238 VENUS, WHere worshIPPED — Her EpitheTS, ETC. [the same as Ino or Leucothea, Ovid. F. vi. 545.] or Aurora and Glaucus, Ino, Palemon, &c. 7. VENUS, the goddess of love and beauty, said to have been produced from the foam of the sea, near the island Cythera; hence called Cytherea, Horat. Od. i. 4, 5. Virg. Æn. iv. 128. Marina, Id. iii. 26. 5., and by the Greeks 'Appodíen, ab appòs, spuma; according to others, the daughter of Jupiter and the nymph Diōne; hence called Dionæa mater, by her son Æneas, Virg. En. iii. 19., and Julius Cæsar Dionæus; as being descended from Iulus, the son of Æneas, Id. Ecl. ix. 47. Dionæo sub antro, under the cave of Venus, Horat. Od. ii. 1. 39.- the wife of Vulcan, but unfaithful to him, Ovid. Met. iv. 171. &c.; worshipped chiefly at Paphos, Amăthus, -untis, and Idalia v. -ium, in Cyprus; at Eryx in Sicily, and at Cnidus in Caria; hence called Cypris, -idis, Dea Paphia; Amathusia Venus, Tacit. Annal. iii. 62. Venus Idalia, Virg. Æn. v. 760., and ERYCINA, Horat. Od. i. 2. 33. Cic. Verr. ii. 8. Regina Cnidi, Horat. Od. i. 30. 1. Venus Cnidia, Cic. Divin. i. 13. Verr. iv. 60. Alma, decens, aurea, formosa, &c. also Cloacina or Cluacina, from cluere, anciently the same with luere or purgare, because her temple was built in that place, where the Romans and Sabines, after laying aside their arms, and concluding an agreement, purified themselves, Plin. xv. 29. s. 36. [Verticordia, Ovid. F. iv. 160.]—Also supposed to be the same with Libitina, the goddess of funerals, Dionys. iv. 15., whom some make the same with Proserpine, Plutarch. in Numa, 67.- often put for love or the indulgence of it; Damnosa Venus, Horat. Ep. i. 18. 21., Sera juvenum Venus, eoque inexhausta pubertas, Tacit. de Mor. Germ. 20.- for a mistress, Horat. Sat. i. 2. 119.-4. 113. Virg. Ecl. iii. 68. -for beauty, comeliness, or grace, Plaut. Stich. ii. 1. 5. Tabula picta Venus, vel Venustas, quam Græci xápτa vocant, Plin. xxxv. 10. s. 36. Dicendi veneres, the graces, Quinctilian. x. 1. Venerem habere, Senec. Benef. ii. 28. Cicero says, there were more than one Venus, Nat. D. iii. 23. (VENUS dicta, quòd ad omnes res veniret; atque ex eâ Venustas, Id. ii. 27. et VENERII, i. e. servi Veneris, Id. Cæcil. 17.) The tree most acceptable to Venus was the myrtle, Virg. Ecl. vii. 62. & Serv. in loc. Æn. v. 72., hence she was called MYRTEA, and by corruption MURCIA, Plin. xv. 29. s. 36. Plutarch. Quæst. Rom. 20. Varr. L. L. iv. 32. Serv. in Virg. Æn. viii. 635., and the month most agreeable to her was April, because it produced flowers; hence called mensis VENERIS, Horat. Od. iv. 11. 15., on the first day of which the matrons, crowned with myrtle, used to bathe themselves in the Tyber, near the temple of FORTUNA VIRILIS, to whom they offered frankincense, that she would conceal their defects from their husbands, Ovid. Fast. iv. 139. &c. The attendants of Venus were her son CUPID; or rather the Cupids, for there were many of them; but two most remarkable, one (Eros) who caused love, and the other (Anteros) who made it cease, or produced mutual love; painted with wings, a quiver, bow, and darts. The three Graces, Gratiæ vel Charites, Aglaia or Pasithea, Thalia, and Euphrosyne, represented generally naked, with their hands joined together; and NYMPHS dancing with the Graces, and Venus at their head, Horat. Od. i. 4. 5.—30. 6. ii. 8. 13. Senec. Benef. i. 3. VULCAN-MARS-ANCILIA. 239 8. VULCANUS vel Mulciber, the god of fire (IGNIPOTENS, Virg. x. 243.) and of smiths; the son of Jupiter and Juno, and husband of Venus; represented as a lame blacksmith, hardened from the forge, with a fiery red face whilst at work, and tired and heated after it. He is generally the subject of pity or ridicule to the other gods, as a cuckold and lame. Vulcan is said to have had his workshop (officina) chiefly in Lemnos, and in the Æolian or Lipari islands near Sicily, or in a cave of Mount Etna. His workmen were the Cyclopes, giants with one eye in their forehead, who were usually employed in making the thunderbolts of Jupiter, Virg. Æn. viii. 416. &c. Hence Vulcan is represented in spring as eagerly lighting up the fires in their toilsome or strong-smelling workshops (graves ardens urit officinas), to provide plenty of thunderbolts for Jupiter to throw in summer, Horat. Od. i. 4. 7., called avidus, greedy, Id. iii. 58., as Virgil calls ignis, fire, edax, from its devouring all things, Æn. ii. 758. Sometimes put for fire, ib. 311. v. 662. vii. 77. Horat. Sat. i. 5. 74. Plaut. Amph. i. 1. 185., called luteus, from its colour, from luteum v. lutum, woad, the same with glastum, Cæs. B. G. v. 14.; which dyes yellow; herba qua cæruleum inficiunt, Vitruv. vii. 14., Plin. xxxiii. 5. s. 26. Croceo mu tabit vellera luto, Virg. Ecl. v. 44., luteum ovi, the yolk of an egg, Plin. x. 53., or rather from lutum, clay, luteus, dirty, Juven. x. 132. Cicero also mentions more than one Vulcan, Nat. D. iii. 22., as indeed he does in speaking of most of the gods. 9. MARS or Mavors, the god of war and son of Juno; worshipped by the Thracians, Getæ, and Scythians, and especially by the Romans, as the father of Romulus, their founder, called Gradivus (a gradiendo), Ovid. Fast. ii. 861., painted with a fierce aspect, riding in a chariot, or on horseback, with a helmet and a spear. Mars, when peaceable, was called QUIRINUS, Serv. in Virg. i. 296. BELLONA, the goddess of war, was the wife or sister of Mars. A round shield (ANCILE quod ab omni parte recisum est, Ovid. Fast. iii. 377.) is said to have fallen from heaven in the reign of Numa, supposed to be the shield of Mars; which was kept with great care in his sanctuary, as a symbol of the perpetuity of the empire, by the priests of Mars; who were called SALII, and that it might not be stolen, eleven others were made quite like it (ancilia, -ium, vel -iorum.) The animals sacred to Mars were the horse, wolf, and the woodpecker (picus). Mars is often, by a metonymy, put for war or the fortune of war; thus, Equo, vario, ancipite, incerto Marte pugnatum est, with equal, various, doubtful success; Mars communis, the uncertain events of war, Cic. Accendere Martem cantu, i. e. pugnam vel milites ad pugnam tubâ; collato Marte et eminus pugnare; invadunt Martem clypeis, i. e. pugnam ineunt, Virg. Nostro Marte aliquid peragere, by our own strength, without assistance, Cic. Verecundiæ erat, equitem suo alienoque Marte pugnare, on horseback and on foot, Liv. iii. 62. Valere Marte forensi, to be a good pleader, Ovid. Pont. iv. 6. 39. Dicere difficile est, quid Mars tuus egerit illic, i. e. bellica virtus, valour or courage, ib. 7. 45. Nostro Marte, by our army or soldiers, 240 MERCURIUS APOLLO-THE MUSES. Horat. Od. iii. 5. 24. Altero Marte, in a second battle, ib. 34. Mars tuus, your manner of fighting, Ovid. Art. Am. i. 212. Incursu gemini Martis, by land and sea, Lucan. vi. 269. 10. MERCURIUS, the son of Jupiter and Maia, the daughter of Atlas ; the messenger of Jupiter and of the gods; the god of eloquence; the patron of merchants and of gain, whence his name [from merx], (according to others, quasi Medicurrius, quòd medius inter deos et homines currebat); the inventor of the lyre and of the harp; the protector of poets or men of genius (Mercurialium virorum), of musicians, wrestlers, &c.; the conductor of souls or departed ghosts to their proper mansions; also the god of ingenuity and of thieves, called Cyllenius v. Cyllenia proles, from Cyllene, a mountain in Arcadia on which he was born; and Tegeaus, from Tegea, a city near it. The distinguishing attributes of Mercury are his Petăsus, or winged cap; the Talaria, or winged sandals for his feet; and a Caduceus, or wand (virga) with two serpents about it, in his hand; sometimes as the god of merchants he bears a purse (marsupium), Horat. Od. i. 10. Virg. Æn. iv. 239. viii. 138. Images of Mercury (HERMÆ trunci, shapeless posts with a marble head of Mercury on them, Juvenal. viii. 53.) used to be erected where several roads met (in compitis), to point out the way; on sepulchres, in the porches of temples and houses, &c. Ex quovis ligno non fit Mercurius, every one cannot become a scholar. 11. APOLLO, the son of Jupiter and Latona, born in the island Delos; the god of poetry, music, medicine, augury, and archery; called also Phœbus and Sol. He had oracles in many places, the chief one at Delphi in Phocis; called by various names from the places where he was worshipped: Cynthius, from Cynthus, a mountain in Delos; Patareus, or aus, from Patăra, a city in Lycia; Latōus, son of Latona; Thymbræus, Grynæus, &c. also Pythius, from having slain the serpent Python, (vel a пvbiobas, quòd consuleretur.) Apollo is usually represented as a beautiful beardless young man, with long hair, (hence called intonsus et crinitus, Ovid. Trist. iii. 1. 60.) holding a bow and arrows in his right hand, and in his left hand a lyre or harp. He is crowned with laurel, which was sacred to him, as were the hawk and raven among the birds. The son of Apollo was ESCULAPIUS, the god of physic, worshipped formerly at Epidaurus in Argolis, under the form of a serpent, or leaning on a staff, round which a serpent was entwined:- represented as an old man, with a long beard, dressed in a loose robe, with a staff in his hand. * Connected with Apollo and Minerva were the nine MUSES; said to be the daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne or memory: Calliope, the muse of heroic poetry; Clio, of history; Melpomene, of tragedy; Thalia, of comedy and pastorals; Erato, of love songs and hymns; Euterpe, of playing on the flute; Terpsichore, of the harp; Polyhymnia, of gesture and delivery, also of the three-stringed instrument called Barbitos, vel -on; and Urania, of astronomy, Auson. Eidyl. 20. Diodor. iv. 7. Phurnutus de Naturâ Deorum. The muses frequented the mountains Parnassus, Helicon, Pierus, * A temple was built to that deity on an island in the Tiber. - Ovid. F. i. 291. &c., the fountains Castalius, Aganippe, or Hippocrene, &c., whence they had various names, Heliconides, Parnassides, Pierides, Castalides, Thespiades, Pimpliădes, &c. 12. DIANA, the sister of Apollo, goddess of the woods and of hunting; called Diana on earth, Luna in heaven, and Hecăte in hell: hence tergemina, diva triformis, Tria virginis ora Diane, Virg. Æn. iv. 52. Also Lucina, Ilithyia, et Genitalis seu Genetyllis; because she assisted women in childbirth; Noctiluca, and siderum regina, Horat.; Trivia, from her statues standing where three ways met.* Diana is represented as a tall beautiful virgin, with a quiver on her shoulder, and a javelin or a bow in her right hand, chasing deer or other animals. These twelve deities were called CONSENTES, -um; Varr. L. L. vii. 38., quia in consilium Jovis adhibebantur, Augustin. de Civit. Dei, iv. 23. Duodecim enim deos advocat, Senec. Q. Nat. ii. 41., (a consensu, quasi consentientes; vel a consendo, i. e. consulo;) and are comprehended in these two verses of Ennius, as quoted by Apuleius, de Deo Socratis: Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, On ancient inscriptions they are thus marked: — J. O. M. i. e. Jovi optimo maximo, CETERISQ. DIS CONSENTIBUS. They were also called DII MAGNI, Virg. En. iii. 11. Ovid. Amor. iii. 6., and cŒLESTES, Vitruv. i. 8. Virg. Æn. i. 391. Cic. Legg. ii. 8.; or NOBILES, Ovid. Met. i. 172., and are represented as occupying a different part of heaven from the inferior gods, who are called PLEBS, ibid. ‡ THE DII SELECTI WERE EIGHT IN NUMBER, 1. SATURNUS, the god of time; the son of Coelus or Uranus, and Terra or Vesta. § Titan his brother resigned the kingdom to him on this condition, that he should rear no male offspring. On which account he is feigned by the poets to have devoured his sons as soon as they were born. But Rhea found means to deceive him, and bring up by stealth Jupiter and his two brothers. Saturn, being dethroned by his son Jupiter, fled into Italy, and gave name to Latium, from his lurking there (a latendo). He was kindly received by Janus king of that country. Under Saturn is supposed to have been the golden age, when the earth produced food in abundance Ovid. F. i. 141. The Arician grove was sacred to Diana; the priest, called rex nemorensis, was a runaway slave, who had slain his predecessor in office. Ovid. F. iii. 271. Sueton. Calig, 35. Regi Nemorensi, quod multos jam annos potiretur sacerdotio, validiorem adversarium subornavit. Jovis, or, according to Varro, Diovis, was the old form for Jupiter. "Liv. xxii. 10. Lectisternium per triduum habitum, decemviris sacrorum curantibus; sex pulvinaria in conspectu fuere; Jovi ac Junoni unum; alterum Neptuno ac Minervæ; tertium Marti ac Veneri; quartum Apollini ac Dianæ; quintum Vulcano ac Vestæ; sextum Mercurio ac Cereri."— T. § "Saturn and his wife Ops are most probably the god and goddess of the earth, its vivifying and its receptively productive powers; its depths are his kingdom.”— R 242 SATURN JANUS -RHEA PLUTO. spontaneously, when all things were in common, Virg. G. i. 125., and when there was an intercourse between the gods and men upon earth; which ceased in the brazen and iron ages, when even the virgin Astréa, or goddess of justice herself, who remained on earth longer than the other gods, at last, provoked by the wickedness of men, left it, Ovid. Met. i. 150. The only goddess then left was Hope, Id. Pont. i. 6. 29. Saturn is painted as a decrepit old man, with a scythe in his hand, or a serpent biting off its own tail. * 2. JANUS, the god of the year, who presided over the gates of heaven, and also over peace and war. He is painted with two faces (bifrons vel biceps) [Orid. F. i. 65. 103.]. His temple was open in time of war, and shut in time of peace, Liv. i. 19.† A street in Rome; contiguous to the Forum, where bankers lived, was called by his name, thus, Janus summus ab imo, the street Janus from top to bottom, Horat. Ep. i. 1. 5., medius, the middle part of it, Sat. ii. 3. 18. Cic. Phil. vi. 5. Thoroughfares (transitiones pervia) from him were called Jani, and the gates at the entrance of private houses, Januæ, Cic. N. D. ii. 27.; thus, dextro JANO portæ CARMENTALIS, Liv. ii. 49. § 3. RHEA, the wife of Saturn; called also Ops, Cyběle, Magna Mater, Mater Deorum, Berccynthia, Idea, and Dindymene, from three mountains in Phrygia. She was painted as a matron, crowned with towers (turrita), sitting in a chariot drawn by lions, Ovid. Fast. iv. 249. &c. Cyběle, or a sacred stone, called by the inhabitants the mother of the gods, was brought from Pessinus in Phrygia to Rome, in the time of the second Punic war [A. U. C. 517], Liv. xxix. 11. 14. || 4. PLUTO, the brother of Jupiter, and king of the infernal regions; called also Orcus, Jupiter infernus et Stygius: [Summanus, Ovid. F. vi. 731. ed. Keight.] The wife of Pluto was PROSERPINA, the daughter of Ceres, whom he carried off, as she was gathering flowers * "Janus or Dianus, as Scaliger has shown, is the god of the sun.” — Nieb, i. p. 66. + The temple of Janus was shut all the long reign of Numa; secondly, A. U. C. 519, upon the conclusion of the first Punic war; thirdly, by Augustus, A. U. C. 725; and twice more by the same emperor, A. U. C. 729, and again about the time of our Saviour's birth: then by Nero, A. U. C. 811; afterwards by Vespasian, A. U. C. 824; and, lastly, by Constantius, when, upon Magnentius's death, he was left sole possessor of the empire, A. U. C. 1105.-Vid. Casaubon, Not. ad Suet. August. Cap. 22. "The Romans gave the name of Jani to arches, like that of Temple Bar, in London, under which people passed from one street into another. They were always double, people entering by one and going out by the other, every one keeping to the right."- Keightley on Ovid. F. i. 257. To Janus, as the cælestis janitor aulæ, offerings were first made when the Romans were about to sacrifice to other gods.-Ovid. F. i. 173. The goddess Cybele was brought to Rome agreeably to an oracle, which had predicted that, if a foreign enemy invaded Italy, he might be vanquished by the Romans possessing themselves of this powerful protectress. Five ambassadors were sent by the senate for the purpose of completing this negotiation; and the influence of Attalus was also secured on the occasion. "The sacred stone was committed to the care of P. Corn. Scipio Nasica, the son of Cneius, who had fallen in Spain, as being the most virtuous man in Rome. It was brought into the temple of Victory, which was on the Palatine. The temple was not finished until thirteen years after, and the stage plays acted on that occasion were, according to Valerius Antias, the first ever performed at Rome."- Keightley on Ovid. F. iv. 347. |