*Timæus, and from him Dionysius, says that these Penates had no proper shape or figure; but were wooden or brazen rods, shaped somewhat like trumpets. But it is also thought by others, that they had the shape of young men with spears, which they held apart from another.

The Lares were children born from Mercury and the Nymph Lara; for when, by her prating, she had discovered some of Jupiter's intrigues, he was so enraged that he cut out her tongue, and banished her to the Stygian lake: Mercury, who was appointed to conduct her thither, made love to her. She brought forth twins, and named them Lares.

"Fitque gravis Geminosque parit qui compita servant,
Et vigilant nostra semper in æde Lares. Ovid. Fast. 9

Her twins the Lares called. 'Tis by their care
Our houses, roads, and streets in safety are

They were made domestic gods, and accordingly presided over houses, streets, and ways. On this account they were worshipped in the roads and open streets, called compita in Latin, whence the games celebrated in honour of them were called Compitalitii, Compitalitia, and sometimes Compitalia. When these sports were exercised, the images of men and women, made of wool, were hung in the streets; and so many balls made of wool as there were servants in the family, and so many complete images as there were children. The meaning of which custom was this: These feasts were dedicated to the Lares, who were esteemed infernal gods; the people desiring by this, that these gods would be contented with those woollen images, and spare the persons represented by them. The Roman youths used to wear a golden ornament, called bulla, about their necks; it was made in the shape of a heart,

* Lib. 1.

and hollow within: this they wore till they were fourteen years of age, then they put it off, and hanging it up, consecrated it to the Lares; as we learn from Persius.

"Bullaque succinctis Laribus donata pependit."

When fourteen years are past, the Bulla's laid
Aside, an offering to the Lares made.

These Lares sometimes were clothed in the skin of dogs, and sometimes fashioned in the shape of dogs; whence that creature was consecrated to them.

The place in which the Lares were worshipped was called Lararium; and in the sacrifices offered to them, the first fruits of the year, wine and incense, were brought to their altars, and their images adorned with chaplets and garlands. *The beginning of which worship came hence that anciently the dead, who were buried at home, were worshipped as gos, and called Lares. And besides, we find in Pliny, that they sacrificed, with wine and incense, to the images of the emperors while they yet lived.

QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION.

How are the inferior gods divided?

What is said of the Penates?

Into how many orders were they divided, and what was their office?

What signification is given to the word "Penates" by the

Latins?

What is related of the Penates by Timæus and Dionysius ? Who were the Lares?

Over what did they preside?

What games were celebrated in honour of them, and how were they exercised?

What customs had the Romans with respect to the Lares? Where were the Lares worshipped?

CHAPTER II.

THE GENII. THEIR NAMES, IMAGES, SACRIFICES,

AND OFFICES.

ALTHOUGH the Genii and the Lares sometimes mean the same deities, yet by Genius is commonly meant that spirit of nature which produces all things, from which generative power it has its name. * The birth-day had the name +" genial" from him which name was likewise given to all days, wherein mirth, pleasure, and joys did abound. And on the same account those who live merrily, who deny themselves nothing that makes for their ease and pleasure, or that is grateful to their appetite, who entirely follow the dictates of their sensual desires, are said to live a genial life, or to indulge their genius.

The Greeks called these Genii" dæmons ;" as it is thought, from the terror and dread they create in those to whom they appear; or, as it is more probable, from the prudent and wise answers which they gave when they were consulted as oracles. Hence some think, that illustrious men, whose actions in this life gain them universal praise and applause, do after their deaths become dæmons; by which dæmons is to be understood, as Plutarch says, beings of a middle kind, of a greater dignity than man, but of a nature inferior to the gods.

The images of the Genii (according to Persius and his commentators) resembled for the most part

A gignendo seu genendo, nam geno pro gigno olim dicebatur. Aug. de Civ. Dei. 7. Cic. de Orat. 2. et de Invent. 2.

† Censorin. de Dei. Nat. 3.

Dæmones dicuntur a dapova exterreo aut pavefacio. Eu

sebius.

§ Vel quasi doves id est, periti rerumque proscii nam responsa dabant consulentibus. Isidor. 3. Etymol.

the form of a serpent. Sometimes also they were described like a boy, a girl, or an old man; and crowned with the leaves of the plane, which was a tree sacred to them.

Wine and flowers were offered up in the sacrifices to the Genii, and that, especially by the people on their birth-days, as we may learn from Persius and Horace :

"Funde merum Genio." Pers.

To Genius consecrate a cheerful glass

-"piabant

Floribus et vino Genium memcrem brævis ævi,
Cum sociis operum et pueris conjuge fida." Epist. 2.

Their wives, their neighbours, and their prattling boys,
Were call'd; all tasted of their sportive joys:

They drank, they danc'd, they sung, made wanton sport,
Enjoy'd themselves, for life they knew was short.

To these flowers and wine they added *incense, parched bread, and corn strewed with salt. †Some times also a swine was sacrificed; though Censorinus writes, that it was not usual to sacrifice to the Genii with the blood and slaughter of any thing, since we ought not to take life from other creatures on that day on which we received it.

The Genii were appointed the continual guardians, overseers, and safe keepers of the men (as the women's guardians and protectors were called Junones) from their cradles to their graves. They likewise carried the prayers of men to the gods, and interceded for them. Whence some call them Præstites, or chief governors, because they are set over the management of all things.

To every person were assigned two Genii, a

• Plut. in Aul.

Palæph. Ecl. 5. Hor. Carm. 3.

Plut de Iside et Osir.

bonus Genius, and a malus Genius: Horace calls them a white and a black one. We are told by †Valerius Maximus, that when Cassius fled to Athens, after Anthony was beaten at Actium, there appeared to him a man of large stature, of a black swarthy complexion, with long hair, and grisly beard. Cassius asked him who he was? and the apparition answered, "I am your evil Genius." Virgil is thought, by his commentator, Servius, to mean these two Genii, by the word manes. Of these two Genii, the good one, which is given to every one at his birth, constantly incites him to the practice of virtue and goodness; whereas the bad one prompts him to all manner of vice and wickedness.

66

Nor were they assigned to men only; for several countries had their Genii, who therefore were called "the deities of the place:" Nay, Genii were allotted to all houses, and doors, and stables, and hearths: and because the hearths were usually covered with slates, therefore the god of the hearths was called Lateranus.

QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION.

Who were the Genii, and from what is the term derived?
Why were they called Dæmons?

How are they represented?

What were the sacrifices offered to the Genii?

To whom were the Genii appointed guardians?

How many Genii were appointed to each person, and what were they?

What was the office of each?

Were Genii appointed to countries and places, as well as per

What was the god of the hearths called?

* Genium album et nigrum Epist. 2.

+ Interrogatus quisquam esset respondit se esse xaxıdaiova, C. 7.

• Quisque suos patimur manes. Virg. Æn. 7. Vide Servium

Numen loci. Virg. Æn. 7.

Frud. in Symm. Laterculis extrui foci solebant. Lil. Gyr

yut. 1.