lege to force him thence, and they thought his Blood would be upon them that should do it; infomuch, that those who kill'd the Followers of Cylon, who had plunder'd the Temple of Minerva, because they executed them hanging on the Altars, were ever after call'd Argo, prophane and impious*. And in Etolia, when Laodamia, who had fled for Protection to Diana's Altar, was killed in a Tumult of the People, there enfu'd a dreadful Famine, with civil and foreign Wars, till the whole Etolian Nation was quite deftroy'd. Mile, who kill'd Laodamia, fell into Distraction and Madness, and having torn out his own Bowels with his Teeth, dy'd on the twelfth Day after the Fact was committed. Hence and from other Examples of the like Nature it came to pafs, that the Privileges of the Ayla were preferv'd inviolable; whence Tacitus complains, that the Grecian Temples were fill'd with the wort of Slaves, with infolvent Debtors, and Criminals who fled from Juftice; and that no Authority was fufficient to force them thence P. And that this was a very ancient Cause of Complaint, may be learn'd from the following Words of Ion in Euripides ; Φεῦ Δεινόν γε, θνητοῖς τοὺς νόμος ὡς ἐ καλῶς How infinitely more wifely were the Jewish Afyla, or Cities of Refuge order'd, in which they who had been guilty of Manflaughter were protected only till their Caufe was brought to a fair Hearing, and then if they appear'd to deferve Punishment, deliver'd up to Justice? When Paufanias King of Sparta, who had held a Correfpondence with the King of Perfia, and confpir'd against his native Country, fled to the Temple of Minerva Chalciccus, the Lacedaemonians unwilling both to offend the Goddefs, and to let the Criminal Efcape, permitted him to remain in the Temple, but uncover'd it, and fo left him to perish with Cold and Hunger. But how unufual this way of proceeding was, may appear from Paufanias *, who informs us, μόνον αὐτὸν ἱκετευσάντων την Χαλκέοικον αμαρτεῖν ἀδείας· that of all who had fed for Proteætion to the Goddess Chalchicecus, he was the only Perfon who fail'd of it. Neverthelefs there are Inftances in other Places, where the Doors of the Temples were fhut, and the Roof uncover'd, in order to ftarve Criminals, who had taken Sanctuary there. Sometimes they were forc'd away by Fire, as hath been obferv'd by the Scholiaft of Euripides, where Her mione threatens Andromache, who had fled for Refuge to Thetis to drive her away by that Means1. Πῦρ σοι προσοίσω, καὶ τὸ σὸν προσκέψομαι. Το In the fame manner Lycus treats the Relations of Hercules*. Αγ' οἱ μθρ' Ελικῶν, οἱ δὲ Παρνασοῦ πτυχὰς In Imitation, and as an Improvement of this Paffage, Lycus is intro duc'd by Seneca, commanding not only the Family of Hercules, but the very Temples to be burnt. Which is an Exaggeration very agreeable to the Genius of that Poet, but quite contrary to the Manners of the Times he defcribes. His Words are these *: Congerite filvas; templa fupplicibus fuis Injecta flagrent; conjugem & totam gregem There are several Examples of the fame Custom in Plautus. When Tra nio the Slave of Theuropides had fled to a Sanctuary, his Master threatens him thus": Jam jubebo ignem & farmenta, carnifex, circumdari. In another Place of that Author, Labrax in the fame manner bespeaks his Damfels, who had betaken themselves to the Protection of Venus". Vulcanum adducam, is Veneris eft Adverfarius. And it being a direct Act of Sacrilege, to take away Suppliants from the Sanctuary, whither they had fled for Protection, this Method was us'd to constrain them to leave it, as it were of themselves, and by their own Confent. Nevertheless this Evafion of the facred Privileges was not thought free from Impiety. Whence the foremention'd Words of Her mione are thus answer'd by Andromache in Euripides ; Σὺ δ ̓ οὖν κάταθε Θεοί δ εἴσονται τάδε, Burn me then, for the Gods will fee it. From the frequent mention of Suppliants fecuring themfelves in the Temples, and at the Altars and Images of the Gods, it may be thought that all of them were Ayla, according to the general Expreffion of Es ripides Y; ver. 106. *Hercul. Fer. Andromach, ver. 256. έχει η καταφυγήν, της με πέτραν, Δὅλοι 5 βωμὸς θεῶν. This wild Beaft is fecured by Rocks, and Slaves by the Altars of the Gods. Nevertheless, it is most certain, to use the Words of Servius3, non fuisse afylum in omnibus Templis, nifi quibus confecrationis lege conceffum eft: That all Temples were not Sanctuaries, but only fuch as receiv'd that Privilege from the manner of their Confecration. Whence, at the Dedication of fuch Places, particular mention is often made by Authors, that they were appointed to be Sanctuaries: Which would have been needlefs, if all Temples had been invested with that Privilege. The fame farther appears from this, that fome of the Ayla were free for all Men, others appropriated to certain Perfons, or Crimes. Thus the Temple of Diana at Ephesus, was a Refuge for Debtors; the Tomb, or Temple of Thefeus, was a Sanctuary for Slaves, and all thofe of mean Condition, that fled from the Severities and hard Usage of their Masters, and Men in Power; in Memory that Thefeus was an Affifter and Protector of the distressed, and never rejected the Petitions of the afflicted, that fled to him for Succour and Defence, as Plutarch reports. Nor was this Honour only granted to the Gods, but also to the Statues, or Monuments of Princes, and other great Perfons. So the Sepulchre of Achilles on the Sigean Shore was, in after Ages, made an Asylum; and Ajax had the like Honour paid his Tomb on the Rhatean. b The first Afylum, fome fay, was built at Athens by the Heraclide, and was a Refuge for thofe that fled from the Oppreffion of their Fathers: Others will have this to be a Sanctuary for all fort of Suppliants. Others affirm, that the first was erected at the building of Thebes by Cadmus, where the Privilege of Sanctuary was granted to all forts of Criminals; and in Imitation of thefe, they fay, the Afylum at Rome was open'd by Romulus. This is certain, that Sanctuaries were common in the heroical Times. Hence Troy being taken, Priamus fled for Protection to the Altar of Jupiter Herceus, as we are inform'd by Paufanias; Virgile adds farther, that he was accompany'd by his Wife Hecuba, and his Children. And Polyxena, who was to be facrific'd to appease Achilles's Ghoft, is thus advis'd by one in Euripides": Αλλ' κάθε πρὸς ναούς, ἴσθι πρὸς βωμάς. Go to the Temples, go to the Altars. The Sacredness of these Places was held entire till the Reign of Tiberius Cafar, who, upon Confideration of the many Inconveniencies, which muft neceffarily be the Effect of tolerating fo many Villains, as were always harbour'd in them, diffolv'd them all, preferving only to Juno Samia, and one of Efculapius's Temples their ancient Privileges. Suetonius indeed reports, that he did abolere jus moremque afylorum, quæ uf quam erant ; abolish the Privileges and Customs of Afyla in all Parts of b Thefeo. Strabo, lib. III. a Comment. in Æneid. lib. II. d Conf. Statins Theb. lib. XII. ejufque vetus Interpres. Item Servius in Æneid. lib. VIII. Alex. ab Alex. lib. III. cap. 20. Paufanias, lib. VII. Epigram. Grec. Antholog. lib. IV. Cerinthiacis. & Æneid. lib. II. ver. 512. Hecuba ver. 146. the the World. But from Tacitus, who has more exactly reported this Matter, we learn, that the Privileges of Sanctuaries were not then wholly taken away, but only regulated and reform'd *. Before the Conclufion of this Chapter, it will not be improper to mention the Fields dedicated to religious Ufes. These were call'd Tapẩm. This interpreted by the Scholiaft upon Homer to be isgor xapier, àβαρισμένον Θεῷ κατὰ τιμήν, ή ήρωί, ο Sacred Portion of Land fet apart in Honour of fome God or Hero. Several of thefe Places are mention'd by Homer, Paufanias, and other Authors. Sometimes their Product are carefully gather'd in, and referv'd for the Maintenance of the Priefts, or other religious Purposes". For, as hath been already obferv'd, it was cuftomary to pay the fame Offices to the Gods, which Men stand in Need of. The Temples were their Houses, Sacrifices their Food, Altars their Tables, Images reprefented their Perfons, and Portions of Land were also fet apart for the Maintenance of their Families. The fame Refpect was paid to Kings, and Men who had done eminent Service for their Counary. Thus Tarquinius Superbus had a Portion of Ground in the Campus Martius at Rome. King Latinus's Field is mention'd by Virgil" : Infuper id campi, quad rex habet ipfe Latinus. This was alfo call'd T, which Word, according to Hefychius, fignifies whatever is fet apart Baride, for a God, or a King. Thus the Lycians affign'd répe, a Portion of Land, for the private Ufe of Bellerophon. The fame was promis'd by the Etolians to Meleager P ; and in Lycia enjoy'd by the two Kings Sarpedon and Glaucus, the former of which thus fpeaks to the latter in Homer 9: I Καὶ τέμενου νεμόμεθα μέγα ξανθοῖο παρ' όχθας, CHA P. III. Of the Grecian Priefts, and their Offices. T has been the Custom of all Nations to pay a peculiar Honour to their Priests; which was partly done out of Respect to the Gods, whom they reprefented; and partly, (as Plutarch in his Morals tells us) because they did not pray for a Bleffing on themselves, their own Families and Friends only, but on whole Communities, on the whole State of Mankind. They were accounted Mediators between God and Men, being oblig'd to offer the Sacrifices and Prayers of the People to their Gods, as will farther appear in the following Chapter; and on the other fide ipsal age tear arofázos, deputed by the Gods to be their interpreters to Men, to inftruct them how to pray for themselves, what Annal. lib. III. 60, 61, 62, 63. Tiberii, cap. 37. Iliad. Iliad. '. ver. 696. Iliad. V. ver. 194. it was most expedient to ask, what Sacrifices, what Vows, what Gifts would be most acceptable to the Gods; and, in fhort, to teach them all the Ceremonies us'd in the divine Worfhip, as Plato informs us On this Account, the Priefts were honour'd with the next Places to their Kings, and chief Magiftrates, and in many Places wore the fame Habit. In most of the Grecian Cities, and particularly at Athens, as we are in form'd by Plato, and feveral others, the Care of divine Worship was committed to the Chief Magiftrates: And these were often confecrated to the Priesthood. Thus Anius in Virgil was King of Delos, and Prieft of Apollot. Rex Anius, Rex idem hominum, Phoebique Sacerdos. In Egypt the Kings were all Priests; and if any one, who was not of the Royal Family ufurp'd the Kingdom, he was oblig'd to be conse crated to the Priesthood before he was permitted to govern ". In fome Places of Greece ἀντέῤῥοπον ἦν τὸ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἀξίωμα πρὸς τὸ τῆς βασιλείας, the Dignity of Priests was equal to that of Kings, as we are affured by Plutarch. At Sparta, the Kings immediately after their Promotion, took upon them the two Priesthoods of the Heavenly, and the Lacedæ monian Jupiter, which was rather esteem'd an Acceffion to their Honour, than any Diminution of it. And all the publick Sacrifices for the Safety of the Commonwealth, were offer'd by them only; it being the common Opinion, that the Gods were more ready to hear the Prayers of them than other Men. Neither was this a Privilege peculiar to Royal Priests, but common to all others, even in the moft ancient Times they being all accounted the immediate Ministers of the Gods, and by them commiffion'd to dispense their Favours to Mankind. Hence, tho at other times it was not unlawful for other Men to offer Sacrifices, yet when any publick Calamity was to be averted, or any great and uncommon Bleffing to be obtain'd, they had Recourse to fome of thofe, who were confecrated to the Office of Priesthood. Thus the Peftilence could not be remov'd from the Grecian Army by any Prayers or Sacrifices, till they did Carry a facred Hecatomb to Chryfes, the Prieft of Apollo. At other times, and in the Abfence of Priefts, it was cuftomary for others to offer Prayers and Sacrifices. Thus Eumaus is faid to have done in Homer's Odyfeis, and the fame is frequently done in other Places by the Heroes, Princes, or Mafters of the Family: It being cuftomary for the most honourable Perfon in the Company, to perform the religious Rites. The fame Method was obferv'd by the Patriarchs in the holy Scriptures. where we find Oblation made by Cain, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Job, Ja u Plato loco citato. Politico, pag. 550. Edit. Franc. Conf. idem Convivio, pag. 1194. fLoco citato. Quaft. Roman. fub finem. Alex, ab Alexandro Gen. Dier. lib. III. cap. 7. Niç, Cragiųs de Rep, Laced. lib. II, Æneid. III. v. 80. ylliad. d. v. 99. |