they called these images A, [Diopete,] that is, "sent from Jupiter." Of which sort were the Ancile, the Palladium, and the effigies of this goddess, concerning which we now speak.

QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION.

Who was Cybele?

How is she represented?

In what does she 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? 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 Idæa Mater?

Why was she called Pessinuntia?

Why were her priests called Galli; and under what pretence were they able to get particular respect paid to any thing?

SEC. 2.-OF THE SACRIFICES AND PRIESTS OF
CYBELE.

Her sacrifices, like the sacrifices of Bacchus, were celebrated with a confused noise of timbrels, pipes, and cymbals; and the sacrificants howled, as if they were mad; they profaned both the temple of their goddess, and the ears of their hearers, with their vile words and actions. The following rites were peculiarly observed in her sacrifices: her temple was opened, not by hands, but by prayers; none entered who had tasted garlic; the priests sacrificed to her sitting, and touching the earth, and offered the hearts of the victims. And lastly, among the trees, the box and the 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, ór Attynes, a boy that Cybele much loved, and made him president of

her rites, upon condition that he always preserved his chastity inviolate. But he forgot his vow, and lost that virtue; wherefore the offended goddess threw him into such a madness, that he was about to lay violent hands upon himself, but. Cybele, in pity, turned him into a pine.

There was, however, a true Atys, the son of Crosus, 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 were named Galli, from a river of Phrygia. Such was the nature of the water of this river, that whoever drank of it immediately grew mad. The Galli, as often as they sacrificed, 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, Cabiri, and Idæi Dactyli. Some say that these priests were different from the Galli; but most people believe them to be the that they same, and say were priests of Cybele.

:

The Curetes were either Cretans, or Etolians, 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 before, 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 Curetes, *because they were habited in long vests, like young maidens; or lastly, because they educated Jupiter in his infancy.

↑ Axò rūs xuons, a puella, quod puellarum stolam induebant. ↑ Aro rūs noporgopias, ab educatione juvenum, quod Jovem infantem aluisse perhibentur. Strabo.

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 from them. Or, if we believe others, they were deserving 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 dæmons, or the same with the Corybantes; for the people's opinions concerning them are different.

The Idæi Dactyli were the servants and assistants of Magna Mater; called Idæi from the mountain Ida, where they lived; and Dactyli from the fingers, for the priests were ten, like the fingers they served Rhea every where, and in every thing, as if they were fingers to her. Yet many affirm, that there were more than ten.

QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION.

How were the sacrifices of Cybele celebrated?
What peculiar rites were observed in them?
Why 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?"

Απο του κορύττειν, a cornibus feriendo, et βαίνειν incedendo. Strabo. 1. 1. Plato in Enthid.

t Digiti enim Qræce dicuntur δακτυλοι.

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 Idæi Dactyli?

CHAPTER VIII.

SEC. 1.-CERES. HER IMAGE AND SACRIFICES.

CERES is a tall majestic lady; who stands beautified with yellow hair, 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 of 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 Neptune 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 Æleus, in Arcadia, an altar was dedicated to Ceres; her image had the body of a woman, but the head of a horse; it remained perfect and entire in the midst of fire. others have told us that Ceres did not bring forth a horse, but a daughter. The Arcadians thought it a wicked 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.

Yet

Ceres was greatly ashamed of this disgrace, and testified her sorrow by the mourning clothes which she afterwards wore; whence she was named Melana, Medaiva nigra; she retired into the dark recesses of a cave, where she lay so privately that none of