received into the number of the gods. Its waters were held so sacred, that it was a capital crime to apply them to any ordinary purpose; and what was very remarkable, instead of offering sacrifices to this, as to other fountains, all those who recovered from any disease, cast a piece of gold or silver into the waters as a sort of redemption price, which custom, as Pausanias assures us, was very ancient indeed, and derived from the primitive ages.* Reli gious customs, nearly similar, were practised at Træzen, and the classical reader will remember the grove and sacred lake of Faunus in Italy, described in Virgil: At rex sollicitus monstris, oracula Fauni * Philost. de Vit. Apoll. lib. ii. 134. Lyc. Cassand. v. 1050. Valer. Max. lib. viii. 15. Herod. lib. i. 46. Pausan. in Atticis. † Virg. Æneid. vii. 81–91. The whole description is that of a paradisaical oracular grove, with its temple, fountain, and sacred lake, like those before alluded to. This lake I have frequently visited myself, and it answers exactly to the account given of the one called Cotyle, mentioned by Dionysius, Pliny, Varro, Macrobius, and other authors. It is of immense depth, with its surface spotted with a bituminous matter, which, mixing with weeds and other vegetable substances, frequently forms floating islands; and it may be worth mentioning, that Lavinia, respecting whose fate Latinus is represented in the Æneid to have consulted this oracle, in the manner described, was considered by some as having been the daughter of Anius, king and priest of Delos; so that these memorials found in different places, may be certainly looked upon as having reference to one and the same primeval history. We also perceive in the above account of this oracular grove of Faunus, that the offerer, lying down, as it were, "clothed "in the coats or skins of the victims slain," beheld many wonderful compounded winged *Dionyss. Hal. Ant. lib. i. p. 48. + The same rite appears to have been practised by the Romans at the Feast of the Lupercal. forms, (referring to the memorials of the Cherubim represented under the semblance of compound animal figures) and enjoyed in visions of the night that supposed communion with God, which may be considered as a traditionary vestige of the blissful intercourse once prevailing in the garden of Eden, between man and his Maker. Virgil,* who was an exact observer of antiquity, also mentions the rite of clothing in the skins of the sacrifices," as having long been practised among the priests of Hercules, "pellibus in morem cincti.” 66 The most remarkable instance, however, of all, was the temple of the Syrian Goddess at Hierapolis. It was a splendid structure, fronting eastward, with a portal glittering with golden doors, and adorned in the interior with various representations of heathen deities of compound figures, with the forms of animals amongst them: the figure of the celestial Venus, in particular, had a Lychnis by her side, which by night illuminated the whole temple, but in the day time only wore a fiery aspect. It was reported of this statue, that though a person stood either on one side, or * Eneid. viii. 282. + Lucian. de Deâ Syria. tom. ii. pp. 875–915. before it, still it looked at him. The atmosphere round the temple was said to be enchanting, and not inferior to the sweetest perfumes of Arabia, insomuch that the garments of all who visited it remained scented for a considerable time. Within the sacred enclosure were kept oxen, horses, lions, bears, eagles, and all kinds of birds and animals, which lived together in the greatest harmony, being in no way hurtful even to man, but all sacred and tame. In the midst of this enclosure stood a lofty column, which was ascended twice a year by a person who remained on its summit seven days; while it was given out that during this sabbatic week he enjoyed the communion of the deity; and that the thing was done in memory of Deucalion's flood, when mankind clomb up trees* to prevent their perishing. This column was indeed connected with a memorial of certain trees, but had its origin in a transaction far prior to the period of the deluge. In fact it was in itself either a tree or the symbol of one; * They would hardly climb up trees in a deluge, but rather ascend the highest rocks and mountains. The column, however, here mentioned, was doubtless looked upon as a Priapus; for the connection of the original tradition with the institution of marriage, was desecrated to all the abominations of the phallic mysteries. and Lucian, in his account to explain the method of ascent, alludes to the palm tree. It stood, however, "in the midst," and was perhaps not unconnected with another religious observance prevalent at Hierapolis. Every spring, an extraordinary sacrifice was celebrated; for felling some great trees in the court of the temple, they garnished them with goats, sheep, birds, rich vestments, and fine pieces of wrought gold and silver: they then carried the sacred images round these trees, and set fire to them, until all was consumed. At this sacrifice there was a great concourse of people from all parts, every one bringing his sacred images with him, made in imitation of those in the temple. There was also a private sacrifice made by the persons who undertook the pilgrimage to this city of Hierapolis. The pilgrim killed a sheep, cut it up in joints, and feasted on it, spreading the fleece on the ground and kneeling upon it. In this posture, the offerer put the feet and head of the victim upon his own head,* and thus besought the deity to accept him, and his sacrifice, vowing at the same time a better. The priests also practised human sacrifices, crowning * Το δε νακος χαμαι θεμενος, επι τετο ες γονυ εζεται ποδας δε και κεφαλην τε κτηνεος επι την εαυτε κεφαλην αναλαμβάνει. Lucian. de Deâ Syr. p. 913. |