PART V. OF THE DII MINORUM GENTIUM; OR, THE SUBORDINATE DEITIES. CHAPTER I. THE PENATES. THE LARES. THE fifth division of this Fabulous Pantheon contains the inferior or subordinate gods: the Latins generally called them Dii Minorum Gentium, and sometimes Semones, Minuti, Plebeii, and Patellarii. The Penates are so called from the Latin word penus, which word, *Cicero says, includes every thing that man eats. Or they have perhaps this name from the place allotted to them in the heavens, †because they are placed in the most inward and private parts of the heavens where they reign: hence they call them †Penetrales, and the place of their abode Penetrale. They entirely govern us by their reason, their heat, and their spirit, so that we can neither live, nor use our understanding without them; yet we know neither their number nor names. The ancient Hetrusci called them Consentes and Compli * Est enim penus omne quo vescuntur homines. De Nat. Deor. † Quod penitus insideant, ex quo Penetrales a Poetis vocantur, et locus in quo servabantur eorum effigies Penetrale dictus. Varro ap. Arnob. 1.3. ces; supposing that they are Jupiter's counsellors, and the chief of the gods; and many reckon Jupiter himself, together with Juno and Minerva, among the Penates. But I will give you more distinct and particular information in this matter. There were three orders of the Dii Penates: 1. Those who governed *kingdoms and provinces, and were absolutely and solely called Penates. 2. Those who presided over cities only; and these were called the "gods of the country," or the "great gods:" Æneas makes mention of them in Virgil. "Tu, genitor, cape sacra manu, patriosque Penates." En. 2. Our country gods, the reliques and the bands, 3. Those who preside over particular houses and families, and these were called the "small gods:" The poets make frequent mention of them, especially Virgil, who in one place mentions fifty maid-servants whose business it was to look after their affairs, and $to offer sacrifices to the household gods: and in ||another place he speaks of these household gods being stained and defiled by the blood of one that was killed by his brother. But it must likewise be observed that, among the Latins, the word Penates not only signifies the gods, of which we have been speaking, but likewise a dwelling house, of which we have instances in many authors, and among the rest, in ¶Virgil, **Cicero, and ††Fabius. Virg. Æn. 1. 5. + Dii Patrii 901 warpwiol. Macrob. 3. Saturn. 14, Parvique Penates. Virg. Æn. 8. § Flammis adolere penates. Æn. 1. Sparsos fraterna cæde Penates. Æn. 4. Nostris succede penatibus hospes Æn. 8. **Exterminare aliquem a suis Diis Penatibus. Pro Sexto. Liberos pellere domo, ac prohibere Penatibus. Dec. 260. 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, Her twins the Lares called. 'Tis by their care 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 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 gods, 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? * Juv. Sat. 9, 12. Arnob. 5. ex. Var 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. t Censorin. de Dei. Nat. 3. Dæmones dicuntur a damova exterreo aut pavefacio. Eu sebius. § Vel quasi daoves id est, periti rerumque proscii nam responsa dabant consulentibus. Isidor. 3. Etymol, |