Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

the Weft, nor on the top, nor on the foot of the moun tain; for it hath a great way to the plains of Criffa below it, and much more to the mountains above it: Our poet therefore makes the old Tutor complain with propriety,

High is the oracular feat, and steep th'afcent.

POTTER, V. 784.

This celebrated mountain had a forked fummit of two eminences", which are well known to have been confecrated 78 to Apollo and Bacchus: And Wheler 79 in his travels into Greece has given an engraving of Mount Parnaffus, which displays the real truth of this poetical circumstance, so often celebrated by the Greek and Roman poets; and he obferves, that the high cliffs feem to end in

77 The Tilgas ocas (v. 1127.) and hence called dópe, by Sophocles (Antig. v. 1141.) and by Euripides, xógov, Baccha, (v. 307.) and Phoeniffe, (v. 235.) Biceps, by Perfius, (Prol. v. 2.) and by Seneca, (Oedip. V. 227.), and biverticis by Statius, (Theb. 1. I. v. 629.) Ovid fays,

Mons ibi verticibus petit arduus aftra duobus,
Nomine Parnaffus.

Met. 1. I. v. 317.

Hence

These two fummits are called by Heroditus, (1. VII. c. 32 & c. 39.)
Tithoreus and Hyampeus; but by others, Cyrrha and Nida.
Juvenal,

Dominis Cyrrhæ Nifæque relictis. Sat. VII. v. 64. Lucian obferves, that at the time of the deluge Parnaffus was the only mountain, and that too with one of its tops only, which projected above the water (1. V. v. 75.) And Sir George Wheler fays, "Indeed, I esteem this mountain not only the highest in all Greece, but one of the highest in all the world, and not inferior to Mount Cenis among the Alpes." B. IV. p. 318.)

78

Parnaffus gemino petit æthera colle,

Mons Phoebo Bromioque facer. (Lucan, 1. V. v. 73.)

To Phoebus, and the chearful God of wine,
Sacred in common stands the bill divine.

79 Tom. IV. Fig. v. p. 313.

(Rowe, Lucan. I. V. v. 1116.)

two

two points from the town of Delphi: He alfo adds, that there is a fountain, with a very plentiful fource of water, continually flowing out from a cavity clofe to this mountain; which, by the marble fteps leading to it, fhould be the fountain Castalia. The Delphick shrine appears to have been sprinkled from the water of this hallowed ftream ", and it was cuftomary for the minifters to bathe themfelves in it,

Hence, ye Delphick train,

Hafte to Caftalia's filver-ftreaming fount,

81

Bath'd in its chafte-dews to the temple go.

(V. 107.)

80

The Chorus in our poet's Phoeniffe, who are confecrated to the service of Apollo, fays, that the ftream of Castalia awaits them, that they may bathe their locks for their facred employment; and the Scholiaft on this paffage remarks, that when the hallowed virgins were preparing to deliver the divine oracle on the tripod they wafhed themfelves in the fountain Caftalia.

We next proceed from the fcite to the ornaments of the oracular fhrine. The elegance of the marble columns immediately arrefts the admiration of the Chorus on their first

so V. 148.

81 That it was ufual to bathe before the act of devotion among the Græcians alfo appears from the addrefs of Telemachus to Penelope in the Odyssey.

Go bathe, and robed in white afcend the tow'rs, With all thy handmaids thank th’immortal pow'rs. Pope, b. XVII. v. 61. Thus Deucalion and Pyrrha in Ovid sprinkle themselves with the water of Cephifus, before they approach to the fhrine of Themis.

(Met. 1.I. v. 371.)

92 V. 2301

83

arrival 3: The paintings on the walls are defcribed in very animated poetry; for the figures of Hercules and Iolaus, destroying the Lernæan Hydra 84, Bellerophon on his Pegafus in conflict with the Chimera 35, and the Gigantoma chía, or the battle of the Gods against the Giants, are all mentioned with their divine fymbols of war: The avenues of the temple, as well as the inmost receffes, were all adorned with the favourite plant of the God, the facred laurel 7; and the altar was incenfed with the most costly perfume : As to the internal riches of this temple they were even proverbial in the days of Homer,

87

88

89

Not all Apollo's Pythian treasures hold.

90

(B. IX. v. 525.)

The images of Gold are mentioned by our Poet in his Phoeniffe ; and the furniture of its treafury appears from this play to have been moft richly interwoven, and elegantly embroidered with variety of figures reprefenting History and

84 V. 191, 192. 198.

85 V. 202 & 203.

87 V. 76. 80. 104.

83 V. 185. 86 V. 206. 88 V. 89. 89 There is a differtation in the Memoires de L'Acade mie Royale des Infcriptions & des Belles Lettres on the fubject Des Richeffes du temple des Delphes, & des differens pillages, qui en ont etè fait. This was written in the year 1715, and it may be feen in the Choix des Memoires lately published from that collection, and printed in England, (vol. I. p. 33.) There are alfo in the fame volume three Differtations by Monfieur Hardion, fur l'Oracle de Delphes, (p. 127.). This Author has collected from Hero. dotus, Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, Paufanias, and Plutarch, all the different accounts relating to the origin and antiquity, fituation, and divinities of the refpective fimples, built and plundered at Delphi: Speaking of its wealth, he fays, "Il me fuffit de dire que des le tems de Xerxes ou faifoit monter les trefors des Delphes, anffi haut que ceux de ce a fouverain des Perfes, qui couvrit l'Hellefpont de ces vaiffeaux & qui envahit le Grece avec une armée de fix cent mille hommes," (Prem. Differt. p. 140.)

90 V. 228.

3

Arono

Aftronomy". Thefe were the offerings or avanμala of eminent perfonages, who had visited the fhrine; and Hercules is mentioned to have bestowed a prefent of this nature from the spoils of the Amazons: This naturally brings me to the next confideration of Votaries. In order to fupport the veneration of Mankind political artifice demanded, that thefe oracles fhould not be always liable to be confulted at the will and pleasure of the Vifitants: Hence the propriety of stated days, which were peculiarly confecrated to this folemn act of Pagan devotion: To this circumstance Xuthus alludes, when he obferves on the day of his arrival, that it was diría 3, or propitious for the immediate object of his vifit to Delphi, which was to confult the God. An historical anecdote, recorded by Plutarch 94 in his life of Alexander, is a curious illuftration of this circumftance. This Monarch, being disposed to confult the oracle of Apollo, arrived at an inaufpicious feafon for that purpose, and the Priestess peremptorily refused to violate the law on this occafion; upon which he dragged her by violence into the temple, and the finding herself unable to refift, exclaimed, "O my fon, thou

art invincible." The expreffion Alexander interpreted, as a fortunate omen, and without troubling her farther immediately acquiefced. This precaution (fays Fontenelle 95) had a mysterious appearance, which in affairs of this nature is of confiderable confequence; but the principal utility derived from it was, that on this pretext they could dismiss you, if they had reafons for not choofing to answer; or during this

91 V. 1146 to 1164. 92 V. 1145. 1165. See alfo Supplices, v. 1200. 94 Ed. Bryan, vol. IV. p. 21. 95 V. 228.

93 V. 421.

5 Hift. des Orac. C. 13.

[blocks in formation]

98

feason of filence they might take measures, and make their preparations. But other requifites were neceffary, before the altar could be approached : Ion informs the Chorus, that it was unlawful to pass the threshold", till a preparatory rite had been performed, and it appears that different privileges were annexed to these preliminary prefents from the standard of their value and importance, fince he afterwards obferves, that the Tavos or cake 7 enabled the Votary to approach the altar, but the facrifice of fheep was effential to vifit the inmoft recefs of the fhrine. Plutarch 9 alfo alludes to thefe victims at Delphi, and in another place afferts, that we do nothing contrary to reafon by facrificing them, crowning them with garlands, and making libations; he informs us too, that the name of this victim was denominated ", a title derived from its peculiar fanctity. Thefe artful distinctions between the offerings of lefs expenfive donations, and the more coftly animals, were of great importance to the interest of the priesthood; and the elegant French Author of the History of Oracles just cited has well explained the various afes, refulting from thefe preparatory facrifices 100: When thefe were duly performed, the Votaries carrying the branches of Delphick laurel in their hands', and their heads 2 encircled with it, approached the fhrine. This was the refidence of the confecrated Pythia, or Prieftefs of Apollo, whom we are next to confider: When Græce (fays Plutarch 3) was crouded with cities, there were two women propheteffes at

96 V.

221.

437. 493. ed. Xylan.

97 V.227.

99

98 De Orac. Defec. vol. II. p. 435. 99 Queft Græce, Id. p. 292. FOO C. 14 It appears from the Plutus of Ariftophanes, that they were then under the immediate protection of the God, for Cario the fervant defies his Mafter to beat him, as having the chaplet, (v. 21.)

I V. 422.

De Orac. defectu, ed. Xylan. vol. II. p. 414.

Delphi,

« AnteriorContinuar »