Religious nations sure, and bless'd abodes, The ancient Romans, who were so superior in arms, in arts, in eloquence, and in almost every thing that can adorn human nature, were plunged into the grossest idolatry. They reckoned among their gods not only beasts and things void of all sense, but, which is a far greater madness, they sometimes worshipped as gods, the very worst of mankind.. Besides their own country gods, and family gods, they worshipped all strange deities that came to the city, and which were made free of it. Whence it came to pass, in time, that when they saw their precincts too narrow to contain so many, necessity forced them to send their gods into colonies, as they did their men. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION ON THE FOREGÒING CHAPTER. What is meant by the Fabulous Pantheon? Give some account of the Pantheon at Rome.. To what purpose was it devoted by Pope Boniface? What causes have conspired to the establishment of Idolatry? Who was the contriver of false gods, and how is the circumstance accounted for? Whom or what did the Africans, Persians, and others worship as gods? Did the ancient Romans exhibit more wisdom in this respect? To what had they recourse when their deities became very numerous ? CHAPTER II. THE ENTRANCE INTO THE PANTHEON. A DISTRI BUTION OF THE GODS INTO SEVERAL CLASSES. As the Roman people were distributed into three ranks; namely, of *senators or noblemen, knights or gentlemen, plebeans or citizens; as also into noble, Patricii, equites, et plebeii. † Nobiles, novi, et ignobiles. Cic. pro Muræn. new-raised, and ignoble; (of which the new-raised were those who did not receive their nobility from their ancestors, but obtained it themselves by their own virtue;) so the Roman gods were divided, as it were, into three classes. The first class is of superior gods, Dii majorum gentium, for the people paid to them a higher degree of worship; because they imagined that these gods were more eminently employed in the government of this world. These were called also select, because they had always the title of celestial gods, and were famous and eminent above others, of extraordinary authority and renown. Twelve of these were styled consentes; because, in affairs of great importance, Jupiter admitted them into his council. The images of these were fixed in the Forum at Rome: six of them were males, and six females; commonly, without other additions, called The Twelve gods; and whose names Ennius comprises in a distich. Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, These twelve gods were believed to preside over the twelve months; to each of them was allotted a month; January to Juno, February to Neptune, March to Minerva, April to Venus, May to Apollo, June to Mercury, July to Jupiter, August to Ceres, September to Vulcan, October to Mars, November to Diana, December to Vesta. They likewise presided over the twelve celestial signs. If to these twelve Dii Consentes, you add the eight following, Janus, Saturnus, Genius, Sol, Pluto, Bacchus, Tellus, and Luna, you will have twenty, that is, all the select gods. The second class contains the gods of lower rank and dignity, who were styled Di Minorum Gentium; because they shine with a less degree of glory, and have been placed among the gods, as Cicero says, by their own merits. Whence they are called also Adscriptitii, Minuscularii, Putatii, and Indigetes: because now they wanted nothing; or because, being translated from this earth into heaven, they conversed with the gods; or being fixed, as it were, to certain places, committed peculiarly to their care, they dwelt in them, to perform the duty intrusted to them. Thus Eneas was made a god, by his mother Venus, in the manner described by Ovid: His better parts by lustral waves refin'd, With gums of fragrant scent the goddess strews, And on his features breathes ambrosial dews. Thus deified, new honours Rome decrees, Shrines, festivals; and styles him Indiges.-Met. 14. The gods of the third and lower class, are sometimes called Minuti, Vesci, and Miscellanei, but more usually Semones, whose merits were not sufficient to gain them a place among the celestial gods; yet their virtues were such, that the people thought them superior to mortal men. They were called Patellarii, from certain small dishes, in which the ancients offered to the gods their sacrifices, of which Ovid makes mention : To Vesta's deity, with humble mess, In cleanly dish serv'd up, they now address. To these we ought to adjoin the gods called Novensiles, which the Sabines brought to Rome by the command of king Tatius; and which were so named, and some say, because they were latest of all reckoned among the gods; or because they were presidents over the changes, by which the things of this world subsist. Circius believes them to have been the strange gods of conquered nations; whereof the numbers were so vast, that it was thought fit to call all in general Novensiles, lest they should forget any of them, And lastly, to this class also we must refer those gods and goddesses by whose help and means, as Cicero says, men are advanced to heaven, and obtain a place among the gods; of which sort are the principal virtues, as we shall show in the proper place. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. Were the heathen gods, all of one degree of rank; if not, inte how many classes were they divided? What is said of the first class? Why were they called select? Why were some of them called consentes? Over what did the twelve gods preside? Enumerate them. Which is the second class of gods, and why are they so styled What are the gods of the third class, and how are they deno minated? What are the "Novensiles ?" CHAPTER III. A SUPPOSED VIEW OF THE PANTHEON. A MORE COMMODIOUS DIVISION OF THE GODS. HAVING already described to you the structure and ornaments of this wonderful building, within the niches of which the statues of the gods were placed, it is right you should be informed, that the three classes, mentioned above, are here divided into six, and painted upon the several parts of the Pantheon. 1. The celestial gods and goddesses are upon an arch. 2. The terrestrial, upon the wall on the right hand. 3. The marine and river gods upon the wall on the left.. 4. The infernal, upon the lower compartment by the pavement. 5. The minuti or semones, and miscellanei, before you. 6. The adscriptitii and indigetes behind you. Our discourse shall likewise consist of six parts; in each of which I shall lay before you. whatever I have found most remarkable among the best authors upon this subject. Let us, however first sit down together awhile; and, as the place is free from company, we will take a deliberate view of the whole army of gods, and inspect them one after another; beginning, as is fit, with the celestial, and so with Jove, according to the direction of the poet : "Ab Jove principium Musa: Jovis omnia plena." From the great father of the Gods above Virg. Ecl. 3. QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION Into how many classes are the gods in the pantheon divided ? How are they ranged? Whence does the description begin? Repeat the lime from Virgil and translation. |