mari-
ners.
There was a famous temple dedicated to Castor
and Pollux in the Forum at Rome ; for it was be-
lieved, that in the dangerous battle of the Romans
with the Latins, they assisted the Romans, ri.ding
upon white horses. And hence came that form of
swearing by the temple of Castor, which women
only used, saying, "^Ecastor : whereas, when men
swore, they usually swore by Hercules, using the
words jHercule, Hercle, Hercules, Mehercules, Me-
hercule. But both men and women swore by the
temple of Pollux, using the word -^depol, an oath
common to them both.
Clytemnestra was married to Agamemnon, whom,
after his return from the siege of Troy, she killed
by the help of jEgisthus ; with whom, in the mean
time, she had lived. She attempted also to kill his
son Orestes, and would have done so, Jif his sister
Electra had not delivered him at the very point of
destruction, sending him privately to Strophius, king
of Phocis. After Orestes had lived there twelve
years, he returned to his own country, and slew both
Clytemnestra and iEgistlius. He killed also Pyrr-
hus, in the temple of Apollo ; because he had car-
ried away Hermione, the daughter of Menelaus, who
was first betrothed to Orestes. ^Therefore the Fu-
ries tormented him ; neither could he obtain deli*
verance from them, till he had expiated his crimes
• jEcastor, et .'fidepol. id est, per aidem Castoris et FoIIucb.
t Passim apiid Terp.nt. Plant. CAcGV. k.c.
t Soph, ill Electr. Eiirip. in Orest
§ Cic. de Amicit.
23
2G6
at the altar of Diana Tanrica, whither he was con"*
ducted by iiis friend P\ lades, liis perpetual com-
panion and partner in all his dangers ; "^their friend-
ship was so close and sacred, that either of them
would die for the other.
The goddess Diana, who was worshipped in Tau»
rica Chersonesus, or Chcrronesus, a })eninsnla, so
called from the Tauri, an ancient people of Sc ythia
EuropaB. She was worshipped with human victims;
the lives and the blood of men being sacrificed to
fier. When Orestes went thither, his sister Iphi-
genia, the daughter of Agamemnon, was priestess to
Diana Taurica : she was made priestess on the fol-
lowing occasion.
Agamemnon, king of the Argives, was, bj the
common consent of the Grecians, appointed general
in their expedition against Troy ; and after his re-
turn home, was killed by his own wife Clytemnestra.
This Agamemnon killed a deer by chance, in the
country of Aulis, which belonged to Diana ; the
goddess was angry, and caused such a calm, that
for want of wind, the Grecian ships bound for Troy,
were fixed and immoveable : upon this they consult-
ed the soothsayers, who answered, f that they must
satisfy the winds, and Diana, with some of the blood
of Agamemnon. Therefore Ulysses was forthwith
sent to bring away Iphigenia, the daughter of Aga*
memnon, from her mother, by a trick, under pre-
tence of marrj'ing her to Achilles. While theyomig
lady stood at the altar to be sacrificed, the goddesi
pitied her, and substituted a hind in her stead, and
gent her to Taurica Chersonesus ; where, by the or-
der of kingThoas, she presided over those sacrifices
of the goddess, v.hich were solemnized with human
blood. When Orestes was brouglit thither by the
inhabitants to be sacrificed, he was known and pre-
* Eurip. in Ipliig. in Taur.
t Eurip. in Iphip. in Taur.
.<i^^
/> J ST
M^^ui^js^xu'^
267
served b}' his sister. After which Thoas was kill*
ed, and the image of Diana, which lay hidden
among a bundle of sticks, was carried away ; and
hence Diana was called Fascelis, from fascis, a
" bundle."
qUESTWKS FOR EXAMUCATION.
Who were Castor and Pollux, and what was their origin ?
Why were white Iambs offered upon their altars?
What became of Castor, and wliat was granted to him at tho
request of his brother?
What dotlie Sailors say of the stars Castor and Pollux?
What is related of the temple dedicated to them ?
What is the story of Clyternnestra ?
Who was Diana Taurica ; how was she worshipped ; and wh©
was her priestess ?
What is related of Agamemnon?
On what account was Diana called Fascelis?
CHAPTER IV.
PERSEU3. iESCULAPIUS.
Perseus was the son of Jupiter and Danae, the
daughter of Acrisius, who was shut up by her father
in a very strong tower, where no man could enter,
because her father had been told by an oracle, that
he should be killed by his own grandchild. But
nothing is impregnable to love : for Jupiter, as we
are told by Horace, by changing himself into a
shower of gold, descended through the tiles into the
lady's apartment.
"Inclnsam Dana^n turris ahenca
Robusla^Miue fores, el vigilum canum
Tristcs excubia^ munierant satis
Noclurnis ab adulteris-
Si r.oii Acrisium, virginis abdita?
Custodim pavidura, J. iter et Venus
Rir.issent: foie enim tutum iter et patens,
Converse in pretium Deo." Carm. J. 3. 10,
268
Witliin a brazen tow'r immur'd,
By dogs and ceritinels secur'd,
From midnight revels, and intrigues of love,
Fair Dana? was kept within her guardian's pow'r;
But gentle Venus smi'.'d, and anurous Jove
Knew he could soon unlock the door,
And by his art successful prove,
Changed to a golden show'r.
As soon as Acrisius had heard tliat his daughter
bad brought forth a son, lie ordered that she and
the infant should be shut up in a chest, and thrown
into the sea : the chest was driven to the island Se-
riphus, where a fisherman found it, took them out,
and presented them to king Pol jdectes ; who be-
came enamoured of Danae, and brought up her son;
whom he called Perseus.
Perseus, when he was grown a man, received from
Mercury a scythe of adamant, and wings, which he
fixed to his feet : Pluto gave him a helmet, and
Minerva a shield of brass, so bright, that it reflected
the images of things, like a looking-glass. His first
exploit was the deliverance of Andromeda, the
daughter of Cepheus, king of Ethiopia, who was
bound by the nymphs to a rock, to be devoured by
a sea-monster, because her mother Cassiope, or Cas-
siopeia, had proudly preferred her daughter's beau-
ty to theirs ; and when he had delivered her, he
took her to wife. After which, both the mother
and the daughter, and the son-in-law, were placed
among the celestial constellations. His next expe-
dition was against the Gorgons, of whom we have
spoken before : he encountered Medusa, their prin-
cess, whose head was supplied with snakes in the
place of hair ; he saw the image of her head by the
brightness of his shield, and, by the favourable as-
sistance of Minerva, struck it off: he then fixed it
upon a shield, and, by showing it, afterward turned
many persons into stone. Atlas was turned by the
sight of it, into the mountain in Mauritania of that
269
name : because he rudely refused to entertain Per-
seus. When Medusa's head was cut off, the horse
Pegasus sprang Irom the blood which fell on the
ground, he was so called from ^ryiyv [^p^ge] " a
fountain," because he was produced near the foun-
tains of the sea. This horse had wings ; and flying
over the mountain Helicon, he struck it with his hoof,
and opened a fountain, which they call in Greek,
Hippocrene ; and in Latin, Fons Caballinus ; that
is, the " horse fountain." But afterward, while he
drank at the fountain Pyrene in Corinth, where Bel-
lerophon prepared himself for his expedition against
the Chimsera, he was taken by him and kept.
Bellerophon's first name was Hipponus ; because
he first taught the art of governing horses with a
bridle : but when he had killed Bellerus, a king of
Corinth, he was afterward called Bellerophontes.
This Bellerophon, the son of Glaucus, king of
Ephyra, was equally beautiful and virtuous ; he re-
sisted all the temptations by which Sthenobsea, the
wife of Prsetus, enticed him to love her ; and his
repulses provoked her so, that in revenge she accus-
ed the innocent stranger to her husband. Praetus,
however, would not violate the laws of hospitality
with the blood of Bellerophon, but sent him into
Lycia, to his father-in-law Jobates, with letters,
which desired him to punish Bellerophon, as his
crime deserved. Jobates read the letters, and sent
him to fight against the Solymi, that he might be
killed in the battle : but he easily vanquished them,
and in many other dangers, to which he was expos-
ed, he always came off conqueror. At last he was
sent to kill the Chima:}ra ; which he undertook, and
performed, when he had procured the horse Pegasus,
by the help of Neptune. Therefore Jobates, ad-
miring the bravery of the youth, gave him one of
his daughters to wife, allotting him also a part of
his kingdom. Sthenobsea killed herself when she
23*
270
heard this. This happy success so transported Bel
lerophon, tliat he endeavoured to fly upon Pegasus
to heaven ; Tor which Jupiter struck him with mad-
ness, and he fell from his liorse into a fieUl called
Aleius Campus, "^because in that place Bellerophoii
wandered up and down blind, to the end of his life :
but Pegasus was placed among the stars. Some say
that this was the occasion of the fable of the Chi-
mcera. Tliere was a famous pirate, who used to sail
m a ship in whose prow was painted a lion, in the
stern a dragon, and by the body of the ship a goat
was described ; and this pirate was killed by Belle-
rophon, in a long boat that was called Pegasus.
From the letters which Bellerophon carried Jobates,
fcomes the proverb, " Bellerophon's letters ;" when
any a:ie carries letters, wiiich he imagines are wrote
in his favour, but are sent to procure his ruin : and
such letters are frequentl}' called " Letters of Uriah,"
for the same reason.
jEsculapius is represented as a bearded old man,
leaning on his jointed cane, adorned with a crown of
laurel, and encompassed with dogs. He is the god
of the physicians and physic, and the son of Apollo
by the nymph Ceronis. He improved the art of
physic, which before was little understood ; and for
that reason they accounted him a god. Apollo shot
tlie nymph his mother when she was pregnant, be-
cause she admitted the addresses of another young
man after he had become enamoured of her. But
he repented after he had killed her, took out the
child alive, and delivered him to be educated by the
physician Chiron, Jwho taught him his own art :
the youth made so great a progress in it, that be-
cause he restored health to the sick, and gave safety
• Al) aXiUU 2XVO.
f ^iXXipipnTo; '^^afj^fiura, Bclkrophonlii UtereR nsildtius dictS|
LilerfT i'ri(t.
J Ovid Mel. 1.
271
to those whose condition was desperate, he was
thought to have a power of recalling the dead to life
again. Upon this Pluto, the king of hell, ^com-
plained to Jupiter that his revenue was very much
diminished, and his subjects taken from him by
means of ^Esculapius ; and at length, by his persua-
sion, Jupiter killed him with a stroke of thunder.
He wears a crown of laurel, because that tree is
powerful in curing many diseases. By the knots in
his stall', is signified the difficulty of the study of
physic. He has dogs painted about him, and dogs
in his temple ; because many believe that he was
born of uncertain parents, and exposed, and after-
ward nourished by a bitch. fOthers say, that a
goat, which was pursued by a dog, gave suck to the
forsaken infant ; and that the shepherds saw a lam-
bent tiaine playing about his head, which was a prog-
nostication of his future divinity. The Cyrenians
used to olfer a goat to him in the sacrifices ; either
because he was nourished by a goat, as was said, Jor
because a goat is always in a fever ; and therefore
a goat's constitution is very contrary to health.
§Piato says, that they used to sacrifice dung-hill
cocks to him, which are deemed the most vigilant of
all birds ; for of all virtues, watchfulness is chiefly
necessary to a physician.
^sculapius was worshipped first at Epidaurus,
where he was born ; afterward at Rome, because, on
being sent for thither, he delivered the city from a
dreadful pestilence. For which reason, a temple
was dedicated to him in an island in the mouth of
the Tiber, where he was worshipped under the form
of a great serpent ; for when the Romans came to
Epidaurus to transport the god thence ; a great ser-
• VI rj^. JEn. 7.
t Kactiiiit. de fals. Religo. Paean, in Corinlh
J Didvm. I. 3. Nat. Cum.
^ la Pha^done.
272
pent entered the ship, which they believed was
^sculapius ; and broufj^ht it to Rome with them.
Others tell the story thus : when tlie Romans were
received by the people of Epidaurus with all kind-
ness, and were carried into the temple of iEscula-
pins ; the serpent, under whose image they worship-
ped that god, went voluntarily into the ship of the
Romans.
I can tell you nothing of the children of iEscula-
pius, except their names. He had two sons, called
Machaon and Podalirius, both famous physicians,
who followed Agamemnon, the general of the Gre-
cians, to the Trojan war, and were very service-
able among the soldiers ; and two daughters,
Hygioea (though some think this was his wife) and
Jaso.
Chiron, his master, was a Centaur, and the son of
Saturn and Phillyra ; for when Saturn embraced
that nymph, he suddenly changed himself into a
horse, because his wife Ops came in. Phillyra was
born a creature, in its upper parts like a man, in its
lower parts like a horse. She called it Chiron ;
when he grew up, he betook himself to the woods ;
and there, learned the virtues of herbs, he became a
most excellent physician. For his skill in physic,
and for his other virtues, which were many, he was
appointed tutor to Achilles ; he also instructed Her-
cules in astronomy, and taught jEsculapius physic.
At last, when he handled Hercules' arrows, one of
them dipped in the poisonous blood of the Lernaean
hydra, fell upon his foot, and gave him a wound that
was incurable, and pains that were intolerable ; in-
somuch that he desired to die, but could not, because
he was born of immortal parents. Therefore, at
length the gods translated him into the firmament,
where he now remains ; for he became a constella-
tion called Sagittarius, which is placed in the zo-
diac.
273
QUESTIOA'S FOR EXAMmATlO,Y.
Who was Perseus ?
What order did Acrisiiis give with regard to his grandson, and
now was the child saved ?
What were the exploits of Perseus ?
What is said of Medusa's head, and what happened when it
was cut off?
How is Pegasus described ?
For what was Bellerophon famous P
Give the circumstances attending h*.3 history.
What is meant by '* Bellerophon's letters;" and what else are
they called ?
Who was ^sculapius?
What became of his mother?
Under whose care was yF.sculapins brought up?
What complaint was made against him ?
Why does he wear a crown of laurel ; and Avhat do the staff
and dogs signify ?
Why were goats and coclcs sacrificed to him?
Where was he first worshipped ; and why was he adored un-
der the form of a serpent ?
Who were iEsculapius's children?
What is the history of Chiron?
CHAPTER II.
PROMETHEUS. ATLAS.
Prometheus, the son of Japetus, and the father
of Deucalion, was the first, as we find in history, that
formed man out of clay ; which he did with such art
and skill, that Minerva was amazed, and proflered to
procure him any thing from heaven ; which would
complete his work. Prometheus answered, that he
did not know what in heaven v/ould be useful to him,
since he had never seen heaven. Therefore ]\Ii-
nerva carried him up into heaven, and showed hira
all its wonders. He observed that the heat of the
sun would be very useful in animating the man which
he had formed ; therefore he lighted a stick by the
wheel of the sun's chariot, and carried it lighted with
him to the earth. This theft displeased Jupiter so
much, that he sent Pandora into the world to Pro-
271
metbeiis, with a box filled with all sorts of evila,
Proiiiethctis, jeuring and suspecting the matter, re-
fused to accept it; but his brother Epirnetheus was
not so cautious ; for he took it and opened it, and
all the c. ;i^ that were in it Hew abroad among man-
kind. VViien he perceived wiiat he had done, he
immediately shut the box again, and by good for-
tune hindered Hope from flying away, which stuck
to tlie bottom of the box. Yon may remember how
sweetly Ho:ace speaks of this theft of Prometheus.
*• Atidax omnia perpeti
Geiitis humana ruit per vetitum nefas.
Audax Japeti genus
Igneni t'niiide mala gentibiis intulit ;
Post ignem ajtlierea domo
Subductu^n, macies et nova febrium
Terris incubuit cohors :
Semot^<Mie pri'is tarda nece*?itas
Leuii corrij)uil gradum." Carm. 1. 1.
No pow'r tlie pride of mortals can control*.
Pi-oiie to new crimes, by strong j, resumption driv'n,
With sacrilegious hiiiids Prometheus stole
Celc-otihl fire, ajid bore it down from heav'n :
The fatal present brought on mortal race
An a-niy of diseases ; death began
^Vllh vi-our then, to mend its halting pace,
And found a more compendious way to man.
Jupiter punished Prometheus in tins manner : he
commanded Mercury to bind him to the mountain
Caucasus : and then he sent an eagle to him there,
which continually gnawed his liver. Yet some say,
that he was not punished because he stole fire from
heaven, but because he had made a woman, which,
they say, is the most pernicious creature in the
world.
Prometheus had been ser\Iceable to Jupiter, for
he discovered to him his father Saturn's conspiracy,
and prevented the marriage of Jupiter and Thetis,
which he foresaw would be fatal ; therefore Jupiter
suflered Hercules to shoot the eagle, and set Pro^
metheus at liberty.
275
Tills perhaps is the meaning of this fable : Pro-
metheus, whose name is derived *froni a word
denoting foresight and providence, was a very pru-
dent person ; and because he reduced men, who be-
fore were rude and savage, to the precepts of hu-
manity, he was feigned thence to have made men
out of dirt : and because he was diligent in observing
the motions of the stars from the mountain Caucasus,
therefore they said that he was chained there. To
which they added, that he stole fire from the gods,
because he invented the way of striking fire by means
of the flint ; or was the fust that discovered the na-
ture of lightning. And lastly, because he applied
his mind to study with great care and solicitude,
theiefore they imagined an eagle preying upon his
liver continually.
We have said that Prometheus was the father of
Deucalion, who was king of Thessaly. During his
reign, there was so great a deluge, that the whole
earth was overflowed by it, and all mankind entirely
destroyed, excepting only Deucalion and Pyrrha his
wife, who were carried in a ship upon the mountain
Parnassus; and when the waters were abated, they
consulted the oracle of Thenfis, to know by what
means mankind should again be restored. The
oracle answered tiiat mani;ind w^ould be restored if
they cast the bones of their great mother behind
them. 'By great mother the oracle meant the earth;
and by her bones, tlie stones ; therefore casting the
stones behind their back, a prodigious miracle en-
sued ; for those stones that were thrown by Deuca-
lion became men, and those that were thrown by
Pyrrha became women.
Saxa
Missa viri inanibus faciem ti Axere verilcni ;
Et de foemineo reparata est foemina jaclu.
• Ara rnf trpefiifiaf, id est, providentia. Pausan. in £1iae»
276
Inde genus durum suinus, experiensque laborum;
Et docuuicnta damus, qua simus origiue nali." Ov. Met, 1.
■And of tlje stones
Those thrown by th' mari the form of men endue;
And those were women which tlie woman threw.
Hence we, a hardy race, inni'd to pain ,
Our actions our original explain.
The occasion of which fable was this : Deucalion
and his wile were very pious, and by the example of
their lives, and the sanctity ol" their manners, they
softened the men and women, who before were fierce
and hard like stones, into such gentleness and mild-
ness, that they observed the rules of civil society and
good behaviour.
Atlas, king of Mauritania, the son of Japetus, and
brother of Prometheus, is represented as sustaining
the heavens on his shoulder* He was forewarned
by an oracle that he would be almost ruined by one
of the sons of Jupiter, and therefore resolved to give
cntertainnient to no stranger at all. At last Perseus,
who was begotten by Jupiter, travelled by chance
through Atlas* domiiiions, and designed, in civility,
to visit him. But the king excluded him the court,
which inhumanity provoked him so much, that put-
ting his shield before the eyes of Atlas, and showing
him the head of Medusa, he turned him into the
mountain of his own name ; which is of so great
height that it is believed to touch the heavens. Vir-
gil makes mention of him in the fourth bock of hig
^neid.
" Jamque volans apicem et latera ardua cernit
Atlantis diiri, ccelumque veitice fulcit:
Atlantis, cinctum assidue cui nubibus atris
Piriiferum caput, et vento pulsatur et imbri:
Tvix humeros infusa te^it ; turn fiamina mento
Pra3cii)itant senis, et glacie riget horrida barba."
Now sees the top of Atlas as he flies,
Whose brawny back supports the starry skica :
277
AUas, whose head with piny forests crown 'd
Is beaten by the winds, with foggy vapours bound:
Snows hide his shoulders ; from beneath his chin '
The founts of rolling streams their race begin.
The reason why the poets feigned that Atlas sus-
tained the heavens on his slioulders, was this : Atlas
was a very famous astronomer, and the first person
who understood and taught the doctrine of the
sphere ; and on the same account the poets tell us,
that his daughters were turned into stars.
By his wife Pelione he had seven daughters, whose
tiames were Electra, Halcyone, Cel^eno, Maia, As-
terope, Taygete, and Merope ; and they were called
by one common name, Pleiades ; and by his wife
^thra he had seven other daughters, whose names
were Ambrosia, Euloria, Pasithop, Coronis, Plexa-
ris, Pytho, and Tyche ; and these were called by
one common name, Hyades, from *a word which in
the Greek language signifies " to rain," because,
when they rise or set, they are supposed to cause
great rain; and therefore the Latins called them
Suculce, that is, " swine," because the continual
rain that they cause makes the roads so muddy, that
they seem to delight in dirt, like swine. Others de-
rive their name from Hyas, their brother, who was
devoured by a lion : his sisters were so immoderate-
ly afflicted and grieved at his death, that Jupiter in
compassion changed them into seven stars, which
appear in the head of Taurus. And they are justly
called Hyades, because showers of tears flow from
llieir eyes to this day.
The Pleiades derive their name from a Greek
word signifying f' sailing." From whence these
stars rise, they portend good weather to navigators,
• Ato m viiv, id est, pluere.
" Navita quas Hyades Grains ab imbre vccat."
From rain the sailors call them Hyades.
t A^fl TH ■zffkiiiv a navigando, commodum enim tempus iiavi*
gationi ostendunt.
24
278
Because they rise in the *sprlng time, the Romans
call them Virgilise. Yet others think that they are
called Pleiades flrom their number, since they
never appear single, but altogether, except jVlerope,
who is scan^ely ever seen ; for she is ashamed that
she married Sisyphus, a mortal man, when all the
rest of the sisters married gods : others call this ob-
scure star Electra, because she held her hand before
her eyes, and would not look upon the destruction
of Troy. The Hyades were placed among the stars
because they bewailed immoderately the death of
their brother Hyas ; and the Pleiades were trans-
lated into heaven, because they incessantly lamented
the hard fate of their father Atlas, who was convert-
ed into a mountain. But let us speak a little about
their uncle Hesperus.
Hesperus was the brother of Atlas, and because
he lived some time in Italy, that country was called
anciently Hespera from him. He frequently went
up tc the top of the mountain Atlas to view the stars.
At last he went up and came down from the moun-
tain no more. This made the people imagine that
he was carried up into heaven ; upon which they
worshipped him as a god, and called a very bright
star from his name Hesperus, Hesper, Hesperugo,
Vesper and Vesperugo, which is called the evening
star, when it sets after the sun ; but when it rises be-
fore the sun, it is called (puT^o^og [^Fhosphorusl or
Lucifer ; that is the morning star. Further, this
Hesperus had three daughters, Egle, Prethusa, and
Hesperethusa ; who in general were called the Hes-
perides. It was said, that in their gardens, trees were
planted that bore golden fruit ; and that these trees
were guarded by a watchful dragon, which Hercu-
les killed, and then carried away the golden apples.
* Virgiliae dictae a verno tempore quod exoriuntur.
i Quasi zrXiiDvis, hoc estj plures, quod nuuKiuam singulae aij*.
pareant, sed omnes siniul.
270
Hence the phrase, *to give some of the apples oi
the Hesperides ; that is, to give a great and splen-
did gift.
qUESTIOA'S FOR EXAMINATION.
Who was Prometheus ?
What did he bring I'lom heaven?
Wliat did Jupiter do in c.ousequence ?
How did. Tiipiter punish Prometheus?
Why did he set him at liberty ?
From what is the name of Prometheus derived, and wnat i«
the meanino; of the fable ?
VVhal i^ the stor}' of Deucalion ?
How is Atlas represented, and how was he changed into ft
mountain ?
Why has Atlas the world on his shoulders ?
Who weie his daughters ?
From what do the HyaJes derive their name^
Whence are the PIeiades"named ?
What is said of Hesperus ?
CHAPTER VI.
ORPHEUS AND AMPHION. ACHILLES.
Orpheus and Amphion are drawn in the same
manner, and almost in the same colonrs, because
they both excelled in the same art, namely, in music;
in which they were so skilful, that by playing on tlie
harp tliey moved not only men, but beasts, and the
very stones tiiemselves.
Orpheus, the son of Apollo by Calliope the Muse,
with the harp that he received from his father, play-
ed and sang so sweetly, that he tamed wild beasts,
stayed the course of rivers, and made whole v/oods
follow him. He descended with the same harp into
hell, to recover, from Pluto and Proserpine, his wife
Eurydice, who had been killed by a serpent, when
ghe fled from the violence of Aristseus. Here he so
• JVIrA<j5 'E<r«r»)|!'J«v 3«g»«rai, id est, mala Hesperidum largjil.
280
karmed both the king and queen with the sweet-
ness of his music, that they permitted his wife to
return to life again, upon tliis condition, that he
should not look upon her till they were both ar-
rived upon the earth : but so impatient and eager
was the love of Orpheus, that he could not perform
die condition ; therefore, she was taken back into
hell again. Upon this, Orpheus resolved for the
future to live a widower : and with his example alien-
ated the minds of many others from the love of
women. This so provoked the Maenades and Bac-
chse, that tliey tore him in pieces : though others as-
sign another reason of his death, which is this : the
women, by the instigation of Venus, were so inflam-
ed with the love of him, that, quarrelling with one
another who should have him, they tore him in
pieces. His bones were afterward gathered by the
Muses, and reposed in a sepulchre, not without tears;
and his harp was made the constellation Lyra.
Amphion was the son of Jupiter by Antiope. He
received his lute and harp from Mercury ; and with
the sound thereof moved the stones so regularly,
that they composed the walls of the city of Thebes.
" Dictus et Amphion, Thebanae conditor urbis,
Sasa movere sono testudinis, et prece blanda
Ducere quo vellet." Hot. de Art. PoeL
Amphion too, as stoiy goes, could call
Obedient stones to make the Theban Avail.
He led them as he pleas'd : the rocks obey'd,
And danc'd in order to the tunes he play'd.
The occasion of which fable was this : Orpheus
and Amphion were both men so eloquent, that they
persuaded those who lived a wild and savage life
before, to embrace the rules and manners of civil
society.
Arion is a proper companion for these two musi-
cians, for he was a lyric poet of Methymna, in the
island of Lesbos, and gained immense riches by his
281
art. When he was travelling from Lesbos hito Italy,
his companions assaulted him to rob him of his
wealth ; but he entreated the seamen to suffer him
to play on his harp, before they cast him into the
sea : he plaj'ed sweetl}^, and then threw himself into
the sea, where a dolphin, drawn thither by the sweet-
ness of his music, received him on his back, and
carried him to Tenedos.
" Ille sedet, citharamque tenet, pretiumque vehendi
Cantat, et aequoreas carmine mulcet aquas." — Ov. Fast. 2
He on his crouching back sits all at ease,
With harp in hand, by which he calms the seas,
And for his passage with a song he pays.
The dolphin for this kindness was carried into
heaven, and made a constellation.
Achilles was the son of Peleus by Thetis. His
mother plunged him in the Stygian waters when he
was an infant, which made his whole body ever af-
ter invulnerable, excepting that part of his foot by
which he was held when he was washed. Others
say, that Thetis hid him in the night under a fire,
after she had anointed him in the day with ambro-
sia ; whence at first he was called Pyrisous, because
he escaped safe from the fire ; and afterward Achil-
les, ^because he had but one lip, for he licked the
ambrosia from his other lip, so that the fire had
power tojburn it off. Others again report, f that he was
brought up by Chiron the Centaur, and fed, instead
of milk, w ith the entrails of lions, and the marrow
of bears : so that by that means he received immense
greatness of soul, and mighty strength of body.
From him those who greatly excelled in strength,
were called Achilles, Jand an argument is called
Achilleum, when no objection can weaken or dis-
prove it.
• Ab a priv, et a:£'^«j> labinim ; quasi sine labro.
t Apoll 1. 3. Eurip. in Iphig. , ,
t Cell. 1.2. c. 11. *
24*
282
Thetis, his mother, had heard from an oracle, that
he should be killed in the expedition against Troy,
On the other hand, Calchas, the diviner, had de-
clared, that Troy could not be taken without him.
By the cunning of Ulysses he was forced to go : for
wlien his mother Thetis hid him in a boarding-school
(in Gyneca}o) in the island of Scycros, one of the
Cyclades, in the habit of a virgin, among the daugh-
ters of king Lycomedes, Ulysses discovered the
trick : he went thither in the disguise of a merchant,
and took with him several goods to sell. The king's
daughters, began to view and handle curiously the
bracelets, the glasses, and necklaces, and such like
women's ornaments ; but Achilles, on the contrary
laid hold of the targets, and fitted the helmets to his
head, and brandished the swords, and placed them
to his side. Thus Ulysses plainly discovered Achil-
les from the virgins, and compelled him to go to
the war ; after that Vulcan, by Thetis' entreaty, had
given him impenetrable armour. Achilles at Troy
killed Hector, the son of Priamus ; and was killed
himself by Paris, by a trick of Polyxena : and all
the Nymphs and Muses are said to have lamented
his death.
This Polyxena was the daughter of Priamus, king
of Troy, a virgin of extraordinary beauty. Achilles
by chance saw her upon the walks of the city, and
fell in love with her, and desired to marry her.
Priamus consented. They met in the temple of
Apollo to solemnize the marriage ; where Paris, the
brother of Hector, coming in privateh^ and lurking
behind Apollo's image, shot Achilles suddenly with
an arrow, in that part of his foot in which only he
was vulnerable. After this Troy was taken, and the
ghost of Achilles demanded satisfaction for the mur-
der, which the Grecians appeased by oflering the
blood of Polyxena.
qUESTlOJ^S FOR EXJiMmJITIOK.
Who were Orpheus and Aniphion, and in what did they excel?
What is related of Orpheus ?
Who was Amphioii, and wnat was the occasion of the fable?
Who was ArioM, and wliat is related of him ?
Who was Achilles, and wliat is reported of him during liis in-
fancy ?
In wliat did Achilles excel ; and what is the nature of the ar-
gument named after him '
Why and how was he forced into the Trojan war?
What hero did he kill, and by whom was he slain ?
How was he killed, and what did the Grecians do to appease
his ghost?
CHAPTER VII.
ULYSSES. ORION.
Ulysses was so named, because when Ills mother
was travelling, as some sa}^ in the island of Ithaca;
as others say, in Boeotia, she fell down on the *road,
and brought him into the world. He was the son of
Laertes and Anticlea. His wife was Penelope, a
lady highly famed for her prudence and virtue. He
was unwilling that the Trojan war should part him
and his dear wife ; therefore, to avoid the expedition,
he pretended to be mad, joining the different beasts
to the same plough, and sowing the furrows with
salt. But this pretence was detected by Palamedes,
who laid his infant son in the furrow, while Ulysses
was ploughing, to see whether he would suffer the
plough share to wound him or not. When Ulysses
came where his son lay, he turned the plough, and
thus it was discovered that he was not a madman,
and he was compelled to go to the war. There he
was very serviceable to the Grecians, and was almost
the sole occasion of taking the town. He forced
Achilles from his retreat, and obtained the arrows of
Hercules from Philoctetes, which he brought against
• Graice 'Oova-a-Eyj, ab aJaj via ; quod in ipsa via ejus mater iter
faciens lapsa ilium pcperit Vide Nat. Com. et Horn, in Odysf
284
Troy. He took away the ashes of Laomedoii,
which were preserved upon the gate Scsea in Troy.
He stole the Palladium from the city ; killed Rhoe-
sus, king of Thrace, and took his horses, before they
had tasted the water of the river Xanthus. In which
things the destiny of Troy was wrapped up : for if
the Trojans had preserved them, the town could
never have been conquered. He contended with
Ajax the son of Telamon and Hesrone, who was the
stoutest of all the Grecians except Achilles, before
judges, for the arms of Achilles. The judges were
persuaded by the eloquence of Ulysses, gave sen-
tence in his favour, and assigiied the arms to him.
This disappointment made Ajax mad, upon which
he killed himself, and his blood was turned into the
violet.
When Ulysses departed from Troy to return
home, he sailed backward and forward ten years ;
for contrary winds and bad weather hindered him
from getting home. During which time, 1 . He put
ott the eye of Polyphemus with a firebrand ; and
then sailing to jEolia, he there obtained from iEolus
all the winds which were contrary to him, and put
them into leathern bags. His companions, behev-
ing that the bags were filled with money, and not
with wind, intended to rob him ; therefore, when
they came almost to Ithaca, they untied the bags,
and the winds gushed out, and blew him back to
iEolia again. 2. When Circe had turned his com-
panions into beasts, he first fortified himself against
her charms with the antidote that Mercury had given
him, and then ran into her cave with his sword
drawn, and forced her to restore his companions to
their former shapes again. After which he and
Circe were reconciled, and he had by her Telego-
nus. 3. He went down into hell to know his fu-
ture fortune from the prophet Tiresias. 4. When
he sailed to the islands of the Sirens, he stopped the
285
cars of his companions, and bound himself with
strong ropes to the ship's mast : by these means he
avoided the dangerous snares, into which, by their
charming voices, they led men. 5. And lastly,
after his ship was broken and wrecked by the waves,
he escaped by swimming ; and came naked and
alone to the port of Phaeacia, where Nausica, the
daughter of king Alcinous, found him hidden among
the young trees, and entertained him civilly. When
his companions were found, and the ship refitted, he
was sent asleep into Ithaca, where Pallas awaked
him, and advised him to put on the habit of a beg-
gar. Then he went to his neat-herds, where he
found his son Telemachus ; and from them he went
home in a disguise j where, after he had received
several affronts from the wooers of Penelope, by the
assistance of the neat-herds, and his son, to whom
he discovered himself, he set upon them, and killed
them every one ; and then received his Penelope.
Penelope, the daughter of Icarus, was a rare and
perfect example of chastity. For though it was ge-
nerally thought that her husband Ulysses was dead,
since he had been absent from her twenty years, yet
neither the desires of her parents, nor the solicita-.
tions of her lovers, could prevail upon her to marry
another man, and to violate the promises of con-
stancy which she gave to her husband when he de-
parted. And when many noblemen courted her,
and even threatened her with ruin unless she declar-
ed which of them should marry her, she desired that
liie choice might be deferred till she had finished a
piece of needle-work, about which she was then
employed: but undoing by night what she had
worked by day, she delayed them till Ulysses re-
turned and killed them all. Hence came the pro-
verb, *" to weave Penelope's web ;" that is, to
* Penelopes telam texere' id est, inanem operam sumere. Vid.
Erasm. Adag.
286
labour in vain ; when one hand destroys what the
other has wrought.
Orion, when young, was a constant companion of
Diana : but because his love to the goddess exceed-
ed the bounds ot* modesty, or because, as some say,
he extolled the strength of his own body, and boast-
ed that he could outrun and subdue the wildest and
fiercest beasts, his arrogance grievously displeased
the Earth ; therefore she sent a scorpion, which
killed him. He was afterward carried to the liea-
vens, aLd there made a constellation ; which is
thought to predict foul weather when it does not ap-
pear, and fair when it is visible ; whence the poets
call him "^tempestuous, or stormy Orion.
qUESTIOXS FOR EXAMIKATWX,
From what did Ulysses derive his name ?
How did he excuse himself from going to the Trojan war, and
how was the artifice detected?
What exploits did he perform at Troy?
What was the contention between him and Ajax, and what
was the consequence of it?
What acts did he perform during his return .'
What happened to him in Ithaca?
What is said of Penelope, and whence is the origin of th9
phrase, " To weave Penelope's web r"
What is said of Orion ?
What does the constellation predict?
CHAPTER VIII.
OSIRIS, APIS, SERAPIS.
Osiris, Apis, and Serapis, are three diflerent
names of one and the same god. Osiris was the
• Nimbosns Orion. Virg. ]£.n. nam epiuv sis;nificat turbo movco^
ttnde etiam ipse nomen sumpsisse a nonnullis judlcatur.
287
son of Jupiter, by Niobe, the daughter of Phoro-
neus ; and was king of the Argives many 3'ears.
He was stirred up, by the desire of glory, to leave
his kingdom to his brother ^Egialus, and to sail
into Egypt, to seek a new name and new king-
dojus. The Egyptians were not so much over-
come by his arms, as obliged to him by his cour-
tesies and kindness. After this he married lo, the
daughter of Inachus, whom Jupiter formerly turn-
ed into a cow ; but, when by her distraction she
was driven into Egypt, her former shape was
again restored, and she married Osiris, and in-
structed the Egyptians in letters. Therefore, both
she and her husband attained to divine honours,
and were thought immortal by that people. But
Osiris showed tliat he was mortal ; for he was kill-
ed by iiis brother Typhon. lo (afterward called
Isis) sought him a great while ; and when she had
found him at last in a chest, she laid him in a
monument in an island near to Memphis, which
islar.d ts encompassed by that sad and tatal lake,
the Styx. And because when she sought him she
had used dogs, who by their excellent virtue of
smelling might discover where he was hidden,
thence the ancient custom came, that dogs went
first in an anniversary procession in honour of
Isisw And the people carefully and religiously
worshipped a god with a dog's head, called Anu-
bis ; whicli god the poets commonly call ^Barker,
'* a god half a dog, a dog half a man." He is also
called Hermanubis ; because his sagacity is so great
that some think him to be the same with Mercury,
But let us return to Osiris and Isis.
After the body of Osiris was interred, there ap-
peared to the Egyptians a stately, beautiful ox ;
the Egyptians thought that it was Osiris, therefore
* Latratorem, semicanem Deum, Virg. ffin. 8.
288
they worshipped it, and called it Apis, which in the
Egyptian language signifies an " ox." But be-
cause the body, after his death, was found shut up
in a *chest, he was afterward from this railed So-
rapis, and by the change of a letter Serapis ; as we
shall see more clearly and particularly by and by,
when I have observed what Plutarch says, that
Osiris was thought to be the Sun. His name comes
from OS, which in the Egyptian language signifies
" much," and im, an " eye ;" and his image was a
sceptre, in which was placed an eye. So that
Osiris signifies the same as ^«Ayo^^£6AjM,o5 [^polyoph-
thalmos,~\ " many-eyed," which agrees very well to
the Sun, who seems to have as many eyes as he
has rays, by which he sees, and makes all things
visible.
Some say that Isis is Pallas, others Terra, others
Ceres, and many the Moon ; for she is painted
sometimes horned, as the moon appears in the in-
crease, and wears black garments ; because the
moon shines in the night. In the right hand she
held a cymbal, and in her left a bucket. Her head
was crowned with the feathers of a vulture; for
among the Egyptians that bird is sacred to Juno ;
and therefore they adorned the tops of their porches
with the feathers of a vulture. The priests of Isis,
called after her own name Isiaci, abstained from the
flesh of swine and sheep, and they used no salt to
their meat. They shaved their heads, they wore
paper shoes, and a linen vest, because Isis first
taught the use of flax ; and hence she is called
Linigera, and also Inachis, from Inachus, her
father. By the name of Isis, is usually under-
stood " wisdom :" and accordingly, upon the
pavement of the t«mple, there was this inscription :
* r#^ significat arcam, in qua inventum est illiuB torpus itr
2S9
*" I am every thing that hath been, and is, and
shall be ; nor hath any mortal opened my veil."
By the means of this Isis, f Ipliis, a yoimg vir-
gin of Crete, the daughter of Lygdus and Tele-
thusa, was changed into a man. For when Lygdus
went a journey, he enjoined his wife, who was then
pregnant, if she brought a daughter, that she should
not educate her, but leave her exposed in the fields
to perish by want. Telethusa brought forth a
daughter, but was very unwilling to lose her child J
therefore she dressed it in a boy's habit, and called
it Iphis, which is a connnon name to boys and girls.
The father returned from his journey, and believed
both his wife and his daughter, who personated a
son : and as soon as she was marriageable, her fa-
ther, who still thouglit that she was a man, married
her to the beautiful lanthe. As they went to the
temple to celebrate the marriage, the mother was
much concerned, and begged the favourable assist-
ance of Isis, who heard her pra^^ers, and changed
Iphis into a most beautiful young man. Now let us
come to Serapis and Apis again.
Though Serapis was the god of the Egyptians,
yet he was worshipped in Greece, Jespecially at
Athen«, and also at Rome. Among the diiferent
nations he had different names : for he was called
sometimes Jupiter Ammon, sometimes Pluto, Bac-
chus, iEsculapius, and sometimes Osiris. His name
w^as reckoned a])ominable by the Grecians ; for all
names of seven letters, eTfruypay.u.ccrci [heptagram^
mata] are by them esteemed infamous. Some say
that Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, procured the effi
gies of him at Pontus, from the king of Sinope, and
* 'Eyw iiui wav cfl ytycv); koli ov, xctt ttrifA.ivov xai to ificv zrtfrXt$
vtus ruv ^vTiruv uTiKocXv-.^iv. Ego sum quicquid fuit est erit J nec
meum quisquam motalium peplum retexit. Plut in Iside.
t Ovid. Met. 9.
$ Pausan. in Attic.
25
290
dedicated a magnificent temple to him at Alexan*
dria. Eusebius calls him the "Prince of evil de-
mons :" a flasket was placed upon his head and near
him lay a creature with tinee heads ; a dog's on the
right side, a wolf's on the left, and a lion's head in
the middle : a snake with his fold encompassed
them, whosj head hung down upon the god's right
hand, with which he bridled the terrible monster.
Apis was king of the Argivi, and being trans-
ported thence into Egypt, he became Serapis, or
the greatest of all the gods of Egypt. After the
death of Serapis, the ox that we mentioned a little
before, succeeded in his place. *Piiny describes
the form and quality of this ox, thus : An ox, in
Egypt, is worshipped as a god: they call him Apis.
He is thus marked : there is a white shining spot
upon his right side, horns like the moon in its in-
crease, and a nose under its tongue, which they call
cantharus. His body, says Herodotus, was all
black : in his forehead he had a v/hite square
shining figure ; the c.Tigles of an eagle in his back j
and beside the cantharus in his mouth, he had hair
of two sorts in his tail. But Pliny goes on : if he
lives beyond an appointed period of time, they
drown him in the priests' fountain ; then the priests
shave their heads, mourn and lament, and seek
another to substitute in his room. When they have
found one, he is brought by the priests to Memphis.
He hath two chapels or chambers, which are the
oracles of the people ; in one of them he foreteU
good, in the ether evil.
qUESTIOJVS FOR EXAMINATION
What was Osiris ; whom did he marry; and what is told oi
his wife ?
What was lo afterwards cr.lled, and why did dogs go first la
the procession devoted to her ?
•Plin. Hist.Nat.l. 8. C.40.
291
Who was Anubis?
What was Apis ; why was the name Osiris changed to Sei^
pis; and what does Osiris signify ?
Who was Isis ; what is said of her ; and what is signified by
the name ?
How was Iphis changed into a man, and what was the cause
of this metamorphosis ?
Under what name has Serapis been v/orshipped ?
How is he denominated by Eusebius ; and what symboli art
connected with him
Who was Apis ; and how is he described ty Pliny f
APPENDIX.
OF THE VIRTUES AND VICES WHICH
HAVE BEEN DEIFIED.
CHAPTER I.
THE VIRTUES AND GOOD DEITIES
The ancients not only worshipped the several
species of virtues, but also Virtue herself, as a god-
dess. Therefore, first of her, and then of the others.
Virtue derives her name from vir, because virtue
IS the most manly ornament. She was esteemed a
goddess, and worshipped in the habii of an elderly
matron, sitting upon a square stone. "^M. Marcel-
lus dedicated a temple to her ; and hard by placed
another, tliat was dedicated to Honour : the temple
of Virtue was the passage to the temple of Honour ;
hence by virtue alone true honour is attained. The
priests sacrificed to honour with bare heads, and we
usually uncover our heads when we see honourable
and worthy men ; and since honour itself is valua-
ble and estimable, it is no wonder if such respect is
shown in celebrating its sacrifices.
Fides had a temple at Rome, near the capitol,
which fNuma Pompilius, it is said, first consecrated
to her. JHer sacrifices were performed without
slaughter or blood. The heads and hands of the
* Liv. 1. 2.
t Cic. de Officiis.
j Dion. Halicarn. 1. 2.
293
priests were covered with a white cloth when they
sacrificed, because faith ought to be close and se-
cret. Virgil calls her *Cana Fides, either from the
candour of the mind, whence fidelity proceeds, or
because faith is chiefly observed by aged persons.
The symbol of this goddess was a white dog, which
is a faithfid creature, f Another symbol was two
hands joined, or two young ladies shaking hands :
for Jby giving the right hand, they engaged their
faith for their future friendship.
Hope had a temple at Rome, in the herb-market,
which was unfortunately burnt down with lightning.
"^Giraldus says, that he has seen her effigies in a
golden coin of the emperor Adrian. She was de-
scribed in the form of a woman standing ; her left
hand lightly held up the skirts of her garments ; she
leaned on her elbow ; and in her right hand held a
plate, on which she was placed a ciberium, a sort of
a cup fashioned to the likeness of a flower, with this
inscription : SPES, P. R. " The Hope of the
people of Rome." We have already related in
wdiat manner Hope was left and preserved in the
bottom of Pandora's box.
Justice was described like a virgin, with a pierc-
ing, steadfast eye, a severe brow, her aspect awful,
noble, and venerable. Alexander says, that among
the Egyptians she had no head, and that her left
hand was stretched forth, and open. The Greeks
called her Astraea.
Attihus, the duumvir, dedicated a chapel to Piety,
at Rome, in the place where that woman lived, who
fed her mother in prison with the milk of her breasts.
The story is thus ; ||the motlier was punished with
• Serv. in 1. et 8. JEn.
t Stat. Theb. 1.
X Dextra data iidem futurae amicitiae sancibant. Liv. 1. 21.
§ Svntaffm. 1. 1.
f] Piin- Hist. Nat. 1 7 c. 36.
25*
294
imprisonment ; her daughter, who was an ordin* y
\voman, then gave suck; she came to the prii.m
frequently, mid the gaoler always searched her, to
see that she carried no food to her mother : at last
she was found giving suck to her mother with her
breasts. This extraordinary piety of the daughter
gained the mother's freedom ; and they both were
afterwards maintained at the public charge ; and
the place was consecrated to the goddess Piety.
There is a like example in the ^Grecian history, of
a woman, who by her breasts nourished Cymon,
her aged father, who was imprisoned, and supported
him with her own milk.
The Athenians erected an altar to Misericordia,
" Mercy ;" f where was first established an Asylum,
a place of common refuge to the miserable and un-
Ibrtunate. It was not lawful to force any from
thence. When Hercules died, Jhis kindred feared
some mischief from those whom he had afflicted ;
therefore, they erected an asylum, or temple of mer-
cy, at Athens.
Nothing memorable occurs concerning the god
dess Clemency, unless that there was a temple
erected to Clementia Caesaris, " The Clemency ot -
Caesar," as we read in §Plutarch.
Two temples at Rome were dedicated to Chastity;
the one to Pudicitia Patricia, which stood in the ox-
market ; the other to Pudicitia Plebeia, built by
Virginia, the daughter of Aulus : for when she, who
was born of a patrician family, ||had married a
plebeian, the noble ladies were mightily incensed,
and banished her from their sacrifices, and would
not suffer her to enter into the temple of Pudicitia i
•♦ Val. Mas. 1. 13.
t Paiisan. in Attic.
i Serv. in JEn. 8.
In Vita Caesaris.
Liv. I. 10.
295
int^ which senatorial! families only were permitted
entrance. A quarrel arose upon this among the
women, and a great breach was made between them.
This induced Virginia, by some extraordinary ac-
tion, to blot out the disgrace she had received; and
therefore, she built a chapel in the long street where
she lived, and adorned it with an altar, to which she
invited the plebeian matrons ; and complaining to
them that the ladies of quality had used her so bar-
barously ; " I dedicate," says she, " this altar to
Pudicitia Plebeia ; and 1 desire of you that you will
as much adore Chastity, as the men do Honour ;
that this altar may be followed by purer and more
chaste votaries than the altar of Pudicitia Patricia,
if it be possible." It is said in history, that the
women, who were contented at one marriage, were
usually rewarded with a *crown of chastity.
Truth, the mother of Virtue, fis painted in gar-
ments as white as snow ; her looks are serene, plea-
sant, courteous, cheerful, and yet modest ; she is the
pledge of all honesty, the bulwark of honour, the
light and joy of human society. |She is commonly
accounted the daughter of Time or Saturn ; be-
cause truth is discovered in the course of time : but
Democritus feigns that she lies hidden in the bottom
of a well.
Good Sense, or Understanding, [men^,] was made
a goddess by the Romans, §that they might obtain
a sound mind. ||An altar was built to her in the
capitol, by M. JEmilius. ITThe praetor Attiliiis
vowed to build a chapel to her ; which he perform
ed when he was created duumvir.
• Corona pudicitiae. Val. Max. 1. 2.
f Philost. in Heric. et Amp.
t Pint, in Quffist.
Aug. de Civ. Dei. 2.
Cic. Nat. Deor. 2.
Liv. 22 et 23.
296
We shall find by *the concurrent testimony of
many, that the goddess Concordia had many altars
at several times dedicated to her ; but she was es-
Apecially worshipped by the ancient Romans. Her
image held a bowl in her right hand, and a horn of
plenty, or a sceptre from which fruit seemed to
sprout forth, in her left, f The symbol of concord
was two right hands joined together, and a pome-
gi-anate.
Pax was honoured formerly at Athens with an
altar, Jas Plutarch tells us. At Rome she had a
most magnificent temple in the Forum, begun by
Claudius, and finished by Vespasian ; <5>^vhich w?.s
afterwards consumed by fire under emperor Corn-
modus. She was described in the tbrm of a matron,
holding forth ears of corn in her hands, and crowned
with olives and laurel, or sometimes roses. Her
particular symbol was a caduceus, a white staff
borne by ambassadors when they go to treat of
peace.
The goddess Salus was so much honoured by the
Romans, that anciently several holy days were ap-
pointed in which they worshipped her. There was
a gate at Rome called Porta Salutaris, because it
was near to the temple of Salus. Her image was
the figure of a woman sitting on a throne, and hold-
ing a bowl in her right hand. Hard by stood her
altar, a snake twining round it, and lifting up his
head toward it. The Augurium Salutis was for-
merly celebrated in the same place. It was a kind
of divination, by which they begged leave of the
gods that the people might pray for peace.
Fidelity, ||says St. Augustine, had her temple and
• Liv. I. 9. Plut. in C. Gracch. Suet, in Tib.
t Lil. Gyr. synt. 1. 1.
X Plut. in Cimon.
Herodot. 1. 2.
De Civ. Dei. 4.
PIXSJ^.
SJlLIJ^
297
altar, and sacrifices were performed to her. They
represented her like a venerable matron sitting upon
a throne, holding a white rod in her right hand, and
a great horn of plenty in her left.
As the Romans were, above all things, careful of
their liberty, especially after the expulsion of the
kings, when they set themselves at liberty, so they
built a temple to Liberty, among the number ol
their other goddesses.
The Romans invoked Pecunia as a goddess, that
they might be rich. They worshipped the god
^sculanus, the father of Argentinus, that they
might have plenty of brass and silver : and esteem-
ed jEsculanus, the father of Argentinus, because
brass money was used before silver. " I wonder,"
*says St. Augustine, " that Aurinus was not made a
god after Argentinus, because silver money was fol-
Gwed by gold." To this goddess. Money, O how
many apply their devotions to this day ! what vow s
do they make, and at what altars do they impor-
tune, that they may fill their coflers ! "If they have
those gods," says f Menander, " gold and silver at
home, ask whatever you please, you shall hav^
it, the very gods themselves will be at your ser-
vice."
Lycurgus ridiculously erected an image among
the JLacedaemonians, to the god Risus. The Thes-
salonians, of the city of Hypata, every year sacri-
ficed to this god with great jollity.
The god Bonus Genius had a temple in the way
that leads to the mountain Meenalus, as says Pau-
sanius. At the end of the supper they ofiered a cup
to him, filled with wine and water ; which was call-
* Miror autem quod Argentinus non genuit Aurinum, quia et
aurea pecunia subsecuta est, De Civ. Dei. 1. 4.
t Hos Deos Aurum et Argentum, si domi habeas, quicquid
voles, roga, tibi omnia aderunt, ipsos babebls, vel mioistranted
Peos. Ap. Strob. or. de laude auri.
X Plut. in Lycurgo
2^3
cd " the grace cup." Some say the cup had more
water than wine ; others say the contrary.
QUESTIOjYS for EXAMWATIOK,
From what does the goddess Virtue derive her name >
To what does the temple of Virtue lead ?
In what way did the priests sacrifice to Honour?
Where was the temple of Fides, and how are her sachficet
^rformed ?
What were the usual symbols of Fides ?
How is Hope described, and where was her temple ?
How was Hope preserved to the inhabitants of the earth ?
How is justice described ?
Where was there a chapel dedicated to Piety, and what wai
the cause of it ?
Wha«. temples were dedicated to Chastity?
How is Truth painted ; whose daughter is she; and why?
Why w^as wens mado a goddess ?
How is Concordia described, and by what symbol is she
known ?
Where w-as Pax honoured, how is she described, and what fcs
her peculiar symbol?
What is said of the goddess Salus ?
How is Fidelity represented?
What is said of Liberty?
Why did the Romans invoke Pecunia as a goddess ?
* What w'as the saying of Menander ?
Who sacrificed to Risus r
Where was there a temple dedicated to Bonus GeniuS) find
what was offered to this god ?
CHAPTER II.
THE VICES AND EVIL DEITIES.
1 CALL those Evil Deities which oppose our hap-
piness, and many times do us mischief. And first,
of the Vices to which temples have been conse*
crated.
That Envy is a goddess, appears by the con-
fession of Pallas, who owned that she was assisted
by her, to infect a young lady, called Aglauros,
with her poison. Ovid describes the house where
299
she dwells in very elegant verse, and afterward givw
a most beautiful description of Envy herself.
**Protinus Invidiae nigro squallentia labo
Tecta petit, Domus est imis in vallibus antri
Abdita, sole carens, nee uili pervia vento;
Tristis, et igiiavi plenissinia frigoris ; et (]uae
Igne vacet semper caligine semper abundet." Met, 2.
Then strait to Envy's cell she bends her way,
Wlilch all with putrid gore infected lay.
Deep in a gloomy cave's obscure recess,
No beams could e'er that horrid mansion bless;
No breeze e'er fann'd it, but about it roU'd
Eternal woes, and ever lazy cold ;
No spark shone there, but everlasting gloom,
Impenetrably dark, obscur'd the room.
"Pallor in ore sedet; macies in corpore toto;
Nusquam recta acies; livent rubigine dentes;
Pectora felle virent ; lingua est sutfnsa veneno;
Risus abest, nisi quem visi movere doiores.
Nee fruitur somno, vigilantibus excita cnris;
Sed videt ingratos, intabescitque videndo,
Successus hominum : carpitque, et carpitur ana;
Suppliciuraque suum est." Mel* &
A deadly paleness in her cheeks are seen ;
Her meager skeleton scarce cas'd with skin;
Her looks awry; an everlasting scowl
Sits on her brows ; her teeth deform'd and foul ;
Her breast had gall more than her breast could hold ;
Beneath her tongue black coats of poison roU'd ;
No smiles e'er smooth'd her furrow'd brows, but those
Which rise from common mischiefs, plagues, and woes:
Her eyes, mere strangers to the sweets of sleep,
Devouring spite for ever waking keep ;
She sees blest men with vast successes crown'd,
Their joys distract her, and their glories wound:
She kills abroad, herself's consum'd at home,
And her own crimes are her perpetual martvrdom.
\
The vices Contumely and Impudence, were both
adored as deities by the Athenians : and particular-
ly, it is said, they were represented by a partridge ;
which is esteemed a very impudent bird.
The Athenians erected an altar to Calumny.
Apelles painted her thus : There sits a imiu with
300
great open ears, inviting Calumny, with his hand
held out, to come to him ; and two women, Igno-
rance and Suspicion, stand near him. Calumny
breaks out in a fury ; her countenance is comely and
beautiful, her eyes sparkle like fire, and her face is
inflamed with anger ; she holds a lighted torch in
her left hand, and with her right twists a young
man's neck, who holds up his hands in praj^er to the
gods. Before her goes Envy, on her side are Fraud
and Conspiracy; behind her follows Repentance^
clad in mourning and her clothes torn, with her
head turned backward, as if she looked for Truth,
who comes slowly after.
Fraud was described with a human face, and with
a serpent's body : in the end of her tail was a scor-
pion's sting : she swims through the river Cocytus,
and nothing appears above water but her head.
Pretronius Arbiter, where he treats of the civil
war between Pompey and Csesar, has given a beau-
tiful description of the goddess Discordia.
Intremuere tubae, ac scisso Discordia crine
Extulit ad superos Stygium caput. Hujus in ore
Concretus sanguis, comesaque luraina flebant J
Stabant terata rubigiue denies,
Tabo lingua fluens, obsessa draconibus ora:
Atque inter loto laceratam pectore vcstem,
Sanguineam tremula quatiebat lampada dextra '*
The trumpets sound, and with a dismal yell
Wild Discord rises from the vale of hell
From her swell'd eyes there ran a briny flood,
And clotted gore upon her visage stood;
Around her head serpentine elf-locks hung,
And streams of blood flow'd from her sable tongwe*
Her tatterd clothes her yellow skin betray
(An emblem of the breast on which they lay ;)
And brandish'd flames her trembling hand obey.
Fury is described sometimes chained, sometimes
raging and revelling with her chains broke : but
Virgil cliooses to describe her bound in chains.
301
— " Furor impius intus
Saeva sedens super arma, et centum vinctus ahenis
Post tergum nodis, fremit horridus ore cruento " ^n. 1
■Within sits impious war
On cursed arms, bound with a thousand chains,
And, horrid wi.h a bloody mouth complains.
Petronius describes her at liberty, unbound.
Furor abruptis, ceu liber, habenis
Sanguineuni late tollit caput; oraque mille
Vulneribus confossa cruenta casside velat.
Haeret detritus laevse Mavortius umbo
Innumerabilibus telis gravis, atque flagranti
Stipite dextra minax terris incendia portat "
Disorder'd Rage, from brazen fetters freed,
Ascends to earth with an impetuous speed :
Her wounded face a bloody helmet hides,
And her left arm a batter'd target guides ;
Red brands of fire supported in her right,
The impious world with flames and ruin fright.
*Paiisanias and fPlutarch say, that there were
temples dedicated to Fame. She is thus finely and
delicately described by Virgil.
*' Fama, malum quo non aliud velocius ullum,
Mobilitate viget, viresque acquirit eundo ;
Parva metu primo ; mox sese attollit in auras,
Ingrediturque solo, et caput inter nubila condiL
Illam terra parens ira irritata Deorura,
Extremam (ut perhibent) Cceo Enceladoque sororem
Progenuit ; pedibus celerem et pernicibus alis:
Monstrum horrendum, ingens ; cui quot sunt corpore plumn*
Tot vigiles oculi subter (mirabile dictu)
Tot linguae, totidem ora sonant, tot subrigit aures.
Nocte volat cceli medio terrsque per umbram
Stridens, nee dulci declinat luminasomno.
Luce sedet custos, aut summi culmlne tecti,
Turribus aut altis ; et magnas territat urbes :
Tam ficti pravique tenax, quam nuncia veri." JEn* ^
Fame, the great ill, from small beginning grows,
Swift from the first, and every moment brings
♦ Pansan. in Atti. t Plut in Camilla.
26
302
New vigour to her fligl ts, new pinions to her wings<
Soon grows the pigmy to gigantic size,
Her feet c earth, her foreljead in the skies
Enrag'd against tho gods, revongeful Earth
Produc'd he) last v/,' the 1'itanian birth.
Swift is her walk, more swift her winged haste,
A monstrous phantom, horrible and vast:
As many plumes as raise her lofty flight,
So many piercing eyes enlarge her sight;
Millions of op'ning mouths to Fame belong,
And ev'ry mouth is furnish'd with a tongue ;
And round with list'ning ears the flying plague is hung.
She fills the peaceful universe with cries ;
No slumbers ever close her wakeful eyes ;
By day from lofty tow'rs her head she shows,
And spreads through trembling crowds disastrous news.
With court-informers' haunts, and royal spies,
Things done relates, not done she feign-s, and mingles truth
w^ith lies :
Talk is her business, and her chief delight
To tell of prodigies; and cause affright.
Why was Fortune made a goddess, says *St. Au-
gustine, since she comes to the good and bad with-
out any judgment ? She is so bHnd, that without
distinction she runs to any body ; and many times
she passes by those that admire her, and sticks to
those that despise her. So that Juvenal had reason
to speak in the manner he does of her.
" Nullum numen abest si sit prudentla; sed te
Nos facimus, Fortuna, Deam, cceloque locamUs." Sat. 20.
Fo4'tnne is never worshipp'd by the wise ;
But she, by fools set up, usurps the skies.
Y"et the temples that have been consecrated to
her, and the names that she has had, are innumera-
ble : the chief of them I will point out to you.
She was styled Aurea, or Regia Fortuna, and
an image of her so called was usually kept in the
emperor's chamber ; and when one died, it was re-
moved to the palace of his successor.
* Aug. de Civ. Dei. 1.
m
'^i) 'j.r
...II.:
Ttyitstmi.
303
She Is also called Caeca, ^' blind." Neither is
she only, says ^Cicero, blind herself, but she many
times makes those blind ihat enjoy her.
She was called Muliebris, because the mother
and the wife of Coriolanus saved the city of Rome.
And when his image was consecrated in their pre-
sence, f it spoke these words twice : " Ladies you
have dedicated to me as you should do."
Servius Tullus dedicated a temple to Fortuna
Obsequens, because she obeys the wishes of men.
The same prince worshipped her, and built her
chapels ; where she was called Prin^^^eri a, Jbe-
cause both the city and the empire ---^ -d their
origin from her ; also Privata or ^Propria, because
she had a chapel in the court, which that prince
used so familiarly, that she was thought to go down
through a little window into his house.
Lastly, sh€ was called Viscata, Viscosa, because
we are caught by her, as birds are with birdlime ; in
which sense Seneca says, *' kindnesses are birdlime."
Febris, Fever, had her altars and temples in the
palace. She was worshipped that she should not
hurt : and for the same reason they worshipped all
the other gods and goddesses of this kind.
Fear and Paleness were supposed to be gods, and
worshipped by Tullus Hostihus; ||when in the bat-
tle between the Romans and the Vejentes it was told
him that the Albans had revolted, and the Romans
grew afraid and pale, for in this doubtful conjecture,
he vowed a temple to Pallor and Pavor.
The people of Gadara made Poverty and Art
goddesses ; because the first whets the wit for the
discovery of the other.
* Dei Amicitia.
t Rite me, Matronae, dedicatis. Auff. de Civ. Dej. 4. Val
Max. 1. 2.
t Plutarch.
Ibid.
Liv. 1 1.
304
Necessity and Violence had their chapel upon the
Acro-Corinthus : but it was a crime to enter into it.
M. Marcellus dedicated a chapel to Tempestas,
without the gate of Capena, after he had escaped a
severe tempest in a voyage to the island cf Sicily.
Both the Romans and Egyptians worshipped the
gods and goddesses of Silence. The Latins parti-
cularly worshipped Ageronia and Tacita, whose
image, they say, stood upon the altar of the god-
dess Volupia, with its mouth tied up and sealed ;
^because they who endure their cares with silence
and patience, do by that means procure to them-
selves the greatest pleasure.
The Egyptians worshipped Harpocrates, as the
*• god of Silence,*' f after the death of Osiris. He
was the son of Isis. They offered the first fruits of
the lentils and pulse to him. They consecrated the
tree persea to him ; because the leaves of it were
shaped like a tongue, and the fruit like a heart..
He was painted naked in the figure of a boy, crown-
ed with an Egyptian mitre, which ended at the
points as it were in two buds ; he held in his left
hand a horn of plenty, while a finger of his right
hand was upon his lip, thereby commanding silence.
And therefore I say no more ; neither can I bettei
be silent, than when a god commands me to be so
qUESTIOKS FOR EXAMINATION.
How are the evil deities described ?
How is it ascertained ? he.
Wliora did the Athenians adore a,s deities?
HoAV is Calumny painted by Apelles ?
How was Fraud described ?
Repeat the lines descriptive of Discord.
How is Fury described by Virgil ?
What are the lines by Fetronius ?
Give me Virgil's fine description of Fame ?
* Quod, qui suos angores (unde Angeronia dicta est) seqoo
animo ferunt, perveniunt ad maximam voluptatem.
f Epiph. 3. contra Haeresc!
II M...... .1.1
HiLUFDOiMrj^^
305
How is Fortune described ?
What does Juvenal say of her ?
How is she described by Cicero ?
What did Servius Tullus do with respect to Fortune ?
Wliy was Fortune called Viscosa, and what was Seneca^
phrase ?
Why was Febris worshipped ?
By whom were Fear and Paleness worshipped ?
VVhy, and by whom were Poverty and Art deified ?
What is said of Necessity and Violence ? ^
Who dedicated a temple to Tempestas ; and why did he 00
so?
Who worshipped the gods and goddesses of Silence?
Whom did the Latins worship, and why ?
Whom did the Egyptians worship ?
How is Harpocrates painted ?
THE END
26«
INDEX.
Absyrtus, torn in pieces by Me-
dea 259
Achelous, turns himself into a
serpent, then into a bull, in
which shape be is conquered
by Hercules 255
Acheron, one of the infernal
rivers 209
Achilles, history of 281
Acidalia, one of the names of
Venus ^ 102
Action, turned into a deer by
Diana, and torn in pieces by
his own dogs 176
Adonis, killed by a boar^ and
by Venus turned into the
flower anemone 111
Adrastaea, the same with Ne-
mesis, one of the goddesses
of justice 166
Adsc'riptitii Dii, gods of the
lower rank 21—249
^acus, judge of hell 221
iEcastor, an oath OTily used by
women, as Hercle was used
by men 265
jEdepol, an oath used by both
sexes 265
TEgeon, account of 223
iEgis, Jupiter's shield 26
Aello, one of the Hai-]iies 230
^obis, god of winds, descrip-
tion of 136
, great skill of 137
iE!?culapius, description of 270
^son,the father of Jason, when
very old, restored to youth
by Medea 259
JEta, father of Medea, and king
of Colchis 259
Africans, gods of the 18
Agamemnon, history of 266
Aglaia, one of the graces 111
Ajax, kills himself, and his
blood turned into a violet
284
Alcides, one of the names of
Hercules, see Hercules 251
Alecto, one of the Furies 218
Alectryon, why and how pun- .
ished 80
Alpheus, story of 188
Amazons, female v^^arriors, ac-
count of 261
Ambarvalia, description of 157
Ambrosia, festivals in honour
of Bacchus 71
Amica, a name of Venus 101
Amphion, from whom he re-
ceived his harp 280
Amphytrite, wife of Neptune
196
Andromeda, delivered by Per-
seus from a sea-monster 268
Angerona, the goddess that re-
moved anguish of mind 246
Anteus, a giant overcome by
Hercules, see Hercules
Antiope, 28
Anubis, a god with a dog's
head, history of 287
Aonides, the Muses so called
162
Apaturia, a title of Venus 103
Apis, king of the Argivi 290
Apollo, description of, and how
painted, 39
, what devoted to 40
Apollos, the four ib.
Apollo, actions of 41
, names of 45
, signification of the fa-
ble of 50
, things sacrificed to 50
INDEX.
Arachne, turned into a spider
by Minerva 96
Areopagus, for what used 75
, judges of their du-
ties ib.
Arethusa, for what celebrated
188
ArgonautEe, Jason's compan-
ions that w^ent with him to
fetch the g-olden fleece 259
Argus, description of 86
Ariadne, daughter of Minos
260
Arion, history of 280
Aristffius, history of 174
Armata, a title of Venus 101
4scolia, games in honour of
Bacchus 71
Astraja, description of 165
/Italanta and Hippomenes, sto-
ry of 106
Atlas 276
Atropos, one of the Fates 218
Atys, hi'story of 147
Avernus, a lake on the borders
of hell 208
Augaeas, his stable containing
three thousand oxen, cleans-
ed in one day by Hercules
253
Aurora, birth and description
of 115
B
Baal, a name of Jupiter 30
Babylon, Avails of 54
Babylonians, gods of the 18
Bacchanalia, when celebrated
72
Bacchae, the priestesses of Bac-
chus 68
Bacchus, description of 64
, birth of ib.
• , names of 65
, sacrifices of, when ce-
lebrated 70
. , actions of 63
, fables of 73
Battus, turned by Mercury into
an index 62
Belides, fifty daughters of Da-
naus, who killed their hus-
bands on the wedding night
226
, punishment of in hell
ib
Bellerophon, history of 269
's letters, meaning
of ib.
Bellica, a pillar before the tem-
ple of Bellona 78
Bellona, description of 77
Belus, king of Assyria, the first
to whom an idol was set up
and w^orshipped 17
Berecinthia, a title of Cybele,
see Cybele
Biblis, falls in love with her
brother Caunus 57
, pines away with grief,
dies, and is turned into a
fountain 67
Bona Dea, a title of Cybele
144
Briareus, one of the giants that
warred against heaven 224
Busiris, a tyrant that offered
human sacrifices to his father
Neptune 264
Cabh-i, priests of Cybele 149
Cacus, son of Vulcan 134
Cadmus, banished, and builds
the city of Thebes 29
, invents the Greek let-
ters : SOW' s the teeth of a dra-
gon in the ground whence
armed men sprung up 29
Caduceus, Mercury'.s wand de-
scribed 61
Caeculus, a robber, Vulcan's
son 135, Caenis 198
Caprotina, &ic. names of Juno
88
Calisto, turned into a bear, and
made a constellation 28
Calliope, one of the muses 160
Calumny, how painted by Apel-
les 300
Camillus, a name of Mercury,
see Mercury
INDEX.
Canopus, god of the Egj-ptians
201
Cantharus, the name of Sile-
nus' jug 172
Casitolinus, a title of Jupiter
30
Castalides, the Muses so called
162
Castor and Pollux, accompani-
ed Jason to Colchis, 264
Celeno, one of the harpies 230
Centaurs, overcome by The-
seus 261
Cephalns and Tithonus how
carried to heaven 116
Cerberus, description of 210
Ceres, description and history
of 150
, inventions of 151
, why called the foundress
of laws 152
Cham, to which of the heathen
gods likened
Charon, how represented
, office of
125
208
209
205
231
Charybdis, description of
Chymara, description of
Chiron, a centaur, account of
270
Circe, character of 56
, a famous sorceress, ban-
ished for poisoning her hus-
band ib.
, falls in love with Glau-
cus, and turns Scylla into a
sea-monster 204
eiio, one of the Muses 160
Clotho, one of the fates 217
Clowns of Lycia, turned into
frogs 115
Clytem nostra, history of 265
Cocytus, description of 210
Ccelum, wife and children of
119
Colossus of Rhodes, one of the
seven wonders of the world
described 53
Concordia, temples dedicated
to 296
Corybantcs, whence the name
of derived 149
Cupid, character of 109
Curetcs, signification of 148
Cybele, reason of lier different
names 143
, names of the priests of,
rites observed in sacrificing
to 14S
Cyclops, servants of Vulcan 134
Cyllenius, a title of Mercury,
see Mercury
Cynthius, a title of Apollo, see
Apollo
Cyparissus, a beautiful youth
turned into a cypress-tree 43
Cypria, Cypris, Cythersa, &c.
names of Venus, see Venus
Cyrus, palace of 54
D.
Daedalus, character and descrip-
tion of 66
Dana?, 27
Danaides, story of 227
Daphne, turned intoalaurel 43
Deianira, wife of Hercules, oc-
casion of his death 256
Delius, Delphicus, titles of
Apollo, see Apollo
Delos, origin of 113
Deluge, account of the 275
Deucalion, history of ib.
Diana, description and history
of 176
, names of 177
, temple of 53
Diespiter, a name of Jupiter 31
Diomedes, a tyrant of Thrace,
subdued by Hercules, and
given as food to his horses
253
Dira?, a name of the Furies 218
Dodoneus,aname of Jupiter 31
Dreams, bv what ways convey*
edto men, 220, Dryades 186
E.
Echo, description of 189
Elysium, description of 233
Envy, description of 3
Erato, one of the Muses, 160
Erisichthon, story of 164
INDEX.
Euryale,one of the gorgons 230
Euterpe, one of the Muses 101
Endymioa ITS
Eleusian mysteries 154
F.
Fates, Iiow represented 217
Fauns, description of the 173
Febris, why worshipped 303
Feronia, the goddess of the
woods, why so named 184
Fides, reverence paid to, and
symbols of 292
Fleece, golden account of 258
Flora, how painted and de-
scribed 183
Floralia, w^hen celebrated ib.
Fortune, how represented and
described 302
Fraud, description of 300
Frogs, why doomed to live in
water 115
Furies, description of 218
Gallantes, from whence the
term derived 148
Galli, from whence the name
of derived ib.
Genii 240
, history of ib.
, to whom assigned 241
Ger)'on, story of 229
Giants, from what derived,
character of, battles of 222
Glaucopis, a name of Minerva,
see Minerva
Glaucus, how transformed to a
sea-god 201
Gods, false origin of 17
, of the Romans, divided
into six classes 20
, celestial, enumerated 24
, terrestrial, most celebrat-
ed of, named and described
118
, inferior rural 191
, of the woods 171
, and goddess, nuptial 243
•-; — , sylvan, for what mis-
chievous 244
Gods, presiding over infants,
, a particular one, assigned
to each part of the body 247
, funeral ib.
Golden Age, described 120
Golden Fleece, described 258
Gorgons, number and names
of 230
Graces, description of 110
Gradivus, a title of Mars, see
Mars
Grasshopper, curious property
of 116
Greek Letters, by whom in-
vented 29
H.
Hades, a name of Flute, see
Pluto
Halcyone, a daughter of Atlas
277
Harpies, from whom born, de-
scription of 229
Hebe, the goddess of youth,
her birth ; made cup bearer
to Jupiter 5 but for an un-
lucky fall is turned out of
her office 85
Hecate, whence the name of
derived 178
Helena, the most beautiful vir-
gin in the world, runs aw-ay
with Paris, after his death
marries his brother Deipho-
bus, and then betrays him to
Menelaus li37
Helicon, the Muse^' mount 162
He'.lconides or Heliconiades,
the Muses so called ib.
Hell, description of 207
, rivers of 209
, judges of 221
, monsters of 208
Helle, drowned in that sea
which from her is since call
ed the Hellespont 258
Hellespontiacus, a title of Pria
pus, see Priapus
Hercules, actions of, to whom
ascribed 250
INDEX.
Hercules, iiifant strength of 251
, labours of 252
by Avhom overcome
256
Herman, statues of Mercur>' set
up for the direction of travel-
lers 62
Hermaphroditus and Salmacis,
made into one person, called
a hermaphrodite 61
Hermathena^, images used
among the Romans 63
Herraes, a name of Mercury ib.
Hermione, the daughter of Me-
nelaus, promised to Orestes,
but married to Phyrrus 265
Heroes, whence the name de-
rived 249
Hesper or Hesperugo,the even-
ing-star 278
Hesperides, the three daughters
of Hesperus, in whose garden
were golden apples, guarded
by a dragon, which Hercules
kills, and takes away the
fruit 278
Hesperus, the brother of Atlas,
turned into a star ib.
Hippius and Hippodromus,
names of Neptune, see Nep-
tune
Hippocampi, the horses of Nep-
tune's chariot 196
Hippocrene, the Muses' foun-
tain 162
Hippolyte, queen of the Ama-
zons, married to Theseus ib.
Hippolytus, the son of Theseus,
his exemplary chastity; is
killed by a fall from his cha-
riot, and restored to life by
jEsculapius ib.
Hippona, a goddess presiding
over horses and stables 191
Honour, why sacrificed to 292
Hope, how described 293
Horae or Hours, their late de-
scent and offices 52
Hortensis, a title of Venus 102
Horus, a name of the Sun 52
Hostilina, a goddess of corn
192
Hyacinthus, killed by Apollo,
with a (juoit 42
Hyades, signification of 277
Hydra, a monstrous serpent,
killed by Hercules 252
Hygigea or Sanitas, a daughter
of ^sculapius, see j$iscula
pius
Jani, a place at Rome where
usurers met 127
Janitor, a title of Janus 128
Janus, description of 127
, name of, whence de-
rived 128
, what sacrifices oflFered
to him 130
, founder of temples and
religious duties ib,
, temple of, when shut ib.
, story of ib.
Japhet, to whom likened 125
Jason, the history of 258
Icarus, flies with artificial wings,
but the sun melts them, so
that he falls into the sea, and
is drowned 57
Idoei Dactyl i, origin of 149
Idalia, a name of Venus, see
Venus
Idolatry, causes of 15
Ignis, a god of the Chaldeans
fights with the Egyptian god
Canopus, and is vanquished
201
Imperator, a name of Jupiter 32
Impudence, by what represent-
ed 299
Incubus and Inuus, names of
Pan 168
lo, Jupiter's intrigue with her,
and by him turned into a
cow ; after her death wor-
shipped by the Egyptians,
and called Isis 85
lolaus, assists Hiercules, for
which, when become old, he
is restored to youth again 253
Iphiclus, twin brother to Her-
cules, see Hercules
Iris 84
J^DEX.
fudges of hell, their names and
characters 221
Juno, description of 83
—, childrefi of 85
— — , character of ib.
Jupiter, description of 24
,how dressed and adorn-
ed by different nations ib.
's descent, and educa-
tion of 26
, exploits and actions of
, names 30
Justice, how described 293
Ixion, punishment of 225
L.
Labyrinth, Theseus delivered
from 261
Lachcsis, one of the Fates 217
Lacinia, a title of Juno, see
Juno
Lactura or Lactucina, a god-
dess of corn 192
Laomedon,kingof Troy,breaks
the promise he had made,
for which Hercules destroys
Troy 255
Lapides Terminates, why es-
teemed sacred 175
Lapis or Lapideus, a title of
Jupiter 32
Lares, account of the 238
, feasts dedicated to ib.
-, wliere worshipped 239
Latona, history of, reception of,
at Delos 112
, effects of the ange-r of
114
Learchus, killed by his father
Athamas 200
Leda 28
Lenseus, a name of Bacchus,
see Bacchus
Lethe, river of hell, description
ot 234
Levana, a tutelar goddess to
new-born infants 245
Leucothe, buried alive for her
incontinence, and turned in-
to a tree bearing frankin-
cense 44
Liber and Liber Pater, names
of Bacchus, see Bacchus
Libitina, the goddess of fune-
rals; also a nam-e for the
grave itself 247
Libitinarii, officers thct buried
the dead ib.
Lucetius, a title of Jupiter 33
Lucina, a name of Juno, sec
Juno
Luna, why Diana was called
by this name, see Diana
Lupercalia, festivals in honour
of Pan 168
Luperci, the priests of Pan 168
Lycaon, king of Arcacia, turn-
ed into a wolf for his mon-
strous impiety 27
Lyceus, a name of Pan, see Pan
Lycian clowns, turned into
frogs by Latona 115
Lycurcus, to whom erected an
image 297
Lybians, gods of the 18
M.
Mars, description of 76
, what things consecrated
to
76
77
78
80
82
81
82
, wife of
, names of
, chief actions of
, sacrifices of
, son of
, ancient rites of
Marsyas, challenges Apollo in
music, is overcome by him
and turned into a river 44
Matura, a goddess of corn 192
Mausolus' tomb, one of tlie se-
ven wonders of the world 53
Medea, story of 259
Medusa, one of tlie gorgons 230
, description of 268
Meleager, his adventure? 181
Melicerta, made a sea-god 201
I\Iel!ona, the goddess of honey
192
Melpomene, one of the Muses
161
Memnon, story of 116
INDEX.
Memnon, statue of, described
Mentha, turned inic a mint 216
Mercury, description of 58
• , parents of ib.
, olRcesof ib.
, qualities of 59
, actions of ^l
, statues of, when
erected 62
, sacrifices to,by whom
ottered 63
Mercy, an altar erected to 294
Metra, Mestra, Mestre, the
daughter of Erischthon, who
could transform herself into
any shape 198
Midas, treatment of by Apollo
44
, asses' ears of 45
Migonitis, a lUle of Venus, see
Venus
Milky-way, origin of 251
Minerva, description of 91
, why armed ib.
, thingb sacred to her
92
's contention with
Neptune ib.
, statue of ib.
, birth of ib.
, names of 93
, signification of the.
fable of 98
Minos, judge of hell 221
, king of Crete 260
, his conduct towards the
Athenians ib.
Minotaur, described 56
, overcome by The-
seus 260
Mithra, a name of the Sun 5^
Momus, name of, whence iJe-
rived ^ 138
, business of ib.
, judgment of ib.
, parents of 1.39
Morpheus, the servant of Som-
nus, he brings to the people
their dreams 221
Mors, the goddess of deatli 220
Moses, to whom compared 73
Mulciber or Mulcifer, a name
of Vulcan, see Vulcan
Muscarius, a tith: of Jupiter .33
Muses, the description of the
159
, of what the mistresses
and presidents ib.
, how painted 160
, names of the ib.
, names of, common to
all 162
, why three, and after-
wards nine 163
Myrmidones, from what deriv-
ed 221
N
Naiades or Naides, priestcssRs
of Bacchus, nymphs of the
fountains 187
Napa^ffl, nymphs of the groves
and vallies 187
Narcissus, falls in love with his
ovsn image 190
, pines away and is
turned into a daffodil ib
Nema^an Lion, killed by Her-
cules, see Hercules
Nemesis, history of 166
Neptune, king of the waters,
description of 194
, how preserved from
Saturn 194
, to whom married 195
, president of the horse
races ib.
, governor of ships,
&c. 196
, children of 197
Nereides, origin of the name of
200
Nereus, for what famous ib.
Nicephorus, a title of Jupiter 33
Nimrod, to whom compared 73
Ninus, account of 17
Niobe, story of 1 13
Noah, in what respects similar
to Saturn 124
Nodosus or Nodotus, a god of
corn. 192
Nox, from whom derived, and
how represented 220
INDEX.
Nundina, a tutelar goddess to
infants 245
Nyctilius, a name of Bacchus,
see Bacchus
Nymphs, descnption of, office
of 186
Oceanus, sea-god, description
of 200
Ocypete, one of the Harpies 230
Oedipus, history of 232
Opigena, a title of Juno, see Juno
Opitulus or Opitulator, a name
of Jupiter 34
Ops, a name of Cybele 143
Orestes, kill? his mother Cly-
temnestra, and her gallant
^gisthus, also Phyrrus, for
marrying his sweetheart Her-
mione 265
Orgia, feasts of Bacchus 72
Orion, companion of Diana 286
Orpheus, his parentage, and
amazing skill in music ; he
overcomes the Sirens ; ob-
tains Eurydice, his Avife,frora
hell, but loses her again ; re-
solves never more to marry,
for which he is torn in pieces ;
his harp made a constellation;
the meaning of this fable 279
Osiris, king of the Argives, quits
his kingdom and trax^els into
Egj^it, where he marries lo;
killed by his brotherTyphon;
the same with Apis and Sera-
pis, and also thought to be
the Sun 286
Pactolus, a river whose sand is
gold 69
Paean, a name of Apollo 46
Palsemon, one of the sea-gods
200
Pales, the goddess of shepherds
182
Palladium, an image of Miner-
va that fell from heaven 94
Pallas, the same with Minerva
98
Palilian feasts, when and how
observed 183
Pan, history of 167
Pandora, the first woman fash-
ioned by Vulcan; her box,
and the mischiefs that came
from it on mankind 134
Pantheon, description of 15
Paphia, name of Venus 103
ParcEc, why so called, names
and offices of 217
Paris, his descent and birth ;
determines who is the fairest
of Juno, Minerva, and Ve-
nus; runs away with Helena,
who was betrothed to Men©-
laus, which occasions the war
between the Greeks and Tro-
jans, in which Paris is killed
by Philoctetes 107
Parnassides, the Muses so call-
ed 162
Parthenos or Parthenia, a title
of Juno 90 ; and of Minerva
95
Pasiphae, falls in love with
Taurus, and brings forth a
Minotaur ; the meaning of
this fable 56
Pax, honours paid to 296
Pecunia, why prayed to 297
Pegasus, the Muses' horse, his
birth and description ; is
caught and rode upon by
Bellerophon, and afterwards
placed in heaven among the
stars 269
Penates, enumerated and de-
scribed 236
Penelope 2S5
Periclymenus, one that could
transform himself into any
shape, and was killed by
Hercules when in the shape
of a fly 198
Perseus, son of Jupiter, story
of 267
Persians, gods of the 18
Phaeton, the son of Sol, obtains
leave to drive the chariot of
the Sun for one day ; over-
throws it, by which the hea-
INDEX.
ven and the earth are set on
fire, and he is by Jupiter
struck with thunder into the
river Po ; his sisters turned
into poplars ; the meaning of
this fable 55
Philomela, story of 81
Phlegethoii or Puriphlegethon,
one of the infernal rivers, the
streams of which are fire 210
Phlegyas, in what manner, and
why punished 225
Phorcus or Phorcys, a son of
Keptune 197
Pierides or Pieriae, the Muses
so called 162
Piety, description and illustra-
tion of 293
Pilumnus, a rural god 192
Pistor, a naiiie of Jupiter 34
Pleiades, names of 277
, from what the name
rived ib.
Pluto, description of, names of,
over what he presides, why
blind 211
Podalirius, a famous physician
272
Polyhymnia, one of the muses
161
Polyphemus 135
Pclyxena, at her marriage with
Achilles causes him lo be
killed, and is sacrificed to
appease his ghost 282
Pomona, the goddess of fruit 184
Porthmeus or Portitor, a name
of Charon 208
Prsedator, a name of Jupiter,
see Jupiter
Priapus, description of 174
Procris, married to Cephalus,
and killed accidentally bv
him 116
Progne, story of 81
Prometheus, makes a man of
clay, and animates him with
fire stolen from heaven ; pun-
ished by Jupiter for his theft,
freed from his punishment by
Hercules ; the meaning of
this fable 273
Proserpine, a goddess of corn ;
her descent, and how carried
away by Pluto • is soiight for
by her mother Ceres, who
obtains from Jupiter that
Proserpine should be six
months with Pluto, and the
other six wdth her in heaven
216
Proteus, description of 197
Pygmalion, history of 104
Pyramids of Egypt, one of the
seven wonders of the w^orld
54
Pyraraus and Thisbe, account
of 104
Pythius, a name of Apollo 47
Pytho, a daughter of Atlas 277
Python, killed by Apollo 47
Q.
Quietus, a name of Pluto, see
Pluto
Quirinus, a title of Jupiter 34
■, a title of Mars, see
Mars.
R.
Rationes Libitinae, an account
of the dead, not unlike our
Bills of Mortality 247
Rhadamanthus, judge of hell
221
Rhea, a name of Cybele 143
Rhodes, Colossus of 53
Riddle, proposed by Sphynx
231
Robigus, a god of corn, whose
festivals are called Robigalia
192
Roman people, ranks of 19
gods, how divided 20
, over what presid-
ed ib.
Runcina, the goddess of weed-
ina: 191
Salii, priests of Mars, see Mars
Salisubsulus, a title of Mars ib.
INDEX.
Salmoneus, why^and how pun-
ished 226
Salus, how honoured 301
Saturn, representation and his-
tory of 118
, names and sacrifices of
121
, feasts of 122
, to whom of the antedi-
luvians compared 123
Saturnalia, festivals in honour
of Saturn 122
Satyrs, of whom the compan-
ions, and description of the
173
Scylla, the daughter of Nisus,
ruins her country, by cutting
off her father's purple lock of
hair, and is turned into a
lark 204
Scylla and Charybdis, fables of
205
Seia or Segetia, a goddess of
corn 191
Semele, beloved by Jupiter;
through her own ambition is
destroyed 64
Semi-Dei, described 249
Serapis, the name of derived
288
Shem, who supposed to repre-
sent 125
Silence, why worshipped 304
Silenus, story of 171
Silvanus, description of ib.
Sirens, their description ; over-
come by Orpheus, and turn-
ed into stones ; the explana-
tion of this fable 202
Sisyphus, a famous robber 226
Sol, a name of Apollo 45
, a name of the Sun 52
Somnus, description of 220
Sospita, atitle of Juno, see Juno
Soter or Sovator, a title of Ju-
piter 35
Sphynx,by whom begotten 231
Stellk), a saucy boy turned into
an evet by Ceres 154
Sterculius, Stercutius, Stercutus
or Sterquilinius, a rural god
192
Stheno, one of the gorgons 230
Stli;«nobcea, endeavours to en-
tice Bellerophon, but is re-
jected, and therefore kills
herself, see Bellerophon
Stymphalides, birds that feed
on human flesh, destroyed by
Hercules 253
Styx, description of 210
Sun, why named Sol 52
, how named by other na-
tions ib.
, children of 55
Syrens, story of, fee. 202
Syrinx, a nymph courted by
Pan, but flies from him, and
is turned into a bundle of
reeds 169
T.
Tantalus, wickedness and pun-
ishment of 227
Telchines, an account of the 149
Tereus, marries Progne, falls in
love with her sister Philo-
mela, cuts out her tongue,
she informs Progne of this
villany by needlework, and
to revenge themselves they
kill and dress Itys, whom his
father Tereus feeds on for
supper, Progne becomes a
sparrow, Philomela a night-
ingale, Tereus a hoopoe, and
Itys a pheasant 81
Tergemina, a title of Diana 176
Terminus, of what the god 175
Terpsichore, one of the Muses
161
Terrestrial Gods and Goddesses
118
Thalia, one of the Graces 111
, one of the Muses 160
Thamyras, dismal fate of 163
Thesmophorian Mysteries 157
Themis 164
Theodamus, killed by Hercu-
les 255
Theseus, actions of, kc. 260
Thisbe, history of 104
Thyades, Bacchus' companions
66
INDEX
Time ; . Saturn, why mean-
ing the same 126
Tisiphone, one of the Furies
218
Titan, conduct of 119
Titans, description of 225
Tithouus. history of 116
Tytius, history of 224
Tonas and Tonitrualis, names
of Jupiter 35
Trieterica, sacrifices to Bac-
chus 71
Triformis, a title of Diana 177
Trioculus or Triophthalmos, a
name of Jupiter 36
Triptolemus, account of 153
, fourth Judge of
hell 221
Triton, a sea-god, description
of 199
Tritonia, a name of Minerva 95
Trivia, a name of Hecate or
Diana, see Diana
Trojan war, reason of the 108
Troy, the walls of it built by
the music of Apollo's harp 42
Truth, how painted 295
Tutelina or Tutulina, a goddess
of corn 192
Tyndariffi, the children of Tyn-
darus 263
Tyndarus, king of Laconia, the
husband of Leda ib.
Typhceus, description of 223
V.
Vallonia, the goddess of the
vallies 191
Vejovis, Vejupiter and Vedius,
titles of Jupiter 36
Venus, description of 99
. , character of 100
■ , how painted ib.
, from what sprung ib.
, to whom married 101
. -, names of ib.
, actions of 104
, companions of 109
Verticordia, a title of Venus,
see Venus
Vertumnus, story of 185
Vesta, description of 139
, sacrifices of 140
, Avhy put for fire ib,
, why highly esteemed ib.
, fire kept in her temples
141
, privileges of ib.
, meaning of by the poets
ib.
Vices, enumerated and describ-
ed 298
Virtue, by whom worshipped
292
Volumnusand Volumna, tutelar
deities to adult persons 247
Volusia, the goddess of corn 192
Vulcan, his birth, descent, and
employment ; courts Miner-
va, but is rejected ; marries
Venus ; makes the first wo-
man, who is called Pandora,
his servants; his children;
the signification of this fable
132
Vulcania, feasts in honour of
Vulcan, see Vulcan.
U.
Ulysses, why so named, history
of, actions 283
Urania, one of the Muses 161
Unxia, a title of Juno, see Juno
W.
Walls of Babylon, one of the
seven wonders of the world
54
Wise men of Greece, their
names and characters 48
Wonders, seven of the world 53
Xanthus, one of the horses of
Achilles, see Achilles
Xenia, a name for presen*j5 made
to strangers 86
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