this eagle by, too, for Ganymedes' sake? Well, Attis, at all events, and Korybus, and Sabazius 1-from what part of the world have they been rolled in upon us one after the other? Or that Mithras, the Median, with his oriental mantle and tiara, who does not even speak a word of Greek, so that, even if one drink his health, he doesn't understand? So, of course, the Scythians and Dacians, upon seeing their characters, bid us a long adieu, and immortalize and elect for Gods for themselves whomever they may choose; in the same manner in which Zamolxis,2 slave though he was, was enrolled, who crept in I don't know how. However, all these things, Gods, are comparative trifles. But you, with the dog-face, the Ægyptian, wrapped up in linen wraps, who are you, excellent Sir, or how do you put in a claim to be divine with your barking? And what is the meaning of this bull from Memphis, that spotted individual, being worshipped, and delivering oracles, and having prophets? I blush to speak of the ibises, and apes, and goats, and other yet more ridiculous objects of worship, I know not how stuffed into Heaven from Egypt;/and how do you, Gods, submit to see them worshipped upon a perfect equality with, or even to a greater degree than, yourselves? Or you, Zeus, how do you like it, when your ram's horns sprout out upon you? 5

Zeus. These Egyptian facts you mention, of a truth, are

1 See Ζεύς Τραγῳδος and Ικαρο-Μεν. Sabazius, a Phrygian divinity, was identified with Dionysus. Cf. Aristoph. 'Opvil. 875, Avoíor. 388. Cicero, De Nat. Deor. ii. 23, 58. Macrob. Sat. i. 1. Korybus may be either the representation of the Korybantic family, or an individual said to have been the son of Kybele.

2 A Thracian divinity, or prophet, who is said to have been a slave of Pythagoras. See Herodotus (iv. 94, 95), who describes the barbarous sacrifices to this God; Apuleius, De Magia, 290.

3 Anubis. See N. A. xiii.

For the Egyptian worship of and extraordinary reverence for Apis, or the sacred Bull of Memphis, see Herodotus iii. 27-29; Pliny, Hist. Nat. viii. 46; Ammianus Marcellinus, Res Gestæ, 22.

5 In the character of Zeus Ammon. He was represented sometimes as a ram, sometimes as human, excepting the head (or only the horns) of a ram. The chief seats of his worship were the Egyptian Thebes, and the famous oasis in the bordering desert. See Herod. ii. 42; Lucan, Pharsalia, ix. 511. Lucian, it seems, had not Plutarch's respect for the (innocent) non-human species; or Montaigne's juster estimate of the relative value of Life (Essais, ii. 12).

scandals. But, all the same, Momus, the greater part of them are allegorical; and it is not at all right for an uninitiated person, like yourself, to laugh at them.

Momus. We are sadly in want, then, Zeus, of mystic initiation into the Mysteries, so as to know the Gods that are Gods, and the dog-headed that are dog-headed.

Zeus. Have done, I say, with the concerns of the Egyptians for we will consider about them, another time, at our leisure. Do you go on with the rest.

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Momus. About that Trophonius, Zeus, and-what particularly chokes me that Amphilochus who, son of an accursed matricide, utters his prophecies, excellent man, in Cilicia, lying for the most part, and juggling, for the gain of a couple of oboles. So, forsooth, Apollo, you are no longer in esteem; but now every rock, and every altar,2 which may be sprinkled with oil, and have garlands, and can supply an impostor, such as exist in quantities, delivers its oracles. Already, indeed, the statue of Polydamas, the athlete, cures fever-stricken patients at Olympia, and that of Theagenes in Thasos; and they offer sacrifices to Hektor, at Ilium, and to Protesilaus, over the way, in the Chersonese. Ever since we have become so numerous, perjury has increased all the more, and temple-robbery, and, in a word, they have altogether despised us, and very rightly.

1 See Νεκ. Διαλ. iii.

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2 Cicero characterizes these highly profitable sources, among others, of sacerdotal revenue, as flexiloqua et obscura, ut interpres egeat interprete. De Div. ii. 56. By the Christian Fathers they were held to have been directly inspired by the demons (or, rather, devils), who personated the divinities of Paganism: "In oraculis autem," says Tertullian, quo ingenio ambiguitates temperent in eventus, sciunt Crosi, sciunt Pyrrhi."-Apolog. 22. Lactantius, and St. Augustin (De Div. Dæmonum and De Civit. Dei), strongly maintained the reality of such diabolic inspiration. Eusebius (Evay 'Aπod. ПIρоπ. v.) quotes a number of instances of these tricks of the "juggling fiends." Cf. Bayle, Sur les Oracles.

3 Two famous athletes, the latter of Herculean strength. See Pausanias ('HA. ii.), who states that there were statues set up to the honour of Theagenes in many parts of Hellas, and even in foreign countries, which healed men of their diseases, “ καὶ νοσήματα τε αὐτῶν ἰώμενον.” The islanders of Thasos enjoyed the privilege of giving birth to this Samson-a somewhat troublesome one, according to the account of the Greek traveller. Cf. Lucian, Πῶς δεῖ Ιστ. Συγ. 35. For Polydamas, see Valer. Maximus, De Factis, etc., ix. 12.

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For Protesilaus, see N. A. xix.

Thus much as to bastards and fraudulently-registered Gods. For my part, when I hear, as I now do, a number of strange names of certain qualities, which certainly are not found with us, nor can at all agree together; at all that, Zeus, I laugh consumedly. For where is that Virtue, so much in the mouths of all of us, and Nature and Destiny and Chance-without any certain existence, and empty names of things-which have been invented by those stupid dolts, the philosophers? Yet, though they are plainly fictitious, to such a degree have they influenced the fools, that not one of them cares even to offer sacrifices to us; being well persuaded that, even though he should present ten thousand hecatombs, Chance would all the same effect what was decreed, and what had been spun out from the first for each individual person. I should, therefore, be glad to ask you, Zeus, have you ever seen either Virtue, or Nature, or Fate ? For that, in fact, you do hear them in the discussions of the philosophers, I know, unless, indeed, you are, in a manner, deaf, so that you don't hear their clamours. Though I have still much to say, I shall now bring my speech to an end. I observe, in fact, that the majority are annoyed by my words, and are hissing: those, especially, to whom the freedom of my address has come home. If, however, you desire an end to these evils, Zeus, I will read off a certain resolution in regard to them, composed by me just now.

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Zeus. Read for all your charges are not without some reason. And I must put a check upon the greater part of them, so that they don't come to too great a head.

IN THE NAME OF GOD,'

The Decree.

IN a legitimately-convoked Popular Assembly, on the seventh day of the first decade of the month,2 under the

1 'Aya¤ý Tvxỹ. A form used on solemn occasions, and inscribed on public monuments, by Hellenic custom, of which the Latin equivalent was quod felix faustumque sit. Cf. Thucyd. iv. 118. Arist. 'Opv. 435, 675 ; Θεσμ. 283; Plato, Νομ. 625.

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Εβδόμη ἱσταμένου. The Attic month was divided into three decades —ὁ ἱσταμένος οἱ ἀρχομένος μὴν (the commencing month), ὁ μεσῶν (the middle), and ỏ phívwv (the concluding decade of the month t te Cf. Δική Φωνη. 1.

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presidency of Zeus, and vice-presidency of Poseidon, Apollo in the chair, Momus, son of Nux, acting as registrar, and Hypnus brought forward the motion:-Whereas many strangers, not only Hellenes, but even barbarous peoples, not at all deserving to share our rights of Olympian citizenship, have been by some means illegally registered, and have got to have the reputation of being deities, and have crowded up all Heaven, so that the banqueting-hall is filled with a tumultuous and turbulent mob, arabble of people of all sorts of lingos; there is a failure in the supply of ambrosia and nektar, so that now a half-pint of the latter is sold at a mna, by reason of the number of the drinkers; and these, with insolent audacity, have ousted the ancient and genuine deities, and claimed the first places for themselves, contrary to all the traditions of our constitution, and wish to have precedence even on the Earth. Be it, therefore, decreed by the Senate and the People, that about the winter solstice a popular Assembly be summoned on Olympus, and seven of the first-class Gods be elected as Inquisitors-three from the old Senate of the time of Kronos, and four from the Twelve, of whom Zeus shall be one. Be it further enacted, that these Inquisitors sit en permanence, after having taken the customary oath-by the Styx; that Hermes make proclamation and assemble them all together, as many as put in their claims, as tax-payers, to a seat in the Convention; and that they bring with them sworn witnesses under oath, and proofs of their birth and family. Thereupon let them appear severally, and the Inquisitors, after close scrutiny, shall declare them to be bona fide Gods, or shall despatch them down to their proper sepulchres, and their ancestral vaults: And, be it enacted, if any one of the rejected Gods once ejected by the Inquisitors, be caught in the act of climbing into Heaven, that he shall be thrown into Tartarus. Further, be it enacted that each God employ himself solely about his own proper business: that neither Athena practise Medicine; nor Asklepius trade in oracles; nor

1 Ο Ζεὺς ἐπρυτάνευε, καὶ προήδρευε Ποσειδῶν, ἐπεστάτει Απόλλων. For the proper meanings of these legal formula, see Smith's Dict. of Ant. (article Boulé) and cf. Thucyd. iv. 118; Demosth. Aóyou; Andokides, Λόγος Περὶ Μυστ. ; Pollux, Ονομαστ. viii. 98.

Apollo have all to himself so many departments, but choose out some one province-either be a prophet, a professor of music, or a physician.

Be it further decreed, that the philosophers be warned not to invent empty names, nor talk nonsense about what they don't know. And as regards the disfranchised Gods, who already have been deemed worthy of temples and sacrifices, their statues are to be thrown down, and the statue of Zeus, or Hera, or Apollo, or someone else to be inserted in the temples, instead: That, as for those others, their State erect a tomb for them, and set up a pillar in place of an altar. And, if anyone disobey this proclamation, and be not willing to come before the Commission, let them give judgment, by default, against him.1 Such is our Decree.

Zeus. Very just, Momus, and every one who is in favour of it hold up his hand;2 or, rather, so let it take effect at once: for I know that the dissentients will be in the majority. The Assembly is now dismissed. But, whenever Hermes shall make proclamation, come each of you with clear testimonials, and plain proofs of your titles-the father's and mother's names, and whence, and how, he or she became a divinity, his tribe, and wardsmen.3 As, in the case of whoever shall not exhibit these, whether a claimant has a big temple upon the Earth, and whether he is regarded. by men as divine, the Commission will not trouble themselves.

1 Ερήμην αὐτοῦ καταδιαιτήσαντων. Sup. δικὴν. Cf. Lucian, 'YπÈρ Εἰκ. 15—ἐρήμην καταδιαιτήσας τοῦ βιβλίου. The ψήφισμα, " the decree," is the Act passed by the Bovλn and EKKλnoía conjointly: the TроBоúλεvμa, as the word implies, is the resolution of the first "house" alone, which had no legal force until ratified by the popular Assembly. It is not uninstructive to remark that, by the Athenian constitution, every Bill to be introduced into the "Commons was for some time previously exposed to the public view of the whole body of citizens.

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2 There were two methods of voting, by "show of hands" (xeporovía) and by "balloting" (npopopia). The former was the more usual.

3 By the constitution of Kleisthenes the whole Attic population was redistributed into ten púλai (“ tribes "), which were subdivided each into ten duo ("hundreds "). The term pparpiai ("wardsmen "), a significant word, was still retained.