Lucus Aventino fuberat niger ilicis umbra, Thirdly, Some are of Opinion that Groves derived their Religion from the primitive Ages of Men, who lived in fuch Places before the Building of Houses. Thus Tacitus (1) reports of the ancient Germans,that they had no other Defence for their Infants against wild Beasts, or the Weather, than what was afforded ramorum nexu, by Boughs of Trees compacted together. All other Nations lived at first in the fame Manner; which was derived from Paradise, the Seat of the firft Parents of Mankind. And it is not unworthy Observation, that most of the Ceremonies used in Religion were at first taken from the Customs of human Life. Afterwards the Manners and Customs of Men changed, but the fame Rites ftill were preferved in religious Worship, which it was thought a Sort of Irreverence to alter. Thus, from the Houfes of Men, were derived the Temples and Habitations of the Gods; which were not built in the most primitive Ages, as hath been before obferv'd, Men having not then invented the Art of making Houses. The Altars ferv'd instead of Tables, and the Sacrifices were the Entertainments of the Gods. And it is farther obfervable, that the feveral Sorts of Things offer'd in Sacrifice were taken from their Ufe in human Food. The Animals moft commonly eaten by Men were made Victims to the Gods: And thofe Ages, which were reported to have lived only on the Fruits of the Earth, are likewife faid to have refrain'd from facrificing Animals; which will farther appear in the fourth Chapter of this Book (m). In latter Ages, when Cities began to be fill'd with People, and Men to delight in magnificent Edifices and coftly Ornaments more than the Country and primitive Way of Living, Groves by Degrees came into Difufe. Yet fuch of the Groves as remain'd from former Times were still held in great Veneration, and reverenc'd the more for the Sake of their Antiquity. As in the early Times it was accounted an Act of Sa❤ crilege to cut down any of the confecrated Trees, which appears from the Punishment inflicted by Ceres upon Eri@honius for this Crime, whereof there is a prolix Relation in Callimachus (n); fo in latter Ages, the fame was thought a most grievous Wickedness; whereof it will be fufficient to mention this one Example, where Lucan speaks of Cafar's Servants, in Allufion to the Fable of Lycurgus, who, endeavouring to deftroy the Vines of Bacchus, cut off his own Legs; Sed fortes tremuere manus, motique verenda The Temples, Statues, and Altars were accounted fo facred, that to many of them the Privilege of protecting Offenders was granted; fo that, if any Malefactor fled to them, it was accounted an Act of Sacri (1) Libro de Moribus Germanorum. (m) Conf. Cluverius ubi de Germanorum Moribus agit, Medus noftras Differt. de Sanctit, Relat. Spencerus de Legibus Hebræorum, (n) Hymno in Cererem. lege 199 lege to force him thence, and they thought his Blood would be upon them that should do it; infomuch that those who kill'd the Followers of Cylon, who had plunder'd the Temple of Minerva, because they executed them hanging on the Altars, were ever after call'd AxiTheo, prophane and impious (*). And in Etolia, when Laodamia, who had fled for Protection to Diana's Altar, was kill'd in a Tumult of the People, there enfued a dreadful Famine, with civil and foreign Wars, till the whole Etolian Nation was quite destroy'd, Milo, who kill'd Laodamia, fell into Distraction and Madness, and, having torn out his own Bowels with his Teeth, died on the twelfth Day after the Fact was committed (). Hence, and from other Examples of the like Nature, it came to pass, that the Privileges of the Afyla were preserved inviolable ; whence Tacitus complains, that the Gracian Temples were fill'd with the worst of Slaves, with infolvent Debtors, and Criminals who fled from Juftice; and that no Authority was fufficient to force them thence (p). And that this was a very ancient Caufe of Complaint, may be learn'd from the following Words of Ion in Euripides (q): Φεῦ Δεινόν γέ, θνητοῖς τις νόμος ὡς οὐ καλῶς How infinitely more wifely were the Jewish Ayla, or Cities of Refuge, order'd, in which they, who had been guilty of Manflaughter, were protected only till their Caufe was brought to a fair Hearing, and then, if they appear'd to deserve Punishment, deliver'd up to Juftice? When Paufanias King of Sparta, who had held a Correfpondence with the King of Perfia, and conspired against his native Country, fled to the Temple of Minerva Chalciacus, the Lacedæmonians, unwilling both to offend the Goddess, and to let the Criminal efcape, permitted him to remain in the Temple, but uncover'd it, and fo left him to perish with Cold and Hunger. But how unusual this Way of Proceeding was, may appear from Paufanias (r), who informs us, μόνον αὐτὸν ἱκετευσάντων τὴν Χαλκίοικον ἁμαρτῶν ἀδείας· that of all who had fed for Protec tion to the Goddess Chalciccus, be was the only Perfon who fail'd of it. Nevertheless, there are Inftances in other Places, where the Doors of the Temples were fhut, and the Roof uncover'd, in order to ftarve Criminals, who had taken Sanctuary there. Sometimes they were forced away by Fire, as hath been obferved by the Scholiaft of Euripi (*) Conf. Plutarchus Solone, Paufanias Atticis, & Achaicis. (0) Juftinus Hiftor. lib. XXVIII. cap. 3. (p) Annal. lib. III. cap. 60. (9) Jon, verl, 13 2. Act. IV. fine. (r) Laconicis p. 194. Edit. Hanov. 0 4 des des, where Hermione threatens Andromache, who had fled 'for Refuge to Thetis to drive her away by that Means (/): Πῦρ σοι προσοίσω, κὲ τὸ σὸν προσκέψομαι. In the fame Manner Lycus treats the Relations of Hercules (t) : Αγ' οι μεν Ελικῶν, Εοἱ δὲ Πταρνασοῦ πτυχὰς Εμπίπρατ ̓ αὐτῶν, καὶ πυροῦτε σώματα. In Imitation, and as an Improvement of this Paffage, Lycus is introduced by Seneca, commanding not only the Family of Hercules, but the very Temples to be burnt. Which is an Exaggeration very agreeable to the Genius of that Poet, but quite contrary to the Manners of the Times he defcribes. His Words are these (*) : Congerite filvas; templa fupplicibus fuis Injecta flagrent; conjugem totam gregem Confumat unus igne fubjecto rogus. There are feveral Examples of the fame Custom in Plautus. When Tranio, the Slave of Theuropides, had fled to a Sanctuary, his Mafter threatens him thus (u), Jam jubebo ignem & farmenta, carnifex, circumdari. In another Place of that Author, Labrax, in the fame Manner, bespeaks his Damfels, who had betaken themselves to the Protection of Venus (w): Vulcanum adducam, is Veneris eft adverfarius. And it being a direct Act of Sacrilege to take away Suppliants from the Sanctuary, whither they had fled for Protection, this Method was used to constrain them to leave it, as it were, of themselves, and by their own Confent, Nevertheless, this Evafion of the facred Privileges was not thought free from Impiety. Whence the foremention'd Words of Hermione are thus anfwer'd by Andromache (x) in Euripides; Σὺ δ ̓ ἂν κάτωιθε· Θεοὶ νὰ ἔσονται τάδε, Burn me then, for the Gods will fee it. From the frequent Mention of Suppliants fecuring themselves in the Temples, and at the Altars and Images of the Gods, it may be thought that all of them were Ayla, according to the general Expreffion of Euripides (y): If Andromach. ver. 256. (t) Euripides Hercul. Furent. ver. 240. (*) Hercul. Fur. ver. 106. (u) Moftel. A&t. V. Sc. I. (w) Rudent, A&, III, Sc. IV. (×) Ezrip. Androm, v. 257. (y) Suppl. ver. 267. έχει ἔχει νὰ καταφυγὴν, θὴρ μὺ πέτραν, Δοῦλοι ἢ βωμὲς θεῶν. The wild Beaft is fecured by the Rocks, and Slaves by the Altars of the Gods. Nevertheless, it is moft certain, to use the Words of Servius (a), non fuiffe asylum in omnibus Templis, nifi quibus confecrationis lege conceffum eft: That all Temples were not Sanctuaries, but only fuch as receiv'd that Privilege from the Manner of their Confecration. Whence, at the Dedication of fuch Places, particular Mention is often made by Authors, that they were appointed to be Sanctuaries; which would have been needlefs, if all Temples had been invefted with that Privilege. The fame farther appears from this, that fome of the Ayla were free for all Men, others appropriated to certain Perfons, or Crimes. Thus the Temple of Diana, at Ephefus,was a Refuge for Debtors; the Tomb, or Temple of Thefeus, was a Sanctuary for Slaves, and all thofe of mean Condition, that fled from the Severities and hard Ufage of their Matters, and Men in Power; in Memory that Thefeus was an Affifter and Protector of the diftreffed, and never rejected the Petitions of the afflicted, that fled to him for Succour and Defence, as Plutarch (b) reports. Nor was this Honour only granted to the Gods, but also to the Statues or Monuments of Princes, and other great Perfons (c). So the Sepulchre of Achilles, on the Sigean Shore, was, in after Ages, made an Asylum ; and Ajax had the like Honour paid his Tomb on the Rhatean. ; The first Afylum, fome fay, was built at Athens by the Heraclida, and was a Refuge for those, that fled from the Oppreffion of their Fathers Others will have this to be a Sanctuary for all Sorts of Suppliants (d). Others affirm, that the first was erected at the building of Thebes by Cadmus, where the Privilege of Sanctuary was granted to all Sorts of Criminals; and in Imitation of these, they fay, the Afylum at Rome was open'd by Romulus (e). This is certain, that Sanctuaries were common in the heroical Times. Hence, Troy being taken, Priamus fled for Protection to the Altar of Jupiter Herceus, as we are inform'd by Paufanias (f): Virgil(g) adds farther, that he was accompanied by his Wife Hecuba, and his Children. And Polyxena, who was to be facrific'd to appeafe Achilles's Ghoft, is thus advis'd by one in Euripides (b) : Αλλ ̓ ἴθι πρὸς ναός, ἶπε πρὸς βωμές, Go to the Temples, go to the Altars. The Sacredness of these Places was held entire till the Reign of Tiberius Cæfar, who, upon Confideration of the many Inconveniencies, which muft neceffarily be the Effect of tolerating fo many Villains, as were always harbour'd in them, dissolv'd them all, preferving only to Juno Samia and one of Efculapius's Temples their ancient Privileges. Suetonius indeed reports, that he did abolere jus moremque afylorum, quæ ufquam erant, abolish the Privileges and Cuttoms of Ayla in all Parts of (a) Comment. in Eneid. lib. II. (b) Thefeo. (c) Strabo. lib. III. (d) Conf. Statius Theb. lib. XII. ejufq; vetus Interpres. Item Servius in Æneid. lib. VIII. (e) Alex. ab Alex. lib. III. cap. 20. Paufanias, lib. VII. Epigram. Græc. Antholog, lib. IV. (f) Corinthiacis, (g) Æneid, lib, II, ver. 512. (b) Hecuba, ver. 146. the the World (i). But from Tacitus, who has more exactly reported this Matter, we learn, that the Privileges of Sanctuaries were not then wholly taken away, but only regulated and reform'd (4). ที่ Before the Conclufion of this Chapter, it will not be improper to mention the Fields dedicated to religious Ufes. These were call'd Teuern. Tuer is interpreted by the Scholiaft upon Homer (1) to be Ispov xaείον, ἀφορισμένον Θεῷ κατὰ τιμὴν, ἢ ἥρωϊ· a facred Portion of Land fet apart in Honour of fome God or Hero. Several of these Places are mention'd by Homer, Paufanias, and other Authors. Sometimes their Product was carefully gather'd in, and referv'd for the Maintenance of the Priests, or other religious Purposes (m). For, as has been already obferv'd, it was customary to pay the fame Offices to the Gods, which Men ftand in Need of. The Temples were their Houses, Sacrifices their Food, Altars their Tables, Images represented their Persons, and Portions of Land were also set apart for the Maintenance of their Families. The fame Refpect was paid to Kings; and Men who had done eminent Service for their Country. Thus Tarquinius Superbus had a Portion of Ground in the Campus Martius at Rome. King Latinus's Field is mention'd by Virgil (n): Infuper id campi, quod Rex habet ipfe Latinus. This was also call'd Teu, which Word, according to Hefychius, CHA P. III. Of the Grecian Priefts, and their Offices. T has been the Custom of all Nations to pay a peculiar Honour to I their Priests; which was partly done out of Refpect to the Gods, whom they reprefented; and partly (as Plutarch in his Morals tells us) because they did not pray for a Bleffing on themselves, their own Families and Friends only, but on whole Communities, on the whole State of Mankind. They were accounted Mediators between Gods and Men, being oblig'd to offer the Sacrifices and Prayers of the People to their Gods, as will farther appear in the following Chapter; and on the other Side, ἑρμηνευ]αὶ παρὰ θεῶν ἀνθρώποις· deputed by the Gods to be their Interpreters to Men, to inftruct them how to pray for themselves, what (i) Tiberii, cap. 37. (k) Annal. lib. III. 60, 61, 62, 63. (m) Plato, lib. 6. de Legibus. (n) Æneid. lib. IX. ver. 274. (p) Iliad. IX. ver. 574. (9) Iliad. '. ver. 313. (1) Iliad B'. ver. 696. (0) Iliad. V. ver. 194. |