The Student's Mythology Part 13

_Ans._ Variously; sometimes as children, sometimes as young warriors, but always accompanied by a dog.

Virtues Wors.h.i.+pped by the Ancients. Vices.

_Ques._ What Virtues were particularly honored as divinities?

_Ans._ The ancients not only wors.h.i.+pped the different Virtues, but the abstract idea of virtue itself was personified as a G.o.ddess. The Romans dedicated two temples, one to this divinity, and another, adjoining, to Honor. As the temple of Honor could only be reached by pa.s.sing through that dedicated to Virtue, the votaries were reminded that it was by walking in her paths, that true honor was to be attained.

_Ques._ What were the emblems of Truth?

_Ans._ She was generally represented as a beautiful and modest virgin, with garments as white as snow. She was the daughter of Time, or Saturn, because Time always brings truth to light.

Fides, or Fidelity, had a temple near the Capitol, which was said to have been founded by Numa Pompilius. The symbols of this G.o.ddess were, a white dog, two hands joined, or sometimes two maidens with joined hands.

_Ques._ What were the emblems of Peace?

_Ans._ Pax, or Peace, was represented as a matron holding ears of corn, and crowned with olives and laurel. Her particular symbol was a caduceus, a white staff anciently borne by amba.s.sadors when sent to treat of peace. A magnificent temple was dedicated to this G.o.ddess in the Roman Forum.

Justice was wors.h.i.+pped by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Her emblems have been described in the article on the G.o.ddess Astra.

Hope had a temple at Rome in the herb market. It was destroyed by lightning.

Misericordia, or Mercy, had an altar at Athens This was a public sanctuary for the unfortunate, and it was unlawful to take any one from it by force. This altar is said to have been erected by the kindred of Hercules, after the death of that hero.

Pudicitia, or Modesty, had two temples, much frequented by the Roman matrons. The second of these was founded under peculiar circ.u.mstances.

Virginia, the daughter of Aulus, a patrician of high rank, married into a plebeian family. The n.o.ble ladies of Rome were so indignant at this alliance, that they would not permit her to enter the temple of Pudicitia, nor to offer sacrifice with them. She desired to repair this public affront by some memorable action. For this purpose, she built, in the Via Longa, a temple similar to that from which she had been expelled, and dedicated it likewise to Pudicitia. Virginia then a.s.sembled the plebeian matrons, and exhorted them to honor this Virtue in such a manner, that however the patrician ladies should surpa.s.s them in power or rank, they might still excel in modest behavior and purity of life. The two temples were from that time distinguished as Pudicitia Patricia, and Pudicitia Plebeia.

_Ques._ Was Fortune honored as a G.o.ddess?

_Ans._ Yes, the ancients wors.h.i.+pped under this name, a certain unseen power which was supposed to exercise a supreme dominion over human affairs. Fortune had many splendid temples in Italy. Servius Tullius dedicated two at Rome; one to Bona Fortuna, the other to Fors Fortuna.

This capricious G.o.ddess was sometimes represented with her eyes bandaged, her feet winged, and her right hand resting on a wheel. In the temple of Fortune at Thebes, the G.o.ddess held Wealth, represented as an infant, in her arms.

The G.o.ddess Salus, or Health, was much honored by the Romans. In ancient times, certain days in the year were set apart for her wors.h.i.+p. Her emblems were a bowl and a serpent.

Liberty was honored as a divinity. Her emblem was the peculiar cap with which we are familiar from the representations on our own coins.

_Ques._ Were not the Vices also honored by the ancients?

_Ans._ It is certain that both the Greeks and Romans erected temples and altars to certain vices, but it does not appear that their intention was to do them honor. In some instances, they strove to propitiate the powers of evil, that they might abstain from doing them harm. When they built a temple at Rome to Febris, or Fever, they undoubtedly wished to appease the demon or malignant deity who was supposed to send this calamity. The same superst.i.tion has been remarked among the modern Hindoos, who are said to have dedicated temples to thunder and lightning, earthquake, pestilence, etc. The Vices were always represented in such a manner as to excite abhorrence. We have an instance of this in the altar erected to Calumny at Athens.

Apelles drew an allegorical picture, in which the odious features of this Vice were strikingly portrayed. A man sits in a listening att.i.tude, beckoning Calumny to approach. Two counsellors, Ignorance and Suspicion, stand near him. Calumny is beautiful in form and feature, but has a malignant countenance, and flas.h.i.+ng eyes. Envy goes before, while Fraud and Conspiracy accompany her on either side.

Repentance follows with woful mien and torn garments. She looks behind her, as if calling upon Truth, who is seen advancing slowly in the distance.

Discord, Fraud, etc., were represented with appropriate symbols.

CHAPTER XXVI.

DemiG.o.ds and Heroes.

_Ques._ Who were the DemiG.o.ds?

_Ans._ They were brave men, who had rendered themselves famous in life by ill.u.s.trious actions. After their death, their countrymen believed that they were admitted among the G.o.ds, and gave them divine honors.

The circ.u.mstance of a mortal taking his place among the G.o.ds, was called an Apotheosis.

_Ques._ Who was the most famous of the DemiG.o.ds?

_Ans._ Hercules, the son of Jupiter and Alcmena. Juno hated him on his mother's account, and resolved upon his destruction. For this purpose she sent two monstrous serpents to kill him as he was sleeping in his cradle. The infant hero awoke, and seizing the serpents in his hands, strangled them both. Juno was not discouraged, and when Hercules was grown up, devised new means to destroy him. She persuaded Jupiter to put Hercules under the authority of Eurystheus, king of Mycen, who imposed upon the hero twelve Labors, or tasks, of great danger and difficulty. Hercules was in doubt as to whether he should submit to this injustice, and consulted the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. The oracle told him that he must obey Eurystheus, which he accordingly did. Hercules had been carefully instructed by the Centaur Chiron, and he was now equipped for his labors by the liberality of the G.o.ds. He received a sword from Mercury, a bow from Apollo, a golden breastplate from Vulcan, horses from Neptune, and a robe from Minerva.

_Ques._ Relate the Twelve Labors of Hercules.

_Ans._ They are briefly as follows:

_First._ He killed a terrible lion which raged in the Nemean forest.

Hercules is usually represented as clothed in the skin of this animal, and leaning on the club which was his ordinary weapon.

_Second._ He destroyed the Hydra, a serpent with fifty heads, which lived in the marshes of Lerna, and ravaged the surrounding country.

Hercules noticed that where he cut off one of the heads of this serpent, two immediately sprang up. He commanded an attendant to burn the wound with a firebrand, and by this means he at length cut off the last head.

_Third._ He captured the savage wild boar of Mount Erymanthus, in Arcadia, and brought it bound to Eurystheus. The tyrant was so frightened at the sight of the animal, that he shut himself up in a brazen apartment of his palace.

_Fourth._ He caught, after a chase which lasted an entire year, a famous stag which was sacred to Diana. It had golden horns and brazen feet.

_Fifth._ He killed, or drove away from Lake Stymphalus, certain voracious birds which fed on human flesh.

_Sixth._ He defeated the Amazons, and obtained as a spoil, the girdle of their queen, Hippolyte.

_Seventh._ Three thousand oxen had been kept thirty years in the stables of Augeas, which had never been cleaned during the entire period. Hercules was required to perform this task, which he effected by turning the course of a river through the stables.

_Eighth._ He tamed the wild bull of Crete, and brought him bound to Eurystheus.

_Ninth._ He overcame Diomedes, tyrant of Thrace, who fed his horses with the flesh of his guests. Hercules caused him, in turn, to serve as food to these same horses.

_Tenth._ He overcame Geryon, who had three heads and three bodies.

Hercules brought into Italy the oxen of this monster, which were accustomed to feed on human flesh.

_Eleventh._ He killed the dragon that watched the golden apple in the garden of the Hesperides, and bore away the precious fruit.

_Twelfth._ Hercules descended alive into the infernal regions, and brought from thence the three-headed dog, Cerberus.

_Ques._ Did Hercules perform any other great actions?

_Ans._ A vast number of exploits are attributed to him. There is a plain near Narbonne, in France, covered with stones. The ancients said that Hercules was contending on this spot with two giants, when, his arrows becoming exhausted, he prayed to Jupiter for aid. The G.o.d sent down a shower of great stones, with which Hercules put the giants to flight.